The most important thing to understand about a god is that, under almost all circumstances, and with extremely rare exceptions, their attention is not only divided but splintered.

Perhaps unwittingly, perhaps not, Irori has threatened to get the better of Asmodeus in a bargain.

Pride is among His domains.

Asmodeus is a greater and much older god than Irori, closer to the center of all things.  Compared to Irori, Asmodeus's facets are larger; the totality of the gem that is Him, vastly bigger.

Asmodeus is also in many more places at once, compared to Irori.

His decision must be the equivalent of a snap decision, made in reflex, in much less time than Irori had to think.

Yet even His reflex thoughts are vast, and able.

The bargain now sealed between Himself and Irori specifies much, to avoid Asmodeus getting the better of Irori in simple and obvious ways.  He may not direct His church to specially monitor or distrust the mortal Carissa Sevar; nor, through the particulars by which the mortal is given freedom of travel in Cheliax if the time comes to sell its soul, may Asmodeus insinuate anything which works to that mortal's disadvantage, or makes it a target in the eyes of His church.  Asmodeus is constrained in how He may expect the results of his commands to appear, their impacts upon the mortal.  And there are old treaties regarding what the denizens of Hell may say to the living, besides.

There is, nonetheless, a loophole in all that, if Asmodeus is giving the mortal free passage in Cheliax.  It will look at least a little odd.  The contract, by its nature, cannot demand that these events look odd to nobody.  He cannot set His church upon the mortal, by direct command nor by insinuation and what He knows or suspects His church will conclude; He cannot disadvantage the mortal, cannot work against it; that does leave open other possibilities.

It is possible that Irori, taking longer to think, foresaw this very loophole and that Asmodeus might try to exploit it, and deliberately forebore to close it, because it is the sort of thing that Irori might choose not to protect a mortal from.  He would see it, perhaps, as a challenge along the mortal's way down her own path.

If so, Asmodeus will take it.  He does not know exactly what Irori saw when Irori looked at this mortal, but when Asmodeus looked at it, from His own angle, it did not seem like the sort of mortal looking to flee Cheliax at the first opportunity to take an atonement.

And besides, if Asmodeus does not play this challenge, then Irori gets the better of Him in a contract.

All this goes through a splintered facet of Asmodeus's attention in a fractional moment of reflex, before that splintered fragment directs a thought to a Duke of Hell who will not be shattered by it; and then goes on to other parts of His business, elsewhere on this plane.

The most important thing to understand about a god is that, under almost all circumstances, and with extremely rare exceptions, their attention is not only divided but splintered.

Perhaps unwittingly, perhaps not, Irori has threatened to get the better of Asmodeus in a bargain.

Pride is among His domains.

Asmodeus is a greater and much older god than Irori, closer to the center of all things.  Compared to Irori, Asmodeus's facets are larger; the totality of the gem that is Him, vastly bigger.

Asmodeus is also in many more places at once, compared to Irori.

His decision must be the equivalent of a snap decision, made in reflex, in much less time than Irori had to think.

Yet even His reflex thoughts are vast, and able.

The bargain now sealed between Himself and Irori specifies much, to avoid Asmodeus getting the better of Irori in simple and obvious ways.  He may not direct His church to specially monitor or distrust the mortal Carissa Sevar; nor, through the particulars by which the mortal is given freedom of travel in Cheliax if the time comes to sell its soul, may Asmodeus insinuate anything which works to that mortal's disadvantage, or makes it a target in the eyes of His church.  Asmodeus is constrained in how He may expect the results of his commands to appear, their impacts upon the mortal.  And there are old treaties regarding what the denizens of Hell may say to the living, besides.

There is, nonetheless, a loophole in all that, if Asmodeus is giving the mortal free passage in Cheliax.  It will look at least a little odd.  The contract, by its nature, cannot demand that these events look odd to nobody.  He cannot set His church upon the mortal, by direct command nor by insinuation and what He knows or suspects His church will conclude; He cannot disadvantage the mortal, cannot work against it; that does leave open other possibilities.

It is possible that Irori, taking longer to think, foresaw this very loophole and that Asmodeus might try to exploit it, if Asmodeus thought the contract to his favor at all, or regretted it after; and that Irori deliberately forebore to close it, because it is not Irori's way to protect mortals from trials.

If so, Asmodeus will take it.  He does not know exactly what Irori saw when Irori looked at this mortal, but when Asmodeus looked at it, from His own angle, it did not seem like the sort of mortal looking to flee Cheliax at the first opportunity to take an atonement.

