aionlogs | EVENT #2: HEARTS LIKE YOURS (ACHAMOTH)

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EVENT #2: HEARTS LIKE YOURS (ACHAMOTH)

Achamoth

A DEITY'S WELCOME

After only a day or two on the river, the newly christened Kenoma will arrive in the city of Achamoth. The architecture is the more striking things about it, as if its skyline has been built up and constantly improved over many centuries. It's clear from even the riverside view that there is an artistic tendency towards building humanoid shapes into the supports and detailing of structures here, creating the strange effect of placing hundreds of silhouettes in your peripheral vision. If you ask the sailors why its like that, they will simply say it's the way its always been. Any metaphorical seed was planted long before anyone here was born.

The Citadel can be seen even from the entrance of the city, a towering spiral that looms over the rest of the land around it, lit from within by various magical energies. That's your destination, you are told. Soon, you will be passed into the care of the Citadel's staff, and will be sure to meet with city's elites not long after.

They aren't wrong. When you show up at the port closest to the Citadel, the street are always lined with people waiting to greet you. It's easy to recognize now how diverse the population of Horos can be, with many of those waiting showing off unusual heights, colors, and appendages, though appearances that are typically 'human' are still the most common. Most of them wear dark outfits with a gothic flare, with mask-like facial adornments apparently being fashionable. They cheer and chant as you come down from the boat, tossing flower petals and small gemstones onto the path you walk upon. This continues all the way to the Citadel.

Once you are inside, up winding paths of stairs, you will be shown to your new quarters to rest. You're each assigned a lavish bedroom with servants stopping by ever so often, offering to bring you food, clothing, or other items of comfort. There are a variety of soaps in your room's private bath. You are told that if you take a liking to any individual servant that you may claim them as your permanent retainer, though you are not required to. Their dispositions range from euphoric to be serving you to quiet and shy, but there is a notable lack of resentment.

After about a day of rest, you will be brought an official invitation by one of the servants. Apparently, the Regent has requested your presence for supper that evening. It is not optional.

THE FEAST

A few hours before suppertime, one of the servants will arrive to take you 'clothes shopping' for something appropriately formal to wears for your meeting with the Regent. In practice, this means taking you to one of several changing rooms filled with costly formal wear. The styles and sizes are diverse, which makes sense when you are informed that they are a collection of offerings from local weavers and seamstresses, some of which have been waiting for an owner for quite some time. From an Earthly point of view, there is a wide spectrum of cultural aesthetics, though most of them lean towards the same dark colors and gothic sensibilities that you saw the citizens of Achamoth wearing. Headpieces and artistic masks are plentiful, but not mandatory though the servant will tell you they are in vogue. A servant will be able to make alterations to your clothing with magic to achieve a proper fit.

After that, you have a couple more hours to prepare before you are invited to a lounge-like area for pre-meal drinks. You can get almost any kind of cocktail you can imagine, including some you can't, and will be allowed to chat each other up for about an hour before the feast begins. Some small appetizers are available, and soft, rhythmic music plays in the background. If you look for her, Xishen is present as well, dressed in a black evening gown with golden accents that flicker like stars in the night sky, her long hair pinned up into a messy bun and decorated with hair-sticks. As usual, she seems to be avoiding company for the moment, though she is keeping an eye on everyone. Perhaps she's counting heads to make sure there are no stragglers.

When the time arrives, two huge doors are opened, leading you into a room that looks like a mixture of a dining room and a cathedral. Ahead of you, three long takes are connected together in the shape of a triangle, with a large throne positioned at the point furthest into the room; it is presently empty. You'll be instructed to take a seat, basking in the multicolored flames of the candles and torches lighting the room. As you find your places, all seats will be filled except for the throne up front, with Xishen at its side. All you can do now is await your host.

[Mealtime interactions with the Regent can be threaded here. They will arrive right after the first course has been served.]

EXPLORATION

Having survived supper with the Regent, the next few weeks are essentially yours to plan. Though the Regent indicates that there is work for you to do on the Horizon, for now your orders are to simply rest and prepare. You'll have access to the Citadel's armory to acquire any basic armor or weaponry you could need; though none of what's on offer seems to be enchanted, it is undoubtedly the work of a master. Clothing is much the same as it was for the formal wear you picked out, though you will find there are more practical offerings available as well. If you don't find anything to your tastes, you are also welcome to go out on the town with a generous allowance from the Regent's own coffers.

