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Novels Ghost Banishing 250402
On the sprawling hillside of Arkwright Cemetery, amidst whispers of a chilling prophecy, Novel and his companions, Williamand Edith, faced an infernal assault launched from the depths of hellish smoke. A demonic warrior, clad in archaic armor and brandishing a dark blade, charged at Novel, igniting the battlefield with a tangible dread. The sinister mist materialized horned creatures, a reflection of nightmarish lore, ready to sever ties with the mortal realm. With tensions high, the trio confronted their adversaries with a blend of raw strength, shapeshifting prowess, and dark sorcery. William, transforming into a fierce wolverine, tackled the spectral knight with ferocity, disrupting its charge and allowing Novel to strike a decisive blow. Meanwhile, Edith conjured a powerful ritual, her incantations summoning skeletal hands and mystical energy, forming a protective barrier against the encroaching darkness.
The battle escalated as a monstrous spider descended upon Novel, threatening to ensnare him in a cocoon of infernal smoke. In a display of remarkable agility, William leaped into action, shredding the creature's form with claw and fang, scattering its essence into the wind. Amidst the chaos, Edith's ritual reached its zenith, channeling the anguished cries of spectral entities into a beacon of malevolent fire, her command over the arcane forces peeling back the layers of the invasion. The cemetery air crackled with power as the final spells were cast, the sinister whispers fading into silence, and the mist monsters, once a manifestation of unspeakable horror, vanished, leaving behind a tranquil graveyard. With the banishment complete, Novel, William, and Edith stood victoriously amidst the tombstones, their ordeal a testament to their unyielding spirit and mastery over the dark forces that dared to disrupt the peace of Arkwright Cemetery.
(Novel's ghost banishing)
[Wed Mar 26 2025]
On the Sprawling Hillside of Arkwright Cemetery
It is afternoon, about 40F(4C) degrees, and there are a few dark grey stormclouds in the sky.
There is the sudden smell of brimstone that fills the area, and along with a rising, black mist: smoke, coiling along the surface of the graveyard. It seems to form strange whorls and shapes, and as they draw close to %n they begin to look more and more like creatures -- horned creatures, with red eyes full of menace.
"I dunno, you just weren't the last time I saw you. And I'm surprised you don't have a parasol or something. It has been getting sunny." Novel cracks his knuckles as he finishes his warming up stretches, a warm, glad smile rising across his features. "Hey, haven't you heard, Bill? It's always good to have a full to-do list, even if you can't get to all of it."
Out of the smoke charges an armed and armored warrior, spun out of black mist. He is dressed head to toe in archaic plate armor, wielding some huge, two-handed sword as black as his armor. With a roar, he rushes at Novel, swinging the sword in some attempt to cut off their head.
"Oh, the mist ones..." William comments as he watches the dark gas start to rise around the cemetery, sighing and glancing towards the road for a moment, before looking at the mist once more and telling Novel "Something like that, yeah... I keep myself busy enough-" And seeing as the warrior starts charging towards the other man, he tells Edith "Alright, I'm going non-verbal now... Do tell me if any magic needs aid, otherwise I'm dispersing mist..."
And with that, the form of the man becomes blurry, and with the sound of crunching bones and dripping blood, an illusion takes hold, covering the sight until William(Gulo Gulo) comes out of it instead of the pale man, directly charging towards the mist demon and launching itself towards its leg, biting it to make the attacker lose balance even before reaching Novel
Novel takes a half-step back from the knight, winding up for something - then looking vaguely amused as William(Gulo Gulo) jumps in, ducking easily under the blade and slapping the weapon further off-balance to the left and then there's the quick flash of an appearing bowie knife as it slams between some unarmored joints in the thigh of the spiritual thing into what would be a major artery in the living before tearing out and vanishing back into his jacket just as quickly. A fast move. Barely noticeable, as it starts to disperse under William(Gulo Gulo)'s attack. "Nice job, Bill."
Out of the smoke charges an armed and armored warrior, spun out of black mist. He is dressed head to toe in archaic plate armor, wielding some huge, two-handed sword as black as his armor. With a roar, he rushes at Novel, swinging the sword in some attempt to cut off their head.
