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[forceofnature]

[More information? One new arrival, at least, has all the information she needs. The influx of energy from this one is massive, completely unsubtle, almost as if purposefully designed to attract the attention of anyone with any sense whatsoever of the divine. It doesn’t fade away nor does it seem to be easily localized. This surely wasn’t ‘Magatama Energy’…

Whatever ambiguity this might present is cleared up almost immediately. Despite that no one may be in the vicinity, the voice of a young girl sounds clearly throughout the city of Hinoto-Ri to nearly every inhabitant, as intelligibly as if the speaker were standing right next to those she addressed. …Perhaps too intelligibly. The first sound they hear is an vehement, despairing cry.]

NO!

This can’t be…! The forests… The oceans… The deserts and mountains, the tundra and the plains! W-Where are they?! Who did this?! What did you do to them?!

[For a few moments, the speaker seems too overwhelmed with ire to speak.  The sound of her breathing eventually slows...]

Humans. Look at this world. Look at it!

I knew this would happen.  In every world across every dimension, it doesn’t matter! You -- you’re all the same! See for yourself! This is what will happen if you tear through all of nature without respect for anything but your own wealth and gain! Are you happy?! My children… 100 million species. One hundred million. There's almost nothing left...

I am Viridi, Goddess of Nature, ruler of the Earth and all living things! And I will not allow this land to be desecrated any further.

They say there are monsters ravaging what remains. If you stand against them, then... heed the command of a goddess and CRUSH them!

Comments

[forceofnature]

Of course. Anything this radiant has to be divine.

[That was funny to someone. Out there. Maybe under a rock somewhere.]

[echo_of_a_jedi]

I'll save flattering your appearance for if we meet in person, but your presence in the Force is pretty overwhelming. Normally I wouldn't even be able to have a mental conversation like this with someone I wasn't very close to.

[forceofnature]

That's more my doing than it is any special powers on your part. It's the safest way for gods to communicate - meeting in person tends to result in the formation of new geological features named 'Death Valley' or 'Wow That's A Really Big Crater I Wonder How The Earth Is Still Holding Together.'

[echo_of_a_jedi]

Oh naturally, that's as I thought.

So do you have any particular directions, or should I just keep investigating that horrible temple-thing that takes over the mountain every night?

[forceofnature]

That what?

Wait, are you actually listening to me? That wasn't Witty Human Sarcasm™?

[echo_of_a_jedi]

We're on the same side, right? Why shouldn't I listen to you?

I might not take orders, but I'll listen.

[forceofnature]

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I don't think I actually remember how to make conversation when someone's not disagreeing with me.

[echo_of_a_jedi]

Trust me. I know the feeling.

My name is Meetra, by the way.

[forceofnature]

Oh.

...Nice to meet you.

It's like I got everything I wanted for Christmas, but the toys didn't come with any instruction booklets.

[echo_of_a_jedi]

Well, I'm no good at small talk either, so I should probably tell you what I know about the 13th Hour and the Mictlan. Did you get any of the explanations about either from the local government?

[forceofnature]

[A brief pause.]

No.

[Yes she did she was too busy ranting and raving about disrespect to goddesses to listen.]

Why don't you go ahead and do that, sure.

[echo_of_a_jedi]

Well...

[The explanation takes a while, but can be summed up with an explanation of the 13th Hour as an extra hour after midnight where demons are more active, and the Mictlan is some kind of strange transformation of the mountain in Gemini District that looks terrifying and forms a hard-to-navigate labyrinth.]

I'd tell you more, but I haven't been able to get in more than a few hundred feet without getting turned back around again. There are more demons living there, though - ones that are unfriendly even to the local mountain spirits.

[forceofnature]

A labyrinth that only appears at a special hour at night...

And you're totally sure you're not just eating too many burritos for a late-night snack?

[That comment probably isn't worth responding to.]

Obviously, the final boss is inside that thing. We need to start a campaign immediately - none of this haphazard going in one or two at a time and getting turned around.

[echo_of_a_jedi]

I completely agree, or at least that there's something important in there. Uh, sorry if that's still confusing.

I have some command experience, but the place kind of screams "deathtrap" from a military standpoint. Someone more used to exploring ruins or caves might be better to take charge.

[forceofnature]

Hmph.

Luckily for all of you, 'nature' encompasses creepy old caverns inside of demon-mountains, too. Broadly speaking. You'll have the perfect insights into proper spelunking technique and correct exploratory procedures.

[Read: Viridi will say 'ewww' for you every time you run into something gross and fuzzy growing on the walls.]

My sedulous care from my observation post ten miles away where I won't be at all affected by what happens inside the mountain is guaranteed to ensure victory in under a century.

[echo_of_a_jedi]

That's the most inspiring leadership I've heard since Revan.

Was mocking a Republic commander.

[forceofnature]

You're welcome.

It's the least I can do. I mean, I'd go explore myself, but. Goddess and all. You'd probably spontaneously combust just being within 10 feet of my radiance.

[echo_of_a_jedi]

I'll watch out for that if we meet.

You should probably get settled in during the day. We can worry about looking for the source of all this destruction after you get used to being in a city, I guess.

[forceofnature]

...I'm not in the city, technically speaking.

[Because if no one in the game has ever seen her in the flesh, no one in the city is going to. At least not yet.]

But I guess I should take the time to observe what you do with your ephemeral lives. I have to admit, there's a lot less to keep track of here. I might even get bored.

[echo_of_a_jedi]

Well, let me know if you do, and I'll see about teaching you Pazaak.

[forceofnature]

Gesundheit.