Bob looked at the King of Greenwold, and then at the Seneschal, and then at Yorrick.

"The Karcerian Empire," Bob began slowly, "that's the empire that occupies the two main equatorial continents, right?"

"We do indeed," Yorrick agreed, still smiling. "Until a few months ago, we included the majority of sapient life on this planet."

The King and the Seneschal were standing by but remaining quiet, which Bob found to be deeply troubling.

"You see, Bob," Yorrick began, "we couldn't help but notice that the mana was starting to cycle faster and faster. Now, there are a few possible causes for that sort of event, the vast majority of which are astrological and potentially dangerous to life on the planet, so naturally, we were concerned."

He shook his head and chuckled good-naturedly. "Imagine our surprise when there wasn't a rogue comet heading our way or a supervolcano about to erupt, but instead, the population of the planet had tripled, with nearly all of the newly added people delving with admirable dedication."

"You could tell there were more people because of how quickly the mana was moving?" Bob asked before he could stop himself.

"Of course," Yorrick shrugged, "it's a fairly simple if higher tier ritual." He glanced at Kellan, then shook his head. "Of course, the Church of the Light isn't real big on sharing knowledge around," he groused, shooting a wink at Kellan.

Bob wasn't sure how to react to this situation. Yorrick appeared to be teasing the Dragon. Bob hadn't yet found a book on Dragons, but he was pretty sure the first line would be 'Don't annoy a Dragon.'

"Oh, relax," Yorrick said, "I'm just twisting his tail a bit. We're all friends here."

Kellan snorted, and shook his head. "I wouldn't say we're friends," The King interjected, "but at the same time, the Warlocks Guild is the least offensive of the pillars of the Empire."

"Close enough," Yorrick shook his head with another chuckle. "You see, Bob," he stepped closer and put a hand on his shoulder, "the appearance of millions, or from what I have gathered, potentially billions of people on this world is a concern, in no small part because they've appeared in Greenwold, where they will no doubt be indoctrinated into the Church of the Light. If even a tiny fraction of a percent of these people stick around, the Empire could suddenly find itself outnumbered on its own world."

Kellan coughed out the word 'Spies' when Yorrick mentioned that he'd gathered information. Yorrick had just rolled his eyes and kept going.

"Tell me, what do you know about Thayland, as far as the people that live here?" Yorrick asked.

"Greenwold is the smallest and coldest continent, ruled by His Majesty, and mostly worships the Gods of Light," Bob replied carefully, "while the two larger, more temperate continents are occupied by the Karcerian empire, and they worship the Gods of Darkness."

"True enough, but not the whole truth," Yorrick said. "Sapient life didn't originate on Thayland," he explained, "it arrived here by way of refugees fleeing religious persecution."

Seeing Bob's blank look, he continued. "The next planet over, closer to the sun, is Parceus, and it boasts a much larger, more developed society, which is devoted to the Church of the Light. The forebearers of the Karcerian Empire were forced to flee the planet when the governments there unified and outlawed the worship of any gods outside the Pantheon of the Light."

Bob glanced at Kellan, but the King was expressionless.

'Trebor,' Bob thought quickly, 'is this accurate?'

'Yes,' Trebor replied, 'although he may not be aware of the exact reasons that worshipping the Dark Pantheon was outlawed.'

"Now, I know you have a divine blessing of Veritas," Yorrick continued, dropping his hand, having picked up on Bob's discomfort with the casual contact. "So, you know I'm telling the truth, which I'll admit makes this all so much easier. Since arriving on this world and establishing our Empire, there have, on occasions, been those who strayed from the Dark and into the Light. Rather than punish or imprison them, we instead offered them a free trip to Greenwold, where they could worship as they chose, which was a damn sight better than we'd been treated."

Bob was waiting for the discomfort of hearing a lie, but his divine blessing remained silent.

"So here we are," Yorrick went on. "There is already an entire planet, one with a larger population, devoted to the fanatical worship of the Light Pantheon. What is the Empire supposed to do if there are suddenly millions upon millions of Light-siders here on Thayland? There are only three planets that could be considered habitable in this solar system, and the one nearer to the sun than Parceus is so hot that the only water to be found is at the poles, and there is little enough there. It can't support a population of two million."

"I," Bob paused. "I can see your point," he said carefully.

"Thus proving that you're a man of reason," Yorrick replied. "Now, as I understand the situation, you were cast into our world through no fault of your own, and the awakening of mana on your world was caused by a world-walker, leaving you blameless as well. The official position of the Karcerian Empire is that we find no fault in your actions but rather laud them. Am I correct in my understanding that you represent a direct liaison with the governing bodies of your world?"

"Unfortunately," Bob muttered.

"Bearuacracy, the basis, and bane of civilization," Yorrick agreed, grinning. "I am hereby authorized to deliver into your possession a gift from the Pillars of the Karcerian Empire," Yorricks voice and posture had both shifted to something more formal. "We understand the plight of your people and cannot stand idly by and watch the tragic loss of so many lives. Your plan to keep the majority of your people in stasis is inspired, and we agree that it will ultimately be the best use of resources to obtain the greatest result. To that end, please accept these one billion mana crystals to aid your efforts."

