EVENT #5: SOVEREIGN CITIZENS (GODSBLOOD)

[aionmods]

Sovereign Citizens

GODSBLOOD

At the height of the Sovereign's moon, Vaeka Lovenskol's execution is announced. Outside of the City Hall, a dignitary of Achamoth is flanked by an entourage of Kenoma, reading the words of Regent from an unfurled letter: Vaeka stands accused to conspiring against the Regent and abetting the fugitive menace known as the Pleroma. Though the details are not made public, rumors spread quickly, some far more wild than the actual truth. The full truth, after all, is something only the Regent's agents and the Pleroma themselves know, and even to them the manner of her exposure is unclear.

Though losing a proud daughter of an influential family, there seems to be little that the people of Godsblood can do besides accept it. After all, they are still a city of the Regent's empire, and for all the freedom they've enjoyed, there are limits. If she was truly aiding the Pleroma, the sworn enemies of the Regent - and in an organized manner, if the rumors are to be believed - can they truly object? Or would challenging the Regent's claim simply invite more death?

As with many things, the families of Godsblood are torn. Tensions are thick for the five days leading up to Vaeka's appointed execution by hanging, with everyone having an opinion and few wanting to go on record talking about it too loudly. As such, the people's frustrations come out in other ways. Bloodites are uncharacteristically unfriendly to strangers in this time, keeping to their own and treating everyone else with overt skepticism.

Those that have arrived as part of the Regent's official envoy, or seen guarding Vaeka, will receive a particularly icy reception. No longer are the Kenoma curious wanderers on personal business. Now, they are here as the hands of the Regent; few of the Godsblood citizens are foolish enough to challenge them outright, but they are ever an honest people.

Early on, the Kenoma and the rest of the Achamite contingent sent with them will be able to take over a jail in downtown Godsblood to hold Vaeka until her execution, clearing out all other Bloodite prisoners and employees in the meantime. This means they have a relatively secure position to guard their prisoner from, which is a good thing; after all, the Regent did outright invite the Pleroma to stop them, and Pleroma are nothing if not stubborn.

EXECUTION DAY

After five agonizing days of waiting and several high visible conflicts between the Pleroma and Kenoma, finally the hour of Vaeka's execution arrives. A gallows is set outside of City Hall, ready to welcome its newest victim, and a massive crowd has gathered in an spirit of anxious anticipation. Some worry that violence may break out in the streets, even without the Pleroma's agitation, but gradually the minutes tick by and the gallows remain empty.

First one minutes passes. Then five. Then fifteen. Slowly, it becomes clear to the people of Godsblood that Vaeka will not be arriving. Are the rumors true? Has she been saved? Have the Pleroma been successful, despite all odds?

As the hours pass and the crowds disperse, Vaeka Lovenskol is not officially reported as either living or dead. Fortunately, Godsblood is a place where information has a way of getting around, whether those in charge like it or not. Some are saying that she was seen being whisked away as if by powerful magic, following a bloody fight at the jail in which she was being held. Where did she go? Maybe her supposed connections to the forest people did her good, some surmise.

The days following Vaeka's failed execution carry a strange and uncertain energy. Where before there was tension and distrust, Godsblood now finds itself in a surreal reality where the Regent's word is apparently not absolute. Then again, do they really want a repeat performance?

QUESTIONS

What is the best way for Aions to travel to Godsblood?
For Pleroma, this is very easy, as they are likely to either already live there or be able to easy take Greentruth's portal. For Kenoma, they may come directly from Achamoth by boat as part of the Regent's envoy or arrive via Eustace's portal which is set up in a shed a fairly long jaunt outside of town. Once there has been some time to get established, Misa will be setting up another portal leading straight to the prison where Vaeka is being stored.

Are the Kenoma permitted by the Regent to kill other Godsblood citizens?
Though the Kenoma are authorized to kill any Bloodites that try to physically fight them, they are expected to keep things clean. The Regent prefers to only punish the guilty, and having the lines be clear will create less of a hassle in the future. Generally, Godsblood is not in a state where physical resistance is likely to happen unprovoked.

Comments

[wolof]

Precisely!

[ She confirmed, with a delighted look in her golden eyes. ] And, if they do surprise us, then I'll have you here as backup, if I need it. We don't need to get anyone captured this early on, after all.

