BZPRPG - Ga-Wahi

[Toatapio Nuva]

OOC: I didn't mean the level of power. I was referring to the fact that a Ta-Toa, when releasing it's power, can blast fire all over the place or stuff like that, turning a Matoran into a Toa isn't the only way to sacrifice Toa power.

 

IC:

 

"I think I understand what you're thinking."

 

OOC: Sadly though, only staff members can turn Matoran into Toa

 

OOC: If a Toa of Fire releases all his fire power at once (Nova Blast), the EP will completely drain but it'll charge afterwards. No Toa Power is wasted. Toa Power, on the other hand, never recharges. And it can't be used as elemental power. You can heal with it and do other magical stuff, but no elements.

 

And it's good that only staff can turn Matoran into Toa, cause I don't want Jarkale to ever turn into one. It would kinda ruin the whole "You don't need to be a Toa to be a hero" concept I chose for the Main Six. But this doesn't mean Jarkale himself wouldn't want that.

 

IC Jarkale

(Ga-Koro, Great Takea):

 

"I'm not saying 'now' or anything", Jarkale hurriedly added. "Just that, well, when the time comes that you want to choose someone... remember me."

Edited January 7, 2014 by Toatapio Nuva

[Voxumo]

IC: Voulge

 

Voulge walked back to the inn where the group had stayed at and sat down at a table near the window seeming content at the moment

 

OOC: Voulge is open for interaction

[Falcon Lord]

OOC: Okay, seems I had a misconception of Toa power.

 

IC:

 

"I'm sure I will."

 

Tuarn then began to eat again, cutting apart his food and politely stuffing it into his mouth.

[Toatapio Nuva]

IC Jarkale

(Ga-Koro, Great Takea):

 

Jarkale smiled and ate, too.

[Krayzikk]

IC:

 

"Plenty." The Le-Toa muttered in reply, drawing her hand back from Shaj's forehead. "Ranging from painkillers to more potent mixtures. Lefthand jar, the big one that I just set down on the table there. Pass it to me please."

[Mr. House]

IC: (Mons Shajs/Liara's Hut/Ga-Koro)

 

To the two seated next to him, it appeared that he mellowed and relaxed. The Skakdi sunk into the linen. His eyes, however, betrayed any idea of betterment. They stayed blank, blissful, and wide eyed. His head absentmindedly bobbed to the side of the pillow...

 

A-choo

 

A sneeze. A simple, tiny sneeze. It became apparent that the disease was spreadable. And at Shajs' thinner state, it seemed that it began to waste the body, ever-so slowly. The Skakdi himself was caught up in a different island, his home.

[otter]

IC:

 

"Sure thing," Eutuchia said to Helios, smiling. "And Helios - if he isn't there like you told him to be, every guard in the Koro is going to know his face. He won't be able to stay here any longer, and there'll be a double-strength watch on the greenhouses." The Matoran of Plantlife's smile seemed to become a little threatening, for a moment.

 

"We take the security of our assets very seriously, here in Ga-Koro."

 

---

 

Farther off in a different part of the Koro, Edubard smiled. The jab at his chest, a feint as it was, had already maneuvered Ensis into the perfect setting for him to attack. Edubard barely shifted his footing, his blade flying up and batting aside the true attack, forcing it to his outside line - and as Edubard launched forwards, his left hand held under his right arm to catch Ensis's blade and hold it away, his blade moving forwards to make a 'cut' on Ensis's mask, he knew he had to have this little duel in the bag.

[Geardirector]

IC: Helios (Marine HQ)

 

"Alright, here goes nothing" I replied as I rounded the corner, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible.

 

Malak'et was nowhere to be seen, I looked around, confused, did he forget, or somehow figure out what was going on?"

 

By all appearences I looked harmless enough: I was unarmed, covered in large part by my rugged, black cloak, and visibly, and genuinely confused. I scoured the crowd for a sign of the Toa, but nothing showed itself. I decided to wait a short while in case he did show up. You never know.

[otter]

IC:

 

Ferre frowned at Nei's words. No particular place, other than Ga-Koro, where they might've stayed for a while, no place where her father might've run off to...it was too confusing, too open-ended for any easy quest. It would certainly take a while.

 

"Well, then, we might as well start by visiting the various Koro, and seeing what we can learn there," the Ta-Matoran said. "May I recommend Ta-Koro?"

[AuRon the champion]

IC:

 

"Sure, why not? Maybe I can ask some of the others to help me search for him too. They're probably all sitting back at base, bored out of their minds."

[Shadowhawk]

OOC:

This guy has been inactive for far too long... Time to deal a new hand, let the dark flames roll.

 

This is the beginning. Stay tuned.

Krios not available for interaction until further notice.

 

...

IC: [ Krios ] - Ga-Koro / eastern waterfront

I, Krios.

The name, I reflected, had a ring to it. It was a good name, a laconic name, a name with an edge and a name with flow, but not harsh like those of the Skakdi nor complex like those of aristocracy.

A pity it stood alone, for such a name deserved a surname, or even a history. And so far as I knew, my name had neither. I was a gambler, a schemer, and a ne’er-do-well... a proud one, and a professional one, but nevertheless, I was what I was. A fork-tongued predator. A weaver of webs, a weaver of cards, a weaver of dice. An underworld entrepreneur.

