video; un: lady (backdated 2/16)

[dohaeris]

[it's sansa and lady, back to normal size and levels of composure, sitting on their usual couch with the direwolf-and-weirwood backdrop. does sansa have a name tag with an illegible palimpsest of names on her charcoal wool dress, embroidered with ravens and capped with the feathered collar madame generosity gave her? it's not important.]

Hallo, this is Sansa Stark. I was wondering if anybody had made any plans to do the ritual for sealing Riteoir away again this month, and if they needed any help. I made some small dark bloodstones we could use. I have heard some people were interested in building a road from the Outpost to the new city, and I think that could be very helpful.

[she hesitates a moment...something seems to be troubling her.]

The portal in the temple is a path for Riteoir to enter into our world. I don't think it would be very safe to leave it alone once we've sealed it. We should think about how we might hold the city, or the temple at the least. It may be that it's only Riteoir's power keeping dangerous creatures and Beasts away from the city, and that once he's gone it may be no different to any other wild place outside of Trench. I don't know that The Tower is capable of extending his protection to another city, or that he'd think it was a good use of magic. And I don't know if it would help to destroy the temple, or if that would only make it harder to find if he were to use that path again. I don't know if there is anything special to that place or if he might try it somewhere else, but I don't know if we can afford to abandon it.

[sansa knows that if this were the north, she'd send a garrison to look after it, but she doesn't have that power, or those numbers, here. one thing she can do is send ravens there, especially if the hostile presence leaves with riteoir.]

I could scout there sometimes with magic, if that would help, but I do think we would be wise to set up wards and perhaps guard it in person if we can. I should like very much to hear any ideas anyone else might have for how to keep it safe from Riteoir, so he can't use it to attack Trench again.

Comments

audio | un: sds

[fogsong]

We could just kill him.

audio;

[dohaeris]

[sansa considers this for a moment. it sounds appealingly simple, but it can't be that easy to get at riteoir.]

Well, we'd have to go in there and find him, first. Likely his supporters would come to his defense, and we'd have to fight them, too––in their world, on their terms. I don't know that we have enough people for that, and laying siege to a city or any kind of holdfast is always very difficult. It would be a war, and there could be a good deal of bloodshed and blood pollution. Then there's a very good chance with any Pthumerian they could be reborn into something even more angry and powerful, with all his memories intact.

[sansa is loath to wage war, here, but especially to kill a pthumerian who might not even stay dead. the idea of generations of riteoir's people plotting revenge against trench makes her skin crawl, but so does the idea of slaughtering an entire world. it has all the makings of one of the trench legends behind recurrent curses where too much blood and magic has permanently warped things. there must be a better way...]

Perhaps once the Patrons are free of his influence, Never Mind might be able to tell us how to do it so he stays dead. I don't know how much Never Mind knows about the other world, though.

[fogsong]

Riteior is difficult to locate but I've done it once. [ makima brought up the possibility of using sharon's powers to locate him and, together, after trial and error, they did. not that he stayed around to chat. but it's enough to know she can find him if she needs to. ] The real issue would be getting him to stay in one place and that's something I've been working on for the last few months.

[ there's a reason she's been visiting less over the last few months. ] I'd even be able to make it so we wouldn't have to worry about his supporters.

[dohaeris]

[sansa stares blankly at her omni for a moment. it isn't that easy for sansa to track strangers, especially in dangerous terrain where she'd rather not risk the direwolves, who are considerably better at it than vhagar but much less indestructible.]

You found him?

[perhaps sharon should have lead with that...she'll have to discuss tracking abilities with sharon sometime. still, sansa is unconvinced that killing riteoir is worth the risk.]

It's worth considering, but we can ill-afford open warfare here. I'm afraid it would create blood curses, like when that stupid Hunter tried to kill Dorothea for opening traps.

[like is it so hard to put away enough food for one month honestly]

And as I said, he could very well be reborn into something even more dangerous and come after us.

Still I should like to hear what you intend for his supporters.

[sansa suspects it will involve killing them all, but it might....not.....]

video; un: an.exorcist

[likethelight]

Sealing him is going to be a temporary solution anyway... if he was able to break it the first time, even if not entirely, he'll be able to again. Any being with that sort of power... something as simple as a ritual could never work forever.

[ Said plainly, like one speaking from very sobering experience. ]

One way or another, eventually he'll have to be stopped.

[ As usual, Allen's tone is gentle but solemn on such a topic, and covering up an underlying uneasiness. The skin under his eyes is darker than usual though from lack of sleep, and his hair is a little frazzled. He offers her a bit of a wan smile though. ]

If you're going to help perform the ritual I can travel with you this time, Sansa.

[ he couldn't in January because he was A LITERAL CHILD... that no one could recognize for Reasons and you know, he's okay with that ]

Text| un: Shadow_Puppet

[stoicsilhouette]

I agree we need to find a more permanent method then constantly sealing it away. It's a waste of resources otherwise.

But if you guys need a coldblood I'll come along and help with this month's sealing.
[ He hasn't been part of that ritual yet, and any up close information would only be beneficial.]


Also I've watched enough movies to know, destroying the temple is probably not the best solution. Those places are usually lined with sealing talisman built right into the structure.

[dohaeris]

[sansa offers a grim, tired smile and a single graceful nod at allen's words.]

