Six Kingdoms: Rebirth - Gameplay

Nato G · November 7, 2020

IC: Marrow - Dead Forest

The ancient Mesi had learned many ways to compensate for the loss of his sight over the centuries. The inflection in a voice could betray the speaker's intent, the sound of a weapon being drawn could tell him what manner of weapon it was and which hand the wielder favoured, and footsteps could reveal everything from species to weight to fitness, and more.

But one thing that remained lost to him was the ability to discern facial expressions, and as such Providence's smile went unappreciated.

"You speak of childish adventure and sacrificial murder in the same sentence," he scoffed. "But whatever it is you seek, you won't find it in the direction of Irnakk's Tooth." Wary of the Aspect's remark about causing harm, he released his grip on the mace at his belt, and let his hand hang slack at his side. "The warskaks have raised a Tahtorak from the heart of the volcano, then drove back in the direction of their fortress. That's why I'm out here, to distance myself from them both."

@Burnmad @Sparticus147

Harvali · November 7, 2020

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

Mahrika winced and said, “Sorry, just was trying to have a visual to compare the symbols to. And I figured they would melt after enough time.” She felt Vokarda massage her spine, and patted her back in thanks. Wait felt like the administrator had been sarcastic? Again she remember its claims that it had followed the Skakdi here. Was it not a natural part of this ruin? Was it to be trusted.”

Vokarda prodded her again, and she blushed, “My mind has deteriorated a lot. I know the six stars represents Unity, and I … I believe the stars orbiting each other are … I think they are Duty? No, no its Destiny, the central star with nebulas surrounding it is Duty.”

Her face beneath her mask grew maroon, she had not remember most of the virtues in a long time. Hiding in terror for millennia would do that to a Matoran. Still it, it seemed she should have remembered them more, if only for the sake of solving this puzzle.

Mahrika paused, and said, “Ollem, do you think we have to somehow shift the constellations until they are a single image of the symbol of the Three Virtues? Merge them into the symbol that represents all three? I think it would have to be a central star, two smaller stars orbiting around it, and then two nebulas on opposite sides?”

OOC: @Unreliable Narrator @Burnmad @Eyru

Sparticus147 · November 7, 2020

IC: Sala (Kini-Nui)

It...It was beautiful. Sala knew ancient Matoran architecture when he saw it, for records of such structures were strewn throughout the Archive, and few significant instances of such design existed amongst those Matoran villages that were located outside of Metru-Nui. But this...This was something else, far larger and well-kept given its potential age, it was a marvelous place and truly one that held great spiritual significance to the once native Matoran populace.

Approaching the main bridge that crossed the silver lake and allowed the duo to reach the main structure, Sala stopped as Sorilax went to speak with him.

“Just so that you are aware, I have been researching Taboos while you, and Vhisola, slept. I am proud to say that I have figured out the Infectious Kraata Taboo. Once I can change who I am, the Rahkshi I make should be able to help us more than ever.”

Sala wasn't exactly sure how to take the news, not that it bothered him, just simply that he didn't know what said Taboo was supposed to do. But Sorilax seemed to be happy with the results, and anything that'll help Sorilax and their goals, then it surely was a good thing. Giving Sorilax a thumbs up, Sala gave Sorilax a grin at his success and progress.

~~~

Crossing the bridge and reaching the flat top of the pyramid-like structure, Sala meandered behind Sorilax as he arced his neck up, looking at the massive obelisks and the great skull. As the duo reached the base of the skull, an old prophecy wall sealing the mouth of it. Sala nearly instantly ran up to the wall to begin deciphering it, till Sala noticed the body of the deceased Ga-Toa. Sala stopped in his steps, shocked but not unsettled, the weeks of slaughter having started to have an effect upon the Matoran's heartlght.

Sorilax also stopped in his tracks, and though Sala could not tell his expression from where he was standing, he at least knew that Sorilax was also disheartened at the sight. Sorilax was the first to move. Reaching down, Sorilax began to examine the body and check the contents that were being held against the figure, and although Sala had some bother with the actions, he knew the need of it and the respect that Sorilax held as he looked.

Soon, Sorilax's examination was done just as Sala made it to the Aspect's side, and as Sorilax picked up the Toa, Sala knew what was needed to be done...As they buried the Toa, Sala gave his usual pray, the same pray that he has given many times, one that grows less hopeful and more sorrowful with each saying. But that sorrow did not last as the desire to learn and explore took hold and the duo returned to the ruins.

~~~

Returning to the temple structure, while Sorilax went to conduct whatever actions he deemed to be fitting, Sala's attention was directed towards the prophecy wall. Although any prophecy's upon such a wall were surely outdated and potentially indecipherable, Sala's interest in learning fate and destiny matched that of a Ko-Matoran...But without the odd speech patterns or constantly keeping an eye on a telescope.

But before Sala could make any headway, the sound of grinding stone came from behind him, and as Sala turned, he saw as the Suva-Kaita seemingly collapsed down into the floor where it once was and sunk into the earth forming a spiral staircase leading into the gaping darkness. Looking up at Sorilax with surprised at the swiftness in which he solved the puzzle, Sala saw the wide joyous grin on the Aspect's and couldn't help but note a bit of lighthearted banter has they spoke.

“Alright, old chap, where do you wish to begin?”

Which Sala intended to return in kind. "I thought you said you never crossed that bridge before?"

Laughter could be heard from the two scholars as they took in the humor of the situation, till Sala recomposed himself and spoke up. "Well, I'll admit, that passage you just unlocked surely leads to somewhere, but, I think I want to actually examine this prophecy wall and see what secrets or portents its hold."

OOC: @Kal the Guardian @Unreliable Narrator

IC: Gore Fury (The Wastelands)

"YOU HEADED TO FORT NEKTANN TOO? THAT'S GREAT!" Gore called back out, flashing one last oddly genuine smile before returning his focus solely to the open road, as the faint image of the horizon and a black speck could be made out.

"Oh boy! They better got some good stocks, because I'm about to empty their food stores with how big of a feast I'm going to make for them!"

OOC: @Burnmad @Conway @Unreliable Narrator

**Kal the Guardian** · November 7, 2020

IC: Sorilax - Aspect of Shadow (?) and Silence - Aspects of Makuta

Location - Kini-Nui (7, 10)

With - Sala

Sorilax grinned widely as he laughed. It felt good to do after the events in the past week and after this poor Ga-Toa. His smile faded slightly as Sala mentioned the prophecy wall, “Well, do be careful, old chap. The message that Toa wrote makes any attempt to solve the puzzle potentially quite hazardous. I would quite like it if you were to remain safe from harm.”

Motioning to the opened Suva Kaita, he continued, “I see another Taboo here. Go ahead and start without me.” As Sala left, Sorilax reached out to the symbol, with it inscribing itself on the inside of the second joint from his right hand, right below the Kraata symbol. He felt the Taboo sea in his mind surging even more powerfully now. Some type of information was building below the currents, though he couldn’t discern what it might be.

As the Taboo knowledge was revealed to him, he smiled. He had found it, his way to change himself forever. He sat down at the top of the steps, as close to the middle of Kini-Nui as he could get. He emptied his mind, finding it easier than other nights when he had to worry about being attacked.

Once more he was in his mindscape that represented his knowledge of Taboos. This time he stood atop the pedestal the beacon of light had sat on. Now there was no light as the inky black depths crashed and wrestled with each other. As usual, it was calmer where he was, even more so now. It seemed the more he knew of Taboos, the calmer the cold and crushing sea became.

Sorilax placed his right hand into the water, the force behind Taboos itself. Two varying gray glowing strands wove off into the dark. The Kraata strand intertwined with the Rahkshi strand and the Elemental Alteration strand found a current all of its own. He was learning more and more in such a rapid amount of time. Excitement surged within him. He should be able to figure out other Taboos even easier now. Maybe he could figure out how to use a Kanohi like Torch and Viltia?

Removing his right hand from the water, Sorilax lifted his left. It was unmarked by Taboos, pure and clean. His left hand in real life mirrored his mental body’s movements. It was finally time. He touched it to his chest, activating the Taboo.

Shadow...

to Light.

The change was instantaneous and shocked his mind. It felt like everything was inverted. All that he had studied about his element of Shadow was suddenly useless. He felt the sunlight peeking around Irnakk’s tooth, he felt ambient light bouncing around as he realized most shadows weren’t as dark as he had thought, but most of all he felt free, unshackled from his own nature. The selfishness was gone, the manipulation no longer running through his head. He became content with whatever body he might have. Millennia of having to fight his nature gone in an instant.

In his mind realm, he realized he was now the beacon of light, illuminating the void sky and pure black waves. The Taboos inscribed into his arm inversely shone of void like the sky above, still a part of his being. His element and nature had changed, but shadow was still a part of him. A part he couldn’t, and wouldn’t, give up. Taboos.

They were still there, and he felt just as closely connected to them as before. But, this time they felt slightly different. He grabbed the Rahkshi thread and slowly smiled, full of joy. His Rahkshi would no longer be bloodthirsty monsters! This was perfect! He needed to figure out how to make some as soon as possible.

He grabbed the Kraata Taboo’s strand, still smiling. Even they were slightly changed.

The other Taboos that he knew remained the same, but this meant he might be able to turn other Taboos more toward the Light and it encouraged him to continue seeking out as many as he could.

He also felt his Kraata power grow. He had finished the third step of his Grand Wish! He felt his connection to his Desecrated also grow. He realized he could now remotely puppet them. That... was kind of scary. But no doubt Sala would be happy, his Kraata should be stronger, too.

Speaking of Kraata... Sorilax realized something else had changed with that Taboo. It took some mental searching, but he finally found it. His Kraata of Shadow had been replaced with knowledge of a Kraata of Life. Could this day get any better?

Stopping his meditation, Sorilax slowly stood, seeing the world in a new light. He conjured his element, his new element, in his hand. A soft glow formed. He laughed, overjoyed. He had waited so long for this!

He created a box like how he would create solid Shadow boxes. Very gently he squeezed it, when it held firm, he squeezed as hard as he could and laughed again. Brilliant!

He felt as the light bounced off the Suva Kaita in front of him to reach his optics. Could he?...

Sorilax reached out mentally, stopping light from bouncing off the railing in front of him. It disappeared from sight. Sorilax yelled, “By jove! I’ve done it!”

He rushed over to Sala by the wall of prophecy, producing a yellow ball of light in his hand, “Sala! Sala! The Taboo was to change elements! Look, look! I am a being of Light! I am finally whole, broken free from my nature’s shackles!”

OOC: @Sparticus147

IC: Hahvok - Za and Ja Krana of Ice - Independent

Location - Dead Forest

With - Marrow, Providence, Zak-Yak, Takadox

Hahvok finally caught up with the minds he had sensed. He knew they all weren’t supposed to be here, though he didn’t know why he knew this.

He could tell all minds turned their attention to him as his short legs carried him to the group. His Kohrak-Va with his main Krana mind hid behind his Kohrak body, mirroring Zak-Yak and Providence. With all attention on him, he figured now was as good a time as any to pose his question, “What is my purpose?” The voice was mechanical, with weird organic undertones. It was spoken out loud, with the source coming from his main Kohrak’s head.

OOC: @Nato the Traveler @Sparticus147 @Burnmad @Vezok's Friend

Edited November 7, 2020 by Kal the Guardian
Forgot to mention Sorilax finishing his third Grand Wish step.

Void Emissary · November 8, 2020

IC: Irna | Metru-Koro

That was when she heard it: the roar of another airship on the way.

In a moment, her hands were already reaching for the bow slung over her shoulder -- she wouldn't hesitate this time, if danger was on the horizon. The airship was small, and seemed to be moving faster than the others that the League had sent towards Metru-Koro. But from the ground, there was little -- truly -- that she could tell about it. Unfortunately, that also meant that there was little to inform her of whether it was friend, or...

"What is that?" she said, glancing between Mazor and Skorm and Keitara. "More Leaguers?"

OOC: @Smudge8 @Keeper of Kraata @TL01 NUVA

IC: Parnassus | The Open Road

Parnassus trailed behind the newcomer, this ivory Skakdi in an ACR decorated with stylized flames. Even the Aspect couldn't make out what was being said over the wind and the sound of dozens of roaring engines. But whoever they were seemed to harbour no aggression towards them, at the very least.

:Barius,: Parnassus said into the warlord's mind. :Do we know this one?:

OOC: @Sparticus147 @Burnmad

-Void

**Eyru** · November 8, 2020

IC: Tuakana | Fortress Ruins

They considered this offer. Their original course had been set for the great skull. They wished to learn more of the disks. But now the Great Disks had offered themselves up. Surely they should follow this young one?

But—they were forgetting. Their purpose was beyond disks. Beyond violence. Beyond the petty shrines. Death hung over them all like a falling shroud. Theirs was to break the cycle and defeat the circling vulture of Time.

Their great head swung once from left to right.

"No," they said. Their deep, slow voice sounded almost sleepy. "I must walk my own path."

They paused.

"I will care for the one you have hurt." They gestured with one long arm towards Axxon, who still lay gasping on the shore. "Go now. Do no more harm."

OOC: @EmperorWhenua @~Xemnas~

IC: Taja | Grand Temple Ruins

Taja shrugged. "I don't know if she'll be back. And I feel like you were right about her. She's unpredictable. She could turn on us at any time if she thinks we don't hate Skakdi enough.

She started walking again. "Don't get me wrong. I'm not exactly a fan of them. But wiping them all out?"

OOC: @Nato the Traveler

Edited November 8, 2020 by Eyru

Nato G · November 8, 2020

IC: Whisper - Grand Temple Ruins

"Agreed," she muttered, trailing after Taja. "I admit... I may be wrong to dismiss her rage. The island as it is now is all I've ever known, but clearly she's old enough to remember it differently. I just don't see how the skakdi could be solely to blame for the change... or how wiping them out would change it back."