"Oh would you look at that." Edith comments. "These again. "Truly it would be nice if something different were to happen." Still, Edith moves over to a particularly overgrown patch of the graveyard. Today, Edith is apparently not playing around, so with that ball of dark sorcerous energy hovering over a palm, she speaks a gutteral word. Two hands-- skeletal burst from the earth, clawing for the sky; Edith snaps off each skeletal finger, breaks them off into their component falanges and then knocks over the headstone with a shove. The dark energy scorches a circle atop the flattened headstone-- A perfect circle, and Edith places bone around the edge. It's likely not needed. Edith can do this without, but it is daylight. If a manifestation is happening so close to noon, Edith is taking no chances. The candle is taken from Edith's handbag, set into the direct center and lit, the tallow beginning to drip almost at once; This is an arcane device without question, devised for such a task. "I dislike them." she answers Novel's question of sun covering. "And I left home before I could find my cloak." Out-dated. "I will be fine however. Noon came and went magically." Edith's blade is produced, Edith's sleeve rolled up and blood drawn, sluggish and tepid, and with the blade, palm full of necromantically active blood and a circle bordered in bone, Edith begins to ascribe a triangle-- A line within a line within a line. The motion is mirrored, the six-pointed star formed around the candle. As the man shifts into the William(Gulo Gulo), Edith doesn't even look up. This is common place now. Habitual, so Edith continues drawing. The ankh, the tines, the scales and hanged man. Multicultural symbology at the cardinal directions before Edith begins to draw a symbol around the candle; The all seeing eye."
William(Gulo Gulo) watches a second warrior take form and try to go for the same plan that his predecessor has just failed to achieve, and just as eager to jump into action as it was moments before, it rushes towards the misty figure even before allowing it the time to get to the now only man on the field. Jumping an impressive amount for an animal of its size, it simply latches on to the neck of the demonic misty figure and with claws and fangs starts to maul the face of what could be a person, but is really just as spirit, at least taking out the whole vision of the demon away from the equation
"I think it's great," Novel mentions to Edith as he paces to one side, his strides swift and angling to put this knight's back to William(Gulo Gulo) again. His tone is conversational, "You considered a big furry coat with hood? Fur and leather. Mink or beaver or something. All in whites and pinks." Of course he suggests and endangered animal or live fur trade. "I know there's some exotics out here that people can hunt, but I dunno how nice the fur of those are. But a big poofy warm thing." And then suddenly he's stepping forwards into the charge, ducking under the clumsy strike and ramming his knee right into the gut of the knight, a sunny smile on his features as the knife glides up through the rib cage and he steps around again to allow the shapeshifter to bring him down to the floor, humming to himself.
Slowly, Edith continues to trace symbology, the arcane runework gradually filling in with glyphs, hieroglyphic depictions and other occult symbology. The north, south, east and western symbols joined by the circle of scorched earth, inset with the six pointed star, and within it, the burning candle as the iris of the all seeing eye, its pin-prick center-- Its pupal glowing with a golden flame that burns sharply. Then, Edith danes to aid William(Gulo Gulo) and Novel. Another bar of light warping sorcery is fired. It strikes the on-coming demon that aims to assault Novel, even as the William(Gulo Gulo) tackles and Novel moves into the mist to continue the assault. "I considered something like that." Edith admits, her own tone casual as a drop of blood is lined up on the tip of the ceremonial blade, then allowed to drip into the candle flame. "I aught act as though I get cold, I suppose."
A hot wind blows through the cemetery, and with it comes sibilant whispers in the ears of Novel and all their companions: they promise depraved, decadent desires fulfilled, and for a moment that's all anyone can focus on.
"Well." Novel temporizes as he delivers another savage, brutal kick into the knight, a sickening crunch and the sparks of Edith's attack following and collapsing back into mist beneath William(Gulo Gulo)'s savage tooth and claw, placing his hands on his hips and tilting his head to one side. There's a thoughtful expression that flutters across his features. "I need a better phone, so I could write this down properly..." Before his gaze wanders from William(Gulo Gulo) back to Edith. "Do you dislike being warm?" He points out, reasonably.