[ She said, not knowing that she was predicting later issues. Then again, that's how it always went, didn't it? ]

Let's just hope that the guard isn't particularly cruel to animals, hm?

[ She shook herself out, as if her skin would flake off -- and it practically did, into dark feathers, and she looked up at Himeka with her dark eyes, from the frame of a black swan, her head tipped, just slightly, to listen to a response from her, before she started to take off. ]

[chronosynthesis]

[The resounding collision on metal is hard to miss even in their fight, and Syrlya is aware when the lock is broken off. He just needs to get clear enough to meet Vaeka at the door, fully expecting that if Johnny has cleared it off he'll be ready and waiting with her.

Syrlya watches Gray get dragged into the gravity well, which means he has those precious few seconds to act.

Leaving Gray to flounder where she is, he pushes on by straight to the cell so that he can yank it open.]

[wolof]

Ah, quite the question!

[ Her tone says: it's complicated. ]

Total victory for Good or Evil would mean the Last Dawn, as then the game itself would be over.

[ The Last Dawn... she says. It's a phrase that's comfortable, but even though it's not...recognizeable, it's easy to figure out what it means. The Last Dawn sounded rather...final, after all. ]

So, while yes, I would like them to succeed, there is a balance to be found.

If the Regent were to succeed, I suspect there would be an end to balance. The entirety of reality would cease existing, and... I do not doubt it would be remade according to the one in charge.

sorry for out of order, decided Childe will exit here.

[vapour]

(ooc: Crim offered a roll for the outcome of whether Childe could successfully stop Emet-Selch or not on the torture, but I decided that it was better to go with the flow of the narrative without it. Thanks for having me!! <3 )

Childe catches Vaeka's retort, glancing back before giving an airy laugh and slight shrug. "Oh, whoops, did I say that?"

Now that she insists on it, Childe does think he recalls hearing in passing the Regent's presence being at the very beginning. Of course, that doesn't mean it's true. Without knowing for sure himself, it's best to just leave it at that. Might as well let her think he knows something she doesn't in case she survives. It's always worth knowing how to get people's attention and keep it.

Childe doesn't even flinch at Vaeka's pain or her venomous shouts (towards Emet, towards them both? Whatever.) His ears pick up clear sound of her spitting, but even then he just keeps letting things tumble over in his mind. Thin ropes of liquid start to spiral about his wrist idly as his other hand reaches to pull down his mask once again with a light sigh. Without another word to either of them, Childe begins walking with intention to leave.

Another day, another fruitless end to better understanding the situation as it truly is in Horos. Laughable. Pitiful.

But, maybe not so entirely. this all points to that the rest of Horos is truly weak, especially if their attempts so far on recurring Vaeka are all the alliance can muster and spare on one of their own. The alliance is nothing but a nuisance without its aions. The Regent without their aions, however... Once again, why does the Regent even need any of them, anyway?

He contemplates these thoughts, letting them ebb and flow as he forgets the fading altercation behind him. At some point he hopes that he'll no longer be compelled to find the answer to this one question, although he imagines that'll only be if the Regent can commandeer his full loyalty.

The Regent knows how to do so, Childe is certain, but chooses not to. To the Harbinger, this is a sign to do as he likes to find his answers while he's allowed. So long as he follows the will of the Kenoma, the Regent should have very little to argue with him concerning results, right?

The question is what will he have to go through to get "results"? Emet-Selch isn't getting anywhere with Vaeka, and Childe imagines even if both operations in Venera and Godsblood succeed, they won't truly be results in the Regent's eyes. Besides, for those types of things, there are other Kenoma that outclass him in willingness to obey unconditionally, to do everything without question. Until the Regent and the Tsaritsa become interchangeable... there's no point.

Therefore, it'll have to be something along the lines of dealing with an unexpected variable, like the Innocence entity. Childe lost his chances on that, and even if he could still get in on it now, he wouldn't unless directly ordered or there was no one else. That glory is for those Kenoma already dealing with it and he refuses to ride anyone's coattails.

He'll find his own.

[wolof]

I don't know if there's a way of divining intent, but...

[ She considered, tapping the side of her face. ]

That's not without merit. Those that I've spoken to so far have been... rather driven toward the cause. We may have to invest time into them, to befriend and cajole.

[ It had taken Catherine years of putting up with Akua's own deceptions, to lead her to the correct path. ]

I'm sure, for many, there is a reason they look to this cause, don't you think?

