A delicate matter (fall 1220)

I guess Ismael should also send Holy, (Per + Sense Holy + roll = -1+4+5 = 8)

Assuming he finds no evidence of a miracle, Ismael will simply observe. He will not tell anyone he is using Sense holy, nor reveal the results.

No holiness is detected in the woman, though the father seems to be moderately blessed.

Antonius acquiesce:

"No, I do not think she is possessed by a demon, nor that she is a demon materialized." He points at the fourth circle. "I can however say that, Tayman, you have been transformed forever, far more profoundly that the scars on your body show. Somehow, you are as human as us, but differents; for magical energies are part of your essence now. Perhaps it is due to where your wounded body was laid; perhpas it was due to the stars, I do not know.."

He stops and swiflty sweep away part of the fourth circle with his left shoe. " I am sorry, you are free. I did not mean to cause you more grief than necessary. When dealing with demons, one needs to be cautious and not take apparences at face value." He says the last part while looking at Ismael, and then turn his attention to Father Ratzinger and Tayman.

"As for your husband, I agree with Father Ratzinger, I warn you against seeking justice. People will be afraid of you... and even if you were wronged immensily. I know you are angry; and you have every right to be, but your husband will face justice if not in life, then in death. See this as a chance for a new beginning."

"I have heard of such a story a few years ago, in Scotland. Locals told the story of fisherman that had drowned in a Loch, only to come back, transformed .... like you. I doubted the story at the time, but it seems they were right. We could learn more, if we could go back to where you were found. If you come with us, and we might be able help you."

He looks at Tomas:
"Please do, I think it is safe to do it""

Father Ratzinger clears his throat. "She was raised up, reanimated? I don't know the correct word, anyways, she was in her coffin, at the funeral." He gestures to a stand behind the alter where her empty casket still lies open. "There were witnesses." He adds as though that means something self explanatory.

Ismael clears his throat, In Arabic: "There have been many documented examples where someone was buried who was just "mostly dead" :stuck_out_tongue: . Does not the deification process in the Catholic Church include exhumation of the body to ensure the proposed saint actually was in fact dead and did not wake to despair? It looks to me that despite her grievous wounds, she was buried with the spark of life still present, and that spark is what we see now, fully manifested."

Father Ratzinger nods slowly, "and now that life is somehow entwined with magic. Were it not for my vows, I would be inclined to lie and say she simply recovered from a grievous wound, but knowing it is bound with magic, this will not make her popular around here. Perhaps she should disappear, while I will not lie to my congregants silence is something I can do, which indeed the seal of the confessional often requires me. I think we can count this as a special case of the confessional."

Tayma moves to the Cross. She doesn't walk there. She just disappears from where she was and appears next to the Cross. She grips the Cross with both hands and frost blossoms around her. She speaks deliberately. Like she's trying to keep herself from yelling. "Maybe that would be best. I, I don't think I can forgive my husband. I think that would require a miracle now. If I were to stay... there would be more death. And I don't want to hurt innocents. The Angel, that must have been a warning. Since I didn't stay dead nor be replaced by a demon that means I died a normal death. Hopefully that will have more sway when tempers have cooled. I have a couple questions before I go. Could you tell my family what has happened? I know none of this is their fault. Jonathan seemed like the perfect husband before we married. But my heart still rages. I think I can forgive them with time. And am I still married? I died, does that not end the ties of marriage? "

Father Ratzinger smiles gently "I can certainly explain things to your family. As to your marriage that is rather ambiguous. If you truly died and were risen by a miracle I would be inclined to say the marriage is dissolved, of course in that case none could oppose your word on how you died and your husband would be taken care of as well. If you had died and come back with infernal animation then certainly your marriage would be dissolved, with rather different results. If you had simply been grievously wounded and recovered normally obviously your marriage would be in force."
"As it stands you were either grievously injured or killed and then transformed into a being of magic, where I will admit my theology is a bit weak. If it was truly death then I would assume the marriage is still ended, but we cannot be certain of that, you may have been grievously injured and appeared dead through your transformation. What I am going to rule, until and unless someone higher in the church decides otherwise, is that your transformation has unbound these vows to you, the church serves humans, not beings of magic. Your husband, however, is still bound to his vows as his wife still lives. At least this should protect any other women from his wrath in marriage." He clears his throat "Of course this may motivate him to seek a more permanent resolution to your marriage, though if you are not around he may decide it is not a point worth pursuing, it could be hard to say."