Clothing isn't the only thing you can get out in the city, though. While there are material goods of many kinds available, the most tempting thing for many residents is the raw hedonism of the city's entertainment district. It has just about anything you could imagine, from day spas to gambling to brothels, and none of it is contained by the burden of law. Any Achamite entertainment seen as too intense to face daylight would certainly not be for the faint of heart.

The locals haven't had enough time to recognize the city's new Aions on sight, but if they see your shard or or any other sign of your status, you are bound to attract a lot of attention. You're a celebrity in these streets, and while it can get you plenty of favors or even unsolicited offerings, it can also be quite overwhelming. In many cases, Achamite's religious fervor exceeds their survival instinct, at least in terms of the ones most likely to bother you. They will back off if threatened by you, but they will take politeness as an invitation to continue.

When leaving the Citadel, a servant will usually try to accompany you, though they will stay behind if you order them to do so. They insist that it will be easier for you to get around with a dedicated guide, but in the end you're the one in charge.

QUESTIONS

How does my character picking a retainer work?
All Kenoma are offered the opportunity to take on an NPC retainer after arriving at the Citadel. This retainer will be an NPC created and played by you. They will be available day and night to attend to your character's needs. These servants understand the Regent largely from a religious perspective and will not have any outspoken anti-Regent sentiments, though they may or may not be nervous about their new master. Generally speaking, though, this is in a new job jitters sort of way, as working in the Citadel is considered to be a job of great cultural and religious significance. They want to do a good job! You are free to develop your retainer's personality and relationship with your character. If your character (or you) are not interested in having a personal retainer, they will instead be served by a rotation of unattached servants.

How much money are Kenomas given for shopping?
They will be given an emerald's worth in jools, which is 1000 units. This is about how much a minimum wage worker makes in two months. They will continue receiving spending money on a monthly basis, though the Citadel itself will take care of all of their needs. On an OOC level its safe to say that average city expenditures will be covered by the money they are given, though they are welcome to invest that money in making more money if they have to skills to do so.

What sorts of things are there in the entertainment district? Is anything illegal?
Almost everything is legal in Achamoth when it comes to entertainment, and there is not much government oversight in the way anything is run. This means that most 'entertainment' you can imagine is both present and largely unregulated, and it doesn't need to be underground on account of how permissive Achamite law is. Brothels, drugs, and even bloodsport are all fair game... technically, participants in brothels and bloodsports must be willing but that 'consent' can be pretty nebulous. 'Extreme' bloodsport is generally hush hush (those that are particularly graphic and unpleasant, or basically torture) and behind closed doors mostly just to avoid causing a fuss.

The one thing there is official rulings on, straight from the Regent, is the enforcement of 'age of consent' and laws against child abuse. Children are generally not allowed to participate in those skeevier activities and there is a cultural expectation for people to raise their children properly, though this still goes wrong fairly frequently. It's just one of the things that is actually punished. Adults, however, have fewer innate protections.

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[He does tip his head a bit in acknowledgement of that. Spiritually speaking, he's likewise been raised to believe in an all-loving God; it only follows, then, that unconditional love must be at least possible on some level. And in one's journey to be more like Christ - more like God - it seems a virtue that must be aspired to. But...hm.]

They tend to emphasize cutting ties here, in a way. They like the notion of everything serving a purpose - that every life, every being, every material thing and possession, all of it has something greater to serve. And so we must be prepared to give up those things, once they no longer serve that purpose. It makes sense in the same way the kenoma in general does; things will end when they need to end. Death and resurrection are a constant cycle that continues through necessity - it's what's best for everyone, in the end.

Following that sort of thought includes allowing yourself to let go of things that are important to you. And to allow those you love to give their life once their time has come. Unconditional love doesn't serve that purpose, because it encourages people to continue to hold on - to hoard possessions, to beg their loved ones to cling to life. Grief itself is also a hindrance, because it gets in the way of us living our lives to the fullest. That's why we weren't given time to really grieve the passing of our worlds and all of those in it, and why we're encouraged to not care for those we may harm in the name of bringing this cycle to an end.

[It's noticeable, perhaps, that he's keeping his words focused on the beliefs held by those here, and not his own thoughts on the matter; whether that's intentional or not, he doesn't seem inclined to amend it any if he realizes.]

