aionmods: (Default)
Aion Mods ([personal profile] aionmods) wrote in [community profile] aionlogs2022-08-18 12:17 pm

EVENT #6: BY HEAVEN OR HELL

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 'dΓ©cor' 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.

[personal profile] expiera 2022-08-27 04:50 am (UTC)(link)
[Her eyes narrow, and it's not because of his bad attitude. That light and darkness... What's the cause to that unsettling duality? The strength this time, is it fueled by his feelings, or is he overexerting himself? Suppose the two possibilities aren't mutually exclusive, but she does instinctually have a foreboding feeling about the way he uses magic, once again. There's something inherently unpleasant and wrong about that oily wisp, and the only thing she can relate it to doesn't make a lick of sense in this context.

No matter. Now is not the time. So he can channel elements into weapon form, what a showy party trick. If it's pure flame though, does it even have a sharp edge? Because a sword that can't cut or thrust is useless, these sort of things are really more flashy than they are practical. Not that she's much better placed to talk, but at least a sword like hers can slice and puncture just fine.

She doesn't shift onto the offensive, not right away.]


Then fight for what you came here for.

[He's a small fry, insignificant beneath the towering form of the Sanctifier approaching the Citadel. But she can spare a few minutes, certainly, for intel if nothing else. They do already have information about Rand, as per the last communion address, but the unusual quality to how he channels mana isn't something she can easily speak of to someone else.

What happened to him? What's happening to him? What will happen to him...?]
dragonmount: (πŸ”† machin shin.)

subjects you to a tl;dr abt wot powers soRry

[personal profile] dragonmount 2022-08-28 02:45 pm (UTC)(link)
[ truthfully, there's more to the sword than a party trick.

and not just because it can, in fact, cut and thrust. how? don't worry about it. mumbles in One Power nonsense. but to a novice channeler like rand, to someone with the ability to touch the True Source and draw on the Power β€” to a channeler with very little instruction, because even for all the help he's gotten in horos, there's no one who fundamentally understands what it is to use saidin β€”

it gives him an anchor.

once he has the One Power in his hands, what does he do with it? if he'd been found younger, if he'd been born in another turning of the Wheel where he could be a candidate for aes sedai, he would've been taught how to channel, step by step. how to reliably 'find' saidin, how to open himself to Power, how to control and guide it. he doesn't have any of that, or time to learn besides, so he has to stumble in the dark to find what works. channeling a sword into existence gives him something palpable, and makes it easier for him to then spin other weaves. learning how to split flows of the Power into independent weaves is usually a skill that requires a lot of instruction and patience, but he has yet to find the upper limit of how many he can make without thought. he's tried, by necessity, nearing half a dozen...and he can do at least twice that without breaking a sweat, as he'll one day discover.

nevertheless. that's one day; this is today. he hates ciel, but it's more than that. she's yet another obstacle standing between him and the pyres, and as with gen, he doesn't see her as anything more than that. getting abel and himeka down before they die is paramount. whatever he has to do to get there, whatever happens to him in the interim, is meaningless.

so he rushes her, sword brandished and ready to take a slash at her. and at the same time, he sends a weave of Power into the earth β€” he's learning from gen, see β€” to set the earth around them rumbling. he moves the same as if he's on steady ground, unaffected, but the ground shakes, and chunks of sidewalk start to tear off in an attempt to make her lose her balance. ]

ty for the food 🀀

[personal profile] expiera 2022-09-01 11:33 am (UTC)(link)
[For all the young man's inexperience and feelings overwhelming, overflowing, at least this, he has the right of it. He SHOULD be focused on his mission, he SHOULD view the Kenomas as nothing but obstacles. Humanizing enemies that have clearly gone out of their way to do monstrous things is pointless, it will only bring unnecessary complications and threaten the things truly important to him. Was that the briefest flicker of approval? ...Can't be. He's too busy feeling the hum of power in his veins and his own hatred crackling in his head. That's it, don't get distracted. He came here to accomplish something crucial, so he should let nothing stop him or get in the way between him and his objective.

Unlike Gen, however, his opponent this time is no amateur. The earth rumbles - without any gesture from his hands, she notes (improvement? Or had he always been able to do this? A matter of practice and control, most likely, good intel update already--), and the moment it does is when she kicks herself backwards several feet into the air, but stays facing him. The ground no longer affects her that way, and while she can't fly, she's aerial. The sword she wields in one hand is not thrust but flung forward as she goes, detaching itself into seven separate parts functionally used as Scorpion Mortal Kombat's spear/kunai on chain a whip towards his sword arm with the very real danger of piercing the limb or cutting through skin and flesh. Covering a distance that the blade assembled whole cannot reach, its segmented form does effectively appear to be a whip-like instrument of combat capable of piercing, slashing , smashing, and constricting all in one.

How far does his earth disruption go? She can easily put half a dozen feet of distance between them in one leap, and closing in may not be simple given the range afforded to her by her whip-like blade. He should focus on himself anyway, though she is curious to see, if that fire sword of his could be cut through. Doesn't matter if it's just phasing through fire without managing to disrupt its flow either, forcing it to interact with a hard object should still reveal the nature of its matter.]