aionlogs | EVENT #1: THE EMPTY THRONE (PT 2)

EVENT #1: THE EMPTY THRONE (PT 2)

The Empty Throne Pt 2

ESCAPE

As more and more of the prisoners awaken to the Pleroma's power, it soon becomes clear that conflict is inevitable. Strength that was locked away blossoms once again, and simply waiting is no longer an option; those that remain in the cavern have made their choice, and they will not be kept there so easily.

By means that may not be immediately apparent, the Pleroma have found themselves able to cast a spell that will ensure their freedom... but only if they can last the half hour it may take to complete. Whatever this power, Xishen, the Aion orchestrator of the Kenoma's ritual, seems able to sense it. As it begins, she will appear at each of the Kenoma's sides.

"The Pleroma has taken hold of them," she says. "Stop them now, or when you see them again, it will be as your mortal enemies. If you believe in the Kenoma's promise, take a stand. The Regent is watching."

For those that heed her, it will not be hard to find the congregation of Pleroma, the first seeds of their teleportation magic taking form. What's more, the fires of their hope have been stoked by this new chance at survival, granted them a surge of energy born of the Pleroma, compensating for the poor state of their bodies. The tension comes to a head, between those that would follow the Regent's path towards a better universe, and those that would seize the wild power of the Pleroma to escape.

Whatever violence ensues, eventually it will come to an end. Despite the Kenoma's efforts, the teleportation spell will come to fruition, enveloping the Pleroma in a sea of light and warmth. The Kenoma can only watch as fractals of blinding color whisk the Pleroma away.

VALLEY OF INNOCENCE

You will find yourself at the Shrine of the Innocent, surrounded by a valley of flourishing wildflowers. As you step from the shade of the monument, you will find your arrived here just in time to enjoy a warm spring spring morning, the sound of birds and gentle breezes tickling your ears. The sun slowly drifts past the horizon, its rays reaching out to you, as if in comfort. The air itself is alight with a strange aura of peace, as if committing violence here would be a sacrilege. There are no man made structures as far as your eyes can see.

Flowers of all shapes and sizes can be found here, and so can fresh water and various fruits and berries. All of them are safe to eat, and seemingly grow in abundance. There are animals here as well, all the common types one would expect from a place like Earth, with the occasional odd addition. While you can try to hunt them, you will find yourself unable to follow through on any attempts to hurt the creatures here. In turn, they regard you as familiar, and will fearlessly wander close as they inspect these new arrivals. In the distance, you may even catch sight of what appears to be a unicorn, only for its ephemeral shape to disappear from sight just as quickly.

The Pleroma will find safety and comfort here for a time, before they recover enough to travel onward. At some point during the afternoon of the first day, they may spot the occasional humanoid figure moving in the distance; when attempting to move in their direction, they will find an assortment of clothing set out across the grass as if in offering. It will come in many sizes but in mostly plain colors, fitting a general aesthetic of 'things a fantasy peasant might wear'. There will also be some blankets, wrapped cheese, jams, jerky, and bread left alongside them.

While there are trees and brush enough to find shelter, the Pleroma will find they hardly need to while resting here. The weather will be picturesque, a comfortable temperature even at night, and there will be no disruptive rain or aggressive wind. Of course, nothing lasts forever, and even though there could stay here for days, what if the Regent's forces are on their way? Once again, they must find the strength to carry on.

THE TRIWATER

As the Pleroma vanish, those claimed by the Kenoma are left in the darkness of the throne room. The Hylician soldiers are clearly agitated by the fighting, but Xishen herself seems unflustered. She will only sigh before quietly coming to the aid of any Kenoma that still need it, providing some light healing magics and explaining that their work here is over. With the Pleroma gone, all that's left to do is to return to Achamoth.

Things move quickly from there. The camp grounds are packed up, and soon enough the Kenoma will be ushered towards the river at the edge of the forest, to board a particularly large river vessel. As the Hylician soldiers prepare to go their separate ways, you will be told that you are to take the Triwater river to the capital city of Achamoth, where you will finally meet your new master, the Regent. The vessel is big enough for all of you, and it will set off the moment everyone is boarded. Suddenly, the world of entrapment and ruins you've been living in since your arrival will be left behind, leaving you to ponder the nature of your future.

