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

[superbshot]

[Caitlyn had been doing her level best to remain out of sight from the street, moving along the center of rooftops, but sometimes things were narrow and sometimes she had to remain stationary to sight a target. That's when she expected to be attacked, and unfortunately she was right.

Her gun's crack had already cut through the air a few times, providing cover and forcing enemy soldiers empowered by nearby Firebrands to go to ground. A role she was comfortable to play, sticking to the fringes, doing what she did best. Himeka and Abel needed to be saved, the Regent needed to be thwarted once again. These were the correct actions, the only ones she could conscience, even if it meant ruin for herself. They had to protect their own.

She figured that at some point an enemy Aion would come after her, and she wouldn't have been surprised if it was more than one, seeking revenge for Misa. Of course, a part of her wanted it to be Silco, to give her the opportunity to settle that grudge...but she doubted he'd be so directly involved.

When she hears his voice behind her, that part of her smiles. The rest of her gasps as she feels the knife strike her, the pressure of it against her back decidedly unpleasant. But it's Silco. Silco, who represents the worst of humanity to her. Silco, the man who had orchestrated so much pain and suffering among the people he claimed to want to lift up, the man who had raised the girl that may well have killed her mother, and the man who's child definitely killed any chance at peace between their two cities.

Her shield holds as firmly as her convictions, practically thrumming with power as the knife strikes her...and shatters into a dozen stinging metal shards.]

...Bloody hell. [Cait murmurs, rising to her full height and turning to face the little weasel of a man. The rifle shifts into a pistol in an eyeblink and she stares down her attacker.] Look who it is, indeed.

[zauneyete]

[ The knife shattered in his hand -- a very nice, and customized knife he'd commissioned himself, wicked and sharp -- and it had shattered beneath his fingers. He was angry, at that. His single eye narrowed, and his fingers let go of the grip, what was left of the knife thudded to the ground, useless now that she had to go and break it.

Because of course she did.

His eyes tracked from her, to the gun, his lip pulling back into a sneer. ]

Ah, of course. Your gun is multi-purpose.

[ He didn't sound afraid, but the thudding in his chest was loud enough, hard enough, that he could feel his hand quiver slightly, although he wasn't about to give her the gift of letting her know that he was afraid. He wasn't, after all. He wasn't afraid of her. He wasn't afraid of the Pleroma -- and the lot of them made him angry.

They claimed to want to save their worlds -- useless when they didn't exist -- and Silco hated any existence that was without either Zaun, or more importantly, an existence that dared to have him here, and not Jinx. A part of him, the part that had allowed the Kenoma to take root, loathed it. That it was him here, that he was the one learning to fight, and attack, and not her. It was an insult, to both himself and to her memory.

But this was not the time. Silco sneered at her, and took a single step back. ]

I'd say it's not honorable to shoot an unarmed man, but... [ But he had just tried to stab her in the back.

His hand -- the one holding the knife only moments ago dropped to his side, and a small blossom of flame grew in his fingers. The only cantrip he really knew -- but she would do well to remember that he was not defenseless. It may be more bluster than effective, but that didn't matter. ]

[superbshot]

It's more than multi-purpose.

[Caitlyn pulled back the hammer, an audible click cutting through the din of battle going on around them. Her eyes fixed on his, steel in her gaze and thunder brewing in her mind. The muzzle of the began to spark, a chittering, buzzing latticework of lightning running along the barrel. It was more than even a simple Hextech gun, now. It was real magic.

Most Kenoma she'd prefer to avoid shooting, honestly almost all of them seemed like they'd been duped in some way or another...but then there was this one. The two of them were irreconcilable, and would always be so.

She knew that she was a symbol for him and his hatred of Piltover. She couldn't blame him for that, but she could blame him for his choices. Silco could have put his clever mind and skill for organization into something good, but all he done was turn it to greedy, selfish ends...while claiming it was for some nebulous greater good. This foul little man had caused so much suffering and death, this monster that haunted the Undercity and infested it with Shimmer could have been a force for real change. He'd left Marcus's daughter an orphan, raised Jinx to be an unhinged maniac, and had tried to kill Vi. All of those were crimes she'd deemed unforgiveable, but it was the fact that he could have been more that truly made her hate him.]

You tried to stab me in the back. I'd say sorry about your knife, but you deserve that and more.

[She noted the fire, but it was hardly a distraction. Her hackles were up, and she was filled to bursting with righteous wrath.]

You won't be able to beat me, Silco. Don't waste your energy.

[zauneyete]

[ Marcus Jr was the real villain all along, we all know it. Any affect he had on her was righteous. ]

Ah, and no shooting me in the back, if I turn tail and run? Last time I heard that was...

[ His free hand moved up, and stroked his lips, thinking. ] Ah. It was when one of you gave me this -- [ Fingers pointing to his eye. Ah, well, the injury that led to it. It had been the river, and Vander's hands pushing him underwater that Actually did it, but Caitlyn didn't need to know the specifics. ]

I'm surprised you're trying to offer me an out -- oh! [ Eyes wide, his head tipped. ] I see. You don't expect me to take it, so this entirely exonerates you, if you kill me. Is that it?

[ His small fire was no fireball spell, but he still shot one at her, with no warning. ]

Please, don't insult me.

