====== The Exorcism ======
===== Initial Brief =====

**GOOD CITIZENS WANTED**

Warden Baudolino seeks citizens to assist with the exorcism of a spirit in Telemere. Discretion, piety and devotion to the task are a must. His gratitude is offered for any true assistance rendered, with his further gratitude contingent on the success of the exorcism.

===== PCs =====

  * [[user:emma:pc:jeremiah_stingelhelm|Jeremiah Stingelhelm]] - Emma
  * [[user:harryh:pc:steven_smith|Steven Smith]] - Harry
  * [[user:iain:pc:mabel_bembrooke|Mabel Bembroke]] - Iain 
  * [[user:declan:pc:peleus_perin|Peleus Perin]] - Declan
  * [[user:steph:pc:loriel|Loriel]] - Steph
  * [[user:ellieh:pc:sabrina|Sabrina]] - Ellie
  * [[user:daveh:pc:evarard_dirk|Evarard Dirk]] - Dave
===== Summary ======

  * Warden Baudolino hires the citizens to investigate the manifestation of a ghost which he believes to be the unquiet spirit of Warden Orderic (burned alive in '[[resources:adventure:cold_reception_warm_embrace|Cold Reception; Warm Embrace]]'). 
  * The party must assemble some personal effects from Warden Orderic's room. This is harder than first expected: the objects are all clustered in the centre of the room, and entering prompts the objects to attack.
  * With these assembled, the party are introduced to Chosen Asenath, an eccentric Wheel Paladin who is allowed free movement around Castle Telemere. Wearing nothing more than a lioncloth, Asenath absentmindedly invites the party to afternoon tea and pastries (which he steals from the kitchen) before realising that he's supposed to invoke the power of the Wheel to guide the players through an exorcism.
  * Asenath explains that the body and the mind are separate things, and, just as a dead body may persist after death, a dead mind may persist also, especially when there is some objective it has that it was unable to achieve in life. 
  * Defending Asenath against weapons and suits of armour, they are eventually transported on a road into the mind of Warden Orderic. This radiant road is beset with all sorts of obstacles, including a strange boulder, and two rather acquisitive bandits. Clearing these, the party find themselves awaking in a bedroom (all except for Sabrina, who falls into the bedroom violently and is knocked unconscious).
  * Something is amiss. They are in a servant's quarters, and the door demands questions of them before they can leave. "What is your name"; "Why are you leaving your room?". The party come to understand that they are, in some important way, not Orderic, but 'Artemecia', who appears to have been a servant at the Castle.
  * Having left the room (and nearly left Sabrina behind) the party find themselves at a feast where all the participants see them as this 'Artemecia', and treat them accordingly. Attendng the feast are a younger Baudolino, an alive (and rather handsome) Warden Orderic, Katepan Larissa, Kavalier Gideon the Golden (looking faded and awful), and three Exarchs - two looking like giant awe-inspiring marble statues, one looking like a children's horror story about Forest Touched. No-one really remarks upon this fact.
  * After causing a a Treasonable ruckus at dinner, and the death of a servant, the party find themselves split up and in the darkness of the Forest of Loss. Wolves howl. The situation is dire, but a knight in shining armour on a white horse comes to save them - shortly before spontaneously combusting and burning to death in immense pain.
  * The world is filled with fire. The party stand in a giant crucible, shaped like the artefacts of the Torch on the Embrace of Empire. Though nearly overcome by the spreading flames, they persevere. 
  * The party now find themselves covered in blood. There is a trail of this leading away. Following the trail, they come across a twisted version of Castle Telemere, filled with dangerous courtiers, and the horrifying Forest Touched from the feast. They pass this, and make their way to an execution chamber, filled with an awful dark light shining through stained glass windows depicting the justice of Telemere. Artemicia is to be executed. The party resist this fate, but the Wheel Paladin bravely places themselves under the chopping block, which causes reality to warp and shift once more.
  * The party awake in a much more comfortable version of Artemecia's room. Warden Orderic is here - alive - and declares his love for Artemecia and a desire to keep her safe forever. Receiving a vision from the Torch, Jeremiah comes to the awful conclusion that he must burn Warden Orderic to death - again. After many abortive attempts at burning Warden Orderic - which trigger manifestations of love to appear and attack the party - they succeed, and the world begins to crumble apart.
  * The party run. A little while after, another huge tremor rocks the world. Escaping through a corridor, the party come face to face with a wall of impenetrable steel, which they are immediately sucked inside.
  * Here, they come across an enigmatic human dressed in foreign clothing who tries to kill them. After the party are successfully able to defend themselves, the figure leaves. 
  * The party wake. They are next to Warden Orderic and Chosen Asenath - who are grievously wounded. A figure weilding a greatsword dripping with gore runs into the distance. Sabrina attacks with throwing knives and Mabel gives pursuit; the rest of the party attend to the wounded. 

===== Debrief =====

  * It emerges that Artemecia was indeed a servant of Telemere, she was executed for a conspiracy to assassinate the Exarchs, believing there was an evil conspiracy afoot.
  * Unusually, the trail was conducted in a private session, closed to the public, something which can only be done with the unanimous agreement of all Exarchs.
  * Baudolino thanks the party for their assistance and discretion, and is glad that the spirit was not that of Warden Orderic, though he seems troubled by their story.
  * Little is discovered about the mysterious figure. 


===== Consequences =====

====Everyone====

  * Gain 2 Favour.

====Steven Smith====

  * A growing friendship with Chosen Asenath

====Loriel====

  * Gains affiliation with Great House Telemere

====Evarard Dirk====

  * Finds published scholarship on an art project where a Connection and Perfection Weaver collaborated to create a 'perfect love' in the heart of one passionate suitor. This ended in tragedy when the procedure made them go utterly wrong, killing everyone that either of them knew. An postscript indicates that everyone involved was summarily executed for crimes against the City.

====Sabrina====

  * Begins to research ways to make something using Connection that can detect Forest Touched with greater accuracy. This is hampered by a principled refusal to engage the Guild for help.

====Jeremiah====

  * 1 additional Favour from Baudolino. 


{{tag>"the exorcism" adventure jeremiah_stingelhelm steven_smith mabel_bembrooke peleus_perin loriel sabrina evarard_dirk}}