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[Master of Masks]

IC: "Heauni?" Her voice was one of shock, of surprise. There was only one Toa of Shadow, only one Lord of Fear. Kino found herself going wobbly in the knees at just being in the presence of such a man. Since she had first of him and his exploits, he was so charming, so cool-headed, so charismatic. Kino was swooning already and had to balance herself against a pillar when she heard his voice as she looked up to see him. His voice was like silk to her. Everything, everything about him had been as she imagined. Dark as the starless night. The kind of physique any girl would want in her guy. Oh she didn't know Echelon was just a footnote compared to this man. She immediately dropped to her knees.

"I have waited so long for this day, so long to finally meet you-" Then an actual pang of fear in her heart. He didn't approve? Why didn't he approve? Was she not fulfilling the work, was she not converting the Kumu Islets into his town. "-I-I-I am sorry. Our people, your people had no place to call home, we were building this temple as a way of bringing more people to our side. If that is not what you want my lord, I would wage war with the ILS myself alone. I will do anything you ask of me." She didn't look up, she didn't deserve to look up, to gaze upon him once more. To see his beautiful face. She punished herself for her mistake, mistakes she didn't often make.

OOC: No it was Kino's but the Headquarters idea was Emzee's I believe. Kino just thought a temple made more sense to gather followers and keep a low profile.

Edited by The Mask, Sep 27 2012 - 08:54 PM.

[JL v2]

OOC: Ronkshou was here? Was Vidar here too? This seems to be interesting....especially since Nuju is joining in. I would like to point out, though, Kufa is a term for what I think to be Matoran NPC's of Emzee (Ahkmou was a Kufa, apparently), and the leader is not named "Kafu" but rather, Kino Iho, who is talking TO a Kufa. And, surprisingly, it was Emzee's idea to build a temple here.

IC: Aurum

Aurum watched as Heuani walked past him. He recognized the Toa of Shadow - nobody else emitted such an...aura of what is best described as power and authority, and it wasn't hard to eavesdrop on people who have seen, or heard of him, especially with all the events going on.

After hearing the names of Echelon and Ronkshou from Ira's mouth, Aurum became a bit more....interested. After all, these were the names of people he knew, people who served Makuta alongside of him.

However, Aurum could tell who the true boss here was, and made a mental note not to fall asleep again as he spun his weapon casually.

[Toa Xemnas of Crystal]

IC, Zenix: Zenix stood a little behind Heuani, saying nothing and observing Kino's reaction. And it was very... interesting. He mentally noted her reaction. He would also mention to Heuani about how the deal had been struck between the group and Ambages so that they would be able to get into Pala-Koro easier. But after Kino was spoken to. Zenix wanted to see what happened.

[Emzee]

OOC: Well isn’t this a big mess. Should've said something earlier.

Clarfications: 1) ‘Kufa’ is a name everyone in Ahkmou’s crew uses to keep the real Ahkmou from getting caught by the authorities. 2) Ronkshou never suggested the HQ, as shown in the Ko-Wahi topic. 3) Ahkmou kind of did when he said he needed to rebuild his base here (whoops). 4) Ahkmou and his team have no authority here. I know canon characters RP'd by staff usually have authority, but this is an exception. All the ‘Kufa’s here are essentially yes-men to your characters, and I was hoping to just go with the flow. Remember, it’s your war, not mine.

IC: Kufa (not Ahkmou, but another ‘Kufa’ wearing a black noble Komau) stepped to the side, away from Kino Iho.

“Umm…”, the Po-Matoran stammered, “It was their idea. We’re just their arms dealer”

[Constructman: Black Knight]

IC: Ira
Ira retreated into the shadows. This was a bad situation. Echelon could be anywhere in the islets by now and Ronkshou, well, if he was to find him, it would be a long swim. He put on his hood, his cloak making him appear half melted into the shadows, his meh mask disguising his fear. "Well, if he does decide to randomly turn me into BBQ pork, I suppose I could burn down the place again to get out of here," he thought. He picked up a stick lying on the ground, set it on fire, and watched it burn out. The sight of the burning stick cleared his mind; in fact, it filled him with some sort of sick delight. That's when he stopped. "Uh-oh," he thought. "Oh well, quick fix." He threw the burning stick to the side and took out what appeared to be a miniature toa stone. He held it in his hand. The stone glowed, then it was just a stone again. Ira took a deep breath and resumed his composure. Any sign of the pyromaniac hidden within him had been erased... For now.

OOC: Nicorette, meet Prozac.

IC: Jyra
Jyra's mind continued to wander in some sort of reverie...
Jyra cringed as the skakdi advanced on her. She closed her eyes waiting for the end, but no blow came. She opened her eyes. Where was her rifle? She looked up and saw it in the hands of the old skakdi. "Interesting piece of tech you've got there," he said in regards to the sniper rifle. "I've seen Vortixx immigrants carry some of these around before. Deadly weapons, they are." He returned the weapon to Jyra. "If you have such a powerful tool, you might as well learn how to use it. Very well, I will train you." He gestured to a servant wearing a mask of healing. "Get this toa of gravity fixed up. Then, I want him on the kickboxing circuit. He's got a lot of working out to do."

Later Jyra was restlessly walking around the cave when she heard sound coming from a tunnel. She walked down the tunnel into a carver. The toa of gravity she had fought was there, kicking and punching some sort of heavy bag. He looked at her with disdain. "Screw off!" he yelled. Jyra rolled her eyes; "Boys," she thought as she walked back to her room.

