HOME FIRES MISTS LIFEBLOOD SPOKES
This is the only log of substance I ever did as Vine on Darkness Rising.
dr - Thursday, December 10, 1998, 3:59 PM
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Vine
This woman is still young, seeming to be in her 20s, although life has
brought laugh lines to her brown eyes and the corners of her mouth. She
stands around a meter and two-thirds in height. Her build is lithe and
wiry, giving her an aura of strength lying just under the surface. Her
chestnut hair is thick and slightly wavy as it falls to her shoulder blades.
She favors the colors green and brown in her dress. Currently, she's
dressed for Ritual: deep brown robes with green slashes fall almost to the
ground, bare feet poking out from underneath. Her dagger is strapped to her
waist on a white woven cord. A silver chain holds a pendant; a second holds
a small double-terminated rutilated quartz crystal.
Vine closes the door behind her, barring it. She takes a few deep breaths
and goes to sit in front of the altar.
Locked Room
The scent of lavender evident throughout the apartment is strong here.
Each of the four walls has a large sconce in the exact center, beeswax
tapers ready for lighting. The walls themselves are painted by hand with
representations of the elements: the east wall with a sunrise over the
door, south with a flame reaching up to the ceiling, west with a waterfall,
and north with crystalline caves. On the ceiling itself appears what looks
like branches of a tree, spreading overhead. The floor is again bare wood,
and in the center of the room is a large, round table covered with a
crimson cloth. Another three-prong candelabra is in the center of table,
and a plain applewood stick sits on the southern edge. A shell graces the
west side of the table, and a waxen pentacle the north. There is nothing on
the east side. Two masks flank the candelabra: one a lady's face, the other
a representation of the Green Man.
There is a rather large bar which can be set across the door leaning
in the northeast corner of the room. The door itself has the brackets for
its placement.
Vine grounds and centers, keeping her eyes closed and breathing deep of
the lavendar incense she lit before the cleansing bath she just finished.
Then she stands, and performs the self-blessing ritual she was taught as a
new initiate.
Vine murmurs "Bless me, Mother, for I am Your child." She dips her finger
into the shell, withdrawing it wet with salt water. "Blessed be my feet,
that have walked in Your ways."
Vine anoints her feet, then her knees. "Blessed be my knees, that have
knelt at the sacred altar. Blessed be my womb," and the salt water is
touched to her pelvis "without which life could not be."
Vine takes another deep breath, touching salt water to her chest. "Blessed
by my heart, formed in strength and beauty. Blessed by my voice, which has
called the sacred names. Blessed be my eyes, which have beheld the Mystery.
Blessed be my hands, which will now work Magick." Throat, eyes, and hands
are all touched in turn.
Vine walks sunwise around the altar, approaching the East sconce. She
draws her dagger.
Vine points the tip of the blade at the candle. "Spirits of the East,
Powers of Air, Powers of the Dawning time, Powers of the Eostre Equinox! I
call you to witness and lend aid to my rite! Those who Know, come to my
Circle and join me!"
The candle flares into life.
Vine turns and proceeds to the southern point. "Spirits of the South,
Powers of Fire, Powers of the Bright Noon, Powers of the Summer Solstice! I
call you to witness and lend aid to my rite! Those who Will, come to my
Circle and join me!"
Again, the candle ignites. She passes to the West. "Spirits of the West,
Powers of Water, Powers of the Sunset time, Powers of the Mabon Equinox! I
call you to witness and lend aid to my rite! Those who Dare, come to my
Circle and join me!"
Athame tip and candle wick touch and the lighting occurs once more, and
Vine moves to the north. "Spirits of the North, Powers of Earth, Powers of
the Deep Midnight, Powers of the Winter Solstice! I call you to witness
and lend aid to my rite! Those who are Silent, come to my Circle and join
me!" At this candle's igniton, she points the blade to earth and passes the
boundary of the Circle. Once, twice, three times around: "This is a time
with no Time, a place that has no space, a world between worlds. As I do
Will, so may it be. This Circle is cast! Hail and Well Met!" And she
kisses the tip of her blade before sheathing it.
You get the distinct feeling of _awareness_ as the magick starts to fill
your senses. Everything seems much more alive, the corners of the room seem
so close, and reality seems maleable. You can _feel_ Pernago, you can
sense him at the edges of your reality.
Vine turns sunwise to the altar, taking out her labyrinth pendant. She
declares her intent aloud: "Lord of the Green! Lady of the Hunt! I seek a
friend who I fear is in need. Give me clarity and strength to find him!"
She draws her blade and slices her hand, the blood flowing over the pendant
and into the ridges, the labyrinth's paths showing up in bright red.
You are suddenly aware, _very_ aware, that someone is trying to find _you_,
as well. You can feel their will work against your own.
Vine sinks into a kneeling position, staring into the labyrinth, walking it
with her mind and Willing it to lead her to her friend and ally. Her eyes
glaze as the trance begins to take hold, the blood flowing unchecked. She
Will be stronger, and she Will find him. So Will it be!
You can feel the other presence, the one which was searching for you, get
lost in its own labyrinth. It is gone, it no longer touches your mind. In
fact, you feel a sudden weight being lifted off of you.
Vine breathes deeply, then stabs the dagger into her other palm. She is
warned now, and will guard her Sanctum all the better. She paints her
eyelids with bloody fingers, the better to See.
You can feel the Sight come a little easier. You have much more of a sense
of Pernago now, you feel yourself being pulled towards him, your sight
being guided to him. You see a house, a mansion, really. Not one which you
have ever seen. The terrain looks rough and broken, trees take up much of
your view in a small forest which hugs the edge of the rocky property.
Vine notes all this in a dispassionate way, looking for a landmark she can
use.
You feel propelled, as if into a window, your Magick guiding you. Pernago
is there, in a room.
He is in dark clothing, and tears roll down his face. A man is talking to
him.
Vine hisses in a soft breath. She touches sticky fingers to her ears, then
her eyes again.
You hear the man say something to Pernago. "Look, if you hadn't come to
work for us....we would have killed you. Do you understand? The Mercere
need you, Pernago. Now more than ever. You'll enjoy serving us."
Pernago looks at the bracelet on his wrist, not one you ever saw before.
Suddenly, the other man looks up. He looks around, frantically, but then
stops. You feel a sudden shock, as if cold water were thrown on you. You
suddenly snap back into this room, the effect ended. The candles burn out
in a gust of wind.
Vine loses focus and finds herself staring at her pendant, covered with
dried blood. "Mercere.." she whispers.
Vine checks her Wards hurriedly.
You recognize the word "Mercere". In the recesses of your brain... you
know that it is a word that belongs to the Hermetics.
Vine kisses the blood on her hands, sealing the wounds. "Thank you for the
vision, Lord, Lady, Spirits of the Ways. I honor you, and I will not
forget." Salt water washes the stains from hands and necklace.
Vine stays kneeling for a moment, eyes closed. "Ah, Perny....I don't want
to have to kill you."
Vine shakes herself and gives the Parting Blessing to each Quarter, then
stands in the center by the altar. "And as I leave this place between the
worlds to walk once more upon the ordinary ground, I know that what I have
done here is ever a part of me. I am Power. I am Change. I am Verbena. The
Circle is open but unbroken. So may it Be."
Vine then strips off her robe and cries quietly, naked and alone, at what
she may have to do to save lives.
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