Santuariel, Compassion, and the banshee

For in-universe game play. Journey through both familiar and foreign settings, explore lost ruins and forgotten cities, and try to bring light to the darkness of the world... or, you know, blow stuff up. Either way.
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Graybeard
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Re: Santuariel, Compassion, and the banshee

Post by Graybeard »

[OOC: For the next couple of weeks I will be in a position to reply very quickly when you post. That'll slow down for the month of November, as we're buying a house and closing at the beginning of the month, but until then I can act very quickly. So let's move this along. Incidentally, I haven't had a chance in this to describe Lennart's and Eleanor's own religious views, which are actually very similar to those of Rose's father-in-law Benedict back in Snamish. This couple would get along well in Snamish, I think. Anyway, to move forward:]

Lennart and Eleanor listened in silence, but the man was about to say something when Therese raised a hand. "Wait, there's more," she said, and she calmly and methodically described what she had seen up until the moment Desiree emerged from the rock face. Brad nodded gravely and filled in a few details, including what Lillith had thought of the spirits of the place; after all, they'd been there too.

When all three were finished, most of the occupants of the house were frowning seriously, lost in thought. (Reverend Armature was looking bored.) Finally Eleanor broke the silence. "Well," she said, "I guess exorcism it is, and now we know where to do it. Thank you," she nodded to Therese and Brad. "Can you guide a group back to that place?" Therese nodded; that was exactly the kind of thing she was good at. "I must say, however," Eleanor continued, "that it doesn't sound like the banshee needs exorcising as much as that darkness beyond it." She smiled dryly at Desiree. "Possibly with the enslaver gone, the slave will be set free, and you'll get your wish." It was unclear whether there was irony intended in that statement.

"Very well, then," Lennart decided. "Please plan to meet here at sundown and continue up from there. We'll arrange a military escort for you -- not including any of those thugs from the bar," he quickly added as Therese started to look uncomfortable.

Mollified, Therese thought of one more thing. "That pair we saw when we first came to town, the priest and the nun asking for prayers of deliverance? Will they be joining us?"

Lennart looked uncomfortable, and as before when that happened, Eleanor picked it up and ran with it. "If you mean the Parthiels, they will not," she said grimly. "They will be observing from a distance, from the bell tower of their church." Then she used some language that Sister Rose, if she'd been there, would have found eerily reminiscent of what she'd said on that beach south of Getsemiel. “See, if things go completely to pot up there, we want to make sure there are survivors who can tell the clean-up squad what happened.”

As Corporal Clariel had on that distant beach, Therese and the others gulped and got the message. "Very well, ma'am. We'll see you tonight." The group broke up.

[OOC: Over to you if you want to do anything with any of the others for the rest of the day, or do we just fast-forward to sundown? I'm good either way.]
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Drusia
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Re: Santuariel, Compassion, and the banshee

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"Very well, ma'am. We'll see you tonight." The group broke up.

I give Therese a sleepy smile. It's been a long morning and I didn't much sleep last night. "What would you say to food and a nap?" I ask.

-- Desiree

OOC: Sorry - been busy with my sister's upcoming wedding.
Anyway, as implied above, Desiree has nothing particular she needs to do before the ritual. Fast forward as you wish.
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Re: Santuariel, Compassion, and the banshee

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[OOC: Hope things go well with the wedding, and felicitations to all involved! So moving forward to sundown, and assuming some restful napping along the way:]


So what does one wear to perform an exorcism? Therese wondered, but in her own case, the point was basically moot; she was traveling light, as usual, and what she would wear would be, very simply, what she had available. In any event, she wasn't a priestess of the Five Great Mothers; worshiper, yes, but the conduct of the rituals of the religion had always been left to actual priestesses in Refuge-Nouveau. She saw her own role in what was about to happen as basically supportive, just doing whatever the actual exorcists told her to do. (Well, that and swinging a sword or wielding magic if things went completely to hell, although she couldn't imagine what either could accomplish against supernatural beings.) Brad, for his part, had chosen a light tunic that was part of the "traveling" vestments of the Reformed Veracian Church, something more practical for going into the wilds than full-blown robes. Thus accoutered, they and Desiree appeared at the deputy mayor's house at sunset, as agreed.

Reverend Armature and Padre Glim were already at the house when they arrived. Glim was wearing robes that, if anything, were even more ornate and flamboyant than what he had been wearing the first time Therese and Desiree saw him. He was also carrying what looked like a shepherd's crook. Did it have a bit of magic associated with it? Therese wasn't sure. Armature was still in his dwarven costume, but to this he had added a "sacred dwarven artifact" that he was alternately cradling and brandishing ... and there wasn't much doubt what this thing was, in contrast to many alleged dwarven artifacts.

"That looks for all the world like a double-barreled shotgun," Therese whispered to Desiree. "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"
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Re: Santuariel, Compassion, and the banshee

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"That looks for all the world like a double-barreled shotgun," Therese whispered to Desiree. "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

"So long as he isn't pointing it at me," I whisper back. "And yes. If there's any chance to save Compassion, then I have to take it." I try to look more confident than I feel.

