BZP'S GAME OF THRONES

[Voxumo]

I have to admit, my biggest question I have is not the outcome but whether those who stood beside me kept on fighting against the Tyrannical rule they were sure to endure if they surrendered. That's the biggest question floating through my mind.

 

Did they fight on?

Edited July 10, 2016 by Voxumo

[Voltex]

I have to admit, my biggest question I have is not the outcome but whether those who stood beside me kept on fighting against the Tyrannical rule they were sure to endure if they surrendered. That's the biggest question floating through my mind.

 

Did they fight on?

 

You'll find out in the episode.

[Voxumo]

 

I have to admit, my biggest question I have is not the outcome but whether those who stood beside me kept on fighting against the Tyrannical rule they were sure to endure if they surrendered. That's the biggest question floating through my mind.

 

Did they fight on?

 

You'll find out in the episode.

 

I know, i was merely stating what I hope to see answered... that was all. I wasn't actually expecting to see an answer given before the scene.

[Toa Smoke Monster]

 

I may be posting this a few hours late, or possibly several hours late, but it still somewhat describes how I feel about the game being over.

 

Edit: I also probably could've waited to post this until after the scene was posted, but that didn't dawn on me until I posted it. Oh well.

Edited July 10, 2016 by Toa Smoke Monster

[Voltex]

scene is taking me a little longer than expected

 

will hopefully finish it up tomorrow night if i don't pass out as soon as i'm home

[ToaTImeLord]

scene is taking me a little longer than expected

 

will hopefully finish it up tomorrow night if i don't pass out as soon as i'm home

Lucina

 

Reality

 

http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/spongebob/images/0/01/3_days_later..._in_Gone.png/revision/latest?cb=20150826051908

Edited July 13, 2016 by ToaTimeLord

[Toa Smoke Monster]

So....

 

Anyone have any predictions on what going to happen in the final chapter? 

[Bonkle]

Jungle and Stone ignore Water, Fire, and Ice, everyone agrees to hold out for the sequel.

[Voltex]

Jungle and Stone ignore Water, Fire, and Ice, everyone agrees to hold out for the sequel.

 essentially this

 

seriously if it weren't for nato there wouldn't be any point to writing a scene at all

 

anyway i'll try to get it up by the end of this weekend, irl stuff has me by the scruff of my neck so yep~

[Trijhak]

Basically that. It was mostly a bunch of politics that didn't really go anywhere for any of us, in case of anyone wondering. It was mostly just us trying to negotiate peace and me deciding to make use of the fact I was now the Mask Maker for... boring things like decrees, since the war no longer had a reason to continue on my side. To sum up: nothing majorly important. Did want to hear what the Jungle & Stone regions had to say, since I did send them delegates and a messenger, but the episode ended before I received a response. Shame, since the jungle is still burning and putting it out kind of hinged on whether or not they agreed to the terms I sent them and whether they were willing to move so we avoided a double genocide by drowning. A lot of plans, but too little time to execute them all effectively, basically. Forgive me. Very little of this actually went anywhere. Wanted to make a peace speech, too. 

[Nato G]

Ofttimes, one man can get more done than many. 

[Voxumo]

You know, now that the game is over, I do have one major question that has been bothering me... Why Burnmad, of all people, did you turn against me? Ice and Water I can understand, heck even Jungle would have been understandable, but the fire region makes no sense why they turned, when they were suppose to be the region with the strongest ties to the me, even after you killed two of my skull warriors, though that was beyond either of our control as it happened before the game. I mean **** me Burnmad, I was technically one of your own people, which gave the fire region a stronger presence given one of their own was in charge of the island. It made no sense for you turn unless I did something to upset the fire region, but as far as I'm aware I did nothing. 

 

This has perplexed me the entire game.

[Bonkle]

You know, now that the game is over, I do have one major question that has been bothering me... Why Burnmad, of all people, did you turn against me? Ice and Water I can understand, heck even Jungle would have been understandable, but the fire region makes no sense why they turned, when they were suppose to be the region with the strongest ties to the me, even after you killed two of my skull warriors, though that was beyond either of our control as it happened before the game. I mean **** me Burnmad, I was technically one of your own people, which gave the fire region a stronger presence given one of their own was in charge of the island. It made no sense for you turn unless I did something to upset the fire region, but as far as I'm aware I did nothing. 

 

This has perplexed me the entire game.

On a semi-related note, the OP says ties between the Fire Region and Mask Maker soured for reasons only known to them. Were you guys ever told specifically what those reasons were?

[Nato G]

I would assume it's the 'killing two skull warriors' thing Voxumo just mentioned.

[Voxumo]

I would assume it's the 'killing two skull warriors' thing Voxumo just mentioned.

Exactly. Though Soured does not equal destroyed. In the long run Burnmad would have more influence and more pull with someone from his home region than someone from a region his fought against so long ago.

 

For clarification burnmad apparently entered the ancient city trying to steal something, though my skull warriors managed to stop the attempt but not before two of them were killed by the mask of fire... I'm pretty sure this is what it was as I don't have the pm any longer.

Edited July 16, 2016 by Voxumo

[Nato G]

Of course, since we now know that the Skull Warriors are servants of evil, perhaps Burnmad actually did us all a favour...

[Voltex]

 

I would assume it's the 'killing two skull warriors' thing Voxumo just mentioned.

