[As One River to Another] Big Shadows in Little Garaia

[Sabine Devereaux]

Things were moving quickly around her, and for Sabine’s part, the Melrathi had gone from slightly confused to utterly perplexed. New players and differing agendas and intentions tended to muddy the waters, and nothing about the situation that played out in front of her was simple – that she knew.

Vitria’s question was met with a soft shrug. Who knew where she had picked up the tidbit of information? The road was a long and winding one, and people talked. How was Sabine to know who she stumbled upon during her travels? “I heard it someplace. That’s all I know.” Her response wasn’t great, but then again, how many words were needed to convey that brief sentiment?

Sabine had seen the vision, but what remained to be known was who they were dealing with. Her companion, apparently, judged the assembled en masse, changing quickly from one guise to another. That part was particularly confusing to Sabine, but unfortunately, she didn’t have time to puzzle things out before the tendrils came for her.

She tried to move out of the way and position herself away from the advancing threat, but without leaving the area entirely, there was no possible way to avoid what was coming. Sabine didn’t and wouldn’t run, leaving others to an unknown fate.

Fear crept into her being, and the young woman knew exactly what shadows were trying to envelop her, having felt it time and time again on the road to wherever she happened to be heading – the fear of being left alone. It was partly why she’d never subject anyone else to the same. The melrathi enjoyed her freedom, being able to do what she pleased. Still, after long stretches with just her and the wilds of Idalos, she always came out of the cold to enjoy the company of others - companionship on her own terms.

She had no ability to fight off the terror, body shaking, trying desperately to right herself, to help the others. Tears began streaming down her face, but amid the horrors being bestowed upon her, Sabine’s particular fear had a silver lining – maybe. She couldn’t fight off the effects Vitria caused, but her eyes could see that she wasn’t alone - if she trusted them. Could that sliver of logic help her?

Sabine didn’t know.

She knew that she’d do anything to stop the perceived attack. So instead of staying cowered, focusing on what she felt, the redhead fought against it with everything she was. Stumbling, wrapped in the rapture of terror, she tried to make it where Faith and the man stood, attempting to move in front of them and drop to the ground, on the brink of being overwhelmed with fear.

“No!” she yelled. It might have seemed as though she was speaking to the dread inside her, but her eyes somehow found their way to Vitria. That form had saved her, but why? Instinct said there was a reason, although her current predicament didn’t allow her any time or ability to figure it out.

“This…..is not….right! To question....explore...understand - isn't that.....the essence of Melrath and the people? Let them go!”

Her words came out in stutters but she would face her fear instead of letting it consume her, even if it meant her death.

[Faith Augustin]

cont'd from here

She nodded to the man with her, but did not offer the key back. "I'll keep hold of it, but I'll make sure that I inform the person in charge what I did." She smiled at him, slightly, "No need for anyone to lose their job, I'd say." She had no intention of causing him any trouble, there was no need to at all. He'd been helpful, after all.

And then, there were the people, and the one in particular.

Faith had to admit a tinge of irritation at the woman. All these half-truths were lies and she knew it - but Faith said nothing at the moment, lest she showed her advantage too soon and stopped the woman from pontificating. There were others, the mud-caked woman seemed to be physically fine, if perhaps a little shaken.

And then, Vitria's face exploded in snakes and a feeling of dread came over Faith. She felt the terror grip her and she deliberately, purposely, pushed it into her hands , a trick taught to her in Athart. This woman was no woman at all, but rather a spirit. And, from what Faith could tell, a rather powerful one. That was the last straw for her - this place, this link to "Doctor Bubbles" and the lies told in this place. The damage done to the people of Rharne in this prison, that was too much. This was an attack on Rharne in a manner most unreasonable and Faith knew that, as spirits were how they were, there were very few things which mortals could do against them.

But, Faith firmly believed that often in life, it wasn't what you knew, but it was who you knew that would give you the edge. This woman was attacking Rharne and endangering it - this letting through of "Doctor Bubbles" and the images Faith had seen were very clear to her - they were a threat. She knew that, without a doubt and so, since they were faced with spirits and spirits were notoriously difficult to deal with, Faith didn't hesitate.