The boat itself is well equipped and comfortable for what it is. A variety of colorful hammocks are hung in the lower decks and are open to be claimed for the journey back, which will take a day or two. The Kenoma will be offered a change of clothes of a similar style to what they already have if necessary, and there are plenty of blankets and cushions available to make life in the hold more comfortable. There are dice available for games of chance as well as some mystifying decks of cards that seems to have twelve suits with five cards each, themed around the Legacies. The twelfth suit is for the Regent.

Though the sailors controlling the vessel will mostly keep to themselves and leave the Kenoma alone, one of them will occasionally play harp music on the deck. Though they probably don't actually need help running the ship, they will let the Kenoma help them with chores and ship running tasks if they are so inclined; generally speaking, these sailors just seem like normal people, albeit a bit shy of their passengers. If you're polite to them, they may even gives you a river tour of Horos. On this ride alone, you'll get to see several magnificent bridges spanning the Triwater's width. At night, you are treated to a clear spring sky filled with stars.

As you make it closer to Achamoth, you'll notice the landscape shift, becoming mountainous and dotted with more and more military watch posts. The land becomes increasingly lifeless in a way that's hard to put your finger on, nature giving way to man-made creations of impressive architectural prowess. Soon, you will meet the person behind it all.

QUESTIONS

Can my Kenoma character fight against other Kenoma and/or help the Pleroma?
Yes, though if you do this you must describe what your character has done in a reply to the "Committed Actions" top-level below. This way, the mods can be aware of what happened and have your character treated accordingly. They are unlikely to receive immediate consequences if they don't hurt their fellow Kenoma, but their choices will follow them into Achamoth. If a Kenoma vs Kenoma conflict escalates into serious violence (attempted or successful) committed by the Kenoma rebel, Xishen will intervene and consequences will happen immediately which may restrict their actions until the next event post.

Can our characters leave the valley?
They can, yes, but really this event is just meant to cover the day or two they spend recovering before finding a more permanent place to go. You are free to have your character investigate the valley and probe the spaces beyond it, but please save any plans for large scale travel to the next event, which will be happening on April 2nd. The game will move into a 1:1 time ratio as of then.

Can our characters leave the boat?
Technically yes, but any Kenoma who wander too far will get in trouble. You are expected to report to the Regent, and behaving as if you are considering doing otherwise will not make an good impression.

Does the hope-based Pleroma boost last into the valley?
The boost to Pleroma characters will fade shortly after arriving in the valley, like coming down from a high. They'll have to recover the normal way from there.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ ...Eustace...

Abel's expression slowly deflates, his shoulders slumping with it as he realizes the other man is not about to concede so easily. if he closes his eyes, he can see the two of them shoulder to shoulder elsewhere in the cavern but a few days ago - and while they hadn't exactly been the best of friends at the time, there was no animosity between them. it shouldn't have come to this.

...none of it should've come to this.

the priest takes a small step backwards, lifting his hands in plaintive effort to forestall Eustace's approach. ]

--Please. [ there is no shame nor pride to obstruct him, eyes pleading a sincere wish for them to find another way through this. ] You don't want to do this. I know you don't, and I don't want this either, sir, so-- please.

[ For each step that Abel takes backwards, Eustace takes one forward, maintaining but not closing the gap between them. A sign of his reluctance that Abel has so correctly identified, though it no longer matters. So what if he doesn't want to do this? He's spent what feels like a lifetime carrying out orders he doesn't agree with, gritting his teeth as he looks ahead to a nebulous future where all his crimes might one day be worth it for a chance at revenge.

Now is no different, at least not in the immediate sense.

But that doesn't mean he can turn off his heart, not completely. His eyes betray the unhappiness he feels right at this moment - maybe some of the world does need to burn but Abel surely doesn't - and he sheathes one of his daggers, murmuring a single soft word: ]

Sorry.