Exactly. Though Soured does not equal destroyed. In the long run Burnmad would have more influence and more pull with someone from his home region than someone from a region his fought against so long ago.

 

For clarification burnmad apparently entered the ancient city trying to steal something, though my skull warriors managed to stop the attempt but not before two of them were killed by the mask of fire... I'm pretty sure this is what it was as I don't have the pm any longer.

 

 

I'll leave it to Burnmad to reveal what, exactly, he was trying to accomplish when those two Skull Warriors were destroyed a year ago.

 

Burnmad, if you've forgotten, it's in the third message of your private game PM.

[Trijhak]

Of course, since we now know that the Skull Warriors are servants of evil, perhaps Burnmad actually did us all a favour...

 

Correction: you may know that, but nobody else does, at least in-character. We're only allowed to act upon what we know in-character.

 

As for the Fire Region... well, Dragon.star is now in charge of the Ancient City's security because we have only two (weakened) Skull Warriors left. I did want to build up trust with them, I promised not to hide anything from them, and while it probably would have been more straightforward for an Ice-Jungle-Water alliance, there is kind of the issue of a certain leader named ToaTimeLord dying. While I did invite them to join in private once they had a new leader, they denied because they wanted to see their leader's killers die. Approaching Stone never crossed my mind, since from my point of view, they were the region most closely tied to Voxumo, due to them having the Mask Breaker.

 

There's also the presence of the Fire and Ice loyalists. That also influenced my decisions. Stone was never going to be a potential ally, and after Episode 2, neither was Jungle. That left Ice and Fire, and I was even unsure about Water for a little bit because relations did sour between me and Terrorsaur due, to well, I did sort of object to the poisoning of water. I'd already met with those in the Fire Region several times before Episode 5, so...

[Burnmad]

 

 

I would assume it's the 'killing two skull warriors' thing Voxumo just mentioned.

Exactly. Though Soured does not equal destroyed. In the long run Burnmad would have more influence and more pull with someone from his home region than someone from a region his fought against so long ago.

 

For clarification burnmad apparently entered the ancient city trying to steal something, though my skull warriors managed to stop the attempt but not before two of them were killed by the mask of fire... I'm pretty sure this is what it was as I don't have the pm any longer.

 

 

I'll leave it to Burnmad to reveal what, exactly, he was trying to accomplish when those two Skull Warriors were destroyed a year ago.

 

Burnmad, if you've forgotten, it's in the third message of your private game PM.

 

 

I haven't forgotten.

 

We were actually trying to kill you, then, too, Vox.

 

Sorry. =P

 

Anyway, there was the whole thing with that, and then there was Dragon.star's inherent loyalty to Pulse, while no one HAD to be inherently loyal to Vox.

 

As well, Pulse made it worth it to the Fire Region, as you'll see in the scene.

 

-

[Voxumo]

Anyway, there was the whole thing with that, and then there was Dragon.star's inherent loyalty to Pulse, while no one HAD to be inherently loyal to Vox.

Well... I'm so glad one person means the entire region must be... *Sighs* Mask Maker, the role with next to no inherent benefits, no guaranteed allies, and a giant freakin target plastered on your forehead from the start...

 

And to think you wanted to be mask maker Burnmad...

[Trijhak]

You did kind of have the Mask Breaker, but then he kind of got poisoned. I'm sure they would've been a willing ally.

 

Also, you did get six four Skull Warriors that obeyed your every command.

[Nato G]

 

Of course, since we now know that the Skull Warriors are servants of evil, perhaps Burnmad actually did us all a favour...

 

Correction: you may know that, but nobody else does, at least in-character. We're only allowed to act upon what we know in-character.

 

 

I do mean 'we' as in, the players. Since the game's over, and all that.

[Voxumo]

You did kind of have the Mask Breaker, but then he kind of got poisoned. I'm sure they would've been a willing ally.

 

Also, you did get six four Skull Warriors that obeyed your every command.

4 skull warriors isn't the same as having allies you can actually talk to and confer with... allies you don't have to question the loyalty of. Yes they may have been a stronger force than a regular protector, but they still don't compare to a full-on army.

 

And the mask breaker would have been nice if they hadn't died so soon into the game.

[Voltex]

EPISODE 10 WILL BE POSTED LATER TODAY.

[Voltex]

 

EPISODE 10

LOST

 

-JUNGLE REGION-

-JED-

 

The Skull Warriors were staring at him.

 

Kingslayer, they seemed to whisper, their red eyes gleaming pinpricks of light inside their sockets. Kingslayer.

 

He was unable to repress the shudder.

 

Still struggling to breathe in the smoky air, he leaned down and ripped the Golden Mask of Skull Spiders off of Voxumo’s face. He briefly contemplated putting it on, before determining that his current position was still precarious at best – the less attention he drew to himself, the better.

 

Both of the Skull Warriors followed him as he snuck back towards the Ancient City, carrying the corpse of Voxumo the Usurper between them. Uncertain regarding their motives, Jed tried to ignore the fact that they were present at all.

 

Sometimes it was easier that way.

 

-ANCIENT CITY-

-DALLIOR-

 

He was standing next to Pulse when the Mask of Time shuddered in his grip. As he glanced down at the golden mask, he could have sworn that he heard it hum; however, a quick glance around told him that nobody else had heard the sound. Even Pulse, right next to him, seemed to be entirely unaware of it.

 

When his gaze lifted back to the Jungle Region, he recognized the faint, glimmering outline of the beacon that had lit the sky to indicate the Temple of Time. Again, the rest were oblivious; it seemed that only he could see it.

 

He backed away slowly, not wanting to disturb Pulse or the others. When none noticed, he swiftly turned and raced away towards the jungle, passing Jed and the Skull Warriors without sparing them a second glance. The instant his feet touched the edge of the region, he felt the Mask of Time vibrating more harshly in his hands, almost pulling itself towards him.

 

Does it… want me to put it on?

 

With one trembling hand, Dallior removed his mask – and immediately stumbled back as the Mask of Time fixed itself to his face in its place. Before he had even fully realized what was happening he was already staggering deeper into the jungle, pulled along by the Mask of Time. He could hear torches burning and the clashes of swords on bones, the cries of Protectors fighting in battle. Despite the warmth of the Jungle Region, he felt the chill that reached his bones.

 

Fighting against the urge to take the Mask of Time off, Dallior leaned on a tree for support as the world began to shift and turn around him. In the back of his head he could feel a presence calling to him, pulling towards him and latching on; he felt energy draining from his body as a swirling vortex of crackling blue energy spiralled into existence in front of him, and several incomprehensible shapes began to appear.

 

-JUNGLE REGION-

-SMOKE MONSTER-

 

With the path into the Ancient City clear, Smoke Monster searched for Voxumo, to let the Mask Maker know that they could proceed.

 

What he found instead was the two Skull Warriors picking up a heavily burned corpse, and beginning to carry it across the bridge into the Ancient City… accompanied by a Protector of Water.

 

No, he thought, grief and fury flooding through him. No, no, no!

 

-ANCIENT CITY-

-PULSE-

 

Upon Jed’s return, Pulse had sent the Skull Warriors to prepare Voxumo for burial before looking for Dallior – only to find himself unable to find the Protector of Earth. The Mask of Time had vanished with him, and Pulse’s worry was growing; unfortunately, he could not afford to worry about Dallior at this point in time. Having Jed send out the Skull Spiders to search for the missing Ruler of Earth, Pulse set his mind to other matters.

 

“Burnmad,” he said, turning to the Ruler of Fire as the two Skull Warriors returned. “I’m sending you to lead a delegation to meet with Zatth and Smoke Monster. You’ll offer them our terms, and hopefully we can continue on to peaceful negotiations here in the city.”

 

“Very well,” Burnmad replied, speaking softly. “May I ask what the terms I shall be presenting are?”

 

Pulse handed him a missive. “It’s all listed here.”

 

“Very well. Who shall accompany me?”

 

“The Skull Warrior with the Mask of Truth,” Pulse replied, as that very Skull Warrior reappeared. “It will be able to sense if they lie – and if necessary, force the truth out of them. I dislike using it, but the situation is too dangerous to leave up to trust and chance right now.”

 

Burnmad nodded, looking satisfied. “Very well. I shall go now.”

 

As Burnmad left, Pulse turned to Terrorsaur and FF. “The negotiations will be held here in the Ancient City – I invite both of you to attend with the other leaders, so that we can all sit down and talk this out. If Dallior can be found, he too shall be there.”

 

“I would be willing to come,” FF told him. “My region has suffered very little in this conflict, and I would be willing to spare additional guards and workers if necessary.”

 

Nodding gratefully, Pulse moved onto his next worry. “Do either of you know the location of Nato?”

 

They both shook their heads.

 

“You’d think a trickster like Nato wouldn’t miss the death of the Usurper,” Pulse murmured, “especially given to how opposed he was to Voxumo’s rule. Terrorsaur, you know him best – where do you think he is?”

 

The Ruler of the Water Region shifted uncomfortably. “If I know him, he would want to be right at the center of the action. He may have headed for the Temple of Time; that would explain why the beacon disappeared. You saw it fade out?”

 

“Alright,” Pulse said, pausing to gather his thoughts before continuing, “here is my plan, then. Once we have found Dallior, we will use the Mask of Time to summon the Temple back to its proper location. I want to summon the heroes of legend, and that can only be done if we have the Temple of Time.”

 

Terrorsaur snapped his fingers and turned to Jed. “That reminds me – Jed, I have an apology to make. I’ve been secretive and apathetic towards you for many years, believing that you were more loyal to Voxumo than you were to the rightful Heir. For that, I am sincerely sorry – and I would like for you to keep the Golden Mask of Skull Spiders in your possession as my thanks.”

 

Jed did not reply beyond a nod, still concentrated on searching all over the island through the Skull Spiders.

 

Drawing the attention back to himself, Pulse spoke once more. “There is also the matter of the Masks of Ice and Earth. Neither of them could be found; somehow they have disappeared.”

 

FF shrugged. “I only became the leader of my region very recently, and the old Ruler did not share much with me out of spite. It is possible that I simply did not know where to look – and the Earth Region has been abandoned for twenty years. I would not question why the Mask of Earth could not be found; I would question why the Mask of Time was.”

 

-JUNGLE REGION-

-BURNMAD-

 

Pulse had asked him to visit the enemy with only a Skull Warrior and two Protectors of Fire for company.

 

Burnmad would not be so foolish – he still had not heard back from the messenger he had sent to Smoke Monster, and he very much intended on learning the details of their fate… and what had become of them would very much influence his plans for the Jungle Region.