Does that make sense, or...?

[ Matt listens attentively, curiously, and for the most part, quietly. Though he does say huh when Paul describes unconditional love as something that encourages people to hang onto things they shouldn't--a love that distorts, rather than one that clarifies. It actually seems a little Hindu, or maybe Buddhist. (Though while Matt doesn't know much about the Regent, he imagines they wouldn't be impressed by a commitment to nonviolence.) ]

Yes. It makes sense. [ He mulls for a moment. ] The way you describe it, I actually agree with more of that than I thought I would. Love in this case kind of sounds like the concept of attachment? Where like, you want something, and you have affection for it, but you're so tied up in a specific outcome that it isn't really love, it's just kind of ... what your imperfect ego wants. So that makes sense to me as something undesirable.

The only thing I wonder about is like. If I believe that creating a better universe is the right thing to do, then even if I'm doing something--hard--something that brings harm to somebody in the short term, or what they perceive as harm--to me, I am caring about them. The actions may be unpleasant to the recipient, but they're coming from a place of love, in service to a higher goal.

[ Theoretically. ]

[Theoretically.

He's quiet for a moment at that. The mask makes it difficult to read his expression, but he seems to be considering; either way, he doesn't seem inclined to dismiss it out of hand.]

Unfortunately, that isn't something I currently have an answer for, as much as I've been seeking one myself.

[He at least has the basic decency to sound contrite about it, if nothing else.]

I know what it's like, though. To love someone in that sort of way.

[ Matt's own mask covers mostly his nose and eyes. Below the feathered moths that make it up, his lips twitch. ]

I don't know how easy the answer is to come by, really. [ He, too, sounds almost like he's apologizing--he knew he was opening with a tough one. ] Seems like one of those fundamental debates you can spend a couple centuries on.

[ His expression softens as Paul continues. Their conversations thus far have had a pretty heavy spiritual bent, with good reason, but Matt's interested in more than just his theology. Paul was so kind to him in the cavern; he may have saved his life. If he's open to talking, Matt'll definitely listen. ]

What was that like for you? [ he says. ] Or, ah, what happened?

[And again there's quiet; it isn't as long, however, before it's punctuated by a soft shake of his head, a light shrug of one shoulder.]

It's likely for the best that we reserve those sorts of feelings for those of us influenced by the Pleroma now; dwelling on anything else seems pointless. ...Or, well. Not pointless, but unproductive, at least.

It's better to focus on where we're going, rather than where we've been.

[In other words, not exactly willing to talk about it, at least not at this point. Everything is still too recent for that, as far as he's concerned.]

I've found that attending services has helped me sort through my feelings on all of this, though. It's not always easy to sit through, but it's ultimately a good thing.

[ Matt feels briefly embarrassed to have overstepped. Of course, misjudging social situations is nothing new to him, but he feels the nip of it a little harder now. Maybe because everything's so intense here; the stakes are so high.

Still, he can follow a cue as direct as "focus on where we're going." In a literal and metaphorical sense, even. ]

I'm looking forward to it, [ he says, nodding. Another small, rueful smile. ] I mean, even things that are easy to sit through don't feel easy to sit through these days, if that makes sense.

I keep thinking about what's next.

Edited 2022-04-13 00:46 (UTC)

[If he considers it at all troublesome, let alone egregious, then it isn't visible in his demeanor; all of that is simply something he's not willing to discuss at the moment, and so they're not discussing it. There's no sense in dwelling on it beyond that.

That said, he sort of hopes for Matt's sake that this isn't a service in which people willingly destroy their pets.]

There's a good amount that we don't know yet. It makes it difficult to plan for anything specific.

I imagine we'll be used to it eventually. But for now... It's difficult to find any sort of footing here.

[ Matt nods again, thoughtfully. It's true that while he may have his niches here, little footholds where things make (some sort of) sense, they're fleeting. Not enough to build much of anything on.

He's quiet a moment. Thoughts tumble through his head, none of them willing to stand still long enough to be wrangled into words. In the end, the least considered thought is what makes it out. ]

I mean, there's a lot of ... martial language, at least, around us. So that's kind of a clue.

[ While Matt doesn't sound like he actively finds the prospect distasteful, there's a sort of distance in his tone. ]

It is.

