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He should have fallen on his sword. That would have been the sensible thing to do.
Punched his ticket for Elysium right away, no waiting around.
He thought they'd only kill him.
Why did he think that? How stupid was he? Why in the world did he think that?
And now instead of his next great adventure he's flubbed a save against dominate person.
(Except, sometimes, in the small hours of muggy nights, she remembers that enervating heat and oppressive psychic presence. And sometimes she locks eyes with Cressida Kroft and feels a familiar twinge of dread.)
And at any rate it'd be a waste to probe their minds before Ileosa has even seen what their faces betray.
She's already sipping from the Yondabakari Cascades... though admittedly detect thoughts would perhaps help her make sense of it.
Clerics wig her out. There's not one of them in the infinite planes who thinks like a normal person.
This one has absolutely no fear or social anxiety, and is poorly trying to hide that he doesn't care what she thinks of him one whit.
Ileosa considers the theory that he's secretly an incredibly high level, or has bigger angelic powers than most aasimar, but that's not it. When the cleric steps one way or another, the kasatha and samurai shift their posture, ready to defend. And when the samurai carelessly stepped to one side, the cleric followed behind to close the open charge lane.
And another line of reasoning: the self-styled pope was preaching at the Pantheon of Many. If he were even fourth-circle, she'd have heard.
He isn't fearless like a planetar or ancient dragon pretending to be a human. He doesn't think he's in control.
He's fearless like whatever happens doesn't deeply matter, so he might as well have fun with it.
Is he high on flayleaf? Or is it some kind of religious enlightenment? Or, as a Caydenite, has he found a way to combine the two?
Alternately, perhaps the man was just born crazy. Or took a lick to the head and needs a sixth-circle heal.
In the Lawful Neutral city of Korvosa there is a building called the Pantheon of Many, in which you'll find shrines to seventeen deities. Which gods were cut is informative - of twenty main deities, the Pantheon only lacks shrines to Gorum, Lamashtu, and Rovagug.
There is a common view in Korvosa (though by no means universal), that there are three corners of the alignment chart compatible with civilization. You don't want Evil as a neighbor unless it is Lawful, and you don't want Chaos next door unless it is Good.
Ileosa does not subscribe to this view. She views Chaos as disruptive and Good, far from an ameliorating factor, as a potential conflict of loyalty.
But Korvosa is not Westcrown, and she accepts that as Queen in Korvosa there will be some CG people under her at least in the short run.
She may not like this person or understand them, but they seem more like an eccentric gadfly than a crusading vigilante. And clerics are, despite their alien modes of thinking, indispensable to any organization.
Ileosa doesn't find the Caydenite all that interesting, but it's both reassuring and second-nature for to her plot his ruin.
The self-styled pope wants his juvenile fun. That's a fault line between him and every sane person on this planet. If she needs him out of the group Ileosa is confident that she can get him kicked out of the group.
Or, if she wants to cheaply ingratiate herself with him, she can help him embarrass Ornher Reebs.
If she pretends to lean Chaotic Good, she could get him on her side against the slave-owning nobles and wicked or misguided goons like the book-bothering Cressida Kroft. And it could be useful to have another agent comfortable working outside the law.
Highly strung, distractable, disgustingly earnest, easily spooked but brave in the sense of pushing past fear. Apologetic, keenly aware of the difference in their positions, she thinks that Ileosa is only putting up with her.
She's clever in the way of wizards. Cleverer than most wizards.
But in mindset she's the lowest of peasants. The Academae's other apprentices, peers or wealthy commoners, likely walked all over her.
Ragathiel is the Angel of Vengeance. This spacey soft-spoken samsaran has hidden depths.
But gives away relatively little besides her nervousness.
Ileosa will have her chance to learn more in a private conversation, and until then she'll avoid giving offense. A propensity towards fits of righteous anger is useful in a stooge if and only if there's a hilt there you can grasp.
She will at least try.
Ileosa is admittedly much better at splendoring people into corners than she is at seeming genuine while humoring fools.
Beautiful, exotic, fey or fey-blooded, athletic, brash and headstrong.
Quick to act and used to getting her way without trying very hard - expects good outcomes from throwing herself forward and seeing what happens. Ileosa gets the impression of a knight errant, chivalrous and heroic.
Maybe heroic by default and not true conviction - there's something dangerous and appraising in that blankly pleasant smile.
Or maybe she's just reading in the things she wants to see.
Aloof... no, that's definitely not it. Absent-minded. Quickly bored. Absent constant stimulation Choryon falls asleep with her eyes wide open, only to startle and leap into the conversation like a doll springing to life.
As she paces impatiently, the party shifts its composition to compensate. They consider her their strongest fighter.
Ileosa wants to put Choryon through her paces and see if in battle the woman comes fully alive.
Sabina doesn't like the way Ileosa's ogling the creepily happy fey thing.
The samurai claims to be "in between masters." Ileosa should arrange to save Choryon's life or otherwise win her loyalty.
The taciturn kasatha is hard to read.
She does think he looks extremely cool, and already plans on showing him off to everyone.
He seems annoyed when his comrades act foolishly, that's a possible fault line.
Another one to interview more privately.
It seems wise to tap all of you who want to join our organization with the truthtelling wand. I'll state the oaths of service first, and if you find them unobjectionable I'll spend a charge and you can repeat after me.
You don't have to take the Oath of the Watch, but if you don't you'll never be eligible for promotion to Watch Sergeant or equivalent positions.
The Oath of the Korvosan Guard:
I (state name), do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the People and State of Korvosa against its enemies foreign and domestic; that I will obey the lawful orders of the Field Marshall of the Korvosan Guard, the Queen of Korvosa, and the officers appointed over me, according to the regulations and Constitution of Korvosa; that I will conduct myself as a representative of the People of Korvosa, the Queen of Korvosa, the Korvosan Guard, and the Bank of Abadar; that I take this obligation freely, without mental reservation for the purpose of evasion or deception; and that I hold myself bound by this promise for so long as I draw a Guardsman's wages.
And then the Oath of the Watch:
I (state name), do solemnly swear that I will uphold the regulations and Constitution of Korvosa, as they are written and as they are intended; that I will protect the peaceful against violence and disorder; that I recognize the badge of my office as a symbol of public faith, and swear to maintain that faith; that I will enforce the law without fear or favor, malice or ill will; that whatever I see or hear of a confidential nature or that is confided to me in my official capacity will be kept secret unless revelation is necessary in the performance of my duty; that I take this obligation freely, without mental reservation for the purpose of evasion or deception; and that I hold myself bound by this promise for so long as I draw a Guardsman's wages.[1]
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Did I miss it or is there nothing in there against planning to kill the Queen?
As long as she hasn't explicitly ordered you not to, yeah... is there a rule in there against intending... or even really killing her?
"I (state name), do solemnly swear that I will uphold the regulations and Constitution of Korvosa, as they are written and as they are intended;"
At least one of us should hold off on agreeing to the Oath of the Watch.
It'll raise fewer questions not coming from me.
What do the words "without mental reservation for the purpose of evasion or deception" mean to you?
I was planning not to take the second oath since they first said it was optional.
Now it's time for the part of the interview process where you fight for my amusement.
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