 

He sent several Protectors to begin putting out the smaller fires nearby upon their arrival, but left the larger ones to burn. Joined by fifty guards and a Skull Warrior, he knew that he made for an imposing sight – and as such, was not surprised when Smoke Monster, Zatth, and Tekulo all met him under guard of many beasts still controlled by Tekulo.

 

“I bring terms from the Mask Maker Pulse,” Burnmad told them. “He offers to meet with Zatth, Smoke Monster, and the other Rulers in the Ancient City to settle on a more formal arrangement, but this is the message he has given to me.”

 

He pulled out the missive and began to read off of it. “Terrorsaur is willing to put out the fires in the Jungle Region in exchange for amnesty from his crimes against both Jungle and Stone. He requests that the population and armies of both Jungle and Stone move to the Earth Region while this is done, to avoid any Protectors dying in the flood that will be necessary to extinguish the fires.

 

“The Mask Maker wishes for Zatth and Terrorsaur to make amends, and also asks that Zatth allow for the Water and Fire Regions to help with rebuilding the Stone Region. All water shipments to Stone will continue to be handled and purified by the Fire Region.

 

“He extends a formal pardon to all three of you for any crimes of yours that Pulse himself is aware of. He also informs you that Voxumo has been relocated for a proper burial, and that the Skull Warriors and Skull Spiders are now under his grace’s control. All terms presented are nullified if anyone in the delegation is killed.”

 

He looked to each of them in turn, awaiting their responses before pressing with his own thoughts.

 

Tekulo was the first to respond, looking and sounding depressed. “I’ll accept them. With old Voxumo dead… heh. I don’t have any reason left to fight.”

 

“I will also accept the terms,” Zatth said quietly. “I will continue to act as I have always done – to benefit the people of my region.”

 

Noting that Smoke Monster seemed content to remain silent – and that the Skull Warrior was growing tense – Burnmad moved forward. “I also want to know what happened to the messenger I sent to the Jungle Region recently. He was given orders to meet with Smoke Monster and Tekulo, and present them with terms for peace… and he never returned.”

 

“During our meeting, a Skull Warrior interrupted us,” Tekulo replied. “It bound the Protector and took him to Voxumo, who executed him.”

 

The Skull Warrior next to him growled, shaking its head – Burnmad frowned. “My Skull Warrior appears to disagree with you. Why do you lie?”

 

He knew the question did not need to be asked; with the lie, Tekulo had already confirmed what Burnmad had already suspected.

 

“I’m sure I have my reasons,” Tekulo replied, this time smiling.

 

“I must press for further explanation,” Burnmad said.

 

“You want the truth?” Smoke Monster asked, speaking up for the first time. “I killed your Protector. While meeting with him, we were indeed interrupted by a Skull Warrior, one bringing Voxumo’s latest plans – and the Protector heard them as well. I couldn’t risk the Fire Protector going back to you and sharing our plans, and unless he returned to you unharmed, you had already threatened to burn down our region. Besides, the burning had already begun.”

 

“The burning began because my Protector took too long to return, and I suspected the worst,” Burnmad told him, forcing down his fury. “You are lucky that I am loyal to Pulse, for he wishes you to meet with him alive, else I would burn you and Tekulo where you stand. Let us return to the Ancient City, and let us negotiate in proper.”

 

But if you step one foot out of line, Smoke Monster, ever… I shall burn your region to the ground, and all of Jungle shall become mine.

 

-?-

-NATO-

 

The cloudy greyness in between darkened, sparking and rolling with thunder as the world slowly faded back into view.

 

In the depths of the Temple, the machine sputtered before quietly deactivating.

 

The land before him was a barren wasteland, decayed and dead. The jungle was naught but a stretch of devastation, and where the Fire and Water regions would be in the distance, he saw only smog and smoke.

 

In the center of Okoto, where the Ancient City would be, swirled a dark tornado, crackling with lightning.

 

Down below, outside the Temple, an army waited for him. He recognized once more the colors of the six tribes of Okoto, but this army... its members were decayed, little more than hunched skeletons, staring up at him with dead eyes. Skull Warriors roamed their ranks, as well as other, similar creatures that he did not have names for.

 

At the head of the army stood a larger skull creature, standing twice as tall as the Skull Warriors and wearing the Mask of Creation upon its face.

 

Well… he thought, fear racing through him.

 

“Close the gate!”

 

As his Protectors barricaded the front entrance, Nato returned to the parapet, and yelled a greeting to the taller skull creature that appeared to be the commander of the army wearing the Mask of Creation down below.

 

The enemy leader did not respond.

 

In silence, it began to walk towards the Temple.

 

The army behind it followed, shuffling, also silent.

 

Screw this, Nato thought. He raced back down to the machine and pulled the lever to reactivate it, not even caring where he would end up so long as it wasn’t here and –

 

-the machine sparked and flickered, but did not activate.

 

He could feel a chill in the air.

 

Darn it, Rollor, why-

 

Returning to the parapet, he found that the Skull Leader had crossed half the distance, as had its army; the closer they got, the more the temperature seemed to drop. As the four other Ice Protectors and five Fire Protectors re-joined him, Nato said to them, “we need to figure out when we are. Is this some apocalyptic future, or are we still in the past?”

 

One of them was about to respond when the enemy down below reached the Temple, the Skull Leader still staring impassively up at them.

 

“It’ll be okay, right?” one of the Fire Protectors asked, sounding uncertain.

