2014.01.01: Summoning Irochka - The Five Questions

Summoning Irochka - The Five Questions
Darcy’s summons a Iusus naturae in an attempt to gain knowledge of the coming storm.
IC Date	January 01, 2014
IC Time	12:00 A.M.
Players	Darcy and Bastion Beckett as ST
Location	The Magic Box Prospect, CA
Prp/Tp	n/a
Spheres	Mortal Mortal+

New Years Eve was in a word: perfect. Truly, Darcy didn't want to leave, and yet knew she should when he finally tucked her into a cab for the night and sent her home. She didn't think she'd go to sleep very quickly, so many feelings and such being left a little denied. And yet, she managed well enough. Maybe it was the alcohol helping.

It starts the next day, that little niggle of an idea, and grows to where she cannot ignore it - the wish to know more about Beckett. And while he's warned her, she's confident that he's a good man, and yet still, there's that uncertainty. Before she realizes it, she's up in her loft, getting out what she needs for a ritual. An area to the side is cleared, the rug that covers the floor there pulled up. Beneath is the circle already inscribed within the wood, a circle that will be set with salt mixed with herbs to hold back what she might summon. When all is gathered, she goes to take a shower, cleansing herself with a special mix of herbs, drying, and returning in the buff, her damp hair to hang on her back.

Picking up the jar of salt and herbs, she begins to walk the circle, calling upon the elements for their help and protection. "I call upon the wisdom of the North, The creativity of the East, The passion of the South, The emotion of the West, To create this sacred space between the worlds." Once the circle is inscribed, she goes back to further call upon the elements.

In each cardinal position is an item: in the north is a bowl of earth with a green candle set within; the south is aflame, along with a red candle; to the west is a chalice of water, with a blue candle; to the east lies a wand and a yellow candle.

Moving to the north, she speaks, "Spirit of the Earth, Guardian of the North, You ground me and feed my connection to the earth. Be with me now to be witness and guardian to this ritual." She lights the candle after smudging a bit of dirt upon the floor before the bowl.

Moving to the East, she speaks, "Spirit of the Wind, Guardian of the East, You fuel my imagination and give me creativity. Be with me now to be witness and guardian to this ritual." With that, she lights the candle, then waves the wand through the smoke, to make it dance in the air.

Moving to the south, she speaks, "Spirit of Fire, Guardian of the South, Your power leaves me in awe, I am comforted by your flame. Be with me now to be witness and guardian to this ritual." With it's candle lit, the larger candle puts out light and heat which she basks in for a moment.

Moving to the west, she speaks, "Spirit of Water, Guardian of the West, you are my pathway to the Goddess, you bring me peace. Be with me now to be witness and guardian to this ritual." A dip of a finger into the chalice, and water is touched to her forehead, then to the floor before it.

Then finally, she stands to the side, and speaks one more line, "Akasha, spirit of energy that surrounds us. Be with us now to be witness and guardian to this ritual. "

A reverberation of power disturbs the air in the small space, vibrating small objects and setting the candle flames to flicker. It kicks up Darcy's hair where it's dried, and tickles her supple young skin. The spell is set, the circle properly formed. The salt lining the ritual mark swirls, highlighting each arcane ideogram.

Bound by magic, amidst the center of the pentagram a shadow begins to coalesce. Small in scale, no more than two feet tall, and never truly corporeal. It remains translucent, but takes shape. A serpent of darkness, and twisted Iusus naturae. It coils rapidly in on its self; it's snake-like body writhing uncomfortably.

Shivering only slightly as the wind curls about her, caressing skin bared for ritual and playing with her hair. As the shape begins to form within the middle of the circle, she steps forwards, "Thank you spirit for coming to my call tonight. I bind you to answer my questions truthfully while in my circle. I forgo asking you to perform a service for me.." Another step is take, placing her at the edge of the circle. "I am Dorcha, know me, know the truth I speak that I do not wish anything more than conversation, answers, tonight." Leave it to her to set the spirit at ease from the start. "Who do I speak with tonight?"

The spectral serpent tests the confines of the invisible cage. The barrier prohibiting it it's escape. Magical energy, spun up and woven by the Mortal woman crackles, deflecting any attempt at freedom. A freedom that would loose the Iusus naturae upon the world. The shadowy coils continue to expand, from a simple snake, and constrictor size. Though never fully becoming substantial - it is truly a creature caught between worlds.

Milky white, sightless eyes open to Darcy. Six of them, blinking side to side in unison. Frighteningly alien. "Irochka," the creature hisses in a sibilant hiss, it's over sized tongue flicking the air.

"Irochka, I thank thee for answering." Darcy murmurs to the creature caught within the warding spell. No doubt, Mary is here as well, the ghost hanging in the air nearby with a smile upon her lips as she watches her 'apprentice' once more succeed at performing these rituals. "I will ask you five main questions, and bid you answer them truthfully. After the fifth, I will send you back and release you." A promise given.

Darcy considers, then asks of the spirit, "The man in this picture.." She holds up her cell phone, likely a picture of Beckett and Darcy dancing, taken by someone, and shared with Darcy before leaving, is shown to the spirit, "Bastian Beckett is the name he uses. Is that his true name?" One never knows if names are right, or not!

