Planeside 3

[Fenric]

It was inevitable, honestly, that the Nexus would extend its tendrils once again into all the weird places beyond the material world that exist out there. Sure they showed up now and again in one of those plot threads or every now and again Outside if someone was really desperate, but at this point they really need a nice, cozy meta-location to call their own.

Planeside is all of those places that aren't the material plane we all known and love. Here you'll find the various realms of the dead, the hells, the disco infernos, the realms of madness, the twilight of the faeries, the plane of lost things, the geometry purgatory, the city of doors, the paraelemental plane of ranch dressing, and many, many more. If you plan on having a summer vacation in the Highest Heavens or really need to punch a devil in the snoot to assert authority, then this is the place to do it.

The usual forum and FFRP rules apply. Don't be a jerk, don't godmod without permission, spoiler any gratuitous fan-service taking place on the Plane of Busty Demonesses, have fun!

[Ironsmith]

[Temple of Inari -> Here]

Having accepted the invitation here, Braeg appears in a cloud of earthy-smelling green smoke, shaking interdimensional debris off of himself. He'd asked for an audience with Inari. It looks like she may have granted it.

[Fenric]

In the main lobby appears a fiendling!

The lobby is a soaring affair of polished brown marble, chrome, and glass. Exotic plants are strategically placed around in containers providing both asthetic appeal as well as covering the usual power outlets. Dotted around the enormous room are seating arrangements, many occupied by small groups conversing happily. All around, people of every imaginable description (and then a few) are walking (and flying!) briskly around.

Bright light streams in through large windows revealing an office campus in a huge park-like setting with the skyline of a huge city in the background.

But oddly, not everything can be easily focused on: various levels of visual distortions crop up here and there ranging from mild to migraine-inducing.

There is a reception desk where a smiling person who certainly appears human is politely trying to get his attention.

Lord Braeg, I presume?

[Ironsmith]

[Oryza Biological Products]

Yes! Finally! Someone who didn't need to be told who he was!

Braeg smiles and saunters up to the desk, leaning on it with one arm to greet the receptionist. "You presume correctly." He chuckles. "And now, my turn for a presumption; I'm here to see lady Inari, correct?"

[Fenric]

The receptionist smiles politely, and takes out a "VISITOR" badge on a lanyard

The President will be with you shortly, but first a couple of things. This is a secured facility, so please wear this badge at all times. You do not need to be escorted, but you will need to display your badge upon request. If you lose your badge for any reason, please report to the nearest security officer so we can deactivate the old badge and issue a new one.

Most areas of the building are safe for sub-dimensional avatars, but if you see a triangular yellow sign on a door that has a spiral symbol and the number "6" on it, you do not want to go inside without proper protective equipment.

Any communication equipment or spells you have been using should still function as usual: it is included in the standard avatar generation package. We have a full translation node installed, and connect to all of the major Nexus carriers.

We will cover any and all expenses for this visit. Should you need to purchase anything during your stay, simply present your badge and it will be taken care of.

[Ironsmith]

[Oryza Biological Products]

Braeg sighs and tsks, shaking his head. "Oh, you poor, sweet thing... this is the standardized shpiel, isn't it?" He chuckles. "How quickly you forget who you're speaking to. If I have need for something to drink, or eat, or a place to rest my head, I won't be turning to any vendors to meet it." He raises a glass of what was presumably wine, one which certainly wasn't there a moment ago. "I may not require escorts, but... it certainly doesn't feel right without them, does it?" He glances over his shoulder and sighs. "I knew I kept those two bunglers around for some reason. Oh, well. I'll spare you the headache of trying to deal with them. But my point is this." He taps the desk emphatically. "I am not your ordinary visitor. I am Lord Braeg of Lesser Wood, and that means interesting times are afoot." He leans in and smiles. "It would certainly behoove you to be interesting with them."

[Fenric]

The receptionist smiles rather blankly

Thank you, sir. The President will be with you shortly.

It is not long at all before Inari enters and walks unhurriedly toward the desk

Ah, Lord Braeg. Good of you to come.

