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

[ Potentially suffering for not following Xishen's orders isn't even on Amos' mind. They were told to do something that would have directly hurt some of the people he'd met down in the cavern who had resisted; he wasn't okay with that, so he didn't do it. Whatever happens after happens.

So they are of a similar mind, even if Amos wouldn't think of it that way — he'd have to think he actually has a conscience first. End result's the same though, right? There's a mutual respect to be picked up on, at least.

Amos mimics Paul at first, glancing up at the night sky and all of the stars he doesn't know as he keeps his gaze fixed on them. When he catches Paul's movement in his peripheral vision, he glances back down to meet him.

Then, a look out at the water. ]

Sounds nice. [ It does, is the thing; he means that sincerely. Amos meets Paul's gaze again. ] I grew up in Baltimore. Don't think I'd have eaten anything anyone caught there, but being out on the water was nice. Like an escape.

[ Plenty to escape from there, as he's been reminded of recently. Amos shrugs it off. ]

This is pretty relaxing. Kinda nice to have something familiar.

It is.

[He resettles a bit at that, just subtle shifting of weight, though without the general implication that he wants to go somewhere else; he's fine where he is, though he does look away after a moment, focusing elsewhere. Rude to stare and all that.]

I never did get to see much of the country, Baltimore included; really, one of the very few times I left the island at all was...extremely recent. The rest of my life was spent there. [He shrugs a little, the sort of gesture that seems more at a vague loss rather than dismissive or uncaring.] Of course, I never thought I'd end up involved in anything like this at the time. Who knows. Maybe I would've spent more time out.

[ Is it rude to stare? Amos might've found it weird depending on what they were talking about. Easy conversation like this, though, not so much. Still, he's plenty happy to take his cues from others — kind of how he's gone about most of his life, so it's something of an ingrained nature — and glances back out at the water; past it, to the shores passing them by. While they're on a similar subject... ]

Eh, spending more time elsewhere's only worth it if that's something you wanted to do. If you had a good thing going back home, nothing wrong with staying put.

[ He speaks offhandedly, a little detached. Like — you do you, man. No point in regretting anything if you were happy with what you had. ]

I only ever really saw Baltimore — at least, before I had the chance to go up the gravity well. [ He nods up at the night sky, now suddenly completely unattainable for him. ] Probably would've spent my entire life in Baltimore if it wasn't for that, but it wasn't exactly a good place. Way I see it, though, you find something good, you hold onto it as best you can.

[ Which... well, whatever good they had before, it's now officially in the past. Amos definitely trends much closer to the dismissive and uncaring end of the spectrum on that front. ]

Just gonna have to do that here now. Who knows; maybe you'll get your time travelling after all.

[ Silver linings, yeah? Being here doesn't have to be a bad thing. ]

[The noise that gets out of him is soft and vaguely hollow; it's agreement, though. At least there's that much.]

Maybe I will.

[It's more likely that he won't, he's fairly sure; he's always been the sort to find somewhere to stay, and then to find reasons keep himself there. It's not really a bad cycle to be in, per se, just limited in scope.

But then, it's never been about the location with him; it's the people.]

Up the gravity well, though... [His gaze flicks upward.] Is that common, where you came from?

Yes and no.

[ He looks over at Paul, sees something maybe familiar in his gaze. Decades ago, Amos had spent a lot of time looking up at the night sky with a sort of longing he'd never be able to put a name to, watching and listening to rockets streak up towards it and out of sight. If he's gonna start doing it again now, it'd be with some sort of misplaced sense of nostalgia. It doesn't mean the same thing anymore. ]

If you're from Earth, chances were really good you'd never go up. Too many people, not enough resources. Either you got lucky or you did what you could with what you had.

[ His life should have been the latter. He got the former. Amos is emotionless as he talks, relaying the information like he's reading from a history book and not recounting the broad strokes of his life. ]

Except there were plenty of people who were born in space, too. Lived their whole lives there. Nowhere near as many people as on Earth, but more than enough that they had their own societies. Not that they didn't have their own assholes up there, but I liked most of them way more. There's a certain practicality people had when air wasn't guaranteed. I appreciated that.

