That's an Abyss - maybe in this term, she actually should think Hell - that's a Hell of a lot of obedience to take for granted in your population, and from all of Merrin's other thoughts it really doesn't come across as likely that this is obedience is because any dath ilani who failed to report the portal would die over several months... actually there'd be no point to stop after several months if you couldn't send them to Hell afterwards, but she digresses.

It does sound like the Keepers hold the real power, though, and she can't even tell from Merrin's thoughts whether she knows it.

She is going to make a deliberate effort not to react badly to this setup just because it sounds like their version of the Church of Asmodeus succeeded in sidelining their version of Queen and Crown.

"So it sounded like you worked for - a very powerful branch of Governance, with a lot of Keeper involvement?  Did you tend to meet many of the Keepers?  Perhaps there's more important things I should be asking about," there aren't, "but I admit to being curious; they sound so... mysterious."

That's an Abyss - maybe in this term, she actually should think Hell - that's a Hell of a lot of obedience to take for granted in your population.  And from all of Merrin's other thoughts it really doesn't come across as likely that this is obedience is because any dath ilani who failed to report the portal would die over several months... actually there'd be no point to stop after several months if you couldn't send them to Hell afterwards, but she digresses.

It does sound like the Keepers hold the real power, though, and she can't even tell from Merrin's thoughts whether she knows it.

She is going to make a deliberate effort not to react badly to this setup just because it sounds like their version of the Church of Asmodeus succeeded in sidelining their version of Queen and Crown.

"So it sounded like you worked for - a very powerful branch of Governance, with a lot of Keeper involvement?  Did you tend to meet many of the Keepers?  Perhaps there's more important things I should be asking about," there aren't, "but I admit to being curious; they sound so... mysterious."

That's an Abyss - maybe in this term, she actually should think Hell - that's a Hell of a lot of obedience to take for granted in your population.  And from all of Merrin's other thoughts it really doesn't come across as likely that this is obedience is because any dath ilani who failed to report the portal would die over several months... actually there'd be no point to stop after several months if you couldn't send them to Hell afterwards, but she digresses.

It does sound like the Keepers hold the real power, though, and she can't even tell from Merrin's thoughts whether she doesn't know it or just takes it for granted.

She is going to make a deliberate effort not to react badly to this setup just because it sounds like their version of the Church of Asmodeus succeeded in sidelining their version of Queen and Crown.

"So it sounded like you worked for - a very powerful branch of Governance, with a lot of Keeper involvement?  Did you tend to meet many of the Keepers?  Perhaps there's more important things I should be asking about," there aren't, "but I admit to being curious; they sound so... mysterious."

That's an Abyss - maybe in this case, she actually should think Hell - that's a Hell of a lot of obedience to take for granted in your population.  And from all of Merrin's other thoughts it really doesn't come across as likely that this is obedience is because any dath ilani who failed to report the portal would die over several months... actually there'd be no point to stop after several months if you couldn't send them to Hell afterwards, but she digresses.

It does sound like the Keepers hold the real power, though, and she can't even tell from Merrin's thoughts whether she doesn't know it or just takes it for granted.

She is going to make a deliberate effort not to react badly to this setup just because it sounds like their version of the Church of Asmodeus succeeded in sidelining their version of Queen and Crown.

"So it sounded like you worked for - a very powerful branch of Governance, with a lot of Keeper involvement?  Did you tend to meet many of the Keepers?  Perhaps there's more important things I should be asking about," there aren't, "but I admit to being curious; they sound so... mysterious."