"Very large bounty from a reputable broker for an immediate trip to Cheliax, estimated 95% likely to be uneventful. Book a room, lock and ward the room, wait for a Sending about a newborn baby, wait two hours more, leave. If, and only if, a girl inexplicably appears in the room offering congratulations and cake, Plane Shift out instead of Teleporting, with the girl, to a demiplane the broker handed out the key for.

By far the primary thing they learned is that we know about cake girl. We didn't lose physical custody of the Plane Shift key, and it's a temporary demiplane anyway."

"And they didn't, you know, take them all down, learn that, send them to Hell, becauuuuse -"

"...because Cheliax is taking a new, cake-based angle on conquest. Or maybe because it was all done with scrolls and items and they were bluffing. Or maybe because Project Lawful powers can't be used against us. Or maybe because - look, do you realize how many things I now give substantial credence -"

"What things do you now give substantial credence."

"Queen Abrogail Thrune is one of the Project Lawful girls. Queen Abrogail Thrune is negotiating with Project Lawful for use of their girls. Everyone in the Chelish hierarchy waits on Carissa Sevar. Carissa Sevar won favor in the court by inventing a magic weapon that stole all Nidal's diamonds. Asmodeus is working with Irori. Asmodeus is working with Iomedae. Asmodeus is working with Cayden Cailean. Project Lawful turns you into a girl. Project Lawful makes you sexually attractive to Asmodeus's specific sensibilities and he prefers women."

"That is not how gods work."

"You're taking the under on that one? I have it at five percent."

He bites his lip. "...yes."

"But you thought about it. Because if I say twenty things that ridiculous -"

"I'm not betting against any of the others. What else -"

"A girl on Project Lawful is the Neutral Evil herald of Nethys, Takaral. A girl on Project Lawful killed the Neutral Evil herald of Nethys, Takaral. Project Lawful caused the godwar. The librarian on Project Lawful is cursed to never leave her library."

"And that is not how curses work."

"Well, there's the Oracle of Oppara -"

"Yes, I'm sure Asmodeus oracled one of his Project Lawful girls with a curse that leaves them tied to their library. That seems like the sort of thing Asmodeus, notorious respecter of the sanctity of books and libraries, would do."

"I also have, uh, the ultimate aim of Project Lawful is to write a romance novel that will cause all women worldwide to fall in love with Asmodeus and convert for him."

"I'll take the under on that too. - why only the women."

"Men don't read romance novels."

"Huh, do they not?"

"I think in countries where a lot of women are literate it's a pronounced skew. Is this really important."

"I don't know. I have no idea what's important. Maybe the romance novels are the key to the whole thing. ...what are Chelish romance novels like?"

"They're state-issued, so not very good, centralization of entertainment media produces stories that people like to think lesser people read. I think, I haven't actually read any."

"Right.

Okay.

Thank you, Merenre. Let me know if anything else pops out when you shift all the numbers around."

"Your highness." And he stands, and takes his beads away, very tiredly.

...do they seriously mean to tell her that nobody thought of inviting her to that?

PL-log:  Subevent 3 of PL-incident Bargaining With Chaos

Time:  Day 4 / evening

Location:  Egorian, Imperial palace, food preparation area

Notes:  PL-subject #3 is outside Otolmens Containment Zone while event occurs