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

"Admittedly, no." He looks back up toward them and raises a palm as if using it as some makeshift guide. "By all accounts, this is a different sky than the one I know. Their placement is wrong and those in a similar position do not shine as brightly as they once did." Being under the same sky is something he could always count on before. Not so much now.

Emet-Selch lowers his hand and looks back to his current company. He narrows his eyes briefly at the fleck of light in this person's eyes. It glows brightly in the dark, a paltry spec of how theirs did. "Which leads me to wonder what place would you hail from that would not allow you to look at the sky like this?"

Edited (OOPS Forgot the eyes klhdafa) 2022-03-22 19:20 (UTC)

Well, it's not like Silco had expected him to recognize the stars, given the vision they've all seen, and confirmed amongst themselves. Still, it left them all just as in the dark as before, didn't it? According to the ships that came in from Bilgewater, they could use the stars to guide them, if needed.

"I've seen star-charts from my world, and it's similar. The constellations don't look like anything I've seen from ours," but he still paused to consider the question. Silco was... cagey, it was obvious, the way that prick of light shifted, away, looking out over the water, and the waves. The reflection of the stars in it. The fingers of one hand rubbed against the wood of the railing, considering. He turned his gaze back on the man.

"I lived in an...undercity," he finally said. "I've been topside, of course. I know what they look like," just in case that wasn't obvious. "However, we don't take much time, given where we live. Certainly no stargazing like this, with the pollution. It sounds like you took much more time, to consider them, hm?"

"Indeed. As the world changed, they were one of few things that remained in their constant vigil." The view may look different from each shard but it was still a comforting blanket of night.

Emet-Selch looks to his company in consideration. "As someone who seldom sees them, this must be a rare treat for you indeed."

"I suppose," he said, his tone idle. "It's novel, but... I didn't make a habit of dwelling on what was up there, but..." He looked up again for a moment, a finger drug across his own chin, thinking. "Yes, I suppose they are a unique treat."

He paused, head tipped back down, considering. His fingers drummed against the railing, considering the words from the other man. "What did you mean by shard?"

He suspected they didn't mean the... things in them, certainly, but the wording was just enough off, unrecognizable. It meant something specific, to this man.

The reason for asking such a question is not beyond him, it's easy to see the connection. "It is a term used to describe the presence of other worlds. Worlds less foreign to me than this." Many were not aware of the presence of other worlds, but he has always been keenly aware.

"Though I suppose the word could easily be mistaken for our new...adornments." Though they are not related to one another.

Curious, to Silco -- someone who hadn't thought much about "other worlds" -- and not really something he knew much about. Then again, he'd heard little of Runeterra here from any other denizens beyond those he recognized. It was odd, and unheard of. Silco wasn't exactly unimaginative, given the vision he'd had for Zaun, but something like this? Still something to try an grasp.

His fingers touched at his collarbone, where his peeked out. "Indeed, they evoke the word. I have never even contemplated what another world would be like, until I arrived here," and yet this man? Knew of them as a thing of normalcy? "Were they as unique? As different as this world is from your own?"

"They are different, yes, but with a thread of commonality between them. Each is fashioned into a different presentation but remain the same under it all." Basic princiles of creation, magic, and nature were all the same no matter the world.

Emet-Selch takes a few steps as he observes the sky. "This world, however, is unique in ways that I have never seen before."

People kept using words like "alternate universes", but Emet-Selch's explanation sounded the closest that he could imagine, with a phrase like that. Similar but different, each unique...but different. Not like his world and this, so different, in many ways thus far.

"You aren't alone in that," he admitted. "My world has nothing like the things I've seen so far," and they did have oddities, like the fuzzy little near-immortals in the form of yordles, but this world was still vastly different. "The power -- ability -- the aion had..." he self edited, before he trailed off. He was starting to suspect that others here had no such... affinity for seizing such power, too soft, or malleable. It wouldn't do to give up a hunger like that so quickly. "It was unlike anything I'd ever seen."

"Yes, we are in the midst of quite a number of little oddities, aren't we?" Emet-Selch sounds much less in awe and more curious about the matter. What true power did they possess and where was it coming from? Such questions posed fun little puzzles.

"Oddities that warrant exploration ...and we have almost naught available to us at present." The Sailors on the ship offered some insight, but they acted cautiously in their presence.

"In the meantime, perhaps you can tell me of your world? And feel free to include your name, if you are feeling so charitable."

Emet-Selch wasn't wrong in the slightest, and Silco was inclined to agree with them. They were given little in terms of true information, the scope of what they had seen was narrowed to only what they've seen on their journey, and beyond that, they had little else. Who the Regent was, beyond a voice? What the world was like, what the power meant. Most of it was a question that didn't have an answer.

As someone who made it a lifestyle to know more than someone in his station should -- it made Silco antsy, to not have the answers obtainable at this time.

"I suppose I could," he said, tone bemused. While he was curious about a world with shards too, there seemed little danger talking about a world that was now destroyed. "My name is Silco, and my world is called Runeterra, but I've really spent my life in the undercity -- an underbelly to a gilded topside. Zaun is... poisoned, poor, and filled to the brim with people who could and would kill your mother for a spare dime, but it's freer than anywhere else in the world."

