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This is the world of Olkir. Your people are humanoids made of a special organic metal, and are divided into eight Tribes that each have their own specific island (with the exception of the seafaring Water Tribe). Having discovered minerals infused with Elemental Energy, you have long used weapons capable of manipulating the Elements in certain ways, and have even learned to tap these weapons’ power in more unique ways through much training. Now, even without becoming a Toa, you can wield the power of the elements. You are one such warrior: a villager with an elemental weapon. You have been invited to the Island of Rock to take part in a fighting competition. There’s something shady about the affair, but you find a reason to go anyway. Are you ready to fight? *** Olkir is a new world I’ve been putting together recently. A full primer on it is available here, but reading it is no way necessary in order to play this game—the basics above are enough. I plan on doing something bigger with it in the future, but I felt an urge to start up another game, and this seemed like a great opportunity to let people get some experience with Olkir, so…here we are! First things first, post here saying you want to join. After that, you’ll need to PM me with the following information: -Name: You could just leave this blank if you want, I can use your current display name. -Tribe: The eight Tribes are Fire, Water, Ice, Metal, Jungle, Rock, Lightning, and Sun. -Weapon: The elemental weapon you’ll be using to fight. Come up with your own design, or choose from one of the Pre-Made Weapons listed below. -Facet: More on this later. -Play: Again, more on this later. Pre-Made Weapons: There are some weapons that are widely used by certain Tribes, so it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for you to just specialize in one of these. -Sun Gun: Exactly what you’d expect. There’s a bit of variety in what these firearms look like, but they all use lunapollonite to store massive amounts of sunlight which is then fired in concentrated blasts from the barrel. -Morcian Swords: Blades made in the town of Morcia on the Island of Lightning. Being made from ionalloy, they possess the ability to fire lightning bolts from their tips. -Skrall Shields: Shields made from rockite, making them extremely resistant to damage, and extremely painful to get bashed over the head with. -Viridian Bow: A green bow containing florate. When you pull back on it, an arrow instantly materializes; many users develop Plays that modify the properties of the arrows formed. -Grappling Hook: Consisting of a long chain with a hook made of mallaidro on the end, this weapon is immensely popular amongst the Water Tribe for its utility. When the hook comes into contact with something, it melds to fit it perfectly, enabling the user to grab onto almost anything -Vortixx Axe: The head of this battleaxe is made of nexidian, and when swung downwards, it temporarily greatly increases in density and weight, adding to the power of each swing. -Storm Drones: Though a recent invention, these are a favorite weapon of the Ice Tribe since they prefer not to fight directly. Usually coming in pairs, these small airborne devices have their own power source and a limited AI, enabling them to act independently and fire freeze blasts at their designated target. They also have a voice recognition system to take orders from their owner at any time. -Kardata: Not a weapon, but a school of martial arts practiced on the Island of Fire. Though Kardata users are most often seen using volcanore weaponry, the tournament regulators have decided that possessing such a weapon in addition to the brute physical power of Kardata would be unfair, and thus any participating Kardata users will have to fight barehanded. It means these warriors won’t be able to use Plays, but they don’t seem to mind too much. -Disks: Throwing disks are considered a holy weapon for their association with the Elemental Gods, the Slizers. Given that, it isn’t at all surprising that disks have been made from every elemineral. (These weapons are each tied to a specific Element, save for Disks, and can only be used to power abilities for villagers belonging to the Tribe of that particular Element. You could easily create equivalents tied to different Elements, however.) Facets: As villagers and Toa alike continued to use Elemental Powers, they came to realize that different people had varying affinities towards using the same Element in different ways. These affinities are now referred to as Facets, and this increased understanding has led to much greater ease in the development of unique abilities. Identified Facets include: -Rock Facets: --Igneous: Skilled in energy-based abilities --Sedimentary: What they create is very difficult to destroy --Metamorphic: Able to devise very creative abilities that don’t necessarily look like Rock-based powers -Jungle Facets: --Lily: Best at emulating specific types of plants --Sakura: Excels in both healing and poisonous abilities --Dandelion: While they can work with plant life, Dandelion Facets usually develop Plays related to animals rather than plants -Lightning Facets: --Stratus: Good at compacting and reinforcing their energy, making them skilled at materialization abilities --Cirrus: Good at controlling the direction of their attacks, very precise --Cumulus: Good at storing and unleashing power, resulting in very heavy attacks -Fire Facets: --Fahrenheit: Specializes in explosions --Celsius: Excels at control, making it easy to create localized attacks and weapons --Kelvin: Produces fire that burns much hotter, achieving white and blue flames more easily than other Facets -Water Facets: --Atlantic: Does their best when focusing on offense --Pacific: Excels at defensive abilities -Metal Facets: --Noble: Excels at manipulation of metal --Precious: Better able to produce metal with unique qualities --Heavy: Able to quickly produce extremely solid constructs -Ice Facets: --Arctic: Specializes in abstract abilities, like manipulating cold and using blasts of freezing energy. Those with this Facet tend to focus on studying the future over the past. --Antarctic: Specializes in concrete abilities, like constructions made of ice. Antarctic Facets tend to study the past more than the future. -Sun is a unique case. While it does technically have Facets (Sunlight, Moonlight, and Starlight), they function differently in that all Sun-users can easily become proficient in all three. However, due to a combination of the tournament being held during the day, and Moonlight and Starlight granting rather specific abilities, only Sunlight Faceted abilities are permitted to be used. Plays: Once an Element-user discovers their Facet, they can then apply their Imagination to their power, molding it into nearly any form they can think of. The resulting ability is what is called a Play. For villagers, their lack of proficiency with Elements makes this process more difficult than it would be for a Toa, so a villager