Ryyan's Journal - Session 9
Our plan to remove the demon from Deneb’s mother was successful, though not without challenges that opposed us. We left Pendel Town on the 24th, heading to the hut Deneb’s grandmother owned, in order to find things for the ritual. Deneb wasn’t specific about what exactly we were looking for, and I was too distracted while we were traveling to ask about it. The battle over Littleford was starting to spill over to the west, and we managed to skirt around the worst of it, but… By the Dragons, I had hoped we would be able to avoid such scenes for a bit longer. I choked back my bile countless times looking at every corpse we came across. I had to see them, no matter what, just to make sure my sister wasn’t among them. She wasn’t there, thank goodness, and we reached the hut without further difficulty.
The hut was rather quaint, I suppose, even with the fire damage. Deneb instructed us to look for anything that could be used to make a scarecrow, which she intends to bind the demon to. What I found, however, was much more important, as it was a musical locket with a picture of Deneb’s mother and Deneb as a baby inside. I couldn’t tell what Deneb was feeling when I gave it to her, and I can’t imagine what it was like, growing up without her parents.
We decided to head to the Sunset Sentinals first, to escort Deneb’s mother to the Earldom of Decent. Our reasoning was that it would be safer to travel with one extra person, rather than all of the people who would be performing the ritual. Along the way, we encountered a Sentinal patrol fighting the ETE, and we stepped in to assist. While I kept their spellcasters from casting anything, Koal… dispatched them. Very messily. It was all I could do to take his clothes and send them to the Knights for cleaning. So much blood…
We arrived at the Sentinals’ stronghold and finally met Deneb’s mother, Iris. It seemed that she had allowed herself be part of the barrier keeping the Great Bane in check. Shrike told us he would be able to force the demon inside her to give us its true name, but he faltered, and actually needed us to help him. It seems that he isn’t as all powerful as he makes himself out to be. Deneb them poured all of her magical power into the barrier, to strengthen it as we took Iris away. She collapsed from the effort, and I carried her for the rest of the day. The demons beyond the barrier seemed to flee, except for a hideous form of what once was a dragon. Going by Shrike’s expression, it must have been his charge. In that moment, I almost forgave him for killing my Aunt.
We headed out with Iris and Vigil Est, Est coming along in order to keep Iris from losing control. I carried Deneb for the first day, and she looked in pain while she was sleeping. It pained me to see her like this, and it was worsened by the incessant whispering in my head. I felt the demon, trying to take hold of me, trying to trick me into becoming its host. But I stood strong against it, and would not be swayed. The second day of traveling was harder than the first, even with Deneb waking up. Somehow, we all managed to pull together and help each other make it to the Earldom.
Deneb’s Grandmother was there to help set up the ritual, though we all had a part to play in it. I helped draw the ritual circle, then everyone had a swig of the wine from Alice’s family’s restaurant. Alice and Koal seemed to feel the effects of the wine more than anyone else, so Deneb and I had to double our efforts with the spell. Once we cast it, it felt as if it didn’t take, and the demon was about to leap out and possess someone. But then the bindings came to life, and the demon was sucked into the scarecrow, where it was powerless to hurt anyone. Vigil Est made sure that it wouldn’t bother anyone ever again, and we thanked the Earls of Decent for their assistance.
Vryn showed up at that point, no doubt thanks to the meddling of Shrike or Pash. She insisted on taking Iris back with her, and it fell to me to explain what consent is. Honestly, it was so embarrassing to have to explain such a concept to someone at least twice my age. Deneb seemed rather uncomfortable with it too, and I can’t imagine seeing one’s parents fight is very fun at all. Once the dispute between Vryn and Iris was settled, our next dragon guide showed up. A red dragon who wishes for war, and who frightens me to my very core.
I knew that Koal and I had personal reasons for going to war, but I offered Deneb and Alice the choice to leave and live their own lives. They both chose to stay on, Alice saying that her father was a mercenary in the war, and Deneb… didn’t really give a specific reason, other than the fact that the ETE were against witches in general.
Caper returned then, and she said she was working on a plan to purge the Great Bane once and for all, so that is good. She said she would do what she could to protect my sister and Emerene, which calmed my worries a bit at least.
Also, Alice was never dating Beatrice for real?! Is Koal the only one with an actual partner?!?!