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An adventuring party recruited from Osirion teleports into Azir on the 8th of Desnus. Rahadoum's recruiting contact in Osirion wrote ahead to note they were expected. Couple of guys he's known a long time - a wizard, a ranger - and a new guy, sorcerer, probably to replace the cleric they usually travel with. They spend two days in Azir getting oriented and head out to the front. The ranger wears an unusually high quality amulet of Nondetection; the sorcerer wears a headband for intelligence, which is a bit unusual as sorcerers usually don't need it to cast, but some variants do; they are otherwise unremarkable. Chaotic Good, Lawful Neutral, no reading, which could mean neutral or 'hiding it'. They work quickly and effectively, manage resources reasonably well, get recommended to higher-ups for a closer look on that account.
Khemet arrives to the state dinner party a day in advance so that Aroden can help him and his boyfriend out with telepathy.
(You would think that'd be a person it'd be easier to get a cactus past, since she knows it's not detectable by Golarion magic unless you think to cast a divination on it, and rumor has it Leareth's sleeping with him, but when she brings fresh sheets for his guest suite his guards Detect Magic on them at the door, and that itself she can get past but it's indicative of more paranoia, so she does not try.)
"Much better! I still feel a little bit slow and scattered, but Vanyel says he cannot tell by talking to me." Slight look of irritation. "Aroden can, but he is Aroden. Nayoki thinks it will pass."
"Hopefully the Star-Eyed has learned a valuable lesson but Abadar was a bit pessimistic. Maybe the new interface will help with that too."
They head over toward the Work Room where Aroden is setting up.
"Are you still annoyed with Abadar about it?" Leareth says quietly.
"I don't know. I - didn't expect a downside risk of you being brain damaged in some way we couldn't heal and I'm not happy about it but I don't think He expected it either and - it made sense for Him to want to make a play for that resource, even a risky play. And it's going to save us both a lot of headaches in the future."
"I think it was a reasonable gamble to make, yes, given the upside. And - if it is anyone's fault it is mine, for misjudging the likely outcomes, the gods have never used that particular style of attack on me but I was not entirely unaware it was possible, and - I had never put myself so conveniently close to a god's centre of power before. And, yes, it means we can much more fully trust Valdemar's government now, and Abadar actively has a hold there." Shiver. "I was very scared, though."
They reach the Work Room. Aroden greets Khemet warmly, thanks him for visiting. Asks how everything is going in Osirion.
Reasonably well! They are excited that now that all the fighting in Velgarth is done with there can be more mages available for work in Golarion. For example on the permanent Gate-terminus he wants.
Leareth reminds him that he's on the list but they take weeks of multiple mages' full-time efforts to build. They'll get there, though, probably especially if he keeps incentivizing Leareth to visit.
Aroden explains the spell he's redesigned. He can easily do one that is basically exactly like Mind Blank except that it doesn't block projective Mindspeech, but that only gives Khemet the receptive end, since he doesn't himself have a projective form of telepathy. They can do that part separately for him though. Aroden could also do a more complicated version that would only allow Mindspeech with Leareth, but he doesn't have that yet, and either way random Thoughtsensers won't be able to read his mind, just talk to him.
Then they can go with the simpler version of the spell!
Aroden has it prepared and can just cast it for now and then he and Leareth can test that it works, Aroden also prepared Telepathy for Khemet to see if that gives him the projective side. Though for Companions and such he can just reply out loud, so if he's looking to get it permanent, given the range difference it probably makes more sense to get permanent Telepathic Bond specifically with Leareth.
A permanent telepathic bond with Leareth sounds really convenient. They can test it out with Telepathy now, though.
He dispels his Mind Blank. Waits for Aroden to put it on.
:Can you hear me?:
:Yes!: And it seems like he can answer, his Mindspeech isn't bouncing off a wall like before. :Did that work?:
:It did! Now try to murder me or - I don't know, I'm sure Mindspeech has some concerning use or other -:
:I could shout very very loudly and it would be distracting? I actually think that the way Aroden did the spell, there is not enough 'surface area' where I can get through that I could harm you even if I wanted to. I am not really a strong enough Mindspeaker for it anyway. Vanyel can kill people by hitting them hard enough with Mindspeech, but he is Vanyel:
Leareth is smiling broadly. He's very pleased about this.
Leareth does a few more tests; he tries very hard to read Khemet's thoughts without him projecting Mindspeech, and can't, that's working as intended and he can't route around it. Very clever.
Aroden examines it with his magic senses, pronounces it 'worked as intended', and since that went quickly and without any complications, maybe they can just go get lunch now.
He is very impressed with Aroden.
They head out of the Work Room to eat lunch somewhere more comfortable. There are people around, so they talk about things that aren't that important - immigration, the health of Khemet's children, Abadar being able to pick more clerics in Velgarth now. But if they wanted to discuss something sensitive they could just do it over Mindspeech.
