BZPRPG - Kini-Nui

[Nato G]

IC: The Heretic.

The priest made no attempt to hide. His staff glowed, and he had no way of hiding it. Instead, he stood calmly in the path of the two creatures. With any luck, they would be too focused on him to notice the rest of the group preparing to ambush them.

Edited November 18, 2014 by Roman Torchwick

[Not Quite Dead]

NPC Rahkshi

 

Concealment made no difference. Being creatures born and bred in darkness far more absolute, they can easily see the two exposed Lesterin and the two Toa in shallow alcoves.

 

They strike with animalistic speed and ferocity, the Quick Healing Rahkshi striking directly at Karna and Kotak, it's brutally hooked spear swinging at them in a wide arc. The Density Control Rahkshi charging directly at the two Lesterin.

 

The Huna using Ba-Toa is not immediately noticed.

Edited November 18, 2014 by Tiragath

[Nato G]

IC: The Heretic.

The priest used his staff to project a stasis field between himself and the attacking creature. He knew that as a Density Control Rahkshi it would probably be able to pass through, but hopefully he could slow it down...

Edited November 18, 2014 by Roman Torchwick

[The UltimoScorp]

IC Kotak: Dashing aside from the arc of the Rahk's Staff, Kotak rolls, and flashes a large spike of ice at the rahkshi's head.

[Keeper of Kraata]

IC: The Density Control rahkshi muscled through the stasis field beneath Skorm; time to strike. The Ba-Toa resumed his normal gravitational orientation, and increased it tenfold as he dropped onto the rahkshi. The concentration on his mask dropped as the rahkshi, strong as it was, buckled beneath the unexpected force. Skorm snarled as he grabbed the creature's head with his free hand and raised his sword to strike at its neck. The Rahkshi screeched, and its staff glowed as cracks opened beneath it, and the Rahkshi overpowered the increased gravity by virtue of adapting. It grabbed Skorm's leg, and threw him into the wall, winding him. The son of Makuta warbled as it got to its feet and raised its staff triumphantly.

[(Daedalus)]

OOC: So, um, I'm not exactly sure how fights against NPCs are supposed to work. Can anyone control them?

 

IC: Trauer

 

Trauer had stayed next to his master as the Rahkshi charged them. He watched Skorm attack it, but the Rahkshi came out on top. As it raised its staff in-- what was that, celebration?--Trauer charged forward and sliced the Rahkshi across its leg. It shrieked and instinctively swung its staff down and back, striking Trauer in the side and sending him flying sideways. He slid across the ground and hit the wall with a grunt.

 

As he pushed himself to his feet, he glanced at the Rahkshi. It didn't appear to be too badly affected by his attack, though it would probably have a limp.

[Nato G]

IC: The Heretic.

The Lesterin threw another stasis field before the Rahkshi, this one blocking it from attacking Skorm and Trauer. Deciding he was the easier target, the son of Makuta advanced on the priest, swinging its staff down in an overhead blow. 

 

Now, The Heretic was not a violent being. He detested fighting. But sometimes circumstances put him in a position where he had to defend himself. For those times he had learnt a number of ways to disarm an opponent, and he used one such trick now.

As the Rahkshi swung its staff down at him, he raised his own staff to block it, catching the head of the Rahkshi's stave in the three crystal prongs of his own. He adjusted his grip, twisting his staff and trapping the Rahkshi's. Then he pulled, stepping to one side to force the Rahkshi to put more weight on its injured leg. It cried out, and its hold loosened, allowing him to rip the Rahkshi's staff from its grip, severely weakening its powers.

Now it was up to someone else to finish it off.

Edited November 18, 2014 by Roman Torchwick

[Keeper of Kraata]

IC: The Rahkshi shrieked in rage as Skorm lumbered up, He furrowed his brow, and lifted his saber; intensifying gravity around it, he brought it down into the Rahkshi's carapace; it stopped moving as the toa drew back his blade, sticky with kraata ichor. One down.

[The UltimoScorp]

OOC:Gah, I don't know when I'm allowed to hit or not.

