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

[aquaveiled]

[ Himeka hears the shuffling and movement behind her, but resists the urge to turn around and look. There's a 'thunk' as the knife dives into the ground and Himeka can only imagine the source. She frowns slightly, wondering if maybe she's doing the wrong thing, pushing this too far. Maybe it's more than the injuries of battle that plagues her.

Would it be best to leave this woman as...she is? It...just doesn't feel right. But maybe it is the kindest thing she can do. ]

If I go...where will you go?

cw: suicidial ideation

[warmare]

[It is far more than the injuries of battle.

But what is she going to do about it? What is anyone? What has she found here in this world that might as well be a hell realm? In this city she has found the one man she almost felt like might have the answer, the one who had patiently waited for her to accompany him towards the light in that strange starry space, and he had looked at her in defeat and given her only words of despair.

No matter how many times she'd tried to force the Kenoma's black sludge out of his stomach, only bile and saliva had been her reward.

Every person she has met since then, she has fought. That hulk of a man with the scythe who attacked, the smirking boy who had tried to touch her and robbed her of the very earth beneath her feet, the man with the ears who had the gall to call her an animal... and all she has gotten in return are bone deep bruises, cuts, twisted tendons, and a bloody hole in her side.

Was no one here powerful enough to kill her and end her misery? Would she have to do it herself after all, when she shouldn't-

She was supposed to offer up her life in Matsukaze's arms, beneath that cliff that an explosion would send crashing down on their enemies, not here... Not somewhere like this... Where she was burying her shameful face and a knife in the dirt.]

Somewhere else!

[What did it matter to someone who didn't know her, who had no reason to help her-]

Do you want me to slit your belly before mine so badly?

[aquaveiled]

[ There's more than pain her voice--there's betrayal and there's despair. Two things that Himeka knows oh too well. Somewhere else...she doesn't even know. But that means she doesn't plan on going back to Venera. Not with the rest of the Pleroma, nor to face off against the Kenoma, or to help the citizens that are unjustly plagued with--

"Do you want me to slit your belly before mine so badly?"

Ah.

Something clicks.

It isn't just shame--she wants death, this escape. She doesn't want any part of this. And, honestly? Himeka can't blame her. It's a heavy burden to those that willingly have taken it upon themselves, but they weren't left with much of a choice to begin with. Submit or resist--the only two options. ]

No.

[ Her voice is calm, despite it all. But Himeka stands then, turning around to face the woman still facing the ground like it could swallow her up to offer her that escape. ]

Is that really what you want? To bleed out in a wood that may not even have a name?

[ She's not the best at this sort of thing--leave the grand speeches to people like Alphinaud, like G'raha. But she can speak from her heart in the face of despair. ]

That would be easiest. Life is hard and choosing to live when everything seems turned to shite is even harder. This isn't our world and may not even seem like our fight. Death is always the easiest way out, but not everyone gets the choice. We may only have one life here--

[ Whether or not they can return to the lifestream after all is said and done, if their star is truly destroyed...she doesn't know. She doesn't want to think the cycle of rebirth is truly finished, but she has to act as though it has. ]

--so we best make it count. I don't know about you, but I would rather die of old age knowing I did what I could or die in the act of doing something worthwhile than to waste away alone.

[ She doesn't think that people should strive of the glory to die in battle, but those who have done so as an act of service and love are people she admires and cares for greatly. ]

I'm asking you to make the hard decision--no, I'm telling you that you must.

[ She steps forward again, her tail thrashing out behind her. ]

My name is Himeka and I am not letting you die meaninglessly on the edge of a city we've only just began to see. Now stand up and walk with me. I know that you can.

[warmare]

[It's not what she really wants. Such an inglorious death, in a wood with no name, for a cause she didn't believe in... ? The dishonor of it burns, the shame of it threatens to consume her-

But what else is there? Anything else that she might want, if she could even bring herself to hope for it... Here in this world, it was impossible. The man who had helped her believe she might have a future wasn't here. That village where she had spent scant months of her life learning to live and to love for the first time, it might even be gone with the rest of her entire world. Anything she could want...

None of it was here. And yet this woman who has forced her back to health has the gall to preach at her, to speak of purpose and living-]

My death was promised before I even set hoof in this hell- !

[And she had been able to swallow that fear for the sake of her honor, because she needed to repay her debt, and because without her life, without Matsukaze's life in offering... so many lives would be ruined. For the first time in her life, she was set to do something good, even if it were selfish, even if it was only at the end, but now- ?]

If I cannot die there, then what purpose can there be in living here?

[So many here spoke as if... As if they'd just accepted it. As if they considered this place real, the people who lived in it worth protecting, and their struggles to be worth attempting to solve. What were they, heroes of justice from some ancient ballad? Hayame had never been a hero, even if she succeeded in her plan with Matsukaze and brought the cliff down on their pursuers...]

This isn't my world! This isn't my fight!

[She'd never be a hero.]

[aquaveiled]

[ Her death was promised...by what? Or by whom? There had been a time Himeka had thought that her own end was assured, unavoidable, yet even then it was the strength of her friends--her new family that helped her push forward despite herself. She knows well that she's in a privileged position to have some of those here on Horos and she won't discount that luck. Her own hopes would be surely dampened were she alone.

