PLOT & INVESTIGATIONS

[aionmods]

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The catch-all page for plot inquiries, NPC threads, investigations, player plots, plot suggestions, and everything else under that banner. Frequency of replies to NPC thread requests will be subject to mod availability, but we will do our best.

INVESTIGATIONS

This is where you come to seek out conversations with NPCs, have your character investigate the setting, or otherwise declare that your character is doing something we should know about. We are open to doing unsolicited NPC call-out threads but reserve the right to cut them short/handwave if they don't seem to be going anywhere or to limit their scope if we are overburdened. NPCs are not always guaranteed to be up for prolonged conversation, but you can try. To attempt to contact an NPC please put their name in the subject line. For conversations of general plot importance, we may ask you to make an closed log.

For investigations, you can freely use this page to have your character seek out information about the characters, setting, or plot. We do ask that you keep investigations to 1-3 inquiries at most, and to have those inquiries be somewhat related. If you want to investigate things that are completely unrelated, please put them in a separate comment. Additionally, please be specific about the approach your character is taking to find out information; their method will greatly impact how well it goes for them.

PLAYER PLOTS

Aion Teleos is designed to be open to player plots, and would be glad to accomodate them! Let us know in a comment below that you/your character is doing and how you'd like to approach it as a player run event. Please put the words "Player Plot" in the subject line.

PLOT SUGGESTIONS

If you don't specifically want to run a plot yourself but have some vague ideas of an event type you think would scratch an itch for the game, please let us know. We don't guarantee we'll use these ideas, but we will keep them in mind when designing future events.

Comments

Player Plot

[lachtara]

Hi mods!

Following this thread, Emet has proposed the idea of getting a few Kenoma/Pleroma together to talk about their motivations. His intent for this is to find out what motivates the Pleroma and try to use that info to convert them.

However! He would not do this in secret. He would like to run this by the Regent to include what he's doing, why, and backup plans in case it doesn't work. I would post an OOC post later asking for volunteers, but that would all depend on how the Regent respons to the idea.

Would it be possible to get a thread with the Regent to do this? Ty 😌

Re: Player Plot

[aionmods]

Yes, we can do a thread about that! Assume that Emet-Selch will be granted at audience with the Regent after the business with the new arrivals has concluded. Make a closed log with what his opening pitch to the Regent would be, dated to the start of May. (You can make the log now.) The meeting will be happening in the same hall dinner took place in, but with the tables removed so only the Regent's throne is there.

Additionally, since this will be taking place after he's been on probation for a month: what has been up to in the meantime? Will he participate in collecting anyone from the shrines? Has he been providing services to the other Kenoma? Most importantly: is he going to apologize, as requested by the Regent? This will affect how his conversation with them goes.

Investigation/NPC thread

[hippocarnival]

Hi! Sometime between the recent TDM and the upcoming event (so first half of this month), Yuya would like to catch a moment to talk to Tehri about the history of the Aions, namely stuff like how long its been since they were hatching, the previous war, pretty recent stuff. He's kind of hoping to just catch her around Greentruth.

I am okay with just a summary response or an actual thread based on mod load.

[aionmods]

We can do a thread! Though there is some information that is planned to be disseminated at later time through different events, Tehri could provide him some new information/plot points that he and other Aions can run with.

Please make a closed log dated at the beginning of May and link us here once it is up. You can handwave Yuya searching her out/requesting an audience and assume that it was granted at a convenient time for the both of them.

INVESTIGATION (DRAGONS)

[coerthantorment]

Following up on Estinien's event investigation and conversation with Tehri concerning the larger forest dragons, Estinien is going to attempt to parley with the Tamfa as she suggested. Once the worst of his shrine fight injuries have healed he'll trek out into the woods and keep an eye out for the hidden presence of dragons neat the forest floor. He'll have his wings out and his Nidhogg dragon aura activated (that he gets from being infused with dragon soul/blood) in the hopes of looking familiar to them. In his canon he can sense other dragons, so he'll be trying to do that, whether or not it works.

If he doesn't get any results just from wandering around searching, he will call out his presence to them, saying that he wishes to parley with the Tamfa. Maybe calling them by name will help, who knows! He's also been feeding the little insect dragons daily (when he wasn't injured) and so him doing this may end up summoning some of them to start bothering him, which may also make an impression.

[aionmods]

Estinien's initial attempts will have mixed results: the closer he is to the actual settlement, the less he will find. He may see dragons moving overhead and the shadows of them flying in the canopy, but these are not the Tamfa. It may seem to be fruitless for a while, with a few unnamed species watching curiously for a moment or two before flying away when he tries to acknowledge their presence.

On all instances the little dragons will be flocking to him since he has been spending so much time winning their favor. In the end, this will be what actually works to his benefit. With persistence over the course of a few days, Estinien can finally be approached by a Tamfa dragon he can speak with.

If you would like to thread out this encounter, one of the mods can NPC the Tamfa dragon for you!

Investigation (religious leadership)

[vivificantem]

From the previous comment (now in the right place) - Seeing as the Aions are already revered so highly among the Achamites, would it be possible to eventually assume some sort of religious leadership/authority position, and if so how long would such a thing take to achieve/would anything specific need to be done?

