EVENT #1: THE EMPTY THRONE (PT 2)

[aionmods]

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.

Comments

he can. he will

[passio]

[ dextera has given up so many times. perhaps two days ago, he would have simply said yes and collapsed into the arms of the kenoma. today, he knows he has a responsibility to those remaining to ensure a choice is not made for them.

he has no weapons, but he has the power he once thought of as unwelcome if it comes to that. even a world away, he can feel god in his blood. ]

…

[ his answer is obvious in the way his expression changes into one of resigned determination. he shakes his head.

he won’t hurt eustace more than he has to, but he doubts either of them will be able to escape unscathed. ]

ty for your service dextera

[lockedon]

[ Thought not.

It's with another resigned sigh that he shuffles away the memory of the lone meal they'd shared and mentally readjusts Dextera's status in his head from 'tolerable acquaintence' to 'enemy.' Not a change he would have wanted to make on his own, but there are plenty of things he'd been forced into doing that he hadn't fully wanted to. What's one more to add to the pile?

He takes stock of Dextera's build and height, and the apparent lack of weapons in the other man's hands. There's always the risk of magic to be had but there's little he can do about it now save for keeping his eyes and ears open and reacting appropriately. For now, best to start with something simple so he can gauge what he's up against. A forward lunge, one hand striking downwards in a smooth arc, the tip of his dagger pointed outward as it swings for Dextera's left leg. An attempt to wound and disable, rather than kill. ]

[passio]

[ dextera has no weapons on him, but that isn’t so strange. every time he dies and is revived, he struggles through his first steps without weapons. he knows his own body in a fight better than most people, even if that doesn’t always translate to being skilled. what it does offer him is an understanding of how much he can take before he dies, and the places on his body he can afford to sacrifice.

his response to eustace’s strike is not graceful, but what he lacks in speed—unfortunately allowing the dagger to drag across his shin, enough that it stings in the air—he makes up for in no apparent sign of pain. instead, after placing just a little distance between them, he bends down to wipe his palm over the wound. it comes away with a line of blood on his skin, which he licks away. ]

…

[ he doesn’t want to fight, but eustace has already started it. dextera knows better than anyone that turning his back will just send him to the grave. eyes on eustace, he braces his stance—daring the man to come closer. ]

[lockedon]

[ Dextera, buddy........

Somehow, unexpectedly, this young man continues to surprise him at every turn. Though he ducks back just out of reach, he doesn't fight back, doesn't wince in pain. His expression barely even changes, unhappiness rather than shock or anger still the dominant emotion. Strangest of all is his response - to lick a streak of blood off his fingers.

How absolutely odd. Is it some sort of catalyst for a magic spell? A silent taunt? No, the latter seems unlikely given what little Eustace has managed to learn about him.

It's strange enough that Eustace keeps his distance instead of lunging forward again, eyes wary and ears upright as he strains for any indication of an incoming attack. But there is none, only a continued anticipation as the cavern erupts in further fighting around them. He hesitates, and then suddenly flicks his wrist, one dagger leaving his fingers to sail for the meat of Dextera's shoulder. ]

[passio]

[ the sight—and taste—of his own blood is not one that he enjoys, but in the absence of anything else, it helps him get a handle on his situation. it centers him and reminds him of the purpose he doesn’t really want to bear. there is no joy for him to be found in battle, but the sooner he can end it, the less everyone else has to suffer.

the dagger is fast. dextera doesn’t plan to use a weapon in this fight, since he hopes to leave no lasting damage to the people he might encounter, and so his only goal as it cuts through the air with artful precision is to make sure it doesn’t hit him anywhere vital. he throws his arms up in a clumsy block, but it does the trick. though the dagger cuts his forearm, the angle and timing keep it from sinking into him. thrown off its course, it clatters to the floor. dextera will leave it for someone else.

having taken two hits without any counterattack, dextera knows he can’t just stand here and allow eustace to ‘stop’ him. as soon as the dagger hits the floor, dextera drops his arms. as he does, a light seems to trail from his fingers; he curls his hands into fists and hopes the surprise appearance of a kind of magic will give him a little time as he charges to knock eustace breathless.

with nothing but wishful thinking, he hopes one hit with his purification behind will be enough. his fist surrounded by an energy that seems to go beyond burning in its white-hot light, he aims squarely for eustace’s chest. ]

[lockedon]

[ RIP to Eustace, about to be slapped in the chest with a holy purification wrecking ball.

Almost. He has enough presence of mind to catch the sparks of light emanating from Dextera's fingers and enough experience under his belt to know that light radiating out from a person's hands on the battlefield is always bad news bears.

Eustace is fast but Dextera is just as fast, and though Eustace does his best to duck and dodge out of the way, Dextera still manages to catch him square in the arm, sending shockwaves of pain radiating up and down. A shout of pain lodges in his throat and he stumbles backwards and down, uninjured hand shooting out to steady him against the ground before he topples over completely.

For a moment, he's left wide open, vulnerable to any further attacks as he catches his breath. After already tussled a few times that day, his endurance is running low. ]

[passio]

[ if eustace hadn’t been a friend to him, maybe dextera would take that clear opportunity to put him out of commission for the rest of the fight. instead, hand stinging for a reason he doesn’t yet understand, dextera hesitates. he doesn’t want to use that power again, just in case he pushes the limits of what a sentient creature should be able to take. ]

Nn…

[ dextera takes the middle of the road, and chooses to go for what he thinks will hurt eustace the least. taking advantage of eustace’s briefly vulnerable position, dextera rears back like an animal to kick eustace’s shoulder with surprising flexibility. the robe, considering there’s nothing underneath it to protect his modesty, affords him an ease of movement he wouldn’t have if he were wearing pants. ]

[lockedon]

[ It's a persistent pain that echoes through him, spreading through his body in unending waves. Not ideal when he's in the middle of a fight, reluctant on both ends as it might be, but he's suffered through worse.

Unfortunately, the slowdown caused the unexpected attack leaves room for a second one, physical this time. Once again, he has just enough time to react, this time with an arm - not the one wrecking-balled by holy magic - shooting up to take the brunt of the kick. Maybe not the greatest idea, given that now both of his arms hurt, but it does afford him the opportunity to twist his wrist around to try and grab hold of Dextera's ankle so he can (try and) yank the other man off-balance. ]

[passio]

[ dextera wishes eustace would simply give up. surely the aggressor in this situation has the luxury of walking away and pretending this encounter never happened—but maybe eustace doesn’t want to. there’s no reason for him to decide that dextera should escape this, beyond a couple moments of silence.

eustace’s fingers fit around his ankle without an issue, but the sensation of being grabbed—far more than being stabbed or even just smacked across the face—causes an inexplicable panic to rise in him. the confidence he briefly showed, the calm in handling his own injury, disappears at the sensation of something tight around his ankle. ]

—?!

[ as if just now realizing he’s in danger, dextera’s movements turn erratic. while eustace successfully gets him off balance, it’s less eustace’s fault directly and more an additional consequence of dextera suddenly trying to writhe away. he hits the ground with a thud that knocks the breath out of his lungs, but his fingers scramble for purchase in the ground to try to yank himself out of eustace’s grip. ]