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Entry tags:
- !event,
- #dionys,
- #innocence,
- #xishen,
- abel nightroad: martyr,
- amos burton: lover,
- anduin wrynn: sovereign,
- barnaby brooks jr: lover,
- bruno madrigal: martyr,
- ciel: martyr,
- claude von riegan: seeker,
- dorothea arnault: celebrant,
- emet-selch: champion,
- estinien wyrmblood: firebrand,
- eustace: firebrand,
- father paul hill: martyr,
- han sooyoung: artisan,
- himeka sui: wanderer,
- howl: celebrant,
- jayce talis: visionary,
- jonathan crane: sovereign,
- kaeya alberich: lover,
- kim dokja: martyr,
- koriel xii (dextera): lover,
- kotetsu t. kaburagi: champion,
- liem talbott: champion,
- majorita: firebrand,
- makoto ("m"): firebrand,
- meteion: innocent,
- rand al'thor: martyr,
- ryunosuke naruhodo: champion,
- sebastian michaelis: celebrant,
- tartaglia (childe): firebrand,
- wrathion: seeker
EVENT #6: BY HEAVEN OR HELL
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.
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.
no subject
Respectfully, though, he carries on with the discussion, ignoring her odd movements and sounds. No need to draw attention to it, he figures, at least for now... barring the event that something concerning is happening that he doesn't understand.]
Aye... once's body grows accustomed to certain craftsmanship... mayhap that is why I have abandoned my attempts to truly replace what was lost, and seek a new way entirely. [His literal dragon scales seemed lighter and sturdier than most armour would be, anyway.] Was there a particular style to the arrows you used...?
[He asks the question, also genuinely curious, but then she laughs again. He freezes, unsure of what he's hearing. He assumed it was a sound of discomfort, but now...? Is that... laughing? Has he done something foolish?]
...If I am approaching this wrongly, you may freely correct me.
[He's so confused.]
no subject
The laughter has already escaped. She can not go back now.]
In my ignorance of this type of armor, I did not consider the fact that I might...
[Each word comes out slightly awkward, growing more so, as she pulls her hand from her mouth and crosses her arms, shifting with a flick of her tail that almost accidentally hits Estinien in the face.]
That I might be...
[She is a warrior. Surely she can force herself to admit-]
Ticklish...
[She says it as if it were... a very, very embarrassing affliction, somewhat wary of meeting his eyes directly as she forces the truth out of herself rather than let him think of something even more strange or insulting to cause her to behave in such a way in reaction to what had surely been just well-intended assistance.]
no subject
He'd been getting worried, but it's such a simple thing... granted, he can comprehend why someone like her would it humiliating. Estinien does like to tease people, but there's a line, and he's not sure she would take it as graciously as Alphinaud had.
He can't help but smile a little, though. Thankfully, she might not actually see it, given their relative positions. Even as her tail almost gets him in the face.]
Ah... I wasn't sure what I was hearing. 'Twas new to my ears.
[Is that what her laugh sounds like, then? He thinks that he'd like to hear it under more natural circumstances. He considers what to say to continue the conversation without making it awkward.
Meanwhile, feeling he has the right idea of things, he does his buckling more quickly to avoid any further unwanted spasms.]
Your arrows, then...?
[As smooth of a transition as he could dream of, really.]
no subject
She quickly turns her head back around, hopefully before he can catch her looking.]
Y- You may ignore any sound of it. I am sure it will pass.
[... It was somewhat new to her, as well. The sound of her own laughter. (When had she last heard it? When had she last let herself, even accidentally over something as treacherous as her body's betrayal?) She just... stays still as she can, her rump twitching and her voice going strange whenever she needed to muffle in order to answer a question she... realizes may be a clumsy segueway, but.
She will take it.]
... My brother. Yubari.
[She has said his name... No, she hasn't, she hasn't said his name since she had called it in Venera, to men who were not really him.]
He was a skilled archer as well, but even better at crafting. He made all my arrows. ... They were well-oiled, a good bamboo, fine sea eagle fletching...
[How she missed them. (Him.)]
no subject
His stomach clenches, because he feels his own sense of loss in turn. There is a foggy space in his memory where he knows only absence, the faces and names of the ones who had left him yet unclear. If they will ever return, he does not know.
He is unsure how to address references to her brother. He knows she does not believe in the safety of her home as confidently in others. Will discussion of him draw her into sorrow? He has seen her lingering fondness first hand.]
...
[As is often the case with Estinien when he is stuck on something, at first he says nothing. Yet, he is aware that probably isn't sufficient. And so, he tries.]
...Aye. Such things are invaluable.
no subject
And then she was here, struggling to do what she might have been encouraged to by someone kinder than her without the actual reminders... or the motivation.]
Do you...
[... Have a family? His world seemed... kinder than hers, in some ways, but just as harsh in others. Unknowingly, she echoes his consideration, will discussion of them draw him into sorrow? His answer seemed careful, perhaps she should also be-
Her tail twitches, swishing as he finishes the last of the buckles under her belly.]
... Yes.
[... They are. Invaluable. Precious. Wanted. Treasured. A hundred of other words she'd never been able to admit, even to herself, until the threat of her entire world ending. Maybe ended. And if this raid went poorly... Hayame buckles a strap around her lower chest, tightening, shifting, then loosening one notch.]
- Estinien. How do you feel?
