final trial

[arsholes]

[After a harrowing couple of hours, some illuminating discoveries, a couple of new allies, and a couple of new injuries, eventually Garfield's warning comes to mind. Shit's popping off. And now that you've got all of the ritual components (minus the hammer which, well, you have its owner), it might be time to return to the trial room and see if you can do something about it.

Reconvene in the Great Hall and make your way upstairs.]

Comments

[sunshade]

[ She's here with her collection of levitating books and monster knife. ]

Will someone bring me up to speed? What exactly do we need to do this?

[ninehundredlives]

What are we doing, exactly?

[I think? This bit is upstairs after we've all prepared and everything? If so, she may or may not have just taken some of Stella's clothes.]

[ghostsguysgyuudon]

My ghost friend told us about a ritual. It's to free the souls the Patron's trapped, and I think maybe destroy the tower. Because he's all over it -- he has some power tying himself to it, I think.

[ninehundredlives]

.....okay.

[THIS MIGHT AS WELL HAPPEN? SHE GUESSES?]

Who's your ghost friend?

[ghostsguysgyuudon]

I'm not really sure how long he's been here. He never seems to be able to stay for long, since he runs away whenever it feels like the Patron is watching. But even if something keeps me from seeing or talking to him, he's been getting stronger. He helped when the Patron attacked me, and... um, he wears leather shoes and uses a cane? He's tall and kind of buff? I don't know if the description helps.

[ninehundredlives]

Well, the only dead men from my...class? Were Loki and Gilear. And that certainly doesn't sound like Gilear.

[Nor Loki, but you guys actually knew him, so.]

[ghostsguysgyuudon]

Let me think, what did he tell us? The black candle for fire, the bowl for water -- I think it needs water in it -- the empty flask for air, we have to pour the sand into the pouch for earth, the hammer for metal, and then blood drawn with the knife, right? And then they make the circle.

[spitessier]

Anything specific for the blood? No requirements about who has to give it?

[ghostsguysgyuudon]

No, the illusion didn't show anyone specifically.

[replacementshield]

No, just that it's done with that ceremonial dagger.

[ Which he happens to have. So. ]

[replacementshield]

There were other runes in the circle too.

[sunshade]

Fire, water, air, earth, metal, blood...

[ She hums in thought. ]

Very well. I'm willing to volunteer my own blood; I'd rather not let this knife out of my sight.

[ As much as she hates blood magic. She'd rather it be her own being used for a weird spell than anyone else's. ]

[ninehundredlives]

Couldn't you just use a different knife? I'm not sure anybody should be cutting themselves with that...even if that isn't how the magic works, I doubt that man sanitizes his tools.

[twibeast]

We have to use... that knife specifically?

[ What if it also turns living people into monsters too, he is concerned ]

[rikonstructed]

It should be the knife Felix has.

[Putting this in quickly and with some alarm!]

[replacementshield]

Don't be ridiculous. The one we should use is the ceremonial dagger I found.

[ He hasn't agreed to her volunteering her to use her own blood, exactly either. ]

[sunshade]

[ DON'T @ HER FELIX I DIDN'T KNOW THERE WAS MORE THAN ONE KNIFE ]

[rikonstructed]

[Nuadha will produce Bryn's notes from the seance to offer over.]

A ritual circle, I believe. Brynhilde's notes are more detailed than mine.

[arsholes]

[By the way as they reach the top of the stairs, the trial room is still wrecked. Several of the pillars are toppled and shattered, and some look like they've been cut. Heisenberg's scaffold is shredded into pieces, some embedded in the walls and pillars.

The doors are still gone. The wards that had kept you from coming in earlier in the week are parted, like a curtain, when you reach the top of the stairs. And they close behind you when you enter, as well.]

[ninehundredlives]

...I don't feel great about that.

[But okay, they're stuck in here now!]

[twibeast]

[ ughhhhhhhh being back in here again make him feel ill. Good thing he has Orpheus' harp and Patroclus' flowers to give him the strength he needs ]

[replacementshield]

[ Is the hammer out in the open somewhere?? ]

[arsholes]

[It is! It's sticking out of the remains of Zenos' podium, which has been utterly obliterated.]

[ghostsguysgyuudon]

[Mei shudders as the wards shut. She's now in the gold ballgown from the Week 4 party, the armour from Katsuya over top of it, staff strapped to her back and sword at her side. There's no space to hide things in the sleeves like with all the kimono she normally wears, but the message is clear. We've made our decision.

She looks around.] We have to set it up the right way. We have what we need, right?

[rikonstructed]

[Nuadha casts a less than pleased look back at those wards, but he nods.]

I believe so. I've brought chalk, since that's what Brynhilde used for her ritual. If we have no reason to draw this out I'll begin making the circle.

[Help wouldn't go amiss though, this thing probably needs to be big.]