Vanyel stands up, a bit abruptly. 

"I - need some fresh air. I'm going to go for a walk, just for a bit - feel free to go on without me, please." 

And he leaves. 

Keiran and Tran both glance after him, frowning. 

....well, the paladins cannot feel fear including fear of social awkwardness so they'll just tell the life story of Iomedae, chosen as a paladin of Aroden at 15, and the wars in which She rose to extraordinary power, and Her teachings, and not worry what Vanyel is up to.

It's all very interesting! Tran is definitely not taking it at face value, but he can admit that it makes a very inspiring story. And one that seems quite good for inspiring other people to be their best selves. Maybe, maaaaaybe, even Leareth. 

It's a small settlement. Past the fence around the Guard-post, the road very quickly runs into dense forest on either side. 

Vanyel paces. Tries to think, but it's too big, too much to grapple with just in his own head.

:'Fandes? We need to talk: 

And she surges closer, though not fully into his mind. Hesitant and lonely and still loving him. :I know, Chosen. ...We could go for a ride?: 

:Sure: And he waits for her before he goes on.

:What's on your mind, love?: 

:- Right, I didn't catch you up on what we just spoke about: 

Another indication of the cracks widening between them. Of something deeply wrong in the foundation that he's built his entire life on. 

:So - it's not exactly that they allied with Leareth. Leareth joined forces with them. He...did some kind of magically-enforced repentance ritual? And now he's basically agreed to be Lawful Good and - er, I mean, they're at war and all, that probably doesn't mean he won't kill more people. But it's not like killing people in a war stopped me from showing up as Good to them: 

Suspicion, doubt. 

:- I know why you want to believe it, Chosen. But - are you sure?: 

:The paladin confirmed it under Truth Spell. And...it fits? Here - I'm trying to remember what exactly the paladin said, about Iomedae...: 

He closes his eyes, hands tangled in Yfandes' mane. 

I think that the gods in your world, with all due respect.... aren't Good? Their top priority is not fixing everything wrong with the world. They don't consistently side with Good over Evil. They don't ensure that their societies are safe, abundant places where people live long lives, and they don't provide afterlives where their followers have eternal abundance. I think Leareth had fallen into the trap of believing that he would gain nothing by acting admirable, as there was no admiration worth winning which it was in his power to win -- and that he would lose nothing by acting evilly, as there were no allies who'd be at his side either way. And Iomedae is Good, but expects the same of her followers, which changes things, for ambitious people tempted to Evil.

And, later, when Vanyel was back to pointlessly dwelling on - well, fine, mostly his own unproductive guilt at what they subjected Leareth to. It feels like it shouldn't matter what he did before, or that in ordinary circumstances he would be an incredibly powerful mage; he was, at that time, a helpless prisoner, terrified and in pain. But, he certainly seems to have taken to having allies, the paladin of Iomedae said, he'll be all right...

:- And he's got a point? I - never really thought of it quite that way before, but the gods of this world aren't good. Tran put it best, honestly - he said, why would anyone ever expect them to be, to - care about us - when they're not like us. But...it seems like they could try a lot harder than they do: 

:- Or be a lot worse. Asmodeus drags all His people to Hell and tortures them: 

:And Carissa thought it was monstrous of us, to - make the choice for her that annihilation was better than that. And I - just - it seems crazy to me, but...people get to decide for themselves what they want?: Vanyel is still kind of grappling with that conversation. 

:Listen, love, I don't think you need to keep feeling guilty forever that some people are - badly damaged, and believe the propaganda where they grew up: 

:That's not my point!: And he's landed back on the same slippery frustration as before, where he keeps trying to say what he means, trying to point at the enormity of this new revelation that's hanging between all of them unacknowledged, and it keeps not WORKING. 

:...I'm sorry, love. I'll - try to listen better. I am trying: 

:I know. I didn't mean to snap: It's not fair to take it out on her; there's clearly something bothering her. 

(...Something wrong, under the surface, something even Vanyel still finds hard to think about - but he can't let it fester unspoken between them forever.) 

:- Yfandes. I - just, it's - something's been off ever since we questioned Leareth and found out about his plan. With the Companions. With you - between us -: 

:And - I'm scared it's going to make it really hard for the Heralds, for Randi, to respond to this sanely? Because - I think there's only one sane response, at this point: 

It feels like he's falling through the cracks in the world, in his mind, in between the two of them where there should be immutable unbreakable stability and love. 

:Iomedae is - doing the right thing. I don't think that should be controversial. Obviously we need to...do our homework, first, go see other countries in Golarion, talk to the followers of other gods - but I think I already know how the answer will come out. And - we can't fix this world, not really, unless we somehow deal with the local gods who bloody murdered Leareth every time he tried to invent something or build a country that would be any better!: 

:And I don't - maybe Iomedae can get somewhere with talking, Asmodeus couldn't but maybe They just - reasonably - didn't like or trust him? But...I don't know. They...don't seem to care about people continuing to exist after they die, but They also might not like giving away all the souls, and in that case - I don't know if there's any better option than fighting: