"Eldritch, this situation is volatile. Can you transport the boy and myself to the largest room available in the Nexus? From there I can attempt to remove this artifact. Tampering with it here would not be unlike attempting to defuse a bomb; failure could destroy the plane and doom everyone on it."
She also takes a moment to look out over the crowd.
"Are this child's parents present? I would like to speak with them."
"Good idea. Transport on its way. I suggest that you try to temporarily dispel the magic of that belt. We might be able to get it off the boy then." The Mage replies.
"OK folks, I'm closing the portal to the hold. Get secure." Eldritch waves his magic fingers closing that portal and then opens a new one to secure room in the Nexus. "By the craft of Anog the Keymaker, I open the doors to the Nerian Nexus."
A woman calls out, trying to get to where Cesarina has the boy. "Yes, yes! I am here. I am here."
Grace sustains the effect. "Are you able to make an emergency landing, captain?"
Grace sustains the effect. "Are you able to make an emergency landing, captain?"
"Si, yes, I will bring us down. Flight attendants, prepare the cabin for landing."
There is nothing suspicious about the woman claiming to be the mother. She seems appropriately spooked and desperate.
Max opens another portal to the Nexus, this one to a tall ballroom with dark wood paneled walls and windows looking out onto a psychedelic swirl of red and violet.
The woman takes a step toward the boy, then hesitates, looking from the priest to the mage, uncertain.
"You can come with, if you like. I just wanted to make sure the child hadn't been kidnapped from elsewhere."
Once they're all situated, she takes some more time to examine the belt and try to puzzle out how to remove it.
Cesarina can take the boy through the portal into the Nexus. It will take a few minutes for the pilot to bring the plane down safely.
Cesarina motions for the mother to join her, and the woman nervously steps through the portal into the dark paneled room. The priest and the boy quickly follow.
The cabin fills with fog as the pilot brings the plane down at an unusual rate, with Gracie holding the power of Calesvol against any sort of magical intrusion into cockpit, whether into equipment or crew. The plan lands on one of the smaller Bahamian islands, at an airfield that is not nearly large enough to accommodate such a large plane, but the pilot has ice in his veins and brings it in safely. Whether it will take off again is another matter, but everyone is on the ground safe.
Once everyone is off the plane, no doubt with the assistance of some more portals from Max and Gracie's commanding but comforting voice, Eldritch opens another portal to the Nexus, bringing you together once again. You are probably not surprised to find Sallah coming through the door followed by two floating trays, one holding a tea service and the other holding a variety of ritual items.
There is an antique three legged stool upon which sits the nervous boy, his mother hovering nervously at his side.
Max thanks Saleh and welcomes the mother and son. Eveutally we they are ready as they are going to be, the mage explains what is going on. "What are your names? Where did you get that belt? And, we're going to need your help to help you."
"You see that is one of three Belts of the Behemoth which are infused with the power of one of three Fallen Angels (Behemoth, Leviathan, Ziz). If you activate the belt, the spirit would probably overwhelm you and take control. Now, the belt is connected to your life, so removing it would not be good for you. However, we could cut off the connection between the Fallen Angel and the leather of the belt, which is from the Behemoth's very flesh."
"In order to do that, we need to cast magic ritual to drive the spirit out of the belt/break the connection between the belt and the Fallen Angel, but we need to find the right items to support the ritual. What do you say?"
Gracie heartily thanks the pilot for handling everything so successfully and gives praise and thanks to the whole crew for handling everything so well, noting that they could not have stopped the supernatural threat if the crew had not performed their jobs so admirably.
She texts Win an update on what happened on the flight, including that they had received a mysterious warning about it in the middle of nowhere in the African wilds.
While Max and Cesarina begin their inquiry she ensures everyone else gets where they need to go from the Nexus.
When she gets a chance, she mentions quietly to Cesarina that the cockpit filled with fog as they were landing. No harm was done, but even Grace has heard of vampires taking gaseous forms and she wonders if that might be it or if there's another explanation.
Cesarina pauses from working with Max to prepare the ritual and cocks her head. "I hadn't considered the possibility, though I should have. Try using your sword's ability to dispel magic into the fog. If it doesn't revert to a vampire's corporeal form, it's likely just a mundane fog."
Max thanks Saleh and welcomes the mother and son. Eveutally we they are ready as they are going to be, the mage explains what is going on. "What are your names? Where did you get that belt? And, we're going to need your help to help you."
"You see that is one of three Belts of the Behemoth which are infused with the power of one of three Fallen Angels (Behemoth, Leviathan, Ziz). If you activate the belt, the spirit would probably overwhelm you and take control. Now, the belt is connected to your life, so removing it would not be good for you. However, we could cut off the connection between the Fallen Angel and the leather of the belt, which is from the Behemoth's very flesh."
"In order to do that, we need to cast magic ritual to drive the spirit out of the belt/break the connection between the belt and the Fallen Angel, but we need to find the right items to support the ritual. What do you say?"
The woman turns to Max, "This is Heitor, and I am Lorena. Please do not let anything happen to my boy. If you can do anything with me, put anything to me, yes, but please save him."
Gracie heartily thanks the pilot for handling everything so successfully and gives praise and thanks to the whole crew for handling everything so well, noting that they could not have stopped the supernatural threat if the crew had not performed their jobs so admirably.
She texts Win an update on what happened on the flight, including that they had received a mysterious warning about it in the middle of nowhere in the African wilds.
While Max and Cesarina begin their inquiry she ensures everyone else gets where they need to go from the Nexus.
When she gets a chance, she mentions quietly to Cesarina that the cockpit filled with fog as they were landing. No harm was done, but even Grace has heard of vampires taking gaseous forms and she wonders if that might be it or if there's another explanation.
