aionlogs | EVENT #5: SOVEREIGN CITIZENS (VENERA)

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EVENT #5: SOVEREIGN CITIZENS (VENERA)

Sovereign Citizens

VENERA

In contrast the Aion's last visit, they now arrive in Venera on a completely average day... or so it seems. Unlike Godsblood, Venera has been given no warning as to what's about to befall it; the Kenoma are simply authorized to arrive and begin their bloody work without fanfare. Even their entourage of Achamite soldier don't stick out that much; in the time since the plague left, the city has refilled with occupying forces. Notably, the Hylician ones seem to be keeping out of the way, almost as if they've heard some things and would rather not be involved too closely in what's to come.

As opposed to the ghost town it was during the plague, Venera is now reasonably active, with most attending to their usual business. Shops are open, and its people are withdrawn but superficially friendly when meeting strangers. Initially, the targets of the Kenoma hit list will have no way of knowing what's coming for them, but after the first couple attacks word will begin to spread. Those that have recently been engaging in seditious behavior will become harder to find, leaving their usual homes and workplaces to stay elsewhere, and making other attempts to escape the Regent's attention.

Once those alerts have been raised, the Kenoma will have to engage in more detective work to find their targets, questioning other Venerans and seeking out fugitives in the homes of their family and friends. In the meantime, some of those who believe they are in danger may become desperately enough to seek out the Pleroma directly, imploring them for aid. Unfortunately, seeking out one sect may just as easily draw the attention of the other. Most uninvolved Venerans will be too terrified to intervene one way or another, reluctant to aid in the persecution of their neighbors but fearful of consequences. If your Aion travels openly, it will take some effort to pin them down long enough to hold a conversation.

SEEDS OF DESPAIR

Several days into the culling of Venera, the Aions will have witnessed the city gradually withdraw into itself. The streets become vacant as more and more people decide it isn't worth the risk to be seen outside, abandoning work and play alike to hide out in their homes, refusing to answer their doors to all except the most desperate pleading. Those that can't avoid their daily obligations are quiet and morose, trying their best to remain unseen and unremarked upon.

If your character has been observed as a Kenoma, either now or in their previous visits to the city, the citizens will look upon them as if they are the messengers of death. If you are seen as a Pleroma, they will resist your gaze, as if fearing your presence alone might leave them marked. In rarer cases, you will see those with stronger spirits, with glares of hatred or determination. They are powerless now, but seeds have been sewn, and whether they are the seeds of despair or of action are yet unclear.

By the time the Kenoma's hit list has been fully addressed, several have been killed and several more have been rushed from their homes to flee the city entirely. There have been holes left in the tapestry of the community they were once part of. One way or another, their absence will be felt keenly by those they left behind.

QUESTIONS

What is the best way for Aions to travel to Venera?
Estinien has plans to get an early start for the Pleroma by teleporting to the Lover's shrine and flying somewhere closer to set up a portal from the ocean caves near the Godsblood Lodestone to a spot of farmland closer to Venera. Paul will be setting up a portal directly from Achamoth to one of the Achamite outposts in Venera.

How much force can the Kenoma use while interrogating Venerans?
While they are generally not permitted to kill Venerans who haven't tried to physically fight them, they will be permitted to apply both physical and mental pressure upon those that refuse to provide them with information regarding the whereabouts of their targets. This duress should be proportional to the resistance the Veneran is offering. The Regent is not inviting them to terrorize Venera on a level to a level they cannot reasonably blaim themselves for.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I'd prefer that as well, of course.

[He's made his stance on that pretty clear in the past as well; he's generally a noncombatant, and what he has attempted he kind of universally sucked at. So if it comes to a fight...well, he'd really like it to not come down to a fight.]

I carry blades with me, but I get that there are some circumstances where that might not be enough. I'd prefer to not engage at all, but I don't know how forgiving they're going to be.