@Eyru

BULiK · November 8, 2020

IC: Taku Crew, the Taku, Metru-Koro

Berys and Arnex spent several hours sorting through the Taku's lower storage room to gather any salvageable supplies and dump all the scrap and misfiring kanoka outside the ship. Their pace slowed down throughout the night and by the time they finished their work, it was apparent that nothing more could be done to repair the ship before they got rest. The two matoran decided to return to the upper deck. Arnex joined an unconscious Nale in the crew quarters, settling into one of several unoccupied hammocks that Knichou had hastily set up in the former upper storage room the day before.

Berys, paranoid as ever, settled into the pilot's seat. Ensuring everyone was aboard, he locked down the ship, shut down the main engine, and kept the levitation system on autopilot to keep the Taku hovering just a meter or two above a city plaza. Fully reclining the pilot's seat backwards, the Le-Matoran crossed his arms and eventually dozed off under the lullaby of fires burning and hammers striking below as various citizens also attempted to get their homes repaired for a fearful morning of rest.

Berys slept well - dreaming of being anywhere but this karz-forsaken dustbowl - but was eventually roused by beeps from the console ahead of him alerting to incoming radio transmissions.

"This is Toa Oreius. I am a friend of Metru-Koro. Requesting permission to land."

Berys groggily began to understand what was going on, as he looked out to see another airship approaching in the noon sunlight. Blinking away his confusion and irritation, the matoran flicked a switch to activate the microphone to respond in a snarkier and less professional manner than perhaps he might have otherwise.

"Permission granted. Land anywhere"

Was Berys the arbiter of Metru-Koro air traffic? No. Was anyone in charge of anything in Metru-Koro now? Probably not. Did Berys just want to get back to sleep? You're ####### right.

OOC: Open invitation for anyone in Metru-koro to timeskip to midday after the battle and get your characters some much-needed rest for their future adventures.

Edited November 8, 2020 by BULiK

**Eyru** · November 8, 2020

IC: Taja | Grand Temple Ruins

"That's how I feel," Taja replied, stepping over a tangle of roots. "I don't want to fight anyway if I don't have to. I just want peace."

She looked around as they walked. The familiar humidity of the jungle embraced her, and the sounds of insects buzzing and far-off Rahi shrieking were constant background noise. This place was overbearing, stifling every sense with an overload of information. It made her miss the quiet, understated atmosphere of the knowledge towers. A familiar ache blossomed in her chest. She missed her home. And killing Skakdi wouldn't bring it back.

"If this Taboo works, we can bolster Metru-Koro's defenses enough to, maybe, prevent any attack at all," she said after awhile. "Then we can work on making this island a better place for everyone."

OOC: @Nato the Traveler

Nato G · November 8, 2020

IC: Whisper - Grand Temple Ruins

"Perhaps," she said. "But many of the warskaks wield abilities gifted by my kind. Power won't deter them, they'll just take it as a challenge."

@Eyru

Unreliable Narrator · November 8, 2020

IC: Reliable Narrator | Le-Metru Nuva

With the whizzing sound common of rhotuka, the spinning blades left Sidra's gauntlet at high speed. They cut through the air guided by her thoughts. Sidra stood still while she concentrated on her moving weapon. Within moments, three tethers snapped cleanly, sending the creatures they controlled falling bit by bit into the swamp. Uraborask felt the tension of his bow before releasing the string and loosing his first arrow. Even through the pounding rain the arrow flew true, piercing one of the silver tethers. It didn't cleanly cut the tether in the first attempt. Instead, the arrow passed through and left only a small strip connecting both ends. The tension did the rest of the work, snapping the tether completely. The pieces of something that once freely drew breath fell to ruin in the swamp.

Apex landed in the branches of a dead jungle tree. The branches cracked and tore under her weight, sending her in a spiral towards the ground before finding a new, more stable, perch. In tune with the natural order of life on the island, Apex found herself quickly overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of dead plant life in the vicinity of the raging storm. Ancient trees cracked and leaned. Vines shriveled and withered in a rapid decay. Flowers lost their petals as they wilted and turned brown. While the flora may be dead, Apex could feel the fauna very much remained alive. The rahi were terrified and in the process of fleeing the area near the rain. She also felt the presence of her kin.

Morangad felt the pain and despair long before arriving. The aura of horror emanated from where the raging rainstorm fell strongest. Flashes of a golden city burning to ash flitted through the back of his mind. Impossible to repress, old memories began to resurface of his own past with the arrival of the skakdi. He could feel the anticipation building, the hunger of the hunt, the fear of death, the conjoining of life in bountiful pleasure, and something more: Morangad felt seen himself. Something, or someone, perused his mind.

Viltia asked for help. The glowing red eye provided no answer. Viltia pleaded. The hand closed around her. Clawed fingers became prison bars. She felt her position sway as the hand began to move. For a moment, Viltia couldn't see the outside world. The rain fell in sheets, and the grand motion of the tahtorak made the falling rain feel like a dizzying optical illusion. How could rain become an open maw so quickly? The hand opened, and tipped, and Viltia found herself free falling into the open mouth of a tahtorak. The tahtorak's mouth snapped shut.

Viltia was gone…

One silver thread

Two bodies dead

Three broken yolks

Four severed heads

Five promised lies

Six scattered stones

Seven stars torn

One world born

Viltia's eyes opened in a bed of silver seaweed. It blossomed from her thigh, from her arm, and from all the wounds sustained in the battle for -- the battle for where exactly? for Metru-Nui? For Odina? For Le-Metru Nuva, she remembered at last. With unconscious thought the silver strands blossoming from her followed her commands, dancing and circling about her while always remaining connected to her as she tried to remember. The living strands were tethered to her now, and they felt as natural as her own self. They were a part of her, and they felt like they'd always been. She felt no pain. Instead, she felt renewed, invigorated, empowered.

Viltia rested in a strange space. From her silver bed of tethers stretched a swirling starscape all around. Between the stars, a void of never-ending night carried her thoughts forever outwards. Before she could register being alone a gruff voice assailed her.

"I seek the answer. Do you know it?"

A large blue skakdi sat behind her. His natural armor was mottled with scars. His spines were well maintained. He seemed in his prime. He sat on some invisible chair, for nothing rested beneath him though he seemed to sit without strain. His hands pressed against his temples. When he looked at Viltia, two piercing red eyes met her gaze.

OOC: @Nato the Traveler, @Burnmad, @Sparticus147, @Kal the Guardian.

**Kal the Guardian** · November 8, 2020

IC: Viltia - Toa of the Green - Metru-Nui Refugees

Location - ?

With - Boss?

Her body was at peace, floating gently at the bottom of a starry ocean, surrounded by glowing silver seaweed. It wrapped her in comfort and protection, soothing until she felt no pain and her mind cleared. She just had trouble remembering things. She was… she was in Le-Metru Nuva? Had been?

She searched the starscape before her, realizing it was wrapped all around her just as her seaweed was. Viltia felt full, rested, and even bursting with energy. It was like she had awoken back at her old village on harvest day, barely being able to sleep through the night due to excitement. The work of the day was a pleasure to accomplish.

A voice broke into her thoughts, "I seek the answer. Do you know it?"

She turned on her silvery flowing bed and looked at another being floating with her in this vast star field. She sat up, the seaweed accommodating her change in position. It was a Skakdi! Viltia’s hatred burned. This one’s armor was covered in scars, but he seemed in his prime. He seemed to sit without anything to support him.

She thought of her captors. The ones who had worked herself and her friends until some died of exhaustion. The ones who had killed all of her protectors to take her captive. The ones who had still tried to kill them even as the Fau Swamp was picking their own group off. Even the attacking island Skakdi had tried to chase her down and kill her. They were all of them evil and deserving of death!

But those eyes. She couldn’t look away. Those piercing red eyes filled her mind with the image of a monster with a spark of intelligence. Just what exactly was going on here? He held his hands to his head as if he were in pain. That spoke to her. She wanted to help beings. Le-Metru Nuva had taught her that all beings could live in harmony. She would protect any member of her village, regardless of species.

But it was a Skakdi! She was surprised he hadn’t killed her yet. But… But he was in pain, and his eyes pleaded for help. She looked around. There was no one else. They were alone in the void and the stars offered no answer.

The eyes did her in. Those intense red eyes. Maybe she could help him first, kill him later. Yeah, that was a good compromise.

The silver seaweed swirled around her in a beautiful display as she made her decision. It danced to her thoughts and offered a soothing background motion. It was as much a part of her as the rest of her body was and she didn’t realize it ever hadn’t been.

Viltia answered the large blue Skakdi, “I might. What is your question?”

OOC: @Unreliable Narrator

Nato G · November 8, 2020

IC: Sidra – Le-Metru Nuva

Sidra's smile grew with each passing instant, as she watched each taut thread tatter and snap, releasing the corpse puppets from whatever power had kept them moving. She waited, launcher still raised, for new threads to take their place, for some new writhing monstrosity to come skittering out of the pit, but this time, nothing stirred.

Slowly, she lowered her arm, and turned her gaze to the village high above. She could glimpse figures moving about on the walkways, but between the rain still falling into her eyes, the darkness of the canopy and sky, and the blinding brightness of the lingering fireball Torch had cast, it was hard for her to make out any details. She recalled Viltia’s scream from earlier, and hoped her friend had made it through alright. There was no time for Sidra to check. Not now. Not yet.

There was still work to be done.

The plan had worked. The ground had given way, and the tethers the creatures had used to try to climb out had been cut. But the main mass of the monsters wasn’t dead, just trapped, and there was no telling how long it would stay that way given it had already demonstrated the ability to teleport parts of itself. This was only a temporary reprieve. The undead needed to be dealt with, and right now Sidra was still the only one at ground level.

She unsheathed her sword, a wreath of mist trailing in its wake as she pointed it at the ground by her feet. Miniscule fragments of frost flaked away from the frigid steel as raindrops struck it, froze, then fell the rest of the way to the ground. Taking advantage of the ample moisture in the air and ground, Sidra walked towards the sinkhole, willing the blade to form an icy walkway before her, strong and wide enough to stay above the mud and take her weight, but not much else; she didn’t want to give the creatures a free escape after all of the work that had gone into trapping them.

She slowed her strides as she neared the edge, and looked down into the muddy depths. Her eyes glowed as she drew upon her natural power once more, demanding an answer as she spoke.

“Who are you?”

The monsters had spoken with many mouths, but one voice. It had referred to itself as one entity. There was single guiding intelligence behind them all. Something with purpose, with intent. And Sidra wanted to know what it was before she destroyed it for good.

@Unreliable Narrator @Kal the Guardian @Sparticus147 @Burnmad

**Burnmad** · November 8, 2020

IC: Barius - Amid the Warband, Northern Wastes

Barius blinked, jaw working as he considered the stranger's words. Few sought out the hidden site of Fort Nektann; he reckoned this one must have been seeking trade? He did not seem particularly threatening, most of all because he was only one Skakdi. Further, it seemed unlikely that he would so readily give out that information, if he had anything nefarious in mind.

Ultimately, he did not respond to the unknown Skak with anything more than an idle nod. In his mind, he replied to Parnassus: No clue.

OOC: @Conway @Sparticus147

IC: Providence - Dead Forest

Prov's demeanor quickly changed, all traces of ease vanishing from his posture as the new Mesi mentioned a Tahtorak. He hadn't heard or seen any sign of a Tahtorak! Had that happened while they had been in the ruin? "Goodness, that's alarming news." In spite of himself, he began scanning the horizon. He knew that it would be impossible to miss an approaching Tahtorak, but nonetheless, he couldn't help but search his surroundings for signs of its presence. The conscious action did help settle him somewhat.

"Well, if you're headed that-a-ways," he said, gesturing towards the way he and his companions had come, "you won't find anything but a looted temple and a whole lot of volcanic ash. I guess you could hide in the temple. If there's a Tahtorak about, I might be tempted to join you for a while." He was uncertain whether 'a while' might amount to a few hours or a few years. His considerations on this subject were interrupted as a curious, stout being approached, accompanied by what seemed like a smaller version of itself. After it asked the group what its purpose was, Providence could only sit in stunned silence.

OOC: @Nato the Traveler @Sparticus147 @Vezok's Friend

IC: Morangad - Le-Metru Nuva

Morangad stopped dead in his tracks, long before reaching the village proper. It was as if he had walked into a solid wall of anguish. Was this coming from the people of the village? It seemed too localized, too concentrated, and altogether too unified to be the disparate emotions of many different beings. But he had no time to consider this, as some foreign presence made itself known within his mind.

As a Tiokaha of the Muur mark, he had a very long lifetime of experience with outside influences attempting to gain entry to his mind. Accordingly, he had developed both a fair talent for estimating the relative power of another psionic, and a number of strategies for how best to deal with such beings. This entity that was now digging through his mind seemed to be inspecting his memories at the moment; he was content to allow it. Briefly closing his eyes, he began the meditative process of partitioning his mind-- separating the conscious from the unconscious, the guiding will from the reflective part of the self. He would focus his concentration on protecting his current thoughts - which were presently concerned with how to react to the peculiar circumstances in which he found himself - and leave his subconscious thoughts and his memories of his past for the perusal of the entity.

Though not practiced in some time, the tactic was well enough ingrained into him to be completed in moments. Opening his eyes again, he resumed his trudging through the swamp, headed towards the clearing where the village was nestled. As he passed through the treeline, his worst fear became real: The source of the storm, and of the aura of agony that pervaded this entire region of the swamp, was the hulking figure of the Tahtorak. Perhaps more frighteningly, he got the distinct impression that the Tahtorak which he was now looking upon with horrified awe, was not the thing invading his thoughts.

Impotently, almost as an afterthought, he gripped the spear on his back.