For what it's worth, he's shown himself to be very good at motivating people in an alarmingly militaristic fashion, and he imagines the ability to do that in the Regent's interests would be a good thing to have in reserve if needed, which would be the primary reason he'd be interested. Otherwise, though, in times when it's less relevant to do things like that, he would definitely be keeping in line with the current rituals and practices, he wouldn't have interest in changing that or converting people to anything.

The approach he would generally be taking would be less one of demanding a position, but more as a proposal; as an Aion - and as someone that personally specializes in interpreting texts, the overseeing of ritualistic practices, and providing spiritual counsel - he would like the opportunity to work with the people directly and provide them guidance and leadership where necessary, and likewise to participate in services and rituals more intimately.

[aionmods]

Apologies for our reply to this taking so long! We put it aside while the event was in progress, but we are now more available to work through it with you.

This is something that various Achamite churches would be willing to take him up on, since it would look quite good for them and their social respectability to have a real Aion on their side. In Achamoth, there are various churches with their own view on the religion rather than one Regent-dictated way of thinking, as the Regent themself doesn't get involved. This mean that their methods and the things they choose to focus on can vary. Father Paul would have had enough time to see what most of the major branches are like by now.

When picking which church he would like to represent, what sort of angles would he be most interested? Would you be inclined to support one that was very much in to the more brutal forms of ritual sacrifice they get up to? Or would be want to put his backing behind one that is a more gentle perspective on the Regent's philosophy? There are also some that lean heavily into the hedonism aspect.

Let us know what kind of traits he would look for in the practical branch he gets most involved with, and we can provide some more specific flavor. He'll definitely be giving whichever one it is some clout.

Player Plot

[aquaveiled]

Hello there! Himeka and Ernesto are discussing supplies in Greentruth v. Godsblood and are trying to see if there's a way to start some sort of commerce between the two places. Knowing that Greentruth is low on supplies that help the overall Resistance effort but have a decent amount of food resources, they're thinking about trying to export some spices to have sold in Greentruth. Then maybe split the profits? They could use those jools to buy more supplies for the Resistance, etc.

Is this something that would be feasible? Even if isn't successful, I think they'd like to give it a shot. Thank you!

[aionmods]

They would be able to funnel the plentiful spices from Greentruth through to Godsblood. In fact they'll find out that these items are rare and sought after given that few other than the Resistance live in the forests, and no one in Godsblood would openly show any ties with them. Because of this, sales will go very well for a while, but as time goes on Ernesto may find that NPCs are becoming more and more suspicious of how he is able to deal in these spices.

They would both earn a substantial amount of jools to live comfortable in Godsblood or to trade and barter for Resistance supplies as stated.

Investigation/NPC interaction

[expiera]

Hello mods! As Misa and Ciel ranked up to Penumbral and would speak to each other over it, they would seek out Xishen together that very day to ask about the changes they experience. Aside from learning the new powers, they would also try asking:
1. What brought upon the change in them?
2. What does higher attunement mean, in an IC sense, and how far can this growth go?
3. Would Xishen tell them what her attunement level is?
We'd love a log, a summary of how those questions are answered would also be great depending on mod load. As they are both interested in spending time with Xishen too, the offer will be extended again, along with some small talk and pleasantries as general check-in since they saw her last. They'll politely and respectfully be on their way after.

Also asking for clarification: does True Sight allow Aions to perceive the attunement level of their peers, or maybe tell if there's a difference between two Aions who are on different tiers?

Thank you very much for your time!

[aionmods]

Xishen would definitely be open to talking to them about this, and would quickly be able to identify the cause of the new effects and explain it to them. We're going to keep this to a summary for now, unless something beyond just attunement exposition is called for. If they end up wanting to ask about anything more dramatic, let us know.

In the meantime, since they asked, Xishen will be willing to sit down with them for tea or something of the sort while she explains.

1) Xishen would explain it as their spirits becoming more in tune with the Kenoma. The more the accept its power into their life, the more it will seep into their souls and empower them. The same can happen with the Pleroma. It's a sign that they 'vibe' with the nature of their sect.

2) In setting, the attunement tiers aren't academic terms or anything. It's more that it's easy to identify where someone is on their journey with the Kenoma based on what powers have become available to them. Xishen will understand that their vision has attuned to the spiritual, which means they are moving deeper into the Kenoma. In terms of how far it goes, Xishen will say that an Aion at their maximum strength could bend reality itself to their will, but a power that great doesn't tend to last forever.

3) As mentioned, in-character Aions don't tend to refer to things with a tier system, but Xishen will say that she is "a bit further along than the two of them." Without being pushed, she won't go into much more detail than that.

4) As for what Misa and Ciel can perceive, they can generally tell if an Aion is higher than them, the same as them, or lower than them. They will see that Xishen has a higher attunement than them, but not much more than that.

Investigation/NPC Interaction

[dragon_rider]

Hello, mods! Please feel free to take your time and I'm sorry for putting more at your feet!

Since Hiccup's taken a particular interest in trying to learn about/help the communities they've come across in his own way everything in Venera reminded him of something(s). He remembers seeing winged creatures and the outskirts of a village at the Innocent shrine when they escaped. He doesn't really think they'd have much information, but he'd decide to go back shortly after Venera!

