The Rebirth of a Mortal
From Atlantic Roleplay Wiki
The Rebirth of a Mortal by Tara
Preparations had been made it took some doing, but potions had been released from the Skull - a mixture of nightshade and two other ingredients on which Tara did not wish to speculate. GloomShade had insisted that these potions were necessary to utterly kill a ghoul and continue the ritual and they must be used quickly. Even as she held them, Tara could see the glass smoke slightly on the inside of the vials. She looked around Golgotha. Arch'ist Gale had promised to meet her in the Tower of Skulls before journeying to the Church of Oblivion for the ceremony.
As she accepted the potions delicately from Shadow of the Order of the Ebon Skull, Tara noticed Arch'ist skulk into the building. Frost had formed on his nose from the arctic chill outside and Tara caught herself hoping maliciously that it stung. Once the ghoul arrived, GloomShade materialized behind him, scrutinizing his form and nodding to Tara.
"All right," he said, his voice sounding ever so slightly of a mourning wind through dead tree limbs. "Let us depart for the Church. The Del'Roh awaits us there."
Arch'ist twitched as the wraith's voice startled him and for the second time Tara smiled slightly at his discomfort. A swirling gate opened and the three stepped through to the Church. Vyktr did indeed wait for the three within the relative comforts of the bone-strewn building, Bal-Anon Dak with him, interested in the proceedings in his Church. The Del'Roh nodded slightly to GloomShade and Tara at their entrance and regarded Arch'ist with cold indifference. Tara had told him of how the ghoul had been made, of the Blood of a vampire, stolen from its intended and consumed by Arch'ist, then a mortal.
To a member of the Order of the Ebon Skull, this theft was a high crime, deserving of death, but Tara had asked for his life as a favor and GloomShade and Vyktr allowed the trade for a price. Vyktr watched the proceedings in silence, perhaps plotting his own retribution against the audacity of Arch'ist.
After securing permission from the necromancer, Dak, GloomShade began the ritual of unmaking the ghoul. He retrieved the potions from Tara, the bottles now bubbling internally and bade Arch to stand before him on the altar.
"You have been tainted by a curse. You are a flesh eater damned for your inhuman hunger. We seek to release you from this curse. You will be prepared for this ceremony by Tara. Drink these potions, which will sever your soul from the infected body. As you are dying, the taint will beremoved from your organs and your body will die. We will then inter your soul into that body with the cleansed organs. You will no longer be a ghoul but you must not eat for three days to ensure the cleansing.
This is aterribly painful ordeal. Remove your armor and drink the potions." After stripping his chain tunic, Arch quickly consumed the two vials. As the liquid hit his throat, his eyes went wide in terror. Pain wracked his body.
Tara allowed him to experience that pain for a brief second before unsheathing a ceremonial dagger, slicing open the skin covering his chest and peeling it back to reveal his ribcage. She slammed her fist into his breast bone, shattering it and revealing his naked organs and beating heart. Without severing them from his body, Tara gently lifted them out of his body. Arch lay gasping his final breath as Tara severed the organs and handed them to GloomShade.
Once the ghoul was dead, the Wraith Lord quickly spoke some hushed words over them in a language that Tara did not understand. Vyktr listened intently and stood as GloomShade removed the last vestiges of vampiric blood from the organs. After placing the organs back into the body lying on the dais, GloomShade stepped back so that the Del'Roh could resurrect Arch'ist through magical means.
"I hope he learns to leave Kindred affairs alone." Vyktr muttered as he spoke the words of power and infused Arch'ist's mortal corpse with energy. "Now begone." Arch'ist's face again contorted with pain as his soul was forced into his scarred body. With a slight twinge of sympathy for the man, Tara threw a couple of quick heals his way before he recalled out of the Church. Her conscience pricked her momentarily for making the ceremony more painful than necessary, but only momentarily. Bal-Anon smiled as he cleared the debris from the ritual and began preparations for his Mass.