[ He did hate her. She was everything about Piltover that he hated. The self-righteousness, the way she'd never even bothered to care about Zaun... She was the flashpoint of his hate. How could she not be? Teaming up with Vi? She'd been supposed to be dead, but heaven forbid Marcus do one thing right. Now she hated him -- which, well, he knew he wasn't liked by the Pilties, but he didn't understand why -- but nor did he care. He wasn't exactly going to ask any questions. ]

[superbshot]

[She'd been hoping he would try it. This was the reason behind all of the theatrics, in the first place. She wanted him to have an opportunity to vent his frustrations and see just how little he was able to do. For Caitlyn, this was incredibly personal, and she wanted him to feel fear.

The fire lashes out at her, splatters against her skin quite squarely, and dribbles to the ground with no visible effect. Her expression is flat and unamused save for her arched eyebrow.]

Is that the best you can do?

[Shaking her head, Caitlyn lets out a sigh, her expression almost patronizing.]

I don't need exoneration for killing you, Silco. I want to insult you. I want you to feel the same way made the people you claim to be fighting for feel. Piltover wronged Zaun. Piltover wronged you personally, no doubt. I know how eager you are to hear an Enforcer admit that, so there you have it. [The lightning surrounding the muzzle of the gun flares up.] But you've done as much harm to your own people as any of my forebears ever did. You've poisoned the undercity with drugs, made addicts of your own, and killed them as well. All for personal gain. It's sad, really, that the Firelights have done more to make Zaun a reality than you.

[Caitlyn clicks her tongue, her eyes narrowing. This was honestly probably worse for Silco than actually just getting shot. She lifts her shoulders in a shrug.]

Killing you would be justice for all the people you've hurt in your lifetime. But right now I think I just want to see you fume.

[zauneyete]

[ He was furious. Silco hated her. He hated the sanctimonious, self-indulgent tone she took. Oh, she admitted Piltover wronged them, how nice. Ages. Ages. He'd grown up little more than a Sump Rat, scurrying around, and slaving away so someone like Caitlyn's family could become rich, off of their backs. His fist tightened, and his lips peeled back. He wasn't afraid of the gun, he wasn't even humiliated. The pounding in his head, the fury pulled him through. So he didn't have another weapon? Did she even know what he could do? His gloved hand twitched in its balled fist, but he didn't dare pull it off.

That was being saved. He wouldn't die here, he would rather break the bones in his body, and limp to where he would be needed but he wouldn't even give her the satisfaction of seeing more happen.

But the Enforcer already seemed to be promising him that she wouldn't kill him. Of course she would. It was a kindness wrapped in just as much pettiness as she could manage. It was insulting, and the fact that she wanted to try to rub that in, like he was the one who'd done wrong. Like his vision for Zaun was wrong? Laughable. ]

Just the expert on us, are you? [ He said, his tone sarcastic, biting. ] A nice trip, and suddenly you've got the whole thing figured out. How wonderful. Where were you, on the Day of Ash, hm? We could have used your sanctimonious little high-ideals, and maybe we could have held hands with the Enforcers, and everything would have been resolved. No suffering, either. [ A sneer. ] Please, spare me all of your ignorant little diatribe next time, hm? I'm the monster your people forced me to be.

[ He leaned forward, slightly, and his lip curled, the full sight of his scars, from the sweat and the movement. The patch of black was already showing, over his left eye, the mutated, filthy skin peeking through the veneer of makeup he put over it. ] From the air we're forced to breathe, from the water that poisons us slowly... what's one more, when it makes you afraid of us for once in your lives.

[ He leaned back then, slightly. He didn't have any other physical tricks, obviously. He'd never needed them, but there's a sickened pang -- somewhere low in his gut -- of wishing there was true backup, someone he could trust, and he hated this reality even more, every time, just a slight bit more. Every time he thought about it, this world, with Zaun gone, and --

He wanted it gone, to just scratch it into powder like ash beneath his heel. ]

Go ahead, why don't you just insult me a little more. Let's see where it goes, hm? Are you actually going to shoot me next, or are you going to wave that around?

[superbshot]

[She can tell he's getting more and more angry, and that's exactly what she'd wanted. He's mad, he's upset, and his veneer of civility is quite literally peeling off. It's almost comical. Almost. She could almost laugh, but that wasn't really her style, and she was also well and truly done with his shit. That he even continues to plague her here, after his demise, is a continuous reminder of just how terrible things were on the other side. His presence had fortified her resolve even further at the beginning, to resist the Kenoma and oppose everything it represented.

His challenge does not go unanswered. She pulls the trigger without warning, a buzzing web of electricity bursting from the pistol's barrel, a powerful taser that drops the wretched little man to the ground. Cait isn't uncivilized enough to kick him, but she sincerely thinks about it. Instead, she just levels the pistol at his stomach, considering which shot to use next.]

You want to know where I was on the Day of Ash? I was a child. You've been projecting all of your issues and hatred onto me since we arrived, but you don't know the first thing about me, Silco. I've actually tried something to help Zaun, whereas all you've done is profit by causing even more suffering and let yourself spiral into hateful radicalization.

[She leans down, eyes glittering in the dark. She's got him right where she wants him, angry and unable to get away, but the noise coming from the square with the pyres is growing louder. She has to get into position and stop fooling with him. Their feud can wait.]

I really should take you prisoner, just like your comrades did to my friends but sadly I don't really have the time to take you in. I've got more important things to deal with tonight, fortunately for you. Next time, however...I assure you that you'll be my primary target.

[Pulling back the hammer on the gun, Caitlyn inhales, a greenish swirl of wind magic beginning to form around the barrel. A blast of magic erupts from it, smashing into Silco and sending him tumbling from the roof to land somewhere else. He's not her problem, not right now.]