Fantasy Action Adventure Scifi A Growing Menace - *Any Character, Any Genre*

[MonMis]

Manira had indeed climbed into the vehicle along with the others, but as soon as they were seated, they spoke quietly a quick “excuse me” and then immediately fell into a meditation. Their eyes closed, and the blue that had once warped the space around their hands when they and the captain were about to fight, the strange phenomenon appeared once more as a ball of energy between their hands. It would not be much as to disturb the others, but for Manira it was necessary. Between the trip between dimensions, the loss of their target and mission, and the very real possibility of losing so much more, the Asari needed the moment to find tranquility in the chaos they’d wound up in. And as their eyes opened again inside this trance-like state, all details of those orbs will have disappeared, replaced only with a glowing white.

See more

https://64.media.tumblr.com/a81654fadc30de0ff2e882f938c07a2a/47dfd77edd488d93-6b/s540x810/3d456283f2142c2d285ed8e2f8fd71907c464b1c.gifv

With this state of mind within the Asari, they would not hear or be aware of any conversations happening inside the vehicle. They did not care for the goings-on of a seedy underworlder, or the plights of a begrudging human outside his time. Only once they reached their destination would Manira return to an awakened state, though they felt they needed more time to truly heal over the trauma of the situation.

Nevertheless, they followed Joopis as he seemed the only one worth paying any attention to. That is, until a voice reached their mind and the Asari could not hold back the shock. Their head whipped in the direction of the blue-eyed creature that was able to touch their mind so easily without need for preparation or leaving any mental prints upon it in their wake.

A mindmeld. The Asari were known in their dimension for possessing such an ability. No other within it could accomplish this feat. And yet, here was another, clearly not of their own species or time or place. Their eyes widened in their confusion and amazement, as well as some ire. “What are you?” They asked, stepping towards the front of the small group and closer to the guards, completely ignoring the request for consent for further mental connection as well as scanning.

 

[Hekazu]

Do we have your consent to proceed? The words echoed in Captain Rochdale's mind, and the captain shuddered at the thought. Someone wanted to enter his own mind, and would do so this casually? The very thought sickened him, and he could not help but shake his head. If it was required to enter this branch of realities, then they could keep it for their own! There were numerous other ones, and he would not accept this nonsense, not in a thousand years!

"You most certainly have no such thing", he declared, no doubt in his voice. The hostility, just as well, was kept to as little as possible, though naturally in refusing a direct request some would sneak in. "What makes you think my recent memories would be of value to you, or even comprehensible? I am one of the first, of not the first traveller from my reality to yours. You would understand very little of my personal musings, and make even less out of them. Do what you will should you require the check for illnesses and other contagions, but my mind is my own, and you will not probe it. Not for one reason, not another", he sternly refused, standing there and even subconsciously taking a step towards the Asari. In this conflict, he felt she might be on his side.

 

[Fatal Nymph]

The reactions from these two was not what she had expected. They certainly had no idea what was going on or that it wasn't an issue, it was essentially reading the persons character or for lack of better terms, personality. There was nothing and she meant nothing that these two probably haven't seen and even if they hadn't, just add it the ever growing list. But both seemed to have their minds made up for better or worse.

"Justicar, that is enough. These boys are just doing their jobs. Perhaps when there isn't such a large line you could question them.later, better yet, just get his contact info." With a large sigh and turn of her head Zava saw what looked to be anger in the captain's face. "Rochdale, they have an alternative method if you don't like the mind reading. Though honestly they aren't interested in what you've done merely what kind of person you are." The female's voice trailed off uncertain if she was even getting through to these two. This was becoming a very big scene very quickly. She just wanted to go back to a bed and get some food. Was that seriously all that hard to ask? Though she did understand where they both were coming from. How many times had she seen something that had never been seen before, or someone capable of doing things no one even thought could even be a fantasy.

