| Father Slayer and Little Brother |
| Summary: | The ritual to find Besa's missing piece his heart brings much more to light. |
| Date: | 2018-03-24 |
| Related: | Related Logs (Say None if there aren't any; don't leave blank. You have to use full URLs, like http://coralsprings.wikidot.com/logtitle) |
| NPCs: | Players go below, other chars that deserve mention can be listed here |
| Scene Runner: | Who ran this scene, NA if no-one or mutual |
| Players: |
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Back Lawn Winbarry Estates
Sat Mar 24, 2018 — Sat Mar 24 19:03:31 2018
A large swatch of green that goes in all directions. To the east and northeast, the lawn goes from the green of grass to the yellowish-brown of sea grass and then sandy beach, the blue-green of the ocean spreading out as far as the eye can see. In the center is a tall overgrown hedgemaze, with dormant flowering bushes at the corners.
There is a large section of the lawn that is void of any snow. In fact the grass that was underneath appears to be rather brittle, like it is dried out. The snow at the edge of it is iced over from where it looks like it had melted then refroze. There are five pillar candles burning to form a pentacle, though the lines are not drawn. Off to the side there is a small towel laid out on the ground with apples, grapes, a bowl of oats, a small bowl of honey, and a bottle of red wine and a glass with wine in it. In the center of the area, is Ashton, kneeling. He is shirtless and wearing a pair of grey sweat pants. Down the inner arm of each arm are a series of strange elaborate glyphs, it is demonic for those familiar with the written language, reaching almost from wrist to elbow. There is a large flat bowl in front of him with a knife to one side of it, and some medical supplies (lots and lots of bandages) to the other side ot it.
Besa went , dropped off Cocoa and found Sky. He's been very quiet, but he's here. His jacket is off and he's already rolling up his left sleeve for what he knows is coming. The items are looked at, in fact he's studying them and not the glyphs on Ashton's arm. Those make his stomach clench. He shivers, maybe he should have cast a warmth rune before this started….
<FS3> Schuyler rolls Mind: Failure.
When Besa left to hand off his dog, Loukanos came out to watch Ashton set up. He has watched the meticulous preparation. The food might seem like a waste, but he knows what (or who) it is for. He nibbles on his lip, a concerned expression clear on his face. He's nervous and can't find the resolve to fake confidence right now.
Schuyler was quite surprised when Besa sought him out and asked him to come along. Rain knows more about magical theory, but if Besa asks him to be somewhere, he'll go. Sky has on his usual black as well as a coat and scarf against the cold and there's a lit clove cigarette in hand. He looks at the different items off to the side before looking to the others and the cigarette. Should he put that out? Will it matter? He moves to try and stand downwind so that it doesn't interrupt anything; he doesn't have too much experience with magic, but his mother is quite the sorceress so it's not entirely new to him. After a moment, he moves over next to Besa and reaches to place a hand on the other's shoulder. «We're here for you,» is offered gently.
Bryce is standing off to the side having never witnessed real magic before. He hasn't seen stage magic except for a bit of a video he saw on the internet once. He shuts his eyes and reviews the first aid books he has read that dealt with blood loss. He then opens his eyes and wonders if anything dangerous will happen in all of this. Seeing Schuyler there, he uses sign language to say ~Good evening. Do you know what is going on?~
Ashton doesn't react to the arrivals at first, as he is trying to center himself and settle his nerves. After a moment, he opens his eyes. From the medical supplies, he pulls a sealed scalpel and a small class glass, or shotglass. There is a black line, drawn with a sharpie, about a fourth of the way up. He looks to Besa. "I need your blood as a catalyst and conduit, so you don't have to be involved in the spell itself. Just in case there is some issue, that scalpel is sharp and has never been used, so my blood has never been on it. I need just up to that line."
Besa nods to Sky, although the motion is a little stiff. He shoves his hand into his pants pocket and pulls out his own bandages. To Louk, "When this is over I shall heal him?" Also a small reminder to not heal Besa right away, they'll need his blood to heal Ashton. Speaking of, he'll step over to the shirtless teen. "If you need my assistance, let me know." Not hat he wants to be part of a demon ritual, but it wouldn't be the first one. The shot glass is taken, but not the scalpel. That's frowned at, "I would rather use my knife…I know it's weight better." And unless someone stops him, he pulls out a small ivory dagger from his pocket as well, and cuts his left forearm on the inside. Anyone looking will see he's got a enough scars to indicate this is not his first rodeo with having to cut himself for magic. The glass is filled as Besa grimaces, a little over the mark and then handed back to Ashton or whoever needs to take it. He'll step back, cloth pressed to his cut and wait.