["Forgiving" isn't the word he wants, but it suits the purpose well enough; he's sure the Pleroma see it as some sort of transgression, anyway.]

Hmm.

[Liem wonders what kind of circumstances Paul is envisioning where a blade wouldn't get the job done, and what exactly he's expecting Liem to contribute in that situation. He still feels off-balance thanks to the loss of his connection with his patron, and his resulting inability to access most of the magic he'd previously wielded. If they run into a hostile aion who ends up being too feisty to be overpowered by mundane means, they might face some real trouble.

Though that would be just fine by his reckoning.]

At least the cover of night will be to our advantage.

[Although they haven't discussed the topic, the ease with which Paul seems to navigate the dark has made an impression on Liem. It doesn't necessarily mean he isn't human, but at the very least it implies a certain familiarity with dark streets that not everyone possesses.]

Since many of the aions brought here do seem to be human.

[Magic, primarily, is the concern; ranged weaponry is a suitable response to that. That's really as simple as it is to him, rather than any attempt to throw Liem under any oncoming bus; as it stands, hopefully no one will be too hostile, and if we can't have that then hopefully they can be overpowered by mundane means.

The comment regarding the humanity of the other Aions is interesting; if there's an implication there for him to be ruffled at, he doesn't seem to mind it.]

They do. Unfortunately, several of them have obtained gifts of some sort since their arrival, though I doubt many have thought to give themselves an advantage like that.

I will say that becoming more closely attuned to the Kenoma has changed my vision; apparently that happens. I don't know if the Pleroma does similar things.

Is that so?

[Liem gives Paul a sharp glance, interest pricking at his thoughts. He knew already that aions could develop new abilities over the months spent in this world, but this is his first time hearing about increased attunement to the Kenoma affecting a person's perceptions.

What other changes might that slide toward the Kenoma come with? And for that matter, what changes might result from attunement to the Pleroma?]

I didn't know attunement could alter the senses. Changed it in what way?

I can see other Aions, without their shards exposed. How much their affinity for either the Kenoma or the Pleroma is affecting them. I can also detect their Legacy, if I try. I don't know how to describe how that works, outside of people's auras just look a certain way to me.

The other thing is...amplifying something I could do already, honestly, but even so it resonates in a different way now - the stars are absolutely stunning.

[That latter part seems to please him, for some reason.]

Do you remember seeing a vision when you first arrived? Of all the stars and the worlds and the galaxies the universe has to offer, swirling up above you in a way that made you aware of just how vast everything is, and how connected despite that vastness? You can see it, as you become closer to the Kenoma. All of it.

[Liem remains thoughtfully silent as Paul describes the changes that his new attunement to the Kenoma has had on his vision. The first thing that he mentions sounds very much like the ability Liem uses to detect for certain alignments, although in this circumstance the ability to see someone's sect seems much more relevant than seeing their predisposition towards good, evil, law, or chaos. Even discerning someone's legacy might be important, in certain scenarios.

But it's the second thing he mentions that really captures Liem's interest.]

You can visit that place?

[His eyes widen and his brows knit into a frown as he stares at Paul.]

You can see the road, and its destinations?

Not the road itself, but everything around it. The vastness of it. Like some sort of tapestry.

[It's difficult to describe without seeing it for yourself, but damn if it isn't beautiful.]

It feels spiritual, in a way. Healing. It's faith-restoring, being aware of something like that again.

[Liem's curiosity deflates just a little when Paul answers his question. The place from his dream left a significant impact on him, and the chance to see even just the stars and worlds and universes again is intriguing. But the road has always featured at the centre of his thoughts whenever he's imagined going back there.

If the experience was meant to be a spiritual one, in Liem's mind, the road cutting through the vastness of everything was vitally important. Almost no other symbol could hold as much significance for him.]

That does sound meaningful.

[He looks back out over the city street they're currently traversing, taking in the faint glimmer of stars above and the cobbles below. It's a poor imitation. He wonders if this disappointment in the mundane is what made it so rare for Abadar to allow morals a glimpse of the perfection in his vault, before that too was wiped away.]

