Long and short of it, I think Laori's great, but I have a Paladin in my party. Don't wanna railroad anything obviously but I'm a lil biased in the sense that I wouldn't mind if she allied with the party with certain limitations.
Any ideas for ways to spin this? Ie can a Paladin (of Iomedae) realistically NOT immediately smite the f out of her?
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Roleplay her as someone who is evil becausr of the circumstances. She hasn't known another life and she thinks of her church as the only family she knows.
But she can change. She is interested in the PCs and in their not so evil ways.
Roleplay her as someone who can be redeemed and seems to unknowingly want to be redeemed at the same time that she seems to harm people because she never thought that she shouldn't.
If the paladin sees something good on her among all the evil he should want to keep her around to redeem her.
My players have a paladin of Shelyn in party, which should have been even a worse situation. But for starters, Laori doesn't wan't to fight with party. Even if there's a paladin there. She has a mission to do. The second point, she gave me an impression of quite professional, educated and polite character (as much it can be for a devotee of Zon-Kuthon). Her interaction with party should start from a polite dialog, trying to pry from them why they need Salvator, going as far as giving them some information back in exchange (like that she looks for him to ask about his source of inspiration). After that, she can ask to be temporary with party, to help them save Salvator, in exchange for, at least, some time with painter for questioning.
I roleplayed her like this, and my guys where quite okay with having her near them. I didn't push the angle of "seducing to the dark side" with her and paladin because it could warrant a smite, and she is not stupid to antagonize her allies that she is using (only once, she suggested to kill Emperor Pilts and not entertain the mad with dialog). Every time they got near paintings of Salvator, she went excited, started to study and explain with joy why they are great, and asked party if she can take the paintings for herself. When they saved Salvator (and escorted him out to a better place), party, under their supervision, gave Laori time to question him. After that, there was a polite question if Salvator wants to Nidal with her, party saying that he would be better in Korvosa, at temple of Shelyn, and her asking if she at least can join sorcerer in his escort-teleportation of painter. In the end, she snatched Salvator with her, when they where out of line of vision of sorcerer (he dimension doored them couple of streets away from temple, not to get seen by any Gray Maiden patrols).
In summary, even being a servant of lawful evil god isn't a warrant for paladin to smite her and for her to act stupid and antagonizing towards party.
If denied from joining party... Well, she would follow them (stealthy or not), wait them to save Salvator, and then try again and again, politely, to ask for five minutes of questioning the painter (this would be such a test for a stubborn paladin to deny her).
P.S. In my opinion, the addition that she can be redeemed is bad. She was a good and unique antagonist character. In contrast to mainstream kuthites, who are all angst and pain, she is cheerful and bright (she's bit mad of course, but still). Others despise her for that, but Zon-Kuthon doesn't cut her from his divine power, which is interesting, shows that his faith is deeper and probably only reinforce Laoris devotion.
In my game I was playing an evil ninja and the rest of my party weren't mostly good so the redemption issue didn't come out but she looked like she was open to it.
We had her more as an ally than an antagonist, actually.
Anyway, you don't have to get her actually redeemed, only to make her look redeemable or with some good qualities. Not exactly the same.