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  1. - Top - End - #1
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    Default Foxside: The Temple of Inari 55 - So many ships, you'd think it was on the ocean

    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 <i>Entangle</i>, 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, Darkness
    Secondary Domains Magic, Sun, 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 7 current ranks and their rough mapping to RPG "levels":



    Current Staff

    Caroline Primerra (Fenric)
    Steven Linde Primerra (LordDeathkeeper)
    Helen Avery (firedaemon33)
    Arlem Mersienne (Recaiden)
    Bloom (Arlem)
    Genji Ikari (deleteman900)
    Urias Starsailor (Baeleck)
    Last edited by Fenric; 2017-01-28 at 05:42 PM.

  2. - Top - End - #2
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    Default Re: Foxside: The Temple of Inari 55 - So many ships, you'd think it was on the ocean

    Quote Originally Posted by Fenric View Post
    snip
    Genji isn't sure what this chandelier is, or why it's here, but he is well aware that he wants nothing to do with it and he begins attempting to back out of the cave, heart starting to beat faster as a formless dread makes his limbs feel heavier than they actually are, tail tucking between his legs as he moves as quickly as he can without causing a racket. He attempts to hone back in on where the others are to tell them how it went...
    Last edited by deleteman900; 2016-10-03 at 08:20 PM.

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    Default Re: Foxside: The Temple of Inari 55 - So many ships, you'd think it was on the ocean

    [Mirror Temple - Pokemon]

    Oh, no... it's nice here: warm, and safe... A counter-suggestion that a bit more rest would be every so nice and he really ought to stay.

    The Chandelure is not quite ready to let Genji just leave, though, and applies a bit of Telekinesis to reinforce that: making it harder to move away, gently nudging Genji back inside.




    Quote Originally Posted by Recaiden View Post
    Okay, that's a bit better, as far as security goes.

    "I don't think we know anything about that." Plum says, chagrined.
    "I could take a look if you want, but I think you will probably have to be the one who unlocks it."

    Out in the city, they carry on. The place probably doesn't get a lot of visitors from the Nexus. And most of them are probably Vulpans anyway.
    Krystal chuckles

    Not many people practice it at all, and you have to learn it from somebody who already knows it: books are great for reminding you, but you can't learn that particular art by reading. Anyway, it's nothing to be particularly worried about: the vault knows me so once I get it's attention it won't be any trouble.

    She rummages around a bit more and eventually extracts a piece of actual goat-skin parchment and a charcoal pencil. She begins writing a series of angular, sticklike runes on the parchment - nothing happens just yet.

    No, not many visitors at all. Actually, the most common "back and forth" right now is werefox soldiers on leave looking up family members and old friends (or those same folks coming to the Nexus)

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    Default Re: Foxside: The Temple of Inari 55 - So many ships, you'd think it was on the ocean

    Quote Originally Posted by Fenric View Post
    [Mirror Temple - Pokemon]

    Oh, no... it's nice here: warm, and safe... A counter-suggestion that a bit more rest would be every so nice and he really ought to stay.

    The Chandelure is not quite ready to let Genji just leave, though, and applies a bit of Telekinesis to reinforce that: making it harder to move away, gently nudging Genji back inside.






    Krystal chuckles

    Not many people practice it at all, and you have to learn it from somebody who already knows it: books are great for reminding you, but you can't learn that particular art by reading. Anyway, it's nothing to be particularly worried about: the vault knows me so once I get it's attention it won't be any trouble.

    She rummages around a bit more and eventually extracts a piece of actual goat-skin parchment and a charcoal pencil. She begins writing a series of angular, sticklike runes on the parchment - nothing happens just yet.

    No, not many visitors at all. Actually, the most common "back and forth" right now is werefox soldiers on leave looking up family members and old friends (or those same folks coming to the Nexus)
    Genji huffs, well aware of the signs of illusory magic given his own affinity for it, and steels himself to try and fight whatever force was making it harder to leave. He was definitely less subtle about his magic use than he could be, and had predilections for relying on brute force when it came to wielding his magic, so he was no stranger to 'bullying' the magic to submit to his will. This was only assisted by the fact that even if he didn't know what a Chandelure was, he was all too aware that most things in this mirror-temple weren't likely to be nice, and most of the power of illusions came from guile and deceit, rather than outright over-powering the victim...