I wonder if those of the Pleroma see it too, or if they see something different.

I wonder about that as well.

[Perhaps it would make sense to; Paul isn't as familiar with the Pleroma, just as a concept. They don't feel as capable, to him, of being completely attuned to their sect, if only because they hadn't accepted the essence of it in the same incredibly literal way that the Kenoma did. Perhaps it was more of a spiritual thing for them as well; he can't really say.]

Was it important to you? The vision, the roads.

I would like to see it again.

[It’s a true answer, if not exactly what Paul had asked for. Liem isn’t sure exactly how to verbalize what meaning he associated with that liminal space, which he’d only seen during those timeless moments between his old life and this new one. At the time the experience had felt very close to revelatory, but the culmination of it had been snatched from him at the very last second. How does one assign importance to something like that?]

I remember feeling like I had waited a very long time to be there. As you say, the vastness of it made an impact on me, but the oneness did as well. It was very much like what I imagined aspects of Utopia to be like, from scripture back home.

Understandable, then.

[He's quiet for a moment, then. Not sure if he should go ahead with what comes to mind; eventually deciding that it doesn't matter. The Regent should know by now where his loyalties lie; he has little doubt that they can see it in him.]

...You realize that I don't hold your questioning against you, right? All of that before. It's not like I'm going to say anything about it to anyone, and I don't really blame you for having done it.

[Liem glances back at Paul, vaguely inquisitive, when he hazards his next question. He doesn’t dislike Paul, and it would be disingenuous to pretend that he isn’t desperate on some level for the opportunity to connect with him further after their first conversation. He doubts most of the Kenoma’s other aions would understand the specific kind of loss he’s been grappling with since his arrival.

But he also very much doesn’t trust the wholeheartedness with which he’s aligned himself with the Regent. It makes his reassurance difficult to take at face value.]

Oh— [He frowns apologetically.] It certainly wasn’t my intention to make you feel interrogated. I hope that isn’t the impression I imparted.

[Granted, there's also the argument that if he were that wholeheartedly dedicated, he would have mentioned any awkward misgivings he may have had to the Regent already. Either way, he hasn't; he does like Liem well enough, honestly, though it's fairly hard to get him to dislike people as a whole.]

No, no, it didn't - don't worry about that. It just seemed like something you were really invested in. Again, not that I blame you - I'm invested in a lot of things around here that a lot of people wouldn't be. It happens; our circumstances aren't like a lot of people's around here.

[This is a strange conversation for Liem to be having with Paul when he’s already committed to quietly sabotaging their sect’s efforts in this city. If he continues what he’s doing, he’ll certainly end up either dragged back to the Citadel’s dungeons or leaving the Kenoma for good. There isn’t really any scenario where he ends this month on good terms with anyone else of his sect, save for those who share his incompatibility with the Regent’s methods—and he’s already seen that Paul doesn’t fall into that category.]

Getting used to my place here has been challenging, [he admits.] Nothing I learned in my old home prepared me for anything like it. Which I suppose is true of everyone, but… maybe not in the same way.

Maybe not.

[Weird, maybe, but it's not like Paul knows that. He has his suspicions, but even so this is less like he imagines Liem is going to do anything particularly off-putting now and more that he suspects that Liem has his reservations but surely those reservations can still be worked through.

...Honestly, even if Liem does end up in the Citadel's dungeons, it takes a lot for Paul to want to simply dispose of people.]

If you ever need to discuss anything, you know how to find me.

Oh.

[Liem is… probably not going to take him up on that. Even if he wasn’t actively betraying their sect and planning to defect for his own safety, he’d be reluctant to bother someone he knew with discussions like that regardless. But it’s still nice that Paul made the offer.]

Thank you. I appreciate that.

