not surprised that liam/caleb and sam/veth still don’t trust essek, they’re characters who need to see change reflected in actions. is it unfair to essek because their skepticism is preventing them from giving him a chance? absolutely. is it hypocritical? 100%

yes, the wildmother trusts him, but those 2 (along with beau, who has similar reservations about essek) don’t believe in any sort of deity, so as far as they’re concerned, their skepticism is still very much valid. it makes perfect sense for their characters

this is where caduceus, fjord, and jester (the first two bc of their ties to the wildmother, jester bc jester) come into play. their faith and good nature (along with the dire situation they’re in) will lead them to essek sooner or later, giving him a chance to redeem himself

Matt put essek there for a reason, and I’d like to believe it’s not just to give tm9 a much needed powerful ally, but also to offer essek a chance to show that he’s changing for the better, will it work? not immediately, but long term speaking, it’ll change the skeptic 3’s mind