The Lorax

IC (Amphibax): The tight and twisting labyrinth of limestone caves went on for a long time, taking the aquatic team deep under Odina's sheer walls. Amphibax kept ahead of them the whole way, navigating the claustrophobic channels with familiar ease. He did, however, keep close enough to the recruits that they could always see at least a trail of bubbles showing them they way forward. When they emerged at last, it was into much different water then where they had entered. Here, the cliffs above them were less high, and the waves less harsh. By Odina's standards, this was almost a quiet bay. The locations major feature however, was on the seafloor: the rotting skeletons of four dozen ships littered the depths. "Here," Amphibax announced, "is the remains of the only naval attack in Odina's history. Soon after the Dark Hunters took this island for our own, the inhabitants of the continent mustered a force, and sailed here to end the treat of their new neighbours before it had scarcely begun. They came here, to the easiest approach to Odina, intending to scale the lower cliffs and storm our fortress. Here, you can learn much of naval sabotage. Examine the ships here, and see how they were sunk. Note the weak points where the hulls were punctured, compared to where battering them had no effect. Note also the claw-marks here, signs of where a boarding attempt was made, and repulsed, versus here. Why? Because this rope locker impaired the reach of soldiers on board. These are the sorts of features you must know and recognise from below, if you are to become masters of the seas, able to sink or take control of any vessel you please." "Now, come examine this ship. What can you tell me of how it came to rest here?" IC (Triglax and Mimic): With each recruit having selected a weapon, the two hunters moved through the group, advising them on the way they held themselves and their weapons, giving them movements to practice and demonstrating the forms of armed combat. Those with more advanced skills, they instructed in sequences of moves, and transitioning smoothly from defence to attack. Soon, each of them had a number of skills to work on. IC (Firedracax): Firedracax produced a jar of water, and set it before the pair. "I'm not sure how much they have told you, but that machine on your back will enhance your control over temperature. You will be able to drain heat from your surroundings, causing them to freeze. Or, in the other direction, you can release that energy back out, scorching your surroundings. I myself have a similar ability, though channeled through a rhotuka." Firedracax demonstrated this as he spoke, grasping the jar in his hand. A layer of condensation formed around the outside of the glass, quickly turning to frost and spreading outwards as the water inside froze entirely solid. A rhotuka from his staff dispelled the frost, and left a little steam rising from the jar's open mouth. "Why don't you try now? I often find it helpful to imagine the flow of energy, coming into me, and then back out." IC (Krekka): Krekka caught the boulder as it slammed into his belly, grunting hard as he did so. He hefted it again and fired it back across the see-saw, though he stumbled as he did so, and the throw was weak. Skondh's throw had quite knocked the wind out of him. Standing by, Vezok rolled his eyes but did not intervene. It had been too much to hope, that this game between two trainees with more muscles that brains would not turn into a violent slugfest. IC (Trainers): When Erox returned to the barracks, he would find a note on his bunk, along with a plate of round, juicy berries. The paper apologised that his individual training had not yet been fully prepared, but suggested that he practise his skills in reconnaissance and sniping by loading the berries into his rifle and attempting to shoot as many of his fellow recruits as possible, without being seen.

