I know its you Nethys, it's always you.

…..fortunately, at least within this thread of creation, the, entirely inexplicable, anomalies formed as a result served only to transfer fragments of historical documents from one of the many possible future Golarions to the present day. Many different documents, and multiple copies of the same document appear. Seemingly randomly but in such a manner that they, conveniently, became accessible to the delegates and other interested parties

I'm telling the Agnoia on you.

This is in clear violation of the statutes on extra planar information leakage and retrocausality

They're busy. 

For anthropic reasons I can guarantee it'll go fine, look I'll even M̸̼̈́̾̕A̷̬͍̜̍̌͋͗͝K̷̩̻͓̱̣͋Ë̷̺̦̞̠̪́̅̍ ̷̝̈́̔M̵̳̫̬̜͂͑̎̈́Y̶̧̲̻͝S̸͖̻͋͗̃̚͠E̴̎̌̈́̕͜Ḻ̵̳̺͝F̴͕̈́̎̆͝ ̵̨͓̠͙̀̎L̴͕̃́̍́Ȅ̸̫̳̟̱̝̊̽̀͒Ġ̵͔̼ͅI̶̻̘̗͖͌͆̿Ḃ̴͙͕͚͔͉̾̋͝L̸̮̼̄̓̏̔͠Ȇ̶͎̙͘ ̶̘͓̺̳̱̒̈́T̴͓̤̩̠̂O̴͚̪̊͆ ̸͈̟̭̆̑͒̒Ÿ̴̬́͑̇̈O̸͚̼̐̅̓͠͝Ư̷͕̿͋̀͝.

Really, it's obvious if you....

Don't you dare. 

Copies of the same pages appear in many places, though always placed somewhere their presence will be obvious.

They appear unremarkable at first glance, seemingly torn out of a larger book, though upon further examination it would seem to be one with very white very smooth paper, and scrivened by someone with unusually regular handwriting.

Chapter 7 - Cheliax and Wain, assessing common figures in folk history 

Due to subsequent events, there is little reliable documentation of the First Constitutional Convention. Many scholars have taken at face value what few sources we have, but a discerning historian can see that much of this record has been corrupted by subsequent propaganda and oral tradition.
 
This is most obviously the case with the reputed members of the convention who have taken on a role in popular history. Who are often either conflations of multiple figures (see Chapter 12 - The Archmage, President and Galtonius, the influence of the Galtan faction) or later inventions. 

One likely invented figure is "Select Valia Wain", a virtuous peasant priestess cruelly fed to lions, depicted in ballads, morality plays and children's entertainment. The story has many variations but in its most common form:

• The virtuous peasant priestess Valia Wain, a hero of the struggle against Asmodeus, arrives in Westcrown for the Constitutional Convention. Observing the poverty and sin of the city, and meeting with clerics of the other Virtuous God's attending the convention and discussing the nature of Good.
  
  
• She then speaks before the convention and denounces the decadence of the city nobility and begs them to not seek to maintain their privileges at the convention. But instead serve Her Majesty and their own redemption fighting against demons at the Mendevian Incursion Site. And for all members of the convention to assist in rooting out lingering devil worshippers in their midst.
  
  
• Observing the near unanimous agreement from the convention, Asmodean remnants set the city ablaze, hoping to destroy evidence of their crimes, demon cultists bewitch the populace to violence, and general chaos ensues.
  
  
• Following her heroic defence of the palace until a miraculous flood can wash away the summoned devils and demons, and cure those cursed with madness, Wain submits herself to the judgement of her Lawful Good Queen (accompanied by a speech about how even the virtuous must submit to Law).
  
  
• After a trial scene, (often humorously depicting a devil and an archon as opposing lawyers) Wain is sentenced to trial by Ordeal of Lion.
  
  
• The Lions, being holy animals of Iomedae, refuse to eat Wain, proving her innocence. Wain is subsequently sent on a quest by the Goddess, and departs the convention, accompanied by her lion companion.

Even removing the obviously fanciful elements, this story does not stand up to historical scrutiny. 

Wain is depicted as arriving directly from her home town to the convention, and naively debating the nature of Good with her Companions (discussed below) before her speech, without any coordination with the wider Church of Iomedae.  However, historical records clearly indicate that Lastwall's Army of Glorious Reclamation had a large and well organized contingent within the convention. And known Lastwall policy of the time required that anyone representing their interests be properly catechized.  
 
