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

[regressor]

[No one had ever apologized to her before she took their blood to pay for her obeisance. Admittedly, most people (children) weren't capable of speech when she did, or she was simply handed a fresh blood bag by a handler... At least then, she'd had a straw. This was terribly unsanitary, a risk she didn't prefer...

But preference was less important in a world where giant dragons could take to the sky. What mattered was this man was either foolish enough or practical enough to offer her his blood freely. Blood that-

Runs dark, far darker than human blood should. The scars she notes, some faded enough that they had to have been years old, some fresh as the last months, the double pierce mark would indicate something to a woman who believed in the world of fiction novels, but this place... was not unlike that. But the thoughts and any conclusions she might come to will need to wait.

Her need to pay her obeisance flares up at the sight of the blood that wells from the cut. A Contractor simply knew how to fulfill their contract, the costs were so bizarre they would never guess upon the way to relief otherwise, and even though this man should not qualify... Now he does. Havoc ("Carmine") swallows. Her weak, bony fingers reach out and clutch at his forearm, half supporting him and half bringing him close, close enough that she can lower her head and drag her dry tongue over his unnaturally pale skin to catch the blood that threatens to spill along the curve of his limb.

It tastes bitter and slightly foul, like something that has gone off in the pantry. She gags despite her best effort, thin shoulders heaving as she suppresses another gag and instead surges forward, forces herself to push past the instinctive rejection of the flavor and the strangely cool temperature to press her lips against his flesh where it has been cut open by his blade. His blood fills her mouth coats her tongue, stains her teeth, and latching on with a slightly wretched groan, tightening her throat and bracing against further attempts by her body to reject the unnatural consumption-

She begins to drink.]

[sterngaze]

[Liem has never watched anyone drink his blood before. This is the first time anyone has ever asked to, because why would anyone ever want such a thing? Even to those who might find the blood of living people attractive, he can only imagine his own blood would be a mediocre draw at best. Where most people’s veins run hot and red, his own are a thin black trickle, cool to the touch and strange to taste. Anyone who craved blood for the gush of life in it would only be disappointed by what he had to offer.

Unsurprisingly, Carmine seems barely able to stomach it. But she drinks nonetheless, pulling another small wince from him as she suckles at the stinging gash left by his blade. He distracts himself initially by fishing a cloth out of a pocket and wiping the blade of his dagger, sheathing it again once the edge is unstained by any hint of black. But there’s little else to focus on aside from the act itself, caught as they are in a lull in the evening’s long conflict. From his blade and then from the city skyline, his gaze slides back to Carmine.

The sensation of her mouth against his raw nerves seems to reach all the way to his gut, intensely visceral in a way that, perversely, could almost be enjoyable in better circumstances. For now, as she clutches weakly at his arm and suffers through her needy consumption, he can only watch with fascination bordering on disgust. It is, after all, a revolting thing for anyone to need to do.]

[regressor]

[Thankfully for "Carmine"... Her desire for his blood has nothing to do with warmth, vitality, nutrition, or taste. She drinks because her contract demands it, and if she does not pay for what she has used... Something bad will happen.

She doesn't become used to the taste, it's still foul, but much like someone who finds a way to handle burnt coffee or bitter tea, she finds a way to tighten part of her neck to arrest her gag reflex, a way to keep it off her tongue as much as she can and just swallow. And she does.

Little by little... she actually starts to look...better, somehow, as she coaxes blood from his cut down her throat and into her stomach. The strain lessens on her brow despite the inconvenience of palate, her skin seems just a little less sallow, the clutch of her fingers relaxes, and the tenseness in her body slowly eases. After what might seem like an eternity, but in reality was not so very long...]

- more.

[Her voice creaks out as she lifts her head slightly, a smear of his dark blood on her lips.]

Can I have... more?

[If she had the chance... She should pay for as much as she could manage. But in the interest of the make-up of these so-called Kenoma, the need to work together in the future with people who did not know what a Contractor was and what they needed... The asks. "Politely".]

[sterngaze]

[If Liem had any doubts about whether his blood was actually helping her, they fade in the face of the visible relief that steals over her as she drinks. She still doesn't look well—she's too thin and too tired for that—but he can see that her skin has regained some of its colour, and hear the calming of her straining heart. Although it's clear she isn't enjoying the experience, it's still obviously doing something for her.

It's a bit difficult for Liem to tell how much of his blood she's consumed just by waiting here with his arm clutched in her thin hands. He always looks pale, so although he might seem anemic, that's no indicator of blood loss. But he takes stock of his heart rate, his breathing, and decides that he's doing fine for now.]

A bit more, yes. I'll stop you if it starts to be too much.

[He smiles wanly.]

This would be a poor place for me to pass out.