[His read on Paul so far is that he wouldn’t have made the offer if he didn’t genuinely mean it, so after another moment, he adds,]

I’m sure I’ll find my feet soon enough. I had a similar experience trying to fit into my church when I was still an acolyte. I just needed to find my own way.

That's how it's been working out for me, more or less.

[As confident as he sounds in the Regent and their way of doing things, he'd meant what he said when he told Liem that what he does here isn't really a reflection of his own faith. He's just better at adapting his beliefs to the Kenoma than others would think.]

I'm certain it'll work out for you, though. Whatever you end up doing.

[Now there’s a statement that’s going to age like milk. Here and now, however, Liem appreciates the sentiment, even if he has good reason to think that Paul is 100% incorrect in his assumption.

It’s a nice thought—sort of like how the nighttime Veneran streets are quite nice, calm and peaceful, swathed in a blanket of shadow and starlight. Neither reflects the strife waiting in the wings to steal over the scene like a bloody dawn, but for now, the illusion of peace is enough to afford some measure of comfort. He wonders if Paul feels the same way.]

If you don’t mind my asking—what was your home like?

[He hasn't been asked often what his home was like; he can't say that he minds the question, though his gaze darts a bit as he makes himself recall it. It isn't difficult to pull up, the images and the homes and the faces; it's a little surreal to be doing it while he's with someone else.]

For most of my life, I lived on an island. A small fishing community up north. It was cold often; times were pretty hard. The community itself was... Well, the sign said 127 people, but it hadn't been updated in a while. I'd probably say about a hundred, give or take. I knew more or less everyone personally, though not all of them were faithful.

It was peaceful. There wasn't much there - a couple of unpaved streets, a general store, and the church. But it was a community, it was home. I imagined that either the community would die or I'd die serving it, but I was all right with that notion.

[Liem is surprised by how easily he can imagine the community Paul lived in from just his brief description of it. He hasn't spent much time on the coast, and the country he hails from was warm almost year round, but he's visited enough tiny, backwater villages in his travels to know the kind of place he means. It doesn't sound entirely dissimilar from the community he'd been given charge of during the last few months of his life in Taldor.

He can’t decide if the sleepy mundanity of the described village is at odds with a mission to bring about the end times, or if it’s exactly the kind of place he would expect to play the setting for such an endeavour.]

Did you have family there?

[There's...a sizable pause, before he answers that.]

The woman I loved lived there. As did our daughter.

[And another, shorter one, briefer in duration but no less awkward.]

Priests are supposed to remain celibate, in our religion. She was married to another man besides. It shouldn't have happened; it wouldn't have lasted. It was just a set of circumstances that aligned for a short time and then never again.

[There are multiple things about this response that Liem hadn't at all been anticipating when he asked his question, and although he initially looks sympathetic when Paul mentions his lover and daughter, the expression quickly freezes onto his face as the priest follows up with the rest of his admission.]

Oh…

[He's not judging, exactly; he's sure Paul has judged himself enough for it already. But he hadn't been expecting such a personal admission to follow on the heels of that initial bit of information.]

I'm sorry for your loss. Of your community, and of them as well.

[He shrugs a bit, though he has the basic goddamn decency to keep his gaze low.]

It's...not fine, the loss, but it's one I've lived with in a few ways.

Of course.

[He wonders what kind of state Paul left his home in when he was taken from it. Were that village and its hundred-odd inhabitants still there at the end, or was the destruction of his world only another, more final note to culminate some other end? But perhaps now isn’t the time to ask such questions.]

I still think about my home often, but there was no one there whom I could call family.

[Don't ask questions you aren't prepared to receive the answer to, let's put it that way. Because if nothing else, Paul will answer, and he tends to answer completely; there's something in the way he responds to things that tends to be walking a very fine line between straightforward and resolute, and perhaps alarmingly unaffected by most things.]

Even so, I'm sure there's something about the place that kept you grounded. That were the reason you considered it home to begin with. Or am I wrong?

EVENT #5: SOVEREIGN CITIZENS (VENERA)

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