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

[sterngaze]

[Dokja's sudden appearance before him makes Liem stop in his tracks, his frown turning tight and wary. As someone capable of appearing quite suddenly next to other people should he wish to, he's found more and more since arriving on Horos that he finds the reverse extremely nerve-wracking. Especially when he's already injured and low on magic.

He could use the last of it to just ditch Dokja right now, probably. Or maybe that would just make him more determined to track him down, and he'd end up right back in this same situation, but with all of his travel magic expended.

He really is giving Liem no choice but to talk, isn't he?]

That was a child's fantasy. [He says it evenly, with bitten-off precision.] Something I wished for because I was tired of doing the hard thing. Because I wanted to have the luxury of being kind.

It was a dream; so I was woken up.

[salvageable]

[ There's a sinking feeling in his chest with every spoken word and Dokja stares, unbelieving that someone can change this much in such a short amount of time. This isn't the same Liem as before, he's sure of it. How the Kenoma have managed to tamper with him, he doesn't know, but a strange sensation curls in his gut.

He won't let this go on. ]

It wasn't a dream, [ he insists, eyes narrowing in search of something he knows to be there. ] You helped me. You saved a life. That was all real.

[ He steps forward, hands balled into fists at his sides. Every second that passes him by in this godforsaken city has him wishing he could raze it to the ground. It's poison, and he wonders if that same poison has seeped too far deep into Liem now. ]

You have someone waiting for you. A woman who owes you a debt. The same kind, I imagine, that I owe you.

[sterngaze]

[Back in Venera, when he'd shared that information with Dokja, when he'd secured Hayame's agreement to smuggle a mother and child to safety—he had been certain in those moments that he had been doing the right thing. If he had heard back then that Dokja was able to save someone's life because of what he did, he would have felt proud.

Now that pride clots, ruined, into a hard weight in his chest, all black and miserable.]

I hope the people who escaped find peace while they can.

[He says it with solemn, unshakable earnestness. They were meant to serve in a spectacle just like Abel and Himeka are now, though mercifully one not quite so agonizingly prolonged. He's glad to have spared them that, for what remains of their time on Horos.

But he can't do the same again.]

I cannot accept payment from her, or from you. Tell Hayame she can keep what I gave her. I have work to do here.

[salvageable]

[ This isn't how he'd envisioned their second meeting. He had barely hoped to come across Liem, but with that small sliver of hope, he'd thought that it would mean an escape. Another person with a good heart who would join their ranks, inflict a blow on the Kenoma, and serve as a confirmation that people were capable of being saved.

All of that comes crashing down now.

His hand doesn't reach for his sword just yet, but his fingers itch. He's never been one to win over people with his words, and that's proving to be true more and more with every second that passes. ]

Tell me what they did to you. After you were captured.

[ He can't believe this is Liem. He won't believe it. If it comes down to it, he'll drag the other man back over the line with either broken legs or in the form of a shard. ]

[sterngaze]

[As Liem stands just paces away from Dokja, trying to persuade him into going on his way, the atmosphere takes on tension like a raincloud, threatening to break at any moment. He doesn't know what the man is willing to do in the service of repaying his debt, but after Hayame assaulted him in Venera during the innocence sickness those months ago, Liem doesn't doubt that further violence might be on the table.

His fist tightens warily around the grip of his bow.]

Nothing that you could now undo.

[He doesn't want to talk about the weeks he spent in the Citadel's dungeons, or think about what he endured there. What was done to him doesn't matter. Only the result is important: his obedience to the Regent and his newfound belief in their mission. And he can't prove either while he's being interrogated by a swordsman with an unwarranted obsession.]

You should go to your colleagues; they at least want to be saved. Should you really be delaying by talking to me?

[After all, time is very much of the essence for them.]

[salvageable]

[ They did something to him. They did something to Liem and now he's not the same person as he was before. A chill creeps through Dokja at what he can only imagine, and something sick twists in his gut. The more he learns about the Kenoma, the more a nameless feeling curls unpleasantly inside of him. He had told Hayame that he would try his best to bring Liem back with him and he intends to keep his word.

With a grim determination, Dokja's hand goes to the hilt of his sword. ]

I made a mistake letting you go.

[ It's annoying. The time that's being spent here when it could be used on Abel and Himeka is too precious to be drawn on any longer, but he can make this quick. He's not like those two. He can't speak inspiration and hope into people and expect it to work. No, his methods have been in action and in force. ]

I'll bring you back with me this time.

