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It is at this time I am going to announce that I am resigning from this game. It was fun creating a character to use for all of 5 minutes. Let me know when the next game's up so I can waste my time again.

Burnmad, Tex, I'm very disappointed in you. Look at what you two have done. You've made Luroka upset, and all because you just had to keep him from betraying you. Breaking the rules and metagaming to save your own characters' skins... is this what you've come to? Apologize to Luroka. N O W.

Alright, so a couple things in response to this post first.

 

1-Luroka has a history of betraying people in other games, but especially in these games, and in Bara-Magna, his betrayal blindsided everyone he was allied to, and threw us for a loop for a couple rounds, as well as impacting the rest of our game. Now, that is exactly what a betrayal should do - but in these sorts of games you need to be able to trust the players you're allied to, and I couldn't trust Luroka.

 

2-The entire point of these games was to create a game where meta-gaming would drive the plot. It's why in the very first game I made sure to highlight the idea of the 'Backdoor PMs'; if someone learned something OOC or had OOC motivations for a move, so long as they could provide a good IC justification, it would be alright.

 

3-This really could be a part of Point 2, but I'll say it here: no rules were broken.

I do have to say I am very disappointed in both Tex and Burnmad. Trying to kill a character in a game such as this, where it can last for over a month, over such little things as "Oh he's betrayed us in the past." is childish and petty beyond the normal level of what I would expect for these games.

 

Don't get me wrong, nothing wrong with killing folks in these games, but doing it episode 1... That's just rude. Unless of course it's in self-defense, as in they attacked first, but that doesn't seem like the situation here. I'm really disappointed in your lack of an ability to separate IC and OOC. You both should be ashamed of yourselves quite frankly.

 

 

I mean frankly if such a stunt had been pulled in Bara Magna, in regards to characters I was handling, and I knew the root of the plan was based in ooc misgivings, I would have been quick to bring in npcs to prevent such nonsense.

And now a few more in response to this one too.

 

1-Is it a bit petty? Perhaps. But as I stated above, Luroka has a history of betraying people, particularly in these games, and he has a history of doing it suddenly and without warning. There was no chance that I was going to trust Luroka at his word that this time would be different, so I took steps to prevent the risk of it occurring again.

 

2-I will again reiterate that one of the major points of these games when I created them was that if you could provide appropriate IC justification for moves being made due to OOC reasons, then it was totally fine.

 

This is also the reason why I never introduced a set of hard rules. These games are meant to be as open as possible, limited only by what the players and hosts can think up. I had both IC and OOC reasons to turn on Luroka, and then I managed to give myself an opportunity to play it out.

 

3-Don't question Nato's capabilities as a host here. You haven't seen the PM, and you haven't seen how I set the scene. We were in my character's private residence, with the front door locked (three times), and in a soundproof cellar (which was also locked, using a key only my character had). The only NPC Nato could have used was Vakama, and he was chained to the wall by all four limbs and severely weak and injured already. Bringing in NPCs or causing some random event to prevent me from fulfilling my plans would have been a cheap move.

 

It also almost didn't work, and might have actually failed if Luroka hadn't quit. His character is stronger than mine, and had already managed to crack my character's mask; another solid hit would have broken it, and it's already been established by Nato that losing your mask in this game would be just as crippling as it was in canon. Had that happened, it's likely that my character would have either been imprisoned or killed, as Burnmad's character would have recognized the changing tides.

Using your own logic you could argue that metagaming is what you did.

I did that a lot in BZPBM and a little in S2 of BZPGOT but with info form backdoor PMs from that game. Using past game experiences is unjustifiable. They are separate from each other.

I played menatly deranged rulers in BZPGOT.

I then played a ruler with a bad temper but good intentions.

I'm now a military leader in a lesbian relationship.

 

People make different characters for different games.

 

In short metagaming is good if it uses OOC information relating to the game your in. I wouldn't call Voltex or Burnmad names over what they did. I just think they stepped out of line a bit.

 

I had to give my point in the subject.

It's done.

Can I get one of those Mata Nui rocks?

Edited by Chief TimeLord of Tesara

Hey I got a Flickr because I like making LEGO stuff.

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I had to give my point in the subject.

No you didn't

 

 

 

luxS5Mb.png

As a individual who has been accused of unlawful metagaming before, yes I wanted to give my point.

I feel a line was crossed, but I don't think you guys should be insulted for it. If I was in your situation I probably would have done the same thing and be insulted just the same.

 

I don't want to continue to beat the dead horse any long. I've said my piece on the subject and let's move on.

Edited by Chief TimeLord of Tesara
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In light of just how much stuff you guys have been doing this episode, I think I'm going to have to call an end to it here. Some PMs might be able to continue a little longer while I'm writing the episode; I'll let those groups know once I've caught up on all the new notifications I've just woken up to. 

 

I've been collecting PMs into a word document as I go, so with any luck, I'll be able to edit that all down and post the completed episode sometime later today, and then Episode 2 can start shortly after that. Players who are still in-transit somewhere right now will arrive at the beginning of next episode. 

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Embers - a new Bionicle Epic - Coming 2024 

Class Is Out - A Farewell To Corpus Rahkshi - Chapters/Review

BZPRPG Characters - Minnorak, Kain, T'harrak, Savis, Vazaria, Lash

BZPRPG Mercenary Group - The Outsiders - Description - History - Base

Ghosts Of Bara Magna - Ash Tribe - Precipere - Kehla, Somok, Skrall, Gayle, Avinus, Zha'ar

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But... But... The Chikt chikt...

That would make a good cliff-hanger to end the episode on, at least. CLEANITALLITMUSTBECLEANED

Edited by Rahkshi Guurahk

-Rahkshi Guurahk
GENERATION 3: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation. Social experiment.
If I actually tried putting all the stuff I like on here, the sig would burst.

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I haven't done a whole lot. But considering where I am at, perhaps a lot more is about to occur.

 

And Nato, I have edited my last PM.

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A RUDE AWAKENING - A Spherus Magna redo | Tzais-Kuluu  |  Pushing Back The Tide  |  Last Words  |  Black Coronation  | Blue Man Bound | Visions of Thasos   ن

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Can TimeLord and I finish our scheming? We haven't done nearly enough to last two in-game hours.

 

Preferably not. I'm already going to have to cut/edit a lot of conversations in order to bring the episode down to a length where BZP hopefully won't cut it off. I don't really need to add to that workload with even more conversation. 

 

Just because there was a two-hour gap in-game, doesn't mean you need to try to write an actual two hour's worth of dialogue. 

Embers - a new Bionicle Epic - Coming 2024 

Class Is Out - A Farewell To Corpus Rahkshi - Chapters/Review

BZPRPG Characters - Minnorak, Kain, T'harrak, Savis, Vazaria, Lash

BZPRPG Mercenary Group - The Outsiders - Description - History - Base

Ghosts Of Bara Magna - Ash Tribe - Precipere - Kehla, Somok, Skrall, Gayle, Avinus, Zha'ar

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Aight. That's fair.

My last comment will work as a the end of the conversation.

 

 

Also are there Rahi dragons and can they be trained? I'm asking for a friend.

Edited by Chief TimeLord of Tesara

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Episode 1 – Broken Koros (Part 1)

 

-Elittra-

Elittra, Kuan, Grav, Nahaki

 

Smiling to herself, Elittra watched as the two Kewa birds fluttered away from her window. When they were gone from sight, she gave a quick command to Nato, and he too took off into the open air.

 

Once that was done, Elittra wasted no time in summoning her fellow leaders to meet her at her private residence. Kuan was the first to arrive, followed seconds later by Grav, but she stopped them both at the door.

 

“Pets outside,” she snapped, “This is where I live. I don’t need any accidents happening.”

 

Kuan, who hadn’t even brought his pet along, gave her a strange frown and continued on inside. Grav just rolled his eyes. “Dampsad is not some oversized poultry. He knows not to make a mess on your carpet.” With that, he and his Kavinika entered as well. Nahaki was the last to arrive.

 

“Come in, come in,” Elittra beamed.

 

Nahaki bowed respectfully as she entered. "Great Turaga Elittra, you have vital information to share? I must tell you that I have also come across something important, though undeniably, whatever you have to share is far more important, Turaga." She glanced uncertainly around the room.

 

"I am happy that you respect me so, my dear,” Elittra touched her hand to Nahaki's left shoulder, and trailed it across the back of her neck to her right, and then down her arm to her wrist. “But please. Call me Elittra. We should be... close, should we not?" Before Nahaki could respond or react, Elittra had reached up to cup her cheek. "Find yourself a chair, won't you? Get comfortable while I welcome the others."

 

Making no effort to conceal how uncomfortable she was feeling, Nahaki sat herself down in the chair that was furthest from Elittra, while Grav and his Kavinika sat down as well. As she waited for Kuan to take his seat, Elittra cast a delighted smirk in Nahaki’s direction.

 

Oh yes, she was going to be very fun.