[ It's the people for him, too. Location doesn't matter as long as you're with the right people. And as far as Amos is concerned, this boat, the Regent — they're almost certainly the right people. His people now. So he's in a good place. ]

[The night sky has been...different for him, since the angel's blessing. It's like it was on their first day here, in their shared dream state before everything was destroyed; looking up was like seeing into eternity then, bringing with it a connection to the universe that he finds difficult to explain.

The stars swirl overhead, in their own dizzying way; it's honestly one of the best things that's been bestowed upon him.]

I can imagine that a lot of things we do down here would stop feeling as necessary, yeah. When it's put that way, I mean.

[It sounds good, in its own way. It's something he's sure he's not grasping in its entirety, but that's okay; what matters is it sounds nice, and while most of it's being given to him by way of rote recitation there's always something calming about finding one's place, or at least somewhere that can serve that purpose for a while.

Is this his place now? He doesn't really know, nor does he know if these people are his in any way. That sort of feeling is still reserved for the Scarboroughs and the Flynns and for poor goddamn Riley, for Sarah and Erin and Mildred, the last of whom he doesn't really want to consider.

God, the last person he'd made any sort of physical contact with before coming here had been Bev. Isn't that an entire can of worms.]

We didn't have that same sense of practicality you're talking about, where I'm from. Just a lot of... Well, as you said, doing what we could with what we had. The community was dying out; it was about a hundred people or so, if that many. I don't know when the last time we counted that was.

But the people that were there were worth staying for. I intended to keep serving them until I was no longer needed - until either the community itself died, or I did.

[ Amos shrugs in response to the whole necessity thing, not dismissive but without much to add on; sure. Life on Earth was a lot different from life in space. They both had their own pros and cons. People tend to be best suited for one or the other, often without the chance to try out both, and it's not really a reflection on them. No matter who you are, ultimately, you do the best with what you get.

But he did prefer space. At the same time, the planet they're on now is a substantial departure from the Earth he knew; as far as he can tell, there's a lot to like about it. A best of both worlds kind of thing.

As Paul goes on, though, something in Amos loosens up. Relaxes. Not that he wasn't at ease before, but there's something so viscerally familiar with what Paul is talking about; something that speaks to what he's tried to do with his life, the very core of his being. ]

That's all I've ever wanted.

[ There's some sort of kinship with Paul here, he realizes. An admiration, too, but Amos is so used to second-guessing himself that for Paul to use words that speak so directly to everything he's tried to do almost eliminates it entirely. Something shifts in his gaze, going from pleasantly blank to sincere. Maybe earnest. ]

I don't really have anything. I mean, even before ending up here. All I had were my people; all I could really do for them was try to keep them alive. So, I did that. [ A twitch of a frown. ] They're gone now, I guess. Couldn't be helped.

[ He takes a moment to glance around the boat; the quiet decks, but the ship is carrying a number of them, now. Amos doesn't know all of them. They haven't met the voice that helped coax them into acceptance. But he's got the keen sense that these are his people now, so. And aside from that twitch of a frown, there isn't much distress in his demeanour at the idea of his people being dead. ]

All that's left is to keep going, right? With this new community. New people here counting on us. [ A beat, a sigh. ] Everyone who's gonna come after, I guess.

[ Because they're meant to destroy everything. Make something better with the clean slate they're going to create. That's more than he's ever dreamed of, but knowing he might hold the capability to do something that good on such a grand scale is borderline intoxicating. Like he knows he can finally, finally be doing the right thing.

And he figures Paul gets that much. So it's really, really good to have someone like him on his side here. ]

[As much as he's always hated the idea of death - and as such, he's hated the idea of everyone he's come to care about on that island being gone - there's something almost peaceful in this; it's somewhere between the stars and the sounds of the boat as it slips through the water, the calm nature of the conversation and the feeling that he might actually be talking to someone who just gets it instead of someone who has to be led to any sort of conclusion. It's been a while since he's been able to just have a conversation like this; the people in his congregation may have been his, but he's never really expected them to understand the things he tends to set out.]

I've been trying to do what I can for those with us. It doesn't feel like enough still, but it would be worse not to offer.

[Morally and just...objectively. Best to do whatever's in his power than remain standing by because he believes he can't do enough; the attempt is worth it, in the end.]