My kind, and I speak not of race but of the heart, were few and far between upon the island’s honest face, and rarely were we influential, rarely were we anything but the eyes that watched and the minds that knew and the nimble hands that cheated the odds. In anonymity, is safety, and in safety, prosperity. Let others take the blood and loot and fame, and in the end, let them hang for it... with their money in our pockets. Gold is nothing if it is not spent, all know this, and patient discretion is something few thieves and cutthroats learn. They do not want the money itself; they only want what it can be traded for, and so they go and squander their money on wine and women and an endless array of similar foolish pleasures, and when at last they die of it, as they generally do, they are penniless, drunk, and hardly worth the steel to stick them with.

They think themselves the hunters, stupid men. They were fools and are fools and always will be fools, for their kind is eternal. We, to whom all riches come in the end, are the true hunters, the true intelligence of cold profit. We are the gamblers, but we do not gamble. We reap.

And I, Krios, knew this, and yet I stood there in the moonlight on the docks of Naho Bay, in the heart of Ga-Koro, an entire village of prosperous innocents who had never truly known what it was to watch their backs, an entire village that, despite its new-found militancy, was yet as a lamb amidst wolves, and I was discontented.

And I, Krios, was very drunk. I never drank. Never. Alcohol is the businessman’s nemesis, the antidote of success. It dulls the mind, rubs blunt the nerves, and binds the fingers more securely than perhaps anything else on earth.

Yet I stood there, alone in the night, and I looked out upon that endless waste where the fishing boats bobbed at anchor, and I was drunk and I knew it. And I did not care. I lifted the crystal pint and drained it without emotion, mechanically, my throat numbed long hours since to the hot burn of the raw whiskey, and then I dropped the empty glass off the edge of the dock into the depths and watched it sink. Salt waves lapped against the pilings, splashing gently, and somewhere far distant to the east, a lone nighthawk voiced its hunger to the sky.

I, Krios.

I knew what I was doing, knew the grave I was digging for myself. I had never been a drunkard, but for days, and now weeks, I had been drinking. Drinking hard, drinking often, desperate to extinguish the black flames that burned inside me, burned as they had never burned before. Drinking alone and silent and without purpose, night after night, never fully sober, never fully sane.

I knew what I was doing, oh yes, but I was pinned by the talons of a self I did not know, had never known, and I was desperate for relief, for escape... for any escape at all.

How many bitter, restless hearts, charred by the torture of futile existence, have stood alone and looked out across a shadowed, empty world and wondered why they bothered? How many have folded their hands, have despaired, surrendered, and never truly looked to see the cards they held?

I did not think these thoughts then. I was in no condition at all to think, and so it is ironic that it was there, on the back-alley waterfronts of Ga-Koro, in that wretched condition, with my body steeped in weeks’ worth of hard alcohol and my mind pounding dully with whiskey-muted agony, that I made the single most important decision of my life.

I watched the pint glass vanish in the waters, waters black but silvered ‘neath the stars. I was drunk, but I have always been able to hold my liquor well. I am not one of those that dance upon tables and bellow vulgar sea chanties to proclaim their besotted condition. I can hold myself together in nearly any physical state, it seems; another of my few small talents.

It is fortunate then that I was drunk, I think, else I doubt I could have found the courage to face what had haunted me since birth, moving always in my shadow, stalking my trail with silent ease. After I had faced it once, of course, it was not so difficult to face it in days to come, but that time, the first time...

My kind are a solitary breed, trusting none and befriending few. We walk alone, by choice and by necessity, as all the most powerful hunters do. My kind are not runners with the pack; it is divided we stand and divided we fall... or win.

We have little that ties us, whether to the land or to the streets. In a literal sense, we are often orphans, families of one, whether of our own choosing, as is the case of the ‘black sheep’, or of the choosing of our ancestors, as is the case of the ‘disowned’, or of the choosing of simple fate and death, as is mine. In a literal sense, we are almost invariably devoid of true romantic passion, knowing and seeking nothing more than the most shallow, empty forms of so-called ‘love’. In a literal sense, we are morally neutral, sometimes chaotic, always self-serving. Profit is our life; riches, and the power that comes with them, our only driving interest.

And I knew all this, had observed it and pondered it and acknowledged it since my short-lived adolescence, a mere seven decades past. I knew this, knew who I was, knew what the odds had made me... but in my mind, I knew not all.

Even deep in my heart, the place where things stir that we do not wish to see, and so reject them, I did not have all the answers then. Nor do I have them now.

But there was one thing for which the time was right, one thing that was very important, and I faced it then. It was a turning point, an awakening, and perhaps also a bit of divine intervention, if one believes such things.

I, Krios.

It seems a very simple thing, now, and so obvious and so unassuming that I am nearly ashamed that I, the dark one, the analytical, the wary, had lived so long and yet had not forced myself to confront it.

I stood there, mulling over my name and my life in the rambling, abstract manner of the intoxicated, my innards despairing within me though my brain was content. I was thinking of mighty and valorous tales of decades past, of bold heroes and cunning villains and Houses strong when the land was young. Of wars and quests, half-truth, half-lies, and as I thought of these...

There were two thoughts that pierced me then, sudden and cold, even as a faint breeze stirred the surface of the bay and caressed my lean reptilian visage.

The first was the startling realization that, although I thought of them as stories writ long ages past, carried out in some vague recess of history, they were still very much current, still in flux, their chapters still unfinished and much legend yet untold. I realized how long time was, how infinite the years until the final phrase, and how young I was... how much I had time yet to do, even as those first heroes came and saw and conquered, built their planet from the dust.