-- Desiree
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Re: Santuariel, Compassion, and the banshee

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[OOC: Hope the wedding went, or goes, well! This is kinda long, but here too, it's time to get on with it, so...]

Therese nodded at these words. "Then I'm with you, of course." She squeezed Desiree's hand, and the exorcists (plus Lennart, who insisted on joining them) set off.

The hike up to the rock wall wouldn't have taken that long in normal conditions, but several factors conspired to make it slow this evening. For one thing, of course, it was night, and the moon wasn't due to rise until close to midnight. (Just about when the banshee is expected, Therese thought.) Even though the party was well equipped with magical light sources (plus a "dwarven artifact" that Reverend Armature proudly brandished, even though Therese thought it just looked like a regular oil lamp), the footing was just rough enough to discourage fast travel; Armature tripped twice and almost spilled the oil lamp, which might have had ... unfortunate ... consequences in a forest, even a scraggly one.

That was the second thing: neither Armature nor Padre Glim seemed comfortable with trail walking. Therese, Desiree and Brad had spent enough of the past several weeks on the road to be plenty trail-tough, and old Lennart seemed surprisingly steady on the comparatively rough terrain. The two competing priests, however, were obviously in unfamiliar, and uncomfortable, territory. That wasn't all bad, Therese thought; they were spending all of their effort on watching their step, and none of it on bickering. May it continue,

Finally, Therese, who had taken the lead, was keeping the place slow so she could watch for signs of trouble. The hours right around sundown would be prime time for the cave bear to be out and active, and they wouldn't want to surprise it. However, there was no fresh bear sign along the trail; Therese surmised that the beast had had the good sense to decamp because of all the fuss and fracas.

In fact, there wasn't much of any kind of activity along the trail at all. There was no birdsong, even of the owls and other kinds that normally became more active with nightfall. Even the crickets seemed silent. For a moment Therese wished that Lillith had come along, to find out whether the "spirits" were comparably subdued, but it was for the best that she and her lives within were back in a safe place.

They reached the rock face an hour and a half or so before midnight, Glim and Armature puffing and blowing, the others quiet but more because of thoughtfulness than fatigue. When the two priests looked more or less ready to proceed, Lennart cleared his throat. "It appears we have some time to plan this," he said. "So how does one perform an ecumenical exorcism?" His eyes were shifting from face to face as he said this, but they lingered particularly on Desiree and Brad; they were the two who'd been involved in something -- similar? -- recently.
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Re: Santuariel, Compassion, and the banshee

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"It appears we have some time to plan this," he said. "So how does one perform an ecumenical exorcism?" His eyes were shifting from face to face as he said this, but they lingered particularly on Desiree and Brad; they were the two who'd been involved in something -- similar? -- recently.

"I'm not really sure," I admit softly. "I'm pledged to the goddess of life and beginnings -" after previous reactions, I am hesitant to mention Anilis specifically considering the reaction last time I did so "- so back home another church would handle this sort of thing." Senilis isn't really devoted to the dead, but he is seen as a guide and protector to souls, at least in Snamish. Exitalis was never a god you wanted to call on, after all.

"My hope was that I could be of use to the situation once the entities have been manifested," I continue. "I believe I can help draw Sasha's fairy back into this world or in some way heal her or remove her pain as both of those tasks fall within my goddess' purview."

Brad can answer for himself, of course.

-- Desiree

OOC: Yes, the wedding went well. Unfortunately, I returned to a pile of papers to grade. ^^;; It never ends.
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Re: Santuariel, Compassion, and the banshee

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[OOC: Congrats to the happy couple! And it does end; eventually you'll retire, which I can recommend highly from personal experience ... although getting there is, well, time-consuming. Speaking of which, as I said a few weeks ago, I can respond very quickly to your posts through the end of this month, but things will slow down for me quite a bit in November, so to make hay while the sun shines:]

"My hope was that I could be of use to the situation once the entities have been manifested."

Brad looked uncomfortable at these words, and started to say something -- "Well, er, surviving that 'manifesting' is kind of the problem --" but he was cut off brusquely by Reverend Armature. "Hmph," he snorted. "I know how to solve this problem. You say they're inside that rock?"

Alarm bells were going off in Therese's head, but she clenched her teeth and nodded. Armature grunted again. "Then stand back, everybody!" And to Therese's horror, he unshouldered the "Holy Dwarven Artifact" that had two barrels, two triggers, and a stock.

Oh, damn, Therese thought, the whole process taking a few milliseconds. Had this idiot never heard of the concept of ricochets? Evidently not. She grabbed Desiree, threw her to the ground, and covered her with her own body as the others looked on in astonishment; apparently they'd never seen what a shotgun could do. (Later Therese would curse herself for not grabbing Armature, or at least the gun, instead, but this moment was all about instinct, rather than thought.) She covered her own head with her hands as Armature aimed (sort of) and fired ...

