EVENT #1: THE EMPTY THRONE

[aionmods]

The Empty Throne

DESCENT

Nearly two weeks after being dragged from shrine caverns, you hear along the grapevine that the "the throne room is complete." It doesn't take long to figure out what that means; the ritual grounds that you have been hearing mention of are finally prepared, and it's only a short while before you are once again being gathered together for travel. As a small mercy, at least this time the journey is short.

Through a passage that has been blocked by a gathering of soldiers for the entire length of your stay, a stairway is revealed to you. It leads deep into the ruins, through unfamiliar structures and into the bowels of the earth. Though your feel your are mostly going downward, the walk is still long on account of how many stairs their are, and the soldiers escorting you are restless. They are now being led by the stray, mask wearing Achamites that have been accompanying the group till now, silently observing. Whatever place this is, it seems that they now hold court.

Funneled into the chambers below, you are greeted by a massive, domed enclosure of stone. Positioned around its circular radius are twelve thrones in various states of disrepair, sized as if meant to seat giants. The backs of these thrones all differ slightly in design, though most have great cleaves of stone broken loose from their architecture, as if subjected to some great cataclysm. Each is engraved with a sigil, though some have been obscured by the destruction wrought. The throne closest to the entrance has been almost entirely demolished, making it impossible to glean much about.

The dome's ceiling appears to be hundreds of feet tall at its apex, its smooth surface disrupted by stalactites that puncture through its form like teeth. As a result, many chunks of the original structure seem to have cracked and collapsed in to the floor below. When examined closely, these fragments of the domed ceiling seem to be made of a material strangely reflective in quality, though caked in many years of dirt and grime. If large enough sections are cleaned, patterns may emerge, revealing designs that look almost like star maps. The floor beneath your feet as a similar, but subtly different quality, covered in wreckage and ruin but can be cleaned to reveal complex patterns of intersecting lines.

A careful eye will indicate that these lines all lead towards the center of the room - the one space that has been cleared and scrubbed prior to your arrival. Here, the lines converge, with carefully preserved marking in the stone that bely increasing levels of runic complexity the closer you look. This is where the ritual will be held, you are told.

THE RITUAL

There is not much time to regain your bearings before you are being shuffled forth towards the ritual space; no, all the waiting has already been done. Under the command of the smaller group of Achamites, the Hylicians will make heavy use of the whips in leading everyone to their places along the rune-inscribed circle. Before that, however, small cuts will be made to each prisoner with an athame, either on their hand or arm. With a sharp, burning sensation in the afflicted skin, these cuts will spread into wounds reflecting the image of one of the eleven sigils displayed on the thrones encircling the group, and matching the shrine they were originally pulled from.

With this accomplished, they can finally be taken into the circle. With a design comprised of four triangles overlapping, the design of an open eye carved at its center, all prisoners will be led to separates points on its design where the lines cross. Seemingly arranged by their shrine sigil to be closest to whatever throne represents them, they will be brought to their designated positions one by one. Any attempts to flee or disrupt the process will be dealt with swiftly and harshly, exacerbated by the increasing levels of paranoia and fear in the soldiers themselves. Whatever is being done here, they don't seem happy to involved with it either.

When everyone is in place, the seeming master of ceremonies will finally emerge. A dark haired woman will appear from the shadows, motes of golden light fluttering about her otherwise darkness-clad visage. Moving towards the center of the circle, she will stand over the marking of the eye and begin working her magicks. As if on cue, the soldiers will withdraw any remaining whips and scurry to the outside of the circle, only for new bonds of ethereal energy to lash out of the ritual circle itself, binding each and every prisoner and dragging them down to their knees. Among the soldiers, you can hear mutterings identifying this woman as "the Aion."