And I realized that for all I had done and could do, for all the potential that lay ahead, I had no purpose.

I had nothing.

I was nothing.

And worst of all, there was not mind that lived, save I, who cared a ###### about it.

Edited January 12, 2014 by Shadowhawk

[Hanako Herupa]

IC:

 

Peace. That's what people liked to believe, that on Mata Nui peace was achieved. It wasn't, but people told that lie to themselves anyway. People didn't ask questions anymore, they didn't wonder who was behind the killing of the Turaga, or the destruction of the Turaga. No, they forgot it, because it was comfortable to forget pain, that's what people did. Things were too in time with each other, the Turaga Assassinations were executed almost simultaneously and yet there was no hunt, no real investigation.

 

Then a certain Toa of Iron broke down, shouted names, people who had apparently were the killers.

 

Another Toa of Iron, sat in her library in her manor, just outside Ga, down it's own gravel covered path, the mansion was large, and it's front garden was well tended to, the manor itself constructed of wood and stone, created by the hands of hardworking builders and a man's vision of perfection. Toa Alarick Polzin had done quite a bit of business and soon brought himself up from a beggar to a man who very nearly ruled private shipping across the island, that was until his death, the old Ba-Toa had grown weak, and his adopted daughter, one of his three adopted children took the reigns.

 

That Toa of Iron who sat in the study, her skin a dull grey, wearing a navy blue vest, with a snow white blouse, and a long golden skirt, that stretched about five inches below the knee. Her mask was an Akaku, the Great Mask of Vision, its edges were sharp, high cheekbones that looked almost if someone could cut their palm on them, if they had to the gall to slap her. Behind it her lilac eyes were like those of a hawk, harsh and judging. She sent out three letters to three people of particular skills and disposition (one of them was already working for her), four people who if things were bad as she truly believed, were needed. One of them might even give her a little information about these shadows hiding in the background, just out of sight.

 

She had to await the arrival of her guests before she went about her business, assured that they would come. Why? Vera offered them something other people could not, or would not offer. Vera wasn't an Akiri, a politician who had to care what the public thought. She was a wealthy individual, a baroness, and current owner of the family company, the Polzin Shipping Company. A business whose primary focus was the transportation of goods, mostly private across the island, most of them went by ship, and then by cart. Although Vera was considering brokering a deal to ship things by air, such a thing would cut down massively on time, much more efficient and Vera was all about efficiency.

 

That's the thing peace was efficient, things ran smoothly, the people were happy, and society advanced. However peace now was uneasy, maybe not as precarious as it was before, but there were people who stood in the shadows, making moves, playing the world like it was some kind of game, Vera didn't like that, she liked order, she hated disorder. However she understood that the Koro could only go so far, they could only follow protocol, and such a thing was limiting. If things were going to be done efficiently she'd prefer not answering to anyone but herself, trials, explanations, those could come later. Now though she would wait, Tea freshly prepared along with fruits and pastries. When all parties arrived, the discussion would start.

Edited January 12, 2014 by Nia Teppelin

[Toa Fanixe]

IC:

 

Malak suddenly became aware of Helios' presence outside in the distance, walking down the street towards the Marine Headquarters. There was no retinue of guards with him, no group of marines accompanying him to arrest the mischievous Malak'et. A smile crept across the Toa of Plantlife's face as he saw his schemes finally coming together. He began getting up from his seat, laying his cup of coffee on the table. Then he froze.

 

Following Helios was Akiri Hahli's personal assistant. Eutuchia.

 

Malak'et swore in his mind. Not only was that self-righteous Toa Helios stupid, he was a liar as well. Malak'et had specifically told him not to mention Malak'et name, but given Eutuchia's presence, it was obvious Helios had given up that information. Malak'et mused how long it had taken for Helios to betray him - probably right away, though Malak'et, like a good follower of the Toa Code. Malak'et sighed. He had hoped things would go differently. It seemed the old saying was true.

 

If you wanted something done, you have to do it yourself.

 

Malak'et looked out to the distance, focusing his sight on street corner far away. He activated his Kualsi.

 

With a small pop Malak'et disappeared, a few widgets clinking onto the floor of the cafe.

Edited January 13, 2014 by Toa Fanixe

[Mr. House]

IC: (Mons Shajs/Liara's Hut/Ga-Koro)

 

Mons Shajs came into the world from its muck. The dying sea that poisoned a man to a slow, agonizing death. But it was from the poison that the Shajs family survived. Each male sailed out to the horizon, harpoon in hand, and tried to catch food for his family. Starvation was common, they lived fish to fish. If there was no fish in the boat, or weeds upon shore, hunger came to haunt them. Born in the muck, work in the muck, die in the muck. Or else go to war, in the service of the newest warlord, and let the family harpoon save you. For a family as poor as Shajs', the poverty was a fact unchangable.

 

As the small, battered skiff came into shore, Shajs returned to a younger state, a younger mind. The green waters of his homeland absorbed the fiery sun. A weak, rank breeze hit his face. His home lay in front of him. It was a shack, battered, rusted, a home even a vagrant would shun. One room, two parents, seven growing youths. All compacted, thin, and hungry. Shajs looked below him. Four fish, of medium size, lay on the floor of his craft. His family would eat, quite much, and for quite a while. His father steered the craft, an old, half-blind Skakdi, scarred from a war long since past.

