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

childe • genshin impact • firebrand

[vapour]

Instinct is a strange thing. You cannot touch it, feel it, smell it, or hear it

---

but you must trust it.

[ Childe puts up an incredibly valiant resistance to being force fed the vial contents, the strange maternal insistence of the Achamites infuriating him far more than anything the soldiers could pull. Even so, when push comes to shove, he can only do so much, especially when on his knees and the vial contents seemingly having a mind of its own.
Even as the ceremony proceeds, Childe is frantically attempting to find a weakness in the supernatural bonds he and the others are held down by, only for his attention to jerk suddenly in horror to the center of the circle as he involuntarily catches sight of the ritual sacrifice— the breaking apart of that body like black primordial sludge before it drops into the ritual lines and surges towards them.

Shit shit, is all he can think as it stays and overwhelms each one of them, and even he has to flinch and turn his head as if he had to protect against some coming onslaught. The tidal wave of darkness envelopes him, deafening him momentarily to everything and everyone around him, stuck only with himself and his thoughts. It's going to drown him he thinks, and whatever is inside of him makes sure he has no chance of escaping— that's he unsubtly aware of his existence and its until death comes.

— and then it's gone. Childe gasps as if having been deprived of oxygen under restless currents that wouldn't allow him to surface, one hand grabbing his chest as he coughs violently (but nothing seems to come out.) Swallowing the air greedily, the Harbinger only finally looks up as he feels some semblance of focus return to him, blue eyes staring straight at the one they referred to as the Aion as she speaks of their time to find their truth.

Childe has every intention to go after her as soon as he can stand, but he finds that she has too much of a headstart for him to catch her initially. Instead of running after her, he simply stands there, jaw tight as he glares at her back even as the trembling rage he tries so hard to control starts to growl and pull at its weakened restraints. ]

we live in a world where

---

the Strongest win.

[ it's a toss up whether the physical manifestations of his mental state or the emotional chaos are more seasoning , but it's undeniable that the dark thoughts and feelings of being absolutely unhinged from sanity and reality hit others unlucky enough to be sensitive enough to any accidental projection. They'll feel as if they're desperately reaching for something to hold onto, but there is nothing to pull them out and they simply sink into the emotional trench like mud. Disassociation flares to their defense, because if they don't feel humane or sane, then the best way to know things are still fine is that it's all because sanity and humanity don't apply to weapons. That's all they are, that's what they live and breathe for— for that next thrill of clashing with other blades or tearing through armor and flesh, the splatter of blood clinging about them like a mantle as testament to exactly what they are.

And what's wrong with that? What's wrong with being a weapon? Better yet, what's wrong with being only ever seen as a source of chaos and destruction. They are a destroyer, and this broken world may be good enough for them to thrive, but it's not a world good enough for anyone that they hold dear. (And they do hold some dear, despite this being in direct contrast to their current mantra of self-identity.)

For Firebrands, it doesn't matter where they are, they may hear it or at least feel its suffocating presence as if were right next to them. At best, they can simply ignore it, acknowledging something unstable and dangerous present but not actively on the prowl. At worst, they might be dragged into the madness, confusing it for their own thoughts or watching horrific things play out— things they've done that would label them (or others, if they are shielded by their world's faith in their heroism) as a monster.

It's much the same for those of other Legacy, although they have a less likely chance of being dragged so deeply into it and an easier time separating it from themselves if they are.

These bouts come and go, but the source is difficult to pinpoint even when it's overbearing. Despite the frantic, obsessive violent nature of these thoughts, the individual projecting them shows no outward suffering and is rarely around in the open. That isn't too say that these things don't get louder, more terrifyingly tangent as one wanders closer to the source (to the edges of the rings where the shadows are blackest.) They'll find Childe— perhaps at his worst, completely unidentifiable (except to one individual). Childe will look to them, and his appearance will immediately change back to someone recognizable as one of them as he realizes his thoughts and feelings are being exposed. Childe may scowl or he may take a smile that doesn't show reach his eyes, willing to play being nonchalant to his sudden company. ]

Hmm, seems like they've really messed with us pretty good.

when one must choose between

---

Nothing and Everything.

[ It's not that it's easier to give in that he ultimately does it.