IC (Shadowboxer): Krahua joined the others in examining the crates of weaponry. He picked through axes, clubs, hammers, polearms, and all manners of blades, most of which were comically over-large for him. He was coming to accept this as a reality of being a Matoran in a job dominated by larger species. A few were more his size, and he briefly weighed up a barbed spear, before eventually shaking his head. He didn't really know what would suit him best, so he would need to ask for help from someone who knew more. Ambling up to Triglax, he presented Vamprah's dagger to the shapeshifter. "I came by this weapon on my way to join the Hunters" he explained. "What do you think of it?" "Hmm..." Triglax considered, turning the weapon over in his hands, then peering closely at the steel. "Good craftsmanship here, and it's not every day you see this kind of fusa leather on the grip. Whoever you took this from had an eye for quality." Krahua nodded. Vamprah was prideful, and only the best would do for him, even on such trifles as a lab knife. "However, this was not made to be a Matoran's sword, more of a dagger for someone at least twice your size. You can see that the ratio of the guard to the blade's length is higher than you'd expect. Also, the hilt's girth means that you should avoid using it in only one hand, though I expect you would be using it as a two-hander anyway." "So I should choose something else?" Krahua queried "If you would prefer something you can wield in one hand, then yes, but I wouldn't throw this away just for that. It's a well-made blade, and, once you learn to handle it correctly, it will serve you well." Krahua nodded his thanks to Triglax, then wandered a little away from the knot of hunters test-swinging their choices of weaponry. He wanted to consider his options. On one hand, continuing to use Vamprah's knife was a link back to his former life, a life that he'd sword to leave behind, and to extinguish entirely if possible. He was to be a new person from now on, after all. On the other hand, he had stolen this blade from Vamprah as a deliberate act of defiance, and it had played a role in his breaking free of his prison. Perhaps to keep it could serve as a reminder of who he wanted to be - someone not bound by others. Also, why would he use a legitimately acquired blade when he could use one stolen from the being he hated? Who knows, some day he might get the pleasure of stabbing into Vamprah's chest with his very own knife. That thought made him smile. Yes, he would keep this blade. IC (Krekka): Rather than replying in words, Krekka just shot a one-eyed grin back at Skondh as he hefted up a large boulder with one arm and hurled it, not just onto Skondh's side of the platform, but at Skondh himself. IC (Nidhiki): Nidhiki seemed a little perturbed at Zaryna's final choice, but did not intervene to stop her. Instead, he carefully placed the five figures in position. "Your team begins here, in the jungle below the village. For there, the orders are yours to give." IC (Amphibax): By the time the recruits got their bearings under the water, the only sign of their instructor was a trail of bubbles rising from deep down below. On investigation, they would find that below the tideline, the limestone cliffs in this part of Odina were riddled with grottos and caves. Out from the caves, Amphibax's voice issued, slightly distorted by echoing around in the underground chambers. "Catch me if you can!" IC (Firedracax): While Konu-To sat dejectedly in the shadow of the tower, a large red figure approached, bending down to kneel in the dust beside it. He was an odd shape, not recognisably of any of the major species of the Matoran Universe. More likely, he was an odd mutant, as unique and as alone as Konu-To. "Konu-To?" he asked gently. "I'm Firedracax. I'm here to help you learn to use your powers over heat and cold. I see you've already been using them a bit." He gestured to the evapourating puddle. "Shall we get started?"

Yeah, pretty much. Grab an NPC trainer if you like.

Since Erox isn't in one of the current group sessions, you could have him start on his individual training work, or perhaps join in with the weapons group for the time being, using his expertise to help the others pick out the best tools for them.

