Foxside: The Temple of Inari 52 - Nine Years of Foxes

[Fenric]

The Temple is located in the city of Inside, at the corner of Cherry Blossom Street and Weeping Willow Drive, four blocks off of 27th Street. The address is:

Temple of Inari
6 Cherry Blossom Street
Inside, Nexus 00001-0001

You have entered the temple of Inari, in her capacity as the Goddess of Foxes.

You walk down an elegant white gravel pathway between full-grown pines. Stone lanterns provide a pure white light to the path, while casting elegant shadows among the trees.

At the end of the pathway, a bright red gate stands. A large fox carved from white alabaster gleams at each side of the gate. As you pass between the foxes and through the gate, you feel the presence of the goddess. Gentle and caring, but mischievous and lighthearted, you are never quite certain what will happen.

Past the exquisite formal gardens, you finally step into the pagoda itself. There, at the end of chamber is a raised dais. There rests a statue of a beautiful vulpine woman, flanked by two snow-white celestial foxes. Offerings of rice and incense stand before the statue.

In a niche off to the right side of the door sits a Fox-Cola vending machine. Next to the coin slot, the sign reads "10 cp".

To the left side of the door is a magic mirror. This mirror is actually a portal to Trog's Tavern.

Profile for Inari

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Alignment Chaotic Good
Primary Domains Good, Plant, Chaos, Healing
Secondary Domains Magic, Sun, Animal, Trickery, Knowledge, Water
Forbidden Domains Evil, Law, War, Death, Destruction
Priest Granted Powers
Rice Paddy Once per day. As Entangle, but the ground changes to knee-deep mud, and instead of creepers, mature rice plants twist and writhe to grapple anything in the area.
Sushi Bar Once per day. You create rice, fish, and sake. You can create enough to feed one medium sized creature for each two caster levels.
Summon Celestial Fox Special. You summon an image of Myobi (if you are a priestess) or Myobu (if you are a priest). The fox has HD equal to your level plus your wisdom bonus. In combat, the fox fights the same as a normal fox, but with appropriate bonuses for HD.

Inari is the goddess of rice: The plant itself. The cultivation of it. The products made from it. She has countless billions of worshipers spread across the various planes of existence. Foxes are her children. Inari created foxes to watch over the grain and eat the birds and rodents that would destroy the sacred plant. Kitsune are her especial messengers: sacred foxes endowed with the ability to take on human or elvish form. Inari is an agricultural and racial goddess. She is concerned predominantly with nurturing and growth. She is good, but it is the quiet good of the countryside rather than the formalized good of high society. We don't go on crusades. We don't try to win converts or convince people to change their beliefs. We don't really feel a conflict with "evil" beings at all, unless they threaten us directly. Finally, since rice is a critical component in many economies across the multiverse, she is revered as a goddess of wealth and prosperity as well.

The worship of Inari is mostly personal. The sanctuary is open for prayer and meditation as you feel led. There is a small ceremony at dawn every day, where the main sacred fires are lit. There is a celebration at the full of the moon each month, and a quiet time of prayer at the dark of the moon. There are major ceremonies and holidays at the times of rice planting, transplanting, and harvest. The fox festival is held at the time when the wild cousins give birth. We feed them a special treat made with rice wrapped in fried bean curds. Otherwise, the temple does not hold regular formal services.

Inari is not overly fond of ceremony: for it is not ceremony that will lead you to enlightenment.

All things have a spirit, and the spirit is in all things. But this perception is dulled by the impurities of physical life, and you fail to reach your true potential due to this. It is therefore in your best interest that you seek for purity in your emotions and your mind; for through that purity, your spirit may shine through. Ceremony is of limited value because the quest for purity begins and ends with your inner self. This is why the main altar generally houses a mirror, not a statue, on the altar.

The state of purity is difficult to explain, because it does not mean the same thing to everyone. Only by meditating on your spiritual state can you learn what things hinder you personally. An earnest, honest, open heart is needed for this. The goddess, who can read your very being, can help with this: but it is a private matter between you and her. Therefore we provide a quiet setting: a peaceful sanctuary free from distracting clutter, a quiet garden where you can relax your mind, a serene place where it is easier to distance your true self from your physical self and focus on what needs to be. One more thing: purity is not merely a matter of eliminating that which is "bad". It is also a task of strengthening which is "good". Your task may be to grow in an area of yourself that you have neglected, or imperfectly developed. Regardless of the details, when you know what needs to be done we provide the support, council, and assistance to help you do it.