typically focuses on developing one specific Play that becomes their trademark. Plays can range from simple to extravagant, all depending on the Imagination of the user and if they can conceive a way to tie it back to their original Element through their Facet. It is unknown just what limits, if any, exist on what a Play can be, though it has been noted that more powerful Plays have larger weaknesses—nature always seeks to maintain balance, and even the most powerful Imagination cannot escape this fact. However, some very skilled warriors have found ways to turn their Play’s weakness into an advantage… (Something to keep in mind: since villagers cannot naturally produce an Element, all Plays are reliant upon the user’s weapon. If you can disarm your opponent, you’ll have a very good chance of victory. Also, because of this same reason, if you choose to use Kardata as your “weapon”, you will not be able to develop/use a Play.) Example Plays: To give you an idea of what sort of powers you can come up with -Horizon Quill: Sunlight Faceted Sun Play. The user shoots a beam from their sun gun and “draws” a line, usually on a solid surface. After a short delay, a great amount of Sun energy rushes either up or down from that spot, sweeping away the target and causing damage. -Viridian Forest: Lily Faceted Jungle Play. Used in conjunction with the Viridian Bow—a very broad Play that enables the user to create arrows with the properties of any plant they know of, though it takes a bit longer than similar Plays that turn Viridian arrows into just one type of plant. -Astral Blades: Stratus Faceted Lightning Play. Eight lightning bolts strike in a circle around the user and form into tangible blades that the user can wield. Anyone else who touches these weapons is shocked. The user can call a blade through the air directly to their hand, though they must not use this ability on the same blade two times in a row. So basically, design or pick a weapon, and then come up with an ability. If I have concerns about either I may request you make alterations, but don’t worry too much: flashy abilities will make this a lot more fun for me too, so who knows how strict I’ll actually be. (Though obviously, if you’re a Metal-user you won’t be allowed to have a Play that manipulates your opponent’s metal skin or weapons. That’s one I want to get out of the way right now.) With that, we finally move on to gameplay! After signups close and everyone’s profiles are settled, I’ll start using an RNG to determine match-ups, and you will then have 48 hours to PM me a basic strategy for how you want to approach your fight. The first round will probably be the most difficult—I will add the character profiles to the first post, but I’ll only be listing the Facets and names of Plays, not their extended description, so it’ll take more guesswork. From then on, however, you’ll be able to examine your opponent’s past fights and make deductions about their ability’s strengths and weaknesses, and figure out how to exploit those with your own Play. Once I’ve got all the strategies, I’ll judge who will be the victor of each match and write up scenes, and then we move on to the next round and do it all over again. To avoid any confusion, this is not an elimination tournament. If you lose, you’ll still get an opponent next round unless we have an odd number of players, so don’t go anywhere! The champion is whoever accumulates a certain number of wins first, though that number will be determined once I see how many players we end up with. (If multiple people reach the goal at the same time, then they’ll fight for the title, and if it’s more than 2 players that will be an elimination bracket.) One more thing: the organizers have acquired a few Masks of Power, and will be handing them out to players under certain conditions. Each round a set number of matches will be selected randomly, and the one who loses that match will receive a Mask to use for the rest of the tournament. The number per round will be determined when I see how many players we have. To prevent anyone from throwing their match to get a Mask, which matches have a Mask on the line will not be revealed until they have concluded. A player can refuse a Mask if they so wish, and if they do, that Mask will be offered again the next round in addition to the new Masks that will be offered. Should a player acquire multiple Masks of Power, they can still only use 1 in a fight, and must state which in their strategy. Masks of Power will be listed in the profiles as they are handed out. I hope you enjoy this look into the world of Olkir. Or, if that doesn’t interest you, you can just ignore that context and take this at face value: a contest of who can come up with the best superpower and use it to beat everyone else. Also, if this setup seems intimidating but you’d still like to keep an eye on the game, I was considering taking an extra judge or two if anyone was interested. I believe that covers it! Signups will be open until Monday, September 25th at 2 PM ET (4 days from now)! Players: Kuan Tribe: Fire Weapon: Tyrant's Familiar Facet: Kelvin Play: Flame Wave 3 wins Trijhak Tribe: Rock Weapon: Crystal Bow Facet: Metamorphic Play: Crystallised Artillery Mask of Huna 3 wins Scrubbish Tribe: Metal Weapon: Thunderdome Facet: Noble Play: Metal Wave Mask of Pakari 2 wins Nato Tribe: Lightning Weapon: Baleful Sky Facet; Cirrus Play: Bolt From the Blue 4 wins Champion! Smoke Monster Tribe: Metal Weapon: Nexidian Sword Facet: Heavy Play: Giant Metal Wall Mask of Kualsi 2 wins TimeLord Tribe: Jungle Weapon: Viridian Bow Facet: Dandelion Play: Floral Fauna Mask of Crast 1 win Scenes: -Introduction -Round 1 -Round 2 -Round 3 -Round 4 -Round 5
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Well, I think it’s time. If you didn’t know, I’ve been putting together a new idea for an epic, taking place in a new world named Olkir. The full primer can be found here, but essentially the idea was to mash concepts from both generations of Bionicle, as well as Slizers, RoboRiders, and Hero Factory, into one fantasy world. (Though…since G1 has more content to play with than all those others combined, the end result is something that could probably be termed a fanmade Bionicle G3 story.) This world is populated by humanoid villagers made of a special kind of living metal who belong to eight Elemental Tribes, led by Coronets blessed with the power of Elemental Gods known as Slizers. Villagers have learned to mine minerals imbued with Elemental Power to craft special weapons, or they can go to a Rider to be made a proper Toa—though this is far rarer now, since automata known as Hagah have begun keeping peace worldwide. I’ve begun setting up the plot, but I was curious to see if anyone out there wanted to contribute characters to this story, so before I go any further I’m going to put out the call. If you’re interested, I’d recommend glancing over the primer to get a clearer idea of what’s going on before posting your form in the comments here. What I Need: -A name for your character, of