"Aroden can account for the merits of the relevant powers when advising us."

"One imagines most of these powers could be gods anyway if they wanted."

"I am deeply confused about how that works and if I get to ask further Commune questions will certainly try to learn more about it. But I have for the time set aside my confusions not of immediate relevance to getting Aroden's help."

"Aroden says the Church should call the saint Arazni through a Gate to aid us in the war against Tar-Baphon."

"It makes sense. Tar-Baphon is an archmage; we need one of our own. I just wasn't sure who, so I asked after every archmage out of every legend, and every empyreal lord, and every Arodenite saint and every minor god."

"Sefistos heard this from Aroden? Call him in, please."

" - the thing is, sir, I don't know if that's what Aroden said or not. The Knight-Commander had some kind of scheme."

"It's just - instead of asking after people one at a time, I - with one question to confirm the method would work and be useful, and eight questions to narrow down from among the subjects, you can name wildly more than eight people. And the gods don't steer us by the words we're asking, they give the answers that put us on the right path, and they can look ahead and see the whole Commune. So the answers were 'yes yes no yes yes no no yes', which answer would move us to call Arazni, instead of someone else." She has a chart with all of the candidates. 

"Knight-Commander, I'm not going to ask Oppara for a Gate to call a demigod on the strength of a theological innovation no one understands but you."

" - well, you can just confirm it with a normal Commune."

"I told you you got one."

"And I used it to find you an allied demigod who'll answer a Gate! Sir."

If she were a man he would have beaten the insubordination out of her approximately three weeks after they met but he's not comfortable having women flogged.

"Explain your theological innovation again."

He very seriously considers only taking Sefistos on the trip to Oppara. It doesn't really matter who suggested the theological innovation; it matters that the priest who did the Commune (the followup commune, to confirm it in normal language) is in his right mind and is a priest of Aroden in good standing and of fifth circle, a loyal servant of the Empire. 

But. She's not a madwoman, apparently. And if she's not a madwoman then she's Aroden's instrument, because it was only ever one of the two.

He does not Send ahead to Oppara. This is a matter Tar-Baphon will interfere in, if he realizes he should, and they sorely cannot afford it. Instead he arrives by Teleport and requests an appointment once he's there. 

There are a few ways to get a prompt meeting with a powerful priest supportive of the war effort in Aroden's Church. Tar-Baphon is more likely to be surveilling the formal ones. They will instead drop in on a cousin of his who is a droungarios in the imperial army and who can, at need, seek an appointment for the General of the Third Army of the Crusade. They will impose while that's arranged on the cousin's hospitality. Iomedae has been told not to speak unless she is directly addressed and he nods approvingly. 


He has no particular fondness for Oppara; he is loyal to it but it is the loyalty of a man to a distant father, not a loving one. He is not a child wandering around the city in blind ignorance but its proceedings are not always predictable to him, even with no enemy in the mix, and this ask is an expensive one.

That the miracle for which they have long been in diligent prayer is here - well, he'll believe it when it happens. Or perhaps he won't. The account he has always heard is that it is in the gods' absence that men have will, and in their presence will is suspended. He is not sure if Arazni is enough of a god for that. He is not even sure if it is true. But it is hard to imagine calling a god forth and then - what, giving her a briefing? 

Iomedae feels fine, for the first time in more than a year. Aroden wanted something from her, and it was this. For some reason which she is desperate to understand but does not need to be told right away (or later, really) they had to think of it themselves, and not be ordered to do it until they had begged Aroden for this specific order. .She does not understand the constraint but she can live under it.

Oppara is beautiful. She appreciates it.

The droungarios can of course manage the General of the Third Army (a very important man!) an appointment with Hypatos Stelian, for should the General of the Third Army urgently need to see a person of great importance in the church Hypatos Stelian is well known as a friend of the army, to say nothing of his sister being married to a cousin of the droungarios in question.

"Hypatos Stelian." All appropriate compliments to the intervening relatives, all appropriate praises to the Emperor and the gods, all appropriate introductions of his subordinates with a brief indication they are present due to their knowledge of the situation and can be excluded as the Hypatos sees fit but needn't be for the secrecy of what he'll say. 

"I am grateful that you were able to make the time to meet with us. I have urgent news regarding the war, and as we are presently facing an enemy that has begun investment of Canorate and is disrupting our communications, it was necessary to bring it directly and in person."

The thing about the Church of Aroden in Oppara is that, while it might regularly seem that way, Oppara is not another planet. One can reach the high rank of Praipositos chiefly off of ability to understand Oppara politics and work capably within it, provided Aroden has given you enough power to shrug off most attempts to enchant you.

Hypatos is not one of those ranks. The Hypatoi are the people who, when His Supreme Eminence the Dishypatos of all Aroden dies, might be his successor. Most of them run the Church of Aroden in some province or another. When the Empire wants to suggest that the High Priest of a barbarian nation is really very high, he gets to go around calling himself Hypatos, provided Aroden is really extremely taken by him. You do not get to this rank until you have killed a lot of Evil things, or at least things that are opposed to the expansion and prosperity of the Empire, which is really close enough for most purposes. Hypatos Stelian cannot personally cast the Gate to summon Arazni himself, but he can and does cast a significant fraction of the Communes Oppara casts, and he is cleared to know that the King of Ustalav is that same Tar-Baphon who caused Aroden Himself to personally smite him last time.

Hypatos Stelian will compliment the relatives and praise the Emperor and the gods and gracefully acknowledge the subordinates, because you also don't get to be a Hypatos of the church unless you are reasonably good at Oppara politics, before speaking. "The Church of Aroden commends you for your service against the enemies of civilization, and how can I aim to do less than my god? Tell me what must be said, general, so that I may help with all in my power."

"I come here to seek the Church's confirmation on a matter of great importance to the war. Aroden has by Commune conveyed to us his will that we invite, by a Gate, the saint Arazni to aid us in the Crusade." 

Hypatos Stelian does not hear that every day, and looks very calm and says nothing for several seconds while his hands flicker in a standard orison.

Not visibly enchanted. This could be a plot. This could be many plots. Also, General Arnisant is known for his heroism and piety, so this isn't deliberate...

"By Commune, general? What were His words?" 

"After an initial commune identified the possibility but in a confusing and ambiguous manner, I ordered a followup, the phrasing of which was, should your Church be immediately directed to call by Gate the archmage Arazni, spoken of in your histories, and ask Her aid in our war effort? The priest Sefistos conducted the Commune, and conveyed a 'yes'."

Right here, also not visibly enchanted.