"One feature of the law in Lastwall is that crimes are generally treated the same regardless of the relative social standing of the killer and their victim, and the exceptions are in the direction of - crimes are a more serious matter, and punished more harshly, if committed by a person in a position of power and trust against those they have power over."

He's going to need to take half a moment to get his head around something about that. "What do you mean by a position of trust?"

"An officer in the military. A magistrate. An investigator. A priest or anyone authorized to speak and act for the church. People where - when they commit a crime, not only does it have whatever direct harm it has, it also undermines public confidence that the people in that role are law-abiding, honorable and trustworthy, and who are in roles where that trust is important."

"Ahh, so you punish representatives of the government more harshly." That makes some sense; if you appoint someone to do something, their superior is extending trust that they'll do what they were assigned to do, and failing at that could be worse than merely committing an ordinary crime. "Well, right now it's all murder, but the sentencing varies."

"What sorts of things affect the sentencing?"

"It's informed by what the sentence would have been before the queen abolished nearly all crimes. Status of the condemned, different for a slave or a serf or a free man or a lord. Sometimes status of the victim. Whether the crime was committed in a particularly heinous manner, or many crimes were committed together. In this case the official sentence was murder, but specifically the man was a slave who murdered his master and another member of his master's family, so he was crucified. I suppose the least serious case that might be technical murder is something like not accepting a duel refusal, or killing someone you have the authority to discipline, but we're mostly not executing people for those."

"I see. You aren't executing people for those because...they don't seem like a very serious problem, or they are so commonplace you'd end up executing too many people?"

"Well, they weren't previously murder at all under most circumstances, but I don't know where else you'd put them in the new system. If it's a really botched duel I might put the man in the pit or the blood well."

"The pit or the blood well?"

"Pit has an animal in it. Blood well is a covered stone pit full of water. If you're still alive when we pull you out three days later, that's it."

What??? Why????

"For what sorts of things are people sentenced to, uh, fight animals, or tread water for three days?"

"Well, you can do trial by ordeal for anything, if it's a serious crime. But it's mainly for any situation where you're tempted to say - well, maybe it deserves death, but we need this man for the defense of the realm. If it's true, let him prove it, instead of just letting him go. Or the other way around, where the thing wouldn't be a death offense for someone else, but there's some ambiguity about the status of the man who did it. Let him prove himself, too, if there's call.

The Asmodeans didn't love it, either, but it's older than they are." 

And it's not that different from the justification for the dies ira, but he's not really planning to share his arguments for how traditional ordeals are compatible with Asmodean theology.

"I see. That is also not how things are done under the code of law Iomedae wrote, but - it does not seem like it is a particularly high priority if it isn't an Asmodean practice and is in some cases perhaps a merciful one."

Nod. "Well, I'll think about the executions, and decide how to alter them in the meantime. Would you rather look for more poison to draw out by talking to me, or by some other avenue of investigation?"

"We're here to be of assistance to you, whatever you expect that looks like. If you don't have in mind any specific questions it might make sense to get situated and speak to other people and observe some proceedings, but we're also happy to talk for longer if you'd prefer. Or we could split up."

"Mm. I suppose I had hoped that we would have enough Iomedan clerics to hold services, for my household and for the people of Kantaria. I don't know what we most need to hear, but I expect we would learn from almost any topic you chose to speak on."

"We are qualified to hold services, though obviously we can't do channels. There is a standard set of sermons for conscripted soldiers from the countryside who are new to formal religious instruction and we might start with that until we learn enough to tailor it more to people who were previously subject to Asmodeanism."

"I'm sure it would be instructive. The castle has a chapel, though in the town we have nowhere to hold them but the hollowed out Asmodean temple. We've neglected to redecorate it apart from removing almost everything that was previously inside, but of course you can have what men you need to get it into an acceptable state. Or hold services in the square, I suppose, if it's easier."

"If people won't be freezing and can sit comfortably and it can hold as many as choose to come it's acceptable. ...the Church isn't opposed to temples being beautiful, many people find it spiritually beneficial when they are, but it's a matter for peacetime."

"I understand why one might be fine with a very simple temple, but it's - well, you can go look, and tell me if you want to make changes."

If it has lots of horrifying torture setups they'll probably want to make changes. "Thank you."

They've had a long journey and should get settled, then. In theory showing them to their rooms could be a halfling responsibility, but in practice there are so many widowed and unmarried women at loose ends in this household that one of the teenage girls immediately jumps on the opportunity. The rooms are spacious and well-decorated, fit for an archduke's guests of honor. An archduke who is really into heavenly aesthetics.

They will be appropriately grateful for the rooms. And probably should start trying to suss out what else is horribly wrong here by talking to people who aren't Narikopolus. Would the woman who showed them to their rooms like to show them around the rest of the estate, maybe, and tell them about how things have been here lately?

(Are they putting her in danger if she says something bad about the archduke? They absolutely cannot promise people meaningful confidentiality, here...)