[ That's all Abel gets before Eustace lunges forward, one shoulder tilted slightly forward so he can try and knock Abel off his feet. ]

[ ...'Sorry.'

that quiet word uttered with no small measure of resignation behind it just about breaks Abel's heart. before he can so much as utter further plea, try to reason with Eustace any further-- the man is rushing forward with a suddenness. apparently... the time for conversation is already over.

Abel takes another stiff step back, shaking his head in some denial-- he does not want to do this; neither of them want to do this, but-- it, of course, goes unheeded. there's a soft exhale of protest as Eustace is suddenly too close for comfort, yet all he can do is... unhelpfully... reach out and tangle his fingers in whatever he can reach of Eustace's clothing, trying to grab hold of him to keep his equilibrium and prevent himself from losing his footing entirely.

which just means........ really,

...he's about to pull Eustace with him as he squawks an indignant noise of surprise-- unless his dogman friend here is an especially lithe and dexterous fellow who can extricate himself before Abel's weight pulls them both down-- ]

[ Abel please??

Eustace expects—something. For Abel to cast some sort of magic spell at him or to turn tail and run in the opposite direction. Anything that might be classified as self-preservation in the face of an incoming attack. Instead, he gets two hands wrapped firmly in his shirt and the sudden loss of his balance as his body tries to course correct for keeping the weight of two adult males upright instead of just one.

Thankfully, years of grueling boot camp has drilled any number of reactive maneuvers to this sort of situation deep into his muscle memory. Instead of fighting the extra weight he instead lets himself fall, daggers going flat in his hands as he pushes his palms outwards to catch the worst of the fall. It's a rocky landing (literally) with his face missing Abel's by a scant inch (no accidental shoujo kiss for them today, RIP), the uneven terrain sending a small shockwave up his arms, but the conservation of his balance means he has enough control of his body to swing one leg around into a straddle.

From there, it's a matter of casting his daggers off to the side in order to grip Abel's wrists in an attempt to bind him and pin him down. ]

[ no accidental shojo kiss.... i have been robbed this day,

Abel's making a soft 'huff' that sounds more like a yelp as he falls backwards, wind knocked out of him; it's a rather graceless way to have ended up sprawled on his back on the cavern floor, serving as a cushion for Eustace, but-- well. he's the one that set this into motion by grasping plaintively to his 'adversary' in the first place, and he only has himself to blame for the outcome.

he's whacked his head nice and good in the fall, wincing as his vision momentarily fuzzes, blurs-- and before he can manage to recollect himself, he realizes that Eustace is well and truly atop him, pinning him down and grasping at his wrists. the priest offers little in the way of resistance despite this turn of events... it seems his method of defense is, instead, perhaps a predictable one. ]

Y-you... you really are graceful on your feet, you know that? Or, ah... I guess I should say off of them?

[ his smile is forced, a little strained around the edges; blue eyes convey the desperate plea laying beneath the shade of lightheartedness they both know isn't much more than an effort to make this situation a bit less crushing than it is. ]

Honestly, I usually ask someone to take me out to dinner at the very least before doing something like this, sir-- but... I'll happily take a rain check, considering the circumstances. Come with us, and-- and I'll let you pay your debts later, alright...? [ the priest is gently tugging his wrists, trying to draw them back and away from Eustace's grip. ] ...Please.

[ The compliment goes ignored and the silent request for freedom is met with an obvious denial, Eustace's hands tightening rather than loosening around Abel's wrists.

But the words themselves, along with their heartfelt delivery, land right where they mean to. Another thread of guilt winds itself around his heart and squeezes, a pang of sorrow echoing through his body before he tamps down on it with vicious intent, ears flattening and resentment - at their circumstances, at having to follow someone else's orders yet again - turning his voice rough.

All he's ever wanted was peace and quiet. ]

You can't cover my debts.

[ No one can. The sins he's already committed, the parts of himself he's carefully excised to try and keep the worst of his demons at bay. Like hell he's going to allow anyone else to shoulder the heavy burden he's learned to carry these past eighteen years, especially when he's the only one responsible for adding to it year after year.