"Yesss," Irochka hisses. Sightless orbs focused on the screen of Darcy's smart phone. Such a stark contrast between the Iusus naturae spirit, and the little piece of technology. It rears back, coiled like a sitting cobra, large head bent so that it might better focus on the woman. "One question down, human."

Darcy is glad to hear that the name given, is the true name of the man that she has come to respect and have feelings for. "He has spoken of trouble that is in his past: what trouble follows him?" The second question is given, the phone set down aside as she turns back to face the spirit snake as it sits there before her.

Irochka is silent, and still for several seconds. All six of its eyes close, focusing inward to search for the answer Darcy's wants. "I see darkness. A blanket of darkness, Dorcha, daughter of," the serpent hiss the names of both her mother and father. "This man is hunted by it. Plagued by it. A nemesis I see. A powerful one eyed monster." The milky white eyes reopen slowly, left to right one at a time. "A destroyer of lives. Bequeathed with the ability to bestow much suffering and pain." He begins to laugh, it's snake-like body convulsing awkwardly - grotesquely. "Despite all of what it has done, its thirst for this man's suffering goes unquenched. He is the past that cannot be escape, and the destiny he can't avoid!"

Darcy listens without comment, considering what the snake does tell. This is what she had started to dread hearing, and yet her chin lifts and she asks her third question, "Everyone, and everything, has a weakness that they cannot avoid. No one is without such. What is the weakness of his nemesis that can be used against it?" Point blank is her question, no beating around the bush for her.

"Naive child," Irochka hisses, flicking it's black, reptilian tongue. All its eyes level on Darcy, as it begins to sway side to side. The perfect image of a ghostly serpent, the writhing body beneath it a mass of shadows and scales. "You misunderstand this enemy already. It is legion without weakness, without fear."

Darcy shakes her head, smiling softly, "And that is where you are wrong, spirit. Everything has a weakness. Even those that humans considered gods and goddesses, have their weaknesses. Even this nemesis has one. " She speaks truth, at least from what is known - nothing is 'perfect'. Nothing. "I think you are trying to get out of answering my question."

Irochka flashes its many fanged maw angrily, striking the barrier of protection and casting magical light in flicking sparks across the surface. “Irochka speaks only the truth, per your instruction human. If weakness exists it has not become known,” the creature protests!

Darcy doesn't flinch when the snake throws himself against the barrier that holds him there. She has faith in her work. The protest is noted, and she tilts her head, "I wish to know then, when such weakness is made known." Perhaps she will have a task for the spirit after all. "Question four - what is the best way to protect Bastian Beckett?"

“He must be protected from himself first and foremost. From things like honor and duty. These beliefs will be his downfall,” Irochka hisses, it’s gentle swaying from side to side, slowing considerably. All six eyes blink again, from side to side, and what may suffice as a smile cranes it’s reptilian features. “Be prepared to sacrifice that which you love dearest.”

Darcy can understand how such things might be the man's downfall on some levels. Not all things are black and white, after all. Of course, the smiling reptile has her attention with the last comment, which it likely knows her last question will end up being used on clarification, "What exactly do you see me needing to sacrifice?"

Irochka's laughter is explosive and malevolent. Darcy couldn't summoned a more wicked creature had she reached in the very pit itself: Well maybe. It thrashes about the small sphere in which its entrapped, completely animated to be asked such a thing on her fifth and final question. "Foolish human! Irochka does not know that. Dorcha does not love it yet!"

It writhes end over end, testing the barrier repeatedly, more vehemently. It knows it's time is nigh. "Barging fulfilled, sorceress. Release me or pay my price for servitude." The wood floor beneath the salt already smolders lightly, leaving a sharp odor hanging in the air.

Darcy growls something beneath her breath, Mary to shake her head. The girl is good, but she still has a lot to learn still in dealing with these spirits. Picking up a bowl of herbs, she dips a hand within and flicks it out over the spirit, "Be gone, Irochka. Go back from wince you came and bother me no more. " The spirit is released, sent back to where it was summoned from.

The herbs hit the protective sphere and sizzle like water on hot metal. Irochka bays wildly as the void opens, sucking it back into the shadows of another realm. The scent of scorched wood and sulfur stings the nose for several moments after.

A breath is released, as is some tension that was held by Darcy once the spirit is released and disappears. Even as calm as she might have appeared to the thing, she was still quite tense. For a moment, she stands and considers what was told to her tonight, but soon, will go about cleaning up after the ritual, but first she will release her circle cast at the start of the night. She begins by releasing the element of spirit, "Thank you tonight for joining me. May I carry your love within my hear till next I cast a circle."

And then she begins by walking widdershins, dismissing the elements as she goes. To the west she goes, "Thank you, Water, for joining me. May your emotion and protection be with me always."

Then to the south, "Thank you, Fire, for joining me. May your energy and creativity be with me always."

Then to the east, "Thank you, Air, for joining me. May your speed and purity be with me always."

Then to the north, "Thank you, Earth, for joining me. May your stability and solidness be with me always."

Finding herself back where she started, she takes a deep breath, "My circle is open, but not unbroken. Merry meet and merry part, and merry meet again."

And with that, she turns to cleaning it all up, from sweeping the floor and discarding the salt and herbs, to picking up candles and anything else used.