And besides, if Asmodeus does not play this move, then Irori gets the better of Him in a contract.

All this goes through a splintered facet of Asmodeus's attention in a fractional moment of reflex, before that splintered fragment directs a thought to a Duke of Hell who will not be shattered by it; and then goes on to other parts of His business, elsewhere on this plane.

The most important thing to understand about a god is that, under almost all circumstances, and with extremely rare exceptions, their attention is not only divided but splintered.

Perhaps unwittingly, perhaps not, Irori has threatened to get the better of Asmodeus in a bargain.

Pride is among His domains.

Asmodeus is a greater and much older god than Irori, closer to the center of all things.  Compared to Irori, Asmodeus's facets are larger; the totality of the gem that is Him, vastly bigger.

Asmodeus is also in many more places at once, compared to Irori.

His decision must be the equivalent of a snap decision, made in reflex, in much less time than Irori had to think.

Yet even His reflex thoughts are vast, and able.

The bargain now sealed between Himself and Irori specifies much, to avoid Asmodeus getting the better of Irori in simple and obvious ways.  He may not direct His church to specially monitor or distrust the mortal Carissa Sevar; nor, through the particulars by which the mortal is given freedom of travel in Cheliax if the time comes to sell its soul, may Asmodeus insinuate anything which works to that mortal's disadvantage, or makes it a target in the eyes of His church.  Asmodeus is constrained in how He may expect the results of his commands to appear, their impacts upon the mortal.  And there are old treaties regarding what the denizens of Hell may say to the living, besides.

There is, nonetheless, a loophole in all that, if Asmodeus is giving the mortal free passage in Cheliax.  It will look at least a little odd.  The contract, by its nature, cannot demand that these events look odd to nobody.  He cannot set His church upon the mortal, by direct command nor by insinuation and what He knows or suspects His church will conclude; He cannot disadvantage the mortal, cannot work against it; that does leave open other possibilities.

It is possible that Irori, taking longer to think, foresaw this very loophole and that Asmodeus might try to exploit it, if Asmodeus thought the contract to His own favor at all, or regretted it after; and that Irori deliberately forebore to close it, because it is not Irori's way to protect mortals from trials.

If so, Asmodeus will take it.  He does not know exactly what Irori saw when Irori looked at this mortal, but when Asmodeus looked at it, from His own angle, it did not seem like the sort of mortal looking to flee Cheliax at the first opportunity to take an atonement.

And besides, if Asmodeus does not play this move, then Irori gets the better of Him in a contract.

All this goes through a splintered facet of Asmodeus's attention in a fractional moment of reflex, before that splintered fragment directs a thought to a Duke of Hell who will not be shattered by it; and then goes on to other parts of His business, elsewhere on this plane.

The most important thing to understand about a god is that, under almost all circumstances, and with extremely rare exceptions, their attention is not only divided but splintered.

Perhaps unwittingly, perhaps not, Irori has threatened to get the better of Asmodeus in a bargain.

Pride is among His domains.

Asmodeus is a greater and much older god than Irori, closer to the center of all things.  Compared to Irori, Asmodeus's facets are larger; the totality of the gem that is Him, vastly bigger.

Asmodeus is also in many more places at once, compared to Irori.

His decision must be the equivalent of a snap decision, made in reflex, in much less time than Irori had to think.

Yet even His reflex thoughts are vast, and able.

The bargain now sealed between Himself and Irori specifies much, to avoid Asmodeus getting the better of Irori in simple and obvious ways.  He may not direct His church to specially monitor or distrust the mortal Carissa Sevar; nor, through the particulars by which the mortal is given freedom of travel in Cheliax if the time comes to sell its soul, may Asmodeus insinuate anything which works to that mortal's disadvantage, or makes it a target in the eyes of His church.  Asmodeus is constrained in how He may expect the results of his commands to appear, their impacts upon the mortal.  And there are old treaties regarding what the denizens of Hell may say to the living, besides.

There is, nonetheless, a loophole in all that, if Asmodeus is giving the mortal free passage in Cheliax.  It will look at least a little odd.  The contract, by its nature, cannot demand that these events look odd to nobody.  He cannot set His church upon the mortal, by direct command nor by insinuation and what He knows or suspects His church will conclude; He cannot disadvantage the mortal, cannot work against it; that does leave open other possibilities.

