Loophole

[Legolover-361]

An RPG by Legolover-361

* * *

"Time travel, unlike a lot of people seem to believe, is not impossible. It is very much possible; only, it isn't easy to, to attain. I mean, think about it -- its, uh, its complexity could be construed as a safety mechanism. If time travel were simple to achieve, half the imbeciles who surely exist elsewhere in the universe would have discovered it and -- well, would probably have wrecked the space-time continuum by now."--Doctor Kora Ph.D., De-Matoran theoretical physicist at the Mata Magna Institute of Science and Research and technological advisor to Mata Magna's Council, during a televised interview before his speech to Mata Magna's security forcesSirs and madams of our great land's security forces, I would like to open my speech by saying every set of rules has a loophole somewhere; you just have to look hard enough.Take, for instance, the set of rules governing the behavior of existence. You know them as the laws of physics. I say "laws" understanding that many people insist quite fervently that laws are meant to be broken (which is why you, ladies and gentlemen, have your current employments).The commandments of the universe -- thou shalt not defy gravity, thou shalt not travel faster than light, thou shalt not travel back in time, et cetera -- are not set in stone. Toa of Gravity and Toa who use a Mask of Levitation or Mask of Flight defy Spherus Magna's gravitational pull all the time; Toa who use a Mask of Speed aren't affected by the friction generated through their acceleration. How are time travel and inter-dimensional travel, then, so impossible to comprehend?Let us review the facts. Several citizens, at least two of whom suspected criminals, have disappeared in the forty-two days during which these crimes have occurred. Most of our thankfully small number of convicted criminals have vanished from their jail cells without a trace. Who's to blame? Not the jail guards, who reported no disturbances and have not said a word contrary to their insistences that they don't know what in Karzahni happened.Also, gentlemen -- and ladies -- I must confess to you a secret. The Kanohi Vahi stored in our Matoran Universe Museum is a powerless copy. The true Vahi has remained in a laboratory for the past millennia. I was one of the few to study the mask extensively.We, the other scientists and I, were attempting to create replicas of the mask through synthesis of protodermis. About fifty days ago, we succeeded for the first time. Two days later, my colleague, Doctor Scorum, disappeared with the original Vahi, the copy, and the tools we used to forge the second Vahi. He had told us the day before he would be embarking on a weeklong vacation. When he didn't return after that week, we looked for him and didn't conclude he must have been the Vahi's thief till we were certain he had actually disappeared.Sir, our project was meant to be completely secret. We-- Yes, ma'am, we did in fact contact security. We placed five elite security officers on the job. We did not, however, make an announcement because we wanted to keep panic to a minimum-- Sir, I never said the security forces would be the ones panicking, but releasing the secret of the Vahi to so many people at once would have-- No, ma'am, I can't tell you if we're running other secret projects, because the word "secret" implies--Stop! Please, no more questions! I can't answer them all right now! If you want to speak to me further, I'll be in contact with the Turaga overnight, so I should be prepared to answer questions then. No, sir, we are not keeping you in the dark; we just can't tell you everything. It's for everyone's good.Ahem. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, and good night.