I got along well enough with some of those who left. But I won't deny them the possibility that they can be brought over to rejoin us. If not... Well, we'll sort out those consequences as they come.

[ He nods, the movement more about an appreciation for Paul's philosophy than full agreement on Amos' part. He hasn't really tried to do much for anyone else among their ranks, not really. It doesn't come naturally to him. That it does to Paul is — people like Paul are good, Amos can recognize that much.

Even though he hadn't wanted to fight down in the cavern, he's put to better use in other areas. And for what their ultimate goal is supposed to be, Amos figures they'll both have their own roles to play. ]

Yeah. When that woman said they'd be our mortal enemies... I'm okay with that. I liked a lot of them just fine, too. Only they really didn't want to come with us, and they didn't want to die, either. Would've been fucked up to force 'em into one or the other. [ He shrugs as he glances back up. Wherever those others he'd liked had run off to, they're probably under the same stars, too.

After a moment of looking up at them, feeling this weird sort of connectedness in the silence, he turns back to Paul. ] You really think they'll figure it out? Come back to the right side?

[ Because they're on the right side. Amos has been worried about that for most of his life, but with the peace the Kenoma has brought him, for once he's certain he's playing for the right team. And, shit, it's a nice thought that the people he's met in their short time here, people he likes just fine even if they're on the wrong team, will be able to figure it out, too. He's not sure he believes it, but he's pretty sure Paul is a better person than he is — so if he believes it, then maybe it is possible after all. ]

[That latter question gets a bit of a soft noise out of him; not dirisive at all, just considering.]

I don't think it will be easy, and I don't think it will happen anytime soon - not after everything that's happened already. They seem convinced that the entire point of that ritual was to possess or poison them; they don't seem to have gotten the same thing out of it that we did.

[He wonders, briefly, what they did get out of it; what they felt toward the end of things, what inspired them all into...well, that. The sense of strength and reassurance he had felt in the Kenoma was like hearing the voice of God - that small, quiet urging that he's felt all his life, driving him to do what he can for others, that had eventually seeped into his soul and is an inextricable part of his being now. The more recent call of the angel had been like that, too; all of that is what makes him certain that Amos' assessment of that much is true and correct - theirs is the right side, at the end of things.]

People's hearts and minds don't change by force, but I think we'll be able to reach at least a few of them. I intend to keep trying, or at the very least not give up on them.

That's good.

[ He speaks plainly; it is. Paul has clearly put thought into this, more than Amos ever will. It just isn't his forte at all, let alone when he's never experienced something like this before — that inherent sense of rightness, of justification for his entire being. It's mystifying; if he focuses on the feeling, it's easy to get completely lost in it. So he hadn't really been able to offer much in the way of trying to convince others to accept it, other than to tell them that it would be okay.

It's completely beyond him why so many didn't think so. But he agrees with Paul — you can't change anyone by force. ]

Don't think I'm the type to convince anybody, myself. Never really been good at that sort of thing. I'm more on the other end of things I guess. If we end up having to kill them then we kill them. [ He pulls a face, like he's being mildly inconvenienced. ] I like your solution more. Just, you know. That isn't really how things worked where I'm from.

[ He exhales, more a sense of wonderment than a sigh. He's not put off by the idea of having to kill anyone. It happens. It's just... ]

Though I feel like that's part of what we're doing. Making a world where things don't work like that anymore. Just gotta get there first.

...That's how I feel about it, too.

[That they're building a world free of suffering, free of all the constraints and complications and pain that constitutes everyone's current existence. Everything will stop, and the silence that follows will surely be blessed; there's no guilt in thinking about it, because there's really no reason for there to be.]

I was a priest where I was from; I'm not much of a fighter. I... Well, honestly I just avoid violence when I can. So words are all I really have. [When his gaze shifts again, it's to glance at Amos briefly before returning to the water.] But I do understand. And it would surprise me more if we didn't have to kill anyone in the process of...all of this.

I'm not going to impede anything, if it goes that way. If it happens then it does. I just ask that we at least try to do it like decent people and don't cause more harm than necessary.