But they would not be gone. At the very least because of those people. She would have to hang on for them. ]

You think dying here is a compromise?

[ It's a true question and she feels the answer is one that would just make her feel worse for this woman. Himeka shakes her head.

This woman may have the physical fortitude to step forward, but mayhaps she misplaced her will to continue. It's not that she doesn't sympathize--she does--but... ]

Your purpose is what you decide for yourself. People may offer you paths but only you can be the one to step forward.

[ Even if that purpose is to fulfill the will of others, she still has to make the choice, doesn't she? Himeka used to think that was her only lot in life. ]

If you truly wish to be left here to waste away...I won't stop you.

[ She will only ever push someone so far. ]

Not everyone is able to fight for their world. And that's okay if you cannot.

[warmare]

[The moment this "Himeka" woman says that purpose is something a person decides for themselves... Hayame begins to laugh. It isn't a real laugh, and it is not a good sound, but a stuttering, mocking sort of sound rips darkly from her throat. Once, she had tricked herself into believing something like that. That she served her master because she had chosen to, that she was better than the armless members of her kind who had been made into beasts, that she was glad and willing to follow-]

What a fool you are...

[But even though she wants to laugh... She wants to burn instead, when it is said aloud, in any shape or form or context... that she might be a coward that cannot fight. No matter the context, no matter what she'd be fighting for-

Hayame turns a glare on the other woman fit enough to cut steel.]

Fight for my world?

[The knife is leveled in the same direction as her glare, the words spit vicious and desperate.]

Tell me who I need to cut down to save my world and they will be cut down. Otherwise, leave.

[aquaveiled]

[ It isn't the first time she's heard that nor will it be the last. It had taken her some time to figure it out for herself, to learn that it was her responsibility to decide what she wants to do. She would only be a weapon or a tool if she stopped trying--that she's valued in her own right. Of course, she could not have gotten there without the support of her friends and she realizes not everyone has that luxury. Mayhaps that ones of many things that she's missing.

Yet every motion, every utterance just makes Himeka feel...sad, more than anything. Pity is likely the exact opposite of what this woman is hoping for, but from where she's standing it's hard not to feel it. To feel so lost and directionless that imploding be the more appealing alternative.

The knife draws a small frown if only because she is fairly certain she's seen it somewhere before. But the woman's question draws a new frown of confusion from her instead, pulling her attention away from the threat postured to her. ]

Who?

[ A tangible target is much easier to attack than some sort of ideological difference, but...has she not been told this entire time? ]

The Regent is our enemy. They are the ones who wish to usher in the end of your world and all other worlds with it.

[warmare]

[Hayame has been told... no, perhaps it couldn't be claimed to be "a lot". As might be easily guessed from her attitude, people weren't exactly falling over themselves to try and get through a lengthy conversation with someone this stubborn, reactive, and mincing with her words. She's probably heard far less than those Pleroma who chose to live among the trees in Greentruth or with other aions in Godsblood.

But she's still heard about the Regent. Tales as if he were some boogeyman who kidnapped and tortured and forced black sludge down throats, but to her- ?]

Someone real!

[They seemed no more than fictional. She certainly has never met him. She certainly has never seen him. She's heard tale like some ballad on the lute of him capturing the first wave of aions and torture and despair and whips but her experience?

It's been nothing like that. It was being thrust into a world she didn't understand and being taken in by people who just kept saying things she didn't understand and being looked at as if she were the insane one when she didn't just believe things like this so-called Regent or his so-called army or so-called fortress. She's never seen his city, or cruelties inflicted by his men-

And it doesn't satisfy in the slightest.]

Someone that actually makes sense!

[Is it so much to ask?]

[aquaveiled]

[ Himeka gives pause--considerable pause. Someone real? Surely Hayame...believes they exist? Though, to be quite honest, Himeka never once considered the alternative.

Could the Regent merely be a farce? A mythological figurehead for a greater movement? If so, then who was pulling the strings? The Aion they found in those dark caverns? Was there some shadowy council in Achamoth rallying people behind a god-like being as a means to solidify their devotion?

Or is this more than such a person seems intangible from where they stand? Hayame would certainly be correct in that. Not a single one of them has seen the Regent themselves. And she doubts the other woman will take an argument of faith at this point (or any).

So rather than tell the other woman what should make sense, she asks-- ]

What does make sense to you...?

crawls back to help wrap... sorry new event got me trippin

[warmare]

[If Hayame made sense... Perhaps she could answer that question with something more articulate than,]

None of this- !

[But she doesn't. She isn't. She wished this woman hadn't healed her, she wished she could have been allowed to just lie there, and maybe eventually she would have bled out or just died of weakness, and then the foreign soil of this land could eventually claim her rot and her bones. The words of that man she had encountered, riddled with Innocence, mock her still.

Are you the last?

She can't think of anything else to say. Her familiar knife digs into the dirt, her knuckles pale, but she can't make her legs move. All she can do... is force herself to beg, disguised as a harsh (desperate) demand.

Asking once more-]

Just go.

[Please.]