"How dare you," she said, calmly. "How dare you threaten these people and this place..." And, as she did, she called on LovalusWhen inducted as a Warden a special bond is formed between the Warden and the Heart of Lovalus. This bond not only binds the mortal to a Diri but it also forms a silent but residual bond with the Induk of Lake Lovalus. It is only the most powerful of Wardens that can call upon this hidden bond and summon forth the power of the Lovalus Induk. This ability can be used anywhere due to the power of the Heart of Lovalus, linking the Induk to all of her Wardens. Capable of being used once a season the Grand Warden may beseech Lovalus to come to their aid. If this call is accepted, the Induk will reach out and infuse the Grand Warden with it’s will and it’s power. The Warden for a time will find that their consciousness melds with the strange and wild mind of the Induk. For that one moment they will no longer be wholly mortal. The Wardens eyes will turn a bright icy blue and their skin will be radiant with power. Faith was, after all, a Grand Warden of Lovalus - and she knew that this sort of threat was not something Lovalus would endure.

As she did that, she called on Schule, her diri, and the little creature wrapped Faith in a glowing plate mail, crafted from raw spiritual ephemera and covering her entire body like a second skin Spiritborn Armour . Faith lifted her hand and in it appeared a glowing ephemeral blade Spiritborn Weapon . Merged with her Diri, as she called on Lovalus to aid them against this spirit ~ Faith (and Schule) would share all the events of what had happened, freely given to Lovalus without question.

Faith stepped then, in front of the Naer who was so afraid and she held up her sword, ready to defend. Faith abhorred violence, truly. She always sought to have another option, always. But when it came down to it, then she would fight. Because even though she hated fighting, she had a duty.

And duty was everything to her.

[

[Revan Blackhand]

35 Saun 722

Terror was an unusual and entirely uncomfortable feeling for Grimwald. He was familiar with fear and horror. He was familiar with discomfort and concern. He had often feared that the truth about him would be discovered but he had never been terrified of it or of anyone who he came across until this trial. He was not adequately disciplined to ignore it. He was not of strong enough mind to separate the induced terror from real terror. He knew only one thing that would make him more comfortable and his hand wrapped slowly around the hilt of the dagger hidden within his cloak of hiding. Terror was a feeling. So was certainty. He could only combat the terror rising within him with the certainty that he would impale whatever beast tried to do him harm.

However he was fortunate enough that it seemed he had avoided the direct attention of this harmful spirit. It would not save him from the tendril making its way toward him though.

"Aren't forward and backward a bit relative?" Grimwald asked, unable to hide the clear terror in his voice. Regardless, the question was genuine. He knew so little of the land of spirits and understood so little of the vision he'd been cursed with that he wanted to know more. He would not give what it had asked for, but a compromise could always be reached. If he had learned anything as a criminal and a liar, it was that a compromise could always be reached. They need not draw weapon against each other. They need not spill blood... but if the spirit chose to impose that fate on them, there was little he could do to counter it.

There was another question in his mind. Another thought he could not quite voice. How did he flow? He who wore many faces and lived many lives? Did he flow at all or was every face he wore just another part of a stagnant pond? He had not been addressed, but it did not mean he was safe.

He couldn't really focus on the many questions running through his head due to the terror being imposed upon him, but he knew he was going to try to cut the tendril up when it reached him unless the spirit backed off.

[Pig Boy]

Now it was unmitigated terror that reigned in the galleries of Little Garaia. Faith stood to intervene against the Spirit, conjuring her spirit-born armor and weapon, as well as sharing the information with Lovalus. Lovalus spoke into her mind then, “This spirit is very unusual. Born from an Induk perhaps, but from mortal meddling in the spirit world. Meddling of shadows and Naer. Most unusual.”

She related this to Faith, and then went silent, giving her what power she needed to combat the spirit.

Sabine managed to make it just beyond Vitria/Framilia, and toward Faith and Grimwald’s side. However, for her efforts she was struck by one of the venomous coils of Framilia’s hair. This sank its teeth into her shoulder, filling her with its terrible poison, which rendered her incapacitated for the moment. She fell to the ground, her heartrate going wild yet sending her into shock at the same time.

Grimwald was trying to talk his way out of this, but the time for words had passed. His question went unheeded and uncared for.

The tendril made a move for him, but he managed to fend it off long enough that Faith could intercept on behalf of the mortals gathered underneath those caverns.