"Come," she says to the coterie of robed Achamites, who will approach the circle with an assortment of vials collected into cases. There is enough for each prisoner to be given a drink, and so they will; a vial of abyssal liquid will be forced into each one of your throats, no matter how uncomfortably it must be done. While no less ruthless, the Achamites have a different way about them as they work, forcing themselves upon you with a strange familiarity that feels more akin to a mother forcing their child to take medicine than the suspicious hostility of the soldiers. As the foul liquid touches your tongue, it takes on a consistency almost like a living thing, crawling down your throat even if you refuse to swallow, all while the Achamites stroke your hair and make saccharine assurances.

Once all the prisoners have been fed their vial, the Achamamites too will retreat from the circle - all except for one. Joining 'the Aion' at the center, the two of them will begin enacting a planned ceremony of sorts, that culminates in the following scene:

The Achamite kneels before the Aion, lifting their masked face to meet their dark gaze. They speak, in practiced tones.

"To the Kenoma my body, to the Kenoma my soul."

In response, the Aion holds the Achamite's face between their hands in almost a loving gesture. She speaks softly:

"By the blood of the Martyr, I accept your sacrifice."

From the Aion's hands a darkness spreads across the Achamite's body, as if they are melting and dissolving on a cellular level. She kneels along with them, cradling them as their body breaks down, pooling in a void-black liquid around their knees. It drains into the lines of the ritual circle, surging out towards the prisoners.

Within moments, the ritual is complete.

KENOMA SICKNESS

As this dark power surges throughout the ritual circle, you will find yourself almost consumed by the tide. Whatever foul creation you were forced to swallow wakes within your chest, and you can feel it move within your veins, inside you lungs, behind your eyes. As quickly as it begins, the flood of darkness washes over you, but not without leaving you stained.

Something has changed in its wake. As you return to your senses, you will notice the magical bonds of the circle have fallen away, leaving you free to move; for once, the soldiers will not move to lead or restrain you. Instead, the Hylicians warily back away from the ritual space, retreating towards the only path upwards, where they form a defensive line. The Achamites that linger make a series of ritual gestures, praying in voices too soft to hear. The Aion woman stands in the center, her hands blackened with residue from the person you just watched fall to pieces in her arms.

"You will be given time to find your truth," she says. "Use it well."

As you recover from the experience enough to stand, she and her Achamite entourage are already retreating to join the Hylician guard. Gradually, your situation will become clear: they intend to keep your trapped down here. However, it will not be the same as when you waited before. Instead, the soldiers simply intend to block your only exit out, and otherwise leave you free to roam the full diameter of the throne room, seemingly free to do whatever you want as long as it isn't trying to break free of the cavern's confines. Each day, they will offer to their prisoners a limit supply of food, water, and firewood, but nothing more. Beyond that, you only have your increasingly dirty white robes and the same bedrolls as before.

❖ COMMUNION
The first change you will experience is an itching darkness in your mind, like a psychic wound that is becoming infected. The sort of thoughts you would normally try to force down become increasingly hard to resist; despair, hatred, and fear will plague you, and requiring great feats of will to silence even temporarily. Phantoms of the things you'd rather forget will become a constant companion, all while a presence seems to whisper: when you accept your fate, the pain will stop.

Worse than this, the darkness of your mind may not remain private. As if awakened by the ritual, your empathetic sense has become impossibly strong, to the point that you feel the broadcasted emotions and thoughts of others, and in turn, your darkest thoughts will be psychically projected to others with a volume proportional to the intensity with which you feel them. This effect is most potent between those sharing Legacy, with the capacity for their identities to become momentarily confused. In all cases, this connection may bleed into your dreams, or manifest as hallucinations.

❖ TRANSFORMATION
Yet, your mind is not the only thing that ails. In proportion to the strength of your emotions, your body may begin changing to match your state of mind. Physical transformations akin to those mentioned here will begin to manifest, themed to your inner suffering and the most negative aspects of your self conception. These alterations may shift from moment to moment, depending on the turbulence of your emotional state. They may or may not be painful.

❖ AFFLICTION
Along with the above effects, characters may also experience various more mundane ailments; essentially anything traditionally associated with illness could fit. Weakness, nausea, body aches, and chills are all common options. Along with this, void-black ooze may start to trickle from virtually any orifice. While it may stain clothing and skin, the material itself will dissipate after a few minutes in a manner reminiscent of ectoplasm. This effect may also appear around your Shard, as if the stone itself has begun to bleed.