First he'd try to see if he can find the winged creatures for the sake of it (either when walking, trying to talk to the villagers, a short flight — saying as much for flavor than any expectation of meeting them)! But what he'd be most interested in is trying to interact with the villagers. He remembers them as mostly skittish, but helpful. Them and the mountaineers near the Visionary shrine are people he can't forget about, so he'd really want to see if he can make contact with them.

He wouldn't present himself as an Aion at first and would mostly act as a passing traveler happy to help with household chores in turn for conversation. He'd be mostly looking to learn about their village than anything else and be curious of any connection with the Innocence legacy they have.

Essentially, would there be anything more about the creatures but mostly the village if he returned and did a more thorough investigation? Is there anything more of me question-wise you'd like supplied? Obviously, if investigating it more is too soon that's all right by me!

[aionmods]

The locals will generally be friendly to him, even if there is a little bit of hesitation that comes with dealing with any stranger in the current social climate. Ultimately, though, they'll end up warming up to him after he's stayed with them for a while.

Culturally, it seems the people here are very connected to the Valley of Innocence. They don't spend much time within it, considering it sacred territory, but they do see themselves as custodians. It's fairly good at protecting itself, but they keep an eye out just in case anyone comes by looking to defile it.

They'll tell him that it's a place where blood cannot be spilt and that its borders are protected by legendary creatures known as unicorns. They don't have any solid historical accounts left, but it's said that the land is touched by the Innocent. They'll also tell him, with great interest, that they've heard word that a couple dozen Aions emerged from the shrine a few moons ago and scattered for parts unknown. They think that must be a sign.

FOR EMET-SELCH

[aionmods]

One night when Emet-Selch is out for a stroll, he'll come across some strange activity taking place. A hut-like building, dwarfed by the towering structures that fill the rest of the neighborhood, has recently collapsed under what looks like many years of wear and tear; whatever it is, it has very clearly not seen any repairs for some time. Not all that remarkable on its own, of course, but what's curious is that a small gathering of civilians seems to be taking apart the remains quite furtively, as if hastily digging for buried treasure before anyone else can stop them.

They've made some progress already, it seems, piles of old bricks and damaged roofing already moved aside. This means that Emet-Selch will have an unblocked view into something more suspicious in the demolished interior. In the center of where the building was once set, there appears to be a horizontal doorway of some kind, as if intended to lead down into the earth. Its material is completely unlike the hut itself, marked with lines of various colors, set into the stone in a series of inscriptions.

The civilians attempting to clear away the rubble will not notice him at first, meaning that whether or not he engages, it will be his choice.

[lachtara]

Emet would be curious enough to investigate on his own. He would observe while they continue to clear away the rubble (for the sake of observation and so that he doesn't have to do it himself.) When clear "enough", he would then express that he will take a look at the interior, all the while willing to use his position as Aion or connection to the Regent if they needed some amount of swaying.

If allowed, he would enter with a conjured shield at the ready...just in case.

Investigation/NPC Interaction

[locumstudentesquire]

So I know Tehri is disappearing for a bit after Event 3, but I'm wondering if, once she's back, it will be possible for Ryunosuke to seek her out.

I'm totally fine with keeping this to a shorthand summary style investigation since I know you guys are not doing NPC threads right now; basically he wants to introduce himself properly (assuming he hasn't gotten the chance yet, though he may have done that early on when he arrived if given the opportunity) and ask if she knows anything about the former patron Aion of Venera, because he has taken a sort of personal interest in their history.

He'd lead by sharing what he learned from the Veneran family he stayed with; that they were pleroma, that they were of the artisan legacy but little else is known about them because the Regent basically destroyed the public memory of them when the city fell 70-100 years ago. He's hoping that even if she wasn't around when that actually happened, maybe the information was still kicking around Horos a bit more around the time she showed up here?

(He'd be pretty sensitive/polite about asking as per his usual MO)

[aionmods]

Tehri nods and supplies the name "Helico" before continuing. Tehri would tell him that she did not have the honor of meeting the patron Aion of Venera as they were killed shortly before she arrived. She will confirm that they were a Pleroma of the Artisan legacy and that her understanding is that their assassination is what started the last escalation in war. Venera fell to the Regent's control not long after.

player plot

[baltimores]

Hi mods! I'd like to get a start on a trip to Godsblood, whenever the timing is appropriate, as initially discussed here a couple of months ago.

I think the springboard for this would be Amos at some point approaching a relevant NPC about his desire to upgrade Achamoth's guns and them telling him he'd have to go to Godsblood in order to do it (I'm assuming this would be Xishen, but please correct me if I'm wrong!). From there, there are three things in particular that I'd need to know more about:

Travel. It looks like the Sovereign and Artisan shrines are the closest ones to Godsblood; would characters teleport to either of those and then be able to complete the rest of the journey either via boat or carriage, or would travelling through traditional means straight from Achamoth be the way to go? What would the rough travel time be for the best method utilized (particularly so I know what other plots I might not be able to participate in during the duration of this trip)?

Party. What would be a suitable number of Kenoma PCs who could join Amos on this journey? I'm okay with it being a purely solo trip, but checking in with other players I know there were some who were interested in coming along too for IC reasons, so I just want to be sure I'm striking the right balance between letting other interested parties participate without things becoming unruly.