Despite its ahistorical nature the allegorical meaning of this is clear, depicting as it does the conflicts within the Church of Iomedae in how to deal with the remnants of Asmodean rule, and the cultural clashes between the non-Chelish Established Church and the rising class consciousness of the Chelish peasantry, who, in the form of Wain, call, with simple moral clarity, for those who have done Evil to be given the opportunity to redeem themselves, but not given power in the new state. 
 
Wain needing to determine the nature of Good (and in some versions basic logistics of the convention) without assistance is meant as a dramatic exaggeration of complaints the Established Church had "abandoned" Chelish Iomedaeans to their own devices. The trial scene, despite its often humorous nature, is meant to evoke the complicity of the Church establishment in the ongoing oppression of the Chelish people, being persuaded (sometimes by a literal devil) to punish Wain, on the basis of an absurd legal technicality. (This is likely a reference to theological disputes as to the nature of Law and Good that would have been well known to audiences of the time.) 

The Lions of Iomedae sparing Wain is clearly meant to indicate the approval of the Goddess for the rising popular consciousness among the peasantry. But crucially this only happens after Wain has submitted herself to the legitimate secular authorities, and refused offers by the Church to plead special treatment. Sending the, not very subtle, message that the legitimate grievances of the peasantry will be redressed, but can only be done so through cooperation with central crown authority. 

As such we can clearly situate this story within the ongoing dialectic establishing popular support for the central government, in opposition to local noble interests (See subsequent books in this series, particularly Early State Formation in Post-Asmodean Cheliax, Chapter 17 - The People's Crown). 

Wain frequently appears in morality plays alongside her Companions, other young female commoners each Chosen by a different God. Who discuss the nature of Good and Law with one another, and have various adventures and escapades. 
 
This was likely an attempt by authors of the period to create relatable figures for the population who were still developing their understanding of the Virtuous Gods. 
 
Indeed the names of the characters are frequently allegorical for ease of memorization. For example: Victoria the Vengeful, Avenger of Calistria (often depicted as bringing justice to a caricature of decadent nobility); Shelycia, the Shelynite; Iroria, the Irorian; Redempcia the Sarenite, etc.  And, while it sounds clumsy to a modern ear, the name "Wain" may have been chosen for its rhyme with "Iomedaean" in the Heartlands peasant dialect of the time. 
 
The stories of Victoria and Wain travelling together post-convention (a time for which the historical record is even more scant) can be seen as a warning that the love of "Victory" over Asmodian oppressors should not lead to being seduced into Evil, via a continuous search for vengeance. 

It doesn’t have a header listing under which statue it’s permitted.  It’s high quality paper… so probably “private” and not an illegal pamphlet… but he’s not going to read something private with no context.  Just because the overall convention isn’t a loyalty test doesn’t mean people won’t plan traps on their own initiative.

Okay, after checking no one is around in this side room, he’s actually going to read it really quick then leave it.  He skims quickly.

And… it’s a political pamphlet making some point side ways about Valia Wain.  He doesn’t bother trying to understand what it’s saying through its weird conceit of being from the future.  You know what… paladins are honest, he’s going to go up to one and learn the actual official story about Valia Wain.  …he really should have sat through her trial in the first place.

Dia doesn’t second guess reading it quickly when she sees it.  And it’s more pamphlet nonsense, but a higher effort than previously, with the regular writing and high quality paper.  Maybe if someone is going to defy the censorship laws they are going for maximum effort.  Worryingly, Thea warranted a single mention, but there is no details like in the leaked and garbled diabolism committee report so they should be safe?  She’ll warn Thea anyway in case this pamphlet starts something.

Ha!

Hahahahaaahaa

HAHAHAAAAA HAAAA 

HAHAhaaaa HAAAA Haaaä̶̹̤́͑̕͠h̷̢͒Hå̸̖͙͐̌͘aaḩ̸̼̳̠̏ͅá̷͉̓͛̚͝!!!̴̫͕̥̜̭͌̃͌͠

lol

....

Are you done?

Did you know that in the far depths of the Maelstrom there is a gas giant many times the size of Bretheda, and every part of it, from its wispy surface to its crushing depths, is filled with proteans monomaniacally obsessed with humor.

Squeezed tightly together beyond what normal space would allow, they have spent untold eternities in constant exchange with one another, performing, joking, laughing, taking joy in one another's jokes and perfecting their own, collaborating and competing in infinite combinations.

They have reached heights of amusement so utterly beyond that of mortals that to allow one of their jokes into Creation would be to threaten its very fabric. 

