[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 Aions may develop new abilities at any time, however; intel from the mission in Venera and Godsblood may very well be outdated by now, so do not assume anything we go over in this address as the extent of what they can do.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

[affal]

( through the sustained connection of Communion, there is a vague shudder; a reflexive sort of defensiveness, like the prickling of the porcupine. it lasts just for a moment before smoothing out. )

Have you spoken to those who share its Legacy?

( he doesn't recall the specifics, but he thought the Innocents among the Kenoma's number had some sort of experience while in Venera. )

At the time, the Regent told me that the creature was one born from the Innocent's Legacy, and it had used its power to try to "shape" me by infecting me with its aspect. Perhaps it did have something to do with Legacy, though contrary, or at the very least what I had done to upset it.

( sadly it was in a thread with someone else where the Regent had found it ironic that it had ended up with its mark on a Firebrand, both when it came to estinien but also when it came to makoto's curse... so he can't bring it up here. )

I was present both times when the creature manifested, or watched memories of those who were there after I fell unconscious in the first. From my perspective, it seemed to lash out at whatever threatened it. That, and interact with those who reasoned with it. I can't say for certain if those affected are the same as the lights that you saw, but that would be my guess, at least.

[semicharmed]

Oh, well ... not particularly, actually, [ Matt admits, in answer to the first question. ] I guess I've just been assuming that if I'm talking to someone with Innocent as a Legacy, they'll speak up about it.

[ Although come to think of the most Innocence-y Kenoma he knows ... has anybody seen Meteion around lately?

Matt shuffles that thought to the back of his mind as Makoto moves on to share more information. He wishes he'd thought to pull out a pen and paper when he opened himself to all this mingling. Still, he listens intently, nodding along where no one can see him. ]

I think your guess sounds pretty reasonable. I kinda wish we could test these theories in some way apart from poking the bear, but this thing really doesn't like to be observed. Not by me, anyway.

[ A huffing sigh. ]

Okay, so ... a creature born from the Innocence Legacy. Tethered to this plane by, we assume, Estinien and the people who attacked or otherwise interacted with her at this particular moment. [ Potentially on the second manifestation as well, but Kaeya seemed okay ... Matt should check in with him. ] She put a curse on you that lingered until it was actively lifted. She seems to view danger to Estinien as a danger to her, at least when it reaches a significant point.

Is that about the size of what we know?

[affal]

( there's a brief pause, somewhat fraught with an exasperated sort of surprise, and then a laugh.

what a bizarre thing to assume. )

You might be surprised what you're told, should you ask.

( makoto himself is the type to not necessarily divulge all without being prompted, even if it's something that isn't necessarily a secret. sure, he's answering now, but only because he feels as though he can help shed some light on this whole scenario with his unique perspective on it. that's not always the case; sometimes you have to shake a few trees to see what falls out of them. )

Yes. That seems about right, to my recollection.

( a brief pause. )

It does seem to be the sanctimonious sort. I'm... trying to recall what all it said the second time it appeared in Venera, but I was not exactly in the right frame of mind at the time. ( he was high off of his ass both with Shimmer rushing through his veins and a voracious need for revenge. ) It seemed very concerned with cleansing us of what it saw as a corruption, speaking of repenting and salvation... Mm, but I can't remember the specifics any better than that. My apologies.

[semicharmed]

[ That is ... a super valid point, Matt has to admit. He has been surprised by what people will tell him just for asking. He spent so much of his time this last round in Venera barely even trying, convinced he'd fuck up any attempt at espionage, and it turned out he was surprisingly effective when he put his mind to it.

Even without magic. ]

Hm, [ he muses. ] That's good to know. She sounds like she can't really be reasoned with, only appeased ... and it seems like her timeline for appeasement is pretty short, if she's manifested so many times.

[ For a moment, Matt contemplates bright light and eternal oneness. A small shiver runs down his spine. ]

[affal]

( sometimes makoto wonders if he palmed the top of matt's head and shook it around, if he'd hear something rattling around in there... come on, buddy. you wouldn't last half a day in hell.

there's an impression of assent. ) As expected from an unknown and inexplicable force, no, it would seem not. If one encounters the creature, I wouldn't even recommend trying. Even attacking seems risky, considering how little we have been able to do to it in the past.

It might simply be the best option to flee, if it manifests once more.

( though the mental inflection of his voice is flat, there's a sensation of stymied bitterness from the demon that accompanies it. )

[semicharmed]

[ Matt notes, almost idly, ] She's explicable to somebody. Just maybe not us. On our current timeline, at any rate.

[ It's a shame that M doesn't have some instinctual sense for other preternatural beings and what their whole vibe is. But Matt supposes no group intrinsically shares a common understanding, and maybe it'd be a little ... spirit-ist ... to expect them to. ]

I wonder if another scry would help, [ he muses. ] She really didn't like me getting anywhere "near" her in that way, but she didn't hurt me. And if it was timed to one of her physical manifestations, maybe she'd be distracted.

[affal]

So it would appear.

( makoto cares very little for trying to communicate with the thing. having been cursed by it, having felt that very curse restrain him so that a spear of light could skewer through his chest, having sensed the intense and helpless terror of something like that with the fearsome ability to warp and change things about yourself out of recognition touch his shard, make contact with his very soul —

he wants the damned thing dead, either by his own hand or whoever could accomplish it.

there's a silent sense of musing. ) It might be worth looking into.

What precious few opportunities we are given... We shouldn't overlook a single one.

[semicharmed]

Yeah. I agree.

[ They've already sunk a lot of energy into this thing, energy they could have been spending--well, probably killing more people. But advancing their goal, at least, instead of playing defense. ]

I don't know how effective it'll be, but on my end, I can be ready with everything I'd need for a scry. So if the chance comes up, I can take it.

[ It's not much. It might not be anything at all, in fact. But like Makoto says, nothing's worth overlooking at this point.

Apart from playing nice. ]