 

“Yeah, of course,” an Ice Protector said. “That shield, it protected us before.”

 

Nato watched as the Skull Leader reached out with one hand, and placed it on the outer wall - the field of temporal energy that once shielded them from Voxumo shimmered and rippled as its hand passed through, before shattering into nothing at all.

 

One of the more skeletal Protectors grabbed onto the wall.

 

It began to climb.

 

“…how many of you have ranged weapons?” Nato asked.

 

“None,” a Fire Protector answered, voice shaking. “Your Ice Protectors have their saw shields and short swords… we have two torchers apiece.”

 

“Grab all of our supplies,” Nato ordered. “Burn them and drop them on the dead.”

 

A quick search got them twenty additional torches; burning the rest of their supplies and dropping them on the Undead Protectors climbing the walls managed to delay the arrival of the first wave, but it did not last for long, as the Undead began to clamber over each other, their speed increasing as they twitched and shuddered.

 

And then the army of the dead was upon them.

 

Armed with only torches, shields and swords, Nato and his Protectors fought with everything they had, refusing to let the Undead up onto the parapet – but Nato knew that they could not hold it for long, as the Undead came at them again and again.

 

This can’t last.

 

Activating the Mask of Speed, he raced back towards the beacon. He tripped halfway through and fell flat on his face, cursing as the small delay cost one of the Fire Protectors their life, but he did manage to activate the beacon.

 

The beacon flickered and sputtered to life before shining into the sky, blaring through the stormy gray clouds that were so dark that they had cast the entire island into an eternal night. He could feel the Temple shifting in place, as though settling down; but it also hummed with a mystical energy, and the Undead slowed down just enough that his comrades were able to hold the line until he returned.

 

But the Undead’s numbers were unending, and even with the beacon lit, this fight would not last long.

 

At the sight of the beacon, the Skull Warriors down below approached the barricaded entrance. They did not climb; instead, fueled by a dark energy that caused him and his remaining comrades to shudder from its corruption that threatened to engulf them even from down below, the Skull Warriors began to hammer at the entrance.

 

Powered by the dark energy, their strikes caused the entrance to crack.

 

“Time to retreat – fall back to the beacon,” Nato ordered.

 

As they fell back to the beacon, the Undead began to slow, until finally upon arriving at it, Nato and his comrades were faster than the Undead. Still, though, he could hear the barricaded entrance cracking and crumbling – and then he heard it shatter.

 

This keeps going from bad to worse to worst.

 

Four Skull Warriors soon came into view, and Nato knew that more were coming. Dread filled him as he prepared to fight them off, but as they drew closer to the beacon, four spikes of bright energy lashed out, reducing all four Skull Warriors to ash. Briefly filled with triumph, Nato was about to try using the Mask of Speed again when circumstances again took a dive, and he saw a massive, dark shape fly up into the air. He felt the Temple shudder as the commander of the army landed - they had clearly sensed their Skull Warrior's destruction, and now came to deal with him themselves.

 

Hoping that the beacon would destroy the Skull Leader as well, Nato continued to focus on the Undead – but as the Skull Leader approached, it became clear that the beacon did not affect it like the Skull Warriors. Indeed, it seemed to feast on the energy, the dark corruption surrounding it absorbing the light and turning it into shadow.

 

Growing desperate, Nato threw a torch at it; the torch was batted aside without a second glance.

 

The Mask of Creation glowed on its face, and a massive sword shimmered into existence in its hand. It would be upon him in seconds.

 

Nato backed away, but was forced to stop as the beacon’s touch scorched him. One of his Ice Protectors stood between the Skull Leader and himself; they were cut down like butter, the creature's sword slicing clean through the Ice Protector's sword.

 

He did not have time to mourn the loss - the Undead Protectors were beginning to overwhelm his comrades now, and more Skull Warriors were approaching, protected from the beacon by the creature that led them.

 

“Fall back!” Nato yelled, his voice hoarse. “We have to jump! Go!”

 

He raced to the edge of the Temple and did just that, followed by the remaining Protectors; one of the Fire Protectors was swarmed upon landing, but the rest managed to stumble after Nato as he raced towards where the Water Region would be in the distance.

 

As they ran, the ground erupted before them to reveal a massive skeletal spider - history books called it the Lord of Skull Spiders. It carried the Golden Mask of Skull Spiders in its talons and was headed for them, followed by thousands of Skull Spiders.

 

Preparing for the end, Nato raised his sword, yelling a battle cry as he charged them – only to pause in disbelief as the Skull Spiders began to throw themselves at the Undead, continuing to buy them time. The Lord of Skull Spiders pressed the Golden Mask of Skull Spiders into his hand; replacing the Mask of Speed, Nato immediately felt a connection link his mind to the horde; the Skull Spiders were his.

 

Knowing it would not be enough, he followed the urging of the Lord of Skull Spiders, and continued to run; the Skull Leader and Skull Warriors were approaching them again.

 

It appeared that they cared little for the Temple itself.

 

Feeling some instinct from the Golden Mask of Skull Spiders guiding him towards the Water Region, Nato continued to sprint in that direction. As the Lord of Skull Spiders fell back to protect them from the rear, he saw a cave up ahead. Doing a quick headcount, he found that the three remaining Fire Protectors held torches, while the four remaining Ice Protectors wielded swords.

 

That would have to be enough – he charged into the cave.

