The Banishment of the Demon of the Frozen Waste

The Banishment of the Demon of the Frozen Waste

Historian’s note: Fragment found in the libraries…this is an ancient fragment that, as far as we know, predates the Mageocracy and at present we’re currently unsure of who wrote it or the time and context of its origin. It may have been part of a larger manuscript. However, it is cross-referenced with a ritual that is also included below. Querants should note that we can not conclusively confirm that the ritual detailed is the “final version.” Proceed with caution. 

And so it was that in a particular year, at the high heat of summer, that our humble research organization did receive a messenger begging aid. This woman came from an area located in a warm, fertile farming zone where the people lived simple but abundant lives. For generations, their years had flowed with the seasons, into the long growing season and resting during the fallow ones. Their tables were laden with goods, their bellies full, their young healthy, and their coffers growing from a healthy trade in the excess of what they grew. I share this context to illustrate how unusual the details are that followed.

Tragedy struck when unexpectedly a Winter arrived in the night, at the height of true Summer, turning the broad area for some hundred miles in every direction from the center of the village of Hearthkiln Greens into a barren, frozen wasteland. Dangerous creatures of ice and similar ilk wreaked havoc, killing and rampaging. Other things were observed by the woman and recorded in the letters and pleas she delivered that suggested this issue was of an otherworldly origin. It came to our attention that several messengers had been sent but all had perished, either from cold, starvation, or direct attack. Despite many pleas for aid, ours was the primary organization that responded.We sent an experienced, well-armed team to investigate and in time they returned with critical information. A creature they came to refer as the Demon of the Frozen Wastes had taken up residence in the area, corrupting the land and exerting undue influence over the area’s leader, a chieftain called Loftar . He was fully under its spell and unable to prioritize the well-being of his people. And thus, we agreed to aid this region in ridding it of its blight as per our charter to help those in need.Had we known then what we know now, I can not conclusively say that we would have done such. For the process of exorcizing the evil from this place would take not weeks or even but months. And it would claim such a heavy toll in time, resources, and life that our organization would truly never be the same. After it became clear that standard fighting and magic would not prevail, we consulted our archives and those far and wide. As such, it became clear that this would require a ritual of containment and the development of a vessel designed wholly for this purpose.

And for purposes of this summation I will not go into all the details of that which we tried, our guildmaster and most experienced ritualist and demonologist developed a powerful ritual which we enacted. It failed and in the process, horrifically and tragically claimed his life. And thus it was that our numbers dwindled from the hundreds to just a few dozen left standing at the end.

It would take not one, not two, not five, but seventeen iterations of this ritual to get right. Untold lives and learning lost in its service. It was not until we concocted a vessel that could hold a demon - a process in which took our best magical specialists and smiths years - that we stood a chance. Ultimately, we were able to complete the ritual and bind the Demon. From there it was destroyed, the leader called Loftar freed of its influence, and healing began to come back to the land.

I do not know if the place or people touched by this horror will ever be same. For I surely will not. However, at least it’s a horror placed firmly in the past and my hope is that’s where this extraplanar influence stays - where it belongs, outside the bounds of this reality.

The Exorcism Ritual

As the chief researcher still remaining from the original team set out to defeat the Demon of the Frozen Wastes, my research lead has subsequently asked me to document the bare bones of this ritual for future use and study. I am hesitant, for the very idea of needing it sends terrible shivers through my bones. Yet, should I or any of my descendents encounter such horrors again, perhaps these details will make such a fight easier with less toll. Before we dive into the specifics, a few caveats.First, it took several iterations to refine this ritual. Seventeen, to be exact. Each failure came at a significant cost of time, resources, patience, harm, and in many cases, the lives of dear and beloved colleagues and friends. My own husband did perish in this fight, as well as our daughter, two losses that have marked my spirit with a darkness that will never leave me until I take my final breath. Their sacrifices were not in vain. However, the sheer extent of the effort should be noted as should there be need to utilize this pathway again, it’s important to remember that we have as of this time had only one success.

And may I never have the opportunity to determine if this is a replicable one.

This should be used only in the most severe circumstances, with the utmost caution, and by experienced professionals. With that said, it is important that you understand this exorcism - called for lack of a better term - has three parts.The first is the individual under its influence that you wish to free.The second is the extraplanar being you wish to extricate.The third is the steps required to break the connection.

It can be assumed that if these three aspects are handled, any corruption or damage to the land will self-heal or will be susceptible to efforts to rehabilitate it.

Let us begin with the individual under its influence. This leader requires three parts to be gathered in his or her name. I shall call these A, B, and C for ease of reference. For purposes of our ritual, it was the area chieftain of the village and surrounding farms Loftar that we needed to free.A. The leader’s spirit must be summoned, and in this case, he was so far gone that it required input of both the living and dead. This should be an essence related to who the person is or was. For the leader of the community in question, we gathered those people who knew him well to tell stories of their lives before the blight struck and remind him of that life. They shared details of his heroic acts, the love they shared, the daily activities they did together that built a life. We also used a sacred cornucopia horn to call the spirits of the dead from the village and surrounding farms, and gathered some of their essence in a lantern to further draw forth his spirit.