* * *

Excerpts from a reissue of A Brief History of Mata Magna, by Glatorian Professor Ondramus, a pamphlet provided to all citizens of Mata Magna:Dating systems are listed in years BRF (before reforming) and RF (after reforming). [...]After the Matoran Universe was destroyed during Spherus Magna's reforming, the species of the Matoran Universe joined with the Glatorian and Agori to rebuild and expand Spherus Magnan society; this period of almost four hundred years -- from 0 RF (zero years after reforming) to 387 RF -- is called the "Golden Age". During the Golden Age, many aspects of life on Spherus Magna underwent evolution: all concepts of different "tribes" were abandoned, arena battles became a popular sporting event, and the fields of science and technology expanded rapidly. The Spherus Magnan year was scientifically defined by 5 RF: thirteen months, each with thirty days, each day twenty-four hours. Most of the Order of Mata Nui was assimilated into the ranks of the new security forces, though Helryx, Axonn, Johmak, and several other warriors disappeared.The first major event of the Golden Age, starting at 0 RF, was the construction of a new city. Named Mata Magna ("Great Spirit", directly translated as "Spirit Great") as a homage to both Matoran Universe and Spherus Magnan languages, it began as an impromptu fortress and over the centuries grew to accommodate over fifty thousand individuals. Other, much smaller cities formed across the face of Spherus Magna, the vast majority within a two hundred mile radius of Mata Magna; some served as outposts, while others were built around a specific need such as farming or mining. "Mata Magna" came to be a term to describe the network of cities in this area of Spherus Magna, and the crux of the country was termed Central City.Enemies of Mata Magna retreated beyond the two hundred mile radius and were held at bay by armed patrols and armed citizens. [...]The second major event of the Golden Age was the Survey Magna, the Great Survey. In the year 13 RF, our fifteen-man expedition teams, led by Ackar, Kiina, Gresh, and Gelu, set out to the north, west, south, and east respectively and formed maps as they went. All teams lost lives due to strife both environmental and sapient in source, but the majority of explorers survived and reassembled on the opposite side of Spherus Magna. When the expeditions returned to Mata Magna, they and expert cartographers sketched a comprehensive map of the reformed Spherus Magna, the first of its kind. [...]The third major event of the Golden Age, the First Skrall Siege, began in 111 RF. An organized army of Skrall, led by Stronius, laid siege to two neighboring outlying Mata Magnan cities. They laid siege to the cities for a week before armed forces from Central City arrived, captained by the Toa Nuva. The Skrall were driven to a mountain range east of Mata Magna. [...]In 215 RF, the Toa Nuva were elected by popular vote to become the leadership panel of Mata Magna. They in turn appointed several Glatorian, among whom were such names as Ackar and Gresh, to be their advisors. Kiina declined her offer, preferring to remain a high-ranking officer in Mata Magna's armed forces. In 216 RF, not even a year after the election, the Second Skrall Siege occurred: a force of Skrall, accompanied by a few Bone Hunters and some dissident Matoran Universe races, destroyed a mining colony in the valleys to the southeast of Mata Magna and captured the colony's companion city. Refugees from the city evacuated to Central City but were tailed by patrols aligned with the Skrall, mainly Bone Hunters and snipers; many evacuees died, causing the evacuation path to be known as the Trail of Blood.Kiina and Ackar led a counterattack, splitting their forces to attempt to flank the Skrall. Kiina's force was counter-flanked, and in the ensuing battle, Kiina was wounded badly. An upstart Toa by the name of Ena assumed control of the force and, after a tactical retreat, ambushed an enemy patrol in the night and rushed to the mining city in time to reinforce Ackar's struggling army. After the Skrall were repulsed, Kiina resigned from her position as general and accepted the Panel's offer to become an advisor.However, the Skrall continued a string of attacks, focusing mainly on supply convoys and innocent travelers. The Toa Nuva became personally involved, leading small squads in a one-year bout of guerilla warfare against the Skrall's army and eventually killing half their forces. The Skrall retreated again, this time more permanently. Upon their return, during a celebration wherein they were championed as heroes, the Toa Nuva became Turaga. [...]In 387 RF, development of Mata Magna's colonized areas lapsed, only continuing in regular maintenance. The Toa Nuva felt the country had grown too large and so restricted any growth; however, they did encourage settlers to seek new land around the planet to colonize. 391 RF marked the first launch of an unmanned space vessel: a rocket that released an artificial satellite into a stable orbit above Mata Magna. In 392 RF, a second and third satellite joined the first in a rough triangle, allowing more rapid radio communication across Mata Magna. As of 410 RF, there are ten satellites scattered around Spherus Magna; seven are above or nearly above Mata Magna, while three form a very wide triangle to allow radio communications with settlers on the other side of the planet. [...]A list of important technological innovations:271,018 BRF -- powered vehicles150 BRF -- artificial lightstones (M.U.)25 BRF -- walkie-talkies (M.U.)11 RF -- computers17 RF -- televisions70 RF -- internet, providing communication through computers127 RF -- handheld computers198 RF -- first protodermis transport chute on Spherus Magna321 RF -- completion of most of the Mata Magnan transport chute system, providing easy travel across Mata Magna[...][Editor's note (7 / 29 / 412)A few quick notes about the rash of unsolved crimes occurring:The majority of "suspect-less crimes", as they're called, have happened in Central City. Only two other places -- the mining city Olford in the valleys southeast of Mata Magna, and the seaside harbor-city Ga-Koro-Nui (meaning "Ga-Koro's Greatness") on the shore of the eastern sea -- have suffered similar crimes. The principal suspect behind the crimes, Scorum, was born in Olford, and Ga-Koro-Nui has a very large population of Matoran and Toa compared to other species, but otherwise there is no information about why only Olford and Ga-Koro-Nui have been struck.Please report any and all suspicious activities by telegram to the Panel (call number 101) or the Department of Security (call number 01-801).If you would like to join your local City Watch, please contact a local security office (your local area code, suffix -801) or visit it (a security office can be found by all four entrances of a city -- north, south, east, and west), and they will guide you through the process.Thank you, and please stay safe.-The Editor]

