EVENT #3: THE COST OF INNOCENCE

[aionmods]

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.

Comments

[lockedon]

[ The great thing about contagion-afflicted apathy is that, once it sinks its claws deep into him, he finds he doesn't care about anything. About the people slowly wasting away in Venera, about the feathers sprouting willy-nilly from his skin, and especially not about the disturbance that would usually stem from another person invading his personal sanctuary.

Instead of annoyance or a scowl or any of the fifty things Lottie probably expects from him, Eustace instead waves one arm, the feathers dangling off his arm and hand rustling against each other. He seems, if not happier, then at least more content than she's ever seen him, all his usual tension drained from his body. ]

Go ahead. There's plenty of space.

[ Assuming she can find space between the bales of hay and the assorted farmyard tools scattered around. ]

[oomfies]

[ The lack of any real ire or irritation serves to make Lottie even more uncomfortable than she was before, aware that the disease spreading around certainly changes people, but.. ]

Erm. Thanks..

[ He looks so different.. Gross, for one, but completely relaxed. Lottie thinks she's never seen his shoulders hang so carefree before. Has never not seen his jaw clenched or seen him frown to some degree. She ambles towards the center of the barn, stopping midway when the heel of her boot gets caught in the floorboard. She's lethargic in response to getting it out, clearly trying to conserve what little energy she has left. She glances up to him, stares longer before asking what might be her dumbest question to date: ]

Are you [ She audibly winces after feeling something in her ankle crack, ] okay?

[lockedon]

[ That is, in fact, a dumb question, but luckily for Lottie, Eustace is so buzzed on innocence he doesn't even judge her for it. Instead of annoyance or dismissal, there's only mild confusion on his face. ]

Why wouldn't I be?

[ As far as he's concerned, everything is as it should be. Giving in is so much easier than fighting all the time. Why hadn't he learned this lesson earlier on in his life, instead of wasting so much of his life on a mission he was doomed never to complete anyway?

More importantly: ]

Are you okay? [ Don't think he didn't hear that crack. ] Do you need help?

[ Help so he can inject even more innocence into her and they can both be (even more) disgusting and diseased together. ❤️ ]

[oomfies]

[ Wow. Did he just ask her if she was okay??

..Well, that's mean. He's shown concern for her, but not so outright. Or personal, like this. Lottie stares at him, thinking to herself that he's so sick with the Disease™ that it's made him nice to be around, and that's scary (certainly not the protruding wings, or the blood). But the bottom line is she might be stuck in the floor, and her fear of what will happen if she stays like this is more than the fear of contamination, so she nods. ]

[lockedon]

[ Hopefully she doesn't get used to it, because this is the last time it'll ever happen.

Slowly, he rises to his feet, the rustle of feathers against each other, the fabric of his clothes, the walls of the barn, filling the air with a quiet susurrus. His footsteps seem stable at least as he walks towards her, the Disease™ eating away at mostly his mind instead of his muscles and reflexes.

Once he's close enough, he peers down at her. She looks.....hmm, kind of stony. If he tugs at an arm, will she snap? But that would be for the best, right? One less thing to worry about, one fewer shackle to the horribleness known as existence? (No.) There's just enough rationality left in his mind to realize what a bad idea that might be and he changes course, crouching down and positioning his hands - one flat against the floor, the other wrapping carefully around her ankle - so he can pull out her shoe in one swift motion.

The heel comes out with the smallest of pops and Eustace leans back, letting go with a satisfied expression on his face. ]

[oomfies]

[ Oh, this is weird, he's touching her. And the closer he is, the easier it is for her to spy just how disfigured he's become (after all, it was easier to ignore when he was sitting in his little corner, but now he's right next to her!!). She holds her breath, only releases it when she feels her foot is free and she laughs brokenly with relief. ]

Thanks - Eustace..

[ Luckily for her, her body is so busy fighting the contagion that it has no real energy to spare being allergic to him, or the dust, the dirt, the hay, so she's relatively fine being so close like this. It means her mind is clear, even if her body isn't, when she says with a mix of surprise and gratitude: ]

That was really nice of you..

[lockedon]

[ Any other day, this compliment would surely be a momentous occasion, and he would surely be staring at her with a mix of suspicion and disdain. Of course, any other day this scenario would simply never have occurred.

Eustace rises to his feet, and gives Lottie a mild smile. ]

Sure. It's easier being nice than it is being mean, isn't it?

[ Truly, the contagion has really fucked him up. ]

[oomfies]

[ Now it's Lottie's turn to stare in suspicion (less so disdain), shocked at what he even said. Him offering to help and saying mild pleasantries isn't that bad on the grand scheme of Eustace, but a sentence like that? ]

You really think that?

[ She draws both her arms to her chest, cradling her hands. ]

[lockedon]

[ One day, when he's sober again, he will sincerely hope that she never talks about this day with him ever. Acting like a normal human being and being nice to his teammates? Absolutely awful.

For now, all he can muster up is a flicker of mild confusion. ]

Why shouldn't I?

[ He is absolutely of the mind that the world would truly be so much better if everyone stayed in their own lane and was just nice to each other instead of trying to murder each other instead. ]

[oomfies]

I-I don't know! It's not like I don't agree with you..

[ Geez, why is he making her feel bad?? For this genuinely normal (at least she considers it normal!) response!! ]

I guess I didn't expect that from you..

[lockedon]

[ To that, he just shrugs once before turning back around and ambling to his original seat amongst the hay. He really does not care about his appearance right now, huh. ]

I had siblings. I wasn't mean to them all the time.

[ Eustace lore, unlocked?? ]

[oomfies]

[ EUSTACE LORE..UNLOCKED??? ]

You have siblings, too!?

[lockedon]

[ Can't believe Lottie is getting all this lore, free of charge and also free of manpain. Better soak it up while it lasts. ]

Three of them. Older sister was a pain in the ass though.

[ Sorry unnamed older sister. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ]

But that's how they usually are, isn't it?

[oomfies]

[ Wow.. Lottie's Unnamed Older Sister™ is a pain in the ass, too.. Maybe Eustace is more relatable than she thought. ]

Are you the baby of the family? I am. Both my sisters are exactly like that.. [ Self centered and less aware of it like Lottie is - she pauses, after this. ] I have two, by the way.

[lockedon]

[ Tragically, this is where their family similarities end. He shakes his head as he sits back down. ]

I'm in the middle. One older sister, one younger sister, one younger brother.

[ Is that better or worse than being the baby of the family? Who can say. Though it wasn't so bad being the middle child, if he remembers right. ]

Did you get spoiled then, as the youngest?

[oomfies]

[ She sighs to herself. ]

Sometimes.. I mean, yeah, but not all the time. There was a lot of competing in the house for attention, so!