Six Kingdoms: Rebirth - Gameplay

[ZippyWharrgarbl]

IC: Yaushe - Outside Sans' Hut

Yaushe had managed to get herself parked nearby, but relatively inconspicuous. Close enough to listen, at least. To the people talking over Mega like she wasn't there, or arguing, or storming off. It sounded like these people already had a lot to worry about- and they were wasting time better spent evacuating or otherwise trying to protect their people by fighting?

Mega tried to warn them, to be spoken over and dismissed by one of the Toa. That just about made Yaushe's fluids boil. When the Warskaks had treated Mega like that, Yaushe figured it was somewhat tied to the fact that they were a bunch of terrible people who saw no problems with taking someone else's home from them. She hadn't really expected it from people who were meant to be, from what Yaushe could gather, half decent.

Well.

If they couldn't be bothered listening to someone when they were here trying to do them a favour, Yaushe would have to make sure she did something they couldn't ignore.

Righteous pettiness flowed through her chassis, racing like wildfire through tubes and wires and centering her paranormal activity on the epicentre of expression through vehicle means, louder and more meaningful than her voice framed in metal could ever have communicated.

The horn.

@Dane-gerous@A-tak-nid@Azibo@Snelly@Tarn@TL01 NUVA@Keeper of Kraata@Toru Nui@Smudge8@Conway@Sparticus147

OOC: This is the only way I know how to draw the attention of a Sans Undertale

[Toru Nui]

IC: Ostrox (Le-Metru, Shipyard)

"It shouldn't be too hard to get people to do their jobs, so I think it's best to use more ships. More targets means their firepower will be less concentrated."

@Nato the Traveler@Eyru

 

IC: Tekmo and Waveahk (Metru-Koro, Sans's Hut)

"OH, WHAT IS IT NOOOW?!"

"MARVELOUS. I WASN'T OVERLY FOND OF HEARING ANYWAY."

@ZippyWharrgarbl@Dane-gerous@A-tak-nid@Azibo@Keeper of Kraata@TL01 NUVA@Conway@Tarn@Snelly@Sparticus147@Smudge8

 

IC: Enra (Dead Forest, Ruins of Fire)

"Well, not doing that again." Enra made her way back down the ziggurat and headed back to where Xane and Rangi were.

@Nato the Traveler@Onaku

 

IC: Klawne (Zakaz Airspace, The Taku, Cargo Bay)

"'Heavy clothes'? Whatever for?"

@The UltimoScorp@BULiK

[Onaku]

IC: Iradra - The Taku

"Alright." Iradra sighed quietly, casting her gaze downward as she mulled everything over. They were potentially heading into a dangerous situation. The League was going to attack in two days, from what she'd heard. They needed to prepare in that time. Get noncombatants to safety.  Reinforce their defences. Iradra hoped she'd be up to the task. She hoped Taja would be safe.

"Hey does anyone know where I could get some heavy clothes?"

Iradra perked up, her faintly visible white eyes casting upwards at the Toa of Fire. "I, uh, might be able to help with that, actually."

@The UltimoScorp

 

IC: Arkius - Po-Koro

"Yes. If nothing else, I can at least lend the villagers here my strength. As much as I desire to take the fight to the League, I cannot in good conscience leave this village without a protector." The earthen toa crossed his arms, his expression thoughtful as he raised an eyebrow, his singular eye looking into Stannis'. "What of you, old friend? Where will you go?"

@EmperorWhenua@Harvali

 

IC: Druu Arkkan - Coliseum

Stepping into Pridak's office, Druu had expected to be asked for a report, only to find the ivory clad Barraki to brush him off and assign him to a bombing run to Metru-Koro instead. Druu couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at this. For a few seconds, he considered his words carefully, before finally grinning confidently and nodding. "Yes, m'lord. I'll see to it you'll have a nice new crater to view from your balcony. Will that be all?"

@Unreliable Narrator

 

IC: Rangi - Ruins of Fire

"Fascinating." Rangi commented, kneeling next to Xane and looking the basin over with him.

@Nato the Traveler@Unreliable Narrator

 

IC: Zadred - Ruined Fort

As others either watched the fires or moved on to other things, Zadred simply stood there, gazing at the funeral pyres burning with a melancholy expression on her features. She didn't know who those skakdi were. Maybe they had been good people, maybe they had been horrible monsters. Zadred didn't know. She just knew that she'd done what she could to honour the dead, paying no regard to whatever they had been in life. She hoped that was enough.

@~Xemnas~@Tarn@Snelly@pokemonlover360@Harvali

[Unreliable Narrator]

IC: Pridak

"I mean yes I am done. Unless you want to tell me how things are going instead of writing them down. But I have a suspicious feeling making a crater out there is more useful. And fun."

[Void Emissary]

IC: Irna | Sans' Hut

Irna brought both hands up to her ears as ... whatever that sound was suddenly filled the room.

"Are we under attack?" she cried.

OOC: @ZippyWharrgarbl

IC: Parnassus | Boss' War Party

Parnassus felt the rumbling of the sand worm beneath the ground and, not seeing the point in being killed by the thing here and now, followed Boss' lead and drove on.

OOC: @Unreliable Narrator

-Void

[Onaku]

IC: Druu Arkkan - Coliseum

"As you command. I take my leave then." Druu bowed his head in respect and left the office/makeshift throne room, a confident yet reverent grin present on his features all the way until the elevator closed, and his face turned neutral in expression. He pondered for a moment on these developments. A bombing run on Metru-Koro, huh? In any case he was quite frankly relieved he'd been ordered along for the ride. Wouldn't do to leave behind the person with the most knowledge on the place they were about to blow sky high, now would it? He sighed, reaching for the spy communicator he'd confiscated three days ago, looking at it with a raised eyebrow as the elevator descended down the length of the Coliseum.

[BULiK]

IC: Knichou, Metru-Koro, The Taku

The Taku quickly arrived at Metru-Koro. As they decelerated on their landing approach, Knichou connected his suit's communications system to the ship's intercom to address the entire crew.