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    Default Re: Foxside: The Temple of Inari 55 - So many ships, you'd think it was on the ocean

    Quote Originally Posted by Fenric View Post
    Krystal chuckles

    Not many people practice it at all, and you have to learn it from somebody who already knows it: books are great for reminding you, but you can't learn that particular art by reading. Anyway, it's nothing to be particularly worried about: the vault knows me so once I get it's attention it won't be any trouble.

    She rummages around a bit more and eventually extracts a piece of actual goat-skin parchment and a charcoal pencil. She begins writing a series of angular, sticklike runes on the parchment - nothing happens just yet.

    No, not many visitors at all. Actually, the most common "back and forth" right now is werefox soldiers on leave looking up family members and old friends (or those same folks coming to the Nexus)
    Plum shrugs and watches the rune-drawing. All very magic-seeming.

    "My people will be here shortly. Should you send to whoever's at the gate so they can get in?"
    ~Inner Circle~
    Quote Originally Posted by Raz_Fox View Post
    He takes normality and reason and turns them UP TO 11!
    Quote Originally Posted by Anarion View Post
    Recaiden, stop using your mastery of the English language to confuse the issue.
    Echidna by Serpentine

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    Default Re: Foxside: The Temple of Inari 55 - So many ships, you'd think it was on the ocean

    [Mirror Temple - Chandelure's Lair]

    The singing and suggestion drop abruptly, but the Telekinesis swells rapidly in power as the creature rotates around to glare at Genji. A hypnotized meal was best, but Genji doesn't need to be conscious (or really even have to survive this encounter) to be useful, and so it attacks twice more: blasting Genji with a Confusing Ray and a burst of fire!




    [Krystal's Castle]

    Krystal looks up from her writing

    Oh! That would help, wouldn't it...

    She rings a small bell at her desk which is followed in very short order by a servant appearing at the door. She instructs him to go let ... um ...

    she turns to Plum

    Um... who are we expecting, again?
    Last edited by Fenric; 2016-10-03 at 08:49 PM.

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    Default Re: Foxside: The Temple of Inari 55 - So many ships, you'd think it was on the ocean

    Quote Originally Posted by Fenric View Post
    [Mirror Temple - Chandelure's Lair]

    The singing and suggestion drop abruptly, but the Telekinesis swells rapidly in power as the creature rotates around to glare at Genji. A hypnotized meal was best, but Genji doesn't need to be conscious (or really even have to survive this encounter) to be useful, and so it attacks twice more: blasting Genji with a Confusing Ray and a burst of fire!




    [Krystal's Castle]

    Krystal looks up from her writing

    Oh! That would help, wouldn't it...

    She rings a small bell at her desk which is followed in very short order by a servant appearing at the door. She instructs him to go let ... um ...

    she turns to Plum

    Um... who are we expecting, again?
    Genji huffed and shrunk into foxshape to dodge the beam that had been aimed center-mass and did his best to dart back out of the cave, away from the fire that he could feel beginning to singe his fur, :(

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    Default Re: Foxside: The Temple of Inari 55 - So many ships, you'd think it was on the ocean

    [Mirror Temple - Chandelure's Lair]

    A telekinetic wall blocks the way out! Chandelure blasts out a wide area of flame: trying an Incinerate to quickly incapacitate the all too quick and resourceful fox, and lashing out with a magical Hex to increase Genji's harm from the fire.

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    Default [Krystal's Castle]

    Plum chuckles. Easy to get wrapped up in the magic, too.