He adds to it now without hesitation, one hand pulling away for just long enough that he can curl his fingers together and aim a punch directly at Abel's right temple with the intent of knocking him unconscious.

i'm so pained typing this, send help ]

[ something complicated, something heart-wrenching briefly twists Eustace's expression - and Abel realizes he's bearing witness to the man steeling himself for his next course of action. but that in and of itself is telling, isn't it? a man who has no qualms with violence, with turning against those who had been his fellows mere days prior doesn't give pause before doing 'what needs to be done.'

Eustace doesn't want this any more than Abel does. and whatever his reasons for committing himself to walk down this path, it must mean a great deal to him to weather the guilt, to force himself to take each step forward despite the internal resistance evident in his eyes and the c-cute set of his ears against his head. Eustace might see himself as fighting Abel, but--

isn't it true he's fighting himself with much greater brutality?

the priest's haphazard smile begins to waver, fade, as those words leave Eustace's mouth-- but before he has time to question him, a hand is being cocked back into a fist, and Abel can tell what is coming next. he's lifting his arms to try and curl around his head to cushion the blow with an anticipatory flinch, voice coming out urgent and harried-- ]

--Please! Please, I know you don't truly want this, sir, you... you can come with us, and I swear-- whatever it is you think going with them will do for you... it isn't worth what they'll take in payment! There is no debt you can't repay, so--

[ but he has to see it himself. Eustace has to want better than what he's resigned himself to, has to make the conscious choice to let go on his own; Abel understands, much as he might not like it.

...so please. ]

[ His blow doesn't land where it ought, slamming into the muscle of one arm rather than the hard bone of Abel's temple. Unfortunate, because it means he has to drag this fight out longer than he wants.

Has to listen to Abel's pleading voice longer than he wants.

The worst part is that the man isn't wrong. There's truth threaded through each word, every one of them landing like a heavy fist on his already bruised heart. It's always unwavering belief that hurts the most, managing to find its way through the tissue thin fissures that spread across his walls. Insults, avoidance, dislike, hatred....all those are easy to ignore and to brush off as he resolutely trudges forward. But genuine sympathy? It's misplaced, absolutely wasted on someone like him, a person who should have died over fifteen years ago.

Resentment uncoils in the pit of his stomach, flaring hot and ugly for a moment as his fist clenches, nails digging into the flesh of his palm. It would be easy enough to shut the man up with a few well-placed hits, and to redirect his anger towards the target closest at hand. Too bad easy has never been the road he's chosen for himself.

His fist stills and pulls back—and then he's pulling back, unhooking his leg so he can push himself back onto his feet with movements stiff but efficient. Not alone though; he still has a job to do. ]

Get up.

[ The desire to finish this wars with his desire to push this man far, far away. Ultimately, the two meet in a muddled compromise as he leans down to grab Abel's wrist again, movements rough and unkind as he tries to drag Abel to his feet. To hand off to someone else ideally, though things won't be as simple as that. ]

[ Eustace is... withdrawing?

Abel's expression drifts to one of confusion, ever-attentive all the same as he watches the other man beginning to ease up, draw to his feet - but the reprieve is short-lived. in the next breath, Abel finds himself being hauled upward, stumbling upright and staggering a step as he tries to stubbornly root his weight against the momentum. ]

--W... wait, where are you... ah-- where are we going?

[ the words are choppy and stilted as the priest finds himself being tugged along like an unruly child, the wariness warring with the concern and imploring desperation in his face. E-Eustace...? where are they going, boy? where? did Timmy fall down the well? ]

Please... please wait, alright? --Talk to me for a moment! What are you doing...?

[ Where they're going is ideally back to the soldiers doing their best to stay out of this mess. The desire to get the job done wars with his desire to avoid as much violence as possible; in the end the former wins out, though only by a hair.

