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Six Kingdoms: Rebirth - Gameplay


Unreliable Narrator

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IC: Skorm (Metru-Koro)

The Twi-Toa shivered as he felt Ulkar's shadow tentacle. It was a reflexive pain and embrace; his dual nature often reacted to pure manifestations of either component in such a manner. He smiled, however; he would not turn down a helping tentacle in this time of need, though. Skorm reached out, and as he touched the shadowy tendril, he dissolved his form into shadow, travelling along it out of the muck. He rematerialized next to Ulkarr; this was one of those Aspect beings. Best to tread lightly.

Any thoughts cleared from Skorm's head when he spotted the mound of earth summed by the Mesi. Reacting quickly, he channeled elemental shadow into his right hand and light into his other. The opposing powers crackled and hummed as Skorm brought his hands up, shoving them at the mound before unleashing the energy. The reaction was explosive as they discharged and dissipated, coursing through the earthen mound and blowing it apart.

The drain left Skorm winded, and he grimaced as he looked up at the Mesi. "Hard to think I'd miss being on an airship right now..."

OOC: @Toru Nui

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The times, they are a-changing...

 

 

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IC: Barius - Base of Irnakk's Tooth

The soft light of the morning sun roused the Warskak from his slumber, shining into eyes that had received far too little rest to balance out the travails of the prior day. For a brief moment, Barius was afflicted with the sensation of unfamiliarity with his surroundings as he awoke. It is uncertain exactly what came over him; perhaps the remnants of a dream, yet to be banished by the light of dawn, or maybe the cause was simply melancholic reminiscence brought on by yesterday's experiences. Regardless of what it was, something possessed him as he lay there, half-asleep, to mutter, so softly that none but perhaps Parnassus could hear: "Five more minutes..."

But that strange specter of his youth vanished as quickly as it had appeared, as the white Skak's eyes fluttered open and, heedless of the burning pain of his injuries, he pulled himself upright.

His first instinct was to call out to whoever could hear his intention to immediately return to Fort Nektann. However, he stopped just as his lips were parting, remembering the 'guest' that he had encountered the day before. He had ought to converse with him again, before deciding what to do. The old Skak's presence presented as much danger as it did utility, and though Barius would not admit it, his words and actions would have great influence on what course of action Barius saw most fit to undertake.

Now preparing to ask where Drukarus was, he stopped himself for a second time, as he spotted the purple warchief in question, moving towards him, Grime in tow. He shifted his seating to adopt a more authoritative posture, and spread his legs so as to take up most of the space on the hood, hands on his knees and feet rested on the cowcatcher-esque construction that adorned the front of the vehicle. A small quantity of fresh blood showed through the bandages on his abdomen, against the dried stains of the old.

OOC: @Sparticus147 @Unreliable Narrator @Conway

IC: Providence - Outside Ruins of Fire

Providence smiled, glancing at Zak-Yak. "It is up to you, of course, but I'm sure you would like to have your arm fixed sooner rather than later, no? And you should have plenty of opportunities to procure a heartlight in the days to come."

OOC: @Sparticus147 @Kal the Guardian @~Xemnas~

IC: Morangad - Grand Temple Ruins

Morangad might have scoffed if he weren't still picking himself off the floor, which had moments ago been a wall. When he was back on his feet, he joined the others in examining the new room that had been opened to them. "What happened here?" He asked no one in particular, marveling at the array of dead Skakdi which decorated the chamber.

OOC: @Unreliable Narrator @Sparticus147 @Eyru @Nato the Traveler

IC: Ollem - Ruins of Water

Huffing, the Onu-Matoran looked around once more. He couldn't help but share the frustrations of whoever had scraped those messages into the scraps of sheet metal. There didn't seem to be anything here to indicate what they needed to--

"Wait," he said aloud. "Why are those words written on scrap? Couldn't they have carved their graffiti into the stone itself?"

After a long moment of silence in which he and Mahrika could all but hear the gears turning within each others' heads, he picked up the piece that read 'igiveupthokisameanie', placed it on the surface of the water, and allowed it to sink into the basin.

OOC: @Harvali @Unreliable Narrator

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Avatar by Brickeens

 

 

 

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IC Stannis | Hiripaki Vault

After having restored his strength and constitution with his Antidermis, Stannis spent a moment longer surveying the little pocket in the universe he was in and relished in the presence of the ancient tomes. He inhaled deeply, slowly, savoring the smells like a fine wine; they were musty, deadened from so long in a secret alcove separated from the world they'd come from, though their essences has remained untarnished at the same time and kept the familiarity of fragile paper and faded ink. The leather bindings were cracked and dry, yet oddly pristinely preserved as the rigors of reading only touched them hardly and deterioration was slowed to an infinitesimal rate, and the harsh light of the real world did not deteriorate matter like it did elsewhere. Instead, the only illumination came from the viridian glow of the antidermis and the circular dancing of a luminescent jellyfish, suspended in its own miniature timeless prison just like the rest of the things in the sanctum. This personal archive of Stannis', a predecessor to the Hiripaki AI and the first repository of knowledge he'd constructed by sheer might of Shadow when he first arrived to the Ark, was a time capsule of the time before time, a relic in and of itself. 

He turned to go back to the Hiripaki's main room in the prime dimension, but stopped right before passing through the portal. He felt something, someone, though it wasn't clear who or where. A leyline intersected with his own, that much was sure, and that much was all he knew. Having a second thought, Stannis knowingly collected a single tome from a shelf and then stepped through the eerie portal and found himself in the circular main room of his lair.

Stannis promptly began to unwind, setting the great book on a table and then settling himself down on a lounge chaise at a far end of the space, shrouded by the ancient tubing and machinery that occupied a good portion of the crystalline walls. Stannis nested thence, bundling himself tightly with his cloak and settled in his tidy alcove where he could have full view of his lair from his corner. He did not like that someone's fate would bring them to his vault, but it was unlike the Wanderer to be overly anxious about it. They would come, like they always did, and he would either give them gifts if they were friends... or murder them if they were not.

"Hiripaki," he said softly to his AI companion, "turn the lights down to minimal brightness. And turn the heat up! My old bones chill easily." A beat. "Please."

The intelligence could almost he heard chuckling pleasantly before it complied. 

...

12 hours ago, Crimson Jester said:

IC: Korruhn, ???

The Shadow Toa awoke once more, although this time, it seemed, somewhere far more tangible and comprehensible.

It was dark, and damp. The little light available cascaded through circular doorways, some misshapen and possibly damaged? Metal creaked, the entire area seemed to groan under it's own weight. It was cold, and familiar, although Korruhn could not place it.

Korruhn stood up and turned, to see another circular door. Unlike the others, this one casted a strange, sickly green fluorescence to it. Feeling compelled, Korruhn approached the doorway.

Stannis watched as the interloper materialized from nothing, like a thief in the night. He was a burly man, misshapen by the looks of it under his own black cloak, but carried himself with the spine of a toa. There was an odd familiarity to the man's gait like that Stannis had seen this man before, but he could not be sure of it, and neither could he imagine anyone he knew previously to possess the power this man had in appearing within Stannis' own sanctum, uninvited. 

Hiripaki's focus was directed elsewhere at the moment, content in allowing her aged master to rest without interference or chatter, and likely was turned either outside to the myriad of scanners or inward to her own self-maintenance. Either was, she failed to detect the man's arrival, which was not altogether unexpected. She could be roused, of course, Stannis knew that, but he still did not feel truly threatened and he was, after all, prideful in his own abilities. 

As quiet as a fox, Stannis stirred from his chaise and got to his feet, toeing around the central holo-table that dimly shone an azure display around the circular chamber, casting odd shadows of right angles and curved piping all around the space that looked like haunting vines of darkness that arrested the walls in place. They twisted the senses within the room, making it feel both more confining and less defined that it really was with its disorienting dances, and made even Stannis look like little more than another shimmering shadow among dozens. The interloper was staring at the vacant doorway to the pocket dimension study, hesitating but still feeling drawn to its ghastly green and black glow, and his back was turned to Stannis which allowed the Aspect to further move undetected. 

But he paused a toa's length away from the "guest" and stood regally thus. Whatever brought this man to his lair was not revenge, or any agenda to speak of besides curiosity, and so it was immediately apparent this was no agent of Miserix or Krika or any other Aspect who would do Stannis harm. Instead of taking to violence immediately and fighting where he ought never do combat Stannis spoke out, calm and assured in the relative silence of the moment. "Are you lost?"

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IC: Korruhn, ???

Korruhn spun on his heels as quickly as he could, to see what unfortunate creature shared such a dingy space with the Toa. The room was quite dim, but oddly enough, his night vision had been getting stronger ever since he became a Toa. Probably linked to the sunlight-headaches.

To his surprise, he knew the being before him now, in this strange cavern in a stranger land. And not only did he know him, he was a fellow Toa; although, much more wizened and learned than Korruhn and the others. Korruhn had met him before, in Dume's office. The last day on Metru Nui. Toa Stannis looked a little worse for wear since their last meeting, but then again, who didn't?

"Toa Stannis?" Korruhn withdrew his hood as he spoke, revealing his newly disfigured, gilded mask. "I don't know if you'll believe me, but I have no idea how I got here."

OOC: @EmperorWhenua

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image.png.c80b02daebe0faa6146a8dfce1ccb188.png

"This spot marks our grave; but you may rest here too, if you like."

 

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IC: Drukarus (Irrnak's Tooth)

Arriving at the E. Street Wagon, Drukarus was greeted by the authoritative stance of Barius as he sat upon his war rig. Briefly assessing the warchief, Drukarus took not of the still haggard look of the Skakdi, expectedly so considering the grievousness of their wound from the former day. But Drukarus also took note of the curious attention that Barius gave him, obviously wanting to speak with him before he arrived. 

"Good, I can use that to my advantage."

Standing before Barius, Drukarus planted his maul head-down before himself, placing both of his hands onto the handle of the maul as Drukarus aimed to addressed the Skakdi warchief. Drukarus knew that he was going to have be careful. Although Drukarus knew that eventually, the warskak will fall under his view, he also knew that now was not the time to insist upon his values, and unless given an oppurtunity to speak of such in confidence or with an assurance that what he was to ask was to succeed, then now was to keep his demands small.

"Warchief Barius, I greet you upon the day after your victory...May I ask how are your wounds, do they need tending by one capable of such?"