Later...
"Shoot these targets," the old skakdi said. They were on some sort of firing range with several targets of varying distance on the field. "I want to see how fast and accurate you are with that weapon." Jyra nodded and took aim at the first target. BOOM. Reload. BOOM. Reload. This pattern repeated eight more times until all the targets had been shot at. "Hm," the skakdi said and checked the targets. 6 of them were struck perfectly in the middle. 2 of them were slightly off, and another 2 had only been shot in the rim. "Decent," he said. "But there's lots of room for improvement. We're going to ave to work on that in the days to come." Jyra nodded eagerly, not knowing the brutal training that would follow next...

[BenLuke]

IC:

Feongulf stood idly at the sidelines as Kino knelt at Heuani feat, watching as she quelled the dread emanating from the Dark Toa. The Toa of Shadows seemed to seemed to inspire either intense fear or near-worship, something which made Fonegulf all the gladder he was not an enemy.

[The Giant Space Butterfly]

OOC: I'm thinking about writing in first person with this character, since he doesn't really do much except think and occasionally talk.

IC: Cimond

I had never been so terrified in my life. Echelon, with his strange dead slaves and cold, heartless demeanor was bad enough, but this guy? Heuani was probably the number 1 reason that everybody hated and shunned Makuta worshippers. I slowly backed away from the dark Toa until I had myself in a corner. These people are going to send me insane.

[Nuju Metru]

IC:
Heuani could feel all the beings around him grow tense as they awaited his next move. He enjoyed that sensation deeply. When the sun shines through a well-crafted lens, its light refracts to brilliantly illuminate a single point, thereby magnifying its generous energies on a spot until that spot is scalding, dangerous, blindingly bright. Heuani imagined as though he was in that focus, but a focus of shade rather than light; he found it to be a pleasing visual. The Toa of Shadow vaguely recalled an age before he had exercised this powerful will; he realized now that he had always wanted it, really, but it the yearning had merely failed to crystalize in him back then. It'd been kept in check by his duties, the tyrannical expectations of others.

Heuani no longer had such expectations hanging over his shoulders.

Kino babbled and knelt, cried her unworthiness and groveled. She avoided looking at the Toa of Shadow as though his focal energies, the brilliant shade that was his being, would have blinded her. Heuani noted this and the genuine smile returned to his face. He slowly ambled over to Kino, who quieted as he approached her kneeling form. Heuani's path became a tight, languid orbit around her. He let one of his fingers run lightly across the top of her shoulders; he felt Kino shudder at the contact. He could sense the beings around tense, too; he knew that, even if they didn't will it themselves, they envied her his touch. Heuani ended his revolution - one that had been taken with a silent audience - standing only a few tantalizing feet away directly in front of Kino. She still dared not look at him.

"I am flattered by such... attentions," Heuani said charmingly, even kindly, to Kino. "You may rise, if you so wish." Kino found herself standing, but still willed herself not to look at the Toa of Shadow. Heuani approached her, coaxed her to meet his gaze with a caress to the jawline. Kino nearly fainted; she held the gaze for an instant, but found herself needing to break it as her body grew positively weak. His eyes were indescribable, paradoxic; they somehow gleamed gold and were pools of dark night at the same time. As Kino wavered, Heuani turned away and addressed the gathered crowd, pacing in the circle they'd formed around him, Kino, and the table. His projection and diction were ample for all assembled to hear his words with perfect clarity. Gradually, more and more of the Makuta supporters were drawn to the sound of his voice and listened.

"I visited a few of your number some time ago as a herald of our master's will," he began. "I told you to gather an army, and you have done so, and for this our master is pleased. But if you will recall, this army was gathered for a purpose, a purpose that grows further from our reach with the fleeting feet of time. You know the cause of which I speak. Every day that we wait, the Island Liberation Squad grows stronger in their defense and more unified in their resistance to the only true power on this island.

"I find it, therefore, more than somewhat perplexing that this army, a massed fist of might summoned forth by our great leader, is today occupying itself with a... construction project." Heuani paused, looking around. He sharply flicked away a piece of charcoal from the blueprint table; everyone heard it hit the damp earth. "A construction project, yes," he affirmed, going on. "A task better suited for slaves than for the strongest warriors on this island, would you not agree? For we are not creators; we are destroyers." The beings around him mumbled in agreement: they had all harbored some doubts, some resentments, of building this temple. Heuani had correctly guessed as much, and as he noted his audience reply as he wished, he leapt up onto the four-legged table.

"Does a Muaka pause in the midst of the chase? It does not." Heuani went on, his voice gradually rising into impassioned oratory. "Does the rolling avalanche stop in its deadly path down the mountain? It does not. Does the crushing tidal wave freeze until the spring, until the denizens of the land can move from under its colossal shadow? It does not. Are we not just as much a relentless force of nature, a catastrophe, a doom sentence, as these things? We are. Why, then, do we seek to foil our greatest ally: momentum? Why do we waste our time erecting defensive structures? I don't understand it. We are not the prey here. We are the predators."

By now, the mumbling had turned to much more vocal assent. "If your leaders have told you to build this temple, then their vision is flawed and their tactics faulty. If they have told you that the construction of a pointless building will win this war, then they must be either fools or traitors. There is no victory to be found in crouching. The so-called 'soldiers' of Mata Nui crouch. We will not stoop to their level. They hide; they're afraid of us. Is it not our duty, our duty as our master's arm, to make sure that that fear does not go unanswered? We must strike, and strike now!" A roar of agreement and bloodlust rose in the crowd.

Heuani raised his arms over his head, spinning slowly in place as he yelled. "Does the Muaka stop? It does not!" Each time he said the last three words, more and more of the assembled beings chanted along with him. "Does the avalanche halt?"

"It does not!"

"Does the tidal wave abate?"

"It does not!"

"Does the army of our master, of the almighty Makuta, break stride?"

"It does not!"

"Does it feel fear?"

"It does not!"

"Does the most powerful army on this island, on any island, settle to do the work of slaves?"

"It does not!"

