EVENT #6: BY HEAVEN OR HELL

[aionmods]

By Heaven or Hell

THE BURNING

Achamoth, as it turns out, is no stranger to public killings... the burning of two Pleroma, however? That's special. Abel and Himeka's upcoming execution date seems to be regarded by the city's populace as something akin to a holiday, with the upper crust of the social stratum fighting for positions of prominence in the festivities, including the best possible seats. It's been decades since any Pleroma have been brought to heel in Achamoth, and it would only be prudent to place yourself at the forefront of this exciting new trend. There's a sense of pageantry to it: ritualized ceremonies, public sermons, and strange religious 'décor' are all part of the process.

The city is in the throes of these preparations when the two Pleroma captives are finally brought to a central square not far from the Citadel's front gates. Two burning pyres have been set up for them, about ten feet apart. While Abel and Himeka's bodies are chained to their stakes, their shards will be handed off to Silco, Ciel, and Makoto to be brought along separately. The set up of the execution is thus: while their bodies are ravaged by flames, their shards will be bound to an altar in advance of the pyre. Via a kind of alchemical 'fuse', the pyre being lit will trigger a reaction that will gradually result in a explosion on the altar just large enough to destroy the shard in turn. The shards will be bound in position with a series of jewelry-like metal prongs that could be pried away, but would take some time to do carefully.

As the Pleroma make it to the city, the sun will be setting on the 17th of Firaseri, with the execution about to be underway. The pyres will not yet have been lit, but are fully prepared. All Kenoma will be called upon to guard the city, with the warning that the Pleroma are mounting a raid to rescue their imprisoned comrades. For Kenoma both new and old, it's a time to test your mettle. Those that defend Achamoth valiantly can expect to be rewarded.

INNOCENCE ON FIRE

The city of Achamoth looms ahead, a seat of power in Horos in every fashion. It sprawls outwards, claiming the lands around it in a lazy confidence. The spires of the city grow up and up like a mountain, dragging the eye towards the Citadel. The walls that surround it are modest in height as if offering a challenge to any foolish enough to attempt to climb them. Who would? The Regent's eye is ever-present and the guard towers that line it like beaded pearls on a string are reminders that nothing goes in or out of the city without notice. Openings in the towers and the walls threaten the use of projectiles while dark, shimmering crystals float above with the quiet hum of protective magics. Only a fool would breach these borders.

Initially, getting into the city unmolested will be a considerable struggle for the Pleroma. It's military is robust, its fortifications solid, and even without the Kenoma's added resistance, the sheer numbers could be considered insurmountable. Stealth could get them some of the way, but its sentries are watchful, and immigration is strictly controlled. With faith alone driving the Pleroma towards their goal it's fortunate, then, that something is there to answer their call.

Estinien will feel the presence of the Innocence Entity rise up in him again, and this time it is offering him a choice. He may utilize its power to save the ones he loves, while risking both the brutality of the Regent's defenses and the threat to his own soul by channeling such power. It will stand with him against the darkness, it says, if it is truly his will. Emboldened by the power of the Firebrand and his love for his comrades, it is no surprise that he accepts.

Light will flood the sky above Achamoth, an ethereal aura combatting the encroach of the night. From a great miasma of wings and flame, a colossal dragon emerges, coiling above the city skyline. Its luminescence rains down upon the city, and all Achamites exposed to it will be enchanted into finding the idea of committing acts of violence unthinkable, at least so long as no violence is brought against them in turn. With much of Achamoth's defenses having lost the will to fight, only the Kenoma will stand in the Pleroma's way as they penetrate the city, making their way to Abel and Himeka's pyres.

As the Pleroma forge ahead, this draconic being that was once Estinien Wyrmblood will guard from the skies, drawing the attention of the Kenoma towards it and it threatens to bear its might against the Citadel itself. Fortunately for the Kenoma guarding the city, they will know that the Regent has a plan. All they must do is hold off the beast long enough for the Regent to wield their own strength in turn. The battle against this creature will take place here, with combat rules being explain in this OOC post.

As the power of the Innocent washes over Achamoth, those of its Legacy, or those marked by its Promise or Touch, will hear it speak on the winds in a chorus of voices:

Aions of this new dawn... I have honored your choice... fight... if you will... and I will follow...

FIREBRAND RISING

Beneath the moon of Firaseri, however, the Innocent isn't the only force at play. Firebrands of both sects will find themselves spurred on by a rush of Legacy-based power, as if inspired by the tumultuous environment of an anti-authoritarian raid. How precisely this manifests will depend on which side they are fighting for.