Abel's panicked questions garner no response, Eustace silently and steadfastly (and stoically....) stomping ahead as best he can while trying to drag a 6'4" tall wriggling man behind him. (Spoilers: it isn't going so great.) There's a small cluster of men huddled nervously by one wall, casting them fearful looks as they approach. Please don't come over here, their eyes silently beg, and for once Eustace decides to cut them a bit of slack. He has another plan, in any case.

Which is to suddenly pivot on his heel and try and smash Abel's head against the crumbling remains of the giant throne they're walking past. Sorry bud, please don't duck out of the way so they can both move on with their lives. :( ]

[ no really, ow--

which is to say that Eustace's change of plan goes off without a hitch-- the priest is hardly expecting the abrupt and unforeseen change in the other man's pacing; still recovering from the past few weeks of travel and then everything that led up to the (unpleasant, disgusting, 0/10 would not recommend the Suffer Cave experience on Yelp) expelling of the Kenoma, his senses are blunted. that, or... maybe he wanted to believe that Eustace truly didn't want to hurt him.

there is a dull thud as the priest's head collides with the side of the dilapidated throne, and he's staggering to collapse into it as his vision fuzzes, threatening to fade out for a few harrowing moments. it means if Eustace releases him, he'll certainly slump on down to the ground, leaned against what remains of the throne to keep (mostly) sat upright-- barely, and dazedly, holding on to consciousness as he tries to blink away the dizzying blur.

...and, of course, look toward his assailant in a mixture of surprise and bewilderment-- as if he honestly didn't see it coming, or had hope that his dog-eared friend would not go so far. b-brotrayed.....? (as if Eustace did not make it immediately and readily apparent he would do what he had to.....) ]

[Talking it out has never been something he was good at. What he did.

Things were easier with action. Through fighting. Especially in the current predicament of those who resisted and those who accepted whatever had been happening to them in this damned cave.

His ears swivel as it takes in the sounds around him and he turns his head in time to see as he watches Eustace slam the taller man's head against the throne. Joonghyuk bares his teeth and eyes narrow as he slams a clawed and blackened hand to break a chunk of the cave wall and hurl it towards Eustace.

He doesn't hesitate to start sprinting towards the pair. There's something relieving to feel how fast he was moving again. No longer did he feel as sluggish.] Unhand him.

[ For crying out loud, can people in this cave just stop having OP abilites for one second? How is he supposed to compete like this?

Years of training, as well as a particularly good sense of hearing, save him from getting hurled towards the cavern wall by a particularly large chunk of stone. Instead of getting knocked out, he ducks just in time, ears flattening as he lunges down and forward. Unfortunately, his hands are still clutched around Abel's clothes, which means the other man ends up going down and forward with him.

Sorry, Abel.

There's resignation on his face when he stands again to face Joonghyuk, and a surprising amount of conviction. Even if he's not keen on having to fight someone who can just rip out pieces of cavern wall, he's also no coward, to tuck tail and run at the first sight of conflict. The least he can do is scope out the situation to see just what other talents this other man might have. ]

Or?

[ His voice is clear and firm, almost provocative in the way he delivers his single line. Please, demonstrate the consequences if he doesn't do as told. ]

[ oh my god...?? the men are fighting over him? the men are fighting over him. this is like one of those romance novels and he's the swooning beauty?? his daydream......

--well, pardon him if his head is in the clouds considering there is the smear of blood from somewhere above his browline where he had been whacked against the throne. Abel's not quite sure what the hell happened for a moment-- but there had been a horribly loud collision, and then Eustace had gone toppling which meant he had also gone down like a sack of potatoes, so...

did Eustace save him from being flattened?? maybe. or maybe he was never in any danger to begin with-- it's hard to tell, but... he's looking between his dog-eared assailant and the man who has come to his rescue, fumbling his fingers into Eustace's sleeve again. ]

--Please be careful, [ he manages - and the words are directed at his tall dark ~~and handsome~~ hero. you know, the one who just hurled a giant rock?? yeah man, be careful. of the guy who didn't do that,

okay but like. he doesn't know Eustace is a normie, alright, don't judge him, ]

It's your mistake.

