Josep used to be the only wizard in the neighborhood. A contemptible laundry wizard, but a wizard is still above the rest of the rabble. Three months ago, he was joined by a— not a competing wizard. A worm who sometimes makes mistakes on his cantrips much less reliably cast real spells. Yet, somehow, this contemptible wretch stole half his customers. Since that day, Josep has been looking for ways to go back to being the only laundry wizard in the neighborhood. Now here's an opportunity. 

It wasn't hard to find out that Paulin is in a precarious financial situation; Josep was happy to give the particularly scary debt collectors directions to his shop. It would be a shame if he couldn't pay his debts or his rent because he spent a month in a dungeon for illegal copying.

It's been a good first few days of 'laundry and printing wizard'. The radicals talk loudly and he's worried they'll scare off a few of his regulars, but they're bringing in enough cash or coin to make up for it. If it keeps going like this, he'll make it to end of the month, with enough extra to buy some wine to celebrate surviving the month. 

He bought a copy of the Royal Decree and pinned it to the wall so he can check it before copying anything, and so he can point at it when refusing to print something. Some of the radicals are trying to be confusing about whether what they're writing is incitement or not. Just to be safe, Paulin refuses to print anything with a name in it. 

Josep waits for a particularly slow evening, when Paulin's shop is empty and he's probably at his most tired and witless. 

Josep finds an empty and windowless alley to cast disguise self in. 

An entirely un-Josep-looking priest, wearing a prominent symbol of Iomedae, walks down the street to Paulin's printing shop. 

"You, printing wizard. The church needs ten copies by the next bell. I'll pay triple the normal rate, up front."

"Yes sir."

That was an instinctive response to a cleric saying the phrase the church needs. Paulin thought Iomedae wasn't sending any clerics here except for the convention. Well, he would have liked to never deal with a the church ever again, but the cleric is here and demanding something. Lawful Good clerics really are nicer, though, this one is paying extra instead of just demanding to be put in front of every other customer. 

If this cleric is new to the city, he might not know the price for printing. Paulin can probably get away with doubling his price before it gets tripled. Maybe not doubled, he's heard Iomedaeans are frugal, but he can get away with adding a bit–

No. Stop. Cleric sometimes invisible security detect thought–

"It's yes Select."

"Yes Select."

Don't think about lying to clerics. Don't look like you're trying not to think, they notice that. I am but a loyal pawn of the will of Asmodeus Holy Iomedae. I don't want any trouble, I haven't seen anything, I don't know anyone.

Oh, this is fun. Would a cleric of Iomedae be enjoying this? Probably, they wouldn't take over a country if they didn't enjoy being in charge. 

"Ten copies. I'll send someone to pick them up right before the bell. Have the copies ready by then."

Paper on the table. Coins on the table.

"Yes Select."

Hands still shaking, picking up the paper. "Sir, sorry, Select, this is–"

A list of names. Treason, or at least Incitement. The list of names. Not the one from the riot, but the one the first decree was a response to. "The decree, sir. Select. I can't print this."

"I am a Select of the church of Iomedae." Meaning, do you really think church law doesn't still apply? "You shouldn't even be seeing this, but your disorderly city decided to hang our wizard from a lamppost. The meeting where we figure out how that happened is tonight, and we can't get another wizard from Lastwall by then. So either take the coin, or stop wasting my time and let me find another print shop."

Paulin winces, the riots are still fresh. He wants to protest that it's not his city, he's only been here three months. He wants to not be sent to the final blade, but also avoid being sent to whatever the new church uses instead of torture chambers.

"Of course sir. Sorry, Select. I ask your name. In case someone sees me copying, so I can tell them it's for the church. If someone sees and calls the watch, they might stop me, then you wouldn't get your copies." Hopefully 'if someone else gets rid of me then I won't be able to obey you' is as reliable for the new church as it was for the old one. 

"Select Alex Iomadeus." Okay the groveling in enjoyable but also the more time he spends squirming the more time he has to realize what's going on. Need to land this next part quickly.

"Ugh, did you not hear the part where I'm in a hurry and don't have time for you to be all scared and Cheliax about this. Hold still."

'Alex Iomadeus' reaches for his 'holy symbol' and makes a some gestures.

On one level, Paulin still feels really scared and a bit unsure about this cleric and really wants to go back to being just a laundry wizard no printing at all. On another level, when someone above you does things to you, can't say anything or resist or it just hurts more. 

Charm Person.

OH

Paulin has been attending sermons at Good churches, in case they're reporting people for not showing up. He didn't really understand until now, though. Until this spell showed him with certainty that he can trust this cleric. That's what Lawful Good means. Lawful meaning honest and trustworthy and Good meaning trying to help him and on his side because good is on the side of everyone. He doesn't have to keep asking questions or worry about his safety. The cleric of Iomedae is on his side and trustworthy because– there is no 'because'. It's true because it's true. The cleric of Iomedae is someone he can trust because that's what cleric of Iomedae means. Lawful Good is Lawful Good. 

"You should cast this on everyone, Select."

(Were he thinking more clearly, would recognize an enchantment spell and be suspicious of sudden changes in feeling, though he still wouldn’t recognize the specific sensation of being under charm person. That gets cast on people useful enough to want favors from, or sometimes ‘useful’ enough to want ‘favors‘ from. Not on the useless dregs who wash out early with nothing but cantrips, around half of a first circle spell, and enough debt to last a lifetime. But he isn’t thinking clearly, anxious about oh-no-cleric and then overwhelmed by the wholly unfamiliar feeling of ‘a trusted friend and ally’)

Ugh. He kind of hates it when they don’t recognize they’re being charmed, and he has to keep being soft at them to keep them from realizing. It’s much more fun when they realize, but can't stop themselves from bending anyway, and hate themselves and you the whole time. This does make the plan easier, though. 

“The resources of the church are limited. As is time. You can start copying now.”

The likable and trustworthy Select of Iomedae is in a hurry and has important things to do. Need to be helpful and start copying.

scrivener's chant

Focusing on the spell, can't lose concentration or else the pen will fall over and ruin the copy and that would disappoint the Select. The spell needs to be recast every minute, which gives Paulin time to nervously glance at the royal decree pinned on the wall. Even with the Select explaining that it's not distribution if it's for the church, it's still scary having it up there.

"I need to go. You're doing well, so I'll leave the pay here and send a runner to pick up the papers."

He snatches the original from the table. "Need to put this back in the records, make the rest off that first copy."

"Yes, Select."

Out of the store, walk around to kill some time, enjoy people getting out of the way because it's a Select of Iomedae walking by.

Okay, back to the plan. Is that an unattended urchin? charm person

"Hey! Did you just throw a spell at me?"

Not actually going to wait for an answer, gonna run.

The little threw off the spell, damn it. That was the last spell for the day. 

Need to do it without magic, then. Is that another urchin? "You, here's a couple coins. Pick up my pamphlets from that shop and hand them out, there's a couple more in it for you."

"What, do I look like a pamphlet urchin to you? Maybe I'm running an errand for someone else. Make it three coins now and three more when I'm done."

Do not cast acid splash on the insubordinate rat. Clerics of Iomedae don't have that spell. They also probably don't burn anyone with acid for disrespect, even if it's probably some orphan no one is using for anything. 

Ugh. "Fine, another coin. Tell the copyist that Alex Iomadeus sent you, and meet me back here when you're done."