Jakem’s Celebrant Ritual in Winderemere Courtyard
Date: 2025-11-26 17:53
(Jakem’s Celebrant Ritual in Winderemere Courtyard)
[Wed Nov 26 2025]
At the Ancient Central Plaza Fountain
The central plaza fountain rises from a circular basin of weathered granite,
its three-tiered structure reaching nearly fifteen feet into the air. Water
cascades from carved stone faces at each level, their features worn smooth by
decades of constant flow, creating a steady murmur that carries across the
intersection of paths. The fountain’s base spans twenty feet in diameter,
surrounded by a low stone wall perfect for sitting, though the limestone
bears dark stains where the spray reaches during windy days. Bronze plaques
set into the fountain’s pedestal commemorate various graduating classes,
their inscriptions growing increasingly difficult to read on the older
dedications, particularly those from the 1800s where the metal has developed
a peculiar greenish-black patina. The water itself appears crystal clear in
daylight but takes on an oddly opaque quality after sunset, and careful
observers might notice that coins tossed into the basin sometimes seem to
disappear entirely rather than settling to the bottom. Four ornate lamp posts
mark the cardinal points around the fountain, their wrought iron bases
decorated with intertwining vines and barely visible symbols that could be
mistaken for mere ornamentation.
It is night, about 55F(12C) degrees, and the sky is covered by dark grey stormclouds. The mist is heaviest At King and Sidney
There is a first quarter moon.
Teagan passes through, accepts something from Jakem and just sort of prances on by as if nothing happened at all. Except without the actual prancing. Just a bright “Thanks!”
Jakem says “Gonna grab some ritual stuff from the car, we’ll begin shortly.“
Jakem starts making a fire, ignoring all fire codes as he uses a variety of found objects to create it.
Monday warms her hands.
Once the fire is going, Jakem steps back with an approving nod. “Allright, let’s wait for everyone to get here and we’ll begin.”
Jakem coughs a bit, shaking his head to clear it.
Jakem hands the robe to Remy as she passes.
Matias checks his wrist watch as not only are the cultists on his metaphorical lawn starting a bonfire, but late!
Remy receives a robe and immediately slips it on and pulls up the hood to conceal her identity. She looks around for a moment thoughtfully, but then decides to just be quiet and wait to see what she might need to do.
Jakem nods approvingly as one more arrives, turning now to the bonfire. “Fellow Celebrants of Wonder, know now that it is time for action. The mingling energies that grow ever more present as the Great Hunt approaches provide the perfect time for us to thrust our collective wills against the fetid wispds of a barrier that remains between Haven and the Other. It is time to begin bringing these barriers down, to allow Haven to reach its true potential! And for our dear patron to usher in a time of magic and imagination that will stretch across the city!”
Obadiah walks up eating an apple, because of course he does, slipping out his knife to cut small slivers of it of as he watches the ritual and counter ritual with interest. Also, an apple a day keeps the witch doctor away.
In support, Monday lifts an enthusiastic hand, caught up in the moment, “Yes! Bring the barriers down!”
With a nod to the one speaking, Jakem begins to intone an incanation and toss various implements into the fire. “Join me, feed the fire that powers our will! Aid in breaking the barriers to the other so the forces of Wonder may reign upons this hallowed campus!”
Jakem uses a 96Bo02nfi96re: 02The bonfire pops and crackles with the lastest addition, trying to consume it.
Remy decides it may be best to just keep her head down for this and focus on some other sort of preparations. When Jakem starts casting though, she takes in a deep breath then shimmies a hand under her robe somewhere to get out a knife. She pricks her finger. Then her upper arms start to glow red from something beneath the robe. Streamers of blood flow put of the pricked finger, forming a wobbly sphere just outside the fire’s range. And then it plops down into the fire, offering her own life’s energy into the ritual for fuel.
Matias stands off to the side as Jakem encourages those to feed the bonfire and talks about bringing down barriers while the misc. item fire just burns in the Quad of the university. Off to the side the Professor flips a coin up into the air and begins to murmur seemingly to himself while watching the leader of the cultists.
Katelynn blinks at seeing all the hooded figures, looking quite concerned. She skirts around towards the fountain, and takes a seat on the low wall at its base, trying to be unobtrusive.
