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]

[ 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]

[ 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]

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]

[ 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]

[ 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 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.

[lifespanned]

Oh, but it wasn't scary at all!

[ The hesitation she can feel from Himeka's side be damned, she actually seems enthusiastic about this part. Perhaps because she feels a bit of passion to speak highly of the world she came from, to keep it from being scrutinized. ]

The only people who needed to feel afraid were the ones who wanted to do evil... people with kind hearts didn't have anything to worry about. I never felt scared of them.

[ And she really believes that - that everyone would feel the same way. People who were kind would go on living as usual, and living under an all powerful judge, jury, and executioner wouldn't be so frightening at all. ]

All that is probably why I'm not so scared of the Regent, either...?

[aquaveiled]

[ She truly believes in this--some omniscient benevolence. Someone who would be able to earnestly and honestly judge the goodness of people. It's a lovely though, Himeka thinks, and a large part of her doesn't want to remove that hope and enthusiasm that Misa has for it. Hope is what they're supposed to be instilling in others, isn't it? Hope that this world can be saved.

No...the Regent, promising a better world, fits right into this. Gods, Misa doesn't deserve this. ]

Do you think that people can change, Misa?

[lifespanned]

Maybe, I guess?

[ What a careless, irresponsible way to answer - with all the tidings that make it clear that she does not think about this that deeply, or hasn't in some time. The impression is that she certainly thinks it's possible, but she just doesn't care if they can or cannot. People do change, in their day to day lives and over the course of their years, that much is obvious. But within the context of what they're talking about... ]

But I also believe there are things a person can do that shouldn't go unpunished.

[aquaveiled]

[ It is a little surprising, to be sure, given her strong feelings on the matter overall. She's had no small amount of conviction behind her words and placed a considerable amount of faith and trust behind not one but two nebulous (to Himeka, at least) figures. ]

There are definitely things that seem unforgivable. But I have worked with people who I once called my enemies for the greater good. It's understandable that it's questionable at best...