 

-Smoke Monster-

Smoke Monster, Iaredios, Onaku, Erihapeti (until exit)

 

“Diplomat Onaku, let us ask Ko-Koro what they would like for their ice.” Turaga Iaredios commanded, before moving on to a newer, stranger subject. “Salt is very valuable. Let us begin harvesting this precious resource! Smoke Monster, should I send you to establish a mining camp at one such area, or should I ...do it another way?”

 

Smoke Monster did his best not to sigh.

 

His biggest gripe with Iaredios had always been that the man never knew when to stop talking. It wasn’t that his ideas were bad, per se. Most of them were very good. The ice thing just now had been a decent suggestion, with plenty of useful applications. The problem was, that was a long-term plan, as was this salt scheme. Iaredios was overlooking the more pressing, short-term issues in favour of his grander schemes.

 

Of course, Smoke didn’t say any of this out loud. Instead, he simply said, “I'm willing to go to the surface to get salt, if needed.”

“Should we look into harvesting salt from the sea itself?!” the inspired Turaga continued, “If we could de-salinate ocean water, we might be able to both have salt and another source of water. I may have to look into this.” Suddenly he paused, his wild eyes alight with inspiration, “I demand we make sunglasses for all earth people!”

 

Sunglasses, or ‘Sun Goggles’, as they were usually referred to, where an ingenious little invention that had allowed Onu-Koro’s populace to overcome their usual inhibitions regarding sunlight. Usually they were only given to diplomats and traders who had to journey beyond the tunnels. Smoke Monster hadn’t had an opportunity to wear them before, but he’d seen what they looked like, and he was sure he could definitely ‘rock’ a pair. While Smoke was pondering how awesome he was going to look, Iaredios had informed a few messengers of his intentions and sent them to the craftsmen’s caverns, with orders to make as many of them as possible for the whole village.

 

“Now my dear scout.” Iaredios finally focused his attention on Erihapeti, “We need you to snoop about and look into the disappearing Matoran of Onu-Koro.”

 

Smoke Monster relaxed a little, glad that Iaredios was finally addressing the issue of the unsafe tunnels. The mines were Onu-Koro’s lifeblood. If the metal and ore and lightstones stopped flowing to the other villages, the income of food and resources they were getting in return would also cease. And that would most likely spell the end for all of Onu-Koro.

 

“I will do as you wish, Turaga Iaredios.” Erihapeti nodded, and set off toward the miner’s barracks. As she departed, Smoke Monster noticed a messenger handing her something, but since she didn’t turn to share it with the others, he assumed it wasn’t too important.

 

“Once my crew and myself get the sun goggles, we'll make my way to the surface to start mining. I'm going to take 15 soldiers with me, if that is alright with you, Iaredios.” He declared. The Ussalry troopers wouldn’t be quite as skilled at digging as the qualified miners, but they’d have no trouble swinging some pickaxes.

 

"You may each take ten of the Ussalry.” Iaredios decided, “It is bright up there so be sure everyone going to the surface is equipped with goggles, and bring a couple spares in case a pair gets ruined. Smoke Monster, if you have confirmation of these salt cliff sightings then you have permission to begin setting up the starting stages of a mining camp. Once secured you may return to fetch workers to harvest this precious resource, and if you want, assign a lieutenant to oversee the operation so you may return to the village. Onaku, as you heard me earlier, I would like shipments of ice to be sent here by Ko-koro; you are to go there and ask what they wood like for it. If you feel it appropriate, you have my permission to bring up the salt enterprise, as salt will clear their snowy paths, but specify that we have only started this operation and currently do not have salt.”

 

He paused, considering his final words. “Mata Nui be with you."

 

-Ehksidian-

Ehksidian, Kaathe, Quin, Pahrak

 

“So...something out there is freezing the Rahi.” Ehksidian breathed, trying to make sense of the strange situation. “On one hand, it's getting rid of Nui Jaga...but what if whatever it is decides to come after us next? That's more of a pressing threat than the other Koros.” She turned to Turaga Quin. “I would suggest sending out some hunters to find out what it is, but we don't need to lose people to whatever this thing is. If it can kill Nui Jaga, it can kill us.”

 

She moved a little closer to the frozen creatures, trying to see if there was anything else she could find. The ice was melting, albeit very slowly. A thin veil of frost plastered the rock and sand around the creatures, and she could still feel intense cold radiating from the dead rahi. Whatever had frozen them had been very cold. And it had happened very recently.

 

A momentary pang of panic ran through her, but she forced herself to be rational. There was nothing else in sight. Whatever was responsible for this was gone. Perhaps not long gone, but still gone. Beside her, Kaathe frowned at a series of tracks weaving their way through the sand – the Nui-Jaga had come from the direction of Tiro Canyon, and something smaller had gone back that way at some point afterwards.

 

“We need guards to keep an eye out at all times for… something… out here.” Ehksidian finally said, addressing Pahrak.

 

"I don't exactly have troops to spare," came the Captain’s grumbled response, "but I'll see who I can convince to keep an eye out for..."  He made a vague sweeping gesture over the pack of deceased Nui-Jaga. "Anyway.  Think there's something important about that rock they look to have died protecting?"

 

The shelf of rock looked pretty unremarkable to Ehksidian. She wasn’t the most militarily-minded of the group, but she had simply assumed that the Nui-Jaga had chosen to make their stand at a spot where they couldn’t be attacked from behind.

Seeming determined to be thorough, Pahrak stepped past her, unlimbered his axe and swung it into the frost-weakened rock, easily smashing apart a signficiant chunk of the outcropping to reveal… more rock. And some sand. Shrugging, he shouldered his axe.

 

"...Whatever it is....it certainly isn't here anymore." Turaga Quin nudged one of the frosted corpses with his spear. "This unsettles me, if I am honest, but I don't know if we have the men to investigate." He stepped back from the corpse and planted his spear in the ground.

 

Glancing away from the frozen scorpions, Ehksidian spotted a messenger running towards the group, a small note clutched in their hands. They passed it over to Turaga Quin, paused to give the frozen rahi an incredulous, terrified glance, then hurried back to Po-Koro.

The group fell silent as Quin read the note. He raised his eyebrows, "As important as this is....it seems there is something even more urgent I must attend to. The leader of Ta-Koro has invited me to visit them. You all know it's important we find strong allies, especially with Ga-Koro breathing down our neck like they are currently."

 

He removed his spear from the sand. "Pahrak, Kaathe. If at all possible, investigate this disturbance. Take some men, but please not too many. The last thing I need is coming home to Po-Koro ablaze....or frozen, apparently."

 

Finally, his attention turned to Ehksidian. “I'd like you to come with me. As well as you being a diplomat, I'd like to be in Ta-Koro with someone I trust. Allies are extremely appreciated, but I shouldn't be too quick to trust them."

 

“Ta-Koro wants you to meet with them?” She replied thoughtfully, “Hm...interesting. I shall come along, then. So will Queen. She'll make it easier to get there.”

 

"Shouldn't we send you with some guards?" Pahrak suggested.  "Requesting our Turaga specifically is a bit odd, I would think."

 

“Don't worry about sending guards. I have…” she hesitated, uncertain how exactly how to phrase this, “…private protection. We need as many troops here as possible to deal with whatever is out there, right?”

 

"Alright, good.” That settled the issue for Quin, “We'll be back in a few days."

 

-Fractyl-

Fractyl, Guurahk, Shadowvezon, Azalea (until exit)

 

The Turaga and her companions made their way back to Ga-Koro, Fractyl’s limping gait going mostly unnoticed by the others. They were all used to it by now. She wiped her hand on her satchel to clean of the Tarakava residue that had collected there and then spit into it, using the saliva to clean out the gash in her Miru.

 

"There must be some way we can find out what is happening to the Rahi.” She finally said, breaking the silence, “We could prepare a team of divers and take them far out into the waters. Surely we have a few lightstones to spare."

 

“If we don’t have any to spare, I’ll talk to the traders in Onu-Koro, and get more,” Guurahk offered, casting a wary glance back towards the dead Tarakava. 

 

Azalea finally spoke up, "There's something else I want to investigate." She said. "There are whispers and rumors circling around of a possible Makuta cult rising up by the dock areas. Maybe this could be related to all of these dead Tarakava incidents? Will it be okay if I look into and confirm these stories?"

 

"That sounds like the perfect job for you, Azalea." Fractyl nodded.

 

"Thank you, Turaga. I'll report back whenever it's possible." The Scout gave a curt bow, and set off for the Ga Koro docks.

Fractyl turned back to Guurahk and ShadowVezon. "I would appreciate if we could get some more lightstones. If not, I'm willing to hear any other suggestions you may have."

 

"I see no reason why we shouldn't acquire more lightstones." Shadowvezon concurred.

