aionlogs | EVENT #3: THE COST OF INNOCENCE

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EVENT #3: THE COST OF INNOCENCE

The Cost of Innocence

INVESTIGATION

As the Aions arrive in Venera, they will find the natural beauty of the city in sharp contrast to its uncomfortable aura. Though the sun still shines and flowers still bloom in a place filled with physical vibrancy and life, the air itself is impossibly still, as if wind no longer blows. You can taste the stagnancy of it when you breathe, and the pleasant sights only make that feeling of absence more haunting. The streets are mostly empty, with most of the city's residents hiding away in their homes, fearing the touch of whatever illness has caused this. That is, all the citizens besides those most affected, who wander the streets in a lifeless and painless daze.

Normally, Venera would be occupied by both Hylician and Achamite soldiers, but it quickly becomes apparent that both have abandoned the city, only guarding its furthest outskirts. Their reasons vary: the Achamite soldiers seem to take religious objection to the feeling of the city, believing it to be some trickery of the Innocent, while the Hylicians simply see it as a plague they have no interest in catching or spreading. Because of this, it will be easy for Aions of both sects to explore with little pushback from any form of law enforcement. The Kenoma will be directed into the city with warnings about the potential physical and spiritual danger while Pleroma will be able to sneak in mostly unbothered. After all, no one is eager to follow you.

Most shops and businesses are currently closed, though some uninfected individuals still nervously keep watch over their workplaces, fearing potential looting. It's difficult, but not impossible, to find people to talk to, and while the most plentiful wanderers are the infected, the reactions from those with their minds still intact will vary. Some will be eager to speak to anyone who looks like they're trying to do something about their situation, desperate for any source of outside help. If revealed you are an Aion, this may either entice them even further or cause them to retreat, as if fearing that you are somehow to blame for their plight. For those that are enticed, it will become clear that they hold onto faith that Aions are in Horos to save them, and will tell these new arrivals whatever they can without discriminating between sects.

The base level information that can be found is thus: the infection began at the same levels it has been in the rest of Horos, only for the numbers of the afflicted to rapidly accelerate upon the coming of the Innocent's Moon. Some see it as a form of divine punishment for their cooperation with the Regent, while the less cooperative citizens see it as a malady brought about by the Aions themselves, their only hope being that they will be able to clean up the mess they made. Some citizen have managed to corral their inflicted loves ones into their rooms and will be willing to introduce you; most of these individuals are past the point of conversation, and seem fully lost to whatever fantasy world they are experiencing. They are disinterested in eating or drinking and it seems like, without help, they are destined for a slow death of starvation and atrophy. That is, if their apathetic state doesn't result in a severe accident, as it has in many cases already.

Any other clues will take more dogged investigation. It will be a day or so after the majority of Aions have arrived in the city that the first signs of their own infections become clear.

HEAVENLY BODIES

The first to feel its effects will be the Innocents, Lovers, and Celebrants; like a voice has fully awakening to them, whispering of how their touch can be the cure to the others' pain. It bids them to take their fellow Aions into their loving embrace, to share this gift, as only suffering lies ahead. It expresses without words that it will be a shield for their Aion kindred, and that those that accept will become their outstretched hands to a cosmos that craves peace. Any form of physical contact with those three Legacies will either introduce or rapidly accelerate the infections experienced by the others, this effect only becoming more intense if the wielder intentionally forces the power of this strange entity into their victims.

Even without that accelerating touch, however, other Aions are not necessarily safe; the infection will still seep in, albeit more slowly. All Aions may experience a growing feeling of connection to the infected Venerans, as if the energy within them is being drawn into their their own bodies. As the Aion's symptoms worsen, the the ones suffered by the Venerans will gradually lessen, though not go away entirely. It seems that the Aions soaking up this strange power is enough to take the edge off of what is happening to the citizens: but at what cost?