The Kenoma speaks harsh truths, but truths nonetheless. Whether or not he believes in them isn't the point, either. He made a vow to climb to the top and become powerful enough to tear his own world down. He would stop at nothing, and it would be a shame if the Traveler was not there to cross weapons with him. Someone has to be the hero, afterall. Every hero needs their villain, afterall.

Heroes need to survive, though. Sometimes, they just are too stubborn to know what's good for them. They think they can withstand anything, or that dying trying is the only way to go, without realizing that might mean there's no one left to fight for those who can't in their place.

It's not a big deal, in the end, the Regent reminds him of the Tsaritsa— almost sounds like her, even— and that's where he belongs. He needs to take his place in this world, especially in terms of making sure the heroes survive to fight another day. When he's allowed food and water that he wasn't allowed prior to his acceptance, he wastes little time with it. He eats some, but is insistent to keep the broth and gets as much of it as he can before heading back into the ruins and down the stairs. It's there that he'll look for those that are the worst off (or have nothing in terms of rations/provisions to keep away the cold) to attempt and assist through their sickness and suffering. He'll offer them water and broth that they can hopefully keep down even if suffering bouts of nausea.

Depending who you are depends on whether he attempts to persuade you to give into the Kenoma for your own wellbeing or not. Those that shine the brightest, however, he won't even bother. Those are the people he needs to count on to get powerful enough to stop them, should he and any others be somehow wrong in all of this. He doesn't believe the Kenoma is wrong, but he understands well there is no black and white that shows the right or the wrong here. The end goal currently seems the same to him besides the methods. The "wrong" are simply the ones that will lose, in the end.

( There is one, though, that he gives the hardest time to, regardless of knowing she's not going to give in. ) ]

[traversal]

[ lumine's starting to lose track of the time, days and nights blurring into nothingness as they continue to linger and languish in the cavern, wracked with pain that seems to know no rest. the voice whispering at the back of her head doesn't help either, urging her to give in and let, to accept its so-called truths while excruciating pain ravages through her body. it's not the most convincing speech, especially in the middle of what feels like a terrible bout of flu in the middle of an unforgiving winter.

and so, she tries her best to remain conscious of her surroundings, even when moving and breathing physically hurts her; she can't lose here, after all, not in a freezing cave that's far, far, far away from the world where her brother was. surviving is only the first step in returning to teyvat. besides, one needs full awareness to realise the kind of additional torture their captors are indirectly inflicting on them.

... like the paltry provisions that can barely feed all of them, much of which has been hoarded by those who can. she's only managed to get something, but even then, lumine's offered it to someone who needs it more instead, leaving her empty-handed as she returns to her corner of the cave.

something that she's hoping to deflect when childe finds her, clearly looking much better than how she's feeling and carrying more substantial rations than the one she's just fought over. there's only one reason for that, a reason she refuses to acknowledge and regrets failing to mitigate. ]

There's someone down there who failed to get any rations earlier. [ she gestures vaguely somewhere behind her as she shuffles past him, one hand against the cavern wall to keep herself from tipping over. ] They might be in need of something to eat by now ...

[vapour]

[ Childe knew if she had been better off herself she would have done everything she could to keep him from giving in. Childe has considered her (both in terms of being tempted further to give in to assist her through her refusal, as well as resisting to stay by her side) at every angle (although he wouldn't ever admit she was a predominantly weighty factor in his considerations and decisions) but ultimately made the most sensible choice he could that didn't involve her (or so he likes to believe.)

Even with him reminding himself of this, however, his expression darkens a little with Lumine moving by him and telling him to give anything he has to someone else. While the Harbinger completely understands her intentions and that this is typical of her, he didn't make this choice of his so he could randomly assist anyone else in this place. ] I'll give them something more solid that I have, then. You, on the other hand, probably can't stomach anything like that since you keep giving away everything you manage to get.

[ he turns to follow her to her little corner, and he will set the items down before removing the wool himation he got as part of the clothing they gave him, fully intending to move towards her and wrap her in it from behind if she doesn't turn to face him. It's not clothing, just long woolen rectangular cloth so he can use at least use it like a cloak or blanket on her, but he will add: ] if you want to share this with someone, fine, but don't give it away.