"Flattery, an obvious but an effective opener. Followed by an indirect request of their condition. If his injury is still as severe as it was yesterday, than that should keep his reprisal to my request in check."

OOC: @Burnmad @Unreliable Narrator @Conway

IC: Zak-Yak (The Fire Ruins)

At that moment, in this instance, given a chance to choose, Zak-Yak's mind was at a loss as two forces within his shattered subconscious bickered back and forth with each other. One, cruelly denouncing all those who had wronged them and those who betrayed them, only calling out for what they desired to claim their own self fulfillment. Another, desperately praising and defending those who have been nice and kind to them, no matter how miniscule or incidental, whether intentional or otherwise. At that moment, Zak-Yak was left confused and unsure on what to do, till a single voice called out.

Hobbling out from behind Varian's leg, meekly scrabbling over in-between Cravious, Whira, and Providence, his gimp hand numbly scratching against the broken mechanical frame that once attached Master's Talons to Zak-Yak. There Zak-Yak sat almost, looking between the three participating beings, an almost regrettable and pitiful look on his face before the Mesi spoke out.

"Zak-Yak...We...I..I will accept deal. I will serve Whira Aspect's wish if Providence Aspect's desecrates me. I would like Talons to be fixed, if that can be done..." For a moment, Zak-Yak held his tongue, clutching his two hands together and biting down upon his lip before he continued, gazing towards Whira. "...I will serve mighty Aspect, if you so wish."

With that, Zak-Yak was left to only hope and pray, to Varian Master, to Providence Aspect, to his...Friends.

OOC: @Burnmad @Vezok's Friend @Kal the Guardian @~Xemnas~ @Snelly

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IC: Cravious - Skakdi of Lightning - Zakazian

Location - Outside the Ruins of Fire

With - Whira, Zak-Yak, Varian, Takadox, Providence

 

Cravious nodded, satisfied by the choice. It helped Whira out less, but it helped him out more, which was the preferred option. He holdstered his seismic pickaxe. “The deal has been struck. I shall fix this ACR arm,” Cravious nodded to the arm at his feet. He unclasped his briefcase and pulled one Heartlight from it as he walked over by Providence and Whira. He handed the Heartlight to Providence, “And this Heartlight is now yours to use to Desecrate Zak-Yak. It should keep beating for at least a couple minutes, but I wish to be here to confirm your wish for Zak-Yak to accomplish is helping Whira accomplish any one of her Grand Wish steps that she so chooses. I shall then fix the ACR arm, and after that, I expect a sentient being’s Heartlight, procured by Zak-Yak, to find its way to me, Cravious, before the month is over.

Cravious closed the briefcase once more, a savage grin adorning his face. Zak-Yak would realize it for what it was, just a normal Skakdi grin, but to everyone else it had a sort of ferocity to it. Soon, very soon, his power would grow. And he was going to make sure it continued to grow.
 

OOC: @Sparticus147 @Burnmad @~Xemnas~ @Vezok's Friend @Snelly

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-----------------------------

--------- “BRUH” -Makuta, probably ---------

-----------------------------

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IC: Reliable Narrator | Air Ruins

The doorway in the center of the floor of the fully aligned hallway led downwards to the entry chamber with the lotus. The doorway in the far right portion of the hallway also led to the entry chamber with the lotus. Somehow, the space they stood inside cared little about the rules of reality as written in Onu-Metru.

While Apex stared at the taboo written on the right hand wall of the completed hallway, she realized the beginning portion of the ritual was still missing. Instead, the doorway that led to the entry chamber with the lotus took its place. It was only a matter of asking the Administrator to shift the room again, and suddenly the opening to the final chamber closed and the wall of the hallway contained the entire ritual.

The glowing triangle Apex, Taja, and Whisper could see flickered brightly, then fanished. In their minds they felt a rush of knowledge, as if remembering something they had never truly forgotten. With the knowledge came a poem:

 

Goodbye

Mortal Soil

Decrepit and raw

Shadow born cosmos

Where I see all

Hello

 

As the words crossed the boundaries of their minds into conscious thought, the Administrator chimed in; “I never saw so many of your kind enjoying themselves at once. What does that pleasure feel like?"

In the far off night sky, three stars disappeared. They vanished without a thought.

 

IC: ? | ?

More.

 

OOC: @Eyru, @Nato the Traveler, @Sparticus147 standby for a PM in the next few days on how to make Infectious Kraata. @Burnmad, unless Morangad has a connection to shadow through shadow blight or being the desecrated follower of an aspect he's unable to receive the taboo. I can't remember if he's desecrated or not...

Edited by Unreliable Narrator
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Happy chat.

 

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IC: Tuakana | Approaching the Fallen Skull of a Universe

They became aware of a noise.

Pausing in their ceaseless stride, they turned their faceless face to the north. Something alien and dark had blossomed. They could see it without eyes. Smell it without nostrils. Taste it without a tongue. It cried out from the earth in a voice coloured by disease, like the wail of a dying child. 

They adjusted their pace and turned towards the mysterious blight. It suggested power, and that warranted investigation. They began to move again, and evidence of the calamity soon began to appear. The ground was blackened. Motes of inky soot drifted on the breeze.. Each step left a print in a thin layer of grime that coated everything. They had seen nothing like this before, not once in their long years. The air itself seemed suffocated by some otherworldly presence. It was stifling, though they did not breathe.

They continued their movement, now approaching the centre of the event. The ground was littered with evidence of a recent battle. The stench of blood still hung heavy in the air.

 

OOC: @EmperorWhenua @~Xemnas~ @The Captain @Unreliable Narrator

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IC: Ulkarr and Gnabol (Metru-Koro)

"Thank you." Skorm helping him in turn was unexpected, but appreciated. Ulkarr outstretched his hand - and the shadow of the Mesi who dared fling that speck of dirt at him became solid and animate. And hostile to that very mutant.

"Huh." Gnabol would have to remember that for the future. He began running in Nale’s general direction. Whether or not he’d be able to catch her, or even be of any further use, was still in question.

@Unreliable Narrator@Keeper of Kraata@Tarn

 

IC: Ostrox and Klawne (Metru-Koro, The Razorfish, Exterior)

Ah yes, a classic maneuver. Give them the 'option' of not fighting their would-be oppressors so that you can annihilate them with a clear conscience when they inevitably refuse. This would be one massacre Ostrox wouldn’t take delight in. He began charging up his Confusion Rhotuka...

The still invisible Klawne rushed, spear in hand towards the book-devouring Mesi with the slug in the jar. Whatever fear she had felt in the past took a backseat to murderous, if somewhat justified, hatred.

@Unreliable Narrator@Onaku@Nato the Traveler@Smudge8

 

IC: Achro (The Coliseum)

Tonight had been interesting, to say the least. Hopefully the time in which these Leaguers would start looking to expand and cull the natives was fast approaching.

Say, wasn’t there a Skakdi fort right where this giant head had plopped down? Hopefully they were all smushed into red paste. Ooh, better yet - they became trapped beneath it, and died a slow, painful death due to oxygen starvation. Happy thoughts, happy thoughts.

These thoughts would keep him happy as he slept until morning.

 

IC: NU-8020S, Reckless, Lawful, Obedient, Impressionable, Buggy and Wayward (Po-Koro, Vahki Transport)

NU-8026S - or 'Wayward', as his unimaginative and vindictive leader had labelled him - was baffled by the Squad Mother continuing the evacuation. Every moment they lingered, the area became more geologically unstable, but she wanted to make sure as many Matoran as possible were escaping, despite her alleged contempt and distrust of them. Perhaps her programming was not as broken as she would like to think...

@Harvali@pokemonlover360@Onaku@Snelly@Tarn

 

IC: Waveahk (The Coliseum, Lounge)

Rose’s lack of injuries certainly wasn’t a surprise. Woman was built like a steam train. "You two certainly performed well tonight, I’ll give you that. Life should become slightly more peaceful from here on in." Which meant that the reasons to keep Waveahk around were decreasing, so he’d best get out of dodge while he could.

"But there’s still some loose ends to tie up. The whole 'Kraata' thing, among them. I’ll get to those islets if it’s the last thing I do." Waveahk started raiding the lounge for provisions for the long journey he would have ahead of him.

@Unreliable Narrator@Tarn@Snelly

 

IC: Enra (Dead Forest, Ruins of Fire)

Enra rematerialized through the portal, presumably with Xane right behind her. All those people from earlier seemed to be gone, but she could hear voices from the outside. "So… what now?" She asked him.

@Nato the Traveler

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OOC | Korruhn interaction courtesy of CJ.

IC Stannis & Korruhn | The Vault

Quote

"Toa Stannis?" Korruhn withdrew his hood as he spoke, revealing his newly disfigured, gilded mask. "I don't know if you'll believe me, but I have no idea how I got here."

Stannis cocked his head from under the cowl of his great cloak's robe in balking astonishment at the man's recognition of his toa alias. This interloper was apparently familiar with Stannis, but he still hadn't placed who he was in turn. Memories recent and historical bounced and rebounded in his mind but the films were not quite matching. The voice sounded like one he should know, but it didn't sync with the visage, the powers, or the place. The aged Aspect narrowed his eyes at Korruhn for a more suspicious examination. 
 
"I am who you say I am," he murmured, still grounded as a mountain and not moving in any direction. Whatever abilities this toa possessed were of the Shadows, and that urged the Wanderer to regard him with the upmost caution. There were so many variables on the table and so many unknowns he had not sussed out yet. Whoever he was and whatever he could do, though, Stannis doubtless knew how to handle him. Like the dark tunnels and caverns that lit his path to the Vault with their shadows, if this man were truly of Shadow, Stannis knew him as intimately as a candle. "Now tell me who you are."

Korruhn paused a moment, taken aback by the Toa's inability to recognize him. He recalled the lake, the great pain of acid searing his flesh to the very core. And the explosion -- vaporized. Mata Nui only knew what Korruhn looked like at this point, and the Sahdow Toa certainly hadn't come across a mirror.

"Forgive me," Korruhn replied. "I have had quite the day, and I can't say I don't bear the marks of it. I am Toa Korruhn, of Metru Nui. I met you in Dume's office."