William(Gulo Gulo) keeps on batting with both claws at the already dispersing mist even as the warrior falls to the ground, pacing around the spot where the corpse would have been left, if these things left corpses behind that is. Tongue sticking out of its mouth and licking around the edges of its mouth almost as if he had truly bitten something alive and fleshy, or as if he was cleaning something after hunting prey, even if there was no leftovers of these creatures.
And the licking is only increased the moment the wind starts blowing and filling the head of William(Gulo Gulo) with promises and desires, it seems that, promises for the animal were slightly different than for people, and he might be getting offered just some nice meal, pacing slowly back towards Novel and Edith, head turning to look from one to another but not providing much sound other than that of his steps on the ground and maybe a little grunt here and there.
He might have considered taking a bite from one or both of them, by the time it spends simply staring- What would be better? The still warm flesh or that that is magically preserved, luckily enough, he can't speak these things out loud, he simply keeps on licking his mouth
Pausing to admire what the whispers suggest, Edith allows the golden flame in the center of the all seeing eye, within the star within the circle of blackened earth and bone to turn red. It's something to be admired, Edith supposes. One does like to know they are appreciated in their malicious and or macabre acts. That though simply cant happen. There is a job to do, and glancing over to where William(Gulo Gulo) and Novel fight the spiritual manifestations, Edith squares her slender shoulders, ducks her head, promices herself depraved actions -later- likely meaning as soon as she leaves, and adjusts the set of the bones set around the circle. It is set, and Edith can largely leave it to empower itself. The blood in Edith's palm is still useful though, and so it is applied. Another gutteral word; Not to the demons in the smoke, but to the graveyard itself, to the dead to rise- By my black hand- style.
There is a look above -- and then, from an overarching tree, Novel and their companions can see a black spider made of infernal smoke. It's huge, with a bloated belly, and then spun spider strands of black mist descend to wrap Novel into some awful cocoon.
And the focus on the making his companions a meal disappears from the head of William(Gulo Gulo) the moment the sight of one of them is obscured, following the events and the cocoon upwards until it sees the spider above them, and, much like before, the animal manages to pull off a jump surprisingly high for the size of the critter. Reaching to throw a rake with one of his claws to a side of the spider, and making at least some part of the attacker turn to mist, though not hitting square, and thus not fully eliminating the threat. It seems aiming isn't exactly easy when it involves jumping so high, or animals for that matter. Landing with ease, he bends his body closer to the ground, rising the back of his lower half like a cat stalking its prey, almost as if getting ready for another jump
It is the chant-- One of comicbook fame that Edith speaks. It is macabre, sinister and with malice in every blunt, dominus word. It is a call to the dead. It is a chant for the lifeless, a dirge of the dead, but words for arcana are needed, and it is possible that, yes indeed, the Hand controls the media. Edith's words emerge and the air warps. The light fades and the temperature-- average for late march-- grows cold-- chill. And then, not the skeletal, but the spiritual rise. They gather around Edith and their force is unleashed against the spider, Edith heading over to help Novel release himself from the cocoon of the spider, trusting William(Gulo Gulo) to destroy the monster itself. "The Blackest Night falls from the skies, The darkness grows as all light dies, We crave your hearts and your demise, By my black hand, the dead shall rise!"
Novel gets the first strands around himself - oblivious, he doesn't look up - and then he starts being hauled, his gaze upon Edith knocked out of reprieve as he grunts at the thing trying to tie him up. He steps left, then right, trying to wriggle out of it and tightening it around him. Then his legs wrap around a nearby headstone, anchoring himself as he begins to pull and yank, playing tug-of-war with the giant spider and dragging it closer to the ground as it struggles frantically around him, his hands grasping the threads and turning a danger into useful leverage to hold the thing in place. "Fucking sneaky-ass spiders," He grunts.
A twisted figure forms out of infernal smoke, shaped like a terrible canine shape. It's a hellhound, leaping towards Novel with an awful snarl. When its mouth closes on %n, it has some phantom force, sending a vision of suffering in hellfire.