course. -You can be a villager, a Toa, or a Hagah unit. For the first two you will need to pick an Element: Fire, Water, Ice, Metal, Lightning, Rock, Jungle, or Sun. However, for plot reasons, no Toa of Metal or Sun will be accepted. (Hagah can be associated with a particular Element if they wish, but it isn’t required.) Also, before you go jumping at the chance to be a Toa, there’s something specific about how Toa work that you need to know. A Rider turns a villager into a Toa and they are then free to do what they want for the rest of their life. When they die, however, the Rider takes them to an area at the edge of the afterlife where sixteen canisters are stored. Each Rider’s existence is stabilized by harmonizing with the souls of two Toa. When a Toa dies, their soul is put into one of these canisters to provide this effect, and the canister’s previous inhabitant is then sent into the proper afterlife. The stasis is by no means uncomfortable, and again, it is temporary, so maybe it isn’t a dealbreaker—but it still requires a degree of self-sacrifice, especially since the lack of Toa lately means the stasis can last for quite some time. In short, if your character is a Toa they must be someone who would agree to putting off their eternal reward for a while, which is something that should be reflected in their character. -Appearance. Villagers and Toa are humanoids with metal skin, and can magnetize armor to their bodies. Hagah can have more diverse appearances if they’d like. -Now’s where we get into powers and weapons! Obviously a Toa will innately have command over their Element. As mentioned previously, the villagers have learned to create weapons imbued with Elemental Power, so anyone can have access to those. Using these weapons also allows anyone, even villagers, to develop unique Element-derived abilities all their own, typically referred to as Plays. I want to be pretty open with weapons and powers, and would encourage you to think up some creative ones! Though, an Elemental Weapon can only power abilities of that one Element, and a villager is typically only proficient in the Element of their Tribe. Examples of weapons and Plays and how they work are detailed further in a read more below if you want to look them over. This section of your form can easily be tweaked as the story progresses, so for now, come up with whatever you want, and I’ll discuss modifications with you if I feel the need. -Related to that, on the topic of masks. Masks of Power do exist in this world, but they are rare treasures found in hidden temples that can only be obtained by passing various traps and tests. So your character might have a mask, but only one, and said mask must have only one specific ability. Some masks have already been decided on, and those will be listed in a read more below. (Of note, it’s entirely possible for two characters to have the same mask—a new one is forged for the temple each time one is removed.) -And a bio, for, you know…everything else. Gender, character traits, history, all that good stuff. Naturally, a good chunk of this will probably be used more as a guideline than put in word for word, but I plan to discuss my ideas on adapting your initial information with you in detail as we move forward. So please, give your characters some interesting pasts or quirks, and potential paths of character development! I won’t be accepting any applications for important figures like the Coronets, but that still leaves a lot of other options. Also, I don’t think I’ve mentioned the Priests of the Slizers yet, but that’s a thing if you’re interested. You will have to main disks, though. -Oh, uh, one last thing…on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being most likely, how likely would you say this character is to be a member of a cult dedicated to Shark Demon Pridak? Just a survey, you know, for demographic research and whatnot. Totally not a spoiler. Weapons, Elemental Facets, and Plays Weapons made from certain eleminerals have special properties and can be used as “batteries” for Plays. The eleminerals are lunapollonite (Sun), rockite (Rock), florate (Jungle), ionalloy (Lightning), volcanore (Fire), mallaidro (Water), nexidian (Metal), and freezon (Ice). Commonly used weapons: -Disks: Throwing disks are considered a holy weapon for their association with the Slizers. Given that, it isn’t at all surprising that disks have been made from every elemineral. -Sun Gun: Exactly what you’d expect. There’s a bit of variety in what these firearms look like, but they all use lunapollonite to store massive amounts of sunlight which is then fired in concentrated blasts from the barrel. -Morcian Swords: Blades made in the town of Morcia on the Island of Lightning. Being made from ionalloy, they possess the ability to fire lightning bolts from their tips. -Skrall Shields: Shields made from rockite, making them extremely resistant to damage, and extremely painful to get bashed over the head with. -Viridian Bow: A green bow containing florate. When you pull back on it, an arrow instantly materializes; many users develop Plays that modify the properties of the arrows formed. -Grappling Hook: Consisting of a long chain with a hook made of mallaidro on the end, this weapon is immensely popular amongst the Water Tribe for its utility. When the hook comes into contact with something, it melds to fit it perfectly, enabling the user to grab onto almost anything -Vortixx Axe: The head of this battleaxe is made of nexidian, and when swung downwards, it temporarily greatly increases in density and weight, adding to the power of each swing. -Storm Drones: Though a recent invention, these are a favorite weapon of the Ice Tribe since many of them prefer not to fight directly. Usually coming in pairs, these small airborne devices have their own power source and a limited AI, enabling them to act independently and fire freeze blasts at their designated target. They also have a voice recognition system to take orders from their owner at any time. -Kardata: Not a weapon, but a style of martial arts widely practiced on the Island of Fire. While often used in conjunction with volcanore weaponry like the Furnace Fists or the Scorching Pike, Kardata users have refined their barehanded combat skills to a degree very few others have, enabling villagers to continue to fight even if they lose the weapon that powers their Play. The Kardata uniform consists of two shoulder plates that each rise into three curved points (think the Tahnok’s Fire Shields), and a sleeveless robe that fans out to the sides of the legs like an overcoat. The color of the uniform denotes rank: red is beginner, orange is proficient, yellow is skilled (the lowest rank that typically leaves the island), white is expert, and blue is master (very rare, so don’t necessarily jump straight to this). In order to devise a Play, one must first recognize their Facet. As villagers and Toa alike continued to use Elemental Powers, they came to realize that different people had varying affinities towards using the same Element in different