"I want to destroy Him. Because He opposes Marra... I do also have some altruistic feelings."

"Distinguish altruism towards a person you have some interaction with from acts with an abstract altruistic motive, and that from aimless altruistic feelings. For example, giving food to a beggar you meet, giving money to a temple while never stepping inside, and causing yourself useless distress over a god's treatment of His followers. The first is a vanity of yours. The second is not a vanity of yours - you have not shown interest in the outside society or prayed to Iomedae - but it is permitted. The third must be stripped from you.

Today, you are crafting and time is short. Tomorrow, get a medium-duration semi-mild negative reinforcement on your altruistic intrusive thoughts. To maintain your altruistic vanity, do three nice things of your choice for people you see before you. If nothing strikes your fancy, I loosely suggest giving the clerk a wizardry lesson."

But that's obviously useful for the whole church group, which is a problem, because Alieta needs a more Evil altruistic outlet.

"For at least one of your altruistic acts, find a non-Marran of little use and do something beneficial to them that pleases you. You may use a spell."

I-think-we're-finished-with-this-topic-do-you-have-anything-to-add-or-do-you-have-another-topic?

"The visitor Felicia asked about Stonepeak and I mentioned Marcus's copied tapestry. She didn't seem interested but she did have to pray right then so I'm not sure... orders, cleric?"

"Hmmm, help Marcus prepare to present it to her. Even if she doesn't care to see it, the exercise will be good for him."

Now that she thinks of it, preparing to brag but not doing it might be better for his soul than actually bragging, which leads to pride, not vanity. Yeah, that's an idea! Each month she should have her ten least confidant charges prepare a presentation, but randomly select only one to actually perform at morning sermon...

Half an hour before sunset. Alieta and Tos stand outside the magic tent discussing tactics.

A man sits on the ground by a red-blue-and-white blanket.

The two of them arrive.

"Good evening. I have not cast any of my spells since I prayed, so I still have all of them." Not that she was planning to use any of them, but it's good to state that explicitly.

"Hello. First draft of the plan:

When the customer arrives, Alieta will cast Mage Armor on herself and keep one casting in reserve.

Elias will walk in front and I will walk behind, since he has darkvision and I am experienced with skulking through the night expecting to get jumped.

The casters will stay near the cargo. Alieta will keep Detect Magic up whenever possible. I don't know how the cargo will be carried or how many men the customer will have, but if it's possible for Alieta to ride on the cargo, that would be ideal, so she can turn to face all directions easily as we move and so she won't slow down the group.

Felicia will look around with her darkvision, using Guidance to aid her perception as much as possible.

If we encounter a non-hostile person, Felicia will do the talking, unless the customer takes point. She will hold out her hand towards Alieta, bent into a claw, if she wants Eagle's Splendor. She will gesture with one finger if she wants Alieta to cast Detect Thoughts.

If the encounter is hostile, Elias will immediately fight, focusing on defending the party in the short term even if he takes a lot of damage. I will evaluate the situation for a round or two, confer with the casters, and then take his place. He will drop back for healing and resume fighting at a more sustainable pace.

Thoughts?"

"I'm going to have a Silent Image tomorrow, so I can show you Marra's realm!

This is Marcus, who made the tapestry - er, not actually a tapestry - fabric art I mentioned this morning."

He's no stranger to planning, but the way the plan is structured really screams Lawful. See, Lawful people just do not trust people's judgment at all. It's likely that battlefield circumstances will be such that they have to adjust it. What then? At some point, you just have to make the best decision you can in the moment, and not get too hung up about what was planned previously. It's really rather annoying. He's not going to unnecessarily antagonize his teammates by going on a rant against Law right now, though. Perhaps later.

'Even if he takes a lot of damage'? That phrasing is so strange. Of course he's likely going to take a lot of damage if he fights, that's like...what fighting is all about. It's probably because Tos's afterlife situation isn't great. Elias isn't afraid of death, since he has already secured a nice afterlife for himself. He couldn't imagine going to Hell.

"There is no need for me to fall back. Felicia is comfortable fighting in melee – she is trained in using her spiked chain – and she's Dextrous enough to be able to have a good chance of dodging attacks. She can heal me then. Also, we have Rings of Protection and Cloaks of Resistance. You don't. Unless your weapon – I actually don't know what you fight with – requires that you be in melee, then it's fine for you to stay back. If someone attacks us, then dispatching them as quickly as possible seems best to me. Killing them quickly means they have fewer chances to damage us or the cargo."

