[Kenoma] Discussion

[lachtara]

( 🟣 - Emet, 🔵 - Ciel )

Good Evening.

There are some within our ranks who we have not had the pleasure of meeting. I am Emet-Selch. Ciel and I serve as tacticians and teachers to the Kenoma.

I function as acting counsel for devising strategies. Additionally, some of you may find yourself in possession of new magical abilities that you did not have before. I am available to assist you with honing your newfound magical skills. To those of you who find yourself injured, I can provide my magic to heal your wounds so that you may be hale and whole once more.

[ He sighs. My, is this a mouthful. ]

My name is Ciel. I am versed in martial arts and am proficient with most types of weaponry. There are various means of developing melee combat prowess across Achamoth, but if you would like personalized instructions at any level, please contact me and we’ll arrange for a schedule. I can also perform magical healing along with Father Paul.

Unfortunately, We do not have much time for pleasantries. The Pleroma will soon be at our doorstep. Their goal is to retrieve their allies who remain captive inside our walls, and our goal is to lure them deep within the Citadel where we may enact our own plans. You will be provided assignments once it is closer to the promised hour. Prepare in your own way meanwhile; The Citadel is host to all manners of weaponry and the army's training grounds.

[ It’s kept a little vague and unspecific. Though they do intend to give adequate information, there is also no question that they have had traitors in their midst as of late. Everything will be doled out with due caution. Although, there will be a silent message sent to each person asking them to respond with some information of their abilities. ]

We are at war, bloodshed is inevitable. We will be attacked soon, and we must defend our keep. Consider this communion address a formal hub for discussion and organization of the battle to come. We will begin with information sharing of the Pleroma: knowing their names, appearances, and capabilities will better prepare us in dealing with them in combat. Aions may develop new abilities at any time, however; intel from the mission in Venera and Godsblood may very well be outdated by now, so do not assume anything we go over in this address as the extent of what they can do. Anything you may have witnessed at the shrines can be helpful, including other newcomers you may have met that did not return to Achamoth..

To the third wave of newly awoken Aions, it is regrettable that we cannot welcome you better, you’ve unfortunately arrived at a tumultuous time on Horos. If this is all too much for any reason, that’s fine. Contact me privately, and we can at least arrange for you to be somewhere safe during this. To those used to wielding great power, please get some practice in and verify your new limits. Becoming an Aion may have weakened you, do not let that catch you off-guard on the battlefield.

To those who are new, introduce yourselves and ask any questions you have. We will answer your questions as best we can, and I encourage our fellow Kenoma to chime in where they may. Do try to keep your questions interesting enough to be worth reading.

Comments

Pleroma and their Abilities

[lachtara]

(List the Pleroma here, descriptions/images (please use the dumbest image possible) of characters, known abilities, temperament. Please trash them in every conceivable way. Please post their name as a top level and everyone can reply to that.)

rand

[lifespanned]

[ now look at this redhead...... ]

See this overly-serious guy here? His name is Rand... he never smiles or anything, and he's stupidly tall, you can't miss him.

I think his magic comes from his arms or his hands? I don't really get it, but he couldn't do anything when he couldn't move them. So that's helpful, right? Just aim for them first, and then no problem. And I didn't see a lot of what he could do, but he can blow stuff up.

[ And then, a beat, before she offers one more helpful bit of advice. ]

But I wouldn't fight him unless you plan on killing him, really. He's super stubborn.

Hayame

[sterngaze]

[Liem’s contribution begins with a clear image of a long-legged centaur woman with a stern face, long dark hair, and a dun coat. An enormous longbow is held in one of her hands.]

Hayame is the Pleroma member I have the most familiarity with. She is a powerful warrior and a skilled markswoman, and while I would say she is an honourable person, I have personally known her to have a very volatile temper. She can use her shard’s magic to disguise herself as a two-legged woman as well, though the last time I saw her do this, she still appeared the same in every other respect, including her height.

[From the point of view of Liem’s mental image, she seems to be almost two feet taller than he is.]