 

As the trio continued to talk, they saw a Gukko bearing Ta-Koro’s colours fly by overhead. It landed somewhere out of sight, nearer to the village, and took to the air again a few minutes later. Shortly after, a Ga-Koroan messenger ran up to Fractly, bearing the note that the Gukko’s rider had delivered.

 

Fractyl unfurled the note after thanking the messenger, her keen eyes devouring every word. She mumbled something to herself and then folded the paper up again, turning to the diplomat. "Guurahk, we may have visitors from Ta-Koro soon. Looks like we'll have to postpone you going for more lightstones." To Shadowvezon, "Captain, I would like you to go ahead with preparing a ship and some divers- especially if Azalea finds anything unusual at the docks. Unless you already had prior arrangements on your schedule."

 

"Well I'll wait for them...” Guurahk said, “…this might be a bit...interesting then, considering some of the things one hears goes on in Ta-Koro these days..."

 

-Nahaki-

Nahaki, Elittra, Kuan, Grav

Inwardly, Nahaki was screaming.

 

Elittra was making Grav look positively normal-ish. It was starting to dawn on her that she was likely one of the few sane people in the entire village. Had burning down Le-Wahi truly been an accident, or the work of madmen? Did Vakama and Takua disappear because someone or something got to them - or did they simply abandon Ta-Koro of their own volition, because of people like Elittra and Grav?

 

There were rumours – horrible, terrible rumours – about Grav and Elittra. Nahaki hadn’t dared believe them.

 

Until now.

 

Of all the people there, the only one she was unsure of was Kuan. He seemed quiet, bordering on secretive. Maybe it was just because he was the village’s scout. Or maybe it was because he was keeping corpses in his hut.

 

She wondered what they thought of her in comparison. Was she too ‘normal’ for them? She just hoped this meeting would be over soon. She would’ve felt far more comfortable in Ga-Koro right now, the home of the poisoners, or even Po-Koro, the den of criminals.

 

Anywhere but here…

 

Kuan finally decided to sit down, which prompted Elittra to shut the door, and latch three different locks on it before turning to the other Matoran. She walked across the room so that she was standing behind Nahaki, placing her hands on her shoulders and massaging them gently. An involuntary shudder ran through Nahaki’s body

 

"What I'm about to share with you all is not for... sensitive ears," Elittra purred. "Even here... I do not feel that we are secure. My cellar is more secure; should any of the villages have spies listening in on us right now, they will not be able to hear us there."

 

Nahaki stood up quickly, forcing Elittra's hands off of her, and proceeded into the cellar. She was conflicted, but what choice did she have? On the one hand, this was Elittra’s cellar. On the other… if she disobeyed, what might happened to her?

 

Her apprehension only grew as she heard Elittra shut and lock the cellar door behind them as the four began their descent. Each shaky step towards the bottom of the stairs brought Nahaki closer and closer to panic. What was Elittra keeping down here?

 

At the bottom of the stairs, lit by the flickering light of several torches, was a room that might have once been utterly ordinary, but was now something awful. It was spacious, too, large enough to comfortably fit all four of the Matoran, plus Dampsad, and… someone else.

Suspended from the opposite wall, his arms and ankles bound in chains, a leather gag blocking his mouth, his body matted with dry blood, was none other than ex-Turaga Vakama. Or at least… what was left of him.

 

Elittra gently placed her hand on the small of Nahaki’s back, leaning close and speaking just loudly enough so that the trio could still hear her gleeful whisper. 

 

"Isn't he beautiful?"

 

-Toru Nui-

Toru, Daenerys, Rhialtus, Unit

 

"I-I-I don't know what happened to them, we just... we just found pieces everywhere. This is all we found." The Scout stammered.

 

The terrifying part was that this was definitely not the work of any bandit or animal. Every part of the poor Matoran – muscle, bone, clothing, armour, Kanohi, and weaponry – had been broken up into equal-sized chunks. Toru pitied the morticians who would have to deal with the grimy puzzle of reassembling the corpses for their funerals.  

 

"What abomination would do such a thing?” Daenerys’ voice came out hoarse, “Toru did you notice any sign of struggle or sign of the attacker? I pray it's a Rahi, I hate to think a Matoran would or could do this."

 

Rhialtus rubbed her temples, very obviously distressed. "This is baffling.  We're blasted Ko-Koro.  We're supposed to be the masters of avoiding death." To Toru, she asked, "Where did you find... this mess?  Perhaps the location of the massacre could offer some insight as to what, exactly, could have killed all these Matoran."

 

"Considering that everyone we found was in a neat puddle of parts, it's impossible to be sure if there was a struggle," one of the guards said, both disgusted and apologetic, "We found the bodies up in the Drifts, less than an hour's walk from here. There were a few weird footprints around, but the wind had covered up any trail we could follow."

 

"The Drifts... That's where the Muaka are.” Rhialtus mused, “But Muaka don't reduce their prey to a pile of hamburger. There should be lacerations and eaten-off chunks. There's none of that here. It couldn't have been a Muaka... unless they're implementing some new hunting strategy. Which is highly unlikely."

 

"Until we can determine more about what just happened, I would recommend issuing a ban on any civilian travel outside the village.” Toru had been thinking about how to respond to this new, terrifying problem ever since he’d found the corpses. This wasn’t a great solution, but it was all he could think of, “Whatever did this may still be out there."

 

"Good call, Toru." Rhialtus nodded, before addressing Unit, "I want you to publicly announce that until we solve this mess, the civilians are to stay within the confines of Ko-Koro.  Turaga's orders.  And Mata Nui help whoever decides that Turaga's orders aren't ones they're willing to follow."  The latter statement was uttered with a distinct chill in her voice... Turning back to Toru, she said, "Toru, I want you to launch an investigation.  Return to the Drifts, where these bodies were found, and try to find any other clues that could help us figure out exactly what happened.  And take him with you," she added, indicating the guard that had spoken up earlier. To Daenerys, she asked,

 

"Dany, babe, can you spare a few of your soldiers to go with Toru?"

 

"Yes my love. I have a group of ten he can have." Daenerys looked at the guard who had spoken and said, "Could you draw an image of what the tracks looked like? We can give it to our hunters to see if they recognise the print or seen it before."

 

"It's the Drifts," the guard frowned, "It's windy, with lots of loose, powdery snow. We could see that something else had been there - bigger and heavier than the Matoran, and walking on two legs, which was the weird part - but the tracks were unidentifiable."

 

"Due to the arbitrarily mysterious nature of our aggressor, perhaps someone should also check on our... guests... in the Kumu Islets.” Toru piped up again, “If only to make sure they're OK, of course."

 

"Another good call, Toru.” Rhialtus agreed, “For a glorified spy, you could be a Turaga." Toru did his best not to flinch at the backhanded compliment.

 

Heedless of her (hopefully) unintentional insult, Rhialtus continued, "Unit, after giving the order to stay in the village, take a boat and head for the Kumu Islets.  Observe, but don't engage.  Not just yet; we still don't know what to expect from them." Finally, she turned to Daenerys, adding, "I'll need you to give Unit two more soldiers as accompaniment.  You know, on the off chance that things go awry."

 

“Of course, my love.” Then she paused, “Why don't we take LordTime out for a flight and scout the borders of the Koro in search of the creature?"

 

Toru coughed, fighting down the urge to remind everyone that he was the village’s designated Scout. Fortunately, the Turaga was wise enough to discourage the plan.

 

"I'm afraid we can't do that right now, luv.  We have other matters to discuss after this. Besides, Toru's the one who'll be scouting the borders.  He's the scout after all. Now, unless anyone has anything further to add, report, or ask, I suggest we all go on with our tasks.  As for you," she added, indicating the guards that had come with Toru, "you're free to go home.  Get some rest."  She pointed to the guard who had given them information.  "Not you, though.  You're going with Toru."

 

“The name’s Talvi, ma’am,” he bowed, before turning to Toru, “Awaiting orders, sir.” 

 

"Gentlemen, one last bit of instruction before you go.  Toru, should you and your soldiers encounter the... thing behind this-" she gestured to the remains of the hunting party- "run.  Run as fast as you can back here.  I can't have my scout reduced to Hapaka food. And Unit, if our guests attempt to engage you, resist.  Your assignment is strictly observation.  Once you come back and report, I'll decide whether or not engagement can happen."

 

Giving his Turaga a curt nod, Toru set off towards the city gate.

 

-Erihapeti-

Erihapeti

 

Tucking away the strange letter she had received, Erihapeti set to work trying to get to the bottom of the mystery of the missing miners. Unfortunately, that was proving itself easier said than done.

 

Most of the miners she spoke to didn't seem to know anything of use, only that some of their friends were missing, and everyone else was on edge. Some of them mention that the trouble started when a new tunnel extension was opened up - although their seemed to be some disagreement as to whether the miners themselves made this new tunnel, or whether they stumbled onto an existing tunnel made by something else.

 

Either way, it sounded to Erihapeti like this tunnel might be the place to start her search.