"As you might have noticed, we'll be at Metru-Koro shortly. Exuze, Arnex, Suhaku, Berys, I want you to stay at your stations in case things go south - there is a League airship docked here and if they try to pull anything I need you to be ready. Everyone else - I'll be going to speak with the village's leader, and you can come with me if you wish. For those of you who are more of a passenger than a crew member, if you want to stay in Metru-Koro, that's your call. All I can say is if you want to stay with the Taku for it's next mission, you know where to find us, just try to make sure you get to us before we set off, whenever that is. I won't know how long we'll be parked here until I speak with the Turaga."

Knichou deactivated the mic, and looked to Whisper. "Before we get off the ship, now might be a good time to talk to Taja, while you're both on the ship and together. She's part of the crew, but given the circumstances it's hard for me to to say if she'll stick around or if she's had enough adventuring for a time."

The Taku's anchor dropped into the sandy dirt outside the northern wall of Metru-Koro, and with the pull of another lever the cargo bay doors began to slide open.

[Harvali]

IC Kanohi - Po-Koro

Kanohi winced, “R-right, my apologies.” It wasn’t fair to have Stannis evacuate Po-Koro, but when Metru-Koro would be attacked in only a few days. He had other responsibilities, all the remaining Toa did. But at least Arkius would still be here. And that reminded Kanohi of something. “Toa Arkius, I know the ground here is more stone than earth, but is it possible for you to ward the ground? To let us know if this worm is approaching?”

OOC: @EmperorWhenua @Onaku I mean, it was done in the Kingdom.

…

IC “Collector” - Ruined Fort

Collector shook their head, “No, I believe I am ready to depart.” They had modified their bike to be able to seal up from the sand and dust, while adding suspended wheels to help traverse the terrain. They had only had so much spare parts to work with, but they had served their purpose.

They glanced at their flanks, on their right hung their Kanoka Blade, their only connection to something like an element. But on their left dangled that new Skakdi tool. Next time they had a chance, they would dive into trying to understand the weapon. If they could activate passive elements, like the Skakdi, perhaps they could have an element of their own.

OOC: @pokemonlover360 @~Xemnas~ @Onaku @Snelly @Tarn

[Smudge8]

IC: Jephro-Metru-Koro-Outside san's hut

"Ok," Jepro's shoulders slumped slightly. "I'll go wait..." He stepped aside, and let several toa past. He sat down when a vehicle came rumbling up and began honking. "Excuse me," Jephro said, standing back up. "But the turaga is busy right now, can I help?"

@ZippyWharrgarbl

[Sparticus147]

IC: Vulimai (Metru-Koro Garrison)

As Vulimai made her way towards the garrison, ignoring the intrusive honking that seemed to be coming from the turaga's hut, her thoughts were filled to the brim. She couldn't believe Sans, attempting something as foolish as to incite war with the League, and then there were all these toa galivanting about, never being around when you needed them. Although Vulimai's thoughts were clouded and distracted, she did make sure to tell every guard she saw to rally at the garrison for a meeting and to tell any other guards they saw on the way.

Eventually Vulimai finally made it to the large stone structure that was built into the western wall, large enough to house the entire guard and then some, it was the most fortified building within Metru-Koro, behind perhaps the new archives if San's plan was too work. Entering the building, Vulimai immediately went to her office in order to have a brief moment to herself, before her world was to come crashing down all over again.

[Snelly]

IC: Skyra Daring - Outside San's Hut -

Skyra, being just outside the hut, immediately put her hands on her ears as the horn blared. "BLOODY MURDER!" 

@Toru Nui @Tarn @TL01 NUVA @Conway @Keeper of Kraata @Azibo @Sparticus147 @ZippyWharrgarbl

IC: Vashni - Ruined Fort -

Vashni was on her hover bike, "I'm ready."

@pokemonlover360 @Tarn @Onaku @~Xemnas~ @Harvali

[Taka Nuvia]

IC: Zsann - Metru-Koro, Sans' Hut

Zsann had grown increasingly weary of all the conversation going on, until a sudden noise had cut through the air and, seemingly, her eardrums. Instinctively, her hands flew to her ears, but then she realized what was going on, and a small chuckle, uncharacteristic for her but unheard in the noise, escaped her lips.

OOC: @ZippyWharrgarbl  @Dane-gerous @Azibo@Snelly@Tarn@TL01 NUVA@Keeper of Kraata@Toru Nui@Smudge8@Conway

[Azibo]

IC: Sans, Sans' Hut

Some of those present had left, others joined, and now there was news of an attack on Po-Koro?  So much seemed to be happening, maybe Sans really was getting too old to keep up with it all.  He wondered how Dume did it.  The thoughts in Sans' big head were cut short, however, when some large vehicle horn blared through the city.

"What's with the honking??"  There was no immediate response, so Sans shrunk down to the size of an average Toa, and spoke to those remaining in the hut.  "I want to get the new Archives ready for the noncombatants to hide out in while we fend off the League.  We'll need to prepare that place.  And it wouldn't hurt to do one more patrol around our walls to see what we can improve in a few days' time.  I'm so disappointed in those who would abandon us; the newcomer is right: there isn't anywhere we can go.  We have to fight here, and we have to be ready."

[EmperorWhenua]

5 hours ago, Onaku said:

IC: Arkius - Po-Koro

"Yes. If nothing else, I can at least lend the villagers here my strength. As much as I desire to take the fight to the League, I cannot in good conscience leave this village without a protector." The earthen toa crossed his arms, his expression thoughtful as he raised an eyebrow, his singular eye looking into Stannis'. "What of you, old friend? Where will you go?"

1 hour ago, Harvali said:

IC Kanohi - Po-Koro

Kanohi winced, “R-right, my apologies.” It wasn’t fair to have Stannis evacuate Po-Koro, but when Metru-Koro would be attacked in only a few days. He had other responsibilities, all the remaining Toa did. But at least Arkius would still be here. And that reminded Kanohi of something. “Toa Arkius, I know the ground here is more stone than earth, but is it possible for you to ward the ground? To let us know if this worm is approaching?”