"Indeed, it does not. An army fights, it burns, and it kills. Disregard false leadership; disregard the whisper of these serpents in your ear. You have been misguided, but there is still the chance to redeem your wrongness. There is still the chance to level the scales of destiny. Do what you have gathered to do, and fulfill our master's wishes. Do what you have gathered to do, and achieve the permanent glory of history. Do what you have gathered to do, because there is no time to lose. Your fight is now!"

As the beings around cheered and growled, Heuani was engulfed by a tornado of swirling darkness. When the black image evaporated, the Toa of Shadow was gone, leaving a thoroughly stirred army in his wake.

Edited by Nuju Metru, Sep 28 2012 - 12:03 AM.

[JL v2]

IC: Aurum

Aurum had not voiced much of his opinions, and definitely didn't go around cheering, but he did agree on action instead of construction - not when you were the attackers. The only thing he might be happy to construct would be a siege tower, or ballistic weaponry that could destroy even the mightiest of barricades.

So when Toa Heuani, the apparent right hand of the Makuta, said that an army was meant to attack, not to defend, he was pretty energetic and at least, happy, if not already irked up by Heuani's very presence.

He turned towards those who seemed to be the leader of the current group of servants, Kino Iho. "So, I guess we should be attacking now. Construction...I find that creating is fine for destroying. And with so many Po-Matoran here who can help, I'm sure that we can create things which can be used for attack....Unless, we attack now. But perhaps, we should seek out Ronkshou, Vidar and Echelon. I'm sure the ILS would be....at least, a bit scared to see those 3 walk up their roads....."

Edited by Jl1223 X, Sep 28 2012 - 02:06 AM.

[Indigo Individual]

IC: Pirok

This it. Echelon hadn't noticed him. Sure, Pirok's lack of a weapon could get in the way, but it wouldn't make things downright impossible. Now, I have to wait for the right moment...

IC: Xerov

I follow the Dark Toa, learning of his name. At first, I tilt my head slightly, my gaze fixed on him. Then, as Heuani begins his speech, I feel something rising up inside me, something new, something that doesn't belong... bloodlust. I leave my doubts, cheering mindlessly along with the others, completely taken in by Heuani's charisma. It's only as he leaves that it begins to fade.
My head starts spinning, and I stagger drunkenly outside for air. I collapse against a wall, feeling like I'm about to be sick -- not a good feeling.
I try to pick myself up, but my arms are weak, and shaking. I resign myself to sitting against the wall with a sigh, and begin to feel fear rising inside of me, replacing that feeling of bloodlust. What if I can't get up? What if I'm dying here, on the ground, cold and alone?
I try to dismiss these thoughts. I am fine. I just need some air...

[The Lorax]

IC (Karemo and Kitano): "No, no more waiting" Karemo contradicted the other toa of iron. "We have been goven our orders, and those orders are to move! Everyone should gather what supplies they can carry with them, reaady their weapons and march on Pala-koro with all possible speed. The others will catch up with us when they can, as the Makuta's will allows" Behind him, Kitano nodded in agreement and hefted one of the Kufas' crates.

IC (Weta): The necormancer's sudden appearance shocked Weta, and he quickly covered himself with the illusion that he was no more than a small pile of rocks. It had been one thing to know that he was at large, somewhere on the island, but it was quite another so see him right here in the flesh, surrounded by a group of powerful beings whose infamous reputations almost matched his own. Worse, he seemed to be happily in control.
After offering up a quick prayer for the Great Spirit's guidance, he watched the situation intently. Before he or the other Toa Astha could intervene, they needed to know more about what was going on.

[snoip lion]

OOC:
New character, Pae.

IC: Pae - Kumu-Islets

Pae watched Heuani vanish in a cloud of darkness, standing silently in the corner, as usual. He hadn't cheered at Heuani's words, despite the Toa's almost ridiculous charisma. Pae hardheartedly agreed with the Toa of shadow, and shared his enthusiasm. Just in his own way.

By uncrossing his arms and stepping away from the dark corner.

He stopped, one hand on a hammer of his, the other hanging lazily at his side. They would prevail. They had to. They were stronger and smarter than their opponents.

Pae finally stepped out of the shadows and stopped again by Kino, hardly able to stand. He didn't blame her. Heuani was both intimidating and charming, both of which frightened and intrigued Pae. He checked the holsters for his hammers. He looked up at Kino, who's eyes appeared dazed. He didn't say anything.

All Kino would see is the darkness in his eyes, calculating how exactly he would crush his opponents. He pulled out a hammer, making sure the head was secure, he finally spoke, his thick deep voice cutting through the air softly yet sharply. A quiet knife, "Are we waiting for Echelon or Ronkshou before proceeding?"

He placed the hammer in it's holster before returning to his previous stance, awaiting Kino's answer.

Edited by We Are Legion, Sep 28 2012 - 08:12 AM.

[Constructman: Black Knight]

IC: Ira
Ira stood in the shadows, his features obscured by his hood. He had not chanted along with Heuani, but in his heart, he fully agreed. Finally, he spoke up. "The visitor who has gone back to... nowhere was right. We have waited long enough. We should march to Le-Wahi by nightfall... With or without Echelon, Ronkshou, Ambages, or any of the rest. If they choose to dilly-dally, it is their choice. But WE," he shouted, punctuating his point by setting a nearby portion of the ground on fire before smothering the flames, "We shall take the advantage of speed and surprise. To Pala-Koro we march, and when we do, we shall watch it BURN! Who's with me?"

[Ilyusha Blokfase]

IC-KuAnLo:

"That bloody Toa gets everybody with his speeches," KuAnLo growled, rolling his eyes. "Including, it seems, our little Matoran friend." He walked off after Xerov, following the Matoran quietly, before Xerov dropped against the wall.

