The Temple of Inari 50: Foxside

[Fenric]

[Sanctuary]

Caroline frowns

That is very unfortunate! Could you describe this curse?

Then she looks over at another visitor

Greetings, Neigobor! The blessings of Inari be upon you. What can we do for you today?

The fox eyes are noted, but things have been so strange since she ended up here in the Nexus that she doesn't want to remark.

[Ionbound]

Certain swallows again, blushes and says, pained, "Apparently, every full moon, I...Turn into a humanoid fox, like you...Only, I can't remember it...And....According to one of my...associates...I am apparently...quite frisky when I'm like that."

[FireFox]

[Sanctuary]

Hi! The girl waves at Caroline, then at Certain, and then at Caroline again. What's this cool place?

[Fenric]

[Sanctuary]

Caroline frowns at Certain's description

You turn into a Vulpan, but only during the full moon, and you go into heat, and you can't remember it? Um... that sounds very... strange. I will have to consult the goddess...

Being in one of those conditions herself, staying focused has been a challenge of late. Fortunately, two female visitors make it easier for her. She turns to her other visitor.

This is the Temple of Inari: Goddess of Rice, Rice Products, and the racial deity of foxes and Vulpans.

[Ionbound]

Certain shakes her head and says, "I don't think I am specifically a member of your race when I transform...Just a general humanoid fox. But, by all means, consult Inari."

[FireFox]

[Sanctuary]

Whoa! No way! I'm a Vulpan goddess too! Kore throws up her hands in shock at the coincidence. She also takes a closer look at Certain, trying to figure out how she turns into a member of the Vulpan family. Does she get really grumpy and lie about everything? Or does her head just inflate to make room for the ego that comes with thinking about how clever you are all the time? I've never heard of Inari or seen her around the house, though. Is she one of Daddy's children with a different Mommy? There are a lot of those, you know.

[Fenric]

Caroline's world tilts a couple of different ways.

She is a botanical goddess. Her specialty is grass. She created foxes to protect the rice.

Then she looks back at Certain, her problem suddenly being easier to deal with

Ok, a curse that just happens to make you look like us, but with side effects. No... too much: holy Inari: Mother of Foxes

she doesn't quite get finished before Myobi appears in a purple flash

Sorry, Caroline: Among the things that you weren't briefed about is that gods are somewhat more common around here. Certain has a curse, assess it for potency and source.

Caroline curtseys to her 17-times-great grandmother. Myobi turns back to Kore

Hello. Sorry for the confusion, she's new to the Nexus. I am Myobi, Messenger of Inari.

[Ionbound]

Certain nods to Myobi and says, "So, can you tell what happened to me?"

[FireFox]

It has been a very long time since the kingdom of Vulpania had an active garrison in Town. I don't ever recall them interacting with the Temple of Inari, but I could be forgetting something. It would have been summer of '08. The other connection that realm has to the Nexus is through HALO. Although the former commanders of HALO aren't exactly celebrities, Tobias Vulpan is probably a name of common knowledge in the Nexus. Anyone who has been around for awhile is likely to know about his family. So, to make sure we're all on the same page, the IC issue here is that Kore Kynegetis Angela Vulpan has confused her family name with the name of one of Inari's races.

Kore perks up when the new person arrives, but her vulpine eyes stare blankly without any glimmer of understanding. ... Hi! I am Kore, Aspect of Angela the Maiden. So none of you here are part of the Vulpan family?

[Fenric]

Myobi chuckles

No, I'm afraid not... the name of these children is based on the Grey Elf word for fox: Vulpes. I'm afraid it is a coincidence, though it is a pleasure to meet you.

Caroline smiles to Certain

I think I understand, now: you offended someone, and they cursed you. The shape is just as much a coincidence as our name for ourselves and that family. Do you have any idea who it is you might have annoyed quite so much?

Meanwhile, Caroline attempts to assess the relative strength of the curse.

[Ionbound]

Certain nods, and says, "I think it was something a posted on the Wall...But otherwise, I don't know." As for the relative strength of the curse, it's fairly powerful, but not something one of the higher-powered cleric spells can't handle.

[FireFox]

Hmmmmmmkay! Kore smiles up at the woman, revealing a mouth full of sharp teeth. So what do you do here? Break curses, I guess? Are you the nice kind of clerics? Are there any paladins here and are they all RAWR SMITE DAY-US VAULT like other paladins? How many people have you killed? Can you bring people back from the dead? Do you think undead are icky too? She pauses to take a deep breath.

[Fenric]

Myobi chuckles, and answers...

We are an agricultural and racial Temple located in a fishing town: we help people with the difficulties of daily life.

She recites the information from the first post , then chuckles

And paladins? Somehow, growing rice just doesn't require such things.

Then she smirks

I have killed very few people indeed. If you disturb this temple to the point that I must react, you will end up as a koi, in my pond, until you show me sufficient understanding of your transgression.