RESISTANCE

Even as the Kenoma threatens to overwhelm you, you still have the power to fight. Though it may be a grueling war of attrition, you can force back its advances with sufficient will to survive and resist the darkness. Of course, your captors are not going to make this easy for you. Those that fight hard enough to expel the Kenoma from their bodies and spirits will take at least a week to do so, and for that duration they will be trapped within this chilly cavern, haunted by their worst thoughts and emotions.

The bedrolls barely strand up against the cold, your clothing doesn't at all, and to be comfortable you'll require fire. Yet, there is a limited amount provided to you, along with food and water, and the soldiers do not seem to be making any effort to distribute it evenly. Achieving basic warmth and sustenance may become a battle against your fellow inmates, all while you struggle against the enemy infecting your body. Cracks in the dome of the cavern lead into some smaller caverns and crevasses in the stone that can offer some privacy or protection, but the more splintered the group becomes the less the supplies will hold up. Fortunately for you, neither the cold nor starvation will kill you, but it will make you suffer.

Yet, you may still persevere. As you fight back the Kenoma, something else will be cultivated in its place. Bit by bit, a comforting and warm presence will grow within you, gradually disrupting the maladies afflicting your body and mind. Your faith and perseverance has been rewarded with an attunement to the Pleroma, the Kenoma's cosmological opposite; given enough time, the Kenoma will be forced from your being entirely, in the form of void-black sludge. Only then will your power begin to shine through, the abilities of your past life slowly returning.

You must keep your guard. With or without otherworldly power, escape will be a struggle.

ACCEPTANCE

Or, you may choose the easy option. Maybe the Kenoma resonates with your history and emotions in a way that makes it seem like it isn't the enemy. Maybe the depths of your despair are too deep to escape. Maybe your simply lack the strength to fight. Whatever the reason, sooner or later, the Kenoma claims you. The more you let it in, the less it feels like a poison and the more it feels like strength. The darkness settles comfortably into the cracks and holes of your spirit, and you awaken to its power. You feel the change viscerally.

This world is not good enough, a voice seems to speak through the Kenoma. This suffering you feel, the cruelty that has birthed this darkness in you... it is simply the rot that is consuming this existence. A better universe awaits, one forged by your own hand, and all you need do is first bring about this broken reality's end.

Whatever effects you were suffering from the Kenoma's presence will fade away, and in its place, you will feel your endurance bolstered. The clarity is stark in comparison to the mire you were trapped in before. As the other prisoners suffer around you, the Aion woman from before and an accompaniment of a couple Hylician soldiers will approach you among the ruins, as if summoned straight to your location. She looks you over, her dark eyes impassive, and then asks:

"Did you feel it?"

She doesn't actually wait for an answer, your expression alone enough to assure her. She'll tell the soldiers that you are free to go, and that you are to be given a share of their food and a change of clothes. She'll escort you out of cavern and towards the upper ruins, where the soldiers and Achamites have set up camp. This feels natural to you, somehow, like you and her are on the same wavelength in a way that is hard to comprehend. She is like you, you sense. That dark power is within her as well.

She doesn't linger with you for long, but she will see that you are on your way before heading back to the caverns. She'll say that the voice you heard, that promise, was the Regent, the ruler of this land. They spoke of a power that could birth a new, better universe, and they weren't misleading you. It's within their reach, closer than ever, and if you help them achieve it you will be rewarded lavishly. For now, you are free to regain your strength while the others make their choices. She only asks that you stay in the area and be ready to join the Regent in Achamoth when all is prepared.

If you're prone to boredom, though, she will mention that you'd really be doing the prisoners a favor by convincing them to accept the Kenoma like you did. You could convince them with words, or by making their situations so unbearable they won't have a choice but to break. However you'd like. It won't be worse than what's coming for them if they carry on this way.