Teagan sends off a text before letting her phone re-disappear beneath her robe. She brushes down the robe a bit and closes in on the fire with the others.
Remy uses a 96Bo02nfi96re: 60The bonfire RAGES into the sky at the latest addition. 02Pleased, or offended, it’s hard to tell.
02The bonfire flares to life, it’s flames forming a figure that watches the proceedings upon the latest addition.
Monday starts patting at her hips, beneath her robe, rifling through her pockets, but comes up with nothing other than a lipstick, and judging by how she looks at it beneath her hood, it’s a loved one. Still, she steps towards the fire and sacrifices the gold case of ‘cherry tart’ for the good of the cult.
Monday uses a 96Bo02nfi96re: 02There’s not much effect to the latest addition, perhaps a little crackle here or there.
Teagan uses a 96Bo02nfi96re: 02The bonfire pops and crackles with the lastest addition, trying to consume it.
Matias continues to murmur something as if whispering to the coin in his thumb and forefinger like it was taking requests as the bonefire dances and burns with the contributions of robed figures.
Obadiah joins the woman at the wall, watching the ritual and still eats his apple like nothing strange at all is going on. Truth be told this is New Haven, were it is perfectly reasonable for cultists to be waging a casting war with senior faculty.
Mercy shoots Matias a veiled glance from beneath her hood, unable to not hear his counter-mutterings even with the roar of the bonfire in front of her.
Katelynn ducks her head as Obadiah joins her by the wall, pulling her feet up to sit crossed under her and placing her guitar case in her lap.
Continuing his chant, Jakem breaks briefly from the ritual, calling out in a bellowing voice “Unsheath yourself of the weights of this world, those mundane things that chain your hearts and minds to a place that would stifle your spirt. Toss them to the fire, let them burn as the barriers around this place are brought down!”
Obadiah looks over to Katelynn. “Obie,” he introduces before looking back towards the group, “Who you rooting for?”
With the rite ending with a whirl of wind that circles and gusts about guttering the flames of the bonfire for a moment Matias tilts his head and looks towards another robed figure beginning to speak in a mix of latin and spanish once more… Should anyone know one or the other, it sounds like a mix between a prayer for God to grant someone wisdom and that wisdom to be putting out this fire on his lawn. Meanwhile there is the ocassional look at Jakem
“Oh, um-” Katelynn jumps at the introduction, before answering nervously “Katie. I think I should, probably be rooting for Professor Matias?? Maybe? Um, if this is Jakem’s ritual, its probably something shady…” Katelynn admits. “I thought he meant ritual as like… a joke. Not hooded robes and stuff… I was gonna play, um, some music for it. But they started early?”
Mercy tries to assist with things by sort of rocking side to side, hip and shoulder opposite one another in each bobbing motion as if to empower the ritual through dance.
“Katie,” Obadiah repeats with a nod of his head as he grins at that introduction. “I think I am here more for the game. I have friends on both sides but I am here to support them all. I know that some people dislike the cultists,” he motions to the robed figures, “But also, Matias can be kind of cranky.” He flicks his eyes back and forth, “Yep. Either side can win.”
Remy whispers something over to Jakem, but might get drowned out by his loud voice. Instead, she puts her hands toward the fire. Like she is warming her hands. Which would maybe be accurate, if more of her blood was not streaming from her previous nick to flow into the fire at regular intervals.
Remy uses a 96Bo02nfi96re: 60The bonfire RAGES into the sky at the latest addition. 02Pleased, or offended, it’s hard to tell.
moves to grab Remy, trying to push them into the fire… Seemingly confused by the action. Just as he might struggle to push Remy into the fire, Jakem stops.
Jakem stands still, stepping back from the fire
As a second rite completes Matias exhales as stormclouds above rumble and and growl with thunder. There is a shift of slate-grey eyes onto the next cultist and a flip of the grey coin only to catch it and begin speaking again in a mix of latin and spanish.
“They, uh, Jakem I mean, he said it was… a sex cult?” Katelynn flushes at the idea. “Maybe thats why they’re like, protesting here, or whatever? I heard you can’t do anything like that on campus…” Katelynn shakes her head uncertainly. “Um. Yeah, I think I’d like the professor to win. The other side is a bit… advanced for me. I only just got to Haven.”
