BZPRPG - Ko-Wahi

[Voxumo]

IC: Syvra

 

Well that was a little lackluster.

Indeed, but it's better this way. I have no desire to be informed of the Legacy's true plans.

And why is that?

It allows me to maintain genuine reactions when dealing with the 'Good' guys. If I had known about the Legacy's plan to attack Ko-Koro, I would have been forced to fake my surprise at the news infront of Onepu. And while I deceive quite well, I always prefer to not take that risk.

True. It's far easier to be honest than it is to make up lies.

 

Syvra's and Venixa's Internal conversation was interrupted by Lantz's... Childish outburst. Syvra didn't even bother looking towards the spectacle, a shake of his head was the only recognition he gave it. In his mind, he and Venixa echoed the same thought in unison.

 

He just screwed himself over.

 

IC: Chivinix

 

Whether or not the Skakdi thought better of challenging Chivinix or just gave up is up for anyone's debate, all Chivinix knew is that he had no desire to waste his time on meaningless fights. He vacated his position outside the front gates of the Koro, and moved along the various rooftops, towards the Sanctum. If what he had overheard was true, the supposed conquerors of this city had made the largest location in the koro their base of operations. The insectoid knew that those who managed to lead this ragtag group of mercenaries, killers, thugs and whatnot, must be made of something more sturdy than most who roamed the frozen cities streets. And like a moth to flame, Chivinix was drawn to those with power, the intrigue driving his movements. Maybe it was a small aspect of his species dark creator that had wormed it's way into their very being.

Edited January 7, 2016 by Voxumo

[Snelly]

IC:

 

Krayn was all business, and so was Rynekk. Already, he had the map open, piece of charcoal out, scribbling down notes, annotations, quick sketches of where buildings were gone damaged, where new avenues had opened up and where others had been closed off. He moved quickly, his Kakama glowing faintly in the dim light.

 

"If one of us has to go, Kale," he said, not looking up from his work, "it should be me. You, you could instrumental in what comes next. If I go, you won't be losing anyone nearly as important."

 

-Void

 

IC:

 

"Hey now, no one is more important here. Some of us just have higher profiles than others." I said, looking at Rynekk. "That being said, be careful exiting the village, I don't know how easy it is for people to leave Ko-koro, but I wouldn't be surprised if Echelon has people watching who come and go carefully." 

[SnowyAegis]

IC:Arankhe

Arankhe walked back in, now lacking most of her armor, instead just wearing the leather gear underneath. Without the thick armor plates she honestly looked like a different person. As she entered the room she just overheard Skyra's last statement.

"Indeed. One person from a group leaving, especially so soon, would most likely attract attention. Either we sneak someone out, over the wall or something, we find a different way to send a message, or we just might have to wait."

[Void Emissary]

IC:

 

"In that case, all I need is a new disguise," Rynekk said, pearly-whites glinting in the bad light. "Krayn, you mind swapping? No offence to your self-esteem, but I think I make a better landlocked pirate between the two of us. More of the, ah, roguish charm, you know?"

 

IC (Jin)

 

"There. We're in," I said, getting straight to the point. "That was a great time to find your chivalry, by the way. Don't do it again."

 

IC:

 

And ohhhhhh! This mission was already starting to suck!

 

"Shouldn't be a problem," I said, already lighting up a smoke. "I can already feel my decency freezing up in this place as we speak."

 

-Void

[Krayzikk]

IC:

The De-Toa's mouth quirked up, ever so faintly, at the corners while he shrugged off his cloak and eyepatch. He tossed them over to the Sentinel a second later, leaning back in his chair now that he was done patching the coat he'd borrowed.

 

"Get there and get back safe. If you don't think you can make it back in, wait out in Ihu. We'll met up with you later."

[Eyru]

IC (Jin)

 

"Glad to hear it."

 

Okay, maybe I was acting kinda petty, but who wouldn't? We didn't have a magical get-out-of-jail-free card to save us if we screwed up. We needed professionalism. That's why I hate partners: no guarantees.

