BZPRPG - Kini-Nui

[Friar Tuck]

IC

 

Toa Joske

Location: Kini-Nui Temple complex; interior

Chapter One: Crystals, Temples, Secrets... oh my.

 

Sorry to disappoint but I'm... not an eloquent speaker.

 

I'm no philosopher. I know what I know, but that doesn't mean I can explain it. Every time I open my mouth I seem to promptly put my foot in it. Talking to me has always had the feeling of slowing me down, taking away from the time I need to do something. I've never been good at speaking, let alone debate something that I know or feel is right, unshakeable and unchangeable. You want a conversation without the looming threat of a far too sudden and violent end hanging over either of our heads; exposition of mortality and and the ends they produce can be excellent incentives to talk. I... just can't do that. Sure, I might start strong, but I just don't have the head for this sort of thing. I always end up making myself look foolish or at least a hot and bull-headed individual, that is if i don't insert foot first. I have a long track record of making people angry, losing friends, and otherwise alienating those around me when I DO speak, so why in karzahni would I want to engage in this sort of debate?

 

I'm sorry Ahkmou, but I can't give you what you want. I am a doer, not a thinker. My strength has always laid in my ability to act, my willingness to move when others may hesitate. I have little fear of jumping first and looking later, shooting first and asking question later. I have a very simple viewpoint of the world, and I'm fine with that. Good, Evil, right, wrong, up, down, whatever. I know what I know, and what little doesn't fall under my worldview I simply take of faith. I don't need to debate, I don't need to discuss - you're not conflicted looking for answers, and I'm not looking to convert. There are others more qualified than me for that. Call me simple-minded, call me a naive fool, but that's just how I operate, and I'm willing to take both the strengths and weaknesses of that viewpoint. I just... just can't talk. I see the damage it does when I open my mouth. I'm... becoming to scared to do so, lest I make the situation any worse than it already is. I just... can't.

 

...

 

But maybe I can listen.

 

My eyes narrowed for a brief moment as this thought streaked through my mind, up until now my mask an unreadable black slate as I did my mental monologue. The longer I entertained this thought, more I saw the wisdom in that. As a young Matoran I had always been on the move, never slowing down for anyone or anything, driving the elders insane. Naturally I went into sports and athletics, playing to my strengths in order to minimize my weakness. Even becoming a Toa made my Kakama before powered, sealing my speedy fate and further pushing my weaknesses to the extreme. I never bothered to slow down... for anything. Or anyone. Except possibly Cael.

 

Why?

 

I pondered this for a moment. Yes, why? Why did the world slow down when I was around her? Obviously she was one of the few people I really cared about and outwardly showed affection to, but there had to be more than tha-of course.

 

I listened around her. To her.

 

The more I thought about it, the more the larger issue came into focus. I was always moving so fast, doing things at a break-neck speed that I often missed crucial details. I would seem callous and prudish to the outside observer when all I was doing was really being me. I wasn't paying attention. I wasn't paying attention to the world around me. I wasn't listening. Now it all made sense. I was already out of touch with reality at times before I was sent away, and now I've been gone for what, a year? Maybe more? Pulled out of the real world, living in Legend, a place where I can see the big picture and everything is cut-and-dry, where the world is simple and everything makes perfect sense. That's... not how the real world works. The real world is not so cut-and-dry simple. It's a lot more complicated. A lot more shades of grey. And if I didn't take the time to slow down and re-connect to reality, I would be doomed to failure.

 

They... they were right. I WAS insane. I have been so out of touch I forgot what it was like to live here. Be here. I need to stop. I need to slow down. I don't need to be flying all over the map all the time. Case in point - right now.

 

I looked up into the hole in the ceiling. The   stairwell was proof that someone had gotten to the Vault on the other side first. There was nothing I could do about that, which left only two possibilities - either those before me broken in, learned it's secrets, and were now poised to lay the final blow in this conflict. Or they hadn't, and it was still there waiting for the right individual. Either option it didn't matter how fast I moved, or how quickly I got there; I was already too late, or it would be there waiting for me. I didn't need to run.

 

Just like Cael. Waiting for me.

 

I didn't need to run

 

I need to listen.

 

I withdrew my sword, and with a fluid motion I set it point-down on the stair above me. With a sigh I leaned my elbows on the metal T-frame of the hilt, using it to support my frame. To my mild surprise it started to sink slowly, eventually coming to a halt after several inches. That either attested to the sharpness of the blade or the to the shoddy construction of the stairs. Or both.

 

Honestly little one I WOULD be afraid of my sword. I still am a little, and I wield it!

 

I laced my fingers together, settling down on the hilt and getting comfortable. I had not spoken a word since he had asked me to be a good guest, and I for one was finally willing to oblige. He could read into my silence what he will, but right now I could feel he had information that was important, knowledge I would need probably in the near future.

 

I will be quiet and listen. Tell me, Matoran, what is the state of evil on this island? 

Edited September 10, 2014 by Friar Tuck

[They]

OOC: OOH OOH OOH, lovely introspection there! 

 

IC: Ishi Polzin, Mangaia (stairs to the Abettor's lair)

 

Ishi was looking at a wall.  Not of stone, but the toa's face may have well been carved by Hafu.  It was impassible, unreadable.  Ishi knew from experience such a blank look more often meant there was something going on beneath the surface; like icebergs off the Ko-Wahi coast he was only seeing the tip of a far greater entity.  Then Joske's eyes narrowed, and the Informant was eerily aware of the stone beneath his feet, the rough make of the spiral staircase core, full of hand and footholds should he need jump or retreat.  The instincts of battle were creeping up on him, despite his better intentions.  Like Joske's had just been, he felt his face becoming an emotionless mask as the possibilities were calculated, weighed, and prepared for employment.  A straight thrust of the flamberge would bring Ishi's back to the wall with a sidestep, he thought, and from there he could tackle the toa off the stairwell, maybe jabbing a barb of shadow through one of the brilliant blue eyes on the way down.  A slash toward the stair's core, on the other hand, required bull rushing forward and incapacitating the sword-arm at the elbow or wrist and once more tumbling down the stairs.  In either case it was an unwanted tumble with the possibility of landing on something sharp and the certainty of bruises or broken bones.  Without Agrona around for healing, an injury was the last thing Ishi could want in the dark confines of Mangaia.

 

And then Joske lowered his blade.  

 

"Finally," Ishi grumbled and leaned against the staircase core while crossing his arms as Joske sat on the steps and listened.  

 

"Where to begin...  There's so much to say and so little I care to share, but I guess this once we can take a trip down memory lane, trade a few tidbits."  Ishi closed his eyes, thinking briefly, and was glad to see Joske hadn't used his mask to rush past in the momentary lack of visibility.  

 

"You sound like you've been out of touch with the world for a while."  He said.  "It'd be more helpful if you could tell me the last event you feel is current, and I'd be very interested in knowing the details of what you could possibly have been doing for so long as to lose touch with the island's boiling political hotpot.  As I said, trade a few tidbits.  I have no intention of giving everything out without some reciprocation.  If we're going to play the rest of this game with all the cards on the table it requires both our hands being exposed.  Anyways, Joske, you wanted to know more about Echelon and his power.  I assume that's because all you ever seem to do is fight, fight, fight like every other brakas with an identity problem or religion crisis trying to fulfill some old mistranslated prophecy, often both... up until now that is."   