 

IC Kotak: The Healing rahkshi batted away theicy spear, and kotak raised his sheild as the creature bore down on him. The staff of the Rahkshi claged against it, and Kotak froze it solid, efectively pinning the creature to him, provided it didn't let go of its weapon.

[Not Quite Dead]

OOC: Pretend you're playing chess by yourself, would you purposefully play one side dumb? Probably not.

 

IC Karna

 

Karna's Akaku activated, seeing through the Rahkshi's chassis, locating delicate joints and the kraata inside.

 

He stepped towards it and threw a punch from point-blank range. It hit the creature's head with a metallic crunch. It's neck bent at an impossible angle, letting out an inhuman shriek. Most would be dead after that, this one merely stared at him, broken bones and sinews grinding back into place as it ripped it's staff free from the ice and swung at the De-Toa.

[The UltimoScorp]

OOC:Oh, alright, sweet. So general rule of NPC fights is like playing chess by yourself. Okay.

 

 

IC Kotak: The Rahkshi, having been smashed by the other toa, tunned its attention away fromKkotak, shrieking and yanking it's staff from the ice.

 

My turn.

 

His akaku whirred and found a small chink in the spiny back of the creature, Kotak leapt and jammed his blade in, the Rahkshi sputtered and shrieked in rage, throwing him off and into the wall. The armored back plates oozed a foul liquid. He'd found his mark, though it would not be long before the creature healed itself.

[Nato G]

IC: The Heretic.

The Heretic watched on as his companions threw themselves at the wounded Rahkshi. "Take its staff!" he shouted, "Without their weapons, their powers are weakened!"

Edited November 18, 2014 by Roman Torchwick

[(Daedalus)]

OOC: Hey, an opportunity for Trauer to use his mask!

 

IC: Trauer

 

With the Rahkshi of Density Control dead, Trauer considered attacking the other Rahkshi. However, he couldn't permanently harm it, and he wasn't sure he could get the Rahkshi's staff away. Unless...

 

Trauer frowned. He knew of a way to even the odds a bit, but he didn't like it. At all. However, it was the best way to keep the Rahkshi occupied while the others got its staff away and killed it.

 

Gritting his teeth, Trauer sheathed his blades, activated his Kanohi Tryna, and focused on the Kraata within the dead Rahkshi's body. It twitched a few times. Suddenly, he could feel it. It sputtered to life--though that wasn't quite the word to describe it--and the Rahkshi jerked. Trauer grunted. Reanimating the Kraata was one thing, but getting the Rahkshi to move was another. He focused harder and was able to get the Rahkshi on all fours. Through is manipulations, it reached out and grabbed its staff. It then rose shakily to its feet. Turning it around, Trauer pushed it forward in a loping gate.

 

The Rahkshi of Quick Healing was in the process of healing a wound from Kotak when it saw its formerly fallen brother approaching. It shrieked. Trauer made the Rahkshi of Density Control swing its staff at the other Rahkshi. The blow was awkward, but it took the Rahkshi of Quick Healing by surprise and struck its right arm, knocking that hand free of the staff. The Rahkshi of Density Control then let go of its own staff and lunged at the Rahkshi of Quick Healing. As the two grappled, the Rahkshi of Quick Healing's left arm, still grasping the staff, was exposed.

 

As he fought with the Rahkshi, Trauer hoped someone would take advantage of this opportunity to try to get the staff away.

Edited November 19, 2014 by (Daedalus)

[The UltimoScorp]

IC Kotak: shaking his head, Kotak stood once more, and found the previously dead Density Control Rahkshi grappling with the Healing Rahkshi. Further, he saw that the healing Rahk's staff was only in one hand. Quickly, he froze the rahkshi's arm to the ground, and jammed hi foot down on the creatures hand, shattering it, and freeing the staff. He kicked it away, and while the density Rahkshi held the healing rahk down, jammed his blade into its shrieking maw, silencing it forever.

 

OOC: hope that wasn't too... Easy, I guess? Also oh my gosh, writing combat is so fun.