ways. These affinities are now referred to as Facets, and this increased understanding has led to much greater ease in the development of unique abilities. Identified Facets include: -Rock Facets: --Igneous: Skilled in energy-based abilities --Sedimentary: What they create is very difficult to destroy --Metamorphic: Able to devise very creative abilities that don’t necessarily look like Rock-based powers -Jungle Facets: --Lily: Best at emulating specific types of plants --Sakura: Excels in both healing and poisonous abilities --Dandelion: While they can work with plant life, Dandelion Facets usually develop Plays related to animals rather than plants -Lightning Facets: --Stratus: Good at compacting and reinforcing their energy, making them skilled at materialization abilities --Cirrus: Good at controlling the direction of their attacks, very precise --Cumulus: Good at storing and unleashing power, resulting in very heavy attacks -Fire Facets: --Fahrenheit: Specializes in explosions --Celsius: Excels at control, making it easy to create localized attacks and weapons --Kelvin: Produces fire that burns much hotter, achieving white and blue flames more easily than other Facets -Water Facets: --Atlantic: Does their best when focusing on offense --Pacific: Excels at defensive abilities -Metal Facets: --Noble: Excels at manipulation of metal --Precious: Better able to produce metal with unique qualities --Heavy: Able to quickly produce extremely solid constructs -Ice Facets: --Arctic: Specializes in abstract abilities, like manipulating cold and using blasts of freezing energy. Those with this Facet tend to focus on studying the future over the past. --Antarctic: Specializes in concrete abilities, like constructions made of ice. Antarctic Facets tend to study the past more than the future. -Sun is a unique case. It does technically have Facets (Sunlight, Moonlight, and Starlight), but any Sun user can easily utilize all three, and as may be obvious their usage is restricted by the time of day. Sunlight Plays can be just about anything the user can imagine, and can only be used during the day. At night, Moonlight can be used to create “reflections” of an opponent, their weapon, or even their powers, meanwhile Starlight Plays call upon specific constellations to empower the user. All this leads up to Plays. Once an Element-user discovers their Facet, they can then apply their Imagination to their power, molding it into nearly any form they can think of. The resulting ability is what is called a Play. For villagers, their lack of proficiency with Elements makes this process more difficult than it would be for a Toa, so a villager typically focuses on developing one specific Play that becomes their trademark. Plays can range from simple to extravagant, all depending on the Imagination of the user and if they can conceive a way to tie it back to their original Element through their Facet. It is unknown just what limits, if any, exist on what a Play can be, though it has been noted that more powerful Plays have larger weaknesses—nature always seeks to maintain balance, and even the most powerful Imagination cannot escape this fact. However, some very skilled warriors have found ways to turn their Play’s weakness into an advantage. Since a villager does not naturally possess Elemental Power, if they are disarmed they cannot use their Play. Example Plays: -Horizon Quill: Sunlight Faceted Sun Play. The user shoots a beam from their sun gun and “draws” a line, usually on a solid surface. After a short delay, a great amount of Sun energy rushes either up or down from that spot, sweeping away the target and causing damage. -Viridian Forest: Lily Faceted Jungle Play. Used in conjunction with the Viridian Bow—a very broad Play that enables the user to create arrows with the properties of any plant they know of, though it takes a bit longer than similar Plays that turn Viridian arrows into just one type of plant. -Astral Blades: Stratus Faceted Lightning Play. Eight lightning bolts strike in a circle around the user and form into tangible blades that the user can wield. Anyone else who touches these weapons is shocked. The user can call a blade through the air directly to their hand, though they must not use this ability on the same blade two times in a row. Masks of Power These are the Masks of Power I’ve already decided exist in Olkir, and you are free to use any of them. There are a few others I’ve decided on that will be rare/unique/plot-significant, though, so if you want to make a new one maybe ask about a specific name/power before you get your heart set on it. -Mask of Calix: Enhances wearer’s perception, allowing them to react to things much more quickly than usual (assuming their body can physically handle it) -Mask of Pakari: Enhanced physical strength for a short time -Mask of Kakama: Enhances speed, though can be difficult to control when used at full power -Mask of Huna: Makes the wearer invisible, though the effect goes away when they prepare to launch an attack -Mask of Sanok: Increases the user’s ability to make precision strikes -Mask of Felnas: If the wearer understands their opponent’s Play, they can remove their ability to use it so long as they are in direct physical contact with them -Mask of Pouks: If the wearer understands someone else’s Play, they can copy it for a brief time, though it will not be as powerful as the original [50%] (will be closer in strength if it is the same Element [75%], and much closer if it is the same Facet [90%]) -Mask of Crast: Pushes a target away, though repeated use can be exhausting -Mask of Pehkui: Enables the user to shrink, though their physical strength will reduce as well -Mask of Kualus: Enables the user to grow larger, though this does make it harder for them to maneuver and react -Mask of Kualsi: Enables the user to instantly move to any location they can see, but becomes increasingly disorientating with each use -Mask of Kiril: Used to repair inanimate objects That should about cover it. So, anyone interested?
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I got an itch to start up a new game, and after discarding a bunch of half-ideas, I realized this could actually be a great chance to get more people interested in Olkir. Hence, Olkir Tournament! Not a very creative name, I know. You’ll use the mechanics detailed in the topic to create your own weapon and ability, and then I’ll start randomly matching you up with other players to fight. You have to PM me a strategy each round, similar to the old Technic Coliseum, and see if you can outwit your opponent. Whoever accumulates a certain number of wins is named the champion! Come play if you want! These are the same mechanics I’m planning to use in the eventual epic, subject some minor alterations of course, so this would be a great chance to see what you’ll be in for if you were considering guest starring. Sort of an open beta for guest stars, if you will. I plan to open the actual submissions for the epic around the time this game finishes, so please look forward to that!
