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

Majorita

[bythelight]

The battlefield is chaos, and worse still -- Anduin has no clear indication of who is enemy and who is ally.

There are no uniforms, no colours of war, and he doesn't yet know all of the people on his side. The Pleroma, as they call them.

Light, how do any of the rest of them know?

Something slams into his shield and he startles, looking around again to see what it was. The shouts and screams of battle almost drown out everything else, but motion captures his attention and he spots --

A gnome? A girl? Her hair is a vivid colour, and he almost thinks she's drawing her attention. Is she? He doesn't recognise her, and re-casts his shield warily. It isn't good to be too trusting, but equally Anduin is never someone to refuse a person who wants help -- no matter who they are.

"Are you hurt?" he prompts, because perhaps that is it? Perhaps she needs help?

[killandrecycle]

Hours before the battle had begun, this girl had been in Achamoth's citadel, and she'd given a rather abnormal command to her personal servant. She had told the woman "make me as cute as you possibly can." That is why the figure that Anduin lays eyes on is dressed in a fashion that seems impractical for combat at all. Her trademark skull hair ornaments had been replaced by frilly black ribbons, and wore an equally frilly black dress with flaring sleeves in place of the much more comfortable outfit she normally favored. The finishing touch came from hiding a small dagger strapped to one of her wrists inside of one of those

With the sounds of combat and suffering surrounding the area, there had been little challenge in launching what she thought had been a perfect sneak attack. A tiny orb of energy, barely bigger then the tip of her one her fingers, had been sent towards what she assumed was a defenseless target. She hadn't counted on the shield getting in the way, however. Thankfully, it seemed the source of the attack hadn't been noticed, so wiping the look of annoyance from her face, she moved on to plan B. It was time to take advantage of her appearance.

Turning on her acting skills, she acts hesitant when addressed, but slowly begins to move towards Anduin. When she gets closer, it is obvious that she is no gnome. It is also obvious she isn't human, if one were to judge from the point of her ears. They were akin to an elves ears, but she also didn't seem to be of any sort one might find on Azeroth. There is worry in her voice when she speaks.

"Are you one of them? One of the Pleroma? Y...you're here to kill me, aren't you? I don't wanna die! Don't hurt me! Its bad enough they're trying to punish me for not wanting to fight!"

[bythelight]

She couldn't have picked a more fitting target for her act. Sympathy colours Anduin's expression instantly. Punished for not wanting to fight? Light, is that true of all of them? That they are forced into this role? That makes fighting back against them even worse, and he feels relief that he hasn't done more damage.

"No!" He assures her quickly. "No, no I'm not here to kill you -- or anybody. We're here for our friends, that's all. The Regent has them held here, and wants to hurt them. We just want to get them back safely."

So, she has nothing to worry about of course.

"Are you hurt?" he prompts, frowning at her a little more closely. She doesn't look it, at a glance, isn't holding herself awkwardly. How has she managed to get this far avoiding it, if she's been ordered to fight? Perhaps she's new to the Regent's forces, and nobody else has wanted to hurt her either?

[killandrecycle]

A look of relief comes to the young girl's face. The reason for it is likely quite different from what Anduin may believe, however. The logical thing to think would be that she was relieved she wasn't going to be killed. She looked so frail and easily broken, it probably wouldn't have taken much to do.

But of course the real reason is that she seems to have succeeded in her deception. That said, she decides to pour it on thick. "Your friends? You mean the pretty lady and the big man? I...I didn't want to see what they were going to do." It was a lie, she very much had wanted to see it, but had decided her time was better spent doing exactly as she was doing. "They tell us you're all evil, and that you want to make sure the world keeps suffering. That's not true, is it? You don't seem like that type at all. I..I can trust you, right?"

She gives a nervous little bow. "I'm Jrita. I...i'm from the Shadowbough Forest. I'm sure you've never heard of it, no one here has either. I'm sure I'll never see it again....oh. B..but I'm not hurt. I'm not hurt, but I'm sure I will be if I stay here. I think...I think maybe these people are the ones that are really bad. I can barely even tap into a basic spell and they want me to fight and...and maybe even DIE! I know I don't have the right to ask an 'enemy' for this, but please help me! I don't want to be here anymore!"