Profile for Tamamo

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Alignment Chaotic Good
Primary Domains Good, Plant, Chaos, Healing, Shadow
Secondary Domains Magic, Animal, Trickery, Knowledge, Water
Forbidden Domains Evil, Law, War, Death, Destruction
Priest Granted Powers
Darkness Once per day.
Speak with Shadows You can speak with creatures from the Plane of Shadows
Sushi Bar Once per day. You create rice, fish, and sake. You can create enough to feed one medium sized creature for each two caster levels.
Summon Celestial Fox Special. You summon an image of one of the Ninetails. The fox has HD equal to your level plus your wisdom bonus. In combat, the fox fights the same as a normal fox, but with appropriate bonuses for HD.

<Work in Progress... please stand by>

Temple Facilities
Map

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Interior wide-angle shot

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Everything but the Sanctuary and Garden has Dimensional Lock. The entire facility is Hallowed as per the spell with the Bless effect. A permanent Flame Quench (the reversed form of the 2nd edition Fire Storm spell) is on in a quiescent form on all the buildings. It can be triggered by any full priest.

- Sanctuary: the main sanctuary has the altar. This is where you must pray to speak to the goddess directly. There is a general magic circle in the center of the room.

- Meditation Gardens: accessed through a door at the far end of the sanctuary. This is a standard zen garden with raked gravle, shady nooks, picturesque pines, stone lanterns, and small intricate bridges. An artifical stream hosts large koi, and a grand cherry tree resides on a picturesque island in the middle of a good sized pond.

- Priest's Quarters: accessed by going down the stairs "halfway down the sanctuary, to the right"

Priestly Ranks

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The relative power and abilities of priests are driven by their talent, learning, experience, and gifts. The rank of a priest can be recognized most quickly by looking at their robes: the combination of main color and trim uniquely identifies each rank. The following chart summarizes the current ranks.
Update: Each rank spans two D20 system experience levels instead of the former "three with an error".

Current Staff

Caroline Primerra (Fenric)
Helen Avery (firedaemon33)
Steven Linde (Lord Deathkeeper)

[Deathkeeper]

[Shadow Temple]

Helen nods and says, "Alright. So...What were you going to teach me, then? I do want to learn how to do the swords...Though it's been a long time since I've done any smithing."

Shadow Temple

Steven smiles a bit and hustles after Kazuki. He tries to make note of where they're going, to see if the shadow temple is indeed an exact copy.
"So have you two been here your whole lives, Kazuki, or was it a more recent decision?" he asks idly as they go.

((Posting last round for ease of responding))

[Fenric]

Shadow Temple - Library

In a plane noted for its eccentricity and differences from the material world, the temple is surprisingly identical: having been carefully aligned in the past to match precisely. At Steven's question, Kazuki shakes his head.

Nope: I was born in the temple hospital on the material plane, back when us werefoxes ran the place. I got caught up in a bad situation and ended up stuck here. Izumi is from here, though.

Shadow Temple - Garden

Izumi leads Helen out to the gardens. They are still quite beautiful even though there is no color here.

You do not strike me as the sort to wield a sword, but the techniques I will teach you now will certainly allow you to infuse whatever you wish.

She motions a passing acolyte over. This first one is busy but another soon comes by with no pressing business. Izumi instructs him to stand still.

One of the more useful talents is manipulating the energy of someone else. It is called channeling, and can be an invaluable ability: because with a willing helper and only a small investment of your own power you can accomplish significant tasks. Now watch.

And she begins - projecting her will into the acolyte and then performing the shaping and animating mysteries to make a small bird of shadowstuff that hops around on the path.

It is especially useful if you have people on hand with a natural reserve of energy that they themselves cannot use.

[Deathkeeper]

Shadow Temple- Library

Steven grimaces. "That's unfortunate. Well, at least you don't have to be stuck here alone." he muses.
Mentally, he wonders if the books in the Shadow library are black pages and white text.

