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

[lachtara]

[ The look he gives Ciel upon her interference is poisonous. It may read as contempt on the surface level, but it does not express the layers of reasons why: Himeka claimed to defeat him at some foregone time. She claims to be the reason all his efforts were for nothing. To take everyone from him.

He tightens the grip on his staff. Through the stifling emotions, he is still able to think through the situation in its nuance. They wanted hostages and faces make more compelling bait than jewels. What's more, they needed no more fighting among themselves. Venera has seen to enough of that for his liking.

After a few short moments, he huffs out a breath and lets his staff fall to his side. The electricity in the air cuts out leaving a worrying absence of sound.

No sooner than he resigns do both adversaries emerge soaked in diluted blood. Emet-Selch's gaze shifts to them in preparation for what else they could have on offer. Instead, they begin to writhe. His adversaries twist in pain from some unforeseen force. It coaxes unspoke screams and a strange (distantly familiar) light.

And then, they collapse. Leaving the two Kenoma left standing on the crumbling docks. There is a pause as he takes in the sight of what just happened. What that light implies. Though he was not there in person to witness the summoning of Innocence, he has sorted through the memories of his allies. ]

It seems our work has been finished on our behalf. How lucky. [ His Mage's staff is dismissed with a simple gesture of the hand. He rounds Ciel and goes to observe the two of them up close in order to ensure that they are, indeed, unconscious as they seem.

Emet-Selch checks Abel first with a firm nudge with his foot. Once, twice, just to make sure. ]

[expiera]

[Emet-Selch is truly... furious. Since their initial arrival to Achamoth, Ciel has witnessed countless shades of tired and exasperate cross the Ascian's expression, but not once had she seen such baleful scorn. It instantly confirms something: this is personal for him. Something had changed recently, and she doubts a bumbling fool like Abel was capable of driving her Kenoma companion to such a point. Which leaves only one possibility, but those are thoughts for another time. Right now, she only focuses on standing in Emet-Selch's way unflinchingly without the slightest intention of backing away. They've already overpowered their opponents, dissipation is NOT needed.

Finally, he gives, and only then does Ciel allow herself to look back towards the ocean. Drowning may not kill them, but what Emet-Selch was winding up surely would have. She barely has the time to locate their fallen foes in the water before a unpleasantly bright light swallows them both, it then ebbs away with the water to spit out a once monstrous but now human (and tattered) body ashore. Himeka's efforts have seen her companion to safety, but she's lagging behind herself. Ciel is not taking any chances: leaving Emet-Selch to prod and step on Abel as he pleases, she enters the waters to pull Himeka out before the waves get a chance to swallow her back in. Her horns and tail are noticeably brighter than when they last met a brief few weeks back, and while she is very much bloody, unconscious, and badly injured, she is alive nevertheless. Ciel lays her down on her side next to Abel, her tail making it... unwieldy to position her stomach up. Should she minister a bit of healing, to stabilize her vitals just in case...? The thought lingers at the back of her mind as she scans the Pleroma Aion's still-glowing body from head to toe, turning her arm and hand over in her examination before noticing the sigil of the Innocent marked in her palm.

Turning away from Himeka, Ciel leans over and lifts Abel's arm to check for the inside of his palm as well, in full view of Emet-Selch so that the other man doesn't need to lean down or get his hands wet. Her fellow Martyr bears the same mark, but it somehow grew and has snaked its way up his arm. ...Hm.]

We should head back to Achamoth.

[These physical irregularities obviously caused by the Innocence are a footnote. They've accomplished their objective, and after losing both Rand and Vaeka, there's no more taking chances.]

[lachtara]

[ It seems they are unconscious as one could hope for.

He spares a look in Himeka's direction as Ciel retrieves her. It's obvious the wound made by their onslaught needs tending given its severity. Emet-Selch's face turns dips to wistfulness and he simply looks away in silent refusal to do it himself.

Instead, he looks up toward the faint lights of town in the distance. It would benefit them to leave as soon as they could. They had done a thorough sweep of the city but there is no telling if there are other Problems waiting for them. ]

Indeed. Let us -

[ He reaches down and begrudgingly grabs Abel by the scruff of his collar. He begins to drag him in the direction they need to go for a quick escape - The portal was this way, wasn't it? It's obvious he struggles to pull such a weight given his staggering steps but he manages in his own way. For the moment. ]

- make for Achamoth. I'm sure these captives will be sooo much less bothersome than the others we've dealt with as of late.

[ At least the return of sarcasm in all its glory means he is no less himself. Obvious in his frustrations, but still willing to put them aside to complete the job he needs to do. ]

[expiera]

[As expected, something happened between Emet-Selch and Himeka.

It is not her business, it has high odds of relating to something that happened in their home worlds, this is also a terrible time, so Ciel doesn't ask. Rerouting her attention to the woman with striking reptilian features, she begins amassing mana again. Just... a bit, to ensure Himeka survives their return to Achamoth. They are not getting dissipated, stopping Emet-Selch's earlier spell would be pointless if she lets one of them die now. Thus she proceeds to expend some of her own magical energies to heal and revitalize the selfsame sorceress she skewered through the torso just a while earlier, and once she's made sure the other woman's breathing is stable, readies herself to get back to her feet with Himeka in her arms.

Until Emet-Selch's action has her stop and stare, at least. Ah, he's...

...

(The collar......)]

Yes.

[Professional as it may be, he still doesn't look like he's having an easy time...]

I can carry them both, if you'd like. I'll manage.

[It will be... unwieldy, but possible. This is also a completely serious offer, now that they've bested their opponents and have no reason to remain in Godsblood any longer.]

[lachtara]

[ He pauses for a moment while he looks out on the decks at large. They still flicker with embers here and there as residual splash damage from his spell. Emet-Selch rolls his hand through the air and brings forth a rush of wind that will snuff out the rest of the fire. That should be suitable enough.

So he continues onward.

As soon as he steps off the docks and into the surrounding sand it makes his steps difficult. His feet sink and it takes more effort to move on while someone behind. He sighs and his posture sinks like his feet in the sand. ]

I am not attached to the concept of carrying dead weight all the way to Achamoth. [ He looks back to Ciel. ] If you think it manageable to carry both, by all means.

[ He's not going to say 'yes', but he certainly won't refuse. ]

[expiera]

[Ah, of course. Emet-Selch's usual way of sidestepping and form of concession or what could possibly pass off as accepting assistance from someone else. His emotional allergies, that's how Ciel chose to view it since their talk about team morale.]

Please let me try.

[And if the Ascian would be so kind as to drop the unconscious idiotic pacifist on the sand, Ciel will come over and try to make this work. If Abel is laying flat on his back, and Himeka is deposited on her side atop him... As long as they can fit each other well enough, she should be able to carry them both like this. They wouldn't mind it, probably; he was already supporting her, throughout the entirety of their altercation.

Scooping one arm beneath the lanky man's knees and the other behind his shoulder blades, she tilts both bodies inward towards herself before carefully lifting them both up. Ciel gives her cargo an experimental nudge; they hold, Himeka's tail is left to sweep unimpeded too.]

This should do. Let's go.

[Don't mind how she's awkwardly managed to stacked two bodies in her arms. This should hold, until they return to Achamoth.]