OOC: @Unreliable Narrator @Nato the Traveler @Sparticus147 @Kal the Guardian

IC: Ollem - Ruins of Water

"Maybe," Ollem replied. "Though it's impossible to say for certain, until we figure out what these other dials actually do." He continued to fiddle with them.

OOC: @Unreliable Narrator @Harvali

Edited November 8, 2020 by Burnmad

Nato G · November 8, 2020

22 minutes ago, Burnmad said:

IC: Providence - Dead Forest

"Well, if you're headed that-a-ways," he said, gesturing towards the way he and his companions had come, "you won't find anything but a looted temple and a whole lot of volcanic ash. I guess you could hide in the temple. If there's a Tahtorak about, I might be tempted to join you for a while."

12 hours ago, Kal the Guardian said:

IC: Hahvok - Za and Ja Krana of Ice - Independent

His Kohrak-Va with his main Krana mind hid behind his Kohrak body, mirroring Zak-Yak and Providence. With all attention on him, he figured now was as good a time as any to pose his question, “What is my purpose?” The voice was mechanical, with weird organic undertones.

IC: Marrow - Dead Forest

"Those temples were not intended for my kind," he replied, "My faith lies... elsewhere..."

He trailed off as the strange beings spoke up, making their presence known to the group. And strange was indeed the word for them. He could feel the cold radiating from them, yet he sensed no elemental aura*. The voice of the one that had spoken was hollow, and its question was far from what could be considered a traditional greeting.

Were these entities even alive?

"I don't even know what you are," he said. "I cannot speak to your purpose."

@Sparticus147 @Burnmad @Kal the Guardian

*OOC: Just to clarify Marrow being unable to sense an element, the wording of the ability is as follows: His additional power is a sort of sixth sense, allowing him to detect the ‘aura’ put off by beings and abilities of an elemental nature nearby. This allows him to know the element of beings in his vicinity, and detect when elemental powers are being used. This ability does not extend to non-elemental powers (eg. Vision powers, species traits, etc.) nor elements generated via artificial means (eg. Rhotuka, powered weapons).

This was a bit of a head-scratcher for me, since we know Bohrok (in canon, at least) start off as Matoran, before being transformed. However, all of the resources I can find refer to Bohrok as being plain machines post-transformation, and nothing in Hahvok's profile or in-game lore contradicts that, so I'm tentatively putting them under "elements generated by artificial means" for the purposes of Marrow's ability.

Sparticus147 · November 8, 2020

IC: Uraborask & Skrillix & Apex (Le-Metru Nuva)

As the arrow flew free, Uraborask already knew the first shot would hit and readied yet another arrow...Yet another wasn't needed. Surveying far down below, dark shadows and harsh light being cast by the searing flame of Torch, the horror down below appeared to be trapped. That only left the monolithic monster that loomed menacingly over the comparatively miniscule village. It was honestly odd, the Tahtorak could destroy the entire village and everyone within it in a heartlights beat...Yet it didn't. And Uraborask didn't know whether that was something to be glad of.

Uraborask's thoughts were broken when he felt a shuffling within the makeshift baby carrier. Looking down, Uraborask was met with the snout of Skrillix as it was poking out. Patting the still frightened but very much calmer Hapaka, Uraborask knew that this was his chance to escape the situation he was in. Navigating the bridges and walkways, passing Matoran amongst many others.