[Recaiden]

[Non-Shadow Temple]

A visitor, not the previous one, for this goggle-wearing swordswoman has no faith in any deity that is represented therein. Faithful and heretic, god and man, all will be equally helpless in the end. Arkangel will have come in the evening; there are more of the right patterns in the evening that there are in the deceptive light of day.
She walks up to the altar, in all her layered, softly humming armor, swords and knives and dart-packs peacefully sheathed, and regards the vulpine statue.

The first pattern calls for silent waiting. Maybe a priest will come, lured by the palpable aura of evil emanating from one of her two swords, or simple, misguided mortal kindness.

[Fenric]

[Sanctuary, Evening]

And so it is that Mi Su greets the stranger, dressed in her robes of solid charcoal gray.

Greetings, Neighbor: the blessings of Tamamo be upon you. What can we do for you this evening?

[Recaiden]

[Sanctuary, Evening]

"Are we neighbors? I did not think the isle had come this close." The visitor frowns. "Are you able to listen? Perhaps we could have a seat?"

A small smile flickers across her face.

"I'm looking for a few things, and they might be here, but one can't rush these things. We don't have any place like this, temples, I mean, at home. It's quite something, isn't it?"

[Fenric]

[Sanctuary, Evening]

Mi Su smiles

All people are our neighbors, and so we greet as such.

and she motions to a few plain folding chairs lined up near the wall

Certainly, I have time to listen. And yes, the temple is quite grand.

[Recaiden]

[Sanctuary, Evening]

Arkangel takes a seat, the humming of the armor getting sliiightly less.

"It seems a little wasteful, though."
"What god dwells here?"
"I've never had much time for them myself, but it says something fun that places like this can exist."

She shifts slightly. Uncomfortable? Surely not at the seating.

[Ionbound]

Shadow Temple - Garden

Helen nods as she watches and says, "So borrowing power from others? That seems...Useful. If a bit creepy. How does it work?"

[Fenric]

[Shadow Temple - Library]

Steven grimaces. "That's unfortunate. Well, at least you don't have to be stuck here alone." he muses.
Mentally, he wonders if the books in the Shadow library are black pages and white text.

Nah, the books are "normal" - just colorless.

Kazuki shrugs

Wasn't that much longer before my family left Town anyway - back before it was even called "Inside". It was harder finding out Izumi can't have children. But anway... Shadow Magic! First off, we don't call them spells - they are properly called "mysteries", and they work a little differently from what you are used to.

He starts, and his perspective is just a little different from Orochi's

Normally, you follow through a series of gestures, words, and thoughts. A lot of times they may seem pretty random, but what you are actually doing is using the unavoidable side-effects of those actions to make very precise changes to the current state of the universe that result in bending "what might have been" into "what is".

The plane of shadows, however, is much more reactive than the material world. It will do what you tell it, if it recognizes you and you know how to ask. So Freddie: create darkness for us so Stephen can watch.

Frederick nods and thinks a moment to remember the proper steps, then proceeds: conjuring a small globe of darkness in the air. To Stephen's enhanced senses, it will look the beginning of a summoning spell: gathering a small amount of power then contacting the plane.. but instead of the usual step of seeking the target, the instructions are fed out to "nowhere".

---

[Sanctuary, Evening]

Arkangel takes a seat, the humming of the armor getting sliiightly less.

"It seems a little wasteful, though."
"What god dwells here?"
"I've never had much time for them myself, but it says something fun that places like this can exist."

Mi Su shrugs

It is a touch ostentatious, but it was funded and donated by a wealthy individual and it is poor manners to question a generous gift. And besides the usual operations of a temple, we also operate a hospital, daycare, school, and shelter for disadvantaged persons.

The temple is dedicated to Inari, Goddess of Rice and Foxes. Additionally the priesthood of Tamamo no Ma'e, a subordinate deity and my goddess, shares space here in return for tending to the night guests.

---

[Shadow Temple - Garden]

Helen nods as she watches and says, "So borrowing power from others? That seems...Useful. If a bit creepy. How does it work?"

Izumi is creepy, though she doesn't see herself that way.