[Even if the other didn't try to provoke him, he intended to fight. This was what was going to happen in the end, wasn't it? Fighting between those who gave in and those who were too stubborn to accept whatever bullshit they were trying to be fed.

This was fine by him because fighting was something he could do. What he was good at.

He glances at Abel for just a moment. A cursory look to take in their current state before moving. One step then two and he bridges the gap between them in a blink of an eye. He had figured out that there seemed to be some sort of limitations on skills, but he decides to activate Red Phoenix Shunpo for this.

He moves to grab Eustace by the throat ~~(affectionately)~~.]

Edited (I should actually use names in a three person thread teehee.) 2022-04-08 02:47 (UTC)

[ Two men enter the ring and....well, technically two of them will leave, because there are three of them to begin with.

Though Eustace has largely forgotten about Abel (sorry buddy), his attention fully on this new man. The bigger threat, if he has to make a judgment call. Abel could have all the powers in the world contained in his pinky finger, but if he refuses to use them then they may as well not exist. This guy, on the other hand...it doesn't take more than one look to see how absolutely serious he is.

Countenance grim, Eustace lets go of Abel, fingers curling into fists as he pulls his arm back. That's all the time he gets before the man is moving—and then gone. But, thankfully, he's kept enough of an eye open to have witnessed moves like this before, though it's one thing to note them and another thing entirely to evade the sudden arm reaching out for him.

He swerves left, dropping into a sideways roll, wasting no time in pushing himself back onto his feet. He's an a decided disadvantage here but that doesn't stop him from grabbing the dagger he'd dropped while manhandling Abel and throwing it without hesitation.

Towards Abel, rather than Joonghyuk. Sorry bud, but one of you is decidedly an easier target than the other.

Don't worry though, there'll still be plenty of time for some (affectionate) breathplay later. ]

[ n-no it's fine if you guys want to like, erotically choke one another out over there?? go ahead by all means,

...well, guess he doesn't get to be a voyeur to such an escapade today. sadge. Abel is released from Eustace's grip at long last as this mysterious stranger comes to his rescue, slumping against the throne with a meager stumble. this man is fast-- fast as a Methuselah, perhaps. but before he can offer anything else in the way of discouragement, to try and placate and dissuade them from fighting--

there is a dagger hurdling its way toward him. it is exceptionally lucky that he seems to waver and stumble a step - mm, so very fortuitous? what a coincidence - which sees the weapon glancing off the ruined throne behind him, clattering to the cavern floor. ]

--Please, stop this! Both of you were huddled in this miserable place just days ago, weren't you?! We aren't enemies, regardless whatever they say. You don't have to do this...

[ it will fall on deaf ears, won't it? but he has to try, the edge of urgent plea in his voice fed by the simmering pit of anxiety in his stomach. how far will they go? how far would they take it if they aren't forced to stop?

blue eyes are sharp despite everything, snapping from Eustace to his would-be hero. --please, please don't do this... ]

[His anger flares immediately. The idea that Abel could have been seriously injured by the other just now makes him snarl and he quickly picks up the knife from the floor. The easy way he holds it in his hand as he turns fully towards Eustace is a man easily in his element.]

He made his damn choice. [He takes a step forward.] He obviously has every intention to cause harm. If he isn't offering mercy, then why should I?

[He thinks it's foolish. To try and reason with someone who had smashed their head against the throne and even thrown a dagger at them. Perhaps he might have been more willing to listen if he hadn't already gone through multiple regression. To have been stained with tragedy. Now he doesn't bat an eyelash. For the sake of survival-] Such sentiments will get you killed.

[He hurls the dagger back at Eustace before he starts running towards the other. He has no intention of pulling his punches.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

EVENT #1: THE EMPTY THRONE (PT 2)

nO this can't be the end, canine brother............

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HOW is he still thinking about the ears at a time like this

there is literally ALWAYS time for dog ears,

i can't even disagree with that because it's true

............ow,

+2 dog ears for Abel to think about

gluck abel

imagine forgetting to track the thread? couldn't be me

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closes my eyes

opens them very widely

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