* * *

Excerpts from The Traveler's Brochure: a Guide to Mata Magna, by Agori trader and explorer Kyry:[...] Mata Magna can be a confusing place -- where do I rent a room? where do I eat? how do I get arrested most quickly? -- which is why I'm writing this travel brochure to introduce in brief outlines the various areas of Mata Magna. I've been everywhere (either literally or vicariously), and my goal is to ensure you don't go everywhere but do know where you should go.So grab your handheld tablet computer, a suitcase with four too many pairs of undergarments, and a chute transport ticket, if not literally then in your imagination -- let me take you on a flyby of Mata Magna.[...]Central CityBig. Flashy. All the lanes adjoin at perfect right angles. You would be forgiven for leaving Central City thinking cities can be manufactured in factories. Central City is by far the largest city of Mata Magna and contains the largest population, even without counting the tourists who fill the hotels in the city. It's surrounded by a fifteen-foot-high metal wall with four gates (one each north, south, east, and west), so technically Central City should be called Central Fortress-City. The city is crisscrossed by protodermis chutes, some of which lead to other cities entirely, making Central City effectively the crux of Mata Magnan transportation.Noteworthy locations:--Panel Headquarters: Nearly bombproof one-story building where the head honchos sit, one of two semicircular buildings within the loop Central Lane creates in the middle of Central City. Guarded. Guided tours are available with advance reservations.--Department of Security: HQ for security officials, the second of the pair of semicircular buildings within the plot of land looped by Central Lane. One story above ground, but three underground floors have been reported. Guarded, so don't loiter. No tours, so don't ask for any.--Market Square: The Central Attraction of Central City. Buy and sell wares here. Must have traders' license to sell; must have money to buy.--Matoran Universe Museum: Museum with artifacts from the Matoran Universe, naturally. Located on the block directly north of Central Lane.--Launchpad: Where rockets are launched, naturally. There's a manned mission planned for within the next ten years, says the Panel, but some people claim they said that ten years ago. Guided tours readily available. Tourists also readily available, not that you want them.[...]Ga-Koro-NuiSecond largest and most awkwardly-named city of Mata Magna: Its name means "Ga-Koro's Greatness" (literally translated as "Ga-Koro Great"). Located on the eastern border of Mata Magna, which is also the western shore of Aqua Magna. Home to numerous hotels, casinos, and people trying to trick you into buying a timeshare. Tourists enter and exit this city like the tides. The large harbor is home to two large cruise ships: the Infinitesmal (ironically named because it's the bigger of the two ships) and the Celebration. Wade through the water, tourists, or both; your choice.Connected by chute to Central City.Noteworthy locations:--Harbor: Piers and fishermen and boats for rent and whatnot. Go check it out. Seriously.--Hotel District: The whole western one-third of Ga-Koro-Nui consists of hotels, period, and yet vacancies are still quite rare. If you think you're lucky enough not to lose money (ha), check out the two hotels slash casinos flanking Casino Lane, one on each side. A trivia tidbit: the street has been nicknamed "Misfortune Boulevard" -- three guesses why.--Coconut Island: Quite the attractive spot for sunbathing. Located half a mile offshore; about a mile widthwise and half a mile lengthwise. Can only be reached by boat.[...]OlfordDinky, dusty, and gray: the polar opposite of Central City. Worry not about tourists. Small buildings, mainly living quarters, surround a purification plant and three major mining sites. Olford is surrounded by a ten-foot wall because its residents rather like their heads between their shoulders instead of mounted in Skrall bedrooms. Visit if you need time away from those pesky tourists.Not connected by chute to Central City; you have to hitch a ride with a travel convoy.Noteworthy locations:--Mining Sites Alpha, Beta, and Theta: These mining sites are arranged in a rough triangle (read: "triangle if you squint and tilt your head; best results if you're drunk"). They're all built into mountains. They are small, two-story pillars that are built atop spider-leg foundations that form a canopy above a mining tunnel. Each pillar holds two lifts that carry personnel and equipment into the mining shafts underneath. Alpha is the northernmost, Beta the easternmost, and Theta the southwesternmost.--Purification Plant: Where minerals are sorted and purified to be shipped across Mata Magna. A three story tall square building. Minerals are transported to the third floor via pumps and manual labor to be sorted from "waste" material; they then travel down to the second floor, where they are further sorted into minerals of varying kinds; and finally, when they reach the first floor, experts examine the minerals and use various rooms in the building to test and prepare the minerals (for example, carving diamonds or ensuring "coal" isn't actually a black rock someone got through the sorters as a practical joke) and then load them for packaging and shipping. Guided tours available but infrequent.

