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

🔴 closed: liem

[affal]

Liem.

( in the days leading up to the attack they anticipate from the Pleroma to attempt to liberate their captured brethren, makoto seeks the man out. all of the pieces are falling into place. some week or two ago he had spent some personal time with the prisoners, and now he contemplates how best to cobble together the requisite pieces of temptation that he now holds locked away within his memories into a bait that would serve to whip the Pleroma (and one in particular) into a veritable frenzy. he knows from personal experience how much of a double-edged sword anger can be — it can be empowering, but it can also be blinding. he can only hope that such a quality might come into play in the days to come, giving them the best possible odds at ending this once and for all.

or, well, end their involvement with a certain creature, at the very least. the Pleroma and this universe in its entirety seem all too doggedly convicted to persist regardless of how tiresome this becomes.

with all of this on his mind, his thoughts had turned to those traitors that he had helped capture in venera a moon back. liem and barnaby — as some in achamoth might have grown to expect, they had disappeared from the public eye for a time, again reappearing with newfound... compliance. makoto does not question the Regent and their judgments (he can't, really), but he has within him... a curiosity. he wants to see the aftermath himself.

so he tracks liem down in the city, with a little help from those who had seen him pass and whose lips were loose enough to let makoto know. the man attends to one of his many stockpiles throughout achamoth, and makoto lingers in the doorway, smiling at him as he might an old friend and not someone for whom his last memory was slashing his throat and making sure his body got back to its guaranteed imprisonment and torture. )

This is quite industrious of you. How many of these do you have hidden away throughout the city, do you think?

[sterngaze]

[After his execrable contribution to last month's missions, and his subsequent stay in the Citadel's dungeons, Liem has spent the last week and a half determined not to give the Regent any cause to be disappointed in him again. They have charged their aions with defence of the city during the executions, and Liem intends for his performance to be beyond reproach.

A man who was thinking only of his own glory likely wouldn't have bothered to arrange supplies like this for his cohorts' use. One who was less thorough wouldn't have bothered checking the state of his caches after he'd had them delivered. But Liem's first priority has always been to focus on completing a task, and completing it well. He is out in his dark, Achamite robes, braving the hostile glare of the day's buttery summer sunshine as he ensures that his directions have been carried out without flaw, and that the delivered supplies will be accessible to any of his colleagues who need them.

He doesn't miss M's slight form lurking in the doorway. Given their last interaction, he can't help the prickle that sets his nerves jangling at the demon's red-eyed regard, but he masks the feeling by straightening from his crouch next to a box of first-aid supplies and briskly straightening the hang of his robes.]

Thirty-two, [he says without hesitation,] focused around main thoroughfares leading to the Citadel.

[Being the one to arrange the distribution of the supply stashes, he knows precisely how many of them there are.]

Not as many as there might have been with a bit more preparation, but it should serve, unless the Pleroma's forces are far more populous than I've been led to believe.

[affal]

( liem is correct in his thinking. some among their number, more self-confident in their own martial ability, might very well keep their eyes to the skies and imagine the battle to become, thinking only of their place in it. a limited view. achamoth itself is the body of its Regent's control all across horos, and ignoring the people that make up its lifeblood would be a drastic mistake for anyone hoping to carry their goals to fruition. the issue of supplies and logistics might not be as dramatic or alluring as the glory of the battlefield, but they had far more impact on the likelihood of ultimate victory than a single soul's force of arms in the grand scheme of things. that liem seems to understand something so fundamental is... comforting to makoto. individuals with heroics burning like fire in their blood had their use, but salt-of-the-earth souls willing to dedicate time and effort to something like this... because of how the effects could ripple out, it might have an even larger effect. )

Thirty-two...

( he handles the number with a sort of appraising regard, though by the warmth in his tone and the faint smile on his face, he seems... pleased? impressed? it's hard to tell with makoto; a creature with a capricious mien and a chimerical countenance, it's hard to nail down. )

It's no mean feat to have accomplished in such an abbreviated time, regardless. Have you spread word among the other Aions, and the soldiers as well? Even if they do come in higher numbers than we expect... I believe preparations like these could play a sizable part in counteracting that. ( a brief pause. ) This is the seat of the Regent's power in Horos. We should make them regret their arrogance in striking at its heart.

( and painstaking preparation was one of the few advantages that they couldn't neutralize or take away from them. )

[sterngaze]

[Despite the violent context surrounding Liem's last interaction with M, his unease around the other man has more to do with his own status within the Regent's sect than with the lingering scars of their battle. It took M's unflinching effort to bring Liem back into the fold for correction; of all the Kenoma aions, he feels like he needs to prove himself to him the most.

M's evident approval of his efforts persuades the tension in his shoulders to relent just slightly, from stress migraine down to ordinary, run-of-the-mill paranoia. He allows himself to look back at the collection of supplies, completing whatever mental checklist he was in the middle of when M arrived.]

We will.

[His matter-of-fact tone suggests that he has already given the matter of the Pleroma's assault quite a bit of thought. But perhaps that's obvious already, from the enterprise he's set up around the city.]

That is our task, isn't it? To lure the Pleroma here with a spectacle, and punish their boldness decisively. The latter being key.

[A light slap on the wrist won't suffice for an attack so unforgivably brazen. They have to make the Pleroma regret their coming. Their assault has to be repaid in not just blood, but in tears. That is why thorough preparation is so important.]

I've spoken with some of the military already, to set up locations for a few of the stashes. They'll be informed. For the other aions, I've drafted a communion message. The Pleroma will be expecting an uphill battle; ideally, we can make it a climb.