NOT consistent with the tone of Keltham's earlier lecture, he was pointing in the direction of there being a Lawful solution that didn't rely on Good.  Not in a trolling way, either.

I'm not seeing it, then.  How about you, Chosen of a Lawful god?

...I am unfortunately better at the math, and what comes after the math, than I am at the thing that comes before the math.  The part you had to help me with on Keltham's seven problems.

If it's solvable, it has to depend on what kind of people we are.  You can't do this with a demon.  You can't do this with a rock that has 'Defect' written on it either.  That's why Keltham said we were allowed to talk to each other, it's not that we can - threaten each other, or persuade each other - it's something we have to know about each other.

Guess about each other, not know, because it'll be a truth of only some worlds, not a truth across all the worlds, a probability and not a logic.

I don't see how you could know that, from talking to somebody.  Wouldn't they just say whatever you needed to hear to make you Cooperate?

If you've got 30 Splendour, possibly.  Otherwise maybe my Sense Motive is good for something against your Bluff.

But, valuable to know that's how you think about it, Asmodean.

"Okay, enough quiet time, let's start the game."

"Wait."

Message to Keltham:  Should we all do this in separate rooms?  I'm pretty sure I have an outright solution, and if somebody else overhears that, it'll skew the results.

Message to Pilar:  This I have to see.

"Suggestion accepted from Pilar to do this in separate breakout rooms."

We need to resolve our game, see what results end up as.

Defect, Asmodia thinks, not for retransmission to Ione.

Defect, Ione thinks.

I commit to you to not steal your grain in the absence of convincing evidence you stole my grain which right now would be just a too-low number but in the future when I think through all the math might also include a pattern of grain results that is unlikely if you are not stealing, Carissa says to Pilar, if you will make the reciprocal commitment. 

I make the reciprocal commitment, as an Asmodean, if you make it as an Asmodean.  Not in the way where we're calling on Hell to punish us if we break the compact, because that part wouldn't exist in alter-Cheliax, but in the way where this is a compact, and we'd keep it even if Asmodeus said He wasn't going to punish us for breaking it, because we are Asmodeans.

(Pilar lets herself be smarter when she needs to be the smart one.)

Carissa is not sure that's actually part of Asmodeanism but - it should be? So hopefully it is. 

As an Asmodean, then.

Cooperate, Pilar thinks.

Cooperate.

See, you can be Evil and still win. 

Keltham, meanwhile, has followed Pilar into her selected breakout room with Meritxell, looking skeptical and interested.

Security, does Pilar need advice/rulings from me immediately?

Pilar's fine, in Security's best judgment.

All right, update me on what happened with Sevar/Pilar so I can figure out what our results should look like and what people should talk about.

Since Asmodia hasn't had time to advise anyone, Pilar will just open directly rather than give Meritxell time to possibly screw up.

"I offer you a compact as between Asmodeans, that I will write Cooperate and you will write Cooperate," Pilar says to Meritxell.  "Not an oath, and we're not calling on Hell to witness it, that's too serious for this.  But a compact, as is our Lord's domain."

" - are we allowed to stipulate the farmers are Asmodeans," says Meritxell. "Obviously Asmodeans can make such compacts, but what if the farmers aren't - I guess the farmers who aren't Asmodeans will be starving and sleeping in their grain silos and they'll see the Asmodeans and convert, sure."

"Keltham's instructions didn't say to pretend we're farmers.  He just told us to play this game, and earn as much copper for ourselves as we could."

" - all right, fair enough. I accept your compact, as an Asmodean." Meritxell assumes that she's now supposed to cooperate with Pilar? To show Asmodeans in alter-Cheliax can do that?

"I'll leave you to the rest of the game, assuming it's not over.  Remember, turn your back while the other person writes their move; neither of you is to know the other's move, now or ever, except as you might guess it from the partially random payout you get.  Oh, obviously you don't tell the other person your payout, either."

"If you actually are done shortly, I guess you might need to wait while the Silent Proctor gets here... actually no, just leave your moves, folded, with your names on them, in the room.  Security can make sure only the Silent Proctor looks at them."