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

[dragonmount]

[ the glowing shield drops, and rand hurries to ernesto's side, mindful of not jostling the man on his back more than can be helped. what a relief it is to see his friend, alive and — unhurt would've been too much to ask for. (and rand has no idea how far from unhurt ernesto really is, in the chaos of this moment.) but ernesto's on his feet anyway, smiling, and that's something.

he looks upwards after coming to a stop near the perro, eyes narrowing in concentration as he spins an invisible barrier around the six of them with the Power. it'll require some degree of his active attention to keep up, but at least this way they won't need to worry about random — or less than random — projectiles striking any of them. and it'll provide some forewarning, if anyone chooses to attack. ]

We're safe, [ he says softly once that's done, though without further elaboration.

as safe as possible under the circumstances is probably understood. an explanation doesn't really matter, anyway. let ernesto and abel finally reunite after too long; let the priest see some desperately needed healing. rand will protect them — and the others, himeka in just as much need of care — as they do. ]

[goldendeceiver]

[ As much as Ernesto would love to take a minute to revel in a reunion with both of them, there's hardly time for that right now. Despite what Rand is saying now, they're not out of the fire yet, and Abel and Himeka both went some absolutely brutal ordeals before the Pleroma were able to bust onto the scene.

It's why he can't offer Himeka much more than a wag of the tail before Anduin moves to take care of her needs, and also why he doesn't waste time himself gingerly moving to place a hand on Abel's back once Rand brings him close enough. He barely takes note of what Rand is doing, focusing on trying to suss out the worst of the damage, his hand already emitting a pale, blue light where it rests on Abel.

He tries to keep his tone light and teasing as his eyes scan Abel. His voice sounds strained as he does his best not to move much, but it's probably hard to really zero in on with everything else that's going on right now. ]

You're looking like you could use a good bath and a nice long nap, Father.

[ Neither thing he can really offer Abel quite yet, but soon... ]

Any chance you can tell me what areas I should be focusing on fixing up right now?

[inutilis]

[ Abel isn't quite sure he's parsing what's happening quite as he should be - there's a fuzziness that's fallen over him now the immediate danger of their shards being tossed into the flames has subsided. they're not out of the proverbial heat yet, it's true, but - God, if he doesn't have faith in his allies, his friends.

Ernesto has the ability to heal...? the warm feeling of a hand on his back and the soft swirl of magic around the other man's person betrays what's happening, even if Abel isn't able to do little more than watch in quiet awe. ]

...What?

[ --sorry, he just. okay, these things still mystify him and after a near month without his shard, it all seems all the more bright and impressive and alive, and-- IT'S ALL VERY DISTRACTING, ]

O-oh, yes, I'm-- no, I'm alright! I'm just a bit-- singed and a little sore, but I'll survive, if barely and with copious amounts of whining and someone cute to feed me soup. Are you all okay...?

[ Rand and Dokja might need tending, too, now he thinks about it - though Abel is immensely relieved to see Himeka under Anduin's healing hands, a knot of tension unwinding where it had tightened in his gut. finally... they're finally free of that goddamn dark little hole. ]

To be honest...? That bath and a nap sounds pretty enticing, um-- if you could skip to that part. Rand...? Doesn't that sound good?

[ it is a decidedly unhelpful answer, but suppose it'd be easy to tell one region that might need a little TLC - the heels of his feet and parts of his legs are blistered with burns, both new and old. the pyre was not the first time Abel or Himeka had seen the flames in the past few weeks.

but thanks to their friends-- it would be the last. ]

[dragonmount]

[ as abel makes light of how he's doing, asks after them, rand flicks his eyes from looking upwards to giving ernesto a wry look. well, what did you expect? is the sentiment, more or less. no, of course the priest wouldn't complain about any of his obvious injuries, or the less obvious ones, or the pain he must be in. copious amounts of whining seems spectacularly unlikely — unless he finds something truly ridiculous to zero in on. then, well. ]

I'll see to it that you get a bath and nap myself, when we're back home.

[ rand says with some humor. yeah, those do sound like nice things for abel (and himeka) to get — and food, light only knows when they'd last been fed. that's a flicker of anger he can't help, less here-and-gone than here-and-buried. there will be time for that, too, when they're back home because they will be back home.

it's not so different from the conviction he'd brought into achamoth with him: to save abel and himeka or die trying. now that the two of them are out of immediate danger and so close to safety, the latter option isn't acceptable either. they will be returned to greentruth. it's said that the Pattern bends and warps around ta'veren, and he's not sure if he believes that to be the case in horos, but if it does. if there's any chance that it does. he wants this outcome more than he's wanted anything else in his life.

but of course they're not skipping over healing abel right now, for light's sake. not that ernesto would accept that anyway, he knows, but he pointedly is going to stand here until the perro says that he's done. what is abel going to do, complain that rand could use a breather????? and he could, truthfully. given where they are and what they've come to do, he's gotten off easily. but one of his sleeves is noticeably a charred wreck, whatever's left of it, though dorothea's ministrations mean that the burns beneath look a lot older than they really are. his ribs have seen better days — and are doing a lot better than ernesto's — and it's not hard to guess at a look he's been in a few fights. but he really is doing better than he should be, by rights, and he doesn't move like anything hurts much. with saidin searing through every fiber of his body, physical aches feel far distant. ]

What kind of soup do you fancy? [ to abel, as ernesto keeps healing, because as we've established, that is simply a thing that is Going To Happen. rand can do his part in keeping the lighthearted chatter going. ] Thoma showed me how to make some good ones with fish, recently.