And yet none of them have ever been as amused as I am now.

I'm finally beginning to understand what the rest of you see in mortals. It's beautiful. They've exposed themselves to so much of their own self created bullshit that they have developed an immunity to yours. Like a self protecting information ecosystem. 

I suppose I should have expected that from Cheliax.

Maybe trading Asmodeus for mass literacy was a mistake...

It used to be that you could leave a scroll in an ancient tomb surrounded by curses and large signs saying "do not read this". And within a week all of Osirion would have incorporated it into their belief system. 

(This is going to use so much budget, but what the Abyss, I'm abandoning this playthrough anyway... Now where's that lever...)

Mysterious documents continue to appear....

But now via some unknown magical effect, or someone really grinding the gears of the anthropic selection machine, all who saw them had the firm and unquestioned conviction that they were real documents from the future, and that they would not suffer any negative repercussions for reading them.

Chapter 8 - Korva the Just, or Just Korva? Discerning truth from ideologically influenced history 

Saint Korva the Lawbringer is credited with the foundation of the 12 Hellknight orders (an archaic term for government oversight agencies) and the establishment of much of the legal framework of post-Asmodian Cheliax. Due to both the Lawful Orders [see color plate 25, Saint Korva Tending to the Orphans in fresco], and later advocates of parliamentary supremacy, seeking association with an archetypal virtuous peasant figure. 

However, the historical Korva was most likely one of several reformists within the Hellknight orders (whose attendance at the convention is clearly documented) who negotiated their integration into the new state. As is often the case, the actions of many were attributed to a single symbolic figure by later authors, along with a suitably compelling backstory. With her famously compelling speeches on the Rights of the Commons, etc. likely inventions of the later Parliamentarian movement. 

In her classical depiction Korva enters the convention wearing beggars clothes, having spent her life prior to the convention saving orphans cruelly abandoned by the Asmodean system. Then through her skillful oratory, wisdom and political acumen provides the impetus for much of the Chelish Bill of Rights and other legal innovations. [See color plate 26, Saint Korva Accompanied By Angels Exhorting the Sinful Chelish to Virtue].

But modern textual analysis indicates that the lexical complexity, register and vocabulary of the Korvan Orations is not consistent with a peasant of that era. Fanciful suggestions that before becoming a beggar she was a learned wizard, scholar of Ulfen Sagas etc. are unsubtle attempts to reconcile this discrepancy, while reinforcing the narrative of talent among the peasantry being neglected by the noble establishment.

Her role in the convention is also depicted inconsistently, as not only an employee/confidant/spiritual advisor to Archduchess Carlota Cansellarion (a leader of the Iomedean Reformist faction), but also of the Archduchess Jilia (a Radical Federalist). And to have been a key leader in the Early Republican Movement (despite denouncing the other prominent Republican leader Elie of Galt). 

The skill of a historian is in taking such contradictory and unreliable information and using it to discern the underlying facts, and as such Saint Korva represents a useful exercise for students. [See appendix 2, p423, for classroom worksheets.]

It is likely that the historical Lictor Korva was a devout Erastilian, worshippers of Erastil being present among the Hellknights, but marginalized until the fall of the infernal regime. The attribution of the development of family law, and her common depiction as Savior of Orphans from the Flames [see color plate 27], are likely a corruption, or deliberate allegory later misunderstood, to the role of the Erastilians in “rescuing” the children of Cheliax from the collapse of society caused by hellish rule, often symbolized as a burning building.  

An Erastilian Hellknight would be much more likely to have her demonstrated understanding of both family and Law. And would have had an obvious interest in the establishment of new Virtuous Orders as integral parts of the post-infernal government, and so propose them as a solution to every problem.

For fuck's sake, why does this country have to burn all of its history every hundred years?

Adding to the education committee's work that Cheliax should maintain major libraries of historical documents at each of the crown academies and additionally establish one and ideally multiple religious orders devoted to the preservation of historical documents and not beholden to the crown, since this amount of historical revisionism of the work of the literal government is obviously the work of several rounds of mass censorship. Maybe issue some kind of law or constitutional provision - what committee does this go under? - that the government not be permitted to suppress its own historical decrees or resolutions, and be required to maintain records of them in the crown libraries.




....and she's not a peasant. Peasants farm. Her mother was a perfectly literate clerk, thank you very much.

Good to know that more hellknight orders are considered to be a good idea, though.