* * *

News alert on Channel 10 News:We interrupt your regularly scheduled program to bring you this important news bulletin.In light of Mata Magna's current situation, Turaga Tahu has initiated an emergency census to keep track of all citizens. All citizens of Mata Magna will need to fill out the below form. If you do not submit your form to your local security office promptly, either in person or digitally (the latter method requires satisfactory identification), you will be tracked down by security officials and may face legal trouble up to and including a month of imprisonment.

[b]Name:[/b][b]Gender:[/b] (he / she / it)[b]Species:[/b] (Toa / Matoran / Glatorian / Agori / robot / etc.; custom species are allowed, but they must be from the Matoran Universe, and you must describe the species' traits)[b]Kanohi:[/b] (if applicable)[b]Appearance:[/b][b]Powers:[/b] (if applicable)[b]Weapons:[/b] (if applicable)[b]Abilities:[/b][b]Weaknesses:[/b] (your character must have at least one; doesn't need to be extreme)[b]Occupations:[/b] (official and otherwise)[b]Personality:[/b] (brief summarization)[b]History:[/b] (please don't write two pages' worth of history; keep it as brief as possible)

Some interest groups are already claiming Turaga Tahu is violating Mata Magna's citizens' rights by collecting and cataloguing private information, but he and the other Turaga have remained in adamant support of instituting new security measures.Said Turaga Gali at the announcement of the emergency census, "We can't leave our citizens in danger when we can do so much more. [...] We intend no ill will toward Mata Magna's citizens and will ensure your information is treated with utmost confidentiality."Doctor Kora of the Mata Magna Institute of Science and Research gave a speech last night to security officials, but as of now we are not able to acquire any details.A friendly reminder: If you're scheduled to receive Channel 10 news alerts, check your computer regularly because we will be sending updates on the "suspect-less crimes" as soon as we receive them.Now to Ms. Alana for the weather...

* * *

Rules and Guidelines:1. All BZPower rules and guidelines apply.2. Use your best grammar and spelling. This ties into rule one -- roleplayers need to understand your posts.3. Your characters are not invincible. No god-modding or impossible stunts. Your characters are not gods but mortals, so be prepared at all times for your character to die.4. Respect others. Treat others fairly, as I'm sure you would wish to be treated.5. No excessive comedy. This RPG is neither a cartoon nor a bad sitcom. This rule is not meant to preclude all humor; instead, it is meant to prevent people from god-modding through usage of cartoon physics.6. No player is allowed more than six characters or more than four NPC companions.7. Respect the GMs. The head GM of this RPG is Legolover-361, and the staff are Gravity, Relapse (A.K.A. KNI), Vorex, and Kaithas. Legolover runs Loophole with the assistance of his staff, so please respect their judgement pertaining to this RPG.8. Not all Kanohi powers are allowed. Banned Kanohi are the Mask of Life, Mask of Dimensional Gates, Mask of Shadows, Mask of Light, Mask of Creation, Mask of Elemental Energy, and Mask of Time.9. Not all species are allowed. No Makuta, Kanohi Dragons, or members of Botar's species.10. Loophole is not a competition but a group story. Don't think you can "win" Loophole, because you can't. As the roleplayers, your role is to populate the world of Loophole and advance its plot. There are secrets to be found in Mata Magna if you look hard enough or if you're lucky enough.11. There are punishments for breaking the rules. Your first offense will earn you a warning. Depending on the severity of your second offense, you may be warned or temporarily banned. All subsequent offenses may warrant a warning, a temporary ban, or (provided the offense is very serious) a permanent ban.12. Have fun! Edited January 6, 2013 by Legolover-361

[Light]

OOC: Kaithas is done in first person.

 

IC: I finished washing the counter off. Walking over to the door, I flicked on the lights with a few vines and flipped the sign around. The Jaga's Sting was open for business.

 

OOC: Open for interaction. Bar is in central city.

[Shyyrn]

IC (Lour):With a creak, the door of the Jaga's Sting opened; with a bang, it slammed shut. In the interim, a cloaked figure had slouched into the bar and taken a stool.

 

"Citris grog, and lots of it," a heavy voice spoke from beneath the cloak hood. The large black garment obscured the being's entire body from view; no hint of species or armor color was visible.

 

But one characteristic immediately told Kaithas who it was: the hand that buried into one of the cloak's pockets, pulling out a satchel of widgets; the hand that plopped the satchel on the bar, then forced it open, then picked it up to pour out its contents (all of them, to the last coin) on the wooden surface.

