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

[hippocarnival]

His hair has seemingly turned others colors. Can blood actually stain white hair? That's not a question he ever expected to wonder.

Public bathing is less alarming for Yuya, but he can tell Estinien isn't so comfortable, so he... turns around, putting his back to Estinien's back.

"I wanted to see how you were doing. You really got hurt, didn't you?"

[coerthantorment]

It's hard to clean yourself in cold water with no soap, he supposes. Regardless, he glances back and notices that Yuya has turned away to speak to him while respecting his privacy. It's thoughtful of him, at least.

He's doing better now after some healing, but losing whatever boost of power he'd received in the cavern had made him realize how far he'd pushed himself. His back is marked with welts from the spikes that had been mangling his skin, but some other wounds are lingering more stubbornly. Several barely closed on his arms and shoulders look like they are destined to join his scar collection. Most of all, his ribs and lungs still hurt. That woman hit hard.

"...I'm used to fighting with a lance," he says after a moment, not really answering the question. It's more an explanation for what he sees as an inadequate performance.

[hippocarnival]

"Oh." Yuya doesn't know much about fighting with... anything. It's pretty distasteful, but they weren't going to get out of there otherwise were they?

"I didn't mean it in a bad way!" He waves his hands. "They were really trying to stop us from leaving."

[coerthantorment]

Estinien lifts his head. Ah. Yes, he supposes that makes more sense. He was half expecting for someone to come criticize him, after how things ended in the cavern.

"...Aye."

He sounds frustrated, but in a way that is suppressed. He's still angry about how easily some of those people turned on them.

"They've surrendered to the forces that sought to enslave us. If we see them again, 'twill be as enemies."

[hippocarnival]

Yuya purses his lips and shifts uncomfortably on his feet.

"Some of them were really suffering." He gets it, he'd been close to giving in too. "There's something... what if that black stuff we spit up is sti inside them, making them feel that way?"

[coerthantorment]

It's entirely possible, and if anything, the idea that they are being actively corrupted or possessed by some force is more plausible than a lot of other things. He just doesn't know if it will do them any good, knowing that.

He does seem to hesitate and relent slightly though, his conflicted feelings shown in the tensing of his back.

"...'Tis common, in my world, for people to be corrupted by such forces. In many cases, it's beyond repair." He stares down at the water. "The transformation in them was not as violent... but I would not have us die on their blades while trying to reason with the unreasonable."

[hippocarnival]

"Why do we have to go straight to anyone dying?" Yuya starts to turn around, but stops halfway through. "We barely even know what's happening to us!"

[coerthantorment]

Estinien bows his head forward, Yuya's question needling him somehow. It's almost absurd to him, to think that a situation like this could unfold with no one dying. If it isn't one of the Aions, it'll be civilians around them.

"...'Tis simply the way of these things, in my experience," he says. "Even the pursuit of peace will have its casualties."

He learned that well enough himself, and the thought of lost comrades weighs heavily on him now, just as the thought that what everything they did may have been for nothing.

"If you don't believe me, then suit yourself. I can only speak for what I've seen."

[hippocarnival]

Yuya opens his mouth, ready to retort, but Estinien's final word effectively shuts the topic down. He snaps his teeth shut.

Rigid, his hands curl into fists. "I'm not going to believe they can't be helped without even trying."

[coerthantorment]

How frustrating. It's not that Estinien can't believe that saving them is possible in some way, but more that it's not an assumption he's prepared to rely on. He can so easily imagine a boy like Yuya putting himself on the line, and for a cause that may be yet beyond their ability to change. Especially if those individuals are going to be actively attacking them, as the ones in the cavern had been.

Given the choice between slaying one of the Kenoma's new thralls and letting one of his Pleroma attuned kin be slain he would choose the former every time.

"Then I hope you have the opportunity to try," he says, trying to keep himself measured despite the paranoia and hurt he feels stirring below the surface. "My only wish is for it to not come at the expense of your own life."