Stannis gave him a curious look as the memories started to come back to focus, bit by bit, with the siren call of the man's utterance of his name. 'Korruhn' was a more recent addition to Stannis' mental dictionary, a neural network still fully enmeshing itself with the two swirling selves in his body. The antidermis he'd imbibed before was his own, but it was an older version of his self, full of ancient knowledge and near-forgotten thoughts, which stood in contrast to the more progressed self he still maintained within his corporeal carapace. Like two currents, one warm and one cold, the two versions of Stannis were integrating and not quite working in his memories as one mind yet. Still, Korruhn's sharing of his name sparked fusion anew, and the images of the past week came back like bricks sequentially stacking to build a wall.
 
"Indeed," he said. "Turaga Dume, and... Sans..." He said the second's name as though tasting a brand of coffee for the first time, feeling if it sat right on the tongue before fully partaking. "We have a habit of meeting in the offices of old men. Perhaps you shouldn't be surprised you find yourself in mine, now." He chuckled lightly, then finally removed his hood to reveal his stony face and he looked every bit as hale as he had before the battle that raged around the city days before. His eyes were bright and silver, his jaw steady and set, and his spine strong and erect. Were it not for the myriad of scars and pits on his mask and relic-like armor he seemed like a staunch young knight.

Korruhn's eyes narrowed. Something seemed... well, off. Of all the places in the world he could have ended up, he ended up in what is apparently Stannis' lair of sorts? Wherever that even was. No matter. Korruhn had sensed something, a commonaliy between he and Stannis, at their last meeting. Whatever it was that drew him to Stannis, led him to trust him. For now.

Sans. The name stung like bitters under the tongue, salt in a fresh wound. Although it hadn't been more than days, Korruhn felt for Sans, the curmodgeonly Turaga, whom he left behind at Metru Koro, presumeably to die at the hands of the League, along with nearly all that was left of his old life. He felt the rage, the pain. But for now, he would have to figure out where he was and what he could do from here. "Yes," Korruhn paused. "This is your office? Where are we?" Korruhn was about to mention the strange place from whence he'd just come, the cosmic horror world out of time and space. But he hesitated. Stannis could know of that later. "I was on the north shore of the crater lake, with a few other Toa. We encountered a Titan. He was attacking another Toa. We aided. I fell into the lake."

"Yes, it is, so to speak; a minute chamber where I do my work in, sometimes, though it hasn't been used to meet in for a very long time. So you fell into the nightmare sea around this disembodied head we once called home?" Stannis asked for clarification.

"Yes. The titan as well."

"That would explain a great many things... and not least among them how you are not like the Korruhn I knew from before."

"What... things?" Korruhn asked, more curious than anything. "I've seen some very odd things in the past few days."

"I did not say that you were 'odd,' Korruhn... however you are not the same." Stannis moved to the side, coming in between the low flickers of light from the holographic table and the ominous umbra of the portal-door to the secret chamber on the opposite, with both men in line between the luminescences as well. He lithely twisted his legs and spun to the floor before coming to rest in a crosslegged position, a vulnerable one at that, and invited Korruhn to join him on the ground. "Tell me, what do you feel in your body?"

Hello, what’s this? :!!!: Toa Stannis of the Maru has a friend over!? Why didn’t he tell me!??? I love guests! Am I to assume this is a Welcome One as well? Well, okay, Toa Stannis of the Maru is sitting down now, and if he does not think it is a threat, well, so I won’t either! But I’ll sit—here in the rafters, anyway—and watch. 

[The AI observed, silently, from its cameras and sensors.]

Korruhn nodded, taking his place across from Stannis. "Let me tell you, Stannis. Back on Metru Nui, when I was but the Cartographer of Ko-Metru, I had an encounter in a lonely hideaway in the darkest corner of Ko-Metru. An abomination. It -- reached out to me." The Toa brought up his arm, twisting his wrist to show the jagged mark where the creatue had burned his forearm. "I met that thing a second time. There, battling the titan. I took the life of an enemy combatant, and it appeared. I could summon it, or something of it's nature, at least." He paused again, looking to his arm, the symbol of his twisted destiny, the darkened path. "To answer your question, Stannis. I feel empowered. I feel enlightened. I am connected to something not of this plane."

"But, I must say, I also feel something a bit strange about this place, Stannis. I feel... strength, in the darkness."

"In the Shadows," Stannis said with finality. He paused a moment, wondering something in his head before finally letting the words out. "You have not seen yourself yet, have you?"

Korruhn shook his head. “This is the first time I’ve sat down in days.

"You have an affliction, if you could call it that. Some would call it a curse, others a taint, and even certain esoteric others an evolution. The truth is it is none of those things and the reality is far closer to your perception than you realize: It is not of this plane. Shadows do not come from your universe, Korruhn, and most who find themselves in possession of its characteristics are frightened and astonished by what they find. Darkness... changes people, develops them, and adapts them." Stannis stirred slightly and raised his hand to the air. "Shadows have a tendency to obscure and enshroud the truth of things. The first step is always to compare what you see to what you know. And I can help you with both of these tasks.

"Hiripaki, show Korruhn his visage."

Oh goody! "Yes, right away! :camera:" a voice replied. The table sparked to new life, quickly showing a holographic render of a man who sat on a floor. Quickly, Korruhn realized he was looking at himself in real-time and in great detail, albeit in a mostly monochromatic fashion with various shades of blue, with red and gold showing vibrantly on the otherwise azure image. As the man moved so did the hologram, and Korruhn could see himself from the perspective of anyone else. It was a haunting rendition.

Korruhn's eyes grew wide on the realization that the image before him was of he himself. Armor pitted, rusted, with thin veins of gold and purple. His afllicted arm, jet-black and jagged, and seemingly armored with designs of another world. And his mask. Melted, pock-marked, sucked to his face from the horrid effects of the protodermis acid. His ice blue eyes blazed beneath the sickly golden visage. He barely recognized himself.

"The lake..." Korrruhn trailed off, thoughts of his visage still humming in the back of his mind. "When I fell in, I visited that plane. They called it the Far Shore."

"The abominations? Do they live in that plane?" Stannis asked, genuinely curious and apparently unperturbed by the revelations.

"Nuju. He was there. He was one of them." Korruhn knew it didn't make sense no matter how he put it. But he felt that if anyone knew, it may be the wizened old Toa before him.

"I do not know of this Far Shore you speak of and I cannot quite know how it is you came to be here in this place... but what I do know is Shadow. And what's more, friend... I know that is why you are here."

Korruhn pondered a moment. Was that why he was really here? All he knew, is he would avenge Metru Nui, one way or another. "Then please, Stannis, show me what it is you have to show me."

He pulled the ancient tome from beneath his cloak, somehow having palmed it away earlier, and placed it on the ground between he and Korruhn. The bookbindings were green-tinged in the main realms's light, and a large :m: in an ancient, almost unfamilar matoran runic script adorned the front of it. The tome was written in the same script as the words adorning the walls of every Suva and abandoned ruin around the island called Zakaz, and the book Stannis had plucked in particular was a primer study on the concept of Aspects themselves. In it, it spoke of Makuta, their antidermis, their kraata, their rites, and their taboos, though only in general senses—it was a primer, after all, and not a full compedium, and without a greater context of the world and the forces that governed it the book revealed nothing a discerning archeologist wouldn't be able to uncover with a sojourn around the island. Those, Stannis alluded, came later, with practice and application.. 

"I have spent my whole life gathering knowledge across the universes, even on this land called Zakaz by the Skakdi who dwell here. This particular morsel is a merest flavoring of what I know. Open it, feel it, smell its pages if you care to, and tell me if you sense something about it that touches you."

Korruhn grabbed the book by its battered leather dustcover. The cartographer in him immediately identified its age, and therefore value-knowledge-wise. He studied the cover as he would have back in his old life, running his finger through each hand-tooled crevasse, as though time itself could be felt through the jagged tool edges and worn dimples of the leather surface. The Matoran runic script was of an oft-forgotten branch lost long ago, and of a very specific design: spiraling, thin lines, with jagged bold accents. Korruhn recognized the script -- it was nearly identical to those he'd studied in the hideaway, and more recently discovered in the Ice Ruins.

He thought to open the book, to pore its volumes of information, but he did not need that distraction at the moment. For now, he had some questions for the old warrior. "What do you know of the taboo scripts in the ruins?"

"The incantations? That they are power, and that they are not of this plane," Stannis offered simply. He scratched his chin thoughtfully, gauging Korruhn's fascination and attention to details, from how he'd inspected the tome and pointedly asked Stannis about the taboos themselves so quickly. The former cartographer was certainly worth his salt, he assessed. "And, I suppose, that you seek them out."

"Suppose I've already sought them out." Korruhn's reply was fast, not enough to be rude, but enough to know he wanted to get to his point. He opened the book, not to the first page, but to one well into the stack of pages. The script was again archaic, but more common, and therefore more understood by those of the Cartographer's craft. To the untrained eye, it meant nothing, mindless etchings of a long-forgotten society. But to Korruhn, it told a story. He closed the book, and handed it back to Stannis.

"I can't think of many beings that would have this much knowledge of Antidermic rites, of Makuta. Let alone wander the world with a book of it."

"There aren't many at all. One doesn't become 'the Wanderer' and a professed wizard without countless years of exploration and archiving the mysteries and lores of the realms," Stannis collected the book and set it on the floor beside him. What he had been presented with was an unusual opportunity for the aged deceiver where an otherwise upright and moral toa was bent to forces he did not understand and yearned for more, which placed him in stark contrast to the beings Stannis had dominated before. He was accustomed to seeding his will in people who had very different walks of life, to heroes who needed a guiding hand to do the most good and to tyrants who required a tempering leash to not sunder the world, all in indirect fashions and none to be minions by any means for Stannis. It was not his intention to be a ruler, it was not in his nature to ascend to any thrones or dominate the will of anyone, he was a whisperer and counselor, not a king, and none should kowtow to him. 

Fate was a fascinating mistress, it seemed, with no shortage of surprises even for Stannis. He needed someone like Korruhn, someone afflicted by darkness but not from it and who earnestly wanted to learn more. There was no real point to deceive Korruhn as a result, and someone as erudite as he likely already determined that there was much more to Stannis than anyone had been led to believe, though there was also no benefit to being entirely forthright with him either, as the truth was potentially as alienating as the greatest fiction if not portioned correctly. Like the book. It served to whet an appetite without overwhelming the senses, and it titillated Korruhn enough with tantalizing potential to egg him to follow. 