 

It was the right hand... and only the right hand.And Kaithas immediately knew the repeat customer who had once again come back to his tavern.OOC: Would it be alright if Lour frequented Kaithas's bar, and they had a good rapport, but Kaithas kept Lour's patronage a secret from the world at large? XD-Shyyrn

Edited January 1, 2013 by Shyyrn

[Light]

OOC: Yep, that's the kinda bar the Jaga Sting is. Also, Kaithas is no friend of the law.

 

IC: I raised one eyebrow at the amount of money on the counter. I turned to fetch a glass, the gold katana on my back gleaming. Many a thief had tried to steal it, many a thief had gotten more than they'd asked for. I finished pouring the grog and set it on the counter near Lour. "I'm putting the rest on your account here." I took care not to continue looking at Lour as I spoke, putting the widgets in the safe. If any observer looked in, they would simply think I was counting the money he'd given me. "Drinking alone again Lour?"

[Relapse]

OOC: Here I present a unique opportunity. The first person to RP as the "friend" mentioned in this post will get to go along for the ride. There will be perks, though you won't know what they are until they come to your character. ^^ Anyone can do it. No experience needed. I will warn: depending on how things go, this may last the entire length of the RPG. Your character will be developed, no matter what I have to do.IC-HourenIt was cold. Or maybe that was just the realization of what I was about to do? I didn't really know. Maybe Toa of iron were just naturally cold? No, no, that was Toa of ice...ah, I was distracting myself again. I walked through the streets near the Department of Security, back towards my house, when it dawned on me- I would need a companion if this was to somehow go awry. Someone to share my discoveries.And so I headed to the house of my closest friend.It was a normal sized house, not really notable, but they were off duty. Their normal job was a bit more eye-catching, depending on what kind of person you were. I really didn't know why they were my friend- we just always had been.I knocked once and opened the door. They were eating breakfast, reading the Internet. Cute. I gripped the cup of coffee they had nearly sipped out of and drank it in a few swigs. "Okay, okay, okay, I have something really important to tell you."

Edited January 1, 2013 by Relapse

[Light]

IC: "And what would that be?" Delan asked, flicking his eyes to Houren.

 

OOC: If you want a non staff to do it KNI, it's cool.

Edited January 1, 2013 by Toa Kaithas

[Shyyrn]

IC (Lour):The same right hand fastened tight around the glass, and lifted it to the maw of the cloak, before tipping the liquid into the waiting mouth. Down the hatch it when, in a single gulp, before the glass was brought low again, empty and expecting its imminent refilling."I have no friends, Kaithas. Only business associates. And I wanna near nothing from those demons today," Lour replied. "They have me up to my neck again, an' I can't wiggle free. They want me to fight another one.""Another... what?" Kaithas asked. For all of Lour's intimidating presence, the bartender was surprisingly unafraid to ask the question: he had heard Lour vent about his "career" before.Lour sighed, the rattling sound of a weariness felt to one's bones."Another Vorox."-Shyyrn

[- JL -]

 

 

OOC: Oh. Oops. Didn't see.

 

IC: JL

 

JL wandered through the streets, bored. As he sat on a bench, watching the groups of people around him walk, he could think. The sounds, the bustling streets, that was his peace and quiet.

 

He thought.

 

Back in time, back when he was still a matoran. And he thought of everything memorable that happened to him from that time all the way to present day. And he realized how much times have changed.

 

Back then, there wasn't a Central City, or Mata Magna. He hadn't even knew of such a planetary location, or that his previous 'universe' had been a big giant robot.

 

Time flies.

Edited January 1, 2013 by JL v2

[Light]

IC: I refilled the glass. I mean, I was a bartender, and this was a paying customer. One that returned at that. Sometimes I wished I didn't quit the guard, but those times were few and far between. Peace was nice. Not that I expected it to last, so I had kept up the training. "Another Vorox. You're gonna get yourself killed."

 

OOC: JL, you were ninja'd.

[Shyyrn]

IC (Lour):"That ain't the point, Kaithas!" Lour snapped. He leaned in towards the Toa, and Kaithas could make out the Glatorian's face within the cloak-hood: prematurely aged, with dark brown eyes that spoke of past anguish. And his breath was already starting to smell of the citric grog he was consuming; it was one of the strongest drinks in stock."Kaithas," said Lour, his tone suddenly lower and urgent, "I'm not afraid of dyin' at the claws of a Vorox. Far from it; I know what I can handle. It's just... other things about the set-up those vipers are tryin' to sell me that I don't like."

 

-Shyyrn

[25K Now!]

