Aspexia Rugatonn frowns.  It's not out of the question, but a measure that should be resorted-to on relatively rare occasions, at that level of management.

"Subirachs's choice there hadn't particularly seemed like the best possible decision, no, but I hadn't thought it bad enough to warrant that.  Sevar was - not beginning to think herself unpunishable, but thinking herself unpunishable except by going to extraordinary lengths.  She thought that Cheliax still had threat to hold over her, but in the form of yourself, or say Gorthoklek, not in the person of Abarco."

"Sevar didn't reflect on her faults in that explicit a manner, but she wanted to break that dangerous sense of invincibility within herself.  This was accomplished."

"That could have made sense if Sevar wasn't engaged in an incredibly tangled honeypot operation with somebody who has an alien power to sense her sexuality even if nothing else and also forcing her to lie when many of the relationship breakthroughs with Keltham have been based on a bizarre form of honesty presumably empowered by tropes."

"I don't even want to think about what dath ilani romance novels must say about this, except that Subirachs and Abarco are going to end up not just dead but in Abaddon - actually I don't think dath ilani novels would do that to their villains?  But something is going to happen to them that a dath ilani reader would find satisfying, and I worry that this may involve the ruination of Cheliax if not Hell itself."

"Ah.  Hm.  And you think we should arrange their rapes ourselves, to be proactive about that?"

"That thought hadn't even occurred to me!  I'm just enraged by the sheer stupidity!  Why do my subjects do this?  Why does nobody in Cheliax understand what pain and torment do inside people on any level more complicated than it being scary?  How am I supposed to run an Asmodean country like this?"

"Need I point out that your own commandment of disciplinary torment for Sevar greatly shook her faith -"

"Because Sevar chose to undergo a torture order timed at her discretion, immediately before she needed to have an emotional conversation with Keltham and then meet with the Crown!  The thought that Sevar would be that stupid literally never occurred to me!  What do unwitting Irori clerics think torture is supposed to do?  Why is my life like this?  Do I have to personally order, execute, explain, and sensibly schedule every instance of torment in all of Cheliax for any of it to be remotely productive?"

"Sevar was not making progress in learning that art herself.  Sevar was putting off the tortures required for herself, declining to inflict tortures on others.  Not from selfish calculation, not even from heretical kindness; she forebore to advise Subirachs when Subirachs was selecting instruments for Keltham to use on her, and paid some small price for that.  Then, having failed to learn her lesson, Sevar again failed to suggest any alternative specifics to Subirachs when Subirachs requested those and told her that her punishment would be otherwise worsened.  I expect Subirachs was justifiably frustrated by Sevar at that point; the sort of frustration of one's expiator that a penitent ought properly to regret -"

"Are you telling me to have sympathy for poor Subirachs about her failure at her one task?  Let Subirachs inflict whatever worse punishment on Sevar she likes so long as it is not a sexual one!  How about a pit of venomous spiders?  Many people fear being thrown into a pit of venomous spiders!  Even the ones who don't fear it the first time oft fear it more the second time around!  Has anybody even tried throwing Sevar into a pit of venomous spiders?  No!  And why not?  I DON'T KNOW.  WHY RAPE."

"Abrogail, how many people did you have burned, lashed, boneshattered, flayed, near-drowned, and raped, before the first time you got bored enough to try a pit of spiders instead?"

"...I suppose you have a certain awful point.  Many ordinary people, indeed, may never realize they have the option of throwing someone into a pit of spiders.  And if I suggest a corresponding reformation of Chelish schools, your response will be that, in fact, very few people are ever faced with a problem to which a pit of spiders is the best solution."

"And this response will be very true, Aspexia.  It will be very true.  Do you know who I would nonetheless expect to be expert enough to have options come to mind other than the barest, simplest methods?  The SEVENTH-CIRCLE cleric of Asmodeus specializing in SLAVERY that YOU PERSONALLY appointed to oversee the shaping of the MOST IMPORTANT SLAVE IN CREATION."

"And which of the dozens of competent subordinates you no doubt possess, whom you deem much superior to Subirachs in that task, would you appoint to replace her?"

"Are you sure I can't just personally -"

"No.  Bad Abrogail."

The noise that comes from her throat then is one that you might, hearing it in Hell, not know whether it was issuing from a tormented soul or its enraged tormentor.

"Well, I am, for whatever it is worth, now much more resolved upon our diabolical secret plan."

"Oh?  I confess I don't see the connection."

"Because if Keltham actually tried to study torture HE WOULD ACTUALLY BE GOOD AT IT."

"Yes, that is exactly how I feel about 'corrigibility'."

"Do you feel it would be beneficial for Project Lawful if you disciplined Subirachs and Abarco in this matter?  Not beneficial for your indignation and fury, beneficial for Lord Asmodeus."

"I will instruct Subirachs that further orders for sexual torment are to be routed through me for approval, and not suggest to her that I was displeased with her current order, because as you say it did serve its foolish, minor purpose and I would not have even that pittance of a benefit lost."

"And I shall quietly arrange with his owner that when Elias Abarco is welcomed forever into Hell, he will spend the first thousand years of it being raped.  The tropes, then, will not need to act, in his case."

"Is there anything similar you can arrange for Subirachs?"

"I do believe she had hopes of the Chosen of Asmodeus personally taking care of her, when in time she reached Hell.  Or so she said aloud, and surely she would not mislead the Chosen about matters of faith?  I will send instruction to Hell of it and pray to our Lord of the matter, and approve due civil orders for making her a statue until Sevar is ready to receive her."

"That should be satisfying to the tropes as well, one way or another."

"I will instruct and pay Abarco's owner that, may Sevar wish his ownership, he is to be sent to her embrace as well."

"And should Sevar fail in her ascension, and never become a Power of Hell to receive anyone, I doubt Hell will be much pleased with Subirachs about it either."

"I am the chosen agent of a Lawful goddess, Otolmens, who preserves.  I might pledge upon the Law, and be believed, within Golarion, by any who knew, or any who could sight my alignment."

"You are an alien; why should anyone believe your own pledge?"

"I'm an alien from a place Lawful enough that everything on Golarion looks to me like randomized insane nonsense by comparison.  You've heard my lectures.  You know that."

"You are from a place with much knowledge of Law.  This does not say who you are, only what you were taught there."

"Got four cleric circles off a Lawful Neutral god the first night I was here."