She sighs, next

We can, and sometimes do, resurrect the dead. But disrupting the natural progression of life must always be taken with due and careful consideration. Undead are unnatural, the creation of magic, and we do not approve - but our approval is not required for existence, and we do not seek out any to judge. Only if someone makes a problem of themselves by attacking our people or our Temple do we act.


Caroline nods

Looks potent, but not impossible. May take a bit more than the standard Remove Curse, though. I think it may be best to wait until day, then go to the Temple's summoning chamber: it is the best place for such things.

[Ionbound]

Certain nods, and says, "Alright. I will see you tomorrow, then. Farewell." With that, she leaves, walks down the road until she's out of the area of the dimensional anchor, and teleports away.

[FireFox]

Hahaha, you're totally hippies! The girl bursts into laughter, but gives Myobi an approving double-thumbs-up. That's cool! My dad's a druid, and they're like magic hippies too! She looks around conspiratorially. But, just between you and me, I don't think he's a very good druid. I wouldn't make a good hippie either. I like killing people too much! Oh, but don't worry! I only murder bad people, mostly, sorta. And you don't seem like bad people at all! So you don't need to worry about me attacking your cool place. Kore grins and nods in what is obviously meant to be a reassuring manner.

[Fenric]

Myobi nods

Well, I certainly appreciate that, Kore. Pardon my ignorance, but who is your father?

Somehow, they seem to have been talking all night, because Caroline comes back out looking sleepy and blinks at the two still standing in the Sanctuary.

[Ionbound]

And Caroline might notice a figure appear at the border of the Dimensional Field, and as it walks closer, she'll probably realize it's Certain, who, when she reaches the Sanctuary, rubs her temples a bit and says to the High Priestess, "Good morning. You said we could talk about curing me now?" She then looks at Kore and Myobi, and asks, "Have they been at it all night?"

[Fenric]

Caroline shrugs

It seems so... Please follow me.

[Ionbound]

Certain nods and follows Caroline as she says "Thank you for helping me with this...Gods tend to dislike me. And this curse has been rather resistant to my attempts to break it...I was hoping a cleric would have better luck."

[Fenric]

Caroline leads Certain out to the Summoning Chamber

[FireFox]

Myobi nods

Well, I certainly appreciate that, Kore. Pardon my ignorance, but who is your father?

Somehow, they seem to have been talking all night, because Caroline comes back out looking sleepy and blinks at the two still standing in the Sanctuary.

Unable to stand still for so long, Kore looks for something to climb. A tree, a wall, a particularly tall person, whatever. Oh, most people here call Daddy Tobias Vulpan. He used to be the boss of HALO, but now he does... something else, I think.

[Ionbound]

Caroline leads Certain out to the Summoning Chamber

Certain smiles as she follows, hopeful that they'll be able to break the werefox curse.

[Fenric]

There are fairly sizeable pillars all around (there's a picture in the first post). Also, looking at the altar, to the right is a ladder that goes up to the second floor:

Spoiler

Show

Myobi looks thoughtful and her eyes go distant as she goes and looks up old HALO threads.

Fascinating. Sounds like a worthy organization, certainly.

[FireFox]

Aha. The young girl scampers up a pillar like a squirrel, then jumps on top of the second-floor railing to grin down at Myobi. Yeah, it's really cool! My big sisters live there. And all their girlfriends!

[Fenric]

Myobi laughs at the girl's antics, and shakes her head while looking up at Kore

That certainly sounds like a busy place! Are they all quite as energetic as you?

[FireFox]

Nah, most of them are pretty boring. They don't do stuff. Do you do stuff?

[Fenric]

[Sanctuary]

Myobi chuckles again

I suspect you'd think me boring as well, I'm afraid

[Summoning Chamber]

You enter small building set apart from the others with solid stone walls, a sturdy roof, and a thick adamantine door. Inside; the obsidian ceiling, walls and floors are crawling with glowing silvery magical sigils. Literally crawling, the magic writing moves even as you look at it. In the very center of the room is a summoning circle of gold, platinum, and gemstones. The design is intricate beyond belief and it is worth wondering if even living creatures might find themselves bound inside should the priests wish it.

Caroline smiles

Here we are. Um... what makes you say that gods tend to dislike you?

[Ionbound]

[Summoning Chamber]

Certain shrugs and says, "I've met a few, and I tend not to worship them. It doesn't help that all the gods where I'm from all, putting it lightly, not the nicest people in the multiverse."

[Fenric]

[Summoning Chamber]

Caroline chuckles

There are some who feel that way, it is true. The easiest thing to keep in mind is that Inari is a botanist. She invented the rice plant, and loves studying... the things that make... living things work.

Sadly, Caroline doesn't understand genetics in the slightest.

You're a living being, and have come to her for help, and that is all that matters.

[Ionbound]

[Summoning Chamber]

Certain smiles and says, "I'm glad. Maybe Inari will like me better, then." She then cracks her fingers and says, "Let's get started, then."