Schuyler catches Bryce and notes his signing and the cigarette is puffed as he shrugs and signs back, 'Magic'. That's the best he's got. He stands back once Besa is handed the glass and he says nothing about the blood-letting. This isn't the sort of magic his mother practices, but this is not the place to protest any cutting or healing. 'I'm here for moral support, I think,' is offered as he makes sure to blow the smoke away downwind of the ritual so that it doesn't affect it, or so he hopes. There's a wince as Besa cuts his arm and he watches the letting with a frown but is there to help in whatever ways are needed…but not to interfere.
Loukanos isn't cold, but he nervously rubs his arm. This is a lot of blood! "Of course," He says to Besa. It is a bit of relief. If he keeps extending his divinity to everyone, there'll be no more for him! "Do you think you'll be alright with that, Ashton?" He isn't sure how the boy will react to it being used on him.
Bryce nods his head looking over at Schuyler. He wonders why the blood is needed and what it does; however, he figures that this is not a good time to do such question. Perhaps later. Maybe he can find a book. When Besa cuts his arm and causes the blood to flow, Bryce winches a bit and almost instinctly uses his power to engage a thin armor underneath his clothes.
<FS3> Ashton rolls Mystic: Good Success.
Ashton nods to Besa, "Your blade is fine. I just didn't want to put you at risk… " pause, "just in case…" He doesn't say just in case, but his concern should be obvious to Besa, or so he hopes. He takes the glass, "Once I add your blood to the mirror anyone who looks into the bowl will see the refection of what we seek." He smiles and nods to Loukanos, "I'm good with Besa tending to me, as long as he has you and the others to make sure that he remains… … um safe." He looks around, "Once I start drawing the glyphs, nothing can interrupt me, otherwise.. well, it won't be good." What drawing, his arms are already covered in drawings. With that, he picks up his own blade. He kisses the blade the offers it to the moon. He whispers a soft prayer to the moon. He then starts tracing the glifes on his right arm, starting with wrist to elbow, cutting the pattern already on his arms. As he does, his blood begins to run down his arm and drains off into the large bowl. As he starts cutting himself, he starts speaking in a rough, inhuman language - one that Besa knows all too well. Ashton's eyes start to turn more green than blue. Meanwhile, the candle flames turn to an eerie green and double, at the very least, in the flames' height. And at this rate, he has only carved out the glyphs of the right arm; he still has the other arm to do. For those sensitive to such, the flow of magic is strong, as is that demonic aura which emmenates from the young sorcerer.
Besa presses his hand into his arm harder, glancing at Sky as Ashton starts speaking in the demonic language. The dark skinned boy pales and for a moment looks like he's going to be sick, but he holds it together, needing to look into the mirror himself. A few steps closer o the mirror so he can see clearly when the reflection when his blood is added. The ancient boys fists ball up, the fight or flight response is hard to keep under control. A quick glance to Ashotn, but the blood arm has him turning back to the mirror.
That is not exactly encouraging, but Loukanos doesn't fuss about it. Not when Ashton begins the spell. As that magic begins to make itself known around them, his eyelids slowly close and focuses on it and the aura that has become so very 'Ashton' to him. Opening his eyes again, he winces. It is not quite the sight of blood that has him shivering, but the person it comes from. He can't quite pull his gaze from it.
Schuyler watches the ritual and looks concerned as Besa glances over to him, but he nods and signs, 'You can do this. We're here for you.' He's trying to keep quiet so that the other isn't interrupted but there's a shiver as he senses a somewhat familiar 'aura'. Even as Besa steps closer to look in the mirror, he tries to catch a peek as well but also tries not to get in the way.
Ashton moves to start cutting on the left arm. It's more difficult for the dark-haired teen to move as fluidly as he did with the other arm, between the pain that is wracking that arm and the blood making the knife slippery to heal. Of course, the original spell called for this to be done to another individual the hung upside down by their ankles so that the blood would pool beneath them. This set of glyphs easily takes twice as long. Once done, he turns his arms so that his forearms are skyward and his wrists are angled down towards the bowl. He continues to speak the fell language. As he does, the candle flames raise to several feet high, and the glyphs on his arms and his eyes glow the same eerie green. His voice sounds weak. "Besa, once I pour your blood into the bowl, place your fingers into the blood, and concentrate on your heart and the part stolen from you. Once I place my fingers in the bowl, anyone that you wish to see as well may do so, once I say the final enchantation. So long as both of us are in contact with the blood, they will see as well… " He was pretty pale starting off, but now his previous complexion was positively bronzed compared to him now. He offers a weak smile, "Last chance to change your mind…" Ashton then nods to Besa as he takes the much smaller amount of Besa's blood and pours it into the bowl.