[dragonmount]

[ and rand follows after, intent on keeping himself between gray, and syrlya and vaeka. whatever else gray is, right now she's one of the regent's people trying to have an innocent woman killed. they can't fail right now.

and whatever else gray is, she's a girl with an enormous scythe. rand moves to dodge when she strikes, but not fast enough —

he shouts as the blade bites into his leg, going down. a small mercy of being flooded with the Power is that he doesn't feel the pain as much as he will later; and what matters is now. a wall of fire springs up between gray and the rest of them — or at least, that's what he tries to channel. even if she's able to deflect or move around it, his hope is to keep her busy that much longer as syrlya gets vaeka out. ]

[lifespanned]

Kind, peaceful. And just.

[ She answers simply— the edges of her words hard. Yes, a world that has only kind people in it, that sees that justice is always served... that's the world Kira would want. Only since coming to Horos has Misa begun to think about wanting that world as more than just a follower of Kira— about wanting it for herself. ]

I want evil to be punished. It'd be even better if there was no evil at all... don't you think?

[ Though even Light had explained to her that it was impossible to keep people from doing bad things - they couldn't control everybody. It'd be nice to dream about, though, and if such a world was impossible, then if there is a way to structure the world so that the evil are always made to pay— that's the ideal world Misa would choose to live in. ]

[vapour]

[ Oh. Well, what a surprise.

Childe smiles at her warning. He remembers her briefly from Venera in that shop and their brief search for clues. He hadn't been sure she was a Pleroma then like he is now but it's just as well. That means she at least won't be lost in the waves of faceless civilians throughout Horos since he found her at the very least an interesting individual to conversate with. She has a logic and an old world air about her that reminds him of Zhongli— and he hopes he won't be disappointed on making such a grandiose comparison at least on some level.

Despite his initial advantage, Childe has no intent to withhold what he is from her now that he sees it's someone he met before. Even if she doesn't remember him, it's enough to prompt him to not want to be accused of being unfair by giving no warning. Childe is the type to only stab from the front. It has to be a cold day in hell for him to do it from behind... or he has no other choice in disposing of that person. ]

Heh! I really am just out for a stroll, but I'm also pretty sure I'm one of the reasons the locals are all in. No need to worry about me.

—But I remember you: from Venera.

Now, are you the type of Pleroma that attacks Kenoma on sight? I have been given the impression you're smarter than that, but I might as well be sure of it, right? I'm off duty now, but if you start it I'm obligated to finish it via the Regent's orders.

[recursive]

( unperceived in her non-manifested state, rika lurks in the room with the cell.

the cursed spirit, once given shape by yuuta's cursed technique and life by orimoto rika's soul, is now little more than an automaton animated by a fragment of left-behind will. like a body missing a phantom limb, it can remember impressions of the emotions that once filled it. at its core is one thing: love — both fervently protective and destructively possessive. the current "rika" does not want to be here. she wants to be by yuuta's side, protecting him. even now, she can sense that he's fighting someone else, but he's also continuously feeding her the same commands he'd given outside this building.

as a factor within those calculations, rika is aware that any action she makes could have a negative impact on yuuta. in order to manifest, she must use his energy; in order to absorb damage, she must use his energy. if he runs out, he will be defenseless — she won't even exist to save him.

on certain levels the mechanics of this fight are beyond her. she doesn't have the ability to comprehend the rules and limitations of johnny's or ciel's abilities, not without yuuta there to feed her that information. but she does become aware of johnny bursting through the lock on the cell door across the room; she reorients near him, attention fixated on his blue-haired attacker. they are both injured. there is nothing she can do about that. she sees more of the woman's weapons appear in her hand, watches them wind up and then fly at johnny's prone form.

there is somethings he can do about this. )

RrrrRRAAAAH!