William(Gulo Gulo) launches itself into the air once more, trying to reach the spider once again, but it seems consecutive jumps that high aren't all that easy to perform. He tries a couple times, only able to reach one of its legs, or maybe a bit of the abdomen with each go. Until, in frustration, he lets out a loud growl at the misty arachnid and instead rushes towards Novel, seeing as the spider is trying to pull him towards it, he quite quickly launches himself towards the man and climbs him up- A process that is by no means peaceful, it's a pretty heavy animal launching itself, impacting and then climbing to jump again, Novel might feel a bit more than just a tackle during the whole process - But at least, like that, William(Gulo Gulo) is able to finally reach the cause of the cocoon, and finally cause the animal to start reforming back into a cloud of mist- Landing back down on the ground he lets out a loud sound in between a howl and a growl, victorious, sadly enough, forgetting that the other man is now being attacked by some hellhound
There is a look above -- and then, from an overarching tree, Novel and their companions can see a black spider made of infernal smoke. It's huge, with a bloated belly, and then spun spider strands of black mist descend to wrap Novel into some awful cocoon.
Novel isn't give much time to rest, his grip on the headstone loosening when a dog joins the fore, "FUCK!" He swears as he's suddenly bogged down, twisting and trying to stay attached to where he is as now he's stuck wrestling a hellhound, hauled loose from the gravestone he was attached to like a limpet and then clambered on by someone, the CLUNK and scrape of claws inexplicably digging into some semi-solid material that doesn't appear to be there and sending him down onto the grass as he gets arm and hand around the hellhound and uses vicious strength to pry apart the the jaws - and then completely apart with another, sudden, sharp CRACK, his expression contorted into an expression of fury. Only to get attacked by another spider that immediately starts trying to haul him off into the woods.
Novel isn't give much time to rest, his grip on the headstone loosening when a dog joins the fore, "FUCK!" He swears as he's suddenly bogged down, twisting and trying to stay attached to where he is as now he's stuck wrestling a hellhound, hauled loose from the gravestone he was attached to like a limpet and then clambered on by William(Gulo Gulo), the CLUNK and scrape of claws inexplicably digging into some semi-solid material that doesn't appear to be there and sending him down onto the grass as he gets arm and hand around the hellhound and uses vicious strength to pry apart the the jaws - and then completely apart with another, sudden, sharp CRACK, his expression contorted into an expression of fury. Only to get attacked by another spider that immediately starts trying to haul him off into the woods.
Edith does nothing with the hellhound. She has done enough. William(Gulo Gulo) can handle it, and Novel needs those strands cutting. Edith does that, though Novel has mostly prevented the worst of things, and William(Gulo Gulo) has handled the spider (mostly). The ritual circle now glows. Behind Edith, it sparks with bloodlight, and the lines and runes begin to flare with bloodlight; Muted, glorious and cruel in how that unnatural lambency strips color from the world. Around Edith however, the air continues to chill. Spirits manifest, though they are not unleashed. To the contrary, they are captured, spinning around Edith for those who can interact with them-- the clairvoyant-- the clairaudient, and their screams are an aria to agony in in B razor edged sharp. They do not fight. They only struggle, and they, as one, are directed to the circle. They are used as a disposable powersource; Powering the afternoon ritual with their very existance-- Though this is invisible to the mundane and those not gifted. Edith leaves William(Gulo Gulo) and Novel to handle the lion share, Edith's blade directed to the pyre of bloodlit phantasmal energy and the screams bank. They grow and the haunting begins. The ritual nears its peak, and the pyre grows; An inferno of deleterious decay. "I am nearly ready." Edith announces for Novel and William(Gulo Gulo)'s benefit-- Then, with Edith's free hand, a clawing motion is made. Dark energy, roiling and insidious fires to strike the spider off balance as it seeks to cocoon Novel again, and the thing is hammered relentlessly into reach for the William(Gulo Gulo).
While in the rush from beating the spider, William(Gulo Gulo) might have overlooked the hellhound entirely, his gaze returns to the forms created from the mist when another spider hits the battlefield. He seems to take personal offense to this, his current more animalistic mind going through something similar to 'I have just beaten you, how dare you come back?' - And so, the wolverine promptly starts running with impressive speed towards the tree - It seems Novel was no longer the instrument to get a bit higher before jumping, but that instead the animal was digging his nails into the tree trunk to swiftly climb it up - And once he is on top he starts clawing and bitting the legs of the spider off, which slowly return to being gaseous mist as he progresses, leaving eventually only the body and head of the spider, just to be mauled back to mist seconds later, seemingly enraged, making sure the arachnid would not come back from the dead again
The smell of smoke seems to peak, and then, with a rush of magical power, it's gone. The smoke monsters in the cemetery disappear, banished -- fading away as wisps of mist in the air around $n.