IC: When the recruits had gathered, Nidhiki stepped out from the tower and took his place at the top of the steps. Behind him were not only the other trainers, who the recruits would recognise by now from seeing them around the compound, but also a handful of other beings: real, expert hunters here to pass on a little of their experience. Even Krekka shuffled up to join the gathering. Clearing his throat, he greeted the recruits, and even congratulated them on their performances so far, noting that he and the other trainers saw potential for some to survive their first mission and become Dark Hunters in full. Still, there was much work still to do. Nidhiki explained that in order to streamline the process, the next stage of their training would take place largely in groups. Trainees who needed to work on similar skills would do so together, overseen by a handful of experts. This would take place alongside the continuing reoutine of their morning run and trip through the obstacle course. There would be individual skills to work on as well, but details of that would come later – each recruit would find a timetable on their bunk when they returned to the barracks for the evening. For now, they would be launching straight into their first group sessions. All disciplines except stealth would be beginning immediately. Nidhiki closed his speech by exhorting the recruits to put all of their effort into the various training activities – their very lives may soon depend on them. Later: Amphibax spoke little as he led the three recruits away to their underwater training. Unlike each of the other training groups, they would be given a rare allowance to leave the walled compound for the duration of their exercises. They were headed to the ocean. Out and over the wall they went, then across the parched and dusty plains of Odina, gradually rising and becoming rougher and rockier as they neared the coast. After half an hour of walking, Amphibax guided them down a narrow ravine, ending in a sheer drop down to the surging ocean below. The veteran Hunter pulled a rope ladder out of a cleft in the rock, then dropped it over the edge. "Follow me as best you can" he instructed, before quickly climbing down and diving into the churning waters below. Meanwhile: The melee group headed back to the combat arena, following the instructions of Mimic and Triglax, who had today taken the shape of a tall, golden-armoured Vortixx. Phantom also waved them along, although the reclusive, winged hunter did not speak. There to greet them was Screamer, who was hissing and clicking indignantly at a pair of Matoran slaves as they wheeled in a pair of large crates from the storehouse. After much straining and puffing, they gor them into position and then cracked them open to reveal an array of weapons in many different sizes. “That there is your lifeline” Triglax observed. “In my years as a Dark Hunter, I have learned that no plan is perfect, no concealment is complete. Eventually, you will come across a situation where stealth and subtlety will not do, and you just have to fight your way to your goal and back out again. Therefore, every Hunter that passes through this island must be able to defend themselves in a melee. Look over those weapons carefully, before choosing which type you will focus on. Don’t be afraid to try a few out before you settle on one to carry. Remember, you lives will depend on how well you can put them to use. One you’ve all picked a weapon to start off with, we’ll look at your grips and stances, and from there Mimic will begin demonstrating some of the basic forms. Get to it!” Meanwhile: Zekev, Skondh and Krekka were led by a Skakdi who tersely introduced himself as The Beast. He eyed the recruits carefully before shrugging a large sack onto his shoulder and tredding a path to the obstacle course. As he unlocked the chains that held the course’s iron gate, he directed Zekev towards one of the many paths. The ice Skakdi was certainly strong, but he wasn’t all that fit. This path was one designed to build up Hunters’ ability to sustain a medium level of exertion over a long period of time, along with the occasional burst of intense effort. The Beast dumped his sack to the ground, and instructed Zekev to do laps of the course, jogging, pushing, climbing his way to the exit before jogging back around to the entrance to begin again. When he had improved to the point where he could complete six laps in an hour, he was to start carrying pairs of dumbells from the sack, getting progressively larger as his times came down again. By the time he was done, the Skakdi told him, not even a Kane-Ra would be able to escape Zekev’s relentless pursuit. That left Skondh and Krekka. Rather than choosing a path for them, The Beastled them this way and that through the maze until they came to a specific piece of equipment: a gigantic see-saw. Fifteen bio across and as wide as it was long, the gigantic platform was strewn with boulders, and yet perfectly balanced, rocking slightly in the wind. This was to be their challenge: to test the strength, speed and endurance, each of the big, brutish hunters would take a side of the platform, and throw the rocks there onto the other’s side. Whoever could shift more stone more quickly would find themselves rising, while the loser would be tilted down by the accumulating rocks on their end. Meanwhile: With the others