 

Ishi rolled his head from side to side, letting some of the tension from his earlier combative planning smooth out.  It was no good to keep his body in a constant state of fight or flight.  Joske was listening intently, and showed no signs of turning aggressive.  "Echelon's a powerful man, and he's got some powerful allies now too who don't just trust him but serve his ends and defer to his judgement; like Echelon's Makuta's messiah or something.  Maybe he is."  He smiled at the thought.  If Echelon was a messiah then that made Ishi what, a converted heathen?  Somehow the idea of being a heathen intellectual was an intriguing contradiction.  Too bad he'd made his choice and could feel the cravings of violence and chaos in his very bloodstream.  

 

Break the Virtues, bring the Darkness. Take secrets, leave chaos. 

 

Those words were a mantra in his heart-light now, and there was nothing short of death that could stop them.  It was hard enough to be next to Joske, the man who'd once wielded light, without imagining him torn to pieces with dark shadowy fingers, a fine mist of red arcing into the air; his gears and sprockets bouncing down the stairwell with a flair of macabre comedy while the Hapaka took back the sword of the shadows and brought Joske Nimil's head cleaved in two to Echelon.  Ishi shook his head and the visions vanished along with their red haze for now.  Same Joske, same Mangaia, and Heuani's flamberge remained rooted in the rock.

 

"If he'd stuck to the straight and narrow you seem to think so good and great maybe then you'd have been brothers in arms, or cousins... actually, probably more like really close friends. He's a little... eccentric... after all and good to keep at arm's length or so.  But, as nature made him he's bad to the core, even more now since he's gained new strengths from the Master of Shadows.  I guess great spirits reward their most pious, though I shouldn't talk since I'm alive and well in good part because of Makuta's so called rewards.  It's hard to say something bad about a great spirit that gives life when life is what they normally take away.  One of those weird quirks of the dichotomy between The Brothers, I figure.  Mata Nui works in subtler ways.  Half the time I wonder if both aren't just the same great spirit with a personality disorder, and if I was going to think like a Peer maybe the notion of their existence is false to begin with."  Ishi shrugged.  The little yellow light-stone strapped to the front of his kaukau bobbed as he readjusted his slouch.

 

"Now, I've revealed something about the matter you wanted to know.  It's time you share with me some of the things I desire.  I'm sure there's something to this riddle sitting on the door down there that it blatantly obvious, but I haven't been able to get more than a line at best.  Here you are, coming into Mangaia on your own.  As a hero, you've always surrounded yourself with teammates, although not always the most credible or honest beings, going by your words.  Why would you be coming here alone unless, A, you had a very good idea of what you were getting into; B, you seemed to feel it was dangerous enough that, being a hero, you wouldn't want your friends in danger; and C, you felt capable of meeting the Abettor and doing something on your lonesome.  From this I can quickly figure you know more about things that hide in the dark than most, perhaps even Echelon.  The necromancer hasn't got a clue what the riddle means.  Of course, there are the Piraka..."  

Ishi trailed off, having leaned forward and squatted down to eye level while talking, arms resting over his knees and folded together.  His face was a mere hand's span away from Joske's and his mouth was twisted into a mischievous grin.  Here he was holding power over a mighty toa with sheer knowledge, but at the same time Joske did the same to him.  He saw the brilliant light filled eyes and knew that somewhere, in another world where their light was dim, he would have been able to see his own mismatched past and family trauma literally reflected back in the toa's pupils.  They were that close, and he felt his blood boil.  Break the Virtues, bring the Darkness.  Take secrets, leave chaos.

 

shut up.
 

 

 

[Mr. House]

IC: (Arvun/Mangaia)

 

Arvun froze. He impacted something. Whether it was good or ill, he knew not. He only had his hand grasped upon his Kukri, ready to rise and kill if the person/thing he hit was hostile. The he heard the voice, a woman's voice, nervous and perhaps a bit distressed. It eased his mind a tad.

 

"Who are you-why are you here?" he jumbled out.

Edited September 10, 2014 by Mr. House

[AuRon the champion]

IC:

 

"I could ask you the same question," Arden said, glancing at the lantern on the ground.

 

"No questions. Stab first. Nobody just walks around here for-"

 

"No Aeolus! Stabbing people is a no. Big no. At least, stabbing strangers is a big no," Arden stated, her brow furrowing, "Just, explain why you're here. And we'll explain why we're here."

[Toa Fanixe]

IC:

 

Lantz came to a quick stop, releasing the energies that kept himself and the Lesterin light on their feet. He looked behind him, seeing Arvun facing two new individuals.

 

The Toa of Gravity growled inaudibly. All these people were wasting his time. 

 

He walked forward into the light, staring curiously at the newcomers.

 

"Hello, I am Lantz. A friend of ours has gotten lost in these tunnels; we're trying to find him, and believe he has gone to Vault. Now, who exactly are you two? And are friends of Mata-Nui, or minions of Makuta?"

[Franco]

IC: Talking drained me. Moving filled me up with the quiet in my head. The accomplished goal makes the trouble of this interaction small.

 

Though I can't stop now. Someone's moving toward the Vault. Let's keep the peace and introduce so we can run interception there.

 

I put a hand on Aeolus/Arden's shoulder. I'm with them, but stabbing isn't gonna happen.

 

Then I step into the light behind them.

 

It's good to be back, better to get things done.

Edited September 11, 2014 by Own Personal Quixote

[AuRon the champion]

IC:

 

"Bluuuuuhhh," Aeolus complained.

 

"I get it," Arden noted, the Ga-Toa's sudden change of posture from slumping to alert no doubt proving strange to the stranger's eyes.

 

"Hi Pants. My name is Aeolus."

 

"He said Lantz you idiot," Arden countered, rolling her eyes, "Pardon him. I'm Arden. And the tall, dark, silent one is Maru Sulov. The Sulov. And he probably wants us to go. So..."

 

"Tell us about this vault, before I sta-"

 

"Aeolus! We- I mean, he means to say... What's this vault? Sulov looks a little... Antsy about it, so how about you show us the way and explain. Since, this sounds like Maru-stuff... Which means Sulov wants to go there. Probably now."

Edited September 11, 2014 by Hatty Hattington

[Mr. House]

IC: (Arvun/Mangaia)

 

"I was, searching for him, at the least," Arvun said. "Lantz was only in it for the Vault. He is desirous of its wealth, no doubt."

 

He rose. Sulov Maru, Ussalman, he knew that name. Sulov was the Toa who helped kill his former Master, one of the First Toa's heirs. The Maru represented everything about Mata Nui's established order. But yet, he held little ill will towards them. If he was in that position, he thought, he would have killed Makuta as well. Being past that point of his life, Arv had no inclination to harm anyone in the room. Save perhaps Lantz, due to his lingering distaste for the avarice-fueled Ba-Toa. Leaning against the wall, he began to speak again.

 

"I'm Arvun, and let me say, I mean none of you any harm. But if you are going to the vault, I would like to join you. Something's down there, something ill. The Ta-Toa-I fear what happened to him. He was seeking the vault, and if what they say about it, he might be pray to twisted beings. And if I'm correct, I think you'd know him, Maru, his name was Joske."   

