The Temple of Inari 50: Foxside

[Deathkeeper]

Mist offers a very pained expression. This isn't what he wanted at all. "I'm sorry, but I just think that taking out some crazy construct is over my level of expertise. I mean, I guess I could help with it, but you didn't seem to have any sort of plan, and I didn't want you to think you could rely on me for taking anything out myself. I...I really didn't have anything in mind." he says sadly.
Sorry, Inari. I think I went and botched that. I hope she's alright. he says in his mind.

[Recaiden]

Tavlii leads Eduardo down the stairs, coming to stop before where Fenric's body has been kept. "I hope that this isn't too difficult for you. Did you know him?"

[Fenric]

[Sanctuary]

The acolyte hears Helen

With so much going on, it's really not that terribly surprising she'd forget when her next season started... just try not to mention it, she's going to be terribly embarrassed as it is.


[Morturary]

The mortuary is not particularly large, occupying a separate space in a blue-ice lined area that is otherwise used for cold storage. And it is mercifully empty right now: there is only one sheet-draped table. Edouard shivers in the sub-zero temperatures, glancing at the mystical blue ice lining the walls.

I only met him twice, and that briefly: I'm only 30 years old, and he left our world when I was sixteen.

[Ionbound]

[Sanctuary]

Helen blushes and says, "Oh..." before turning to Mist, her cheeks still a bright red, and saying, "I wouldn't expect anyone to if they didn't have some reason to. That thing is terrifying...Edouard and I ran away from it like children."

[Deathkeeper]

[Sanctuary]

Mist shakes his head. That was...oh.
"The gardens sound nice but uh, Maybe this was a bad time. You and the acolytes seem to have the mundane things covered, and that thing really doesn't sound like it falls within my skillset. I could come back some other time. Or put an ad in when I pass through the city?" he asks awkwardly.

[Fenric]

[Sanctuary]

So, about now, the red-robed Kira stumps in with her badly broken common.

Halo, preists. Wie gehts? Und halo, guest. Caroline hat told me zu here come, weil du questions have? Aber where ist Caroline?

[Recaiden]

[Mortuary]

The mortuary is not particularly large, occupying a separate space in a blue-ice lined area that is otherwise used for cold storage. And it is mercifully empty right now: there is only one sheet-draped table. Edouard shivers in the sub-zero temperatures, glancing at the mystical blue ice lining the walls.

I only met him twice, and that briefly: I'm only 30 years old, and he left our world when I was sixteen.

"I see. You should be honored for coming all this way to recover his body." The newest priestess walks up to the table.
"Do you have a way to transport his body, or should I bring one? Are caskets of some sort typical in your world's tradition? Sorry if there are too many questions; we find it bet to remain focused on the details during such work."

[Ionbound]

[Sanctuary]

Helen thinks for a moment, and then asks Kira, "What's the purpose of the catacombs under the Temple? And why is there an evil, soul-eating Llama construct down there?"

[Fenric]

[Mortuary]

Edouard nods

Quite right: it is a tremendous honor... and a bit unsettling. I am the youngest Grand Marshal in two centuries, and it weighs on me sometimes... On top of that, I had never paid attention to the tales of other worlds, truly - the furthest I have gone is the great underground city of the Troglodytes, when their new king was crowned.

But forgive me, I ramble. I have a wondrous folding box from the royal treasury which I will bear him back in: no matter the weight you put inside, it remains as light as a folded letter.

[Recaiden]

[Mortuary]

"This must be unsettling. Know that, if your responsibilities leave you, you would be welcome in this world. Come, get your box."
Tavlii approaches the shrouded Fenric to lift him up; he will be heavy, but the rest of her will strengthen her limbs and see that no embarrassment occurs.

"This is the 3rd world I have been to, but, it is, I think, the best of them."

[Fenric]

[Mortuary]

Dunno Tavlii's definition of "heavy", but poor old Fen's only about 120 lbs. He's also been sitting here for months, and is frozen stiff as a board.

Edouard takes a parcel from his hip pouch. It is about three inches square and one thick, and it looks like a piece of black construction paper, folded several times. The air distorts and there is a soft glow as he beings to unfold it, finally resulting in a sizeable rectangular box six feet long, two feet wide, and eighteen inches deep.

If the court wizard hadn't shown me first, I don't know that I would have believed it.

[Deathkeeper]

Sanctuary

Mist looks startled. What's with this person's accent? Although (if she's a fox, too) he supposes maybe she just doesn't get to ignore the expectation that muzzles interfere with speech? But-
"Wait, hang on a second, it's a llama? A soul-eating llama? One, that part would have been really nice to know if I actually had signed up to help. Two, who the heck makes their death-machine look like that kind of animal? That's just insulting."

[Fenric]

[Sanctuary]

Kira is a gnome, not a Vulpan at all. And it is a horrible accent, that's what it is: a random mishmash of German grammar and words mixed in with English.

Kira shudders, and speaks slowly: trying to be as clear as she can.

Seven jahre ago, zere was an accident: ze excessive magik in Town broke zru ze barriers zu another welt. An opposite welt, vere everyone existed as mirror image. Hierher, at temple, gibt es ein awakened llama, a priest: namt Atreyu. He kind, gentle, good ist. Aber dort... dort ist he ein evil god - Der Godruped. Er hat mirror-Inari killed, und wir only stoppt him just in time from killing unsere Inari auch.

Dieses "key" must ze mirrors open, not good. Conztruct must his be. Amusing zu mit Der Godruped agreeing be, but must not again happen.

[Ionbound]

[Sanctuary]

Helen frowns, and asks, "Was that a god? A voice seemed to come over it towards the end of our encounter. Would a god be susceptible to something like that?"