<FS3> Besa rolls Past Lives: Great Success.
Besa's shaking pretty hard, those words, those glyphs are so much like what he's been tortured with. It's hard to not be terrified. But he takes as deep. Breath as he can with his heart pounding in his chest and kneels down next to the bowl. A glance to the others, before he touches to surface of the mixed blood with his left 2 fingers. He thinks back to what happened to him, his murder, his heart being stolen. What it felt like to have his heart whole. Obviously, he's not changing his mind. He just wants to be whole again, and with hat he concentrates hard on his missing heart piece.
You paged Ashton with 'didn't think there would be, it's more just so I knew the level of freak out he should have afterwards'
There is only a moment of hesitation, then Loukanos moves over and dips his fingers into the bowl of blood. He presumes Besa would not have a problem with him seeing what he sees. Maybe he presumes too much, but that's what he does. As he gets close enough to note Ashton's weakness, he furrows his brows and finally looks away. The sight is almost heart-rending, so the mirror is gazed at instead.
Schuyler tries to keep the smoke from his clove cigarette from getting too close to the ritual even as he continues to frown with concern. His attention is mostly on Besa, but there are a few glances to Ashton as well. At the invitation to dip his fingers in their blood in order to see what's in the mirror, he hesitates. This is well beyond his experience and it seems almost…invasive to do so. But Rain would kill him if he didn't at least try and see who it is they need to go after so the cigarette is put out and he takes a deep breath before stepping over to also dip his fingers in the blood.
As he speaks the last words of power, Ashton's expression blanks. In the minds of all four, a clear image of several priests making a deal with Alraxmargoth'ha and the first time that Besa is sacrificed. Like a flip book of images, Besa's deaths flip by, many too fast to even make out. It stops at the night that Besa is attacked and the part of his heart is stolen. The next image is the piece of the heart, being placed into the chest of the Elder priest. As the old man's heart starts beating again, Besa's heart is grasped by the priest's heart like greedy fingers, and the old man's eyes open up. At that moment, each can feel a very faint pull towards that old man's chest and the stolen heart. It is almost silent at this distance, but faintly there.
Meanwhile the night seems to darken, as four pairs of eyes, angling up and outward, as if on the same massive skull. It says in same tongue that Ashton had been speaking. "You… father-slayer… the warlock did not lie… " The eyes move to Ashton, "And you… little brother… you both will be mine…"
As the creature breeches the rip in the air, the candle flames rise, as Ashton's head falls back and he screams the demonic world 'banish'. Then the candles are extinguished. The creature is gone, and lying in a pool of moonlight is an unconscious Ashton, bleeding worse than before, not just from his cuts but from his ears and nose as well.
<FS3> Besa rolls Blood Healing+50: Great Success.
Besa stops breathing. Hopefully he's just holding his breath, but his eyes are wide with pain and fear. Maybe it's just remembered pain…maybe. Most of the deaths are bloody, painful looking as they flip by, blending into a red blur. Finally he lets out a soft whimper when he realizes his heart is in the old priest. It never dawned on him that they would have to literally rip it out of a living person. He'd get sick, but there's no time, when another voice beaks though the spell. Or maybe reverse, reverse enter the spell? Either way, Besa whispers disbelief in Coptic, although it's clear he does believe what he's seeing and hearing. Sky may notice he reaches for his thigh, where his Khophesh is. But again, there's no time to attack, Ashton banishes the demon and collapses. Besa seems in shock, which probably is best for Ashton because he falls down next tot the bleeding boy and instinctively does what he does, and heals him. He stumbles over the words, but presses his wounded arm against the bleeding son of his dead mortal enemy.
Sky doesn't say anything (ha) but steps over and places a supportive hand on Best while he heals Ashton
The images of that ancient time in a land so far away…they engross Loukanos, and he closes his eyes and clears his mind of everything but them. Those bright eyes open every once and a while to cast a glance at Ashton to measure his development. Of course, he does not understand the language the demons speak. He might have had some hope of grasping some of it, but not now when his connection to Olympos is so weak. He can still feel the presence of more demons and focuses on that instead. It's not much, but he knows that it is not just the four of them anymore. Once Ashton falls, so does he, onto his knees right next to him. "Besa…" But the other is there as well already mending the wounds.