When she parts ways with you, you are left to your own devices. Somehow, you feel inclined to cooperate. After all, the Regent did have a point.

QUESTIONS

Are the involuntary transformations during the Kenoma sickness period temporary afflictions or permanent ones?
By default they are temporary, but characters can also keep a couple keepsake changes if you'd like! An Aion's physical appearance is something that is generally in flux, and so even if you keep something from this event, you can always alter it later.

What kind of supplies are going to be distributed to those who accept Kenoma and leave the caverns?
They'll be given food, water, and clothing. They'll be given more/better rations than they were as prisoners, but it's still the sort of food that is limited by the fact that they are out here on a mission. The soldiers will have some fresh meat from prey they've been hunting in the forest, and will generally be having a lot of stew-based food going. There are actual spices in it, though, so that's cool. This is all set up where the Hylicians are camping.

As for clothes, they will get a fresh set (including boots or shoes) and some soap to clean themselves up in the nearby creeks and ponds. Hylici has an aesthetic that leans towards ancient Greek/Roman, so while they won't have anything fancy with them, you are free to assume they are able to acquire anything in that general ballpark. They do also have pants, though. While it is now spring and Horos has a generally temperate climate, it can be chilly at night.

Will Pleroma attuned be able to escape once they've regained their powers?
Yes, they will be allowed to escape at that point, and a second log will be going up to cover that part of the event. This log should generally cover up until shortly after Pleroma start ejecting the Kenoma's influence. Characters are permitted to escape by their own power if they somehow devise a plan to do so, but as we know the Pleromas are at a significant disadvantage in this situation, some characters who have fought against the Kenoma particularly valiantly will be given some magical assistance to help the survivors escape.

Will the Kenomas be able to try to stop them?
Yes! The second log will be set up to contain some PVP, though given the Pleromas do need to escape, we ask that you play nice. There will be a battle, but it will be structured in the context of the Pleromas having to hold off the Kenomas long enough to escape, so it will be relatively brief.

Can we speak to "the Aion"?
Yes, she will be around for the full length of the event. All characters will have the chance to find her watching over the group whether they are Kenomas or soon to be Pleromas. She will not be that talkative, though, so anyone tagging her will have to lead the conversation. She will not make small talk. Martyrs will recognize her as one of them.

Comments

[vapour]

[ Childe makes a face at her question, shaking his head as he goes to pour some of the broth and water into an empty bowl to dilute it further before sitting down next to her and offering her the bowl. He'll go and press it too her lips if she's really stubborn, but he won't force her to try and swallow any of it if she really doesn't want to. ]

It's better than down here, but don't be fooled by their bullshit. It's still shitty, and the idea of sharing a tent with any of them makes my skin crawl. [ Or so he says. There's no doubt he has issues with the specific individuals more than the conditions, though. As to whether those issues are the real reason why he's down here or something else is anyone's guess. ]

...Even though whatever's inside of me insists we're on the same side, I want nothing to do with them and their methods. [ As far as he's concerned, they've used quite several low means to drag everyone here, and no amount of harmonic suggestion or influence from them "being part of the same group" is going to convince Childe they're acceptable associating with. Sleeping in the company of others suggests you trust them. He doesn't trust any of them.

He's still struggling with the idea that despite an intense desire to kill all the people involved in holding them hostage that there's some overly intense forces attempting to affect his judgment, like a mother consistently and relentlessly cooing to soothe a seemingly inconsolable child. It coats over the intensity of his emotion and makes them stick together like molasses, feeling as if they're constantly being dragged back down along with himself into a passive acceptance that it's simply not worth feeling and wanting such a thing. He should give these desires up. He should focus on something else.

He hates it.

Tilting his head to rest back up against the wall, Childe lets out a heavy sigh. He wonders how much longer they're going to make them all stick around, how long they have to watch the others resist and struggle despite. ]

It's like asking you to join the Fatui to do otherwise, [ Childe says quietly, not looking to her. ] ... but are you sure this is what you want? [ To keep resisting this thing inside of them, he means. The Harbinger's already prepared for her answer, of course. If he thought for even a moment she might give in herself then there would have been no reason for him to give him in first. Either way, he'll bring a hand to gently rub at her head, regardless of her answer. ]

It should be over, soon.

