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

[epiprocta]

[ He hates it. Hates this place with its inscrutable logic, hates all the fantasy bullshit he has to put up with, hates how everything is completely foreign to him. Hates how much everything hurts, now that the adrenaline rush of combat has long since faded and his injuries are really settling into his bones. Hates that they leave him no choice but to quietly listen to what Amos is saying -- and hates that for all his unsettling qualities, Amos isn't wrong in what he says.

Gen does promptly bristle in response to that brief warning -- 'careful,' like he's a child being told not to touch a hot stove -- but it's notably silent, just words caught at the tip of his tongue as he grits his teeth. It's obvious that reacting with hostility is practically second nature for him, that Gen sees any suggestion that he's been weak as a reason to respond belligerently. So the fact that he settles for just a sullen glare and huffed breaths is probably a testament to how unwell he's feeling at the moment.

As well as being a small indication that Amos has a point, even if he'd die before admitting it. ]

-- 'm not an easy target. [ Of course that's the first thing he says as soon as he's settled back down in place and caught his breath. Gen makes no move to get back up or lash out at Amos again but maintains that defiant note to his words. Even when he knows his retort is lame at best: ] I'm ... not.

[ He knows he is, though. That's not exactly what had rankled at him so badly. Gen is furious to be rendered so powerless and pathetic here, certainly, but something about Amos' comments about trauma and gangs, in particular, had grated at his nerves like nails on a chalkboard. ... maybe it was the way Amos seemed to assume he was some innocent party here, to be sheltered from something dark and scary.

(Like he's not years too late for that.) ]

... don't treat me like some little kid. [ He mumbles, probably sounding younger than ever. ] If there's something I need to do, I can manage. I will.

[ He opens his mouth to continue but the words catch in his throat; even knowing that his old life no longer matters here, it's still hard for him to speak honestly. There's a moment of obvious hesitation before he gives up. Gen's quiet for a moment where he's reluctantly settled back against the cavern wall, staring darkly at Amos, before finally dropping that sullen glare. ]

You're not that special. Learning to do fucked-up shit.

[baltimores]

[ Amos is pretty sure he wasn't like this growing up. In some ways he was the opposite, pliant and easygoing, once he'd figured out how to cope with his lot in life. Not that he didn't know guys like Gen — just that he's never been on this end of the dynamic before, the older, more experienced party. It has him trying to figure out how to frame his point of reference to the kid in front of him, leaving him to stay silent as Gen gets out everything he feels he has to say.

There's no point in refuting him; that much is clear. They're just going to go around in circles while Gen finds some reason or another to object, even if Amos knows he's right. If they both know he's right. And he's always been the type to skip all of the middle bullshit, jump right to the end.

So, he'll just do that. ]

Okay. [ His voice is soft and easy when he speaks again, less out of any gentleness and more like that's just a natural cadence for him. ] I believe you.

[ On some level, he does. He'd never really felt a need to prove himself, but he can remember some of the frustrations he felt as he transitioned from victim to violent. They hadn't lasted that long, the depths of what he felt acceptable remarkably clear very early on, but they'd been there. And if Gen wants to take that same step — fine. He's not exactly one who can argue.

And if Gen finds he can't manage, Amos already made his offer on that front. No need to repeat it.

He tilts his head, looking down at the kid. ]

And nope. Neither of us is special. We're disposable. [ We, because he'll treat Gen like they're on equal footing, one and the same, until it's evident that's no longer an option. And it's so easy to fall right back into that gang mentality — from being a part of a real family that's all dead now to understanding that, as much as he thinks he's going to believe in this new cause, he's still just a cog in the machine. ] We got uses until we don't. Or until we're dead. Either or.

[ He shrugs, unbothered by the concept. And then tilts his head back in the direction of the cavern's exit, since they're gonna have to leave at some point, and coddling is officially no longer an option. ]

You good to get out of here yet?

[epiprocta]

[ Hypocrite that he is, Gen flinches when Amos says that. 'We're disposable.' And though he averts his gaze for a moment, when he looks back up to Amos, it's probably the first time the hurt in his expression outweighs the aimless anger and frustration.

It's not like he disagrees with any of what Amos had said. It's all stuff that's fundamentally true, and he's aware of it. He has a role to play, and once he's completed that role -- regardless of whether he's been successful or not -- it's all over after that. His value outside of the obligations he's meant to fulfill is questionable at best. He knows all of that, he does, but ... ]

Don't. [ The word's gritted out quietly before he looks down once more. ] You shouldn't say that shit so easily. ... not out loud.

[ It's not normal, is it, being able to say those kinds of things with that utter lack of hesitation? And Gen's not sure how he feels after hearing those cutting words coming from Amos' mouth like he'd been reading out a fucking grocery list. A little uneasy, maybe. A little unnerved. (And maybe, though he'd never put it into words, a little worried for whatever the hell would reduce a man to talking like that.)

Dwelling on those thoughts leaves a slimy sort of aftertaste, bitter on the tongue, and Gen gives a stiff shake of the head -- wincing as a final pang of headache lances through his temples, though it's greatly subsided by now -- and takes a drink from the flask. Coughs, wipes his mouth on the back of his hand, then mumbles, ]

... I can leave.

[ Maybe a change of location will help him shake off the discomforting feeling of what Amos had said.

That said, it's easier said than done. At least he's recovered enough to get to his feet without just falling over, but he still feels a bit like a car ran him over. And then backed up a few times to finish the job. Gen has to stifle a groan as he arduously finds his balance, wavering where he stands for a moment before starting to make his way back towards the cave entrance. And while he does shoot Amos a sideways glance to see if the man's following, he's determined not to need any help on the way out.

Whether it's to preserve the remaining dregs of his own pride, or if it's because he needs a little distance after what Amos had said, he's not sure. ]

[baltimores]

[ Amos isn't entirely sure where he went wrong.

Gen made it clear he wanted to be treated like an adult, so that's what Amos is doing. And somehow he's gone and hurt the kid in the process. He meets his words with a stare that's confusion and a mild distress, if that much can even be visible.

Why not say it out loud? Keeping it quiet doesn't make it any less true. He'd point that out, but Gen already seems to have a problem — a significant one — with what he's already said. And he really isn't trying to make his life any worse. Just pointing out the realities of their situation. If the kid can't handle them, then... well, shit, that's going to make the future kinda tough, isn't it.

Just gonna have to cross that bridge when they get to it. So it's a relief when Gen says he's good to go. Amos blinks, and the confusion is gone, replaced with a muted sort of concern, but he's also not going to argue. ]

Alright.

[ He doesn't move to help Gen, getting the sense that that's not the best idea right now. He does follow, close enough that he'll be able to catch Gen if he falls, but nothing more. That's not his place right now.

Maybe it never was. He'd had it for a bit back home, but for the most part, there was a reason he had to move on a fair bit. Which is gonna be tough if he has to here, considering they're all under the same boss now, and Amos is pretty sure he's going to stay on until the end. Hell, if he thinks about it, he knows he's looking forward to it.

Maybe Gen just needs to sleep it off, and he'll go right back to telling him off after, more bravado and less whatever this is. And if not, well, Amos will figure that out later. ]