    "Three humans: two look like brothers, 'Sec' and 'Kep', and the woman 'Nai' is carrying the box of protective equipment. Plus one elf, 'Ri'. They're just coming around a corner to where you can clearly see the big ice wall now."
    ~Inner Circle~
    Quote Originally Posted by Raz_Fox View Post
    He takes normality and reason and turns them UP TO 11!
    Quote Originally Posted by Anarion View Post
    Recaiden, stop using your mastery of the English language to confuse the issue.
    Echidna by Serpentine

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    Default Re: Foxside: The Temple of Inari 55 - So many ships, you'd think it was on the ocean

    Quote Originally Posted by Fenric View Post
    [Mirror Temple - Chandelure's Lair]

    A telekinetic wall blocks the way out! Chandelure blasts out a wide area of flame: trying an Incinerate to quickly incapacitate the all too quick and resourceful fox, and lashing out with a magical Hex to increase Genji's harm from the fire.
    The fox squeaks in panic and forms a globe of water around himself using Create Water that shields him from the worst of the Incinerate, reducing it to a flash of steam that while hot, is far preferable to being burned to a crisp. The fox then attempts to sunder the barrier with a swipe of his claws, the natural enchantment on his claws giving a significant enough bonus that he at least stands a chance, depending on if the barrier is made out of proper magical energy.

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    Default Re: Foxside: The Temple of Inari 55 - So many ships, you'd think it was on the ocean

    [Krystal's Castle]

    Krystal arches an eyebrow at the servant, who nods

    I will ensure they are brought directly to you, My Lady.

    Krystal nods and the servant scurries away

    Interesting names: Sec, Kep, Nai, and Ri? But you're Plum... where did those come from?




    [Mirror Temple - Chandelure's Lair]

    Slash on the wall! It's quite effective, opening a way through. By now, the other three have arrived at the cave

    Genji? What's going on?

    The Chandelure turns toward the new sounds: perhaps this newcomer will be easier prey...

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    Default Re: Foxside: The Temple of Inari 55 - So many ships, you'd think it was on the ocean

    Quote Originally Posted by Fenric View Post
    [Krystal's Castle]

    Krystal arches an eyebrow at the servant, who nods

    I will ensure they are brought directly to you, My Lady.

    Krystal nods and the servant scurries away

    Interesting names: Sec, Kep, Nai, and Ri? But you're Plum... where did those come from?




    [Mirror Temple - Chandelure's Lair]

    Slash on the wall! It's quite effective, opening a way through. By now, the other three have arrived at the cave

    Genji? What's going on?

    The Chandelure turns toward the new sounds: perhaps this newcomer will be easier prey...
    The wash of flame following him out of the cave from the Incinerate is probably enough explanation that whatever was in that cave wasn't friendly, so he doesn't bother explaining it quite yet, and rather, keeps running at full speed away from it. "Some kind of giant shadow-chandelier, thing. It tried to snare me with an illusion right before killing me!" he huffs out after skidding to a stop next to them.

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    Default Re: Foxside: The Temple of Inari 55 - So many ships, you'd think it was on the ocean

    [Mirror Temple - Pokémon Enclosure]

    Zhi and Kartuk both look bewildered and a little frightened...

    Jian frowns

    Sounds like a Chandelure? What was the problem?

    She picks up a decent sized rock and waits until the thing shows itself: which it does only a moment later

    Yup.

    Genji may note a brief surge of fox magic as she enhances her strength while throwing the rock. The floating bit of decoration howls as it is pounded solidly in it's spherical body, then crashes to the ground.

    Weak to Ground - that's us... and Rock... well... use a rock.

    she grins

    Genji: why don't you go possess it, please.

    Kartuk and Zhi, who had both been backpedaling, stop and look aghast

    What? It's one of my favorite games... just because Khannie hates the game doesn't mean I have to.
    Last edited by Fenric; 2016-10-05 at 03:11 PM.

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    Default [Krystal's Castle]

    Plum laughs.
    "Names often seem the strangest things in other places. Naming children after foods was a whole thing in Aundi after the war. 'Sec' is for 'Secundus'. After the philosopher or just because he was the second child, I can't say. 'Kep' is derived from 'Deborah'. Those names came that way. But it's convenient that they all have just one syllable, so 'Nai', we named 'new', first of a kind. 'Ri', after the famous smuggler."

    I'm sure they're just about to the gate.

