EVENT #5: SOVEREIGN CITIZENS (VENERA)

[aionmods]

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 Shops are open, and its people are withdrawn but superficially friendly when meeting strangers.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.

Comments

[lockedon]

Then Ryu can talk to himself for the next ten minutes.

Which almost seems like it's going to happen, with how long Eustace takes to speak up again. It's obvious he's heard the question, a small flicker of surprise coming to light in his eyes, followed by a barely perceptible furrowing of his brows together. He's always been good at concealing his emotions, a master at the art of resting bitch face, but the past week has been tiresome in more ways than one.

Yet again, the storehouse falls prey to the same silence as before, filled with the susurrus of wind-blown fields. A minute passes, then two and then three. Eustace looks about the same, standing as he is with his gaze focused on some point beyond Ryunosuke. He looks....contemplative, and certainly not happy.

Finally he answers, tone of voice resigned and words simple.

"I've done worse before."

It's hardly an excuse and it's certainly not any sort of clarity-providing answer, but it's all he's willing to give without being probed further.

[locumstudentesquire]

It's a strange reaction, to be sure. He'd expect some kind of immediate and passionate justification, or to be dismissed with a derisive scoff. Not... Whatever this is.

Five minutes doesn't sound like a long time at all on its own, but in conversational terms it can feel like eons. Ryunosuke almost gives up and starts zoning out about semi-related things, pondering if there's a different method of questioning he can try with this guy instead, or if it's even worth trying to get any more information out of him... He doesn't expect Eustace to actually reply again.

And then it's his turn to fall silent, although not for anywhere near as long. He can only guess what this guy has gotten up to in his time before Horos, and just how much 'worse' his actions actually were. Speculating about the specifics won't do him much good.

"...So it doesn't bother you at all, then? Is that what you mean?"

He's not sure if he believes that, if that does wind up being the answer. He'd seen that flash of surprise, and he's pretty sure anyone who was completely indifferent to the harm they were causing wouldn't possibly take that long to contemplate a reply.

[lockedon]

Of course it bothers him.

But he doesn't say that, because he doesn't know this young man nearly well enough to want to reveal the innermost workings of his thought processes and heart, even if by now bits and pieces of it show. He has his reasons for doing as he does and engaging in the active suffering of others as he does, but the more the days pass the less sure of his reasons he is.

Again the seconds pass as he stares slightly to the right of Ryu, not fully meeting his gaze, though at least this time it doesn't take another five minutes for him to respond. Only one this time, progress.

"Someone would have to be blind for this not to bother them."

Said softly, more to himself than Ryu, and the words are quickly chased by a question of his own, much stronger in tone and volume.

"Why does it matter to you?"

[locumstudentesquire]

Ryunosuke jolts slightly in surprise at the sudden change in volume, then frowns back at Eustace for a moment. Whether or not he was genuinely asking and expecting a serious answer... The question seems to have left the Pleroma oddly stumped.

"I... I don't know," he admits after a moment. "I suppose I just want to understand... Motivations. Reasoning. What kinds of people make up the Kenoma..."

Is that really so strange?

[lockedon]

The honesty is, strangely enough, appreciated. He's crossed paths with the Pleroma - his "enemies" - more often than he can count, and most of those meetings had gone in the way he'd expected: with him (and the rest of the Kenoma) being accused of being in the wrong, with fingers pointed in his direction before he's even had a chance to speak.

Even the desire to understand, to ask first instead of assuming, earns Ryunosuke a measure of—not quite respect, but a continued willingness to listen and answer.

"We're not really that different."

Well, okay, some of them are kind of really different, but fundamentally the spread isn't so wide as everyone seems to think.

"We all have our own reasons for making the choices we do."

[locumstudentesquire]

Ryunosuke falls silent for a long moment, glancing off to the side before murmuring:

"Yes... at the end of the day, we're all just people, really..."

But when he looks up at Eustace again, there's a bit of fire back in his eyes.

"So what makes it worth it, then? You know this is wrong; you're clearly disturbed by what the Kenoma are doing here. Even if you're 'used to it', why continue to help?"

[lockedon]

It's a good question, one worth asking.

If he were more scholarly, having chosen a life amongst the books rather than a life out on the battlefield, maybe he'd have something wiser to say, something deep and philosophical. But he has only ever had his gut instinct to follow, an internal sense of what he personally believes to be right and wrong.

The desire for a better world, where people won't have to suffer...it's not like that's a bad wish at its very core. But the methods used to get there.....that's the sticking point, isn't it, a roadblock on his current path that he can't quite find a way to cross and one that's evident in his thoughts and the lack of conviction in his face.

Shouldn't it be easy to turn around then and choose a different path? And yet here he stands, still sided with the Kenoma, still standing by as the people of Venera suffer. Why? Because—

"There are people I can't leave yet."

He says it suddenly, breaking a minute's worth of silence. Unlike before, he sounds certain now, unwavering in tone.

"People I promised I would protect. People who are struggling to make their own choice. I won't leave them until then."

Maybe it's a poor reason in the eyes of others but it's the only reason that matters to him, at least right now.

[locumstudentesquire]

...It's certainly not a poor reason to Ryunosuke. On the contrary: he looks far more understanding of Eustace now than he has at any other point in this conversation.

"...I see."

It's easy to cast judgement from an outside perspective... To loudly insist that there's nothing that could possibly excuse condemning those innocent people. Speaking broadly, he still feels that there's very little that can justify going along with such a despicable act. But this man's reasons for it are far more grounded, far more understandable to Ryunosuke, than the Kenoma method of excusing the harm caused in this world by promising that the next will be better.

"In that case, I... I hope that you're able to guide them onto the right path, eventually."

Dammit. He can't possibly try to heckle this guy into setting him free after hearing that! He doubts he'd make any headway, even if he tried... If he's protecting someone, he's not likely to risk his position within the Kenoma by helping out some Pleroma fool he barely knows, now is he...?

[lockedon]

One day, Ryu will get his chance to leave a deep shounen-speech impression on a morally conflicted Kenoma but it appears today is not that day. Though he does (continue to) leave the impression of being one of the more reasonable Aions on Team Pleroma thus far, once again not leaping to conclusions and judging him for his own personal choices. It's enough to bump him fairly high up on Eustace's personal Pleroma tier list.

....Though apparently it's not enough to earn him a continued conversation, Eustace acknowledging the words with the briefest of noncommittal noises before turning back away. Truthfully he's not sure if he's even qualified to guide anyone anywhere, onto a 'right' road or otherwise, but if he can at least keep them safe while they make their own choices he'll consider it enough of a personal victory.

For now, he settles back into his role of dutiful Kenoma guarding an imprisoned Pleroma, and also his role of overly reticent watchdog who barely says more than two words every hour.

(Maybe one day they can meet and talk under better circumstances....)