Café de Nuit

Benn looks to Jonas. "Tell him he is forgiven, son. Tell him to move on."

Benn readies the scroll of shadow command just in case.

Primeiro looks from Benn to Jonas and back to Dodds' ghost. He doesn't make any move to grab his rapier, preferring to wait for Benn's idea to play out first. He knows he can grab his sword quickly if need be, but in a fight with the vengeful spirits, he doubts it would be of much help.

Eustace casts Magic Weapon on Primeiro's sword.

Everline is holding both wands, her eyes darting from ghost to ghost to ghost, her teeth gnashing, blood trickling from torn lips. A vein pulses on her temple when her black eyes alight on Dodds, she bares her teeth like a tiger...

And then she shakes herself violently. "Jonas," she rasps. "For. Give. Forgive. It is. Best to forgive." Her body trembles as if she is barely able to stop herself from attacking the specters.

"Be forgiven, then," she says to Dodds. "But let this evil end."

Dorgio regards the mob of ghosts with a hint of shame, seeing his own hatreds reflected back in their eyes. Part of him wanted to join them, to punish and destroy the shade as they'd done with the man. But surely this, this was not The Morninglord's way...

"Stop!" He holds his Symbol of Dawn aloft and spreads his arms toward the mob. You will poison yourselves forever if you give in to your beasts. Dodds deserves justice, but there is no justice in this!"

When Dodds turns to Jonas for forgiveness, Dorgio blinks in disbelief. He goes still and waits for the child's answer, not knowing what, if anything, it will lead to.

Jonas holds out his pudgy little hand.

‘’Sorry? Sorry.”

Dodds brushes the toddler's fingers, already dissolving.

‘’Thank you.”

The mob of ghosts pours through you, howling in fury as they descend on the fading Dodds. They fade and blur as well.

As the ghosts vanish all of you are left shaking, breathless, sprawled on the stones.
Something under your feet groans. The floor shifts. There is no time to waste in discussion- you are forced to flee as the Old Abbey collapses in a great tumult of wind, rain, and falling masonry.

Anyone looking back sees the silhouette of the ruined abbey standing free of any solid structure, suspended in moonlight as the clouds overhead disssolve. But in a moment, that too is gone and only a field of jumbled rubble remains.

The storm's fury has dwindled, and a cleansing light rain falls over the island. Out to see, below the great cliffs, you can see the Mists breaking up.

Denys Sancerre utters an explosive prayer of thanks to Ezra.

Charlotte holds Jonas tight and reaches for Benn’s hand.



THE END OF GHOSTS OF GAUNTCLIFF