[AuRon the champion]

Ic:

 

"... The former kohlii star..?" Arden asked, steam beginning to roll off her body again as she became thankful that no one could see how red her face was becoming. All of these strong, handsome, honorabl-

 

Oh for pity's sake Arden, get over yourself! Aeolus shouted at her, his mind starting to retake control of their body once more.

[Franco]

IC: It's Joske.

 

He has a Kakama.

 

We don't have time.

 

I retract my hand and point out the path to the Vault. I flip my fingers around to the group, pulling them after me.

 

I start sprinting.

[AuRon the champion]

Ic:

 

Aeolus, who was about go say something, suddenly found that Arden was in control again and running after sulov.

 

"Onwards!"

[Toa Fanixe]

IC;

 

A Maru?! Lantz cursed silently before running into the darkness after the pair of Toa newcomers. He had been planning on catching up to that Joske fellow and 'relieving' him of his iStone, confident he could dispose of a Ta-Toa and Fe-Lesterin. But now that the psychotic Ga-Toa and a Maru were going to be present?.... Even Lantz had heard the stories, how a team of six Toa known as the Maru had defeated Makuta, his former master. If the black armoured Toa was Sulov Maru, Lantz would have to be careful. He was not yet ready to take on him, two other Toa and a Lesterin.

 

In darkness, Lantz shook his head. 

 

He needed the power of the Vault NOW.

 

The Toa of Gravity ran in the shadow of the tunnel, the lightstone he was holding a pitiful source of light. He couldn't see the two Toa ahead, only hear their faint footsteps. And it seemed the hermit Arvun was no longer following him, not that Lantz could see anyways.

 

Ah well, he thought, better to be alone. If I do decide attack the party massing at the Vault, it will be a nice little surprise. 

[Friar Tuck]

IC

 

Toa Joske

Location: Kini-Nui Temple complex; interior

Chapter One: Crystals, Temples, Secrets... oh my.

 

I opened my mouth to speak. This Matoran had he engaged in an informational chess match, something I was finding mildly thrilling. Teases about Echelon, strange powers, these "Piraka"... then I heard it.

 

Or more correctly, them.

 

It wasn't loud. Very faint, barely audible. But in the silence here of this cathedral chamber I could hear the sounds of slight clamoring, the noise of extreme distant voices coming form the tunnels. Impossible to tell which one, let alone how many, but it was there. Might be around the corner, might be ten minutes from now, but logic dictated the sounds I was hearing were those of those I ditched earlier, my pursuers.

 

My time was up.

 

Just when things were getting interesting too.

 

I sudden stood erect and took a step downwards, which clearly startled the Matoran, not surprising considering how close we were. He immediately assumed a defensive stance, to which I only chuckled.

 

"Sorry, but it seems I have tarried too long. Your assumption about me traveling alone? Mostly true. I had to dicth a couple people to get here alone, and it seems like they have almost caught up." As I spoke I pulled my disk launcher off my back, hooking some rope to a notch in the disk that was loaded. "Do not worry, we'll finish this conversation, if only for the fact that you want to know what the riddle means... and willing to pay in information about Echelon and these so called Piraka. Meantime there is a guardian I need meet."

 

With that I pulled the trigger, a loud ka-chunk echoing off the walls at it fired, followed shortly by a solid thwack as the disk was imbedded into the rock above. I flicked another trigger and I was quickly hoisted up into the air, moving the rest of the way up the stairs to where the hole resided, launcher in one hand, sword in the other. It only took a moment to swing up and pull my disk out of the rock, and as I did so I chanced a look down... to see that Matoran. Staring at me. I couldn't quite read him, but something inside me said we'd meet again.

 

Gathering my things I raised up my sword, the glow a little brighter here. Somewhere down this tunnel was this machine I kept hearing of, a robot guardian.

 

Time to test my wits... and possibly dodging capabilities.

[Nuju Metru]

IC:

The moment Joske moved, the dark maw of the circular passage he'd pulled himself up into sprang into blinding luminance, as had happened for every one of those that had presumed to visit the Abettor. Light - cast principally by the dozens of random letters all over the behemoth's body, refracted through the exposed guts of quartz geodes in the walls and reflected off the stony walls so that it seemed to come from everywhere - ruthlessly assaulted Joske's dark-accustomed vision, forcing the Toa to cover his eyes and turn into the wall of the tunnel.

 

Joske, having never seen an Abettor before in his life, could not have been aware that the virulent green hue of the light that seared through his eyelids was a very bad sign.

 

A click like a gun's hammer down a deep well, a scrape like a sword drawn across cobblestones, and another resounding click; the sequence of noises that accompanied the Abettor's rotation of masks was slower than usual. The metallic sounds, in their duration, seemed almost taunting, even self-satisfied; to the light-blind and unacquainted Joske, of course, the unfamiliar sequence, which belonged to a machine he couldn't yet see, sounded like the armament of a strange and powerful weapon. In some ways, he wasn't wrong.

 

"Identify... yourself," slowly clacked an ocean-deep, canned voice, with a slight slur.

[Friar Tuck]

IC

 

Toa Joske

Location: Kini-Nui Temple complex; interior

Chapter One: Crystals, Temples, Secrets... oh my.

 

Mildly terrifying...

 

"I am... Toa Joske." I said simply, feeling that I should answer promptly, shading my eyes as I did so and doing everything I could to help them adjust quickly. Finally they did, and when I got my first good look at the machi-

 

Mata-Nui.

 

So THAT'S what the Abettor looks like!

 

I had never seen anything so fascinating and awe-inspiring. Something in the back of my head told me I shouldn't look aggressive, and now that there was plenty of light I lowered my now lightless sword. I could tell it was designed with this purpose in mind, and I had a feeling I would need to tread carefully lest I irritate it.

 

Because according to my previous conversation, that could happen.

Edited September 11, 2014 by Friar Tuck

[Nuju Metru]

IC:

The details of the Abettor came to Joske in bits and pieces as his eyes adjusted. First came fuzzy definition to the green symbols that covered its form; then the outline of the shape, a barrel-chested machine with no head; then, after a while, clarity enough to see the hollow-eyed Kanohi Sanok, its forehead bearing an in a deep-set notch in the cylindrical portion of the behemoth's torso. Joske didn't like the look of the Abettor's fingers, which were as thick around as his wrists, and something about the crystal on its other forearm made him extremely nervous. The guardian sat on its haunches as it examined - or seemed to examine; how could it be seeing Joske with those empty eye sockets? - the latest being that had come to pass it.

"You lie already, one who calls himself Joske," the echoing voice retorted finally, a challenge undeniable in its mechanical rasp. "Toa wield the forces of nature... and you do not. Therefore you are not a Toa. We do not accept lies." With speed that belied its size, the Abettor raised its crystal fist towards Joske, and held it there like a primed weapon.

[Friar Tuck]

IC

 

Toa Joske

Location: Kini-Nui Temple complex; interior

Chapter One: Crystals, Temples, Secrets... oh my.

 

"TOA AS IN HERO!" I screamed.

 

It had all happened so fast, both of us moving... and as I shouted there was but a momentary lull in the action as his fist was aimed at my chest, my sword held defensively as I stood panting. It took everything to fight off the panic that was quickly overwhelming me.

