The build revolves around the skill "Anguished was Lingwah". Arcane Echo allows for doubling AwL drop effect and getting the energy reduction on the recharged hexes. Caretaker's Charge could be dropped for echo, and Channeling for auspicious incantation.
QZ allows to use SoS twice as often (with no drawback since it is a Signet), synergizes well with the enchantments triggering on spirit creation. You cannot maintain QZ on your own without consumables however. Not to mention the fact that the foe AI will target QZ.
Brambles has great synergy with GDW, adding bleeding to the knockdown. QZ makes GDW more expensive but it allows you to spam it on more targets and Spirit Channeling plus Signet of Creation, both of which work extremely well with QZ, more than compensate the energy for that.
The idea is to use Vocal was Sogolon. The best shout is probably Save Yourselves, (maybe "Charge!" ?). The challenge is to make it work without attacking. Auspicious Parry can generate a bunch of adrenaline but requires adrenaline itself... Soldier's Defense is appealing.
Go in spell range of the quarry/guard post. Cast Destruction. Wait a bit for the spirit to grow into a big bomb. Cast DwG followed by Spirit Rift on the closest target. Run in the middle of the group of foes. Use Draw Spirit+Rupture Soul on Destruction and recast DwG. If you are still alive, spam DwG and Lamentation. 
Grasping Was Kuurong is an alternative to DwG, causing several knockdowns to give you more time. Death Nova with a low health set but usually quarry mesmers will strip it before you die.
Chant De Ruine couldn’t relax. Not yet. The young gold-clad female paragon captain and her squad had come this far without coming accross a single enemy group. This was unexpectedly too easy.
-« Captain, enemy ahead. », the scout said.
-« How many? »
-« You are gonna be surprised... Only one. »
The soldier looked as confused as her. Still, they carried on along the corridors of the Undercity.
Soon they reached the enemy. Only one, as the scout predicted. A woman, lightly clothed on top of that, barring the way. She was wearing purple-colored clothes and jewelry. Tattoos covered her entire body and a belt of skulls was tied around her waist. She was young, with short golden hair, and a purple blindfold before her eyes.
-« Move aside, Am Fah, Chant called out. And we will show mercy. ».
In lieu of an answer, the woman simply smiled, and Chant felt a shiver going down her spine.
-« Rise. » the woman said, and ghastly forms of white mist suddenly appeared and started to swirl, taking the form of soldiers in armor.
Before Chant knew it they were encircled.
-« What kind of foul malevolence is this ? » the paragon captain shouted.
-« This, is my power, the woman said. As a ritualist I can summon creatures from beyond the veil of death to do my bidding. Unknowing of fear, or pain, their only desire is to serve me. But see for yourself. It’s playtime. »
Chant immediately drew her daggers and rushed to the woman, but the strongest-looking of the woman’s minions, a towering axe-wielding giant twice her size, engaged her.
Despite its superior strength, they were evenly matched, as Chant was both faster and fought with a better technique.
-« The egg will be ours ! she shouted. Soldiers, with me ! Stand your ground ! For Elona ! »
After a few minutes, despite the constant cheering of Chant and their original numerical superiority, several of the human soldiers had fallen. No matter how hard they were hit, the ghost soldiers’ misty bodies just came back to their original shape, and the creatures resumed the fight, showing no sign of fatigue or weakening.
-« Aim for the woman ! She is the one controlling them ! »
At some point one of the soldiers managed to slip through the enemy ranks and reached the woman to land a decisive blow. He expected the sword to cut through the flesh instantly, but it was as if hitting a wall : blocked with a hard sound, the blade stayed stuck in mid-air, only a few centimeters away from the woman’s shoulder.
-« Did you honestly think you had a chance ? the woman laughed. My spirits can take any form. They can be an armor harder than metal ! »
Then the air went white and took the form of yet another mist warrior. With a push of a mighty misty leg, the warrior sent a confused attacking soldier reeling. The soldier landed on his back with a sinister crack and stopped moving. The ritualist walked towards the body and touched it and the body moved, white mist exuding from beneath the armor.
Uneasiness started growing accross the squad, and the soldiers recoiled. Some of them turned back, and, throwing away their weapons, ran away.
Chant had a moment of hesitation, but quickly pointed her daggers at the ritualist.
-« We need the egg to cure our people cursed by Abaddon. Without it our entire country is doomed. Maybe we can’t win this fight, but as long as I draw breath I will try and fight for the future. And I know everyone still here thinks the same. »
This speech seemed to lift the few remaining soldier’s spirit a little, and reminded them of the reason they had come so far. They went back to their initial stance.
-« Such a shame, the ritualist sighted. If you had forsaken your cause and put down your weapons I would have shown mercy. And let you into my army. Don’t you worry, I always take care of my servants. Although I can’t guarantee that you will be able to taste fresh air ever again.»
The combat resumed. Unable to hold against immortal enemies, one after the other, the soldiers fell, until only Chant was left. She was agile and managed to last a long time, defeating several ghostly fighters. With each falling soldier, a new tear of helpness rolled over the paragon’s cheek.
The ritualist wasn’t even taking her seriously. She seemed to be enjoying it, only sending two or three of her spirits against her while keeping the others standing in wait.
Chant defeated yet another ghostly soldier. Maybe it was her hesitation, or fatigue, but she did not see another one attacking her from the left.
She felt a big shock on the side of her head as the hit landed and the world went upside down in a spiral of stars. When she came back to her senses a few seconds later, she realized that she had collapsed on the ground.
-« Foolish ! the ritualist shouted. To think you could stand against me ? Now what did you win ? Nothing. You are dead ! Your servants are dead ! Soon your souls will be mine! Foolish ! »
-« This is not foolish, replied Chant, coughing blood. And they were not my servants, but my companions. They chose to fight with me. For our people. If they fell, they fell as heroes, and even if I can’t see I know the gods have already welcomed them in the afterlife. There is no greater honor than giving away one’s life for those we love. »
-« Love ? Companions ? They will betray you behind your back, or run away when you need them... You cannot rely on man’s weak mind, prone to crumble and run away, but you can rely on yourself. On spirits. I have always leveled up on my own, fighting creatures stronger and more numerous than me. I don’t know much about honor, but today you die, and I will live... »
The big soldier rised its axe above Chant, ready to deal the finishing blow... But three swift arrows stopped the giant’s arm.
Footstep resonated throughout the hall. A considerable host of soldiers appeared, led by the deserters. One of them holding a broken shield went straight to Chant :
-« Thank god we made it in time ! Captain, hang on. The reinforcements are here. We will take in from here.»
But Chant was already falling unconscious.
-« It doesn’t matter how many of you come to me, the ritualist said angrily. I’ll deal with you all. »
Except this time, the ghostly fighters were overwhelmed. It wasn’t only that the allies were more numerous than before, they were also filled with a strong and silent determination, and it seemed as if they were filled with fire. Even the ritualist had to step back.
-« You and those that stayed are indeed heroes, Captain, the soldier with the broken shield whispered. You went against the ghostly army and repelled it. No matter what happens, we will make sure that tales of this fight will be sung throughout all Elona for generations to come. »
The ritualist did not share that opinion.
-« Pathetic fools cradled by illusions ! she shouted with anger. You will not see the end of me ! I will be back and this time there won’t be a second miracle ! »
And before Chant’s vision went black, she disappeared in a flash of purple mist.
Ruine Fantome
