"He was very valuable to have along but do I need to know what the subtext was with his - history with the lilitu?"

"Might be relevant — so I know where to start, how much do they teach Chelish commanders about the history of the Crusades? Does the name 'Sword of Valor' mean anything to you?"

They stop trying to have a history curriculum past formal schooling. "It does not, no."

"Alright. So, way back in the 4630s, when the Wound was a lot smaller and the Wardstones didn't even exist yet, he was in charge over in Drezen. They had this fancy banner called the Sword of Valor that basically worked like a mini-Wardstone — stopped demons from teleporting anywhere near the area, made them weaker if they were anywhere near it, that kind of thing. So, the way I heard it told, this hot lady comes to him, tells him they'll never make progress without a few risks, convinces him he can be a hero if he takes the banner and goes out raiding. He... agrees to this. 

So, obviously, the whole thing was a trap. The moment the banner's out of range of the city, a whole army of demons teleports in and kills everyone in Drezen. His girlfriend intercepts him before he can get back, convinces him to let her touch the banner for a moment, and then drops the illusion and flies off with it. Turns out the girl he was seeing was Minagho in disguise, and supposedly the whole thing was one of her plots. He was supposed to hang for it, but the Queen personally intervened to have him sent off to the Condemned instead."

"Does he serve with them still or was it of a limited term?"

"Still serves with them. If you're sent there in place of the gallows the default is a life sentence. Most people who serve there'll get a pardon eventually if they live, but, well..."

(But Staunton's the most powerful paladin in Kenabres, and if he had a choice about it he might not stick around. And the reasons it'd be stupid to keep a human conscripted for seventy years don't apply to dwarves.)

"Understood. - who commands the Condemned?"

"Officially the Queen's in charge of it, but around here Beth's the one who's authorized to give him orders."

That's a weird duty for a city watch but he can see how it might have gotten to be that way over time; he nods. "Anything else to fit in before dawn hits? - is here an appropriate place for me to pray?"

"That's everything I can think of. The Fiducia set up a little altar downstairs. Might be a bit crowded, though."

Blai nods and goes downstairs to find a place at the altar, since that did not sound like it meant that he was already in an acceptable prayer location.

As dawn approaches, a small crowd begins to gather around the altar. A plurality of them are Iomedaeans, but not all — the Fiducia is there, of course, but there are also a handful of Sarenrites, two Erastilians, and two dwarves (Staunton, and someone who vaguely resembles him) with symbols of Torag. If there are clerics (or spellcasting paladins) representing any of Mendev's other faiths at the Defender's Heart, they don't seem to be interested in showing up to pray at the Fiducia's altar. One of the Sarenrites is offering anyone who wants one copies of a few prayers, in case they're the sort of person who struggles to find enough to fill an hour with.

Blai doesn't struggle to fill the hour. He is always full of things. Too full of too many things, but that's the opposite problem. Today he is going to start with the sitrep on the... timeline situation, though.

That makes as many as several things about this soul significantly less confusing, and some features of reality significantly more confusing! It's really a shame that the soul doesn't know more about how the Worldwound was closed in his own timeline, or how Cheliax was retaken, but 'it is possible in principle to close the Worldwound' is still useful information for him to convey to the rest of Her church if she doesn't have to pay for it, which evidently she doesn't.

She doesn't! He has told a paladin already and would love to reestablish contact with the rest of the world so he can talk to more of them!

He swaps out Light and Detect Fiendish - the wizard will have a Light, plus it is about to be daytime, and Seelah has Detect Evil at will. Instead he'll take Detect Magic and Read Magic. Usual domain spells. Two Bless, a Weapons Against Evil, an Air Bubble. Two Communal Protection from Evils and - he doesn't need another Lay of the Land, his might expire but now he's in a city with streets and has a map, damage to the place notwithstanding. Two Bursts of Radiance. At third... hm... Communal Resist Energy.

As before, Iomedae provides him with exactly the spells he requested.

He appreciates this. Is this... the same Iomedae... or her twin from this timeline. Wow that's philosophically disquieting. He should probably at least operate under the assumption that if it's two fo them They are close allies? Enough that he seems to be acceptable to this one? Either that or he's somehow getting spells across a timeline barrier from his previous, broke Iomedae - is this one not as broke? Maybe She isn't, She hasn't just had an Expensively Good Year. He doesn't expect that to have any practical upshot, it will still almost never happen that he personally has eyes on the single best place to spend Her resources (that aren't him).

Unsurprisingly, Iomedae provides no insight on this question.

Seelah wanders over an hour after dawn. "Good to see you, Select! Anevia told me to talk to you — what's the plan for today?"

He shows her the map. "We're going to look around for the so-called 'Storyteller' who might have some pertinent information on the Wardstone, and do incidental demonslaying and adventurer-recruitment. We are bringing Camellia; she needs supervision anyway and might as well be useful while she does. I believe we are also expecting Lann and a paroled thief-wizard."

Nod nod.

Here are Lann and Camellia!

And here's, presumably, the thief! "You're the one Anevia wanted me to talk to?"

"I'm Select Artigas. And you're Woljif?"

"Woljif Jefto, wizard extraordinaire. Whatever you've heard about me, I didn't do it."