 

His gang would be by the bar, he knew. His father and brothers didn't like it, but he was an enforcer for the little group. Today, perhaps, they could steal some fruit from the markets, or aquire some actual money to buy things for themselves, and their families. Crime was harshly punished by the warlord, but still, it was worth it. Going away from his fantasies for a moment, he felt the boat hit shore, and his father's groan. They pulled the ship above tide level, and took the net of fish up to his house. It opened with a creak as his father announced the catch. When he entered, he saw most of his family, and people who shouldn't have been there.

 

What did they call them, Toa?

 

One had green armor, and blue eyes. And for some reason wore a cloak. Another was grey and bronze, and had a pair of strange curvy swords. It was a surreal experience for him, in his hallucinated, temporarily regressed state, he hadn't ever seen such a being. The closest was a little Matoran priest, who had been marooned on the island when he was a child. The priest taught the Skakdi children for a while, before getting beheaded by the newest warlord for heresy. Why hadn't the warlord beheaded these-super matoran?

 

He quietly put the fish upon the table, and stepped back. But the Toa-they phased outside of the shack, and onto the beach with Shajs. What, what. He ran, ran as fast as possible down the beach. But for every ten feet he got, the two Toa phased in front of him. They were following him. Following him. He attempted to claw at the bronze one, and his hand phased right through his body. Ghosts, they were ghosts, trying to haunt him! Taking a turn, he entered the home of a shocked neighbor. He shook the neighbor, over and over, but couldn't get his attention. Shajs let loose a scream, and burst out the front.

 

The Toa-things were still stalking him, still following. He didn't know what they wanted from him, and didn't want to learn. Entering the village, he ran past fish stalls and fruit-mongers, past sellers of old harpoons, and thugs in the warlord's service. Always looking behind his back, and seeing the Toa demons. They wanted to kill him, he was sure now. Kill him! He grabbed a harpoon, and went into an alley. The harpoon dealer was unfazed, strangely. When one came at him, he thrusted with with spear. But like his claw, the spear point faded through. In a last desperate attempt, he bared his claws, and charged.

 

To Tyrus and Liara, it was obvious that Shajs' hallucinations had gotten more severe. He mumbled quietly, shook and writhed in the bed. His demenor was getting ever more thin by the hour, and he now sneezing violently. In the middle of the hallucination, Shajs bared his claws, and weakly swung it inches from Liara's face. He needed to be strapped down, likely.

[Void Emissary]

IC:

 

It would be wrong to say that Tyrus was completely enthralled with this turn of events, but it would be equally so to say that he was not just a little interested in the delusional Skakdi weakly thrashing in his bed. Had it not become apparent that this sickness was contagious, the Lesterin might've even examined him more closely.

 

As it was, he stepped back quickly, pulling Cin back with him by the arm. His eyes, windows to the soul, betrayed no emotion save for stoic calculation; but even souls can lie. A closer examination of the mercenary-turned-Marine's stance, the tautening of certain muscles versus the looseness of others; these were clues to the condition of his heart, and the beat that it had skipped in tandem with Shajs' when he had sneezed.

 

"I'm not a medical man," he said, his voice as calm as ever, "but I do believe that our situation may have begun to worsen."

 

-Void

[Eyru]

IC (Jin)

 

The Polzin place was big. And I mean big.

 

Picture a big old mansion, wood and stone, a stone's throw from the beach with a garden big enough to get lost in. I walked up the gravel path, footsteps crunching, still holding the crumpled letter in my hand.

 

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

 

As I approached the door, I gotta be honest: I started to get cold feet. I'd done business with rich people before, and last time it hadn't ended well. I'd gotten more out of my work with Bad Company that I'd had all my years before, but what was the result? Death. Lots of it. Things I'd never thought I'd-

 

No.

 

I crushed the paper into a ball, fists tightening so much it felt like my knuckles would pop right through my skin. I'd done what I'd been paid to do, end of story. This was my job. If I wanted something else, I could well go get it, and prove I didn't have the guts.

 

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

 

Deep breath. Keep walking. That's all I could do. Try to hold up the dam because I couldn't take another tsunami again. I was Jin, Vortixx extraordinaire, and I didn't run from anyone or anything, especially things that didn't mean anything. The past. It was gone. it. Forget it.

 

What's done is done.

 

I reached up and knocked.

[Geardirector]

IC: Helios (Marine HQ)

 

It eventually dawned on me that Malak'et had somehow seen through my admittedly pretty flimsy ruse. Blast.

 

I peeked behind to corner at Eutuchia.

 

"Sorry, he's not here," I mumbled, "I guess he caught wind of what was going on"

 

Here's hoping Melna and Colx were doing better than me.

[Vezok's Friend]

IC: Destian grunted in agreement and pushed back through the door.

 

Iraanus turned to Rhow as he departed. "Still, though," he said thoughtfully. "It really has been too long since we've broken any limbs or blown anything up, hasn't it?" She didn't respond immediately, and he continued, pacing. "I'm restless - you are too, I can tell - and so is everyone else. Most of us weren't built for settling down, Rhow." He drew a dagger and examined its blade. "We've accomplished what we set out to accomplish when we opened this place - we're back in shape, and we've got cash and weapons and all that ###### Taoki's been building..." He grabbed the paper and sliced out a small section with his weapon. "The island hasn't slowed down to match out pace, either. Unexplained deaths and disappearances, these "Piraka" or whatever they call themselves, Makuta's old friends hiding out in the shadows, karz, I don't know." He slid the dagger back into its sheathe. "We've been gutting ruki long enough, Rhow. It's time we went back to gutting Makuta-worshipers."