The Wanderer futzed with his hands and stowed them in his voluminous cloak sleeves. His eyes were alight and intent at drinking in Korruhn's persona, his every excited twitch and apprehensive shiver, but he was not studying him with malevolence. Korruhn was there for help, whether he knew it or not... so why not help each other in turn? "I can help you uncover ancient things forgotten by time and perhaps even understand this Far Shore condition you now have. But you need something more precious than a quest for knowledge alone to define yourself. So tell me, my friend... what is it that drives you?"

Edited by EmperorWhenua
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IC: Xane - Ruins of Fire

"I... have no idea," he shrugged, "This place didn't give me any answers, only more questions... many more." 

@Toru Nui

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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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IC: Korruhn, Hiripaki Vault

The elder's question had taken the Toa aback. He hadn't had the time to even rest in the past week, let alone contemplate what motivates him as a Toa, a protector, a warrior, and an emissary of Matoran history. He had been forced to set all of that aside, his life, his goals, in order for the animalistic nature of war and bloodshed to rage. He was a scholar, by trade, but the world had made him something else. A weapon. Korruhn felt a rush of enjoyment at being able to set that aside, and delve into the world of knowledge once again.

"As they say, knowledge is power," Korruhn replied. "The world is full of... baser minds. Those content with the constant cycle of war, of embitterment, a detriment to advancement and enlightenment. They do not use their words, or their pens. Their only voice is violence, and they cast that accursed voice across our lands, unhindered by our most powerful warriors."

The Toa paused, drinking in the fervor of his own words. In the silence, his mind's eye drew pictures of a beautiful utopia, a restored home. A world rid of the chains of avarice and suffering, flourishing.

"Unfortunately, these baser creatures don't listen to reason. The only language to which they will respond is that of power. Only through strength will we attain order."

OOC: @EmperorWhenua

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"This spot marks our grave; but you may rest here too, if you like."

 

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On 10/15/2020 at 10:26 AM, Unreliable Narrator said:

IC: Reliable Narrator | Air Ruins

The glowing triangle Apex, Taja, and Whisper could see flickered brightly, then vanished. In their minds they felt a rush of knowledge, as if remembering something they had never truly forgotten. With the knowledge came a poem.

IC: Whisper - Ruins of Air

The words echoed through her mind, intriguingly new and hauntingly familiar at the same time. More than the words, though, was the knowledge, an understanding of kraata and creation that surpassed what she had once known... yet at the same time felt like something she'd always been aware of. 

"What is this?" She asked, though the question was directed at no one in particular. 

@Unreliable Narrator @Sparticus147 @Eyru

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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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IC Stannis | His Vault

"Your hate has made you powerful," Stannis admired, "it's no wonder you were given this curse of Shadow by the power of the Lake. You have an ambition about you and you want—and you will correct me if I am mistaken—you want to fight fire with greater fire, enlightened fire."

Korruhn contemplated the aged man's words a moment, noting the choice of rather dark language. "Hate?" He chuckled softly, before continuing. "The Barraki Warlords, the Skakdi bloodmongers, the League of Six Kingdoms, they know hate. It pumps through their veins, crackles in the synapses, bleeds into their every facet of life. They are cursed with it, as I with Shadow."

His eyes moved away from his companion and to a dark corner of the room, fixating on a singular spot. Perhaps there was something there that only he could see, perhaps it was nothing. He continued. "I want to rid the world of hate. I want to bore it out of the minds of those afllicted by it, drive it from our sacred lands. Hate has no place in this world that I now find myself the vanguard of."

"As I said, enlightened fire," Stannis echoed carefully. "Everyone in the planes knows hate and breathes it in one way or another. Some hate being oppressed, while some others hate not oppressing. Some hate having an aimless destiny, while some others hate not having enough control. Things happen all around us and we, flawed as we are, will cling to our emotions. The difference between all these people... and what makes us all unique... is how we use that hate and what we shape with it. Hate isn't a terrible thing all by itself, it is just our reaction to something we do not tolerate, but what we don't tolerate, Korruhn, is what will plague us. 

"You want to create a better world where people know tranquility and prosperity? So do I. I want to preserve life and allow people to reach their true potentials, away from the petty grievances of forgetful gods and unchecked kings, where people can explore the unbounded realm of possibilities. But to accomplish this end, I must also admit that nobody is perfect, not you, not I, not anyone, and that there are always going to be possibilities that frighten and injure. All the knowledge in the worlds, in tomes or computers alike, cannot change that. 'Knowledge is power,' they say? Ah, ah, but it is not so! Power is power. Knowledge could not save Sans, or Pridak, or Lhikan, and it was knowledge that sundered Dume with fear and corrupted Nidhiki. Knowledge is a means to attain power, but only through power can you attain your goals. And, believe you me, it is your hate for what has transpired to your home that has empowered you."

The old man ruffled his sleeves, scratching at some itch underneath, and then finally rose up from the floor, suddenly done with his meditative stance. "I can help you attain more, if you will let me. And you can help me in turn."

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IC: Apex (The Grand Temple Ruins)

Strength, knowledge, power, that is all that Apex felt and more, the familiar scent of shadow filling the air that surrounded them, forcing a chill down the ancient Aspect's spine. But no matter, the secrets of old have been found by Apex and they are hers to command.

"What is this?"

Or so she thought. Removing her snout from the ritual wall, the Taboo sign now branded upon the bridge of her face, Apex turned and looked towards the young shadowling Whisper and the void-touch Taja before speaking towards them, a hint of annoyance tracing her voice like the whine of insects or the nagging caws of Kewas. "That...Was a caress of the void, the remnant of Aspects past and their attempts to fully utilize the nothingness that we came from...It is an ancient power. One that both of us seemed to have claimed." Particular frustration could be noted from the last line of Apex's as she let out a chuffing raspberry at that fact.

 Turning her attention towards her purple companion, their words being drowned out by the rushing sensation of claiming an Taboo. Loping past them, Apex stopped near the entrance, craning her neck over and calling out to Morangad. "Morangad, I have claimed what I was seeking here, there is no reason to remain and our goal must be achieved swiftly."

OOC: @Burnmad @Nato the Traveler @Eyru @Unreliable Narrator

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IC: Korruhn, Hiripaki Vault

"In the last week I have witnessed many of my friends die, and as many more betray our kind to the League. I've seen my entire world crumble before my eyes, and my new home burning from afar." A lump temporarily formed in Korruhn's throat. Was it he who had lost his way to destiny, or was it those around him? Becoming a Toa may not have been his true destiny at all, perhaps there was a greater torch before him, yet to be carried. A flame of great heat and intensity, with the power to vanquish beast an foe alike. And perhaps Stannis would be the one to guide him to it. "I find it illogical, in the calamity that is this world, for me to hold reservations about any means to accomplish my vision, Stannis. I have read the tales on the damp walls of crumbling temples, I've witnessed it myself. One must be willing to take any measure in order to elevate our world to where it is meant to be."

Korruhn drew a breath deep into his lungs, and exhaled slowly. In this moment, he could see his path clearer than ever. The damp air of the vault felt like his first breath in a brand new world.

"Show me what you have to offer, Illusive One," He looked directly into the eyes of the ancient being, and smirked. "And, please; allow me introduce you to the realm of the Far Shore."

OOC: @EmperorWhenua

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"This spot marks our grave; but you may rest here too, if you like."

 

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IC Stannis | His Vault

"It would be considered a dubious honor for me to visit," he said slyly, then shuffled back to his chaise and gradually stooped into it to finally settle languidly.

"I will show you the state of things... later. For now, we will rest. You look like you could use it. War is a hellish thing, wherever it is fought, and it taxes the body more than Dume ever did."

Edited by EmperorWhenua
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IC: Sala (The Fau Swamp)

Their travel was slow and arduous through the thick vastness of the Fau Swamp. Thanks to Sorilax's power over shadow and silence, the overall fear of danger was minimal, as only those Rahi who silently waited for their prey before striking, and thanks to Sala's quick reactions and Sorilax's naturally resilient mechanical vessel, such sudden assaults were equally minimal in danger. 

Traversing the swamp itself, although Sala suggested himself or Sorilax to carry Vhisola, Sorilax insisted that the safest route was by the roots and trees and the semi-solid ground rather than risk the waist high murk that could loosely be defined as water. Moving through the vines and foliage, the emerald axe, granted from the Suva, made quick and short work of roots, with even the thickest ones only taking two to three swings.

Though slow, it was safe, relatively speaking. Finding an opportunity after a long days trip, the company rested for the night as the sounds of the swamp lulled the lot to sleep. At least for those who were able to sleep.

With the next day coming, the two Matoran awoke and quickly ate their meals, Sala doing so within the safety of Avagah, which Sala had clambered inside of as soon as he was fully awake. Finishing their meals and preparing for another trek, Sala, guarding Vhisola, followed along behind Sorilax for another days travel.

As the trio moved, noticeable changes could be noticed in the terrain and the foliage. What was originally a near dark shadow cast by the thick foliage, the canopy could be noted as thinning in its thickness, the natural rays of light shining through and further illuminating their path. In addition, trees that were wider than Sorilax started to lessen and lessen, now only a Toa in width, the trees grew to be much more manageable in the traversal of the swamp. And lastly, the waist-high waters grew smaller and shallower, now only knee-high in certain places with more solid land and less mud.

But another trait could be noted. At times, an odd silence took hold of the swamp, a silence unlike the supernatural one of Sorilax's but caused rather than the arrival of a predator. And patches and strands of the swamp seemed to be..Dead. Obviously done by some unnatural means but whatever those means were, neither Sala, Sorilax, or Vhisola could make heads or tails of it. Something was off in the swamp, and that made Sala uncomfortable and the party's pace to increase more than just from the easier terrain.

OOC: @Kal the Guardian @Unreliable Narrator

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

Location - Fau Swamp Marshes, (7, 12)

With - Sala, Vhisola

 

The three companions stood at the foot of the Fau Swamp marshes. Silver green grasses and yellow tan reeds lay in large swaths before them, with the occasional gust of wind clearly evident as it traveled across the horizon in waves. The brown red muck that was too watery to be called true mud also dominated the landscape, blocking off large avenues of travel as it threatened to suck in and drown those that would try to force their way through. The murderous muck had collected many trinkets, baubles, and bodies throughout the many years of its existence, all hidden away beneath the calm surface.