Then, something even more remarkable happened. Rozkia unleashed her gift of shadows upon the spirit. Vitria/Framilia, born of a strange amalgam of naer shadow and spirit, drank in that gift, enough that it didn’t immediately overwhelm Rozkia. The naer fell backward, behind Faith as the healer moved to intercept.

There was a deafening and terrible roar. It filled the caverns with terror and courage in equal measure. Encouraging the mortals gathered there, while also terrifying the enemy that lay before them.

Then, at the speed of shadow, a Dragon appeared before them, terrible green eyes balefully gazed down upon Vitria/Framilia. Then it drew its maw down, and swallowed the spirit whole.

There was a sickening crunch of spiritual matter, and then the River Daughter’s sisters were no more. It was freed of their influence. Then, as soon as the Dragon appeared, the woman that Rozkia had spotted only moments before, the one with bubbles in her light hair, arrived through a portal. Faith would recognize it, through a Hunch based on personal experience, that it was of Jesine and an ancient dreamwalking technique born of the former mortalborn’s mark.

She arrived next to the Dragon, and caressed his thick scaled limb as he stood over them all imperiously.

“Hello, I’m Doctor Bubbles. Thanks for clearing the way, that spirit was making it impossible to make the move…” She smiled at the people there, “Oh but where are my manners, this is Kuvarakh, the Shadow of Courage.” She gave them a shrug, and then noticed the injured people, Sabine and Rozkia.

“Are they not well? I can help.” She approached Sabine first, if Faith would let her. If the healer tried to intercept, she’d reassure Faith, “I’m here to help.”

Faith could detect no duplicity about her voice.

She knelt by Sabine, and with a touch against her shoulder, drew out the spiritual poison that was infecting the wound. It would leave a mark, but then that was the price of courage sometimes.

Kuvarakh looked down at them all, his glowing green eyes a terror to behold, and yet somehow strangely encouraging. “I’m impressed with the way you handled your terror here, mortals.” He lowered his head to eye level with most of them, “Hmm, a naer among you… Like Doctor Bubbles.” His eyes shone in restrained hunger, yet he made no hostile moves toward Rozkia.

Doctor Bubbles helped nurse Sabine back to consciousness, then turned to face the companions, “Yes, yes, I’m a naer. I can help your other companion, if you’ll let me?” She spoke to Faith and Grimwald, of Rozkia, who was feeling the exhaustion of having spent her Gift of Shadow.

“I have experience treating that condition.”

Off Topic

I will post again in around seven days. Sorry for the delay. This coming will be the penultimate round, so make it good! J/k it always is good.

[Revan Blackhand]

35 Saun 722

Well... that happened. It was hard for Grimwald to process the events transpiring before him but only because he'd lived a relatively simple life up until that point. Apart from the lies and criminal activities, apart from assembling a group of companions to share in his darker secrets with, apart from being a creature who could and often did change his face to fit personal urges, and apart from the lingering threat of Shadow Quarter, he felt his life was moderately mundane. He'd even taken a job in a prison which, while paradoxical due to his nature, had been stable up until now. Stable was not how he'd describe his current situation though. Not as dangerous as moments before but now he stood near a creature he could not have imagined or understood. Probably a creature he could not replicate with his shapeshifting abilities either... but it might be a fun experiment if he had enough time to practice and familiarize himself with exactly what was before them all now.

As events continued to progress, Grimwald thought back to what had lead them there. The mystery and his, probably foolish, willingness to escort Faith through whatever part of the prison she wanted to see. Foolish and self-indulgent. Going past the gate was a risk he would not have normally taken without further planning but Faith made him feel more reassured that his position was secure. Then again, she did get him promoted within a few bits of meeting her so it wasn't too unusual that he'd feel confident around her. Still, look where it had lead him now? The redhead had been struck and fallen for the moment while Faith dawned weapons and armor that seemed to manifest from the air around her.

He was going to need more than the ability to steal, lie and hide to succeed in a place so burdened by spirits. Especially with the little warrior in spirit armor around. Fortunately his words went unheeded and it seemed he went relatively unnoticed by the spirit as it went on the offensive. Unnoticed, or protected- it did seem that Faith was doing a decent enough job fighting for the both of them. She kept him safe and in doing so reassured him that he was right to think she'd be able to protect him when he decided to ignore his own terror and follow her into the unknown. The roar that sounded around them only further encouraged him which was an odd feeling. Typically a roar of such magnitude would inspire terror but not this one.