[Ironsmith]

[Oryza Biological Products]

"Good of you to call." Braeg counters with a little smile, moving to make the classic gesture of kissing the lady's hand. A studious observer may note that Braeg no longer has that unidentified blue substance on his hands; apparently, it didn't transport with him. "Shall we talk in private?"

[Fenric]

Inari smiles

Certainly. Please follow me

And she leads the way over to a very well-apportioned conference room. Figured maple everywhere, stained a right honey tone and polished to a high luster. Well-padded swiveling leather charis surround an oblong table, and a set of more stationary seats are arranged near the panoramic windows that the Goddess of Rice is clearly fond of.

The walk over might be just a bit disorienting, though, and should Braeg look back toward the reception desk, he will see that while still visible, it is much further away than the number of steps taken would account for.

Please, have a seat.

[Ironsmith]

[Oryza Biological Products]

Braeg sees the swivel chair and... and he just can't help himself.

"Wheeee!"

Hah.

Okay.

Enough of that.

Braeg clears his throat and faces Inari with a more serious look.

"Right. So. It's time we had an earnest discussion about the long-term impact of me being at your temple." He smiles. "Don't get me wrong, you have been a wonderful host, and I'm not faulting you in any way. But surely, you've noticed a certain... dissonance, in recent times. I'm concerned about the effect it may have on your followers and any other visitors, spiritually speaking."

[Fenric]

Inari smiles indulgently as Braeg enjoys himself.

Then she listens attentively as Braeg explains his concern

I see.

Yes, you have caused a minor disruption with the crocodile person, true. However, I lay Khannie's immature temper tantrum at her own feet and Keiko is... Keiko. We are still hoping that she will recover from what was done to her eventually.

You will certainly add more of a dark flavor to the place which had faded somewhat since the departure of Loki and his children, and Lord Merant never actually remained all that long to be able to have any influence even if he might have. But then again, Keiko's frequent presence means that I already have to maintain a Continuity filter at the gates to keep the general innocent population separate from the ... higher profile staff.

And from another point of view... perhaps a challenge to their convictions would do some of the residents good. If someone is "being good" only because of their surroundings, then have they truly accomplished anything? But if you are concerned that your simple presence would cause undo influence, then a shielding artifact could easily enough be provided.

And very nicely hide Braeg from anyone who was looking for him... how convenient.

[Ironsmith]

[Oryza Biological Products]

Braeg smirks and kicks his feet up. "I like the way you think, lady Inari." He says with a chuckle. "A shielding charm would not be necessary. My presence does not have any contaminant effect on its own, per se. More's the pity, really. But I agree; incentive towards reflection and self-exploration would be a fantastic reason for me to stay here." He strokes his beard thoughtfully. "Of course, even in that pursuit, I'm sure there are limits to your generosity. Some boundaries you may wish to dissuade me from crossing, as it were." He didn't have any intention of actually avoiding said boundaries, of course; just avoiding being caught crossing them.

[Fenric]

Inari looks thoughtful. Braeg just doesn't really seem the sort to need to be cautioned against infringing on her celestial patents on rice or fox varieties, so she doesn't bother with those...

In general, I do not require you to be anything besides yourself. We are not the sort of organization who goes around "crusading". All beings have areas they can improve themselves, and if you wish assistance then we will be happy to do so but if you are content as you are then that is your choice. As a general rule, though, our view of morality is frequently somewhat orthogonal to the stereotypical notions of "Good" and "Evil"

I will ask that you don't destroy the temple: if you do need to be in a battle, there are locations within the facility that can withstand such abuse. And if trouble follows you to my Temple I do expect you to help deal with it.

We do not generally approve of summoned beings remaining longer than twenty four hours. You may keep your attendants, but please dismiss others. It gets messy when there are too many extraplanar entities and I cannot promise their safety should trouble break out - that is the Nexus, after all.

Then she sighs

I would prefer if you try to keep perspective on Keiko's behavior. I do understand that she can be tiring at times, truly I do, but she has complex post-traumatic stress disorder and her maturity level is still far less than one would hope. But I allow her to stay because that is an obligation upon me.

she looks thoughtful

If you hear of anyone in the market for new varieties of grass, sentient creatures to inhabit their world, or small creatures or monsters to fill out an ecosystem, we do pay a generous referral bonus. And if you are interested in hiring any of my darker associates, I can put you in touch with the appropriate executive.