Remy lets out a startled cry when Jakem goes to start trying to push her into the fire, but she pivots and spins, oddly graceful despite the cumbersome robe. “What are you doing?” she asks him after that, glancing around as if curious if anyone else might have noticed before she steps a little further away from him and continues pumping out her blood into the fire.
Mercy pulls a knife out from beneath her robes then, still body rockin, and brings the blade across the pale skin of a bare palm that slips out from under the fabric.
Mercy uses a 96Bo02nfi96re: 02The bonfire pops and crackles with the lastest addition, trying to consume it.
Jakem hmm’s to Remy “I think I was trying to push you into the fire. You might wanna stop Matias from doin’ what he’s doing. Wonder’s holding me still right now.”
Matias pauses in the third rite and briefly looks down at his phone and scowls before eyeing the fire and muttering, “Lucky timing.” begins jogging off westward.
Teagan slips out her phone again, oh-so unobtrusively… until Jakem starts trying to push Remy into the fire. She blinks and slips her phone away, side-stepping a little and clearing her throat to call out: “Look at how the world itself tries to sabotage us! It is a sign we must free our spirits!” She looks over her shoulder toward Jakem, briefly, then back to the bonfire.
“I have no idea what he’s doing though?” Remy says to Jakem, glancing over at someone for a moment. “Do I just go punch him or something?” She really does seem more confused than anything right now.
“I have no idea what he’s doing though?” Remy says to Jakem, glancing over at the man as he is leaving for a moment. “Do I just go punch him or something?” She really does seem more confused than anything right now.
Mercy holds her palm by the flames to let blood trickle down into them, watching the main source of interference hurry off. “Huh..”
Jakem shakes his head “Nah, I handled it, and that looks like the finishing of the ritual.” he comments. I guess his spell only lasted as long as mine did.
Remy glances around as the other teacher goes to leave. She takes a step back from the fire though and still gives Jakem a wary look. “Were you two dueling or something?” she asks, clearly still confused. But since the ritual is done, she makes a motion with her hand to pull the remaining blood hanging in the air back into the nick on her finger and seal that wound shut.
As the spell concludes the fire BLAZES to life, ripping into the sky and sparking off into greens and blues.
“Yeah, well your boy just walked of,” Obadiah says motioning towards Matias walking away to the west. “I should have put money on it.” He winks at Katelynn, “I don’t think that it is a sex cult. I think they are a mischief cult, but I get it too.” He tweaks his lips into a grin, “I wonder what the spell did.”
Jakem hmm’s to Remy “I think in a manner of speaking. He was trying to fuck up the ritual to open a portal.” he says looking up as the fire springs to life. “I think I managed to distract him though.” he says, stretching out arms he can now move.
Remy hears something from Obadiah and looks over. She looks between him and Jakem for a moment and then says, “You specifically told me it was a sex cult, right? I didn’t just make that up? Or imagine it?”
“What’d you do?” Mercy asks Jakem while staring down at her hand, seeming to now be rather perplexed as to why she cut it open. Drugs, probably.
Jakem looks around “Anyways, we should probably ditch before he realizes his girlfriend isn’t actually in danger.”
Mercy barks out a laugh.
Remy tilts her head curiously and says, “Huh.”
“Um, a portal it seems like? Whatever that means…” Katelynn looks disturbed as she watches the professor give up the fight, the cultists finishing their dastardly plans. “Um, a mischief cult probably would lie about being a sex cult for fun, I guess…”
Mercy says “It’s a mischievous sex cult, duh.“
Remy says “We can be two things!“
“What sort of portal did you open?” Teagan says after finally sending a text. She looks up and shakes her head slightly. “That would really distract him though,” she tells Jakem. “Make sure everyone knows that he’s dating her.”
Jakem shrugs to Remy “yeah, I probably told you that. I tell most people that. It gives us a dangerous air. Anyways, let’s scoot!”
Mercy says “Scatter! “
Remy nods after a moment then says, “Exit stage center!”
Mercy runs off in a flurry of robe fabric.
Monday notices everyone’s gone and makes a strange squeal noise before slinking off in the direction from whence she came.