Various symptoms will manifest in afflicted Aions with outcomes far more diverse and devastating than what the Veneran civilians have experienced. Visionaries, Firebrands, and Artisans will suffer the most catastrophic symptoms, the clash between their spiritual natures and that of the Innocence being the most extreme. This malady is characterized by its innate desire to quell its victims of their resistance, smothering them in artificial peace, even if it has to deprive them of their bodies and minds to do so.

It is not without treatment, however. It will gradually become apparent that feelings of intense suffering or upset are capable of purging the infection, that clash with painful reality seeming to wake them up from their trance and reduce or eliminate physical symptoms. The more intense the distress, the more effective it will be. Fortunately, this heightening of Aion spiritual energy has the added consequence of making empathic communion connections far more acute. Instead of just transmitting and receiving emotions and thoughts, Aions will find themselves more easily able to enter the delusions and memories of their kindred, drawing them out and manipulating them for this purpose. The catch is that they will only be able to access what is on the surface of the other Aion's mind.

When an infection is reduced or expelled this way, the energy causing it seems to be dispelled from the city, lowering the intensity of its ambient effects. While similar can be done to Veneran citizens to help treat them, the energy will not leave, and will either go into the Aion casting it out or return to the nebulous source of Innocence and eventually infect someone else. Something about going through the Aions specifically seems to act as a filter, as unpleasant of a way as it is to help.

IN THE SILENCE

For those unlucky enough to develop complete, or near complete, infections (IE. a full Innocence petrification) a presence will awaken within them regardless of their Legacy. It will urge them to join with it, to embrace the peace it offers, and to become the extensions of their will in this ravaged world. With an infection of this intensity, there will be little they can do but to hear its call. What exactly this would ultimately entail is unclear, but there is the sense that his entity is looking to join with you on a spiritual level. If your character becomes infected to this degree please let us know under the Committed Actions toplevel below along with the context of that transformation and whether or not they are being cured from it. You may receive some additional information in return!

QUESTIONS

What is the best way for Aions to travel to Venera?
The quickest travel paths are for Kenoma to take a boat from Achamoth, which will take about a day, and for Pleroma to teleport to the Celebrant's shrine and take either a carriage or river boat to the city (there are offshoot rivers not marked on the setting map). The riverboats would be the faster option option of the two, and would also take about a day. The carriages/delivery carts would be slower and take a couple days, but have relay access to horses and therefore could keep going overnight. Characters with flight are also able to use that, though flying right into the city might cause a bit of spectacle. Then again, none of the local law enforcement is eager to chase you at the moment.

Are Veneran civilians experiencing the same symptoms as the Aions?
Veneran civilians are only experiencing apathy/loss of self/daydreaming and maybe the loss of pigments/color for advanced cases. The more body horror orientated effects are Aion only and are being caused by their body's spiritual makeup.

Can 'cured' Aions be reinfected?
Yes! Even if cured or treated, symptoms can return or worsen again. This will keep happening until the build up of Innocence energy in Venera is entirely expunged, at which point the illness will fade away across the continent. Whether or not the Aions mere presence will be enough to trigger that is yet unknown, but it does seem to be helping lessen the effects suffered by the civilians, at least.

How long does the infection period last in Aions?
Chronologically, we are considering the infection period of the plot to last 2-3 days.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Lottie tracks blood into the building.

She can't help but do it, leave a trail of thick and obscene red behind her. Feathers coat the substance, the pure white tainted a watery pink, the older ones sporting a burgundy brown. She locks herself in a bathroom of some abandoned house, has been locked inside for some time - she coughs wretchedly and cries loud and desperate, ]

I'm a monster. I've always been a monster!

[ By now, she's lost her hand, just a jagged sort of stump decorating her wrist. She still places it against the mirror like it should be there, like she should see her hand still gripping at nothing. Digging little crescents into her skin until she convinces herself she's fine. Always fine.

But then she hears something - a knock, a voice, a wrangle of the door knob - and she holds her breath. Her tears stream down her cheeks even harder as she makes her voice pleasant and nonchalant, despite her earlier cries. ]

C-Caroline!! Don't come in here! I'm okay just, touching up!