IC Stannis | Po-Koro

"I must tend to all of Mata Nui's diasporic flock," Stannis declared with solemnity. "As I promised Turaga Sans and the others, I'll return to Metru Koro to assist in the defense of that place as much as I can. This may be the end of a chapter; we shall discover what fate has in store, but you will see me again, I guarantee it."

The tone of his voice suggested something more to that statement, an imperceptibility only Arkius was like to pick up on through his familiarity to Stannis. It reminded him of the events over a week ago but in a different light, one from the old toa's perspective, in which the Wanderer was ancient and resigned to a whatever the future had in store for him. As the events of the Battle of Metru Nui developed Stannis had more than once revealed that he did not cling to life, and that whatever happened happened, even if it included his own demise, and he would only be able to control the flow of his own actions in the face of sheer adversity and death. On Zakaz, however, Stannis seemed to share the same fatalist philosophy, and yet... appeared more optimistic. Whereas before he would have made no promises of his return, this time he had. Clearly something had changed and it couldn't have simply been the death of Mata Nui. 

The old toa shut his eyes and seemed to shrivel slightly in his great cloak while a wave of sensation descended on him like a tide of fear. He cringed and gripped his staff more tightly, stirring a little alarm in his gathered allies and friends, but quickly regained his composure and banished the concern with a wave. "I should go back to Metru Koro," he simply said. It had been remarked by others before how Stannis possessed a unique ability to sense the leylines of Destiny as clear as though they were string. If the stories were true, then perhaps time for the refugees was being cut short more than they had anticipated. What was clear, though, was the urgency and concern in the wizened toa's eyes as he looked at the others then.

"Arkius, my friend... I bless you. You shall keep these people safe. And Kanohi, be brave and strong, remember to keep the Virtues close and they will be your Red Star. Give the benediction for the fallen villagers on my behalf," he said, referring to the matoran and others who were killed in the Skakdi war party's havoc earlier. He looked sad and reluctant—these two, despite knowing them for only the scarcest fraction of his life, were truly the people he cared for the most and he was reticent to leave them. And yet, Destiny had other plans for him. he gave Onunui a quick blessing, too, before the old toa, staff in hand, simply walked out of the group and into the desert towards Metru Nui.

And he continued walking.

And walking. 

Until he vanished from sight. 

[~Xemnas~]

IC, Aurax: Outside Metru-Koro

Aurax looked out the window at the approaching airship. "Likely one of the refugees'. Saybo, get ready to take off at a moment's notice. I'm not sure if the people on that airship are planning on attacking us."

OOC: @Kal the Guardian

IC, Atamai: Ruined Fort

Atamai pushed the engine button of the four-wheeler, and the vehicle roared to life. "Let's go," he said. The Odd Company then left the fort and headed out into the unknown.

OOC: @Snelly @pokemonlover360 @Harvali @Tarn @Onaku @Unreliable Narrator Odd Company moves on to continue the search for the Ruins of Stone

IC, Whira: Somewhere in the jungle

In the jungle, a lone Aspect moved. Her name was Whira, and she had grown bored of sitting in the Kumu Islets waiting for beings to seeks her out for desecration. So she had set out onto the Zakazian mainland in hopes of furthering her power herself. As she moved, she began to feel a stirring, a calling. Something had happened, but she wasn't sure exactly what it was. She began moving toward the call, curious as to what she would find.

[Sparticus147]

IC: Vulimai (Guard Captain's Office)

Vulimai sat there for a long time, simply trying to work through the feelings she was going through. She had fought with her fellow matoran back in the siege, doing whatever she could. But it was a losing battle throughout, no matter how hard she tried. The only reprieve being whenever a toa or two would arrive, only for them to win the battle and to leave the rest of the war to the matoran as they ran off to save the day somewhere else.

And now, it seemed like everything was repeating itself, Karz it wasn't repeating it's continuing. Like this spirit forsaken war.

Lifting back up her head and wiping away the hot hateful tears that were on her kanohi, Vulimai dug through her desk drawer before pulling out the two-way communicator she kept in it. Tuning the communicator and hesitating for one long tense moment, she finally spoke, trying to her best to keep her voice level and stern, "Toa Jorak, copy?"

OOC: @Onaku

Edited May 13, 2020 by Sparticus147

[Onaku]

IC: Druu Arkkan - Le-Metru

Druu had just exited the chute to Le-Metru when the communicator voiced out. Stepping away into a more secluded area, he took the communicator out, cleared his throat, and then switched it on.

"Copy. The sparrow takes to the starlit sky."

"... The winter fox pauses by the riverside. What have you got for me today, Jorak?"

"Not much new to report on my end, really. That hordika lady didn't seem too happy when she came back though, I'm guessing the peace talks didn't go through?"

@Sparticus147

 

IC: Zadred - Ruined Fort

Sighing, Zadred walked away from the pyres, getting on a hoverbike as everyone else got ready and revving its engine. "Ready to go."

And then they were off, headed away from pyres and into the unknown of the island's unexplored reaches.

@pokemonlover360@Tarn@Snelly@~Xemnas~@Harvali

[Sparticus147]

IC: Vulimai (Guard Captain's Office)

"Ah, you knew about that. Well unfortunately, the absolute authority that is Turaga Sans has chosen war over peace, no matter how temporary one would've be. We have been left with an ultimatum, two days, the mask of creation, or Metru-Koro is gone...Huhh, honestly Jorak, I don't know what I should do. Any suggestions or useful news?"

OOC: @Onaku

[Onaku]

IC: Druu Arkkan - Le-Metru

"T-two days??? I... I thought I'd heard some chatter about preparing for an eventual assault, but in two days? I'm... I'm sorry, I got nothing." The panic and dread, as false as they were, would sound perfectly genuine to anyone hearing him. "I don't know what use I can be over here. Maybe I should make my way back to the settlement, help defend. I know I signed up for covert operations here, but I don't know what I can do to hinder this attack from the inside."