B. An anchor was required, to hold him in place to the here and now and lay the foundation for him to be released from the influence. This required something specific to him. We sent a team to gather items from his home where he’d resided before the demon possessed him. A painting of his wife on their wedding day, a goblet that had belonged to his parents, and a treasured spear gifted to him by a hunting mentor.

C. Finally, we needed to find something that served as fuel for the release. Something that could completely and wholly differentiate him from the demon at hand. His home land was possessed of a well that many said had holy and healing properties, and in which he and his ancestors had bathed and drank from for generations. We brought and melted ice from that place, using its essence to remind him of who he truly was.Each of the items was empowered through actions specific to them, prior to undertaking the ritual itself. The steps needed to instill an item are highly contextual, and you should consult a magical expert familiar with your situation for in situ advice.

You’ll see that the ultimate ritual follows a similar structure for both leader and demon: summon, anchor, fuel and release. For the extraplanar being, we also sought something to summon a manifestation of the demon, something to anchor it, and something to fuel its differentiation and release. I will call these items D, E, and F.D. To summon a manifestation of the demon, we found an artifact that was used by some of its followers called the "Glacial Horn of Eternity." Crafted from the ancient ice of the farthest reaches, this horn is carved from a single shard of primordial glacier, eternally frozen and imbued with the chilling essence of the icy realm. When blown, the demon was honorbound to heed its call, no matter how powerful it had grown.E. To anchor the demon, we needed something of significance to it. Previously, it had wreaked havoc in a place now known as the Chill Peaks for centuries before it left or was cast out. We are unsure which, for all inhabitants were long dead or fled. Explorers ventured there to gather crystals from the peaks, imbued by the resonance of the unique harmonics of the place. They helped to hold its energy in place once summoned.F. Finally, we needed something to fuel the demon in a way that differentiated it from the man it had hold over. Our senior demonologist found a shard of an antler said to belong to the demon, shed during a great battle. It was used as a dark relic by many, but served our purpose for this ritual.

Once the items or their essences had been gathered as appropriate, we did come together as a group at an appointed time and place. We broke into two, one focused on freeing the chieftain and another on banishing the demon. 

The ritual itself proceeded as follows:

Everyone comes together on central ground standing in a general circle and the ritual is opened with a call from each side of the same language (first one and then the other):

Beneath the veil of twilight's hue, where realms entwine,

We gather now to sever ties that bind, to redefine.

With whispered words and blades unsheathed, let freedom's flame ignite.Then one calls: Now we depart to summon the man.The other calls: Now we depart to summon the beast.

The two groups separate, a good enough distance that the words of the beast would be lost if heard by the one it infiltrates.  From here, each group follows the same general outline and incantations which must be spoken aloud and with great conviction. No wavering, no fear, no hesitation. 

There is slightly different language for the man, and for the demon:

The incantation for the summoning is:

For the man:

In this sacred circle, bound by ancient might,

We call upon [name] to emerge into the light.

With whispered words and arcane sway,

We bid thee join us without delay.

From realms beyond and lands afar,

Come forth, [name], beneath the evening star.

Through mystic realms and shadowed halls,

Appear before us, heed our calls.

Within this circle, pure and true,

We summon thee, our will to imbue.

[Name], we beckon, answer our plea.

For the demon:

Dark one I summon thee from depths below,Rise from darkness, let your manifestation show.With iron will and binding decree,I command thee, come forth to me.Through realms of fire, through realms of ice,Answer now, heed this call precise.In this circle, bound by my might,I compel thee, emerge into the lightFrom shadowed depths and realms afar,Appear before me, beneath the evening star.By ancient rites and power untamed,I summon thee, let your essence be claimed.Demon, obey my will, answer this command from me!

The item that’s being used to summon the man or demon should then be used. We blew the horn and unleashed the essence of the people’s stories that we had gathered to speak to Loftar. To call the demon, we blew the Glacial Horn.

At each major point in the battle, there’s a call and response touch point. When this phase is complete, each side sends at least one runner to meet at the center. Formal words must be said to seal this section and set the next phase in motion.

Call and response:

Representative for the man: Is the beast/demon summoned?Representative for the beast: The beast's presence answers our dark commands. He is summoned.Representative for the beast: Is the man summoned?Representative for the man: His essence answers our beckoning call. He is summoned.Representative for the man: Now I bid you go anchor the beast.Representative for the beast: Now I bid you go anchor the man.

Representative for the man: Now, go tether the beast to our will.

Representative for the beast: Now affix the man to his life and spirit.

The representatives then return to their camps to do the next stage.

From there, it was time to lay the anchor.