 

Great Spirit that was fast. How did it... it can't... not ten seconds since I opened my mouth and-

 

Focus Joske. You have one shot here.

 

"Toa... as in hero." I repeated again, this time much more slowly as I forced my breathing. "Yes, you are right, I have no elemental power. Toa traditionally do have the forces of nature at their fingertips. But words have more than one meaning. I use the term... as a title."

 

It took everything I had not to speak in a rush, face flush. "Toa means "hero" in the Matoran tongue; heroic warriors of great strength and power. The Toa's duty is to protect the Matoran and maintain peace in the universe. They tend to have the powers of the elements, but this is not always the case. I am a Toa in the sense that it is my duty to protect the Matorn, and while I may not have a force of nature, I DO have other powers, and I have seen other like myself who call themselves Toa but to not have elemental abilities. Being like your creators."

 

I stared down this monstrosity, summoning what courage I could. "There is always more to something than it seems. If you can really sense knowledge and truth as it seems you can, then weigh my words."

[Nuju Metru]

IC:

The Abettor kept its crystalline arm raised as it seemed to mull in silence over Joske's words. Joske hardly dared to breathe as it did so. At last, the giant robot spoke again. "Hero and Toa are not interchangeable titles," it said. "Not all Toa are heroes, and not all heroes are Toa... For one who speaks so much, you are not very careful with your words." To Joske's immense relief, the Abettor's crystal fist lowered, and with another click-scrape-scrape-click (the extra scrape when the wheel of masks turned one way, and then switched directions, almost as if the Abettor had changed its mind) the Kanohi in its chest swapped out for a Rode. "Why are you here," the guardian asked, making the inquiry a statement.

[Mr. House]

IC: (Arvun/Mangaia)

 

Arv trailed the Maru, while keeping an eye upon Lantz.

[Friar Tuck]

IC

 

Toa Joske

Location: Kini-Nui Temple complex; interior

Chapter One: Crystals, Temples, Secrets... oh my.

 

Ever get that feeling that you have just dodged death? Like the old Dorian Shaddix has pinned you down, tied you up, pointed that "revolver" or whatever it was at your temple and squeezed the trigger, only to have at the last possible moment decided... "nah!"?

 

I was really, REALLY getting tired of that feeling. What was now that, two, three?

 

...

 

By all that is holy, that's four. Four times. Honestly one of these days I'm going to get in over my head and my luck is just going to run out.

 

At least it's not today.

 

I lowered my sword ever so slightly, feeling the tension in the air drop the the pressure after a storm. It was by no means gone, but I found that I could breathe again, at least for the moment. Wait, were my arms shaking?

 

Looking down, I could see the slight tremor in them. Taking in a deep, scattered breath I forced them still, willing my nerves to calm down.

 

Alright, relax, you bought yourself some breathing room. That's a Rode, or a least a mask that fits the description. Which means he's officially in lie-detector mode. As he pointed out you REALLY need to be more careful with your words Joske, though if my understanding of that mask is correct he will be able to understand better what I mean when I speak.

 

I think.

 

I stared down the eyeless holes of that hollow mask, taking one more breath before I spoke. It was like looking at a soulless statue, except that it could very easily decide your fate. From here on out I would need to be honest AND choose my words carefully. Licking my lips I managed a steady reply without a shake in my voice.

 

"I have come... to learn how to open the Vault."

[- JL -]

IC:

Aurum nodded towards Kavala, before wordlessly walking away from where Hakann had been.

 

With any luck, he would be on time for the party.

 

OOC: Aurum to Ko-Wahi ^.^

[Nuju Metru]

IC:

Joske had told the truth, in a fashion, so he'd had little to fear; nevertheless, not seeing that eerie crystal raised in his direction again came as a relief. The behemoth guardian shifted a little, though, with the hiss of pistons, and took another ponderous pause before it spoke again. "We do not know how to open the Vault's true door," the Abettor replied, something close to smugness in its metal tones. "You have come to the wrong place for information, Not-Toa Joske."

[Toatapio Nuva]

IC Kavala

(Mangaia):

 

Kavala stared after Aurum for a moment.

 

Why do I feel like I'm going to regret this... he thought as he followed.

 

OOC: Kavala to Ko-Wahi.

[Friar Tuck]

IC

 

Toa Joske

Location: Kini-Nui Temple complex; interior

Chapter One: Crystals, Temples, Secrets... oh my.

 

Oh, ha ha, look, it has a sense of humor. Of course YOU wouldn't, it would be stupid for the guardian of any place to know how the object inside they protected worked. I guess there was such a thing as choosing one's words TOO carefully... that, or it can't take subtle hints.

 

Wait... Not-Toa Joske?

 

The way it spoke was not lost to me, that slight undertone of almost-smugness. For being a soulless machine it seemed to have an attitude. What was next? Belittlement on my personal grooming? Speaking of, there were a lot of scratches I needed to buff out-

 

Bring it on back buddy, you're still nowhere safe.

 

I refocused on the Abettor, my mind a whirl as I thought of my next move. As clearly as it could cut through the meaning of one's words, it did lack the ability to understand subtlety. I couldn't be super-clever in my wording, even with that Rode active. I would simply have to be blunt with what I wanted.

 

Without screwing up. Again.

 

No pressure.

 

I sighed. "Then I am seeking entrance into the Vault," I finally said, narrowing my eyes, "and requesting that the guardian of it grant me passage into it."

[Nuju Metru]

IC:
The Abettor took its longest pause so far, facing Joske directly. Joske almost felt compelled to take a step backwards; he had become acutely aware that nothing but a few feet of air separated him from this titanic guardian. The Abettor's hollow eye sockets, magnetic to Joske as he faced their sightless scrutiny, seeming skeletal in the bouncing light that came from the senseless characters scrawled all over its body. The letter light throbbed and flickered, turned a brilliant blue for a moment, and then warped back to sickly green. "You are not without your secrets, Not-Toa Joske," the behemoth stated, its words blades slithering upon each other. "You may enter."
 
Hardly daring to believe his luck, and a little bemused - why had the Abettor let him enter? could it have been so easy? - Joske walked forward, almost flinching at the suddenness with which the Abettor turned aside to allow him passage. Joske tried his best to be quiet, even as he illuminated the crystal flamberge; Ishi had told him that the Vault had already been breached through the Abettor's entrance, so Joske could very easily encounter foes inside. Unfortunately, the acoustics of the tunnel robbed him of the element of surprise; Joske's footfalls on the smooth stone, no matter how soft he landed them, inevitably echoed down the length of the tunnel.

 

At the end of the Abettor's passage Joske discovered another hole in the floor, very much like the one he'd entered through, but for the fact that this one opened on a quartz staircase. Cautiously, Joske peeked his head through the aperture and examined the chamber beneath him. He saw a deep hexagonal chamber, also wrought in quartz. Across from the staircase (which hugged one wall), the inside of the Vault's main door towered over its own little patch of floor, both floor and door distinct from the rest of the room by an absence of lithographs. The other notable features of the room had not been constructed with it: a small mountain of technological items and parts, somewhat diminished by the Piraka's recent bargains but still immense; a little stack of masks in one naked corner of the room; and the ugly vat of Antidermis that clung with tar-like ropes high up on the wall, its spigots at the end of pipes like tentacles.