Druu had to play the part of the heroic toa. Hopefully the contact would refuse his offer and order him to stay behind enemy lines, perhaps even suggest sabotage. It really didn't matter how she responded, though. This was the last communication he'd likely ever make with this device. Either way, he was coming to Metru-Koro.

@Sparticus147

[Dane-gerous]

IC: Mega - Zakaz, Sans' Office

Mega plugged her ears as the horns went off, though like Zsann she couldn't help but stifle a spiteful chuckle. 

Spite was unheroic, but Mega wasn't a Toa.

These were supposed to be Toa, her heroes, and all they'd done so far was bicker and ignore her. Whatever was happening to Metru-Koro, they didn't seem to working for their best interests as much as their own personal problems.

Yaushe was a better Toa than these lot, and she had no Toa form!

"Now you stop arguin'." She muttered, thanking Yaushe mentally. "Look, Mister. I ain't here to stay. I just had to warn ya'll. I've seen too many things pilfered this week, too many lives lost. Ain't right."

Edited May 13, 2020 by Dane-gerous

[Sparticus147]

IC: Vulimai (Guard Captain's Office)

"No no, there are already a few toa within Metru-Koro who can help defend the settlement. As for you, try to keep me updated on the League's plans, what forces they're collecting, what weapons they got, how many airships they are going to send if they are sending any. At least make sure to let me know when they are finally taking off."

OOC: @Onaku

[Onaku]

IC: Druu Arkkan - Le-Metru

"Will do. That's all for now. Jorak out." With that, Druu switched off the communicator and stashed it away, before making his way finally to the airships they were prepping for the imminent assault. With a confident grin, he approached his fellow League members, eyeing in particular the two whom he had been aware of going off on the peace mission earlier today. "Zaliyah. Ostrox. A pleasure as always."

@Nato the Traveler@Toru Nui@Eyru@Sparticus147

[Nato G]

IC: Corrivalis - On the Run

He continued following Boss' lead as the warskaks retreated from the worm. 

Today had not gone according to plan... 

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

IC: Zaliyah - Le-Metru

"Druu," she nodded in greeting, "Are you here to join the assault?"

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

IC: Whisper - Metru-Koro

If the Aspect had heard Knichou's words, she gave no sign. She was staring at one of the windows, looking out towards the jagged shadow of Irnakk's Tooth in the distance. Even a casual glance would indicate Whisper was unsettled, her frills and wings flaring up around her, her tails twitching restlessly. 

She was struggling to make sense of the sound clawing at her consciousness, calling her... somewhere. What did it mean? Was it meant for her or for all Aspects? It felt wrong, something she didn't understand pulling her towards something she didn't know. Was this what she would feel when she was someday pulled back into the Antidermis pool? This was exactly the sort of thing she was trying to escape with her Grand Wish. 

[Onaku]

IC: Druu Arkkan - Le-Metru

"Indeed, as ordered by the boss himself. How are we looking?"

@Nato the Traveler@Toru Nui@Eyru

[Sparticus147]

IC: Vulimai (Guard Captain's Office)

Vulimai was about to say something else to Jorak before he had quickly cut off the communicator, leaving Vulimai to simply put the communicator into her hip pouch. "Didn't even give me a chance to say over and out." Vulimai whispered to herself before a knock was heard at her door and Juno, her second in command and a po-matoran stepped in.

"Captain, most of the guard are awaiting you now, the only ones not here are the patrols on the wall and the gate guard."

"That's fine, they can be informed of what is happening when their shift gets rotated."

Making her way out of the office and into the main central room where the guards were awaiting her, she could see across the faces of many of the matoran looks of unease and fitful whispers could be made out in the tense silence as Vulimai took to the podium overseeing them all. To her right stood Juno, along with half of her old squad, the other half flanking her left. Their presence helped filled her with confidence as she spoke.

"Matoran guard, you all have heard the same warning as I have, and I understand and sympathize with whatever fears and concerns you may have, but now is not the time for them. Now is the time to prepare, to fortify, to hold faith in the face of adversity!" Taking a second to look across the crowd, Vulimai looked to see how her little opener had effected the matoran, although the look of unease was still there, the whispers had ceased and the matoran stood still in attention and respect to their captain. Good.

"I have personally talked to Turaga Sans over the matter, bringing my grievances to him" It took everything for Vulimai to say the next part with a straight face, "But he has assured me of his decision and we have come up with a plan of defense."

"Thankfully, some of the Toa have returned and with their help we intend to fortify the New Archives in order to allow the other matoran to hunker down. As for us, we will need whatever kanoka we have in the event of an air assault. Bronk, how many le-kanoka's and kanoka launchers do we have?" Vulimai looked over towards the strudy onu-matoran to her left, "Kanoka Launchers? Enough for around a dozen or so matoran to use, as for le-kanoka specifically, ssssss, I'll have to recheck the armory but I'd only say around a dozen and a half, maybe two dozen, but no guarantee they can all be used offensively." 

"Fair enough, Twesh can you hand pick the best shots we got so far." The fidgeting le-matoran to her far right looked up from his hands, "Yes, Vulimai-Captain, I do-get that soon-done."

"Juno, anything to report?" "Another League ship has made its way here and made a request for Toa Stannis but has yet to land, in addition, the ship I believe called the Taku has returned." "Huh, guess I'll go and deal with this new League ship, see what they exactly want."

Turning back towards the crowd, Vulimai announced to the whole of the room. "For the foreseeable future, I want every patrol and gate post to double in their number, we need to make sure that every guard matoran is armed and ready, those of you who are off patrol or gate duty, I want you to drill the populace on the evacuation plan. And lastly I need two of volunteers, only the bravest and the fastest to head far West towards Metru-Nui in order to look out for any signs of approaching airships..." Vulimai choked on her words for a brief second before she spoke the next words, "I want you to bring plenty of wood and tinder with you, for when you see an airship, you are too light and maintain a smoke signal for as long as you can. Now then guard matoran, I want to see everything I have just said to be enacted immediately, the patrols, the drills, the lookout. Get Too It Matoran!" 

