EVENT PLOTTING: THE COST OF INNOCENCE

[aionmods]

The Cost of Innocence

As the Innocent's Moon reaches its peak, a shift will begin to be noticed across Horos. At first it appears in individual cases that could be explained by regular ennui or poor mental health, but as the zenith arrives, the clear supernaturality of the trend will become clear. Horosians, first in handfuls and then en masse, are succumbing to a strange malady characterized by a complete and utter indifference to the world around them.

This manifests most grievously with its victims losing all sense of self preservation, sometimes falling in combat or at the claws of wild beasts with a look of serenity on their faces. Others allow their hands to be burned in the fire as they cook, or are struck by falling objects that they may have otherwise avoided. There is no specific will to die; no, instead there is simply the absence of a will to fight or struggle, whether it be for their lives or anything else.

On the tenth day of Inoseri the cases may only be one in a thousand, but will gradually become more common as the full moon approaches, eventually settling at around one in fifty. Curiously, however, these ratios are not uniform; Venera, a city under the Regent's rule in the grasslands of the south, has an infection rate straying closer to one in ten. It is not entirely clear why, but something about Venera is causing the ailment to run rampant, and without intervention the results could become catastrophic to the citizen's way of life.

On the side of the Kenoma, to investigate will be an order. After all, Venera is the breadbasket of the Regent's empire, and without their abundant farmland being worked by its people, there will be food shortages continent wide. Even more important will be the Regent's implication that there is another force behind this infection... one that they will allege is the fault of the Pleroma.

The Pleroma themselves will have fewer immediate clues, but in the days leading up to the moon's zenith will experience dreams of depthless white. Word will spread to Godsblood soon enough, telling of the terrible phenomenon sweeping through Venera. Though they won't have a way of knowing why exactly, the Pleroma that hear of or witness the malady will have a feeling that they will find its source there.

❖ INCLUDED EVENT PROMPTS

◆ VENERA: Once a city embodying culture, passion, and romance, Venera has fallen on hard times since the loss of its patron Aion nearly a century ago. While still prized for their handicrafts, particularly their elaborate weaves and diverse artistic masterworks, they are scorned continent wide for their cowardice and desperate supplications to the Regent. Venerans are a people focused almost entirely inward, happy to ignore even the most grievous of wrongs if it meant continuing their way of life, and this was true even before the mysterious ailment took hold. Now it's unclear if they will even have the strength to go on.

◆ INNOCENT LEGACY: Those from the Legacy of the Innocent will continue to feel a sense of presence with them as the full moon arrives, with that presence only getting stronger as the month goes on. They may even hear a voice whispering in their ear, though they cannot make out the words.

◆ INNOCENCE CONTAGION: While at first the malady spreading across the continent will not seem to affect the Aions, once they arrive in Venera that will no longer be the case. Instead of repelling the effects, they will instead begin leeching it from the inflicted civilians they encounter, its power drawn into them like a sponge. As a result, they will end up taking on the malady's symptoms but enhanced and gone wild with their spiritual potency. Brand new side effects will be cultivated within them.

Along with the risk of a trance-like indifference to life, they may encounter any of the following: daydreams so deep they become subjectively real, a loss of sense of self, excessive malleability, or a loss of short term memory. They may also be several physical symptoms, including: a body-wide loss of pigment (partial or total), flesh that becomes stiff or porcelain-like that hinders movement and cracks (or breaks off entirely) when forced, the emergence of white feathers or wings from anywhere on the body, halos of light, or singular horns growing from the forehead. Advanced cases may result in becoming completely petrified, their very presence becoming a beacon for the power causing this. Physical and mental side effects may happen together or independently.

These side effects may be additionally enhanced for characters from the following Legacies:

Innocent, Lover, Celebrant: As the Legacies most craving of comfort and the most welcoming of stagnation, Aions from these Legacies will not just more readily accept the contagion, but feel the urge to actively spread it to others. It will feel like doing them a kindness, as if simply removing the trouble associated with desire, action, and choice. Those that succumb to these temptations will be able to cause or speed their effects in other Aions with a touch. This feeling can be resisted, but is nagging. The arrival of the contagion will feel peaceful and right, as if they are communing with a higher force that deems it a necessity.