 

[MonMis]

Manira had no qualms with the human captain stepping up to stand at their side. He was angry, rightfully so. But before either of them would get a response from the guard, the woman of the group stood up for the perpetrators as if they had done nothing wrong. Manira was angered.

“If they wish to know about us, they need only ask, to talk to us. To forcibly enter another’s mind, even just to relay a message, without the consent of the recipient is major transgression in Asari culture, and would be treated just as harshly if it is done to other species as well. As a species whose reproductive means are through such acts, to force one’s mind into another is the same as if one had forced their body onto and/or into another for most other species. It is assault at the bare minimum, rape at its worst.”

“The captain is rightfully angered by the wrongful invasion. It does not matter that they asked for consent after the fact, they did not ask it to reach into our minds to speak initially when one of them clearly has the ability to do so. Instead, what was done would essentially be the mental equivalent of one forcibly sticking their finger into your sexual organs only to then ask for consent to engage in intercourse.”

“Were this my realm and had I known of such a creature as this one, for as far as I knew only the Asari had this ability, I would not have hesitated to enact justice from the major transgression and crime that had just occurred here.” Manira’s eyes shifted to the guards again, their face clearly displeasured, the frown more than prominent on their features.

 

[Hawksearcher]

When the initial questioning began, the guard with the pointed ears blinked, and his lips parted in some slight bewilderment. If he were used to dealing with and informing Travelers new to such mind probing, he certainly wasn't expecting the forceful reaction that the Asari, and to a lesser extent, the Captain had exhibited. "I apologize, this is---" he spoke out loud with a silky voice, before being cut off by Zava and Manira's passionate rebuke. The second guard, the one with the scanner, lowered the device back to his hip, and raised his battle rifle from its resting position slung along his shoulders. He didn't point the weapon at any of the Travelers, simply lifted it as tensions rose more as a symbolic gesture than anything else.

A small assortment of Travelers that had, by this point, begun to form a line behind the embattled group began uncomfortably muttering amongst themselves, and the commotion drew a few eyes from some surrounding passersby.

When the Captain and Manira finished their remarks, it was the tan-skinned person who responded first. His voice was gentle, as it floated through the air with a surprising delicacy.

"I can see each of you are new to Silver Nexus, so we can spare a few moments before we have to keep the line moving," he began, offering a calm smile. "To start, my name is Ellias. I am an elf from the Faded Moons dimension, and like many of my race, I am adept at magic. Of course, the term 'magic' can have many different meanings in this multiverse, so the best way to describe our magic would be to compare it to oil in a lamp. I am able to burn a resource called 'mana' in my body using an ancient language, which allows me to manipulate matter and change reality in small ways. In this case, I can communicate with each of you telepathically and read your thoughts and memories." At this remark, he gave an apologetic nod to the Asari. "I have not seen your kind before, so I was unaware of the implications of a sudden telepathic connection. While this is standard procedure, I offer my personal apologies for becoming careless."

As he finished his apology, several more Travelers fell in line behind the group. At this, the other armed guard's helmet crackled and his voice sounded out, noticeably less elegant and more direct than his elf companion. "We've gotta keep the line moving folks. We're required to screen all entrants to protect Silver Nexus from interdimensional terrorism." He gestured to Zava. "As your friend mentioned, you can opt out of the screening if you agree to wear a tracking bracelet that monitors your whereabouts to our central peacekeepers. Otherwise, I'll have to ask you to move along."

And so, the group had been given a choice: to allow the government of Silver Nexus to track their movements within the dimension, or to try their luck exploring other dimensions for work and, just maybe, a shot at returning home one day.

 

[Hekazu]

After the long apology for the intrusion and the frankly further impolite demand for them to hurry up, Captain Rochdale harrumphed and stepped forward, grabbing the sleeve of his coat and pulling it up past the wrist of his stiff hand. A long sleeve covered his arm, making its way under his glove, but there was something more beneath it still. Something that stuck out from just his arm, though impossible to tell what it was for sure with the woollen clothing covering it. "I will put on record that I do not believe your precious invasion of people's privacy will help you achieve your goals of safety", he expressed his disapproval, but nonetheless presented his arm for the bracelet. "But I do not aim to stay for long."