 

Eight Rahkshi stood sentinel around the chamber, their eyes glowing the same wicked green that seeped out the Abettor's sigils, their staffs held diagonally across their chests in postures of readiness. Two other beings were also inside: a female Vortixx with spiked armor, and a green Skakdi whose form was oddly fuzzy at its edges, like an image on a flickering screen. Despite the fact that the Skakdi was shorter than the Vortixx - shorter than average even for one of his species - the Vortixx's body language and attentive eyes, juxtaposed against the casual demeanor and disregarding gaze of the Skakdi, clearly defined her as deferential to him. The Skakdi handed her a freshly stoppered vial of Antidermis, and his voice was like a swarm of bees speaking in tandem.

 

"You've gotten what you asked for," Zaktan buzzed. "Now, Lash, it is your turn to uphold your end of our arrangement."

 

"What if I don't want to attack Onu-Koro with the rest of your cronies?" the Vortixx purred, her voice simultaneously dulcet and ridged.

"I know how to find you," Zaktan replied simply, one finger playing over the empty vials stored below the vat. For an instant, Lash's shivering was more pronounced than Zaktan's. "This concludes our business. Get out; it seems that someone else has come to meet with me."

 

Lash nodded, and took long steps across the room. As she ascended the staircase, Joske descended, and the two exchanged a once-over look before Lash continued on her way out. Joske stopped in the middle of the staircase, and watched as Zaktan turned around to face him. The Piraka's leader's face melted subtly, and righted itself again, as his leering red eyes took in the Toa before them.

 

"Welcome, Toa," Zaktan hissed. "Who let you in?"

[Nato G]

OOC: My, what perfect timing. While I'm online, I might as well deal with Lash. 

 

IC: Lash suppressed a shiver as she pocketed the Antidermis vial and left Zaktan's presence. She'd thought Hakann was terrifying, but Zaktan was an entirely different level of disturbing. He didn't seem entirely... together, if that made any sense. 

 

As she left the chamber, she passed by someone else, an unfamiliar Toa. No doubt the "someone else" Zaktan had mentioned. She wasn't going to stick around to see what happened next. Quickening her stride and raising her bloody-red light-stone for guidance in the near pitch-black of the tunnels, Lash began her ascent. 

 

OOC: Lash to Onu-Koro, it would seem. 

[They]

OOC:  Ishi Polzin would not have left the chance of trailing Joske and learning more about the Riddle of the Vault.  He's been working all arc to figure it out, along with other projects, and to suddenly have the answer dangling before his face...  No, he would not have left, and he's too much of a risk-taker to use good judgement.  Besides, he could get more information to tell Echelon.  As such, the post has been edited to better reflect how I believe this character should have acted. ~Kughii

 

IC: Ishi Polzin, Mangaia (stairs to the Abettor's lair)

 

Joske knew more than just a little about the riddle of the vault.  It was apparent in the self-assured final words he cast down while zipping away into the darkness above.  To have the truth almost in his grasp and then watch it escape made Ishi grind his teeth with frustration.  The informant stood on the stairs, bag over his shoulder, and thought.  The sounds from the tunnel on the far side of Mangaia were growing louder.  Already he could begin to pick out the cadence of discrete voices, and one felt hauntingly familiar.  He'd heard its earthy rumble once before, in the Citadel of Ko-Koro when dropping off Riaril's autopsy reports to Korzaa.  A Maru approached.  The Hapaka was now in a tight vice: to descend the stairs and risk meeting Sulov and whoever else the titantic toa was traveling with, or to chase after Joske, face the Abettor, and try to learn a bit more about the mysteries of the island.

 

Ishi made his choice and rushed up the stairs two at a time.  His bag jostled against his side as he pulled out one of his volo-lutu, and he tripped once, falling onto his elbows and scraping the palm of his hand on the rough stone, nearly losing the device over the edge of the stairs.  It tumbled in his awkward flipper hands, and then at the last second his shadowy fingers formed and grasped the hilt.  

 

"I don't have time for this," he said and pushed on, keeping the fingers as best he could.  They lost their detail, becoming little chunks of bent shadow, like clamps.  He found it easier to make simple shapes rather than more intricate things like fingers.  His eyes focused upwards, and his auditory receptors picked up the shouted words of Joske from the cavern facing the behemoth inside.  He heard many things, and each secret uttered from the ta-toa's lips to the Abettor only assured Ishi in his decision.  If he lived to see the moon rise over a battle-scarred Ko-Koro Ishi would have plenty to tell Echelon.  By the time Ishi half stumbled half sprinted up into the floor of the cave Joske was disappearing from sight on the far side of the room. Surprisingly, the light didn't blind him quite so much as the last time, although it was still difficult to see for a short while.  Perhaps it was because the transition was more gradual climbing stairs than ascending via volo-lutu.

 

"My name is Ishi Polzin, Hapaka, Ahkmou, take your pick." Ishi announced while catching his breath.  He stood on the top of the stairwell, ready to throw himself down if need be.  Another fall was better than death, although he hated the idea of being wounded and then running into those below, but this time he was prepared.  He would fire the volo-lutu, he thought, and keep himself alive if only barely.  "And I request you let me pass into the Vault."  

Edited September 13, 2014 by Kughii

[Friar Tuck]

IC

 

Toa Joske

Location: Kini-Nui Temple complex; interior

Chapter One: Crystals, Temples, Secrets... oh my.

 

And as if the day couldn't get more bizarre...

 

I stood on the middle of the steps, staring at this Piraka whose face... shifted... trying to analyze everything that had been thrown at me over the last thirty seconds.

 

The interior of the Vault, filled with glorious, wondrous, and strange things. Masks, technology, eerie and darkness-oozing liquids, but NOT the one thing I was most concerned with. So far that had not yet been discovered. One Piraka who seemed to be running the show, even Vortixx showing deference, and eight Sons of Makuta standing guard like dogs on a leash, probably at the command of this individual who had just called me out.

 

And that fact that he didn't drop me on sight meant that he must be also dealing with Dark Toa. My mind whirled at the implications... Echelon? Only made sense after what that Matoran was talking about... but most likely others as well. I had a small chance to buy some time while I figured out a way OUT of this mess I was quickly finding myself waist-deep in.

 

"His Royal Crankiness upstairs." I said with a sour tone, jerking a thumb in the Abettor's direction, keeping a neutral to disgruntled tone. "Practically vaporized me on sight. If he's one of yours, may I suggest slightly less smuggy combativeness and a little more business professionalism? Don't know how you got such a machine, but it's pretty impressive. Excellent bouncer and welcoming committee." That last part I tossed in a dash of sarcasm for emphasis.

 

I crossed my arms and slowly walked down the stairs, choosing to play it cool. As I did so I glanced about, taking in every inch of the room, forcing myself not to look at the Piraka. If I showed just how disgusted or afraid I was of him and his... pets, like any good-doer rightfully would, I was sure the jig was going to be up not a moment later. But I couldn't be fearless either. This guy was obviously in charge, and had power that was either greater to or at the minimum rivaled that of Echelon. I needed to show the right amount of... humility. As I hit the floor I contemplated those Rahkshi... that so screwed up almost any plan. Nine verses one in a straight-out shooting match, and those were odds that I was certain I would not win with. It was at this point I was glad my sword was sheathed, only the hilt showing. Clearly he did not recognize me on sight, but I didn't want to push it and have my signature Crystal Flamberge flailing about. This was possibly the most dangerous situation I had ever found myself in.

