\ Haven:Mist and Shadow Patrollogs/Korinas Ghost Banishing 240723
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Korinas Ghost Banishing 240723

On a pre-dawn venture in the Arkwright Cemetery, Korina and Jordan find themselves entrenched in a dangerous endeavor to banish ghosts, their actions unfolding under a waning gibrous moon. Korina, seemingly experienced and unfazed, seats herself upon a tombstone and dispenses advice on the varied methods of ghost banishment, ranging from religious incantations to the more arcane practices, as Jordan grapples with the task at hand. The situation quickly spirals into peril when their ritual misfires, drawing the ire of spectral assailants. Despite Jordan's faltering attempts, marked by panic and a struggle to focus amidst the chaos of spectral bullets and the encroaching threat of ghostly blades, the pair persevere, with Korina offering snippets of guidance, her demeanor a mix of annoyance and mentorship as she intervenes to protect him.

The turning point arrives as Jordan, spurred by Korina's instructions, resumes his efforts with renewed determination. Despite his initial fear, he manages to cobble together the components of the ritual - salt, sigils, and the crucial element of belief in their power. As Korina suffers the consequences of her momentary distraction, a swift act of blood magic anchors the climax of their supernatural confrontation. Jordan's blood, mingled with the salt circle, becomes the catalyst for the banishment. The ghosts, ensnared by the ritual, undergo a violent upheaval, their spectral forms convulsing in a dance of demise before being forcibly expelled into the earth. Through a blend of arcane knowledge, quick thinking, and the palpable power of belief, Korina and Jordan succeed in quelling the haunting menace, their ordeal culminating in the banishment of the tormented spirits back to their rightful rest.
(Korina's ghost banishing)

[Mon Jul 22 2024]

On the Sprawling Hillside of Arkwright Cemetery

It is before dawn, about 72F(22C) degrees, There is a waning gibbous moon.

"There are endless ways to do this," Korina takes a seat upon a conveniently-placed headstone, crossing one leg over the other while she watches Jordan fumble with the salt. "People who believe in one God, they call on him, read from their books. Bible, Qur'an, whatever else."

"Some arcanists, they believe in languages, like Latin. Incantations in the language makes it better, they think. The magic in the Other - it is strongest of all. No Latin there." She definitely doesn't speak whatever he's using for the incantation, so he's free to fumble it to his liking. "Those who do not believe in God, or languages, they can banish ghosts too, with blood. That is one thing we all have in common." Hopefully they're paying attention to some of this.

Jordan poorly traces theurgic symbols - some of these clearly gathered from the internet - while they struggle to dim their awareness of the physical world to focus on the spiritual one. A dangerous tradeoff... but, if what it takes is belief, then maybe they're doing well enough. They seem to think it will work... at least, they're not screaming or hiding, and they sprung into motion quickly. One should hope, though, that the ghosts don't turn on them, as they do nothing for their own defense. Their mind works to shut out the material realm - but they can't. They are listening, and fumble with their ritual, doing something wrong, and their eyes pop open, with a gasp.

The flintlock wielder unleashes a stream of spectral bullets, somehow not needing to reload as the group is forces to drop to the ground to avoid getting struck.


As the flintlock wielder materializes again, Korina lets out an annoyed little 'tch', her lesson interrupted when she has to stand and make her way over to push Jordan down and away from the stream of bullets, a hand going to the back of their neck to lower them to the ground. "Calm down," she tells them, like that's ever worked for anyone.

Jordan mumbles, struggling against their lisp, thickened by fear, "Doesn't da... th... that mean-" And then they duck, their failed ritual allowing them to see the bullets coming, and they manage to scramble away just shy of getting hit. "Shit! Shit... uh...." They swallow, trying to keep track of their previous thoughts in the face of something so absolutely terrifying as visible manifestations of the torment that lies beyond the veil of death.

Jordan mumbles, struggling against their lisp, thickened by fear, "Doesn't da... th... that mean-" And then they duck, their failed ritual allowing them to see the bullets coming, though their movements are too slow - fortunate that Korina is there to shove them out of the way. "Shit! Shit... uh...." They swallow, trying to keep track of their previous thoughts in the face of something so absolutely terrifying as visible manifestations of the torment that lies beyond the veil of death.