( the furious voice, a young girl's screech beneath multiple layers of heavy distortion, is an echo of orimoto rika's, desperate and furious in the coils of her curse. between ciel and johnny, a dark tear opens up in the air, and a hand nearly huge enough to wrap around a small person's torso reaches through. heedless of the damage, it intercepts the Keys simply by taking them to an open palm and closing around them, and it's obvious enough that the manifestation is physical enough to take damage; the pale skin rends like torn paper, and the wounds seethe with a sort of spiritual miasma. taking this hit isn't without consequence; elsewhere in the jail, yuuta will sense the drain from his cursed energy, and rika can only take so much damage before she dissipates entirely for a few days.

the spirit's hand disappears as suddenly as it had appeared in the first place, and it leaves behind it the sense of disturbed water; that whatever it had come from was still lingering in the room, ready to strike. )

[inutilis]

[ Abel's tapping his chin in innocent contemplation to Childe's proposition before offering a casual shrug of his shoulders. ]

What? No, no, of course not! This is merely a friendly meeting among like minds, of course. I mean, I don't suppose this is the perfect spot for tea or anything or--

[ oh. Himeka is already brandishing her weapon, posture settling into one clearly readied for combat; Zenos appears to be all too ready as well, something in his tone, in his eyes, that speaks to a hungry fervor.

...

Abel trails off before leaning over a bit where Childe is now seated beside him. ]

W-wait. Are they really going to... fight fight? Now?

[lifespanned]

[ Her brows knit, folding her hands against her chest. Not out of nervousness— it's really more her trying to get her arms in front of her body in a way that looks natural. In the case he reacts negatively to what she's about to say. At the very least, when she speaks, it's genuinely— she doesn't hold back out of fear of being judged by him, even if she remains cautious about how to get away if an altercation breaks out. ]

Why not? Less people will make themselves into targets this way... if everything goes through.

[ If Vaeka is killed, if the people in Venera are punished, Misa is sure that the people in Horos will take that as a big don't step out of line sign. It'll make the Regent target them less. The most efficient way to turn the tide and to keep the path clear of obstacles is to make those that don't support you keep their heads down in fear— it's not the prettiest way to go about things, but it is the way that she's tried before.

Is it really so unbelievable that some of the Kenoma would come to that conclusion? Vaeka was a member of the resistance. The Pleroma are their enemies. Ditzy and fun as she likes to act, she always keeps that fact at the forefront of her mind. ]

I don't think it's that strange that some of us think it's a useful strategy. Since it's about more than Godsblood.... it's about all of Horos.

[inutilis]

[ once he's gotten Rand seated, Abel looks at least mildly placated, but... the concern isn't going anywhere where it sits heavy and oppressive in his eyes, drowning out just about anything else. ]

...Rand. When I made it to the street, you were already-- Amos had knocked you out, but...

[ that gathering of storm clouds; the scent of ozone in the air. the pooling of blood welling between cobblestone in the street. ]

What happened...?

[inutilis]

It wouldn't be terribly surprising... though, I certainly hope that they return to Achamoth with their objective foiled. Some of them seemed to be seriously wounded, and I'd imagine that caring for their own would take precedence over all else...

[ he'd seen many of them act in protection of each other over the course of the past week or so. ]

Just like we must do the same. I hope you'll take this time to rest up and get back on your feet properly, mm?

[lifespanned]

[ Even with her vision unclear as it is— she can see that Ciel's leg has some terrible injury, with the way she's kneeling close to her. In the face of it, she still feels the light soothe of Ciel's magic easing the smaller cuts made by glass shards, the bruises made from when she'd fallen from the fire escape in attempt to get away for her assailant's range. She makes the realization rather quickly— Ciel doesn't intend to chase after them at all.

And yet, she can't help but wonder, is it her fault, that Ciel is stopping...? Ciel already knows about her conviction, her willingness to spend her life for the sake of the Kenoma. So why? Her face twists, the line of her mouth tightening into a thin line, trying to hold back tears. When her hand tries to reach out to her— to hold on, to seek comfort— it's marred, defiled and sticky with so much spilt blood. Underneath her clothes, even her shard is drenched with it, having been held in her hand for so long. Misa does what she can to avoid clutching at her companion anywhere that will hurt, trying to curl her fingers around fabric rather than flesh. She can't raise her arm at all, anyhow, so she settles for whatever contact she can make. With labored breaths: ]

I'm sorry.... I couldn't stop them...

[ She's just no good, is she? No matter how hard she tries, she's always coming up short, a pattern that she's inherited from her time on Earth. What else can she sacrifice, to be of use to their cause? That's what first comes to her mind, if she thinks of the heavy, cumbersome failure in their laps. Before she can stop them, tears well up and spill over her grimy cheeks, her already unsteady breathing growing that much more troubled.