Edited November 19, 2014 by The UltimoScorp

[Keeper of Kraata]

IC: The rahkshi dropped, its head useless. The carapace opened, and a kraata, head slick with oozing ichor, writhed out and slithered away. Skorm frowned and held out his hand. The kraata squeled as it lifted into the air. Skorm's hand clenched slowly into a fist, increasing gravity around the slug. After a second, it popped, splattering the tunnels with green and tan ichor.

 

The Ba-Toa smirked as he swiped off his blade and sheathed it. He picked up the staves of the fallen rahkshi, giving the Quick Healing's staff to Kotak and the Density Control's to the Heretic.

 

"You both deserve these. Whether for trophies, weapons, or Karz, I guess you can use it for muaka bait."

 

Skorm covered his mouth to stifle a wracking, wet cough. He wiped his hand, covered with black ooze, on the wall. "That thing... must have hit me harder than I thought. Lucky my chest wasn't crushed."

[The UltimoScorp]

IC Kotak: the ice Toa sheathed his blade, the caught the rahk staff, it was oddly weighted, but felt like a better weapon than his halberd. He holstered it on his back. He looked Skorm over with his akaku, "Looks like you've got a broken rib. Try and take it easy until you can get it fixed."

[(Daedalus)]

IC: Trauer

 

As soon as the Rahkshi of Quick Healing was dead, Trauer released his control of the Rahkshi of Density Control. He felt like a weight had been taken off of him. Controlling a Rahkshi was far more difficult than anything else he'd ever controlled, but he also didn't feel as bad. It was kind of hard to explain, but it didn't feel... wrong to control a Rahkshi.

 

Still, it had taken a toll on him, and he leaned over and placed his hands on his knees, breathing heavily.

[Nato G]

IC: The Heretic.

 

The Heretic admired the stave that Skorm had given him. It felt strange to be carrying a true weapon when he hadn't so much as touched one in decades.

 

"We must continue downwards," he insisted. "The cries of these Rahkshi will bring more."

Edited November 19, 2014 by Roman Torchwick

[Keeper of Kraata]

IC: Skorm winced as he stood straight. "I guess we are supremely lucky to have a doctor among us. Treatment will have to wait, though, we need to go deeper to reach the Vault."

[(Daedalus)]

IC: Trauer

 

Trauer, mostly recovered from the use of his mask, took up position behind his master. He was ready to move when his master was.

[Keeper of Kraata]

OOC: Alright, I'm fasting us forward; I hope nobody minds.

 

IC: The group was unmolested the rest of the way. It must have been a combination of Karna's hearing and nullifying of their sounds, and perhaps the scent of Rahkshi still on them... or was it something more? Skorm didn't question it. Eventually, the group found themselves entering a large cavern, slightly better-lit than most of the tunnels. Before them was a giant door, sealed. Skorm doubted any of his powers, or even his former teammates', could even scratch it. Of course, getting past the guardian would probably be the more pressing issue; it towered above both Skorm and his companions. It had a Pakari inset in it's chest, between the revolving cylinders that made up its shoulders. If the Pakari had any power at all, the guardian could use crush them to a paste with ease. It was obviously mechanical, but even so, Skorm felt a strange... kinship with the guardian.

 

The Abettor.

[Nato G]

IC: The Heretic.

 

The priest was momentarily overcome with awe. This was it, the final guardian of Makuta's lair. He'd heard descriptions of The Abettor, of course, but in life, it was much larger, more magnificent and terrifying then he'd ever dared to imagine. 

 

It actually brought a tear to his eye. 

[The UltimoScorp]

IC Kotak: It was here, in the Chamber just before the great Door, that Kotak saw what would be his greatest test. The Abettor. He'd heard rumor of the mechanical guard, of course, most had. Seeing it in person, however,was....very different. It was massive in size, though Kotak could tell that it's size would b of no hindrance. The right 'arm' of the mechanical guard ended in what appeared to be a faintly glowing crystal formation.

 

A weapon, perhaps? One of many, to be sure.

