Homontel, and beyond

[Sareth]

"It wasn't him, either, I think," Lillith replied. "Malicious he might be, but no ghost I've ever heard of could conjure up a storm like that. I could be wrong, I guess. But I think the best he could do is throw things or push people hard enough to bruise. I think this was something much more powerful!"

[Graybeard]

"I'm past the point of trying to guess what that was all about," Sister Rose said. "If you still want to send this restless spirit on his way, be my guest. But then we're going to have to do some fact finding."

---------

"Who's the big guy?" Brother Farley asked Kristi, no longer bothering to whisper. Whoever he was, he'd caught the brunt of the exploding crystal ball and was bleeding from a number of cuts. The lifemages were back in the room, and the one Kristi had called "Hildebrandt" was already ministering to the man, while Dirienzal fluttered around the room (if a man built like a pear can be said to "flutter").

"Professor Damyo," Kristi answered. "I had a class in Principles of Conjuration from him. He's okay. Well, 'was' okay. I hope he still is."

The lifemages appeared to have stopped Damyo's bleeding, and Hildebrandt was now giving him a once-over while the other lifemage moved on to do the same to Dirienzal. "I'm all right," the big man said in a deep, curiously accented voice. "Take care of the others." He gestured to the lab assistants, several of whom had taken cuts that were going to require some attention. He turned away from the others, which brought his face into full view of the group in the viewing room ...

... Who could see an unmistakable red glow in his eyes.

[Sareth]

"I think I should. If you want to wait further down the hill I won't be offended." Turning from Sister Rose, Lillith looked at Cit. Her voice was a bit cool as she addressed the half elf. "If you want to help, you can. But please leave the knife. I don't think the blood will help." She momentarilly looked apologetic. "I'm sorry."

With that she dug several things out of her pack and began arranging them about the tree, creating a circle with candles and various little staties of a woman.

[Graybeard]

"Do you recognize this rite?" Sister Rose asked Brother Miguel, after they'd retreated a short distance down the hill.

"Only generically," Miguel replied. "Most of the earth-mother religions have fairly similar ways of doing things. What she's doing fits the general formula, which she herself may not know, but there are some specifics that I'm not familiar with. That's one reason why I'm willing to let her do this rather than the two of us simply doing a Dismissal; I'd like to see what she's up to."

"Jeramel and the Orthodox church would have a cow if they heard you say that," Rose chuckled.

"Jeramel and the Orthodox church can go pound sand. It isn't just thousand-year-old parchments that you can learn things from." They settled in to watch what the half elves were doing, quietly gathering a bit of mana around them ... just in case.

---------

The glow in Damyo's eyes passed in a moment, but not before Brother Farley and Kristi had exchanged a look and a nod. They didn't need to ask each other whether they'd seen the oddity; they knew. Something would be said about it when they got back to Kiyoka -- but in the mean time, Dirienzal seemed to be plowing ahead with his study, as though the exploding crystal ball had never happened. That's the nice thing about being a professor, Farley thought; you can be a completely otherworldly obsessive-compulsive ... and people simply call you the world's leading expert in your field.

[Sareth]

The items Lillith had not used were sorted in her hand, and she stepped into the circle she had created, entering from the East. She took a moment to still herself. She had never exercised a tree before, but she knew the cerimony well enough. She just needed to take her time.

"Let it be known that the circle is about to be cast. All who enter the Circle may do so in perfect love and perfect trust."

No one entered with her, nor did she expect anyone to. Cit had elected to stay further away (and frankly, she didn't mind. The blood on the blade could have left a taint on him as well) and the others were remaining further away. But there were formalities to observe.

Having started the rite, she lit a simple white candle, then turned about until she was facing the yellow candle she had stepped over to enter the circle around the tree. Bending down, she lit it.

"Guardians of the East, I call upon you to watch over the rites of this, your servant. Powers of knowledge and wisdom, guided by Air, we ask that you keep watch over us tonight within this circle.

"Let all who enter the circle under your guidance do so in perfect love and perfect trust."

Circling to the south, she stood before a red candle. Lighting it, she intoned:

"Guardians of the South, I call upon you to watch over the rites of this your servant. Powers of energy and will, guided by Fire, we ask that you keep watch over us tonight within this circle.
“Let all who enter the circle under your guidance do so in perfect love and perfect trust.”