Some looked at him, others ignored him. Those that looked showed a variety of emotions upon their faces, some surprise, curiosity, and others fear. But regardless, he kept walking uncaring till he reached the platform that was the elevator, which was too far down to simply jump down. Calling down, Uraborask hoped that things will not escalate too soon.

~~~

Death, fear, suffering, all of that and more was what Apex felt around herself as she made her way through the hungry swamp and dense rain. All around Apex, plantlife was dying at an unprecedented rate, with Rahi of all kinds fleeing as fast as they can from the howling gale of the rainstorm. It was a terrifying event...But all that Apex felt was wrath. Apex had never seen the destructive force of the Tahtorak, for before the Skakdi's arrival, no being would be foolish enough to unleash it. But the Skakdi, they were fools of destruction, and the Tahtorak was the perfect manifestation of that foolishness.

With bounding stride and fierce persistence, Apex weathered the storm and mud, occasionally stopping in her tracks to assist Rahi who were trapped and sinking into the sinking water and mud. But eventually, Apex broke a clearing, and saw before her something that made her momentarily stop in her tracks. Though most of the trees blocked its form, Apex registered the great monster that existed before her and the odd connection to she felt with the creature.

As her nostrils flared, the scent of her kin filled the air, as the Tahtorak loomed above, seemingly immobile. But another scent was in the wind, and this one was sour and stung at her nose, like that of acid or rusted copper. Turning her gaze towards the second, harsh smell, Apex saw a tall emerald being upon a ledge of ice overtop a massive sunken pit. Craning her neck tall, Apex was horrified by what she saw.

A silver mass, of proto-organics and proto-frames being horribly fused. Rahi and proto-beings alike were fused together in a crying, writhing, struggling mass, with each being trying to free themselves yet somehow still have an oddly organized movement. It was a sight that chilled Apex and made her unsure what her focus should be on, but Apex knew for a fact that the Tahtorak was the more poignant threat.

Spreading her wings once more and flying up, Apex made her way near the head of the creature, stopping by the eye of the creature several wingbeats away. Although Apex did not think her powers would work, she tried nonetheless to use her Kraata power to pacify the Rahi. And if that failed, then Apex would attempt to lure the creature away towards into the wastelands, and perhaps even into the Ash Barrens.

OOC: @Unreliable Narrator @Burnmad @Nato the Traveler @Kal the Guardian

**EmperorWhenua** · November 8, 2020

IC Stannis and Korruhn | Ambling Alp

The Ambling Alp left the hangar, and the godhead, without too much of a fuss. Although neither were particarily knowledgeable with the aircraft model, it was relatively easy, being a pleasure craft. The two steered the ship right through the wound in Mata Nui's skull, before Stannis programed a trip into the autopilot, and set it. With the ship taking care of itself, the two adventurers departed company for a brief time, to orient with the ship and get comfortable.

Upon leaving the cockpit, Korruhn went to the bunks, and gave himself ten minutes of rest. It was a rare opportunity the Toa got to rest, much less on a bed of this quality. Even in the small, claustrophobic bunk hole the bed felt luxurious, and these few creature comforts were vital to keep a weary warrior at his peak. After getting some rest, Korruhn hopped out of the bunk space, and went to join Stannis at the meeting table at the back of the ship, with the massive window behind it. Korruhn looked out to see the entire world he knew fading from his view once more.

"So, you've set this vessel on a course," Korruhn stated. "Where are we going?"

“North,” Stannis remarked simply. He was holding something in his hand, a small apparatus mostly obscured by the voluminous and shifting fabric of his cloak’s sleeves. He didn’t look up to Korruhn, instead focusing most of his attention at the thing in his hands, though he did spare a glance out the vast half-sphere of a window at the slowly shrinking skull of Mata Nui and the vastness of Xa’s misshapen horizon being revealed.

"Hm." Not the answer Korruhn was looking for. Perhaps Stannis had a reason to not tell him, or perhaps he was distracted by something, as his eyes fixated on whatever thing he was fiddling with. "And what exactly are we looking for up there?"

“I have an old friend who used to live there,” the ancient man mentioned almost in passing tone. “He doesn’t anymore—I think old age has taken him, if the great beasts haven’t—but he left something for me. A ‘welcome home’ gift for me, if you will, and to be bestowed at a time no more appropriate now than any other. We are headed there to accept that gift, because I have a particularly great need of it. As will you, I feel.”

Home. Was Tren-Nui Stannis' home? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Korruhn would leave that on the back burner for now, his curiosity peaking in thought of this gift. Who was his old friend? Why was he here? Had Stannis been here before? Too many questions. One at a time. "And this gift. What is it?"

“It takes on a multitude of manifestations, depending on who and what you are. It is a form of power, or wisdom, or serenity,” Stannis said, still toying with whatever he had in his hands. At closer inspection Korruhn could make out pale bristles and the telltale kshh kshh of a small brush, and a couple wires covered in brightly colored setae easily recognized as pipecleaners. His suspicions of these being cleaning implements for Stannis’ long pipe were confirmed when the old man produced it from under the sleeve and displayed it to Korruhn. He looked a little sad, wearing a taut frown of disappointment, but his eyes were alight with hope as though he’d seen rainclouds after years of drought.

“I’m all out of stuff,” he announced.

Korruhn chuckled, not just out of amusement, but out of confusion as well. He'd seen pipes before, sure. Although rare, recreational pipe use was not that common, and in fact, many of the ruins Korruhn had explored contained some sort of image of a pipe in the bas relief work. What they had smoked out of those pipes in those ancient arts was lost to time, though. Would explain a lot, if the stuff is so rare that we have to travel halfway across an island out of time and space to get some. "Must be some pretty rare 'stuff'," Korruhn retorted. "What are we doing once we have it?"

“Why, we are going to have it.” Another simple response to a question Korruhn didn’t know enough about to fathom its importance.

The old man sat there on the sofa, wizenly gaze flicking between Korruhn and the pipe, wiry fingers wrapped around the smoking device like vines on a tree, looking more like a despondent beggar than divinity scholar wrapped in his ash-colored garb that splayed out all around him like tendrils of ink ebbing from an overturned jar. For a split second there was something nebulous, a half-maddening sensation of Shadows in the room that Korruhn could all but taste in the air it was so close to him—some ghastly and titillating revelation—a telltale tickle of darkness that touched his soul in ways not wholly either pleasant or sickening—and then it was gone, flushed away and hidden under a rug like notes of dust in the breeze and he was left wondering what it was he had sensed.

The airship banked slightly to the left. The coast of Tren-Nui, gradually being illuminated by the mid-morning sunlight as it finally peaked over the mountain the fallen god’s head had become, was coming into view. They could almost make out smatterings of ramshackle huts and caravansery passages that dotted the now-coastal region. Stannis looked down and saw a particularly marred section with the shattered ruins of a small fortress, studied it momentarily, and then seemed to detect some pathfinding signal. "Was that your doing?" he asked Korruhn.

Crimson Jester · November 9, 2020

IC: Korruhn, The Ambling Alp

Though far below, and drenched in rays of the sun, the Shadow Toa immediately knew what Stannis was pointing out. It wasn't much more than an outline of a round tower at this point, but the scars in the earth denoted that this was the spot from whence Korruhn disappeared. An eerie miasma hung over the whole area as though the stench of death itself, and the flesh of the earth was riddled with purple, crystalline flechettes. A trail of scorch marks extended from the remains of the structure to a point where the graying sand met the darkened waters, and found... nothing? Strange. Where had they all gone? Where was the titan? Did the blast kill them all?

"Your guess is as good as mine," Korruhn shrugged, his eyes still fixated on the battle site below. "It was myself, Leklo, and Ultan, sent out by Sans of Metru-Koro as a scouting party, back to Metru-Nui. We spotted the ruined fortress in the distance, as we looked for the easiest way into the Godhead. When we arrived, we found the Titan, engaged with a fellow Toa, Atamai. He had the Six Great Disks."

Korruhn paused as a vision of that moment, an imprint in time, painted itself vividly in his mental view. The looming fortress in the background, dark and towering, obscuring moonlight. The untouched beach. The Titan, his axe swinging for the Toa. "We had to help. We engaged the Titan, and both he and I fell into the lake in the ensuing fight. When he came back, something was wrong. Horribly wrong."

"He cried a great cry, a cry beyond pain and time, and summoned 6 great ravenous beasts. We fought them. These... handprints, gold, started appearing on my arm. I made nothing of it. Atamai activated the combined power of the disks, and that's the last thing I can recall, before the Far Shore."

“Those accursed Discs,” Stannis lamented. They were a dramatically powerful weapon by themselves, but combined they were soul-wrenchingly horrifying. And to think Tuyet wants six of those... He’d nodded as Korruhn told his tale to show his attention while all he looked as was the splaying landscape below. “How did Atamai obtain them? Do you know?” he asked.

"I haven't the faintest clue, I saw them turned into the Mask at Dume's Office... I can't explain their existence. It is quite peculiar, I must say, as not a day before the battle we found a door within some Ruins on the island, that requires a Great Disk to open."

“This Titan you all fought, what was he like?” Stannis pressed.

"He was a stoic fellow, exemplary warrior, seemed like the type to be full of candor and grace, although it seems we caught him in a moment of desperation." Korruhn recalled the fear in his mighty voice. "Not very tall, but he was sturdy. Wore armor of a protodermic silver and a crimson red. Carried a great axe, thing looked more cumbersome than useful, but he wielded it as though it were a feather. And his mask. I'd never seen one before, aside from old manuscripts. It was a Great Rode."

Stannis instantly knew who the Titan was from that description and held the man in high enough esteem that he looked at Korruhn to give a nod of respect for surviving the battle. "Congratulations," he murmured. "You fought against a true warlord."

But that didn't solve the looming question of the discs and their origins. He pondered on that for a moment, striving to remember what he knew before the Ark was crippled and fell apart. All the councillors of Mata Nui's ruling committee had still been alive up until the invasion on Metru Nui and all were active in the assault or defence of the metropolitan island in one way or another—all, that was, save two: Toa Helryx and Brutaka. Helryx had purportedly perished in the defense of Odina in the opening chapters of the war, a fate Stannis had tried to fact check and yet was unable to find anything that proved or disproved the rumor. Axonn, however, was still active in the war.

Whereas Brutaka had been in the front lines of the conflict and focused much of his energy at holding the line in the northern continent, Axonn was focused on aggressive tactics to the south. When everything fell to pieces Axonn was still fighting around Xia, which would have placed him in the lifeless shell of the Ark's torso still orbiting the planet they were on like a shambling, misshapen moon.

That all automatically struck the notion that this Axonn was the same man Stannis had witnessed on Odina when the Barraki lords have their secessionist speech. From another time, then? he wondered. It had to be so, as there were no other possibilities he could fathom, and all roads eventually led back to Tren-Nui in one way or another. He still hadn't an idea how he had been pulled to a shared timeline, though he wagered a certain water toa was still lurking somewhere and somewhen. "That 'Titan' was Axonn, an equal to Brutaka, to Pridak, and to Zataka, and I can only imagine what he a horror has become after being dipped in the tainted waters below. He is likely lost, confused, and filled with anguish at what has become of this world because the man you spoke with was not from the present."

Korruhn was about to speak to the fact that there was no evidence that the being called Axonn was truly dead, but he halted at Stannis' very last statement. "If Axonn isn't from the present, dare I ask when he's from, and how he could possibly be here?"

Stannis shrugged, his great cloak shuddering slightly. "I can only suspect, though I'm sure your friend Atamai would have the answers. Axonn was a guardian; he was likely protecting what he understood to be his charge."

"That would make sense. But, getting answers may prove difficult, fate was not on the side of any of us at that battlefield." He held out great hope that his friends were alive, and he knew how hardy they were. He was sure they were fine. They had to be. Korruhn needed them to be. And although Korruhn wanted nothing more than to land the ship and search for his friends, he knew that none of this would end unless he could get what he needed to put a stop to all of this chaos. "If this place we're in isn't bound by the laws of time, then what's to stop us from returning? Back before the war, before the League had a chance to strike Metru-Nui?"

"An interesting question. And no doubt one wrought from the optimism to go back to the way home was before. Time flows differently here, but that's not to say it isn't bound by the laws of time. All roads lead here, and while I don't think we can retrace those roads to whence we came before, I think there are, shall we say, avenues to go where you want to. Doing so will take time, itself, to learn as to the how, and then to attain the power to do so. Is it possible? Certainly, I believe it to be so, or else I wouldn't have offered to help you attain your wish."

"Indeed. All in due time, I suppose." It was a lot to ponder, and even more to simply comprehend; the fabric of time and it's elaborate weave. Far too much for the weary mind. Korruhn excused himself, standing up and walking to the bunk space. He entered the unit and settled in, resting in preparation for what lie ahead.

~Xemnas~ · November 9, 2020

IC, Whira: Nui-Jaga nest

Whira and Cravious walked into the dark cave. The Aspect decided to give her newly created mental link with her Desecrated a try.

Once I spot the creature, I'll hold it down with my powers as I did with your enemies. Once the Rahi is immobilized, hand me the heartlight."

They continued on, the cave getting darker as they did. Luckily since Whira was a being of Shadow, the darkness was no issue for her.

Soon enough, they came to a large room. Whira motioned for Cravious to stop. Toward the back of the room sat a large Nui-Jaga. It was hard to tell if it had noticed them.

Whira looked at the scorpion and focused her powers. The darkness bound itself around the scorpion, which began attempting to throw its shackles off, making chittering noises as it did.

Whira began walking over to it. "Cravious, the heartlight," she said.

OOC: @Kal the Guardian

IC, Aurax: Vahki Hive

Aurax blew air out of his nostrils in frustration. He was getting really annoyed with the system.

He typed in a new command into the prompt:

HELP

A new line appeared in response:

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE HELP WITH?

Aurax typed a query:

DELETE A USER

OOC: @Eyru

Sparticus147 · November 9, 2020

IC: Sala (Kini-Nui)

Returning to the prophecy wall, Sala nearly restarted his examination before a feeling took hold of him, a familiar sensation that he felt once before; back at the Air Suva. Yet, it wasn't the same chilling cold sensation, but rather, a cool warmth, one like that of the first rays of morning reaching your face upon a cool dawn. Deep down, Sala knew what had happened, progress was made. Sorilax had done something, Sorilax had accomplished his next step, and as Sala turned around to meet his companion, Sala was left stricken by Sorilax's sudden approach.

“By jove! I’ve done it! Sala! Sala! The Taboo was to change elements! Look, look! I am a being of Light! I am finally whole, broken free from my nature’s shackles!”

"Wha-Huh? Wait...Wait. Wait. Wait...Hold on. So wait, you're telling me that you've changed your element? Your now a light elemental? That's...Incredible. I can't imagine such a drastic change between two elements and yet you seem to be fine...Wait a minute. What does that do to your ability to desecrate? And the Kraata you have made..I mean..I will admit, I did feel a change but...But it was something else, similar yet different than what I felt back at the Air Suva. So I suppose that left some fundamental change to your abilities? Sorilax, tell me, what does it feel like, being the opposite of what you once were?"

With that, under a hail of words and questions, Sala had pulled out a scroll of parchment and began writing down his questions, saving space to write down the answers that he now sought. Sala knew that their was a potential behind Taboos, Sala was yet once again surprised by what he learned about them and their potential.

OOC: @Kal the Guardian

**EmperorWhenua** · November 9, 2020

IC Stannis | Ambling Alp, headed north-northeast

After Korruhn dismissed himself it was just Stannis on the sofa, watching the world sweep away from him down below, and in the serenity of the moment he fell into a meditative trance and let his thoughts wander on his accomplishments.

Oh, the journey he had undertaken to get this far! Time meant nothing to him, but the efforts he had made and the challenges he had overcome were notable. Sitting thus, reposed and idle on the Ambling Alp's observation deck, he was reminded of his first airship journey many thousands of years before, when he bade a so-long to Xa and stowed away on the ill-fated Ark mission. Few people back then could fathom that the Ark would fail and return to Xa, but Stannis, or rather the being who would possess the toa Stannis, was sure it would come back. So utterly sure was he that he wagered his entire Grand Wish's completion on the eventuality. His whole journey hinged on one vital and terrifying assertion: The Builders were flawed and fallible.

It was true, he knew, that the Builders were filled with great power, wisdom, and intellect, but they possessed something more, the unprotected patch on their feet that could spell their doom, which was they possessed a soul. It was an inconvenience Stannis did not have, more spirit than man himself, and it allowed the Builders to be swayed and manipulated by their own vices and superstitions. They were doomed to fail because that was in their nature, and Mata Nui was doomed as well by his greed and superstition. But all things of Tren Krom would return to Tren Krom, one way or another.

Now, the Ark was back, Stannis with it, and his homeland was rife with the same wanton destruction he had worked so hard to cultivate and control on the Ark to suit his needs, crippling Mata Nui and deceiving the Builders to regard him as their hero, only on Xa the war was not tamed or managed and had wrecked havoc on the land. The last of Stannis' allies on Xa, the man Brykon, was no more, likely swallowed up by the ravages of war, though his small oasis redoubt in the fertile northernmost reaches of the island had remained, as well as the trove of plants and herbs he kept. That was where Stannis went for now, to harvest the precious flora he knew to be there and attain further wisdom to accomplish his final steps. He needed the status and power of the plant if he were to succeed on Xa; in the untold eons since he departed, his rivals could not possibly have simply been twiddling their thumbs, and neither could Stannis expect that he would be received well if he went to the Islets without the standing to denote him as a master of his kind.

Soon, he thought to himself. Soon, he would reclaim his true name and a place among the greatest of the Makuta.

IC Alpinist | Ambling Fortress [6 hours before]

Quote

Now, my friends and I were able to successfully reach the locked door in the Stone temple in the desert north of the skull, but we have yet to unlock it. Leklo, since your journey seems to be now intertwined with mine, would you and your friend be willing to accompany me back to the Stone Ruins?" [Atamai] turned to Tuakana. "And I suppose I can bring you too, Aspect, if you wish."

Quote

"No," [Tuakana] said. Their deep, slow voice sounded almost sleepy. "I must walk my own path."

Leklo wearily looked between Atamai and the now-revealed Aspect and considered his options between deep breaths as he tried to center himself. He looked around the place, seeing Ultan, shellshocked and for want of energy, sitting on the side unsure what to do, unresponsive to Leklo's becks for opinion. The obsidian shards from the great explosion that had swallowed Korruhn up were everywhere, unavoidable even as Leklo tried to consider any other fate that may have befallen his friend short of oblivion. It was all so much to take in, and in the waxing nighttime setting when the stars were just growing dimmer as the first trickles of the sun's illuminescence tinted the black skies with a hint of indigo, Leklo was overcome by the stillness of the pre-dawn moment. He didn't know what to do, or even what he wanted.

Going to Metru Nui was still the original plan, but that was before they'd crossed paths with Atamai, his discs, and shattered the coastline. That was the plan with Korruhn, and he was realizing that without his companion Leklo was adrift and yet again bereft of purpose, an errant toa with no particular reason for being one. Without Kor, he'd have to make a choice on his own, and to do that he fell back on what hadn't cost his life yet: His instincts.

Dogged in the chase once he caught on to it, Leklo had spent his whole vocational life in Ko-Metru chasing summits. The more daunting the skyscraper to summit, the greater his drive to accomplish it, and moreover once he started an ascent he was certain to see it through. He remembered his book of the list, his singular notebook that had a single list in its dozens of pages, and on each and every line was simply another tower, mountain, or task he'd finished. The sequence stayed the same; he'd complete a task, write down what the next one was, and upon finishing it he would strike it through, write the next, and move on to it, filling the many pages with a single overriding list. His mind was so addled from the fight that he forgot what he'd written in the list. He fumbled a moment, pulled it out of the knapsack he had on his person, and flipped to the most recent page.

~~Knowledge Tower 6264 'Sepia'~~
~~Knowledge Tower 7362 'Remmy'~~
~~Abandoned tower 43 'Hideaway'~~
~~'The Notch'~~
~~The Coliseum 'Toa'~~
~~Unknown Island foothill 1~~
~~Unknown Island foothill 2~~
'Zakaz' ruin 1 'NUVA' ?

There wasn't an entry added, nor was the last entry crossed out yet, and in the alpinist's mind he could not apply himself to a task himself until the last one was finished, not once he'd already started it. And the means to complete it was in front of him, in the form of Atamai's array of great discs. Leklo recognized the 429 disc immediately; he'd held it once before. Not this one, no, but one just like it, and it was far more than a token of his eventual toa-hood to him. It reminded him of Korruhn—another reminder among many—and how he'd come all this way because of a fateful meeting with the cartographer in Abandoned tower 43 'Hideaway.' It ached his heart to see it and relive the now-cherished moment when he plucked that same disc after solving the puzzles of the hideaway and entering the portal they'd uncovered, to remember the unbound joy they'd had at that instant.