I would strongly suggest using caution when confronting her.

Estinien

[lachtara]

Given you all have insisted on asking in the past.

[ A deep sigh. He is so tired of talking about this Dragoon he's met for a handful of minutes. ]

Estinien "Wyrmblood", formerly known as the Azure Dragoon, is a warrior who played a pivotal role in seeing the Dragonsong War to its end. His strength is capable of seeing dragons felled and rending warmachina useless in a single blow.

Dragoons are customarily offensive-minded and are trained as such. They are experts of the Lance and it will be difficult to fight them at close range. Your greatest chance at surviving is to keep him at a distance, which will be difficult given the ability to leap great distances. I've come to understand he's gained the ability to fly as of late.

Recently, he has come into contact with an entity known as "The Innocent", which manifests itself outside of his usual powers.

Akua

[galdorleod]

There's a Pleroma sorceress that I encountered for the first time in Godsblood. Her name is Akua. Although I was able to prevail over her magic, she is extremely powerful.

I suspect that I only saw a fraction of what she's capable of, but she primarily attacked me with fire spells... one of which was incredible, by the standards of both my world and Horos. She can defend herself with shield magic as well, and has the ability to transform into a swan.

Don't engage her unless you're equipped to deal with powerful magics from a distance. If you see a woman matching this description, contact me, or Emet-Selch or Ciel, immediately.

Caitlyn Kiramman

[zauneyete]

[ Even with Silco's clumsiness at communion, there's an image of this woman. ]

Enforcer Kiramman is a member of the corrupt topside police force in my world. She favors the rifle, and is unlikely to be encountered in close combat, although like most Enforcers from my world -- beware the butt of the rifle.

[ That is accompanied by a flicker of phantom pain, one would notice it around ones...eye. ]

Aside from that, she is sanctimonious, and likely to think she's morally correct in all things. Also unlikely to be swayed away from the cause -- particularly if I am here, as she apparently thinks that uplifting my city out from under their boots is morally repugnant. I would recommend taking her out quickly, and efficiently. She is little threat beyond the weapon -- unless things have changed since.

Ernesto

[baltimores]

[ Now here's a bad dog. ]

Ernesto. He's been around a while. Sells spices in Godsblood, apparently.

[ ... They'd been good too, but he's probably never gonna be in a position to make a purchase again, is he. ]

Tries to play things cool, but who knows. He's still a Lover. Capable of going for the kill, but he might not always want to make that move. Don't know if he's got any magic. Decent with a sword. [ If anyone wants to put two and two together on where that scar on Amos' throat came from... ] Resilient. Level-headed. Decent pain tolerance.

Should probably try to kill him before he makes up his mind and goes for you.

Johnny

[expiera]

[There's a regular image attached of a jock (literal) in a wheelchair.]

This man's name is Johnny.

[Ciel got it thanks to Misa's help. Anytime you find yourself wondering "literal who", check with Misamisa! It's honestly a huge asset to be able to ID basically everyone, true MVP tbh.]

Do not be misled by his disability. The man cannot walk, but he has a special ability with his fingernails. He spins them and shoots them like bullets, they are capable of warping both space and matter. He can include himself in his bullets too to travel over distances, I've seen him fight up close back in Godsblood.

[And Ciel is including memory footage as 1. transmitting memories directly IS possible through communion, good to show the newbies as a direct example, 2. she really did get a close and personal look at whatever the heck Tusk does Johnny is capable of, and 3. she left him a burning crisp anyway even if he shot her in the leg so he was kinda worse off tbh, lol. TLDR:
→ Something busts into the cell room, a wormhole ft Johnny's upper body poking out
→ There's something pinkish around him (???), it's what Ciel could perceive
→ He shoots his fingernails, and they spin. Yeah she's not exaggerating. He can suck himself into his bullets and they're quite destructive (nvm the fact that Ciel is throwing swords too but w/e it's from her POV)
→ But as 'warped space', you can also supposedly throw things in after him. She manages to fling a Black Key engraved with the cremation rite into the wormhole he made for himself, at the cost of her POV tilting like a camera being knocked askew and a splash of red and her periphery: it's when her own kneecap got shot, no gore warning and don't mind it since the actual injury never comes into view.
→ The end result is crispy charred BBQ Johnny whom she couldn't finish off because some big ghost entity came out to protect him, and that's where the feed ends; it thoroughly covers what she's witnessed of his abilities.]

