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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Whizbang Dustyboots" data-source="post: 3767862" data-attributes="member: 11760">"Finally, something to hit," Emus grins wolfishly, Urak in his hand. "Show yourself!""Be rebuked and depart," Emmerson prays aloud. "Be afraid, come forth, and depart from the abbey, the abbess whom served the Lightbringer. Depart to your own darkness. His worthy servant commands you and all the power which work with you to remove yourself from those who have served Lothian the Lightbringer, Lothian the Protector, Lothian the Good, Lothian the Lawgiver and the Lawbringer, for he is the one True God ..."Be gone from this place and release your victims! Evil and unclean spirits hidden and lurking. Be gone into nothingness! Spirits of error, terror, evil and idolatry! Leave this place, fiends of utter darkness or be dispelled by Lothian's Light!"In the name of Lothian, we rebuke thee!"Something begins to take shape above the group's heads, more of a shadow, or a series of shadows, than an actual body, but not cast by any visible body. The abbess' body twists from the noose only in silhouettes painted across the ceiling."Keep reading," Tucker tells Emmerson and Bufer. "We'll take care of this.""You sure that's something we can hit?" Hazel asks skeptically."Let's find out." Emus swings his glowing axe at the shadows forming above him. But Urak meets only empty air. Even to his improved vision, the room is getting darker by the moment, with the shadows growing almost pitch black.His eyes wrenched closed, his brow knit in concentration, Bufer ignores all else but his own intoning of the rite."Garl Glittergold, the Sparkling Wit, expose this pathetic trespasser for what it truly be.Reveal to us its droll countenance, that we might point and laugh, and rightly so.Make audible its feeble discourse, so that we might mock and ridicule it, as is our wont.Proclaim its motives and intentions, that we might heap our scorn and derision upon them.Make known to us its true name, that we might tease and taunt it with singsong rhymes that sound like naughty body parts.For this be the way of the Loresong Faen."Emus curses at the shadows, growing angrier as his weapon has no effect on the threatening darkness.Hazel stiffens her shoulders, breathing slowly and deep to avoid the panic that nearly overtook her in the dormitory attic. She'll keep a watchful eye on Bufer as long as the darkness allows."Free those souls whom you stole from their rightful place. Be rebuked and leave this place forevermore. The power of Lothian compels you. THE POWER OF LOTHIAN COMPELS YOU! THE POWER OF LOTHIAN COMPELS YOU!"And like the mind suddenly seeing a different image inside an optical illusion, without warning, the abbess is there.She hangs from her noose, looking down at the adventurers, her entire body dissolving into nothingness around the edges. It is only near the center of her mass that any details are visible, whether they're the bloody and rent vestments she wears, or the crazed pale face with wide bloodshot eyes.She drifts downward, the noose dissolving into nothingness -- although her neck still bears the rope marks -- and she opens her mouth, urgently trying to tell the adventurers something, but it comes out in a mad babble: "skinfullofpuspushingout climbingontoskintearingitaway thekingisdeadthemoonisbackwe'realldyingnow"The babble cuts through everything else, forcing all other thoughts from the party's mind as the abbess floats down towards the group, flailing at Bufer, seemingly desperate to get him to understand.Tucker and Hazel grow slack-jawed from the babble, trying to make sense of it."It's time for Judgment!" Emmerson roars, leaping up and drawing his sword.The abbess' nearly invisible hands slap at Bufer's face, but have no substance, sliding through his skin harmlessly. But as they pass through him, a change comes over him, and his eyes begin to fill with madness."NNNNNGGHH!!" Bufer grunts, as he grits his teeth and struggles against the madness that threatens to consume him. Breathing in sharply through his nose, he glares wildly at the Abbess, then pulls his aspergillum from his belt and shakes it at her, spraying holy water in her direction."Garl ... Glittergold ... Priceless Gem ... expel this sad and ... most wretched creature ...from our midst.Drive out its influence ... and ... i-its essence from this place.Banish it ... to whence it came ... never to return.For we simply ... d-do not ... find it amusing any longer.So prays the blessed of the Loresong Faen."Oktav tugs at the shut door of the bedroom in a panic, sobbing as it refuses to open.Vonmora's eyes grow wide as the madness consumes Bufer and she shrinks away from the abbess. She thrusts the carved hand clutching a gemstone that is her goddess' holy symbol at the abbess, but it has no effect on the babbling vision.Emmerson swings Judgment at the abbess as she flails at Bufer. Although her hands seem unreal as she slaps at the gnome, the greatsword strikes her as though she were fully solid.Sweat breaks out on Bufer's forehead as his chanting takes on a manic tone. He shakes holy water at the abbess. The drops fly through her, but steams as it flies through her form.Emus chortles with glee as he sees his axe swing a devastating blow against the abbess, but his expression turns to dismay as he can't find anything solid to connect to, despite feeling the tickling of almost-physical clothes as his axe and hand pass through her.Tucker continues to gape.Flower, seeing Oktav safe at the door for the time being, pulls Emmerson's aspergillum from his belt and shakes a plentiful stream of holy water at the shadowy figure, but only succeeds in drenching Emus.Bufer swipes his forearm across his sweaty forehead, and struggles to hold on to his concentration as he continues intoning."Garl Glittergold, the ... uh ... the, uh ... all right, screw it, I'm gonna paraphrase here. Mainly 'cause I want you and whatever darkness you gave into to know them what finally did you in. We are the HEROES OF MAIDENSBRIDGE, the ORDER OF THE NEW DAWN. You have befouled our land and defiled our sisters for far too long. And you just don't screw with the sister of a Loresong Faen and expect to get away with it, You MURDEROUS, WEAK-WILLED LITTLE BITCH!"Apparently losing all semblance of self-control, either to madness or some kind of divine rapture, Bufer shakes the aspergillum at the abbess furiously as he screams at her at the top of his lungs, practically frothing at the mouth."BY THE WILL OF GARL GLITTERGOLD, I CAST THEE OUT!BY THE ORDER OF LOTHIAN, I CAST THEE OUT!BY THE CONVICTION OF YURABBOS, I CAST THEE OUT!BY THE COURAGE OF HANSEATH, I CAST THEE OUT!BY THE WISDOM OF ESTANNA, I CAST THEE OUT!BY THE STRENGTH OF BAHAMUT, I CAST THEE OUT!"Eyes wild as the ghostly cleric flails at him, Bufer responds by flinging more holy water at her, but it passes through her semi-real figure harmlessly. But her unreal state works against her, as her flailing does not further erode Bufer's sanity.Skeeter leaps at the abbess, but misses -- judging where she is and where she isn't is just as challenging for a dog as it is the adventurers. Maybe more, since his nose can't help him.Judgment does what it was intended to do, and slashes at the abbess once more, slicing through her tattered vestments.Once again, Flower splashes the holy water everywhere but at the abbess.Vonmora once again thrusts the symbol of her goddess at the screaming apparition, snarling with anger, but the abbess again ignores it.Or perhaps she doesn't: With wide, staring eyes, she sinks into the altar and then the floor beneath, murmuring to herself.</blockquote>

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