[goldendeceiver]

[ Of course he's playing down his own injuries. For all he seems ready to help people with whatever burden they might be carrying, Abel doesn't seem the best at letting other people try to shoulder his own. Ernesto can't really fault him for that without being a hypocrite, but...

Well, Ernesto never claimed to not be a hypocrite.

He won't give Abel a hard time for now though, instead ignoring the dismissal and appraising the damage himself, and takes a sharp, shallow breath, before very slowly moving down to squat next to the two men. It's agony going down, but he does a pretty good job of downplaying how much it hurts as he settles into this new position, thankful the two of them are so tall and he doesn't have to get too low.

As much as it sucks to have done this, it does gives him better access to where the burns are the worst, and Ernesto rests a hand on Abel's ankle, frowning at the extent of the damage at the energy around his palm glows brighter.

The frown doesn't last long before he plasters back on a smile, looking up at Abel and Rand as the soothing promises keep up. ]

You're going to make him fish soup, huh?

[ To Rand, before he turns his gaze on Abel. ]

Looks like you're in luck then, Father. You'll have someone cute feeding you soup after all.

[ He's teasing them both now, because he doesn't think Rand is exactly who Abel had in mind, but he'll let his long tail sweep in a somewhat lethargic looking wag, stirring up some dust as it goes. ]

[inutilis]

[ fuzzy and hazy around the edges as he is, Abel isn't blind nor deaf... and unfortunately for both men, he is also possessed of a keen instinct for when others are suffering, well-honed over the years. he has already sussed out neither men are exactly in the best of shape, even if Abel isn't in tip-top condition to go about harassing them into doing anything about it with the usual vigor. still... could he let it be? just... leave it like that? ]

...Fish soup, [ he echoes a tad absently; his attention is clearly only half-here, and it might sound as though he were merely drowsy. (admittedly... he is.) ] Someone cute, mm. Is that Rand, Mr. Tequila? Is there something you're not telling me...? Just what happened, exactly, while I was away?

[ but before he can afford either of them the opportunity to further bite the bait that Ernesto has so kindly offered-- ]

I'll eat whatever you want, no complaints, long as you... both of you... let someone look you over soon as we get home. [ 'home,' Rand said. home. ] Okay...? I want you, to-- please promise me.

[ they came here for him, for Himeka. whatever blood and sweat and tears are shed today--

...it is for their sake. he knows, and... he cannot bear the thought of either of them hurting longer than they absolutely have to in lieu of that. the price that has already been paid for their freedom... Abel cannot stomach thinking about it, yet.

his fingers curl a bit tighter in the fabric of his fellow Martyr's clothing where his arms drape loosely around Rand's shoulders. ]

...Please.

[dragonmount]

[ it's harder not to notice ernesto's trouble with crouching, even if he puts on a good face about it. rand frowns briefly, but there isn't much he can do about it right now, and he's not sure pointing it out will do anyone any favors either. something to ask about later, back in godsblood, and make sure ernesto's seen healing by then. it's not hard to guess some kenoma or other must've tried to stop him making it here, same as with rand, same as in the chaos around them all. a risk they were all willing to take, chose to take with open eyes, when they committed to this task. ]

We can find cuter,

[ is his wry addition to the banter. because no, he doesn't imagine he was who abel had in mind; and he opens his mouth when abel first speaks, either to protest (what do you imagine happened, wow) or to question (who is mr. tequila, exactly?), when

when.

he closes his mouth, slowly. of course he understands the feeling that sits heavy in abel's voice, in his presence through their legacy; who better than another martyr? he'd been horrified at ernesto and akua in godsblood last month, and that'd still been so different. no amount of lighthearted conversation can hide the fact that this is a veritable battle, even if he wishes it could. he gets it, but there's still something painful about abel's distress with the state that he's in, everything he must've seen and had done to him. it wouldn't have been selfish to focus on his own hurts for even a moment.

hushed, but sincere: ]

I promise. Really.

[ he'd like to reach up to take one of those hands, but he can't without putting abel down. and that's something he isn't willing to do, not until they're a long, long way from achamoth. ]

[goldendeceiver]

[ What happened while Abel was away is that people who have been barely holding themselves together for months now found themselves unraveling at a faster rate than normal while desperately trying to figure out how to get their friends back.

But he won't be telling Abel that. That knowledge is going to heap guilt and pain onto someone who has already been through enough, and it seems like he's already feeling enough guilt looking at the condition they're currently in.

Rand might not be able to take Abel's hand right now, but Ernesto can. He's only using one hand to heal that crispy looking leg, so he reaches up with his free right hand, and lightly squeezes the fingers that are gripping onto Rand's clothing, his smile softer and a little sadder. He can't imagine the good Father likes seeing either of them, any of them really, in this state, but it can't really be helped. They rushed in knowing the risks too, and he's sure every Pleroma here in the front lines is happy to bear the injuries. ]

I'll patch both of us up personally, but let me take care of you first, alright?

[inutilis]

[ Ernesto's fingers tangle with Abel's, and that simple contact conveys more than enough in the way of solidarity. g-goodness, he's... he is falling apart at the seams, here, isn't he? ]

...Alright, I-- alright.

[ alright. he won't fight this, won't argue or kick up a fuss; he will permit them to do whatever it is they deem necessary for the sake of his well-being, even if it is the least of his considerations.

all he needs, now... all he truly needs to be hale and whole is for all of them to make it out of this. ...for them to go home. together. ]