It was apparent, even to someone who'd just met him, that he was fond of the place, even if the description sounded... unpleasant.

"Freedom can be an alluring feature of any place one calls home." It's a brief acknowledgment of that apparent fondness, given that it seems that there is little else to comment positively on.

"And I suppose there was something at play to stop those in the Undercity from taking those 'dimes' out of the pockets of those who lived on the 'guilded topside'?"

Silco cast an unblinking, mismatched gaze at Emet-Selch, his lip curled in disgust. Not at him, of course, apparent when he looked back over the water, his scarred face -- more than simply the area over his eye, given the nicks around his lips -- thoughtful, for just a moment. Despite the way he held himself, confident and in control, he'd clearly lived a hard life.

"Enforcers will do that," he said, simply. "The mines are valuable enough, I suppose, and they can't lose the source of what makes them so great, can they? If you ever meet someone from Piltover, you'd notice they'd likely never worked a day in their life."

He looked back over at him, more confident than the situation would warrant. "Perhaps someday -- well, I suppose never, now -- but they had started to...fear us, you know. There had been a possibility..." well, before the death of the world, he supposed. Silco had every confidence that he would accomplish that, despite what lies the enforcer tried to tell him.

"Were you intending to overtake them?" He asks concisely. The brief look of disgust from his acquaintance, the bitter description of his adversaries, all of it indicates the incitement of some action. Or rather, the former intention of taking some initiative to improve their lives.

"We didn't want their gilded city," he said simply. Overtake? No. Zaun didn't need Piltover, with their laws, their rules, their enforcers. With shimmer running as strong as the waters that lapped against the depths of the undercity, they hadn't needed to. "We wanted what we had the right to have. Freedom for our city."

It sounded nice, didn't it? Complete and total Freedom. To do what they wanted, when they wanted, to enforce their own code, whether Piltover found it despicable or not. A cadre of chembarons that could be deposed at any point, and with Silco's every-wide watching over them. That had been the intention, before he ended up here. "It was... becoming a much more certain conclusion to our conflict."

"I see." How long after they obtained their lofty ideal of freedom would they fall victim to man's penchant for oppressing others? He had always hoped it would not be the case and always found disappointment to be the reward.

"Then I hope what Freedom you could not attain there may be found here instead."

Silco, of course, never lacked for freedom. The moment his back had hit the cold water of Zaun's rivers, he'd been...entirely unrestrained. He smiled, regardless. "Thank you," he said, simply. He wouldn't elaborate, of course. What was there to say about a land that didn't exist anymore? It made Silco the man he was, ugly scar, deformity, and all, but it was gone. Just like the rest of their worlds.

"Do you miss them?" he asked, his face returned to the sky, looking up at the stars. "The worlds you knew? I would imagine the ones we came from must have been...unique, to make those of us who could seize the opportunity this has allowed us."

The question coaxes his expression to dim. He looks at the stars with sadness clear on his face - Not for the 'worlds' that he knew, but for the home that has been long since lost. A home that seems even more distant than it had been before.

"Not a single day has passed where I do not think about them." His words are filled with sincerity. "I miss them more than I can say."

Silco suppsoed that some were liable to be quite fond of their worlds, and their people. It wasn't the way the Undercity was ran -- anymore -- but there were still some that favored family, and those close to them. Even he had someone, back home, that he missed already. No "them", though.

"I understand," he said, with a small nod, and although maybe not quite, he did understand missing home, he did as well. "It's difficult to think of them as gone, I will admit. I thought it was a ruse, that they were gone, but with the promise they made... perhaps we will see them on the other side, yes?"

"...No." His heartfelt gaze shifts to a determined furrow of the brow. 'See them on the other side' - he would allow no such thing.

"I will not let them simply be 'gone'." Emet-Selch's hand clutches the railing. "I know what I have seen regarding our worlds - what we have all seen - but there exists a way to bring them back and I will find it."

"Not really one to take your fate as it is, hm?" he asked, although his tone was not without admiration.

Silco knew what it was like, to decide that reality should be changed. To rise to the surface, and take it, shape things. Few could grasp such power, but perhaps there were some like-minded individuals, in this new...sect of individuals.

Not trustworthy, never trustworthy, but...

"Perhaps you'll share the method. Once you find it."

Challenging his 'fate' seems like the only path forward when he could not let go of what once was.

His response is a simple, "Perhaps..." Not a guarantee but not dismissing the idea outright. They would have to see what this new future would bring.

Not a promise, but Silco could appreciate that. Promising what one might not be willing to give... well. That led to betrayal, didn't it? He looked down at the water, and breathed in, the light scent of salt made him...think on the past. Water always did, after all.

"I understand," he said. He did, oddly enough. There would be no fight for him on that. Silco would either find his own way, or he would steal it. Not that he had many that he would bring back, but... "Well, this has been enlightening. Perhaps we'll talk again sometime."

"Indeed. Until then." Emet-Selch offers a polite dip of his head before turning to explore elsewhere on board the ship.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

EVENT #1: THE EMPTY THRONE (PT 2)

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