KuAnLo seemed on him in an instant, looking curiously down at the Matoran before him. He shrugged, before picking Xerov up and proceeding to carry him back to the others. "Don't wanna miss out on the fun, do we?"

IC-Kalen:

Kalen raised an eyebrow at what Ira was saying.

"I would recommend that, for the moment, we wait for them to come," the Toa of Lightning said. "They are the ones who have been leading us so far, and there's little chance of having any centralized leadership if we just leave. Because, frankly, I don't trust in your leadership," he said, nodding to Ira, "Nor that of miss Kino here, or any of the rest of you. And I, myself, don't think I could lead such a large group at the moment, so, obviously, we're all out of the question." He shrugged.

"Of course, you can go to Pala-Koro and attack them if you want. We'll just burn you body along with the rest of them when we come and do the job right."

[Constructman: Black Knight]

IC: Ira
"Was I saying that? No. But Echelon has randomly disappeared to makuta-knows-where with no signal from him for a while. Can we be certain that he will be back?" Ira was getting impatient and quite annoyed by their leader's sudden disappearance He suddenly left without giving no indication of where he was going and he had been totally gone. By Karzahni, the lieutenant above his lieutenant had managed to come and go without him noticing. "If he takes a long time to get back, the ILS could have constructed a WMD by now!"

[Ilyusha Blokfase]

IC-Kalen:

"Most likely with the help of that one Matoran who spoke to you a while ago, correct?" Kalen asked, boredly. "Ambages, was his name? I thought so. Yes, I think that he's trustworthy for the moment. If not, we still have to rely on him, for the moment." He shrugged.

"But again, I say this: March to Pala-Koro. See if that ridiculous mask will inspire fear in them, or if they just decide you aren't worth the trouble when you start shouting Makuta this and Makuta that, and they just decide to kill you."

[Constructman: Black Knight]

IC: Ira
Ira's temper started flaring at that remark. "Why you..." he started to say before stopping himself. Wordlessly, he took another "pill" out of his bag, clutched it in his hand, and absorbed the energies of it, the pill quickly calming him down.

[JL v2]

IC: Aurum

Aurum stared at Ira. Kalen had stated what was on his mind, and he watched as Ira started to get angry...and then, surprisingly, take medicine for that. Interested, he decided to provoke Ira more.....by saying what his opinion was.

"Um, go ahead. I'll pass. I'd rather have a full force against an enemy we know nearly nothing about, than to rush up there blinded by insanity and the worst blind faith I have possibly seen in my life in the form of 1 person trying to impress others. I'm sure that a full force, reinforced with strategy and tactics, and we would crush them. But should you want to go ahead, get yourself killed and alert them of the fact that we are attacking....your choice."

And plus, he'd seen Echelon, Vidar and Ronkshou in action. Hafu had been kidnapped, and unsurprisingly, all of them had held off groups of Toa and Matoran. He himself had done pretty well, keeping them away during an aerial desert chase, but Vidar had summoned a Sand Tornado and he himself had got caught.

That was part of the reason he had been gone from society - Broken arms and legs and ribs. But he'd returned, and he was now much...stronger...than he ever was.

OOC: Let me tally it up...I have a Makuta char attacking. With Echelon, Vidar and Ronkshou he'd be a bit happier. I have Slate trying to join the ILS, so maybe he can help out. Axeron, my Fire Assassin is walking around. Time to test out what I can do with sheer destructive power.

Then, when the fight ends, If Slate or Optimus isn't dead, we'll see what might happen.

And then, maybe TNG's chars wll be out of limbo.

Edited by Jl1223 X, Sep 28 2012 - 08:18 AM.

[Constructman: Black Knight]

IC: Ira
"Yeah yeah yeah yeah," Ira muttered. The effects of the "Prozac" were still working, so no getting angry for him for awhile. "And you were talking so fast that I wasn't able to understand one word of what you were saying."

[JL v2]

IC: Aurum

"Well, what did I expect from a person with no thoughts as to how an attack, especially by the best serving the best, is supposed to go.

[Constructman: Black Knight]

IC: Ira
"You should work on your grammar. I have no idea what you were trying to convey with your last sentence." Ira stared at Aurum, trying to piece together what he was trying to say with that badly structured sentence.

[JL v2]

IC: Aurum

"If you have trouble hearing...its your fault you speak a different language. Now please, go ahead and charge towards Lake Pala. I wonder how many will miss you. Heuani? Sadly, no. You probably won't gain favor by charging alone - the only thing you might gain is pity. Ronkshou? Vidar? Last time I was with them, they were the ones who created a plan - I'm sure they'd respect it if we had one too. Echelon? Why, he probably planned being gone right now."

When will this guy be done? Seriously, we're attackers. Somebody get us ready, or this guy really might go charging head first.

[The Giant Space Butterfly]

IC: Cimond

I had listened to this bickering long enough. I strode over to where Aurum and Ira were arguing. "That's enough!" I pointed to the newcomer. Aurum, I think it was. "You. Believe it or not, time isn't on our side. The ILS gets stronger every day. If we're ever going to attack, it has to be as soon as we possibly can." I then turned to Ira. "However, without a strategy, and without someone as strong as Echelon or Ronkshou, we might as well be beating our collective head against a wall!"

[JL v2]

IC: Aurum

Instead of pointing a hand, Aurum pointed his weapon towards Cimond.

"You rely on others too much, and yet you think of me as a fool. We are Makuta's minions - we are the best. Which is why I fell it is stupid you guys are suggesting we charge head first to the enemy."

He spun his weapon, and this time pointed it towards Ira, a slight tone of threat creeping into what was once boredom and annoyance coming out of his mouth.