IC: Laniga - Western Police Department

 

If one were to currently enter the police department on the western side of the city, they would find a rather tired looking Vo-Matoran slumped over the reception desk, attempting to stay awake. It had been a long day, and she had not gotten a single break at all. Yet she had told her superiors that she would do both the day and night shifts due to her fellow receptionists being on leave, so giving up would look bad on her record.

 

"We need to hire more of me," she grumbled.

 

OOC: Laniga open for interaction.

[Relapse]

OOC: You're good, but I would like to pick up at least one more person.IC-Houren"I invented a new way to time-travel, and I'm testing it today!"The coffee cup tumbled from his hand, shattering on the ground, but he paid no mind to it."I need your help, though. I hate traveling alone."

[Light]

IC: All of the cups in Delan's house were made of crystal, for a good reason. The cup re-assembled itself, but that coffee stain wasn't going to come out easy. Oh well. What Houren was saying was quite a bit more interesting. "You're serious?"

 

IC: I scratched my chin. "What d'you think they're trying to do? Can I help at all?"

 

OOC: Be back in the morning.

Edited January 1, 2013 by Toa Kaithas

[Relapse]

IC-Houren"Yeah! Anyways, no time to talk. Well, I mean, it's time travel, so we do, but...oh, whatever. I need to stop by one more place."I grabbed my friend's wrist and pulled him out the door, straight into the house three blocks away. This friend was different. I was having him along for his skills. Otherwise, he was a bit irritating to me. I didn't bother knocking this time. I just opened the door and sat down."We need to talk."OOC: Again, this can be anyone. No staff though. D=<

[- JL -]

OOC: You're good, but I would like to pick up at least one more person.IC-Houren"I invented a new way to time-travel, and I'm testing it today!"The coffee cup tumbled from his hand, shattering on the ground, but he paid no mind to it."I need your help, though. I hate traveling alone."

OOC: Can I?

 

IC: [JL - Walking home]

 

After fiddling from some time with his handheld device, he decided it was time to go home. Despite wearing full armor - meaning his wings - he decided to walk the way. He liked the noise. That was what made it home.

[Shyyrn]

IC (Lour):Another deep sigh. "I wish I knew... But I don't have much to go on. I just know that it's the second Vorox this year, an' the conditions are the same as last fight... the Pit of Sand, no breaks for water, no rounds, no-holds-barred... But with one difference..."They want this one to be a fight to the death."

 

The second glass was drained, another refill on the way. The last one, unfortunately; the contents of Lour's satchel just about covered three glasses of grog. As Lour nursed his last glass, he looked at Kaithas and gave an unusual expression: a weary smile. "Help? It's a bit late in the game for the universe to be offerin' me that, don't you think? Those promoter types will always give me the creeps, an' this scheme... I'll figure it out one way or the other. Jus' gimme the drinks when I pay for 'em."

 

It was a rough parting statement, and a little bit rude; Lour tended to be, even when tipsy. But there was a kernel of appreciation there, somewhere; and as the cloaked giant lurched off his stool, out the door, and back into the wider world, his steps were appreciably lighter.OOC: 'Night, all, and happy new year!-Shyyrn

[Relapse]

OOC: Wait, are you responding to my last post, or jumping in apart from the two openings? Actually, the second would be interesting. I love it when my plans get changed- not even being sarcastic.

[- JL -]

OOC: Just had a crazy moment of deja vu with you typing that....huh......

Well, depends on you. But if you allow me to join your adventure, then it'll probably be the latter.

 

IC: JL

 

As he returned, he suddenly saw a door getting raided. At first he was about to punch the person who had jumped in, probably a thief, then decided to punch himself for not locking the door. "Ugh...." he muttered under his breath, as he got ready to jump in and pull out his sword

 

Busting in, he sent a punch towards Houren's head, not knowing his identity yet.

Edited January 1, 2013 by JL v2

[Relapse]

OOC: Okay, that leaves the spot of whoever owns this house open.IC-HourenI felt a blunt attack to the back of my head, and yelped. Who the heck was...? I turned around, fearlessly wielding a newspaper I had recently grabbed, right in the face of danger."Now what was that for?"

Edited January 1, 2013 by Relapse

[- JL -]

IC: JL

 

"Oh. Hey! Sorry. I thought you were stealing something. Or worse. Sorry...."

[Relapse]

IC-Houren"Toa Houren, nice to meet you..."I rubbed my head. He'd hit me pretty hard. I attempted to shake his hand, but probably ended up knocking something off the table."Head of the Department of Security. You?"