Reception. I assume aside from other Tier 2+ Aions in Godsblood, nobody would be able to tell who's Kenoma — but depending on their arrival method, would people in Godsblood know these are people from Achamoth who have come to visit? Further to that, how would they react if they were obviously Aions or Kenoma, specifically?
Specific to Amos, he isn't going to be flaunting his status, but he isn't going to be hiding it, either — and he's going to be getting into the weeds of machinery, engineering, and manufacturing a lot, to the point it should probably be obvious to people in Godsblood that something's up with him because since he's from a sci-fi canon, his knowledge in all of these fields is going to be well ahead of what could be reasonably expected of any native of Horos. But he also isn't there to start shit and would gladly help out with any machining or engineering problems anyone's having if asked of him. Otherwise, really all he wants to do is build some higher quality guns and make sure he's got ammunition for them. He will resort to violence if he feels he needs to, but to start at least he'd be treating this strictly as a business trip.

And thanks again for suggesting this to me as a player plot way back when — I'm excited to utilize it when the timing's right!

[aionmods]

XISHEN: Xishen would be the main way to approach this, yes. Her response will be basically "if you can, go for it". She can tell him that Achamoth isn't really outfitted for that sort of thing, but Godsblood is. However, but she will caution that Godblood does not like or appreciate the Regent, and a bunch of Kenoma arriving is likely to stir the pot over there. Her main question is whether he's planning to go over as an official trip on behalf of the Regent, or if he's planning on just sneaking in? Both options have their problems.

TRAVEL: Taking a boat directly from Achamoth would be the fastest option, as getting there from the Artisan shrine by land would take about a week, while a boat would take about 4 days. The downside would be that that boat would make it way more obvious they are coming from Achamoth, which would be a complication if they are planning to come in unofficially.

PARTY: This also largely depends on whether Amos intends to arrive there announced or not. No matter what, the more Aions he brings along the more aggressive it will be seen as by locals. Any more than 3 or 4 is really going to look like the Regent sending in a special ops group, if their identities are revealed, and depending on what they end up doing there that could be seen as an act of war.

RECEPTION: Whatever cynicism Godsblood's people hold for Pleroma Aions goes double for Kenoma, so while they are allowed to be there by word of law, they are not really welcome. Godsblood puts up with Achamoth because they have no choice, but in general they are going be very defensive of their resources and knowledge. After all, from their perspective, the Regent is the enemy, and so anything that gives the Regent more power is something they absolutely don't want. Even if Amos enters while pretending to not be an Aion, the handling of these materials of not taken lightly, and is very unlikely to be offer to a complete stranger with no credentials. The options are mainly to enter as an Kenoma and be respected but hated or entering undercover and not being given much attention at all without a ton of additional work.

GUNS: We do want to note that we were perceiving the previous plotting request more in terms of Amos making a gun for himself rather than trying to outfit all of Achamoth. There will have to be a ton of groundwork done and hard choices made for this to move past him making a piece of personal weaponry, so we do want to be upfront about that, given how much it would be altering the setting. It's possible, but it'll be a long term project and will have its costs.

investigation/possible npc threads!

[traversal]

so with lumine sharing the information she's gathered so far to dex and ryu, the trio is planning to travel to venera for more investigation and, uh, criminal activity. with the innocence issue mostly resolved, i do have a few more questions.

1. would there be more information that they'll be able to find about venera and its chaotic past, including the actions and response of the regent? this is if they break into a different library from before. i think lumine would eventually realise that they've broken into a school and she might decide to find a public library, if it exists, in venera that might have more information.

2. in a different library, would they finally find some information about venera's patron, specifically the treatment they received from the regent? also specific descriptions of the curses or afflictions that happened in the past?

3. how protected would these information be? would it be locked up behind a certain section they'll have to sneak in, go past heavily armed guards, etc?

4. aside from books, are there materials that could reveal some history about venera, like songs or paintings or poetry?

5. also! because i needed to add this, how heavy or severe is the punishment for being caught? ic consequences, etc.

Re: investigation/possible npc threads!

[aionmods]

1) Truthfully, the mod team doesn't have a ton of specific examples regarding the things that went on in Venera, we're mostly trying to give you general themes of what went on. After the patron's death Venera was taken over by Achamoth as part of a territory war between the Pleroma and Kenoma, which seems to have been the trigger event that lead to the worst of the most recent war. People tried to fight back, the Regent shut them down, with all the things you'd expect from a dictator taking over a city. It was a war between Aions, and a lot of things happened, much like you would expect if the current cast of character got into a territory war.

2) and 3) There is no information about the patron in any public place in Venera. If any books regarding this exist, they are likely in private collections that are kept secret as that information is considered contraband. The public libraries don't have visible restricted sections.

4) We really need requests like this to be more specific about what you are looking for. Generating a ton of specific facts about the general events or locations is quite difficult on a mod level. The more specific you are about where Lumine is looking or who she is asking the more information you will get, but we struggle to answer questions that look for really broad subjects.

[lockedon]

Hey mods (again)! Sorry for hitting you guys up twice in one day....