 

IC:

 

"Well, heh, when you put it that way...you almost make me miss the motherland. You're not homesick, are ya?" Rhow chuckled in her usual throaty tone. Iraanus was right, they had grown somewhat complacent. As much as she enjoyed having the great Takea as a front for their merry little band of grinning misfits, the second part of its purpose - serving as front for a merc business - had fallen somewhat by the wayside. A lot of things had happened since.

 

Murder and intrigue and Piraka; oh my.

 

Time to mix things up a little. She'd made up her mind. Rhow slammed her right fist into the open palm of her left, knuckles cracking like breaking wood. "All right, Iraanus, you got me, let's hunt some scum. We'll put an ear to the ground, find out what dark slimy holes they're hinding in. Maybe ask the marines, too. Or talk to Hahli; whatever's needed to get things moving..."

 

She paused, sniffing; then frowned."S'cuse me for a second." she muttered, before quickly stepping outside the office. Out of view, Iraanus only heard her stomping feet on the wooden floor, followed by a brief moment of silence. Then...

 

"VILOZ! Did you burn the fish again!?"

[25K Now!]

IC: Lasinia

 

"Captain Blue Dude, what are we going to do now?"

[Wade.]

IC: Viloz

 

Like a frightened child, half of my face peers over the edge of the kitchen's exit and I stare at Rhow as if she's Boogieman incarnate.

 

"Well, uh...I can explain!" I begin, mustering up enough courage to step out and slooooowly walk over to bosslady herself. "So what happened is, ummm, the fish...the fish..."

 

I clear my throat.

 

"See, this is what went down. The, uh, spirits! Yes, the spirits! They were, er, angry that I..didn't pay my respects to the shark and um, they tried to burn the kitchen...and...and...uuuuh..."

 

"Please don't kill me."

Edited January 14, 2014 by TX Wade

[Hanako Herupa]

IC: (Vera Polzin)

 

A knock, Vera's head turned towards the foyer, ensuring that she looked presentable, clothes straightened with no wrinkles, her mind as sharp as ever. Vera briskly walked to the front door, opening it, a small smile on her face upon seeing the Vortixx who stood at her door. She was tall and physically fit, wearing a coat as black as the deepest mine of Onu-Wahi. In a quick scan by her posture, by her dark green eyes, it was enough to tell her that the calm she portrayed quite expertly wasn't how she actually. The Vortixx was nervous. Vera left it alone though, not her place to comment, no reason to drive away a potential employee.

 

"Hello, my name is Vera Polzin, and you must be Jin. It's a pleasure to meet you." Vera opened the door the rest of the way and stood to the side. "Feel free to grab a seat, and relax in the living room, there are refreshments there if you are hungry and/or thirsty. It look as though your journey here has been an exhausting one. One of the others is around, but he has yet to join us."

[otter]

IC: Helios (Marine HQ)

 

It eventually dawned on me that Malak'et had somehow seen through my admittedly pretty flimsy ruse. Blast.

 

I peeked behind to corner at Eutuchia.

 

"Sorry, he's not here," I mumbled, "I guess he caught wind of what was going on"

 

Here's hoping Melna and Colx were doing better than me.

 

IC:

 

"Then we go to the greenhouses as quickly as possible," the Toa of Plantlife said, his expression twisting into a somewhat annoyed and pained grimace. "There's a watch there, so he shouldn't be able to do anything, but I don't want to leave anything to chance." Turning on his heel without a second word - and knowing that Helios would be following close behind him - Eutuchia took off, sprinting for the greenhouses.

[Krayzikk]

IC:

 

The disease was contagious, something that wasn't entirely unexpected. It would have been worrying, or rather, more so, if Liara hadn't noted the preparatory inhale and tensing that always preceded a sneeze. It was fortunate she had noticed, otherwise they might have been in serious trouble. With the brief warning, she had just enough time to use her element to confine the otherwise infectious air to the space around Shajs, preventing it from reaching them.

 

"I'm not a medical man either." The Le-Toa quipped reflexively, but her tone and expression betrayed the severity of the situation. "He's contagious, and he's worsened in the few minutes he has been here. If that is the standard rate of acceleration for this affliction, then it is likely that he held it at bay with his self-administered treatments. At least for a while."

 

"Unfortunately, I have no idea what treatments he used, so I can't say what will slow it down. Under normal circumstances, I would sedate him to make sure he remain docile. But in this case, I'm concerned that that might do more harm than good."

 

"So unfortunately, we'll need a more pragmatic method." Before Sthe Skakdi could swing again, she caught his wrist in a tight grip, moving with a swiftness unusual for a doctor. With her spare hand she carefully grabbed the restraints built into the table, and began securing his arm to it.

[Geardirector]

IC:

 

"Then we go to the greenhouses as quickly as possible," the Toa of Plantlife said, his expression twisting into a somewhat annoyed and pained grimace. "There's a watch there, so he shouldn't be able to do anything, but I don't want to leave anything to chance." Turning on his heel without a second word - and knowing that Helios would be following close behind him - Eutuchia took off, sprinting for the greenhouses.

 

 

IC: Helios (Marine HQ)

 

“Right” I responded bluntly, guiding the rest of my body after my head around the corner to follow Eutuchia, a tinge of fire blaring into my blood-red eyes as I paced (because running was out of the question) after the Bo-Matoran.