The battle escalated as a monstrous spider descended upon Novel, threatening to ensnare him in a cocoon of infernal smoke. In a display of remarkable agility, William leaped into action, shredding the creature's form with claw and fang, scattering its essence into the wind. Amidst the chaos, Edith's ritual reached its zenith, channeling the anguished cries of spectral entities into a beacon of malevolent fire, her command over the arcane forces peeling back the layers of the invasion. The cemetery air crackled with power as the final spells were cast, the sinister whispers fading into silence, and the mist monsters, once a manifestation of unspeakable horror, vanished, leaving behind a tranquil graveyard. With the banishment complete, Novel, William, and Edith stood victoriously amidst the tombstones, their ordeal a testament to their unyielding spirit and mastery over the dark forces that dared to disrupt the peace of Arkwright Cemetery.
(Novel's ghost banishing)
[Wed Mar 26 2025]
On the Sprawling Hillside of Arkwright Cemetery
It is afternoon, about 40F(4C) degrees, and there are a few dark grey stormclouds in the sky.
There is the sudden smell of brimstone that fills the area, and along with a rising, black mist: smoke, coiling along the surface of the graveyard. It seems to form strange whorls and shapes, and as they draw close to %n they begin to look more and more like creatures -- horned creatures, with red eyes full of menace.
"I dunno, you just weren't the last time I saw you. And I'm surprised you don't have a parasol or something. It has been getting sunny." Novel cracks his knuckles as he finishes his warming up stretches, a warm, glad smile rising across his features. "Hey, haven't you heard, Bill? It's always good to have a full to-do list, even if you can't get to all of it."
Out of the smoke charges an armed and armored warrior, spun out of black mist. He is dressed head to toe in archaic plate armor, wielding some huge, two-handed sword as black as his armor. With a roar, he rushes at Novel, swinging the sword in some attempt to cut off their head.
"Oh, the mist ones..." William comments as he watches the dark gas start to rise around the cemetery, sighing and glancing towards the road for a moment, before looking at the mist once more and telling Novel "Something like that, yeah... I keep myself busy enough-" And seeing as the warrior starts charging towards the other man, he tells Edith "Alright, I'm going non-verbal now... Do tell me if any magic needs aid, otherwise I'm dispersing mist..."
And with that, the form of the man becomes blurry, and with the sound of crunching bones and dripping blood, an illusion takes hold, covering the sight until William(Gulo Gulo) comes out of it instead of the pale man, directly charging towards the mist demon and launching itself towards its leg, biting it to make the attacker lose balance even before reaching Novel
Novel takes a half-step back from the knight, winding up for something - then looking vaguely amused as William(Gulo Gulo) jumps in, ducking easily under the blade and slapping the weapon further off-balance to the left and then there's the quick flash of an appearing bowie knife as it slams between some unarmored joints in the thigh of the spiritual thing into what would be a major artery in the living before tearing out and vanishing back into his jacket just as quickly. A fast move. Barely noticeable, as it starts to disperse under William(Gulo Gulo)'s attack. "Nice job, Bill."
Out of the smoke charges an armed and armored warrior, spun out of black mist. He is dressed head to toe in archaic plate armor, wielding some huge, two-handed sword as black as his armor. With a roar, he rushes at Novel, swinging the sword in some attempt to cut off their head.
