Kaylie

Kaylie is a gnome bard and the daughter of Scanlan Shorthalt. As an NPC, she is played by Matthew Mercer.

Background
Growing up, Kaylie's mother, a gnome named Sybil, told her many tales about her father, Scanlan. Sybil had encountered Scanlan years ago, becoming pregnant with Kaylie, unbeknownst to Scanlan. Although Scanlan's memory was a bit fuzzy, he recalled that Sybil had golden hair, was eager to escape her simple beginnings, and became very clingy very quickly. Scanlan had left before learning of the pregnancy, leaving Sybil to raise her child on the income of a quilter. Sybil had even taken on a third job just south of Silvercut to support them.

Kaylie grew up mostly in Kymal. Being the only young gnome in such a rural town presented many dangers to Kaylie, so she learned to use both a blade and her charm to survive. She stole and lied, eventually raising enough money to train at the College of the White Duke, a bard college in Westruun. In Kaylie's third year of study, Dr. Dranzel's Spectacular Traveling Troupe passed through town, and she joined up with them.

Vox Machina encountered Kaylie while she played the flute in Dr. Dranzel's Spectacular Traveling Troupe in Emon's Diamond Nest Tavern. Scanlan flirted with her, but she was quick to say she'd heard several tales about his womanizing and knew better than to get involved. Scanlan challenged her to a "flute-off" in order to create a distraction to allow the rest of Vox Machina to sneak into the Clasp lair beneath the tavern. Despite his stunning performance, Scanlan let Kaylie win in the hope of winning her favor, forgetting that he bet his purse on the duel. As a result, Scanlan lost approximately 2,600 gold coins to Kaylie.



Later, Scanlan invited Dr. Dranzel's troupe into Greyskull Keep. Scanlan proceeded to flirt with Kaylie and was pleased when she accepted his invitation back up to his room. After some wine and lengthy conversation (mostly about Scanlan's past adventures), Kaylie remarked that she had heard those tales before, slowly and dramatically revealing her heritage as Scanlan's biological daughter. Drawing a dagger on Scanlan, Kaylie prepared to kill her father, blaming him for abandoning her mother and being responsible for her rough upbringing. Scanlan, unaware that he had a child, was shocked by this revelation and made an impassioned speech to get to know her or—if she must have her revenge—offering his life without challenge. Kaylie couldn't go through with killing him, her lunge attack instead devolving into an embrace.

Following her failed attempt to kill her father, Kaylie went out drinking and started a tavern brawl to let off steam. Scanlan—with help from Percy—got himself thrown into Kaylie's cell and used Dimension Door to break them both out of jail. She rejoined Dr. Dranzel and his troupe outside, and they left Emon to avoid the authorities—fortunately avoiding the Chroma Conclave's attack in the process.

Scanlan later reunited with Kaylie and Dr. Dranzel, whose troupe was hiding in Westruun following Kevdak's conquest of the town. Scanlan had Dimension Door-ed into the chapel in which the troupe was hiding after he had drawn the attention of the Herd of Storms in the city square.

A couple of the Herd members broke down the door to look inside the chapel, but Scanlan and Kaylie created the visual and auditory illusions of Stonejaw Strongjaw's floating head to scare them off. Scanlan proceeded to help Dr. Dranzel, Kaylie, and the other survivors to reach the sewers and sneak out of the city. During this encounter, Kaylie seemed to still hold some resentment toward Scanlan but was more accepting of the fact that they were both a part of one another's lives now.

After Vox Machina liberated Westruun of Umbrasyl and the Herd, part of the group took Kerrek to retrieve the city's refugees that had fled to Kymal, Kaylie's hometown. While there, Scanlan sought out Kaylie, finding her with an injured Dr. Dranzel. During this encounter, there was an obvious concern from Kaylie toward her father and a relief that he had survived, revealing the continued softening of her heart toward him. Scanlan explained that he had always known he was meant to love a gnome, and he had assumed that gnome to be Pike Trickfoot, but he now realized that it was Kaylie he was meant to protect and support. He vowed that he would defeat the Chroma Conclave and return to be the father that Kaylie wanted and deserved. Scanlan presented to Kaylie his Singing Dawnblade, which contained a small amount of Scanlan's Poo of Scrying in the scabbard. Kaylie hugged him and, before parting ways, asked Pike to ensure that Scanlan would keep his promise to return safely.

Scanlan Shorthalt
Scanlan first met Kaylie in the Diamond Nest Tavern, where he was also reunited with Dr. Dranzel and his old troupe. They had a flautist duel—which was mostly a distraction so Vox Machina could pursue Riskel Daxio—and Scanlan forfeited the competition (and all of his money) to the young gnome girl despite having the clear advantage. After that, he invited the girl to his room in Greyskull Keep for the night.

Later that night, Kaylie revealed to Scanlan that she was his daughter that he never knew existed—news that greatly bothered Scanlan. She had trained at the College of the White Duke and traveled with Dranzel in order to hone her skills and, one day, not only find Scanlan and shame him, but also kill him. She then pulled out a dagger, intending to kill him, but couldn't go through with it upon hearing Scanlan's impassioned speech and witnessing him offer his life without resistance. Scanlan mentioned that he knew there was something missing in his life, and that it may well have been his daughter before him. The two shared a tearful hug and, unable to face him anymore that night, Kaylie ran out of the keep.

Scanlan did not reveal this information to Vox Machina until the following day, when he asked for their help to get Kaylie out of the stockade for causing a brawl in a bar. She and Dranzel's troupe soon left Emon shortly before the Chroma Conclave attacked.

The two later reunited in Westruun when the Herd of Storms occupied the city. Working together, father and daughter aided in the escape of a few of the survivors alongside Dr. Dranzel.

They met again in Kymal after the slaying of Umbrasyl. During their reunion, Scanlan admitted that he had been going about his life all wrong, that the gnome he was supposed to love and protect wasn't Pike but Kaylie, his daughter. Scanlan gave her his Singing Dawnblade (which also contained a piece of his Magical Poop of Scrying in the scabbard) for her protection and for him to check in on her on occasion. Kaylie then made her father promise to stay alive and be there for her when the Chroma Conclave was defeated, so they could make up for lost time.

Notable Items

 * Singing Dawnblade (given to her by Scanlan)