 

Gathering up a dagger and a lightstone, Erihapeti climbed onto her Ussal, Koura, and began her explorations. At first, she found little of interest as she entered the new tunnel system. There were still miners here, but they clustered together in larger groups, surrounded by an excessive amount of lightstones, always casting cautious glances over their shoulders as they work. The air was still and quiet, save for the tapping of tools on rock.

 

But slowly, it dawned on her that these tunnels were quite unlike any she’d encountered before. They were perfectly, symmetrically round, clearly not formed by any natural motion of the earth. The surfaces were seamless and smooth, unmarred by any shovel or pick marks, save those left by the Onu-Koroan miners who'd been working in a few spots. There were side tunnels that branched off from the main shaft, but all of them curved back and rejoined the main shaft sooner or later. Even more interesting, the entire bizarre tunnel network was steadily sloping downwards. The lower she got, the colder the air grew, and the lightstones started to become fewer, and duller.

 

Up ahead, a makeshift barricade of crates and carts had been erected across the tunnel, blocking any further downward access. Four Matoran stood in front of the barricade, lightstones and picks in their hands.

 

“Why is all this here?” She asked, stopping before the group.

 

“Six of our friends have gone missing in the past few weeks,” one of them explained, “all of ‘em were working past this point when we last saw ‘em.”

 

“Lightstones don’t work properly down there, either.” Another added, “They keep fading for no good reason. Makes it hard to see what you’re doing.”

 

“We’ve blocked this off so that whatever’s down there doesn’t get up here.”

 

“I’ll let the Turaga know how bad the situation’s gotten,” Erihapeti promised the miners, turning her Ussal around and beginning the trek up towards the surface.

 

-Kaathe-

Pahrak, Kaathe

 

"Well, if you're sure. Best of luck." Pahrak waved farewell to his departing Turaga. Once they were gone, he gestured to the nearby soldiers, and two of them approached.  Turning to Kaathe, he said, "So.  This sort of thing is probably more your specialty--where do we start?"

 

Kaathe knelt down to observe the prints closer. As Pahrak raised his question, Kaathe looked over his shoulder at his fellow po-matoran.

 

"We start by following the tracks. Though Tiro Canyon is quite dangerous, something tells me we won't run into issues from the local fauna." He gestured towards the frozen scorpions. On that note he lifted himself up from the ground, and walked towards one of the frozen Jaga, withdrawing his Misericorde and attempting to pick away at the tail of one of the scorpions, chipping away at the ice. “I'd suggest we first lay claim to these stingers. Nui-jaga have a potent venom, and their stingers are quite the commodity. Best not to let such items go to waste."

 

With a few careful strokes from Kaathe’s blade, the severed stinger dropped to the sand, but no blood spurted from the wound. Even the rahi’s internal fluids were frozen. Hopefully the venom would still be useful when it was thawed out. Pleased with his success, Kaathe instructed the nearby soldiers to do the same to the other stingers. Pahrak joined in, and together the group piled their spoils into a saddlebag and placed it on one of the Dikapi, at which point one of the soldiers rode the bird back to Po-Koro to ensure the stingers – and the precious venom within them – were thawed out.

 

"Well, let's get going to Tiro. Hopefully we'll manage to get some clues as to the origins of this beastie."

 

With the five remaining riders at their backs, the Captain and Scout set off towards the canyon. Along the way, they found a few more half-frozen rahi of varying species, along with dozens more of the strange tracks, all leading towards Tiro Canyon. As they grew closer to the canyon, Kaathe noticed smaller sets of tracks interspersed among those of the larger creatures – footprints that were even smaller than his own. Strange, but there was nothing normal about what had been going on today.

 

Speaking of which… their destination lay just ahead, and he could already make out the glistening shapes of two more snap-frozen Nui-Jaga guarding the canyon mouth.

 

“I don’t like this,” Pahrak muttered.

 

"Let the guards take the lead, and we'll follow behind." Kaathe suggested. Once the guards had gotten moving, he continued, speaking loud enough for only Pahrak to hear. "I heard about our little gift from Ga-koro. Would be a shame to let that gift go to waste."

 

"Hrm.  I certainly had a few ideas on what to do with it."

 

"Well I was thinking we may share it with some of our fellow Koros, ensure they know it was a gift from Ga-koro. Maybe then we could get together with some of the other koros and get Ga-koro a proper thank you gift." Kaathe proposed.

 

"Yeah...I'd be willing to lend you a hand with that."

 

"I thought you would. Once we are done here, we should see about securing that gift." With that, he pushed through to the front of the group, eager to see what lay within the canyon.

 

-Quin-

Ehksidian, Quin

 

As they set off, flanked by seven mysterious bodyguards that Ehksidian had procured from somewhere unspecified, Quin decided to show Ehksidian the letter he’d received. A letter he could only assume had come directly from Ta-Koro’s leader.

 

By the time she’d finished reading, Ehksidian looked pale. “...I'm very uncomfortable now. I feel like a direct threat might've been a bit less...disconcerting than that. Let's, uh...get going. Yeesh, this is going to be an experience.”

 

"You see why I did not wish to travel alone, now? The last thing Po-Koro needs is their Turaga carved up like Husi stew." He took back the letter. "However, if rumors are true, Ta-Koro is strong, and like I said, we need strong allies. Even if they are so very...odd."

 

“Agreed.” The diplomat didn’t sound entirely convinced, “Even if a bit...disconcerting, we should be fine.”

 

As they walked, the group came to notice more of the strange footprints criss-crossing the desert nearby, all of them leading towards Tiro Canyon. Wisely, the group chose to give the region a wide berth as they walked.

 

“The further from that canyon we are, the better.” Ehksidian commented, “I don't want to run into whatever it is that did in those Nui Jaga. So…” she decided to change the topic, “…what do you think prompted this summon, Turaga? Especially directly asking for you in such a...uh, frankly creepy way.”

 

Quin shrugged. "Perhaps Ta-Koro knows that we're in a tough position right now. As for the weird tone of the letter, I don't know. If we go by rumors, Ta-Koro's been a very weird place to be in general."

 

-Nahaki-

Nahaki, Elittra, Kuan, Grav, Vakama

 

Letting out an audible, horrified gasp, Nahaki broke away from her demented Turaga and rushed to Vakama’s side.

 

"Turaga Vakama. Please tell me something." She knelt down beside him, and he stirred, slightly. The old Matoran’s bloodshot eyes slowly rolled open, and his fixated on Nahaki and Kuan. For a split second, Nahaki caught a glimpse of a momentary flicker of what looked like hope in them... until Vakama looked past her, seeing Elittra. He writhed, struggling against his chains. Although muffled by the gag, she could clearly hear him screaming the word 'please'. But what he was begging for was anyone guess.

 

Fighting down the urge to vomit as flecks of red spattered her mask, Nahaki mustered up enough courage to ask, "Why... why do this? What do you gain?" She could see Kuan and Grav, expressions impassive. Had they known all along? Or did they simply not care?

 

"Dear Vakama turned his back on his village, I'm sorry to say," Elittra crooned, clasping her hands behind her back, "He tried to betray me, tried to divide Ta-Koro, and turn our people on themselves. I couldn't let that happen, of course. I could not allow him to render our great people so weak. Betrayal is not something I can abide by, I'm afraid..."

 

There was suddenly a dagger in her hand, and swifter than the strike of a Doom Viper, she’d darted forward to bury it in Kuan’s back. An arc of red sprayed from the wound as Elittra tore the dagger free, and Nahaki finally succumbed to her nausea, puking all over Vakama’s feet.

 

"You betrayed me as well," Elittra’s tone was chillingly casual, as Kuan sank to his knees before her, "You learned about Vakama's fate, but did not bother to ask me why. You blackmailed me. Threatened me, the ruler that you chose."

 

With a defiant roar, Kuan struck out at Elittra, kicking her in the stomach. As she cried out for Grav to aid her, Kuan lunged again, this time hammering Elittra with a flurry of vicious punches, cracking her mask and blacking one of her eyes. Grav dutifully came to his Turaga’s aid, attempting to restrain Kuan, only for the wounded Scout to match him strength for strength, leaving the pair in an awkward grappling stalemate.

 

Taking advantage of the distraction that the scuffle had provided, Nahaki turned her attention back to Vakama, pulling away his gag. Immediately, the tormented old man began to wail, "We lied! We lied! We lied! Deceived the Toa! Thwarted destiny's design!" It was said that Vakama had been gifted with glimpses of the future, but now… with his body and mind broken by Elittra’s cruelties, his blessing had become a curse.

 

Ignoring the madman’s ranting, Kuan attempted to yank the knife from Elittra’s hand, but she managed to snatch back her hand just in time. Grav drew his blade and thrust it towards Kuan’s body, tearing a ragged gash across his ribs.

 

"Vakama... please, see what's happening before you. Help us. Stop this madness - both yours, and ours." Nahaki’s words finally got through to Vakama – his glazed eyes regained some of their focus, and stared into hers “I deceived destiny,” he whimpered, “I deserve this.”