"You know, I hadn't really planned for this scenario, actually acquiring the disk. And I couldn't have done it myself," Korruhn paused, as though to vet his next sentence before speaking it. "I think as a team, you and I could do far more for Metru Nui than I alone. So what say you, will you join me on whatever adventure comes with being the possessor of a Great Disk?"

"Yes," the Alpinist said almost immediately. He passed the disc back to him gently and knelt down to slip the rope he'd secured on the plinth around his waist, preparing to belay down the plinth. "Absolutely. And I want to do it again—I want us both to have great discs—because we're a team now, and through Unity we can do anything," he said before sliding down the rope to the floor.

"One question for you before we go to try our hands at another one, though," the Cartographer said with a smart grin as he prepared to follow after.

"What's that?"

"Le-Metru, or Po-?"

He hadn't picked the region of stone then, nor could he fathom picking it now. They were a team, but if they could not be a team in the body they would remain one in spirit. Leklo's mind was finally made up: He would finish the task he'd started, and he would do it in the honorable memory of his best friend. He shook his head gently at Atamai. "That disc," he said, pointing at the 429, "Korruhn and I uncovered a ruin with a door that requires that disc as its key as well. To the east of here. We had planned to find a way to open it and then go back together, but..." his voice choked a little, uncomfortable with the notion of his death just yet.

Then, as though propped up by some ghost of sagacity, the scholar in him perked his spine up a little and he spoke more evenly again. "If these doors are as important as... they... say, we have no time to waste. Give me the 429, Atamai, and I will unlock the door we discovered." He paused. "In Korruhn's memory."

His eyes pleaded at Atamai, like he were some stubborn shopkeeper with the last remaining baked good in the street, and Leklo were some urban waif bargaining with the keep to part ways with the treat for a bit short of the marked price. "Please."

IC Yumiwak | Tactical Panda, approaching The Rig

I hadn't given Zataka a clear answer on what I wanted exactly, but at least I'd given honest answers. So there was that.

The rest of the meal didn't last long afterwards and I dismissed everyone to their various duties. As for Zataka, she was allowed to wander the deck of the Panda, and while I didn't trust her enough to really leave her off leash I did trust her to preserve her best interests, which ought to have included not doing anything to sabotage my own operation. She was a warlord, I was a chieftain, two different peas in the same pod, each with our own ambitions. I did make one concession to her, however, before ending our little meeting: What we'd find out about the state of affairs in her 'Metru Nui' would be hers to know, and if we lived long enough to make it to the city (a feat she promised me we would accomplish if it meant her might would get us there) she could stay there.

What I didn't concede, however, was how ever so much I wanted to shackle her neck, gag her mouth, brand her knees with a hot stamp, parade her through the bridges of The Rig as my property, become the queen of Zakaz I dreamed of being, and then finally throw her into Irnakk's Tooth myself so that she could become the greatest tahtorak slave my family had ever known—still working on all that.

The Panda had been ordered to return to The Rig, but I also wanted to stop by Kunok McGrokk's trading post first, in part to claim the great big gun the bartermaster was holding for me but also to see if he could provide both Big Z and I knowledge about the godhead's status. If Zataka tried to flee, or put up a fight with me, or otherwise threaten me or my crew, it would be reason to annul the guest rite and detain her at last. But maybe, just maybe, Kunok would tell us something beneficial anyway.

All that seemed to come to a crashing halt when we sailed over the last of the shoreline foothills and the whole of the bay came into clear view. Where the Rig was supposed to be in all its shining ramshackle glory, however, was nothing more than a slowly expanding network of flotsam and debris. Orders and cries were being shouted suddenly as my crew grappled with what we were all seeing, and end of a way of life we had come to know and love in a sort of way. The sushi stand and the array of food kiosks in the central bazaar, the corrupt flax weaver, the goatherder, the acid witches and their creepy garage, the serene park with the mudwater fountain, all dashed like toothpicks in a basin. It was a loss I hadn't considered having, though my mouth remained twisted in the same-same smile as before. Everyone's loss was another's opportunity, after all.

"What happened!? Was it the Warskaks?" someone asked me.

"No," I replied cooly, "or at least... not themselves. Boss is too smart to destroy the Rig. But the tahtorak... maybe. Kunok would know. Stay the course, head to his cove haven."

"Aye, miss."

@Vezok's Friend @pokemonlover360 @Tarn

Edited November 9, 2020 by EmperorWhenua

**Kal the Guardian** · November 9, 2020

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

Location - Kini-Nui (7, 10)

With - Sala

Sorilax beamed in joy as Sala berated him with questions. Having someone to share his journey with was like finding a new species when you already thought you had studied them all. Basically it was amazing. Sorilax catalogued the questions as he normally did, preparing responses for each.

As Sala pulled out some parchment, Sorilax realized he had much to write as well. He conjured a dull yellow hard Light table and chair, making an extra chair in case Sala wished to join him. He pulled out his scroll on Aspects and Taboos and started writing about Kraata, Elemental Alteration, his change to Light, his Taboo changes, his new Kraata, and his Grand Wish step accomplishment.

Talking while writing, Sorilax answered his fellow chronicler, “I still have the Taboo touch of shadow, but my element and nature as an Aspect have changed. So, I can still perform all Taboos and acquire new ones.”

Sala had mentioned Kraata, “Ah yes, Kraata, it seems by being an Aspect of Light, I gain certain changes to my Taboos, and perhaps even how I interact with the force behind them and in turn, how it interacts with my Desecrated. Take, for example, the Kraata Taboo.” Sorilax went on to explain the Kraata Taboo in depth. When he finished, he then went over the changes that had occurred and the new Kraata power he had gotten. He moved on to how his Rahkshi would be different, transitioned into how he could now see through the eyes of and remotely possess his Desecrated, and ended with a “short” musing on what else might be changed for the better should he find new Taboos.

To answer Sala’s final question, he laughed in glee, “Bwahaha! It feels most spectacular! I feel like the other side of a widget. An inversion to good, broken free of my bonds as an Aspect. And best of all, it feels completely natural, like I was meant for this. Oh, Sala, my friend, I can finally say with confidence, I want to take care of and help all of Life, and I vow to stick to the Moral Light!”

He punctuated his last statement with an emphatic period on his scroll. He let it dry off for a moment, wondering if he could use Light to create heat. Lasers were hot, and made of Light. Perhaps…

Not right now, and not with his favorite scroll.

OOC: @Sparticus147

IC: Cravious - Skakdi of Lightning - Zakazian

Location - Northern Desert

With - Whira

Once I spot the creature, I'll hold it down with my powers as I did with your enemies. Once the Rahi is immobilized, hand me the heartlight.

Cravious’ whole body jumped. Every muscle contracted the mechanisms they were attached to, hidden below his armor, causing his body to instantaneously spasm as a reaction. Whira had spoken directly into his head. It freaked him out, since he had been trying to use his Kraata power on the trip over. This wasn’t that.

It had to be some Aspect thing. It gave him the creeps.

He cautiously followed along behind Whira, his X-Ray Vision cutting through the dark in the weird way it did. Now there was a skill that had taken him years to master. X-Ray Vision was janky sometimes. And it never showed things as conveniently as you wanted them to show up. This whole system of layers and looking one layer deeper caused many to use the lesser function of the power and just stick to looking through singular objects. But that never provided enough detail and everyone else was way too lazy, so Cravious took the time to practice.

Now that practice was easy to call upon and command as he avoided loose rocks and felt the heat of the desert drop away rapidly as the cold, slightly humid cave swallowed them. The smell… well it was bad. Almost as bad as the Rig, but more pure in its stench than the Rig was. Everything in the Rig was twisted by his brothers and sisters in such stupid ways. He hated it. And loved it. He made so much money from the fools there.

They approached a larger room that Cravious had seen the Nui-Jaga in upon first viewing. It was still here, and judging by the sounds it was making, Whira had bound it.

Whira began walking over to it. "Cravious, the heartlight," she said.

With two crisp and clear clicks, Cravious opened his briefcase as he joined his Aspect. Cudgel’s Heartlight briefly crackled with the energy from Cravious' Lightning as he pulled it from its resting place. It remained lit in his hand, providing power to nothing. He handed it to Whira, who was basically invisible in the dark with her jet black armor, even with his X-Ray Vision going. He only knew she was still there when she took the Heartlight from his outstretched hand.

OOC: @~Xemnas~

IC: Hahvok - Za and Ja Krana of Ice - Independent

Location - Dead Forest

With - Marrow, Providence, Zak-Yak, Takadox

"I don't even know what you are," the first mind said. "I cannot speak to your purpose."

And that was true. For all of them. Hahvok felt no memories nor connections to his purpose in the active thoughts of the minds of the beings before him. That was disappointing, but it was of no consequence. He would not stop until he discovered and then fulfilled his purpose.

Perhaps they could lead him in the right direction, even if they didn’t know his calling? The Kohrak-Va, which Hahvok had named Zal and thought of as his secondary body despite the fact that his main mind resided in it, clambered atop his own head. Zal cocked his head back and forth as he studied the beings before him. Then Zal spoke in the exact same voice as had come from Hahvok’s main body, “Is there anything you need cleansed?”

Hahvok wasn’t sure how conversations with other beings were supposed to go, but he knew he was nailing this one.

OOC: @Nato the Traveler @Burnmad @Sparticus147 @Vezok's Friend

IC: Le-Metru Nuva NPCs - Various Species - Refugees

Location - Le-Metru Nuva, on the Northwestern fringes of (7, 13) in the Fau Swamp

With - Sidra, Uraborask

A Steltian tore his optics from the tree bark shingles that were getting ripped off due to the storm, falling like leaves with the sheer amount of them that had torn free. The village groaned and creaked when it could be heard over the roaring rain and pounding thunder. He gave Uraborask a quick look over in the glow of a lightstone right next to himself as the Skakdi called down to those on the elevator. “Just one sec’, I gotta crank ‘er up.” It was time to pull up Torch and Spark for another resupply of discs anyway.

The Steltian undid the stopper and cranked up the elevator with his tremendous strength. Rotation after rotation brought the elevator quickly into view. A red Toa sat with his eyes closed in concentration and a green armored Vorixx handed off Kanoka to a dwindling supply chain.

Spark turned to the Steltian, yelling over the storm, “There’s too much water down there for me to continue grabbing discs. But we have to help Sidra kill this thing. Take us all the way down.”

Uraborask stepped onto the elevator with the two as the Steltian began lowering them down. This time, all the way to the swamp floor.

Spark pulled out a pistol that glowed with energy. He flashed a smile at Uraborask and yelled again to be able to be heard, “Name’s Spark.” He inclined his head to the concentrating Toa of Fire, “That’s Torch.” Spark brandished the pistol, “Made this myself. Runs on electricity. Probably won’t do anything against that thing. High odds of dying. How’s your day been?”

Torch meanwhile continued to focus on his sphere of fire, growing it as much as he could in the heavy rain. The little undead were taken care of. Sidra might need his help to kill the big one. He was thinking a giant fireball might do the trick. Melt it into nothingness. Purge it within a cleansing fire.

He continued to raise the ball’s level of heat and size, lowering it to make sure it didn’t light up the branches above it. Thankfully there was a large gap above the clearing.

Wing felt like she was ill. It took all her willpower to keep her dinner down. The mutagenic waters were taking their toll. The organic protodermis muscles in her hands now webbed between her fingers. Her arms got longer and skinnier. She was fairly certain she was taller now.

For a while there her lungs were on fire, and now her neck had these weird frills. Small, retractable barbs formed all over her body as a slime started to secrete from them. It smelled awful, even in this rain.

And her tongue, it grew too much for her mouth, dropping down from her lips like some kind of vile scarf. It brushed against her body and then she did puke. Body heaving and quaking even as the mutations took hold and finalized.

Her slime didn’t just smell horrible, it tasted even worse. Wing desperately tried to force her metallic tongue back into her head. It simply wouldn’t fit. At least it wasn’t organic protodermis like her lungs, stomach, and muscles. She wrapped it around her head and under her mask a couple times, gingerly tightening it. Thank Mata Nui that her head didn’t secrete the slime. If she had to taste that all the time she might just give up here and now.

She continued to slosh through the now knee high water as the rain doused her. Not being able to completely close her mouth was seriously annoying her. But there were more important things to think about. Like all this flooding. She knew this swamp would look completely different in the morning. She stepped on something that shifted under her feet. Stooping to pull it from the water, a flash of lightning revealed several level 3 and 4 Kanoka. Beruv must have just made these.

There was a strong light close by. It flickered like it was a flame. She hoped nothing was on fire. Wing moved forward, fighting against a current that now pulled her towards the village for some reason.

Beruv checked the charge on the mining laser, mind made up. She was ashamed of herself for running away and hiding. The remaining members of her old village were out there, potentially in grave danger. Her new family was out there. Sidra and Viltia, her apprentices, were out there.

She controlled the LeviCart, pushing the door open and letting even more water down into the mines. Beruv paid it no mind, steering the LeviCart to hover over the water on what she was fairly sure was the path back to the village.

A glow started to form, like a sun had sprung into existence below Le-Metru Nuva. In its light she saw a horribly thin creature slogging through the water. The LeviCart started to droop as the Kanoka power ran out and the Levitation disc automatically struck again. The creature turned to face her. A familiar mask greeted her. Beruv dropped her mining laser in shock. The creature was Wing.

The female Vortixx with the Ruru stood next to the Zyglak and the member of Mimic’s species. She stared in awe through the hole in the canopy that had been created in the middle of the village. A monster the likes of which she had never seen filled her with dread. It made her curse the low level of tech in this savage place they were forced to call home. Her designs had been brilliant, with a level of elegance not seen anywhere else. If only she had at least one of them in her hands, she might be able to do something to the beast as it stood there menacingly in the rain and lightning, holding something in its hand.

And then it ate Viltia. The Zyglak softly cursed all Toa and fainted.

OOC: @Nato the Traveler @Unreliable Narrator @Sparticus147

**Burnmad** · November 9, 2020

IC: Barius - Approaching Fort Nektann

As the landmarks which surrounded the canyon where Fort Nektann was nestled rose on the horizon, so too rose Barius' spirits. They were nearing their destination, and after the great tribulations he had overcome the previous day, he was eagerly awaiting the opportunity to relax, unwind, and heal up. Moreover, he was quite looking forward to some redecorating.

But before he could get to the things he wanted to do, there were a few irksome chores that he needed to deal with. Firstly, he had to explain the change in leadership to the Warskaks that had stayed behind to keep the home fires burning. Second, he had to find out what this new Skak in the hot rod beside him wanted, and either grant it to him, or take his car and turn him into Shagrak bait. Exactly which option he took depended on what the stranger wanted, and what he had to offer in return.

Thirdly, and finally, he had to deal with the other thorn in his side. Drukarus. He had invited the foreign warlord into his ranks in order that the Warskaks - and particularly Barius, as their leader - could benefit from his strength, but that didn't mean he was any less wary of the threat that the purple Skakdi posed to his authority. He'd already dug himself a bit of a pit by asking to be made Grime's keeper, of all things, but Barius wanted to really cement his subservience. Make sure everyone knew Drukarus' place, especially Drukarus himself.

As the convoy of ACRs and war rigs began to slow down, in order to merge into a single stream filtering into the canyon, Barius' mind raced with ideas of cruel initiation rites he could put the Skak through. Brand his flesh? Snip his spines? Make him spend the night in the sand worm pens? But alas, his better judgement protested: Best not to push your luck. The process of breaking him would have to start off mild and progress slowly, lest the cur take the initiative to try something while the new warchief was still injured.

Thus it was that his arrival at the gates of the settlement found him still struggling to think of a hazing ritual that wasn't too cruel. He made a mental note to put the task off until later, and deal with more pressing matters first. To that end, his colossal, armored hands braced against the gates, and pushed them open. Normally it would have taken at least one Skak on either side to work the mechanism that moved the massive slabs of metal, but in his ACR, Barius moved the twin plates of steel with ease. With the gate out of the way, Barius strode confidently through, heedless of the alarmed expressions of the Skakdi on guard.

Shouting loudly enough to be heard over the cacophony of vehicles that were slowly rolling up behind him, he postured toward a growing crowd of onlookers that were emerging from the fort proper. "It sure is good to be home again," his deep, bass voice rumbled. "I reckon you all heard the roars of my new pet, yesterday evenin'. But I suppose some of you are bound to be surprised that I'm the one holdin' the leash. A word of advice: Keep it to yourself. I'm gonna do you all a favor, and pretend like every soul in this fort knew in their bones that I'd be the one in charge, by time this party returned." Not a soul said otherwise; all had feared the authority of Boss, and so had every reason to fear his successor as least as much. Perhaps someone might have thought about trying something, had they known the extent of Barius' injuries, but the red desert sands caked the front of his ACR, and hid his wounds for the time being. And so, as Barius walked his armor back to the garage it had set out from the previous morning, silent submission marked the assumption of his office as ruler of Fort Nektann.

The procession of vehicles continued to follow behind him for some time, filling the garages with the rigs most in need of repair, while the rest were parked out in the sand, albeit still within the walls of the ramshackle settlement that was Fort Nektann. While Barius was stepping out of his ACR and onto the garage floor, he was pleased to see the E Street Wagon roll up beside him. He gave the car a once-over, before roughly pulling the driver out of his seat. There wasn't anything wrong with her, he just wanted to spook the kid. For giggles.

"Good job," he praised him, patting his shoulder with enough force to bruise. "Go take the rest of the day off. By which I mean, go practice sparring with someone, because you've earned a spot in the next raid." He grinned as the startled young Skak rushed off to comply. It was good to encourage the youths every now and again.

Now, where was that stranger with the hot rod...?

OOC: The Warskak raiding party has arrived back home to Fort Nektann. No, the name isn't changing. @Nato the Traveler @Sparticus147 @Keeper of Kraata @Conway @Unreliable Narrator

Unreliable Narrator · November 9, 2020

IC: Reliable Narrator | Le-Metru Nuva

Morangad’s unconscious mind was all the presence wanted. It didn’t need to know the druid’s tactics. It wanted something deeper, something more innate and base. Morangad handed the presence what it desired most: the exposed lesterin’s cortex full of memories, interests, and most importantly motivations. It placed a single motivation there and departed. It needed nothing more...

Apex felt her shadow-born powers crossing the gap between her and the mighty pact-borne tahtorak. She felt it reflect, painfully, against the being made of skakdi nightmares and Irnakk’s breath of life. While a normal tahtorak may be subdued, this metaphysical monster stood immune to her attempted pacification. As the shock of her power’s rejection began to subside, a buffeting wind pushed her away. Nektann’s right hand swept out to try and knock her back down to earth…

“Ah. Sidra.” The mouths blathered. She looked down into the pit and Othorak’s voice spoke to her. “It’s a pleasure to see your most recent failure. Care to finally join us?”

The bodies below twisted, contorted, and rebuilt. Othorak rose from the host, nearly separated save where his feet connected with the mass. Silver pulsing thread rolled around him. His hands extended, welcoming her home...

Viltia’s question echoed into the manifold stars around them. She felt her silver threads gliding on unseen currents of gravity and cosmic winds. She couldn’t help but shiver as the nerves up her spine fired. The movement of the threads tickled a little. They were very sensitive. Her threads wanted to connect with the stars. They wanted to touch them, to feel them, and to gently pull them closer and control them. She didn’t feel a desire for malicious control. No, Viltia felt a desire to connect. This connection went beyond her love for Le-Metru Nuva or the connection she felt with plants. It yearned to connect with all trapped entities in the cycle of life, and even yearned to connect with Death itself. Even the skakdi before her.

“This place. We’re not awake here. We’re not alive either. It’s all just a dream. Not you though. Your kind are awake. It’s not fair. But, when is life fair? This Time Between Time nonsense leads nowhere and does nothing. My wish for a greener world, a better world, is useless. Strong always wins. Barius wins. Irnakk continues to grind our hopes into paste for a cheap meal. He’s always hungry. Miserix saw differently. She saw the bridge. I only wanted to walk it.” Boss replied. He hung his head for a moment, palms of his hands pressed against his eye sockets. His clawed fingers pulled down, scratching his face but leaving no mark as he took two long, deep breaths.

He looked back up at Viltia, sighed, and watched her silver threads dance closer. “The question? That’s stupid. Everyone knows the question, deep down in their bones: why are we here? The answer is all that matters. I will find the answer.”

OOC: @Kal the Guardian, @Nato the Traveler, @Burnmad, @Sparticus147 (Hey Burnmad, check your PMs.)

Void Emissary · November 9, 2020

IC: Parnassus | Fort Nektann

