god essek is such a fucking weirdo. calling himself a sorcerer and then almost immediately casting a spell like a wizard. weird ass disguise and a fake name that really kinda rhymes with his real one. making bells hells split invisibility on the group 5/4 so he doesn’t have to waste any more spell slots on them. taking a group of strangers (admittedly, very strange strangers) into a smut shop and expecting them to be normal about it. confronting his boyfriend’s ex in the empty back room of said smut shop. he’s everything to me.
Keyleth definitely would've seen through his illusion, right?
she saw that Essek showed up disguised as a random Cobalt Soul archivist and went "yeah, sure, why wouldn't an undercover Kryn drow show up when i asked a Zemnian human for help? that tracks with how wild everything is right now. anyways, gotta go deal with way more important people, byeeee"
or, way more juicy idea, did Caleb give her a heads up?
"ja, that sounds like a very important mission. unfortunately i'm indesposed (Jester knock it off this is an important call) but i can send you my good friend (Artagan please stop making that motion with your fingers). he'll be impersonating a member of the Cobalt Soul, but don't worry, Expositor Lionett is here with me and is giving me a thumbs up."
Ok, I'll lay down good money this smut shop fiasco is the inevitable product of Caleb's determined refusal to accept that his current bf and ex gf just can't get along and have spent the last six years' worth of socializing alternating between icy disdain and the bitchiest of sniping
Caleb: and she's a bit skittish right now so do please be nice, dear
Essek:
Essek: *reluctantly flips page from dominate person to anti-magic field*
essek seth telling bell’s hells “hold your breath.” prompting this cute little dorym moment where both dorian and orym immediately comply and look over at each other