all gone, Nidhiki ushered Zaryna and Acanon into the tower itself. “Don’t make yourselves at home here”, he told them. “You’re still not real hunters, but for now you get a pass to be in here here, and only with me. I’d do this somewhere else, but the equipment’s hard to move.” On the next floor up above ground level, the hallways became less spartan, showing off some of the wealth that the resident hunters had accumulated, until finally Nidhiki waved them through a polished wooden door marked with the words “Simulation Suite” The room beyond was dominated by the table at its centre. Its core had a metallic gleam, while the outside ring was all elaborately carved and painted wood. Tiny figures of Matoran, Skakdi, Toa, rahi, and other species beyond count were frozen in scenes of conflict and battle. “Once, you were both military commanders,” Nidhiki stated, “And while the Dark Hunters are not usually an army, the skills of planning and executing stratergies and leading soldiers through them are still valuable to us. We need field leaders who can adapt a mission plan on the fly and guanrantee results through changing circumstances. We hope that you might be able to fill that role, especially on your upcoming trial mission. “That brings me to the table here, and how you will be using it. In the centre here…” He waved a hand over the metallic honeycomb grid, and lights sparked above in the wake of his hand. “is the terrain model. It is covered with a holographic array, so that together, they can model almost any concievable environment, like so.” As the Toa reached underneath the table to retrieve a remote control, each of the hexagonal tiles adjusted its height, and the holograms shimmered into place, showing a thick jungle with a waterfall splashing through it, then a steep-sided canyon, and finally a cityscape where each road and back alley was visible. “The other key part of this setup is the characters,” Nidhiki explained, plucking a tiny figurine of a Toa from the carvings at the table’s edge, and placing it within the display. “This table allows us to simulate a near-infinite variety of situations for you to direct a team of Hunters, from storming a fortress to pursuing a quarry. In each, you will be assigned an objective, and a number of subordinates to command. For example, Toa, make a light earthquake.” On the table, the Toa figurine obeyed, and the simulated city shook, the hologram showing a handful of windows breaking. “This feature allows you to send your Hunters against their enemies just as you would in reality, where each action you take can have a permanent effect on the rest of the board. The idea is that after going through dozens of simulated missions on this table, against automated opposition or each other, you will be able to make the sort of split-second, ruthless, effective decisions that the Dark Hunters are known for." Nidhiki took his Toa back off the table, and wiped the scene. The table returned to is flat and lifeless default state, before Nidhiki started putting together a new map, narrating each feature as he programmed it in. “To get you used to this, we’ll start with a fairly simple scenario. Exile, you’ve been assigned to steal a valuable lava gem from a Matoran village on the Tren Krom Peninsula. It’s a dangerous environment there, so they chose a reasonably defensible spot. Cliffs lined with razor crystals surround the village on two sides, and a spiked palisade keeps most of the rahi out. The main approach is here, along this path that the Matoran use when they go out to harvest the sap of fireroot trees in the jungle down here. It’s the main product of the village. Just outside the village is this reasonably clear area, occasionally used for grazing rahi, and beyond that, the land slopes downwards and into the thicker jungles out here. Inhabiting the village are around 50 Matoran, a Toa of Ice who wears a kanohi kadin, and a Turaga of lightning with a noble mahiki. For now, I don’t care how you go about the mission. You can burn the village to the ground and retrieve the gem from the ashes, you can sneak in, steal it and be gone before anyone is the wiser, you can kidnap the Turaga and ransom them back for the gem, whatever you like. Also, you can take your pick of these. We’ve just got them newly made and programmed in.” Nidhiki withdrew a box from a shelving at the far end of the room, and opened it up to show the recruits what was inside: a cluster of little models, one for each of the new recruits to Project Protodermis. Nidhiki set the small likeness of Zaryna down on the edge of the table, then offered the box to her to pick her companions for the raid. OOC: For those of you who have characters in more than one group, or only in the stealth group: sorry about that. We made the training groups before we worked out if there was a viable timetable or not. For now, Wakeahk and Idgaddiy should go with the aquatic group while they have a clash, and Kaspar, Erox and Konu-To can start on their individual learning. Also, as a general notice, you should feel free to bunny the NPCs along a bit during this group training bit. This is to keep things going smoothly, and to save GoSP and I from having to RP 20 different NPC through the group exercises. Be responsible with this: use the NPCs to facilitate and further your own characters’ interactions and learning, not to disrupt others’.