"I don't think he will seek a resolution. He was very reluctant to consummate the marriage or share a bed. I suspect he'll be quite happy to be married into a noble family without having a wife present. So where to go now... "

Antonius walks toward the woman:

"Tomas and I are part of a group of scholars, that plans to establish an hospital to help the wounded and sick; you can join our community if you wish to. Perhaps that in time, your wounds will close and you'll find peace."

"I think that would be good. I'll endeavor to assist you somehow in your care of the sick." Tayma says, moving towards the scholars. "Although, I'll probably need to study first or train under someone. I've lived the life of a noblewoman until now, not a nurse."

"First." Father Ratzinger intones "we need to get you out of here. It isn't exactly as if events have gone unnoticed, and once you leave the sanctuary of the church..." he winces.

"It is true Father. Futhermore, her husband could use the situation to substantiate his claims of her being possessed, if we use extraordinary effects to get her to safety. Plus people could get hurt, and I would not like this to happen. Is ther anothere entrance that we could use?

If not, I have an idea. We have a casket already, why not just put a body in it ? Tomas, you are talented in the art of creo and corpus, why not conjure a corpse in the casket, long enough for the crowd to bury the body, while we wait here and slip away under the cover of night ?"

Ismael will do something uncharacteristic for him: volunteer. "Can you put some sort of glamour on her to look like me? She leaves with you and I spend the night in the company of the good Father. Witnesses will see the same three leave that came, and a Maltese peasant leaving the church tomorrow will be a thoroughly common sight. In the meantime,

Father Ratzinger could truthfully tell anyone who asks that her life was preserved long enough to accuse her murderer. If the casket and conjured body are buried tomorrow, All will draw the obvious conclusion that she is indeed now passed.

As for the murderer, there is no judicial proof, but he will not enjoy the fruits of his crime because everybody will justly shun him. I'm sure that will not satisfy milady, but the only true justice is that meted out by the Good Lord of All in paradise. This punishes him, gives him a chance to repent and save his soul, prevents Father Ratzinger from lying, and gives milady sanctuary.

Father Ratzinger has a worried face "Where would she sleep? There is but one bedchamber within this chapel. She has graciously spent the last night on the pews, but we can hardly hide her away on a pew. The burial is a good idea, but I would not be willing to give consecration to a body which has never held a soul, and this might well be noticed. In either case it would be best if she were away, by natural means or not, before nightfall."

Ismael will shrug. "If she leaves tonight and I take her place, I will be quite comfortable on the floor with my cloak for a pillow. As for consecrating the body, wasn't that done already? No need to do it twice."

"More magic. A solution to a problem caused by magic. Worrisome and appropriate I suppose. Worst case scenario I can just run, assuming my unnatural movement doesn't fail me. Or if everyone is focused on the Church, and I can be disguised, I might be able to appear unnoticed entirely. You could say I simply vanished. the last part is directed towards the priest.

"Not the rite of committal, that is only performed at the burial. I cannot commit a soul which I know the body in the grave never had."

Tomas nods at the suggestion of creating a corpse. He holds his peace in the ensuing debate, knowing that if he pushes, the priest will likely get more resistant. And the theological issue is not one he knows (or particularly cares) about.

"There might be something else I could do. I cannot make Tamya completly dissapear, but I can make her image stay in a certain location, for example in the bedchamber or in the church tower. She would be for all intent and purpose invisible. If Tomas creates a corpse that looks like her, we could slip away without too raising too much questions. When the sun dissappear beyong the horizon, so will the body, and Tamya's image should return where it belongs. By that time, we should have reached a safe place."

He adds:

"I usually dislike using illusions and deceit, but it is the only way I see this situation will end withouth causing harm to anyone."

Ceremonial casting (will take 45 minutes):
(ReIm 15 Base 4 + 1 touch +1 concentration +1 moving image)
23 Re 10 Im 2 Sta -12 aura + 5 artes liberales + 3 die = 31 ok