Many ponds and pools of water also poked through the reeds and grasses as the group surveyed the land, bits of blue reflecting the sky in between the black brown mud that could actually be traveled upon. Several Pokawi pok-pok-pok-ed in the trees above them almost lost to the noise of a strong wind rustling the reeds, whistling through some of them. The temperature was colder than the swamp, though that was lost on Sorilax, and Sala remained warm inside of Avagah. Vhisola felt it, though. The change from the oppressive heat and humidity of the swamp to the cooler windswept landscape was a sudden, drastic one that cut deeper than one might first expect, almost like hitting a layer of cold the deeper one swam in the ocean.

Sorilax noticed the telltale signs of nearby Shallows Cats and started to formulate a way forward. He could see a Swamp Stalker sunning itself on a far off rock. At least the sun was out to guide their way and keep Vhisola warm for now. However, the early morning sun was also throwing up a fog in the distance that might hinder them later should it not dissipate in the full heat of day.

He would need to forge a new path to eventually lead them to the path that Sala and himself had taken twice now. Once to Metru-Koro, and once back. It wasn’t an actual path, rather it was the safest way Sorilax knew through the marshes. The mud could almost be called dirt and it avoided many predator Rahi hotspots.

Alright,” Sorilax said above the wind after dropping his aura of Silence, his hand motioning farther east, “I know it’s more out of our way, but we need to head east for a safer route through the marshes. Sala, please keep an optic out for Vhisola, the mud can be treacherous. Vhisola, if the strain of carrying the weight of the accumulating muck becomes too much for you, I am more than capable of carrying you. Just get my attention.

After receiving confirmation nods, Sorilax raised his aura of Silence once more and they were on their way. This day seemed to pass much more slowly than the others, with occasional stops having to be made to remove much of the excess mud that inevitably kept building up on them. However, compared to the swamp, their progress was faster than it had been. Twice they had to backtrack due to signs Sorilax noticed of a Manas crab having made a home nearby. One of the times set them back a full hour before they started making progress again.

For Sorilax, his mind was constantly occupied, spotting dangers, choosing their path, and interpreting all inputs he could. For Sala and Vhisola, the trip was full of drudgery and monotony. Vhisola most of all, as at least Sala was able to learn more from the swamp even as he walked due to earlier lessons from Sorilax. Sorilax’s silence could be unnerving, especially after being in it for a couple days. One was used to the subtle sounds their body made even when all other noise was at a minimum. Robbed of that, a mind started playing tricks on itself.

Their stops for lunch and dinner were short, cold affairs that had them sitting atop rocks to afford them as much safety as possible. The wind cut into them like wayward shards of glass, but the protection was worth it. The increased wind had at least swept the fog away. Its howl was disconcerting and tended to put nerves on edge, as well as obfuscating other noises. So they clung to their rocks, weary from the day but glad for the rest.

Boulders were in short supply here in the marshes, and so their appearance generally signaled either another cleaning session, or a meal. Sorilax kept his lookout while they ate, and they all made small talk while his Silence was down. Well, the Matoran made small talk, Sorilax would go off on tangents about the ecology of the marshes and how much he had enjoyed studying them hundreds of years ago. Sala and Vhisola would often talk with each other every time Sorilax did his usual, almost minute long pauses to think and sort things in his mind before he continued talking.

When the sun fell behind the giant robot head, but had yet to actually set below the horizon, Sorilax finally found the path he had taken with Sala. He was glad of this, and knew a good place to rest for the night. Half an hour later, with the sky full of orange and yellow and the marsh birds calling out their goodnights, Sorilax had them nestled in a cluster of boulders nearby a large pond that held many strange fish. Not one was as another, and Sorilax assumed the pond contained the mutagenic properties that many of the waters of the Fau Swamp held within them.

Checking the plants near the pond, they too held strange alterations that were odd, but thankfully offered no immediate concern to the group’s safety. That reminded Sorilax of the food situation for the two Matoran, and he ruminated to Sala that perhaps they should gather more supplies tomorrow for their continued journey. He had no idea how long Kini-Nui would keep Sala and he, and also he wanted to make sure Vhisola was as well equipped as possible to make it back to Metru-Koro.

For a moment he thought of asking for his scroll on Aspects back from Vhisola to write down what he had been working through in his mind at nights while he meditated, but he thought better of it. He would let her pour over it as much as she wanted before they parted, then he would retrieve it right before their time together was over.

The sun finally set while they all talked and settled in. Eventually the two Matoran tried their hands at getting some sleep. Sorilax was happy to start meditating once more, casting his Shadow Observation in a ring around them to run in the background while he pondered more important things. He would notice if a large object was suddenly displacing the shadow of night around them all.

Several frogs croaked in the distance and insects chirped in the night. He slowly made his way over to the edge of the pond, taking in the stars reflecting off the mutagenic waters. The reflected stars sparkled and shimmered in the vast void of space. In a way the stars emphasized their canvas of the unknowable void, giving shape to what had no shape.

Sorilax sat down at the water’s edge and began his meditations once more. In his mindscape, he stopped his endless rowing to stare at the inky, crushing depths of the power behind Taboo. The sky above was black and hung heavy. The feeling was like being trapped under something that you couldn’t move yourself. The sea raged as far as could be seen, or maybe felt. There was no light save from one source. Sorilax’s boat bobbed in the waves that, near him, were calmer and more restrained. The lighthouse of hope, his beacon of light, was closer now, though the call remained just as quiet as it had been at the first. It was no compulsory call. It was his decision to go to it. It was no unconscious choice, like touching the Rahkshi Taboo had been.

The Rahkshi Taboo… Sorilax leaned out over the waters, seeing the grey, glowing threads that represented the different Taboos that he knew. The Desecration twine was still in a separate current from the other, and its lesser nuances from his Grand Wish steps were still threaded around it, causing it to glow more brightly than the Rahkshi thread. He gazed upon it for a few moments and then decided to ignore it, instead focusing on what he really wanted to explore tonight.

The Rahkshi string drifted through the current that represented some larger tenet to the underlying power behind Taboos. It wove its way off and out of sight, appearing once more in other locations as it twisted and curled all around him. The current it was strung along was not like any ocean current, strong and wide. No, Taboo currents swirled and knotted themselves around other currents. Sorilax needed to somehow grasp the bigger picture of each tenet, or current, to ever hope to figure out another Taboo.

Taboos. The power behind them wasn’t just some random power of the universe. No. It was tied to, inseparably linked, and intertwined with the element of Shadow. Where one went, the other moved step for step.

Sorilax conjured a ball of Shadow in his hand, both in real life and in his mind. The sphere was no construct of physical shadow like he normally conjured. This was just a ball of shadows, plain and simple, as could be found in nature. It inversely shined, like the spots between the stars, empty and devoid of light. Yet power was still there, hiding under the surface just like there was lying behind every other location in the universe.

He held up the sphere to contrast with the sky, the sphere blocking out stars in real life, and being lost to the sky in his mind. The answer to figuring out another Taboo lay within this ball of shadows. He knew it. He just needed to discover the link between himself, Shadow, and Taboos. They were all one together, yet they were all separate. They all moved with him as he moved, yet he was not a complete master over them. He was not the sole producer of them. He was merely a conduit. A tap into the true source that had remained so unknowable to him for so long.

He pondered that. If he was a conduit, then it made sense that he would need to start channeling energy to even begin to hope to learn more. While he used his element every day without thought, he made sure his every interaction with Taboos was measured and weighed before it was applied. It was time to explore what he so often observed only with outside thought.

With grim determination, Sorilax plunged his arm into the inky depths of the sea in his mind, grasping the strand that represented the Rahkshi Taboo. His orb of shadow remained, though now coated his hand like a glove. A shiver ran up his arm, which was weird, since he was made of gas. It felt like the shadow was giving him a better connection to the Taboo, a deeper understanding.

It’s poem jumped into his head along with all other information that had been granted him upon its discovery:


Goodbye

Tortured is the heart that lies empty

Full is the belly of the beast

A shell protects the broken yolk

Sleep is better than peace

Hello


In real life, he plunged his hand into the mutagenic pond, the shadow orb in his palm becoming a solid container to hold the mutagenic water. It almost seemed as if the waters pulled on the shadow, feeding off of it and mixing with it to form something new. It made him think of the electrified protodermis that was required for a form change in the Rahkshi Taboo. He needed to breathe his essence into something alive, add an outside force, and then change would occur.

That was what he wanted to do with Kraata, after all. He needed to take his very essence and mutate it in such a way that he could produce a Kraata independent of any host. To create life on his own instead of on the backs of others.

Ideas and thoughts merged in his head as he tried to see and comprehend all possible angles, fueled by both experiences happening at once. With the Rahkshi Taboo almost vibrating through his being and the feeling of the Shadow orb mutating in his hand, that night something clicked in his mind. He understood further his connection to Shadow and how it was integral to the force behind Taboos. He, Shadow, and the force behind Taboos were all one. Merged and yet separate. The forces could ebb and flow and be stronger in some and weaker in others. It all depended on your knowledge and application. Perhaps there was some possibility of imbuing his very essence with more Taboo power.

In a way, this gave him more respect for his inherent element.

He still abhorred creatures of Shadow and how Shadow seemed to warp and destroy all those it touched, but Shadow, devoid of sentient beings, seemed more pure to him in a way. It was as much a part of the universe as any other. And perhaps even a part tied the strongest to universal forces. But it was still a part that killed and destroyed and he was against it.

The element of Shadow itself now had, in his mind, a light shone on it, illuminating its intricacies and nuances. He could use those pathways now that he saw them and try to avoid the pitfalls of what came along with Shadow. He still longed to change his very nature to the Light, but he knew that he couldn’t truly leave Shadow behind if he still was connected to Taboos. He would have to bear it until he had achieved his Grand Wish. Then he would set things right for everyone.

Sorilax gingerly pulled his arm from the black sea in his mind. The shadow glove around his hand dissipated and he grabbed his oars, starting his rowing once more. He would have much to think on while they walked tomorrow.

In real life, Sorilax pulled his arm from the pond and slipped the physical Shadow orb full of mutagenic water into a different part of his pack, well away from his scrolls. It felt not wholly Shadow anymore, despite the fact that he still had to keep it formed himself. How odd. Still, he would study that some other night. He felt there was some further mystery to be found. Something that might help him figure out a new Taboo. A final piece to the puzzle.

Maybe an experiment was in order.

Looking up, Sorilax was surprised to see the sun had already broken above the horizon to the east, peaking out about halfway. Early morning mists dotted the landscape and birds chirped their morning greetings. Just how long had he been researching?

Sala and Vhisola stirred behind him, roused by the light of the sun rather than Sorilax this day.

