"That will be all for you. I will summon you again tomorrow morning, after I have had time to think, after which you are free to return to Khelt."

She looks at the [Diplomat].

"You, I will speak further with."

And she nods at Blai to go.

It will not help in any way to exhibit outward anxiety about the fate of the diplomat! Blai will go out where he is supposed to go.

The guard will split up, one staying with the [Diplomat], one staying with Blai.

...The guard is as lost as Blai on where they go from here. Maybe that attendant over there can help...? Yeah, they can get assigned a guest room to wait out for tomorrow, and pointers to amenities, and instructions not to wander except to access said amenities and definitely not to leave the wing unless there's very urgent business; they're on high security.

Understandable. Does the guard play chess?

He knows the rules, doesn't play it for fun or anything, but he has nothing better to do so he's happy to help Blai exceed expectations on his monthly quota.

Marvelous. When the guard is bored of chess, Blai can work on his Acts translation.

The diplomat shows up in an hour. Has not been tortured or anything.

"How concerned are you about that unspeakable surprise, by the way?" he says. "Is it worth petitioning His Majesty to offer the Quarass more generous terms, to head off the Reim collaboration?"

"It... might be, depending on how costly that would be and what the King of Destruction's likely next best options are."

"I assume he'd just found the same temples in Reim, if he's not already planning to do that... this is the first I've heard of the temples thing, too. The cost isn't in resources, but reputation. Khelt makes great efforts to maintain geopolitical neutrality, and is willing to mediate a peace with Hellios on the grounds of trade disruption, but the Quarass wants us to run down Blalevault—the capital of Hellios—to make a statement, which is the opposite of the image we want to present. It's a very hard ask."

"I do not have nearly solid enough information to propose that His Majesty degrade a long and valuable reputation of geopolitical neutrality."

"I think it is likely that the Quarass will accede to Reim's terms."

But hey, on the bright side, they now have enough people to play Bughouse.

Bughouse!!

The rest of the day and night is uneventful. In the morning, the Quarass summons them again.

To the [Diplomat], "I will accept Reim's alliance by the end of the week unless Khelt makes a suitable counteroffer. The previously negotiated peace terms between Germina, Reim and Khelt will stand regardless."

To Blai, "Your counsel is disappointing, but satisfies my request to Fetohep. After the treaty is struck, I will provide you with potential leads on information about the gods. My staff will additionally contact your office to establish communication channels for knowledge exchange on [Clerics], as religious operations in both our nations will likely be of mutual interest."

"Thank you, Quarass."

"If there are no questions, you may go."

"Are there topics I could speak to which would render my counsel less disappointing?"

"I want to understand the nature of Tamaroth and the consequences of founding his temples. You know nothing of the first and cannot comment on the latter."

"I could speculate about some possible consequences of the latter if you would like me to do so, bearing in mind that he is not the same type of god I have experience with."

"You may do so."

"I would expect a large, organized, and unopposed church, backed by powerful agents, even foreign ones only just tolerated here, to rapidly accumulate soft power - it will have the ability to disseminate information selected and presented as it chooses, host and curate and tailor various events according to which ones advance their interests such as currying favor and influence with whoever is most listened to and best regarded in your country, and ultimately proselytize its philosophy. A god of 'leaders and rulers' could take many possible positions on those and other topics - if I knew the god answering to this description to be Lawful Good, I would presume an emphasis on noblesse oblige and the merciful rule of law, but if he were instead Chaotic Evil he could be a warlord's god, preaching to the effect that the only worthy focus of a strong person's life is to bring more territory and tribute under their control. Or anything in between. Either way, while I am sure that your long reign has seen many social movements and upheavals, and this might or might not be different in kind - I would not expect welcoming a church of such a nebulous charter to be a trivial expenditure of space for temples and tolerance in the law and hope you do not plan to accept it on that expectation."

"In similar vein were the godless religions of old. It is in man's nature to seek security in obedience, and through the obediences of doctrine a [Priest] yokes their faithful. The allowances of the church of Tamaroth will be narrow and they will be warned they are permitted here on my sufferance, and the terms of their stay do not prohibit me from executing and replacing every one of them if they overstep their place. The Quarass has stamped out churches in her time and put many a [Demagogue] to the pyre.

"Nonetheless, the warning is taken in the spirit it is intended."

She does look slightly mollified at the more informative conversation compared to yesterday.

"That may suffice; thank you for explaining the terms."

"Will that be all?"

"Yes, Quarass. Thank you for receiving us."

"You may go."

She curls a finger in instruction, and the doors open.