IC (Krahua): The Matoran watch on in interest as the rahi, now Konu-To, attempted to make friends with Skondh and Idgaddiy. Earlier today, he had thought Skondh was the definition of a moronic meathead, but this was just a new level entirely. It was almost sad to watch as the two of them struggled to complete even the most basic of social interactions. Then the interruption of a loud sound and some icy incontinence threatened to bring the whole awkward mess crashing down. The two of them probably deserved it. On the other hand, these two were now Krahua's own teammates, and he could well end up relying on them for his own survival. While that was certainly an uncomfortable thought for him, it did also give him an incentive not to simply let them struggle against their own stupidity. In addition, the rahi had obeyed him earlier, and that might be a habit worth encouraging. Going against his distain, Krahua decided to step in and help them out. He hopped down off his bed and ambled over, gently placing a hand on Konu-To's massive shoulder. "Hey there, no need to worry about the horn. It's just a signal that it's time for us to go and see the trainers. I can show you where to go if you like, and then, by the time we get back here, your eggs will have thawed enough to eat."

There will be plenty of opportunity to RP the training. As we said above, the timeskip is still quite some way off, we just wanted to give an early warning and let everyone know how the next stage of the game was shaping up. It all depends on how Lorax and GosP decide they want to fascilitate the jam. It could be here, or in a group PM, or in individual PMs to them, or in a shared online document, or something else entirely—I'm looking forward to seeing how they plan to do it myself. At this stage, it's probably just going to be a "PM it all to GoSP" type of situation, but if we work out something better, we'll go with that. Toa Power and Elemental Energy are indeed two different things. When assisted by Lewa and Kopaka... however, it occurs to me that Nokama did heal an Ash Bear in one of the novels, but a quick check of BS01 confirms this is a Toa-exclusive ability using water to channel their Toa Energy's healing abilities. So a Skakdi would not be able to do it. As for the other Skakdi, their powers would end up combining with Sting's water and will probably end up doing more harm than good. For example, Reaver's lightning. Plus, to use her powers, she would have to keep a second Skakdi near her at all times, one that may not be stealth ops material, or she would have to track them down in the middle of a mission. The exact mechanics of Skakdi elemental powers have always been a grey area in canon, so let me outline how we'll assume they work for the purposes of this game (spoiler alert, it's pretty much the BZPRPG route). Skakdi can access their elemental powers when they have another Skakdi who is a) nearby, b) friendly towards them, and c) conscious. To expand on the friendly criterion, I imagine that whenever a Skakdi sees another for the first time, they get a sort of mental pop-up asking them whether they want to share elemental powers with this person. If both agree, they're good to go. This creates a sort of list in each Skakdi's head of those with whom they do or do not share powers, which they can choose to edit as they please (such as cutting off a former ally after betrayal, or adding in a wildcard who they have come to trust (slightly). As for the combining of power, I will say that this is possible, but not necessary. So far as I can tell, there was exactly one instance in canon of Skakdi elemental powers being used at all. In this case, two elemental powers were used to create one dual construct, but only because it was convenient for Hakann and Avak at the time. Two toa could also have done the same thing, as rock plus heat always equals lava, no matter who is manipulating them. In this game, Skakdi who meet the above criteria can use their powers individually as they please, without having to create a dual construct (what would a sonics/psyonics construct even look like?) Now to healing specifically: I dun goofed. Whoops. It turns out that Gali and Nokama's healing effects drew from their Toa power, rather than an elemental effect. We'll need to find a different thing for Sukiru to work on instead. Absolutely. Any other questions?