 

"What do you mean, Turaga?"

 

"We kept our unity, but forsook our duty." He rasped, "Destiny is dead."

 

And as he spoke that final word, Nahaki heard a heavy thud behind her. Already knowing in her heart the sight that awaited her, she slowly turned to find Kuan sprawled on his back on the ground, Elittra’s blade buried in his throat. His eyes, wide with surprise, were staring at nothing. For a long, terrible moment, there was utter silence.

 

And then Elittra began to laugh.

 

End of Part 1

 

This episode is just way too long for me to hope it’ll fit neatly into a single post without BZP cutting it off, so I’m splitting it into two parts. 

Edited by Nato the Not-Great Spirit
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Episode 1 – Broken Koros (Part 2)

 

-Unit-

Unit

 

DECREE

 

BY ORDER OF TURAGA RHIALTUS

 

All citizens of Ko-Koro are forbidden to leave the village until further notice.

Our last hunting party was found eviscerated by unknown forces in the Drifts. The Sanctum Guards are already working to investigate the incident and neutralize the responsible party.

Travel outside the village is currently DANGEROUS and ILLEGAL.

This ban will lifted once your safety can be ensured.

 

Satisfied with his note, Unit headed for the docks with his two guards in tow.

 

The Kumu Islets awaited.

-Iaredios-

Erihapeti, Iaredios, Whenua

 

"Turaga Iaredios, I have gained more information about our disappearing miners, as you have requested.” Erihapeti stopped before her Turaga, offering a curt bow before she continued, “They seem to be connected to a new tunnel that nobody can agree whether or not was made by them or something else. This tunnel is strange, as it is perfectly smooth, and the further you down it, the colder it gets. Additionally, our lightstones seem to dim the further we go down as well. At the end of the tunnel, there is a makeshift barricade where our miners have started to disappear; however, it probably won't be enough to stop whatever is down there if it decides to come up."

 

That was… troubling. Iaredios considered himself a knowledgeable man, but he recognised his limitations, and knew to seek help when he needed it. "Come Erihapeti, let us go fetch Whenua and let him see if the way that particular tunnel was carved reminds him of anything. He has seen much in his life, wont hurt to try."

 

"That sounds like a good idea, Turaga." The Scout agreed, and together they set off to find the former Turaga. They found Whenua in his hut, mulling over a pile of battered stone tablets. His home was quite a modest one, containing only the bare necessities. Most of the space had been devoted to shelving for the multitude of books, scrolls, and tablets that he collects. "How may I help you, Turaga?" He asked as they drew near.

 

"Hello Whenua! I hope I am not interrupting, but we need your assistance. Could you accompany Eriha' and I? Our valued scout here has found a strange tunnel and your wisdom may help us if you were to give a personal look yourself."

 

“Strange tunnel?” Whenua turned towards them, his curiosity piqued, “Strange how?”

 

"It is completely smooth on all sides, with it getting colder and our lightstones getting dimmer the further we descend.” Erihapeti replied, “Additionally, none of the miners are able to agree upon it's origin, with some claiming that they dug it themselves, but with others saying it showed up on it's own."

 

A dark looks crossed the old man's face. "When I was younger, I believed all answers could be found in the past. I still believe the past should be our teacher." He turned to rifle through a shelf of scrolls, "But there are some questions that should never be answered, lessons that should never be taught."

 

 

He selected a tattered, ancient scroll from one of the highest shelves, and tucked it under his arm. "Show me this tunnel."

 

The two leaders wasted no time in escorting Whenua down into the mines, to the opening of the new section. Two Ussalry soldiers escorted them, mounted on their Ussals. Iaredios had also decided to affix a candle to the top of his mask. Whenua pored over the strange surfaces, his frown deepening the longer he looked. "We need to go deeper."

 

And deeper they went, Erihapeti and Koura in the lead. Whenua followed on foot, pausing every now and again to probe at the tunnel walls with his drill. "There are stories, about powers that existed before the two brothers, before this island even had a name. No one ever gave them much credence. But this tunnel... it bears a striking resemblance to something mentioned in those ancient myths."

 

 

"Hm, I see... That does sound rather odd, but also slightly ominous. If you have a recorded version of the myth, would you mind if Turaga Iaredios and I looked at it after we're done exploring this tunnel? If there's any truth in it, studying it more could provide useful."

 

"Yes, I would like analyze such records when given the opportunity. May I look through the scroll in a moment? Not only is raw information important, but so is the way it is given and said."" Talk of such creatures reminded Iaredios of other underworld heckish entities. "...would these legends of devouring underworld locusts have anything to do with other ancient legends, such as Karzanhi the Punisher or Tren Krom the Precursor?"

 

“Some myths are simply myths.” Whenua replied.

 

He made no move to hand over the scroll.

 

-Azalea-

Azalea, Tuyet (after entrance)

 

When she arrived at the docks, Azalea quickly discovered that the mood there was decidedly... subdued. When she asked why, the fisher men and women explained that they'd been catching less and less fish in the bay of late... strange, given that so many Tarakavas had been turning up dead, and even the other predators like Takea sharks and Ruki had been encountered with far less frequently.

 

 

She spoke with the captains of some of the larger boats, which regularly travelled out into the open ocean for a few days at a time, and found that they had actually been reporting better catches. All of this more or less confirmed the theory that Turaga Fractyl had brought up earlier – something new had moved into the bay, scaring the smaller fish out into the ocean, and picking off the predators.

 

In regards to the strange Makuta cult she’d been investigating, however, Azalea had found out little so far. Only a name, and a time. From what the dock workers had told them, someone named Tuyet was holding meeting every midday in an abandoned greenhouse at the furthest, lesser-used section of the docks.

 

The greenhouse in question turned out to be a drab, dilapidated affair. Wilted plants still sat decaying in their dusty pots and cobwebbed baskets, while broken glass littered the floor. Old tarps and fraying ropes dangled loosely from beams and hooks on the ceiling, turning the greenhouse into a pseudo-maze of tattered drapery. Near the far end of the structure, a few makeshift chairs had been set up, as well as what looked to be an altar of some kind, upon which sat two objects: a shiny Kolhii ball, and a rusty black mask.

 

She advanced cautiously, sweeping her surroundings for any sign of traps or cultists. At first glance, she appeared to be alone. There was no one in sight. No sound she wouldn't have expected. But then a flicker of motion caught her eye. As the breeze drifted in through the broken windows, it caused some of the tarps to move slightly. But one of them was swinging the wrong way...as if someone had recently moved it.

 

Azalea drew her sword and asked a single question to the emptiness: "Who's there?" In response, a black-hued dagger came tumbling out from behind the tarp, clattering to the floor in front of Azalea.

 

“There,” came a voice from the other side of the tarp, “I’m unarmed.” A female Ga-Matoran stepped out into view, arms raised in a gesture of surrender. A sleek, silvery mask of unknown design covered her face, and strips of cloth were tightly wound over her armour and skin, concealing most of her body from view. "I suppose you're here to put an end to my blaspheming ways? I knew someone would come snooping around sooner or later."

 

"Perhaps, but first, I want information." Azalea responded as she picked up the knife, “There have been a few... incidents as of late. Multiple dead Tarakava washing up on the shores, less and less fish being caught, and Rahi being driven out by something in the waters. Meanwhile, I've heard of a Makuta cult stirring up in these parts so, I've come here to investigate, thinking that these events could be connected to each other. Tell me. What do you know about all of this? Are they all related?"

 

"Cult," the other woman smirked, "That word has so many negative connotations. But then, so does the word 'Makuta', I suppose." Her smile waned, "In answer to your question, there are many things in this world that are related, however abstract those relations may be. And I know a great many things, but whether I'm willing to tell them to you is another matter entirely."

 

"And I guess I don't deserve to know these things you know because I rudely barged in here?" Azalea said, inching closer to the altar.

 

"It's not about deserving," the Ga-Matoran lowered her arms, "But you're right about rudeness. You've just let yourself in, threatened me with a sword, and asked me a whole lot of questions. You haven't even introduced yourself, or asked me my name."

 

Azalea sheathed her sword and stashed away the dagger. "Fine. Fine. How about this? I'll introduce myself and tell a bit about myself, while you do the same afterwards and then maybe I'll leave this place."

 

"Sounds fair," the stranger sat down on an upturned pot, "Please, go ahead.”

 

"I am Azalea, the Scout of Ga Koro. I serve no one but myself and the higher chains of command. I'm here on a mission to investigate this place to find out if there's a connection to some peculiar incidents going around this village." Finished with her introduction, she held out her hand. "Your turn."

 

"Interesting, that you should bring up the subject of servitude. I do not serve myself. I serve Makuta. I serve the island of Mata Nui. I serve life." She stood up. "As for my name... you can call me Tuyet."