With the bracelet on, he would remember this promise to himself. If he was not hungry now, if he did not need to rest soon, and specifically if he had not almost already agreed to entering a business relationship with Zava, he would likely have just walked away. But for now, Silver Nexus was where promises of food and shelter were awaiting, and with the bracelet reminding him of how horrible this option was, he would soon be making his way out. And nothing could make him stay, since he remembered all that. "Frankly, I find it peculiar you think these two means are even remotely alike", he noted as he brought his hand to the now freshly installed tracking device, "for some you glance at their thoughts and memories, and believe yourself to know everything there is to know about the risk they represent. Others… you keep an eye out for their whole stay. But what if someone you screened meets someone you tracked? What good is the tracking then?" He shrugged and took a few more steps towards the gate, the heavy heels of his eel-skin boots clacking on the metal floor. If they demanded people to follow some useless ritual of theirs to sleep better at night, then they were allowed to do so. Just as Captain Rochdale was allowed to let them know how worthless their nonsense ultimately was.

 

[Fatal Nymph]

Zava watched the whole interaction and felt like she was being scolded as well. Honestly it was very scary and unwanted, but it was adapt or not get what was needed. So she chose to adapt and the female chose to put herself in very unique situations that forced her to go with the flow or not return alive. To have been told her mind was basically being raped though threw her for a loop. That was not something that had ever been thought upon. She saw it more like a peeping tom situation.

Instead of going up to the two of them, the anthro simply hung back, ears drooped, tail tucked and her hands clasped before her. Not only did they make a scene, the female had gotten herself in trouble, and that usually came with a punishment of some sort. For now it seemed to be the disapproval of the Asari and the captain. Joopis would cheer her up, thats one of the many reasons she chose to be friends with him. But here there was no such luck.

Food no longer even sounded good, her hand went up to her temple once more that day. Home and sleep. Perhaps something would come her way again to get her on another adventure. Till then stuffy uptight people would be paying her bills. These two as adorable as they could be were so different and it reminded her from before she became so complacent and easy going. Her life had been threatened many times and she never blinked, now it was just go with it to make things easier. How easy she could be swayed.

 

[MonMis]

Manira simply listened, stone-faced, to the guard’s explanation. They had heard of his race before, but only in folk-lore stores told by the humans. His mention of magic would have made a less strict Asari scoff or laugh. Many species who happened upon an Asari for the first time in the past looked at their innate ability of biotics and would utter the same word in astonishment and awe. Nevertheless, the justicar kept her neutral expression without even a twitch of a reaction.

Manipulation of matter and changing reality would be a stretch of the imagination even for Manira, however. Their biotic abilities allowed them to manipulate space, and in some minor ways also time by proxy of that. The manipulation however did not stray much further than how the humans refer to a form of telekinesis. The only difference is that it is not an object that an Asari, or any other biotic user, can move, but simply manipulating the space around the object by way of making smaller localized mass effect fields to move it. It’s the same physical principles used, though on a much larger scale, that allows their ships to move at faster-than-light speeds inexpensively and with little resources and energy needed. Hence why Joopis’ initial question about the Kardashev scale felt obsolete to Manira. The humans had believed that only through infinite energy could one achieve such flight speeds.

Nevertheless, the guard continued into what seemed like a sincere apology, further clarifying this as procedure. Manira truly was as far from home as one could be. The Justicar didn’t quite know what to do or how to think being so far from the galaxy where they are to uphold the code. What code was there here? Clearly a leniency exists where one can pry into another’s mind without consequence, whereas should an Asari ever do such a thing without explicit consent from the beginning they are held accountable and brought to swift justice of the highest order. Many times by Manira themself.