[Ironsmith]

[Oryza Biological Products]

Braeg chuckles. "You really know how to butter a guy up, don't you?" He smiles and strokes his beard. "I see nothing but incentives here. I strongly suspect you and I are going to get along very well, Lady Inari. In fact..."

Braeg drops his feet to the ground. "Since this meeting went as well as it did, I find myself with an abnormal block of free time. Would you consider joining me in filling it with dinner?"

[Fenric]

Inari "Hmms" and turns her right hand palm-up.

I think so... my calendar was light today...

A glowing screen pops up, rapidly unfolds into a cube and then shifts again and becomes eye-watering to look at if you exist in fewer than five dimensions.

Hm... I think Su can handle the meeting with Mephistopheles, it's nothing special this time. Liu's tedious Celestial Bureaucracy update can just wait until tomorrow. Five department head meetings won't occupy a substantial portion of my attention. Four standard world contract closings will occupy even less. Nothing's been escalated past Messenger level today.

She snaps her hand shut, dismissing the display

Yes, I would be delighted. Did you have a destination in mind?

[Ironsmith]

[Oryza Biological Products]

Braeg smirks. "Honestly, no. I expected you to refuse." He stands and pats down his cloak. "But, if there's one thing I'm good at (and there are quite a few more than that), it's improvization." He claps his hands together, pausing a moment to ponder the situation, before finally pointing at Inari with both hands. "You strike me as the 'long walk on the beach' type. How about we start with a shorefront picnic and see where it goes?"

[Fenric]

Inari chuckles

And why should I not reward someone who takes the chance?

Besides, you might be surprised how rare it is for anyone to finish a meeting with anything other than a polite variation on "'k thanks, bye" as the colloquoial expression goes. I have had twenty two trillion, four hundred fourty eight billion, eight hundred seventy four million, two hundred twelve thousand, six hundred fifty three meetings today and you are the first one to treat me as a person in the slightest.

She shakes her head

Enough work for now, I shall spend some time as me! By my own policies I have more accrued vacation than many multiverses will exist from beginning to end. As you have left the precise destination open, I think I shall choose the beach.

She looks thoughtful as she contemplates a billion billion beaches for which would be most pleasant.

[Ironsmith]

[Oryza Biological Products]

Braeg smiles and comes up behind Inari, leaning over her shoulder. "If I could make a suggestion?" He holds out his hand, fine grains of pinkend sand sifting through his fingers. "Dho Chladach. It's a seaside beach, not far from my ancestral home of Lesser Wood. The ocean floor there is vein after vein of garnet, which gets washed up by the waves as a fine powder." He rubs his thumb against his palm, letting her see the fluid way it moved. "Deceptively soft. And at sunset, the sight of it is quite striking." He smiles fondly. "There are those who say Lady Adea herself moulded it as a resting place for her childrens' visits into our world. And of course, I know every square inch of the place." He shakes his hand and the sand disappears in a cloud of pink dust. "Interested?"

[Fenric]

Inari looks at the sand

Garnet sand? That is something I have not seen before... ah, but the name sounds Celtic. If that is reasonably analogous then that is the explanation: few of my plants grow so far north, and those only inland, in places humans and human-like folk tend to not be.

She looks contemplative as she looks into the world that Braeg is from, to see where it is and what it is like.

[Ironsmith]

[Oryza Biological Products]

It's in ruins.

The location Braeg picked is every bit as beautiful as he described; more so, even, since he neglected to mention that the sun is just beyond the horizon at all times, bathing the sky in a red-gold glow, which is then reflected in the water.

But everywhere else? Wastelands. Crumbling homes and castles, connected by gilded roads that indicate a once-prosperous civilization. Horrific monsters roam the world, devouring anything they can get their hands on, mostly each other. Shades wander morosely through whatever shadows they can find, falling on anything unfortunate enough to share cover with them. What few people are left huddle together and search incessantly for a way out.

On a global scale, Braeg hardly chose an ideal vacation spot.

[Fenric]

Inari blinks, the sight extremely troubling to a goddess of preservation, agriculture, and nature.

What... what happened there?