It is possible that Irori, taking longer to think, foresaw this very loophole and that Asmodeus might try to exploit it, if Asmodeus thought the contract to His own favor at all, or regretted it after; and that Irori deliberately forebore to close it, because it is not Irori's way to protect mortals from trials.

If so, Asmodeus will take that play.  He does not know exactly what Irori saw when Irori looked at this mortal, but when Asmodeus looked at it, from His own angle, it did not seem like the sort of mortal looking to flee Cheliax at the first opportunity to take an atonement.

And besides, if Asmodeus does not play this move, then Irori gets the better of Him in a contract.

All this goes through a splintered facet of Asmodeus's attention in a fractional moment of reflex, before that splintered fragment directs a thought to a Duke of Hell who will not be shattered by it; and then goes on to other parts of His business, elsewhere on this plane.

The most important thing to understand about a god is that, under almost all circumstances, and with extremely rare exceptions, their attention is not only divided but splintered.

Perhaps unwittingly, perhaps not, Irori has threatened to get the better of Asmodeus in a bargain.

Pride is among His domains.

Asmodeus is a greater and much older god than Irori, closer to the center of all things.  Compared to Irori, Asmodeus's facets are larger; the totality of the gem that is Him, vastly bigger.

Asmodeus is also in many more places at once, compared to Irori.

His decision must be the equivalent of a snap decision, made in reflex, in much less time than Irori had to think.

Yet even His reflex thoughts are vast, and able.

The bargain now sealed between Himself and Irori specifies much, to avoid Asmodeus getting the better of Irori in simple and obvious ways.  He may not direct His church to specially monitor or distrust the mortal Carissa Sevar; nor, through the particulars by which the mortal is given freedom of travel in Cheliax if the time comes to sell its soul, may Asmodeus insinuate anything which works to that mortal's disadvantage, or makes it a target in the eyes of His church.  Asmodeus is constrained in how He may expect the results of his commands to appear, their impacts upon the mortal.  And there are old treaties regarding what the denizens of Hell may say to the living, besides.

There is, nonetheless, a loophole in all that, if Asmodeus is giving the mortal free passage in Cheliax.  It will look at least a little odd.  The contract, by its nature, cannot demand that these events look odd to nobody.  He cannot set His church upon the mortal, by direct command nor by insinuation and what He knows or suspects His church will conclude; He cannot disadvantage the mortal, cannot work against it; that does leave open other possibilities.

It is possible that Irori, taking longer to think, foresaw this very loophole and that Asmodeus might try to exploit it, if Asmodeus thought the contract to His own favor at all, or regretted it after; and that Irori deliberately forebore to close it, because it is not Irori's way to protect mortals from trials.

If so, Asmodeus will take that play.  He does not know exactly what Irori saw when Irori looked at this mortal, but when Asmodeus looked at it, from His own angle, it did not seem like the sort of mortal looking to flee Cheliax at the first opportunity to take an atonement.

And besides, if Asmodeus does not play this move, then Irori gets the better of Him in a contract.

All this goes through a splintered facet of Asmodeus's attention in a fractional moment of reflex, before that splintered fragment directs a thought to a Duke of Hell who will not be shattered by it; and then goes on to other parts of His business, elsewhere on this plane.

The most important thing to understand about a god is that, under almost all circumstances, and with extremely rare exceptions, their attention is not only divided but splintered.

Perhaps unwittingly, perhaps not, Irori has threatened to get the better of Asmodeus in a bargain.

Pride is among His domains.

Asmodeus is a greater and much older god than Irori, closer to the center of all things.  Compared to Irori, Asmodeus's facets are larger; the totality of the gem that is Him, vastly bigger.

Asmodeus is also in many more places at once, compared to Irori.

His decision must be the equivalent of a snap decision, made in reflex, in much less time than Irori had to think.

Yet even His reflex thoughts are vast, and able.

The bargain now sealed between Himself and Irori specifies much, to avoid Asmodeus getting the better of Irori in simple and obvious ways.  He may not direct His church to specially monitor or distrust the mortal Carissa Sevar; nor, through the particulars by which the mortal is given freedom of travel in Cheliax if the time comes to sell its soul, may Asmodeus insinuate anything which works to that mortal's disadvantage, or makes it a target in the eyes of His church.  Asmodeus is constrained in how He may expect the results of His commands to appear, their impacts upon the mortal.  And there are old treaties regarding what the denizens of Hell may say to the living, besides.