And with that, Vulimai left the stage, slightly in a daze, hopefully the matoran from the sternness in her last words would get them moving double. Turning toward's Juno, she told him to get the volunteers situated and then to get as many toa who's element would be able to fortify the New Archive to get down there. Vulimai had an airship to chat with.

[Toru Nui]

IC: Ostrox (Le-Metru, Shipyard)

"Looking good. Very, very good. These new weapons - if Lord Ehlek's word is true - will DEMOLISH that little shanty town." A brief cackle escaped Ostrox's mouth.

@Onaku@Nato the Traveler@Eyru

 

IC: Tekmo and Waveahk (Metru-Koro, Sans's Hut)

"On the contrary, I think we were getting somewhere, before our senses were viciously assaulted. I'm going to have to assume that was your vehicle, because ours doesn't do that."

"I'm so glad this important meeting concerning our imminent annihilation is being quagmired by this absurdity. On Stelt, we had laws against 'disturbing the peace', and the penalty was... well, whatever the disturbed party felt like at the moment." Waveahk's tone of voice made it unclear if this was a joke or not.

"Anyway, yes, I'll see if I can, uh, convince Skorm to stay." Tekmo began to make his way out of the hut.

@Dane-gerous@Azibo@Keeper of Kraata@Conway@TL01 NUVA@Tarn@Snelly

[Lady Takanuva]

IC: Keitara (HONK)

"Excuse us."

Keitara stepped toward the van, her ears still ringing slightly. "There was just a massive row, and I think everybody's still on edge. Please forgive us for ignoring you."

She turned to Mega. "I'm... I'm truly sorry that you lost your home. I'd like to thank you for bringing us news of this frankly serious situation. I'm..." she paused a second to compose herself "I'm sorry we cannot do more to aid you. I... I hope that you can forgive us for our frankly abysmal behavior." As she said this Kei glanced meaningfully over her shoulder at Waveahk. "Now, is there anything we can do for you before you disembark? I'm still new here myself, but I'd be happy to help you locate what supplies you may need."

(OOC: @ZippyWharrgarbl @Dane-gerous)

[Nato G]

IC: Zaliyah - Le-Metru

"Perfect. We've got four of these artillery weapons. Take a crate, pick an airship, and get the vahki to start installing it," she ordered. "Ehlek said they take a bit of work to dial in the aim, so I think we should take a detour around the far side of the skull to carry out some practice runs before we move on to the village." 

That was three locked in. They just needed a fourth. 

She turned to Poroka, "Do you want to join us in the air as well?" 

@Toru Nui @Onaku @Eyru

[ZippyWharrgarbl]

OOC: To be clear, Yaushe has been sitting here for a while (she didn't just roll up), but that doesn't really change anything because she did very much begin honking

IC: Yaushe - Outside Sans' Hut

At the calm words of Jephro, the din suddenly stopped. Yaushe, if she could have, would have blinked. That wasn't the response she was expecting.

Then Keitara apologised to her (maybe she thought she was mad no one had come outside to chat to the van???) and moved on to, thankfully, chat with Mega. In the van, a depression formed in the driver's seat briefly, like someone sitting back in stunned silence.

At the very least, they'd calmed her down.

She cracked open the window a tiny amount to keep the illusion of speaking to Jephro from the interior (or, well, a more conventional definition of the interior), not enough for anyone to see in but enough to "talk" through, and said, "What?"

@Smudge8

OOC: Yaushe doesn't know their names, this is more so I don't have to be vague about who these van-friendly people are

[Dane-gerous]

IC: Mega - Zakaz, Sans' Hut

Getting somewhere? But they were just-

She breathed in, trying to calm down. Waveahk was stoking the fires even more with his bad attitude, however justified it was. 

Keitara, then, came to the rescue, as Mega was about to open her mouth and yell at the mutant. She turned, rubbing her forehead and sighing. "It's...alright. I'm sorry I barged in like some sorta Kane-Ra, but considerin' what ya'll was talkin' about I reckon it was information worth sharin'." 

She looked around the hut, and back up to Zsann for comfort. She was glad she'd stuck by her, she didn't really have to say much but she meant a lot with her presence.

"Look, darlin', this League? The ones threatenin' your town, or what not, who are they? They raiders?" Mega asked, after a few moments.

OOC: @TL01 NUVA

[Kal the Guardian]

15 hours ago, Burnmad said:

IC: Morangad - Outside Metru-Koro

The Tiokaha scowled. "If you seek to do good, why do you simply allow this Tuakana to walk away? The world would be better served if beings such as them were dispatched with."

 

14 hours ago, Sparticus147 said:

IC: Sala (Metru-Koro)

Sala was slightly perturbed with the nonchalantness in Sorilax's word, as he wasn't sure if that was simply a quirk of Sorilax's nature or him not understanding the severity of such an occurrence. Regardless, Sorilax was indeed correct they needed to warn the guard, but the words of the other figure caught him in his tracks. 

"Mmmmm, will, even if the aspects may be less then moral beings, they are still sentient beings nonetheless. It would be wrong to kill them, wouldn't it?" Sala asked himself more then anyone else...Sorilax's words echoing in his mind over how those who commit harm to others for no reason other then to do so deserve to be put down.

 

IC: Sorilax - Aspect of Shadow and Silence - Aspects of Makuta

Location - South Gate of Metru-Koro (6, 9), outside the gates

With - Morangad, Sala

 

“Yes, what my friend has said,” Sorilax motioned to the orange and white Matoran, “If we were to kill a sentient being simply due to their inherent nature, then I too would be among those that should be killed. Should it be that way regardless? I know not.

“But what I’ve seen and heard of from these newcomers is that there are outliers in each species of sentient beings. I do not believe you should judge an entire species based upon the actions of the majority, but upon the actions of each individual. If I myself am an outlier, how can I possibly judge my brethren without knowing what their souls truly desired?

“If I were to kill this Aspect here and now, not knowing if they had done wrong, I would be doing what I consider to be the morally wrong thing and killing a potential innocent. If there were at least two witnesses of this Aspect killing someone, then I believe the Aspect should be executed under a justice system for their crimes against another sentient being.”