[traversal]

[ makes sense that he doesn't get along with the, well, others in the same club as he is. it isn't as if he got along with every single harbinger either, showing disdain towards the two others she's met so far. typical, really, as he's always pursued his own agenda despite being the tsaritsa's harbinger; lumine supposes that that isn't too different here.

lumine almost lets out a quiet whine when he tries to feed her, pressing her lips together in an attempt to dissuade him, but she eventually relents, her own stomach betraying her. with a defeated sigh under her breath, she takes the bowl, cradling it in her hands and taking a sip of the watery broth. ]

What, being fed with that disgusting thing and having to deal with a terrible case of flu while receiving deliberately meager rations? Of course, it's what I want.

[ it's so simple to give in. even that very moment, she can close her eyes and allow whatever it is inside of her to assimilate with her. she's certain she'll receive all the perks and benefits, then: proper food, warm clothes, and a place to sleep. she won't need to languish and suffer in this cave. she might even recover her powers, make it easier for her in the long run.

but he's right. it's no different from joining the fatui, and not once has it ever crossed her mind, even with all the advantages it can offer her to find aether. all the mora, all the connections, all the power of the fatui—and it's still not worth it, she thinks.

at his remark, she chuckles quietly, letting the bowl rest on her knees and closing her eyes, as she leans against him. ]

How ominous. Are we going to be killed in our sleep soon?

[vapour]

[ Childe laughs, stretching a bit at her sarcasm. ] You make it all look not so bad, I'll give you that. [ a compliment to her looks more than anything, but also of course her resilience and her success at it— and, okay, good, forget about everything else he's really glad she relented to take some of the broth, even if it's hardly anything.

His reaction to her leaning against him is to press very gently back against her weight in a comforting gesture to let her know she's welcome and that he's got her back for the time being. This is as safe a spot as she'll find. As shady and unpredictable as can be, Childe has always kept good on his promises and whatever he actually (no matter how discretely) offers. There's no doubt the Traveler is important to him, and he doesn't want anything happening to her in a place like this.

As for Lumine's question, he hums thoughtfully as if contemplating where she may have gotten such intel(!) before chuckling. ]

Spoilers for the ending, but I'm pretty sure it's nothing like that. In fact, judging from the soldiers, I don't think they know what's going to happen, either. But, eh, this can't be the only thing here. There's got to be another side. That woman, too... She's never said struggling is pointless. I'm betting you'll be better soon if you keep holding out. [ seems a lot easier to believe now than when he was struggling with it, himself, but he also is well aware he was a lost cause from the beginning. The Kenoma rings too soundly with the Tsaritsa's wishes. If she were somehow to arrive here, this is the path she would take and he would follow. There's no point pretending that it would ever be different. This world doesn't have Teucer, Tonia, Anton and the rest of his family to make him hesitate about it's survival despite its flaws.

Besides, there's always the Traveler to put a stop to it. If it's truly wrong, he can leave it to the real heroes to correct it— and it looks like she won't be alone. ] Maybe you'll be able to get out of here. The camp isn't equipped for an expedition that can last much longer, from what I can see.

[traversal]

[ tbh xishen is not the most convincing kenoma recruitment person.

but lumine does find her suspicious, her actions seemingly contradicting each other whenever she would observe her from a distance, and a part of her wonders if it's a deliberate ploy from the regent to send her to them. if anything, she finds that she just might be the most dangerous person in that group, her abilities and intentions hidden from them all, even from her own subordinates or men. ]

I wonder ...

[ if it'll get better as the hours, the days continue. if this isn't the regent's way of coaxing them to their side through slow, calculated suffering until they can no longer deal with it, taking advantage of the weaknesses of human nature and aversion to agony. it isn't so much the fever or the aches and pain that bother her; it's hunger, her brain and body functioning on the most minimal of nutrition and energy.

lumine takes another sip of the broth, forcing to swallow down the liquid and make it stay there. ]

You talk like you'll be staying with them.