Think of it as obtaining a temporary power of attorney for that person. When you would normally petition the Shadows at the start of your mystery, you instead project the request as having come from the other person - and that is why I said their willingness is important. I will admit that it is possible to force the issue, but that is vastly more difficult and counts as an evil act.

[Recaiden]

[Sanctuary, Evening]

Arkangel nods.
"You are doing our work here, then. Stay careful of gifts, though. Nothing is really given freely."
She smiles, pleased if not truly happy.

"A fox is an animal that you have here on the ground." That wasn't quite a question, she's just saying that, excited to remember that.
"Should all people worship here, or only those with rice and foxes? I haven't heard the Wind or the Spheres since I came to this, the Nexus, even before I learned better than to listen for gods."
Arkangel is dancing around some other question, one whose time it isn't right to ask yet but is hanging in the front of her mind.

[Fenric]

[Sanctuary, Evening]

Mi Su nods

Wise advice, to be sure.

Then she tilts her head, not really understanding the first comment

I think there are a few of our wild cousins on the grounds, yes.

Then she nods

Do you see the mirror on the altar? It is there to remind people that while Inari will gladly help you realize the potential in yourself, only you can make the journey. We are not proud: we will certainly not exclude you the use of our facilities in your search for enlightenment just because you are following a different teacher.

[Deathkeeper]

Shadow Temple Library

Steven rubs under his chin for a moment, thinking.
"So, in the material world, would the steps be mostly the same, but with a more specified source of shadow to target, then?" he asks.

[Recaiden]

[Sanctuary, Evening]

"Thanks given. I like you."
Not as if that will help anything.

"Yes, I see it. There are a lot of people who can make a journey, but don't know which way to go. It's not realization we're missing, it's direction."
"I."
"I prefer not to see my reflection."

[Fenric]

[Shadow Temple - Library]

Kazuki grins and nods

Exactly so! And it will take a little more work because you're on a different plane - but not too bad, since The Material and Shadows are adjacent.

Then he chuckles

And as of about a month ago, you can ask the plane of Ice for favors, too - works the same way. But I don't know the proper phrasing, so that's just a bit of trivia for right now. Back to business: I said that the mysteries themselves won't give you reaction sickness, but there is still a limit to what you can do in a day: the plane itself will just stop answering after a while and you'll have to wait. And technically if you're way overtaxed magically, then even the trivial energy to initiate the mystery will still hurt.

---

[Sanctuary, Evening]

Mi Su nods

Quite right. But not everyone can make use of the same directions, and so there are many teachers.

The she turns the mirror away to the side

My apologies: a symbol and a reminder should not be a distraction.

[Deathkeeper]

Shadow Temple- Library

Steven nods. "All right; that makes sense. I've been working on my magic stamina since I developed the aptitude for it. It's getting better. I don't suppose these processes are easy to remember? Soon I won't be able to keep all these techniques straight that I've somehow been cramming into my head." he says with a chuckle.

[Recaiden]

[Sanctuary, Evening]

Arkangel pauses. This fox-person is too nice. She can't go through with this.
"That's very wise."
The armor hums a little louder as she stands and looks at the no-longer-reflecting altar.

She unslings one of her swords, scabbard and all, the one with the aura of evil and the handle that's been broken and repaired.
"This is...not a good thing to have. Do you know where I might be rid of it, for a time?"
Doubts that it's even possible. But she can hope. Apparently still does.

[Ionbound]

[Shadow Temple - Garden]

Izumi is creepy, though she doesn't see herself that way.

Think of it as obtaining a temporary power of attorney for that person. When you would normally petition the Shadows at the start of your mystery, you instead project the request as having come from the other person - and that is why I said their willingness is important. I will admit that it is possible to force the issue, but that is vastly more difficult and counts as an evil act.

[Shadow Temple - Garden]

Helen nods and says, "I see. How does it work, then?"

[BlackCoatedMan]

[Temple Lodgings - Shared Room]

Septimus chuckles

Enough gold, or perhaps the necessity of a resurrection! I have never in my life fought anything more dramatic than a mouse.

"Fair enough." BCM chuckles as well. "I myself am here to avoid certain excitements. Thus I work as a cook here. I must say, it feels quite safe here. " He cricks his neck.