To the west she stood before a blue candle.

“Guardians of the West, I call upon you to watch over the rites of this, your servant.
Powers of passion and emotion, guided by Water, we ask that you keep watch over us
tonight within this circle.

“Let all who enter the circle under your guidance do so in perfect love and perfect trust.”

At last she reached the northern candle. As it was lit, she stated:

“Guardians of the North, I call upon you to watch over the rites of this, your servant.
Powers of endurance and strength, guided by Earth, we ask that you keep watch over us
tonight within this circle.

“Let all who enter the circle under your guidance do so in perfect love and perfect trust.”

She then walked back around to the east, and faced the tree.

“The circle is now cast.”

That was the easy part. Next it would get difficult.

[Drannin]

Argus watched with an interested, analytical eye. Hm... elemental invocation... most likely an ambient spirit incantation... taouching the world of spirits, if you will. Either that, or just the 'drippy candle' part of the rite. Either way, from a purely technical point of view... it was quite interesting

Harker leaned over and whispered to Argus; "She gonna strip down, Boss? 'Cuz that'd be great."

Argus placed his hand on the familiar's mouth. "Hush."

[Graybeard]

Brother Miguel and Sister Rose watched, fascinated, as Lillith's ceremony proceeded. "Will it work?" Rose whispered.

"Probably," Miguel answered softly. "The principles are the same as if we were doing a Dismissal. A good Tsuirakuan lifemage could probably do it too. But in each case, theoretically excluding our own, I wonder about just what the life force -- some people call it the 'Gray' -- is being dismissed to. That's the important part. Well, that's one for the theologians, I'm not qualified to -- what's that?"

Apparently unnoticed by the woman performing the ritual, a small but perceptible earth tremor moved the hill ... and it was definitely coming up from below.

----------

The large professor left the laboratory without a word as Dirienzal started to cast what was obviously a complex, mana-intensive spell.

"Divination wasn't my best subject," Kristi whispered to Brother Farley. "I don't know what he's doing here." Farley shrugged in reply. "You don't have to know the anatomy of a horse to get into the excitement of a horse race, after all."

The pair resumed watching as a number of the instruments around the lab started to come alive. They seemed to brighten and dim with the rising and falling of Dirienzal's voice; whatever was going on here, regardless of whether it exposed the secret of this killer furniture, it was good theater. Even the lab assistants were getting into the excitement, their own voices rising and falling as they watched (participated?). The excitement was building to a crescendo, a climax ...

[Sareth]

The circle completed and consecrated, Lillith settled to her knees. She set a bowl on the ground next to her, then drew out salt and a bottle of water. She poured some water into the bowl, then dropped a pinch of salt into the water, stirring it with her finger.

"It is time to draw down the moon as the gracious Mother has directed. I call upon the Mighty Mother of us all, bringer of all that is fruitful, by seed and root, by leaf and flower and fruit, in the fullness of the Moon do I invoke you to descend upon the body of this, your servant."

She dabbed a wet finger against her forehead.

"I cleanse my thoughts that they might be pure and honest - grant that they always be pleasing to the Spirits and the Goddess."

Dipping her fingers in the water, she then brought them to her throat.

"I cleanse my voice that all that I say might be for good and naught for ill or harm. "

Dampening her fingers, she then brought them to her breast, wetting the cloth.

"I cleanse my heart that it might be open, giving, and full of light. Grant that I might give freely of my love and care to others."

Both hands slipped into the bowl, and briefly she wrung her hands together, as though washing.

"I cleanse my hands that I might use them for workings of good, to help and never to harm."

Finally she dripped water over her feet, rubbing them with her hands.

"I cleanse my feet that they might take me far in life, that my journeys may be filled with love, light, peace and the joy of the Goddess and the Spirits."

That done, she looked to the tree. The malignant spirit was trapped inside with her, and she was protected. Or as protected as she could be. Now it was time to dispatch it, casting it from this place.

[Graybeard]

"Laying it on a bit thick, isn't she?" Brother Miguel whispered.

Sister Rose started to chuckle, then thought better of it. "A bit, but nobody who's ever been through the Rite of Luminosita's First Tears in Emerylon has the right to throw stones."