 

"So," I continued, kicking through a pile of books. "What next, you think? This place looks pretty well fortified."

[Void Emissary]

IC:

 

"Don't worry about me, buddy," Rynekk said, shrugging off his own cloak, tossing it over to Krayn before tying the new one around his neck. "A Kakama and a face like this? Echelon's mooks won't even know what they missed."

 

The eyepatch was next, covering the left side, letting his right eye flick down to his chest-plate. A gaudy enough design to be recognizable by a guard with working eyes, Rynekk fiddled with the clasps and let it fall to the ground. "You guys better stay safe too, though. If I'm gotta sit out the fight in Ihu, I'll be expecting to hear some good stories from each of you when we meet up again, 'kay?"

 

A snap of his fingers and a new chest-plate, wrought from rough, brown stone, grew around him.

 

"Don't do anything too stupidly heroic, yaknow?"

 

IC:

 

"We're looking for mercenaries?" I said, flopping into ... what I was ready to call a chair simply because I wasn't sure what else it could've been called. In truth, it had started rotting into something far, far more disturbing than a simple piece of furniture. But I had just trekked across the Drifts, and honestly, I was ready to settle for anything.

 

"What does a mercenary want?"

 

-Void

[Ghosthands]

Pae did not hesitate in answering, very simply "Karakah. I'm told this is the place to be for people like me."

 

He hoped it would suffice. But of course, Pae was never much of a talker. This was the sort of thing Jin could do. He felt naked in the ice-cold air, despite being bundled up in many warm layers.

 

IC (Ko-Koro Gate Guards)

 

"That it is," replied the Lesterin captain, and waved Pae through as his 'name' was noted down on the ledger. "Next!"

 

IC (Echelon)

 

Echelon responded to Lantz with a flick of the wrist, as though swatting a fly with the back of his hand. That motion translated into Dark Magnetic force, tossing Lantz sideways like a ragdoll and sending him crashing into a wall.

 

As the Ba-Toa fumbled on the ground, stunned by the impact, he felt the Dark Toa's will invade his own. It was a cold and alien presence filling his mind, and words emanated from it: Echelon's voice, but seemingly deeper and more terrifying, and infused with the Komau's power of domination.

 

You know nothing, boomed the voice, and sure enough, despite all his aggression and bravado, Lantz was stricken with a feeling of utter ignorance and powerlessness. I have done far more for Makuta than you ever will.

 

Kohra and Syvra couldn't see what Echelon was doing besides giving the prone Ba-Toa a particularly dispassionate glare, but they could guess well enough.

 

My work requires subtlety, cunning, intelligence, Echelon continued. Attributes you clearly lack. You would do well not to trifle with forces beyond your comprehension.

 

The Dark Toa turned on his heel and strode towards the door, which the guards hastily opened for him.

 

Do not cross me again.

Edited January 8, 2016 by Ghosthands

[Snelly]

IC:

 

"Stupidly heroic? Us? Come on now when have we ever done something like that?" I smirked as I looked Rynekk over. "Gotta say though, the eyepatch suits you...brings out the color of your uh...eye." 

[Krayzikk]

IC:

 

"Is there a problem?"

Whatever Lantz may have intended, his view of the departing Dark Toa was blocked by a Fe-Toa looming over overhead. His little outburst had been clearly audible, even inside the Sanctum's inner chamber. Eisen had, after only a moment's pause, indicated that he would step out briefly to the rest of the group. A faint nod indicated his civil apologies for the interruption, but he offered no more explanation. Once the ensuing thud was heard, none were needed. Now he purposely stood between the unruly follower and the departing Necromancer, indicating with his presence that Lantz's problem was no longer with Echelon.

 

Eisen himself regarded Lantz impassively, with his arms folded across his chest. He was more than slightly irritated with the interruption. Frankly, he didn't trust the meeting to continue smoothly without his presence. Not with the combination of personalities in that room. Being forced to step out and deal with one arrogantly overzealous Follower of Makuta was inconvenient.