"Oh would you look at that." Edith comments. "These again. "Truly it would be nice if something different were to happen." Still, Edith moves over to a particularly overgrown patch of the graveyard. Today, Edith is apparently not playing around, so with that ball of dark sorcerous energy hovering over a palm, she speaks a gutteral word. Two hands-- skeletal burst from the earth, clawing for the sky; Edith snaps off each skeletal finger, breaks them off into their component falanges and then knocks over the headstone with a shove. The dark energy scorches a circle atop the flattened headstone-- A perfect circle, and Edith places bone around the edge. It's likely not needed. Edith can do this without, but it is daylight. If a manifestation is happening so close to noon, Edith is taking no chances. The candle is taken from Edith's handbag, set into the direct center and lit, the tallow beginning to drip almost at once; This is an arcane device without question, devised for such a task. "I dislike them." she answers Novel's question of sun covering. "And I left home before I could find my cloak." Out-dated. "I will be fine however. Noon came and went magically." Edith's blade is produced, Edith's sleeve rolled up and blood drawn, sluggish and tepid, and with the blade, palm full of necromantically active blood and a circle bordered in bone, Edith begins to ascribe a triangle-- A line within a line within a line. The motion is mirrored, the six-pointed star formed around the candle. As the man shifts into the William(Gulo Gulo), Edith doesn't even look up. This is common place now. Habitual, so Edith continues drawing. The ankh, the tines, the scales and hanged man. Multicultural symbology at the cardinal directions before Edith begins to draw a symbol around the candle; The all seeing eye."
William(Gulo Gulo) watches a second warrior take form and try to go for the same plan that his predecessor has just failed to achieve, and just as eager to jump into action as it was moments before, it rushes towards the misty figure even before allowing it the time to get to the now only man on the field. Jumping an impressive amount for an animal of its size, it simply latches on to the neck of the demonic misty figure and with claws and fangs starts to maul the face of what could be a person, but is really just as spirit, at least taking out the whole vision of the demon away from the equation
"I think it's great," Novel mentions to Edith as he paces to one side, his strides swift and angling to put this knight's back to William(Gulo Gulo) again. His tone is conversational, "You considered a big furry coat with hood? Fur and leather. Mink or beaver or something. All in whites and pinks." Of course he suggests and endangered animal or live fur trade. "I know there's some exotics out here that people can hunt, but I dunno how nice the fur of those are. But a big poofy warm thing." And then suddenly he's stepping forwards into the charge, ducking under the clumsy strike and ramming his knee right into the gut of the knight, a sunny smile on his features as the knife glides up through the rib cage and he steps around again to allow the shapeshifter to bring him down to the floor, humming to himself.
Slowly, Edith continues to trace symbology, the arcane runework gradually filling in with glyphs, hieroglyphic depictions and other occult symbology. The north, south, east and western symbols joined by the circle of scorched earth, inset with the six pointed star, and within it, the burning candle as the iris of the all seeing eye, its pin-prick center-- Its pupal glowing with a golden flame that burns sharply. Then, Edith danes to aid William(Gulo Gulo) and Novel. Another bar of light warping sorcery is fired. It strikes the on-coming demon that aims to assault Novel, even as the William(Gulo Gulo) tackles and Novel moves into the mist to continue the assault. "I considered something like that." Edith admits, her own tone casual as a drop of blood is lined up on the tip of the ceremonial blade, then allowed to drip into the candle flame. "I aught act as though I get cold, I suppose."
A hot wind blows through the cemetery, and with it comes sibilant whispers in the ears of Novel and all their companions: they promise depraved, decadent desires fulfilled, and for a moment that's all anyone can focus on.
"Well." Novel temporizes as he delivers another savage, brutal kick into the knight, a sickening crunch and the sparks of Edith's attack following and collapsing back into mist beneath William(Gulo Gulo)'s savage tooth and claw, placing his hands on his hips and tilting his head to one side. There's a thoughtful expression that flutters across his features. "I need a better phone, so I could write this down properly..." Before his gaze wanders from William(Gulo Gulo) back to Edith. "Do you dislike being warm?" He points out, reasonably.
William(Gulo Gulo) keeps on batting with both claws at the already dispersing mist even as the warrior falls to the ground, pacing around the spot where the corpse would have been left, if these things left corpses behind that is. Tongue sticking out of its mouth and licking around the edges of its mouth almost as if he had truly bitten something alive and fleshy, or as if he was cleaning something after hunting prey, even if there was no leftovers of these creatures.
