Deployment to the Lower Planes
The Launch Point
Nitya had spent what felt like several mortal years in Brahmaloka, though by the clock of the divine realm, it was only a handful of subjective cycles. He was no longer the silent infant; he was an entity of profound, focused stillness, appearing physically as a severe, self-possessed ten-year-old. His accelerated growth had stalled at this level of physical maturity, deemed optimal by his internal system for mobility and minimal resource drain.
He stood with Saraswati, not in the luminous halls, but at the very edge of the Brahmaloka—a boundary that shimmered like a collapsing waveform, separating the realm of pure thought from the lower tiers of Māyā.
"You seek quantifiable, real-world data on the Guna structure," Saraswati stated, her voice resonating with the finality of a departing instruction. "You require a controlled environment, rich in complexity but lacking immediate existential threat."
Nitya had already identified his target. "The Gandharva Loka. The realm of celestial musicians and dancers. It is rich in aesthetic creation (Rajas), but moderated by the necessary technical discipline (Sattva). Low Tamas, low hostility."
His choice was tactical. The Gandharvas, while divine, were intensely focused on their art. Their life force was constantly channeled into creation, providing a rich, measurable energy source for his Prana Siphon without the danger of political entanglement or high-level defense mechanisms found in realms like Svarga (Heaven).
Saraswati presented him with a single, unadorned silver bracelet. "This is a dimensional anchor. It will prevent Māyā from overwriting your core architecture. It will also allow me to communicate if required. Remember, Nitya: you are observing the system. Do not become part of the play."
"My primary objective is data acquisition and capability testing," Nitya confirmed, slipping the cold silver onto his thin wrist. "Emotional entanglement is negligible."
⚙️ SYSTEM STATUS: Nitya, Son of Brahma (v1.0.5)Attribute Status Description
Origin/Class Divine Hybrid / High-Tier Vampire Strategist and observer.
Core Traits Emotionally Detached Maintaining perfect observational integrity.
Insatiable Drive Set to prioritize Guna Data and Prana Refinement.
Calculated Predation Deploying the siphon for targeted extraction.
Key Abilities Prana Siphon (Lv. 2) New Function: Guna Analysis Mode. Can measure the percentages of Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas in a target's Prana Signature.
Accelerated Jiva Growth (Passive) Maintenance level.
Knowledge Buffer (Lv. 1) Capacity slightly increased through recent downloads. Needs practical stress testing.
Current Objective Infiltrate Gandharva Loka. Acquire baseline Guna data. Perform controlled Prana Siphon on a high-Rajas target.Entering the Loka of Art
The transition was instantaneous and jarring. Instead of the cold, conceptual clarity of Brahmaloka, Nitya was immersed in a chaotic, vibrant sensory overload.
The Gandharva Loka was a perpetual, open-air amphitheater made of crystal and flowering, luminous vines. The air was not silent Prana; it was Auditory Chaos. A hundred different melodies—flute solos, percussion ensembles, and soaring, passionate vocalizations—intersected and clashed, all in simultaneous, brilliant disharmony.
The inhabitants, the Gandharvas, were entities of intense aesthetic focus. Their Prana visibly pulsed around them in bright red and white energy fields, reflecting their dedication (Rajas) and technical skill (Sattva). There was a complete lack of Tamas; nothing here was stagnant.
Nitya felt the immediate, overwhelming pull of Māyā—the sheer, persuasive beauty and energy of the lower plane trying to drag his consciousness into the emotional experience. A mortal would have been swept away by ecstasy.
Nitya registered it as System Noise.
Initial Assessment: High sensory distraction. Rajas level in the environment is 75%. Risk of system bleed-over. Must activate emotional dampeners.
He used his detachment like a shield, allowing the music to hit his ears, but not his self. He was merely analyzing the complex mathematical waveforms of the sound.
🎻 The Target: High Rajas
Nitya found his initial target near the edge of a stage made of solidified moonlight. A young Gandharva, his form radiating intense, almost painful artistic energy, was practicing a difficult stringed instrument. He was failing. Repeatedly. His face was a mask of frustrated, passionate effort.
The air around him was visibly shimmering with Rajas—the energy of striving and creation—but it was uncontrolled, leading to flawed execution.
Nitya initiated the Prana Siphon: Guna Analysis Mode. He targeted the Gandharva's energy field, not to harm, but to sample.
[TARGET LOCK: Gandharva Musician. Prana Signature: Intense.]
[Guna Analysis Results:]
Rajas (Striving/Passion): 85%
Sattva (Clarity/Control): 10%
Tamas (Ignorance/Inertia): 5%
Analysis: Uncontrolled, high-energy output. Significant power potential, but the low Sattva prevents successful execution. A perfect, non-critical target for ability testing.
Nitya moved silently behind a pillar of flowing light. He extended his metaphysical influence, careful to take only a minute, targeted sip of the Gandharva's abundant Prana.
He aimed specifically for the Rajas component of the energy field.
[ACTION: Prana Siphon Activated. Extraction: 0.5 units of Rajas-Prana.]
The effect was instantaneous and subtle. The young Gandharva did not collapse or weaken. His frustration did not vanish.
However, the agonizing intensity of his passion—the excessive Rajas that was causing his bow to twitch—suddenly diminished by a critical fraction.
The musician took a deep breath, his frustration slightly less overwhelming, and lowered his bow. He tried the passage again. This time, the execution was flawed, but smoother, more controlled. His innate Sattva, though small, was no longer smothered by the excess Rajas.
Nitya felt the rush of the siphoned Rajas-Prana—a spike of intense, creative energy—hit his own Knowledge Buffer.
[KNOWLEDGE BUFFER STATUS: 2% of Siphoned Rajas-Prana successfully assimilated. Remaining energy used for Jiva maintenance.]
Conclusion: The ability functions as predicted. The Siphon can be used to locally tune the Guna balance of an external system. A reduction in the excessive Guna allowed the lesser Guna to temporarily assert control. This is a form of active, external system manipulation.
Nitya recorded the data with chilling satisfaction. He hadn't just observed the system; he had successfully deployed a debug patch on a live entity.
His next target would require a more complex, Tamas-dominant scenario. He knew exactly where he had to go next.