[Voxumo]

IC: Syvra

 

The Bo-Toa was frankly content just to watch the spectacle. He had done his part and prevented Lantz from interrupting the meeting in a more direct manner, so what occurred afterwards was none of his concern. He had endured the rather fanatic ramblings of the Toa of Gravity and now he could watch him reap the rewards. Sitting down in one of the numerous chairs in the Sanctum waiting room, Syvra watched as Lantz now had to deal with the Toa of Iron, whom Syvra never had actually been properly introduced to. 

 

Though to be fair he wasn't just sitting to watch and mock, he still had to wait for Agrona to be finished in that meeting, the only member of Legacy whom Syvra had really spoken to aside from Echelon.

[Eyru]

IC (Jin)

 

"Speaking as one," I said, lazily counting on my fingers. "Money. Money. Mind-altering substances. Power. And money."

[Void Emissary]

IC:

 

"Exactly," I said, leaning forward in the chair whilst silently praying that it would hold together. "And how do us mercenaries get that money? Jobs."

 

Another drag on my smoke -- for dramatic effect, obviously.

 

"We put up a job offer around here. Someone's bound to take us up on it, and we either find one of the assassins or we find an insider who might be able to help us. More than one, if we're lucky."

 

IC:

 

"Stupidly heroic? Us? Come on now when have we ever done something like that?" I smirked as I looked Rynekk over. "Gotta say though, the eyepatch suits you...brings out the color of your uh...eye." 

 

IC:

 

"Charmed, ma'am," Rynekk replied, taking a small bow. "But I know these guys. Better watch out for Inzaka, here. Krayn's the worst of the lot. Real cowboy cop, this one. Never listened to an order a day in his life."

 

...

 

"I'm joking, just for the record."

 

-Void

[Toa Fanixe]

IC:

 

Pure anger raged through Lantz as he was tossed aside and then the confines of his mind carelessly invaded. He could no more raise a finger than think a single coherent thought; he was a prisoner, temporarily, both physically and mentally. And oh, how he hated the feeling. Echelon spoke directly to him, chastised him as if Lantz was a petulant little child. The nerve! Oh, how he would plan his sweet revenge over the full-headed Toa of Magnetism. Echelon may have led the resistance at the moment, but someday Lantz would claim his rightful spot as Makuta's Heir and make Echelon pay for what he'd done...

 

Slumped on the ground, his eyes focused on the Toa of Iron that just now addressed him.

 

"You could say that.  I'd like to know why the Maru still live. Echelon seemed a little too busy to answer me."

[Keeper of Kraata]

IC: Ah. Just the Fe-Toa Maeloc was looking for. The archivist had watched the skakdi's interaction with Echelon with a bemused expression on his mask, amazed with his leader's restraint. If he had a fraction of the power Echelon wielded, he would have wrapped her around her own head. But, he reflected, that was why he was an archivist. And a turaga, now that he though about it. Maeloc stepped up behind Eisen, flanking him to his left. Hopefully he'd get a chance to speak to him after he finished dealing with the malcontent.

[Eyru]

IC (Rorg)

 

Eisen leaves, and the room is blessedly silent. I savour the sound of nothing, knowing that the cool air will soon be polluted with more verbiage.

[Krayzikk]

IC:

"Echelon is too busy." Eisen began, without expression or inflection. The Nightfall's swordmaster was as calm, even casual, as if he were discussing Kolhii. "Killing the Maru is not an endgame. To further our cause, more than revenge is needed. That is what Echelon is focused on. If you have any loyalty to Makuta's vision, not just his existence, then you would be focused on the same. Revenge is satisfaction. Nothing more."

"Eliminating the Maru does not eliminate the threats at our door. They will pay. In time. But seeking vengeance is a short term goal, and if we are to thrive, we must look towards the longer campaign." The Toa gestured towards the hall he had just exited with a finger, then folded his arms again. "That is what we are doing. What you interrupted, by forcing me to come out here. What you interrupted when you delayed Echelon. He is seeing to a task that may yet boost our strength, ensuring that Makuta's will can be carried out even in his death."

"I would suggest that you learn to look towards the larger picture, not just what is before your eyes."

