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

[ someone robs him of the chance to feel fire against his skin. confusion twists itself all over his features, but it's obvious he isn't entirely aware of liem's presence just yet. his eye is still locked on the open flame, enticing him to try and try again. he moves his hand along with liem's, closer and closer still.

he's the one who stops the advance this time around. it's as if a spell has finally released its hold on him. ]

... Hm?

[ as if finally realizing he isn't alone, he turns to face the other aion. ]

Did you say something?

[Liem is considering the merits of just hauling this scatterbrained aion bodily down the street when the man finally pauses his attempts to stick his hand into the fire and seems to notice his surroundings. Liem breathes a small sigh of relief at the question, but notably does not let go of the man's wrist.]

I asked if you're in possession of your wits. You were in the midst of trying to singe your fingers off.

[His eyes roam sharply over the man, taking in the features associated with the bleached hair and feathered wings. He looks familiar. Liem can recall seeing him at the party some weeks ago, but he's sure that he didn't look like this. Strangely, he hasn't seen any locals displaying physical symptoms like this either.]

Can I persuade you away from this spot, now?

[ even if liem recognizes him, kaeya can't figure out if he's ever met this man before. maybe he has seen him before at the party, but there are no memories to tie the shreds of information right now. all that matters is that there is an open flame right there, and he's still drawn to it for reasons unknown.

the innocence tells him it's a way to cleanse him of all that is wrong in the world. so why— ]

Is that a problem...?

[ it's not like it's liem's fingers that will be caught on fire. ]

[Any hope Liem had that the man might have regained his senses is unceremoniously snuffed out by the answer to his question. His brows knit as he considers the bleached-white individual in front of him.]

It will be if you manage it, yes.

[Providing healing to others has never been one of Liem’s talents, and he hasn’t become any better at it since being brought to Horos. Worse, if the healers among their faction also begin to fall victim to the contagion, tending to injuries could become significantly more complicated. He’s keen to avoid encountering that scenario if at all possible.]

Come away now. [He leans in as he tries to nudge Kaeya into turning, putting his head and shoulders between Kaeya and his view of the fire.] This is not a good place to be.

[ once his view of the open flame has been blocked, it's like he almost forgets about its existence even though he was so fixated on it just moments ago. he turns around just as he's nudged but not before he glances back at the other man. ]

Where are we going?

[ there's no will to fight against what's happening either way. just simple curiousity, almost childlike. it's not like they're in any danger right now so he can't make sense of why this isn't somewhere he should linger around. ]

[Liem relaxes slightly when Kaeya allows himself to be turned away from the flame without a struggle. He's found that some of the infected can act unpredictably under the sickness's effects, so although he isn't pleased at the severity of this man's condition, for now his tractability is helpful. He begins to guide him down the street, the worried line between his brows fading as he focuses on presenting a calm front for his companion—to whatever extent he's able to notice such things.]

We're going to go meet with some others from our sect, to discuss what to do next.

[This isn't even a lie. Liem isn't sure what to do about Kaeya's condition himself, though he suspects he'd have a hard time convincing the other man to be concerned about it. For now, he'll settle for keeping Kaeya present enough to move and speak. He continues, encouragingly,]

What have you discovered, yourself?

[ small shifts in someone's expression or body language are things kaeya would have picked up on if he were sound of mind. sadly, given that the innocence is content to let him care less about what's going on, he barely reacts to the calm front the other aion is providing for him. he seems more interested in studying the tall houses of venera as they pass them by.

if he heard liem's answer to his question, he doesn't acknowledge it. he does, at least, catch the tail-end of the one directed at him. ]

... No more than you already know, most likely. [ and then, as if remembering: ] Has it been discovered how the infection can be contracted?

[ will he remember the answer?? who knows. ]

[Liem is taking it as a good sign that Kaeya retains enough of his awareness to offer up a question in return, even if his manner isn't as sharp as he might hope for. He sighs, unsurprised by the uninformative answer—but it's no less than what he was expecting.]

Not conclusively. Truthfully, I don't think it's really an infection.

[For one thing, the aions have begun to fall sick far too quickly for him to believe that an ordinary illness is to blame. And for another, the way it spreads doesn't seem to fit with any logical pattern—not unless some other factors are at play.]

