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

[goldendeceiver]

[ This is the kind of thing that Ernesto excels in, all the prep work and planning that goes into making a big plan come together, but he's never learned to enjoy the tension that builds as he starts to slot things into place. Some people thrive under this kind of pressure, but while Ernesto has never wilted under it, the anticipation has never been his favorite.

Especially because he also seems to have a knack for only getting involved in plans that have a high risk of death or serious injury.

He glances out of the corner of his eye at her, humming thoughtfully, before turning his head fully to look at the small sliver of the prison that he can see. ]

I can't say for sure how many, but I can at least tell you a little bit about the ones who decided subtlety wasn't for them.

[ He turns his head back to facing in front of him staring at the air as he considers. ]

You've seen the bird man flying around overhead before, right? Besides him there's a big bruiser named Amos, and a couple of small girls that probably won't be too much of a risk to you at this range. You're better off bailing if they spot you and start coming towards you though.

[superbshot]

[Her eyes flick up to his, thoughtful. This is valuable information. She's seen Howl, of course, and she's spotted Ciel and a few women she didn't know moving through the town, but the only one she's any experience with is the one. They'd talked some, they'd fought some, but there was no doubt that Caitlyn would be at at disadvantage in melee range with her at the moment.]

Tell me about the girls. Ciel I've seen in town, but I'm unfamiliar with the others.

[If he's bringing that up, then he's clearly got some information that could prove invaluable.]

[goldendeceiver]

[ Ernesto closes his eyes as he thinks about the two he knows. ]

I'm not that familiar with the one. She's got gray hair and kind of a mousey look to her. I've never seen her fight, but she seems pretty confident that she can hold her own in one.

[ And he doesn't have reason to doubt her, even if her young age would make him feel pretty bad about actually going toe to toe with her. ]

The other one is Misa. The small blonde.

[ He opens his eyes now, frowning. ]

She's got some kind of vision based power that'll start to freeze you up pretty quickly if she gets a look at you.

[ He hesitates, his heart sinking and his ears pinning back as he considers his next words. None of this feels good to have to do, but the Pleroma didn't chase after the Kenoma with the intention of doing them harm, it was very much the other way around. ]

I hate to say it, but it might not be a bad idea to take her out before she manages to spot you. I'm not sure what distance her power works from, but I do know that she managed to spot me from a pretty good ways away. She even made a point of describing me to make sure I understood just what clarity she saw me with. For a ranged fighter like you, Miss Caitlyn? You're better off getting her quickly before she gets you.

[superbshot]

Ciel's the one with blue hair, she's a martial artist and she's...fond of knives.

[That's what she'd gathered from their conflict in the cave, and from their other interactions.

Her attention zeroes in on Ernesto and she lowers the rifle as he starts talking about Misa. There was some body language shift in her friend there that told her Misa was someone that he wouldn't necessarily like to see get hurt. Frowning a little, she sits up and slides over to lean against a chimney.]

You're friends with her?

[Freezing powers based on sight is something she definitely is glad to be aware of, but the idea of just shooting some random woman dead in her tracks doesn't sit quite right with Caitlyn.]

[goldendeceiver]

[ The laugh he gives at that knife comment is sharp, and honestly completely devoid of humor. The way she said that makes it sound like he's better off not knowing just what ways Miss Ciel happens to be fond of knives. His one interaction with her hadn't been so bad...

But the way she had decided to treat Rand left a pretty sour taste in his mouth about her.

Then Caitlyn gets to the question about Misa, and Ernesto hesitates for a moment. Misa had made that claim when she'd seen him in Venera, and even after he attempts to stop him from taking Rand it wasn't that he hated her either. Her ready acceptance of the Kenoma doctrine did unnerve him though.

She didn't seem like an actively awful person though, and Ernesto realizes it probably makes him a bad one to suggest this to Caitlyn. ]

Not really. I don't dislike her, but she's a pretty strong backer of the Regent. I don't think she'd hesitate to do what she felt she had to.

[superbshot]

[Caitlyn can feel the almost palpable hesitation in Ernesto. She can understand some of the hesitation, but she's observant enough to pick up on the notion that this isn't an easy thing to answer.]

Then we'll have to deal with her, like it or not. I'd...rather not have to hurt anyone, obviously, but if she's dangerous and a true believer, then...

[Caitlyn trails off, looking down at her hands.]

...If she's involved, I'll do what I can to make sure she's kept busy.

[Without killing her, if she can avoid it.]

[goldendeceiver]

[ Kept busy... The tension that Ernesto was carrying in his shoulders drops some, a visible sag as he relaxes at the promise. He doesn't really want to see Misa killed, even if he was the one suggesting that Caitlyn target her. He knows she's a danger to a sniper given her eyes and skill set, but it's hard to completely divorce his image of her as this upbeat girl who had been pretty friendly to him in the past.

When push comes to shove he can put what he has to do in front of his own feelings, but it always makes him feel like shit to do so. Still, he manages to smile and even laugh in a way that cloaks just how uncomfortable this conversation has made him. ]

Well, here's to hoping you won't even have to, and she's clocked out when things go down.

[superbshot]

Yes. Just so.

[She's not exactly eager to shoot anyone, let alone a girl that sounds like she's really just a child caught up in all this. Rising fully, she walks over to Ernesto and claps him on the shoulder, giving it a (hopefully) reassuring squeeze.]

We'll all make it through this. Hopefully we'll even manage to win some of them over, now that the Regent's revealed his true colors.

[goldendeceiver]

[ As reassuring as anyone can be in a situation this uncertain. Ernesto appreciates the gesture and the optimism, even if he has trouble feeling much of the latter himself. ]

If they don't, at least they can't claim ignorance, right?

[ His tone is light and joking, but the smile he offers her is pained. None of the Pleroma are happy to be here in this situation, but they weren't given much choice.

Or more, they were given one of two choices, and the other option was rotten to the core. ]

[superbshot]

[Her return expression mirrors his, though it's a touch more soured. She's not as good at pretending.]

Yes. And...that is something we can use, too. Guilt is a potent weapon.

[She's in the market for winning some souls.]

Here's to hoping. And to hope.

[goldendeceiver]

[ He wonders who exactly is going to feel guilt though? His conversations with some of the Kenoma lead him to believe there isn’t a whole lot in the way of guilt behind what they’re doing.

But maybe some are better at hiding it than others.

With a soft sigh he pushes himself away from the chimney he was leaning against. ]

Here’s to hope, and in hoping we don’t get seen and blow the secrecy of this handy spot we found, let’s get moving quickly.

[superbshot]

Indeed.

[And off they go.]