Sorilax pondered the eight pointed star on his right palm before he eventually closed it and let it fall to his side. He got to his feet and went to help prepare breakfast for the two Matoran. Another hard day of travel was about to begin.
 

OOC: @Sparticus147 @Unreliable Narrator

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-----------------------------

--------- “BRUH” -Makuta, probably ---------

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IC, Atamai: Piraka Fort

Atamai looked over his shoulder at Leklo. "I... one moment he was here, the next moment..." is all he managed to say.

Just then, Atamai saw another figure approaching. He zoomed in with his mask and saw that it resembled a Toa, but not quite. It wore no mask.

As the approaching figure got closer, Atamai slowly rose to his feet, grabbing the Great Disks as he did.

"Who are you?" he asked the stranger.

OOC: @Eyru @EmperorWhenua @The Captain

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IC: Korruhn, Hiripaki Vault

The Toa hadn't hesitated at Stannis' offer of rest, being well over a week out from his last moment to really get off his feet and let his body recuperate. He settled down on a tattered, dusty old overcloak, and drifted off. He slept soundly and without interruption, awakening many hours later, to the older being now standing over him.

"Good morning," he said sincerely, reaching his hand out to help Korruhn to his feet. The younger Toa accepted the hand, and rose to meet him at eye level. "I hate to disturb you, but there are some things to which we must attend. And on the way, I have something to show you that I'm certain will be of interest. Now come, get your things. We'll set out immediately."

Korruhn nodded, and motioned to the door with his right hand. He had brought nothing with him, nor did he have many worldly possessions in the first place. His old half-cloak, adorned with strange golden runes, a copy of one of his final iterations of a map of the city of Metru-Nui, and his sole remaining khopesh. All other things would only serve to weigh him down. There would be time for possessions when Korruhn had a home to call his own, someday. At least he hoped.

Leaving the Vault, the two carried on down one of the circular tunnels outside of Stannis' vault. Korruhn's eyes scanned the surroundings as they went, in an attempt to find any sort of evidence as to the origins of the construction of this place, whatever it was. It seemed older than he could fathom; the layers of smile and mud clung to every surface of what Korruhn imagined to be a brilliant gleaming tunnel of polished metal like a carapace, burying with it great identifiers like toolmarks and fasteners. Lighting ran along the roof of the passageway, and at one point probably illuminated the tunnel with a warm soft glow; but time and wear had left but a few lamps, weakly flickering like a beacon in the darkness. The tunnel semmed to wind forever, are were it not for the tears and shifted portions of tunnel, Korruhn would have barely been able to tell they had made any progress.

After what seemed like hours, Korruhn's night-adjusted eyes were struck by a blinding ray of light down the tunnel -- an exit? He looked to Stannis, and back to the light. Korruhn and Stannis marched forward, eager to see what awaited beyond. As they approached, Korruhn could begin to make out some sense of detail of the illuminated area. It appaeared to be an open break in the tunnel, with light spilling from above. Hoses and piping projected out at haphazard angles, some still spewing whatever once flowed through them. Far back beyond the carnage of piping and twisted steel, Korruhn saw something peculiar, or in fact, he heard it first. The unmistakable sound of rushing water, spilling from above their heads at the other end of the break. It semmed to pour endlessly from above, obscuring the crushed other end of the very tunnel they were in behind a massive waterfall.

Korruhn stepped toward the edge of the gap, which, up close, was far greater than Korruhn's eyes initially perceived, almost 40 feet across. He couldn't help but begin to tip his head upward to see the source of this great waterfall piercing through the middle of this seemingly industrialized structure. And when his eyes finally found the top of the waterfall, and what seemed to be the floor above, he couldn't believe his eyes: large sheets of ice, slick from melt and waterflow, as far as his eyes could see. Jutting out from the ground in the distance at random, like the crooked, crumbling spine of a felled beast, they stood. The great Knowledge Towers of Ko-Metru.

The Shadow Toa felt a lump in his throat, and a tightness in his chest, all form at once. He briefly turned his head before returning to the sight before him. His mind both screamed with excitement to see his home, and cried out in despair to see it not at as city, but as a corpse, desecrated and left to rot. Korruhn dropped to one knee, struggling to focus on standing under the weight of all he could see before him. He looked like he had a million thing to say at at once, but nothing came out. Korruhn had no words.

OOC: @EmperorWhenua

Edited by Crimson Jester
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"This spot marks our grave; but you may rest here too, if you like."

 

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IC: Taja | Grand Temple Ruins

Taja recoiled like she'd been stung. A wealth of knowledge filled her mind, but it didn't feel new. It felt like something she had known once, a long time ago. A dream she had awoken from and forgotten. These things called kraata... and the power they could bestow... the Toa was simultaneously entranced and repulsed. She took an involuntary step back.

Apex answered her unspoken question, naming the experience a "caress of the void", whatever that meant. At this point, Taja felt like she'd had enough contact with "the void" for a lifetime. Then the elder aspect stalked away, leaving Whisper and Taja... and the Administrator.

"Where did this knowledge come from?" Taja asked, still struggling to keep her head straight. "From all your talk about how much you detest darkness, I didn't figure you to be guarding secrets like these."

OOC: @Unreliable Narrator

 

IC: Tuakana | Silver Sea Shore

They continued in their strange, loping stride, and figures came into view.  Young ones, breathing heavily in the aftermath of their battle. One carried disk-shaped objects that they almost recognized, like a name on the tip of a tongue. They glowed faintly in the hazy light.

This young one questioned them. They had heard this question more times in the past week than in the past hundred years before. It still made little sense to them. Who are you? Could they not see the jet-black armour with corroded joints? The twisting strands of ivy that obscured their face? The hulking shape of their body, arms hanging down like those of an ape? The brown-green mosses that sprouted on their limbs? What did they seek beyond this? Did they need confirmation that their senses did not lie?

Curious. So young, they were. Still womb-blind. 

"Hmmm," they hummed. The sound seemed to come from within their armour and without, a voice without a source. Their unseen face gave no hint of an expression.

"I am the eldest," they said at last, their words stilted and halting. "The first. The last. The sea. The sky."

They spoke simply. They did not boast. They only told what these young ones should already know.

"I am this island. I am the rebuke... of spilled blood."

OOC: @~Xemnas~

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IC Stannis | Ko-Metru

And just like that, Stannis had attained the services of a new companion. Not a thrall and not a friend—though there was always a potential for such things, in time—but rather someone to share in an adventure with. His adventure, specifically, and not a moment too soon it was that their leylines of fate would become twisted together. 

Everyone's journeys were legendary in their own ways, unique in the ways they tormented the individuals. Observing and studying these odysseys was one of the many fascinations the Aspect who inhabited the persona of Stannis possessed, and his many tomes and databanks in the Hiripaki Vault were in fact little more than the compendiums of knowledge he'd amassed  about people. What set him apart from many of his fellow Aspects, with just a notable few exceptions, was his belief that individuals were interesting. Big events happened as a result of small actors playing their parts, living lives they believed were their own to live with a sanguine placidity begotten from naïveté individualism. Everyone was their own protagonist, and so every infraction on their livelihoods was a massive misfortune. Accordingly, reactions were always the same—what differed, of course, was the object of the emotion.

Stannis had seen many expressions of grief and anguish in his years of anthropological study. He catalogued them all, curiously documenting where one person's dismay was equalled by another's joviality as each person reflected on an event in opposing fashions as it catalyzed reactions. Even the destruction of Mata-Nui and Metru Nui was a catastrophe to most, if not all, people he'd come across thus far, impacting an enormous swath of beings from Matoran to Zyglak, Vortixx to Skakdi. What eluded Stannis thus far, however, was to whom it had brought joy. He had his hunches, of course, but the fall of a once all-powerful god, for all the destruction and chaos it had created, would have had to instill a balanced reaction of rejoice. It troubled him, but he would find it out eventually, and he let his mind linger on the introspection as he slowly lowered his gaze from the top of the liquefying towers, lingered it on the elongated cascading stream of meltwater, and then to the chasm and then to the kneeling figure of Korruhn.

Grief, he considered, always looked the same regardless how strong the individual was. Fear and hate were the most basal of feelings and the first ones everyone felt in the wake of something that tugged at heartstrings, and it would take mental fortitude to overcome it and move on to creative thinking so quickly from dealing with heartbreak. Ko-Matoran were notorious for their inward focus and lack of emotional overtures, but they all still felt things just like any other. Korruhn was a Ko-Matoran no longer, the feelings flowed differently now, and the experience would be novel for a while. It could continue to drive his focus, and so Stannis almost urged the experience to come out with a hunger, a longing to feel and share feeling.

The Wanderer placed a hand on Korruhn's shoulder. "I'd almost forgotten, this is home for you," he said. It was half-true; the sentiment of sympathy was real but the words were hollow; he knew Korruhn's affinity to the region all along, but a well-placed card of condolence could make a world of difference for people in the heat of a moment. He felt for Korruhn, truly—he also knew what it was like to see a homeland ruined and altered beyond recognition, after all. "The rest of Metru Nui has not fared much better. You likely had no opportunity to really see the damages done with how you came in to the city, and to me. Dear friend, I am sorry."

He listed his staff and conjured a bridge of stone to cross the chasm and inch closer to the surface. They've begun moving again and gotten closer to ground zero when the shadow-touched to a realized something, recognizing the towers by the placements of their cornerstones. "There. That one, with the red way-finding flags all around the edges near the corner of the Metru. The Cartographer's tower."

"Why do you mention it?" Stannis asked, not quite certain what it was the cartographers truly did and hoping the tourguidelike attention shift was not purely for a sightseeing curiosity. 

"Because that was where we worked out of. There would be transports and supplies we can use there, apart from the vahki or chute networks."

"An excellent suggestion," the Wanderer said. "We will need such things if we are to leave this city anytime soon."

"Leave? We only just got here."

"My friend, I have already been here longer than I need to. The whole of Metru Nui is decaying flesh and bones and if we are to have any hand at saving anything we will not be able to do so from here."

@Crimson Jester

 

IC Leklo | Ruined fortress ruins

"I have had it with everyone's ancient riddles," the former alpinist said with a sigh. A tear formed at his eye but he wasn't sure which malady the lament was for. "There has already been too much spilled blood. What are you here for?"

@Eyru

Edited by EmperorWhenua
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IC: Tuakana | Silver Sea Shore

They turned their unseen eyes to Leklo. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, their head tilted to the side. As if in curiosity.