"You will stop this argument. We are preparing for battle here and you will understand, whether you like it or not, that battles must be prepared for, no matter how much."

Edited by Jl1223 X, Sep 28 2012 - 10:35 AM.

[Wotsiznaim]

IC: Kuhrin

Heuani's speech had stirred them all, but as soon as he had gone, jealousy rose through Kuhrin until he felt like there was a stone in his throat, somewhere in the region of his laryngeal prominence. This Heuani was more than just a commander of troops, he was Makuta's chosen servant, who stood high above the power or standards of even Echelon. The progress Kuhrin had thought he had made suddenly seemed like little more than baby steps. But baby steps are the foundations of true strides, he thought, spurring himself on and bringing him out of the small trance he was in.

"Zenix," he announced, turning to the leader. "I shall head to Po-Wahi, alone, to collect Desuka. Tell me where to meet you so I can track you down with sonar."

Seeing Krell had overheard, he said to his unofficial subordinate, "Krell, remain here with the others. Every extra soldier will help."

[Indigo Individual]

IC: Xerov

"Fun." I cough. "Let's see how much fun everyone's having when they're running to their deaths and our charismatic friend is watching from afar."

[Master of Masks]

OOC: Everyone just loves taking advantage of the fact that other people are busy.

IC: (Kino Iho)

Kino was dazed but what had just occured. Heuani had touched her, he had touched her! She couldn't have been any happier and yet humbler by his touch. She craved it she wanted more, she wanted to rush headlong into Pala-Koro but shook her head, her mind was clouded by infatuation and Heuani and Makuta would not stand for such affections until the battle was finished. The group was speaking reasonably and although she agreed with Kalen she did not appreciate his tone.

"Where is Vidar currently? I have no idea where Echelon or Ronkshou are at the moment as well? Ambrages is out of the question, we are not being lead by that matoran, we are not being lead by a businessman. We are allied with the group but that does not mean we take orders from them, unless Makuta wishes it." She growled at Ira. She then turned to this newcomer, and her expression softed a bit. Though still it was only her eyes and posture that belayed it. "We are." She sighed. "Honestly, I don't care whether you like me as a leader or not." She said to Kalen. "Then again I'm not a leader, I'm a planner, the kind of person who ensures everything goes according to plan." She paused for a few seconds, letting her eyes linger. She wasn't even trying to intimidate him, but rather help him understand the gravity of their circumstances. "Heauni gave his orders, in person I might add and you should realize what kind of weight that carries." Finally she turned back to the group at large. "Makuta himself expects us to move, soon. However, battles and wars are won by careful planning and then those plans are tested by combat, by those battles." She turned to one of the Po-matoran, one of the builders and her eyes narrowed, focused.

"Find your friend Kufa, you know which one I am speaking of. Tell him to send word to the Cultured Gentry that were are amassing forces and will be marching on Pala-Koro soon. However a proper leader is needed to keep the group organized there and at large. I cannot truly be it's leader. I would prefer Ronkshou but if they can find Echelon that will do as well." Kino's tone was clear that she didn't like Echelon but she was willing to accept his leadership over the group by the notion. If Echelon was effective, if he truly devoted himself to Makuta he had nothing to worry. If not, well she hoped it didn't come to that. She would hate to be one puppet short of marionette show. The Kufa she had spoke to scampered off, searching for Ahkmou and getting him to convince the Gentry to send a real leader to them. She paused for a few minutes and began to speak once more.

"Prepare yourselves, have you weapons sharpened. Your ammunition stocked full, I would recommend a few Madu cabolos with wicks to use as explosives. Madu Cabolo oil also burns quite effectively." She continued.

"I wish to leave ahead of our strike force. I believe if I can contact my agent I might be able to get her to open the gates for us. We should strike during the night, preferably at a time when their night-watchman is at his most tiredest . I will rejoin the group shortly before our attack. The best thing is my friend did manage to sneak me a map before shortly returning it. So I know where mostly everything is located." She smiled and her glacier blue eyes showed it. Having been there herself, having taken a tour of the place she had met quite a few people and explored it as best as she could, new construction had probably popped up but she could deal with that. "She also alerted me to that fact they have at least one Toa Iron as a builder, and he has been building huts and other things for them. So any Toa of Iron in our group should be able to have fun tearing those buildings down. As you can see my agents keep me well informed." She smiled, before drawing down the rest of the map she had remembered. It was clear that while Kino wasn't this group's leader, she was effectively its spymaster. "I think Echelon unfortunately has any papers on Ambrages additions to the place. Which is why we would need Echelon."

OOC: Kino visited Pala-Koro under the guise of saucy and flirtatious Toa of Air, Kiara. Hence the reasons she would know so much. Only issue is, is that she is relatively low in the ranks. I can't believe tiredest is a word, it just looks wrong.

[JL v2]

OOC: Well, they DO have an anti-elemental power shield, the specifics of which we've been talking about in discussion. But this is gonna be fun.

IC: Aurum

Aurum listened to Kino Iho. He could tell that she was in a bit of shock that Heuani had touched her and given her orders, and he found it both surprising and unsurprising that she managed to put that off and plan ahead almost immediately, and with the information about Pala-Koro, he realized that this would be even more fun than he thought.

"If they have metal walls....those will come down."

He turned to prepare himself, first. Ammunition? He took, instead of a weapon, a piece of metal that hasn't been turned into a lethal blade or staff yet. The big lump he held in a rucksack. As Kino Iho also said, he took some Madu Cobolo as explosives, although the only reason he might use that was to burn everything.

OOC: Lets see how long it takes for them to realize there's a shield - which is why everyone should go prepared.

Edited by Jl1223 X, Sep 28 2012 - 05:34 PM.