[Wyrd Bid Ful Araed]

IC: Days at the home for the Infirm were always on the busy side. One of the downsides of having millennia-long lifespans was that you got to live with your injuries forever. And you could gather a lot more since you had thousands of years, usually spent in war, to get them. Perhaps you'd lost a limb and couldn't afford a mechanical one, perhaps your insides twisted whenever you tried to lift things heavier than feathers, perhaps you got the shakes whenever you thought of wielding a sword. Whatever your complaint Kamokoa welcomed you. He would give you a bowl of soup and some bread. Somewhere dry and warm to sleep. He knew so many people who came to him on a regular basis and half of them were just doing it for the company. Live through enough wars and you start to run low on old friends and want to keep the ones you have close.

Kamokoa was taking a moment from doing the cooking and cleaning to enjoy a little game of chess with one of his most frequent visitors. They'd been playing around an hour and had made about three moves, simply because his guest wanted to talk rather than play. And Kamokoa was happy to listen

[- JL -]

IC: [JL - Houren's skillful yet irritating friend's house]

OK. Keep calm. You aren't going to get arrested for punching the Head of the Department of Security.

 

Maybe the you-know-what?

 

Stahp.

 

"JL, Toa of Lightning. Music Record producer in my, uh, spare time? Hehe...." He tried to shake Houren's hand, subconsciously trying to ignore it as Houren knocked a potted flower onto the ground. "So what, exactly, brings you out here at such a time?" Only then did he notice Delan, and JL realized he had probably stumbled upon some revolutionary improvement to the society of Mata Magna, oversaw a group of super-high-ranking people in society, and in the midst of it, he had decided to punch someone really hard because he had unknowingly suspected the Head of Security of thievery.

 

Apologize again.

 

"Sorry about punching you, too." He hoped he hadn't made too bad of an impression for himself.

Edited January 1, 2013 by JL v2

[25K Now!]

IC: Laniga's House

 

Sadly, Laniga was still at work, suffering over paperwork and the queries of the townsfolk, so all that they met in her house was emptiness ... and the sound of an incredibly annoying alarm ringing.

[Relapse]

IC-Houren"Ah, I'll to check for...ah, I thought there'd be that pesky alarm."I lifted a device, tuning two antennai to the rough frequency of the alarm box."And with a click of a button, the sound turns to- ooh, that wasn't supposed to happen."The box exploded. I winced. Oh, it was fine. I'd probably fix it later.

Edited January 1, 2013 by Relapse

[a goose]

IC: Xerov (Harbor, Ga-Koro-Nui)

 

Some people think it's calming, watching the ocean, seeing the waves move gently in the water.

Personally, I have to disagree, because there are big bloody boats in the middle of it.

 

Either way, it's one of the few enjoyable things in Ga-Koro-Nui. I don't consider losing money or watching fools trying to get sunburnt fun.

Well, maybe the latter. As long as I have some shade to enjoy it from.

I sigh, and stand up. As 'enjoyable' as watching the ocean is, it does get boring after a while. I walk through Ga-Koro-Nui, glancing around at the buildings and people. Each and every one of them has some kind of secret. There's the Agori who's cheating on his wife, the Toa with the gambling addiction, the serial killer...

I was kidding about the last one. He's just a tad psychotic, I doubt he's genuinely killed someone yet.

 

What a lovely neighbourhood.

 

OOC: Xerov (Ga-Koro-Nui) open for interaction.

[- JL -]

IC: [JL - Beside an explosive alarm]

 

Usually, when you stood beside the Head of Security, or whatever you liked to call it in your town or settlement, 'The-guy-who-puts-bad-people-in-jail', you weren't greeted with them by them messing with exploding alarm boxes. What was the exploding alarm doing there, anyways? JL could guess that Heuron was testing something, but he did not understand anything right now.

 

But obviously, no matter what his conscious mind said, his subconscious would make him stick to Heuron, and Delan. Speaking of which, JL had yet to introduce him to Delan yet. Turning to him, he smiled, and held out his hand. "JL. Pleased to meet you....."

[Samus Aran-Bounty Hunter]

OOC: @Simply Vorex: I'll take that.

 

IC: Lopraun (Ga-Koro-Nui)

About 30 feet away from Xerov was a large being. He had four arms, three huge trash bags, two quite large legs, and one ugly face, with dark green eyes. His armor was red and an almost glowing orange- strange to be sure. With a small grunt, he lifted the bags into a dumpster, then turned to go on his way. That was when he bumped into Xerov.

 

"Oh! I sorry. Didn't see you."

Zakaro

[a goose]

IC: Xerov (Ga-Koro-Nui)

 

I take a few seconds to examine the being who bumped into me.