[ The trail of blood down the street is awfully alarming, and even someone as flighty and nervous as Gray can't help but want to investigate. She follows it to what appears to be a neglected house. She thinks about leaving then, because maybe the injured party is already take care of themselves inside, when she suddenly hears an anguished outburst. She can just manage to recognize that voice, though the raw emotion in it is thoroughly unlike the confident, charismatic tone Lottie displayed at the party.

Gray gathers up her courage and timidly lets herself in through the house's open entrance. When she gently knocks on the door of the bathroom Lottie has evidently hidden herself away in (there's so much blood), she's shocked to hear Lottie's attempt at reassurance. And... Gray doesn't know who Caroline is, but figures her voice will make it clear to Lottie that Caroline isn't here. ]

Um, there's a lot of blood here. I can help. If you need any towels, bandages, or a change of clothes...

[ Lottie doesn't sound like she's dying, at any rate, so that's good... ]

[ She stares hard at herself in the mirror, deliberately ignoring the fact she's experiencing every phantom sensation of a hand that should be there and that she looks like shit. That she's bleeding probably more blood than her body has to offer and she's half chicken, half hot girl. And that, importantly, it's weird Caroline is offering her help.. But she's just so glad she's here and being kind she doesn't want to question it. Lottie decides she's going to swallow down every insecurity she has, swallow down all the things she wants to ask Caroline, and bask in this moment. ]

If I could get a towel, that would be cool..

[ At least with a towel she can clean herself up, look semi decent before she comes in here. ]

No big deal if you can't, [ The tail end of this sentence is comprised of Lottie trying hard to suppress the pain in her voice, as a burst of feathers sprout through her skin and rip themselves out of her body in a matter of seconds. ] i-it's nothing serious!

[ Gray stands in front of the door a little doubtfully — just one towel? — nothing serious? — and then listens as highly suspect sounds of pain and ripping skin burrow their way through the door. It's a little silly to her that Lottie would try to downplay this, but maybe she doesn't want Gray to worry... ]

Alright... I'll be back soon.

[ She trots away at a brisk pace, remembering where there was a store that sold plush, towel-like fabrics. They seemed on the expensive side, finely woven and more suited to being looked at never touched rather than being used to sop up ludicrous amounts of blood, but the pickings are slim with the city as shuttered as it is.

Soon, Gray returns with a few of these towels in her arms and knocks on the door to the restroom yet again. ]

Miss Lottie, it's me.

[ Does Lottie even know Gray's name... Gray wouldn't be surprised if she didn't. ]

[ Frankly, she needs more than a towel, but she's never going to admit she's looking like Snottie Lottie to Caroline, even if she thinks it's cute. So she waits, tearing out feather after feather in preparation of meeting Caroline for the first time in months. Predictably, she still looks awful, but she tries to gas herself up.

She's interrupted mid pep talk when she hears a knock on the door and her gut churns, a mix of anticipation and anxiety filling up her belly. She hesitantly opens the door, peeks a doe eye between the sliver of the open door before shutting it.

Lottie breathes once, twice, before opening it again to let her hand peek through. It is pristine and clean, save for the blood caked beneath her fingernails. ]

Hey, um, seriously.. Thanks. And sorry..

[ It's loud, and a bit more confident than before. She gestures for her to hand the towels to.. Her one single hand. ]

Why are you calling me 'Miss Lottie' by the way..?

[ Gray blinks at the question, not sure how to answer it. She tries to refer to everyone with proper respect, but it's true that it's not normal in a lot of circles. ]

Then, um... Lottie.

[ She doesn't feel remotely cool or impressive enough to speak on such familiar terms with Lottie, but if it makes Lottie more comfortable, then it shall be so.

Anyway. She obligingly gives Lottie a towel, but stops the door before any attempt to close it again can be made. She takes a breath before saying forcefully (by her standards): ]

I'm sorry, but I have to be blunt. You don't seem okay... Can I come in?