 

The undead appeared to be almost never-ending; even with the also seemingly endless horde aiding him and the Lord of Skull Spiders at their backs, every member of the party was still fighting off the undead as they raced through the dark tunnel, until they came to a thin stone bridge barely long enough for them to run across one at a time.

 

It crossed a massive, bottomless chasm - as Nato began to race across it, Skull Spiders and Undead alike began flinging themselves through the air; the Undead aiming for Nato and his comrades, the Skull Spiders still protecting them.

 

As he sprinted across the bridge, several Undead managed to grab ahold of different members of the party; reacting instinctively, all but one  of the Ice Protectors were able to throw them into the abyss, and the final Undead was handled easily by the Lord of Skull Spiders.

 

Rollor still watched over them in some capacity, Nato thought, as he and the rest made it to the other side without losing another member. Deeper into the tunnel system they ran, still fending off the Undead.

 

He could see a light at the end of the tunnel.

 

Nato and the six remaining Protectors in his entourage stumbled into a cavern lit by torches lining the walls.

 

The first thing he saw was another giant skull being with massive antlers growing out the sides of his head. He stepped towards them, the cave floor shuddering underneath him, wearing the Mask of Control. They watched as a green winged creature attached itself to his back; he drew a massive bow made of bones and aimed an arrow at the cave behind them. As the Lord of Skull Spiders burst forth he let it loose, and they watched as the arrow flew straight and true, embedding itself in the chests of three Skull Warriors.

 

The titan now drew a large axe and moved to hold off the Undead alongside the Skull Spider horde and the Lord of Skull Spiders, leaving Nato to observe what appeared to be roughly one hundred Protectors in total from all six regions - and the familiar golden form of Ekimu, who wore what Nato knew from carvings and descriptions to be the upper half of the Mask of Time.

 

He had traveled to the future… of Ekimu’s time. But for him, he was still trapped in the very distance past of his own – and, more troubling, a past that Okoto apparently held no records of in the present day.

 

Before Nato could speak, Ekimu stepped forward.

 

“Time is short, my friend, but there are things you must know,” he said.

 

Nato listened with disbelief to what the last Mask Maker had to say.

 

It had been fifty years since his last visit; the “Long Night” had taken up ten. Ekimu had a plan ready to seal away the corruption and everything that came with it indefinitely; but the magic involved was built upon the unity of Okoto as a whole.

 

While Ekimu estimated that there were a thousand Protectors still alive in total, the hundred here with him had pledged to take on the role of the self-proclaimed "Knights of Ekimu", an order that would dedicate themselves to ensuring the unity of Okoto no matter the cost, to prevent the long night.

 

“At some point in time, the Knights will fail,” Ekimu told him, “as the Skull Warriors will begin influencing the Mask Makers – but in your time period, they must still exist in some form. I shall pass down orders through the generations for the Knights to find you and your four companions, upon your return home.”

 

Nato nodded. “Anything else?”

 

“Thanks to your presence and usage of the Temple of Time, my Mask of Time appears to be reacting to itself from your own time frame,” Ekimu explained. “Someone on your end must be wielding it and unknowingly helping us from their end.”

 

“You can send us back, then?” Nato asked.

 

Ekimu nodded, gesturing to the Skull Titan. “Umarak here can help us with the Mask of Control, and I will be able to send you and four of your companions directly to the future – or rather, your present. But….”

 

“But?”

 

“It will have to be fueled by the lives of two of your other companions,” the Mask Maker said, “and you will obviously have to leave the Golden Mask of Skull Spiders behind.”

 

Turning to his companions slowly, Nato took a deep breath. “I’d like to take two of Ice and two of Fire back with me.”

 

“I shall stay,” one Fire Protector murmured, stepping forward.

 

“As shall I,” one of the Ice Protectors replied. “No offense, but I would prefer a good death here than to return to a situation that is almost as hopeless as this one here.”

 

“Very well,” Ekimu said, clapping his hands together. “Any final questions, Nato, before you return home?”

 

“Just one,” Nato responded. “Where is Makuta?”

 

Ekimu’s face darkened. “He crafted a Mask that brought only calamity.”

 

Nato nodded. “Alright. Then I think it’s time to go… thank you, Ekimu, and good luck.”

 

“Good luck to you as well,” the Mask Maker murmured.

 

Working with Umarak, Ekimu activated the Mask of Time. Nato could feel the pull as the gateway opened; a swirling vortex of cerulean blue, sucking him towards it. The two volunteers eroded, bursting into particles as small as sand as their life force was sucked away; he and his remaining companions stepped inside.

 

-JUNGLE REGION-

 

He stepped out into the Jungle Region of Okoto, flanked by two Ice Protectors and two Fire Protectors, to see Dallior alone, wearing the Mask of Time. The Protector of Earth’s regular mask lay discarded on the ground nearby.

 

Of the ten Protectors that seized the Temple of Time before the late Voxumo could take it, five had returned home.

 

“We’re back,” Nato muttered, sighing with relief and fighting back the exhaustion that threatened to overwhelm him. “Better late than never.”

 

Dallior removed the Mask of Time as the gateway closed, replacing it with his ordinary mask before exclaiming, “Nato! Where have you been?”

 

“It’s a long, crazy story,” Nato replied, “and not one that I think anyone shall believe. But I have to try. I need to speak to Pulse. I have learned things that they need to know.”