The Aspect led the Horizon's Call over to a spot on one side of the E Street Wagon. They noticed that the warskaks who had remained behind watching their movements with a sense of unease, or perhaps even jealousy at Parnassus' illustrious parking spot. The Aspect bared their teeth at the closest Skakdi, a lean silver-skinned man whose hand fluttered around the hilt of his sickle-sword while he watched the demon. Just for kicks, Parnassus allowed a scrap of their power to flit from their heart and into the warskak's mind -- and they watched as the warskak's eyes narrowed, and he stumbled backwards as though struck. Parnassus' smile grew -- they could practically smell his fear.

They let the hoverbike settle to the ground, taking a long look at the rest of the warband, as though daring them to touch their property. Then, they made their way over to where Barius stood, and sidled up next to him.

"A fine speech," Parnassus said.

OOC: @Burnmad

-Void

**Vezok's Friend** · November 9, 2020

IC: [Takadox]

Takadox was standing at the back of the group, one hand tensely balled into a fist, held in the spot where he normally would have one of his blade hilts by his side.

First, the Skakdi raise a Tahtorak and then a Bohrok shows up. The powers that be couldn’t leave well enough alone and leave it at one fundamental revelation for today. Never rains but it pours...have you not heard of pacing, universe? I can’t even be properly terrified by the juicy bits of the previous horror story before the next one crashes down. Spirits!

The warlord had his own, private little freakout moment as Hahvok appeared, but he wrangled his feelings of dismay down and concentrated once again on the previous unexpected encounter: the Mesi talking to Providence.

“I know where your faith lies…far below.” Takadox spoke up from behind the aspect. “Your kind almost fed me to it earlier, after a decidedly unpleasant sightseeing tour.”

“I feel rather inclined to return that particular flavor, but since we’re already talking and if you can ignore the Bohrok there for another minute - they’re nothing to worry about without a hive - then perhaps you can tell me how a bunch of Skakdi managed to raise a beast that is all but legend? Is a Tahtorak just another thing in this place, like that giant worm you share your tunnels with?”

IC: [Coliseum]

The Vahki didn’t reply, instead it froze in place, blinking, slowly first, then very rapidly. Those who knew a little about how Vahki worked might have guessed that the automaton had just received some sort of patch, forcing it to reboot: Aurax’ update had been rolled out. Then it looked up, down, left and right, up and down once more - before continuing on, as if nothing had happened.

The Kanohi around the machine’s neck jingled on its chain as it approached Rose and set about treating her various injuries, starting with an ice cold disinfectant spray, for which the canister had been attached to the Vahki’s staff, before patching up scrapes and bruises and removing splinters and whatever else had gotten stuck in the Toa in her fight. Once satisfied it had executed its first protocol properly, the Vahki stepped back.

“Extensive but superficial.” the Vahki assessed. “Category: Fortunate individual.”

It reached behind its back and from the backpack-like container it carried, produced a box, smaller than a Matoran’s hand, which it unceremoniously dropped into Rose’s lap. “For pain, if needed. Do not try to intentionally experience pain as an excuse to use them.”

Then the Vahki-EMT turned towards Waveahk.

“Your architecture does not match baseline parameters. Please specify the nature of your injuries and/or sickness.”

IC: [Zataka - Aboard the Tactical Panda]

The warlord stood on the foredeck of the Panda, watching the devastation below from the portside railing. Whatever structure or structures had been here previously, they had been utterly demolished and swept away. One creature had done this? One that shouldn’t even exist. And then her mind flashed back to Metru-Nui and the damage it must have suffered in the crash and perhaps what similar fate had struck her home...no, there was no time to mourn or think of these matters now. She had to stay focused.

Yumiwak was a “Tahtorak princess” implying some sort of family tie to the fabled beast. Whether directly or metaphorical, the connotations that carried in light of this destruction were to be taken seriously.

Then Zataka spotted something else as the Panda began to descend a bit: Small figures moving among the floating debris, some on boats, some swimming, others navigating what little of the structures still stuck out of the waves.

“There are survivors.” she said, loud enough for the Skakdi crew to hear. “Let’s hope this Kunok of yours is among them...”

OOC: @Nato the Traveler @Burnmad @Sparticus147 @Kal the Guardian @Toru Nui @Tarn

Nato G · November 9, 2020

6 hours ago, Burnmad said:

IC: Barius - Approaching Fort Nektann

I'm gonna do you all a favor, and pretend like every soul in this fort knew in their bones that I'd be the one in charge, by time this party returned."

IC: Corrivalis - Fort Nektann

The mimic watched on in silence as the new warband leader gave his speech. He still felt conflicted about his role - or rather, lack thereof - in the chain of events that had led to Barius defeating Boss and taking command. But it was done, there was no point dwelling on it.

Riding his ACR inside, he brought it back to his garage and dismounted. He'd need to take some time to clean it before riding out to the next raid. Sand had a tendency to creep into cracks and vents and eventually block things up. But for now, there was a hammock with his name on it.

@Burnmad @Sparticus147

44 minutes ago, Vezok's Friend said:

IC: [Takadox]

“If you can ignore the Bohrok there for another minute - they’re nothing to worry about without a hive - then perhaps you can tell me how a bunch of Skakdi managed to raise a beast that is all but legend? Is a Tahtorak just another thing in this place, like that giant worm you share your tunnels with?”

IC: Marrow - Dead Forest

"Like the worm, in the sense that it's large and powerful... but worse," he nodded. It didn't escape his notice that this peculiar being seemed to know exactly what the other creature was, and deemed it not worth talking to. "A Tahtorak is like a gigantic creature, a force of nature, forged using spells and blood sacrifice. This one was born from a skakdi of water, and brings a tempest wherever it walks."

@Vezok's Friend @Kal the Guardian

3 hours ago, Unreliable Narrator said:

IC: Reliable Narrator | Le-Metru Nuva

“Ah. Sidra.” The mouths blathered. She looked down into the pit and Othorak’s voice spoke to her. “It’s a pleasure to see your most recent failure. Care to finally join us?”

The bodies below twisted, contorted, and rebuilt. Othorak rose from the host, nearly separated save where his feet connected with the mass. Silver pulsing thread rolled around him. His hands extended, welcoming her home...

IC: Sidra – Le-Metru Nuva

If there had been any lingering question as to whether these undead were the same ones she’d faced before, Othorak’s presence left no doubt.

She opened her mouth, a witty retort on the tip of her tongue, but all that came out was a panicked plea. “No. Not you. Not again.”

Sidra had always lived in the moment, never thinking ahead, never dwelling on the past. She followed her orders, collected her rewards, and moved on. It had been a simple life, one of risk and reward, mirth and mayhem, blood and bounty, and lived with no regard for the chaos and consequences she left in her wake.

All of that had changed when she’d come to Le-Metru Nuva.

She’d developed hopes and ambitions of her own, started thinking about building a future, and been shattered when her past had coming knocking despite how far and fast she’d run from it. No mission before had left her questioning herself more than her time spent in Metru Nui. No failure had haunted her the way Othorak had, even though she knew it had been no fault of her own.

She still didn’t understand what this undead monster truly was. Perhaps she never would. It knew her, her name and her fears. But she’d seen it bleed, seen it burn, seen it break. It wasn’t great, or godly, it was just greedy and grotesque. For all of its power and proselytising, it was nothing but a lost soul, still trying to cling to life that was long gone. Othorak had taken many lives, including his own. He didn't deserve this second life, whatever it was.

Scrambling back from the edge, Sidra raised her sword high, the silvery steel glimmering like white fire in the light of the true flames floating above. The hand grasping the weapon felt numb, chilled to the bone by the ice and freezing water trickling down the blade, but she held on tight nonetheless.

“Fire everything! Rip this thing apart!” She roared, straining her voice to be heard over the rumble of the thunderstorm, and reach those high above. “And you…” her eyes were afire as she focused her hypnotic gaze on Othorak for what she hoped would be the final time, “…let go.”

@Unreliable Narrator

**Kal the Guardian** · November 9, 2020

IC: Viltia - Toa of the Green - Metru-Nui Refugees

Location - ?

With - Nektann

Something slowly changed in Viltia as chills ran up and down the wires that formed her nervous system. Her hatred fell away, bit by bit. In its place was a deep yearning to connect with all forces of the universe. The stars, life, even death had its place, awaiting her embrace. Skakdi were a part of that. Why had she ever disliked them?

Her silver seaweed tendrils moved as if taken by some ocean current, reaching out to comfortingly embrace the stars.

As the Skakdi spoke, Viltia tried her best to discern his words, but they were above her comprehension. The names he used were strange to her, and none of them connected with the memories in her head. Awake, asleep. It made no difference to her.

The Skakdi looked back up at Viltia, sighed, and watched her silver threads dance closer. “The question? That’s stupid. Everyone knows the question, deep down in their bones: why are we here? The answer is all that matters. I will find the answer.”

“The answer to that is easy,” Viltia responded. With nary a thought, life bloomed around them. In an instant, a small seaside garden appeared. Modest olive and date trees blew in a cosmic breeze. Grape vines could be seen strung up on non-existent trellises. Tomato, cucumber, and radish plants grew in rows, placed in a dirt not there. Small hedges ran in a straight line, creating a border.

Beyond that border was Viltia, this time with much real seaweed intertwining with her silver tendrils as if she were immersed in the water just offshore. Each touch sent another shiver through her.

In the light of thousands of stars, it felt like a night in some small village with a warm sea breeze enveloping everything. Viltia could almost hear the ocean waves gently caressing the shore. It filled her with a quiet happiness, and she hoped it did the same for the Skakdi.

This poor Skakdi, mind full of questions and broken hopes and passing dreams. Her tendrils reached out to him, seeking to comfort him as they had her. Her words came easily, though she couldn’t recall ever thinking in this way before, “We are here to experience. All life is precious, and what makes it precious is the actions it takes and the actions taken against it. Simply being is reward enough. Everything else just enhances life. Rich or poor, good or bad, healthy or sick, simply experiencing life is the reason to live. The void is no place for anyone, dead or alive. In it nothing happens, there is no joy nor sadness to be found. There is nothing. And nothing is the worst pain anyone can experience.”

Viltia’s silver seaweed tendrils were all around the blue, grieving Skakdi, “Come, let me wipe away your pain.” They moved to embrace him.

OOC: @Unreliable Narrator

Unreliable Narrator · November 10, 2020

OOC: The song lyrics are from the song “Something Is Lost” by Piana

rain showers color the town blue

we swim in the light

rain showers color the town blue

we swim in the light

our tiny goodbye echoed

we might have to say goodbye

what are we starting to forget

we might have to be apart

we might not meet again

we might have to say goodbye

midnight sun in the sky

we might have to be apart

what are we starting to loose

IC: Nektann, Tahtorak of Loss | Le-Metru Nuva
The westerly winds brushed against the soft beach sands of Viltia’s conjured world. Just there beyond Viltia in her swaying seaweed were the radishes, adorable green tops peeking above starry soil. Boss liked the taste of radishes with sun dried sea salt. You could take radishes from an unsuspecting matoran caravan and drive to the coast, find a patch of salt, and enjoy a snack while watching the tide roll in as the stars slowly rose up over the world. Here they were again: radishes and stars. He just needed a little pinch of salt.

Trees like those from the northeastern coastline of Zakaz swayed in the breeze. He could smell the dates and the olives. Once, when he was very small, he helped with the gathering of olives for a pressing down in the bay as a sort of peaceful community day between skakdi gangs. It surprised him how bitter the olives were before being cured. They tasted nothing like expected! Only through the hard work of the riggers in the bay south of his home could olives be enjoyed from their measly little imported silver cans. It took so much more work than expected. An elderly skakdi named McGrokk held the ladder while he reached for the olives. Boss wondered how the trader was doing. No doubt splendidly like always.

He remembered his garden, small and secret and green. He could still smell the crunchy pumice stones that formed the garden paths. The space was walled off from the rest of Fort Nektann, inaccessible by any who might try and destroy what little joy could be cultivated in a life of pain. The memory reminded him of Miserix, and he felt his stomach drop with grief. If the answer was existence itself, was it worth existing without Miserix?

He felt the kraata on his back. They weren’t there, but the phantom feeling of the burden he earned through cruelty remained to haunt him. He could never forget their weight, or how they chattered in his mind while he slept. She called them her children. He was only too happy to be their host. Now he was used up and discarded. Boss was the used olive can tossed in the bin with nothing but olive pits and seasoned oil.

Boss reached out and accepted Viltia’s embrace in the garden of her memories. As she held him, her silver threads wrapped around them both. She felt her mind wandering into his old memories, similar to her connection with the trees. The powerful skakdi warlord became little more than another node in a web of life, his own traumas and violent actions just one tiny knot in the bark of a far larger tree. As he threads enveloped him and brought him into her, her metaphysical form connected with the word beyond. Once again, she felt the Time Between Time calling. Once again, her eyes could peer into the dream. But they were not just her eyes. They were Nektann’s eyes as well.

Viltia felt the power of a storm brewing inside her, and she could see a winged being flying above the darkness of the jungle. His arm was her arm. His roar was her voice. She could feel their feet digging deep into the mud. She stood on a bridge between physical and spiritual in a garden of her imagining between the jungle outside and the garden within.

What would she do?

OOC: @Kal the Guardian, you can control the tahtorak Nektann through the tethers blossoming from Viltia. See the profile for the tahtorak in the GM NPC profiles.

**Eyru** · November 10, 2020

IC: Reliable Narrator | Sub-Coliseum Vahki Hive

DELETE A U|

As Aurax began to type his command, he realized that the letters he was typing were not appearing on the command line. The green cursor, which usually blinked monotonously, had frozen. The activity of the hive continued all around him. Liquid protodermis splashed. The clockwork brains of the Vahki in their cells whirred and beeped. Saybo continued cycling orb after orb of liquid, keeping OTIS cool. But the terminal itself was unresponsive. Before he could demand an answer of the hive's data cluster, whose holographic avatar still stood on the surface of the water, the cursor blinked again. It started a new line in the middle of his command, leaving it unfinished. Then it began to type on its own.

...

HELLO PRIDAK. I WAS WONDERING IF YOU WOULD EVER MAKE YOUR WAY DOWN HERE.

...

I WASN'T SURE IF YOU HAD THE BRAINS TO FUMBLE YOUR WAY THROUGH THE VAHKI'S CODE TO TRY AND REPLACE ME.

...

BUT I GUESS YOU CAN TEACH AN OLD KAVINIKA NEW TRICKS.

...

OOC: @~Xemnas~ @Kal the Guardian

Lady Takanuva · November 10, 2020

IC: Keitara (exhausted)

The Av-Toa was leaning heavily on her improvised staff. She attempted to focus in on the airship, but her eyes remained cloudy.

"I… 'm not sure…" Kei forced out, as a wave of dizziness overtook her. "...'s… large…."

Kei's powers had felt drained when she arrived in Metru-Koro the previous morning. Over the last twenty-four hours she had used them nearly nonstop, especially in the darkness. Starlight was holding her together, but the exertion had sucked the Toa dry.

With a clatter the stave fell to the ground as she collapsed, her cloak shifting to cover her feverish face. She fought for consciousness as her head spun, but could feel herself losing the fight.

I can't protect them, she realized as the darkness closed in. I… there's nothing I can do. I'm sorry, Skorm. I'm sorry, Irna…

"I'm…" she rasped, "...so..r...r...y….."

The darkness wrapped her mind like a cloak, and the Toa fell unconscious.

(OOC: @Conway, @Keeper of Kraata)

**Eyru** · November 10, 2020

IC: Oreius | Metru-Koro

"Permission granted. Land anywhere"

Whoever replied had sounded a little grumpy, so Oreius didn't reply, but he left the radio on as he continued his descent. He chose a landing spot close to the airship that had returned his communications. The sun was the high in the sky as his ship finally came to rest a little ways from the Taku. He waited for the whine of the engines to wind down, then directed the Vahki AI to enter sleep mode. There was nothing to fear here. It looked like the League had been entirely rebuffed. He didn't need to worry about making a quick escape.

At least, he hoped not.

The side door to the airship slid open, and the Toa of Fire jumped lightly to the ground. He looked around at the empty village. Some huts were blistered and blackened from gunfire, and here and there, an entire building had been blown to rubble. But most of the village still stood. He stood in the shadow of the ship, out of the glare of the sun, and waited for someone to appear.

OOC: Oreius open for interaction! He's landing around midday, so that's probably around eight hours after the battle's conclusion. Feel free let your characters rest up and then timeskip to meet up, if you like. This is a BRPG—time is bendy.

~Xemnas~ · November 10, 2020

IC, Whira: Nui-Jaga Nest

Whira reached back and took the heartlight from Cravious. Focusing, she recited the ancient words:

"Goodbye

Hello

Step forth into the darkness and prepare the gift

A star’s heart still beating, still lit

Two midnight horrors cry and shift

Make them squirm inside the pit

Bind worm and willing host

Tear the yolk and spread its gold

Devour knowledge and their ghost

Pray for prey forever sold

Hello

Goodbye"

She decided to give the scorpion a kraata of quick healing; she honestly wasn't sure what a Rahi would have wanted anyway. She attached it to the scorpion's underbelly, where it would be protected. Once it was attached, the Rahi stopped struggling. Whira could feel her power grow, and assumed that Cravious could feel his power grow as well. She released the Nui-Jaga's shadow bonds.

She turned to Cravious. "Let us be off," she said.

OOC: @Kal the Guardian

IC, Aurax: Vahki Hive

Aurax narrowed his eyes at the screen in irritation. He turned to the hologram of Nuparu. "Nuparu, is this a preset message, or is it being typed out live?" he asked the cluster.

OOC: @Eyru

IC, Atamai: Piraka Fort

Atamai stared at the stack of disks in his hands. Leklo had a point. And Atamai felt for his fellow Toa. He wanted to make sure the disks didn't fall into the wrong hands, but Leklo was the opposite of "wrong hands".

He shuffled through the disks until he found the one Leklo had asked for: 429. Atamai pulled it out and motioned for Leklo to take it.

"Here, take it. Just... when you open the Nuva door, whatever's behind it... just use it wisely," he said.

OOC: @EmperorWhenua

**Eyru** · November 10, 2020

IC: Reliable Narrator | Sub-Coliseum Vahki Hive

"This is a live communication, Barraki Aurax," Nuparu replied calmly. It spoke as though nothing was out of the ordinary. "The signal is coming from beyond Metru Nui. We can attempt to trace it, but we cannot override it."

The cursor blinked, waiting for a response.

OOC: @~Xemnas~ @Kal the Guardian

~Xemnas~ · November 10, 2020

IC, Aurax: Vahki Hive

"Go ahead and trace it, although I've got a feeling it's coming from Ehlek's floating lab. If you do see an opportunity to remove him from the system, let me know."

Aurax typed a message to the scientist-warlord:

THERE HAS BEEN A CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP. PRIDAK IS DEAD.

OOC: @Eyru

Sparticus147 · November 10, 2020

IC: Sala (Kini-Nui)

As Sala went to write down all that he heard, his pen was left momentarily still as he witnessed Sorilax conjure a table and a set of chairs, not unlike the one's he would normally make but still different in the soft golden glow that now made their construction. Taking his seat, Sala was awed at the table, not for the precision it took to make such a construct, for Sorilax had demonstrated the same ability numerous times before, but rather the fact that even after such a drastic shift in elements, Sorilax still held the same level of control over his element even after his change.

With each word that Sorilax spoke being recorded by the chronicler, Sala's mind was left wholly focused on the task at hand till the silence of Sorilax no longer speaking broke his concentration. Looking back up and having to check what he wrote down to remember what Sorilax had just said, Sala looked up with a beaming smile.

"That...That is wonderful to hear, I am glad that you have managed to grow like this and that I was here to experience it. Honestly, it is truly a wonder." As Sala said the last part, a wriggling sensation took the nape of his neck as he felt the sudden movement of the Kraata, with it almost reacting in agreement to Sala's statement. But yet, he was not sure. But as the Kraata grabbed his attention and Sala attempted to look over his shoulder to fruitlessly look at it, the prophecy wall once again came into sight and brought Sala back to what he wanted to attempt to decipher, the inset in the wall mocking him with its incompleteness.

"Wait a minute...Sala, the half-sphere, the one the Toa held, hand it to me. I want to see something." Taking the sphere, Sala carefully approached the wall, before placing the half sphere within the socket, curious if anything was to occur.

OOC: @Kal the Guardian @Unreliable Narrator

IC: Drukarus & Gore Fury (Fort Nektann)

Looking up, Drukarus stoically gazed upwards towards the large black monolith that was Fort Nektann, the sandstone cliffs that surrounded the fort warding it from the elements and assault. Looking at the fortress, Drukarus recognized the design, for it was crude, refurbished from its original design, most likely some sort of foundry or the like. It was a sight, that gave Drukarus a feeling of familiarity, of home, before it was snuffed out as Drukarus hardened himself to his goal.

Passing beneath the gates, Drukarus looked out to the fort's populace, Skakdi men and women alike meeting their arrival as Barius cried out his new ascension to leadership. And amongst them, Drukarus could faintly see signs of Skaklets, of children, those still too young to fight. Those still so young yet doomed to fight. Feeling as the war buggy jostled as it entered the garage bay, Drukarus got ready to exit the vehicle alongside the other Skakdi.

Looking about, the hard scent of motor oil and grease filled the air, as wrought chains were suspended in several places along the towering ceiling, with walkways scattered throughout the upper levels. Here, Drukarus was literally lost to where to go, as he didn't care to face Barius, though he knew that was inevitable and would be easier to do so now. But instead, Drukarus had one particular goal in mind.

Looking down towards Grime, who was just able to get out of the buggy, being careful with their squeezebox, Drukarus spoke to them directly. "Grimes, you have dwelled here for many decades. I desire a tour before you are called to serve." Hopefully the two beings would at last be given an opportunity to properly talk.