"You under. Stand," they said mournfully, their voice a multitude of intertwining whispers. "You have seen blood spilled. You have. Heard it cry out from the ground."

The tendrils overhanging their face swung gently in an unseen breeze.

"I am here. To answer."

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IC: Axxon | Destroyed Piraka Fortress

Axxon struggled to remain conscious. Too weak to hold his head up, the titan fought to even breathe. Each wheezing gasp of air echoed over the lake, interrupted by choking sobs. He could not reclaim the disks. Axxon failed in his trial of faith, but the deaths of his selves remained etched into his mind. Infinite possibilities meant the chronic pain of his own death forever. Excruciating as he found his own mortality, Axxon continued to breathe. 

 

IC: Reliable Narrator | Ruins of Water

The metal scrap sank into the basin with a barely audible plop as it broke the water’s surface. At first, nothing happened, and then Ollem and Mahrika watched as the words carved into the obsidian doorway flashed with golden light. The light did not linger, and soon they found the door much the same as a moment before.

 

IC: Vhisola | Fau Swamps, following Sorilax and Sala

Vhisola spent most of the journey deep in her own thoughts. She didn’t really know what to expect when she arrived in Metru-Koro, all she knew was that with the news of the bombing she had to go back. Maybe in another life she could have wandered around with her two new academic companions. She imagined them solving other puzzles and finding new mysteries to record. Maybe they’d come visit Metru-Koro again and tell her of their adventures.

 

IC: Admin | Ruins of Air

“They’re just another bit of history to this place,” The Administrator replied somberly to Morangad’s question. “Skakdi thought they were smart. Then their friend trapped them inside. Never trust an Aspect, Morangad. They will always use you. As for you three, it seems you have found one of Miserix’s horrible little works of graffiti. You know better than I as to the nature of its contents. Something blocks me from understanding this taboo knowledge, even as I wish to catalog it. Don’t look at me like that. It is my job to store the knowledge of the past, even the obscene.”

 

IC: Reliable Narrator | Coliseum

In the room where they rested, Waveahk found little for survival gear of the kind he wanted. However, It wouldn’t take much to gather materials from the rest of the tower or the vahki milling about the area. Disks of power level 5 and lower were plentiful and readily available. Food was less so, but still within reason. The quantity of water Waveahk desired, however, was impossible.

 

OOC: Consider yourself tagged. Metru-Koro, the vahki hive in the Coliseum, and the Le-Metru Nuva scene responses are all still in the works.

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Happy chat.

 

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IC: Reliable Narrator | Metru-Koro

As Klawne ran towards the mesi warrior, the warrior tapped the jar to the ground, shaking the slug inside. It glowed, the mesi grabbed her friend, and suddenly they vanished into the wind. Likewise, as the group of ragtag fighters converged on the pair of mesi by Skorm, the two mesi grabbed each other and controlled the mud to wrap around their own ankles. They sank into the earth, disappearing without tracks to follow. The party of mesi who released the manas took their chances and dashed back towards the tunnels from where they came. The last pair were killed.

As swiftly as they arrived, the scouting party of mesi left. Only their manas, now tamed by Gnabol’s psionic powers, remained behind. In the wake of their departure, new questions arose: who were they, where did they come from, and what exactly was beneath the island of Zakaz?

OOC: @Toru Nui, @BULiK, @Nato the Traveler, @Snelly, @Tarn, @TL01 NUVA, @Keeper of Kraata, @Onaku, @Conway, and anyone else I missed I apologize for not tagging you.

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Happy chat.

 

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IC Kanohi and Bode and “Collector” - Po-Koro

Kanohi was cradled by Collector in one arm as the Vortixx waded through the mud. “The storm appears to be dying down,” They remarked, thrusting their Kanoka Blade into the ground with their free jabs. The molten ground froze over, stabilizing it again.

The Fe-Matoran nodded, saying, “I … I know you and your new friends have a mission to do. But if it would be possible, Po-Koro might need to be abandoned, we might need to relocate. If you and your allies could help—

We will do our best” Kanohi nodded at that, and shakily pushed himself upright to sit on Collector’s shoulder. He breathed heavy, bracing himself, before raising his arm and taking aim. A ball of gravity erupted from his Volo Luthor Launcher, dragging him through the air.

As Kanohi hurled through the air he fired from his second launcher, grappling along. His optics scanned through the mud, before calling out. “Here, two Le-Matoran trapped on a hut.

Kanohi landed on the roof, unfolding his Kiril Staff and striking the stone structure. The stone solidified and melded together, the cracks fusing together. The vigilante approached the two Matoran, looking over their injuries.

Collector was soon upon them, scooping up both Matoran in their long large arms. They placed both villagers onto their shoulders, the Matoran gripping tight to their face.

Kanohi turned and grappled away, there were others to save. He hurtled from hut to hut, sweeping his eyes over the quagmire of Po-Koro, his Kiril Staff still drawn. As he ricocheted about he tapped it against each roof he bounced off, helping the stone shelters regenerate.

He knew odds were they would need to abandon Po-Koro. Too much had happened here. But, he couldn’t bring himself to just let the buildings that had kept his people alive crumble without challenge.

OOC: @pokemonlover360 @Toru Nui @Onaku @Snelly @Tarn

IC Mahrika - “The Mask of Water(fall) Breathing”

Mahrika rubbed her head in thought. Ollem was right, there had to be a connection between the metal scraps and the basin. But what? The words had only lit up for a moment.

Wait, the words,“ She grabbed every scrap she could find around the chamber, “the Principle, the Skill, the virtue, I think they all had symbols associated to them. Maybe, we could assemble these scraps into those symbols?

She paused briefly to ask, “Who do you think this Thok is anyway? A Turaga? Or a Skakdi?

OOC: @Unreliable Narrator @Burnmad @Eyru

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"Danger is the anvil on which trust is forged"-Jaller(Jala) :smilejala: 
"We're on our own here-like we've always been-and we'll stand or fall on our own"-Tanma
"He may seem slow and strange to you, but his simple words often carry a hidden wisdom"-Turaga Vakama on Kapura

9B586E38-224D-4703-8EE3-5A0AC1CB8344.png.4f8ec6246a5ad7273e1c0d55cb15537e.png
Kanohi: Stories of a Matoran Vigilante The Impact of a Rebirth: a Kanohi Fanfic The Willing Exiles: a Kanohi Fanfic SKA PC Profiles: Kanohi, Collector, Mahrika Kardaka BZPRPG Profiles Avatar by @Harvali 

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IC: Skorm (Metru-Koro)

As the strange blind Skakdi retreated, Skorm collapsed onto his knees, breathing heavily. If anything else happened, he would probably drop dead. 

"Hooo..." He turned his head towards Ulkarr. "Thanks for the assist back there. I didn't expect I'd be helped by another shadow elemental today..."

This. This is why he wanted peace; they weren't safe anywhere, apparently. League, Refugees, whoever won in this pointless conflict would be torn apart by this forsaken island. He looked up, searching for Keitara and Irna; he had to find them.

OOC: @TL01 NUVA @Conway @Toru Nui

 

Edited by Keeper of Kraata
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The times, they are a-changing...

 

 

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IC: Ulkarr and Gnabol (Metru-Koro)

"You’re welcome… do you… need assistance with your motor functions?" This one was an interesting specimen. Shadow and light, in a stable balance. What sorceries could create such a thing, Ulkarr wondered. Did he have anything to do with the one with the Light Kraata?

Well, that was unexpected. 'Self-cleaning mutants, they leave only the fresh scent of burning devastation'. 'Mutants'. Like he had any right to throw that word around.

After halting in confusion, Gnabol suddenly remembered - the Skaklets. He rushed back to the village infirmary to see if they were still alright.

@Unreliable Narrator@Keeper of Kraata

 

IC: Ostrox and Klawne (Metru-Koro, The Razorfish, Exterior)

Klawne suddenly regained visibility, as she almost stumbled onto the ground.

"What fresh nightmare is this?"

With the enemy now out of sight - excluding the Toa - Ostrox kept his Rhotuka at half-power, glancing around for the slightest hint of hostile activity.

@Unreliable Narrator@Onaku@Smudge8@Nato the Traveler

 

IC: Navu (Metru-Koro, Navu’s Hut)

Hearing a lull in the constant commotion, Navu dared to peek outside her window. The monstrous creatures that should were previously terrorizing and killing her neighbours were gone. That was odd. The Toa weren’t usually this competent. She cautiously stepped beyond the confines of her home, searching for any sign of familiarity...

 

IC: Enra (Dead Forest, Ruins of Fire)

"Tell me about it. Welp, nothing more to do here 'cept lava baths. Let’s blow this joint." Enra began to walk out of the temple, but then turned back to address Xane again.

"You said you had those 'Kanoka Disks', back in the giant head, right? What’s the deal with that thing, anyway?"

@Nato the Traveler

Edited by Toru Nui
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IC: Xane - Ruins of Fire

"What's the deal with the giant head? It was out universe, apparently. Or our god. Maybe both," he shrugged. "There's a city inside, or at least the ruins of one." 

@Toru Nui

____________________________________________________________________________________

IC: Zaliyah - Metru-Koro

She watched as her energy beam sliced through empty air, as the attacking skakdi vanished from sight. She lowered her weapon, turning in a slow circle to make sure nothing had teleported behind her. This place - this island - wasn't safe. 

Why these people had insisted on trying to make their own village on Metru-Nui's doorstep instead of surrendering to the League and sheltering within the safety of the city's walls was beyond her. Defiance and pride were understandable in a time of war, but when it came at the expense of common sense and survival there was no excusing it. 

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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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IC: Whisper - Grand Temple Ruins

"Miserix... I've heard the name." It was familiar, and though she knew why, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was some deeper reason she she should know it. Something old, and forgotten, just like the knowledge Miserix had seemingly left for other Aspects to find. "She's an older Aspect... the warskaks in the east say she's captured or controlled by the warlord Nektann." 

@Eyru

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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IC: Taja | Grand Temple Ruins

"I see," Taja murmured. That wasn't good. If this elder Aspect had carelessly inscribed marks of power into temples around the island, then she obviously didn't feel threatened by others finding them. That suggested that Miserix was powerful. Stronger than any Aspect she had met thus far. And she was allied—either willingly or unwillingly—with the Warskaks. The enemy.