I would also appreciate more information about that ghostly entity, it must be attached to one of the Pleromas in Godsblood who came out to rescue Vaeka. Please start a new [top level] discussion if anyone has more information about that spirit.

Syrlya

[gravings]

Um, I don't know his name, but there's this person...

[ See: this mental image of a tree-looking dude with a shield and sword. ]

He was part of the group that retrieved the prisoner in Godsblood. He was able to use barrier magecraft... And, ah, he can put arrays on the ground that hurt to step in, but if you put your mind to it, you can kind of ignore it.

[ not actually advisable, these are bad circles ]

Dokja

[sterngaze]

If anyone knows anything about this man, Dokja, please share what you can. I met with him briefly during our activities in Venera, but I didn't speak long enough with him to learn anything other than his name.

[He's not spilling any details about this interaction in public—not that there were many to begin with. Someone more informed than him, please shine some light on this subject.]

Cid

[lachtara]

Cid. This one is an Engineer. He can make all manner of war machina and practical tools alike. Perhaps not one for combat - though that may have since changed if he has been granted new abilities - but certainly one to bolster their arsenal.

[ Don't pay attention to the slightest edge of animosity in his voice. ]

Himeka

[lachtara]

It may warrant speaking to the abilities of our captives. 

Himeka, whereby in her homeland as "The Champion of Eorzea" or "Warrior of Light." She boasts powerful healing spells and elemental magic. 

Healing magic allows her to raise allies from unconsciousness, provide them their full health, and cure that which ails. Her elemental magic boasts skills of fire, ice, thunder, stone, and light. I cannot say how powerful each are in this place, or if this is truly the extent of her abilities here.

She is a notorious meddler and do-gooder who involves herself in everything she ought not. I would hazard that she does not often plan or strategize and is more likely to act on impulses.

Abel

[expiera]

[The image included be like: (yes she chose this shot on purpose) (yes he's still captive and chained somewhere, she's still not doing him any favors 😤)]

Abel Nightroad. Self-professed priest. [She is STILL not convinced and never will be.] Martyr, to his last. [Takes one to know one.]

A bleeding heart and foolish idealist who believes anyone can be saved, the man has a compulsive need to sprout nonsense and theatrics at any given opportunity. Is a staunch pacifist who normally refuses to engage in combat, but is capable of fighting when the life of someone he cares about [which is probably too many people but that's his problem] is directly threatened.

[Enclosed is a second image, this time a still of a winged figure with demonic red eyes and sharp fangs that looks utterly monstrous against the backdrop of the night sky. Don't mind the fact that he's clearly carrying Himeka in his arms.]

He can change. [Almost ironic, with how much he insists everyone else can.] Capable of flight atop superhuman strength and agility, its blood is also caustic and will eat through flesh. The wings are as sharp as blades and can tear through matter, it highly likely has a slew of other abilities not yet witnessed. [She can recognize OP BS when she smells it.] It may also potentially have an affinity for lightning. [Maybe, not enough conclusive evidence just yet.] It doesn't understand the limits Horos imposes on all and gave a very clumsy initial showing, but its threat is nevertheless significant. Please contact me immediately whenever that monster appears next. I will handle it.

[Yes, it, a monster. There's nothing human about it, so Ciel simply sees it fit to address 'it' as such.]

If you feel sympathy for that creature, reconsider why you're here. That is all.