They watched the captain walk through, electing the wristband and constant surveillance. They in turn weighed their own options. Eventually the decision was with the screening, but with a caveat. “You may view my memories. It is within my code that I must act in accordance with the laws of the present authority within a given governed territory, so long as it is not in direction obstruction of current missions. However, I would prefer the connection be on my own terms.” They finally said and stepped closer to the guard in question. “I will be the one to initiate the it, and you will see everything you that you require…I simply want to ensure it is no more than that.” Clearly there was a sincere lack of trust with the way the man went into their mind right from the start, so Manira wanted to ensure they were the one in control in case anything untoward was attempted.

Should the guard agree, Manira’s eyes would close. He would hear a soft uttering from the Asari, starting off like a gentle whisper, almost like a set of instructions for the guard to follow, that only he would be able to hear. Then, a final few words that could be heard by any other bystanders eavesdropping would simply be, “embrace eternity.” Their eyes opened, as black as the darkness of space from lid to lid.

It would seem like only a few seconds had passed to those from the outside, but it would last just a tad longer from the guard’s perspective as he would be fully engulfed in the experience and visions, before the connection would cut, and Manira’s eyes returning to their normal blue. The guard will have seen the Asari’s interrupted mission to save kidnapped people, then the portal sent by the strange beetles, the almost fight with the captain, and everything else that had transpired so far in this strange nexus. Nothing more.

“Is that sufficient for you?” They asked, taking a step away.

 

[Hawksearcher]

The two guards listened to Captain Rochdale's invective discourse, and despite his salient criticism, neither of the guards made much in the way of a verbal response. The elf at least offered a few inclinations of his head at certain moments, perhaps as a courtesy, but the helmeted guard said nothing, and even glanced down at his scanner after a few moments to check it. With Rochdale making his piece, without a word, the helmeted guard stepped forward and placed the bracelet around the sea captain's wrist. The thin metal bracelet was too large at first, but after a moment, a few clicks could be heard, and the bracelet began ticking like a clock. With each tick, the bracelet clicked and compressed in size, until it was comfortable but tight around his arm--with enough slack that his skin could breath, but tight enough that slipping the bracelet off would have been extremely difficult if not impossible without breaking something.

After the captain stepped aside, the justiciar came forward and asked for their accommodation. The elf listened intently, and while he hesitated for a brief moment, seemingly lost in thought, he obliged the Asari. "Your terms are acceptable. I will first make my own safeguards." Without saying any verbal words, he lifted his hand and made a few gestures in front of his chest, then his head. If anyone looked closely, they could see a faint magenta mist form around his fingers as they moved.

Then, the Asari made their telepathic connection. As they did so, the guard's eyes glowed with the bright blue light of a sunny sky. Even with Manira's portrayal of vast experience and a harrowing mission, the guard made no physical movements to show that he was particularly disturbed by her situation. However, just before their connection ended, the guard did leave Manira with a parting word. "You have my sympathies for being taken from your home. I hope you find what you are looking for." The guards eyes returned to normal.

With the sea captain and justiciar accounted for, the only one who remained was the anthropomorphic fox. Once energetic and lively, now timid and anxious. Since she had given the guards permission previously, the elf's eyes glowed blue and simply established a telepathic connection with her without further discussion.

"Hello, do not be afraid. I shall begin my search."

The experience of having your memories searched is similar to that of coating the roof of your mouth with cake icing. It's not painful, but it feels a little overwhelming, with a constricting feeling high in the back of your throat and a sickly-sweet sensation bombarding your senses. Nevertheless, the experience only lasted for a few seconds before the elf's eyes returned to normal.

As he did this, the helmeted guard scanned each of them with his device, pressed a few buttons, and then said, "Alright, you're cleared."

Without another word, the group was free to pass. Almost anticlimactically after the impromptu debate the found themselves engaged in. However, just before the group passed through the portal, the three could hear the elf address the next Travelers in line verbally, without using telepathy right away. "Hello Travelers. This is the Portal to Silver Nexus, an open dimension that contains a wide variety of magic..."

