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Aion Mods ([personal profile] aionmods) wrote in [community profile] aionlogs2022-07-16 03:16 pm

EVENT #5: SOVEREIGN CITIZENS (GODSBLOOD)

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.

aquaveiled: (himeka-499)

[personal profile] aquaveiled 2022-07-17 05:59 am (UTC)(link)
[ Trick?

Oh--yes, that is basically asking her opponent to out their position, isn't it? That does put the fact she rather readily answered a call from the Kenoma into perspective, but isn't the first time, really. And it won't be the last. She does want to keep open communication if possible and, well...

To be honest she's really shocked that Misa, a friendly and fighty young woman as she had been even in adversity, had somehow ended up on the other side of the fence.

So she smiles lightly and wraps her hands more wholly around her shard. ]


I do. I remember you telling me how you were telling those soldiers that captured you where to shove it. I'd thought it was pretty brave of you.
lifespanned: (pic#11709533)

[personal profile] lifespanned 2022-07-17 11:49 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, yeah! I remember, too. Now everybody knows better than to mess with Misa.

[ Seems like she doesn't have any lingering hang-ups about the guards, if the breezy way she responds is anything go by.

Everything that happened back then just seems so long ago. Misa hardly thinks about it anymore, because there's no real reason to; their kidnappings from the shrine and their ultimate imprisonment at the cavern had seemed like a stepping stone to get to Achamoth, in the end. Something she'd simply endured in order to be able to find the Regent - though she's aware that not all Aions are so dismissive of the entire experience. ]


I'm sad I never got to pay you back for that ration, you know. Don't think I forgot.
aquaveiled: (himeka-595)

[personal profile] aquaveiled 2022-07-18 05:07 am (UTC)(link)
[ In more ways that one, isn't it? ]

You've been making yourself comfortable, then?

[ It seems fair enough to ask. Zenos has been less than impressed with the accommodations he was provided with but that is hardly surprising--he grew up in opulence and his focus is, erm, elsewhere most of the time. But Misa strikes her as the sort of person who would think it's pretty amazing to go from a dank cave to large fancy rooms, silk sheets, and the like.

Granted Himeka will take her old hammock in the forest over Achamoth any day... ]


Were our circumstances different, I'd say we should meet for lunch.
lifespanned: (pic#11712461)

[personal profile] lifespanned 2022-07-19 06:29 am (UTC)(link)
[ She hums a soft agreement to her suggestion, though says nothing more. It would be nice, yes, if they hadn't found themselves on opposite sides of a war. She has her own approach to dealing with the Pleroma - a more friendly approach than most of her kin. But now of all times, she fears employing such a soft hand to the other side would only be met with reprimand from up top.]

Yeah, I have. Achamoth is fun to live in. [ If she can't invite her out or go shopping with her like she normally would be, then it's fine to just talk like this, at least for a little while. ] The clothes there are just my style. And I'm a city girl, so I fit right in there.

[ There's a degree of comfort and ease to her words— as though she really has zero complaints about the city she's ended up in, the side she's ended up on. ]

Godsblood, though.... not so much. Maybe it's more your scene.
aquaveiled: (himeka-522)

[personal profile] aquaveiled 2022-07-20 05:46 am (UTC)(link)
[ Himeka is, admittedly, very curious as to what Achamoth is really like. She wouldn't risk asking Zenos for more details, not wanting to invite further conversation with him if she can avoid it. But Misa? Misa seems like the sort that would offer her unbiased opinion, right? Just to the point. ]

What is it like? Achamoth, I mean. I'm not sure I really got a good impression of "your style" when we had nothing but rags to wear.

[ She does sound happy, she doesn't she? Himeka has never been under the impression that the enemy's headquarters would be all dark and looming fortresses, but... ]

Mmm, I do like being close to the water.

[ But she doesn't mention Greentruth. There may be a sense that Himeka is holding something back on her end of the line, so she continues on Godsblood instead. ]

Definitely the best place to have seafood. I had a clam chowder just the other day that was amazing. The clams were harvested earlier that day, even!
lifespanned: (pic#15813797)

[personal profile] lifespanned 2022-07-21 12:58 am (UTC)(link)
It's very gothic. Everyone is really fashionable. When you walk down the streets, most people wear pretty masks or veils, while dressing in dark colors. Oh! And people are really nice to Aions, there.

[ Misa answers easily, honestly seeing no threat in describing the culture of Achamoth to a random Pleroma. In fact, maybe the city will sound appealing to her? She is just naïve enough to think this alone could be a selling point for the Kenoma. Most luckily, Misa doesn't question the fact that she could be holding something back, thinking it must be something related to Godsblood that Himeka doesn't want her to know. ]

Which is not like here at all! It'd be nice if I could go out and try that clam chowder, but I think I'd probably just get in trouble...