 

Internally, Azalea seethed. Here she was, face to face with the leader of a cult, devoted to what was supposed to be the most evil entity to ever exist. A part of her wanted to kill Tuyet in that moment, but she wasn’t sure what the woman might’ve been capable of, even unarmed. "Before I leave as promised, what do you know about these incidents that are happening in this village?"

 

"You think I'm a monster, don't you?" Tuyet smiled sadly, "I'm sure Turaga Nokama told your people so many terrible things about Makuta, before her unfortunate passing. Most of those things were true, no doubt. But you see... for their to be light, there first needs to be darkness. And right now, this island has neither."

 

She turned towards the broken greenhouse windows, gesturing towards the bay beyond, "The dead tarakavas, the disappearing fish, that's my doing. I won't deny it." From the side, something about her head didn’t look quite right to Azalea. "But it could be far worse. I'm keeping them contained, stopping them from hurting anyone here. From what I've heard, they're already taking Matoran from the other villages."

 

"A monster? Hmm... not yet." Azalea responded. “The Rahi, right? They're taking people from other villages? Why would they do that?"

 

"Rahi? No. Nothing so... mundane. The days of mind-controlled beasts and Makuta's war on the Matoran are long gone. All that's left of that era are these... relics," she gestured to the objects on the altar. "No, this is the work a far more terrifying force." As she spoke, Azalea caught a flicker of motion from behind Tuyet’s mask. There was something on her face.

 

"You kind of lost me there.” Azalea blanched, “It can't be Rahi because those days of war are over. I don't think it can be Mata Nui or Makuta because you say you serve them. What's this terrifying force you speak of?"

 

"I'm not one to be asking," Tuyet turned back towards her, "I've seen you looking at the mask over there. Ask it. Put it on. I promise, He will tell you everything you want to know."

 

-Elittra-

Elittra, Grav, Nahaki, Vakama

 

Leaving her knife buried in Kuan's throat, Elittra forced her aching body to stand upright. Adrenaline was racing through her, blood roaring in my ears. A shiver of pleasure ran down her spine, contrasting delightfully with the throbbing pain from her bruised face. Given her injuries, it would easy enough to explain Kuan’s death as a thwarted attempt on her own life.

 

 

"You did well." She said to Grav, patting him on the shoulder.

 

"This place is a mess," came his reply, "I was planning, before all of this-" he gestured to the room as a whole "-to take an expedition of 20 guards into Le-Wahi, see if any of it can be cultivated, or if there's anything valuable sitting among all that ash." He looked across the room at Nahaki, who was still kneeling beside Vakama. He spared the withered Turaga a disgusted frown before fixing his gaze on the Diplomat. "You're welcome to join me."

 

With that, he ascended the steps, unlocking the door to let himself out.

 

 Taking care to avoid the vomit, Elittra crossed the room to stand next to Nahaki, eyeing Vakama curiously. She seemed to be making some sense of his rambling, so she decided to step back and see what other information the diplomat might be able to squeeze out of him. She placed a gentle hand on Nahaki’s shoulder, but otherwise did not interfere.

 

“What duty do you mean, Turaga Vakama?” Nahaki was asking, “What duty did they forsake?” Elittra felt a momentary thrill of anger flush through her. She was the Turaga now, not this wailing wretch!

 

"Our duty... to the past... to truth... they were supposed to be heroes... we turned them into assassins..." Vakama wheezed, breaking off when he saw Elittra.

 

"I am sorry, Vakama," Nahaki shrugged Elittra's hand off her shoulder, "I'm sorry, Kuan." She took a few steps back, distancing herself from Elittra, "I'm going to Ga-Koro - I will negotiate our water supply, among other things. I'm taking three guards as an escort, if that's okay with you,” she reached into one of her pocket, withdrawing a shiny Kohlii ball, “I think you should bury this with Kuan, as a burial gift."

 

Ellitra withdrew her knife from Kuan, and dropped the Kohlii ball beside him, before leading Nahaki back upstairs. "You'll return here as soon as your business in Ga-Koro is complete, won't you, my dear? There will be much to work on, and dear Grav may need your assistance. Do not worry about Kuan... I have someone in mind to pick up where he left off. Someone who will hopefully prove more loyal to us than he did."

 

She smiled, and opened the door.

 

"Safe travels."

 

-Quin-

Quin, Ehksidian, Nahaki

As the travellers drew closer to Ta-Koro, their conversation had steered back to the subject of the fire village’s strangeness. “…rumors aren't the best to go by.” Ehks was saying, “Then again, that letter alone...wonder why they'd word it like that. Or what kind of person would send a letter like that.”

 

"Well, you know me, I'm not usually one to go by rumors, but....it all seems like it may be adding up." If it weren’t for how desperate Quin was to keep Po-Koro safe, he probably wouldn’t have risked this. But, as things were, he had very little to lose, and plenty to gain.

 

“Yeah. Strange place.” Ehksidian agreed, “Hopefully it's just...their way of saying hello. Maybe they all talk to each other like that.”

 

"Something tells me, Ehksidian, that we might just be a special case."

 

“I don't know if being special makes me more or less worried...”

 

They could now see Ta-Koro up ahead, wreathed in smoke and shimmering heat. Just up ahead, however, was another traveler, flanked by a trio of guards. “...Is that the Ta-Koro diplomat over there? Should we...talk to them? Maybe they're the one who sent the letter.”

 

The traveler stopped before them. "Greetings and salutations, Po-Matoran! I am Nahaki, Diplomat of Vulcanus, and you are a much needed sight right now. Ta-Koro lies just over there - though I must ask that you beware of our leader, Elittra. Elittra is utterly insane."

 

"Is that why you're leaving? Your leader being crazy? Normally I would say you should have more faith...but judging by the letter Turaga Quin got that summoned us here...I can believe that. What happened though?"

 

Quin had taken a step back to let the two diplomats speak, carefully watching Nahaki’s expression as she spoke. She seemed genuinely unsettled every time she mentioned this ‘Elittra’ person. By the way she was describing her, it certainly sounded like the kind of person who’d write a letter like the one Quin had received.

 

"No... I am leaving because I on a diplomatic mission - please excuse me, I understand if you react with revulsion - Ga-Koro. As for what happened... Elittra got blackmailed. She found out who did it. He is no longer with us. She made us watch." She cleared her throat. "She also takes... likings to certain people. I believe it is solely because of that aspect of her that I have nothing to fear from her - and I doubt your friend, Quin, will either. It is quite uncomfortable. I am sure he will see - feel - exactly what I mean when he first interacts with her. When I return to Ta-Koro, I will see about negotiating between our villages - how would you like to be loaned some guards while you recover... or something along those lines?”

 

"We have protection as it currently stands. Extra guards may be nice, yes...though I don't think we'll...er, have to recover. I have a feeling as to what sort of thing you mean when liking someone and that's...an unpleasant thought." Ehksidian visibly shuddered, "Good luck with your visit to Ga-Koro. If you have water, keep an eye on it at all times. They have...well, I'm sure you know what they've done in the past."

 

Nahaki bowed in farewell, before setting off once more.

 

-Toru-

Toru, Talvi

 

Ko-Wahi was a vast, expansive, snowbound waste. The terrain was uneven, unpredictable, and unforgiving, full of hidden ravines and soaring peaks. Toru and eleven companions had no real idea where to start their search – nor did they even know what it was that they were actually searching for. The best to start was the one place they knew the quarry they sought had definitely been – the place where the hunter’s bodies had been found.

 

But in the time since Toru and the other had moved the bodies, someone else had found the site. A trio of mismatched Matoran in heavy fur coats were picking through the red-tinged snow, searching for anything useful among the discarded shards of broken equipment that had been left behind.

 

“Freeze!” Toru shouted, and to their credit, the three bandits did exactly that, once they turned around and realised how badly outnumbered they were.

 

“We didn't do this!" The leader of the band called out, "We're just looking for supplies!"

 

"Who are you, what did this, and why are you so close to the village?" Toru wasn’t interested in excuses. He wanted answers, and these three might know something of use.

 

"Pal... have you seen what's out here?" One of them scoffed, "We'd rather take our chances with you lot than with the thing that did this," he gestures to the red snow around them, "They already killed two of our friends. We didn't want to be next."

 

So they did know something. "None of what you just said answered any of my questions."

 

"We're here," another of them interjected, "because those monsters overran our camp and ate two of our friends. I've been living on the outside for a long time, seen a lot of weird things, but nothing like this. They were headed towards Mount Ihu, last we saw. They ripped apart anything in their path, but as soon as we got out of their way, they ignored us."

 

"Hmm. It's quite dangerous out here, no?” Toru taunted, “Perhaps you would like me to escort you to Ko-Koro?"

 

"So we can be locked up in nice, cozy cells, with regular meals and warm blankets?" The trio didn't take long making up their minds,

 

"Escort away.” The trio surrendered their weapons without protest. Despite their attempts at bravado, it was clear that whatever they’d encountered out in the snow had scared them to the point that they were willing to give up their freedom if it guaranteed them a safe place inside Ko-Koro’s walls.

