faderift | Let No Soul Hunger For Justice: Suddenly... Demons!

This time, the setup is exceedingly simple. There’s little time for chatter or just plain messing around when most of the work is setting up a binding circle… but there’s still a few moments to be grabbed before getting in place. Potions are at the ready, precautions taken for whatever could possibly go wrong in this.

Toward the end of the casting, it’s clear something is happening. Anders’ skin appears to crack and there’s blue showing through the gaps but the blue does not leave him. Instead he stands, eyes blue as the sky, and holds out a hand. Power crackles, arcing between his fingers and the edge of the binding circle- the runes flaring, searing into the grass with acrid smoke. A sub audible hum winds through the air as the fade warps, wrenches, rips- fade green spilling and twining around Justice’s blue, power bouncing back and forth as the sigils glow brighter and the cracks grow wider, air thick with distant shrieks from just the other side of the veil-

Something gives. The ground sunders underfoot and demons begin to claw their way out of the ground, solidifying in whirls of smoke, wraiths, lesser shades, and a rage demon already intent on setting the landscape on fire.

Whatever happened to the binding and Fade to bring the first several demons through is still in effect, however. The moment after the rage demon falls to the ground and all goes still is very brief before there’s another glimmer of blinding green, another crackling surge of power that arcs between Justice and the binding circle. A despair demon, lumpy and cloaked, slithers forward with a howl as multiple shades, greater and lesser both, charge their way forward with deadly intent.

Edited 2016-06-08 05:03 (UTC)

The circle is still crackling, but not as much as it was before. Now it’s fizzling in fits and sparks, bright green and bright red, and there’s one final flash before it stops sparking altogether and Anders sags to the ground, no longer glowing. The conflict isn’t over yet, however, because the last flash is accompanied by smoke and three final shapes in that smoke: two glowing an unearthly red, and one that towers over them all for a moment before disappearing under the earth.

Edited 2016-06-09 20:47 (UTC)

There’s scorched rocks and melted snow, some of the nearby ruins are in shambles, and the landscape isn’t the only thing hurting. Regroup, get some healing for the critical stuff, brag about how you totally just killed fifty demons by yourself, and then it’s time to head back to Skyhold.

Edited 2016-06-09 20:53 (UTC)

Bethany was in fact, checking her notes on such a ritual. Her spirit magic was becoming stronger, there was no doubt of that, but she had yet to become the expert that Adelaide was.

Or, in fact, the mysterious Solas.

So it was abundantly clear to her, at least, that the way she had learned her magic was greatly different from the Circles, and from whereever Solas had learned his. So however this ritual was put together? She was simply going to have to prepare her barriers her own way.

So after reading her notes carefully, she constructed a simple barrier, eying it before dismissing it and trying it again.

"Caution, everyone!"

Ingrid is on her feet, drawing her sword and her templar abilities as she moves to challenge the demon. Teeth bared, she means to smite the beast with the full power of the Maker.

"There is a simple way to reinforce them." Adelaide is bent to her task, marking every line in the binding circle they are to use with the utmost precision- but she can spare a moment to look up to Bethany and her barrier. "Several ways, actually. Layering them like an onion is most often used but then you must extend your focus to each shell. What I have found works best is this."

It's a simple barrier, similar in scope to what Bethany cast. Once she is certain of having her attention, Adelaide gestures, the barely there shape stretching somewhat, growing- and curling in on itself.

"If you double it back upon itself, you need only focus on the one and it holds twice as well as the one layer."

Once again, it should have worked. Once again, it turns back upon them.

Adelaide has a moment to be thankful that she took the requisite preparations in recommending they have warriors and a templar present. At the first skittering shapes she snaps the point of her staff down, littering the clearing with shards of ice.

Bethany looked over at Adelaide spoke, and then put her full attention on the slightly older woman. Her brown eyes narrowed as she watched, nodded, and then lifted her hand to follow the motion, focusing her will to turn the barrier over once she has cast it.

"Like that?" It does not look as smooth as Adelaide's -- but she should be able to cast it on the fly, easily enough.

Bethany was starting to think that Justice was fighting them - in fact, she was certain of it. Her eyes narrowed on the blue form of Anders, before she twisted her wrist and snapped up a barrier around the warriors, using what Adelaide taught her to infuse it with spiritual energy.