 

He tried to examine the blue glowing runes with his Akaku, but ultimately could not decipher them.The final guard was awe inspiring, and bone chilling, all at once. Kotak clenched the straps of his shield more tightly in determination, whatever test lay before him, he WOULD gain entry to the vault, and discover how to become stronger than the first Toa.

[Not Quite Dead]

OOC: Isn't the Abettor in a hidden secondary entrance? I'm pretty sure the "main" vault door is just a big door with a riddle on it

 

@Scorp, the Abettor glows greenish now

 

IC Karna

 

Karna stands at the back of the party. He'll wait to see how the guardian reacts to Skorm before proceeding running for his life.

[Keeper of Kraata]

OOC: Ah, you are correct, Tiragith. I guess our 'heroes' puzzled over the riddle for a bit, then Skorm levitated everyone up to other entrance.

 

IC: Skorm pulled back his hood. He looked at his temporary companions, all of whom seemed to be eying him. Confronting the Abettor seemed... foolish, if any of the broken bits of armor lying around indicated anything. And, while he could try to sneak right past the automaton, he doubted it didn't have some sort of extra set of sensory tools that could spot him, and splatter him against the wall. Looks like he had no other choice. He sucked in a breath, steeling himself against the pain caused by his ribcage. The Ba-Toa stood straight, and wiped the ooze off his mask. As he paced towards the Abettor, he felt out the ripples of gravity around him, readied to pull himself back if anything were to go wrong. He stopped, and cleared his throat, a wracking cough.

 

"Guardian. I wish to enter the Vault, to join those who have passed. The Mangaia Pact."

[Nuju Metru]

IC:

The Abettor's blinding array of sickly green letter-lights - though, by now, routine and even tedious to this storyteller - were anything but familiar to Skorm. As the Toa of Gravity spoke and took his first steps into the darkness towards where he correctly assumed the behemoth to be, these selfsame luminescent symbols sparked into being. Skorm recoiled at their sudden glow; the light forced him to close and cover his eyes, which had been too long acquainted with the darkness of Mangaia.

 

"It is not our duty to concern ourselves with the affairs of those who have passed," the Abettor's deep drum voice croaked. "We are not their servants."

 

Beyond the miscellaneous letters seared into the insides of his eyelids, Skorm heard the guardian adjust on its haunches. "We do not grant entrance to the unworthy," it went on. "Therefore, you may not pass."

[Nato G]

IC: The Heretic.

 

The priest stepped forward. "I seek knowledge and understanding. Who - or what - are you to judge our worthiness?"

[Keeper of Kraata]

IC: "Well, I'd say its the big brute that looks like it can reduce you to green and red paste on the wall." Skorm took a step back, bringing up his hood again to provide some measure of protection against the light. "But the priest brings up a decent point. What made the Mangaia Pact worthy? They have entered." The Ba-Toa didn't mention that this was all based on hearsay. Hearsay that seemed to be heard everywhere, but hearsay nonetheless.

[The UltimoScorp]

IC Kotak: pondering the Abettor's words, the Ko-Toa spoke up with as much detirmination as he could muster. "I am Kotak, and I have come to surpass the first Toa with what lies in the Vault! Speak, Abettor, and tell us how we may prove worthy!"

[Nuju Metru]

IC:

How Skorm managed to say so many words before the Abettor struck remains, even now, a mystery. My best guess is that the Vault's guardian had been so completely flabbergasted that it'd taken a few moments to be sure it'd heard Skorm correctly. For the Toa of Gravity had made a mistake that none of the Abettor's many visitors had yet been foolhardy enough to make: directly insulting the behemoth before them.

 

If you ask me, the real mystery is how Skorm managed to keep his life.

 

You see, the Abettor of Mata Nui had long ago devolved into a rather tetchy personality, probably due to minor deterioration related to its prodigious age. A late influx of visitors to its passage - all having come, from the Abettor's protracted point of view, in the all-too-recent past - had only served to exacerbate the behemoth's tetchiness... And the souring influence of Zaktan's Antidermis had hardly helped. A more professional and less overworked Abettor (the Abettor of Kentoku, for instance; you'll recall how neat it liked to keep its site) would've taken Skorm's little jibe in stride; the Abettor of Mata Nui, though, had been worn thin of late, and was in no mood to suffer insults from a Toa whose eyes hardly reached its elbows.