 

-ANCIENT CITY-

-PULSE-

 

He looked over the paper before nodding to himself and passing it on. Dragonstar, Jed, Terrorsaur, and FF all nodded their approval before passing it back to him. Pouring some wax onto the sheet, he pressed his seal into it, marking the words on the paper as official Okoto law.

 

The first decree of the Mask Maker Pulse:

 

Until the Mask Maker Pulse has any heirs of his own, if ever, the following will be treated as the next-in-line for the position of the Mask Maker in the event they can prove they are able to forge Masks of Power:

 

Dallior, Ruler of Earth (should he reappear)

Dragon.star, Trader of Fire & Head of Security of the Ancient City

FF, Ruler of Ice

 

Should none of these heirs prove that they are able to forge masks before the Mask Maker's death, then the Mask Maker will try to teach them how. Should the Mask Maker die before that, improvise - summon and ask the Toa, ask the wisest person you know, look to the stars, look into the abyss, create a temporary council, led by virtue of Something Else. The Mask Maker has faith in You, and faith in the Six Regions.

 

 

 

Addendum: Should any region's rulers wish to be added to the line of succession, make your way to the Ancient City, request an audience with Mask Maker Pulse and the other potential Heirs, and attempt to forge a Mask of Power.

 

He sat back, satisfied but weary, and glanced up at the others.

 

“Let us see how Burnmad’s delegation is proceeding ourselves. There is much work still to be done.”

 

END OF EPISODE 10

END OF BZP’S GAME OF THRONES: SEASON 1

 

NOTES:

-That’s it – the end of the game! Congrats to BURNMAD, DRAGONSTAR, PULSE, JED, TERRORSAUR, DALLIOR,  NATO , and FF on winning  Season 1!

 

You may now discuss the end of the game, as well as suggest any ideas you might have to improve the sequel once it is released; I’ll leave this topic open for at least three days (up to a maximum of a week) before it is reported for closing.

 

And yes… I do have a sequel in the works:

 

 

I anticipate a release sometime in September or October, if time permits.

[Bonkle]

Alright, that was awesome. I'd like to thank everyone for playing and making this whole game a ton of fun. I fully expected myself to die way back in episode 3, but Rollor took me all the way to the end.
 
Anyway, here's a list of suggestions/criticism I made a while back. Pretty much everything I didn't list was done really well.
 
-Combat was unbalanced. Instead of a simple RNG roll it should be more play-by-play. Voxumo vs Jed, for example:
 
Lucina : You successfully approach Voxumo. What will you do?
 
Jed: Wrap my arms around him, attempting to pull him to the ground.
 
Lucina: You find invisible arms wrapped around you, trying to throw you to the ground.
 
Voxumo: Call for help.
 
Lucina: He yells in an attempt to attract Skull Spiders.
 
Jed: Cover his mouth.
 
You get the idea. Everything else involves a large amout of choice, and combat may be the most important part of the game, and it has little to no choice.
 
-Tag scenes with IC notes. The whole game, I was unsure if my character was supposed to know of everything that happened in scenes or not. So, tagging scenes with names of people who would be aware would be helpful.
 
-Describe areas more beforehand. I get that mystery is a large part of any Bionicle story, but it did feel unfair to Voxumo when the Temple of Time kept magically fighting back at him, almost like it was made up on the spot.
 
-Introduce stats to a sequel. Strength, speed, luck, and skill. Each region is specialized in its own way, and players could be given a few points to upgrade their stats at the beginning. Over time, different things could increase, like killing someone once would increase skill and make it easier to kill again. This could factor into RNG.
 
-Diversify trade.

 

It seems like a lot, but really most of the game was handled really well.

[Trijhak]

Now I can truly say that my region kept all of its people alive throughout the game.

 

Congratulations to all, now it's time to probably get overwhelmed by a Giant Skeleton Army during BZPGOT II.

[Nato G]

I agree with all of the points Terrorsaur's raised, and although I think I've mentioned this one to you before, offsite, it's probably worth repeating here, where everyone else can pitch in discuss.

 

The regions would probably benefit from having a role for General, a player specifically designated to supervise the guards/army, and distribution of troops for battles and so on. If that were combined with the stats system Terrorsaur's suggested, then perhaps each general could specialise in certain tactics/strategies that could also have an impact on the way RNG rolls influenced fights. 

[Voltex]

Alright, that was awesome. I'd like to thank everyone for playing and making this whole game a ton of fun. I fully expected myself to die way back in episode 3, but Rollor took me all the way to the end.

 

Anyway, here's a list of suggestions/criticism I made a while back. Pretty much everything I didn't list was done really well.

 

-Combat was unbalanced. Instead of a simple RNG roll it should be more play-by-play. Voxumo vs Jed, for example:

 

Lucina : You successfully approach Voxumo. What will you do?

 

Jed: Wrap my arms around him, attempting to pull him to the ground.

 

Lucina: You find invisible arms wrapped around you, trying to throw you to the ground.

 

Voxumo: Call for help.

 

Lucina: He yells in an attempt to attract Skull Spiders.

 

Jed: Cover his mouth.

 

You get the idea. Everything else involves a large amout of choice, and combat may be the most important part of the game, and it has little to no choice.

 

-Tag scenes with IC notes. The whole game, I was unsure if my character was supposed to know of everything that happened in scenes or not. So, tagging scenes with names of people who would be aware would be helpful.