IC:

"Can't be a cowboy cop if I'm no longer an officer." The De-Toa pointed out, pulling on Rynekk's cloak instead of his own. "No orders to follow, either. Renegade vigilante at best."

[Void Emissary]

IC:

 

"Echelon'll never know what hit him, then," Rynekk said with a jaunty grin. "With any luck, Four'll keep you guys out of trouble. God knows, someone has to."

 

Then, the Sentinel turned to the door, and it was impossible to tell that he was anything but confident, jovial, smooth. Rynekk Simul had had more than enough practice at hiding his emotions throughout the years, after all. A little terror that this would be the last time he saw his friends alive, a mild panic that he was fleeing from an impossible fight and abandoning the only people who cared about him?

 

Please.

 

Hiding those was child's play.

 

"Take care of yourselves, guys," he said, one last smile. "See you on the other side of the job, then."

 

And then, Rynekk was gone.

 

-Void

[Eyru]

IC (Jin)

 

"I like it," I admitted. "This is the new Xa-Koro, after all."

 

I bent down and picked up one of the dog-eared books. Some astrologer's guide. I snorted, then tossed it back on the pile.

 

"So. Let's get a job offer out there, then." I glanced at the door. "And maybe find Pae while we're at it. If he made it in."

[Vezok's Friend]

IC:

 

Kohra felt like snorting, but checked the gesture and instead reduced it to a low, hissing exhale. Toa. Good or bad. Overgrown Matoran, the lot of them, with only a handful of exceptions. Too much power stuffed into too small a package. No wonder it went to their heads; made them think if they hit a problem enough with their element it would go away. At least her immediate allies had some perspective and emotional distance. They were capable.

 

As for the rest of their kind...they would either fall in line - or they would pay the price for their lack of vision. Without another glance, she pulled up her hood, turned and briskly walked after Echelon.

[Void Emissary]

IC (Jin)

 

IC:

 

"Pae's a smart guy," I said, pushing myself up and out of the ... well, I'm going to keep calling it a chair for lack of a better word. Honestly, how did someone manage to live in the Crown Jewel of Mata Nui with this sort of lack of style? "He had the most chance of getting in here of any of us. We'll find him."

 

Straightening the collar of my coat, adjusting my glasses, I continued, "On the subject of the job offer, you have the most knowledge as to the psyches of the assassins. What sort of offer would be most likely to bring them out into the light?"

 

-Void

[Palm]

IC: Pae - Ko-Koro

 

Pae tugged his cloak closer around his body, showing no signs of relief as he entered the village. Last time he was here, he had openly tricked Echelon and his associates before fleeing with the known military leader of Ko-Koro. Pae wasn't nervous, but he wasn't interested in staying out in the streets too long, despite his disguise. He adjusted the snow-goggles over his eyes and began scanning the village trying to answer a question he probably shouldn't need to.

 

Where did Jin and Nika go?

Edited January 17, 2016 by Palm

[Tarn]

IC: (Ko-Koro gates)

Gothicus shuffled his feet impatiently.

[Ghosthands]

IC: (Ko-Koro gates)

 

Gothicus shuffled his feet impatiently.

 

IC (Ko-Koro gate guards)

 

"I said, next!" the Lesterin guard bellowed at Gothicus, who apparently hadn't noticed that he was at the front of the queue.

 

IC (Echelon)

 

It was not long before Echelon and Kohra were tramping through the knee-deep snow towards the entrance of Ko-Wahi's Dark Walk. The opening of the Walk was a shadowy maw a few dozen feet across, stark against the moonlit whiteness of the mountainside out of which it emerged.

 

As they approached, Echelon drew the crystal flamberge with one hand and pulled a sliver of lightstone from a pouch at his waist with the other. As he placed the shard on the flat of the blade, just above the crossguard, he let a small amount of his element flow into it through his fingers and magnetised the one crystal to the other. The lightstone shard dimmed as the Dark Magnetism seeped into it, then slowly brightened again (though its yellow glow seemed to have lost its warmth). The light filled the crystal blade, bathing the snow around in a pale blue radiance.