Yorrick offered him a pouch and a piece of parchment. Bob opened his mouth, then closed it. He looked at Kellan and Ericka, but both had perfectly still expressions.

He reached out and took the parchment first, opening it and reading it.

The Pillars of the Karcerian Empire offer, without the intent of incurring debt or obligation, one billion mana crystals to aid in the process of placing the inhabitants of 'Earth' into stasis, saving their lives from the awakening of mana on their world.

Further, the Warlocks Guild, the Emperor, and the Crimson Bulwark offer shelter and sustenance for up to five hundred thousand people who wish to delve our Dungeons, between levels five and thirty.

The Pillars offer their hand in friendship to the governing bodies of 'Earth' and welcome the opportunities for discourse and trade, as well as negotiating for additional aid.

Signed,

Emperor Lacius Karcerian

High Priestess Cascadia Fulrun

High Warlock Yorrick Wrathsbane

First Council Tavarius Colvern

General Argus Crimson

He looked up from the parchment at Yorrick's smiling face and Kellan's stony expression.

"Your Majesty," Bob began, "you have proven your goodwill toward Earth, so I'm going to ask you. What am I supposed to do here?"

Kellan's face shifted to a slight smile, and he nodded. "Much as it pains me, you should accept the gift in the spirit it was offered. The Empire has offered an immense sum at a time when it is most needed. Almost as if they had planned it to arrive at this exact moment."

Yorrick shrugged but kept smiling.

"You should be wary in your dealings with Empire, as they are truly a people living in shadow," Kellan continued, "and I would be especially cautious of sending your people to delve their Dungeons, as they will be tempted by the Dark Gods."

"I feel that I could argue, successfully, that our treatment of those who stray from our religions is far more decent than that of the Church of the Light," Yorrick protested. "But, that's a discussion that's been worn thin over the years, and has little place here." He looked at Bob, and his smile dropped, his expression turning serious. "I can assure you that anyone who accepts the offer from the Emperor, the Warlocks Guild, or the Crimson Bulwark will be treated well, regardless of their religious affiliation." His grin came back in full force. "Although, in the interest of peace, if you could not send us any light-siders, that would be great. They tend to get a little zealous and smite-y."

Bob shook his head. He couldn't get a read on the man. He seemed to be friendly and good-natured, but he openly admitted to worshiping the Gods of Darkness. Given that Gods and their portfolios were real things under the System, that meant he sort of had to be bad.

"You still look a little suspicious," Yorrick sighed and shook his head. "Not that a little paranoia isn't healthy, it is, but in this case, you needn't worry. I really am here to help facilitate a working relationship between your people and my own, with an eye towards hopefully keeping too many of them from joining up with the Light side."

"I feel a bit like the whole 'Dark' thing sort of feels like it's supposed to be the bad side," Bob offered.

"Why don't we have a chat about that," Yorrick suggested, casting a glance at The King. "We can go for a walk, that way, you don't have to feel the need to watch your words because His Majesty is right there," Yorrick leaned forward a bit and whispered loudly, "he can be a little intimidating, you know?"

Bob looked at Kellan, who sighed and nodded, gesturing for them to leave the throne room. Ericka nodded as well, flashing him her intimidating smile.

"Alright," Bob agreed, "let's talk."

"I'm glad to be out of there," Yorrick said cheerfully as they walked down the street towards the inner city. "In my experience, Kellan is best dealt with after the Tide, he's usually less cranky by then."

"So this is where you tell me that Dark doesn't mean evil, right?" Bob asked.

"Of course, it means Evil!" Yorrick smiled as Bob stopped walking and looked at him blankly.

"Bob, I'll be the first one to admit that the precepts of the Dark Pantheon, taken too far, are Evil," Yorrick began. "Lust, Gluttony, Pride, Sloth, Envy, Greed, and Wrath aren't inherently positive emotions. They are, however, powerful motivations, especially if you have the strength of will to control them, rather than allow yourself to be controlled by them."

"I'm not trying to get into a theological argument," Bob replied, "because I myself have no strong faith, but wouldn't it be better for everyone if you just didn't get involved with that in the first place?"

"You sound like a Warlock," Yorrick smiled as he clasped Bob's shoulder. "But the truth is that in order to access Divine Magic, you need a Divine Blessing, as you well know. The Dark Pantheon offers power but requires personal responsibility. The Light Pantheon offers power but requires abdication of responsibility. Would the whole world be better if we all just stuck to Logos, Orin, and Gaia? Probably, but people are people, and they'll tend to reach for what best matches their nature, or rather what they've been indoctrinated to accept."

"Okay, let's try to set aside religion because again, not my area of expertise," Bob began. "There are apparently Five Pillars, and I'm guessing three of them are the Emperor and his family, or household, or however that works, while another is the Warlocks Guild, and a third is the Crimson Bulwark. What are the other two, and can you explain all of them?"