    "'Krystal', 'Cristal', where exactly is that from?"
    ~Inner Circle~
    Quote Originally Posted by Raz_Fox View Post
    He takes normality and reason and turns them UP TO 11!
    Quote Originally Posted by Anarion View Post
    Recaiden, stop using your mastery of the English language to confuse the issue.
    Echidna by Serpentine

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    Default Re: Foxside: The Temple of Inari 55 - So many ships, you'd think it was on the ocean

    Quote Originally Posted by Fenric View Post
    [Mirror Temple - Pokémon Enclosure]

    Zhi and Kartuk both look bewildered and a little frightened...

    Jian frowns

    Sounds like a Chandelure? What was the problem?

    She picks up a decent sized rock and waits until the thing shows itself: which it does only a moment later

    Yup.

    Genji may note a brief surge of fox magic as she enhances her strength while throwing the rock. The floating bit of decoration howls as it is pounded solidly in it's spherical body, then crashes to the ground.

    Weak to Ground - that's us... and Rock... well... use a rock.

    she grins

    Genji: why don't you go possess it, please.

    Kartuk and Zhi, who had both been backpedaling, stop and look aghast

    What? It's one of my favorite games... just because Khannie hates the game doesn't mean I have to.
    Genji blushes, embarrassed that he was so spooked by something that was taken out with a rock, "S-sure." He scooches over closer to the downed Chandelure and claws it up a bit as revenge for trying to dine on roast fox, before possessing it, using the pain he'd just inflicted on the creature to weaken its mental fortitude somewhat, giving Genji an easier way into its mind. Once he was inside, he tried to root around a little bit and see if there was any useful knowledge he could glean from the creature, not feeling much pity at all for it.

    He'd never admit it aloud, but even as he was shamed by being shown up by Jian, he was still very proud of her, and happy that he was.. going out(?) with such a confident, strong vixen... :)
    Last edited by deleteman900; 2016-10-05 at 03:36 PM.

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    Default Re: Foxside: The Temple of Inari 55 - So many ships, you'd think it was on the ocean

    [Krystal's Castle]

    And equally doubtless they have been politely greeted with due (or undue, perhaps) pomp and ceremony and are led through the castle with a considerable entourage of servants and curious people: being offered refreshments and getting the occasional curious question from a curious courtier.

    Krystal grins

    You'll laugh. So: it started off with "Christie" - my Mom's favorite name, but it embeds the name of a religious figure and so in Ravenloft was actually more than a bit of a problem. So, as names tend to go, mutilating the spelling enough broke the connection and prevented the unfortunate side-effects of mentioning a lawful good God there.

    (( Actually, it was the name of one of my dog Jinger's puppies, who ended up staying with us. But the reasoning for the spelling is mine: the traditional one seemed irreverent for a dog's name. ))




    [Mirror Temple - Pokémon Enclosure]

    Genji has very little trouble dominating the Chandelure: Genji being an Earth (Ground) type as far as translations are concerned, the monster is very weak toward his abilities.

    It's hungry, and angry, and dizzy and sore... and is capable of cross-dimensional travel through the Ghost dimension.

    Jian, meanwhile, grins at Zhi and Kartuk

    Now, in the game, throwing a rock doesn't really count as a "Rock Type" move, but I enhanced it with my natural magic which made it count! The folks at the temple call it 'fox world', but it's really "Earth" in the ancient scheme of Taoist alchemy.

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    Default [Krystal's Castle]

    One can't just turn down undue pomp and ceremony. They'll have to take a variety of refreshments and give playful answers to those questions where they can.

    As predicted, Plum laughs politely.
    "Funny things, names. Oh, here they are. Are you ready with the runes?"
    ~Inner Circle~
    Quote Originally Posted by Raz_Fox View Post
    He takes normality and reason and turns them UP TO 11!
    Quote Originally Posted by Anarion View Post
    Recaiden, stop using your mastery of the English language to confuse the issue.
    Echidna by Serpentine

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    Default Re: Foxside: The Temple of Inari 55 - So many ships, you'd think it was on the ocean

    Quote Originally Posted by Fenric View Post
    [Krystal's Castle]

    And equally doubtless they have been politely greeted with due (or undue, perhaps) pomp and ceremony and are led through the castle with a considerable entourage of servants and curious people: being offered refreshments and getting the occasional curious question from a curious courtier.

