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

[affal]

( makoto is of two minds on the newcomers to the Kenoma that find themselves suddenly thrown into the riotous tumult of preparations made for an attack. on one hand, he thinks of them as investments. though the Regent has claimed to have called each of them out of the destruction of their own worlds and here to horos, there doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason for who is called or what abilities they might have — they were just as likely to obtain some mythic warrior of their land as, well, someone like makoto, who had no combat experience whatsoever before arrival. but he hadn't been content to stay within that pigeonhole, and he likes to think others might not as well. considering it that way, they should be preserved long enough to let the Kenoma take root within them and potentially bring them power and utility that could prove worthwhile in the long run.

the other side of him feels that they simply do not have enough strength and power on their side to allow any to risk growing complacent with inaction. even if it's in a protected or supporting role, he would like to see them act, so long as they get into the habit of doing so. it is, after all, the sole thing they will be called upon to do.

there's something about looking at atsumu which reminds him of how he'd felt when first facing off against minegishi all those months ago. there's so much in his look and mien that reminds makoto of so many of the kids he'd gone to school with. the memory is not a fond one, but he sets it aside as graciously as he possibly can.

though, really, he isn't sure what pisses him off more: gen's purposeful undermining or atsumu's abrasive rudeness. at least minegishi seemed to speak with more thought put into his barbs... )

An Aion who has been in this world long enough to provide you some guidance. ( hopefully. we'll see. )

You can call me M.

[settingup]

[ Well now that's not fair at all, Makoto! Assuming that Atsumu isn't particularly good at verbal sparring, and might, in fact, be some kind of idiot from one surprised and somewhat rudely uttered question!

He's not, and he is, but he should at least be given the length of a full conversation to prove that fact about himself.

Though his words might be rough, he'll at least be less combative than the other teenage boy Makoto knows. His own upbringing wasn't nearly so brutal, so the natural inclination towards mistrust doesn't exist, even if some of the less than stellar treatment he's gotten from other Kenoma's does have him eyeing Makoto skeptically at first. He doesn't look like much, and with an approaching battle Atsumu would kind of prefer to stick close to someone he thinks might actually be able to keep him safe.

But then again, the lady that promised to literally murder people with space vacuums didn't look like much either, so who's to say the guy with the weird eyes doesn't have powers? ]

M, huh?

[ It's an unusual sounding name, but Atsumu does actually tend to like names like that. ]

What kinda guidance are you offerin' then?

[affal]

( first impressions are worth their weight in gold, atsumu, and your initial reply to ciel's and emet-selch's introductory Communion might as well be seared into makoto's mind next to your face and name. does he really need to share a full conversation with you after that? perhaps further interaction with the other young man might surprise him, and makoto is always ready to adjust his preconceptions of someone based upon evidence, but... he's a bit uncertain he will need to apply such supplementary judgment. )

That is what I'm called.

( what he essentially forces everyone to call him... it had started out as a bit of a power move, and one that didn't mean a single damn thing considering the rules of hell do not apply in horos — demons beneath you in the hierarchy can't speak your name, and so they typically use their initial instead. this had artificially inflated makoto's importance among his peers... to himself, and to no one else. foolish, he knows, but it is a habit that had stuck. he now likes to keep his name to him, jealous, protective. as if it was so much easier to wear this persona of "the demon known as 'M'" when no one knew what that initial even stood for — a young man so different from the creature standing before atsumu now that he would struggle to recognize himself in it. )

Well, that would depend. After all, I would give one well-prepared to defend themself in an assault very different advice from one who has never thrown a punch. ( he pauses a moment, weighing the merits of being truthful. he decides to take the risk, for the sake of trying to reach some sort of understanding. )

Prior to arriving here, I was more the latter than the former. But there are steps that can be taken to prepare you for what is to come in the future, and I can help you towards them from my own experience.

[settingup]

[ If you told Atsumu that Makoto was a normal young man (at least in outward appearances) a few years back, he’d have trouble believing that. Nothing about this guy looks normal to him now. He might be willing to believe that about Gen, or hell even about Silco who’d spun an exaggerated tale about his own “normal guy” status, but Makoto barely looks human to him anymore.

Atsumu isn’t used to it, but he’s at least been in Horos long enough not to panic at the sight of fantasy looking creatures appearing in front of him now. It makes him uncomfortable still, and makes his head swim like what he imagines having a bad drug trip must feel like, but he at least hold his own and carry on a conversation without breaking down. In fact, the surreal feeling of standing here talking to a boy that visibly looks demonic allows for a kind of dissociative boldness. The sort that has Atsumu giving Makoto a slow once over (of the judgmental and not at all complimentary variety), before he slowly lifts those big ol’ brows of his. ]

You can throw a punch now?

[ He sounds genuinely surprised at that knowledge, which is unnecessarily insulting to the guy who is offering him help right now. Maybe how genuine his confusion sounds helps his case? Though the fact that he’s not attempting to mock Makoto by asking that might actually be worse too… ]