 

What in Mata Nui’s name was out here?

 

-Grav-

Grav

Nothing. There was nothing out here.

 

Nothing at all, save for the grey ghosts of what had once been trees. But that began to change, the deeper Grav and his troops pressed into what had formerly been Le-Wahi. The ground grew damp and muddy, and small tufts of vegetation were visible amid the marsh. With the ground sucking at his boots, and his troops struggling with the weight of their gear and armour, Burnmad changed direction, directing them northward, to higher ground.

 

At this elevation, the new plant growth wasn’t smothered like it was lower down, and Grav was able to recognising some of the saplings as fruit and nut bearing plants. Of course, being only a few weeks old, it would be quite some time yet before these plants could be exploited as a reliable food source. More importantly, he could see from up here that the water grew deeper and murkier further out into the forest.

 

Deciding to explore further, he ordered his troops to assemble some makeshift rafts out of the charcoaled trees, a bizarre task that they were nonetheless able to accomplish quite effectively. With four rafts, the group left their heavy armour behind on the slope, and set off through the swamp towards the former site of Le-Koro.

 

-Daenerys-

Daenerys, Rhialtus, Toru (after entrance)

 

While they waited for Toru to return with news, the Captain and Turaga of Ko-Koro sat down to talk over tea.

 

"Those hunters, they were killed by something sentient.” Daenerys was saying, “No beast would cut up its prey like that. I do hope I'm wrong but I think a someone not a something killed those Matoran. I fear for your safety, Rhi-Rhi. I will do anything to protect you."

 

"I know you'd do anything to keep me safe from whatever it was that the hunters encountered, and I have every faith in you to do just that.  I even have a bit of faith in Toru; he'll find something out there.  And if he doesn't, or ends up dead... we can just get another Scout.” She paused to sip from her tea. “I wanted to talk with you in private because I wanted to know: have you heard anything new about the situation of Ta-Koro's military?

 

"No, nothing out of the ordinary. If your referring to the Ta-Matoran armour dummies it's because they have the best armour. If we can defeat that then lesser materials are no problem. If you meant political then yes, I feel there is tension in Ta-Koro."

 

"Hm.  If the political situation is tense, maybe we can trigger them into inciting war with us. We need a legitimate excuse to go to war with somebody, Dany.  We really do.  It wouldn't be wise to just declare a war without a good reason; the people wouldn't rally behind it.  Ta-Koro is the ideal target, because they're afraid of our new army.  And we have all the winning cards in our hand to play against them: long-range soldiers, ballistics given by Onu-Koro, the potential help of our guests... we just need an opportunity to play them. If you do hear anything else out of the ordinary happen in Ta-Koro, do let me know, won't you?"

 

A smile that could only be described as devious flickered onto Daenerys’ face. "What if we could somehow capture the thing that killed the hunters and turned it on Ta-Koro?"

 

"That'd be tricky.  You saw what the thing did to our hunting party, and they weren't even looking for it.  Imagine what it could do to whoever was actively seeking it out. Still, it's an interesting idea."

 

"I would suggest are best traps be used not actually hunt down the creature itself. Also to change the subject to something less dark. How is are adoption search going?"

 

Rhialtus sighed. "Not well, I'm afraid. Nobody I've talked to is willing to offer any children to the Turaga of Ko-Koro and her Captain of the Guard wife. They think it's natty. Absolutely natty. Not just because of our positions, but because apparently it's not proper for two ladies to get married. As if that has anything to do with it."

 

It was then that Toru returned, with the three bandits in tow.

 

"Toru? That was fast. Who are these that you've brought with you?" Rhialtus asked. Beside her, Daenerys tensed, instinctively drawing her sword, before passing a dagger to Rhialtus.

 

"Toru, may you please explain why you bring convicts before our noble Turaga?"

 

"We found them scavenging what little remained at the crime scene. According to them, these creatures have already killed two of their number and have been seen migrating to Mount Ihu after the incident. And they would much rather be inside our walls then out there with them, even if it means imprisonment."

 

"And who is the, them?" Daenerys gripped her sword tighter.

 

Before Toru could reply, a messenger arrived, carrying news from the village gate. The Onu-Koroan diplomat, Onaku, had just arrived, requesting an audience.

 

"Now what?” Daenerys whined, “Are the dead leaving their tombs or did someone have a bad dream? Rhialtus my love, I think we should let the Diplomat in. Whatever these criminals saw can wait an hour or two. Toru put them in the prison."

 

“Very well,” Rhialtus agreed. “Let the diplomat in.”

 

-Kaathe-

Kaathe, Pahrak

 

The sight that awaited Kaathe in Tiro Canyon was one of carnage.

 

Clearly, the Nui-Jaga had been nesting here, and at least a dozen of them had fought to the bitter end to defend their home. Their slowly-thawing forms littered the canyon floor, but it they’d managed to vanquish at least twice as many of their attackers. Rounded, white-shelled creatures lay broken among the frozen Nui-Jaga. They were insect-like in appearance, their limbs curled up against their sides in death. Gooey green blood formed puddles around their bodies, staining the sand. There were a few smaller bodies as well, belonging to more diminutive, humanoid creatures with the same white carapaces as the larger beasts.

 

But from deeper in the canyon, Kaathe could hear something: the screeching of more Nui-Jaga, and a strange chittering sound he could only assume was being made by the other creatures. The sounds of a battle.

 

"I do not think it would be wise for us to continue forward. If whatever we are dealing with is capable of taking out a nest of Nui-jaga with minimal losses, we have no hopes of dealing with such a beast." Kaathe looked down at the corpses of the foreign creatures, kneeling next to one "Instead it might serve us better to take one of these more intact creatures back to Po-koro, along with it's smaller variant. The best way to defeat your enemy is to know your enemy." Kaathe rose to his feet, ordering half of the soldiers to gather up the most intact specimens of the two creature variants, so the Dikapi could two them back to Po-Koro. "We should also have a scout or two posted here in Tiro to observe."

 

He turned to Pahrak, "Make your way back to Po-koro General, and secure the gift once back. I want to get a closer look, and frankly getting close to such a battle without dying is a job best suited for one of my expertise." To the guards hauling off the corpses, Kaathe barked one more order, "Once back, place the bodies where we typically keep the dead before burial. Can't have them rotting before I'm given a chance to look them over."

 

"If you insist.  Don't get killed before I get back."

 

As Pahrak and the troopers departed, Kaathe began to sneak closer to the sounds of battle.

 

-Onaku-

Onaku, Rhialtus, Daenerys, Toru

 

As Onaku entered the Sanctum, he spotted three bandits being led out through a side door. Before he speculate on it further, however, he spotted the leaders of Ko-Koro waiting for him. The Captain of the guard had her sword drawn, but put it away as he entered (although he noticed that her hand remained on the hilt. The Turaga, bizarrely, had a dagger in one hand and a cup of tea in the other. Only the Scout, standing off to one side, was acting casual.

 

 

Onaku supposed they had every reason to be on edge. After all, he was carrying a sword, shield, and at least two knives. Not to mention the crossbow he’d left with his guards outside. As far as he was concerned, Mata Nui was a dangerous island, with many terrors lurking in the darkness waiting to eat an unsuspecting traveller.

 

He didn’t realise just how right he was about that.

 

"Salutations. I'm here to discuss trade for the hand of Onu-Koro.  I hope this isn't a bad time?"

 

"No, it's not a bad time.  Please, have a seat." Once Onaku was seated, she continued, "Now, what exactly were you hoping we could discuss, trade-wise?"

 

"We all know that Onu-Koro currently supplies Ko-Koro with well crafted crossbows and ballistae, as well as other mechanisms. How ever, the only thing we've received for this so far is a promise of protection, which while immeasurably appreciated, could end up being difficult to uphold, leaving us with nothing for our work. What we want is to receive something tangible for our goods, which I hope you see as a reasonable request."

 

"That seems perfectly reasonable.  What did you have in mind?"

 

"Currently, aside from Ga-Koro, Ko-Koro resides on the largest deposit of water on Mata-Nui, albeit in a solidified state as ice. What we would appreciate is a steady trade of ice to Onu-Koro, giving us fresh water as well as an option for cooling, which has applications for a number of things I consider unnecessary to list for the sake of brevity. How ever, we would also appreciate anything else you would be willing to trade with us, and remain open to suggestions."

 

"You want ice? We have tons of the stuff, and we could stand to part with some. And we'll throw in some Rahi traps to boot, though you probably won't get them as frequently as you get ice. How does that sound?"

 

"Rahi traps? Indeed that does sound intriguing. What are we talking here, exactly? What kind of Rahi could these traps... well, trap?"

 

"I'm not going to pretend I know what sorts of Rahi are native to Onu-Koro, so I'll just say, our traps catch big, dangerous ones."

 

"Hmmm...” Onaku thought it over, “Perhaps a demonstration would be good?"

