EVENT #2: HEARTS LIKE YOURS (ACHAMOTH)

[aionmods]

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.

Comments

1

[vapour]

[ Matt's super lucky and gets to sit next to Childe during the banquet, although he is perhaps surprisingly quite cordial throughout. Nothing he says or does suggests that he holds any ill will towards the other or anyone else, really (not even Howl despite it clear the two of them rather dislike each other). For the most part, Childe seems distracted in his own thoughts, or otherwise is extremely observant and critical of what's going on around them. With the Regent present , he gives off the feeling that he's on guard, but in a way that suggests he's dealt with such entities before in situations just like these (even though he hasn't quite ever encountered an entity like the Regent before.)

Despite all this , Childe definitely kicks Matt when he's speaking to the Regent and says he's not a leader when asked, especially with how the Regent clarified it.

Super not the correct answer, Mister Jamison!]

[semicharmed]

[ Childe displays what Matt considers a disturbing amount of chill during the first course.

Though when he analyzes Childe's attitude (which Matt has plenty of opportunity to do, as time inside his head has slowed to a syrup crawl), he concludes that it's more or less in keeping with how Childe treated him in the cave. Tonally, at least. Substantively, Matt's got nothing, except that Childe's not the first person he's met to start an acquaintanceship with violence and then act like things are cool.

This is a thread of thought that Matt lets go of to answer the Regent's daunting questions, but picks right back up when Childe's foot connects with his shin. He glances sharply sideways for a moment, before his attention returns to their host.

--And let's assume that Matt survives the line of questioning, however messily, since he is honestly, earnestly trying his best. He lifts his water glass to his lips, desperately wishing it were full of alcohol, and murmurs sideways: ] What?

[ He's genuinely curious about what Childe's trying to tell him, as well as why. Is this normal when you've choked someone in a spirit of what appeared to be bonhomie? Matt has no map for this. ]

[vapour]

[ Matt's just going to learn that this is how Childe is, for better or for worse.

honestly, he's not really sure how the other managed to weasel his way out of trouble being so direct and honest considering his meddling. Childe's voice is low, but not enough to be a whisper. Still anyone would be hardpressed to hear them. ]

Just wondering how you haven't died yet~. Or am I wrong about that and you just love flirting with it? [ with death, he means. ] Anyway, don't you think you could have made yourself look a tiny bit better somehow during that conversation?

[semicharmed]

[ Matt is exactly disoriented enough to flush at the accusation of flirting with death. As with so many of his other reactions, this one is both immediate and transparent. ]

Better how? [ At least he manages to speak softly. That's actually relatively easy for Matt: shaping his breath and tone to match somebody else's. If only he could shape what comes out of his mouth the same way, but alas ... ] They asked a question, I told the truth.

[vapour]

That you did. [ Childe agrees.] Not telling the truth with the Regent is probably a bad idea, but has anyone told you before that you don't know how to put yourself in a good light when you speak?

[ that's putting it nicely, or at least that's about as nice a way to put it as he can come up with at the moment. ]

[semicharmed]

[ Matt blinks, expression landing between owlish and embarrassed. A piece of him wants to retort oh, well, next time I'll choke them while I'm making my case, but if he attracts any more negative attention this evening, he might literally pass out.

Also, to be totally fair to Childe, Matt was trying to disarm him in the middle of a dangerous situation. ]

I mean ... my mother, mainly, [ he admits. ] So I didn't really listen.

[vapour]

[ Childe chuckles. He can offer some tidbits, he thinks but before he can, he's called on to also explain himself by the Regent. His conversation with them doesn't go very well, either, and he sighs heavily once he's sure the Regent has forgotten about him in favor of someone else. ]

Nevermind, I take it back. Unless you can imitate Misa-chan over there, there's nothing you could have done.

[semicharmed]

[ From Matt's perspective, it's an enthralling exchange (though he spends most of it pretending to be busy with the food he's not eating). It hadn't occurred to him that the whole thing might have been a setup, a test of some kind. And he never would have imagined that Abel didn't receive the teleportation spell in a dream.

Well. Whatever precept Matt was supposed to learn, it's clear he failed.