[ He draws his sword, white blade catching the light to reflect its shine before it's pointed directly at Liem. ]

[sterngaze]

[On some level, Liem had known as soon as Dokja stopped to speak with him that their conversation would end in violence. If Hayame had come upon him in this way, he's certain she wouldn't have allowed him out of her sight again. He's not surprised to see Dokja display the same stubbornness.

When his hand drops to the grip of that sword, Liem's hand drifts down to his hip as well: to the black-feathered ends of the arrows clustered there. His wary expression briefly takes on a hunted quality, before hardening into a flat stare. Why does he consistently end up doing favours for people who want to repay him with violent force?]

I refuse.

[Now he does call on his magic, burning the last of his teleportation ability to step back, away from Dokja, and appear fifteen feet down the square behind him. He's poised to flee into the city, hoping that the urgency of Abel and Himeka's situation will keep him from being pursued, but sends an arrow streaking at the other man as a parting gift.]

[salvageable]

[ This is for Liem's own good? Dokja's certainly convinced of that and it's hard to change his mind with how much of a self-righteous and stubborn bastard he can be.

But also what the hell? He'd known nothing of Liem's abilities before coming here and it takes him by surprise when the other man teleports away. Dokja spots him relatively quickly, and by then there's an arrow flying toward him. He deflects it with ease, blade swinging through the air to knock it aside, and then a second later, a blast of wind has him propelling forward.

While he might lack in some other attributes compared to others, speed has always been on his side. He closes the gap between them in an instant, the amount of time it would take to blink, and his sword is already raised and poised to come slashing down on Liem.

He's going for the kill here. Best not to drag this on when it's already gone on for so long. ]

beats myself up before i forget about this AGAIN

[expiera]

[It is no secret to the Kenoma that the mission to Venera unveiled traitors. Their identities are well known too, and regardless of how their peers feel over the matter, there is no longer anything anyone can do for them. Like Howl, they've lost pieces of what makes them them. Unlike some others who decided on their own at their personal leisure, the pressing need of the mission and how acts of mercy inevitably left evidence took away any opportunity those at Venera had of handling things on their own terms. And now...

Dokja should be thanked, frankly, for making this so easy. A direct and open attempt for immediate murder? What else is an ally supposed to do for coming across this, but prevent the dissipation of their comrade?

So Ciel does. There are several ways she could've intercepted his sword (not from around here, is it, the same one that...), but Dokja likes dramatics, doesn't he? Him and his stories, all those books his place in Godsblood had lying around everywhere in the small room. (Almost a shame this is reality; their struggles on Horos may make a compelling saga for avid fantasy readers.) The blade catches and spills crimson, but not that of its target, the slash doesn't go far enough. It's stopped by Ciel's grip, and the uncompromising and machine-like look in her eyes tells her fellow Martyr everything he needs to know about their present situation. Does she risk losing fingers that way, or can her self-reinforcement be enough to stop that from happening? Irrelevant. Even if he does manage to cut through, it'll only be a matter of time before those parts reattach themselves. Another reason why she belongs on the front lines.

Three Black Keys are summoned in her free hand, the same shape as the one he's seen in Venera, but their hilts are a dark red this time devoid of that unsettling aura. They're still nail-like swords as sharp and piercing as their forms may suggest, and within the next moment, she thrusts that arm forward with every intention of puncturing through his chest with all three blades. Might want to step back, she'd let him; he can retreat with his sword too, she doesn't care much for keeping (depriving him of) it.

Liem isn't addressed, the intervention needs no explanation, but if he chooses to linger for some reason, she can remind him in a bit to get going as he should.]

[sterngaze]

[When Dokja cuts his arrow out of the air, Liem has to suppress a small noise of disgust. Of course he would manage something like that, with no preparation, at almost point-blank range. He didn’t even have the decency to make it look difficult.

This all passes through his mind in a lightning flash of annoyance—and by the time the flicker of it subsides, Dokja is following after him and oh merciful gods he’s right there. Liem lunges back from the arc of that sword, but there’s nothing he can do to escape its reach now that he’s left without his dimensional hop, not when the other man is able to close with him so quickly. With the first swing of that long blade he knows that he’s going to end up killed by it sooner rather than later.

Which is why Ciel’s intervention is so unbelievably timely. He spares only a moment’s glance for her as she stops the sword mid-swing and conjures a trio of her own blades (unsettling things that he’s glad aren’t pointed in his direction). Lingering here would only put him in her way, so he doesn’t need her acknowledgement or her instruction to get clear. Liem disengages from the tangled pair and darts across the square to do what he’s been trying to accomplish since he first got here.