Somewhat in tandem with Amos's trip to Godsblood, Eustace would also like to make a trip to Godsblood to A) scope out the area to see if there are any good locations nearby to set up a portal for quicker travel from Achamoth, and B) do some general recon to get a feel for the city and its landmarks in person.

Originally Ari and I discussed him going along with Amos but he wouldn't want to announce his status as a Kenoma Aion so he's opting to go via land route (teleporting to the Artisan shrine and then taking a carriage from there). It looks like Seiko was also interested in having Childe go to Godsblood so they would likely go together, leaving around the same time as Amos but arriving several days later.

I'm mostly curious as to how difficult it'll be to enter Godsblood as an unannounced Aion. Childe and Eustace would both be keeping a low profile/their Shards hidden but they wouldn't have any sort of paperwork or anything if guards or border patrol (????) asked them for documents, just vague cover stories.

Otherwise Eustace will just be wandering around the city and the outskirts for a few days to get a pulse on the atmosphere and surrounding terrain in person. Assuming it's okay to make the trip, I have a few related questions:

Would it be possible to buy a general city map? You guys mentioned that most resources wouldn't be available to randos off the street so I wanted to double-check on this first. He'd say he'd like one because he gets lost easily if asked, but wouldn't push past that if rejected.

He would want to go visit the Legacy shrines around the city and in particular would be interested in those belonging to the Firebrand. If he asked someone working at the temple (assuming there's an active one) about the history of the Firebrand legacy, are there any fun legends he would learn?

[aionmods]

1) For portal locations you'll basically have to tell us what kind of locations he is looking for/his strategy for acquiring access to them.

2) General recon to get the basic setting info is fine!

3) Its not hard to get into Godsblood/you don't really need papers to do so. It is historically very open to travelers. It's just that if you come in as a random traveler you are going to have to work your way up to be trusted with anything important. They might be asked where they're coming from, but not much more than that.

4) He can get a general city map, it'll just be fairly expensive. It's mostly just of the main arteries and locations of the city rather than anything super detailed.

5) We're going to defer this question (about Firebrands) for now because developing this sort of material is actually fairly effort intensive on a mod level and we are hoping to keep things simple this month. In general, Firebrands are most often associated with revolutionary action, so it wouldn't be surprising if some of the stories were about fighting off attempts to oppress the city, the populace, etc.

npc interaction!

[zauneyete]

I'll keep this short, since I know y'all are busy!

Silco will be seeking out Xishen over his change in attunement. He will not speak to her of the changes he's experiencing directly At First, in relation to himself. He will mention something vague like "I heard someone is starting to experience..." in regards to the changes, to try to suss out the information without directly saying that it's about him in particular. He'll be pretty much talking around it -- kind of like when one asks about advice for their "friend". For plausible deniability reasons he doesn't need help.

If she doesn't put up with his vague bullshit, he will likely come clean as long as she gives an indication that she knows what's going on.

[aionmods]

Xishen will roll her eyes at him and tell him to just be straightforward. She'll say that if he wants an explanation of some of the techniques he might be able to use now, she's willing to help. She'll also inform him that it's not something he's going to be able to keep secret from more veteran Aions anyway, and lying about it will just make him look suspicious.

npc interaction (tehri)

[coerthantorment]

Estinien, Abel, Himeka, Alphinaud, and Ryunosuke (AKA the whole PLeroma Innocence Promise Gang) will be approaching Tehri to basically just tell her what happened with the Innocence Entity. They will show her the Innocence marks and Estinien's entire... everything. This is both for her information but also so they can ask:

Has she heard anything about this creature before? If so, is there anyone besides her that might know more about it? Generally, just asking for her opinion on it and any advice she might have.

[aionmods]

Tehri would be quiet during the explanation of their ordeal, taking it all in with a stern expression. She would ask to see the marks on all of them and then nod and explain that this is the mark of an Aion. For further context she would explain that Aions of higher ascendance do have the ability to bind and mark individuals but the reasoning of why they do would vary from Aion to Aion. It is, in essence, a signed contract or promise.

She has not seen or heard of the Innocence Entity before and does find the description disturbing. She offers a theory of her own by explaining that there are certain areas of Horos that are particularly charged up with arcane magics and residual energies off of powerful Aions. But in regards to the Valley of the Innocence, there has always been a special aura around that place despite the fact that the valley isn't the domain of any particular Aion. She would ask if they felt it too when they were transported there from their escape from Achamoth.

Estinien's own transformation is troubling, but she will try to be polite as possible in sharing this news. Fortunately or not, she has never seen anything like this before. While Aion transformations typically come from within, outside forces can have an effect and influence on them. However, that should have been negated with his resurrection, as his body here is his own impression of his true self. She's not sure if this would mean that something else is at play (magics she doesn't understand) or the experience had left such an impression on him that he's incorporated it into his idea of himself.