It seemed as though their discourse had indeed enacted some small change in this strange, in-between worlds, even if was just to cause a single guard to behave a touch more cautiously.

--------------------------------------------------

Music for Silver Nexus

Stepping through the portal, was a disorienting experience--but not because there was any violent physiological side effects to it. There was no vertigo, and the energy of the portal field did not seem to even make their hair stand on end. It was disorienting because in one moment, they were standing in a space with a certain heaviness of air, static charge, and smell to it. Then, in the time it took to take a single step, the air, smells, sounds, and sights were different.

The group found themselves greeted by a large balcony of sleek metallic walls, humming devices, and what seemed to be similar energy fields found in The Interdimensional Highway. If Silver Nexus was one of the dimensions that founded the Highway, then it would make sense that much of the Highway's technology would also be found here.

Scattered around the portal's atrium were guards and Travelers. The Travelers here were nearly as diverse as along the roads in the Highway, and the group could note that only a small few wore tracking bracelets; it seemed that most elected to be telepathically probed rather than wear the device. The guards were also quite versatile in terms of race and equipment. While all guards wore some version of the dark, futuristic tactical gear as the two guards at the entrance, some guards had rifles slung along their front, other guards had no weapons (but likely able to cast combat magic), and there were even a few that wielded medieval-style spears and swords. These may have raised an eyebrow or two from the group--could a spear or sword really be comparable to a firearm?

But any questions would have been short lived, for the group found themselves following the flow of traffic towards the edge of the balcony of the portal to behold a truly breathtaking sight.

Silver Nexus. The dimensional city of magic and technology. The group could see vehicles propelling themselves through the air, weaving around floating gems shining bright with arcane magic. The myriad of skyscrapers here shone a bright silver, hence the city's namesake, and down below the group could see forests, parks, valleys, lakes, and rivers all weaving around the clean-looking structures. It certainly looked Utopian on the surface, despite the rather-dystopian introduction of surveilling at the portal's entrance.

The sight would have no doubt been overwhelming for some, perhaps even Zava. After all, where would a lost band a travelers even think to go first in such a sprawling mega-city? However, just before the railing of the city were interactive maps that the Travelers could touch. Looking down at these map displays showed a thorough list of different areas of interest.

A summary of such areas of interest can be found below (in no particular order of importance):
1. The Silver Library and Education Center
2. Places to eat
3. Places to sleep
4. The Combat Training Grounds
5. Parks
6. The Interdimensional Guildhall - described as a place to go for jobs and quests related to exploring other dimensions
7. The corporate district
8. Shopping markets, malls, and centers
9. Residential districts - sub labeled according to races, such as the human district and the elven district
10. Recreational districts

 

[Fatal Nymph]

The silky white ears stood up now on alert, but the tail still tucked and the expression on her face still conflicted in deep thought. She walked up to the map, "There is food here, and these are a couple good places that I'm aware of. Joopis should have given more than enough credits for at least that." The voice that emitted forth was drole now and mechanical in a way. "I'm not longer hungry. I'll be here however." She pointed out a rather distant place. With that Zava turned to the two before her and bowed deeply and turned to leave them to meander as they pleased.

Her eyes seemed to be gazing out and unfocused on the hear and now. Her mind wandering between what the captain and Asari brought up and how the next few days were going to go. It was a tangle of things instead of that clear line of excitement. Perhaps a bath would help clear her mind? Or maybe sketching. With a moments pause that turned out to be a no, there was hardly anything here worth pulling her mind away from the crowding thoughts.

The city itself was beautiful and she knew that there was potential here for both but the stubbornness and surprising nature of the two people was a bit more than her brain could process at the moment. It went to show how much she had truly allowed herself to just go with things and not cause a scene. Perhaps like with the guards she herself could start with small changes, but for now she needed to pull herself out of this foul mood.