Visionary, Firebrand, Artisan: As the Legacies most attuned to feelings of unrest, obsession, change, innovation, and passion, these Aions will experience a violent clash between the energies of the Innocence Contagion and the energies of their own spirits. The same physical effects will manifests, but far more aggressively, with the Innocence warring against their natural essence. Their stone-like skin may crack and shatter painfully, the wings and feathers emerging with blood and violence instead of peace. Their predisposition towards resistance seems to only make the contagion attack them more doggedly, as if particularly determined to extinguish the threat they represent.

◆ THE CURE: In the face of this contagion, a solution will eventually become clear. The excess of Innocence can be banished by causing its opposite. This means, the cure to the infection is to inflict upset in whatever way possible: by dragging up their worst memories, getting a rise out of them, causing them pain, destroying their inner paradises with communion. Empathic connections during this event will be intensified, allowing characters to delve into each other's mindscapes. Ironically, causing your allies misery and torment may be the key to their salvation... but do you have the heart to inflict it?


MOD NOTE: All characters who go to Venera and participate in the event log will be awarded 1 Token, so please make sure to mark that on your AC. You will not receive the token if you don't claim it.

Comments

abel nightroad | pleroma | martyr

[inutilis]

i offer you one (1) bleeding heart priest in this trying time for any of the following:

▶ some awkward run-ins while investigating Venera before things go south. if you're Pleroma, maybe you came with him or made plans to circle back together to check-in at some point? if you're Kenoma and he recognizes you, he will absolutely approach; if he doesn't know you - guess what, time to rectify that now!! give me some new kehomies...

▶ gently caretaking over anyone who is suffering from apathy, memory loss, etc; do you need someone to remind your meow meow to eat?? maybe the middle of the street isn't the best place for a nap, brosis?? this applies for Kenoma and Pleroma alike - Abel Does Not Care and will be compelled to help anyone who looks like they're having a ruff time.

▶ of course, dreamscape sharing and curing others!! while Abel would be loathe to make anyone suffer, he would absolutely take your hand and guide you STRAIGHT to Suffer Town in the name of bringing you back from a catatonic apathy state, which is like, totally not cool guys. how deep and dark you would like this to get is up to you, but I am pretty down for anything - especially shared memories/scenarios that would lead to deepening existing CR or starting new CR out with a bang!! if you'd like to hash this out? please hit me up, I'm on board. again, this applies to Kenoma and Pleroma alike.

▶ and of course, any potential conflicts that might arise due to the fact that this is, of course, a city filled with both sects... Abel is still huffing the pacifist copium and won't initiate any confrontations, but he would gladly come to someone's aid if they're caught in a vulnerable moment since people are falling apart everywhere (I'm a broken record, but this applies to both Pleroma and Kenoma - he will defend someone against his own if he needs to??). if some Kenoma would pick a fight with this idiot I'm down for that, too - though he will try Using His Words or running away if necessary, using fighting as a last resort.

▶ anything I didn't list here?? LET ME KNOW holds my arms out wide

[aquaveiled]

So I have a memory/dreamscape offer since Abel is doing the talkies with Emet... specifically the scene after the Mt. Gulg dungeon where G'raha gets shot and WOL nearly explodes from light.

[inutilis]

SCREAMS LOUDLY............

freya yes. yes

[aquaveiled]

EXCELLENT. He can then have one (1) fear of a gun at their next meeting.

I also open my hands to receive any traumatic memories in turn if that is of interest.

[lachtara]

OH NO memories of the catte!!! I desire to see the fallout from this.

