aionlogs | 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

"How very astute of you." He comments dryly.

She had provided some description, so suppose it's only fair for him to part with a little information in return. "My world is broken, inhabited by those who are no more than husks of people. They continue in their weak, ignorant, and frail existence, all while ignorant of what an abomination their existence brings." How he had tried to consider them all in a different light. To no avail.

"Few remain who would try and piece the world back together. And now..." He motions out to the open water with a hand to let the silence fill in the gap. Now he is here.

True to her word, the girl seems to actually be listening. She does so with an expression obviously proving she doesn't really understand, but how could she? Its a much more unique situation then she had found herself in. But there is one thing she can take from what she's told.

"And I guess that's your reason for joining up with someone that wants to remake the world. I don't really get what you're saying, but from what I can imagine it sounds like a reason even I would not think is stupid. Maybe when we win, things will be remade like you want?" Its not a compliment, really, but she seems to at least acknowledge it as a good reason, while also letting a little bit of her own hopes sneak in.

"Perhaps." There's too much unknown about the situation to say that for sure right now, but the Kenoma had whispered of such promising things. It is a lead to pursue. Nothing more.

"Full glad am I to hear that you find value in it. It is much easier to have allies who see eye to eye." His tone is neither flat nor chastising. Although taking her at her word is far from his intention - he is not so naive - he would nurture the concept of teamwork where he could.

"Allies, huh?" The girl sounds as if she isn't entirely happy with the idea. If anything, she sounds a little disgusted. "Just because I said I sort of get it doesn't mean anything. I'm not used to working with others. I'm used to having them work FOR me. The smart ones do as their told. The rest get recycled."

She shrugs. "Still, if whatever it is you want doesn't interfere with me, there's no reason for me to give a damn. Fix your husk people, or whatever. I just want my world with no war. And I'll kill anyone that prevents me from getting it." Its stated as a matter of fact, and said so casually. In her head, she isn't even trying to be intimidating. Just holding a casual, somewhat sleepy conversation.

There would be no war, or violence would be the cost. Subjugation at its finest.

The statement is not intimidating to him, he even meets it with a certain sense of support. "I have no plans to stand in your way. Do what you must." There is no reason to at present.

"Perhaps during the interim, you could supply me with a name?"

She had tried more peaceful ways first. No one is BORN with such extreme views, after all. But for her, words never worked. It wasn't until she started making there be consequences for not doing as she said that she started getting results.

"Good, I guess we can agree then. No reason to get in each others way." Obviously she's not offering her help, but at the very least she seems to have no desire to be a hindrance. As for the request, its simple enough, though she takes a moment to think about just how much information to give. The last time she had been asked that question, she had been vulnerable, weak, powerless, and not really herself. But now she is more herself. So she decides for the bare minimum.

"Majorita. My name is Majorita."

"A pleasure." It seems more of an obligation to say such rather than an actual pleasure.

He puts a hand across his chest and offers the most shallow of bows. "I am Emet-Selch. Sorcerer." At least that is the most simple way to put it. "I fear as though any further elaboration may lose its meaning to someone not of the same realm." Assuming she was not.

Though she not return the bow, the girl doesn't seem offended. She knows that it is, actually, no pleasure at all. Though the entire situation has her feeling a little more restrained then normal, it doesn't change the fact that she knows people are quite rarely happy to see her. The mention of his occupation seems to garner a little bit of interest, though. "Sorcerer? Must be some sort of weird one if you say something like that."

She doesn't seem interested in prying for the details, though. "But I know a thing or two about magic myself. I was known as a witch in my world." Its an incomplete description, but she sees no reason to spill all the details about herself. She has no idea what this man would do with the information, after all. It not like she actually TRUSTS him.

"Oh?" Emet-Selch asks conversationally. He leans against the railing, lacing his fingers together and looking out on the water. The ocean outside the boat is dark and the shapes beyond it are impossible to make out, even with the help of starlight.

"Is there a kind of magic you have expertise in?"

"Of course. I wouldn't be a witch if that wasn't the case. But I am a witch that had to fight to survive, so I really only know the sort of magic I could use to defend myself." Again, a very simplified and incomplete version of things. And also a lie, but that is another matter entirely! "So I can't do fancy things like open portals, teleport around, fly and stuff like that. Just hurt people. Its served me well so far."

She definitely doesn't seem ashamed of that 'limitation'. "My 'expertise' is magic that creates corpses. I used to be interested in other kinds, of course. But I doubt I'll ever get a chance to study it, particularly in THIS situation. But at least what I know will probably be enough for the one they're taking us to meet."

Magic of the undead - truly something of a spectacle to someone who has been charged with taking care of the Underworld. What kind of magic would defy the planet and grant life to the lifeless? "That sounds like a fascinating topic of study. I would be interested in learning more about it at some point in the future." Though he makes a point not to ask her to teach him. "Mayhap they'll have some reading material on the subject in Achamoth."

Its just as well. Even if she agreed to it, and she wouldn't, she would make for a poor teacher. The complete lack of patience with others would see to that. Furthermore, the fact that the method she uses isn't something that could really be taught means that it would be a hopeless task. But one thing he says does resonate with her. The mention of possible study when they reach the city. "I doubt it. But I didn't think of that, maybe I WILL be able to study after all."

For how impatient she comes across as, it might seem odd that she sounds slightly eager about that. But she does. There might be a tiny smidgen of normal girl left in there somewhere. "Gonna go back below deck and try to sleep. Don't bother me unless its important." And just like that, the girl turns to walk off.

EVENT #1: THE EMPTY THRONE (PT 2)

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

I thought I posted this last night! Spoilers: I didn't

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject