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

[epiprocta]

[ He watches Gray's reactions -- the way her fingers twist into the fabric of her cloak, the visible sliver of her face crumpling with grief, her voice trembling. All reactions that feel right and proper. But somehow, he can't muster even a pale imitation of any of that. There's a terrible, heavy feeling sitting heavy in his heart, and just breathing feels difficult enough. It feels like something in him will crumble if he dares to permit himself any more than that.

So he breaths. Focuses on breathing. Inhales, short and shaky, then exhales deeper. Swallows thickly.

And only then, he looks aside to gingerly tug his bundled-up jacket out from between his body and the tight pull of his belt where he'd tucked it away, keeping that invaluable object hidden away and safe from harm. ]

He was always soft on you, wasn't he.

[ Vaguely, Gen remembers seeing them speak in the hallways of the citadel before. The way Eustace's usually stony demeanor had relented just the slightest at the sound of Gray's soft words, the way his ear had twitched. Eustace, ever calm and stoic, had seemed almost happy in those moments, striding down the halls side-by-side with her. So.

This feels right. It's the only right course of action, he thinks.

Gen presses that bundle into Gray's chest, not daring to pull his hand away until he's made absolute sure that Gray's got a good grasp on it. The shape of Eustace's shard can probably be felt even through the layers of fabric -- that small, precious and terribly fragile distillation of the man who'd been kind to them both. Gen drops his hand slowly, looking at the ground between them and the toes of Gray's shoes as he says quietly, ]

Take it. Take him to a shrine somewhere. And ... [ He knows the gravity of what he's about to say next. In general, but also a weight that the two of them, specifically, know far too well. ] ... you probably shouldn't come back.

[ Leave. ]

[gravings]

[ She can't say if Eustace treated her in any special way; she only figured he was being himself around her, if slightly more indulgent due to her age and helplessness. But that doesn't matter right now.

From the way Gen gently handles the bundle, she can tell right away what must be in it. And she can see too what Eustace meant to him, how difficult it is for him to relinquish the shard to someone else. Maybe it's her imagination, but she can feel the weight of Eustace's soul nestled within — so of course she takes it carefully, hugging it between her hands warmly and desperately.

Through her shock and grief, there comes a stream of clarity that guides her. Like a tightrope over an abyss, a thin but solid line unfurls and stretches out before her, giving purchase to her feet. It's a gravekeeper's duty to ferry souls, to guide them as much as to banish them. If she cried, cowered, and bled to learn gravekeeper secrets, it was worth doing to grant her the knowledge and certainty to see Eustace's soul safely to where it needs to go.

Even in the face of this revelation, Gray is still Gray and the feeling is incredibly bittersweet, so she blinks away a steady drip of tears from her one uncovered eye.

And there's Gen. She isn't looking at him, her downward gaze still fixed on the shard nested in her hands, but his words stick into her. ]

Come with me.

[ She blurts it out without thinking it through, a far cry from her customary soft speaking and cautious pausing. She knows what he's doing, urging her to leave while he stays behind. Even though he knows that staying here means misery — even though it pains him to let go of Eustace.

The battle rages on in the distance as the Sanctifier reaches its end; perhaps the fires are being lit under Abel and Himeka as they speak. Nothing good is being done here and it won't get better. And yet Gen is prepared to stay here, and Gray is one of the few who could understand precisely why. She tries harder, looking up at him with strain to her eye and mouth. ]

Please. If there are two of us, it'll be safer. And with my eye... I would feel better having someone to watch my back.

[ These are all true things, even if she leaves her biggest concern out of it. ]

[epiprocta]

[ More than her words, it's the uncharacteristic conviction in Gray's voice that snaps him to attention. His mind had been sinking into a dark quagmire, overwhelmed with too many thoughts weighing him down like mud -- the tactile sensation of his mace smashing in Amos' skull, the pale blue of his eyes like a sickening beacon amidst the wash of blood, the sight of Eustace's body crumbling away and leaving only his shard behind, the feeling of his shard sitting so small and delicate in his palm -- and the forcefulness of that request drives a knife through that overwhelming maelstrom. Gives him something to focus on.

Gen looks up from the ground to meet her gaze. His face is terribly pale. ]

It's different for me. [ He can't even bring himself to address the matter directly at first; his lungs feels tight, his words emerging halting, and Gen's vaguely aware of the way his nails are digging into his palm with the way he clenches his hand until his arm trembles. ] He would've wanted you out of here. And -- you'll be fine out there. Probably. [ He can imagine the Pleroma would be happy to shelter Gray, as meek and kind as she is. He expects nothing from them, himself. ] But I can't. Just.

[ Just leave. Abandon his duties, his responsibilities. Forfeit the place where he knows he's supposed to be. He can't, he can't.

('Make that choice because you believe it's the right thing to do,' he remembers Eustace saying.

'I'd quite like you to find what you'd truly like to do with that freedom,' he remembers Abel saying.)

Dirt grits under the sole of his boot; he'd fallen back a half-step without even realizing it. But he catches himself before he can retreat any further, head ducked as he tries to calm the thundering of his pulse. His chest hurts from more than his fractured sternum, he's sure, and his next breath comes ragged. There's a breathless, strained quality to his voice when he forces his next words -- faltering uncharacteristically, in contrast to the steadfast iron in Gray's voice. ]

... if ... you really think you'll need it. To keep him safe.

[ He knows he's deluding himself. Gray will be fine, Eustace will be fine whether he's there or not. But if he can at least convince himself that he'll still be playing his role even after leaving this place, that this is only to protect the people he doesn't want to see ruined ... maybe it will be forgivable. Maybe he can permit himself this choice. ]

[gravings]

[ She watches him patiently, anxiously, if those two feelings could exist in one space. She doesn't know the exact thoughts running through his head, but she recognizes the uncertainty, the doubt plaguing him, as certainly as she's lived it every day.

She remains still as his boot retreats, grinding in the dirt. She wouldn't be surprised if he kept going, though she wills him not to, her breath suspended. He says he can't and her heart clenches for him, knowing that he's drowning in the weight of small but heavy things. When one comes from a small world, it's the small things that matter. The cleaning of a chicken coop, a light drizzle in the middle of the day, a single visitor from afar. Minute things writ large.

They may not be in their small hometowns anymore, but it doesn't mean they've lost their small town hearts. They're tied to the small things that have come to matter to them, and the rest is just what fills the space around them no matter how awful or how engulfing. This she understands, and so if he'd continued to back away, leaving her to go it alone, she wouldn't have needed to ask him why.

But he stops. He sounds unsure, more unsure than she's ever heard him, but the improtant thing is that he stops. You can, she wants to tell him. If she can do it, as pathetic as she is, then he can do it just as well or better. ]

He'll want the best for you too.

[ Whatever that ends up being, though she has a feeling it doesn't involve staying here. But he should at least be allowed a chance to step back and see himself, and he can't do it here. Gray takes a deep breath, begins to really breathe again, and hugs Gen's jacket with its precious cargo carefully to her middle. ]

Then let's go... soon. If there's anything you need to do...

[ They'll need to decide where they're going, but before even that, they'll need to prepare for a journey. ]

[epiprocta]

[ Yeah. Eustace would have -- will want the best for him. Of course he will. Because Eustace is a good and dutiful person, far kinder than that stoic facade of his suggests. (Far kinder than almost anyone Gen had known back in his hometown, though thinking of it in those terms makes something in his chest ache.) It's not that he doubts Eustace's good intentions, but ...

Is leaving really what's best?

(No, a voice whispers at the back of his mind. Of course not. What is he thinking, abandoning his duties out of selfish cowardice? His obligations are here, where he belongs. What is he doing, even thinking about fleeing like a spooked dog, tail tucked between legs?

He's supposed to endure. Heartache, pain, fear -- he's supposed to endure it all.) ]

-- need to do. [ Whether it was intentional or not, that concrete suggestion from Gray helps calibrate his thoughts and ground him, offering a foothold to keep his thoughts from spiraling out of control. Gen closes his eyes as he tries to focus. ] Before we leave.

[ Because they're leaving. He's leaving Achamoth. ]

... that guy, Liem. He mentioned hiding supplies around. We should grab one. [ His shoulders are still squared with tension, each word forced out halting, but at least Gen's voice sounds a little more level when he speaks again. The pallor of his face has yet to subside, but some of that characteristic, sharp focus has returned to his gaze when he looks Gray over once more. Her injuries look grisly even with the bandages on; he's not sure how they look under the layers of bloodied fabric. ] He mentioned first aid supplies and water. I think it takes a few days for people to -- [ revive ] -- wake up, too. So food. Supplies in general. Then we can find someplace quiet to do the teleportation thing.

[ Focus, he tries to remind himself. He needs to focus on what must be done which, right here, right now, is preparing to leave. There's the scrape of his bootsole against the ground once more, but this time it's not to back off -- Gen makes to step past Gray and lead her back out of the alleyway onto the main streets. Forcing himself to move forward. He'd passed by a general store on the way here, he thinks, and it should be good to pilfer some things from. He pauses only to glance at his jacket still bundled in Gray's arms. ]

Can you carry him for now? [ Keep him safe. ]

[gravings]

[ Good. That's good. He's focusing on more practical things now, and she's content to let him ride the wave of that momentum as far as it will go. It's second nature for her to follow his lead, ready to trot if she needs to in order to match his longer stride. In response to his question, she nods firmly. ]

Yes. I'll protect him, no matter what.