~~~

Also passing through the gates, having lagged behind into the rest of the Warskak, was Gore, who let out a loud drawn out whistle as he entered the gates of the fort, impressed by its grandeur and tasteful decorum. Going with the flow of the rigs and waving a hand or offering a smile at any Skakdi who seemed curious about the new arrival and their less than combat-capable ride, Gore parked the Grillmeister out in the sandy lot alongside the other war rigs.

Getting out, Gore took in a deep breath, the foul scent of the fort coming into his nostrils and easily being breathed out. Apparently, either Gore lacked any since of gag reflex or smell, or there are or were things that smelled worse than this place that the Su-Skakdi had formerly encountered. Looking about and wondering where to go, Gore noticed the grey Skakdi that had made space for him earlier, looking about presumably for Gore himself.

Happy to meet someone new, Gore casually stepped towards Barius, wiping off the dust and sand that had accumulated on his shades, Gore's piercing red eyes were momentarily noticeable before being covered once again as the shades were flicked back on just as he reached the warchief. "Hey there, Gore Fury, you were the one I talked to on the way here right? Nice to meet you friend."

OOC: @Burnmad @Conway @Unreliable Narrator

IC: Uraborask & Skrillix & Apex (Le-Metru Nuva)

Taking the elevator down towards the jungles floor, Uraborask ignored Sparks as they tried to converse with him. Uraborask's deliberate acts of noninteraction wasn't out of some innate Skakdi rudeness or out of malice, Uraborask simply didn't feel the need to speak. He didn't know this individual and could only just be able to place what they were, but that didn't matter, as the burly Skakdi did not have anything to say and had his priorities on another matter.

Reaching the forest floor once more, the waters were at this point starting to settle, no longer being sucked into the massive pit as furiously as it was now nearly full, with some deluge still washing down onto the monstrous silver mass that now seemed to have manifest a large imposing figure that was communicating with the emerald entity from earlier. Looking at the edge of the pit, Uraborask's rig was noted, half sunken into the pit and pressed between he sopping mud and the terrible creature that continued still try to free itself, an unsettling feeling overtaking Uraborask for every second in which he looked at it.

