"Proselytisation by Evil gods will interfere with the worship of Good gods by displacing the words of Good clerics with the lies of Evil gods, and so any attempt to spread the word of gods aligned with you must necessarily include an attempt to exclude the word of gods opposed to you. If you believe this is not the business of this committee, I will withdraw my proposal." To start a dedicated committee to discuss opposing demon cults next session.

"I think we should prefer other funding than the archmages, if possible. Particularly if we're putting it into the constitution, which should be designed to last beyond our lifetimes."

The Cotonnets are powerful enough as it is and she really doesn't want to leave the churches more dependent on them then they already are, especially if they continue to oppose the necessary work of the diabolism committee.

"So there are, the way I see it, three kinds of churches - known benign churches, which can be on a list of good standing; known wicked churches, which can be on a list of banned ones; and obscure churches. I know that a cult of someone obscure could be bad, if the someone is bad. But if they were going to displace a major benign god they wouldn't be obscure! So I don't think it's central to our work here - does anyone else besides Delegate Stought disagree here?"

Is it in her interests for another committee to form?  Maybe?  It splits some credibility, but allows more focus.

"I see a strong value in a committee focused on opposing evil cults, but I agree it is not in the original scope of this committee?  I'm fine either expanding this committee's scope or starting a new committee... and although it is not Irori's focus, it is an interest of mine."

Perhaps she could take the offensive to wherever the Sisterhood of Eiseth ran off to someday?

"Though this is not a Committee On The Rooting Out Of Cults Of Abhorrent Powers, it is a point well taken that the work of Promulgating The Teachings Of Virtuous Churches is not unopposed by said Abhorrent Powers," adds Lluïsa. "We may not devise plans for such rooting out here, but need be mindful that such Opposition exists."

"Indeed. Rooting out Mephistopheles and Geryon, at least, ought to be the business of the Exorcising Diabolism committee. I don't know that demon lords will be important enough to merit their own."

"Perhaps I should join the Exorcising Diabolism committee?  I know of a particular evil cult I would like to see hunted down..."

She should have thought of going on the offensive sooner.  She had been trapped in her previous mode of hoping they didn't come back to kill her and her sisters.

They really missed the "thirty demon cults a year" thing, didn't they. Still. They aren't the people to pitch it to.

"Acknowledged. I withdraw my proposal."

"All right. Circling back! Physical churches, cultural change, and clerical services. Possibly, the liberty to give some taxes to a benign church instead of one's lord. An acknowledgment that demons and similar may be at work on the Material but that inquisiting them is not the task of this committee. Have I forgotten anything?"

Enric feels bad for Stought, everyone disagreeing at once like that. Even though he really doesn't want some kind of inquisition putting clerics away for not having papers.  He hopes the hunting diabolists committee actually makes a plan to deal with the demon cults; and they're not just there to contain the people calling for revenge beheading away from the other rooms.

"What are the kinds of things we could in theory do to promote virtuous churches? So far I've heard... government funding, switch tax revenue to them, give them better land, the government prays to one god specifically, make a list of the churches we approve of, fight churches we don't approve of?"

"I think we will need unique things for each church?  I tried to think of some before the convention... for example... automatic travel passes to any cleric with a God with an interest in promoting travel, like Desna?  Maybe even the right for clerics of such Gods to issue travel passes?"

She glances meaningful at Tetula and Nuria.

Nuria nods.

"And, well...there's always my favorite method of promoting things. Write a romance novel about it." 

What.

"That's very - specific."

Lluïsa takes off her hat and brushes some dust off it.

Lictor Rouen Stought really, really hates Chaotic people.

"All right, yes, when you say it less specifically I agree completely."

"Would they not actively seek them out because they contain the Tenets and Teachings of the Virtuous Gods?"

They should do what they're told to even if it isn't candy-coated for them, the fools, if they don't want to be eaten by demons.

Thea calculates quickly... she's recently taken a closer look at Nuria's romance novels... and she isn't sure how Good generally feels about sex even if Nuria is fine with it.  So she'll play this one cautiously and not back Nuria's idea openly.  No wait, the Shelyn priest is in favor also?  Obviously, now that she thinks about it.  Moderate statement quickly...

"Iomedae herself uses an exciting narrative in her holy text to communicate moral lessons.  One of my students has read it so many times she lost count."

"Oh! That's very smart of Iomedae, I haven't read much of the Acts yet." 

"Now, I personally only really have influence in specifically the theater scene of Ostenso, and I gather Delegate Tosta is also a specialist, but maybe we could receive the blessing of the Crown to put out a more general call for the artistically inclined, and throw ideas around. They'd pay for themselves, if well-executed, and I imagine that's got to be a selling point for the Queen just at the moment!"

"The easier it is for people to learn, the more of them will pick things up and the faster they'll do it, which is better for everyone in Cheliax. When I gave sermons at the church back in Halmydris, the words I said often didn't have the same effects as the songs - people have a much easier time remembering things if you can rhyme them or set it to a tune. I'm not sure books would really have the same effect, especially for people who can't read - there are a lot of good holy books out there people should be learning, and if any books we publish take away from those I think that's a bad thing. But music and artwork, to reach more people - absolutely we should be encouraging that, and making more copies of the Acts of Iomedae and Melodies of Inner Beauty and such.