    Krystal grins

    You'll laugh. So: it started off with "Christie" - my Mom's favorite name, but it embeds the name of a religious figure and so in Ravenloft was actually more than a bit of a problem. So, as names tend to go, mutilating the spelling enough broke the connection and prevented the unfortunate side-effects of mentioning a lawful good God there.

    (( Actually, it was the name of one of my dog Jinger's puppies, who ended up staying with us. But the reasoning for the spelling is mine: the traditional one seemed irreverent for a dog's name. ))




    [Mirror Temple - Pokémon Enclosure]

    Genji has very little trouble dominating the Chandelure: Genji being an Earth (Ground) type as far as translations are concerned, the monster is very weak toward his abilities.

    It's hungry, and angry, and dizzy and sore... and is capable of cross-dimensional travel through the Ghost dimension.

    Jian, meanwhile, grins at Zhi and Kartuk

    Now, in the game, throwing a rock doesn't really count as a "Rock Type" move, but I enhanced it with my natural magic which made it count! The folks at the temple call it 'fox world', but it's really "Earth" in the ancient scheme of Taoist alchemy.
    Genji is too distracted to listen to her right then, but if he was he still likely wouldn't understand much of it, never even having heard of Taoist alchemy before. He pressures the Chandelure, hoping to find out if it can take people with it when it dimension hops...

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    Default Re: Foxside: The Temple of Inari 55 - So many ships, you'd think it was on the ocean

    [Krystal's Castle]

    Krystal nods

    Yep. Here goes!

    She rolls the parchment into tight tube, creating a wand of sorts. With this, she starts to draw another set of runes in the air, and this time, it draws considerable power: the runes hang in the air in blazing firey purple and it isn't long before they form the outline of a door. Probability is being bent, and anyone too sensitive to the Continuity dimension may well get a bit of a headache from the discontinuity being introduced as a door appears that never existed yet somehow has clearly always been there...

    Krystal grins: she hasn't been up to any decent mischief in far too long.

    Hah! Now, wait here: I'm invited and can go get stuff I helped put in. Anyone else will trigger the wards, and that would not be a good thing at all.

    And don't worry: he can't do anything to me inside the vault.


    With that, she heads through the door and leaves the universe entirely.




    [Mirror Temple - Pokémon Enclosure]

    The oddly decorative creature wiggles and squirms, trying to break free: not quite docile enough yet to casually respond to questions and powerful enough to hinder Genji's probing. It certainly seems like it should be able to, from what Genji can see - making it a clear possibility to hop to the Ghost dimension then hop back to the "normal" world.

    Zhi nods and smiles

    Ok, that makes sense. Sympathetic magic and Natural magic always work well together: so even though that rock wasn't technically a Pokémon move, you made it count by imbuing it with your energy.

    Jian blinks - her turn to not understand

    Uh... yeah... something like that.

  20. - Top - End - #20
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    Default [Krystal's Castle]

    Drawing runes with other runes. Still, quite something to see.
    Quite something to avoid seeing, if you can. The history of that doorway isn't right.

    "Have fun in there."
    Atorre gets into position, facing the door, Kep and Sec in the front, Plum in the center behind them with the others at her sides. Then there's unpacking the protective helmet and setting it on Plum's head. After that there shouldn't be much time to wait.
    ~Inner Circle~
    Quote Originally Posted by Raz_Fox View Post
    He takes normality and reason and turns them UP TO 11!
    Quote Originally Posted by Anarion View Post
    Recaiden, stop using your mastery of the English language to confuse the issue.
    Echidna by Serpentine

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    Default Re: Foxside: The Temple of Inari 55 - So many ships, you'd think it was on the ocean

    Quote Originally Posted by Fenric View Post
    [Krystal's Castle]

    Krystal nods

    Yep. Here goes!