"Well, I'm tired... in a manner of speaking." His physical body can't actually get tired. "Goodnight..." and with that BCM falls asleep on his bed, leaving his roommate to his own machinations.

[Fenric]

Shadow Temple- Library

Steven nods. "All right; that makes sense. I've been working on my magic stamina since I developed the aptitude for it. It's getting better. I don't suppose these processes are easy to remember? Soon I won't be able to keep all these techniques straight that I've somehow been cramming into my head." he says with a chuckle.

Kazuki nods

In general, it can get confusing. One piece of advice that I would give is that you shouldn't try to keep them straight: as your stamina improves, it won't really matter so much. The big spells will still suck to cast, but you know which ones those are already! You'll just never bother casting a Darkness spell again on purpose and after a while the habit will take over.

---

[Sanctuary, Evening]

Arkangel pauses. This fox-person is too nice. She can't go through with this.
"That's very wise."
The armor hums a little louder as she stands and looks at the no-longer-reflecting altar.

She unslings one of her swords, scabbard and all, the one with the aura of evil and the handle that's been broken and repaired.
"This is...not a good thing to have. Do you know where I might be rid of it, for a time?"
Doubts that it's even possible. But she can hope. Apparently still does.

Mi Su nods and gestures for an acolyte to whom she speaks softly, then she turns back

Yes, we actually keep a number of anti-magic boxes on hand for just such situations. I will give you a receipt so you can reclaim the item, though we do reserve the right to dispose of it after five years if unclaimed.

---

[Shadow Temple - Garden]

Helen nods and says, "I see. How does it work, then?"

Izumi smiles

You start with a limited version of Telepathy: one specific target, and only to initiate the channel - it takes only a small amount of energy more than a base cantrip does. You then project your mystery through that: the end result is that as far as... planar accounting, for lack of a better term... is concerned, it is the second person who invoked it - you are only wearied by the amount of the original spell.

---

[Guest's Quarters]

"Fair enough." BCM chuckles as well. "I myself am here to avoid certain excitements. Thus I work as a cook here. I must say, it feels quite safe here. " He cricks his neck.

"Well, I'm tired... in a manner of speaking." His physical body can't actually get tired. "Goodnight..." and with that BCM falls asleep on his bed, leaving his roommate to his own machinations.

Septimus settles himself down for rest and meditation as well.

Goodnight.

[Deathkeeper]

Shadow Temple- Library

Steven's ears drop a bit as he ponders this.
"Well, yeah, but that seems so...inefficient. If I just use lesser Miracles to do everything it's wasting a ton of energy to do a level two spell just because I was too lazy to remember it."

[Fenric]

[Shadow Temple - Library]

Kazuki shakes his head

Not what I meant. Consider: You have a spell Darkness and a shadow mystery Create Darkness... don't bother with the spell ever again. But you have a spell Cure Light Wounds and a mystery Shadowy Healing - use the spell! After you choose your set, you don't worry about which was which - you just have a set of abilities you use. Some happen to be magic, some aren't. But you asked how you keep them straight, and I say: don't bother.

[Deathkeeper]

Shadow Temple- Library

Steven considers this, and then nods.
"Well, that makes sense, I suppose. I get the feeling this is going to involve a spreadsheet at some point." he thinks aloud, adding a bit of a chuckle.
"Either way, I suppose I should get started actually learning some of these mysteries for myself."

[Recaiden]

[Sanctuary, Evening]

Arkangel looks amazed at the acolyte.
"Anti-magic."
Just a thing that they're ready for. Like umbrellas for when it rains.

"Five years. What I could do in that time..."
And then she quickly looks very concerned.

"It would be safe here? If people came to get it, they wouldn't? I don't suppose I could borrow the box away for those years, but no, why would you trust me with it. The sword isn't the only danger."

[Fenric]

Shadow Temple- Library

Steven considers this, and then nods.
"Well, that makes sense, I suppose. I get the feeling this is going to involve a spreadsheet at some point." he thinks aloud, adding a bit of a chuckle.
"Either way, I suppose I should get started actually learning some of these mysteries for myself."