[ On account of all the icy stares she and her comrades have been getting by the locals. ]
aquaveiled: (himeka-590)

[personal profile] aquaveiled 2022-07-21 07:25 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Himeka's imagination is indeed running wild with that. She is an inherently curious person and seeing every corner of Horos, no matter how dangerous, would be very nice, wouldn't it? To see all those masks and veils in person... ]

It sounds like they're treating you well, then. That is good!

[ Though she has to wonder if it's by design. Is everyone in Achamoth a true believer in the Regent's cause? ]

Mmm...yes, the people here prefer their freedom over subjugation. I get the impression there hasn't been an Aion presence here in a long time.

[ Misa is certainly a friendly sort, but what she represents despite her amicable personality...that must be hard for her. ]

Does it bother you at all? The way people see you here.
lifespanned: (pic#14152167)

[personal profile] lifespanned 2022-07-23 12:43 am (UTC)(link)
[ What Himeka says about the public of Godsblood is probably true... though she finds it doesn't bother her much. Yes, enforcing the Regent's order is subjugation. But it's certainly safer in her mind for others to submit rather than swim against the powerful current of their rule. As a result, she simply lets the comment slide off of her like water off a duck's back. ]

I guess it does bother me a little... but I have a feeling they'll stop if everything the Regent predicted comes true.

[ If Vaeka is executed, if the rebels in Venera are wiped out, it will seriously dampen people's wills to stand up against the Kenoma - that would be the ideal outcome of this entire affair. She manages to sound hopeful of everything predicted in their address coming to fruition, as if looking forward to the days where the citizens of Godsblood at least don't shoot her an icy glare with their chins up. ]
aquaveiled: (himeka-490)

[personal profile] aquaveiled 2022-07-24 05:27 am (UTC)(link)
[ If everything the Regent predicted comes true. Is it really a prediction...or a hope that it all goes to plan? They certainly make the play of being all-powerful and Himeka realizes there's a basis to it, but she doesn't believe it's true. If it was, would the Pleroma even exist?

She has to ask... ]


You'd rather they look at you in fear?
lifespanned: (pic#15666268)

[personal profile] lifespanned 2022-07-24 07:21 am (UTC)(link)
If it has to be something bad, I'd rather they not look at me.

[ She's not naïve enough to believe that the people of Godsblood would ever come to look up in adoration to the Kenoma Aions as the people in Achamoth do— so yes, she'd rather they keep their heads down in fear rather than look at her with that malice. The frustration and unrest in their eyes implies a willingness to try to overturn the Kenoma, and by extension, the Regent's power.

It's a dangerous thing, letting those who are vocally against you talk. She's believed that for some time, now. That's why Vaeka's execution seems to her the "kindest" solution. ]
aquaveiled: (himeka-540)

[personal profile] aquaveiled 2022-07-25 12:04 am (UTC)(link)
[ That...is truly heartbreaking to hear, especially from Misa. She may not know the other woman well, but there's a bright spirit in there. Himeka can sense it. That it should be stifled by the will of the Kenoma makes it all feel the worse.

Misa will be able to feel that concern seep unabashed through the communion. ]


It doesn't have to be that way, Misa.
lifespanned: (pic#15666248)

[personal profile] lifespanned 2022-07-25 02:32 am (UTC)(link)
Doesn't it, though? I don't mind if that's how they feel...

[ So long as it never progressed past those feelings. She feels Himeka's concern for her, accepts it even, though her reaction is one that tries to quell the other's worry for her. Trying to convey that she'd be fine, even if she was feared and hated. ]

It's not simple to change the world... I can accept that. Not everyone can, though.

[ She'd seen it in her own world— the not insignificant amount of people who recoiled at violent methods to reform the world. Perhaps that's why she feels such negative reactions from the Pleroma and Bloodites and Venerans in general are to be expected. ]
aquaveiled: (himeka-566)

[personal profile] aquaveiled 2022-07-25 03:25 am (UTC)(link)
[ She feels the attempt to assuage her concerns and, again, feels that this woman doesn't belong on the side of destruction. What could the Regent have possibly promised her to her loyalty? It boggles the mind. ]

To change the world...