It seems more like a spell to me. But what about you? Did you notice anything unusual before you started experiencing symptoms?

A spell?

[ when liem points that out, kaeya falls silent as he considers the possibility of it. if he wasn't fighting back to urge to wander off, he'd likely be trying to find things that can prove it's plausibility, but he is limited in what insights he can offer. the most he can do is think back to what happened to him specifically. ]

I helped someone through her delusions before everything started becoming strange. She thought I was her brother, and I...

[ ... ]

I did have direct contact with her, at one point.

[If close contact is all that’s required to pass on the sickness, Liem should have contracted it long before now. Although he hasn’t been spending all of his available time corralling rogue Venerans, he’s still spent his fair share of time touching those he has taken the time to shepherd to safety—and he still feels just fine. But as he thinks about it, he wonders if he’s right to believe that he hasn’t fallen prey to the sickness yet. Perhaps it has already taken root in him in ways that haven’t yet become apparent. It’s a slightly unsettling thought.

For now, he’s more interested to follow this other train of thought. He takes them right at an intersection, toward a part of the city he’s slightly more familiar with.]

Did you have much success? [he asks curiously.] I haven’t found most of the locals very responsive once they’re at the point of hallucinations.

She wasn't a local.

[ that alone should leave very little possibilities of what this person might be. there's an odd buzz in his head that makes it hard to think things through, as if it's there's something actively interfering with the troublesome thoughts. as if it's telling him it isn't worth worrying about all these troublesome things. ]

Somehow, she could hear everything I said. It was a hallucination, but it wasn't anything like the symptoms we've seen so far.

She was an aion? From Pleroma?

[Kaeya didn’t say either of those things—but there isn’t much else that he could mean by “wasn’t a local” other than aion. And if the infected woman he’d helped had also been part of their sect, it seems likely that he would have mentioned it.

But the news that the symptoms seemed different for her doesn’t surprise Liem. After all, he’s never seen anything like this man’s symptoms on any of the Venerans. Is it just mental symptoms that he means, Liem wonders, or did the woman he assisted also have wings growing out of her?]

What did she look like?

[ it's true that what kaeya says leaves little room for discussion on whether or not hayame belonged to the opposing sect. when liem asks him what she looked like, it takes him a while to explain if only because he hasn't encountered anything like a jinba before. he explains that beyond her normal features, her coat and hair are washed out, and that she has feathers growing out of her fetlocks. ]

... I didn't think to get her name.

[ truth be told, kaeya was in a rush to leave anyway. she'd accused him of tricking her when all he did was snap her out of the delusion. it wasn't worth the fight, if anything. ]

Does this help?

[ honestly, he doubts it. ]

[Whatever Liem was expecting to hear in answer to his question, it hadn’t been that the person in question was a woman with an equine lower-half. Aside from the pale coat and the feathers, the description sounds familiar—but a familiar description doesn’t necessarily mean that Kaeya is talking about the woman from his dream.]

I don’t know yet, [he says honestly.] If I start sprouting feathers after this, that will tell us more than anything else. This is ill news, though.

[He slides a frown over at Kaeya, wondering if it’s just a matter of time before he slides back into whatever trance was gripping him earlier.]

We need to find a workable cure for this sickness—or at least a treatment.

[ the nagging voice never really went away. the more kaeya tries to ignore it, the louder it tries to become, wanting him to stop and just let himself float. forget about all his worries because what good will it do? didn't it feel so much better when he simply let himself be?

he barely catches the tail-end of what liem is saying. ]

If... such a treatment exists, I'm nowhere close to finding it.

[ nor is he even capable of doing so. ]

Will you make sure I don't wander, if it takes me again?

[Liem has very little expertise in the treatment of magical ailments, and even less in regards to mundane sicknesses. Whatever is causing this epidemic, he’s ill-situated to do anything about it by himself. All he can do is what he’s always done: nose around until he hunts down some bit of information that might actually be helpful. He’s not a healer, and he’s not inclined to masquerade as one.

But neither is he going to let Kaeya wander off into the city in the throes of his affliction. Liem might not be able to address the illness itself, but he can at least escort his cohort somewhere safe where he can attempt to regain his senses. Somewhere another Kenoma member can watch over him.]

Have no fear of that. I’ll keep an eye on you.

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EVENT #3: THE COST OF INNOCENCE

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