The Hauntings of a People

[Yva]

The conquering heroes that went to Naxxramas arrive again, filtering into the chamber.

Tiforis eyes Uthas up and down.

Ulthanon looks between Uthas and Maggie.

Kalenedral nods to the returning people.

Magdalenia stares up at him, still.

Ulthanon says: ...You must have one hell of a way with women, Wordweaver.
Uthas says: In the beginning was the Light and only the Light, and from it we come.

Kalenedral tells Ulthanon to be quiet. Shhh!

Tiforis prods Roullette.

Wildlark eyes Pitch with obvious relief.

Jak strides in, carrying a cloak-wrapped bundle in his hands.
Kalenedral spots Channi.

Uthas says: As it is the beginning of all, so it is the end of all.

Threnn peers at Uthas searchingly.

Chelody looks around.

Roullette looks as if she's been beaten up fairly well, with some heavy redness creeping up her arms.

Chaanii eye's Kalenedral and gives her a small smile.

Threnn says: You lot all right?

Uthas says: The mortal shell we wear is merely a veil before the shining radiance of the Light itself.

Magdalenia stares at him, as still as a statue.

Kalenedral returns the smile.

Chelody gulps.

Wildlark drapes one arm over Pitch's neck.

Beltar still has his rifle out, aimed from the hip at Maggie's back.

Uthas says: And when we are called, as we all are, we return to the Light that birthed us.
Uthas says: In peace, compassion, and rest.

Jak takes up a straight-backed position at Threnn's elbow, the bundle in his arms slowly leaking blood.

Bricu peers at Uthas searchingly.

Chelody says: ...

Roullette looks back at Tiforis. She does not look alright. She looks back to Magdalenia and Uthas.

Ulthanon likewise has an arrow knocked, but not drawn.

Uthas says: Return the Light now in peace, and with your leaving allow your son to join you.
Uthas says: No more must your path tread in the dark places.

Pitchblàck stares hard at Magdalenia, watching.

Threnn says: Her son's been rotting in a shallow grave in Corin's Crossing.
Uthas says: Sleep and join the Light once more. Let it be thus.

Uthas lowers his hand.

Roullette turns, and pulls her axe out of the dirt.

Threnn looks up calmly at Uthas.

Kalenedral reaches over to take Channi's hand.

Magdalenia says: Do it then.

Magdalenia stands up and digs her weapon into the ground.

Chaanii gives Kalenedral's hand a reassuring squeeze.

Wildlark digs her fingers in Pitch's fur, still watching.

Kalenedral squeezes back.

Takani squeezes Fallah shoulders.

Uthas nods at Threnn.

Magdalenia lifts a hand. The first shadow comes out of Pitch, slithers out really, and gathers at her feet.

Pitchblàck watches it go.

Jak stares at Uthas, his expression cold.

Magdalenia twitches her fingers. The second shadow leaves Jak, slipping from his weapons to swirl in the maelstrom. The screaming stops. She lifts her other hand. Duugvilder's fingers glow black - an odd thing - and the shadow leaves him, Beltar too. They congregate in a growing pool beneath her.

Threnn stands and waits, watching the shadows pool.

Magdalenia turns her head slowly. Lorelli watches the world go brighter as the veil is lifted. Fallah's fog just ripples and fades, Takani is no longer hearing the hissing and spitting of the chorus.

Lorelli drops to her knees, but remains silent.

Chaanii watches Loreli with concern.

Jak expressionlessly reaches to his belt, and hoists the comforting weight of his axe into one hand.

Fallah blinks her eyes in surprise, then leans against Takani in relief

Magdalenia rolls her head back. There's a gleeful GOT YOU GOT YOU and a leper gnome streaks past to shatter against the portal walls.

Chaanii shudders as the shadow leaves her, but nce gone, she turns to look at Kal and loreli and smiles at them both.

Takani looks at Fallah.

Kalenedral doesn't smile, but looks -very- relieved, and relaxes slightly.

Magdalenia sweeps her hand and somewhere, a fox lifts its head and yawns. Its kits mewl around her, and she knows she needs to hunt anew.

Magdalenia smiles at Roullette, a strange look on her face, and a blackness seaps from the smaller woman's skin, through the pores.

Roullette furrows her brow.