[ That is also a very important way to phrase that. ]

What do you want the world to be?
lifespanned: (pic#11709506)

[personal profile] lifespanned 2022-07-25 11:21 pm (UTC)(link)
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. ]
aquaveiled: (himeka-591)

[personal profile] aquaveiled 2022-07-26 04:02 am (UTC)(link)
[ Kind, peaceful, and just all sound like the kind of world that most people would want. But that isn't the world that the Regent has created here, is it? She doesn't see how that can be reconciled with their plans of destruction, but what Misa thinks is more important. ]

It would, yes.

[ As much as Himeka doesn't believe in an absolute evil, to have a world where people don't have those sort of negative inclinations would be better. ]

And you think the Regent knows how to do this...?
lifespanned: (pic#15666258)

[personal profile] lifespanned 2022-07-27 06:30 am (UTC)(link)
I think so. They're pretty fair, all things considered.

[ At least, according to her warped perspective. It seems fair to her, their treatment towards only those who have "done wrong." Himeka's questioning of the Regent's motives and ability isn't something out of left field, either - though Misa's response is collected, simply trying to clarify the way she views their all powerful leader. ]

I don't think they're doing all this just for themself, if that's what you mean....
aquaveiled: (himeka-555)

[personal profile] aquaveiled 2022-07-29 01:08 am (UTC)(link)
[ Fair. She can't really think that, can she? This person who is running an empire that has essentially taken over the entire continent being dubbed as "fair"...

But Misa poses a question to her instead and that shakes Himeka out of it for a moment. ]


I--no...

[ No, not exactly that. ]

I've just not seen mass destruction is very good at being the road to peace. Quite the opposite, really.
lifespanned: (pic#11709505)

[personal profile] lifespanned 2022-07-30 08:20 pm (UTC)(link)
[ At that, she pauses for a thoughtful moment, truly and honestly questioning over whether or not that's true. ]

To create peace, there has to be sacrifices sometimes, right? I believe that.

[ Nice as it would be to do things in a way where no one gets hurt, everyone agrees to become kinder, and the world organically chooses to start out on a path towards betterment, things can never be so simple. At least, it doesn't seem like it can, to Misa. What Himeka says about 'mass destruction' piques her curiosity far more, besides. ]

What do you mean, "seen," anyway? You've seen a conflict like this happen before?
aquaveiled: (himeka-477)

ffxiv 6.0 spoilers

[personal profile] aquaveiled 2022-07-31 12:36 am (UTC)(link)
[ Himeka nods at that even though Misa can't see it. She does think it's important to mark the points where they have common ground. ]

There often is, yes. I just think that should be left to each person to decide. It's their sacrifice to make, isn't it?

[ As much as she would love to bring Ysayle, Haurchefant, and so many others back--their choices where their own. Their loss is tragic, but their actions speak volumes and helped create a better world through them. ]

I have.

[ Himeka exhales slowly, taking a moment. In truth she's often terrible at describing places and events, usually much too blunt and leaving out too much detail that she just rambles on. This is important so she needs to try and find the right words. ]

I've fought in several wars...found allies on either side. I've seen people rise up against the greatest of odds and plenty fall at the finish line. Not long before coming here, my star was facing it's own apocalypse, all born out of...out of fear, despair, believing that there wasn't anything in this world left. It turned people into monsters, Misa. Literal monsters that devoured their loved ones and neighbors alike.

[ She leans back against the side of the building, thinking back to those times. Not long ago, but they do seem far away now, don't they? ]

You may think that what came after all this awfulness would be better, right? But we chased down the power that set the end of days to our star and followed it to the very edges of the universe. And there...there...there were these half-words--remnants of civilizations that had sought perfection, or annihilation, or ultimate peace. They, too, wanted only the best for their worlds. And they only found their own demise in the end.
lifespanned: (pic#15725198)

[personal profile] lifespanned 2022-08-01 06:25 am (UTC)(link)
[ To her credit, she does listen with genuine interest at first. The apocalypse, wars, people turning to monsters, the edges of the universe - it's all so fantastical that it feels a mile above her head. But when she begins to think about what's beneath all of Himeka's words, the implications?

That in doing what she thinks is right, doing what Light would think is right, that she would only meet misfortune? That she was doomed to fail? There's a kneejerk pushback against that in her mind, and she tries to find every last little crack and difference between Himeka's description and the own world she came from, divorcing the two from being alike at all in her mind. She can't be wrong. Light couldn't be wrong. ]


Okay, fine, that's a nice story and all.... but I'm not the people from those worlds. And the Regent isn't either. Things don't have to be the same as they were on your... um, star. Thingy. Is it so impossible that someone else might have a better plan, to making an ideal society? I've seen someone change the world for the better without failing— I know it can happen, Himeka.

