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

[vivificantem]

...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.

[baltimores]

[ 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. ]

[vivificantem]

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.]

[baltimores]

[ 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. ]

[vivificantem]

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.

[baltimores]

[ 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.

[vivificantem]

[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.

[baltimores]

[ 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. ]