 

"A demonstration?  For that, we'd need a Rahi."

 

"Oh dear me, no. Just a demonstration of its function. I doubt there's any need for unnecessary risk. Surely the trap can be demonstrated without needing a live subject for it, much less one as dangerous as a live rahi can be?"

 

"Ah.  Now that we can do." To a guardsman, she said, "Go get one of each of our Rahi traps, please."

 

"Also bring a large tree branch to use as the "Rahi"." Daenerys added.

 

The Captain’s words brought a confused frown to Onaku’s face. Where were they going to find a tree branch in Ko-Wahi?

 

-Smoke Monster-

Smoke Monster

 

As Smoke Monster and his party emerged onto the surface, they found themselves on a barren expanse of dirt and rock. While not quite as arid as the sand-strewn deserts of Po-Wahi, it's far from a grassy plain or lush jungle. Small tufts of struggling vegetation poked up sporadically from the dry, crumbly soil around, and the skeletal remains of a few long-dead trees dotted the landscape. In the far distance, the group could glimpse a wandering herd of emaciated Kikanalo, while a pair of scrawny wild Dikapi pecking aimlessly at the ground nearer to where the Ussalry expedition had emerged.

 

Smoke wasted no time in ordering his troops to set up a camp, and once they were done, he ordered them to gather before him, as he had an important announcement to make.

 

"Alright everyone. We will begin mining for salt now. I want everyone to break up into two teams of five and start mining on two different locations. For now, I don't want either team to be out of earshot of each other. We don't know what all could be up here with us, so if something does attack us, I want everyone to be able to respond as quickly as possible. Our main objective is finding salt, but if any of you find anything, and I mean anything, that could be something of interest, I want to be made aware of it as soon as possible. Is that understood?"

-Pahrak-

Pahrak

 

After his return to Po-Koro, Pahrak sent the soldiers to store the bodies, then set off on his own into the city.

Making his way into an official storehouse, Pahrak approached a large vault and undid the combination lock; after grabbing its contents, he stepped back outside and prepared to return to the canyon...but then he got another idea.

 

He changed direction and walked to a small, plain-looking hut at the edge of the village.  Stepping inside, he nodded to the guard, and they stepped out.  Bars divided the interior in half, and on the other side, a small group of Po-Matoran were sitting on the ground, not seeming to care much about his arrival.

 

"Listen up. How would you all like some work?  I have something in mind that's well-suited to your abilities, and you just might enjoy it."

One of them looked up. "We're listening."

 

"It mainly involves some sneaking around, infiltrating other villages' territory...causing some general mayhem.  You'll each be pardoned for this little incident, of course, and if you do well I might even give you some dikapi to get far away from here.  Any of that sound interesting?"

 

-Ehksidian-

Elittra, Ehksidian, Quin

 

The mismatched Po-Koroan envoy arrived at the gates of Ta-Koro to find Turaga Elittra waiting for them, a bird on her shoulder, a newly-repaired mask on her face, half-concealing the black eye underneath.

 

"...Greetings, Turaga.” In spite of the warnings Nahaki had given, Ehksidian still decided to do her best to remain amiable, “My name is Ehksidian, and I was asked by Turaga Quin to accompany him on this journey as a diplomat. It is a...pleasure to meet you."

 

"Welcome to Ta-Koro," while Elittra was offering her hand to Quin, her cold eyes dwelled only on Ehksidian, eliciting an involuntary shudder from the diplomat.

 

"Greetings." Quin extended his hand to shake Elittra’s, but stumbled, clutching his back. "Apologies. I'm not all that old, by my count, but I have seen quite a lot already. My back is beginning to want to retire already."

 

"Oh, are you okay?" Elittra’s tone sounded almost… delighted.

 

"So what is it that you...wanted to speak about?” Ehksidian interjected, “We can discuss it here. I am surprised your diplomat...left when an important meeting like this was expected."

 

"Oh, no, she didn't arrange this meeting. I did."

 

"I find that completely unsurprising now."

 

"I'm....fine." Quin forced himself upright, “"The letter...if that was you, I believe we have some talking to do inside."

 

"Of course." Elittra turned, beginning to walk back into Ta-Koro. “Leave your guards here. Our soldiers will take them to the barracks for food and drink. While you are in Ta-Koro, you are safe - as my letter promised you."

 

"Fine. I prefer having guards, but...this is your Koro."

 

As soon as Ehksidian’s guards had departed, four of Elittra’s fell into step behind the two Po-Koroans. And with that, the group set off into the dark heart of Ta-Koro.

-Kaathe-

Kaathe

 

The two groups of creatures were far too focused on each other to notice Kaathe as he slunk around a curve in the canyon wall. Before him, five battered, enraged Nui-Jaga were huddled together in front of a cave mouth - most likely the entrance to their nest. And crowded in front of them were about 30 of the large white creatures whose bodies he’d seen earlier.

 

Strangely, despite their obvious numerical advantage, the white creatures were only attacking the Nui-Jaga one or two at a time, which was probably how the rahi had lasted so long. One by one, the white-shelled creatures stepped up, unleashing blasts of ice from their large claws... only to be crushed by the stingers or pincers of the larger rahi. Each time one of the large creatures fell, a group of smaller creatures rushed forward to drag the wounded creature out of the way, making room for the next large creature to move in to attack.

 

But slowly, their inexorable advance was meeting with success. As Kaathe watched on, one of the Nui-Jaga collapsed, several of its semi-frozen legs breaking off. One of the smaller white creatures rushed past the fallen scorpion, towards the cave mouth, only to be snapped in half by the slicing swipe of another Nui-Jaga's tail.

 

Whatever these white beings were, they appear focused solely on entering that cave, with no regard for their own individual lives.

 

And the sound they made… an incessant, droning chikt-chikt-chikt-chikt-chikt-

 

End of Part 2

 

-Torture, Tuyet, Tea!

-Beware the Bohrok!

-As mentioned earlier, anyone who was still in-transit somewhere will arrive at the start of next episode.

-I took it easy on you guys in Episode 1, but from Episode 2 onwards I’ll be starting to use my Special Variables system to torment you all.

 

Episode 2 Begins Now

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BZPRPG Characters - Minnorak, Kain, T'harrak, Savis, Vazaria, Lash

BZPRPG Mercenary Group - The Outsiders - Description - History - Base

Ghosts Of Bara Magna - Ash Tribe - Precipere - Kehla, Somok, Skrall, Gayle, Avinus, Zha'ar

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Whew.  What a read.

Considering this episode's breakneck pace, I think it's appropriate to have this similarly-paced song as the episode theme.

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Well, this is... disappointing. 

 

I was looking forward to hammering you guys with environmental hazards, but when I rolled for the Special Variables just now, the RNG landed on the 'nothing happens' option. Looks like you guys get another episode of relative tranquility. 

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Embers - a new Bionicle Epic - Coming 2024 

Class Is Out - A Farewell To Corpus Rahkshi - Chapters/Review

BZPRPG Characters - Minnorak, Kain, T'harrak, Savis, Vazaria, Lash

BZPRPG Mercenary Group - The Outsiders - Description - History - Base

Ghosts Of Bara Magna - Ash Tribe - Precipere - Kehla, Somok, Skrall, Gayle, Avinus, Zha'ar

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Well, this is... disappointing. 

 

I was looking forward to hammering you guys with environmental hazards, but when I rolled for the Special Variables just now, the RNG landed on the 'nothing happens' option. Looks like you guys get another episode of relative tranquility. 

If episode one is any indication, I highly doubt episode 2 will have a lot of tranquility. :P

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Everyone is one choice away from being the bad guy in another person's story.


 


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You know, I've always felt like these games lacked a real player villain.

 

Hence my... humble contribution.

Ehh... Elittra doesn't seem that much like a villain yet. I mean anyone can kill, and anyone can be sadistic..

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You know, I've always felt like these games lacked a real player villain.

 

Hence my... humble contribution.

Ehh... Elittra doesn't seem that much like a villain yet. I mean anyone can kill, and anyone can be sadistic..

 

 

Shh, don't taunt

 

We don't want any trouble

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Bah, it's no fun when everyone's either allies, or united against a common threat. 

Kicks the wasp nest a bit more.

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We weaponize them. We get one unlucky po-matoran to kick the nest, and then direct them to run towards our enemies. They'll have flown so far they'll have forgotten where their nest was and will have made a new nest in that Koro. Then we do as Po-matoran do and build a statue to commemorate the brave soul.

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I'd never sign up for that. We have plenty of criminals in Po-koro, we enlist one of them. Or make it a contest. You survive the running of Hive, you get to become Turaga.

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We weaponize them. We get one unlucky po-matoran to kick the nest, and then direct them to run towards our enemies. They'll have flown so far they'll have forgotten where their nest was and will have made a new nest in that Koro. Then we do as Po-matoran do and build a statue to commemorate the brave soul.

Release a swarm of evil bees, you say?

 

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