Sorilax formed a long practised Shadow chair and sat down, not even really thinking about how complex a move that was both to form and to maintain. “Now say that collectively the refugees follow moral light, as I call it. If they do, and they seem to, and the majority of leadership decided to officially declare war on the Aspects for crimes committed and crimes future, then I would, under the banner of group justice and protection, kill all Aspects unprovoked. But war is a fickle thing and the majority of leadership deciding something doesn’t always make it the right thing to do.

“Basically, who am I to judge? I have the same thoughts my kin have. I just try not to act on them. Unless someone is forfeiting their right to live by trying to kill me or some other innocent, I don’t have the right to kill them. When it comes to the crimes the other Aspects have committed, up to this point there was no true governing body over this land, and so I refused to try to force my morality upon others and take justice into my own hands. I am fallible just like everyone else, perhaps even more so in ways I can’t comprehend.

“If this village proves to have a morally light governing accord, then I will strive to enforce it.”

 

14 hours ago, Unreliable Narrator said:

IC: Ruins of Fire

Enra’s power-gloved fist collided with the gong, and a solid reverberation rolled up her arm and into her neck and jaw. She could feel the tingle of the instrument behind her front teeth. The sound the gong produced, the sound that echoed across the entirety of her view in all directions, the sound that made the flock of nui rama rise into the air and travel further away, the sound she heard in her audio receptors was disgusting. It was an old, broken, and out of tune gong.

And it did absolutely nothing else. 

Except for the fact every aspect within five hundred miles heard the sound of the gong. They felt it in their soul. The oldest Aspects knew why it called to them. They remembered the pacts, and the chants, and the rites. It lingered on their minds, calling with the potential offering of power. Had a gong finally been rung after so long? The new aspects, freshly born in the newer centuries after the arrival of the skakdi knew nothing of the sound's purpose -- only of its allure. 

Had the cycle begun again at last?

 

There came a sound from afar. Not of physical vibrations, but of something much deeper. It pushed its way into Sorilax’s body. His true gaseous body. It wormed its way past his mind and grabbed ahold of his soul, gripping with a force unbreakable. It was only a single sound. One ring of a gong long forgotten. It arrived alongside a flood of forgotten memories. Whether they had been taken from him or forgotten naturally, he knew not.

There were flashes of old pacts, low chants, even lost rites. They were there, vivid, yet out of reach. He couldn’t remember specifics, yet it was as if he was standing there again, atop a temple, taking notes as brothers and sisters long gone performed rituals he couldn’t quite see, as if they were blurred from view.

The gong called to him, enticing him with its allure of increased power. Sorilax stopped himself, pushing back against the call to shadows and things best never thought of again. Unbeknownst to him, he had stood up and walked several yards to the east, away from those he was talking with. His mind grew troubled. No! NO! I must find and destroy as much forbidden knowledge as I can! Else truly worse than the Skakdi will undoubtedly arise.

Spinning with a speed unseen yet by Sala, Sorilax turned and strode back to the Matoran and Tiokaha. Deep concern filled his voice, a concern that Sala had never heard before, even when Sorilax had left to fight the giant centipede, “An ancient gong has been rung at one of the temples. It is from a time before the Skakdi. A time I thought I hadn’t been paying attention to and missed, but perhaps a time forcefully removed from my memory.

“For some reason I feel as if this gong sounding is the beginning of a new cycle. Whatever that means.” Sorilax hated not knowing what he was talking about when he felt he should remember easily. “We must hurry now, Sala. I fear time grows short. If an Aspect gets to seventh level, nothing may be able to stop them.”

Sorilax went to move, but he stopped himself. The gong had rudely interrupted the discussion they were having earlier. He would wait for the Tiokaha’s reply.
 

OOC: @Burnmad @Sparticus147

 

1 hour ago, ~Xemnas~ said:

IC, Aurax: Outside Metru-Koro

Aurax looked out the window at the approaching airship. "Likely one of the refugees'. Saybo, get ready to take off at a moment's notice. I'm not sure if the people on that airship are planning on attacking us."

 

IC: Saybo - Toa of Water - Aurax (Still officially Barraki)

Location - Outside Metru-Koro (6, 9)

With - (Great Being) Aurax

 

Saybo obeyed with a precision not normally seen in Toa sans Kanohi. His fingers deftly flew over the controls, transferring primary control from the pilot’s station to his co-pilot’s station. All hatches remained sealed and all four guns remained hidden away inside the outer shell of the Eclipse. His hand hovered over the altitude controls.

Weakened and wearied though he was, Saybo had spent too much time with his mask off for it to be anything but normal to him now. To him, he gained strength and clarity with his Miru on, not that he grew weak and dull with it off. For a moment he considered donning his Kanohi to have optimum reaction time, but he had just put his mask on that morning and if he put it on again most of the rush would be gone, tainted by the recent use. So instead he trusted in his Great Being to see him through. If Saybo needed time to don his Miru, Aurax would make sure he had that time in the Great Being's infinite wisdom.

The front viewport screen remained focused on the potential enemy airship as it finally came to a rest. Saybo did adjust the camera slightly so that the other airship was in the center of the screen. Removing the other three views from the primary front viewport, Saybo brought them back up at the co-pilot’s station, viewing all four directions by himself once again. Great Aurax only needed to focus on what was important. Saybo would take care of the rest.
 

OOC: @~Xemnas~

[Tarn]

IC: Nale Vella and Triage - The Taku

"Oh, we're landing," Nale said out loud, as if she'd been distracted by something. "You know, I've actually not been to Metru-Koro before."

Triage sighed. He wasn't going to be convincing either other Toa any time soon, it seemed. The medic decided to leave, heading for the bridge, where he saw a view of Metru-Koro and the airship docking. "Cap," he said, coming up to Knichou. "If you plan on heading out, I'll join the away party."

@BULiK

IC: Rose - Sans' Hut

Rose still covered her ears, but seemed less bothered by the honking--being around artillery explosions had sort of changed her definition of what was "loud," and probably done something to her audio receptors she needed checked out.