❖ PLEROMA
The Firebrands among the Pleroma raiders will feel a sense of vindication and rightness come over them, set as they are to challenge the Regent's rule. Their powers will be amplified during the battle, and those that witness them and are inspired may find their performance boosted. The nature of these enhancements is fairly flexible. For the Firebrands, the use of their regular skills and abilities may be amplified beyond normal boundaries, whereas those following in their wake may find themselves with usual endurance that allows them to push their their usual limits.

❖ KENOMA
The Firebrands of the Kenoma's inspiration is more complicated in nature, given their roll in defending Achamoth's status quo. However, they will find themselves bolstered while facing the pacifying might of the Innocence Entity. Firebrands will experience a natural resistance against any Innocence based attacks that would stop them from fighting, and will be able to use this blessing to rally NPCs that would otherwise be rendered useless to their cause, in defiance of the entity's command for peace. In general, they will see a boost in strength while fighting the raid boss in particular, unable to be deterred from their goals.

In general, all Firebrands will feel untethered by their regular inhibitions, fighting for their desires at all costs. Abilities intended to bind them or control their will, will be largely ineffective, and they will find shields both physical and magical particularly easy to break through.

QUESTIONS

Q: What is the best way for Pleroma to travel to Achamoth?
A: Akua and Estinien are both setting up portals from Godsblood to the outskirts of Achamoth from which to begin mounting the assault. Caitlyn will be providing a back-up in the case either of those portals go down.

Q: Can my character make use of the chaos and try to raid the Citadel?
A: They can try but there will be mod rolls involved for any attempts. NPCs inside the Citadel will not be affected the same way the NPCs outside in main area will be. We do not want it to seem like the Citadel is defenseless otherwise.

Q: If Kenoma cause damage to the city during the raid, how will the Regent feel? Will there be consequences?
A: It should try to be avoided, but the Regent will understand if there is collateral damage in battle as long as they aren't being careless about it.

Q: Is the "no-combat aura" completely incapacitating NPCs?
A: No, it is only stopping them from aggressing the Pleroma. If they or their property are attacked they will defend themselves, and are otherwise operating with a normal level of cognizance. Kenoma Aions can order them out of the area to avoid being hurt if necessary.

BOSS BATTLE:
Q: I would like my character to take part in the battle but want to limit the outcomes in a way that isn't too devastating. Is that possible?
A: We think in that case we would basically only be acknowledging the possibilities between the "The attack either misses, is ineffective, or it triggers a counter attack from the boss." and "The attack hits with moderate effectiveness, as determined by the nature of their action." range. So, you can't get taken out, but you also can only deal moderate hits at best. You could still trigger a counter attack from the boss, but the damage taken from that is more flexible and free form than the 1-5% zone. If you make an attack with this restriction just add a little OOC note to your initial attack tag.

Q: How can a support character engage in the combat?
A: If your character is providing support, you may team up with an attacker to submit a "group attack". This means that your character is putting their effort towards supporting that attacker character that round, and will not be able to submit their own separate action. In exchange, that attack will receive two mod rolls instead of one, and the attack itself will be based on the more favorable of the two rolls. (Sort of like rolling with an advantage in modern D&D.) We will make as many rolls as there there are character combining their effort and select the best of them.

If any character rolls in the 1-5% zone they will still be taken out, however. Click the link above for more information.

Q: Can my character take a hit for another character after a mod roll?
A: We would be willing to accept this in the case of the defender taking the hit for the attacker, which would mean that if it's a 1-5%, they would be taken out in the attacker's stead.

Comments

evacuation ii!

[gravings]

[ Even with him hooded, Gray would say Bruno has a somewhat distinctive look, or maybe a vibe; she recognizes him without too much difficulty as he stands a bit cluelessly in the middle of the street. She might have mistaken him for one of the Pleroma getting lost on the way to the execution site if she didn't know better.

She's making her way over to the dragon herself, but she has a second to stop for Bruno; she isn't the only Kenoma in town, and even she has to wonder what a difference she'll make against such a colossus. ]

Mr. Bruno... are you lost?

[ Such a silly scene is a breath of fresh air in the chaos, and she can't help smiling at him. ]

[fallingsand]

Lost? Uh, no, no, just. Just a little turned around? Uh.

[ Bruno turns towards the familiar voice and, lo and behold, it is, in fact, Gray. Out here. Out here where it's dangerous. Very dangerous. Oh boy. ]

Gray, what are you doing out here? You should... [ He waves off in the direction of the looming Citadel. ] Be somewhere safe?

[ Completely ignoring the fact that he's out here, also in possible danger. This is totally fine and not hypocritical at all. ]

[gravings]

[ Gray slowly shakes her head. ]

If there's something I can do, I would prefer to do it.