[She means Innocence-wise, but. It feels as if she might jinx something to even say it aloud by its name.]
no subject
He wonders what she was about to ask, but doesn't prompt her to repeat herself. Maybe later they can get into these things, when they are not on the eve of an unthinkable battle. Later... a future he wishes to hold onto.
Discussion of the Innocence is just as wary, but far more necessary. He pauses for a long few moments, feeling himself out, attempting to give an earnest appraisal of himself to Hayame. He feels... normal. As normal as he can be, with the changes that have been wrought to this body and mind. If anything, he feels strangely at peace with the necessity of his task.
No matter what happens... he will fight. He will fight to save Himeka and Abel, and he will fight to return to the forest with Hayame. If there is anything this interaction has confirmed, it's that he doesn't want it to be the end.]
I feel myself. Apprehensive... but ready.
no subject
The weight of his hand leaves. Here, were there are so many other of the Pleroma who might see... She cannot bear to imagine asking him to put it back.]
I would have you swear something to me.
[She appreciates what seems to have been an honest attempt to appraise himself, but though he seems fine now... She imagines he may have felt fine before he was crystal, as well, before that fight in Godsblood, and so-]
If you begin to feel... not as yourself.
[How strange the words were to her, coming as she did from a world where all of this... all of it was so strange as to barely even be grasped by legends or fairytales. Possession, sure, by the likes of trickster foxes or curses, but such a strange, god-like entity... ?]
You will tell-
[She almost says "me". But Estinien is... She thinks of the foolish looking Naruhodo, of the healer named Himeka, the whoremonger Abel... He is better than her, at walking among others. At making allies. Perhaps it is not much to say someone is more skilled than her at such things, but it means that... There are likely others who care for him, and whether he loses him self to the Innocence. So to say that would be... presumptuous, at best.
What she ends up saying, after a pause that is too long, finally moving her head to look him in the eyes as she adjusts her quivers.]
You will not keep silent. Others will look to you, to lead this charge. They cannot have you lost.
no subject
He knows the other Pleroma have been concerned that he'll lose himself somehow, and he can't say he won't. He does know that he still has hope that the Innocence will join him however, to undo the fate it unjustly thrust upon his comrades. If it were to come upon him again, he is not sure he would refuse.
But to speak of his feelings? To let the other Pleroma know if and when there is a shift? That he will happily do. He has no desire to cause them any more pain than necessary.]
...You have my word.
[His voice is softer now, contemplating the ramifications of that promise. Again, he finds himself wanting to touch her shoulder or her back, but he can't feel right about doing so. Mistakenly, he worries she would find only discomfort in it.]
If I become aware of its movements... and retain the will to speak... I will let my comrades know. If its power comes to me again... this time I would strive to be its master.
no subject
Once, Hayame had been so sure that she would be unafraid to face death. She'd been sure because that was simply what a warrior did, and that was what she would be, ready to die at a moment's notice for her lord or for her honor. But when it had happened, when she had thrown herself into the roar of the mountain waterfall tied to the man she'd seen as her enemy's strongest... She had been terrified, to feel the rope snap taut and see the rocks below. She had been shamefully relieved, when that man had grasped her by the wrist and pulled her back to safety as if she had slipped instead of tried to murder him.
And even though she has looked at her shard a hundred times since coming to Horos and tried to find the courage to crush it, lost and so close to despair in this foreign land... She is a little bit afraid now, too, beneath the facade of stoicism and the warrior she had always dreamed of being. What if she simply ends this way, with no revenge taken, unable to return to her world to die where she belonged, where she'd promised... If she were truly the last jinba, like that man had claimed-
But Estinien swears.]
Let it be so.
[Hope had never been a friend nor even reliable ally to her. But she does hope, even as she turns her head to look at him more properly, her expression a strange mix of guarded and exposed.]
... Is this when I wish you a glorious victory or an honorable death?
no subject
He himself had believed for much of his life that honourable death was likely the only outcome worth considering. To destroy his hated enemy in the same blow would be enough. He'd begged Himeka to kill him when he thought it might be enough to destroy Nidhogg as well, not daring to imagine a world where he could escape the dragon's clutches and survive while also protecting his people.
It had happened, though. Against all odds, he was alive today, and it was because of her and Alphinaud. Things like that can change a person, he thinks. Proof that miracles can happen.
And so, he has a lopsided smile when he says:]
I'd prefer the former, I think. For you as well.
no subject
She finds that she doesn’t, because he’s… smiling.
As if her body has trained itself not to be influenced by such things, the moment she notices his lips have curled up in the corners her own curl down, a frown ready to cover any potential slip-ups or show of sentiment that risked being triggered by the altogether simple gesture.
Her eyes avert, as if the sight was too bright to handle looking at long. People did not… smile at her. Oh, occasionally… the first time she met someone, and they were yet naive to her nature or demeanor it sometimes happened, but the second time? Even just further into that first socialization… ? The smiles tended to disappear, and she told herself good riddance.
… But Matsukaze’s smiles, gentle and accepting despite the abrasive nature she did not quite know how to turn off, had been. Nice. Almost comforting. Not foolish or worthy of ridicule as she found so many others. Her brothers had been… reassuring, for all she hated the idea of being seen mollified by such a thing. And Estinien’s-]
… I fear the others will think there is something wrong with your face, Estinien.
[… It’s not what she meant to say, but. It’s what comes out, a side glance trying to guess whether it was safe to look again… and hoping it wasn’t, whether she usually ruined them or not.]