 

[Hekazu]

Rochdale observed the bracelet do its thing upon his arm, briefly considering what hell it would be to try and remove his shirt like this. Suppose it would then tighten up again. Let alone trying to put the shirt back on afterwards. He could understand why they offered mind reading as an alternative to this, but surely neither of these were truly necessary? And now that he thought about it, what would the do if someone from the Presbyterate were to be wearing one of these and simply lop their entire forearm off at once? What would the bracelet do then, other than clatter uselessly to the ground? The agent would simply grow the arm back by Stone's grace either way. And speaking of Stone, what if the arrival was from the island where there is much screaming, Polythreme, instead? those clay people surely could take off a hand or an arm. And that's just two examples he could think of. Surely in this land of infinite possibilities there were even better infiltrators? All these procedures caused was suffering and trouble for the law-abiding.

The other side of the portal certainly left an impression on Rochdale. At first, he could not even look around, shielding his eyes from the brightness coming in through the windows instead. He remembered this feeling. It was always like this when he returned to the surface. And like always back then, he would soon enough return back below the crust of the Earth, or on this occasion depart back to the more tolerably lit halls of the Highway. And when he finally could look, the taste of bile rose into his mouth. This place was disgusting.

He hated it. A guttural feeling of not belonging struck him harder than the mechanical halls of the Highway had managed. At least there was a hubbub, street vendors and the like. This place? It was too clean. Too sterile. Too… too… he shook his head, another rose petal fleeing from under his collar when he tugged on it as if to protest against the clinical cleanliness of the surroundings. No, he would not have needed to bracelet. He did not like it here. The problems he had already noticed, this aesthetic commanding the surroundings, just what kind of rot would be found beneath the surface? He chose to not believe in the utopia Silver Nexus attempted to present itself as. Mostly because such utopias were, without fault, fabrications of the mind or the elite. The human nature caused that. And as long as there was just one species that thought the same way among the infinite possibilities, that truth could be relied on.

He was broken out of his disgusted reverie by the shade of what had minutes ago been Zava beginning to turn away after meekly poking at a map a few times. She had probably said something too, but he hadn't been quite there to hear it. But her heading off was not any part of their plans, those they had made just those few minutes ago before her recent change happened. Just a feature of what she was biologically, or something deeper within? He didn't have the time to think on it now, and instead the captain stepped forth, taking a few rushing steps in her direction and raised his bracelet decorated hand upon her shoulder.

"Zava, please wait", he requested of her, cautiously and politely, knowing that she might have given a better reason than what he had to present for staying for her departure just now. Yet he swallowed the feeling and pressed on: "I will not be staying here long. If we part ways now, I'm sure we will not meet again. Not with how many people there are on the Highway. If I may be so crass, please, let us remain together. This is the only way we may see through what we spoke of."

 

[Fatal Nymph]

A hand landed upon her shoulder and normally this would be a cause for alarm and instant caution. But this time those puppy like eyes barely looked over her shoulder to see Rochdale looking back at her. Her movement halted as the female turned to face him. As he spoke, it seemed that he hadn't heard her, or maybe she hadn't been clear enough?

"I was going to let you explore what is available for food or whatever else it is you needed. I've lost my appetite, I would love if you decided to meet me at the hostel I'm staying at. Here... " She grabbed a small piece of glass, or what looked like it. "Tap on this and when it speaks tell it to find Zava. It's programmed to find me. I wasn't going to abandon you, I have too much interest in this piece you want me to see. But right now I just want a bath."

The glass piece was flat in her hand, as those eyes looked a bit livelier now. Still her mind needed a rest, to mull over the thoughts racing through her head. Perhaps some alcohol would help as well. But lo in time for now, the reassurance of the captain was needed first before any of that could begin.

The city seemed to loose its gleam and dull a bit under the harsh light, she knew what the city truly looked like, just as she preferred to be out in the wild or a city that didnt hide its nightmare, there was truth in what you saw, here not so much. But that was why so many people liked it, it was aesthetically appeasing. Thats not what she really needed to be thinking about though.