I flew there on Winter, the last time. He calls it 'being a dragon.' I'm sure he'd like it very much if you flew with us on Grey Ghost.

[sansa sighs.]

Once we've sealed him away properly, his influence on this world should be gone. Perhaps Never Mind might know of some better solutions then.

[a brief and sorrowful expression flutters across her face. her shoulders slump a little. she likes never mind...]

I asked him about Riteoir when they took Vi into their world, and he didn't know very much at all. It was as if he thought of Riteoir like a minor Pthumerian making some trouble for us. But the books said all the Patrons were there when he was sealed away the first time. Riteoir's curse, the sickness, it makes people forget things. It must have made the Patrons forget about Riteoir and what his curse was like. We'll have to be very careful he doesn't make anyone forget about him again.

[it reminds her a little of how the southerners see the white walkers, and a small, bitter laugh escapes her.]

Everyone in the south thinks the White Walkers are just a story. The Wall and the Night's Watch have held them off so long half the realm [a generous estimation] has forgotten they ever existed. It's supposed to be my family's job to remind them. I might have expected to be charged with something like this here as well.

['riteoir is coming' just doesn't sound as nice, though.]

1/3 text; un: an.exorcist

[likethelight]

Movies tell you how to seal away evil deities?

I think so too. I feel like somehow the temple itself is also part of how he's sealed away, and destroying it might break him free. I don't think it's worth risking.

2/3

[likethelight]

 

3/3

[likethelight]

And I'd look forward to that.

It'd be nice to travel together.

[likethelight]

[ Haha-- that gets a small laugh from Allen. ]

I was going to suggest that anyway. I don't like disturbing him much for such things... but I think it'd be safer for us to ride with him.

[ But he sobers again too as her expression curtains, and he offers a small and sympathetic small. ]

I think you're right and that's why we need to be careful, even in trying to stop him for good. If he's strong enough to effect other Pthumerians in that way, even when he's still not in this world, and some of them are so strong compared to us the difference of power does feel like that between a mortal and a god...

He's probably one of the most powerful, and dangerous, of them all.

[stoicsilhouette]

[You'd be surprised how much he was trained on movies, and] they say all good fiction is based in some truth. And I've seen first hand places dedicated to sealing away malevolent entities. And they aren't that far off.

Given the distance, I don't think Nue can make the trip the entire way. I may have to meet up with you guys on foot at some point.

[likethelight]

[ Clearly Allen has to expand his movie repertoire now that he's discovered they... exist and are a thing. Even if a part of him wants to side-eye that just a little still but you know, what does he know about movies. The future is amazing. How incredible it must be to be a modern exorcist. ]

Oh.

That won't be a problem. You can ride with me.

[stoicsilhouette]

How are you getting there? [Oh, he knows he really does, he just wants to see it in text. It fulfills a mighty need from a futuristic animal loving city dweller to see such a fantastic statement written sincerely. ]

[likethelight]

Dragonback.






[ yep. just that. ]

[stoicsilhouette]

Does that entail a saddle? [ He rode a horse once , and he usually flies free form on Nue, but he knows just how much larger dragons are.]

Text| un: Shadow_Puppet

[stoicsilhouette]

Thank you for putting this information out there. I was wondering what others might have been thinking regarding Riteoir. It's better to get a group on the same page and have a plan.

[likethelight]

No, although I've thought about it. Sansa said it would be a lot of leather though. [ i.e. he's a tightwad ]

Usually it's fine just to hold on.

[ "Usually." ]

[stoicsilhouette]

[He'll keep Nue on standby just in case of any freak accidents.] Um to what exactly ... his mane?
He's not familiar with the anatomy of a dragon, but that's changing. Expect him to have very much educated himself with a quick yet detailed trip to the archives. ]

text;

[dohaeris]

To Allen. Dragons will only take one rider at a time, though they'll let them bring on a passenger if they're big enough. You'll both have to be very careful.

[likethelight]

He doesn't have a mane. It's more like horns.

[ This is a Totally Normal conversation and Allen absolutely isn't still rather tickled and schoolboy giddy at the idea of dragons and knights and all the fairytales Mana told him actually being sort of real. And not terrible. ]

He's very gentle though and quite broad. It's not that hard.

Don't worry, I can still stop both of us from falling if anything happens.

text;

[likethelight]

We will be!

[ Can you read the slight pout in his words, mom? No? ]

[stoicsilhouette]

But I must insist if it's too much or he needs a break to just let me know. The last thing I want to do is trouble him. [Thanks for indulging him. He too is very much caught up in the fantasy and magic of dragons.]

[likethelight]

[ Megumi gets a +1 in Allen's book for selfless kindness towards dragons. ]

It's a long trip that I haven't made with him before, so we might have to. I think it stresses him out having to fly lower than he's used to as well here. That's okay though. With at least three of us and him it makes traveling a lot safer.

Sansa flew there before, I need to ask her how long she thinks it might take. This will be my first time going there at all.

[dohaeris]

[don't call her mom, big brother]

I know you will be, but Fushiguro should know that people died trying to ride dragons that weren't theirs before he gets on Grey Ghost.

[she had to read about the death of prince joffrey (no relation) to make allen's christmas present not long ago, it was very sad!!!]