multiversallogs | Traveling through casual space past aloof stars, across the way of indifferent suns

Who: Brendig, priest of the Twelve Point Divinity, and YOU.

What: Just an afternoon at the Mog Hill Divinity Temple

Where: Twelve Point Divinity Temple, near Votarysgate.

When: Newdi ~~Monday~~. If anyone wants to come along later, just put the date in the comment subject.

Notes: There's an OOC post for all your discussion needs.

From the outside, the Mog Hill Temple is a unprepossessing building with a plain wood door and walls clean of graffiti or signs. Upon entering the building, there is a wide, airy hallway with a lone, elderly man sitting in front of a shoerack and a collection of pillows. A sign reminds visitors to ensure their shoes are clean or to leave them behind and that cushions can be borrowed so worshippers can sit in comfort in front of their alcove of choice.

The centre of the building itself is a rectangular room made of unpainted sandstone ringed by twelve, equal sized recesses in the walls, each one containing a symbol of a different god: a collection of parrot feathers in a handthrown clay vase, a mirror, a black stone bowl with a collection of badger's teeth, a decorated katara resting on a patch of lion's skin, a golden ram's horn wrapped in pale blue silk, an almost organic looking metalwork tree, an empty alcove, a dish of candy, an unusually large dragonfly wing suspended in midair, a blue glass bottle filled with some sort of liquid, a banana leaf bowl of rice, and an obsidian knife. On the floor in front of each recess, there is a collection of offerings: incense, votives, and various other items as preferred by that specific deity.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It takes him a moment to adjust to the clasp, but he's used to people taking a moment to adjust to shaking on the left, so he rolls with it.

"Nice to meet you, Nazca. And hey, while I have business back home I need to get back to eventually, this place is actually kind of nice compared to the kidnap city I was in before this one."

It's like finding an upside.

"You were in another as well? I've heard a few people mention that this was not their first stop." It was interesting; she hadn't yet anyone else yet who volunteered that they arrived the way she did, but then, she wasn't sharing either. Who knew?

"May I ask where you were last?"

"I don't know how many others there are out there," he says, quietly noting the distinction that she apparently was brought here straight from her world, "but I was in a city called Bete Noire. So were most of the others who've gone through this twice, as far as I can tell. Less rustic charming Old World, more dark urban concrete metropolis. Also, apparently, the Apocalypse was on, supposedly with consequences for the whole multiverse, but I get enough of that crap back home anyway, so." He makes a gesture intended to be both dismissive and aggrieved.

"Multiverse - I assume that is a collection of many universes?" she asks, thoughtful. "I wasn't aware that an Apocalypse could cross between, though I suppose it stands to reason in some ways."

"Either way, I am glad you find it an improvement."

Hellboy gives a grimace of distaste. "Maybe, but as someone trying to prevent it back home, I don't really like the idea that it could happen anyway because someone in some other universe screwed up."

Seeking a quick change in subject, he asks, "So what's home like, for you?"

"Always the way, isn't it? You set something up neatly, and then someone else smashes it to bits."

Nazca considers, what she wants to tell him, but he seems to have been frank with her. She's not going to get anywhere if she's not willing to give a little in return.

"A harbor city, maybe not quite so large as this. It's more canals, than roads. I've never lived so far inland. And there are... there are great towers of Elderglass; we don't know who made it, or left it there, but humans can't shape it. It was from before our time."

"Hm." He considers for a moment. "So, not Earth as I'm familiar with it, then. We've got a few cities with canals, here and there, but I've never heard of 'Elderglass,' and anything that points to pre-human civilization's generally buried or hidden." Well, until it's rediscovered, of course, but he figures that obvious enough not to mention.

Nazca nods, once. "From what I've heard of Earth, it doesn't seem likely that it's the same place. Which raises at least one question; I'm not speaking any language I'd heard before coming here, but I understand fluently." She'd assumed it was a side effect of death, but it seemed like she'd yet to run into anyone who couldn't understand her.

Hellboy knows a number of Earth languages, but has gotten used enough to all manner of beings back home addressing him in English that Nazca's observation catches him by surprise.

"You know, I didn't even think of that. Well, who knows. Maybe my English is the same as whatever you call your language. Or maybe the gods are handling things in the background. On which note, shall we?" He gestures in the direction of the doorway into the central chamber.

She nods, leaving the mystery of language for later - she can still speak Therin, it's separate, but there's not a single person to speak it with, so far.

Her coins jingle, lightly, as she heads for the central chamber with Hellboy. "Do you have a patron divinity, as yet, or are you just paying general respects?"

He gives a so-so gesture that would look little if it weren't for the huge stoniness of the hand making it. "I'm not really the religious type, myself. This is more professional interest, as a paranormal investigator. I'll want to know more about the whats, whos, and hows before I try anything."

"The Twelve have different aspects, where I'm from, but I still find it wise not to disrespect gods, especially in their own place of worship." She's met people who were more or less pious, but never a true dissenter. She knows that atheists exist, but she's never really met one.

Hellboy holds his hand up in a placating gesture. "Oh, I'm plenty respectful from this side of the worship line. I've had enough encounters over the years to know better than that, but I've also had enough encounters that I don't go trying to talk to gods unless it's really important.

This is a guy who once ran into Anubis as a giant dog monster at a gas station in Arizona... and apparently killed him, at least in that form. Hellboy and gods: It's Complicated[tm].

Nazca, for her part, is assuming that it's more or less the same 12 gods, just with different names and aspects; that said, she isn't in a position to offend anyone.

"I don't know what offerings they most favor, I'm afraid, so you're not much ahead of me. General respect is a good starting place, I assume."

Hellboy isn't assuming anything like that, if for no other reason than because he knows of way more than twelve gods back home.

"Well, I suppose the sort of thing we're here to find out about, anyway." He steps into the central chamber and looks around, taking in the alcoves and their contents. He manages to avoid calling out to ask if anyone was home, but he's definitely wondering where the priest is.

Nazca looks around, half expecting a priest (or several) as well. If no one immediately appears, she starts going to each alcove, offering a coin of white iron.

And 'lo and behold, there is a priest!

Running a little late today, Brendig enters the temple and approaches Nazca and Hellboy, "Good day, you haven't been waiting long, have you?"

Oh, there he is. Hellboy offers what passes for a smile for him and his best friendly demeanor. "Not at all. We've just been chatting between ourselves anyway. I'm Hellboy, and this is Nazca. We're both new in town, and we were hoping you could tell us about the local pantheon?"

Nazca nods, with a polite semi-bow. "We shouldn't like to offend out of ignorance," she adds, which is a safe observation, as presumably if Hellboy chooses not to practice, he'll prefer to do it from a knowledgeable position, as opposed to the reverse.

Traveling through casual space past aloof stars, across the way of indifferent suns

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