[ She could maybe try to assure him that she can fight, but maybe he wouldn't believe her anyway. ]

Can I take you somewhere more familiar?

[fallingsand]

[ He might believe her if she insisted. All of his nieces and nephews had extraordinary abilities as well, even if he would never want to imagine them having to use them to fight. But that's neither here nor there, as she doesn't say as much, and so he'll try and offer a different 'something' she could do, something safer. ]

I was trying to get back to the square. [ Probably not a good idea to go back there, considering the Pleroma are bringing the fight right to that spot. ] There's still a few more people. Uh, normal people. They can't stay there. If you want to help, why not, y'know, help me? I'm just. Just getting folks out of the way. It's all I can do, really...

[gravings]

[ That sounds productive enough, and she's a little worried about him, so she nods easily. ]

Okay. I'll take us there.

[ It's indeed a little risky going to the square, but if he was going there anyway, she'd prefer to be with him. She sets out at a brisk pace, putting her short legs to work. He said he was good at running, so she figures he'll be able to keep up. ]

Has anyone tried to fight you yet, Mr. Bruno?

[fallingsand]

[ It's true. He has no problem keeping up, matching the pace after a second or two of surprise at just how quickly she's decided to move. It makes sense, though, if he really thinks about it. There's fighting breaking out all over the city. Moving slowly would be a poor idea. ]

Me? No. No, definitely not. I haven't even run into any yet? Maybe they just haven't gotten this far into the city but... I'm also not very, y'know, scary-looking.

[ Maybe some have spotted him and simply chosen to ignore it. Who knows. ]

[gravings]

[ She would refute his self-assessment and assure him of his formidable aura if it existed. As reality goes, she can only empathize with him. ]

It's okay. I'm not very scary-looking either.

[ Maybe hard to believe... but it's true............... ]

Um, may I ask what you did in your homeworld?

[ She asks because it's hard to judge a book by its cover, and for all she knows he's some grand mage. ]

[fallingsand]

Uhhhh, you mean like. As. A job?

[ Bruno's pace slows a little, trying to wrap his head around such a question. What did he do? Back home? Sadly, he is no grand mage. Not even close. If only he were... ]

I didn't really. Do. Anything, I guess? I mean, I could tell people their futures but that wasn't like a job.

[gravings]

[ She was wondering if he was secretly a professional sprinter, perhaps, if he was good at running, but maybe that would have been too unlikely. Even more unlikely, somehow, than being clairvoyant. ]

Their futures...

[ Very intriguing, especially because she's met someone else who could see into the future. It didn't save that person from being murdered, though. ]

Can you see our future in this battle?

[fallingsand]

This battle? Uh, no, not unless. Not unless I get a random vision. Getting specific tends to, um. It takes some work.

[ He has to go through a Whole Thing to pick and choose what he sees. He isn't planning on stopping to try that right now. However, he can throw an uncertain look in the direction of the massive dragon and where most of the fighting is going on. Buildings block their view right now but it's not hard to tell where that is. They're not quiet, after all. ]

But if you want a common sense prediction? This isn't going to end well for that thing. It's. It's way too big a target.

[gravings]

[ She joins him in looking up at the dragon, which draws obliquely near as they make their way to the execution square. ]

I don't think it expected to come away scot-free. It's probably meant to be a distraction.

[ Since the Pleroma are allegedly here to rescue their friends above all. Though she's sure the dragon would consider razing some buildings and Kenoma and killing the Regent some nice bonuses. Anyway. ]

It's probably for the best that you can't see into the future too easily. Those things seem... burdensome.

[fallingsand]

Just like. Like how the execution was meant as a trap?

[ Kind of. Bruno gets the distinct feeling they would have gone all the way through with it even if the Pleroma hadn't arrived and that feeling is not a good one, no matter how much he tries to convince himself that they're supposed to be, what? The enemy? ]

But yeah. The future shouldn't be so easy to, uh. To get your hands on. Or something wise like that, I guess.

[gravings]

[ Bruno certainly isn't like any clairvoyant Gray has met, though she's admittedly only met a few. Those people seemed determined to arm themselves with their knowledge and act as agents for a favorable result. Bruno, on the other hand, seems more... hapless? ]

Have you looked into the future here for other things?

[fallingsand]

[ Hapless is a good word for Bruno. While he has weighed the tide of fate at least once before, it hadn't really mattered in the end, now had it? Not that he regretted it, but... ]

I. Um. [ The answer comes out in halted words that can't really be confused for it being due to them running along as they are. ] Just. I tried to find any kind of future for my home.