He goes to find a good vantage to shoot from.]

[salvageable]

[ Great. Just the person he hadn't wanted to see while in this wretched city.

His eyes widen at her sudden appearance and the way she catches his blade with her hand. It's enough to stop him from applying more force to slice through her fingers, killing intent immediately dulled by her interference. While they may be enemies on the battlefield, that doesn't mean he can just forget the moments they've spent off of it, and some of the ferocity in his heart immediately dies off.

Not that that means he's just going to let her stab him. He immediately takes note of the differences of these swords compared to the one that had rendered him to a useless heap before, and with that bit of information clicked into place, he moves. Rather than stepping back or letting his usual armor take the hit, he quickly sidesteps the attack, watching as the blades pass by him.

And then his other hand comes flying down to try and clamp itself over her wrist. Sorry, he's not in the habit of grabbing swords by the blade so this will have to do. ]

Ciel! [ he snarls, eyes tracking after Liem as he hurries away. ] Liem doesn't belong here. You know that.

[expiera]

[She did tell Dokja she could simply make more, he's heard it out loud from her own lips. It's impossible to miss the sudden dampening in his aggression too, not just in his body language and the force behind the blade but also through the bond of their shared Legacy. Dokja.

Her strike misses. (That'll do. She may feel disappointed and then some, if he let that little actually hit him when he's on a mission.) He catches her wrist, and since that's all he's doing, clamping down on it without making any attempt to retaliate, she doesn't try to renew any attempt at assault either. Besides, this still serves her purpose: Dokja's attention is on her now, he quite literally has to keep a hand on her to prevent risking any serious injury to his own person, and every moment of that is an extra moment afforded to Liem in helping him get away.]

If that's what you believe, then you should have acted with more resolve the first time around.

[She doesn't confirm or deny his allegations despite her cold tone and stony expression, but the implications are glaring enough. And now, he's too late. They are too late. Summoning another Key in her free hand, she immediately flicks it at his side the moment it materializes. Hopefully he's paid attention during the Pleroma zoom meeting: that one wasn't intended to draw blood, so it may not trigger his dodge reflex right away, but pinning his shadow and immobilizing him would very much throw a wrench in his main and side objective alike. Which would just be too bad, all she's after is keeping him off Liem's trail. (Who should be retreating, not look for a better position to counter. Does she need to carry him away herself? Tch...)

They're all unlucky, every single Aion here. It's just that, nothing more.]

[sterngaze]

[It suits Liem’s purposes beautifully if Ciel and Dokja want to grapple in place and have a little heart-to-heart while he gets away. He knows from their group communion that the two are familiar, and certainly Ciel seems confident in her ability to handle him, so regardless of what kind of relationship they might have, for the moment he’s just going to have to trust her. If he’s lucky, perhaps she’ll take Dokja out before he even gets in position.

Because much as Ciel might want him to abandon the scene, Liem isn’t about to leave when this is exactly where the Kenoma’s efforts are needed most. He promised himself days ago that if they were meant to make the Pleroma bleed for every step they took into Achamoth, he would do his utmost to make that happen. That resolution doesn’t leave any room for him quitting the field right when the body of the Pleroma’s forces have reached their goal.

So he does hare off through the square and disappear down an alley, casting one last look back at the pair before he vanishes from sight. But it’s only to find a good building to climb, one with a good view of the square. Let them have their moment for now; unless they wrap it up quickly, he’s going to be back soon to interrupt.]

[salvageable]

[ Ah, her words sting. He'd already been beating himself up about their first encounter ever since Hayame had relayed the information that she had during their meeting, but to hear it now, here, with Liem having disappeared from view once more, it really drives the point through his heart.

He's distracted. Both by what she says and at the knowledge that he's lost his chance to bring Liem back. It's why he doesn't think about the shadow pinning mentioned during their Pleroma-wide Communion until he's already parried her blow away, only to watch as the blade sinks into his shadow and yanks his movements to a halt when he tries to step forward for another retaliating strike. Shit, that's annoying. But the anger boiling over inside of him doesn't settle, and he grinds his teeth as he spits out a response. ]

They did something to him.

[ It's not meant to be news to Ciel. It's half of a plea. He needs her to understand in the way he believes that she's capable of understanding. ]

You can't think that's okay.