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

[comelately]

[ who is he to tell her she's wrong? He's not here to talk philosophy - although, even according to his fuzzy moral compass, public executions fall pretty squarely in the "bad" sector. He's here -- well, by accident, but now also because he's concerned about Gray. ]

... I hope you're sure about that. This isn't something you should commit to unless you're certain. [ he sighs, resting his palms on his thighs. ] Most of the other Kenoma I've met seem "off," but your head seems like it's screwed on right... That's why I'm telling you this. Doesn't feel like I should be fighting you. Or like you should be helping execute someone.

[gravings]

[ His words aren't critical of her — maybe the opposite — but there's a very simple truth to them that she has no rebuttal to, no real excuse for. It's undeniable that her aiding this effort will put Vaeka's blood on her hands. She's been preparing herself for that burden, prioritizing the safety of her comrades above all else... but no, it doesn't feel right to her, and it won't feel right to fight Johnny either. ]

What are you suggesting I should do?

[ Now, or in the future. It should go without saying that anything he says will be incompatible with Kenoma thinking. That she would ask for his opinion at all is probably already a toe too far out of line. But she finds his straightforward personality easy to connect to, and against wisdom, she finds that she cares about what he has to say. ]

[comelately]

[ he doesn't know, either, because he's sure defecting would put an enormous target on her back; it's not like he can say "come with me" and take her out of here himself, either. Still, to kill and die for something you don't even personally believe in sounds like an absolute waste. Johnny would never do something like that - and while that could partially be attributed to a lack of empathy on his part, he thinks that Gray might be suffering from an overabundance of it. ]

... Just make sure you're doing what you want to be doing. I don't know what the "right" path is, but I know there's no second chances in life. If you screw up and do something you regret, you're gonna be stuck with it.

[ again, he doesn't feel qualified to give advice, but he supposes if he's good for anything, it's a cautionary tale of how not to live. ]

And I can tell you this... if everyone on the Kenoma feels the way you say you do, then the Kenoma are going to lose.

[gravings]

[ His advice feels fair, sensible and straightforward enough for even her to understand. The only thing is: she doesn't really care about which side wins or loses. It's probably an abnormal way of thinking, she'll readily admit, but she's never been so enamored of the future or her own ego that those things would bother her. ]

I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority.

[ The calm way she says so implies that she thinks that's okay. A good number of her Kenoma companions are completely focused on doing the Regent's bidding. She won't pretend that she finds the Regent's ideals to be anything more than a personal conviction born of a torturous existence. She thinks she understands their motivations, but she can't yet say she feels the same conviction in her own soul, the way Kenoma like Amos and Misa do. ]

Thank you for the advice. [ ... ] I still can't let you through, though.

[ He's given her something to think about for later, but in the present, she still has a job to do. ]

[comelately]

[ she doesn't have "it." The hunger - the ambition. He doesn't believe she'd be so skilled at hiding it that he wouldn't notice, so the answer is that she's just not interested. Not in her own future, anyway, and maybe not even in the Regent's. Johnny can't pretend he doesn't get it, either - not after how long he spent languishing in his own depression.

So what's she doing on the side that wants to change everything...? Maybe she really did just get swept along by whoever she met first in those caves. He's not presumptuous enough to think he can change her mind, and not nearly devoted to the Pleroma's cause enough, either. He just thinks it's sort of sad. ]

... That's fine. This was an accident. I'm not stupid enough to try taking you all on by myself, either. [ a beat. ] You gonna tell 'em you saw me?

[gravings]

[ It surprises her a little that he would assume she isn't weak; it feels like the other Aions are always evaluating her by her age and demeanor, which she will acknowledge are both on the side of diminutive. But she's grateful that he isn't underestimating her, if only because it's saving them an altercation. She considers his question for a moment before answering. ]

I don't think it would make a difference if I did.

[ Knowing that he can teleport in some way doesn't mean she knows how he does it or under what circumstances. The fact that he's appeared in this random storeroom suggests that maybe it isn't a foolproof ability either. There are Kenoma Aions posted near Vaeka at all times anyway, and they can't very well pile the rest of their Aions there too on the offchance that Johnny is able to teleport to the right place. There are only so many Kenoma around, and they have to be able to account for all of the Pleroma's abilities, not just the one.

And... though she could never say this aloud, she doesn't think it would be the worst thing in the world if someone was able to teleport in, grab Vaeka, and teleport back out without anyone the wiser. ]

... Take care, Mr. Johnny. This is too dangerous a place to be careless.

[comelately]

[ he doesn't seem so convinced. He's not even convinced she won't tell people - he can't be so naive anymore - but he'd like to believe she won't. Pressing his lips together, he shakes his head just slightly. ]

It makes a difference for me.

[ anyone knowing what he can do puts him in danger. That's the nature of being a Stand user - especially one who's otherwise powerless. Tusk is all he has to defend himself, and the more people know what he can and can't do with it, the weaker he becomes. The Kenoma aren't the first people he's known who would kill him the moment they found an opening. But the damage has been done, and there's no use in stressing about it further. Besides... if a Kenoma had to see it, he's lucky it was Gray. She's got a heart. ]

You take your own advice. [ he lifts his right hand, pointing his index and middle finger at his throat, and as he speaks, a series of stars light up along his upper arm and hands, glowing blue. ] Don't die for this stupid war.

[ and with that, he's gone. There's a loud pop and a buzzing sound, like a rotor blade spinning on metal, as Johnny's entire body gets sucked away in an instant as if he's swirling into an invisible drain, and then there's nothing - just the same little hole he apparently came in through. ]