Then she lifted her staff, following up the shards of ice with flames, hoping to shatter the creatures within.

She'd gotten a little more practice with demons lately than she had wanted -- but it seemed to come in handy here.

Kirk was actually unsure of how he had gotten roped into this, but he was here, and he was committed regardless of the hows. He was still miffed at Anders over the kittens, maybe less so now then before, but the man certainly sounded like he needed aid, and he had never been able to resist someone who needed help. So here he was.

Not that he precisely understood what it took to perform the ritual. He had mostly come as support in case something unexpected happened. But if someone needed him to do something, he would help - bring over last minute items, hold something, draw something even if it was needed given he was shown what to draw.

If not that, he stretched and ran through a few warm up exercises - just in case.

She is silent for a critical moment, eyes and awareness flickering over the shape of the barrier. It is a small whisp of a thing, the palm full of flurries she calls to being and flicks in it's direction- gauging the shape with something against it. After a moment longer Adelaide nods. "Exactly."

A beat, and as she has been made aware that those unaccustomed to her usual methods of teaching might benefit from more than 'adequate', she offers. "Well done."

The rage demon is definitely the most aggressive and it meets Ingrid's attack with no fear, despite how her blade cuts in. Its fire is as useless as its fury against the hastily tossed up barrier; she's left unscathed. Meanwhile ice spreads sporadically around the field, slipping up a few of the smaller creatures but not managing to freeze them. Instead they close the distance relentlessly... except for three of the wraiths, who have burst into flames and are now distracted, shrieking, unable to continue the attack just yet.

Anders and Justice are held, caught in the banishing that's tugging at the spirit, but not enough to actually do anything. All Anders can do is watch and, for the first time in years, pray.

Bethany feels the scrutiny, but it is no less than her father, or any of her Warden instructors. She holds the barrier long enough for the other woman to inspect it, then releases it. She nods her head, returning to her notes before she practices casting again and -

Oh.

She looks up, surprised, "Oh, ah, thank you!"

...Well. A smile follows.

Of course something would go wrong. It was the way of the world, wasn't it? It made him glad he had brought his staff as well as his small assortment of knives he had managed to save up for when he had gone out to the Western Approach. Whatever was happening to Anders did not seem like the thing that should be happening. Even knowing nothing of magic, it looked bad, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end and the shard in his palm aching sharply.

And then there are demons. DAMN IT.

"I've had enough of these things!" he snarled, whirling his staff, cracking it against one of the smaller demon's jaws before trying to dance away from icy patches, to focused on their attackers to bother being surprised or amazed with Bethany's assault. Last thing he needed was to end up on his back. "Come on, bastards!"

Of course it's demons. Why wouldn't it be? It really is just like it used to be back home, with monsters everywhere, although at least this time it seems there's more of a reason to it than just them tumbling out of some random rift.
There's a small part of him that wonders what that'll mean for Anders's chances of getting free of Justice, but the rest of him knows full well there's not any time to worry about that - at least not right now.

Right now, there's demons to deal with, and Jamie shifts his grip on his sword, bringing it up to a fighting stance even as he lunges towards the nearest one with his usual battle cry.

"Creag an tuire!"

Solas, while usually polite and generally amiable, is certainly not today. He is here because he knows that they are all determined upon this course, regardless of whether or not he is there to help. But beyond that, he had a duty to protect Justice.

Or any other poor spirits they manage to conjure.

So he is there, but he is grave and silent, and not exactly pleased.

The actual binding ritual was not one he was overly familiar with - despite his knowledge of Spirits, the whole point was that he generally did not bind them - was almost always completely opposed to the idea. It was closer to a modern Tevinter magic, than anything else. But in this case, binding was a half-measure towards freeing, so the ends justified the means.

He was mid-cast when the demons appeared, and he isn't willing to give it up quite yet - power still streaming with a bright blue light towards Anders. But his concentration cannot be held - the fire crackles up between them, and with a curse under his breath he is forced to break the spell.

With complete economy of movement, he turns his staff around sharply, sending a concentrated bolt of ice right toward the rage demon.

Hermione has already been trained to hate the color green, and the moment she sees it beginning to interfere with the ritual and feels the all-too familiar ache in her hand, she has her wand out and her guard up. She still isn't secure enough in her magic to be able to do anything quite so impressive as the other mages are doing, but she doesn't need to impress anyone. She just needs to help keep everyone else alive.

