The girl who looks like and dresses like a second-circle Ostenso wizard academy student is speaking very levelly.

"This is not a fucking game, alchemist.  The only reason you're not in a lot of pain right now, is that we do not expect putting that much fear into you to help you keep your composure around Keltham.  Project Lawful has higher priorities than the Asmodean condition of your soul."

"But if you'd actually fucked up, tipped Keltham off, if he'd ended up in Osirion constructing weapons for them to use against Cheliax and that was your fault - you would have personally pissed off, among others, the Queen of Cheliax, a Count of Hell who bought my soul on the speculation that Keltham would make it more valuable, and, probably, Asmodeus Himself."

"Keltham has not, so far, probed any of the outside experts brought in.  He has asked questions like that of Project employees, which is what we are to him.  If you are sticking around then he will probably ask questions like that of you at some point.  You're either ready for it when it happens, or you are a liability who should never be introduced to Keltham in the first place."

"50 gold pieces for a death volunteer didn't sound impossible to me, given that slaves with a lot of lifespan remaining cost 75gp, but that slavery is mostly illegal in alter-Cheliax.  But if that's true then you only use dying subjects and never buy resurrection insurance on healthy subjects.  Everything about alter-Cheliax MUST be consistent."

The girl who looks like and dresses like a second-circle Ostenso wizard academy student is speaking very levelly.

"This is not a fucking game, alchemist.  You just failed a live-fire test, one you thought was real.  The only reason you're not in a lot of pain right now, is that we do not expect putting that much fear into you to help you keep your composure around Keltham.  Project Lawful has higher priorities than the Asmodean condition of your soul."

"But if you'd actually fucked up, tipped Keltham off, if he'd ended up in Osirion constructing weapons for them to use against Cheliax and that was your fault - you would have personally pissed off, among others, the Queen of Cheliax, a Count of Hell who bought my soul on the speculation that Keltham would make it more valuable, and, probably, Asmodeus Himself."

"Keltham has not, so far, probed any of the outside experts brought in.  He has asked questions like that of Project employees, which is what we are to him.  If you are sticking around then he will probably ask questions like that of you at some point.  You're either ready for it when it happens, or you are a liability who should never be introduced to Keltham in the first place."

"50 gold pieces for a death volunteer didn't sound impossible to me, given that slaves with a lot of lifespan remaining cost 75gp, but that slavery is mostly illegal in alter-Cheliax.  But if that's true then you only use dying subjects and never buy resurrection insurance on healthy subjects.  Everything about alter-Cheliax MUST be consistent."