[otter]

IC:

 

However, as Helios simply paced, Eutuchia quickly ended up a ways ahead of him - as Helios wasn't quite so much taller than the Matoran he followed that he could keep up with simply a brisk walk. That same Matoran, meanwhile, seemed slightly annoyed.

 

"I don't care if you beat me to the greenhouses, you know. You're the one with greater ability to catch Malak as it stands."

[Geardirector]

OOC: I love the way you keep finding holes in my writing

 

IC: Helios (Ga-Koro)

 

"Helloooo"

 

My legs responded, picking up speed as I caught up to Eutuchia, before indeed sprinting past him towards the greenhouses. In my mind I considered what might've compelled me to hang back.

 

Wait...

 

"Don't be a hero when you don't have to"

 

Of course. Well, Colx, I appreciate the sentiment, but it seems I'll have to think a little myself, too. Took a while to figure that out, didn't I?

Edited January 16, 2014 by Dr. O

[Vezok's Friend]

IC:

Rhow growled, frowning down at Viloz, before relaxing ever so slightly. "Kill you? No. If I killed you there'd be nobody to clean up the mess...and catch the next Takea bare handed."

 

Her nostrils flared as she let out a sound, somewhere between a snarl and a chuckle. "Get that kitchen clean by the end of the day or angry spirits will be the least of your worries. Besides, Iraanus is itching for some action and I want a clean shop if we head out."

[The Nold]

OOC: Ignitus, JL, and Lai Lai from Mangaia.

 

IC(Ignitus):

 

Fresh air. When you come out of Mangaia, it hits you like a slap in the face, and you realize for the first time how much you've missed it.

Emerging from the Dark Walk, I examine my surroundings, amazed by the beauty of the fourth Koro I've been to.

"Say, I wonder which ship is ours," I say, looking up in awe at the magnificent ships docked here.

"I guess we should find the rest of the crew."

 

Edited January 17, 2014 by Toa Aki

[Toatapio Nuva]

IC Jarkale and Lai Lai

(Ga-Koro):

 

It was then that Jarkale and Tuarn emerged from the Great Takea, having finished their meal. They saw Ignitus, JL and some Ga-Matoran walking around, looking for something. It was obvious what that was.

 

"Ignitus, you're back!" Jarkale shouted happily and went to the Toa to welcome him back. "We're anxious to hear about your experiences at the Kini-Nui, but I'm sure you want to see the ship first... it's a large one I assure you, and the quality... is..."

 

Jarkale's eyes drifted on Lai Lai. "Who is this?"

 

"Lai Lai, at your service", Lai Lai greeted. "Messenger and part-time newswoman. Ignitus here recruited me in Mangaia."

[Falcon Lord]

IC:

 

Tuarn smiled,

 

"Good to see you back Ignitus and pleased to meet you Lai Lai. I'm Tuarn by the way."

[Shadowhawk]

OOC:

 

Continued from Part I.

 

IC: [ Krios ] - Ga-Koro / eastern waterfront

 

It was very dark, then. The stars were above me in the moonlit sky, and they gleamed bright silver in the night… but it was dark.

 

I was nothing, and so I had nothing, not even the right to a self-inflicted death, and the knowledge of it was a thing past hurt.

 

The black waters of the bay, they mocked me. They were endless, eternal. They had run with the wind, carved mountains into dust, brought low the proud and outlived the strong. They were deep, and they had purpose. For eons had they rolled, black beneath the silent heavens, and for eons would they roll again.

 

And I... I would live, pointlessly, for thousands of years until I died.

 

And that would be that. My soul, already dead, would be free at last to travel onwards, and my body would lie stiff and forgotten in a lonely gambler’s grave. Perhaps I would die rich, perhaps even with a name of sorts, yet at the last there would be no one to truly care save the spade, the earth, and the hungry worms.

 

I would be a nothing. I already was a nothing. There was nothing that I had done, nothing that I planned on doing, that would set my mark on the circle of life. There was nothing in me that could say, ‘See, I have done this. I, Krios. Look ye well and remember.’

 

Life is, I think, a balance. A great balance, with many lesser balances to rule the great, and yet more balances to rule those, and so on down to the very smallest of all who tread the earth. Each mortal son and mortal daughter has a weight, and can choose to place it. Some place it for good, some for ill, and some for neutral, but it is those place it, that truly live. They matter.

 

And they know they do. And they are at peace, and they are strong, for live lived truly is a thing of greatness beyond all comprehension.

 

But for me… and for countless others like me…

 

I wept, then. Perhaps it was the whiskey in my blood that let me do it, perhaps a sudden instinctive knowledge that in tears are healing, but whatever the cause, I wept.

 

For I knew at last that I was but that which fate had made me, not that which I had made myself.

 

The cool wind was strengthening rapidly, gusting, and through the pain that hazed my vision, I noticed without emotion that dark clouds were rising from the south. A midnight thunderhead, swift and unbidden, as storm rains often are.

 

And perhaps, had I been watching with the silent vigilance that was my habit, had I not been diverted by the tragedy that was my empty life, I would have noticed also the single cautious footstep, the single patch of shadow at the edge of the alley’s grey.

 

The cold gleam of moonlight on a quarrel’s edge, seen, then unseen.

 

I did not notice. I knew at last what I was, or perhaps I should say, what I was not, and as the last tears came and dried and I looked out upon the waters with bright new eyes, I realized also what I must do. Thank the Great Spirit, if indeed he is and knows and cares, that I found the courage and the will to stand alone and carry on.