Win replies
Very confusing. Why give powerful artifact to a kid and put neo-nazi god clone on same flight. Ragnarok dead? Careful. That won't last. GTG, putting a team together to breach darkness.
"We will do everything we can to save him, Lorena. Heitor, need you to relax and be brave. I need to gather some material. Please enjoy Saleh's hospitality." Max will go find the materials for the ritual.
To Cesarina, Grace said she had her sword's dispel magic effect active, so hopefully it was just an ordinary fog and she was just reading into things.
But she does share Win's thoughts with Max and Eldritch: "Is there a connection between the kid and Ragnarok? Win also says, 'That won't last' to Ragnarok being dead. So presumably he's known to be able to resurrect. Speaking of, where did we put the coffin?"
[dice=Insight (on the mother)]1d20+5
"We will do everything we can to save him, Lorena. Heitor, need you to relax and be brave. I need to gather some material. Please enjoy Saleh's hospitality." Max will go find the materials for the ritual.
Max doesn't sense any deception, and does sense a great deal of fear, in the woman. The boy, on the other hand, seems to be young enough to be marveling at the surroundings.
Grace heads down to the holding cell to check on it while Cesarina and Max figure out how to help the boy.
By now, Grace is well practiced in focusing on what she wants when within the strange dimensional space that is The Nerian Nexus. The paneled walls give way to fitted stone and the air grows damp and musty. The coffin holding the bio-arcanic experiment known as Ragnarok sits in a small cell of similar stone with an ancient looking iron door.
Max leaves the mother and son with Cesarina and goes to collect objects for the ritual. He returns with an old leather belt from Saleh's closet, several links of a large steel chain, a few candles, and a well-used bucket of salt.
He prepares the area around the boy encircling with an unbroken line of salt and five candles. Opposite the boy, he places the belt and chain.
After reassuring the mother, he positions her outside the circle and Cesarina within.
When everyone is as ready as they can be, he starts the ritual standing in the middle of the ritual circle. He starts by attacking the fasteners on the Belt of the Behemoth using Saleh's belt as a focus.
Grace simply observes what she can through the iron bars--any details about the coffin or Ragnarok that might indicate
-- runes for sealing
-- signs of cracking
-- signs of life
-- Anything else that's just weird or unusual.
Eldritch creates the physical structures to channel arcane energies around the boy, and employs the ancient concept of sympathetic magic, echoing his intent to break the bonds of the magical belt by physically manipulating another belt. He starts simply, attempting to loosen the bindings that hold the child.
But the spirit of Behemoth is not so easily manipulated. The ties that hold the belt closed writhe and coil, and the belt tightens. The boy cries out as ribs crack.
"Cesarina, please heal the boy. This is going to take some time." Max doubles down and refocuses on fasteners.
The Behemoth Belt is probably more properly called a girdle. It is ancient, more ancient than metal buckles and fasteners. It has five sets of braided cords that are tied together. As Max manipulates it, one of the knots unwinds, the two braids continuing to writhe like medusa's hair.
"One down. You're doing great kid. Hold still." Max focuses on fasteners.
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Cesarina puts her hand on the boy's head, channeling healing light into him in a constant stream.
Then, she pushes harder. "Endure, my child. You are stronger than you know."
He glows with a nimbus of golden light, then she lets go with a gasp.
Once she's recovered somewhat, she moves to aid Eldritch with the ritual, taking over whenever he seems to falter.
The boy arches in ecstasy as the light infuses him and knits his ribs back together.
The loosed cords grasp one another, knotting themselves once again as Max loses his grasp on the power of the belt. The boys eyes widen as some feeling washes over him, but the Light intervenes.
Max redoubles his effort.
Max begins to get the feel for this Fallen Angel. This isn't the first of the Fallen he has encountered, but it does seem to be one of the most powerful he has seen. Not Lucifer nor Beelzebub strong, but tough stuff nonetheless.
One of the five knots unfurls, but the power of this presence pushes against his own power.
Max continues to focus. ”This is a strong demon.”
Two more of the 5 knots unwind, and while the girdle attempts to constrict the boy, the golden light brought by Cesarina's prayer protects him.
With a flourish, Max exerts all of his will power to overcome the demon and free the child.
The bindings of the belt, both physical and metaphysical, unwind. The circle fills with the smell of deep mud, manure, and a whiff of sulphur. The boy's mother cries out in fear, and the boy faints, held up only by Cesarina's power.
At the same time, something else is suddenly in the circle. blue-white light flares and a cage or net of light surrounds you, not touching the edges of the circle Max enscribed but enclosing Cesarina, Max, and the boy in a grid of light.
Max looks around the cage analyzing for a diagnosis.
The cage is definitely and obviously magical. In fact, while it is more complex than anything Max has ever seen, he can recognize that it is the work of none other than Adrien Eldrich. It is a spell of binding, apparently set to capture anyone attempting to unleash the power held within the Belt.
Grace simply observes what she can through the iron bars--any details about the coffin or Ragnarok that might indicate
-- runes for sealing
-- signs of cracking
-- signs of life
-- Anything else that's just weird or unusual.
The coffin doesn't show any signs of magical sealing or binding. From where Gracie watches, nothing seems amiss. Until she feels the air move into the room, as though something had taken a great breath.
"Eldritch, I hope you know a way to get us out of this. I barely understand these runes."
"This cage is the work of my master. It is a spell of binding, apparently set to capture anyone attempting to unleash the power held within the Belt. Let me work on it." Max says.
He studies the magical cage looking for deft way to unlock it, a backdoor that Uncle Adrian left, in case he locked himself inside the cage.