The frustration is almost overwhelming, but there's little more she can do than continue to try to cling to consciousness, closing her eyes merely to give herself a rest from the near constant disorienting tipping of her vision from the bloodloss. The pain from the embedded bullets in her body is immense— immobilizing, even. But perhaps worse than that is the fear that she's been a burden, to someone enduring so much more than her. ]

[dragonmount]

[ his gaze flicks downwards. abel's open concern can be hard for him to take even under better circumstances, and these are

not that.

what happened? it's less that he's reminded of that night than that he's drawn back into the memory. the kenoma hadn't let him forget; that what they'd done with him had simply been what he gets for his choices that night. he doesn't even fully disagree. ]

I ran into someone. That guard, the Achamite. [ he speaks slowly and without looking up, hands wringing in his lap. ] We fought.

[ i don't know how it happened goes unsaid. it was an accident. instead, carefully, deliberately, he says the thing he'd been told (reminded) over and over. ]

I killed him.

[ heavy, like stones dropping in a lake. ]

I didn't see Amos coming. [ there has to be some stupidity to him hesitating now. as if channeling is a worse admission. but back home, it would be. ] I...drew down lightning. But that didn't stop him. [ ... ] I think you must've gotten there after that.

[wolof]

[ It clicks, then. She doesn't know how so many of them are able to identify others, while she cannot. Akua should be able to find a way to do so, but she hasn't quite nailed down how, or what it would require to be able to tell. Her fingers rise to her stone, kept covered from the world by her dress, on instinct, but she smiled, in response. ]

Oh no, not unless you give me reason.

[ She had, after all, learned from the school of Catherine Foundling, who had begged a crusade against her, to not fight, and been forced to. No, Akua wasn't about to fight them, unless necessary. Even then, she knew it wasn't personal. She didn't even know if there were those here who could make it personal. ]

I disagree with the Regent, but... I do understand what leads a person to their...conclusion. [ Not, however, with their decision to cull the city of Venera, or their decision to capture Vaeka. That was just how one had to operate, if one was to hold a certain class of Villainy. It wasn't even all that...Bad. ]

Besides, I didn't even know you were with them, until this moment.

[aquaveiled]

[ She sees that shift in expression, recognizes it for what it is--because she would feel the same thing were their positions reversed. The mission is Vaeka, that's what they all signed up for. So why "waste resources" on something other than that, right?

Himeka cocks her head to the side as she examines him. Then, unprompted-- ]

We don't leave our friends behind.

[ She'll leave it at that if he prefers, not wanting to put him on the spot or anything. But Rand is part of the team, just like Vaeka is. They wouldn't want to lose him to the Kenoma anymore than they want to lose her.

She keeps working quietly but as soon as Rand mentions Moiraine, her head snaps back up. ]

Moiraine?

[ Surely...can it be the same? ]

...There was a woman here named Moiraine a little while ago.

[inutilis]

[ ...it wasn't so much the explanation he had been looking for as much as Rand's expression as he gave it. how the Achamite lost his life was one thing, but... how Rand felt on the matter was something entirely different.

Abel sinks to sit beside his company, settling his hands loosely in his lap for the moment - and that is where his gaze ends up drifting, too. ]

Did you mean to take his life...?

[ had it been intentional? an act in the heat of the moment? had Rand lost control over himself?

...the admission he had utilized magic - the kind Abel has seen him use before after the Regent's address - is shelved for now. they have a good bit to talk about that takes precedence, after all, but... suppose Abel isn't going forget this bit, either. ]

[dragonmount]

[ it does feel like a waste, even though he'd never dream of saying that about doing the same for someone else. it wouldn't cross his mind, for someone else. but he hadn't even let himself imagine that help was coming for him. ]

I know. [ he says, maybe a little quickly, and then looks back up at her and nods. ] I know.

[ he squeezes his hands reflexively, which means that the unfortunate muffin in his hands starts to become a little squashed. he stops as soon as he realizes that but tries not to...otherwise...draw attention to that.

especially when the name catches himeka's attention. ]

Yes. [ he'd mentioned her name with some faint expectation of recognition; there are plenty of people, he's figured, who'd known of her with their shared arrival into this world whether or not they knew her. ] I knew her, before Horos. We were...

[ how do you sum up their relationship, actually. ]

...she was looking out for us. My friends and I. She brought me back to Godsblood when I woke here, too.

