There are two tar people children, one turns to its flame elemental mother and asks "Have you ever met an alien?"

"Of course," comes the reply "after all your father is human."

To which the father retorts "So are you, an alien I mean, after all only slimes and demons are not."

"And children first born since we came to these worlds."

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Sometimes the gods attempted to play seven dimensional noughts and crosses but it was difficult as they could only perceive four spatial dimensions.

This was one of the games that Sarim had attempted to introduce to Imuel but even he didn't understand the rules well enough- however illusion magic had enabled them to play on a set of nine three dimensional grids that were interconnected in a comprehensible way.

They'd just finished such a match and were now discussing the next figure for the wargaming that Imuel planned, he intended to hand carve a figurine representing Edvard who would be leader for his army which could be interpreted as Retowner.

An interruption came in the form of Ranjit, son to Imuel, offering beverages which despite their guest were dwarven stout. Sarim chided him "The gods do not approve of alcohol, they've gone to great trouble to ensure the water is safe to drink though they do not disapprove of using it as a base for herbal remedies." He sounded like he was quoting something, probably the book of Astria. "And besides, you know they watch your father more closely than most given his gambling, though that is in remission so we [stet] will let him stay."

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A being calling itself The Reporter had turned its body into a sporting mascot that looked like a bulldog. It had been trying to start a baseball team by using Mind magic on others and making them wear similar costumes. Once the gods found out about its three victims it would be in trouble for creating slaves to Sarim improperly.

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The Reporter had also been trying to sell shares which was explicitly forbidden as part of the heresey of gambling. Sarim had set going after it for this as the next priority for Carmen once the issue with the dentist was concluded - he assumed that it actually was necessary for Carmen to participate throughout. If it had been more successful in creating a league it seems likely it would also be guilty via the medium of sports betting.

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Carmen continued with his investigation into the rouge barber-surgeon and was now ready to begin a scrying that was more than just visions from the gods. He set up the purpose made mirror he had purchased from the Glazier family atop the dedicated marble pedestal and gazed in.

He focused on Olia's most recent customer, tracing them back through a number of scenes of mundane farming to the extraction then through a few days of pain while the family saved the fee, not realising how charges for medical services had changed.

Before that were a couple more days of the customer living what appeared to be a normal life then it went to someone cutting hair before poking around in the mouth and back to an inspection of the body - it appeared to be what was known as a check up. Carmen saw the face of the barber-surgeon as the vision in the mirror continued to rewind then the outside of the premises with the signature poll and the name of a town, which was slightly distorted.

The visions faded and he had to secure the mirror then rush to begin writing down key evidence before it left his memory. With this, a warrant should be viable.

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Back with Sarim and Imuel, they were discussing how card collection worked. It was going to be fixed based on number of combats with monsters that could drop them, so that the contents of the card pool would never rely on luck. Everyone who used card magic would then be allowed to construct a stacked deck to draw from. Sarim wanted Imuel to be part of the test but was worried it might cause a relapse but Imuel said it shouldn't be a concern if it worked as described though he was prepared to risk further rehabilitation if it did.