Easter has come and gone, and now GoSP and I will present our draft training programmes for each of the recruits. The goals here vary, from working to remedy weaknesses, maximising strengths, or instilling the core skills that all Dark Hunters should have, regardless of their specialties. Feel free to add to this - you will know your characters far better than we do. Recruits will often be working in groups with others who will be working on similar skills, but may also spend significant time on their own or being trained individually, developing unique attributes. It will all depend on the individual. In addition to these, all recruits will continue their daily routines of a morning run and trip through the obstacle course. They will be encouraged to take a different path through each day, until they can do them all. Obviously, RPing all of this out in full is not practical, especially with all of the repetitions of exercises over several weeks of in-game time. For this reason, we would like to put together an epic training montage to replace much (though not all) of the grind. We can RP the trainings for a while, then cut to the montage of hard work and improvement, play Eye of the Tiger over it, then pack our bags and head out towards Metru Nui. I'd like to have the montage be a gigantic jam post with contributions from everyone, so that's why I'm floating the idea now, well ahead of time. We can all have a bit of time to consider our contributions to that. Now, on to the specifics of training: The first training group will be working on melee combat and competence with weapons. This will include Wakeahk, Krahua, Nilauhk, Corrivalis, Hijack, Kohu and Galrax. This group will be trained by Phantom, Triglax and Mimic. Next, the stealth class, given by Lariska and Silence. This will include Wakeahk, Idgaddiy, Skondh, Erox, Hijack, Sukiru, Kaspar, Zekev, Votadox and Konu-To. Wakeahk, Idgaddiy, and Sukiru will be going with Amphibax to pick up a few tips on underwater combat, recon and sabotage. Galrax, Zekev, Corrivalis, and Skondh will be working to sharpen their physical attributes, such as strength, endurance or resiliency. Zaryna and Acanon, former military commanders, will be sharpening their skills as strategic leaders within the group, under the eyes of Nidhiki. And individually: Acanon: Controlling multiple rahi at once. Wakeahk: Cordak target practise. Krahua: Agility and spacial awareness. Nilauhk: Infiltration. Zaryna: Using her eye for detail to detect traps, weaknesses, etc. Idgaddiy: Sleight of hand, thievery. Skondh: Following orders and keeping on-task. Erox: Reconnaissance and sniping. Corrivalis: Use of acute senses. Hijack: Mind control and telepathic interrogation. Kohu: Shooting on the move. Sukiru: Elemental healing. Kaspar: Using a variety of copied powers. Zekev: Density-shifting parkour. Galrax: Espionage and scouting. Votadox: Hypnosis under pressure - to be done alongside the melee group. Konu-To: Use of powers, and co-operative interaction with sapient beings. Any additions to this, ideas for putting it into practise or way to train these skills would be appreciated. Again, you know your characters better than GoSP or I ever could, so we want to work with you on how each character moves through the game. We can use this topic to discuss the next stage of the game, and then launch into it once we're happy with a plan.

IC (Shadowboxer): So this rahi was easily cowed, then. All the better, Krahua thought, as some of his annoyance abated. Obviously it would be dangerous when provoked, or else the Dark Hunters would have no use for training it, but in ordinary situations it seemed that it was placid and happy to follow instructions from its betters. Perhaps this wasn't so bad after all. With a bit of encouragement, it could even turn out to be useful. "That's much better." He told the rahi. "Now you have your own bed, just like I have mine. It's a little bit of home that we have to ourselves, even when all the other recruits come in here." Having explained this, Krahua kicked back on his remade bed, put his hands behind his head and let out a deep relaxing breath.

IC (Shadowboxer): "I am Dark Hunter". Well that was a surprise, but apparently, Krahua had underestimated this creatures intelligence, even given its limited grammar. As the rahi stood up, he saw that there some kind of machine attached to its back, giving further credence to the idea that this was no ordinary rahi. Apparently it was now a fellow trainee. And it couldn't just be told to shoo. How wonderful. Not. "Oh, I'm sorry" Krahua replied, though a little of his annoyance still coloured his voice, "I mistook you for an escaped beast. Still, though, you can't go taking everyone's blankets like that. There's a spare bed in the corner that you can have, but the rest of us need blankets too." As he spoke, Krahua hauled his own blanket out of the pile, and threw it back onto his own bunk in a crumpled heap.