Then, as quickly as a shadow could emerge from the gaps in a source of light, the massive beast with emerald eyes emerged and swallowed the spirit whole- or chewed it... Grimwald wasn't entirely sure since it all happened so quickly that he didn't care to check if the beast's jaw was moving. The woman, or thing, that emerged and introduced herself as 'Doctor Bubbles' pulled Grimwald's focus from the dragon long enough that it probably could have finished chewing a spirit in the time that passed. It probably didn't matter. Whole or in bits, the spirit was gone. The woman, or again- thing, that emerged moved towards the injured after making a polite introduction and Grimwald gestured to himself with his knife just before slipping it back into his cloak. "I'm Grimwald." He said, only introducing himself.

His eyes shifted up towards the 'Shadow of Courage' and Grimwald found himself staring at it while the rest of the events transpired around him. How was he going to explain this to his boss? How was he going to explain any of it? For the first time, he didn't have to lie and he still couldn't think of the words. It was an odd feeling. Doctor Bubbles, who Grimwald was still not sure was actually a doctor, offered to help the other woman who'd been injured by the spirits and Grimwald cast a deferring glance to Faith. Bubbles may not have really been a doctor but he wasn't really a human so who was he to judge. "I'm no healer, if you can help, I have no problem with it." He said with a small nod towards the good doctor.

[Rozkia]

Cursed indeed. The shadows shot out to envelop the spirit in greater darkness than the cavern they resided in. And yet even with her back turned to escape, Rozkia could feel it - that sickening but steady drain of her darkness as Vitria absorbed the gift greedily. She pivoted to look as her strength faded and she landed on her bottom. She breathed heavily, exerted and exhausted of all energy, looking around desperately only to find a lesser of all things had come to her rescue. She stood defiantly in the face of danger, much to the begrudging awe of the naerikk. To stand tall in the face of adversity. Rozkia was cursed to be weak it seemed.

Then, just as she was about to fail an attempt to stand, wobble away from the fight, a roar of deafening volume shook the cavern. All at once, the terror fled, as if wiped away by the sound and in its void courage overflowed. Rozkia took the time to look at her hands which no longer shook with the force of her dread. No, steadier than ever, they were. She looked up an around, the source of the sound moving faster than her eyes could track as it opened its mighty jaws and and closed them around the spirit, consuming it with a grotesque crunch. Rozkia watched with morbid fascination, the dragon.. it was a dragon! She had no energy to stand, having had it drained by a long gone enemy, but she looked on in unrestrained awe of its power and might.

Then the form of Doctor Bubbles as she introduced herself came back into view. Her hair light and smile thankful as she introduced herself and the dragon, who let her touch his scales. While the doctor tended Sabine, Rozkia couldn't help but wonder what Doctor Bubbles was. She seemed familiar with the dragon, and as she approached Rozkia the white haired naer had an inkling. She nodded to the doctor, keeping her in view as she approached to help the smaller naer. The dragon's voice, and then Rozkia was wary of it - Moreso the look in its eyes. Was that.. hunger? He would not.. consume her, would he? "We will accept your aid." She took the time to look around, at Faith and the dragon mostly, how strong they were. She cursed her own weakness in the crucial moment, but otherwise said nothing as she observed the hands that had failed to so much as attack or grab a weapon.

[Sabine Devereaux]

Well, that hadn't gone as planned.

Feeling supremely out of her depth, Sabine had done the only thing she could think of, putting herself between Vitria and the others. It was perhaps, in hindsight, foolish, but the redhead wasn't one for sitting idle. Roaming the world certainly spoke to her need to move and keep moving, so she defaulted to what she knew best when in doubt.

Vitria struck out with a tendril for her efforts, and Sabine went hard to the ground. There was pain and a whole host of other things associated, but most of what happened was a blur. She knew others were there but could not track who or what was occurring. Well, at least until the roar.

Filling the cavern, the sound of the creature's displeasure managed to register on some level to the young woman. More activity and voices. Whoops! Vitria got munched! Ouch...that must have been unpleasant. She had been nice but then wasn't. It was all very confusing.

The nonsense filling Sabine's mind increased as time went on, details becoming harder and harder to grasp as they simply skittered out of range. From her position on the ground, the redhead tried to look up, finding herself staring at the very, very, very large creature and a woman next to it. He? She? Huh. Someone said something, and things made very little sense to her addled mind.

