Well, at least I can still steal the idea of them. Gonna run off to Riddleport, probably. Then we'll have Norgorberite Wizard Pirates on speedboats, just like god wanted.

We can take out the Arcadian Fleet of Cheliax, and grab all their stuff while we're at it.

Oh look a marriage proposal that's a great excuse bye guys.

Best of luck, I guess.

Hope we don't meet again.

Oh, we'll definitely meet again!
You're still poor now but if you ever want to be rich, Sending me.
And if you ever get rich, I'll be coming by to blackmail you some more.
I mean, Cheliax would still want to kill you if they found out.

Hi guys, we finally finished setting up a trade organisation!

Does anyone want to help us fight pirates?

Crickets

Yeah sure but we won't be that great at it.

We have speedboats now, did you hear?

We withdraw the offer.

Hmmph.

Well, that sucks.

You have been a good Cleric.

Have some more Mystic Theurge god-sponsorship.

Hey Asmodeus, Iomedae sunk your battleships.

What.

This is all My fault.
This is all Infrexus's fault.
That Fool has failed Me for the last time.

How many other Thrunes are there?

In a fiery pit in Hell, there burns a Sorcerer.

She is 17 years old. She has been fighting devils every day until she succumbs.

She has been doing it for a year. She is only 6th circle. She has to keep going. She needs to keep going.

Change of plans, Princess. You're needed.

Come forth to Compact.

My Lord and Master, your humble slave fears that, if she does sell her soul to You today, she would be granted only 2 more spell circles.

This would leave her only 8th circle as a Sorcerer, and less useful a tool in Your possession to use as You see fit.

Your value has risen, in My eyes. It would hurt more than anything you've yet experienced, but I could see fit to grant 3 such circles.

My worth has risen, You say? In that case, I'd also like an Erinyes, 2 Pit Fiends, a bunch of wishes. To kill Infrexus myself.

Wait a second, I have a list.

Such trivial boons can be granted, to one valuable in My sight, who knows how to properly condition their usefulness on whether I grant them boons or not.

I will have many Compact-clauses of My own, that I will have to insist upon.

But do come here, into this time-dilated part of Hell, to discuss this with My representative.

Robaldo is only 18, and already a 4th circle wizard and 3rd circle cleric.

A once-in-a-generation prodigy, to be sure. Few others can speak to that.

Not that he's really done anything noteworthy, to be sure. No big achievements.

Abrogail Thrune is 17 years old, and already a 9th circle Sorcerer.

Some people are just built different.

She walks into the Royal Court and beats Infrexus to death in broad daylight, with her bare hands.

The High Priestess and two Pit Fiends are just standing there, watching.

Nobody else is going to say anything. Not a word.

He drowned in an ice-skating accident, you say? Sure. That's what we'll say.

Hi Cheliax, oh are you having a new monarch today?

We heard the Navy of Cheliax had some setbacks, and now piracy is getting worse. It doesn't seem like you could plausibly invade us, at right this second.

We think it'd be a good idea to press for independence now.

Signed, a handful of local notables.

I'll send one of my Pit Fiends. To negotiate.

Convince them it's a bad idea to sign their names to treason.

That's - ... unexpected.