 

"You have called us a brute," the Abettor clacked down at Skorm, disregarding all that the Toa and his companions had said since. "We can be brutal if you wish."

 

With tremendous speed, the Abettor reached out its immense hand and grabbed Skorm by the waist. The Toa of Gravity instinctively tried to use his elemental powers on the hand that held him, but he found that his efforts did nothing. Either the Abettor was so prodigiously strong that a greatly increased tug of gravity on its arm was easy for it to work against, or the behemoth was somehow resistant to elemental attack; Skorm hardly had time to contemplate the likelihood of these two options before the Abettor had slammed him, sacrum first, into the smooth wall of the tunnel. The guardian's hand pushed relentlessly into Skorm, flattening and cracking his hips like a bowling ball rolling over a potato chip. The rest of Skorm's company flinched at the awful noises that they now knew to associate with a shattering pelvis. Skorm himself made some awful noises, too.

 

Tendrils of lime-black fluid seeped out through the mouth vents of the Abettor's eyeless Kanohi Pakari; the sigil on the mask, acid green, seemed almost to be sneering. The Abettor tossed Skorm with as much effort and care as if he'd been a rag doll back down to the floor of the passage. Skorm's companions flinched back in disgust and fear as he landed at their feet.

 

"We do not choose or define the worthy," the Abettor said over Skorm's agonies, its voice eerily unchanged. "We simply know how to recognize them."

[Nato G]

IC: The Heretic.

 

The priest winced at the sight of Skorm being crushed, but held his ground. The Abettor had displayed strength of body, so The Heretic would show strength of will.

 

He was curious now, and the tone of his next words conveyed this, "How do you recognise this worthiness?"

[Keeper of Kraata]

OOC: Well, I guess I should should consider myself lucky Skorm still alive after being puppeted that badly...

 

IC: Skorm was never one to let go easily. He coughed up mouthfuls of black ooze. In the moment of clarity brought about by the sheer pain, he realized he hadn't seen any of his own blood after that skakdi had splashed him with that strange substance... the event that had led to his enlightening. He could still feel his legs, thank... who, exactly? The Kalta had served Mata Nui, that was what Aelied said. Did he serve Makuta now? No, Skorm served only himself and his goals, at least for now. Anyway, Skorm certainly felt his legs, or at least two towering pillars of pain that were connected to what used to be his waist. The guardian's fist certainly hadn't treated his ribcage well, either.

 

Why the Karz did he try to use gravity on it? He had trained with Casanuva, he knew how well gravity worked on things with unnatural strength. It was if his plan to alter gravity to pull himself away, and activate his Huna had been wiped from his mind... As it was, Skorm couldn't walk. At least he was blessed with an element that could compensate, at least. Vague murmurings of his life as a gravitics engineer, blank faces, names, flashed by, as he remember an intensive care antigrav unit he had performed maintenance on. He tried to remember more, but could only remember... the training. When Aelied came to him, he thought he was chosen to be a hero. None of them were told that their memories would be wiped. His life, gone. He couldn't remember if it had been happy, fulfilling, even if it was terrible. All of it had been replaced... by the Kalta. His life was gone, stolen from him; now he was taking it back. And he would destroy those who had dared to take it from him.

 

Well, all of this philosophical revelations tinted by mutagen were one thing, when Skorm was still lying against a wall. He decided it was best to stay put, for now. Sitting was good.

Edited November 24, 2014 by Keeper of Kraata

[Not Quite Dead]

IC Karna

 

Karna approached Skorm, he forced himself to look away from The Abettor, his fear would overcome him if he did so. If it were going to strike him down, so be it. His training as a doctor necessitated that he treat the Ba-Toa, futile as his efforts may be. Their eyes are dull behind their mask, their pulse and breathing were weak and shallow. They was entering shock. The De-Toa put his satchel on the ground before him, producing a flask of strong alcohol that he had to force down Skorm's throat. It wasn't much, but it'd help him through what came next.