Magdalenia lifts both arms now. Grendrak's shadows sweep up and then crash down, swimming towards the pool. Tiforis's goggles quake and twitch, and a goblin's voice can be heard saying "Aww shit."

Pitchblàck watches each one leave, expression becoming more satisfied with each.

Magdalenia turns towards the door. She glances up at the door, and a clown walks in with a handful of balloons. He lets them go to pop on the ceiling and then he pops, too, more shadows swirling away.

Duugvilder 's face is unchanged,


Tiforis pulls the goggles off of his belt, both of his eyes scanning them, as if seeing them for the first time.

Magdalenia looks at the Plaguefather.

Fallah feels her fingers tingle and they glow faintly for a moment before she collects herself.

Takani blinks at Fallah.

Magdalenia lowers her hands, palms down towards the floor. A small flock of children streak by, laughing.

Magdalenia finally turns to Threnn.

Chaanii turns to look at Kalenedral, gives her a reassuring squeeze of the hand and smiles as she lets go of her hand and approaches Lorelli.

Chaanii kneels before Lorelli.

Ulthanon 's hand twitches near the nock of the arrow.

Threnn meets Magdalena's eyes.

Chaanii kneels next to Loreli and gives her a hug.

Magdalenia lifts her hand towards her, hesitating. She grits her teeth.

Wildlark already has an arrow nocked, but holds her bow down. For now.

Jak tenses and grips his axe more firmly.

Arrens shadows dance on his fingertips.

Duugvilder channels mana.

Lorelli looks sideways at Channi, she's a little pale but she returns the hug.

Threnn waits, at full attention.

Magdalenia flicks her fingers. An old man seems to walk from Threnn's body, as if in her shadow. He wears a white mask and crimson robes. He steps towards the swirling shadows and sinks down into them, melting from the bottom up.

Lorelli nods a little.

Aelflaed blinks.

Chaanii nods and helps lift Lorelli to a standing position.

Magdalenia says: . . . consecrate the dolls and the ground and be done with it.

Threnn looks around.

Aelflaed 's face drains entirely of color.

Magdalenia jerks her breastplate off and lets it thud to the ground.

Threnn says: Where are the dolls?
Beltar says: Doll? I found one in m'pack earlier. Burnt it, up in th' inn.

Ulthanon tosses a doll onto the ground.

Magdalenia says: Consecrate them. The shadows have left them.

Threnn pulls the light into her hands, then sends it into the ground.

Magdalenia 's shadows churn and churn.

Threnn says: Well, then.

Magdalenia looks straight ahead at the portal. Her hands clench into fists at her sides.

Jak unfurls the bundle in his arms. The bloody phylactery falls onto the ground with a clattering noise, in front of Threnn's feet.

Threnn peers down at it for a moment.

Arrens steps forward.

Pitchblàck glances at it.

Threnn says: Can't say I wish you peace.
Threnn says: I don't.
Beltar says: It's a phylactathingy.

Magdalenia turns to regard her.

Magdalenia says: There is no love lost between us. Let's not pretend otherwise.

Magdalenia glances down at the phylactery.

Threnn says: Never was any to lose in the first place.

Threnn lifts her boot above the vial, eyes on Magdalena.

Magdalenia arches a brow but says nothing.

Bricu grins at you wickedly.

Arrens says: A moment, Madam Threnn.

Threnn raises her eyebrow inquisitively at Arrens.

Threnn says: Arrens?

Beltar still has his gun aimed comfortably from the hip at Maggie.

Arrens says: Might I see that a moment, please?
Threnn says: What for?
Bricu says: A farewell gift.

Magdalenia takes the amulet from her neck and rubs her thumb over its glass top.

Arrens nods solemnly.

Magdalenia peers at Uthas.

Magdalenia offers it.

Uthas reaches out and takes the amulet.

Arrens picks up the vial. He thumbs it with shadows on his fingertips.

Arrens mutters words in demonic while pacing thoughtfully behind Maggie.

Magdalenia says: Take that to a place no one else will ever, ever find it. Some things do not destroy so easily.

Arrens shadows start arcing around the vial.

Beltar sidles over to Aely and mutters, "Th' hell's yer man doin'?"

Aelflaed doesn't respond. Isn't moving.

Threnn watches Arrens.

Magdalenia looks straight ahead, eyes widening. She lifts a hand as if trying to touch something. Her fingers nearly graze Uthas.