[Toa Xemnas of Crystal]

IC, Zenix: Zenix looked at Kino. "I believe we had already made a deal with Ambages about the gates. Which is why..." he turned to Xerov and Pae, "I am having you two go and seek out Ambages in Ko-Koro and remind him of our deal. Tell him it is time for him to hold up his end of the bargain Give him this." The Toa of Blackfire handed a tablet with the words, Ambages, it is time. Please hold up your end of the bargain and allow us in to Pala-Koro -Zenix, before turned to to Kuhrin. "Go get... whatever his name is, since I really don't care, and meet us in the jungle around Pala-Koro." He then turned to one of the Kufa. "Send word to Ahkmou about what we're about to do. The rest of your group will help us set up our supplies and such." Lastly, he turned to Kino. "You shall accompany me to the town square. We shall have a meeting with the people of this village and gain their support and hands. Then we shall be more prepared. Are there any objections from any of you?"
OOC: Snipe, Vorex, I kindly ask you to have Xerov and Pae go and find Ambages, please.

[Ilyusha Blokfase]

IC-KuAnLo:

"Don't worry, little one," KuAnLo growled, seeming less like his normal cannibalistic self and a bit more...lucid, on might say. "I doubt you and I will be in the thick of the fighting for more than a moment." He then heard Zenix's message, and shrugged.

"I'll stick with you for the time being. We need every hand we can get, and without Echelon here, you're likely to get yourself killed thrice over."

[Wotsiznaim]

IC: Kuhrin

Kuhrin bowed and left quickly. As he walked to get a boat to the mainland his thoughts dwelled on Heuani's speech. Perhaps this isn't such a good idea, he thought, perhaps Heuani has made the wrong decision? Perhaps we are moving too quickly and thinking too little? He shook his head. No, Makuta must have picked him for a reason.

He found an unused rowing boat on the shore of the islet and commandeered it, rowing fast through the misty, ruin-ridden waters.

OOC: Kuhrin to Po-Wahi.

[Tabby: Toa of Cats]

IC: It was as Takari reached the south beach that the Inferno became fully assembled.

Vilor roared, "Makkan, report!" his booming voice threatened to shake the ground and tear apart those who disobeyed with all the malice of Makuta himself.

Makkan answered nervously,"The sniper proved her skill and and took out the merchant who cheated us with many civilian casualties, but was unexpectedly taken out by an unseen counter-sniper. Some Toa who actually seem to care about right and wrong gave chase, but we ran into Ziraul on the way, and he threw them the loop."

"If only a counter-sniper could be tracked!" Vilor's voice again boomed. The volcano of rage inside of threatened to burst as Vilor's recent frustrations reached a climax. Everyone here except Jyra knew it was not good to be around when that happened.

The building pressure leaked out, as lava exploded from the side. Or more precisely, plasma. A jet launched from Vilor's right hand, nearly scalding Takari and forcing him to duck. From the water, there was a great burst of steam.

"ZIRAUlL, REPORT!"

"A neutral deal is in progress-a negotiator is to be sent to us to discuss a proper repayment for Vorok.. Fascinating intell on this Pala-Koro-My powers malfunctioned within a certain radius of it's walls. I am uncertain as to what this means."

A second failure, even if only a partial one, was enough for Vilor to launch into full blown rage. He strode forward with a series of stomps. Two fists flew at Ziraul, and although the first one failed to connect, the second didn't. The Pakari of Vilor sent him flying back a full thirty yards. He began striding forward for a second strike.

Matatu raised a hand, as always when his master exerted his rage in ways that threatened to damage the Inferno a little too much. Matatu was not only guard to Vilor's body, but his sanity as well. He tried not to do this often, for his master's rage needed to be vented. Ideally, it was best to find another target.

Jyra's limp body lifted off the ground thanks to Matatu's telekinetics, and a clever trick of Ziraul's mask made it look like him. There was no better solution in this situation. It moved to take it's place as a presumably dead punching bag. A practical being, Matatu left the rifle behind.

OOC: Permission to kill Jyra?

[Master of Masks]

IC: (Kino Iho)

Kino's blue eyes narrowed again. So this guy thought just because Echelon pats him on the back that means he's left in control. I don't take orders from some soldier with an ego. I don't have time for this. She stopped tensing up though from beneath her cloak. She wasn't going to pull out some sword and start fighting that was just stupid, and she wasn't stupid. She had gotten this far, she had infiltrated the ILS and she had made friends.

"Hmmm, I believe I just told you what I was going to do. I thought we were supposed to attack our enemy when they are weakened. That is unless you wish to continue ignoring Heuani's orders to make the most of our enemy's weakness?" She said, in a flat yet friendly voice. The last thing this group needed was in-fighting, half the reason she would be fine with Echelon leading, as long as he was effective and true to Makuta. "By no means am I insulting you but by going to meet her, will allow us a greater benefit than not. I can possibly allow us infiltration for the attack. We should surprise our enemy, not blow their gates up and then charge recklessly. I can grant that, but if you bind my hands we will be worse off." She continued. The message was clear, he wasn't in control of her but she didn't wish to be hostile. She just needed to free herself of this group and return to Pala Koro. A plan was already forming in her mind.

[Constructman: Black Knight]

OOC: I'm doing some sort of reverie arc, but I didn't really plan it out, so maybe I'll just end it here. Also, are we doing Inferno vs HWP? If we are, then maybe Vilor can find some sort of journal with info on the HWP on her body when he kills her.

IC: Jyra
Jyra's mind continued to drift...