 

I must take my life, wrest it from fate, and make it my own. All those who matter, have done this, and it is not an easy thing to do. It is blood and sweat and toil, long hours with nothing but grit and guts and a far-off hope to carry the banner.

 

But it could be, can be, done. And I must do it.

 

I, Krios.

 

I had wept for some time, and then for many minutes longer I stood and thought, a steady predator’s calmness new in my heart, and so when at last I turned to go, the storm was breaking at the far edge of the bay, lashing the ocean beneath it to driven spray. The wind, strong now, bore the tang of salt and the chill of rain… only seconds, perhaps less, before it struck the village itself.

 

The villagers would be indoors, warm and dry in cozy homes and hearth-lit taverns, laughing for the sheer joy that is life, no matter how ugly it can sometimes be. An eccentric few, perhaps, still ran to and fro in defiance of the elements, and of course there were the village guards, the stalwart Marines… the soft-spoken lionesses that made the village possible, those who quietly shouldered the burden of midnight watch in a roaring tempest, that their people might walk free.

 

For the first time, I knew respect for their kind. I was no longer indifferent. I was still the hunter, still the cold-eyed reaper of coin and knowledge, a lone wolf in a sheepfold of folly, but no longer was I an automaton.

 

Always before, and unwittingly, I had simply reacted to what chance had brought upon me. Many, it seems, do this.

 

They are fools.

 

I was yet a dark blade, an outlier, but no longer was I an unused weight. I would make a legend of myself, of I, Krios. There were tales untold, chapters yet to come, and I…

 

…I would be there to greet them. By the Shadowprince himself, I swore it then, and by the Shadowprince himself I swear it now.

 

I turned, steady on my feet despite the lingering whiskey.

 

And then I froze, watched the lone shadow detach itself from the alley’s blackness. Watched the cloak’s hood flip backwards as the wind gusted. Watched the cold white of lightning flash on the dark green Kanohi Matatu.

 

Brionne.

 

My eyes met his… even as they had met across the scarred wood of a Le-Koro gambling table, months before.

 

His eyes were the same. Hard, arrogant, and stupid… the glowing eyes of a rabid killer.

 

And because I understood myself, now, I could understand him as well. He had nothing but his empty pride and a fancied skill with loaded dice… dice that I, his intended victim, had taken and played and beaten him soundly with. I had shattered his vanity, cleaned his pockets, and all unknowingly, had made more of an enemy than it seemed I had realized at the time.

 

He had never had much in his pointless existence, and in his slow-thinking mind, all that was left for him, now, was vengeance.

 

His crossbow was the same. Heavy, battered, and crude… but loaded. And at this range, he couldn’t miss.

 

I watched the weapon tremble, waver, watched it center with slow precision at the cold orb of contempt and fury that was my heart. Plainly, he also was drunk... not that it would matter in the end.

 

The storm hit, blasting its fury down the alley like a raging demigod. I felt the cold driving rain upon my back and shoulders, and with flat, lucid knowledge I realized I was going to die.

 

Die now, just as I had begun to live.

 

His finger tightened on the trigger, the moment stretching out in a rising crescendo of heat and hatred, and then the last few stars blacked out beneath the rolling thunder and all ###### broke loose. Something dark and fast and terrible exploded out of nowhere like a devil from the pit, hit the sick beast before me with brutal, splintering impact, spun and wheeled and drove home a whirling follow-up kick, nightmarish power focused in the heel of a black leather combat boot. I heard bones snap with the impact, felt the shadow-quick thud of a third vicious strike reverberate in the air, and then Brionne was splayed out flat on the salt-crusted planks and he wasn’t moving.

 

The crossbow skittered from his grasp, discharging its razor-edged quarrel into the side of the nearest warehouse, and followed my crystal pint whiskey glass into the roiling sea.

 

For the first, and hopefully last, time in my life, I was utterly stunned.

 

And then the metallic hood of a bull’s-eye lantern slid up in greased silence, skewering me with crimson glare from the lightstone within, and just like that, I was back in Xa-Koro with a knife at my throat.

 

His voice was coolly, ruthlessly masculine, with that slight hint of an amused drawl that I remembered only too well. “Long time no see, gambler boy. I think it’s time you paid your debts, don’t you? And I don’t mean this here new one, either.”

 

And he kicked the corpse, and I watched his strong white teeth gleam in the darkness.

 

Rhett Kharon.

Edited January 19, 2014 by Shadowhawk

[otter]

IC:

 

"Sure, why not? Maybe I can ask some of the others to help me search for him too. They're probably all sitting back at base, bored out of their minds."

 

IC:

 

"Certainly, if you would like to do so," Ferre said, shrugging. "Hopefully they might give a quick answer."

[AuRon the champion]

IC:

 

"Then let's go," Nei said with grim determination, already starting to walk towards Ta-Koro, "No time to go like the present."

[The Lorax]

IC: Miraul led the Ussal Cart to the gates. Convincing the guards to let them past with the boilers wasn't easy-they had to let a Marine crawl inside to inspect them. Getting them inside the Village of Water was no easy task either-a little difficult to move through the gate, Bijackal and Divan had to wade through shallow water, step onto the lily pad bridges without dropping the boilers or damaging them, and without damaging the bridges themselves. Takamaz grumbled all the way as he guided the two heavy-lifters through the streets, complaining that the architects who built this village ought to be exiled from the island and never allowed to build anything again. The leafy bridges were so narrow that Miraul and Hikari had to clear them of civilians in advance-there was no way for people to slip by the massive boilers without going in the water-at least a few did.