"If you wanted us to be quiet, I could've helped with that, ma'am," she said to Mega. "People tend to settle down when a big woman in a mech starts swinging her flamethrower around."

@Snelly@Toru Nui@Conway@Keeper of Kraata@TL01 NUVA@Azibo@Dane-gerous@A-tak-nid@ZippyWharrgarbl

IC: Jutori - Odd Company Four-Wheeler

The Toa of Gravity took the front passenger seat, and drummed his fingers on the dashboard. "Nice ride, really."

@~Xemnas~@pokemonlover360@Onaku@Harvali

[The UltimoScorp]

IC Kathrine of the Flame - Taku:

 

"To get stronger of course! If I wear heavy stuff all the time, it'll make me stronger!" She explained cheerily to Klawne.

Her face lit up when Iradra spoke up, a gleeful fire dancing in her eyes, "Really?! Aw, man I'm fired up now!!"

[Dane-gerous]

IC: Mega - Zakaz, Sans' Hut

"Yeah, it ain't the first time today I wished I was bigger than I was." Mega sighed, looking up to Rose. "But that ain't my racket, I'm afraid. Yaushe is my pal in the van, she's uh...she's seen a lot of me these past few days, is all. Can't imagine she wanted this meeting to be like the one back out at my shop." 

She smiled, a little. "I uh...like your rig, by the way." 

OOC: @Tarn @TL01 NUVA

Edited May 13, 2020 by Dane-gerous

[Lady Takanuva]

IC: Keitara (Outside Sans' hut))

Keitara thought back for a moment. League, League... Of course she'd heart it mentioned today but that didn't explain the lead weight that dropped into her stomach at the name. Her back twinged slightly and for a second she found it hard to breathe. 

Disguising this episode as a cough, she took a couple more breaths to steady herself. Now, what had she heard...

"As for who the League is... I'm honestly not entirely sure. All that I've managed to gather is that they are a large, organized fighting force. Or rather, organized enough at least to send out messengers rather than just attacking outright."

She gestured to the imposing figure beaide her. "However, I am of the impression that Rose has more experience than I." She turned to look up at the Ta-Toa. "Rose, could you tell us a bit about the League?"

(OOC: @Tarn @Dane-gerous. Whether or not you noticed Kei's trigger over her repressed memories regarding the League on Nynrah is up to you.)

[Burnmad]

IC: Barius - Warskak Convoy

Barius, hanging near the forefront of the pack, was prepared for anything the Ash Barrens would throw at them as they fled the worm.

IC: Providence - Mesi Tunnels

The Aspect scraped his side against the wall, tumbling to the ground and narrowly managing to twist his body to avoid tripping up Takadox, as he was consumed by the reverberating sound of the gong. He picked himself up and continued running, sprinting ahead to catch up to his new, blue friend. "Take a left here!" He said, excitedly. "I know exactly where we're gonna go, now."

OOC: @Dane-gerous @Snelly @Sparticus147 @Vezok's Friend

IC: Morangad - Outside Metru-Koro

The Tiokaha was thankful for the supposed interruption of this inaudible gong, as he had no idea what the Aspect had just been talking about. Accordingly, he did not ask why he was unable to hear it. "...If you are serious about this moral light business, and you have reason to believe that evil is to be done, then by all means, do what you must to stop it."

He considered going along, but he had to heal the swamp, and he'd told Keitara that he would be available here for the time being. And in any case, he would likely want to kill any Aspects that were performing unwholesome rituals, and he doubted that Sorilax would be able to set up an impromptu justice system wherever they found themselves adventuring.

OOC: @Kal the Guardian

[Sparticus147]

IC: Sala (Outside Metru-Koro)

Sala stood there listening to Sorilax's explanation on his moral and philosophical views, being somewhat amused by the shadowy chair he spontaneously made till suddenly he stopped talking, never a good sign, and starting walking. For a moment, Sala wasn't sure if he was suppose to stop Sorilax or follow, only tentatively keeping paste till Sorilax quickly turned around, startling the su-matoran, and scaring him more with his words. "Ok Sorilax, I know, but, you're still damaged. We need to get you fixed before we attempt anything."

OOC: @Kal the Guardian @Burnmad

IC: Zak-Yak (Mesi Tunnels)

At Varian's approval of his actions, Zak-Yak was about to break into another cheer until the earth itself began to shake, filling Zak-Yak with the fear of god, or at least, the spawn of a god. "FLEE, FLEE, THE SPAWN OF SHAGRAK COMES!" could be clearly heard by everyone in the tunnel, even with the muffling effect of Zak-Yak's powers, as Zak-Yak himself began to dash ahead, now fueled by fear.

OOC: @Burnmad @Snelly @Dane-gerous @Vezok's Friend

[BULiK]

IC: Knichou, Metru-Koro North Gate, The Taku

Knichou wasn't sure why Whisper didn't seem to respond, but he didn't press the aspect on it. He had other things on his mind. The ex-Ghost instead responded to Nale's comment.

"I've only been to Metru-Koro once myself. It's no Artakha by any means..."

It was then that Triage walked in.

"Alright, Dr. T, that works for me, as long as Taja doesn't need you here."

Knichou began walking to the bridge's exit to join Triage. He turned around while standing in the doorway and looked to Whisper.

"Whisper, are you coming with us?"

Perhaps it looked to Whisper as if Knichou was trying to get her be a part of the crew, that him inviting her along was him accepting her as an ally who he would gladly take along with him in negotiations with the Turaga of the village. The truth was, to a degree, the opposite; Knichou really didn't want to leave his Le-Matoran pilot alone on the bridge with a strange being known to broker eldritch deals with mortals. This was just the least confrontational way to encourage her to leave the bridge.

Edited May 13, 2020 by BULiK

[Tarn]

OOC: Retconning real quick that Rose has been in her suit this whole time.

IC: Rose - Sans' Hut

She smirked at Mega's comment about her "rig."