Right now, that seems to mean taking care of the rage demon, given that it's by far the largest thing on the field. She spares the wraiths a quick, wary glance, careful to make sure they don't cause more damage in their flailing than they otherwise might, before forcing herself to give the rage demon and her magic her full attention.

"Petrificus totalus!"

It doesn't work the way it should, never works the way it should, but she's fine with that. Even if it doesn't leave the demon fully paralyzed the way she'd intended, she's hoping that it will keep it still or at least slow it down long enough to make the other attacks on it that much more devastating. The faster they get rid of that thing, the faster they can pick off the smaller demons that are currently easier to deal with with hand-to-hand combat.

Adelaide adjusts her tack, light blooming at the tip of her staff and flaring into life around everyone in the field, a barrier wrapping protectively around them. The few projectiles the wraiths manage glance and fail before they are able to penetrate.

One of the wraiths set ablaze disintegrates entirely, leaving nothing but green glittering ash in its wake. The others recover as the flames die down, orbs of green flame thrown wildly in all directions. One glances off the side of a shade slinking up on Hermione- but the sharp call of Kirk's voice and sudden crackling bellow of Jaime's taunt has all heads whipping about in that moment, and all paths diverge to concentrate on these two fleshy humans that are so painfully loud.

Stunned by Kirk's blow, the lesser shade staggers back, momentarily dazed as its fellows converge upon Kirk, claws extended, hissing. Shrieking. Snarling as one sends a bolt of horrific energy, a wave of screaming skulls meant to terrify Jaime. Across the field the Rage demon bellowed, slamming its massive fists into the ground with force enough to send those close off balance- it has no time to turn and target the taunting warriors- Solas' ice pierces its burning hide, flames sputtering as it raises a hand, slowed by the cold, to attack Solas in truth. Hermione's spell crackles and warps weirdly around a creature of this world's Fade- twists about the chill already trapped inside, and leaves the Rage demon paralyzed mid swing.

Edited 2016-06-06 19:09 (UTC)

There is the briefest flicker of thought that said he had made a mistake. Why would he want to call these things to him? But it was easily dismissed because of course he did - pull them away from the people who better know how to help Anders, close the Rift or whatever they wanted to call it. The pain from his shard was acute now, but adrenaline pushed it to the back of his mind.

He grinned fiercely when his blow connected properly, disappointed he hadn't quite knocked it out, but it was a good start. Of course, nothing good lasts forever. Far though he was, the sudden tremor was enough to make him lose his balance for a precious second - a precious second where claws raked across his ribs. He cried out in pain, but ignored the blood seeping down his side in favor of swinging his taking one of his knives and slashing at the creatures.

"That the best you got?!" he barked at them, tossing in a rough laugh for good measure. Keep them focused, keep them away from Anders and the mages working the ritual spell.

As the wave of energy washes over Jamie, his whole expression shifts, the determination shifting and melting into a wide-eyed sort of fright. For a moment he wants nothing more than to run, find the nearest person and cling onto them until the feeling passes - but with a sword already in motion what he gets instead is the feeling as he instinctively tries to twist away and the blade slices through air rather than the flesh of the demon. The momentum carries him past his demon, and he has to try and scramble to recover his footing, but he catches himself and tries to turn and put himself back into the fight.

Fear still has him in its grip, though, and rather than rush back in with the sword he stays where he is, one hand held up in a warding off gesture. As the demon heads towards him, the shard in his hand responds instead, an unconscious response that sends beams of energy toward his opponent. The reaction is unfocused, lacking any real finesse, and what it hits remains to be seen.

An arrow loosed from a powerful longbow flies at the shade attacking Kirk. Two seconds later, another is loosed toward the shade antagonizing Jamie. He has to focus on keeping the field as clear as possible, fear sharpening his senses, buying time for the mages to fix this.

"Back!"

Bethany commands, calling for a brief retreat, but only so she can swing her arm in a wide sweep, sending a cascade of ice across the demons. Twirling her staff back in place, she calls over her shoulder to Adelaide, and to Solas.

"That will hold them, but not for long! What should we try next?"

Let No Soul Hunger For Justice: Suddenly... Demons!

Preparation & Ritual

Wave One

Wave Two

Wave Three

Aftermath

Preparation & Ritual

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