She would recommend staying away from the Valley of Innocence for a while (though nothing she says gives any guarantee this would have an effect, this is purely cautionary on her part). Tehri would also suggest that Estinien spend some time reaffirming who he believes he is.

investigation (the faeyr)

[passio]

hello mods! this is not particularly time-sensitive, so feel free to get to this when y’all have had a moment to rest, but after some time to worry and think, dextera will approach the faeyr family along with ryunosuke as his interpreter. they might recognize him as the guy who drank not just one… but many… love potions during the lover’s festival, but regardless he’ll be a little meek in their presence.

he’d like to inquire about them and their family’s connection to the lover, and he’s approaching it with the (at least outward) appearance that he fully believes their claim as descendants.

how far back can they trace their family line?

do their unique features come from their relationship to the lover?

(and… can he possibly purchase another potion from them? maybe it comes across like he was buttering them up to get to this question—or at least, that’s his plan to throw off suspicion.)

[aionmods]

Are Dextera and Ryunosuke just going to seek them out at a market stall of theirs, or at their family home? Are they just trying to speak to the first Faeyr they can find, or would they be looking for more established family members over younger ones that may not know what they are talking about? This will change the sort of information they get, but also how difficult it is to get their attention.

NPC Update + Investigation

[lachtara]

Report about Cross-Faction Meetings (Thread)

Emet will update the Regent about their cross-faction meeting that happened. To mitigate NPC interaction, he will provide a written letter that can be given for the Regent to read instead of giving a report in person.

The letter will say that there were two Martyrs present along with their 'guard dog', Estinien. They provided no significantly helpful information and kept directing the conversation to topics of little importance. The general sentiment seems to be that the Kenoma does not have all the information but couldn't provide a substantial reason why. There is also a growing sentiment that Kenoma need to be "dealt with" instead of trying to convert them, which he imagines has only emboldened since Venera.

From a strategic standpoint, they offered little that couldn't otherwise be discerned from logical conjecture. Admittedly, not surprising. He was hoping to get more out of them on a second meeting once they have established a rapport but he's not sure how everything will proceed with the events at Venera.

The item to note is that the one piece of "valuable information" he received was about their worlds still being intact, which is not mentioned in the letter. If ever asked he will say that it is not justifiable and that the proof given to him is laughable at best - which he did say in the meeting.

But that does lead to...

Investigating Worlds Beyond Horos

Given the Pleroma claims about their worlds existing, and his own desires to confirm what the Regent says about their worlds being destroyed, Emet will set out to try and find out about the worlds beyond this one. (Which I suppose he can see glimmers of other worlds now, thanks to attunement.)

So this is where I would need more feedback and guidance on how to proceed. Since I imagine he is not going to find much in the Achamoth Library or the Shrines (and even if he did he would not stop there). I was considering having him try to get into the section of the Library that is off-limits or trying to take a trip to Hylici sometime in the future since they are a more "scholarly" place. Basically, just poke around and see what he can find.

The question would be where can he look and what, if anything, would he find.

[aionmods]

Hello! First, in regards to the meeting with the Pleroma: the Regent did request to review his memories directly as part of the deal, so they'll be expecting him to follow through on that. That process can easily be handwaved if Emet-Selch is cooperative. So, before we can go forward, would be cooperate? And if so, would he change anything about what he's saying here?

Second, in regards to Emet-Selch researching the status of other worlds: unfortunately, this is not something that we can provide you with much guidance on. This is a fairly pivotal question in the game's lore and if you did happen to come up with a fruitful approach to investigating it, we would let him find what he can, but ideas on where to start need to come from you/him rather than us. You are correct that Achamoth wouldn't have any mention of this, but if you want to pursue this information elsewhere, you do need to have a solid idea of how/where before proceeding.

Some questions are just not meant to be answered through casual research. If a player comes up with a cool idea that that likely hasn't been tried before, we are happy to accommodate it and see where it goes. Otherwise, there is most likely a reason this information is hard to come by and that pursuing it will not be a straightforward task.

Investigation/NPC interaction (Xishen)

[vivificantem]

It's all right if this is left as a summary if the mods would prefer, I understand you guys are super busy! But basically, Paul would like to speak to Xishen about a few matters regarding the Kenoma, just in general.

- ...Likely not terribly important though still relevant, but he would apologize sincerely for not seeking her out before this, and likewise for disobeying her orders in the cavern back at the start; he has questions that he believes she's best equipped to answer, if she would find it acceptable for him to ask.
- He would mention the shift that happened this month, and would like more information regarding what exactly that is and the new powers afforded to him, including portals (I can glean the answers to this more or less based on questions that have already been answered, so there's no need to go into much depth here unless she would).
- The primary thing he would like to ask her about is the ritual that took place in the cavern, when they were first given the Kenoma. Namely asking the all-important what was that, along with questioning if that's something that's commonly done here. He also wants to know if the person that that, ah, happened to was another Aion, or if it was a normal person; he thinks it may have been the latter, but he isn't sure.

[aionmods]

1) She doesn't mind/isn't upset. She understands that he was new to the ways of this world, and his willingness to change course is more than enough for her.

2) She will give him the information asked for, in that regard. She'll explain it very simply: he's become closer with the Kenoma, and can access more of its power as a result. Feel free to assume she tells him the same information as the other players.

3) It was a normal woman who did that... a devotee of the Regent. If allowed to consume the life of a willing person, the Kenoma can be drawn to this realm in greater, more tangible quantities than it could be otherwise. It being willing is essential. Besides that, Xishen will explain (albeit vaguely) that she has a special ability that enables her to amplify that effect.

