"Yeah, it's very different for clerics. They just have to keep within one alignment step and not do anything their god specifically hates – you can be a cleric of a Good god and do enough minor Evil to be Neutral, too, people do that all the time. But that's not how being a paladin works, for whatever reason. I think maybe the point of us is that everyone knows we can't do a single thing wrong."

"What good's it do anyone to know that?" snorts Taberner.

He considers saying something, changes his mind and shrugs. "People in other countries find it reassuring. Maybe here there's not much point. I guess I'll find out."

"Here now, how come you're talking to us? Since you have to be so careful."

Amused snort. "Now there's a good question."

"I don't think I'd do much good giving your commander advice if I had no clue what Chelish people were like, for one thing. I want you to get answers to whatever questions you have, for another. And anyway I think I'd go mad, not talking to people."

"Going mad's evil, is it?" smirks Vives.

"Probably it's Neutral, like the Nethysians are," bit of a smirk, since apparently that's allowed. "Still wouldn't wanna be one."

"What d'you mean to advise him to do?"

"It depends? If I already knew what my advice was gonna be I could've as well written him from Mendev, and I don't think it'd do him much good."

"So far we talked through the rape execution case and couldn't think of anything that'd obviously have been better, and I told him he should maybe talk to people more."

"Being quiet's evil now? He going to cut Antich's head off next?"

"Eh, most paladins who come through won't talk to anyone."

"They've parties to talk to. This one's by himself, came in with Guiu."

"Yup, stuck with only you all for company. It's possible I should've made better choices."

"Why haven't you got a party, what's wrong with you?"

"Well, why haven't you got a party? I was just serving in a fort in Mendev, not going around adventuring. Guess I could've tried to convince some people to come with me, but..." It's not exactly an appealing prospect.

"I got a squad."

"And if you decided to go on a long trip to Mendev the commander'd send them all with you?"

"He'd chop off my head for desertion, but I see you have yours still."

"He'd chop mine off too, if I'd done that. I was a volunteer in the first place, I can go where I want, but that doesn't let me take a squad with me. ...And Mendev doesn't do it so you're always with the same people, anyway, so it's not like I exactly had one."

"Huh, they mix you all up?"

"Mhm. Least my fort did. The forts all do their own thing more than here."

"Seems stupid."

"Kind of does, yeah. It'll be interesting to see how it's different here."

"We've got squads balanced so nobody hogs the magic or is all archers or some fool thing and we get used to them. Commander loves solving problems by moving people but if you aren't a problem you can get used to your squad."

Nod.

"Well. I will endeavor not to be a problem."