She swallowed, trying to force down the sudden fear that flickered to life in her belly like an icy flame. Collecting knowledge and artifacts from the temples might make her stronger, but it wouldn't be enough to rival Miserix. If the Warskaks attacked Metru-Koro... she wasn't sure if they could possibly survive.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

The Toa focused on her breathing, seeking the peace that was all too difficult to come by lately. She couldn't just give up. Her people needed her to keep going. To find a way for them  to survive in this hostile land.

But where to next? She wasn't sure. Maybe Whisper would have an idea.

"So... what now?"

OOC: @Nato the Traveler

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IC: Whisper – Ruins of Air

What now?

It was a question Whisper had asked herself more than once over the years. She journeyed across the island, played games with the lives of lesser beings, contemplating a Grand Wish that she’d never had the courage to pursue before now. Her future had always felt aimless, uncertain, shrouded in the shadow of her eventual, inescapable return to the antidermis.

“With this new power… there are so many possibilities… I could-” she stopped, fighting down her enthusiasm to focus on the Toa before her. “I should begin with an apology,” she said.

“When we first met, I promised you power in exchange for helping me gain knowledge from these temples,” she said, guilt and gratitude weighing on her in equal measure as she searched for the best words with which to address her companion. “I deceived and manipulated you, and… mismanaged my end of that bargain, but in solving the puzzle of this place, you have still fulfilled yours.”

A part of her didn’t want to give voice to the next words. The deals she usually made were very one-sided – she set the terms, she demanded the prices, she doled out the rewards, and when she got what she wanted she cast her subjects aside and left them to resume their lives. But given the circumstances of their meeting, and the time she and Taja had spent together, it didn’t feel right to end things that way. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t right.

Not so long ago those concepts would have meant nothing to her, but she was beginning to understand that not every being was driven by greed, that not all people desired power. Honesty, cooperation, and loyalty were valuable tools, just as powerful as deceit and temptation.   

The world was changing.

She was changing.

“I thank you,” she said. “And... I am in your debt."

@Eyru

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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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IC: Barius - Warskak Camp

Barius smirked, huffing at the offer. "I have already received all the attention that I require. Your concern is appreciated, albeit unwarranted."

The posturing was obvious.

"We will depart shortly, returning to our fortress to the north. What will you do, Drukarus? Your strength would be welcomed among my warband, if you wished to join it."

OOC: @Sparticus147 @Conway

IC: Providence - Outside Ruins of Fire

Providence smiled genuinely. "Very well. Zak-Yak," he said, turning to that very Mesi. "Offer me the heartlight on one knee, whilst pledging to do the things that Cravious has outlined, and our contract shall be sealed."

OOC: @Sparticus again, @Kal the Guardian @~Xemnas~

IC: Morangad - Grand Temple Ruins

Morangad showed no external reaction to the words of the Administrator, instead maintaining a serene expression. At Apex's urging him to leave, he held up a single finger, as if to say, 'one moment'. "I am also curious as to what your plans are," he commented, addressing Taja and Whisper. He and Apex would need allies to face down the Skakdi, and the Tiokaha sensed that these two beings were prime candidates for making into allies. "I understand that we did not make the most favorable first impression, but I believe our goals may align such that we would all be well served by working together."

OOC: @Spart once more, why are all ur characters so cool that I can't help but interact with them??? @Eyru @Nato the Traveler

IC: Ollem - Ruins of Water

"...Maybe," the Onu-Matoran replied, weighing Mahrika's words carefully. "Or maybe scratch the words into something. What did you say they were again? Purity, Unity, and... Speed?" He fished through his pack for some flat surface large enough to accommodate writing, and found a notebook. He had taken it with him in the hopes that he might make some record of his experiences in the desert, but as yet, he had not had the chance to write in it.

Tearing out 3 pages, he considered the riddle again. "Dunno who this 'Thok' is. Could be like you said. Or they could be a Toa, a Vortixx, maybe another Matoran... Hey, the lines of the riddle seem to each refer to one of those three things. So we should probably do them in the order given by the poem, right?" Even as he spoke, he was scratching the words into the sheets of paper, using half of a pencil that he had packed with the notebook, and which had long since broken into two pieces during the pair's journey. Finishing the last one, he stood up to place them in the basin.

One by one, the pages were rested upon the surface of the water.

Unity.

Speed.

Purity.

As the last one left his hand, he turned, stiff with anticipation, towards Mahrika and the door.

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IC: Apex (The Grand Temple Ruins)

Apex too ignored the words of the Administrator, their insults and snide remarks no longer bothered the Aspect, as with the collection of the Taboo, her needs were wholly satisfied and any further interaction with them would lead to nothing but wasted time...That was till Apex heard the name of Miserix being mentioned by Whipser, the knowledge of her enslavement and the irritating thought that came with that fact being overshadowed by another name that they spoke of...Nektann...

Swiftly whirling around, a frantic look upon the Rahi-like Aspect's face before she reeled in herself at noticing the situation at hand. Although Apex did not care for relationship between the Toa Taja and the Aspect Whisper, Apex had, whether knowingly or not, embedded a level of trust into Morangad that Apex had not done for some time, and understanding that between the two that Morangad was the more socially competent of the two, Apex stayed herself but her body still surged with a frantic wave of questions concerning he who had imprisoned her.

OOC: @Burnmad @Eyru @Nato the Traveler

IC: Drukarus (Irrnak's Tooth)

"We will depart shortly, returning to our fortress to the north. What will you do, Drukarus? Your strength would be welcomed among my warband, if you wished to join it."

Drukarus took a moment as he surveyed the immediate area around him, looking from the ramshackled war rigs, to the haggard Skakdi warriors recovering from their night of celebration. Drukarus left Metru-Nui to find his kind, and he had accomplished that. But now, looking amongst those that surrounded him, Drukarus felt discontentment with the nature of those he would be fighting with, the militant disciplined first imposed by himself during his tenor as warlord and later amongst the armies of the Barraki having since spoiled him to the inherent crude and barbaric nature of his people.

But looking back towards the menial Matoran Grimes, the chains that still bound his limbs restricting his movement, the thoughts of Marrow, and his words of the Mesi's oppression and slow degradation, and the raw desolation that reminded him all too much of his own home of Zakaz, Drukarus once again steeled his will and aligned his goals.

Looking back towards Barius, Drukarus once again spoke to the warchief. "Yes...My strength would be a boon to..Your warband. I will join you Barius, and follow you to your fortress to the north...But first, there is something that I came to request upon you..." Turning his body to the side, Drukarus gestured towards the meek figure of Grimes before returning his gaze to Barius, "...I have grown an interest in this Grimes, and I wish to take up the duty in maintaining their continued...Existence and service to the Warskak...If you so allow it?"

"To offer the first great choice of many, here you will have to make a choice Barius, one that will help define your rule in the future and the visage that your followers see. Now show me Barius, what is your decision?"

OOC: @Burnmad @Conway

Edited by Sparticus147
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IC: Arkius - Po-Koro

Small chunks of earth lifted out of the watery torrent, a matoran or two clinging on to their tops as they floated off to safety. Arkius did his best as he waded through the waters to save the people he saw in need, but there was one he knew needed him the most right now. Turaga Jovan. Hoping his allies could save the villagers in his absence, the toa of earth took the plunge into the hole he'd made before, which now seemed almost like a drain for the water flooding the village.

Water. This element, known for at times being soft and gentle, is known also for its ferocity in enough quantities. This ferocity, how ever, is insignificant next to its power when combined with one of the strongest elements: Time. With enough time, Water could erode any rock, bringing proud cliffs to crumble into the seas, tearing small rocky islands apart into the ocean below, even carve out entire underground systems on its journey back to the sea. Indeed, Water was a formidable opponent for Stone and for Earth, given enough time. But this wasn't a one way relationship. Not between Earth and Water. Certainly, Water could erode the Earth away. But Earth was what Water rested upon. Earth was what Water was bound to. As much as Water carved its path through the Earth, Earth defined that path for the Water. A tug of war existed between these, with the Earth guiding and holding the Water in place while the Water lashed out and eroded the Earth. And right now, Arkius needed to be that guiding force.

Sinking down through the water, Arkius enveloped himself with the earth around him, small undisturbed pockets of air still existing within that he could rely on to sustain him a little longer. Propelling himself further and further down, Arkius shot like a torpedo, eventually reaching the opening into the larger tunnel he'd found, where he found himself in a rapidly flooding tunnel, one whose immense size was the only reason it hadn't been fully flooded yet. But despite this fortune, time was not on Arkius' side. Soon enough the water would claim it, and there would be no hope of finding Jovan at all.

Arkius called out into the immense space, the echoing of his voice quickly drowned out by the rush of the water flowing through. Arkius tried wading along the wall, but the current of the water was immense even near the edges, and he had to forge holds in the earthen wall to keep himself from being pulled away by the stream. He hoped he could find the Turaga. He couldn't bear the thought of losing someone else. Not when he was responsible for them being in this situation in the first place. Though he couldn't have known, Arkius couldn't help but feel immense guilt as he carried on his search, stretching his senses out through the earth in hopes of finding him clinging on somewhere.

OOC: @Harvali Sorry about the late post.

 

IC: Okuo - Metru-Koro

As the Mesi made their escape from the scene, Okuo quickly absorbed the unfired projectile back into himself, restoring an unfortunately significant portion of his remaining reserves before he uncloaked and began hobbling over. Skorm and Ulkarr could see an immensely bruised and battered Toa of Fire approach them, a mixture of a quizzical and worried look on his features as he looked around, then to the two of them. "What in Karzahni happened to Metru-Koro??" He asked in a bewildered tone, his voice undercut by the pained effort of even delivering his question. He shifted the launcher back into its shield mode, and winced as he slowly placed it on his back again.

@Keeper of Kraata@Toru Nui

 

IC: Iradra - Metru-Koro

Having started by parrying the shots from the skakdi with her sword with graceful movements, Iradra found her opponents gone before she'd realized. Sighing with wary relief, she turned to Zaliyah with an acknowledging nod. "Well... so much for that. Zaliyah, are you and your compatriot alright?"

@Nato the Traveler@Toru Nui

Edited by Onaku
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IC: Zaliyah - Metru-Koro

"We're fine," she nodded, turning back to frown at the spot where the strange skakdi had been standing. Something wasn't right here. 

She fought with skakdi, against and beside them. Teleportation wasn't a power normally found in their species. 

@Onaku

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