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(I’ve begun putting together a new world concept, and this story was written to try to flesh out an individual aspect a little more. A primer on the world of Olkir can be found here.) The island was almost impossibly tiny, the vast majority of its scant surface composed of a tiled stone floor that was wedged between two statues of armor-clad warriors wielding enormous weapons. When the ship docked, four people stepped off of it and stood at the floor’s edge. One of them—a Toa with green skin and no armor—cleared his throat and called out, “Pardon our intrusion. We have journeyed here to employ the rite of Last Trial, and will do so unless the gods object.” Nothing happened. Two villagers walked onto the stone tiles, readying weapons as they did. “The courts remain divided on the fate of this criminal.” He gestured to the one who sat in chains next to him, a yellow-orange villager. “It has been agreed that the only way to break the stalemate is with Last Trial. To wear the Mask of Axonn, the Jungle Tribe has sent the warrior Vanni.” One of the villagers on the field, with green skin and a brown cloak, walked over to the statue of a warrior holding an axe. “To wear the Mask of Brutaka, the Sun Tribe has sent the warrior Jogan.” The other was a villager with black skin and yellow shoulder plates. He approached the other statue, which held a large, twin-bladed sword. “God of Retribution, God of Redemption, we ask now that you condone this trial so that we may decide her fate once and for all.” The masks the statues wore shone suddenly, transforming from rock into metal. Each detached itself from the statue and floated slowly into the hands of the warrior standing before it, who then donned it and turned to face their opponent. “Our thanks, great warriors.” The Toa bowed silently for a moment. Addressing the villagers now, he said, “If Vanni wins, then we will employ Retribution and this villager shall be executed. Should Jogan prevail, she will have the gift of Redemption. Last Trial…commence!” Jogan ducked down and ran forward as Vanni pulled back on the emerald bow she held. In moments, an arrow materialized in her grasp, and she fired it as soon as she could. Jogan rolled aside and came up in a crouch, pointing his ebony Sun Gun at her—but before he could fire, a loud sound caught him off-guard. It took him a moment to realize that the arrow had exploded when it hit the ground. That’s not normal. Those seconds cost him. Another arrow was heading for him, and he was just barely able to pull the trigger in time: a bolt of concentrated sunlight shot from his weapon’s barrel and hit the arrow perfectly, making it explode between the two warriors and form a smokescreen. Darting to the side, Jogan fired blindly as he tried to work out what he was dealing with. That’s a standard Viridian Bow, isn’t it? It uses the florate inside it to generate its arrows, so there’s no way she was able to put explosives on the arrowheads ahead of time—those arrows don’t exist until she’s just about to fire them. One such arrow shot through the smoke, narrowly missing his head. Using that to judge where Vanni was, he fired again, and heard a grunt of pain. He kept moving as he fired more shots, but another arrow soon whizzed past. The smoke was just about clear now. Vanni moved to fire but then jumped aside, getting a few holes singed in her cloak, and Jogan watched the arrow closely as it formed. That texture… He turned, catching the arrow on his shoulder plate. The explosion nearly knocked it loose, but it held, so Jogan opened fire. As Vanni dodged his shots, he finally pieced together what she was doing. “This is a Play you’ve developed, isn’t it?” he asked. Vanni chuckled, readying another arrow. “So? They’re allowed.” Jogan rolled out of the way. Vanni had more arrows ready before he could return fire, so he had to focus on dodging. “You’re using a Jungle ability to modify the arrows the Viridian Bow generates, right? These arrows look sorta like Madu fruit.” “You’ve got it. I figured this would be a fitting way to end that criminal.” At the next arrow, Jogan twisted awkwardly to dodge and counterattacked, striking Vanni in the shoulder and making her stumble back. “I’m sorry your emergency supplies were stolen, but it clearly wasn’t her! Where would she hide all that fruit so quickly, on an island she’d never been to before?” He pressed his advantage. Vanni was being pushed back, but she pulled back her bow and prepared another arrow as she moved. “You’ve got the wrong villager and you know it!” Jogan shouted as he fired wildly. “You just put the blame on her because you could get away with it—because no one would question the death of a Sun Tribe member!” Vanni flipped through the air, avoiding the bullet, and fired as she landed on the statue’s arm. The arrow struck Jogan in the chest, and the blast sent him sprawling. She called down, “Don’t get so caught up in your emotions. It’s not as if we don’t have evidence, you know. But really, we already decided there aren’t enough facts either way—that’s why we’re here. If you really want to save her life, then you know what you have to do.” Jogan gritted his teeth as he sat up. He flung himself to the side to avoid another arrow and pointed his Sun Gun. Rather than aiming at Vanni, however, he seemed to be aiming for the ground beneath her. He squeezed the— “Jogan!” The sudden shout made him turn to the prisoner. She stared at him, her wide eyes sending some silent plea. The next thing Jogan knew, he felt another explosion, and his vision darkened. When he awoke, he was back on the ship. Another member of the Sun Tribe sat next to his bed. He turned to the bunk were the prisoner had slept, only to find it empty. No… “What did you expect?” the elder asked. “You took your eyes of the opponent, and just laid there wide open.” Jogan clamped a hand over his face, refusing to answer. “You told her you weren’t going to use it. Why were you about to?” “Because if I’d used Horizon Quill, I could’ve saved her,” he whispered. The elder looked over her shoulder, and then leaned closer. “She knew that when she made you promise not to use it. She knew that no matter how this trial went, there will come a day when people’s fear of the prophecy makes them even bolder in attacking our tribe, and we’ll have to do whatever we can to defend ourselves. If one of our warriors gives away his Play so early, our enemies will have that much more time to come up with a way to counter it. She knew the consequences. She chose the Sun Tribe’s safety over her own. But you might have been able to save them both if you hadn’t gotten carried away.” Jogan remained silent. The elder turned and sighed. It was going to be a very long voyage back to the Island of Sun.
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To further expand upon the world of Olkir, I’ve posted The Twins of Justice in short stories! It’s about the same length as the last one, and centers around an idea that…might not make an appearance in the final story, but I think it’s a neat concept with potential so I wanted to do at least one small thing with it. It also shows two elemental weapons in action: the Sun Gun I’ve mentioned a few times before, and a Jungle weapon named the Viridian Bow, which is actually something that’s been sitting in the back of my mind for years now. (The one here doesn’t do everything I had planned, though, so expect to see this again.) There’s also brief mention of the special abilities the people of Olkir can develop, but more detailed information on that is going to have to wait. You know, I think I’m just about ready to ask for guest stars. If you’re interested, keep an eye out!