[ Gray is met with immediate silence, and the faint sound of her breathing slowing and promptly picking up before she insists, ]

I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be okay?

[ It's just a little blood, and some.. Feathers. And maybe more blood and feathers. She glances back at her reflection in the mirror, a droplet of sweat dripping down her cheek before she wipes it away and relents. ]

..S-sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you. Of course, you can come in. But I just [ She inhales shakily, ] need a second with the towel before you do, is that alright?

[ Gray isn't terribly surprised when Lottie snaps; Lottie has the sort of proud-seeming personality that doesn't dare to be challenged. It's more surprising when Lottie relents, and Gray breathes a quiet sigh of relief before unstopping the door. ]

... Of course. I'll be here until then.

[ She steps back and gets to figuratively twiddling her thumbs... ]

[ Lottie gets the towel and scurries back inside, the door closing and locking after. She tries to clean up as much she can without making it too obvious, but despite her efforts more feathers pluck through the surface of her skin and seem to grow even faster. She's blinks back her tears successfully, holding back the desire to scream into her bloody towel, and some seconds after Gray can hear the inviting click of the lock. ]

Okay.. You can come in, now.

[ She'll leave the actual door opening to her, because she's positioned herself casually near the sink, her back leaning against it so she won't have to look at herself in the mirror. Or worse, look at her looking at herself in the mirror. It's clear despite the fact she's spruced up as much she can, the disease is still rifling through her body, making bits of her skin pale and bloody. Fresh puncture wounds litter the surface of her body — the direct result of the feathers. She smiles faintly, ]

Thanks for waiting. I hope I didn't take too long..

[ Gray opens the door cautiously despite the invitation, her hooded face peeking in before opening the door the rest of the way. She automatically averts her eyes from the mirror on the wall, instead focusing on Lottie and her odd, studiously casual pose, the woman's smile a contrast to the dire state of the rest of her. Gray might be able to attribute the lack of caring to the effects of the disease, but she's sure she didn't imagine the screaming earlier about how Lottie is and always has been a monster...

Gray looks at her with gentle dismay before entering and closing the restroom door behind her. When she gets a full look at the empty space at the end of one of Lottie's arms, she gasps quietly, one of her hands rising to touch her mouth. ]

Your hand... what happened to it?

[ Fuck. That's right! She's missing a hand! Caroline didn't know that!! Lottie pales at that, unable to come up with a lie that would even remotely explain how something as big as her typing hand is suddenly demolished. Should she act sad? Defeated? What's appropriate that Caroline won't judge her too harshly for? All this and more circulate through her brain by the time a second has passed, after Gray has asked that titular question. ]

I-it's nothing!!

[ She insists, first and foremost, a strained sort of smile gracing her lips when she speaks to Gray. ]

It's.. It's not nothing, but.. I'm fine now! I'm okay.. I'll, I'll figure something out. Don't worry. I'm also left-handed, so..

[ Lottie even knows that this is a terrible excuse for comfort, but she tries anyway, sweat peppering her temple beneath her bangs. ]

[ Gray's expression doesn't budge from its open concern. She gets that Lottie is strong and independent, but here has to be a limit to how stubborn one can be. Though this stubbornness to the point of nervousness is kind of giving the opposite impression of strength. ]

I... don't think you're actually okay.

[ Gray normally wouldn't call someone out without knowing them very well, but in this case she feels that the circumstances warrant it. ]

Please let me help you. With the bandaging, or...

[ Anything?? There's a lot going on with Lottie right now. ]

[ There's a pause, where a beat of sweat drops down her temple and slides past her cheek. It is as gross as it is the way her mind hyper focuses on the sensation, suddenly realizing her skin is clammy (clammier than usual). There's static, after processing Gray's offer, and she bursts out. ]

W-what..?

[ She sounds a painful mix of confused, hopeful, and accepting. Like she's never heard this type of ready made kindness to her from her (from Caroline). ]

You already have some on you...?