 

[MonMis]

Manira did not pay too much mind to the others as she passed through into the Silver Nexus. The view was pleasing, but it wasn’t unlike anything they knew back home. It looked no different than Ilium or even the Citadel. If anything, seeing this only made them yearn to get back even more, to get back to their mission…to their life.

As the other two seemed to go off on their own way. Or, at least it seemed like they were about to, but it didn’t entirely process to the Justicar what they were discussing when they stopped as Manira was already on their way towards the Guild Hall. It seemed like the only place that might have a map or somebody who can point them in the right direction. Besides, the Asari was used to being alone, especially when on a mission, and as far as they were concerned, they still were.

 

[Hekazu]

Rochdale picked up the item from Zava and looked against its glassy surface with a blank expression. He turned it around a couple times in his hand, clearly more than a little uncertain at what it was to begin with. "Very well", he would nonetheless say without betraying his confuddled state of mind. "I will seek out someplace to eat and rest…" a declaration of the actions he would take next followed, though now uncertainty managed to betray itself through the hanging end of his sentence. He truly was unfamiliar with all that was suddenly thrown at him. Mushroom wine or the usual absinthes were, no doubt, unavailable in a place like this. Let alone the types of food he was accustomed to. It was as if he had walked into the Honey Dens of Veilgarden for the first time all over again. And that feeling of not knowing what one was getting to… it unnerved even the veteran hunter.

But there was only one direction to go from here. He slipped the curiosity into his pocket and turned to look at the map beside him, his brows scrunching as he attempted to read the numerous instructions upon it, starting from how to operate such a complex map. He knew how to draw lines and measure distances on a flat parchment. One that included the necessary scale as part of the legend. This… thing? As alien as the beetles that had dragged him to this mess.

 

[Hawksearcher]

Manira began their journey down the grand stairs that lead to the shining city below, leaving their new companions behind to sort out their own issues. The Asari didn't have to worry about losing their way--the interactive map helped to point them in the right direction, and along the way, there were glowing electric signs and pointers that helped guide newcomers to the Guildhall.

Their walk took them along a combination of marble-like pedestrian roads, a few mechanical lifts, and at one point, through a gentle park of grassy fields, trees, and statues honoring a variety of what appears to be interdimensional heroes. Despite the city's beauty and varied inhabitants, however, considering the Justiciar's experience with intergalactic travel, the roads would not have proven to be too intimidating.

At last, they arrived before a large and elegant building, standing at least 8 stories above the surrounding shorter decorative buildings and alien trees. While it did not stretch high into the sky like some of the other constructions closer to the entrance of Silver Nexus, it was noble in its own right. The entrance resembled the large, oak-and-iron-hewn doors of a castle, but these were evidently just for show, as at the base of the large door there was some kind of transparent forcefield that allowed Travelers to freely pass through.

Entering the Guildhall, Manira could see several levels stretch up toward the top of the building. Here, there were a wide variety of armed guards standing at their posts and moving around--but there were also quite a few Travelers who freely carried weaponry of all kinds; this was a dimension that embraced armed adventurers from a diverse multiverse, after all, so the personal armaments reflected the vast differences of hundreds of sentient races.

Following the crowd, Manira would have been drawn to what appeared to be a reception desk of some kind. As they drew closer to a free space, Manira could see several other Travelers speaking to and interacting with what appeared to simply be small clouds of hazy static behind the desk. This might have been confusing at a glance, except that when the Justiciar reached the desk, a cloud of static appeared before them, but then gradually took a very different shape for the Asari's eyes only.

The Asari receptionist, colored but also ghostly translucent, nodded to Manira and spoke: "Welcome, Traveler, to the Interdimensional Guildhall. Here you may receive navigational guidance for the discovered Multiverse, inquire about paying work that involves exploring and aiding other dimensions, or pose queries about Silver Nexus and the various services available here. If you are seeking protective mercenary services, or simply wish to interview with a group of armed adventurers, I can direct you to an appropriate conference room."

With this, the receptionist waited expectantly for a response.