And the licking is only increased the moment the wind starts blowing and filling the head of William(Gulo Gulo) with promises and desires, it seems that, promises for the animal were slightly different than for people, and he might be getting offered just some nice meal, pacing slowly back towards Novel and Edith, head turning to look from one to another but not providing much sound other than that of his steps on the ground and maybe a little grunt here and there.
He might have considered taking a bite from one or both of them, by the time it spends simply staring- What would be better? The still warm flesh or that that is magically preserved, luckily enough, he can't speak these things out loud, he simply keeps on licking his mouth
Pausing to admire what the whispers suggest, Edith allows the golden flame in the center of the all seeing eye, within the star within the circle of blackened earth and bone to turn red. It's something to be admired, Edith supposes. One does like to know they are appreciated in their malicious and or macabre acts. That though simply cant happen. There is a job to do, and glancing over to where William(Gulo Gulo) and Novel fight the spiritual manifestations, Edith squares her slender shoulders, ducks her head, promices herself depraved actions -later- likely meaning as soon as she leaves, and adjusts the set of the bones set around the circle. It is set, and Edith can largely leave it to empower itself. The blood in Edith's palm is still useful though, and so it is applied. Another gutteral word; Not to the demons in the smoke, but to the graveyard itself, to the dead to rise- By my black hand- style.
There is a look above -- and then, from an overarching tree, Novel and their companions can see a black spider made of infernal smoke. It's huge, with a bloated belly, and then spun spider strands of black mist descend to wrap Novel into some awful cocoon.
And the focus on the making his companions a meal disappears from the head of William(Gulo Gulo) the moment the sight of one of them is obscured, following the events and the cocoon upwards until it sees the spider above them, and, much like before, the animal manages to pull off a jump surprisingly high for the size of the critter. Reaching to throw a rake with one of his claws to a side of the spider, and making at least some part of the attacker turn to mist, though not hitting square, and thus not fully eliminating the threat. It seems aiming isn't exactly easy when it involves jumping so high, or animals for that matter. Landing with ease, he bends his body closer to the ground, rising the back of his lower half like a cat stalking its prey, almost as if getting ready for another jump
It is the chant-- One of comicbook fame that Edith speaks. It is macabre, sinister and with malice in every blunt, dominus word. It is a call to the dead. It is a chant for the lifeless, a dirge of the dead, but words for arcana are needed, and it is possible that, yes indeed, the Hand controls the media. Edith's words emerge and the air warps. The light fades and the temperature-- average for late march-- grows cold-- chill. And then, not the skeletal, but the spiritual rise. They gather around Edith and their force is unleashed against the spider, Edith heading over to help Novel release himself from the cocoon of the spider, trusting William(Gulo Gulo) to destroy the monster itself. "The Blackest Night falls from the skies, The darkness grows as all light dies, We crave your hearts and your demise, By my black hand, the dead shall rise!"
Novel gets the first strands around himself - oblivious, he doesn't look up - and then he starts being hauled, his gaze upon Edith knocked out of reprieve as he grunts at the thing trying to tie him up. He steps left, then right, trying to wriggle out of it and tightening it around him. Then his legs wrap around a nearby headstone, anchoring himself as he begins to pull and yank, playing tug-of-war with the giant spider and dragging it closer to the ground as it struggles frantically around him, his hands grasping the threads and turning a danger into useful leverage to hold the thing in place. "Fucking sneaky-ass spiders," He grunts.
A twisted figure forms out of infernal smoke, shaped like a terrible canine shape. It's a hellhound, leaping towards Novel with an awful snarl. When its mouth closes on %n, it has some phantom force, sending a vision of suffering in hellfire.
William(Gulo Gulo) launches itself into the air once more, trying to reach the spider once again, but it seems consecutive jumps that high aren't all that easy to perform. He tries a couple times, only able to reach one of its legs, or maybe a bit of the abdomen with each go. Until, in frustration, he lets out a loud growl at the misty arachnid and instead rushes towards Novel, seeing as the spider is trying to pull him towards it, he quite quickly launches himself towards the man and climbs him up- A process that is by no means peaceful, it's a pretty heavy animal launching itself, impacting and then climbing to jump again, Novel might feel a bit more than just a tackle during the whole process - But at least, like that, William(Gulo Gulo) is able to finally reach the cause of the cocoon, and finally cause the animal to start reforming back into a cloud of mist- Landing back down on the ground he lets out a loud sound in between a howl and a growl, victorious, sadly enough, forgetting that the other man is now being attacked by some hellhound
There is a look above -- and then, from an overarching tree, Novel and their companions can see a black spider made of infernal smoke. It's huge, with a bloated belly, and then spun spider strands of black mist descend to wrap Novel into some awful cocoon.