There was talk of Dr.Bubbles – a name her mind associated with the giant creature despite being told earlier that it belonged to another. Bubbles? That was a weird name for such a vicious creature. Did it blow bubbles out of its nose? Maybe she would have to ask later.

As the moments ticked by, she felt weaker and weaker. It really had been an awful idea to journey out to the prison, although she couldn't say it hadn't been eventful or boring. Meeting some people, seeing the sights.

She heard the woman speak, although had little knowledge of who was being talked to or what was said. Regardless, Sabine knew someone was trying to help her even if she couldn't weigh in on the matter.

While she hadn't exactly trusted Vitria, the...whatever Vitria was had, through her connection with Melrath, prompted her to lower her guard slightly. Again, a bad call considering, but that threat had been neutralized.

Her life was left in the hands of others, even if she didn't know any of them. Sabine trusted the small human woman who had confronted Vitria to do what was best.

[Faith Augustin]

cont'd from here

Lovalus gave her information which was both intriguing and worrying and Faith thanked the Induk in her mind. Rozkia's action were downright foolish but seemed to dispell the creature. That was almost a shame, Faith thought, since she would have liked to study it. But then, in it's place came this "Doctor Bubbles" who was with a dragon in tow. This was the third dragon Faith had met and she met its gaze calmly.

"What is one of Jesine's doing here?" Faith asked, keeping herself close to Rozkia and Sabine. She didn't know what either of them were doing or what use they could be, but neither of those things mattered, she had to protect them. "That spirit was more than simple spirit, it was a combination of mortal meddling and spirit. Something distinctly different. Was that your doing?" Faith watched Dr Bubbles for a moment once she had asked that question, then she nodded. "Thank you, " she said to the offer of help. When Kuvarakh spoke, she considered his words carefully. He was interested in Naer specifically, and was introduced as the Shadow of Courage. Shadows were, she suspected, his thing in the way that ice was Frosvindurrs. "I'm Faith Augustin. It's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you, if you would." she said to Doctor Bubbles of treating the others.

"Were you returned to this world at the same time as the others?" Faith asked of the dragon. She suspected that he would be able to see Frosvinndurr's effigy on her, but she did not mention it. Instead, she turned to both Grimwald, Dr Bubbles, Sabine, the dragon and Rozkia.

"We need to dig there. Not far," she said quietly, but with absolute determination that she knew what they must do. "We must dig and reveal the roots. When we have done that, I can rejuvenate them." That was what the room of requirement had provided her with, after all, a root-care kit. It wasn't all the room had provided and Faith had the vial of Jesine's potion to hand.

Because she needed to be ready to use it. But for now, it was time to dig and so, dig she would. If they helped her, then she was grateful. If they didn't, that was their choice and Faith would continue regardless. Lovalus required it and whatever was happening here needed to be dealt with.

It was, most certainly, on the list. That list of "things to deal with" which seemed to grow ever-longer.

[

[Pig Boy]

Kuvarakh regarded the four with his fearsome green eyes as he all but took in the essence of the spirit being. His eyes trailed green flames over them, and his scales were blacker than black. Like a shadow overlaid pitch dark. The first to speak to him was Grimwald, to whom he turned his eyes, “Hmmm, I am Kuvarakh, Grimwald.”

The dragon snaked forward a ways, in through the darkness to take a closer look. Grimwald would feel a strange sensation, as if he ought to be terrified, but mixed with a suspension of that fear. It was a tense sensation of mingling bravery and fear. The amalgam of fear and courage coursing through them all kept them more or less in a state of emotional equilibrium.

“You are a strange, contradictory creature, aren’t you Grimwald?” Kuvarakh said. “You are a guard here, but you do not strike fear into prisoners. More often granting them some morale and encouragement. How interesting. I will be keeping an eye on you, I think.”

Then he turned toward Rozkia, and snarled lightly as Bubbles rushed to help her fellow Naer. The doctor began a strange process of applying ointment to the Naerrik’s tattoos, which helped bolster her, and retrieve some of the sensation that had left in the wake of her gift of shadows.

Kuvarakh sighed despite himself, which came out as more of a growl, as he breathed shadow upon Rozkia. The shadows had a strange effect on her, however. Rather than imparting fear or poison, it began to stimulate her senses, and she felt more alive and about herself. Kuvarakh also breathed a narrow cone of some substance onto Sabine, which coursed through her skin and relieved the toxin within her.