 

Thus armed, the dark duo strode forward into the tunnel that would lead them to Mangaia and the Vault.

 

OOC: Echelon and Kohra to Kini-Nui

Edited January 18, 2016 by Ghosthands

[Snelly]

IC:

 

With Rynekk gone I turned back to the others, after all while Rynekk was off informing the koros what we had learned we still had to find the hostages. Unfortunately we hadn't learned much of anything from trying to probe the Sanctum with our elemental powers.

 

"Well, we looked around the Sanctum, but without going into the building itself there isn't much we can learn there. So I guess for now we focus our search for the hostages elsewhere. You guys have any ideas of where we should start looking? Or how to go about it?" Ko-koro wasn't a small city, and while I had visited it once or twice before I wasn't super familiar with it's layout. Plus it was very cold outside, I didn't want to go out there without having some idea of where to look first.

[SnowyAegis]

IC:Arankhe

Arankhe thought for a moment. Hostages.

"Now, not having been on this island for more than a week, I don't really know what people here are like enough to say this for certain, but we should try to find the more obscure, less obvious hiding places. The Sanctum is, as we've guessed, probably where they are; its big, defended, defendable and probably full of places to shove some hostages. But at the same time, that's obvious enough they might have thought of that.

But if they're smart, they would have found somewhere less obvious, somewhere someone looking for important hostages would overlook."

She pulled the book with the map of Ko out, opening it to the right page and laying it down.

"Unless they're too busy poncing around in the Sanctum acting like pretentious mongrels to bother."

[Tarn]

IC: (Ko-Koro gates)

Gothicus looked up at the guard, surprised, and mentally berated himself before speaking.
"Gothicus, from Po-Koro. I'm here for..."
He paused for a second. 'I'm here for money' would most likely not fly well.
"...business. I assume I am clear for entrance? Or must I prove myself? 'Cause I can wrestle a Rahi, if you would like."

[Eyru]

 

IC (Jin)

 

IC:

 

"Pae's a smart guy," I said, pushing myself up and out of the ... well, I'm going to keep calling it a chair for lack of a better word. Honestly, how did someone manage to live in the Crown Jewel of Mata Nui with this sort of lack of style? "He had the most chance of getting in here of any of us. We'll find him."

 

Straightening the collar of my coat, adjusting my glasses, I continued, "On the subject of the job offer, you have the most knowledge as to the psyches of the assassins. What sort of offer would be most likely to bring them out into the light?"

 

-Void

 

 

IC (Jin)

 

If there was an insult buried in there somewhere, I couldn't find it.

 

"Typically? Easy jobs. The kind where you don't know the employer or the target, and nobody else does. The higher the profile of either party, the less interesting, because big names tend to stick around after the job's done."

 

* * *

 

IC (Rorg)

 

Well. The silence has lasted longer than I thought it would. A pleasant surprise.

 

* * *

 

IC (Oreius)

 

The Toa of Fire left the hut, hood pulled low over his face. To the east, a single star hovered in the darkling sky as night fell over the mountain like a shroud.

[Void Emissary]

IC (Jin)

 

If there was an insult buried in there somewhere, I couldn't find it.

 

"Typically? Easy jobs. The kind where you don't know the employer or the target, and nobody else does. The higher the profile of either party, the less interesting, because big names tend to stick around after the job's done."

 

IC:

 

"Good point," I said. "Should talk with Pae first, of course. Get his input."

 

I was already pushing the door open, stepping back into the outdoors. 

 

"Guess we get finding him, then."

 

-Void

[Eyru]

IC (Jin)

 

I followed Nika out into the cold air.

[Palm]

IC: Pae - Ko-Koro

 

 

Pae spotted his compatriots, stepping outside a run-down hut into the village. He walked over to them and spoke, "Saw you at the gate," Pae began, "Why come to Ko-Koro?"