"I'd love to," Yorrick gestured, and they began walking again, "although this conversation is going to require a bite to eat at some point. To begin, let me tell you a bit about the Warlocks Guild."

He straightened up and puffed out his chest. "The Warlocks of the Karcerian Empire are charged with ensuring the responsible use of Arcane Magic, as well as extraplanar creatures, which means mostly Demons, with occasional Vi'Radian terrorist summoning Angels."

Bob stopped again. "Wait, extraplanar? As in other planes of existence? Demons? Angels?"

"We aren't going to get very far if you keep stopping," Yorrick chided him playfully, gesturing for him to keep walking. "And yes, the higher and planes where Demons and Angels dwell."

Yorrick stole a look at Bob and sighed. "Honestly, if you made me choose one reason to dislike the Church of the Light, just one, it would be their obsessive need to restrict and control information," he shook his head. "There are higher planes of existence, planes where mana of a different type exists, a universe overlaying our own. The creatures that inhabit this universe, these planes, have been labeled as Angels and Demons, depending on the energies they need to survive. These beings are vastly more powerful than we are, and in fact, those planes are where the Seven Gods of Light and the Seven Gods of Darkness can be found."

Bob was rubbing his temples. He thought he'd had a handle on the world.

'Trebor,' Bob projected his thoughts, 'why didn't you tell about any of this?'

'It hasn't been relevant,' Trebor replied. 'You have no interest in Invoking either Sanctum or the Netherworld and are, in fact, the truest example of an agnostic that the System had ever seen. With a broader exposure to Earth, the System has discovered that you are far from alone in your indifference to divinity. As you have never sought to join the Church of the Light, the chances of your having ever encountered an Angel were incalculably small, and the Church of Darkness exercises caution, never sending agents that have the capacity to summon Demons.'

Bob pulled Monroe out of his inventory, sliding the sleepy floofer onto the Makres with the customary series of clicks, before digging his fingers into the big Maine-coon's ruff, letting the familiar motion ease some of the stress he was feeling.

"Now that's a clever idea," Yorrick said, drawing him from his thoughts.

"What is?" Bob asked.

"That harness system," Yorrick replied, twisting his neck to get a better look. "Magnets?"

"Yes, it's called a Magnetic Kitty Retention System, or Makres for short," Bob explained, "it was designed for me by Gary and Nikki, they run an armor shop in Holmstead."

"Ingenious," Yorrick murmured. "I'll have to look into buying one of those."

"Anyway," Yorrick shook his head and resumed the conversation. "Warlocks are in charge of the use of Arcane Magic and extraplanar beings. The Crimson Bulwark is the Empire's military force, and they man the walls, keeping our cities safe from the monster waves and tides. The Church of Darkness is responsible for religious guidance, healing, and regulating the undead population. The Noble Council is largely responsible for keeping themselves out of trouble, although historically, they're not great at it. They do provide the majority of the taxes and tithes to keep the Empire going, though. Finally, the Emperor, as the strongest being on the planet, settles any disputes between the other four pillars."

Bob had waited until the end of the explanation, and he hadn't stopped walking. "Undead?" He asked.

"Yes, undead," Yorrick replied. "If you worship Enerva, Bael, Vorax, Hedon, or Mor'Noctum, there is a path to rise after your death, a second chance as the unliving. Assuming you've taken the Divine Blessings to maintain your sapience, the Church is responsible for helping you transition to your new unlife, although it's rare for someone to have taken the Divine Blessings and be unprepared."

"Let's skip past that for the moment," Bob gave Monroe a healthy stroke. "Doesn't the Empire practice slavery?"

Yorrick rolled his eyes. "No, we don't," he replied with the air of someone who had to answer a stupid question for the hundredth time. "We do have indenture, where one of the Pillars, be it the Warlocks Guild, the Bulwark, the Church, or a Noble House, provides someone with Mana Crystals or an Affinity Crystal, and they are then contracted to repay that debt, with a reasonable amount of interest. We also have prisons, where lawbreakers are forcefully reincarnated and then have to take a set of rather unpopular professional skills and work for the duration of their sentence, at which point they are reincarnated again. But, no, we don't practice slavery."

'Trebor, I'm sure you'd mentioned slavery,' Bob sent the thought towards his mirror protocol.

'Yorrick is shining the most positive light on the matter,' Trebor replied. 'As he hasn't triggered your divine blessing, he is likely unaware that a number of minor noble houses do, in fact, practice slavery. They disguise it as an indenture, but those marked for slavery never leave.'

Bob nodded.

"So, that's the basics. The specifics will take the better part of a week, as things get a little complicated sometimes," Yorrick said cheerfully. "Now, I've been tasked by the Emperor with asking you to introduce me to any governing bodies you feel might be willing to put aside the dogma of the Church of the Light and work with us." He leaned over and whispered. "He's especially interested in meeting with someone who could set up those cellphones."