Beautiful Old Woman → Beautiful Compassionate Woman

[AN: Considering how massive this delay has been... I think in interest of this branch progressing despite my borked schedule and limited availability, I will be rushing the next queued change for Esme (whatever sub-branch it happens to be in) at the start of each following cycle, and then proceeding. That way even if most commenters in the branch have a queue that's... quite long... there's a chance there change will show up sometime this year.

That said: I won't do this for the same person twice in a row (for example, if you happen to carpet-bomb every single Esme chapter with a change request...) until I've done it for everyone, as fairly as I can.]

Game time. How do I defeat the aggressor without simply removing the possession? Well, by doing my level best to cause a ripple-effect to make it no longer an aggressor, or at least to try and... shake that stubborn phrase loose, somehow. I'm not even sure how the demon's resisting the Prompt, given even someone as noteworthy as the King was entirely subject to its whims, but I'm willing to attribute it to the supernatural nature of the demon for now. That's not important, regardless. Where should I start...

Well. If the problem is a demon, let's make the subject as non-demonic as possible, eh? An easy start, although I don't have much hope for it solving the problem alone... let's change this supposedly 'old' woman into a 'compassionate' woman.

The changes are subtle, but notable.

Esme's face softens. Her features grow more youthful, and the smile seems to fit more naturally and easily on her face. Her dress is a little, ahem, tighter than it was already as well but that's not what I'm here for. Other than this, the window she was previously standing in front of has shifted along with our location, and now we're all standing in the midst of a hallway rather than at a crossroads.

Esme's scepter is still gleaming with radiant energy, however, so I doubt we're out of the woods. Especially since that 'false smile' phrase is there although... it feels weaker somehow? The 'pure soul' phrase, on the other hand, feels stronger. It seems like contradicting a phrase will weaken it, with the inverse remaining true.

...Alright. I can work with this. I just have to stay focused.

<??? roll: 1d10+1 (5+1: 6.). Nothing happens. What's this? James has no idea either... but that modifier will increase every time you make a change. When the roll exceeds 10 something 'extra' will happen.>
(dark castle hallway interior, at night, mature human woman, beautiful compassionate woman:1.1, arch-priestess, [(demonically-possessed)], [(pure soul-)pearl-brooch:1.1], elaborate white robes, long silvered-hair, warm brown eyes, [(false) smile:0.9], walking, holding glowing scepter, facing viewer)
(Note: Refer back to the root chapter of this branch for the rules regarding [(Protected) (Phrases.)]