IC (Shadowboxer): Krahua headed slowly back to the barracks, mentally giving himself a strong talking-to. He was still shaken by his freak-out freeze-up during the last moments of his duel with Skondh, and admonished himself strongly for it. He had regressed back to an old, outdated, unhelpful mindset. He had to put that beyond him here. This was supposed to be a fresh start fir him, with no looking back. He was to be a strong, self-made Dark Hunter, who set his own course through life, not the cowering slave he had been. The new shadow-driven part of himself hated that had been before, and it disturbed him greatly that it could resurface so strongly and so suddenly. It could not be allowed to happen again. He opened the barracks door with a creak, only to see what appeared to be an ape-like rahi, lying on a messy pile of blankets pulled from some of the beds near to it, including Krahua's own. Wonderful. The last thing he needed right now was for one of the training beasts to escape containment, find its way into the barracks and start rifling through his stuff. "Oh, get out of here." He grunted at the rahi, then raised his hands and his voice to scare the animal off. "Hey! You! Scram! Get out of my stuff and go bother someone else!"

New Zealand

So, just to clarify Abominable's abilities, it can: Absorb elemental ice attacks to become stronger, but not normal ice/cold. Alter the temperature in the area around itself, usually colder, but in either direction with conscious effort, and it is not immune to the effects of these changes.This seems entirely reasonable to me, and along with the other changes made, make Abominable an acceptable character for Project Protodermis. Approved!

IC (Nidhiki): Having finished his fight, Nidhiki took a moment to regain his breath. He had to admit to himself that he had enjoyed that fight, and matching his skills and intensity against another. He had been intending to remain aloof from the recruits, projecting an image of being unreachably above their level, and so more secure in his authority, but now, having stepped down to fight one of them, and having been hit in the process, he wasn't so sure. , Sure, these recruits were the washed up scum of the Matoran Universe, but perhaps he could afford to stoop to their level, every now and then, just to get himself some excitement and prevent himself from becoming a Toa of boredom. He nudged Psyker with his armoured boot, poking him insistently until the recruit woke up. "Get up" he ordered, "And back out to the arena gate. You'll have time to rest soon, but not here, not now." He started to walk away, but then paused for a moment and turned back. "And also... well done, recruit. You have some skill." Having said so, Nidhiki jumped up and out of the ruins, a strong breeze carrying him back to the edge of the arena, where most of the recruits were gathering, having finished their own fights. Screamer was there too, tending to the injured - good. The insectoid was reliable and quick to go about her work, even if she lacked many other pleasant traits. The last few pairs dribbled in, and Nidhiki stood to address the group. "Well done, recruits. That was most informative. For the next two hours, your time will be your own. Take this chance to rest, I daresay most of you have earned it. The barracks will be open, and Screamer will be able to see to any injuries or requests from the storehouse. Meanwhile, the other trainers and I will discuss your performances so far this morning, and decide how best to continue your training from here." IC (Shadowboxer): Krahua woke up, and immediately flinched at the sight of Skondh looming over him, then again at the other ...thing. He wished he hadn't, as the sudden movement only highlighted the odd sensation blooming outwards from his chest. It felt as though two of his ribs had been replaced with ice, and a dozen beetles were crawling just beneath the surface of his chest. He blinked and shook his head to distract himself, but they were more than fading dreams. Still, as he sat up and examined his body, he did not seem to be otherwise hurt. Weird. Nidhiki's voice boomed out across the dusty grounds, announcing that he wouldn't be required to do anything more, for the moment. Lying back down and staring up at the desert sky as Screamer scuttled away, Krahua was immensely grateful for that. He would have some time to recover from that and work out what in Karzhani had happened to him. OOC: I know not everyone has completely finished their fights yet, but this will allow those who have to move on after a long time of waiting. Mirror v Hijack will conclude occur on in a flashback so that both characters can participate in current events, and the other two matches are welcome to adopt this solution or find their own if they wish.

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