"I accept the decedent's consistency as information about her character which we may use to evaluate hypotheticals. If she had intended trade with gods I would accept that, but she didn't. Mitigated by ignorance, I don't think the remaining Lawfulness under debate is likely to decide this case. Do you dispute that?"

"No, Your Honor."

"Hell would like to hear more about the 'black empire', as a subject that may be relevant to the hypothetical gods' intentions for her world, and how she deviates from them. Previous thoughts on the subject indicate that it had severe negative consequences, and that she wants to do something similar despite that."

...Well, it's true that if her records and the occasional vague memory are accurate the black empire was a flaming garbage fire by the end. And by the middle. But- No, if that one is asking about it it means they want to hurt her somehow with the asking, what if instead she thinks about biology and hating having her mind read. She hates it.

"Hell may ask that.

Ms. Stoneheart, we are used to having a complete transcript of the decedent's life available. Your defiance of Pharasma is not appreciated."

"Is there some way you could get that without the aversive and paranoia-inducing and dare I say possibly therefore Evil if I understand it correctly action of reading my mind?"

"It's not Evil, it's pragmatic. If it causes you this much distress, it's no longer pragmatic."

"And violates the Fair Trials Act."

"Yes, fine. Let's get a Scribe's Binding.

Here recesses the court in the matter of in re Stoneheart."

The Shoki takes this opportunity to slip out.

There's no one around with Scribe's Binding prepared, so he prays to Pharasma for a divine intervention...

...who hires a god who likes Scribe's Binding so much She gives it to Her ninth-circle clerics.

After the book has been copied, the judge carries it outside and smashes it. Miracle restores the petitioner. (Unlike some judges he knows, he's not stubborn about only using his Miracles to carry out verdicts.)

And now Karakan is in a cobblestone courtyard next to a giant feathery black dragon and a Dwellin-sized winged skeleton. Buildings with too many doors surround her, wrapping overhead. The lighting comes from lamps of many colors mounted above each door.

The dragon sticks a claw into a ring that could fit around her waist... and shrinks into the form of the judge. He strides to a door with a chartreuse lamp, tiny bits of paper fluttering behind him. "This way, Ms. Stoneheart."

The courtroom: plus 11 books, minus one giant chompy frog.

(One of the books is at the decedent's desk.)

"Here reopens the court in the matter of In re Stoneheart."

"The decedent's involvement in the Black Empire, as interpreted in the context of her society, defiles their norms - this is both Chaotic and Evil."

"Chaotic, yes, but not Evil. Violating the moral intuitions of her compatriots is Chaotic, but not Evil unless it caused harm or she intended it to cause harm."

"Also, the Dwellin developed a strong distaste for industrialization after her actions. This provides some weak context for the outcome, namely that some people later judged her, rightly or wrongly, but the Abyss's argument must be evaluated in the context of the norms at the time, not later."