[regressor]

[He gives permission, and "Carmine" nods, trying to mirror the wane little smile on his face after a little delay, as if unsure if she was allowed to smile over what's happening here right now. It seemed appropriate, despite the situation, to be seen as trying to acknowledge his attempt at humor.

Eventually, there is likely no room for even a little doubt, as she desperately and then gradually more gently tries to massage her thin thumbs along his arm to coax the flow of blood, lapping and suckling (and occasionally almost half-gagging again) at the cut he'd opened up for her in his skin. Somehow, in a way that cannot be natural in the slightest... she is assuredly benefiting from taking his blood into her body despite how foul it looked and tasted. Her color grows even better, the sweats afflicting her ease off, the strained pulse of her heart calms...

And she finally pulls off of his bloody flesh, the dark blood smeared on her lips. For a moment, she just seems to zone out, staring at the sky as she mentally takes stock of herself, of the call of Hell's Gate the pulse of her obeisance...

That lays dormant, satisfied.

And once she's sure of that, the woman calling herself Carmine lets her head loll back forward, the rise and fall of her narrow chest even once again when she sighs out,]

Thank you.

[Polite. Manners. Like going for the small satchel strapped to her belt and slowly fishing out a simple first aid kit.]

Let me... at least try to cover it...

[If he lets her... She makes to begin unrolling a bandage, searching for an antiseptic ointment, the blood on her lips accidentally forgotten now that her obeidance isn't driving her. He'd made a "joke", earlier, so-]

Do you do this sort of thing often... ?

[sterngaze]

[As Carmine continues to drink, the already unenergetic flow of dark blood seeping from Liem's sliced veins grows even more sluggish, fighting against the clot that wants to fill the wound. Wincing now and then as her mouth moves against his torn flesh, making it sting and throb as he kneels quietly at her side, he hopes privately that he won't need to cut himself again for her to finish.

But true to his word, he lets her continue to drink until she's finally satisfied. The ease that steals over her face and body as her craving subsides is both familiar to him and fascinatingly alien. Some unquantifiable tension always drains from him on the occasions that he feeds, but he's never done so with such an unmoved expression on his face. Despite the relief drinking his blood has obviously brought her, Carmine doesn't seem to have derived a single ounce of pleasure from it.]

Let someone drink my blood?

[He says this without any particular inflection, implying nothing at all with those words that strike so close to home. Liem continues to hold his arm out as he does, allowing her to access it as she digs out a first aid kit.]

Not at all. You're the first person to ask permission.

[regressor]

[He's an obedient patient, and Carmine is relieved slightly that she doesn't have to deal with someone more troublesome or stubborn. It would be more difficult, choosing the best course of action with someone like that. As it is, she goes about the basic treatment as quickly and smoothly as she can where they crouch behind a still-standing part of one of the watchtowers. Normally she'd apply pressure to his wound to try and slow the bleeding first, but his dark blood is already slow, so she moves on to carefully smear a bit of ointment over the cut and then just presses the cotton pad over it and begins to wind the bandage around his forearm.]

To ask, or to ask permission... ?

[There seems to be quite a bit of difference between those two things.]

[sterngaze]

[Liem's gaze drifts back out to the surrounding city skyline as Carmine tends to his arm, gazing into the deep purple dusk with tired watchfulness. The sky seems preternaturally empty now, absent the dragon that's been filling it for the better part of the last hour. Whether it signals a swift routing of the remaining Pleroma or its just the calm before the storm, he doesn't yet know. But at least for the moment, no one is aiming spell or blade or claw their way.]

It'd be either—though I've certainly had blood drawn before.

[He looks back at Carmine as she works, marvelling at how much better she looks since just a few minutes prior.]

Not drunk, exactly, but I've been bitten, so I suppose some creatures have had a taste. Though I do prefer to keep my blood in my body.

[regressor]

[It really is like night and day, the difference between the sickly, sweating woman he had found on this roof struggling to breathe evenly and focus... and the woman before him now, somehow settled and invigorated by the blood she had choked down her throat. She still looks weary after the prolonged battle, in no physical condition for stamina but having had to change her locations several times to avoid being compromised by how her abilities lit up her silhouette against the sky, but.

Whatever was wrong with her... isn't wrong with her anymore. That much is clear.]

Mmm. You have been bitten, haven't you.

[Technically, it's a question, but the tone of her voice makes it very clear she doesn't expect nor demand an answer. All she does is make a little gesture with her head, a lingering stroke of her thumb along the puncture wounds on the arm that she's now bandaging. Why those were there, well- It was none of her business as long as he didn't become someone she had to investigate further.]

Hopefully, you won't meet many more people like me.

[People who drank blood? She doesn't say, instead continuing to skillfully wrap the bandage about his arm, checking tightness as she goes and making sure she didn't cover the elbow or interfere with his movement.]