[ He inclines his chin at the idea that he's talking to a priest, has found such connection with one. Not that he's ever had anything against religion of any kind, it's just always been a complete non-factor for him. But people who can use their words — that's something he admires. ]

Sure. People who get off on killing are some of the first ones who need to be put down. [ He mimes shooting himself in the head as he says it, a casual motion. (Also the most effective way of killing someone he's familiar with, much as he's yet to see anything resembling a gun around here. That's gonna be annoying.) ] I'd rather just do it. Get it over with, move on to the next thing. Drawing it out's fucked up.

[ He shifts his gaze to look at Paul, still facing the water, though it's in his peripheral vision. ]

I appreciate that. That you get it. Think if I could use words I would, but violence is really all I have. So, hey. Maybe we can balance each other out.

[ They're all going to be working together, Amos figures, but this is a case where their respective skills could really complement one another. There's potential in it. And, hell, he's pretty sure he'd benefit from it at much as anyone. ]

I hope so; I like that idea.

[Balance in that regard can really only be a good thing, can't it? Words when possible, violence when necessary.

Yeah. That sounds good.]

Besides, you seem like someone who would at least tell me if I need to step off whatever it is I'm doing. You'd likely see it before I will; it's why I like keeping a few people close to me that I feel like I can trust in some way.

[He'll have to find his circle in general, in this place; back home it had been a matter of necessity, granted, but here... Well, it's a matter of starting over, like everything else they're doing. It'll take him a while to let go of things, even if he trusts the process completely; death and resurrection are intertwined, and it isn't right to complain about the necessity of one to facilitate the other.

There's no guilt in it, but damn, he's going to miss people, isn't he.]

[ He doesn't smile — not quite — but there's something distinctly pleased in Amos' expression at the affirmation. Maybe even happy. At being accepted; at finding a way to put himself to good use; at knowing that, even with all of his flaws, he's found a way to make sure he does actual good. He never thought he'd be able to achieve that on this level, and here he is, forming relationships and making plans to do just that.

It's awesome. He nods at Paul's observation. ]

Yeah, probably; I grew up in a pretty rough neighbourhood, so you kinda get the sense of when things are about to head south before they actually do. And I'd much rather put an end to that shit before it really has the chance to get started, especially if it means making sure my people are okay. I mean, I'm all for building a better world for everyone, but my people are always gonna come first for me.

[ Because Paul's one of his own now, isn't he? That's basically what Amos is saying — he wants him to succeed, but if the choices are between talking someone else down and beating them to punch if someone he cares about is threatened, he'll always take the latter. That Paul's essentially giving him the green light there... well. Amos will use it responsibly, but he will use it. He's never felt guilt in his life; probably never will. Might as well do something good with it. ]

That's probably for the best. Trying to remain optimistic toward the others, but keeping our own closest. I'll try to do similarly.

[He may find it difficult, but that's just his personality; he's always believed in trying to minister to everyone that he can, and the concept of taking sides - that there are even sides to take - isn't one he's really used to. But it's sort of reality now, he supposes.]

...I'm glad that we could talk about this. Thanks, for that.

[ There's a blink of surprise before a small smile graces his features. It really isn't much more than a quirk of his lips, but it's there.

Not like it's never happened before, but being thanked for a good talk isn't a normal occurrence for Amos. And here's someone who's undeniably, in his view, a good person doing just that for him. It feels pleasantly warm, like a feeling you want to hold onto, sink into, never reemerge. ]

Sure thing. [ His words and general demeanour may mute how much this means to him, but... it means a lot. ] I'm not really one to bullshit or sugarcoat. If you ever need something like this again.

[Honestly, this is one of the better talks he's had since being brought here. Nothing pressing or overly complicated; just reassuring, in its own simple way.]

I'll keep that in mind. And I'll be around if you ever just want to talk to someone; I really don't mind.

[ Amos is generally good for that sort of thing. That someone else appreciates it — well, it just makes things easier for him, doesn't it.

He brings a hand up, giving Paul a friendly little shoulder clasp before withdrawing. Just one of those things he likes to do. ]

Sure. [ His smile takes on a degree of blank amiability; just wanting to talk isn't a thing that he really does, but he doesn't want to be rude. ] Sounds good.

[ He's means that much, at least. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

EVENT #1: THE EMPTY THRONE (PT 2)

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