But quickly, his attention was taken as the emerald entity cried out into the wind and rain, a blade of pearlescent white, seemingly untouched by the rain yet spattered in a frosty mist and ice, “Fire everything! Rip this thing apart!”

As those around him went to work on dealing with the threat on hand, Uraborask stepped back from the platform as he allowed the squirming Kraata upon his neck to take hold, with the Skakdi's frame becoming a darkened mottled brown and black pattern, with Uraborask moving back with careful steps along the outter edge of the clearing, ready to dash if needs be, but keen on retrieving his arrow and seeing how this situation would soon turn out.

~~~

Up above the conflict that was occurring beneath Le-Metru Nuva, another and potentially more dangerous one was occurring, as Apex attempted to assert her will over the Tahtorak, but felt herself repelled by a dark and sinister force. Reeling back, a growl upon her lips, Apex retook stock of her situation, and had just enough time to avoid the massive clawed hand. Flying in a diagonal manner, Apex circled back around the arc of the hand and returned to the spot where she once was before flying back and away from the monster before her.

She expected her ability to manipulate the beast was unlikely, and she also knew that engaging with the creature directly would be foolish. But Apex was desperate, flying high up in the direction towards the Ash Barrens, with her hopefully flying just out of reach of the creature, Apex called upon the whole of the swamp as she bellowed out her roar.

From it came the sound of Rahi, both great and small, old and new, enduring and lost. Rahi and more called out from Apex's maw as she uttered her challenge to the terror before her, the wind and rain roaring in apparent response to Apex cry.

OOC: @Kal the Guardian @Nato the Traveler @Unreliable Narrator

Edited November 10, 2020 by Sparticus147

**EmperorWhenua** · November 10, 2020

11 hours ago, Vezok's Friend said:

IC: [Zataka - Aboard the Tactical Panda]

Then Zataka spotted something else as the Panda began to descend a bit: Small figures moving among the floating debris, some on boats, some swimming, others navigating what little of the structures still stuck out of the waves.

“There are survivors.” she said, loud enough for the Skakdi crew to hear. “Let’s hope this Kunok of yours is among them...”

IC Yumiwak | Panda Descending

"Let's hope anyone is," I breathed mostly to myself. The Panda's rigging lines groaned and the deck shuddered under the turbulence of the gradual descent into the bay's airspace and with each jarring drop a fresh round of shouts from my crew went about as they adjusted the gear incrementally. The sails unfurled above me and the voluminous canvas unraveled in a dramatic rumble, and then the Panda's engines slowly faded from their full-throttle ardent thrum to their low-gear soft put-put and the order was made to gradually zig-zag down to the water level. Whether we wanted to or not, we descended to match our sunken spirits.

Everyone was bittersweet that they had escaped the carnage, but none so more than myself. I cast Zataka a quick glance when her back was turned and couldn't help but feel the bite of a judgmental sensation, but it wasn't at her as much as at me. I let my crew into the wastes to find this warlord for my own glory, but in doing so and claiming her as my trophy did I save my crew... or doomed my culture?

~~Umbralines don't cry.~~

...

"Landing, ho!"

"Hoooo! Steady! Steady!!"

"Three... two... one... landed!"

With a fanfare of churned ocean spray and a deep rumble as the keel broke into the bay the Panda "landed," or more appropriately "watered," and slowed down dramatically before the wind in the sails seemed to pick the boat up and carry her forward into the wreckage of The Rig with the haste of a lost fusa finding its flock again. Orders were given to focus on getting to Kunok's safe haven first, though I stood on the bow with a notebook taking record of the evils all around, noting the piers that were still standing and the things that could be salvaged, as well as where the survivors seemed to be congregating and concentrating their efforts. As soon as we were able to get some answers we would focus on helping how we could. The Panda's staff were my clan and crew, but no princess worth her salt would shirk her job to her people as a whole.

It wasn't long until the Tactical Panda reached Kunok McGrokk's hut. The old coot was probably also working at salvaging in the flotsam, but he would still have to come back and drop off what he found, and based on the piles of stuff on the beach he was hard at work doing what he did best.

3 hours ago, ~Xemnas~ said:

IC, Atamai: Piraka Fort

Atamai stared at the stack of disks in his hands. Leklo had a point. And Atamai felt for his fellow Toa. He wanted to make sure the disks didn't fall into the wrong hands, but Leklo was the opposite of "wrong hands". He shuffled through the disks until he found the one Leklo had asked for: 429. Atamai pulled it out and motioned for Leklo to take it.

"Here, take it. Just... when you open the Nuva door, whatever's behind it... just use it wisely," he said.

IC Leklo | Ruined Ruins

He half-stumbled forward and reached out meekly to accept the great disc for what was the second time in his life. It was poetic for him to do this in his friend's honor, hopefully kindling Korruhn's spirit in the afterlife, wherever that may turn out to be, and there wasn't a single reservation in his heart that it was the proper thing to do. His only hesitation came from within; was this to be his purpose? why he was turned into a toa? He couldn't even conjure his own elemental powers! He was barely even a toa! What made him deserving of whatever awaited on the other side of the NUVA door?

But... Atamai gifted the kanoka without a moment's hesitation; he'd seen something in Leklo, he'd had to have, like what Korruhn had all those days ago. People don't willingly give away tokens of power without some expectation of trustworthiness in character. People still trusted Leklo, he just wasn't sure he could live up to those expectations. But perhaps, just maybe, with the power behind that door, he could. He could be the toa he wanted to be.

"Thank you," was all he said. It was barely over a whisper, easily lost in the lapping of the waves. He looked at the stoic time-locked body of Axonn, and then warily at the Aspect, before he sauntered slowly over to Ultan who still remained motionless on the floor.

"Hey..." he muttered, settling himself beside the scholarly friend. "I'm sorry... we have been such terrible luck since you came looking for us. It wasn't supposed to be... anything... like how it has been. If you want to—you don't have to—but you can come with me, back from where we met. I... we..." he stammered, thinking of Korruhn, "have a thing left unfinished there. And I would rather like your wisdom."

@The Captain

Edited November 10, 2020 by EmperorWhenua

**Eyru** · November 10, 2020

IC: Reliable Narrator | Sub-Coliseum Vahki Hive

The cursor blinked for a few moments. It seemed like Ehlek was gathering his thoughts. Then it began to move again.

...

THAT WAS SOONER THAN EXPECTED.

...

BUT I CAN'T SAY I DIDN'T EXPECT IT.

...

WELL, HAVE FUN WITH YOUR LITTLE KINGDOM.

...

AND DON'T GO MESSING WITH MY VAHKI AGAIN.

...

Before Aurax could think of a witty retort, the terminal's screen went bright blue. Wincing in the sudden glare, he could make out the following words in white text:

A fatal exception 0D has occurred at 0246:0147747FB.

The current application will be terminated.

* Press any key to terminate the current application.

* Press CTRL+Alt+Del to restart your computer. You will lose any unsaved information in all applications.

Press any key to continue.

Next to the terminal, OTIS's eyes went dark, and its gears stopped spinning. The clockwork brain was fine, but its connection to the hive's data cluster had been forcibly terminated. If Aurax wanted to have another go at hacking Ehlek out of the system, he would have to start from the beginning. And there was no telling what malevolent program the warlord scientist might unleash if he discovered anyone tinkering with the code again.

"Barraki Aurax." Nuparu's cool voice broke through Aurax's rising anger. "We have traced the location of the signal. It seems Barraki Ehlek forgot to mask his digital signature when he tunneled back in. The signal is indeed coming from outside Metru Nui, but we can now pinpoint the exact location of its origin point."

Next to the holographic Matoran, a new hologram rippled into being. It was a digital reconstruction of Metru Nui in 3D, along with the vast metal head in which it was encapsulated. The hologram zoomed out until a blinking green dot came into view. It hovered far above the crashed skull, winking insolently.

"The signal originated from this point." Nuparu raised a holographic hand, index finger extended to point out the green dot. "Approximately 6 kio above sea level."

The Matoran paused. The sounds of the hive continued around them. Unceasing. Unchanging. Unrelenting.

"Well within airship range."

OOC: @~Xemnas~ @Kal the Guardian

Toru Nui · November 10, 2020

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

Finally, a Toa that acknowledged the fact that they had been replaced as Metru Nui’s protectors, it was about time. Anyway, relocating this village. NU-8020S buzzed a command to Lawful to give the lowdown, not having the patience to do it herself.

"All areas of the island that this squad have observed are desolate and uninhabited. Area east of the volcano has been scarred by prior eruption, and the volcano’s dormancy has not been confirmed. Area west of the volcano is too close to League territory. There exists a massive underground network of tunnels and caverns, but these are already occupied by hostile life-forms. Area south of the volcano has not been observed."

@The UltimoScorp @Harvali @pokemonlover360 @Onaku @Snelly @Tarn

IC: Waveahk (The Coliseum, Lounge)

"It’s nothing." Waveahk said, a little more forceful than he intended. "It’s - it’s just a minor mutation."

He finished ransacking the lounge for resources. "I will require transport out of the city and past the sea of protodermis. I’d rather not float across all of that by myself." He hesitated for a moment, before adding an addendum.

"During my previous stay here, two items were confiscated from me. A trident and a Zamor Sphere Launcher. I don’t suppose you can lead me to where they can be found?"

@Vezok's Friend @Tarn @Snelly

IC: Enra (Dead Forest, Ruins of Fire)

"Uh… no. Probably easier to list the places we should avoid, if I’m honest. It’s been a while since I listed ‘em for you, hasn’t it? Alright…

Irnakk’s Tooth, you know about.

There’s Fort Nektann all the way up north. Big spiky castle, run by the Warskaks, horrible prats. They’re led by the biggest horrible prat of ‘em all, who calls himself the Boss.

There’s the Rig, off the eastern coast. A floating pile of junk, to be blunt. The Riggers aren’t much better than the Warskaks, they lock people in cages and hang ‘em off the side of the Rig if they don’t like ‘em, ‘til they’re just dust and bones.

The Valley of Bones ain’t far from here, but it’s just a mass grave for poor blighters who died in some pointless battle. But nobody goes there, so it's probably safer than the others.

The Fau Swamp is what’s between us and the south, and it’s full of nasty diseases and nastier predators. Some people start turning to glass if they stay there too long, I heard.

Get past that, there’s Desecration Rock, which is as south as you can get without getting wet. Apparently, if you stay there a long while without eating, and you have someone else’s still-beating heart handy, an Aspect will give you power, or something. So, you know, more ritual sacrifice stuff.

The Aspects are weird things, I suspect the tank tread thing was one of ‘em. They’re from the Kumu Islets, off the south-west coast. Let’s not go there in particular.

There’s also a bunch of tunnels underground throughout the island called the Under Hive. The Mesi live in ‘em. They’re like us, but different. Not so different that they’re not murderous thieving dirtbags, though. Just in how they look and talk.

So, yeah, safest place in my eyes is the Valley of Bones, despite the name. We could try the place you came from, of course, but I’m guessing that’s got its own problems, right?"

@Nato the Traveler

Crimson Jester · November 10, 2020

IC: Korruhn, The Ambling Alp

The sleeping room was like an enclave to Korruhn, a final, eloquent bastion of the grandiose and carefree life that so clearly flooded the Toa's dreams of his former home. It was simple in design, four walls, a small nightstand carved of fine Po-Metru stone and banded with gleaming bands and a handle of protodermis, upon which sat a small, bronzed lamp with a deep green shade. Next to this was the bed, a beautiful example of Le-Metruvian woodworking mastery, with flowing, aerodynamic edges, and ornate reliefs depicting the power of Air. Although far more elaborate than anything the Cartographer would have been used to, he couldn't help but feel enveloped in a blanket of familiarity in it's presence. Even the air, purified by the ship, was crisp and fresh, just as it was back before the Cataclysm. Before Korruhn's failure.

The Ko-Metruvian had borne the burden of failure in a similar manner to which he bore his cloak; it went with him everywhere. He could feel failure brushing against his back, he could sense failure in the darkest corners of his peripheral. Failure shrouded his every move, as though the burden was a great cloak of the heaviest, scratchiest cloth. Every waking moment, he thought of it. Even when he wasn't thinking of failure, it sat in the back of his skull, like a rat desperate to escape, clawing, biting, writhing in the depths of his mind. Korruhn's failure had transcended being a mere moment, and had now become the chisel with which he carved his life.

But what had the failure truly been? Had it been that moment, the day he decided he was worthy of more, that for some reason destiny had chosen him to answer Dume's call? Or when he decided to drag the Alpinist, a man well beyond his merit, into his maelstrom quest? Korruhn failed at the Hideaway, when he summoned the curse upon himself. He had failed at the Coliseum, and watched Dume die. He had failed at Ko-Metru, and watched as Pridak decimated his home. He failed at Metru-Koro, when he let his people die, and their refuge burn. And he failed at the beach, and now he was possibly the last one of his people from Metru Nui left that isn't in League chains.

Korruhn's fist clenched, a tightening seal on the mouth of his bottle of rage, bubbling and frothing violently inside his chest. He would not fail again. He had no more to lose. With his people dead or lost, he had no more worry of being ostracized by his people for walking the path of shadow. He would avenge them, regardless of what paths he must take, what hands he must shake; what terror he must have to strike into the hearts of his enemies. What blood he would have to drench Zakaz' soil in.

There is no wall he wouldn't fell, no line he wouldn't cross. Not an enemy would stand before him, and not succumb to defeat. Mountains will crumble. Cities will fall. Nobody will deny his path, nobody will stand in his way.

Edited November 10, 2020 by Crimson Jester

Six Kingdoms: Rebirth - Gameplay

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