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(I’ve begun putting together a new world concept, and this story was written to try to flesh out an individual aspect a little more. A primer on the world of Olkir can be found here.) Roughly two dozen students stood on the dirt-covered plateau at the volcano’s base. Most were young, though some had a few more years on them, but all were outfitted identically: a sleeveless red robe, and shoulder plates of the same color that each rose into three curved points. Conversations came to a close as someone approached the gathering, an older villager with red skin who wore the same style of robe and shoulder armor, though hers were colored pale blue. She carried what appeared to be a metal rod in her hand, but did not use it as a walking stick. When she reached the plateau, she stopped, faced the group, and glanced them over silently. “Well then,” she finally said. “I am Master Riiun. You are all here because my former pupils have deemed you to have the potential to learn Kardata, but as you have surely suspected, their judgment is not final. If I find you lacking, you will be sent away. I advise you take these studies seriously.” She sat down. After a moment, she looked up at the students, and hastily gestured for them to do the same. “Kardata is a sacred art that has become renowned as the pride of the Fire Tribe. When mortals were born, Torch the Fire Slizer reached down to this island with his flaming palm, and planted one tiny ember within each of our souls, a flame that is passed from parent to child on throughout the generations. To use Kardata, we call upon this primordial gift, and learn to wield the flame given to us by Torch at the dawn of time.” Riiun closed her eyes and breathed deeply. “The flame burns within us all. Look deep within yourself, and you can feel it flickering.” She looked from one student to the next. “This is where your training begins: you must learn to feel the flame you bear, be able to reach into it at a moment’s notice, without even thinking. But for now, simply learn to find it.” An orange-skinned student gave her a puzzled look. “That’s all we’re doing? What comes next?” Riiun stared at him. “…Next, you will learn to stoke that fire—to let it leap high in a blaze of passion. Then, you will learn to contain that prominence. After that, you will learn to direct it, as well as basic forms. Once you have mastered all of this, we will move on to weapons.” “What if we already know how to use elemental weapons?” “Then you should have no problem with this phase of the training. Now, focus.” The student sighed. “I thought the point of Kardata was using elemental weapons. Can’t you just teach me about that?” Riiun’s eyes were growing narrower. “You will follow the training I have just detailed. Focus.” Shaking his head, the student muttered, “What a waste of time…” Exhaling sharply, Riiun rose to her feet. “Do you have a weapon?” The student produced a short sword. “Come.” Eagerly, he ran to the front of the clearing. Riiun remained where she stood, holding her staff behind her, and the student readied his sword. “Begin.” The student started forward, but before he could make it two steps, Riiun thrust her staff in the direction of his feet. When it stopped moving, a sharp tongue of flame emerged from the end of it, leaving a scorch mark in the dirt and making the student jump back. Riiun used several more such thrusts to push him back, until he charged at her from the side. She twirled, pulled back the weapon, and sent the short sword flying; before the student even realized what was happening, the master had struck the side of his head and sent him sprawling, raising her weapon after to illustrate the opening for a finishing blow. Riiun turned and took a few paces away, saying, “Retrieve it.” Stunned, it took the student a moment to gather his bearings. When he did go to reclaim his weapon, Riiun held hers up and faced the class. “This is known as the Scorching Pike. It is a weapon made with volcanore that is used exclusively by Kardata practitioners, because we are the only ones who have been able to master its use. Perhaps one day some of you will be able to master it.” When the student returned, he muttered, “You should’ve said that earlier.” “You assumed it wasn’t an elemental weapon?” Riiun asked. “That is your fault.” “…Okay, don’t make assumptions. Now that I know that—“ “Is that all you learned?” “…Yes?” Riiun planted the pike in the ground, and then came to face the student. “Begin.” “You’re unarmed.” “Begin.” The frustrated student made a wide swing. Riiun ducked and darted in, knocking his sword arm back with her elbow, and uppercut his jaw. As he was sent sprawling, he dropped his sword once again. “Every tribe has elemental weapons,” Riiun explained as she went back to her pike. “If you ever leave this island, or if anyone comes here to challenge you, you will most certainly fight someone wielding one of them. But villagers are not like the Coronet or Toa. We may be able to manipulate the elements using these weapons, but we have no innate ability to conjure them. A sunslinger without their Sun Gun is but a simple villager. In a battle between elemental weapon users, being disarmed means death.” Looking over her shoulder, she continued, “Kardata is best known for its use of volcanore weapons. But what sets it apart is that even if we lose those weapons, we can still win the fight. We may utilize these weapons, but we are not bound to them like other tribes. We are weapons. Do you understand?” The student sat up, rubbing his jaw. “…Yes, Master.” “Good. Please rejoin the class.” As he sulked back to his spot, Riiun uprooted her pike and sat back down. “We’ll have silence now, everyone. You must learn to focus.”
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I wanted to do at least a few more short things fleshing out certain ideas relevant to the Olkir project, and one of the first things that came to mind was Kardata. Since the martial arts style is basically the Fire Tribe’s sole claim to fame, it’s going to turn up a lot even if it isn’t strictly plot relevant, so I definitely should hammer out basics before I get much deeper. I was originally going to post it here in this blog, but then I thought putting it in short stories and then continuing to advertise here would help give Olkir some more exposure, so… The Principles of Flame can be read over in short stories! It’s roughly 1000 words long, and shows a Kardata Master explaining some of the basics to a new group of students, plus gives an idea of Kardata uniforms and ranks. (Still figuring out how exactly to word the description of the robe to get the image I have in my head, so the one presented here might seem a bit vague.) I have another idea in mind too. I’ve got a concept I think you’ll find very interesting, involving masks, some 06 characters, and an excuse to show more elemental weapons in use. Stay tuned!