It's not exactly common, though manipulating the Kenoma in such a manner has been something the Regent's followers have been working on for ages. Similar processes are used to create the black potions fed to new arrivals in the hopes of awakening their connection to the Kenoma.

[expiera]

Hello mods, a quick check-in/heads-up about portals, hope that's okay!

It hasn't been threaded yet but during Ciel's covert Godsblood visit early July/Soviseri, she would meet Dokja and learn about him getting outed as an Aion by Gen a few days before. Because he's so pitiful and needs to get out more, she would use her T2 portal powers to set one IN Dokja's room leading to an Achamite/Hylician soldier outpost in Venera's outskirts and tell them it's ok if a scrawny unhealthy looking man with black hair comes through, giving him access to Venera at will. She's banking on how he'd be too socially awkward/depressed to tell other Pleromas about it, the goal is to get him a change of scenery whenever he likes without dealing with the stigma in Godsblood.

The portal WILL collapse during the event as she will have it destroyed to reset one in a more strategic position for the Kenoma, so it would only be there for roughly two weeks tops during a lull period of peace. Would that be OK?

Thank you as always!

[aionmods]

While they won't have physically stopped her or argued with her, full disclosure, the Hylicians and Achamites won't have necessarily been okay with her doing that. If she'll be getting rid of the portal shortly then it's fine in an OOC sense, but there will be some NPC reactions in the meantime. If Dokja actually decides to use the portal please do inform us, as it may not go how Ciel anticipated.

[expiera]

Hello mods! Following up on Freya's inquiry on the event post, we're officially submitting the player plot we've all spoken and agreed upon between all players involved:

After Vaeka's execution has been resolved (outcome TBA) from the Soveseri event, Abel and Himeka will be staying behind to protect and relocate other members of the Resistance, Ciel and Emet-Selch will as well to monitor the situation in Godsblood and tie any loose ends in the Kenoma's best interest. Estinien's encounters in Venera will trigger the Promise of the Innocent for the former two, which will render them vulnerable to capture by the latter two and be taken to Achamoth as prisoners as a result.

I'm hoping to tie this into the Innocence drawing out plot Ciel and Silco have ICly spoken to the Regent about. Having custody of two of his closest allies would be ideal bait in forcing Estinien to come to Achamoth, where the Regent may be able to action against the Innocence entity somehow. We'd like to have this spark into a large scale PVP conflict in August after the TDM where the Pleromas come take their friends back, and the Kenoma will have to defend against that. Would that be possible?

We have some additional questions too. Freya and Prince would like to know what may be possible for threading during imprisonment (i.e. Kenoma visitation) to get an idea of what to expect and what they can do with their characters in that period, as they will be missing out on the TDM.

Thank you as always!

[aionmods]

1) This sounds great! Next month would be well suited to host an event like this, so we would have happy to help organize this in collaboration with the players involved, along with adding a few of our own surprise touches. The Regent would approve of that general plan and would be eagerly waiting for Estinien to stray into their territory, though they will caution that if he shows up they may have to withstand the brunt of his (and the other Pleroma's) attack long enough for them to make their move. They suspect the Innocence may get involved.

2) We do have some ideas for how we could provide them with some opportunities to interact with the Kenoma while imprisoned, though we will caution that it won't be in the form of casual, private visitation. It'll be a bit more structured, but should be enough for them to do an open log. This will also depend on their responses to the survey we'll be sending out to them regarding their preferences and limits for torture and the like.

[vapour]

Hi mods. I was hoping to get started on the journey for obtaining a Bebir for Childe.

Archer and I were discussing an idea and wanted to run it by you since we aren't sure it would be a possible way of obtaining them. Could Childe and Kaeya happen across two of them in the Black Market or world they be restricted from this? Their intent would be to eventually free them rather than let it go on, but I realized aions might have trouble getting into the black market as the Regent's agents.

If this is possible, could they maybe bond with them while figuring out how to get them out of captivity or would the sellers not let them near them? They would intend to let them back into the wild once freed, but I imagined that they would also work to bond with them and gain their trust along the way even after released if it needs to go that far.

(Technically this plot would also be for Kaeya to get a Bebir, too, but I need to triple check with Archer they still want a Bebir as a companion.)

[aionmods]

We would be happy to facilitate Childe (and/or Kaeya) working up to a Bebir companion. To get into the Black Market pet trade in Achamoth, they will first need an in to the markets overall. Though the Regent let the markets self-regulate and is mostly uninterested in the deals being bartered, Achamites do not always have the best sense of what commandments are from the Regent and what commands are simply from influential government officials. They'll be hesitant to invite Aions in for fear that it will draw the Regent's negative attention.

That being said, Childe and Kaeya would have an easier time sliding in by playing to needing more mundane items that could help them in their greater cause. (Think weaponry, ingredients, etc.) If this is an avenue you think they would follow, then it could lead to them being able to attend an underground trades faire where they could see the Bebir for the first time. In order to have more frequent visits they would need to agree to work with a seller (not necessarily of Bebir at first) and build trust. Would that be of interest?

[zauneyete]

Hi mods! A few plotting things! (No rush, I know y'all are busy an this might tie to something you all are already working on!)