 

The game is afoot Joske.

 

Don't kill yourself.

 

"So this is the so-called 'Inner Santcum' of the Vault. Interesting. Was all that stuff there, or did you decide to bring in your hoard when you moved in?" I nodded at the pile of technology and masks, my head quickly scoping out anything and everything I could identify. Even at a glace over there was enough here for a small army, and if properly equipped and trained with these objects...

 

I was really beginning to have a bad feeling. That knot in my stomach grew a bit bigger.

 

"So, I take it you're on of the Piraka that I have heard rumored to work with Echelon?" I ventured, finally staring directly into those leering red eyes, pulling up information during the conversation I had with that Matoran. It was a slight stretch and a gamble, but I had to start somewhere. I also made sure to leave a little bit of... deference in that last sentence, just enough to convey that I knew he was in charge. Whoever this was, I hoped his answer gave me something to work with lest this be a very short conversation.

 

Emphasis on the very short.

[Vezok's Friend]

OOC: Leah and Reordin from Ga-Wahi.

 

IC (Leah):

 

The two Toa Maru had continued walking in relative silence for the longest part of the trek from Ga-Wahi to the depths below Kini-Nui, where Makuta's Mangaia lair had recently seen an unprecendented influx of visitors, both welcome and unwelcome ones. And finally, after months, it was time for the Island's guardians to return too. Leah worried about they had perhaps grown too complacent; if they had waited too long perhaps. Guarding the Island seemed well and good, but often it felt like for every fire the put out, metaphorically speaking, two others were lit. And in accordance with that mental image, the vault and Mangaia had been smoldering for too long below the surface, which was starting to crack, letting the flames flare up. 

 

The fire rises.

 

Which was why the two Maru were determined to see what they could find out. Maybe they could still do something down here to prevent the Piraka and their new allies, the reorganized remnants of Makuta's followers to gain too much of a foothold. If they got their hands on some artifact or multiple that would increase their power, who was to say that they couldn't overrun the island soon? Would it matter then if Makuta was gone, banished into non-existence by the powers of the Hiripaki? And even if they had not gained anything that made them overall more powerful, their enemies now possessed new knowledge, which could be used against them. In Leah's mind, these dark thoughts circled like Takea in Naho bay, one dark scenario chasing another. The only thing that made things brighter for her at the moment, aside from the lightstone at the tip of her staff, was her Le-Koronan spirit. She was no longer as quirky as in her Matoran days, but her roots still went deep into the Le-Wahi soil and she was thankful for it.

 

Typical Toa-Heroes. she told herself. While the Matoran go free-swimming or high-flying or fun-walking we deep-delve into Makuta's old living room. That's SO us.

 

Soon, the tunnel they were in began to widen and finally it opened up into the vast, empty cavern that was the forecourt to Mangaia. But it was no longer pitch black at least, despite the Suva of the temple of the surface remaining closed once more, not allowing the shaft of light they had first descended into the cavern in to reach the bottom. Instead, when clearing out all the dangerous items, the Maru had placed a few dim light-stones in the area. It wasn't enough light to dispel the darkly foreboding mood of the place, but it was enough to safely navigate the room, which no longer housed the monstrous Manas, though the generator-towers that had powered them remained, now little more than inactive hulks. 

 

At the far end, the two Toa could see that the next doorway, which had originally been covered by a solid stone gate with the Mangaia symbol carved into it, remained open, just as they had left it. Beyond lay the chamber where they had faced the shadows of the Toa Mata and beyond that was Makuta's inner sanctum. Upon entering it, the two paused and took a few seconds to look around. Leah recognized some of the traces left by their battle with the dark deity, scorch-markings made by Oreius, torn up floor plates, which were Sulov's and Stannis' doing. What remained untouched though was the main-door of the vault at the end of the room. Well, almost untouched...

 

"Look." Leah said quietly, indicating the floor in front of the vault. "Footsteps. Quite a few of them." she followed the tracks in the dust with her eyes. They were leading to the staircase that in turn vanished into the opening in the ceiling. They could either go and investigate upstairs, or stay here and see wait for what would happen next. Somewhere in the back of Leah's mind a voice started to hum a song out of nowhere. 

 

Should I stay or should I go now?/ If I go there will be trouble - and if stay it will be double./ So come on and let me know...

 

"What do you think, Reordin?"  

Edited September 13, 2014 by Vezok's Friend

[Nuju Metru]

IC:
"We deny your request," the Abettor told Ishi.

 

...

 

The Toa, though he seemed not to know it, discredited himself more and more with each word he spoke.

 

Zaktan could tell that the newcomer was nervous; his attempts to be debonair might've been more effective without the heavy-handedness of fear. Fear was something he was accustomed to from his pawns, so the Toa's fear in itself was unremarkable, as was the Toa's consequential would-be machismo posturing. It seemed to the Piraka that this Toa didn't know how to stop talking; even after the first two of his verbal forays had been met with silence - the sort of silence that those who knew Zaktan knew wasn't a good sign; the sort of silence that the Toa, had he been who he was so sloppily pretending to be, would have known was his cue to close his mouth - he couldn't stop himself from blurting out a third time. The silence scared him, and he didn't know better than to let it.

 

The Toa's talkativeness could have meant that the he hadn't been involved with the Piraka and Legacy for very long, or simply that he was stupid... but for the impeaching content of his ejaculations. Zaktan's routine wariness spiked to real suspicion almost as soon as the Toa started to speak. First, the Toa claimed that the Abettor had let him in of its own volition; as nobody could pass the behemoth save the Piraka and their specifically presented guests, this meant either that the Toa was hiding a Piraka sponsor, a precursor for insurrection, or - a possibility Zaktan knew better than to eliminate - this Toa was of the legitimately "worthy" sort, probably a bland hero type. Either way, this Toa was lying to Zaktan about something, and one lie was more than enough to set off the Piraka's internal alarms.

Second, the Toa either played dumb or was dumb about the Vault's treasures; and third, he either played dumb or was dumb about Zaktan's identity. His ignorance, feigned or real, created two likely scenarios: one, this Toa had been let into the Vault by Hakann or Reidak (and he probably wouldn't say which, so that if whatever he'd come down into the Vault to try failed, his sponsor could not be implicated; and besides, Zaktan wouldn't have been surprised if Hakann had employed this Toa, all the while calling himself Reidak) on business of rebellion or deceit; or, two, this Toa actually didn't know anything, reinforcing the righteous (albeit naive and tragically uninformed) hero possibility.

 

Whatever the case, this Toa was not who he pretended to be. Zaktan treated all liars as enemies.