 

-Describe areas more beforehand. I get that mystery is a large part of any Bionicle story, but it did feel unfair to Voxumo when the Temple of Time kept magically fighting back at him, almost like it was made up on the spot.

 

-Introduce stats to a sequel. Strength, speed, luck, and skill. Each region is specialized in its own way, and players could be given a few points to upgrade their stats at the beginning. Over time, different things could increase, like killing someone once would increase skill and make it easier to kill again. This could factor into RNG.

 

-Diversify trade.

 

It seems like a lot, but really most of the game was handled really well.

 

Duly noted!

 

I agree with all of the points Terrorsaur's raised, and although I think I've mentioned this one to you before, offsite, it's probably worth repeating here, where everyone else can pitch in discuss.

 

The regions would probably benefit from having a role for General, a player specifically designated to supervise the guards/army, and distribution of troops for battles and so on. If that were combined with the stats system Terrorsaur's suggested, then perhaps each general could specialise in certain tactics/strategies that could also have an impact on the way RNG rolls influenced fights. 

 

Burnmad actually suggested this near the beginning of the game, and I've been planning to include it (and merge some of the roles from this game) ever since

[Trijhak]

Did any of the diplomats or traders actually do any trading or negotiating after the first two rounds? 

 

I can't really think of anything much other than the SETA business. Of course, this is my own observation, which is kind of biased since I was also the Heir and that kind of overshadowed me being a trader.

[Nato G]

Technically, I didn't do anything at all in my official capacity as diplomat... 

[Voltex]

I'm planning to merge the Diplomat and Trader into one role, and am looking at additional responsibilities that they could take on.

[Bonkle]

So basically a new overall "PR" role.

[Voltex]

POV STATS

Voxumo - Episodes 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 07, 08, 09

 

Burnmad - Episodes 00, 01, 03, 04, 06, 07, 08, 10

Dragonstar - Episode 03

RG - N/A

Imrukii - N/A

 

TimeLord - Episodes 00, 03

Smoke Monster - Episodes 01, 02, 04, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10

Underscore - N/A

Tekulo - N/A

 

Pulse - Episodes 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10

Jed - Episodes 07, 09, 10

Terrorsaur - Episode 06

Dallior - Episodes 03, 04, 10

 

Nato - Episodes 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10

FF - Episodes 04, 05, 06, 08, 09

ToaD - Episode 08

Hero - N/A

 

Zatth - Episodes 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 07

RahiSpeak - Episode 02

Bronze - N/A

Ghidora - N/A

-

Voxumo, RahiSpeak, and ToaD all perished during episodes in which they also had a POV; of those three, both RahiSpeak and ToaD died during their POV.

 

Tekulo is the only player who survived the game to not have a POV in any episode; that said, the winners all had at least one POV section during the game.

 

Pulse & Nato are the only two players to have a POV in every single episode (and they are also, coincidentally, the two players who managed to get the most done aside from Voxumo, whose moves were sometimes represented from the viewpoints of others instead).

 

The Water Region was the only region in which every player had at least one POV throughout the game. It is also the only region to have kept all four of its players alive... and its members were responsible for most deaths in the game:

 

-Terrorsaur was responsible for (or involved with) the deaths of Bronze, RahiSpeak, Ghidora, and TimeLord

-Pulse was indirectly responsible for the deaths of RG, Hero, and Underscore

-Jed was the one to kill Voxumo

 

This marks Imrukii (executed by Burnmad) and ToaD (killed due to his inactivity by his own selfish actions) the only players not to fall at the hands of the Water Region, and also means that Dallior (who is actually a Protector of Earth and not a true Water Protector) was the only player in that region not to kill anybody.

 

Good grief.

[Nato G]

With the obvious exception of Timelord, I chose my allies well. 

[Bonkle]

Well, we have plenty of water to quench our regular thirst. So we all had to turn to bloodthirst.

[Rahkshi Guurahk]

My suggestion for the next game would be extending the rounds by a day, that would help for me to be able to do this.

Of course doing it when I'm actively on BZP more helps too, so this being in September may make it a moot point. =P

Was fun to both play and read, though.

[ToaTImeLord]

Fun game.

Can't wait to play again.

 

Here's a idea for next season.

I think the mask of creation should grant anyone the power to craft a mask of power.

 

This give ordinary players an edge if they some how get there hands on it.

 

 

Also when I play in season 2 my character shall either be the regenerated form of my season 1 character or the son of my character.

What ever Lucina allows.

 

Also I was killed by The Old Master not Terrorsaur he just helped in my murder.

Edited July 18, 2016 by ToaTimeLord

[Voltex]

Fun game.

Can't wait to play again.

 

Here's a idea for next season.

I think the mask of creation should grant anyone the power to craft a mask of power.

 

This give ordinary players an edge if they some how get there hands on it.

 

 

Also when I play in season 2 my character shall either be the regenerated form of my season 1 character or the son of my character.

What ever Lucina allows.

 

Regeneration no, but playing a son, absolutely.

[ToaTImeLord]

 

 

Fun game.

Can't wait to play again.

 

Here's a idea for next season.

I think the mask of creation should grant anyone the power to craft a mask of power.

 

This give ordinary players an edge if they some how get there hands on it.

 

 

Also when I play in season 2 my character shall either be the regenerated form of my season 1 character or the son of my character.

What ever Lucina allows.

Regeneration no, but playing a son, absolutely.

Oh my son will want his father's throne.

I just hope he doesn't go nuts like I did.