1) Would it be possible for Silco to ask the Regent about the Innocent's weapon, and if there is a way to counteract that in private? If possible -- once they are NOT busy with... all of the other traitors and new prisoners -- he would be looking for a way to prevent that from happening in the future. Unless it really is just to kill the innocent, to which...

2) IF he is able to speak to the Regent, he would also want to bend their ear re: getting Estinien to be pulled into Achamoth. He'll want to first test the waters, to see if the Regent has a plan already formed, or if he is looking for the Kenoma to do so. As Ruki mentioned, he and Ciel have been coordinating a plan that got escalated quickly by Himeka and Abel's capture, and so he will want the Regent to know that he is available to the Regent, regarding formulating a way to get him to come to Achamoth, or if he wants the Kenoma to put the plan together, he will offer to do so.

Thanks guys!

[aionmods]

1) They will say that their own essence is immune to it, but that a wide scale solution isn't exactly possible. Mostly because most Aions could not tolerate being 'blessed' with their essence in such a way. However, they will tell him that they did have some success altering Makoto with it... though he will have to ask Makoto himself to get the details.

2) The Regent does have a plan (as Silco may have guessed based on the mysterious spear task) but in addition... they have an idea for trying to force the timing of the Pleroma. They have aspirations to hold a mock execution (they would not actually want to destroy their shards so early, but no one else needs to know that) for their prisoners, outside of the Citadel to entice rescuers. It would then be up to Silco and the others to ensure that Estinien himself makes it there, stays there, and is weakened enough for their preparations to take effect without issue. They will warn that they only have one shot at the spell they've been preparing.

It would also be great, of course, to capture or kill other Pleroma in the meantime, but the priority is the Innocence Entity.

INNOCENT'S SHRINE

[coerthantorment]

Hey there! Another Innocence-related question. Estinien had been warned by Tehri to maybe stay away from the Valley of the Innocent lest he irritate his condition, BUT... he's just claimed Meteion's shard with the intent of bringing her to the Pleroma, and he wants to bring her to the shrine to be reborn. Besides that, he also has the intention to try to communicate with the Innocence entity, since he's never actually been able to speak to it, thus far.

So, I'm mostly asking if that's something I can do or if doing so will mess Estinien up so much it might mess up the TDM (with him being involved in that and other threads after the point he is now killing Meteion.) If it would mess up the timeline too much I'd be alright with having him send her shard with someone else.

Given everything that's been happening, he does want to communicate with the entity, though. Also, we thought that the entity might appreciate that Meteion has been taken from the Kenoma, at least for now. Thank you!

[aionmods]

This can be made to work! He will be able to teleport into the shrine and present Meteoin's shard, but the presence of the Innocence within him definitely intensifies given his location. The Innocence entity will speak to him, but what it will say will depend on what he tries to communicate to it. If you set up what he's doing/saying in the thread you have with Meteion we can tag in a response.

What will most likely happen, though, is that after they have communicated the Innocence entity will try to put him to sleep in the shrine to prevent him from leaving the protection of the valley. However, this can be broken by having another Aion appeal to him strongly enough to wake him up. Alternatively, the effect will lose some of its hold on him at the start of Firaseri, and he may be able to get away then, with enough willpower.

Link us the thread when you're ready for us, either way!

More Innocence Stuff...

[locumstudentesquire]

Hey mods, gomen for adding something to your plate when story plotting is closed but it IS Innocence related so hopefully that's OK

Same thread with Estinien at the Shrine of the Innocence, Ryunosuke and Hayame have both coincidentally arrived and are attempting to wake Estinien. Ryunosuke initially went out there with the intent of investigating, and since Hayame won't make her heartfelt appeal to wake Estinien while Ryu is standing around, he has wandered off and is going to try and talk to the entity himself: https://aionlogs.dreamwidth.org/15381.html?thread=4465173#cmt4465173

Since he's only a Promised he's not sure if it'll work but he's going to first attempt to just think really hard at it (lol) and if that doesn't work, remove his shard and hold it in his marked hand. Failing results from that he'll actually put it down on the floor of the shrine itself.

[aionmods]

The key question here is "what is he thinking at it?"

Innocence

[hippocarnival]

Around the 4th of August Yuya and Ryunosuke will be making a trip to the Innocence Shrine in an attempt to... commune with the entity.

Yuya's not 100% sure how to do this so he's following Ryunosuke's direction to think at it. Hello, Miss Innocence Entity?

He's similarly going to start with just "hello" and try to get a response, because he'd kind of like to not start off with the yelling?

Re: Innocence

[aionmods]

Would it be possible to forward date this to closer to the event? We'd rather not backdate this sort of interaction quite so much.

plot suggestion

[subsist]

hi, mods!! sorry to drop this randomly like a cat bringing back weird presents but a bunch of us in the discord cooked a possible event for the future and wanted to present it to you for consideration! the masquerade ball plot can be found here and these are mostly suggestions since we figured we'd default to what you guys think will be lore-appropriate for the game, but hopefully the format it's in is okay.

thank you so much for your time! 💜🙏🙇‍♂️

Re: plot suggestion

[aionmods]

Hi Archer,

We've received your plot request and will be reviewing it's feasibility for future events. Thank you!