Finally, Kuvarakh turned his eyes over Sabine, who would now be recovering from her brave intercedence between Grimwald, Faith, and the spirit, and toward Faith, “Dig. Yes. I will help. Or rather my dragonets will.”

So saying, a flight of dragonets, batlike creatures with draconic features emerged from under his wing. They began burrowing into the earth where Faith bid them to.

When asked if the spirit was Doctor Bubbles’ doing, she shook her head, “No, I don’t know how that spirit got here, but she appears to be drawn by the same source of power as I and my patron have.”

Bubbles looked up at Kuvarakh, and then finished here work with Rozkia. “There, you should be feeling better soon.”

The dragonets meanwhile dug and dug, with their little claws, cooing and crowing their courage-inspiring breath to encourage each other and the four companions.

Soon enough, a root of a

tree

appeared in the ground, curled around a curiously dark object.

Kuvarakh directed his speech to Faith, as she seemed to be the most interested in getting to the bottom of the situation, yet all could hear him clearly.

“That object… It will bind to whoever touches it, but it will not accept anyone that is not of the shadow brood.” Kuvarakh sneered, and turned to Rozkia. “Or you can release the souls trapped therein. Make your choice. This is what was being cultivated in the ground, but first you must release it from its trap. The gem infects the great tree this root belongs to. Soothe the roots, and you will free the Shadowcaine gem for claiming, or release.”

The gem rested in the grip of the root, which curled tightly a round the powerful soul well.

[Faith Augustin]

cont'd from here

Kuvarakh's dragonets were not pretty, but Faith didn't care about pretty or not, she cared about getting the job done. "Thank you, I truly appreciate it," she said and she got to digging. As she did, of course, she listened to, and watched, what was going on around her. Kuvarakh spoke again, explaining that the gem - a Shadowcain gem, he said - was effectively a soul trap. Faith looked at him and nodded, showing her understanding of what he said. "I've dealt with those before. Thank you, that's very helpful.". As she knelt and dug, of course, he could clearly see that she bore Frosvinndur's effigy - and since Frosvinndur was beyond the barriers, Faith wondered whether that might be a surprise or new information to Kuvarakh.

As she worked, she recognised that the dragonets were inspiring courage and Faith considered that this dragon was an intriguing creature. She had work to do, but she hoped that she'd get the chance to speak with him further. Quickly enough, though, the roots of a yew tree became obvious and, indeed, they were wrapped around a shadowcain well. Faith had a look of deep concentration on her face as she studied the gem itself. Breathing in gently, Faith wished for a moment that there was someone here that she knew, someone she could trust, but these people were unknown to her and Faith had learned the hard way that not everyone was what they seemed.

She had with her the salve that the Room of Requirement had brought her, and she began the careful task of applying that salve to the roots. She was thorough and she made sure that she followed the directions carefully, hopefully allowing it to release the gem that she could then free the souls within. Faith knew that the gem was ectoplasm - pure ectoplasm in fact - as she had indeed dealt with it's type before. She would work at the roots as long as she needed to - and if the roots did indeed release the gem at that point, Faith would use her Famula-granted ability A Zuuda can manipulate their own ectoplasm to their will. Creating objects, weapons, shelters, or shields the Zuuda becomes an invaluable resource for souls and immensely dangerous in the Beneath. A Zuuda can use ectoplasm to heal damage done to a soul, injure them, or even grant them power to manifest their spectral abilities. A Zuuda is the undisputed master of interactions with the ghostly undead. At Exalted, a Zuuda can harden their ectoplasm to take shape in the physical reality of Idalos. Ectoplasm tends to be a glistening black-grey, always seeming to move in a viscous fluid shimmer. Although immensely draining, a Zuuda can create objects and items from this ectoplasm that impart a powerfully chilling shock to those who come in contact with it. to create an ectoplasmic glove over her hands, ensuring that her flesh did not touch the well at all.

If she got to that point, Faith's intentions were clear. She would do as she had done before - first she would shape the ectoplasm of the well to release the souls, then use the lantern Famula granted her to help them pass over, leading them to where they needed to go. Should it work, then the shaping of the ectoplasm would be very visible to those around her - as would the lantern which would appear above her open palm to lead them home.

[