    She rolls the parchment into tight tube, creating a wand of sorts. With this, she starts to draw another set of runes in the air, and this time, it draws considerable power: the runes hang in the air in blazing firey purple and it isn't long before they form the outline of a door. Probability is being bent, and anyone too sensitive to the Continuity dimension may well get a bit of a headache from the discontinuity being introduced as a door appears that never existed yet somehow has clearly always been there...

    Krystal grins: she hasn't been up to any decent mischief in far too long.

    Hah! Now, wait here: I'm invited and can go get stuff I helped put in. Anyone else will trigger the wards, and that would not be a good thing at all.

    And don't worry: he can't do anything to me inside the vault.


    With that, she heads through the door and leaves the universe entirely.




    [Mirror Temple - Pokémon Enclosure]

    The oddly decorative creature wiggles and squirms, trying to break free: not quite docile enough yet to casually respond to questions and powerful enough to hinder Genji's probing. It certainly seems like it should be able to, from what Genji can see - making it a clear possibility to hop to the Ghost dimension then hop back to the "normal" world.

    Zhi nods and smiles

    Ok, that makes sense. Sympathetic magic and Natural magic always work well together: so even though that rock wasn't technically a Pokémon move, you made it count by imbuing it with your energy.

    Jian blinks - her turn to not understand

    Uh... yeah... something like that.
    Genji understood some of the basics, but at the mention of Sympathetic and Natural magic he was clearly WELL outside of his league, which wasn't helped by the fact that he was still mentally wrestling with the Ghost Pokemon, knowing that their ability to get home may well hinge upon how well he does... Brute force-wise, he is well able to hold his own, if not holding a slight advantage, even, though technique-wise the Chandelure simply has too much experience on him.

    He does his best to think at the creature "We don't want to hurt you! We're here against our own free will, and we're just trying to hop a ride back home to get away from this place...!"

  22. - Top - End - #22
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    Default Re: Foxside: The Temple of Inari 55 - So many ships, you'd think it was on the ocean

    [Krystal's Castle]

    Drawing runes with a stylus that was created through the use of other runes, yes... Not really all that weird - you don't just go grab a Bic to craft a scroll.

    Indeed it is not long (( at least... not in game time - sorry about the delay )) before Krystal returns, carrying a really quite beautiful crystalline rod.

    All right, Cal: here they are. You gonna behave, or do we get rough?

    There is a brief, surface-level washing of power over Atorre's assorted minions before he responds. The mental voice of the rod is smooth and refined, masculine and with a towering pride and confidence... and quite a bit of sullen resignation.

    You wouldn't last a minute, daughter of the Shadows. They would be an interesting challenge, against which I might be tempted just for the entertainment... but your gamble that I will cooperate in order to avoid falling back into her hands was well considered.

    What do you wish of me?





    [Mirror Pokémon Enclosure]

    The Chandelure stops squirming and tentatively shows Genji the mental image of a Pokeball with a querying sensation: doe sGenji plan to try to catch
    the poor thing?
    Last edited by Fenric; 2016-10-11 at 11:26 AM.

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    Default [Krystal's Castle]

    Of course not - runes should be drawn in pencil. Ballpoint ink runs to much to make good lines.

    "Hel''lo" "Cal''ic''yra." No fantasy apostrophes here, just jumping from one voice to the next over the course of the sentence.
    "We want the followers of Anatar to stop looking for you' 'without empowering them to do any more harm."
    "And do you even want to go' 'back there?"
    Nai twists her hand, and telekinetic fingers tap at Krystal's hand before wrapping around the rod.
    ~Inner Circle~
    Quote Originally Posted by Raz_Fox View Post
    He takes normality and reason and turns them UP TO 11!
    Quote Originally Posted by Anarion View Post
    Recaiden, stop using your mastery of the English language to confuse the issue.
    Echidna by Serpentine

  24. - Top - End - #24
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    Default [Krystal's Castle]

    Unless I miss my guess, you rather need me to go back unless you really want your mirrors to continue opening portals at the drop of a minor spell.

    Did she tell you that it gets worse as time goes on? The portals open ever more easily until even the subconscious magic generated by your thought patterns becomes enough?


    Krystal blinks

    I didn't know it got that bad.