Novel isn't give much time to rest, his grip on the headstone loosening when a dog joins the fore, "FUCK!" He swears as he's suddenly bogged down, twisting and trying to stay attached to where he is as now he's stuck wrestling a hellhound, hauled loose from the gravestone he was attached to like a limpet and then clambered on by someone, the CLUNK and scrape of claws inexplicably digging into some semi-solid material that doesn't appear to be there and sending him down onto the grass as he gets arm and hand around the hellhound and uses vicious strength to pry apart the the jaws - and then completely apart with another, sudden, sharp CRACK, his expression contorted into an expression of fury. Only to get attacked by another spider that immediately starts trying to haul him off into the woods.
Novel isn't give much time to rest, his grip on the headstone loosening when a dog joins the fore, "FUCK!" He swears as he's suddenly bogged down, twisting and trying to stay attached to where he is as now he's stuck wrestling a hellhound, hauled loose from the gravestone he was attached to like a limpet and then clambered on by William(Gulo Gulo), the CLUNK and scrape of claws inexplicably digging into some semi-solid material that doesn't appear to be there and sending him down onto the grass as he gets arm and hand around the hellhound and uses vicious strength to pry apart the the jaws - and then completely apart with another, sudden, sharp CRACK, his expression contorted into an expression of fury. Only to get attacked by another spider that immediately starts trying to haul him off into the woods.
Edith does nothing with the hellhound. She has done enough. William(Gulo Gulo) can handle it, and Novel needs those strands cutting. Edith does that, though Novel has mostly prevented the worst of things, and William(Gulo Gulo) has handled the spider (mostly). The ritual circle now glows. Behind Edith, it sparks with bloodlight, and the lines and runes begin to flare with bloodlight; Muted, glorious and cruel in how that unnatural lambency strips color from the world. Around Edith however, the air continues to chill. Spirits manifest, though they are not unleashed. To the contrary, they are captured, spinning around Edith for those who can interact with them-- the clairvoyant-- the clairaudient, and their screams are an aria to agony in in B razor edged sharp. They do not fight. They only struggle, and they, as one, are directed to the circle. They are used as a disposable powersource; Powering the afternoon ritual with their very existance-- Though this is invisible to the mundane and those not gifted. Edith leaves William(Gulo Gulo) and Novel to handle the lion share, Edith's blade directed to the pyre of bloodlit phantasmal energy and the screams bank. They grow and the haunting begins. The ritual nears its peak, and the pyre grows; An inferno of deleterious decay. "I am nearly ready." Edith announces for Novel and William(Gulo Gulo)'s benefit-- Then, with Edith's free hand, a clawing motion is made. Dark energy, roiling and insidious fires to strike the spider off balance as it seeks to cocoon Novel again, and the thing is hammered relentlessly into reach for the William(Gulo Gulo).
While in the rush from beating the spider, William(Gulo Gulo) might have overlooked the hellhound entirely, his gaze returns to the forms created from the mist when another spider hits the battlefield. He seems to take personal offense to this, his current more animalistic mind going through something similar to 'I have just beaten you, how dare you come back?' - And so, the wolverine promptly starts running with impressive speed towards the tree - It seems Novel was no longer the instrument to get a bit higher before jumping, but that instead the animal was digging his nails into the tree trunk to swiftly climb it up - And once he is on top he starts clawing and bitting the legs of the spider off, which slowly return to being gaseous mist as he progresses, leaving eventually only the body and head of the spider, just to be mauled back to mist seconds later, seemingly enraged, making sure the arachnid would not come back from the dead again
The smell of smoke seems to peak, and then, with a rush of magical power, it's gone. The smoke monsters in the cemetery disappear, banished -- fading away as wisps of mist in the air around $n.