Magdalenia stops. She is seeing her son's death, over and over, unending. She tilts her head to the side and closes her eyes.

Shadows arc and begin shooting into Maggie's body

Arrens says: [Demonic] Zila te kar refir Rakkas.
Magdalenia says: Tommy.
Arrens says: [Demonic] Lek Tiros Arakal. Lek te romathis, rethule lek belan zila.

Beltar blinks at Arrens.

Arrens says: [Demonic] Zar kieldaz refir.
Bricu says: The last thing she sees mate.

Pitchblàck cocks his head and blinks at Magdalenia.

Bricu says: Make it hurt.

The shadow arcing picks up in intensity.

Fallah grips Takani's arm and watches with wide eyes

Magdalenia levels a hand at Bricu without opening her eyes. "Farshai Lit'naren Slav'ato."

Threnn says: Enough.
Threnn says: Arrens, give me that bloody thing and let's be done with this.

Takani pats Fallah's hand reassuringly.

Bricu nods at Arrens.

The arcing ceases and stops altogether before he drops the vial before Threnn.

Arrens steps back.

Threnn lifts her boot and smashes the phylactery.

Pitchblàck watches intently.

Magdalenia 's bubble shivers once and goes away in rippling swirls.

Pitchblàck doesn't move but his claws come out, digging into the dirt.

Ulthanon draws the arrow back, but does not lift his bow- his eyes on Threnn.

Beltar brings the rifle to his shoulder, aimed.

Bricu says: Missus. End it.

Jak steps to the side, hefting his axe.

Wildlark does the same.

Threnn looks at Magdalena for a long moment.

Magdalenia 's shadows swirl, but go nowhere else.

Threnn says: Do it.

Magdalenia doesn't look at Threnn. Instead, oddly, peering at Uthas.

Tiforis just happens to have two very large weapons.

Grendrak quickly throws a shackle around Magdalena, binding her in place again.

Ulthanon raises his bow.

Threnn backs out of everyone's way.

Wildlark aims....

Chaanii 's eyes dart from Maggie to the others....

Uthas mouths something silently to Maggie as the blades begin to swing.

Duugvilder casts...

Ulthanon takes aim... Ulthanon fires!

Pitchblàck bares his teeth silently.

Tiforis swings!

Kestil let's fly an arrow.

Beltar pulls the trigger.

Bricu watches.

Wildlark lets go.

Magdalenia is stabbed, beaten, maimed, burned, axed in 40, and splattered everywhere.

Chaanii can't watch

Lorelli puts an arm around Channi's shoulders. She watches, but does nothing.

Kestil spits on you.

Magdalenia 's shadows churn, and churn some more. As the violence stops, the shadow beneath open their mouths and begin to tear at the flesh there, ripping it apart and - feasting -.

Duugvilder says through gritted teeth, "Better than she deserves."

Roullette swallows.

Kestil says: Eat her, you bastards.

Kestil mutters this.

Bricu says: Much.

Kalenedral glances back, then looks away quickly, going slightly pale.

Grendrak eyes the shadows.

Fallah shivers but forces herself to watch

Pitchblàck sniffs at Magdalenia, as if making sure she's dead. Then grabs her leg and buries his teeth to the gums.

Aelflaed wraps her arms around herself, unblinking.

Ulthanon shoulders his bow and draws a skinning knife.

Pitchblàck lets go and retreats from the shadows.

Tiforis says: Good.

Tiforis growls this.

Magdalenia 's shadows just tear and rip and snarl until there is nothing left but a pile of ragged bones. They begin to bubble and ooze outward, then expand inward.

Takani puts his arms around Fallah, watching.

Arrens wraps an arm warmly around Aely's shoulders.

Threnn says a prayer and drives the Light into the ground around the bones.

Roullette has not lifted her axe through it all.

Chaanii shivers slightly as she reaches for Kal's hand and leans on Lorelli's shoulder.

Threnn waits, then does it again.

Magdalenia just disappears into a pile of wrongness and ash.

Beltar slings the rifle over his back.

Fallah 's calls the Light into her fingers as well, and drives it into the ground as well, echoing Threnn

Kalenedral holds Channi's hand in both of hers.

[Arrens]

((Of note: Zar kieldaz refir = You fucking bitch. Just figured I'd point that out for contextual purposes. ))