Energy bolts flew at Jyra as she struggled to stay alive in the cave. The old skakdi reloaded his weapon and fired again. This time, he landed a hit. Jyra was flung against the wall, her left shoulder armor singed. The skakdi shook his head. "You have to be light on your feet!" he yelled. "You can't just walk around with your weight on your heels! Stay on your toes, for Makuta's sake!" He fired his weapon again. This time, Jyra was ready and she was able to leap out of the way in time. The blast hit the wall, just like most of the others had in this session. The training continued with the skakdi shooting and Jyra dodging. Finally, the skakdi ran out of ammo. "Well," he said. "That's it for today. See you tomorrow. 5:00 am sharp!" he barked as he left the room.

As soon as the skakdi left, Jyra collapsed to the floor clutching her shoulder. She reflected upon the events that had taken place over the last month. She had come in for training but instead found herself in a living Karzahni. She had been bombarded with iron, slashed with swords, and overall mistreated. She didn't care what the skakdi had said about the training being helpful in the end; she had had enough. And she was going to do something about it.

As she walked back to her room, she saw Dakan in the hall with similar injuries. "What happened to you?" she asked?" "Had to fight one of the old geezer's pets; a toa hordika I believe. I'm seriously starting to question that guy's methods." "Me too," Jyra replied. "I've only been here for a month, and I've had enough. In fact, I'm thinking of running away." "DON'T do that!" Dakan said, his eyes widening. "Last time somebody did that, all that was left of him was a broken kanohi mask. The master doesn't take well to runaways." "I don't care," Jyra said. "I've had enough, and that's that." "Well, if you want to go get yourself killed, go ahead; I'm not helping you," Dakan said while shaking his head. "WHAT?! You aren't? Didn't you just say that you wanted to leave?" Jyra was dumbstruck. She was offering a chance for a better life and Dakan was refusing? "Yes, I did say that I wanted to leave," Dakan answered, "But I just said it. Leave it at that." He walked off without another word.

"Later that night, Jyra made up her mind. Packing up her things, she tried to leave the cave as quietly as she could. But she didn't get far. As she was just about to leave the cave, a voice stopped her. "Going somewhere?" it asked. Jyra recognized the voice; it was the skakdi. She took off in a run, the skakdi not far behind, when something tackled her. A large humanoid creature pounded her into the floor until she lay there, too weak to put up a fight. "Good job Terzak," she heard the skakdi say. "Another deserter K'rendar," the creature hissed in reply. "Throw her into the pit?" "Of course, she needs to learn her lesson; that is, if she survives long enough to learn..." An evil laugh arose from both of their throats. The creature picked Jyra's limp body up, walked over to a pit, and chucked the body in. They didn't stay long enough to here Jyra's curses from below.

As for the rest of the story, Jyra was eventually rescued from that pit by Dakan, who had a change of heart, and the two of them ran away from that cruel skakdi. They journeyed together, making up for their differences, and eventually coming under the service of a toa of plasma named Zharuk Storukru. They would continue to work for him for many years until his corporate empire fell apart then they went their separate ways, until now. But i don't need to tell you THAT story, do I?

OOC: You can kill her

[snoip lion]

IC: Pae - Kumu-Islets

Pae stepped in between Kino and Zenix. He hadn't known Zenix as well as Kino; still very little. But besides the point. Zenix was not in a position to order Kino around. Especially when it contradicted Heuani's instructions. He simply stared into Zenix's eyes, not saying a word. The disagreeing was obvious in the dark green eyes of the Toa of iron, expressing a cautionary suggestion to heed Heuani's words.

He lifted up the tablet, still keeping his eyes on Zenix. He pushed the tablet back into the Toa's arms, leaning in slightly, his deep thick voice split the air like hot butter, yet still it was quiet, "Heuani would not wish this."

Pae's face was as rigid and unreadable as a brick wall, "We can take Pala-Koro without Ambages."

[JL v2]

IC: Aurum

Aurum, after finishing packing all he needed, including several of explosives, a chunk of metal, his weapons, turned back into the main room where he heard Kino and Zenix talk. Aurum could tell that Kino was a bit annoyed; however, she was putting her job in front. He turned towards her.

"Kino, you say you are a planner. As much as we are clever, we lack a lot of intel as to what we're facing. So whats your plan."

[Emzee]

IC: "I'm afraid the Gentry will not be as concerned as you may think," a gruff, young voice rang from the distance.

Kufa (Ahkmou as he was known) walked with his comrade who summoned him across the small islet. Behind them were crates and bins, rolled along by the rest of Ahkmou's crew.

Ahkmou raised his right hand and made a few directional gestures, and the crew quickly moved to Ahkmou's left. A cluster of sounds of chatting, scratching, and slamming began to elevate and echo off the walls as the crew began to set up their tents and equipment. Before Kino Iho stood Ahkmou and the noble Komau wearing 'Kufa' that was sent to find him.

"The Gentry sent us many goods, but they require a return on their investment. Much like... him" Ahkmou said, glancing at his partner. The thought that Heuani had appeared here disturbed the rouge Po-Matoran a little bit. The no-longer-mythical Shadow Toa was the only being Ahkmou feared more than the Makuta.

"Plus, the Gentry only knows merchants and investors. How do you expect them to find a war general?" Ahkmou asked Kino.

"Well, there are the other two Dark Toa," said the Komau-wearing Po-Matoran.

"And you think I'd know where they are, Dukongi? Where's the Toa of Magnetism?" Ahkmou demanded.

"Gone," Dukongi answered quickly.

"Then there's little I can do," Ahkmou said, "I once knew war generals, but they've all since been killed. I do know that if the great Vidar and Ronkshou aren't here, chances are slim they will come to your aid. Considering the Shadow Toa also left as soon as he came, I think you may be on your own"

The words were heavy, and a dense silence filled the immediate area. Nervous, Dukongi decided to speak up.

"D'you... d'you really think so?"

"It makes sense doesn't it?" Ahkmou replied, "The Shadow Toa, Ronkshou, Vidar, Echelon. They're in the inner circle; Makuta's trusted hands"

Ahkmou pulled Dukongi closer and turned them both away from Kino's direction.