Okay, I am trained in melee fighting, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

"What he says is true. The plan seems good to me. I notice that you – the Marrans – use gestures a lot. It's really quite interesting, although that's getting off-topic. I can follow those gestures.

I can walk in the front with Elias, unless you need me to bring up the rear."

"Approved. You two stay in front."

He picks up a scimitar that was lying on the ground and rests it on his shoulder.

"I fight up close, but I'll still plan on taking a round to observe before charging in.

You can silently hold a gesture while waiting for a superior to respond at their convenience. Many people at once can hold gestures for their superior to look over, without interrupting each other. That efficiency is the religious motivation, but, already committed to investing effort on learning gestures, there is further benefit available cheaply: silent gestures are good for night guard shifts, stealth, and simultaneous conversations, when adding phrases like "give me that", "put it down there", or "do it again".

"We have gestures to describe spells and the forces on them as they fit in three dimensions!" She sketches out the shape of Detect Magic, falters - "Do you know much about spells, or just how to recognize the ones you pray for?"

"Why? If they attack us, then they have already proven themselves to be a threat. There is no reason to hold back. There is even less reason for you to hesitate or consider attack options, because you cannot cast spells at all, nor are you a rogue who specializes in precision attacks. Or are you?" He sounds very confused. "The great thing about being a non- or partial caster is that your job is very simple."

"I should talk to the clergy and wizards and see if we could implement a similar system. It seems very useful. Of course, we do not have the concept of 'superior', not in the same sense as you – all of us hold equal social status in our churches. We speak Abyssal there, so that we can communicate with our outsiders more easily. Learning how to speak it is a requirement for initiates."

She looks mildly embarrassed. "They teach us spellcraft in seminary, but I'm average at it for a cleric. Compared to a wizard, it's very poor. I only know enough to identify which spells I'm granted, yes. The wizards would probably love to talk to you about your spell gestures."

"I'm assuming that someone who attacks a well-armed group is not so foolish as to throw themselves on the fighters' blades. They will have a hidden ranged attacker, or someone flanking us invisibly. I'm not going to cower behind the casters, but I think it's worth a round checking for other threats before moving to the front.

My experience is mostly in cities like Bellis proper, where flanking ambushes are common, not wilderness. Am I making an error?"

"What do clerics with better spellcraft do with it? I know your churches have mystic theurges, is that the reason for teaching spellcraft to clerics?"

"Yes, you make a good point. I'm too used to fighting demons at Sarkoris Scar. Demons don't really hide from you, and with them, getting first blood is more important."

"Clerics with good spellcraft might train to become mystic theurges, yes, although the most common pathway to becoming one is already being a wizard, and then becoming ordained. They might also choose to learn how to craft wands or scribe scrolls, since those magic items require that the crafter know the spell, unlike when crafting wondrous items or magic arms and armor, where it simply makes it more difficult. We have many such clerics, so our scriptoria and armories are well stocked with divine magic items.

I'm personally looking into taking the scroll scribing course in the future – calligraphy is a hobby of mine – so it would be a good fit. Right now, I can't make any magic items at all.

I think the biggest reason we are taught spellcraft is because of theology. Damian and Conrad were wizards in Their mortal lives, and Conrad is especially fond of magic – He grants Magic (Arcane) as a domain. He has a pleasant relationship with Nethys, I believe, to the extent that one can meaningfully have a relationship with Nethys. Knowing how magic works is seen as...edifying in and of itself." She doesn't really agree, but like, she is being given the magic just by asking for it, so she doesn't begrudge them for wanting her to know more about spellcasting. Learning spellcraft isn't particularly interesting, but neither is it terrible. 

"Ah, that makes sense. I can make divine scrolls and wands with guidance from our cleric, but it would be more efficient if she could make them herself.

I love calligraphy! It's like dancing with your eyes."

The man with the ring in his beard shows up right on time, with two other muscly human men, one with blond hair and one with his hair and beard in braids, and a younger man wearing a belt with many pockets. Ring and Blond are carrying a large wooden chest.

Braid looks over the escort party and nods. "Let's go."

The first destination is a house at the edge of the Pit. Not a very nice house, but still a house, not a tent or a room in a loggers' barracks.

Braid stops the party in the shadows. He and Blond stay with the chest. Ring kneels by the lock on the door.

Belt stands ready a few feet away.

Ring stands up abruptly as the door opens into him. A woman holding a knife glares out of the door. "You rending scoundrels get out of -"