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[ A primer on the world of Olkir] The sea undulated slowly, lightly tossing the eight ships that sat anchored in a wide circle. None of the vessels took any action, all simply holding position and waiting, occasionally glancing at one or the other—usually at the ship flying the flag that bore a large yellow sun emblem against a black background. It happened in an instant. Where there was once empty sky and water, suddenly there was a great stone structure, a grey monolith that towered high above them all. A massive pendulum swung out of one side, before disappearing back into the massive form to emerge from the other side shortly thereafter. Slowly, the eight ships all moved in. The docks around the island looked weathered, but they uttered not a single creak as dozens of footsteps pounded down their length towards the eight doorways along the structure’s perimeter. Inside, there was only a single chamber, but a river that glowed a vibrant shade of blue sectioned off a sizable area around each entrance, keeping everyone just out of reach of the tiny pedestal at the room’s center. One villager stepped up to the river’s bank. His metal skin was a simple shade of silver, and like most of those he came with, smooth plates of white armor were adhered to his torso and limbs. A bridge of stone rose before him. Once he was across and took his place on the pedestal, the bridge sank back into the river from whence it came; he looked up, up towards the circular skylight at the temple’s apex, and waited. It was not long before he could see something descending: a mask, just the right size to fit over his face, made of gold with an orange tint to it. As it came closer, more details could be made out—the rounded gap in the forehead, the holes in the rigid fins that came off of the cheeks, the long, vaguely beard-like protrusion that extended from the mouth—and eventually, it came right into his hands and stopped. The villager breathed deeply. Surveying those assembled, he declared, “I, Jaa of the Ice Tribe, have been chosen by destiny as the Priest of Time. We beseech thee, O Great Krakua: through the power of the Mask of Vakama, share you wisdom with us mortals, so that we might guide Olkir to a brighter future!” Jaa placed the mask over his face and closed his eyes. Mentally, he magnetically fixed the relic in place, and then held his arms wide, turned skyward once more, and opened his eyes. Brilliant gold light shot from the mask up through the skylight. The pillar stood for nearly a minute before fading away, and when it did, something else hovered above Jaa in its place. The new being was twice as tall as any villager, covered from head to toe in obsidian-colored armor decorated with iron gray ornaments. His eyes glowed with the same azure luminescence as the river beneath him, and as he floated there, he crossed his arms and took one sweeping look over all those assembled. “Eight tribes still,” Krakua mused. “Then perhaps time still branches for you.” He seemed to think for a moment, and then shook his head. “But evil’s grip on your destiny will not be easy to shake, ye mortals. My eyes still burn from the light of the eternal eclipse. The Element of Sun is turned against the world, and the sea runs red with the blood of thousands, as the sky hurls its enemies into the primal abyss to drown in its abominable waters. The sky, frozen forever, and mortals washing away all hope with the tears they shed in despair over the immortal twilight. Those few who live know only anguish. Those who die know it all the more, for the Riders have all been struck down, never again to carry those poor souls to the City of Legends. The Slizers themselves wash their hands, and leave Olkir to suffer its endless gloom. Yes…the day draws very near now.” Someone stepped forward. “Great Krakua, if I may,” they said. “We of the Sun Tribe have no wish to inflict such terrible harm upon the world! Please, if there is anything that can be done to prevent this awful tragedy, tell us, and we shall see it done at once!” Krakua watched him for a moment, but then turned away. “The light burns many futures, Coronet. I can tell you only of the fate you most likely head towards. If you wish to avoid it, then that responsibility belongs to mortals alone.” “Please,” the Sun Coronet begged, falling to their knees. “Please, just tell us something! Anything that might help us find a different future!” Krakua looked up to the skylight. He remained silent for quite some time, before he eventually locked his eyes on the Sun Coronet. “I see one tiny spark. Insignificant, perhaps, and certainly unlikely, but…were it to strike the earth at precisely the right moment, it could ignite an entirely new path for all of Olkir. That is all I will tell you.” He turned next to Jaa, and reached one hand in his direction. A mirror appeared in his open palm and floated down into Jaa’s grasp—the Priest gazed into its surface, and when he nodded, it crumbled to dust around his fingers. “The Day of Foresight thus ends,” Krakua said, rising higher towards the temple ceiling as he spoke. “If Olkir lasts the decade, I will see you again.” And with that, he was gone.
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At the dawn of time, the mortal world was brought into being, shaped by the Eight Gods of the Elements—the Slizers. Scuba, the Water Slizer, covered the planet in water to soothe and sustain all mortal life. Granite, the Rock Slizer, created the land for mortals to live safely on. Torch, the Fire Slizer, gave mortals fire to keep themselves warm and to destroy that which stood in their way. Ski, the Ice Slizer, provided ice to keep Torch’s flame in check, bringing the world into greater balance. Turbo, the Metal Slizer, filled the earth with valuable ore and taught mortals how to forge it into weapons, armor, and building material. Amazon, the Jungle Slizer, gave mortals plants they could use for food, shelter, and healing. Electro, the Lightning Slizer, taught mortals to harness the raw power of electricity. And Jet, the Sun Slizer, hung the sun, moon, and stars to help all life in the mortal world to grow. Mortals lived happily in their world, while the Slizers watched from the City of Legends where the gods reside. But soon, violence broke out amongst mortals, and the mortal world sank into anarchy. To restore order, the Slizers selected leaders for each Tribe, granting them a piece of their Elemental Power and naming them Coronets. The Coronets brought peace to the world, and impressed the Slizers with their ability to control the Elements. To further observe this, and to teach mortals greater respect for the Elements, they created Riders to live in symbiosis with mortals, governing the Elements and granting their power to those they deemed worthy—transforming villager into Toa. The Riders were also given the task of gathering up the souls of mortals who had died and bringing them to the City of Legends, either to work under the oversight of the gods, or to be turned over to Karzahni for punishment for their wicked deeds. This is the world of Olkir. The Water Tribe does not have an island to call home, for the endless ocean that covers the world is their domain. As such, they handle a great deal of trade and transport for the Islands, and are well-liked everywhere for how honorably they uphold these duties. Some of their most famed ships are the Gali, home of the Water Coronet, and the Lhikan II, named in honor of a Toa of Fire who helped the Water Tribe slay the Shark Demon Pridak long ago. However, there are a few crews who have broken off from the Tribe and roam the sea as pirates; the worst among these is the Irnakk, an ancient vessel whose crew has harnessed dark magic to torment the people of the world with nightmares from the relative safety of their decrepit barge. Toa of Water are the most common of all Toa, valued highly for their ability to insure safe passage for vessels with important cargo and passengers. The Island of Fire is somewhat isolated from other islands, and purely by choice. The Fire Tribe is an arrogant bunch who believe they have little if anything to gain from fraternizing with the other Tribes, trading only when necessary, and traveling only when they go in search of challenge. They were the first Tribe to discover minerals infused with Elemental Power, and after learning how to forge weapons made from volcanore, they