Ashton looks up, blinking. "What happened? Did it not go off?" He sighs and groans. His body is whole, but his very soul is exhausted. "I'm sorry Besa.. I really thought that I could do it…"
Besa's healing is not instantaneous, but all the cuts and some of the blood lose will be healed. Not enough to make Ashton feel great, but he's not going to die (well, not because of these injuries). After the heal happens though, its AShotn not funding like he saw or heard anything, it's too much for the ancient teen. Too many old wounds ripped open, too much stress with the new threats. His bleeding forearm is pressed to his chest, red staining the white shirt as he stumbles backwards. A soft, pitiful noise, one filled with terror escapes him as bumps into Sky. The Ares tries to wrap an arm around the Ancient teen and speaks something directly into Besa's mind. Best flinches. This is near waking up from being resurrected fear. He can't say anything, the panic attack is making it so he has a hard time even breathing.
<FS3> Loukanos rolls Restoration: Good Success.
<FS3> Loukanos rolls Psychic: Success.
<FS3> Opposed Roll — Louk=psychic Vs Besa=psychic
< Louk: Good Success Besa: Success
< Net Result: Louk wins - Marginal Victory
"You did fine, Ashton," Loukanos smiles faintly and lets out a relieved sigh when the boy's eyes flutter open. "We saw what we needed." There was no pinpointed location, but he won't disappoint Ashton with that news just yet. Hearing a terrified Besa snaps him out of examining Ashton for leftover injuries, he sighs and looks so very sorry. This must be incredibly difficult. The cut on his forearm heals almost instantly; Louk needn't touch the Egyptian to fix a wound so minor. As for the stress brought on by reliving past events…Louk doesn't do this often, especially not without permission, but Besa is not in a state where consent can be easily gathered. He takes a deep breath, and when he exhales, the soothing aura that accompanies his healing is all around them. It is an almost tranquil feeling. Everyone present feels it, but the godling notes a bit of resistance on Besa's end…and stands up to kill it with a hug.
Ashton slowly sits up, as he rubs the back of his neck. "Shit I feel worse than my first hangover.. " He watches Louk take care of Besa, "Okay, seriously, what the hell is going on…" His words slow as he speaks, as his coloring once again pales. He even gets a slightly greenish tinge like he is going to throw up, then shivers run down his spine. He looks around nervously mostly in the direction that the demon had briefly appeared.
No one heard the actual words but Besa. Again, they'll not believe him or tell him he's over reacting. He doesn't even notice his arm, or the improvement in his heart beat. He's fighting for air in Sky's arms, but then a calming blanket falls down over everyone and he finally gets a breath in enough to look at Sky. Sky, in typical sky fashion is scowling, arm tightening protectively around Besa, not enough to not allow Louk to touch him, but he's not handing him over. «I've got him.» Best looks back at Ashton and Louk, "C-could you…understand it?" He knows that sometimes Louk can understand different languages.
Ashton swallows a couple of times then turns away from Louk, Besa, and Sky and vomits. He looks over at Besa, "Wait.. what the shit?" He crosses his arms over his chest, shivering. "Did something else happen? Something doesn't feel right? Besides the fact that I'm freezing…" He looks over at Besa, "I… Can we talk about this later? I think I'm going to get sick again…" And once again, he turns away as he voids the contents of his stomach.
"Okay…" Maybe Schuyler felt what Loukanos did and does not approve. Loukanos brushes off the guilt and shakes his head. "I'm afraid I only caught snippets of it, Besa…" His connection is weak but alive. Perhaps his recent commune with the goddess of the night has helped him in that regard. "…and Ashton is not likely to remember it. Could you not?" He had thought Besa could comprehend the tongue…he knows that he can read it. Making his way towards Ashton, the vomit gives him pause. "Maybe we should all go inside?"
Besa starts shaking, cold, fear and anxiety getting the best of him as well, even with Louk's calming mind whammy. He uses Sky to help him stand, "I….did…yes." he doesn't explain further, Ashton's throwing up and he feels like he might as well. Sky wraps an arm around Best waste and sharply says, «Tomorrow.» Rain's waiting nd Besa needs Cocoa.
(feel free to tag the log with character names of those involved!)