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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 '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.

hundredpower: suit (002)

Barnaby Brooks Jr. | Kenoma | Lover

[personal profile] hundredpower 2022-08-18 07:04 pm (UTC)(link)
[Closed starters will be posted here! If you want to plot, feel free to hit up my plotting comment over here.]
subsist: (pic#15626811)

kaeya alberich ◆ kenoma ◆ lover

[personal profile] subsist 2022-08-18 07:07 pm (UTC)(link)
( ooc. i'll be dropping my closed starters here! if you'd like a starter or you'd like me to tag you elsewhere, please feel free to hit me up via my plotting comment. )
subsist: (pic#15626281)

ᴄʟᴏsᴇᴅ ▸ fight your (former) allies.

[personal profile] subsist 2022-08-18 07:07 pm (UTC)(link)
we live in your shadow.
childe + lumine + thoma

[ it's a lot like waiting for the coming storm.

what should have been a beautiful day is now swept aside by the impending executions of two pleroma aions who were foolish enough to let themselves get caught. kaeya knows that this isn't exactly a fair perspective to have, because he knows that both himeka and abel were only defeated thanks to the innocent entity deciding that they failed to upkeep their promise. it's just simply getting harder and harder to convince himself that there was no way to avoid this. the inevitability of it all makes him wonder if this is going to happen over and over and over again until the kenoma overwhelms everyone who dares get in their way.

it's a thought that has been simmering under the surface for a while, but it's only nowadays that it's become much more difficult to ignore. on a deeper level, there's still a quiet voice that remains desperate to be heard amongst the static.

he doesn't give it much of a chance to flourish before something else crushes it's attempt.

when light floods the sky above achamoth, he knows that the pleroma have arrived. it's a familiar sight, almost, the ethereal aura that mixes in with a great miasma of wings and then... fire? the beast that emerges from them is enough to shift his priorities, bringing him away from the outer edges of the city and towards the center where the citadel lies. the achamites who were ready to defend their city have somehow lost their will to fight, a curious scenario that's nearly reminiscent of what plagued venera months before. he knows that this just means the likelihood of achamoth falling is much higher than it was in the beginning, so it's obvious where he needs to be.

at least, it should have been, until something else catches his eye.

it hasn't been a secret that the traveler is back here in horos. ryunosuke made it a point to confirm that she had returned, and while that brought about a myriad of conflicting emotions, he ultimately decided that it doesn't change a single thing. he already made up his mind to defend the kenoma and its cause no matter what happened, so—

before lumine goes any further, she'll find her path suddenly obstructed by a pillars made out of ice that originates at the direction kaeya is coming from. he is slow to approach, not quite ready to manifest a weapon just yet, if he doesn't need to. ]


... Traveler. [ a smile, easy as always. ] Didn't I tell you to run away from the Kenoma?
hundredpower: (241)

CLOSED - KOTETSU

[personal profile] hundredpower 2022-08-18 07:13 pm (UTC)(link)
[Having spent most of the past two weeks resting and preparing for battle after his long confinement, Barnaby is ready to finally prove that he can be a loyal Kenoma, and loyal subject of the Regent. What better way to make amends for his disloyalty in Venera than fending off a threat to Achamoth itself? He would hunt down the Pleroma, and they would pay for this intrusion.

The dragon in the sky is the biggest priority, but Barnaby also knows that, with his limited powers, he should join in striking it only when the time is right. He can feel its power from here, feel the way the Kenoma inside him shies away from its blinding light. Until the time comes, he's better suited for taking out individual Pleroma to stall their assault on the city.

He can't stay anywhere near the execution sight, though. The fire, the sight of people cheering it on, the thought of the smell of burning flesh and screams are all unbearable to even consider, not out of any sympathy to the victims, but because of the weight of his own past memories. So he sticks to the area surrounding the site, hunting down stray Pleroma trying to secure the streets in amongst the fighting. He finds one such man who he can only guess is a Pleroma and not an Achamite based on observation, and steps into his path, calling to him.]


Where are you going?

[Barnaby is dressed in all black, denoting him as firmly on the side of the Regent, his expression cold. Regardless of what the stranger says, he's already prepared to end this discussion with a fight.]
lachtara: (Kneeling)

[personal profile] lachtara 2022-08-18 07:31 pm (UTC)(link)
Hiiiii.

For the event, I was considering having Emet borrow the body of a Pleroma in order to help break the Shards free. My Acceptance letter said that I needed to check with the Mods and with the player involved before this happened ingame.

Are there any additional stipulations outside of the ones on the acceptance, or anything I should keep in mind?

So you don't have to hunt for anything, here is what was written in the acceptance:

"Any body snatching attempts can't be used against other Aions without severe resistance (please speak to us when and if Emet-Selch tries this) and can be contested with willpower by non-Aion NPCs. If he does possess someone, his Shard will still show on his victim's body in its usual place."

Thanks!
lachtara: (Raise)

[personal profile] lachtara 2022-08-18 08:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Would it be easier to take control of a Kenoma or NPC? I'd still like to participate in the Boss battle, but wear and tear like this sounds like it would make that difficult.
hundredpower: suit (173)

[personal profile] hundredpower 2022-08-18 08:19 pm (UTC)(link)
How much IC time do you anticipate each round of the boss battle taking? Barnaby's power is on a five minute timer and Liem's is on a one minute timer, so any estimates using those ballparks would be helpful!
hundredpower: (146)

[personal profile] hundredpower 2022-08-18 08:50 pm (UTC)(link)
OH PHEW for a sec we thought we had a marathon boss battle on our hands... Thank you!
locumstudentesquire: (what the fucketh)

[personal profile] locumstudentesquire 2022-08-18 10:25 pm (UTC)(link)
Soon after Estinien 'ascends', so to speak, Ryunosuke will mentally reach out to the Sanctifier, though he still attempts to speak to both components as individuals. A simple heartfelt "thank you" to the entity comes first.