For the man: 

You, fallen one, with shadowed essence wrought,In bindings firm, your presence now caught.With artifacts of ancient craft and grace,We anchor you in this time and space.From depths of darkness, from realms unknown,We tether you, your power overthrown.In chains of fate, in bonds that hold fast,You're bound to us, your reign now surpassed.By ancient words and rites of old,We bind you tight, your fate foretold.To this company, to this place's bounds,You're anchored, where silence resounds.This spirit created that your soul essence is found.

For the demon:

You, fallen one, whose essence dark,Bound by chains of ancient mark.With artifacts of power and grace,

We bind you to this time and place.From depths of shadow, from realms below,We anchor you, let your presence show.In bonds of time, in chains of fate,You're bound to us, no longer to abate.By ancient rites and words of old,We tether you, so be it told.To this company, to this space,You're bound, confined without a trace.

Those who worked with Loftar said the words and showed the artifacts to him. He had some recognition of what those items were, and they told him stories to remind him of their power. Slowly they saw his essence returning.Those who summoned the demon showed it the concentrated model of its power that they had gathered, reminding it that it was not of this world and that it did not belong here. These conversations took a few minutes, and the being resisted but weakened over time.

When this is complete, representatives return to the middle for a call and response.

Representative for the man: Is the beast/demon anchored?Representative for the beast: The beast's chains are forged. He is anchored!Representative for the beast: Is the man anchored?Representative for the man: His path is fixed. He is anchored!Representative for the man: Now I bid you go release the beast.Representative for the beast: Now I bid you go release the man.

Once stated, representatives return to their side.Finally, they spoke the following words as they presented Loftar with the water and the demon with a bit of its antler. They force them to hold these items, noting strong reactions to them and pushing them to remember who they are. Perhaps they have to be told of its significance. And the goal is to get it to show connection, or even to tell you a story about it, or acknowledge its significance. Then the words should be spoken:

For the man:

Behold what stands before thee, crafted from thy essence true,Of thy blood and bone, thy spirit through and through.Entangled yet distinct, a vessel wrought of thy own,Free from sway, no influence upon thee is sown.In this union of self and form, thou remain untamed,Neither swayed by others, nor thy own self blamed.With clarity of purpose, and sovereignty untold,Thou art separate and whole, thy essence bold.Everyone present then calls as one three more times:Thou art separate and whole, thy essence bold.

For the demon:

Behold what looms before thee, shaped by thy infernal hue,Of thy demonic essence, a mirror to the true.Entwined yet aware, a vessel wrought by fate's decree,No defiance, no escape from destiny's decree.In this fusion of darkness and form, it knows its own abyss,Acknowledging its nature, it knows what it must dismiss.With clarity it sees, its sovereignty foretold,Thou art bound to darkness, thy essence bold.Everyone present then calls as one three more times:Thou art bound to darkness, thy essence bold.

The Representatives then meet in the middle to say:

Representative for the man: Is the beast/demon released?Representative for the beast: He is bound and stands alone. It is done!Representative for the beast: Is the man released?Representative for the man: His essence has been freed and he stands alone. It is done!

Representative for the man: Now I bid you go close your circle.Representative for the beast: Now I bid you go close your circle.

Representative for the man: Now, go tether the beast to our will.

Once it was confirmed that each being - man and demon - were fully summoned, anchored, and separated, the bonds were broke. This step required an anvil with a purpose beyond a standard smithing shop, one used with magical purposes. An item belonging to each side is placed upon the anvil as all chant as one:

Everyone present then calls as one three more times: Thou art separate and whole, thy essence bold.

Each item is then broken. Once the hammer has struck true and the item destroyed, each side will call and respond:

Call (for the side trying to free the man): By bonds unseen and shadows cast, we call upon the ties that last. Release the captive, break the chain, let freedom reign and end the pain!

Response (for the side trying to banish the demon): By ancient laws and sacred ground, we cast thee out, nowhere to be found. Begone, foul spirit, leave this place, retreat to darkness, without a trace!

The bond is now broken. Each group shall retreat to their side and sprinkle the the anchors that have been shattered around their respective beast/person. I regret that Loftar had been badly used during his time under the demon’s sway and lived not long, but died in his right mind and in possession of his own spirit.One final bit was said by those casting out the demon, and it was asked that Loftar participate:

By the light that pierces darkest night,By the strength of souls in righteous fight.From realms above and realms below,I command thee, hence to go!With words of power and will unbound,I banish thee from sacred ground.Return to shadows, fade from sight,Into the void, beyond the light.In the realms beyond, forever stay.By my command, by my power,Be banished now, for all of time!"

Confirm the banishment of the creature. Cleanse the area and bless the participants. Set about a plan to heal the land, but the ritual is done and the banishment sealed.

If you need this ritual, I wish you well across time and space. For surely you need it. May you find success and restore peace and balance in the midst.