The matter becomes more urgent as footsteps and the rattling of metallic equipment can be heard nearby. The sounds of battle are obviously not rare on a battlefield, but it seems these ones are dangerously close.

[bythelight]

"Jrita," he repeats. "My name is Anduin. You can come with me, please don't worry. Nobody will make you fight or allow you to be hurt, I promise."

He does, indeed, sound earnest about that much. Still, the sound of approaching soldiers is concerning. He frowns in thought, weighing it up.

"I can get you somewhere safe," he offers, "but it seems we're about to have company, so we'll have to move quickly. Unless these are friends of yours?"

They might be, after all, and Anduin doesn't want to hurt anyone he doesn't need to. He doesn't want to hurt anyone at all, if he can help it. All Anduin has ever wanted is an end to fighting, but somehow it just keeps happening. Somehow, no matter what he tries, people find a new reason to wage war. To hurt each other. Even here, Light knows how far from Azeroth, it seems there is little difference.

My apologies for slow tags, life has been draining my energy like an energy vampire recently

[killandrecycle]

The look of relief on the girl's face looks so very genuine. She was really getting into her role, it seemed. Patience had never really been one of her virtues, so it was unlikely she'd be able to keep it up for much longer before letting some of her real self slip through.

Because the girl behind the cute dress and worried looks was finding the situation entirely too hilarious. Carefully controlling her facial expression to not reveal that fact, she begins to walk closer to Anduin. Without knowing what she was thinking, it seemed like she'd just decided to put her trust into the man.

But before she could reach him, those footsteps round the corner. Several armored men , wearing helmets that obscure their faces, round the corner. Upon seeing the situation, they all immediately draw blades. They do so in an odd manner, almost as if not even sure how to hold a sword at all. But if the Kenoma were willing to send a child to fight, why would they bother training their soldiers at all? Perhaps they were former farmers or the like, people like 'Jrita' who clearly didn't want to fight.

"They are the ones I was trying to hide from! They aren't friends at all!" Faked desperation fills the girl's voice. "They won't just let us go, though..." She moves to place the man between herself and the 'pursuers'. Men who, oddly, have not uttered a single word themselves. Perhaps there was some vow of silence?

No worries!

[bythelight]

Soldiers being silent isn't, to Anduin, an immediate red flag. After all, they may just not be interested in negotiating. They may only be focused on the heat of battle, on doing their job.

"I can buy us some time," he says softly, "get ready."

There's too many of them, after all, for Anduin to fight all of them while protecting her. He reaches back a hand, gesturing for her to stay back, then lets himself pull at a thread of shadow magic. There's a moment of tension as he waits for them to be in range, then the magic pulses out -- a mental scream resounding that encourages any threats to him to flee in disorientation.

[killandrecycle]

It was all going far too perfectly. The man, the wonderfully naive man, had just given her permission to stand directly behind him. She could not ask for a better place to assault him from. While focused on the enemies he could see, he wouldn't even consider the fact that 'Jrita' was the actual threat. Why would he? She looks so remarkably harmless that no one who didn't already know her would think she was anything but someone's cute little sister.

She's already reaching for the concealed dagger when Anduin says he's going to buy some time. "Ready for what?" And then the magical pulse fills the area. The silent warriors do indeed turn and begin wandering away. However, Jrita does the same. Maybe the situation was getting too much for her? It does not take her too long to get her mind back, but by the way she does, she's put a little distance between herself and her would-be victim. She's not entirely sure what just happened. She had the perfect chance and, for some reason, had blown it! She gives a worried look at Anduin. Did he suspect her?

[bythelight]

Anduin himself is busy watching the soldiers turn and began to rapidly disperse. It will only last so long, though, so immediately he looks for 'Jrita' to encourage her to run -- but she is! She's moving, and although not quite in the direction he had expected... and, a little erratically. Did he hit her with the spell too, somehow? He begins to move, reaches out to pull her to his side with a burst of magic.

"Stay close!" he tells her, after all she'll be safer with him! He cannot have this soldiers taking her back to the Regent, making her do Light knows what. "We need to move quickly!"

They're already recovering, as it happens. Standing around talking is wasting time, they need to move!