And then to Estinien:

"I don't suppose there's much sense in my telling you to be careful, is there?"

The words sound harried, presuming that he's running along with the rest of the Pleroma to get to the execution in time, but he wants to make sure he gets this sentiment of concern out to his friend.
regression: my webtoon icons are free to take. DNT the other icons, as they may have been personally purchased by myself (my memory is escaping me). (Default)

yoo joonghyuk (kenoma ✦ sovereign)

[personal profile] regression 2022-08-18 10:29 pm (UTC)(link)
[ it's you're looking for specific/closed starters, feel free to tell me on my plotting post or through other communication channels. ]
regression: (pic#15868330)

open

[personal profile] regression 2022-08-18 10:40 pm (UTC)(link)
BEFORE/DURING THE BURNING ✦ KENOMA
[ Joonghyuk is fussing over their resources, checking that he has enough arrows in his quiver and that he has a knife and a sword on him. The burning doesn't gain much interest from him, though. The decor and finesse of it all has him frown, burning flesh if this is during the event has his nose wrinkle.

How dramatic.
]

The extra flair is unnecessary.

[ Lifting up a blade to check on it, a current of electricity crackles along the edge before it settles to being a normal blade. ]

SURVIVE ✦ PLEROMA
[ me throwing out some prompt for pleroma... my attempt at cross-canon cr.

The scenario is that either him or your character is worn down by the raid and discover the other. Joonghyuk would probably try to attack, but pleas may work. If he's the one found under the weather, then... Yeah. Same thing. He would still try to attack. Sometimes you are incorrigible.
]

WILDCARD
[ Joonghyuk may also help in assisting evacuation! So that is another situation open to Kenoma focused on that or Pleroma that stumble upon it. Otherwise, anything goes. You may contact me on discord, plurk, or through my plotting post if ideas come to mind. I'm pretty chill with whatever. ]
baltimores: (036; you don’t have to test me)

[personal profile] baltimores 2022-08-18 10:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Hi mods! Just wanted to double check, as some Kenoma are finally getting dissipated in this event — since Achamoth has a place of power of its own, roughly how long could any dissipated Kenoma take to regenerate when brought there?

Also, just for my own curiosity/general flavour — is Achamoth's place of power at the lodestone in the Citadel, or elsewhere? Since a handful of Kenoma will be heading there with their companions' shards this event.

Thank you!
hundredpower: suit (265)

CLOSED - EUSTACE

[personal profile] hundredpower 2022-08-18 10:45 pm (UTC)(link)
[It's not difficult to pinpoint a shooter at the edge of a crowd. What's less obvious is where a shooter is aiming, and while it would be natural to assume a Kenoma would fire at the opposite sect as a matter of course, as Barnaby activates his Hundred Power with the intention of taking down one of the many Pleroma near the execution site, his sight is enhanced enough that he can watch the bullets as they fly by, note the trajectory.

Eustace isn't aiming for the Pleroma at all, but rather, the Kenoma, and any Achamites incited to attack alongside them.

So he changes course, approaching Eustace, eyes and outline glowing a bright blue to indicate his power is active. Even if he shoots directly at him now, Barnaby will be fast enough to dodge the bullet with ease.]


Drop the gun. [He says, poised to strike.]
regression: (pic#15851382)

closed ✦ the idiots

[personal profile] regression 2022-08-18 10:49 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Well, the raid is happening and Joonghyuk has mostly been nocking arrows and firing them at any Pleroma that floods into the Citadel. Perched on some spire, he keeps an eye on the battlefield, right eye glowing gold to assess the raid. Dragestinien isn't out just yet in this thread, I guess.

His focus is interrupted by an abrupt communion connection from a familiar, annoying voice: Bastard Yoo Joonghyuk! Where are you?!

Squinting, he can see an Aion avoiding the battles, sleuthing through in hopes to go unnoticed... She may not be wearing her purple hoodie, but it's difficult not to pinpoint your companions among chaos. It's a learned skill.
]

What do you want.

[ His hand brushes along the body of an arrow before gently pulling it out of his quiver. The arrow spins between his fingers as he deliberates shooting her.

As a warning and a treat.
]
regression: (pic#15851101)

closed ✦ thoma

[personal profile] regression 2022-08-18 11:06 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Joonghyuk has come down from his favorite perch, quiver and bow on his back, sword hanging off his hip, and in general prepared for the raid. Being resourceful, he's on the ground floor to collect stray arrows and fill up his quiver, though there are still a bundle in it.

His eyes narrow, brow furrowed, when he meets the gaze of a... Stranger. He does not remember seeing him at the Achamoth tour, neither was his face shown during the group communion. Hm.
]

You.

[ Not a familiar you, but still referring to Thoma. What are you doing here? ]
regression: (pic#15851350)

closed ✦ gen

[personal profile] regression 2022-08-18 11:18 pm (UTC)(link)
[ It's almost time for the burning, the aions can watch (or help, joonghyuk will not) the military assemble themselves and the cultists prepare the scene... Organized, devout, and ready to worship the Regent in their ways—one combat, the other with fire. Joonghyuk sorts through the available weaponry, not for the soldiers but for himself. Each piece is appraised and rated on his standards and tastes.

He goes through the swords, narrowing it down to one that isn't too thin or wide. Dark eyes shift the Gen—he remembers what he said about a certain someone on the Kenoma communion.
]

Don't touch Kim Dokja.

[ What prompted this? Absolutely nothing, but the warning is there, anyway. ]
Edited 2022-08-18 23:47 (UTC)