[ considering he isn't planning to leave her alone for the night regardless of what privileges he has, he can at least make sure she is warm for a little while until she goes and does exactly what he just told her not to. ]

[traversal]

[ to be fair, if she could eat, she would. if she could keep the bile from rising up her throat even for one long moment just so she can take a bite of stale bread, she would. but as it stands, whatever they'd been force-fed with at the start simply rejects everything she tried to consume except for water, and eating has become just as much of an inconvenience as breathing. so really, what's the point of keeping the food to herself when she can't even keep it down?

still, a part of her is relieved with the choice that he's made (and really, should she be surprised by that?), and not just because of the handouts she's suddenly getting. ]

It's not mine to give, anyway, [ she mumbles under her breath as she settles down on the ground, tugging the cloth closer around her.

fond as she is of the cold, it's not the most comfortable temperature when one's feeling under the weather because of some unknown sickness. so while she's certain there are others who might be freezing just like her in another corner of the cave? she's not about to relinquish her makeshift blanket for now for reasons other than it belongs to childe. ]

... Aren't you staying with the other soldiers tonight? I've heard them talk about the comforts afforded to their camp out there.

[ he doesn't need to feel obliged to stay with her here. if he's concerned about his blanket, she'll take care of it for him. ]

[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. ]

the strongest win

[coerthantorment]

[Unfortunately, Estinien is especially sensitive to the vibes that Childe is putting out, mostly because they resonate with him so strongly. The feeling of doing things that make him feel like a monster, of being a weapon before a person... their circumstances are different, but the emotions are enough to drag him back to the days of the Dragonsong War.

Childe's memories mingle with his own and radiate out in turn. Except, the beings he's fighting aren't human, they're dragons of all shapes and sizes. Scales were rent beneath his lance, bodies laid out on red-stained snow. At the time, he felt nothing but a thirst for more, for more death and more vengeance.

Yet, now the dragons just as easily take human shape, adults and children alike. It's what they always were, after all. Thinking creatures, just as worthy of life as man ever was, if not more so.

Suddenly, painfully, Estinien realizes the mire he is sinking into and begins to struggle. Where is it coming from? He chokes, trying to get up to do something, anything, about it, but reality flickers in and out of existence, and he can barely comprehend his own body.]

[vapour]

[ the Harbinger doesn't initially notice, far too caught up in it himself, but when the other actively attempts to struggle and push back against it, Childe feels the ripple of resistance and it's not expected. It's not his own which causes him to become confused enough to attempt and focus. Only then does he realize he is doing something (although he doesn't exactly know what he's doing beyond it seems to be impeding on another) that he shouldn't and reels in his emotions tightly to suppress them. With that emotional bleeding cutting itself off abruptly, the ones affected should feel some relief.

Still, despite insisting to himself that he is very much Not Interested in the wellbeing of everyone else, he does slowly emerge from the shadows after a moment. He recognizes the closest individual that seems to be particularly restless as another Firebrand, which makes sense. Childe momentarily considers playing stupid about the situation while still asking if the other is all right, but realizes it's pointless effort to make up any lies concerning the utter shit they're all going through at the hand of these bastards. ]

... You look disturbed. Did you feel something that didn't belong to you? [ unbeknownst to Childe, those feelings hit far closer to home for Estinien than they rightfully should, making such a question a lot more complicated to answer. ]

[coerthantorment]

[Estinien is panting with the weight of that sudden panic and overstimulation, only for the intensity of it to start fading. He finds himself standing in the middle of the cavern, trembling, looking at Childe with wide, glowing red eyes.]

Nay.. 'twas... [He hesitates because he's not actually sure. He shakes his head, trying to steady himself. Yet, there were scenes he didn't recognize, weren't there? As the delusion starts to fade, he begins to realize that things that seemed familiar actually aren't.

Not to mention, he can sense Childe's presence. It's deceptively familiar in an incredibly familiar way.]

There were... things I don't remember. [He brow furrows, and he seems defensive.] ...You.