Now that they're down here, it gives Korina the perfect opportunity to pester Jordan from up close - which she continues to do so: "Make your salt circle," she tells them, hand remaining on their neck as though she's going to physically stop them from running away, should their courage falter. Her eyes narrow for brief moments - are they going to throw up? Hopefully not.

The flintlock wielder unleashes a stream of spectral bullets, somehow not needing to reload as the group is forces to drop to the ground to avoid getting struck.


Jordan tries to calm down but, surprisingly enough, they fail. Being shot at by ghosts is just too horrifying, apparently. They breathe rapidly, scrunching up their face and groaning, grunting, as they try to push through the fear holding them still. Then, they move, hand going into their pouch and... spilling salt. They curse, though there's still more, and they go for it, more carefully. With their other hand, they toss the salt over their shoulder - avoiding Korina, notably, and they begin anew.

While Jordan's panicking their ass off, Korina pulls out her phone and shoots off a text all casually, eyes flicking up every now and then to check the progress while bullets fly over their heads. "They cannot hurt you," she tells them as an aside. "They are dead and do not have a body. You cannot touch them, they cannot touch you." Hopefully reassuring? "Be more careful."

The dual-knife wielder disappears before her arms suddenly emerge from the ground, stabing into the feet of Korina to keep her in place as the cutlass wielder swoops forward.


That's what Korina gets for texting.

She snarls loudly and immediately, phone set aside carelessly so she can swipe her claw-tipped fingers through the dual-knife-wielding ghost. It doesn't do much to harm it, her hand passing right through the ghost, but it's more the principle of the matter. The cutlass-wielder is dodged with a ducking down to avoid a swoop of insubstantial sword, and Korina comes out of it mildly pissed off.

Jordan works their magic with their salt... well, works some kind of magic. Salt and circles, sigils and muttered words - they cut off to Korina in a hiss, "The meaning and feeling of the words matter. I believe they have power, so they do." Apparently, they remembered what they were saying earlier. They return to their chanting, gesturing, wikihow wiccan bullshit, and use their belief in these things to draw the ghosts closer and closer to their graves. Their only idle thought seems to be - "Shit, I'm not going to be able to buff in time," not bothering to explain the gamer slang as they wince at the announcement.

The cutlass-wielder attacks Korina, driving her back as the flintlock lady appears behind her, using the distraction to go through her pockets.


For someone who is supposed to be mentoring them through ghost-banishing, Korina seems to be a believer of the hands-off, learn-as-you-go school of pedagogy, and Jordan's left to his own devices - for the most part. "Belief," she nods in approval, before asking, "Is your circle done?"

Right in time for the ghosts to be little shits again. Good thing she doesn't have pockets in her dress. She attempts to elbow the flintlock lady in the face.

Jordan nods, saying, "Yes, it's... it'd done." They flinch away from the ghosts, looking a bit faint as their hyperventilation starts to make them woozy.

"Good," Korina says, and grabs hold of both of Jordan's hands now, gathering them together in one to keep them in place. "Ready for next part?"

Korina meant one as in one of her own hands.

Jordan nods, doing their best to calm down. As soon as they can make out words, actual words, they breathe, taking a deep breath in and out. "R-ready," they stutter.

The double knife weilder appears suddenly behind Korina, cackling right in her ear before rearing back to stab her in the back.


"Good." It's unlikely that a different response would have led to anything else, so it's a good thing Jordan's maybe ready for it after all. Korina shifts her grip to just one of Jordan's wrists and slices their palm with her clawed fingers with the other, blood welling to the surface immediately. "Finish it," she says, pressing their hands together to transfer the blood to both palms, and then laying them flat upon the dirt and the circle of salt, letting the white turn to crystalline flecks of red - sure to be a one-way ticket to infection land.

Jordan grits their teeth, grunting in pain but not fighting it off. Ironically, the pain seems to calm them, grounding them as their blood powers the ritual.

The three spirits begin to convulse and shake, they quickly move to grip each other, forming a tight circle as they spin faster and faster, strange orchestral music flowing through the air from nowhere before suddenly they are sucked down into the ground and vanish.