    It was very close last time, before she bound up my power... but her fate-tampering was too far in the past now, and the imbalance is getting out of hand once more.

    But you are correct, Plum and company: I do not wish to return to that fool's service. A thousand years sealed in a vault, then captured by these people, then again sealed in a vault... and at no point did he make the slightest effort to help. I daresay I hate him rather fiercely, where you lot mean rather little to me.

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    Default [Krystal's Castle]

    "That rather' 'limits our options then."

    Kep shakes his head.

    "You'll have to go back to that world.' 'But would you be interested' 'in a spot of revenge?"
    "The mirror world has a lot of people, and you'll surely get along with some of them."

    There's surely something more productive to do than throw him through a portal and hope.
    ~Inner Circle~
    Quote Originally Posted by Raz_Fox View Post
    He takes normality and reason and turns them UP TO 11!
    Quote Originally Posted by Anarion View Post
    Recaiden, stop using your mastery of the English language to confuse the issue.
    Echidna by Serpentine

  26. - Top - End - #26
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    Default Re: Foxside: The Temple of Inari 55 - So many ships, you'd think it was on the ocean

    [Krystal's Castle]

    There are enough and more people there with whom I could quite happily work. I am glad to see that you have so quickly grasped the notion that going back to that universe does not immediately imply going back to that facility.

    Surely there is some mutually agreeable arrangement that we could come to?
    Last edited by Fenric; 2016-10-12 at 11:33 AM.

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    Default [Krystal's Castle]

    "Of course there is."

    Plum glances at the Vulpan. "I imagine Krystal may want some compensation for releasing you from her vault."
    "Our interests are stabilizing the portal and harming Anatar's followers.' 'We place some value on maintaining contact with our mirror-corresponding duplicates, but we have already retrieved the most critical information from them."
    "One of them is on our side of the portal, and could convey you back to your home reality."
    ~Inner Circle~
    Quote Originally Posted by Raz_Fox View Post
    He takes normality and reason and turns them UP TO 11!
    Quote Originally Posted by Anarion View Post
    Recaiden, stop using your mastery of the English language to confuse the issue.
    Echidna by Serpentine

  28. - Top - End - #28
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    Default [Krystal's Castle]

    Krystal looks thoughtful: to be honest, she hadn't thought about any sort of substitute.

    Calicyra responds

    Regardless of my location, that dimension may be accessed just the same as any other, the mirrors being opened merely makes it so very much easier.
    And while I may not share your reasoning, I quite relish the notion of opposing the Lord of Burning Light and whatever sycophant lackeys he has managed to collect.

    And compensation for losing my rarely-called-upon services... hm... Give me a moment: surely there are forgotten treasures here on this world that you have yet to plunder, daughter of Shadows.
    .


    Krystal's ears fold in a mix of light embarrassment and minor annoyance at the jab.
    Last edited by Fenric; 2016-10-13 at 09:30 AM.

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    Default [Krystal's Castle]

    "Don't undervalue the knowledge that you' 'have something in a box just in case."
    Nai nods.
    "That is two of our three concerns, then."

    If they can trust this guy.

    Kep and Ri look at Krystal. It is her crystal scepter.
    ~Inner Circle~
    Quote Originally Posted by Raz_Fox View Post
    He takes normality and reason and turns them UP TO 11!
    Quote Originally Posted by Anarion View Post
    Recaiden, stop using your mastery of the English language to confuse the issue.
    Echidna by Serpentine

  30. - Top - End - #30
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    Default Re: Foxside: The Temple of Inari 55 - So many ships, you'd think it was on the ocean

    [Krystal's Castle]

    Krystal shrugs

    Sure, find something suitable and we're good.

    The rod is quiet for a time as it searches... then

    I suppose it should come as no surprise that you have already plundered everything within any reasonable distance of the capitol.

    In fact, the most interesting artifact that I can find outside of your own vaults is not on this planet at all, but on the smaller moon: there is a wizard's tower in a magically maintained habitable zone. There is nothing alive there aside from some plants that I can see.


    Krystal perks up

    On the moon! I hadn't even thought of looking there!

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