I was thinking about this further. Some players are like, "I don't want my character or the narrator to teach me who Shar is. That would slow down the game. I don't want a long lecture on the topic."
True. Very true. Especially on replays, the last thing you want is for the game to make a Religion check, you succeed, and it suddenly launches into all the nuances as to why Shadowheart's armor and equipment scream of Shar. Then it lectures you about who Shar is and her long history with Selune.
So great. Fine. Can we still have the rolls and can we have a Compendium of Knowledge? Every time my character succeeds in a roll like that, information is added to my Compendium of Knowledge. I meet Shadowheart for the first time, a Religion roll is made, I succeed, and Poof! Knowledge about Shar appears. I rolled really well. Knowledge about Dark Justiciar Armor also appears. All recorded in my compendium. Then, IF I want to open it and look, I can read all about these things.
Nevertheless, whether that happens or not, I think we still need to be able to ask her what goddess she serves, and she should probably lie and give us a different deity, then let us make an Insight roll to see if she's lying, or something similar, and just give us the ability to call her on it.
Likewise, have the game make Investigation checks for me as I'm roaming the beach and checking bodies. Compendium update. I open it. It reads, "The fishermen on the beach have nasty claw marks detailing that they were slashed by some three-toed creatures." Another check later. Compendium update. "Some of the fishermen killed the intellect devourers near the pier, but most fishermen fled north." Later. Approach goblins. Investigation check. Compendium Update. "You find crossbow bolts in the goblins. Someone shot them from above, it seems." or "You find several fractured skulls and shrapnel in their backs. These goblins were killed by pieces of the exploding nautiloid."
Little things like that would allow players like me to have some better idea of what's going on rather than doing a lot of guessing and trying to figure out things that frankly seem like the devs were just throwing out there without really any purpose. I mean, a lot of times it really seems like the devs were like, "Hmmm. What would go good here. Ah! I know. Let's throw four dead intellect devourers by Shadowheart near the crypt entrance and have her make a reference to having killed them. Why not?"
Um... How did she kill 4 intellect devourers by herself exactly?... without a crossbow?... even though she says keep your distance because they'll kill you if you get too close?
Investigation check. Compendium Update. "Even though Shadowheart SAID she killed these 4 intellect devourers, you determine based on the wounds you find on their bodies that these were obviously killed during a scuffle with the fishermen/women nearby. There are broken spears stuck in their flesh, and one looks as if it's been clubbed repeatedly by a wooden weapon. It is doubtful that Shadowheart actually killed them with only a mace and shield by herself."