[Yanno, the dude that's currently captive after a public display stint? Of course there's going to be an obligatory callout?]

inumaki (toge)

[subsist]

[ a quick flash of this young man's face will come to mind. ]

Has anyone met him before? He likes to speak in food ingredients, but for good reason— it appears his ability is capable of forcing others to act based on whatever command he says. If he tells you don't move, then you won't be able to move. If he tells you to step forward, then there's nothing stopping you from stepping forward.

I'm not certain if his commands can be more destructive, so do be careful if you run into him.

New Kenoma

[lachtara]

Intro or Ask Questions

[lachtara]

(Newbies can intro or ask questions here. Introduce yourselves, ask questions about mechanics or people, or anything else you can think of.)

[settingup]

[ Are you ever just a high school jock who /clenches fist... finds yourself stuck in the middle of a war for the future of all existence? ]

What the fuck?

[fallingsand]

Hey, watch your language.

[ Sorry, Atsumu, that was an automatic response almost immediately after thinking the exact same thing, just quieter. ]

[galdorleod]

[ The presence of Howl's mind is unmistakable in the wake of the long message, but it has the energy of a student who is unsure whether they want to raise their hand in class. His mind has instantly been flooded with worries and questions, but where he would normally not hesitate to speak up, he is struggling to decide whether there's a point in saying anything.

Emet-Selch... Ciel... Were you both hiding something from him the last time they spoke? Have you known more about what's about to happen this whole time? Or is all of this, too, part of the Regent's designs?

So he says nothing in direct response, and chooses to pay attention to the discussion that arises. But... he's worried. ]

[cutlery]

Well, first of all, it is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Mr. Emet-Selch, and it is good to hear from you again, Miss Ciel.

[ Of course, manners come first! But with that said, Sebastian will promptly get to explaining with no further preamble. His manners are important to him, but he at least seems pragmatic otherwise. ]

I am Sebastian Michaelis, one of those that has recently arrived. To put it quite bluntly, I am no stranger to bloodshed, but I do wish to know the rules of engagement in advance. I would like to handle any problem I may encounter correctly, since I have seen and been involved in many in my existence. The etiquette of battle changes considerably through the centuries.

[ There's a pause, and he does at least add (though probably not all that surprisingly...) ]

In addition, I have indeed found myself with considerably less of the ability and power I am used to. I would very much appreciate someone taking the time to help me verify where I now stand.

[galdorleod]

[ The 'rules of engagement,' as he put it, are definitely worth going over — to the extent there are any. And this being the first time Howl has had a chance to speak to the new, other Celebrant Aion since chaperoning him to Achamoth, he's happy to answer. ]

Warfare between Aions is not like the warfare you may be familiar with, because we do not die the same way. Inflicting a mortal blow on another Aion will kill their body, but only their body. Their Shard will be left behind — that's the stone you may have noticed conspicuously embedded in your body, by the way — and eventually, the Aion's body will regenerate from the Shard.

A blow to the Shard, on the other hand, will cause the death to be permanent.

[ Howl will leave out the part about their Shards being their very souls for now. It can be a pretty harrowing thing to hear, and most of the new arrivals are already dealing with enough. ]

The Regent discourages us from breaking the Pleromas' Shards, and we'd all do well to respect that wish. If we can bring any of them to our side, we should elect to do so, instead of killing them.

[uproared]

I need no tactician or teacher; merely a target for my blade. If our enemies are coming to us, then so much the better — it saves me the trouble of seeking them out.

[lifespanned]

Wow, how cool....

[ Said just like a badass protagonist in a comic series... can you feel it, Mordred? The feeling of her eyes sparkling in excitement??? ]

Are you some kind of hero or something?

[fallingsand]

[ Sure, Ciel said to contact her directly to opt out of being on the front lines somewhere, but communion is so painfully new to Bruno that his first clumsy attempt at replying — apart from that earlier to Atsumu, telling him not to swear — isn't even remotely targeted.

It also carries entirely unmuted emotion with it: distress against a consistent drone of nervousness. ]

Uh, I get... I get this is a war and all but I'm really only good at avoiding danger, not. Not running towards it.