[Deathkeeper]

[Sanctuary]

Mist has no more questions. He may actually have a few, but they're all based on what Kira just said, because his player has only the barest hint of what it all was, and Mist has less than that.

[Fenric]

[Sanctuary]

Gott im Himmel...

Kira sighs... she was going to have to take lessons one of these days, because this just wasn't cutting it

Too much magic used here. Mirrors turned into portals. Mirror world bad, has bad people. LLama is priest here, evil god there. Conztruct is made by evil god llama from mirror world. Got possessed by evil god llama from mirror world. Mirrors got fixed to be normal. Key opens mirrors again. Bad.

[Ionbound]

[Sanctuary]

Helen nods, and says, "Oh, you're saying that the construct is that god's presence here...Okay. That is quite bad, indeed. So. There is a staff somewhere that is a key to the mirror world, and these DART people are looking for it. Okay. So, the clear path here is to find this staff before they do and either destroy it, or, if we're lucky, use it to seal off that other world forever."

[Deathkeeper]

[Sanctuary]

Mist raises his ears. "Where exactly was this thing? Could you just sneak around it and get to the staff, in theory? If you don't have any sort of plan the DFI could probably hold onto it for you. DART couldn't take it by force in a place like that. Besides, we know a few of the Orgs too who have pretty secure safes."

[Ionbound]

[Sanctuary]

Helen shrugs and says, "I don't know...Maybe. But that...thing, I'd hazard, can sense beings with souls like snakes can sense a mouse's heat even if they can't see it. As for the staff, that depends. We can deal with what to do with it once we find it."

[Fenric]

[Sanctuary]

Kira takes a deep breath and continues

Tunnels link many older places. Our entrance not only one. Maybe safest at entrance. Maybe dodge construct with other way

[Recaiden]

[Mortuary]

Tavlii is more accustomed to lifting folders of paper than bodies. Heavy lifting is for her minions, usually. With visible effort, she lays Fenric down in the unfolded box.
"The world is full of wonders. From all I remember, he did very well here. He'll be missed."
She would sound slightly sad, but grief is a disruptive emotion in such circumstances.

[Fenric]

[Mortuary]

Edouard nods

Such are the tales I have heard. Certainly, he was well loved and respected back home... and thank you for your assistance.

And he proceeds to fold the box back up to its previous condition, body and all. Soon, he has the small package again, which he returns to his pouch.

[Recaiden]

[Mortuary]

"You are welcome. Thank you as well, for all you have done for the temple." Tavlii nods back and proceeds up the stairs, holding any doors for Edouard to pass through, before heading off to clean her hands. While everything was frozen and sterile, it can't hurt, and still feels like it should be necessary. She also considers what might be wrong with the temporary head priestess, looking rather embarrassed when another part of her self figures it out.

[Deathkeeper]

[Sanctuary]

Mist sighs. "Alright, look. I can get around, and I might be able to take out minor baddies if there's anything down there the construct hasn't killed. But I'd need to know everything about what's down there, and I'd need to know you all have plans for the most basic contingencies, including getting that thing away from me, because turning into a fox probably won't do much for that. And also for what might also be around that staff."
he says, annoyed with himself. His grandmother told him to respect the gods when he passed, and Inari is the first in the Nexus he's "contacted." For that, he'd feel terrible disappointing these people, and doubly for doing so in the temple of their own goddess.

[Ionbound]

[Sanctuary]

Helen nods to Mist, and says, "Well, for one the construct is confined to a certain area in the tunnels. There are mirrors on parts of the walls, and it can't go past those. Also, it seems to be affected by my magic: when it attacked Edouard and I, I was able to block it using a spell."

[Deathkeeper]

[Sanctuary]

"Well, alright. So we find a tunnel towards this 'key.' The mirrors make it simple to find. You folks distract it with magic, while me or someone else snatches it. If it can somehow sense that, you restrain it somehow. I've seen a spell or two that might work if you can do that. No problems there. Or was there anything else down there that I should know about." he asks.
And a little luck might help too. I'm not one of yours, but the snout and the effort count for something, don't they? he thinks, in a rather terrible excuse for a prayer to the Temple's patron.

[Fenric]

Edouard follows Tavlii back up to the sanctuary... at least, until she heads off to the Lady's room to wash her hands.

Ok, I'm all set... how are things going up here?

Kira smiles, and continues to speak slowly, carefully, and stiltedly

Entrances exist... or used to... in places. Trog's, Cemetary, Myrkul Temple, Here, and Black Dragon. Sneak around, avoid construct, grab key, take to someone.

She shakes her head

Dimension key. Strong magic, not my area. I explosion, engine, steam, diesel... Where Caroline?!

[Ionbound]

Helen purses her lips and says, "Caroline is...Currently indisposed, shall I say. If you want to go find her, that's fine, but be prepared for the consequences."

[Fenric]

[Sanctuary]

Mist will feel a comforting presence, and Kira arches an eyebrow at Helen

Diese Fuchsen too high-strung are. I find her, get things to move... maybe jemand anderes who common better speaks.

and with that, she scurries away.

[Deathkeeper]

[Sanctuary]

Mist's ears perk up at the similar-sound of his last name (it's "Anders") but Kira is gone before he can get confused about it.
"Alright, not the worst plan in the world as long as you folks have a plan to keep the thing distracted. I can go for the Key. Anyone else can come, and they probably might want to because anything unexpected will likely be your realm of expertise, not mine. Do you have any way to scope out all the different tunnels, or should that get done by hand? We should know which is the farthest away from whichever we use to be the distraction tunnel."