Um... no.

[ Though she really should have thought to bring some along with the blankets. Hm. She never claimed to be smart. ]

B-But I should be able to manage something with what's on hand. Ah — I mean, with what's around!

[ Time to purge her brain of hand-related figures of speech. Anyway, she looks at Lottie expectantly or perhaps hopefully, waiting for the go-ahead. ]

[ Lottie breathes out quietly (except it's not so quiet, it is indeed a little Phlegm-y™). ]

Um.. Yeah! Sure.. If you want to, obviously. You don't have to if you don't..

[ She gives her an out, a way to leave it at the towel and let her take care of herself somehow -- after all, it's what she expected, really. This bare minimum to her is enough to satisfy her for years, so at the offer to help her out.. More? When Caroline has notoriously done things just to fuck with her and string her around after? She's shocked, but in a pleasant sort of way. Because it feels nice to be taken care of, even if it's unexpected. ]

I saw some blankets or something in the other room if you wanna use that, maybe?

[ This has weirdly devolved into a round of politennis, but at least Gray can work with this. She nods quickly. ]

Then I'll be right back... again.

[ She leaves the rest of her armful of fancy plush blankets so that she can grab cheaper, more wrappable ones. Lottie will be treated to the sound of fabric tearing at length before Gray returns with a neat spaghetti of fabric folded in one hand. ]

This should be enough, so... your arm, please.

[ Cough it up!! ]

[ Lottie does as requested after eyeing that handful of stringy fabric, actually - and maybe finally - coming to terms with the fact this all might be genuine worry from her. She chews at her bottom lip in the mean time, quiet and sweaty. In a voice that's rather small, she comments, ]

I didn't know you could do this kinda stuff..

[ An admission that she thought Gray was just a useless sack in a hood?? ... Well, Gray doesn't blame her. ]

It's not too hard once you give it a try.

[ It doesn't have to look nice as long as it stays on. It just so happens that Gray is fastidious enough to make sure it all looks as good as professional. She pads the injury with some clean cloth before carefully beginning to wrap Lottie's arm, avoiding skin contact. Once it's all covered, Gray ties it all together with a simple but neat bow. She just figures it suits Lottie's aesthetic more than something purely functional.

With that, she steps back and looks to Lottie for her approval or disapproval. ]

[ Whether it's functional or not doesn't particularly matter to Lottie, she's just trying to process the fact something so.. She doesn't know, nice? Is being done for her. Not that Caroline isn't nice to her (which is debatable to everyone else privy to their relationship, but, details!!), it's just she's never done anything so selfless like this. What does this mean? Is she okay with her? ]

It's.. I-it's cute!

[ She gives a little tug at the corner of the bow with her good hand.. The only hand, really, and feels her face get clammy. Maybe it's warm from a blush, or a fever, but it's a good a sign as any that she's pleased with what she's seeing, even if it directly confronts her with the horrible reality of the situation. That she's sick. Brittle as bones. Not at home, but in some awful world fighting a war? ]

Why a bow, though? I thought people used staples to stitch it together.. Not that I'm complaining, I mean. [ She makes sure to force this out in the most genuine way possible, even if it embarrasses her. ] I like it.

[ Miss Lottie's approval... Relief smooths Gray's shoulders. In her mind, Lottie is like a princess of Kenoma, so it's nice to think she hasn't compeltely embarrassed herself in Lottie's eyes. ]

I'm not sure if staples exist here...

[ Genuinely, she's not sure, but maybe she should've checked?? ]

But, um, thank you. If the bow doesn't hold up, I can look for something staple-like.

[ She looks over Lottie, satisfied that the woman seems on her way to stabilizing both physically and emotionally. Though she still looks a mess... ]

Are you sure you don't want me to bring you some clothes?

[ Lottie's current outfit is maybe, just a little, royally fucked. ]

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EVENT #3: THE COST OF INNOCENCE

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