[ aka he can't fight. Bench him, coach, he'll get in the way. ]

[affal]

My dear man, please take this from someone who had not so much as thrown a punch before arriving here:

Learn. Either that, or find some other way to make yourself or your skills useful. We cannot afford dead weight.

[vapour]

So, they're really coming here? Wow, that'll be fun.

[lachtara]

Well, I do recall a mention of wanting strong opponents.

[vivificantem]

Ah... Right, my name is Father Paul Hill, I served as a priest where I came from, and so I likewise serve as one here. The congregation of Our Dark Regent's Church of the Precious Blood is my responsibility.

[It's kind of an evocative name. They do exactly what you think they do there.]

If any of you need healing at any point, I can assist you in that way.

[expiera]

Thank you, Father Paul. [Healers are going to be especially needed, with all the hurt that typically comes with war.]

How fares the congregation of late? [Since they're talking "business" anyway.]

[sterngaze]

[Liem makes an effort to present a put-together face for this sect-wide communion, although some hint of fatigue still underlies the cool, clipped tones of his message.]

To those who do not yet know me, my name is Liem Talbott. I arrived with the previous group of aions, about three months ago, and while there are certainly things about our present situation that I still don’t know, you can also approach me for assistance or answers should you need any.

To the more senior of us: you may have noticed my absence over much of the past couple of weeks.

[Also, unless you live under a rock, you may have heard about the seditious activities that certain Kenoma members participated in last month in Venera. But the new blood don’t need all that spelled out for them.]

Please know that my time away was fruitful, and I am prepared to work alongside you to the utmost of my abilities in the face of this upcoming struggle.

[baltimores]

[ There's the sense of something distinctly pleased, friendly, happy, at hearing Liem's words come through. ]

You find your place here?

[ Look, the means don't matter. What matters is it sounds like Liem's figuring out how he fits into all of this, and that can only be a good thing. ]

[entsetzt]

[The feeling you get from this one is...dispassionate. Curious, but in a detached, icy sort of way. When Crane speaks, it's in a soft, whispery sort of way.]

Doctor Jonathan Crane, newly-arrived. I am happy to assist, but my talents lie primarily in psychiatry and chemistry. I doubt either would serve well in the battle to come. I fear these Pleroma will not willingly submit to my psychoanalysis.

These prisoners you speak of. What can you tell us about them?

[lachtara]

[ ...Someone new being here and immediately asking about the Prisoners is somewhat.. concerning. He keeps his answers clipped. ]

Himeka and Abel. They were captured during our last endeavors in a nearby city called Godsblood. The two are favored allies of the Pleroma, and they are certain to want their allies returned to them.

[zauneyete]

If I may offer a... small bit of additional information about our upcoming... expected altercation with the Pleroma --

[ A pause, the:. ] I doubt the lot of you are familiar with the current thorn in our side that is possessing the Pleroma called Estinien. It is called the Innocent, as Emet-Selch informed you, and it is quite powerful, as I have had the displeasure of encountering it more than once. They can, and will be able to take things away from you -- such as the ability to see which sect others are of -- or our ability to create portals. If it is taken, I cannot guarantee that it will return swiftly. I explained this earlier, but I cannot stress enough that it will be dangerous to deal with, and thus must be taken care of quickly.

I think that when the Pleroma come to rescue their friends, and I do not doubt that Estinien will be with them -- unless he is already dead, I do not think he will be able to ignore that we have their allies. [ A pause, as he considers how much to share, from his earlier conversation, and of course the fact that he had been given that secret spear. ] We must keep him here. I do not think multiple attempts at capturing him will be successful, if we wish to deal with That Thing before it causes more problems for us. I guarantee it will continue to do so, if we are not cautious, and if we do not handle it promptly.

So do what you will when they come, if you are able to kill or capture any others, don't hesitate, but if you have to make a choice... prioritize That Thing that the Regent has so carefully put circumstances together to draw out.

[vapour]

You got it.