"They're not as expendable..." whispered Ahkmou. Dukongi frowned. What did that mean for them?

Dukongi pulled away from his leader. "Well, we have to do something"

"Yes, and we shall," Ahkmou said, glancing over to his crew setting up their tents, "We buy and build arms and supplies for our customers."

He then turned to Kino, "But we cannot lead this war for you, nor can we find someone who can"

OOC: I don't think NM is going to get directly involved in this war (you never know though). I'm hoping to take a hands-off approach with the actual battle as well, so that I can see how you all fare when playing PC-vs-PC. So far, the vast majority of these large-scale conflicts (ie. Hive Assault and Hafu's Kidnapping/Killing) were PC-vs-Staff.

I can open the door for you, but you guys gotta walk through it.

P.S. The Mask, feel free to add in some Kino dialogue in that conversation. I didn't really feel like bunnying her but I don't see her staying silent through all that.

[JL v2]

IC: Aurum

Aurum watched as Kufa and Kufa walked towards the group, and explained their situation. He saw that they had a quick private conversation, and then turn back to Kino to continue talking. Aurum listened intently during the talk, although he couldn't hear what Kufa and Kufa had said to each other. He knew, however, what was probably going to happen: Heuani wouldn't be here, Echelon possibly wouldn't, and Vidar and Ronkshou probably won't be helping out any time soon either.

He turned to Kino. Hopefully, Kufa's supplies and perhaps intel would help, but in the end, it relied on the plan, which Kino would be creating.
Aurum thought back to the last time he had followed a plan, when Hafu had been captured. It had been made by Ronkshou and Vidar. Around 5 or 6 people were involved, and in the end...it was fun. And now, they have a small army, and they are against another one.

This is gonna be fun.

OOC: This is gonna be fun
The biggest problem would be accusations of GM.

[Master of Masks]

OOC: Honestly I don't really see where she would interject.

IC: (Kino Iho)

"Thank you." She said, placing her hand on Pae's shoulder before turning to the voice. She knew what the inner circle thing meant but she didn't voice it to the group. They were being treated as expendable, perhaps even a bit of Heuani didn't expect them to survive the encounter. She threw away such thoughts. It wouldn't come to that.

"I know most of you don't like me. Whether it's out of loyalty to Echelon or because of the nature of this group I neither care or know." She growled at the group. "Every second you wait here, our enemy gets stronger. Every second you delay me, our window of opportunity slips." She sighed. "Kufa, I'm going to need a lot Madu Cabolo oil and Madu Cabolo explosives."

Then Ahkmou had finished his talk to them.

"I figured this was our lot. We are not putting this to a vote, Zenix will be the group's leader in the absence of Echelon or the other generals. Since other leadership is out of the question. Heuani isn't going to help us, he gave us this mission to prove ourselves. Perhaps that's why such convenient leadership is out of reach?" She sighed. "It's a test and it's also a mission with far reaching consequences." She waited a few more seconds before continuing. Now answering Aurum's question.

"I have already drawn a map for the group. Pala Koro has high reinforced walls, this fortified by a main gate with a watchmen who mans it constantly. Later in the night my agent will "remove him or her" and then open the gates. Those with skills in stealth will enter first, spreading out and preparing to sabotage. We will have very little time before they catch on to the fact they are being attacked. The place is becoming densely packed with huts and other buildings. Use that to your advantage if it suits your skills. Their leader is Madrihk, a Toa of Ice. Onyx is their builder or at least one of them. He is a Toa of Iron. Madrihk has lieutenants for his forces. I heard something about a medic who arrived not long before I. Alfon is one of his lieutenants, she hasn't seen his element in action. The group has apparently been through a lot, apparently various agents not related to us have been attacking them. Which has made them somewhat paranoid. Hence the reason my agent had such a hard time entering in the first place. Now the organization has many heads, but it's main one is Madrihk. We are dealing with an enemy as varied as us. The only difference is I don't think they'll be prepared for a group as equipped as ours. Carry whatever weapons your are skilled in and no more. The explosives and oil will be used to spread fire and cause mayhem, while destroying buildings in the process." She sighed, pacing back and forth.

"Now as I said I will go on ahead, which is why I will prepare right now and then leave. The rest of the group will follow. We will meet a good distance away from the Koro. You won't have to worry about finding me however, after getting everything settled I will find you. The our attack will commence." Her arms folded and she leaned against a pillar awaiting a reply from the group at large. As well as her previous queries to Ahkmou. Hopefully this would be settled soon and she could leave. Otherwise she would have to assert leadership and change her plans accordingly.

OOC: Be patient. I have to write these long posts. My world doesn't center around RPing.

[JL v2]

IC: Aurum

"So this will be a stealth attack until they catch wind of us. I am assuming that Madu Cabolo oil will be spread about the village. With my illusions, I can help the infiltrators get in, so I'll be one of them. It should be easy under the guise of the night. Once inside, I was planning to place oil around the area and change the properties of all the iron to be melted easily and quickly." Aurum was surprised. Kino had come up with barely a siege plan, and yet he could tell it would work better than many other styles of attack.The plan was designed for Makuta followers, and it was adaptive. "Perhaps, once sabotage begins, I can signal with an illusion, followed by lighting the oil on fire. Would that work, or would fire impede our progress....of destruction?"

OOC: Well, Echelon gone means the Toa Astha might help the ILS.....both good and bad.



IC: JL

JL lost sight of Jyra and her capturers. However, he still had things to do, and left. He was pretty sure he had seen Pirok around here somewhere.......his eyes couldn't have fooled him. He started to trek around the islets, looking for old friends.

Edited by Jl1223 X, Sep 28 2012 - 11:36 PM.