 

The Toa met Zaktan's eyes, and Zaktan didn't shy away from the stare. The Toa looked away first, further fracturing his casual facade; either he'd seen Zaktan's dangerous disbelief, or else he'd simply been unnerved by a distinct lack of blinking on Zaktan's part. The shimmering, fizzling Skakdi took a few steps away from the Antidermis vat - a dark patron saint that hovered over him like an unholy octopus - and towards the Toa. Zaktan carried no weapon as he approached; his golden scissor leaned against one of the walls, and the Rahkshi made no moves. As Zaktan approached on his flat feet, he appraised the Toa and took stock of his foe's tools. Kanohi Kakama; sword; fire elemental abilities. Against eight Rahkshi and Zaktan, such a foe was no threat. But before he slew the Toa, Zaktan decided to withdraw certain information. He stopped just a few feet from the intruder.

 

"Tell me who you are," Zaktan commanded, the multifarious tones of his voice alien and deceptively calm.

Edited September 13, 2014 by Nuju Metru

[They]

IC: Ishi Polzin

 

Ishi let the grinding words echo and disappear from the cavern before speaking.  Instead of the kakama or arthron it wore the last time, a kanohi rode gleamed in the oily green light within its drum-like torso.  Could the Abettor use these masks, or were they simply representations of its multiple personas?  Ishi let the thought slide, taking the defensive pass: yes, the masks could be active. 

 

"We deny your request."  The Abettor told Ishi, succinct as usual.  It didn't come as much of a surprise to be turned away, but Ishi wasn't in the mood to be rejected.  Mind running in full gear, he began calculating.

 

The behemoth standing in his way looked peaceful and its crystal arm was far from raised to attack, but from personal experience he knew it could switch into a combative posture and sweep him up from the floor in almost the blink of an eye.  Was Ishi fast enough to outrun it?  Common sense said yes, but with kanohi common sense began nonsense.  The glowing sigils where the light pulsed out and filled the crystalline cave was no longer the blue Ishi remembered from the first meeting.  The light was green, sickening and oddly comforting.  The Informant felt at home with the presence of antidermis.

 

Another thought.  Joske's voice had echoed when he shouted.   He took a step back to test the theory, and sure enough the sole of his foot colliding with the crystal floor made a soft pattern fading down the length of the cavern.  A gamble popped into his head, one entirely based on the concept of being heard, but it seemed worth the effort given his situation.  He sucked in a great gulp of air, and then...

"Zaktan!"  Ishi bellowed.  The name careened off the walls, rocketed from ceiling to roof.  His practice as a flutist and heightened lung capacity payed off in the volume of his voice.  He kept an eye on the Abettor and continued.  "Zaktan I know you're in here!  Call off your pet!  This is Ahkmou for karz sake, with a message from Echelon!"

 

OOC:  fixed two typos.  That is all.
 

Edited September 13, 2014 by Kughii

[Simulacrum]

-IC:-

 

The bellowing is cacophonously tenor, its ingratiatingly panicked tone resonating endlessly within the inclosed vacuums of these catacombs. The shadows quiver, a shuddering oscillation betwixt pen- and true umbra, movements simultaneously subtle and vivid.

They comprehend my silent interest; liquid, they disperse into the tunnel's farthest expanses. I follow silently, eyes void and vision acutely thermographic. We reach the central chamber through a lightless route, entering in into a darkened corner. They furtively move into regular sentry positions, as I analyse my surroundings for the source of the clamour.

 

Two Toa-sized beings, the vividness of their heat juxtaposed upon the vagueness of the surrounding earth, moderately distant. A manqué attempt at stealth? Certainly not the bellowing individual. I gesture, and the shadows grow deathly still, their eyes scanning for the target of my warning.

 

Having no interest in waiting for their movement, I carefully continue to the stairs, provoking no movement. Confident in the ability of the Rahkshi to subdue any foes, I ascend, movements slow and silent.

 

Upon reaching the Abettor's domain and observing a frustrated Matoran, no initial action is taken; I remain silent and beyond the range of his sight, waiting a few moments to see if he notices my presence.

 

“From the majestic Echelon himself? Such authoritative connotations...” A single stride caries me suddenly from the dark, posture a tastefully understated combination of primal and dignified. “You must be an individual of superlative grandeur, to receive such a task.”

 

OOC: Edited: Modified arrival, observations, and introduction to coincide with previously unnoticed posts.

Edited September 14, 2014 by L'Etranger

[Friar Tuck]

IC

 

Toa Joske

Location: Kini-Nui Temple complex; interior

Chapter One: Crystals, Temples, Secrets... oh my.

 

And he wasn't buying it.

 

As if to accentuate the point, the shimmering, fizzling Skakdi took a few steps away from the vat - that terrible, awful-looking squid-like contraption - and moved straight towards me. He carried no weapon as he approached; out of the corner of my eye I could see what looked like a pair of super-sized golden scissors leaned against one of the walls; if that was his weapon it was both comical and ominous at the same time. The Rahkshi strangely made no moves; I was but slightly relieved, as hollow of a blessing as it was. As he approached me on those flat feet, I watched as he did a once over and took stock of my gear; no doubt sizing me up when he decided he was bored of my presence, those red, piercing eyes darting this way and that. Eventually he stopped just a few feet from me, his shifting body almost nauseating to watch.

 

"Tell me who you are," came the commanded, the multifarious tones of that voice alien and deceptively calm.

 

Dear Mata-Nui...

 

This wasn't good.

 

I had about five seconds come come up with something, anything, to keep this conversation going; and when I mean "conversation" I mean his interest, as in not deciding I'm Rahkshi snack considering how little he has spoken. But I couldn't just say my real name lest he know it. Granted, I had a trump card, my Kakama, but at this point it was a one-time use, and that only a way out of here. If I stayed and attempted to fight there was little chance of success; there were too many too powerful enemies present. But I just couldn't run either, I had something to do in here. I just...

 

I grasped at straws.

 

"I... c-can't tell you." I stammered, playing up the fear he no doubt sensed and was in fact no act, involuntarily taking a step back. "I was sent here to do a job, that's it. No questions, no explanations. I have something that belongs down here, something that has come into my possession, and I'm the only one with the knowledge and know-how to install it right, let alone at all. I-I'm here on orders, please don-"

 

"ZAKTAN!"

 

A name and a voice shot through the room, interrupting the proceedings. The name I did not recognize, but the voice I did. It was that Matoran!

 

"Zaktan I know you're in here!  Call off your pet!  This is Ahkmou for karz sake, with a message from Echelon!"

 

I could not believe my luck.

 

At my most desperate moment, a lifeline was flung from the heavens. As much as the accustics in this place was used against me on my way in, my footsteps announcing my presence, this time it was a boon, allowing that little voice of his to be heard clearly all the way down here. Ahkmou, that snotty Echelon informant, had apparently followed me after all, and as he had described to me earlier, was unable to get past the Abettor. Granted, there were terrible dangers associated with this, like the fact that he knew who I really was along with some other pertinent information that would get me killed on the spot, but when I talked to him earlier... he was a true spy. He dealt with information. And he was greedy with it, considering how little he gave me when we chatted. I was willing to bet everything that if given half the opportunity he would help me convince this Skakdi for the chance at picking my brain.

 

It was such a long shot I didn't care to calculate it out. But it was the only shot I had right now, if only for the fact he knew more about these people than I did. I took the desperate gamble.

 

"What do you know, the little informant followed me here. Give a spy a bone, and he'll trail you like a lost puppy for more." I spoke through gritted teeth, absolutely faking the smile with no effort to hide it. "He can collaborate my story if he's allowed in. I swear I'm telling the truth if you just ask him... Zaktan."