He exhales softly when Childe sighs, an unconscious echo. He's a little worried about the pair of them sitting so close together now; superstitiously, he worries that his disfavor might rub off on Childe. ]

All I did was give her the opportunity to shine, [ he murmurs, rueful. ] I'm "that guy."

[vapour]

[ Childe quirks his mouth. Of course he's that guy. ] And here I thought I was doing you a favor not stabbing you. Maybe I should have done it so she had less reason to?

[ He's glad the conversation with the Regent gave some interesting information, and he can't really complain about it since he only got a brief mean-girl jab about Lumine. ]

[semicharmed]

[ Matt knows something must be up given that rather pointed purposely freed a Pleroma statement, but he doesn't think he's in a position to press. He wouldn't want to pursue the issue right here and now in any case.

At the stabbing comments, Matt's expression shifts from rueful to plain sheepish. ]

Actually ... by the time you got to me, she'd already stabbed me. So it wouldn't really have served a preventive function.

I think I was in shock or I would've shown it more.

[vapour]

[ yeah, the Regent did make sure everyone knew about it, didn't they... he'd answer if asked but would definitely prefer to not have to talk about it. ]

And you were still running around trying to take people's weapons... that's some honest eyeliner and resiliency there. [Childe lowers his voice so only the two of them can hear.] If I were the Regent, I would find that sort of thing pretty valuable... even if you were disrupting your own group. It's really not an undesirable trait to have.

[semicharmed]

[ Despite himself, Matt's surprised into both a chuckle--blame the unexpected turn of phrase--and another slight flush. Blame the stress and the alcohol.

Though frankly, he'd like more of the latter. Matt lifts his empty water glass when a servant comes around with wine. ]

That's, um. That's nice of you to say. [ He's been keeping his gaze mostly forward, outward. On the Regent and the rest of the table. But now his eyes slide sideways to Childe, face rumpling into a puzzled moue. ] Why are you being nice to me?

[vapour]

Hmm? Do you prefer me to be mean to you?

[ Childe looks amused, but he seems not to feel a need to ask why Matt would say something like that. Surely he would explain why if he wants a better answer from Childe, right?

Instead, the Harbinger picks up his own glass, still full of wine and gives a nod along with the shortened gesture of a toast (towards someone too far away from you, usually) without actually extending his arm to physically touch glasses, even once Matt's is properly filled.] To cultivating good relationships—which is something to strive for, don't you think?

[ without another word he'll take a sip, not at all concerned by the fact he's merely got Matt's attention via a sidelong glance. it's more than enough. ]

[semicharmed]

[ Matt's mouth falls open, and doesn't manage to shut for a few moments.

Rather than clearing things up, Childe's response has baffled him anew. So ... okay ... let's do the math on this one (as he takes a swig from his freshly filled glass). Childe didn't actually do anything to him until Matt interfered. Childe said explicitly that he wasn't gonna hurt Matt too badly, and then didn't. Unlike everyone else Matt tussled with in the cavern, Childe didn't throw him under the bus in front of the Regent.

So ... yeah. Counterintuitively, Matt believes him. He lifts his glass in turn, a small but not unenthusiastic gesture. ]

I think it'd be nice, yeah. [ He smiles. ] Um. To cultivating good relationships.

[vapour]

Then, we'll do so. Are you able to protect yourself, though, indeed normal circumstances.

[ that probably sounds like a really strange question, but it has a lot of relevance in how Childe will treat him in the future. If he has to look out for him like he has come to agreement on doing with Misa and Meteion, then so be it. If he can defend himself easily, or contribute much more heftily, well then they got a ways to go to see that Matt gets on the Regent's better side as time goes rather than sliding in the wrong direction. ]

[semicharmed]

[ It'd seem like a much weirder question if they hadn't all just been in a skirmish together. Matt doesn't guess at Childe's underlying tactical reasoning, but he can see how the matter would be on his mind. ]

Depends how you define "protect," [ Matt notes ruefully, sipping his wine. ] And normal circumstances. But I mean ... I can make shields? They're pretty strong--they kept Silco in just fine, so they can definitely ward off a motivated adult man.

[ He's not proud of that, per se. But it's information! ]

Not sure how they'd stand up against the whole spread of abilities here. Yours, for instance.