[Ironsmith]

[Oryza Biological Products]

It takes a few moments for the question to sink in. Braeg frowns as he considers it. What happened? Nothing too extreme, he would think. Inari did not seem to share his dislike of civilization; she had a temple with formal ranks, after all. And what appeared to be a thriving corporation. What could she have seen that would have perturbed her so?

"...Is there a problem?" He asks, his smile fading.

[Fenric]

Inari sighs

The beach is beautiful. The rest of the world seems to be dying... which while it is part of the cycle is always unsettling to me to see if I was not prepared. I deal most with worlds that are new and growing, less so with worlds that are mature, and least of all those nearing the end of their time.

[Ironsmith]

[Oryza Biological Products]

"What do you mean, 'dying'? What's happening?" Braeg stands, now fully alert and looking quite distressed at this news. "Take me there. I have to see this for myself." He says urgently, leaving his manners behind.

[Fenric]

Inari nods and concentrates a moment

I have instantiated an avatar at the edge of the beach, near a destroyed road. There is a monster of some description some few hundred yards off near what looks to have once been a farmhouse. I will send you there.

And then a pulling force will grip Braeg and should he allow it, he will be sent there.

[Ironsmith]

[Dho Chladach]

Braeg offers no resistance to Inari's attempt to transport him.

When they arrive on the beach, Braeg doesn't take the time to stop and enjoy it. He gestures for Inari's avatar to follow him, to what used to be a seaside town. When he gets there, he falls to his knees, surveying the ruins with a look of unbridled horror. "Dear, sweet Adea... what happened while I was away?"

[Fenric]

Inari looks sympathetic

I should have known this was not how you expected it to be.

And I do not know, but that is a question that perhaps I can find the answer too...

And away in the celestial realms, she looks into the history of this place to see if she can determine what could have caused such a catastrophe.

[Ironsmith]

[Dho Chladach]

The root cause is actually fairly simple; Maesda (and Lesser Wood, by extension) was ruled over by a pair of supreme deities; a creator, and a destroyer. Then deicide happened, resulting in the destruction of the creator. Without her, the world was thrown into an irreparable state of decay.

Not that Braeg would listen if Inari explained. He's too busy curling onto the ground, audibly weeping.

[Fenric]

Inari scowls at the information. A world this far out of balance is not easily reparied, and the fact that their creative force was destroyed means these were extremely localized deities... Not to mention this is why if you want to go the Vedic route you always have three, not two. So this world is down to one and that one doesn't seem to mind that eventually they will run out of things to destroy and will starve away in eternal nothingness.

Except now she was here, which means that the Celestial Bureaucracy is now aware of the world and by extension their opposition knows as well. Far from improving, things here could get worse if there was anyone who would be so foolish... ah, but the mortals here don't know about the others, so no one would call upon powers that would be best kept away.

Though frankly, looking around, a horde of rampaging Oni does not seem like it would make that significant of a difference.

On further reflection, she quells her first impulse to try to counter all this and pulls in her own divine aura so it only covers herself and Braeg. No need alerting said destructive force to their presence, but just in case...

She holds up her hand, palm up

Central control: disable channel limits and prepare instant-detach. Have Liu fully brief the Emperor of the situation and elevate rapid response to standby.

She kneels down beside Braeg and gently places a hand on his shoulder

My deepest sympathies, Lord Braeg. Is there anything I can do?

A serious question, to be sure, considering the truly astonding possibilities within her capabilites.

[Ironsmith]

[Dho Chladach]

"I'm not sure there's much that can be done." Braeg sniffs, pulling his head back up. "...But thank you. It's kind of you to of-"

Braeg is cut off by a streak of blue light shooting past him, burying itself in a tree nearby, leaving a smouldering, knotted hole in its bark.

"You trespass on sacred ground, fiendlings." Comes a measured but clearly furious voice, followed by the appearance of about a dozen men in mottled grey cloaks, from various parts of the clearing, holding drawn bows pointed at the two of them.

"Oh, I have had it with you silverskins!" Braeg snaps, extending his palm in a forceful gesture.

...To absolutely no effect whatsoever.

"Your magic is no good anymore, filth." One of the archers spits. "Now stand and face your death with dignity. Maybe that would distinguish you from the rest of your kind."