"Thanks, ma'am," Rose replied, then gestured to the armor. "100% Metru Nui engineering. They only made a few of these babies, and most of the test subjects didn't even fit in them. But me? Well, I guess I'm just laterally gifted." She turned to Keitara, who was now addressing her, too. "The League were--are scum. I saw them do unspeakable things during my campaign with the Metru Nui military, set them alight for their karzin' troubles.

@Dane-gerous@TL01 NUVA@ZippyWharrgarbl

[EmperorWhenua]

21 hours ago, Eyru said:

IC: Oreius | Stannis's Vault, Onu-Metru

"It's a start," Oreius said resignedly. "Hiripaki. Play us the last recorded entry that Stannis uploaded concerning strategy against the League."

He paused, recalling his earlier request for evidence of a "physical" encounter, then amended his command: "...so long as that entry does not contain anything Stannis would not want to share with the two of us." He looked at Okuo. "We are both welcome ones, but I doubt Okuo wants to intrude on Stannis's private secrets. Nor do I."

IC Hiripaki | Archives

After loading the information from the last data submission for what seemed to take forever, the voice came back. "The last entry uploaded by Toa Stannis of the Maru occurred one.hundred.and.sixty.nine hours and ten minutes ago," Hiripaki helpfully explained. "Upload tags are: Hashtag Dume Office, Hashtag League, Hashtag Barraki, Hashtag Pridak, Hashtag Dume, Hashtag War, Hashtag Strategy, Hashtag Hashtag, Hashtag Metru Nui, Hashtag Universe Update, Hashtag SOTU, Hashtag Endgame, Hashtag Too Late."

The slate table burst to life and revealed an intricate monochromatic blue hologram map of the known universe. War fronts were marked with red bars indicating contested borders, while locations of armies on either side were red and yellow triangles. Most of the islands south of the Metru Nui dome had bone-white banners with an upside-down Hau next to their names, indicating their fall to the Barraki hordes. The location of each of the Barraki was noted by a dot of their respective colors, and upon pressing a button on the table their names were made clear. Lieutenants to each rebel king, such as Zaliyah and Aurax, were noted as smaller dots and they could be seen either clustered with their leigelords and armies or scattered elsewhere across the map. Zooming in to each of these characters listed possible orders they were taking out, or give further information on their theoretical next movements. The vast amount of Barraki forces were clustered at a central point where most of the kings assembled. It was clear they were intending to do something, though by Stannis' notes it was not clear what. 

On the other side of things, the Matoran army commanders were noted by their kanohi emblems, each with a name alongside. Brutaka, Dume, and a few others were labeled, and Stannis himself was strangely listed as showing up in several places at once. Even more oddly was the presence of a Hau in greyscale somewhere beneath Metru Nui, though it did not have a name next to it. Arrows at the tip of curved lines were drawn in rapid succession across the interface, showing the movements of armies and refugees, all mostly moving to Pridak's camp and Metru Nui, respectively. Underneath the whole map were displays of many text documents scrolling by in a range of speeds. All of the documents were long, written by someone with as seemingly limitless patience and attention to detail. "There is an oral narration to this upload," Hiripaki said. 

"... We are approaching the end of the war," Stannis' ancient and deep voice said. He sounded like a grizzled reporter gruffly delivering the state of affairs from the war's front lines, though there was a melody to his tone that suggested it was done in sanctuary somewhere. "It simply cannot develop any further than it has without reaching a conclusion. By my calculations, we have already been well beyond the climax point and the only possible outcome is a complete victory for either side. 

"Pridak is planning something, or else he wouldn't be amassing his forces like he is. For most of the war each of the Barraki did their own things as part of his greater scheme and it worked to great effect. This time, only Carapar seems to be on the front lines, looking for something. Despite my best efforts the nature of this strategy eludes me, but based on how far away from Metru Nui they all are they must be waiting for something good. A weapon, perhaps? Or something worse, I feel. Pridak has no need for greater weapons at this point, though the butcher would stoop to any level of monstrosity if his soothsayers said it was worth his while. 

"The islands just south of Metru Nui are one of the final lines of defense against the League's forces. Brutaka leads this front, though once this last stage is inevitably cleared out the League will have free reign to access Metru Nui's dome. 

"Of greatest concern is the city's lack of defenses against a military assault. The Matoran there are fat and depraved, corruption is rampant, and Turaga Dume—that old fool— has not yet activated any meaningful rings to protect his wards and seems to be confident the vahki will be all that he will need. However, even a small force of toa would be able to effectively hold the League at bay if they possessed knowledge of the League's capabilities, size, tactics, and crucial chokepoints in the dome. 

"My hope is Dume will wisen to the danger his city is in, but that is only a hope. The people of Metru Nui must be activated to defend the [REDACTED], or else all of Mata Nui's work is lost. To that end, I intend to skirt upwards through enemy lines past [REDACTED] to gain access to Metru Nui through the secret passageways only I and Oreius know and begin sowing the seeds of resistance among the people there. The Nynrah Ghosts I liberated would be sure to lend a hand, and some may even be fit to become toa, though war is not their nature, only their industry, so I cannot expect them to readily become warriors at my insistence. Their technology, however, could make even the most menial citizen an effective sniper, and so contacting them is vital.  They spoke of an exile of theirs—the name escapes me—who might be eager to prove himself in the war to come and reclaim his sense of worth, as well. Toa Arkius is headed to Metru Nui as well. Finding him, and bringing him to my cause, would be an excellent lieutenant and an eager fighter. 

"My contacts in the Archives will assist in disseminating the information to the right places once the time strikes. Although I could easily dispatch it to all the Metru, doing so without care would only cause panic and undermine Dume's strategy, if there is one. Chaos will only weaken the defenses. Unity, that's what we need now. Metru Nui must remain when this is over... There is no future under the League. For all his knowledge, Pridak does not know enough about the Universe to keep it sustained, and without the Great Spirit's [REDACTED] we will certainly all perish. 

"The cycle continues, but this rotation is almost at an end."

...

"That is the end of the entry. "

@Eyru @Onaku

Edited May 13, 2020 by EmperorWhenua