"I sincerely apologise," Lord Rood promptly responded. "Given the magnitude of our impending discussions and revelations, I regrettably overlooked your presence here."
"... it's alright," Ashton replied, wondering how he should deal with Lord Rood 'ignoring' him.
"Lord Rood, you mustn't!" Astaroth urged, but his desperation only made the rest of them even more eager to hear the 'revelation'. "We all swore absolute secrecy-"
Hearing Astaroth made Rood chuckle. "Look at me, boy, I have one foot in my grave. You think I'm afraid of the consequences?"
As Rodd brought it to Ashton's attention, he couldn't help but notice the frailty of the Xyran. He refrained from passing judgment on Rood's appearance; the overall state of Rood's physique gave the impression that something unseen was slowly sapping his vitality from the inside.