There is, nonetheless, a loophole in all that, if Asmodeus is giving an unbound mortal free passage through Cheliax.  The whole affair must look at least a little odd.  The contract cannot demand that these events not look odd.  He cannot set His church upon the mortal, by direct command nor by insinuation and what He knows or suspects His church will conclude; He cannot disadvantage the mortal, cannot work against it; that does leave open other possibilities.

It is possible that Irori, taking longer to think, foresaw this very loophole and that Asmodeus might try to exploit it, if Asmodeus thought the contract to His own favor at all, or regretted it after; and that Irori deliberately forebore to close it, because it is not Irori's way to protect mortals from trials.

If so, Asmodeus will take that play.  He does not know exactly what Irori saw when Irori looked at this mortal, but when Asmodeus looked at it, from His own angle, it did not seem like the sort of mortal looking to flee Cheliax at the first opportunity to take an atonement.

And besides, if Asmodeus does not play this move, then Irori gets the better of Him in a contract.

All this goes through a splintered facet of Asmodeus's attention in a fractional moment of reflex, before that splintered fragment directs a thought to a Duke of Hell who will not be shattered by it; and then goes on to other parts of His business, elsewhere on this plane.

The most important thing to understand about a god is that, under almost all circumstances, and with extremely rare exceptions, their attention is not only divided but splintered.

Perhaps unwittingly, perhaps not, Irori has threatened to get the better of Asmodeus in a bargain.

Pride is among His domains.

Asmodeus is a greater and much older god than Irori, closer to the center of all things.  Compared to Irori, Asmodeus's facets are larger; the totality of the gem that is Him, vastly bigger.

Asmodeus is also in many more places at once, compared to Irori.

His decision must be the equivalent of a snap decision, made in reflex, in much less time than Irori had to think.

Yet even His reflex thoughts are vast, and able.

The bargain now sealed between Himself and Irori specifies much, to avoid Asmodeus getting the better of Irori in simple and obvious ways.  He may not direct His church to specially monitor or distrust the mortal Carissa Sevar; nor, through the particulars by which the mortal is given freedom of travel in Cheliax if the time comes to sell its soul, may Asmodeus insinuate anything which works to that mortal's disadvantage, or makes it a target in the eyes of His church.  Asmodeus is constrained in how He may expect the results of His commands to appear, their impacts upon the mortal.  And there are old treaties regarding what the denizens of Hell may say to the living, besides.

There is, nonetheless, a loophole in all that, if Asmodeus is giving an unbound mortal free passage through Cheliax.  The whole affair must look at least a little odd.  The contract cannot demand that these events not look odd.  He cannot set His church upon the mortal, by direct command nor by insinuation and what He knows or suspects His church will conclude; He cannot disadvantage the mortal, cannot work against it; that does leave open other possibilities.

It is possible that Irori, taking longer to think, foresaw this very loophole and that Asmodeus might try to exploit it, if Asmodeus thought the contract to His own favor at all, or regretted it after; and that Irori deliberately forebore to close it, because it is not Irori's way to protect mortals from trials.

If so, Asmodeus will take that play.  He does not know exactly what Irori saw when Irori looked at this mortal, but when Asmodeus looked at it, from His own angle, it did not seem like the sort of mortal looking to flee Cheliax at the first opportunity to take an atonement.

And besides, if Asmodeus does not play this move, then Irori gets the better of Him in a contract.

All this goes through a splintered facet of Asmodeus's attention in a fractional moment of reflex, before that splintered fragment directs a thought to a Duke of Hell who will not be shattered by it; and then goes on to other parts of His business, elsewhere on this plane.  The thought consists of the necessary and relevant facts and a statement of His goal; greater attention to the mortal details and specifying a precise policy around them is what underlings are for.

The most important thing to understand about a god is that, under almost all circumstances, and with extremely rare exceptions, their attention is not only divided but splintered.

Perhaps unwittingly, perhaps not, Irori has threatened to get the better of Asmodeus in a bargain.

Pride is among His domains.

Asmodeus is a greater and much older god than Irori, closer to the center of all things.  Compared to Irori, Asmodeus's facets are larger; the totality of the gem that is Him, vastly bigger.

Asmodeus is also in many more places at once, compared to Irori.

His decision must be the equivalent of a snap decision, made in reflex, in much less time than Irori had to think.

Yet even His reflex thoughts are vast, and able.