 

The priest's Akaku whirrs, Skorm's ruined body peeled back layer by layer.

 

Spine, thoracic portion undamaged, lumbar fractured

Lungs, left crushed, right mostly undamaged

Airways, all clear

Heart, pulse is weak and erratic, but undamaged

 

The majority of the damage is below the abdomen. His pelvis is quite literally flattened, fractured in half and dozen places. Several major veins and tendons torn apart or burst by the blunt force trauma. He doesn't have the tools to deal with that. All he can do is stabilize the bleeding and work on getting a stretcher set up.

 

He withdraws several tools from his bag, donning a clean pair of gloves.

 

Time to work.

Edited November 24, 2014 by Tiragath

[Keeper of Kraata]

IC: Skorm gritted his teeth. "I'm... still awake. I can put myself into antigrav traction."

 

Skorm mustered what concentration he could, and removed gravity's effect on him. He pushed himself several inches off the floor. Half of his conscious mind wanted to ask if the construct could be merciful, but the other half still held onto his tongue.

 

"No matter what, don't hold back. I'll keep going."

[Not Quite Dead]

IC Karna

 

"Strong words for a broken man."

 

He held back a laugh, this Ba-Toa was well and truly insane. Karna had been there to see his debauchery in Ga-Wahi, his attempt on the life of his teammates. The guardian of the vault had broken him and told him he was unworthy. The priest could tell the Abettor meant that in more ways than one. Part of him wanted to see Skorm cast off his need for vengeance and realize he would now need the help of others, perhaps even his estranged team.

 

The other part of Karna was content to watch the corrupt Toa's misery. If he was set on his path, even now. He would gladly watch him struggle and fail.

[(Daedalus)]

IC: Trauer

 

Trauer watched the events unfold before him with a grimness he hadn't previously known. He winced when he saw Skorm get his pelvis crushed, and again when Skorm was thrown in front of him and the others. He moved to offer his assistance to Karna, but when Skorm accepted Karna's help while still conscious, Trauer felt a sense of incredulity.

 

"Strong words for a broken man."

 

"Foolish words, I say," Trauer muttered, shaking his head. He had a feeling things weren't going to stay quiet for long. "You need any help, Karna, just let me know. I can't do much, but I'll do what I can."

 

He also kept an ear open for the Abettor's response to his master's question; he was curious to know the answer himself.

 

OOC: Edited my post to fix my misunderstanding.

Edited November 24, 2014 by (Daedalus)

[Keeper of Kraata]

OOC: Quick mobile reply, but Skorm wasn't refusing treatment, not at all. He's saying don't hold back because he's still awake. Also, some people seem to forget that his drive is literally hard-wired into him by the antidermis. It's impossible for him to just retire and seek forgiveness.

IC: Skorm couldn't hold in his scream as Karna started manipulating the mechanisms and biological components in his body. He writhed in midair as his screams echoed throughout the tunnel.

Edited November 24, 2014 by Keeper of Kraata

[Not Quite Dead]

OOC: Ah, sorry about misunderstanding. I'm not sure we know about his antidermized nature IC though, so my IC interactions don't reflect that knowledge.

 

IC Karna

 

The priest made a mental note, bring stronger alcohol for battlefield surgery.

 

OOC: I'm not moving too far ahead, seeing as how a giant angry Abettor is still staring at us as far as I know. He could just crush us all (^:

[The UltimoScorp]

IC Kotak: Kotak winced as the Abettor crushed Skorm, and instinctively took a step back and dropped into a defensive stance, hoping he was not next on the Abettor's list.

[Keeper of Kraata]

IC: The black, viscous substance that would appear to have replaced Skorm's blood leaked out of various joints and sockets, Karna worked to stop the flow, bandage, splint. The ooze crept up the doctor's fingers, before Karna recoiled slightly.

 

OOC: Just realized that a makeshift stretcher could be made by Skorm's cloak, and the two rahkshi staves. Hooray for first aid training!