 

And that was just the first boiler going to the drydocks. Someone still had to move the second.

 

OOC:Lorax, feel free to lift that second boiler. Or Reynar (Anxillia) can do it. That might be a little easier.

 

IC (Matan and Natan): The second boiler was soon taken care of by Matan and Natan. Between the strength of their arms and Natan's power partially levitating the metal, they lugged it to the drydock where it lay beside the other. Also there, they were pleased to see, were the carts of scrap material they had sent ahead for. Saved from the dump were bits of waste metal and various types plant material, from rotten wood and lillypad off-cuts to garden clippings and seaweed. All of it would come in handy as absorbing it would boost their elemental energy reserves for the exacting work ahead.

 

"So," Natan commented to Miraul "You've got the plans. Where do we start?"

Edited January 19, 2014 by The Lorax

[Toatapio Nuva]

OOC: Tivanu, Viima, Orderin, Mar and Surina from Onu-Wahi.

 

IC Viima and Surina

(Ga-Wahi):

 

Viima walked a few steps behind the others, still fighting on the inside. All his trust towards Tivanu, so slowly gained, had flushed down faster than a Fusa's punch. Yet Viima refused to let Surina make him do something he would regret later... like accidentally freeing her. Tivanu was right, justice came before profit. But did the Skakdi really mean it? Viima doubted that heavily.

 

"You're doubting my sincerety", Surina said to Viima. She was on Tivanu's shoulder, facing backwards.

 

"Why shouldn't I? You're a worthless liar, and a criminal."

 

"You know what I'm saying about Tivanu is true. He already confessed to one of my claims. And he hasn't denied any of the rest."

 

Viima didn't respond.

 

"You know I'm right. I'm Tivanu's captive, not yours. What did you do to catch me? Did you even try?"

 

"Shut up."

 

"Wouldn't dream of that."

 

"Shut up before I break your mask and stuff it in your mouth."

 

"You'd love that, wouldn't you? But I'm not on your mercy. I'm on Tivanu's."

 

Viima had had enough. Something inside of him was telling him to believe Surina, but he was sure it was just the remnants of the relationship talking. He began to fear himself, fear the chance that he would do something to jeopardize the mission.

 

"It's not my problem... not anymore", Viima said dryly. "He turned around."

 

"What's that? Backing out from your duty?" Surina sneered.

 

"Tivanu's duty, not mine", Viima scoffed. "It's not my business! It's not! It's up to him now. If you want to betray us all, go ahead! Just do whatever you want, but it's not my responsibility! Not anymore."

 

Before anyone in the group could respond, Viima ran into the lush, temperate Ga-Wahi forest without a trace. He had left the team and Surina behind, possibly forever. He hoped Tivanu would keep his word and bring Surina to justice... but if he didn't, it wouldn't be Viima's problem. Orderin could handle it, he was much more capable than Viima anyway. And not possible to influence by Surina's sick mind-games. Viima would never again get involved with anything concerning Surina. Ever.

 

"Isn't it much nicer without him?" Surina said to Tivanu and Orderin with a chuckle.

Edited January 19, 2014 by Toatapio Nuva

[Falcon Lord]

IC:

 

Orderin, having been silent this whole time suddenly turned angry, glaring at Surina,

 

"You know, I never thought I'd say this but, you stupid Matoran!"

 

He then directed his attention to Tivanu,

 

"Because you did all of this for a righteous cause, I have no quarrel with you. You were right, earlier, when you said that sometimes things must be sacrificed for justice."

[Voxumo]

IC: Tivanu

 

Tivanu had kept incredibly silent during this whole matter however when Orderin talked to him he merely nodded

"Glad someone understands."

 

He peered out at the distance and smiled. He could vaguely make out the village of Ga-koro in the distance

"Alright.. We have about six hours of travel left. I don't know about you Orderin but i am not risking this to run after Viima. If he can not control his anger and emotions then it is his lost."

[Geardirector]

IC: Mar (Old Fusa Path)

 

I peered through the underbrush to see the Le-Matoran dash off, he was in fact serious, he was not coming back.

 

I spared a short clance at Tivanu. As a fellow mercenary, I begrudgingly had to admit I felt just a tiny bit of sympathy towards him. I'd seen, and even experienced, similar situations myself. For all our bluster about morality being about as valuable to us as a widget being snatched from right under our nose, not even the most rugged and hard-headed of mercenaries would ever grow completely numb to this sort of thing.

 

He said something about how it was Viima's problem for not controlling his emotions. Common defense mechanism.

 

That was of course one of the reasons why I appreciated Karv's company a great deal: A hunter couldn't ask for a better companion.

 

Well, one down, now the odds were slightly less in their favor...

Edited January 19, 2014 by Dr. O

[Toatapio Nuva]

IC Surina

(Ga-Wahi):

 

"Righteous cause?" Surina laughed at Orderin's comment. "A Skakdi can only pretend to be righteous to earn the trust of others but in the end, it's a rule of nature that they will backstab you and only serve their own interests."

[Geardirector]

IC: Mar (Old Fusa Path)

 

"That's like saying a Toa can only pretend to be evil"

 

"Mind if I shut her up for the rest of the trip?" I asked Tivanu.