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

[galdorleod]

[ Hayame is wise to maintain her caution. Unlike a regular bird or even a hypothetical mindless monster, Howl recognizes every reach into her quiver and every draw of her bow as a telegraph of her next attack. The first few arrows seem to be tests, and Howl is happy to be tested, deftly maneuvering out of the way with swerves and sways. Each one gives him an opportunity to observe.

And then, as he's curving back around, starting to triangulate a dive in his head, a horrible pain shoots through his leg. He chokes, gagging through a roar and flapping his great wings in feverish shock. The shaft of an arrow can be seen just barely sticking out from the coat of black feathers covering Howl's left thigh, halfway between his hip and the featherless lower half of his bird-like legs.

She hit him. Howl wasn't exactly expecting to make it out of this encounter unscathed, but he hadn't expected anything to land so early. The beast's eyes turn back to the centaur standing steady on the ground, and as a flare of rage rolls through him, he tucks back his wings and plummets towards her. ]

[warmare]

[Hayame has been using a bow since she was three or four springs old, as soon as she was large enough to wrap her small, still soft fingers around a grip. She has been hunting since nine, firing upon duck and pheasant, rabbit and deer. From thirteen, she began hunting her own kind.

But this is her first bird-man.

So she is testing him, though she never shoots lacking the intent to hit him. When she does... hah, what an undignified reaction. No better than a chicken desperately flapping its wings when it sees the ax.

Her attempts at taunts die away soon enough, though. It is not her nature, they had only been attempts to distract, and now... Now he was coming straight at her. ... Chicken again, was it? Hayame stands firm in her position, taking advantage of the path the transforming mage has committed to in order to fire off one, two, three more arrows, aiming at his chest and wings, waiting until outstretched talons and gleaming claws are close, almost too close-

Before she tries to dodge, powerful muscles bunching and releasing as she attempts to bring her species' speed to bear.]

[galdorleod]

[ Chicken in the sense that he's playing chicken, maybe, but no further than that. Where a chicken has a beak, Howl has knife-like teeth emerging from uncovered gums, somewhat akin to the maw of an alligator. Where a chicken scratches at the ground with scrawny claws, Howl has the massive talons of a hawk. And... most significantly, Howl is as big and heavy as an elephant.

As that elephant-sized monster hurdles toward her at blistering speed, her arrows start to thunk into his flesh. One lands squarely in his upper right chest; the second whizzes through the secondaries of his right wing, barely missing flesh; the third clips his right shoulder and keeps going, rending a gash in the skin beneath feathers. But as Howl had wagered, a few arrows will not stop him, provided they do not hit his Shard or pierce through his skull — and indeed, with the slightest skewing of his dive angle to the left, he's made sure they would only pepper his right side, missing his center.

Now, Hayame has the full force of Howl's weight and size barreling towards her. At the last second, Howl's wings flare outward, his momentum thrusting his open talons forward with lethal speed. The wizard has no idea what sort of weak points this centaur woman might have, but she clearly has a spine, and it's exposed. If his talons meet their mark in this critical fraction of a second, it would be akin to six swords plunging into the flesh lining her spine. ]

[warmare]

[Even when arrows do not hit, they can be of use. Though her strikes do not stop the hurtling descent of a beast of this size, her keen eyes make note of which direction he twists. Most people do not possess the self-control and foresight both to prevent their bodies from flinching away or trying to protect the most vulnerable parts of their body, which tells her...

Well, it would speak to his heart, but in this place. Perhaps it is more accurate to guess that he guards his shard instead, the foul, magic-based coagulation of their "soul". She tries to get a last shot in, but-

He is too close, she will simply dodge-

And she would have gotten away clean, if the legs hidden in that dark mass of feathers weren't longer than she anticipated based on the winged creatures of her world. She should have known better, he did not have the face of a bird but a monster, some sick chimera, but she made her own instinctive mistake... and she pays for it, in the tips of talons that scrape bloody lines along her back and catch briefly in the meat of her muscular rump before she rips away in a pained hiss and a clatter of hooves, long, raven-black mane and tail whipping out behind her.

If she were a horse and rider, there would be reprieve for the Kenoma beast as she desperately tried to focus on keeping her seat, using limbs to clutch and tighten, but... She is not. Even as she moves, circling around to the right and leaving splatters of blood on the street behind...