[ There isn't a single person who will be able to pry this shard out of her hands without permission, be it Regent or Sanctifier. Though it would behoove her to know who exactly would be trying to do the prying, so she asks, ]

Do you know what happened to him?

[epiprocta]

[ That earns another moment of silence. Gen keeps his gaze trained ahead as he leads the way at a brisk pace, expecting Gray to keep up with him, boots thumping off the paving stones. The very deliberate quality to his silence indicates the answer is a 'yes'; it's just that he needs a moment to formulate words in a way that doesn't send his thoughts spiraling again. ]

Barnaby. [ -- is what he finally offers at a low mutter, voice kept low and flat. At his side, his hand clenches to a pale-knuckled fist. ] Barnaby killed him. I heard fighting, and when I reached them, Eustace was already dead. I told Barnaby I was going to take the shard to the revival room.

[ But he hadn't.

Because the thought of Eustace ending up like Barnaby -- fundamentally compromised, memories of a precious person gouged out with surgical precision, left mangled and warped -- makes him feel sick to the stomach. Death would be preferable. Gen swallows thickly, then jerks his head for Gray to follow as he turns down a side street, where a sign indicates a general store just up ahead. ]

He's been fucked up ever since we got back from Venera. But ... I didn't think it was this bad. Should've known.

[gravings]

[ What's visible of her face, already pale, manages to pale further as Barnaby's name punches a hole into her she couldn't have prepared for. Her composure, so recently gathered, cracks again, but it manages not to shatter; she holds the dread and betrayal tight to her chest, as much as it burns to the touch. ]

No...

[ The word slips out, but she doesn't doubt Gen's account. He sounds very sure, and very bitter about it. ]

I knew he seemed a little strange, but I didn't think... Why would he do that?

[ She continues to follow along numbly, having no choice but to keep moving forward. ]

[epiprocta]

[ He glances at her at that, eyes narrowed as he focuses his vision -- yeah, she hasn't been here as long, and that swirl of darkness around her core isn't as deep as some others'. No wonder she just thinks he'd become 'a little strange.'

Gen looks away once more as he stalks towards the closed general store, peering in through the darkened window. The door is locked and the interior is unmanned; no doubt its owner hadn't seen fit to try and keep a place this small operating amidst the chaos of this day. ]

They did something to his shard. [ His answer is followed by a fruitless rattle at the doorknob. No dice, of course. And while he could just bash it open with his mace, he doesn't want to draw too much attention. Nor does he want to take too much time. He frowns as he stares down at the bottom of the doorframe right before his boots. ] It's ... it's like they injected something in there. And it fucked with his memories, too. I never liked him much anyway, but now I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him.

[ His words had petered off with a slow exhale, and he closes his eyes in concentration for a moment. Then there's the quiet crack of the ground beneath the door's bulk shifting, exerting just enough pressure to twist it in place until the door's lock pops open and a hinge breaks. Gen exhales heavily as he opens his eyes -- forcing fine movements like that with his magic is always more exhausting than fighting with it -- before shouldering the door open and jerking his head to indicate Gray should follow inside. They should move fast. ]

[gravings]

[ She listens to him with a deepening hollow in her heart, the severity of Bunny's situation boring into her. Manipulation of his shard and memories... It should be unthinkable, but she finds it all too easy to believe after how he looked, how he spoke. Later she'll wonder why Gen found cause to dislike him, but now isn't the time for that.

She's jostled from her shock by Gen's display of magic(?), which is just a different kind of shock. But she follows him into the general store without comment, sending a silent apology to the owner of the store. Eustace's safety is the more important than lawfulness right now.

Once inside, she takes automatic stock of what they'll need for their time away from civilization. Having been put in charge of packing for hikes and trips with her mentor in the past, she actually has a fair idea of what they'll need, but first she looks for something more suitable to house Eustace's shard in. Ultimately she grabs a matchbox, shakes a few matches out, and uses the freed space as a bed for the shard. It's crude, but the matchsticks will be soft and double as a cushion.

Next, she reveals the small birdcage she always keeps concealed in her cloak with its hidden passenger: a box with an elaborately carved face and pattern. Gray speaks to it like it's the most natural thing in the world. ]

Add, watch Mr. Eustace's shard for now.

[ The box's faceted face shifts into an impish grin, its parts moving and sliding like something out of a CG movie. Add cries out, ]

Hey, idiot Gray! When did I ask for a roommate?!

[ She ignores Add's rowdy voice and pokes him once so that he'll know what's coming if he causes any more fuss, then places the matchstick box on top of his flat head. When she closes the door to the birdcage, both boxes sit snugly inside. ]