[vapour]

[ back home, Childe has plenty of special abilities, but being able to mentally project or impose emotional feelings on someone even accidentally is not possible. which is, honestly, a rather good thing, too, because his temper is something fierce when he loses it (even if it takes extremely specific situations for such to happen.)

there's a rather dark chuckle from the Harbinger at Estinien's defensiveness, and, if things were different, he might play on what he can only imagine are suspicions and uncertainties in the face of no answers. this situation, however, isn't something Childe finds easy to roll off of his own shoulders. messing with people is one thing, letting them see or feel or somehow be allowed exposure to his inner self in any manner is something else entirely.

he doesn't like it at all. in fact, there is a sudden ripple of rage that suddenly splashes between them like a rock has been dropped into a pool. Childe hisses, his jaw tightening as he reigns in the emotional leak, this time constricting it with a mental voce that he hopes is tight enough to strangle the outburst completely. ]

Yeah, me. I'm not doing it on purpose, if that's what you're thinking. [ not that he would blame the other for thinking such a thing, if he is. his degrees is admittedly sharp currently, as he would think the same if it were done to him, especially with not having the capability himself to do anything psychic-related. ] You'r better off forgetting about it. It's all needlessly messy stuff. [ that's, of course, easier said than done, especially if it resonates on a personal level.

their entire predicament dredges up unpleasant nasty feelings of his time as a child, running from wolves and falling into the Abyss where he was even more helpless than he had been against the four-legged beasts on the surface. that was so long ago, though, long enough that Childe can now barely connect himself to that child.

or that's how it should be.

he sacrificed a lot for power, for the ability to never be so helpless again, and yet here he is completely helpless. he knows he can't be the only one to feel such a way, but it's hard to look at anything happening to them objectively, especially as it has been some days since the ritual. Childe hasn't given in to the Kenoma yet, but he is certainly worse off than many of the others fighting it. he's kept to himself, but it won't be hard to imagine that, if such negative emotional intensity is eating away at him to the point its affecting others, he's not keeping his head above the water in the mental face-off with the Kenoma. ]

[coerthantorment]

[Estinien narrows his eyes. He does manage to withdraw into himself a bit more, steadying his thoughts despite his anxieties having been stirred up. This man is unstable, it seems. Perhaps even more so than Estinien himself has been.]

Why would you? [It comes in a skeptical rumble... he's not sure why anyone still trapped down here would purposefully expose themselves that way.] Those memories... they simply struck me as familiar.

[He remembers Childe from the trip. Maybe they really do have things in common with the others from their shrine.]

[vapour]

[ That's not what Childe expected to hear, and it's enough so that he's not quite sure what to say. It's not exactly something to be happy about having in common with anyone, that's for sure. He, too, recognizes Estinien from the trip, so he does wonder similarly the thoughts that pass through the other's head albeit in reverse.

What the Harbinger does notice, though, is that talking to another seems to make everything a little less unbearable, and he briefly wonders if he's been making a mistake attempting too hiding away. It's inevitable, though. He doesn't want to be seen as anything by any of the people here, but especially not weak. He is technically better off than many in the sense he knows another from his world here, but he can't bring himself to be around her like this. All it does is make him feel useless and a complete burden to her.

Maybe that's why he ultimately puts what he's thinking into actual words to share. ]

Mmm, I would say something positive about having something in common, but we both know better than that in this case. Still, maybe it's not all that coincidental, in the end? What's your name, anyway?

[coerthantorment]

Estinien Wyrmblood.

[He's taking some time to compose himself after the confusion he just experienced. He doesn't like being so exposed, even though everything about this situation has been forcing him to be. He does recognize this man... which causes him to raise his arm, still marked by the symbol of the Firebrand.]

Maybe there is something connecting us... those that emerged at the canyon. Your psychic presence is more noxious than the others I've met.

[Which is his rude way of saying that the sense of empathy seems stronger, of course.]

[vapour]

I'm Tartaglia, but most call me Childe. Your choice.

[ it's maybe rude, but he's absolutely used to getting less than polite interactions considering the Fatui reputation back home. Besides, rudeness doesn't diminish real truth in a statement. It's worth noting. ]

Would be really nice after what they put us through if they could be assed to fill us in on things like that.

