A Return

[Corwin]

Seira snorts. "I'm actually asking if the aesthetics are better this way. I think the visual and psychological aspects are more hospitable to the casual user, now." She beckons Donald over, displaying just the entry/exit surfaces of both Teleportation Circle and Gate in three-dimensional space. "See?"

Meanwhile, her mind reaches out towards Elle, asking, 'Would you like to DO MAGIC with me and Donald? We're working on new spells at the spell research laboratory with Evie!'

[Anastasia]

Donald studies in, leaning in close, "I see what you mean," he finally says.

'On my way,' Elle sends back.

[Corwin]

"We could probably make a more user-friendly variant for Plane Shift, too, while staying firmly on the side of mortal magic. But mortal magic often prioritizes brutal utility and puts aesthetics at a distinct second, which is fair since metamagic is often used to fill in the gap," Seira muses to herself, summoning ghostly spells to her as she speaks and dismissing them almost as fast.

"Aha!" she exclaims, drawing a hexagonal sphere next to her dissected spell. "Following an orb pattern like that, we can calculate the optimal distance from the caster to the event horizon. Given Legion's Gates is the inspiration, I rather think eight horizontal transportation planes should be our goal, but we'll leave the option for advanced users to place yet more diagonally above or below them. Then, a mild application of flight or a set of fairly decent legs would carry them through. I'm actually kind of tempted to put in a secret destination now...." Seira trails off, looking like she's trying to convince herself. "No, I really shouldn't...."

[Anastasia]

Your meanderings are broken by a puff of flame. Elle walks out of a momentary bonfire, dusting her hands off. "Oh, there you two are. What was that about secret locations?" Her and Donald share a quick kiss in the meantime.

[Corwin]

"Don't you feel the urge to put in a secret destination into a multiple-target teleportation spell? That sense of wonder, like in 'The Lady, or the Tiger'?"

[Anastasia]

Please don't reference real world fiction and writings like that, it breaks the 4th wall.

"It depends on what the purpose of the spell is," Elle fires right back, "So are you working on a teleportation spell?"

[Corwin]

It is a fictional setting that isn't tied to the real world in any way, and the culture wouldn't be out of place on Fire or in our regular medieval Primes such as Balmuria's own Desert Fiefdoms rather than something modern, what is the problem?

"There!" Seira exclaims, slotting the final component of multiple targets inspired by Legion's Gate into her spell. "Evie, run the simulation, please. Source is Balmuria's Temple of Waukeen, caster is a very rich me, destinations are Malmuth's capital, the Citadel, the Fiefdoms and Kesse."

[Anastasia]

Done done and done. It looks to be working just fine, at least on a glimpse and...

Goa head and describe the simulation.

[Corwin]

After a lovely animation of a tiny Seira casting the spell before a tiny replica of the Temple to Waukeen, recognizable to those present as the one in Balmuria, Mia walks into a sphere that appears to be made of translucent panels. Once she is in its center, four of the vertical panels arranged around her light up with scenes from the destination. While the simulation doesn't open its own portals to show the live image, it certainly simulates the changing view outside other temples to Waukeen at the destinations, which are presently serving as anchors to Seira's established portal network.

"The name is Seira's Portal Network," she tells Donald and Elle. "A more expensive and difficult, but also far more elegant solution towards connecting key cities across a Prime. I'm not going to hold it a secret, but I doubt it would see much use given you need to transcend mortal magic to cast it, and by then you've either improved your Prime already or transcended its affairs altogether. Ah! But I do want to use it on Lifasa!"

[Anastasia]

"Lifasa," Donald rubs his chin, "That would work. Your avatar could go do it easily enough, huh?"

Elle nods along, "She could, or even one of us. Lifasa is entering a new golden age, the time to strike is ripe."

[Corwin]

Seira grins. "You've read my mind! Elle, I want you to do it. It's just a step down from me, but an important one. Waukeen and Lathander think that while it's an important step towards improving our standing in the Competition on that world, it won't result in a deity directly challenging me. And you could deal with anything short of one trying to interfere."

Of course, the main reason is to help both the natives who have gone through a lot, and any immigrants being drawn to a world so elevated with so much promise. But that goes without saying.

"Unlike on our Prime of origin, we'll keep the travel free and only collect a fee for caravans and from traders," she voices. "We'll pick a few spots, and connect them all together through the portal network. The thematic spots important to Lifasa where pilgrimage could be assumed to take place, with my own university town included in that number, as well as large population centers after negotiating with the locals. We'll provide protection from the Cauldron's forces, just in case. Finally, we'll look into connecting our town to the Cauldron for easy trading, though that would be a far more restricted venture to ensure the separation of Prime and the afterlife."

[Anastasia]

"Mmm-hmm," Elle murmurs, "That's all sound. Got any other spells being readied?"

"Or train locals and use that to help spread the word," Donald points out, "Why not make our own faithful there, Seira?"

[Corwin]

"Amaryl and I made our pitch, and actually my avatar's there a lot. I'm helping build everything, which goes better with my power. The more mundane, arcane power, rather than just altering reality, I mean," she responds to Donald.

Elle's question makes her eyes glitter. "Actually! Evie, display my secret spells! The Visage series, side by side!"

[Anastasia]

Elle smiles at this, "I've been waiting to see these! Show me and I'll show you my notes on new spells," she offers.

Go ahead, these are your babies, have some fun describing them.

[Corwin]

Three ghostly women are projected side by side, displaying Seira in different outfits!

One wears simple homespun robes, an inner glow to her that is the very image of piousness. Translucent wings erupt from her back as the golden glow within her reaches a crescendo! It explodes outwards, forming a pair of twenty feet rings around the image that start orbiting around her, crisscrossing as they pick up speed. She would definitely stand out in a crowd!

Her neighbor shifts as well, her features borrowing from Alicia until she looks closer to Seira's daughter than Seira herself from all the cosmetic changes, albeit one dressed in Seira's adventuring outfit. She lacks an obvious aura to her, but even in a simulation those watching cannot help but be drawn to her much like how mortals are to Seira's divine presence. Fire plays across the gems adorning her, casting her features in sharp definition. She'd like to see someone try to block those flames!

The third is dressed in a quintessential monk's outfit, with exaggerated draconic features prominently displayed. "It's not my habit, since I've had a lot of bad experiences while growing up," Seira offers by way of explanation here, "but not everyone has those same associations. And I don't hide this side of me from others, and certainly not from my most trusted followers who would receive these spells." Somehow, despite looking the least like Seira normally does, the image it projects feels closest to her distilled nature.

"In any case, that's three aspects of me in handy spell form! Three's an important number, so that's how I divided them."