began to slowly refine a martial arts style now renowned worldwide as the School of the Blazing Soul, or Kardata. Most Fire Tribe villagers seen in other parts of the world are practitioners of this style who are seeking to test their skills against foreign warriors. While hotheaded and drawn to violence, students of the School are taught astounding discipline and have learned to control these volatile emotions remarkably well, so they are well tolerated in most places. There are rumors of a Kardata Master who once tried to overthrow the Fire Coronet, but the Tribe refuses to verify them. At best, they have assured that if such a thing did happen, they would have been sure to purge that dishonor before it spread to the outside world. Those of the Island of Ice can be equally abrasive as their fiery kin, thinking themselves the pinnacle of mortal wisdom, but they are open enough to share that wisdom with nearly anyone. Due to the culture’s obsession with knowledge and understanding, Ice villagers are quite frequently selected to fulfill the role of the Priest of Time. Despite the Island’s harsh climate and the reclusiveness of the Ice Tribe, this land does see quite a bit of traffic, with people from all Islands coming to investigate the Great Library in which the Ice Coronet lives. The laboratories on the Island of Ice have produced a great deal of technology that has helped many people, though lately they have taken on some more controversial projects such as attempting to synthesize the same living metal that villagers’ bodies are made of. After enough people bothered them about it, the scientists have mostly backed off of these projects in order to earn more peace and quiet. Though, there is talk that even worse projects still continue quietly, and that the Ice Tribe is seeking some sort of forbidden knowledge that the public eye would most certainly disapprove of. The Ice Tribe firmly insists this is not the case. The Island of Metal was once the most feared Island of all. As of late, it has become the most loved. Since all villagers are made of metal, the idea of Toa who could control the substance was a source of great horror to many, leading to a general sense of wariness when dealing with this Island. Eventually, pressure was put on them to sign an agreement stating that the Metal Coronet would at no time prompt the creation of nor tolerate the existence of any Toa of Metal, and from that point on the wariness began to slowly subside. The Rider of Metal, deprived of their connection to the people, has grown weaker as time has gone on, and a great number of ghosts now roam the Island of Metal—whether these are the result of the Rider’s power waning or a spiteful refusal of their duty is a topic that is debated intensely. Recently, however, a villager named Makuro presented something spectacular: wanting to give the Island protectors to replace the absent Toa, he had devised the most ingenious artificial robot design the world had ever seen, automata who could think for themselves and fight off anything that could threaten the peace of the Metal Tribe. These automata, Hagah, were so good at what they did that other Islands began to request units. As production increased, Makuro built a great factory to better accommodate the process, and watched over his business with great care until his eventual passing. Now, two generations later, the Hagah have become a commonplace sight on every Island, greatly reducing the need for Toa. It is perhaps no coincidence that now, ghosts are also a much more common sight on every Island. The Island of Jungle is a land of paradox, more colloquially referred to as “the Island of Life and Death”. Nature reigns supreme on this Island, making it home to countless species of flora that exist nowhere else in the world, and the Jungle Tribe has learned all there is to know about each and every one of them. One of the outcomes of this is that the Island of Jungle is home to the greatest of all physicians, unparalleled healers who utilize herbal medicines that work what most consider miracles, thus granting the Island its claim to Life. Its claim to Death, however, comes from its other industry: many of the plants found here can also be made into lethal poisons, and those who have learned how to concoct these brews have trained to use them and other techniques to become expert assassins feared across the globe as the Umarak Clan. Those who seek to hire the assassins of the Jungle Tribe are usually able to find them, but those who wish them harm—including even the Jungle Coronet—have rarely had any success. Luckily, this shadow has done nothing to impact the use of the Island’s healers, and the Water Tribe has gifted them a special ship named the Ignika to make it easier for doctors and patients to be ferried back and forth. The Lightning Tribe is generally a friendly bunch, even if their impulsive natures can make them difficult to predict. Thankfully, the Lightning Coronets have consistently been those who have grown out of that wild nature, preventing the Island from doing anything too out of the ordinary. The Island of Lightning is also famed for its Morcian Swords, named after the town of Morcia where they are forged from ionalloy to grant their signature ability of hurling lightning bolts from their tips. Throughout all of recorded history, terrible storms have plagued the Island and caused great devastation. To their credit, this has done little to discourage the Lightning Tribe, and they have taken on a very defiant attitude when it comes to facing the will of nature, though this attitude is thought to have a hand in the relative rarity of Lightning Toa. Recently the Tribe has begun developing weather control technology (with some assistance from other Tribes), and the results are beginning to show real promise. Though the Rock Tribe is blessed with great physical prowess, they are some of the kindest souls in this world, and have long enjoyed favorable relations with all Tribes. Matching their pacifistic nature, the weapon they are most known for are their Skrall Shields—they prioritize defense and will always seek to solve things peacefully, fighting back only when absolutely necessary. Since no one has any quarrels with them, seeing them actually fight is quite rare. The only notable time the Island of Rock came under attack was during the rampage of Shark Demon Pridak, when the monster bit a chunk out of the Island’s coastline. While this wound, now named the Shark Gulf, went mostly ignored for some time, recently the Rock Coronet has posted guards in the hopes of catching a deranged cult who uses it to pay tribute to the slain demon. While there has been some concern over this development, the people of the world still love the Rock Tribe and welcome them with open arms…or at least, they would if the Rock Tribe wasn’t terrified of crossing the ocean. Finally, there is the Island of Sun, a seat of great power that has now inherited the fear shed by the Metal Tribe. The Element of Sun naturally gives those who wield it power over sunlight, but they are not left defenseless at night: they also possess the ability to bend moonlight and starlight, which are less powerful but have more versatile uses. Because of this, the Sun Tribe has always been considered one of the strongest powers in the world, and was treated with great respect for wielding such a tremendous Element. This all changed a decade ago, during the last Day of Foresight. When Krakua appeared to tell of the future, he spoke of a time when an endless eclipse would darken the sky, and of a Sun Coronet who would use it to amplify their power and rain devastation upon the world. No longer was the Island of Sun held in such high regard. While the Sun Coronet assured all that the prophecy would not come to pass, the other Islands could only distrust them, building up their militaries to prepare for this prophesied eclipse. Some Tribes have even taken aggressive action against the Island of Sun, including a Kardata user killing the only Sun Toa and threatening that worse would happen were they to create more. Even the Island of Metal has become hesitant to send Hagah to the Island. The Sun Coronet has done all they can to remain non-threatening, but the atmosphere has grown very tense on their Island. The Ice Tribe has studied the sky and predicted when the next eclipse will occur, and the world waits anxiously to see if it will pass without incident.