[perfectlygoodbird]

I don't need it. [That's one thing that Meteion calls a saving grace; when she's offered food, she can pass, because as a created being, she gets sustenance from things other than food. Were she on Etheirys, she'd call it Dynamis that sustains her; here, she's not so sure, but it isn't food like the others have needed.]

Thank you. I appreciate your kindness. [Little does she know that kindness likely has little to do with it...]

[vapour]

No? You cold, then? [ he tilts his head curiously as he comes to crouch down in front of her, reaching for the hot water he has bottled. ] Drinking some hot water might help with that.

[ She's right, it's not kindness, at least not really. Just like he doesn't feel that he's being kind trying to persuade any of the others to accept the Kenoma for "their own sake," he doesn't really find attempting to keep them alive while they resist and suffer very friendly, either.

The only actual kind thing he could do for all them is kill them, and, well, he's been told he's not allowed to do that. Since he's not actively disobeying, he easily considers himself officially part of the problem (and he is, of course, but it's a lot more twisted and convoluted from his point of view than what others' views will tell them. ]

[perfectlygoodbird]

[Meteion mulls that over. She is cold, the thin clothing--little more than a sheet--that she wears does nothing to warm her down in this cavern. It isn't as cold as the far reaches of the Sea of Stars, but it is far from pleasant. After a moment, she nods.]

Just a little. I don't need much...but I would like to be warmer. Thank you.

[People seem to find her pathetic enough, or inoffensive enough, to not chase her away from what fires they can make, and Meteion counts herself lucky in that. It's still not enough. But she isn't big enough to push her weight around, and her powers have been suppressed here as well. For the most part, at least...]

Who are you? [It isn't as if she hasn't seen the redheaded man on the way here. Meteion just hasn't made a nuisance of herself, pestering people to make friends.]

[vapour]

Tartaglia. [he answers gently, giving a nod to her acceptance as he grabs a small cup that he has managed to bring along to flip it over and pour some of the hot water in. He holds it out to her, imagining she'll appreciate the warmth when she can clutch at it , too, even before drinking it.

To Childe she does seem quite weak and unassuming, although he's not completely convinced of everyone's physical stature revealing anything about them here. ] Most people call me Childe, though, since it's easier. It's cold here, but you can still definitely burn yourself. Be careful, okay?

[ That's all the instruction he offers her before he sits, tilting his head slightly as he observes hey. Might as well make sure she doesn't get sick on the water and whatnot. ] How about you, what's your name?

[perfectlygoodbird]

Childe. [Though she mulls over 'Tartaglia' in her head, Meteion remembers that she used to stutter, and she did not want to stumble over his name. It might be taken as rude, after all. She accepts the cup he offers with grace, and she's clearly grateful.]

I promise I'll be careful! [And she is, sipping at the water. Wouldn't do to burn herself after he'd just gotten done warning her not to do so.]

My name is Meteion. Hermes said it meant 'shooting star'. [She smiles at that, a bit wistful. Hermes had been gone for so long, but it still felt good to talk about him. Maybe he knew he was being remembered...]

[vapour]

Meteion is a very pretty name. [ Childe smiles. He knows he shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but she looks like a little kid, so he can't help but feel a need to be kinder than he would be towards anyone else. ] Oh ho, what an amazing coincidence, though!

Where I come from, we have things called "meteors" and they are also known as "shooting stars." They are usually pieces of fallen constellations. Everyone in Teyvat has their own constellation of stars in the sky. When that person passes on, the constellation breaks up, and sometimes pieces of them become meteors.

[perfectlygoodbird]

That's so interesting! There's nothing like that in Elpis, though my sisters have seen many stars. They've journeyed through the entire sea of them!

[Her face falls a bit, then, head-wings drooping.] But I suppose they don't do that any more. We'd all gone to the very edge of the universe to hide, and sing.

Though Meteion looks incredibly guilty at that, and she clearly is attempting to avoid exactly what she and her sisters were singing.]

Do your people do anything special with fallen meteors?

[vapour]

Are you the youngest? [ of her sisters, he means . that guilt is easily recognizable so Childe won't ask for details on any of that. Instead he focuses on answering her other question. ]

Actually... beyond wishing on them when we see them in the night sky as 'shooting stars,' we've found some of them can be pretty dangerous to people's health if they get too close to them even after they've landed on the ground