This Used To Be About Dungeons полностью

For Hannah, the lure of the dungeon was distinctly different. Alfric liked that there were things to fight, at least in some sense. He liked that it was unknown. But for Hannah, it was the glimpse into the raw elements of reality. Dungeons were created, constructed, pulled from the raw mana and aetheric disturbances, all by some force that the Editors (in her opinion) clearly didn’t quite have a handle on. The dungeons reflected, in some way, the will of the gods and the shape of reality. Going into a dungeon and finding what was there was, for Hannah, a religious experience, a way to become closer to Garos and interpret his philosophical approach. It was hard, as in the real world, to separate out Garos from the others, but there was something there, she was sure of it, even if it had been a source of disagreement in both the seminary and the guilds. Dungeons reflected the real world in some ways, but they also reflected something else, and that something else was what captivated Hannah. She expected to make no major discoveries about the nature of Garos, but she did think that it would bring her closer to him. Already, her meditations felt like they’d borne fruit.

They went first to the section of the temple devoted to Xuphin, who was represented by the twisted ouroboros, a snake eating its own tail, looped to make the symbol for infinity.

“Pann Wellings,” said Hannah, bowing slightly to the tall cleric. “This is my party member, Alfric Overguard, we’ll be doin’ dungeons together, and he thought it best to meet people, especially if we need to come here for healin’, I suppose.”

“A pleasure,” said Pann, holding out her hand. Alfric took it and gave her a firm handshake. He was staring though, just a bit, impressed or perhaps intimidated by her height. She was seven feet tall, and rather than being lanky, as some tall people were, she had a statuesque quality to her. Xuphin was the God of Infinity, sometimes labeled as the God of Increase, seeing as infinity was rarely achievable in the real world. Enlarging themselves was something many of her clerics did. The gods did not have genders, as such, but many people referred to them as though they did, often with some disagreement. For Hannah, it largely depended upon her mood.

“The pleasure is mine,” said Alfric, who was at least keeping his composure. “I apologize for any awkwardness on my part; it’s been some time since I’ve seen a cleric of Xuphin this close up.”

“And what do you think?” asked Pann, gesturing to her body. “Some find it grotesque, especially on a woman.”

“That was the furthest thing from my mind,” said Alfric.

Pann gave a delighted laugh. “And where are you from?”

“Dondrian,” said Alfric.

“Ah,” said Pann, clucking her tongue. “But they come much bigger than me there, don’t they?”

“They do,” said Alfric. “But they’re mostly men, and from the pews in the back of the temple, some of the, um, effect is lost.” He was still looking up at her.

“Too large does start to create some problems,” said Pann. “‘Increase is not always without limits’, from the Book of Xu Phinnas, volume nine, verse thirteen. There are obviously the practical considerations, like the length of your bed or how much you want to keep bumping into doorways, and there are physical considerations, like whether your heart can pump the blood it needs to or your muscles can support your bones.” She said this with the practiced tones of someone who had said it all before. It was common, among clerics, to explain their particulars over and over again to the laity. “At any rate, if you’re concerned about healing, I can go over what you need to know before coming to me.”

“I know it all,” said Alfric. “I’m well prepared. I thought it would be better to have an introduction now than when I come to you blinded and needing new eyes.”

“Oeyr is often better with that sort of thing,” Pann said with a nod. “But I take your meaning.” She turned to Hannah. “And you? Leaving Lemmel all alone?”

“Is he broken up about it?” asked Hannah. “Cryin’ his eyes out every day I’m gone?”

Pann laughed. “Not in the least, but I did think he liked your bread. I miss the smell of it in the mornings.”

“Och, all you had to do was ask. I’ll bring some by tomorrow, and praise be to Xuphin,” said Hannah. She gave another bow, then ushered Alfric out.

“Got a thing for tall women?” she asked, keeping her voice low as they crossed the temple.

“There’s something striking about her,” said Alfric. “Not just the size though.”

“Pretty, I agree,” said Hannah. “Married, unfortunately for you, though I suppose Xuphin herself was thought to take many partners, in keeping with her nature.”

“I wasn’t thinking of that,” said Alfric.

“Well, I wouldn’t judge, of course,” said Hannah. “Though it’s the first time I’ve seen the light of interest in your eyes.” They made it to the other side of the temple, devoted to Bixzotl, God of Copies. The statue was of twin wolves.