[ She huffs, rather childishly and stubbornly, though there doesn't seem to be a serious sense of malice just yet. It's more like... a refusal to accept what Himeka is saying as 100% the undeniable truth. Still, she feels she owes it to the other to defend her case, so she continues, providing the very context for her denial. ]

In my world, there were a lot of criminals and evil people who went unpunished everyday. Murderers, abusers, people who took advantage of others.... but one day, someone began punishing all those people, one by one. Passing judgment on them.

[ Misa pauses. The deep, deep sense of appreciation she has for this person is so potent, a hint of it bleeds through their connection, unbidden - if she'd been a fellow Lover, the feeling would have been overwhelming. ]

They could kill almost anyone in the world, at any time. When people realized what they were doing, crime became less common, people began being kinder to each other.... but that person was always held back by people who tried to stop them, who wanted the world to stay the same. If you ask me, the demise comes from the outside, not from in.
aquaveiled: (himeka-398)

[personal profile] aquaveiled 2022-08-02 01:22 am (UTC)(link)
[ It's Himeka's turn to listen quietly, patiently. As much as she doesn't like to hear it isn't the Regent's either, Misa deserves to say her part just as well. Her innate fear, of course, is that the words that follow will reveal just how deep she's fallen into the Regent's clutches, but...

But they they don't. Far from it--Misa has seen the lowest of her world and wanted better. Who wouldn't? There's a sense of reverence that Himeka can pick up on even if this weren't for communion, but the type of communication makes it more potent. Himeka closes her eyes as she tries to envision who could be wielding such judgment like a blade. Anyone at any time.

"That person". ]


This person sounds like they could be a god.
lifespanned: (pic#15666237)

[personal profile] lifespanned 2022-08-03 02:09 am (UTC)(link)
Doesn't it seem that way? But they weren't.

[ She answers that truthfully; it'd be easy enough to chalk up what she described as being a god of otherworldly power, but then, wouldn't it seem even more out of reach for those who weren't gods to make those changes? The further the Kenoma burrows into her soul, the more convinced she is that there's no point in holding on to all her secrets that she hid with her very life on Earth - speaking vaguely of things she would've never uttered before seems much easier, now. ]

I happened to figure out how they were doing it... they were a normal human, like me. At least from where I came from, the world was beginning to be much more peaceful thanks to their efforts. I didn't see any demise on the horizon— not the "world blowing up" kind, at least.

[ Wars were halting, people became more nervous about acting violently. At the cost of holding the whole world hostage to a silent executioner, sure, but it's clearly not a concern of hers, with how she calmly speaks of this person. ]
aquaveiled: (himeka-520)

[personal profile] aquaveiled 2022-08-04 04:51 am (UTC)(link)
[ They were a normal human...with a terrifying power.

The truth is Himeka doesn't trust anyone with that ability--not gods, not people. It's too much. But she can see how it would automatically demand respect, reverence, and strike fear into the masses. Never knowing if that a moment's notice that they could meet their end. ]


But what happens when that person is gone?

[ Who is keeping everyone in line then? ]
lifespanned: (pic#11709544)

[personal profile] lifespanned 2022-08-07 05:45 am (UTC)(link)
[ The truth of the matter... is that Misa actually never thought about things that far. What would happen when Light died? It never really mattered to her back on Earth, because she just didn't care about the world without him in it. Things are a bit different here on Horos, where she's forced to see things differently. So, she makes a thoughtful little hum, weighing in her head the pros and cons of telling Himeka anything further - before thinking, jeez, everything's really gone. There's no point. ]

They could find a successor. The power could be passed down, or so I heard.

[ There's a note of confidence behind those words despite her vagueness, and her claims to only knowing this allegedly. ]

I mean, after all, there were people like me in the world, who supported them a lot, that could help. Justice could always be served, if the power was in the right hands. Wars and crime would stop.... I can't imagine anyone becoming a monster from that.

[ audience laugh track.mp3 ]
aquaveiled: (himeka-588)

[personal profile] aquaveiled 2022-08-09 03:00 am (UTC)(link)
[ Himeka isn't exactly convinced. Open-minded as she is, Misa can probably feel a little bit of the disconnect on her side of the communion as she's doing her best to try to see things from the younger woman's side. A successor, another singular individual with this sort of power sounds just as terrifying as one.

But Misa supported them. Maybe some good did come from their hands and their actions...but how long would that last? Misa may not be able to imagine someone becoming a monster, but Himeka has seen it. More than once, both literally and figuratively once they had the power. ]


The world you're describing does sound safe. But also a little scary at the same time.

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