Hayame turns from the "waist" and draws the string of her bow all the way back to her ear, sighting along the shaft and loosing the arrow straight at the side of her enemy's skull.]

[galdorleod]

[ Howl feels his talons graze through something. Although he can immediately tell it wasn't the lethal blow he'd been vying for, the sound of the centaur's pained hiss and stumbling hooves, and an accompanying smell of blood, gives him malicious satisfaction. She won't soon forget this — even if Howl doesn't kill her, she'll have to think about this, about him, the next time the Pleroma even thinks about invading Achamoth again —

Howl is beating his wings hard, trying to recover from the failed dive and get back in the air, when a second intense pain shoots through his upper back. Hayame's arrow has missed his head, only to bury itself deep in this form's equivalent of a shoulder blade. Every heavy beat of his wings as he tries to regain altitude is accompanied by the horrible pain of an arrowhead embedded in bone, as will every beat of his wings for the rest of the raid.

It's clear from the more strained way that Howl moves that Hayame wounded him far more severely with that arrow than with the one that hit him in the upper chest. Growling in anger and pain, the monster cranes his neck slightly to look back at the ground below and behind him. He sees the long lines of blood on her flank. Should he try to strike again? Is the risk of a few more arrows worth it? Emet-Selch or Ciel could remove them and heal him, if he can find them among the chaos —...

The wizard's black form pirouettes above as he angles himself for another dive. He has a sense for the speed of her draw now. If he can find the right opening, he can do this. ]

[warmare]

[A warrior does not take their eyes off their enemy, a warrior does not let their mind leave the battlefield. These are facts that Hayame has always known, because she has been raised for that life since she was old enough to curl the short, stubby fingers of a filly around a training bow.

And yet...

As the winged monster spirals back into the air, as Hayame waits for an opening to fire another arrow at the muscular shoulders and peculiar bulk of a back that supported such giant wings... something happens in the sky above them, beyond the large silhouette of the bird she has attacked to keep at least one Kenoma from the concentrated attack on the draconic Innocence entity. The thing that had once been (that she prayed still was) the man she had followed on this doomed raid roars in pain, a rain of blood and hail of scales scatters from its giant body-

Hayame's attention breaks. Her expression, in that accidental moment, is distraught with fear- and not for herself. Distracting just this one enemy is not enough, even though it all she can do, there are still so many of them with their strange magics and attacks and-

At the last moment, she realizes her mistake in letting emotion seize hold of both of her powerful hearts. Weak, to do such a weak, womanly-

Her opportunity to take advantage of her opponents' dive is wasted, and it is all she can do to dodge this time in a scramble of hoof and bloodied legs, bringing her bow back to bear for a half-blind shot at the thing's wings just to keep it occupied as she tries to once again build a safer distance between them.]

[galdorleod]

[ A screech cuts through the noise as talons rake towards Hayame's bulky body, threatening another fatal blow. There's a second screech when they swipe through empty air, not even scraping gashes like last time. A third screech may have come if not for the arrow that soars through the covering of feathers on Howl's left wing to plunk stiffly into the meat underneath. Instead, the monster roars in pain, and he tumbles awkwardly into the ground, unable to immediately recover back into the air like last time.

Frustration is spiking within Howl. He's taken too many hits, and the pained roar of the Sanctifier above is a commanding reminder of what a waste of time this is turning into. Thankfully, the centaur is distracted enough with dodging out of the way that he can take a handful of seconds to right himself and try to launch back into the air. The wounds peppering his body ache as he does, but the side effects of this spell, normally a horrible downside to using it, play in his favor for once. If he channels and focuses the spell, he can keep moving through the pain, even when it makes his mind reel with the prickle of ego death.

Within the next instant, he finds himself in the air again, safely away from the woman and her accursed bow. Howl takes a haggard breath and lets go of some of the magic within him, and the harrowing moment is over. ]

BE THANKFUL FOR YOUR LUCK, WRETCHED WOMAN!

[ Howl calls out to her as he hurriedly flies away, his booming gravelly voice somehow carrying over the noise around them. She looked so worried for what was happening in the air above them — although he's being forced to withdraw, it means she'll have all the time in the world to watch the Kenoma slay the dragon she looked so concerned for. ]