[ speaking to her in second person, not at all acknowledging that he's also there, the other person who came from the same world as she did. she supposes that's to be expected, not just of him as a person but also of him as someone who acceded to the regent's edicts. still, she doesn't glance at him, keeping her gaze on the clouded liquid of the broth. ]

... I suppose that only means you're not coming with me, are you?

[vapour]

Hmm? [ Childe's hum lilts a bit before he grins. ] What's this? My aibou is worried about not having my company?

[ The Harbinger is thoroughly good natured, acting like being with the Kenoma isn't a big deal at all. To him, it might not be. Then again, neither of them know the true situation of being one of them, just yet, either. ] You're the only person that matters to me here! I'll pick you over everything any day, so of course I'll be going with you.

[ There's really no reason to stay once they can get out of here. He did this because it made sense, but that doesn't mean it doesn't make sense to him to do something that's the complete opposite of it tomorrow. The only reason would be if there were unforeseen complications. ]

[traversal]

[ is she worried? not at all, she's more than capable of handling herself. but she's also certain they both want—no, need to return to teyvat. she, for her twin brother; he, for his duty and obligation to his archon. and while they belonged to different sides back then, there's no reason why they shouldn't stick together and figure this puzzle out.

but lumine doesn't think it's that simple. nothing has been simple since arriving in this place. not that they can't just bulldoze their way into a solution, which is normally the case, but she has a sinking feeling it won't be that easy. ]

I guess you could stand in for Paimon for now.

[ someone who will talk their way into a situation, good or bad. someone who will talk her ear off throughout the entire time. the silence in the cave has been deafening, even for someone like her who's valued peace and quiet to think.

she takes another sip of the broth, before she finally pushes it away, feeling her stomach complain from the introduction of something more substantial than just water. she's also starting to feel the chill creep around her once more, tugging the blanket even closer. ]

... Anyway, I'll get more firewood, hold on.

[vapour]

For Paimon? I guess I could try. [ why not?

When Lumine pushes the broth away, Childe takes it from her and let's her get up to go for the firewood. He watches her like a hawk, though, even if he doesn't attempt to get her to let him get it for her instead. Lumine values her independence too much, any he'll respect that unless she shows she's clearly in no condition that she can successfully do so.

If she makes it back without a hitch with some firewood, he'll beckon her to sit down near him again, pulling her close to give her some extra warmth. He'll also hand her another tin mug, this one with just hot water in hours it'll keep her stomach from disagreeing. He'll proceed to stoke the fire.

If she doesn't make it successfully back with firewood, Childe will be on his feet to take over for her as well as assist her when it's clear she's struggling too much and do so wordlessly. Once they're back at the fire, though, his actions proceed the same way as originally mentioned. ]

[traversal]

[ even if lumine doesn't make it successfully back—and she will try and force herself to return without looking too laboured or strained—any kind of help from childe isn't going to be accepted. she can do it, and she'll willingly do it, if only to force her body to try and move and do something other than throw up and shiver and be sick in general. it's a challenge, especially when her bones feel like they'll shatter with every movement she does, but she manages to return in one piece.

lumine drops whatever little firewood she can collect next to the fire, settling back down on the ground with a quiet groan and stoking it until it grows even a bit. a bit is acceptable, seeing the draft and chill that seems to settle with every passing minute.

when she finds that the fire has increased an acceptable amount, enough for her to somehow feel tendrils of warmth thawing her freezing fingers, she finally settles in her seat, pulling her knees to her chest. lethargy and exhaustion seem to be the name of the game with whatever sickness she's inflicted with, and she really should be moving around to fight it off. but later, she thinks ... when she has more energy. ]

If you're going to do it now, this is the best time.

[ kill her, get rid of her, something for not complying with the desires of this regent. maybe that will send her back to teyvat, who knows ... ]