[dragonmount]

Does it matter?

[ comes quickly, with an eyebrow raise, but without hostility. he's had somewhere under two days to dwell on the point, and he's not sure he can find a difference. remorse doesn't make the man any less dead. intent didn't stay his hand. nothing that happened, happened any less for what he meant to do.

he shrugs, but it's still hard to meet abel's eyes.

what was it that misa had said? i'm doing what i believe is right for the world. what you did was for the same reason, wasn't it? he hadn't fully denied it, even then. maybe he would feel sorrier about it if the guard hadn't been an enemy. hard to say if sorry is the word, exactly, even now; a few hours' sleep hasn't made the past few days feel any less like an awful fever dream. some part of him still feels like he's waiting to wake up. ]

[chronosynthesis]

I'm not so badly off. [Just ignore that twitch as he leans forward to unwrap the soup.] I'll be mobile shortly. I want to keep an eye on the entrance to the tunnels, and the portal... without knowing how Vaeka was caught, and as long as there are so many of the Regent's forces in Godsblood, I want to be sure they can't catch a whiff of what we're hiding.

[vapour]

Ah ha! Is that what you convinced yourself this was? [ Childe glances slightly to the side Abel's leaning towards in asking his awkwardly proposed question. What, seriously? Didn't Himeka tell him what this was going to entail. ]

Really? They sure are gonna fight now. Zenos has been going stir crazy with the guard duty regimen over that resistance prisoner. [ Childe makes a slight face at referencing Vaeka. Apparently he doesn't have a great opinjkn regarding her despite him seemingly fine with many of the Pleroma if right now is an indication. ]

Fighting is just how Zenos expresses himself. You can't expect anything else. [ wow he seems to talk pretty confidently about how Zenos ticks, doesn't he? Couldn't be just talking about himself, instead, or anything nope! ] They'll have their conversation by combat— it's a lot less of a murky communication that way.

You might as well get comfortable. I doubt this will be that quick. [ Shifting his weight to better reach, Childe unhooks a satchel bag he was carrying and pulls it out to start rummaging through it. He undoes a few strings that ultimately allows the bag to flop open in front of them almost like a presented picnic blanket.

There's some food, particularly some sweet snacks and whole fruit as well as dried meat (jerky) and nuts. There's some water, too, in a small canteen and another canteen that actually has black tea in it, which is just a bad habit he's continued from being around Zhongli back home so much. He himself doesn't really drink tea... Without Zhongli, anyway.

Is Childe always this prepared to settle down to just watch a fight? Absolutely not, but he figured if nothing was going to happen here, them he was shit out of luck for anything fun happening and might as well pack snacks to take back to Acamoth that are more easily obtained around here.

Ultimately, though, Childe is in a decent mood and rather chipper. ]

Weew... Not as fun as eating at the fire while camping or being at a cafe, but it's pretty okay. Anyway, want some?

[inutilis]

It doesn't lessen the weight of what you did, but... yes.

[ blue eyes finally shift from his lap to the man beside him, and the look Abel fixes his young friend is one of patience - but something firm behind it, something probing as well. it's clear this isn't just lip service to him. ]

A life taken in anger, in intent, is different than one taken in fear. It will not bring him back, cannot absolve you of that sin, but-- it is important, Rand.

[inutilis]

Mm, increasing security both in and out of the portals... it might be a good idea for now.

[ it is sincerely troubling, hints that there might be leaks in their midst - that others could be compromised... maybe even the entirety of Greentruth itself. ]

But don't be in a rush and push yourself, alright? You'll be no good to any of us if you overdo it and I have to chase you down to chivvy you off for proper healing, got that?

[chronosynthesis]

[He's just not going to comment on overdoing it or not.

They could be lucky, and it's something more innocuous like a suspicious and hateful family member... but until they have a better idea, it's best of they look over their shoulder twice.]

At least, I am losing suspicion she was outed by another one of ours. [He touches the sides of the bowl with his fingers, checking the temperature.] The Regent surely expected we would aim to free Vaeka, and if they had more intel than just her identity... it would have been more strategic to use her as a feint. But they didn't.

[No, this execution deal seems to have been... pretty straight forward. Given the rush to kneecap any growing dissatisfaction in Venera, it would have been careless not to try and divide the resistance via Godsblood.]