"Point." Emerylon had an extended dry season in late summer and fall, during which vegetation became tinder-dry and prone to disastrous wildfires. When the first monsoonal rains finally fell, the celebrations were ... extensive. Rose and Miguel had found themselves there at the time of one Rite, were pressed into service to help with crowd control, and hoo boy.

The ground trembled again while Lillith was drawing her breath, again diverting their attention. "I'm getting nervous about that," Rose said quietly. "I don't think it has anything to do with her ceremony, but there has been altogether too much weirdness around here lately for me to consider it completely natural. Let's keep an eye on it."

"Agreed," Miguel said, as they resumed watching what was going on at the top of the hill.

----------

Even in the viewing room, the excitement in the laboratory was palpable as Dirienzal's spell reached its culmination. Brother Farley and Kristi rose from their seats without even thinking about it, watching the round man spread his hands as though summoning forth a demon (or angel, depending on your point of view). Having struck a sufficiently heroic pose, he shouted, in a voice audible in the booth without amplification, "BEHOLD!!" ...

... And absolutely nothing happened except for a small glow in one of the laboratory's instruments.

"That's all?" Farley, Kristi, Dirienzal and the lab assistants said in chorus -- one with considerably more chagrin in his voice than the others.

[Sareth]

She felt strong. The blessings of the Goddess flowed down on her. She felt the youth and vigor of the Maiden. She had the love and compassion of the Mother. She knew the wisdom of the Crone. It felt good to know that, even in land laboring under Luminosita, she could be reached by the one whom she served.

But she felt something else, as well. The dead man was not pleased. She had trapped him within the circle, taking him by surprise, then strengthened herself while he was recovering from the surprise. But now he was warned, and he was responding. She could feel a growing pressure.

Swiftly sorting through the items she had assembled, she set up a stick of frankincense, lighting it with the white candle that she’d used to light the other candles. The smoke rose into the air, twisting about her.

On the ground, a large stone began to vibrate. Slowly, it began to lift. The ghost clearly intended harm. Several pebbles also rose, flying at her, yet somehow missing as the protection she had called for shielded her.

Lillith ignored it, picking up both the candle and the stick of incense. She began walking around the edge of the circle, following the same path she had when first she had created it.

“By fire and flame, by smoke and scent, I drive from this circle all chaos and dissent.”

The large stone had, by now, lifted to about four feet. As she uttered the phrase, it bobbled, rocking, then fell to the ground. Several pebbles fell about it as well, sounding like a brief spate of hail. It attempted to lift again, but merely shook and vibrated. Above her, the tree’s branches began to flail about wildly, as though struggling.

Lillith settled the candle and the stick of incense on the ground, letting the smoke rise on the air. She picked up a roll of cloth, carefully unwinding it until she could pull out a dried sprig of sage. She picked up the bowl of water, dipping the sprig into it, and circled again. She sprinkled water from the sprig as she went, intoning further.

“By water and salt, by herb and flower, peace and contentment return in this hour.”

The branches ceased their struggle, settling, and the rock, too, stilled. There was still a sound, a feint wailing on the breeze. But the angry spirit of the hanged man was restrained, no longer able to fight back. Now she simply had to finish the job. It couldn’t leave the circle. But she wouldn’t allow it to stay in the circle either. Unable to leave, and unable to stay, it would be forced to take the only exit left to it… leaving this world for the next.

“Follow the light, follow the scent. Into the Earth and into the air, energies gathered here I now vent.”

She blew out the candle, and the wailing stopped, trailing away with the smoke coming from the now dead wick. Kneeling, she bent down at the base of the tree and dug a small hole. She settled the candle in it, then placed both the sprig of sage and the frankincense, still smoking, beside it. She pulled the dirt from the hole back over them, burying them, and dragging the spirit down into the depths with them. Thus trapped, it would be confined until it gave up and left in the only direction it could go. Then it would be Fate’s problem, and trouble no one further. To encourage it by making it’s confined grave uncomfortable, she poured out the bowl of holy water atop the small mound.

It was done.

Smiling, she stood up and looked down to the watching Luminositan clergy and Tsuirakuan mages. Her way may have been slow, but it was effective. Now she just had to open the circle, and they could continue, trying to solve the mystery of Sasha’s equipment working on its own.
She stepped to the east, raising her hand, preparing to cut the circle…

And then the entire hill heaved, knocking her to her knees.