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

[sterngaze]

[Liem barely even hears Abel, intent as he is on watching the slow well and then trickle of blood seeping from the crack on his finger. Is… is his entire arm like that? His legs? How much of his body has been turned to fragile, unyielding clay? The shock of it nudges his mind further out of the fog consuming it, bringing him for a short time closer to lucidity.]

Resting won’t turn my arm back to flesh.

[If anything, it seems more likely he’d just sink back down into his dreaming, losing himself completely as his body turned into little more than a statue. Liem looks back up at the face of the man who’s carrying him and finds the face of a complete stranger. His senses have returned enough for him to say with certainty that he has never seen this person before in his life. He takes a moment to fully register this fact.]

Who are you? What are you doing out here at this time of night?

[inutilis]

...No, I'm afraid it might not be enough to undo what's been done, but-- it will certainly prevent you from moving around like this and further damaging yourself. Right...?

[ he can try to implore to Liem's sense of self-preservation, if nothing else. Abel does not want to see this man try to get around in this condition; it's painfully obvious how well that would go.

that last question, though-- he offers a tentative smile before letting his gaze wander back to the empty streets, still heading purposefully toward his destination. ]

Abel, sir-- Father Abel Nightroad, and someone who's quite ready to see this illness right on out the door, if you catch my drift...! But... until Venera is on the mend, and until I stop finding certain Aions out and about on their last legs, I suppose it should be obvious why I'm out this time of night, don't you think?

[sterngaze]

[Liem remains quiet in the face of Abel’s attempt to appeal to his sense of self-preservation. It’s true that he can’t accomplish the goals that brought him to Venera by simply immolating himself and damning the consequences, but he wouldn’t hesitate to do so if there was a compelling reason for him to keep moving. He suspects that he must have had one when Abel found him in the street, but the sickness has sunk its roots deeply into him now. He’s finding it hard to remember where he even is, let alone what he’s meant to be doing.]

Father Abel Nightroad…

[His voice takes on a distracted quality, and his thoughts begin to drift again as he watches the thin black trail slide down the skin of his hand. He supposes it does make sense for Abel to be out at this hour, if people such as Liem are who he’s expecting to find. Though how many of those can he expect to find in a city this size? Most of these streets are empty now; even the locals have largely vanished into their homes, regaining some semblance of wit as the aions fall further victim to the gathered supernatural influence. No, he decides, even if that is his goal, it’s a strange occupation for a priest to have.]

Of what church…?

[inutilis]

[ their path has taken them closer and closer to the more heavily residential areas of the city and away from shuttered shops and businesses; it won't be long now before they've reached their place of hopeful respite. just a bit longer... ]

Ah... are you a man of faith, perchance? [ he's a bit relieved that the title didn't require an awkward explanation that he is NOT a dADDY but a priest, small blessings-- ] I am-- ah. Was? A touring priest in service to the Catholic church, sir-- from Vatican City in Rome? Do any of these mean anything in particular to you...?

[sterngaze]

[Perhaps submitting to Abel’s care of him is making Liem more susceptible to the Innocence’s influence, or perhaps his exhaustion is simply making it impossible for him to keep his focus for more than a minute or two at once. Either way, a vague, floaty manner descends slowly upon him once again as they continue down the street.]

Rome? No… that must be very far away…

[He struggles to bring to mind any of the foreign churches he might have heard of existing in different countries, but it’s like thinking through thick syrup. Nothing about Abel’s response sounds familiar in the least.]

I was taught at the Cathedral of Coins, in Oppara… [He smiles faintly at the memory of the last service he’d attended there, months ago during the quiet of winter.] But I’ve been away for some time now. Perhaps I should go back…

[inutilis]

Ah... taught at the church? I see...

[ a man of God - though perhaps not the same sort of 'God' as Abel from the sound of names he does not recognize. the concept of worlds and deities far beyond his imagination is growing more familiar as the months drone on, at least; he isn't so profoundly taken aback each time he learns that a newfound friend hails from a place far beyond his knowing.

...but he's growing concerned for Liem's rapidly dissolving concentration, the hazy, far-away quality of his demeanor. ]

Sir--? Please hang in there with me, alright...? Ah-- hey, you never gave me your name, did you...?

[sterngaze]

Didn’t I?

[Liem discovers that his eyes have begun to drift closed, gazing sightlessly somewhere past Abel’s shoulder. He opens them again at the revelation, then frowns in apparent bewilderment at finding himself in the arms of the person he’s speaking to. That’s a rather strange way to be introduced to someone, and he can’t think of why he should be in this situation.]

It’s Talbott… Father Liem Talbott.

[It’s almost impossible to keep his mind from wandering along with the direction of Abel’s words. He can’t properly remember what they were talking about more than a few moments before, the context slipping from his grasp like oiled smoke.]

Not “Sir”… not really. Only her royal highness calls me that…

[inutilis]

[ 'father?'

well, that's certainly enough for Abel to do a double-take; this is the first time he's happened upon fellow clergy here - even if it seems he and Liem aren't from the Catholic church. a man of the cloth is a man of the cloth all the same, right? ]

...Perhaps it's divine intervention, then? That saw one priest along to another in his time of need... ah. You have to admit there's something poetic in that, right?

Well, then-- it's a pleasure, Father. Please don't strain yourself, mm? We're almost there, it won't be more than just a moment or two and you can recover a bit in peace.

[sterngaze]

That’s a comforting thought.

[There is little comfort to be found in the difficulty he has now with wrangling his thoughts into any kind of order, or in the heavy, glass-skinned stiffness of his limbs. He is drifting on a tide of vague, unasked for peace, and every time it recedes, his situation strikes him anew with unease. But the thought that some purpose has imposed a bit of order onto his current circumstances does ease the temptation to despair.]

I suppose I could rest a bit… just to get my strength back…

[Liem’s voice trails off as his head subsides against Abel’s shoulder. He does feel so very tired. The motion of Abel’s walking reminds him of the swaying of a carriage, like the one he’d taken to the Palace of Birdsong not so very long ago. Is he in Meratt, then? He should be getting back to work soon, but surely he can take a moment to rest his eyes.]

[inutilis]

[ rest is a dangerous thing; for many of Venera's denizens, it had meant a sleep they would not wake from. but the Aion were different, their affliction often not a gentle succumb to peace - but a slow-burning dissolution into something else. if Liem is to gather the strength to fight it, then...

...a temporary reprieve is all Abel can offer him. it's painfully little. he is well aware.

but he lets his ramblings cease as the other man slumps off into something approaching slumber in his arms; as promised, it isn't long until he might hear the soft creak of a door opening-- a woman's voice, one of the city's natives exchanging a quiet back-and-forth with Abel about their predicament. he has been staying with them, it seems-- and he is repurposing the guest bedroom this family has been so kind to offer him as a place for the Kenama to buy back the wind in his sails.

a brief trip up some steps -- the fourth once creaks; Abel makes a face, hoping it did not rouse him -- before they are down the hall, into the cozy bedroom that is dark at this evening hour. Liem's weight is shifted as he is laid out upon the quaint quilted blanket atop the bed, and there's the faint smell of flowers from a vase sitting on the windowsill behind the headboard. these people had lived normal, mundane lives before the Innocence had ravaged them, but they were still generous enough to open their doors to strangers - to Aions.

Abel makes sure Liem is comfortable... and then settles himself in a chair by the desk in the corner of the room to keep watch, to make sure his 'guest's' rest is not disturbed.

...sweet dreams, friend. ]