[He doesn't sound bothered by that, exactly; things will be what they will be, and he doesn't really have any strong feelings on it either way. There's a vague sense that he should, of course, and he does retain the general sentiment that he's disinterested in actual combat. But he'll sort that out whenever the time is upon them.]

Regardless, the Regent will make use of each of us, whether we're willing to engage the others like that or not. As long as we don't directly interfere with whatever plan they have for us, I have some degree of faith that things will work out.

[ Matt supposes he doesn't have a problem with the shape of that arrangement, the way Paul describes it. It isn't how he imagined all this working out, but when he tries to drill down, he's not sure what he did imagine. A sort of enlightened anarchism, all of them inspired into the right trajectory like villagers struck by a dancing plague? That probably wouldn't work in the long term. ]

Is that a good thing, for you? That they have a plan for us, or ... want to make use of us?

[ He doesn't have great associations with those words in that order, but he's willing to be persuaded. ]

Yes.

[The answer is prompt, unhesitating and unflinching. The reasons why it's good, conversely, are complicated; it takes him a moment to find the briefest route to the explanation he wants.]

I have to believe that everything we've been through, everything we've seen and all the suffering in the cavern... I have to believe that there's some kind of purpose behind it. And for now, the Regent's purpose is as good as any.

[ It's not that Matt doesn't value argument and logic. He wanted to talk to Paul for exactly that reason. But argument and logic aren't irresistible to him the way someone's emotions are, their wants and animating needs. Paul's certainty is hard to ignore, even if Matt wanted to. ]

I've always thought I had a purpose, [ he considers. ] Or that my power did. Something that was serving the ... ultimate flourishing of the universe. But in my mind, there was never a specific person or entity that was attached to that, exclusively.

[That gets a soft hum of assent from him; Paul has always been capable of justifying things - his actions, his behaviors, his beliefs - but he's never really been one to talk about his feelings on the matter. Everything else is more or less on the table, particularly as relates to matters of faith, but his actual thoughts and feelings separate from any sort of doctrine are decidedly more difficult to come by. Once in a while they flare, but there hasn't been a reason for that - not since the despair in the cavern - and bluntly put, he likes it that way.]

I've always found that a person's purpose can be temporary. Whatever you need it to be, to continue existing as you are. And when you change, whatever you perceive your purpose to be can change as well. I've seen it happen; I've had it happen.

I don't think my reason for existing is tied directly to the Regent. It's more that the Regent - and Kenoma as a whole - is...enough, for now.

[ Matt experiences a chill he can't define--a spiritual shudder, perhaps--at the idea of his personal purpose being temporary. But, okay: why is that?

Maybe because Matt's not sure a principle can change and still be a principle. There has to be something that's constant, right? Whether it's love, or power/energy, or the speed of light. On the other hand, you've always got to be willing to change your mind. To adapt to new information. Learning and growing is good, not bad, so if it gives you a new understanding of your purpose ... that isn't a betrayal of principle, is it? It's more like an evolution. ]

That makes sense, [ Matt says at last. ] I think that's reasonably true for me. [ A soft sigh. ] And I guess I want more information, and more time to figure things out, but ... that's kind of what we're doing right now.

[ A small smile. ]

Starting with these services.

[It's good to have someone understand things in this sort of way, even if that understanding isn't always complete; he'd never felt disconnected from the people on the island, far from it, so that's never been the problem per se - the issue for him has been wondering if he's going to find anyone else that he can have any sort of connection with here. He's always felt that much to be important, at least, so being able to discuss these sorts of things with someone... It's not a proper connection, not yet, but it's a good start.

...Starting with these services, which will again hopefully not be on the more extreme side, because man these people are aggressive in their marketing...]

That's why I started going. To gain information, sure, but also to help me figure things out. I've always found some sort of explanation in going to things like this.

Granted, I'm biased.

[ Matt makes a vague demurring sound, protesting, ] Well, it's what you know, right? I've gotten into the local culture through what I know too. Not the magical element so much, but definitely poetry, a little bit music.

[ There are Matt's other exploits, of course, but that's not really relatively-new-acquaintance terrain. Not even in the middle of hedonistic Achamoth. He slants a rueful smile Paul's way. ]

I mean, there's something to be said for pushing outside of your comfort zone, but we've had a lot of practice being uncomfortable so far.

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EVENT #2: HEARTS LIKE YOURS (ACHAMOTH)

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