Edited January 30, 2016 by Palm

[Krayzikk]

IC:

"Frankly, we haven't got the manpower to search the village. Or even the access." The former Force officer crossed his arms, leaning back in his seat while he voiced his thoughts aloud. "The Sanctum was a central point. We could check it, maybe get lucky and find them. But we haven't even been able to say they're not in the Sanctum. Searching the whole village? The hostages could be holed up in any building in the whole place. The only sign would maybe be some guards, but telling a few armed people outside a door from every other mercenary trying to defend their claim? Next to impossible. With how many people we have, someone would find us familiar long before we found the hostages."

"And..." The De-Toa's voice trailed off, and he frowned slightly. "That's assuming they're still alive. Echelon gets his deterrence whether they're alive or dead, because we can't run the risk of attacking if they are still alive. He might've killed them ages ago, and just made sure no one could find out."

[Snelly]

IC:

 

I let out a sigh, I knew finding the hostages wasn't going to be easy, but this just felt impossible. "Krayn is right, there is no way we can comb the entire koro, and even if we did we would attract too much attention to ourselves in doing so." I didn't like where this was going but I could only see one way for us to get anywhere with our search. "We're gonna have to go inside the Sanctum and look, as dangerous as that is I don't see how else we can really move forward with our mission otherwise." I didn't like what I was saying at all, going into the Sanctum was almost suicidal. I may have had a reputation for being reckless, but I wasn't that reckless. 

 

Questions were popping into my head. Who do we send into the Sanctum? How do they snoop around without getting detected? What do we do if they get captured? Is it even worth the risk? I didn't have an answer for any of them. I was considering going in myself but I had a feeling the others would object to that rather strongly, and I could understand why. But that didn't mean I had to like it. 

 

I rubbed my temples, I was getting stressed just thinking about it. The little trip to the Sanctum earlier plus the almost getting caught by my brother had me exhausted as it was. 

[Krayzikk]

IC:

"They might not be in the Sanctum. In which case, we'd be risking incredible danger simply to confirm where they are not. We have few options, but I do not believe searching the Sanctum to be on the list at all. That is more of a suicide mission than a reconnaissance one."

[Void Emissary]

 

IC: Pae - Ko-Koro

 

 

Pae spotted his compatriots, stepping outside a run-down hut into the village. He walked over to them and spoke, "Saw you at the gate," Pae began, "Why come to Ko-Koro?"

 

IC:

 

"Business, partner," I said, letting my voice drawl a little. "Same as you, I reckon."

 

-Void

[Palm]

IC:

 

"Business, partner," I said, letting my voice drawl a little. "Same as you, I reckon."

 

-Void

 

 

IC: Pae - Ko-Koro

 

"Yes," Pae added, "May I accompany you two? Newcomers helping newcomers."

[Void Emissary]

IC:

 

"The more, the merrier," I said, hands in my pockets. "Wanna come in out of the cold and we can talk shop?"

 

-Void

[Palm]

IC:

 

"The more, the merrier," I said, hands in my pockets. "Wanna come in out of the cold and we can talk shop?"

 

-Void

IC: Pae - Ko-Koro

 

"Yes." Pae said, somehow more curt than usual. Being inside sounded much more pleasant.

 

The trio stepped back into the small village home, but Pae did not remove any portion of his winter-wear. Instead, the toa if iron tried to wrap up his cloak even more tightly, "Plan?" he asked.

[Void Emissary]

IC:

 

"Post a job, mercenary work," I said, taking the sunglasses off again. "See who crawls out of the woodwork."

 

-Void

[Vezok's Friend]

IC (Agni): 

 

"Ihu-Koro..." I muttered. I knew where the place was - though I couldn't remember going there in recent times - and tried to conjure up an accurate map from memory to determine the safest route.

 

"If I'm not mistaken, it's not the easiest place to get to from here if we want to stay off the beaten paths to avoid enemy scouts. But I prefer narrow mountain passes over combat in this terrain any day. Let's go."

 

There was nothing more left to say, really. So I started walking in the rough direction of the village, the weight of Utu's sword heavy on my back as  I turned away from his burial mound.

 

OOC: Think we should get this show on the road. Don't you?