Kazuki smiles

Excel can work wonders, but the time it takes to check your phone or tablet may be too much. Pick the things for your main set of tools ahead of time and commit them to habit, not just memory.

---

[Sanctuary, Evening]

Arkangel looks amazed at the acolyte.
"Anti-magic."
Just a thing that they're ready for. Like umbrellas for when it rains.

"Five years. What I could do in that time..."
And then she quickly looks very concerned.

"It would be safe here? If people came to get it, they wouldn't? I don't suppose I could borrow the box away for those years, but no, why would you trust me with it. The sword isn't the only danger."

Mi Su looks sympathetic

I apologize, but I do not have the authority to release a container: they are a significant resource, and must be accounted for. Our facility is as safe as we can make it to be: a division of the Vulpine Empire is garrisoned here, and the Messengers of the goddess watch over the place. Sequestered items go into a special area of the vault, and even an invader would have to fight past our animated statues to steal something. Nothing is released without a receipt or the ruling of the head cleric... there are few more secure places that exist.

Which does imply that there are more secure places...

[Deathkeeper]

Shadow Temple- Library

Steven shrugs. "Well, that's what my handbook is for. Checking the little page is a lot faster than turning something on."
he says.

[Recaiden]

[Sanctuary, Evening]

Arkangel returns the sword to its place, her armor clicking the scabbard back in.
"I can't. If there is any doubt at all, I cannot release it."

"The most secure place, I would consider, but this, no. I was weak, thinking that I would be able to set down this burden."

She...grins would be an overly positive word. Grimaces, setting her teeth against a lifetime of hearing the sword's reminders.

"No god or work of magic could protect the world from this blade as well as I have, no vault or imperial army. I am not even sure a cessation of all magic would stop His terrible sight. I am sorry, holy woman. I have wasted your time with these questions."

The armored seeker bows her head to Mi Su, and takes a step away.

[Ionbound]

Izumi smiles

You start with a limited version of Telepathy: one specific target, and only to initiate the channel - it takes only a small amount of energy more than a base cantrip does. You then project your mystery through that: the end result is that as far as... planar accounting, for lack of a better term... is concerned, it is the second person who invoked it - you are only wearied by the amount of the original spell.

Helen nods and says, "Alright. That...Makes sense, actually. So...Can I practice it on you?"

[Fenric]

Shadow Temple- Library

Steven shrugs. "Well, that's what my handbook is for. Checking the little page is a lot faster than turning something on."
he says.

Kazuki smiles

You have to find your own organization, of course.And following mine is perhaps not the best choice, considering I was banished from the Material Plane.

So, On to the mysteries themselves! Darkness is the most basic of them all: to make a sphere of reduced light! Now: we are shadows: complete darkness is NOT our place! Always mind that: you can reduce the available light, but you can never eliminate it.

---

[Sanctuary, Evening]

Arkangel returns the sword to its place, her armor clicking the scabbard back in.
"I can't. If there is any doubt at all, I cannot release it."

"The most secure place, I would consider, but this, no. I was weak, thinking that I would be able to set down this burden."

She...grins would be an overly positive word. Grimaces, setting her teeth against a lifetime of hearing the sword's reminders.

"No god or work of magic could protect the world from this blade as well as I have, no vault or imperial army. I am not even sure a cessation of all magic would stop His terrible sight. I am sorry, holy woman. I have wasted your time with these questions."

The armored seeker bows her head to Mi Su, and takes a step away.

Mi Su sighs

There is no waste: the asking of a question has value in itself, regardless of the answer. But no: neither Stormbringer, nor Mournblade, nor Blackrazor could we swear to keep safe. We would do our utmost, and it would be over our corpses and the ruins of this beautiful place... but in the utmost, we are mortal and would fail.

If you would have this think taken forever from the realms of mortals... we have those connections. But they cannot be taken back once invoked: the thing would no longer be of this... existence. It would be forever gone.

---

[Shadow Temple - Garden]

Izumi looks thoughtful for a moment, then nods

Yes, Princess. You may very be surprised, however: the majority of my ability depends on my husband, who has no talent with shadow magic whatsoever, yet has an impressively tremendous reserve. It is a good example for you.

To my knowledge, there is no such thing as a second-degree channeling: you can only draw on my own native abilities.