Click.

Apparently this crazy priest did not know that proper operation of firearms required a thing called "ammunition," either.
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Re: Santuariel, Compassion, and the banshee

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Brad looked uncomfortable at these words, and started to say something -- "Well, er, surviving that 'manifesting' is kind of the problem --" but he was cut off brusquely by Reverend Armature. "Hmph," he snorted. "I know how to solve this problem. You say they're inside that rock?"

I ignore Armature and cock my head at Brad. "Surviving? Why wou--"

"Then stand back, everybody!" She grabbed Desiree, threw her to the ground, and covered her with her own body as the others looked on in astonishment; apparently they'd never seen what a shotgun could do. She covered her own head with her hands as Armature aimed (sort of) and fired ...

I gasp as I hit the ground, the wind momentarily knocked from me. I only just have time to realize what Armature is about to do and fearfully squeeze my eyes shut before his finger tightens on the trigger and -

Click.

I open my eyes at the tiny noise. Therese, pressed to me, does the same. I watch as relief spreads over her face. I want to laugh, but I'm still too shaky, so instead I wrap my arms around Therese and kiss her passionately.

-- Desiree

Welp, that will probably confuse everyone (except Therese). Anyway, once she's standing again, Desiree will offer Therese a proper "thank you" (that is, she will say the words "thank you") - I went with the kiss because if Desiree has a default/rebooting reaction, it is to kiss.
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Re: Santuariel, Compassion, and the banshee

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If Reverend Armature was in any way discomfited by the non-firing of the shotgun, he didn't show it. Quite the contrary; he slung the gun on his back again, and orated, "There. The Holy Power of the Sacred Dwarves will take care of the rest."

Therese barely noticed this pronouncement, having given herself to Desiree's kiss. (Why not? The immediate danger had passed, hadn't it? And there was some adrenaline to be worked off.) She would have been surprised, but also amused, to see that Brad and Padre Glim were sharing a rolling of eyes and a wry smile. Lennart was doing his best to control the laughter that was threatening to burst forth; his position, at least, called for a bit of decorum. He too was not entirely successful in this.

A few minutes later, everyone had regained their composure -- well, it could be argued that Armature had never really lost his. Now he was standing in front of the rock face, looking smug, and reminding everyone that, in fact, nothing was happening on the other side of it. It was just about time for the banshee to put in her appearance, based on the previous nights, and there was no noise behind the rock, no signs of activity, nothing; at least nothing that anyone could detect without putting up specific detection magic. Therese had intended to do that; it was part of her generally wary nature when on a mission. However, she'd been distracted to the point of letting her defenses down.

Armature rapped his knuckles noisily on the rock face, almost as though knocking on a door. "I don't think we'll be having to worry about this place any more," he said pridefully.

[OOC: OK, over to you ... but the next installment is going to be rather long.]
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Re: Santuariel, Compassion, and the banshee

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[OOC: Are you still there? Let me try to move this forward ... and this move isn't a baby step, it's a large leap.]

Therese watched the weird priest with rising alarm. Of all the maybe-doors in the world, this was probably THE one that she was least interested in having knocked on so that whatever was on the other side would take notice. "Uh, I don't really think you should be doing --" she began, but Reverend Armature cut her off.

"Pfft. Silly superstitions," he sniffed, not the slightest bit of irony in his voice, "This is simply a rock wall now, now and for all time. The Holy Dwarves have protected Their people. You have nothing to fear from it. My work here is done." And he tapped on the wall again... just in time for a horrified outburst from Brad. "NO! It's --"

Brad had come a long way from the space case that his cousin had found on the road in Veracia, and now he was the one of the whole bunch who'd had the presence of mind, while Armature was orating, to put up some detection magic; specifically, for the detection of magic. And there was magic on the door now. LOTS of magic. He could feel the evil on it, too. But he didn't get to finish the sentence before things began to happen. Bad things.

Armature's first knuckle on the wall made a tap just like before, but the effect of the second one was much different. His hand passed through the wall as though it wasn't there, even though to the unaided eye, it still looked like a rock face.

He barely had time to register this anomaly when something on the other side of that barrier seized his hand. And pulled. Hard. As the others watched, shock turning into horror, he was lifted off his feet and drawn through the wall.

"NOOOOOOO!" the man's yell came from beyond the barrier, but even in the few seconds it lasted, it was becoming fainter, as though receding in the distance at speed. And then it was replaced by something else, a high, gurgling, choking rattle ... one which Therese knew from experience was the kind of death scream made by a man whose throat had just been cut.

The rattle died out, maybe from distance, maybe from the end of the speaker's life, as the Dwarven Artifact clattered to the ground where Armature had been standing. From beneath the rock wall, blood began to seep.

[OOC: Well, push has finally come to shove... Over to you.]
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