The bargain now sealed between Himself and Irori specifies much, to avoid Asmodeus getting the better of Irori in simple and obvious ways.  He may not direct His church to specially monitor or distrust the mortal Carissa Sevar; nor, through the particulars by which the mortal is given freedom of travel in Cheliax if the time comes to sell its soul, may Asmodeus insinuate anything which works to that mortal's disadvantage, or makes it a target in the eyes of His church.  Asmodeus is constrained in how He may expect the results of His commands to appear, their impacts upon the mortal.  And there are old treaties regarding what the denizens of Hell may say to the living, besides.

There is, nonetheless, a loophole in all that, if Asmodeus is giving an unbound mortal free passage through Cheliax.  The whole affair must look at least a little odd.  The contract cannot demand that these events not look odd.  He cannot set His church upon the mortal, by direct command nor by insinuation and what He knows or suspects His church will conclude; He cannot disadvantage the mortal, cannot work against it; that does leave open other possibilities.

It is possible that Irori, taking longer to think, foresaw this very loophole and that Asmodeus might try to exploit it, if Asmodeus thought the contract to His own favor at all, or regretted it after; and that Irori deliberately forebore to close it, because it is not Irori's way to protect mortals from trials.

If so, Asmodeus will take that play.  He does not know exactly what Irori saw when Irori looked at this mortal, but when Asmodeus looked at it, from His own angle, it did not seem like the sort of mortal looking to flee Cheliax at the first opportunity to take an atonement.

And besides, if Asmodeus does not play this move, then Irori gets the better of Him in a contract.

All this goes through a splintered facet of Asmodeus's attention in a fractional moment of reflex, before that splintered fragment directs a thought to a Duke of Hell who will not be shattered by it; and then goes on to other parts of His business, elsewhere on this plane.  The thought consists of the relevant facts and a statement of His goal; greater attention to the mortal details and specifying a precise policy around them is what underlings are for.

The most important thing to understand about a god is that, under almost all circumstances, and with extremely rare exceptions, their attention is not only divided but splintered.

Perhaps unwittingly, perhaps not, Irori has threatened to get the better of Asmodeus in a bargain.

Pride is among His domains.

Asmodeus is a greater and much older god than Irori, closer to the center of all things.  Compared to Irori, Asmodeus's facets are larger; the totality of the gem that is Him, vastly bigger.

Asmodeus is also in many more places at once, compared to Irori.

His decision must be the equivalent of a snap decision, made in reflex, in much less time than Irori had to think.

Yet even His reflex thoughts are vast, and able.

The bargain now sealed between Himself and Irori specifies much, to avoid Asmodeus getting the better of Irori in simple and obvious ways.  He may not direct His church to specially monitor or distrust the mortal Carissa Sevar; nor, through the particulars by which the mortal is given freedom of travel in Cheliax if the time comes to sell its soul, may Asmodeus insinuate anything which works to that mortal's disadvantage, or makes it a target in the eyes of His church.  Asmodeus is constrained in how He may expect the results of His commands to appear, their impacts upon the mortal.  And there are old treaties regarding what the denizens of Hell may say to the living, besides.

There is, nonetheless, a loophole in all that, if Asmodeus is giving an unbound mortal free passage through Cheliax.  The whole affair must look at least a little odd.  The contract cannot demand that these events not look odd.  He cannot set His church upon the mortal, by direct command nor by insinuation and what He knows or suspects His church will conclude; He cannot disadvantage the mortal, cannot work against it; that does leave open other possibilities.

It is possible that Irori, taking longer to think, foresaw this very loophole and that Asmodeus might try to exploit it, if Asmodeus thought the contract to His own favor at all, or regretted it after; and that Irori deliberately forebore to close it, because it is not Irori's way to protect mortals from trials.

If so, Asmodeus will take that play.  He does not know exactly what Irori saw when Irori looked at this mortal, but when Asmodeus looked at it, from His own angle, it did not seem like the sort of mortal looking to flee Cheliax at the first opportunity to take an atonement.

And besides, if Asmodeus does not play this move, then Irori gets the better of Him in a contract.

All this goes through a splintered facet of Asmodeus's attention in a fractional moment of reflex, before that splintered fragment directs a thought to a Duke of Hell who will not be shattered by it; and then goes on to other parts of His business, elsewhere on this plane.  The thought consists of the relevant facts and a statement of intents; greater attention to the mortal details and specifying a precise policy around them is what underlings are for.