 

In the back of my head I could hear rolling dice.

Edited September 14, 2014 by Friar Tuck

[Vezok's Friend]

OOC: Why Mr. Polzin, you're being rather involuntarily helpful to all sorts of do-gooders tonight ^^

 

IC (Leah):

 

Suddenly, a voice called out. The two Toa froez in their movements, listening closely.

 

"Zaktan!" it bellowed. "Zaktan I know you're in here!  Call off your pet!  This is Ahkmou for karz sake, with a message from Echelon!"

 

And just like that, the situation had become clear. The Piraka had cracked the vault and left one of their number behind. And they did have working connections with Echelon and his ilk. 

 

"Thanks for the info..." Leah whispered under her breath, but Reordin suddenly held up a hand to shush her. He pointed down the path behind them. Footsteps could be heard. Clawed footsteps by the sound of them. Quickly, the two Maru disappeared from sight, using the shadows as cover. Not long after, a familiar figure appeared: Hakann. The sadistic Piraka moved with a purpose, but very carefully as to not draw unwanted attention, unaware that he already had it. It must have been the call that had gotten his attention and that was all he focused on right now as he moved past them to give the caller an unwanted surprise. 

 

Normally, Leah would have been in a hurry to help whoever had the bad fortune of being at the top of the stairs, but the caller implied he worked for Echelon. And he knew Zaktan's name. No need to spring into action just yet, then. 

 

Leah looked back at Reordin. The unspoken question in her eyes was obvious: Next move?

[Franco]

IC: I feel the commotion in the ground. People are rushing everywhere ahead of us. The yell confirms it, there's a situation with Joske, Zaktan, an Echelon man and some unknowns--Kimi shows Thok in Onu-Wahi-

 

I hold up a hand and mash the brakes. We're stopping.

 

I'm saving Nimil. I'm hunting Thok. I'm finding out about communications between Zaktan and Echelon.

 

Let's organize those. Keeping people alive is first priority. Nimil's that, but he doesn't sound like he's presently threatened. My people could be threatened if I run into Zaktan's "pet." Recalculating, we need to approach with caution and find out what's at the bottom of this mess.

 

I start creeping down the tunnel to the Vault door.

Edited September 14, 2014 by Own Personal Quixote

[AuRon the champion]

Ic:

 

The steam-toa unquestionably followed Sulov, the duo finally doing the most terrifying thing ever.

 

Being silent.

[They]

OOC:  L'Etranger, is Hakann appearing from inside the Vault or has he just sprinted up an entire stone staircase in a matter of moments from some corner of Mangaia and not made a sound?  Thanks for clarifying!  

 

IC: Ishi Polzin, Mangaia (Abettor's Lair)

 

He felt the shadow looming over him before he saw the caster.  The skakdi's accent was distinctively foreign, unlike the speech patterns of castaways who'd gotten used to a new life on Mata Nui, but certainly impressed the image of a learned man.  Where he'd come from was anyone's guess, but Ishi knew if more than one Piraka was present his job was a million times harder.  Although a quarrelsome group, when faced with a common enemy they bound together to terrible results.   His eyes began to wander from the Abettor, head turning until both were in his peripheral view.  The red skakdi of fire, the educated sadist, was smiling.  Hardly a good sign.  

 

"Oh, hello Hakann" Ishi said while sliding out of the direct line of fire between the puffed-up thesaurus with a blood fetish and the smug machine with a personality disorder.  His voice was not as loud as his bellow, but still the words echoed and played along the walls.  "Indeed, your consummate deduction was without empirical fallacy.  Perhaps the following interpretive analysis performed by your adjunct cranium will conclude the matter unequivocally urgent, leading to you making this machine back down and let me through."

 

Ishi wondered later on if yelling the final bit was really worth it.

[Toa Fanixe]

IC:

 

The Maru, leader of the small gang, slowed to a crawl as they approached what Lantz could only assume was the last leg of the journey to the Vault. Lantz crushed the lightstone in his hand, throwing the bits of rock and glowing dust behind him. The Toa of Gravity looked greedily ahead, wishing to be at his desination already.

 

It's been long enough, after all...

 

They were in near absolute darkness now, with only the faintest illumination coming from up ahead. Raising a hand in front of his face, Lantz couldn't quite see his fingers.

 

He crept along, hugging the wall as a reference. Something grabbed his foot.

 

Before he could say anything Lantz was pulled into a small side tunnel dug where the wall meets the floor. Sloping downward, Lantz was half dragged, half tumbled down the inconspicuous hole. Then he was upright again in another tunnel and the creature held him by his throat, shoving him around one corner, then another. The shock of the surprise now replaced with seething anger Lantz activated his Pakari, pushing the creature away with unnatural strength. He expertly drew a knife from his belt, the weapon more appropriate in the small spaces of Mangaia than his swords.

 

Lantz squinted, trying to see who had abducted him.

 

Red eyes glowed against a blue skinned face.

 

Recognition kicking in, Lantz looked wide with surprise and awe. 

 

"You...."

[Simulacrum]

OOC: As you all just possibly guessed, that last Hakann post was written without awareness of the Leah/Reordin arrival post (which doesn't pardon or modify the stupidity, only serving to explain it), and I was (and most likely still am) ignorant of the established geography and structure of the Vault, Abettor's location, etcetera (in answer to your question, Kughii; I severely erred in underestimating the length of the staircase and the general configuration of Mangaia). So, yeah, I edited that last post as much as possible, and I'll create further rectifications as needed. Apologies for the bêtise.

 

-IC:-

 

“Adjunct cranium? A disappointing description, Matoran. The encephalon, which I believe was the intended target of your speech, holds no relation to its surrounding osseous tissue; and such a fascinating selection of adjectives...”

 

No sound of conflict below; assuming the intruders are incapable of silent destroying three Rahkshi actively searching for them, nothing has happened.

 

“But I digress,” I move to the Abettor, my motions deliberate and tranquil, which shifts aside wordlessly. “You wish to relay a message? By all means, enter.”

 

I shall escort him to Zaktan and collect reinforcements, assuming no further complications arise. I truthfully do hope he is not attempting deception; the remains of Zaktan's victims are far too fluid and disordered for my liking.

Edited September 14, 2014 by L'Etranger

[Vezok's Friend]

OOC: That did cause a bit of confusion indeed. But it seems even somebody as eloquent as Hakann slips up every now and then. 

IC (Leah):

 

From her hidden spot, the Toa of water was breathing quietly. One reason were the three Rahkshi in the room with them now, the other reason being her trying to listen closely to the voices coming from above. Since the surrounding sounds were minimal, even the normal tone of conversation the Piraka and whoever had been shouting before had adopted now carried quite well downstairs. 

 

It revealed more information: The vault was not guarded by the Piraka directly, but who or whatever was in place to perform that duty apparently answered to them. It also revealed that whoever the red Piraka - now identified as Hakann - was permitting to enter to speak with the one called Zaktan had little respect for Echelon's messenger. It could be an indicator that the alliance was uneasy in some regards.

 

She glanced over to where Reordin was and began to think of a strategy to deal with the Rahkshi.