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

[lifespanned]

Oh, yeah?

[ "The only things that matter to him?" Things (or people) from his home planet, she must assume, though as their last conversation in Venera had touched upon, it's very unclear whether or not everything is still there, and Misa's higher attunement with the Kenoma leads her to believe it isn't. At the Regent's address, they'd also only tried to hammer home that they destroyed everything that had been there before. ]

The only thing that mattered to me was someone from my Earth. If you win, then I feel like I'm losing him. I believe this is my only way to get him back. If that's the kind of thing you're fighting for, trying to save someone or something from your world... I don't know if the Pleroma is the way to get it.

[ And that's her honest opinion, an opinion which she has shared with multiple Pleroma at this point. She really only says it on whim based on his lack of an indication that he's close with the Pleroma— maybe that's because he doesn't agree so much with their ideals, or isn't "alike" to them? Maybe they're similar somehow, and for a brief moment, they can understand each other. She doesn't know. But she does know she can't best him in a fight (probably?), since he believes that's the only option - so her only option is to say what has caused a reaction in that side in the past. ]

[comelately]

[ Johnny had a feeling this type of reply was incoming, and he has nothing to counter it with - not facts, and not his own beliefs, either. ]

... I don't know, either, Misa.

[ he shakes his head, somber. ]

We want the same thing, but neither side can give us a straight answer on how to get it. Maybe we're all just getting played for fools.

[ it feels that way to him, most days; the Pleroma, at least, don't have an obvious figure benefiting from his subservience, nor obvious victims of their ambitions, and that's why he stays. On the other hand, the Pleroma doesn't seem to have any way to change things, either. If they succeed, kill the Regent, whatever, then what's actually going to happen? What will change for them? There's nobody from this world he's met other than the Regent who has the power to shape their lives. ]

[lifespanned]

[ At that, she shrugs. ]

I guess? But I feel like if we're not, then I'd rather be on this side in the end... since I have no clue what the Pleroma can even do to change things.

[ Because if they aren't being played for fools, then the world really is gone, and the only way to restore even some parts of it would be to be with the Kenoma. Still, she does acknowledge that they only have the Regent's word. Frankly, she doesn't see a need to question them, or perhaps, allowing herself to question them too much would be too dangerous of a road to start down on. ]

Anyways, you're really here to get Vaeka out, aren't you? I'm not that stupid, dummy. [ There's no way he isn't... she'd have to be a fool to think otherwise. ] I'll give you a hint and tell you it'd be really dumb to linger around here for much longer.

[ As for the reason why, she leaves that vague - though her tone seems more grave than she typically allows. It's mostly her trying to be serious in telling him the level of danger out here, out of, you know, not wanting to see him mauled to death by the powerful Howl, at least not until he actually causes a problem for them all. The other small part is... something of a threat, a subtle way to communicate to the other side that there really are some formidable people in the prison. She doesn't doubt the Pleroma have their own trump cards, but she's sure intel on who is inside the prison is rather scarce for their side, so it's in her favor to speak of her allies with confidence.

Sure, they're supposed to be capturing as many of the Pleroma as they can, but it'd be plain stupid to start an altercation with Johnny here on the outskirts of the building while she's alone, so she might as well try to scare him off. ]

[comelately]

[ he certainly looks troubled at her words, which is a likely indication that she's hit the mark. His thoughts are much the same as hers - the only difference is that he doesn't trust the Regent, and meeting them only worsened his opinion. Still, she's right. Johnny knows what he's fighting against, but what he's actually fighting for remains frustratingly vague.

For the first time in a while, the question of whether or not he made the right decision floats in his mind. But it's too late to start doubting himself, isn't it? ]

... I know you're not. You can't think that I'm stupid enough to try anything by myself. I wasn't gonna stick around.

[ he kind of wants to talk to her more - this isn't satisfying, this not knowing, and the two of them have enough in common that it feels like they should be able to reach some kind of understanding, especially since their goals are, apparently, similar. Once again, this stupid alien war is just getting in the way. That said, he doesn't need Misa to tell him that hanging around outside a key enemy outpost is dangerous. With a sigh, he sits his hands on the outer rims of his chair's wheels, rolling back a little. ]

You be careful. [ a beat. ] ... If I find out anything useful about this mess we're in, I'll tell you.

[ even if they're on opposite sides - he doesn't care that much. They both just have people they want to save, right? That's what matters. ]