[aquaveiled]

It will be shared exactly this way

[galdorleod]

i would be really interested in:
- conflicts
- trauma sharing bc abel got to see so much of howl's despair in the opening event

[inutilis]

conflicts you say,

trauma sharing you say,

i am willing to subscribe to both of these newsletters...... SO, i must ask!! did you have a preference either way?! and what flavor of Trauma are we talking here 👀

[lifespanned]

places paws on abel

i want them to reunite this event!! they could definitely have a more lowkey reunion before everything goes to shit where they can catch up and be silly together again, or i would also be down to do shared memories too... after all why not. Why Not take a trip to suffer town

[inutilis]

MISA... i open my arms extremely wide for her

ugh ugh i want both cute times and shared memories...... Abel taking her for fresh bread bc he is the bread fairy............ but snapping her out of a bout of apathy illness by going to Suffer Town is so delicious too!!! pulls at my face...

[lifespanned]

oh no fresh bread... THAT IS SO CUTE!!

maybe because they do have a lot to catch up on we can do a more lowkey reunion?? there will be more opportunities for suffertown perhaps but less opportunities to be friendly/increase pain for the future.... tbh their convo can still go to suffertown if they talk about the regent or their motivations perhaps... LMK WHAT U THINK!!

[affal]

given that some light homicide is likely to be happening... be it while still in venera or over communion...... i'm looking forward to the aftermath of that

though FUCK i just realized they still need to have their drink together too??? hm

[inutilis]

vee......

they DO need to have their drinkies, it's true 😔 if we don't get to it this time...... maybe there will be time for them to have it when things settle down, have some kind of neutral meeting in venera (or somewhere else) to talk about what the fuck happened??? I DON'T KNOW i guess it will depend how everything goes down, but Abel will definitely want to hear what the fck happened from Makoto's mouth after the fact ...

[affal]

i feel like if we fail to do it this time, future opportunities might be mired down with a lot of new baggage...........

though youre right if you do want to combine this and have abel ask makoto to have a drink with him so he can explain what the fuck happened we could totally do that

[passio]

daddy please

[inutilis]

that's papi to you

[passio]

NOT THE ZADDY ICON

but i want them to suffer together. is it twin brother trauma mindscape time

[wolof]

prince i would greatly desire more akua and abel cr, and what better time than when everyone is vulnerable???

please take her straight to suffer town, but also it's a great way to get deeper CR if you're down for it! I really liked them in the TDM

[inutilis]

oh, I would love to deliver Akua to suffer town?? please....... lays my hand on your shoulder. friend, tell me what brand of Suffer will snap Akua out of her apathy... Abel can tug the string and unravel deep dark things (sadly, guiltily, and with purpose all the same) to bring her back to herself... 🥺 I'm sure this won't be a tragic glimpse into her home life considering what little I've learned so far LSKJDF

[perfectlygoodbird]

new kehomie? y/y?

also Meteion isn't 100% buying what the Regent is selling re: the Pleroma causing the sickness (the few she knows absolutely are not the type, El was a healer and so is Himeka!), but she might have some...odd ideas about how it came about...

but she's also an Innocent and terribly susceptible to be down with the sickness so please have Abel be careful! ^^

[inutilis]

YES!! please let this be the time they finally cross paths...

would you like them to meet before things go super crazy, or after meteion is already suffering... he could visit her dreamscape and try to cure her if you'd like, or we could just do something cute where he takes her for tea before she gets Real Deep into the innocence juice? (alksjdf innocence juice sounds... wrong,)

[sterngaze]

a chance for cross-faction cr! I greatly desire for these lads to meet.

would he perhaps like to help liem out while he's all messed-up from the contagion? spacing out somewhere dangerous is very much on the table for him, so he will need friendlies to gently steer him out of trouble or perhaps pick him up off the ground after he's suffered some sort of misfortune. alternatively, I'm also down for dream-sharing if that's more tasty for you!

[inutilis]

claps my hands together; it's time. it's time for the lads to meet!!

oooh i love this idea... abel would gladly pluck liem up and get him somewhere he can recover in some peace, try to take care of him a bit 🥺

[dragonmount]

shared memories, you say,,,

[inutilis]

rand, dear boy...

...do you need a nice priest man to ruin your idyllic daydreams with a cold hard dose of PAIN?