Large. Glowing. His eyes have a glazed-over quality which suggests a lack of intelligence. Appears to be physically strong. Speech also suggests that he is lacking in intelligence. Four arms, equally powerful. Dripping with water, suggesting he was recently in the ocean. Considering that he was carrying rubbish bags a moment ago, I'm guessing that he has a job in community service.

It's easy enough to believe that he genuinely didn't see me, considering his size.

"There comes a point," I mutter, "When paying attention to things smaller than you might be a good idea."

I hope he gets the point -- I tried to keep the words nice and short, 'attention' being the only one with more than two syllables.

[Havelock Vetinari]

IC (Wesvon, Wilderness)

 

Wesvon was not, as the police supposed, hiding near Olford. He had elected to head as deep into the wilds as he could. With the aid of a stolen truck and a few creatively applied Skrall swear words, he had fled deep into the wilds. He'd set up a small domicile in a cave. A few simple modifications had made it habitable and then he had moved his equipment into it. The truck still sat outside, hidden under a few levels of foliage. Here he continued his experiments, stealing into town only to acquire more bodies for his research and pick up needed supplies. He primarily survived by doing favors for the criminal underworld, what remained of it at least. His experiments however, seemed to have hit a blockage.

 

Wesvon was currently hunched over a small table, surrounded by books. A small overhead light provided what little light there was. He was taking notes, quite quickly, on his latest experiment. It had not gone as he had hoped.

 

Unfortunately, it appears the formula is still in need of modification. Despite the preservative nature of the compound and how well it mimics the vital functions performed by other liquids, there is no sign of reanimation. Not even a twitch. This is perplexing. We are bio mechanical are we not? The biological nature of some of our body is our weakness. If one counters that effect...as I have, the body should resume vital functions. Unless....perhaps, the mechanics are at fault as well. Perhaps upon death, they are permanently shut down or otherwise damaged. I have seen no indication of this in my studies, but a simple jog of applied electricity may do the trick and reactivate them. Unfortunately, I lack the required equipment. Simply shocking a body injected with the compound could damage it irreparably. Sensitive equipment is needed.

 

It appears I will need to reach out to whatever associates remain loyal to me. If my work is to bear fruit, every avenue must be explored, every option attempted. If only I had had time to make away with the Hebion Literious. They closed in far to quickly. I understand that tome dealt with ancient Zyglak rituals that may be pertinent to my work. The Mask of Reanimation shows what I am attempt is possible. Very possible. Though it does not return intelligence to the dead as I wish to. If only I had access to a Toa with that power, observe it in a laboratory...

 

Wesvon ceased writing and shook his head in disgust. While he was wishing he wanted a state of the art lab and a legion of assistants.

Edited January 1, 2013 by Basilisk

[Samus Aran-Bounty Hunter]

IC: Lopraun (Ga-Koro-Nui)

He narrowed his eyes slightly, becoming a bit angry for a seocnd before relaxing, remembering that he wasn't allowed to hurt people without a really, really good reason. Sometimes not even then.

"Is sorry not good for you? Do I need to help you some so you not be mad at me?

Zakaro

[a goose]

IC: Xerov (Ga-Koro-Nui)

 

His eyes narrow, but he stops before attacking me. Anger management?

Lovely.

 

"The best help you could give anyone at this point would be learning how to speak, mate."

[Light]

IC: Delan shook the outstretched hand. "Delan."

 

OOC: Short post is short. Should have more time later.

[otter]

IC-Cotan:

 

"And I think you might do the world a service by being a bit more polite," Cotan growled, walking up to Xerov and Lopraun. "He apologized for running into you, there's no reason to be so antagonistic."

[Void Emissary]

IC: Tenko Ranaaki - Western Police Department

 

Suddenly, a plastic cup of (thankfully non-plastic) coffee appeared in front of Laniga, held by a Toa of Air with an annoyingly happy look on his face.

 

"Rise and shine, Lani," the ever-insufferable detective said, "Might want to drink up, there's still way too many hours left in the day..."

 

-Void

[Toa Levacius Zehvor]

IC: Levacius / Central City / Levacius' Books

 

Levacius sat at a recliner in the center of his library, reading over a large book that dealt with the subject of time and the possibilities assumed with its powers and how one could move forward and backwards through it. The entire book had been dull so far, most likely because the author was also a dull and boring man who nobody really liked.

 

Still, it was quite fascinating that people had figured so much, and Levacius saw no reason to quit reading it.

 

IC: Griulth / Ga-Koro-Nui / The Beach

 

Griulth's head was spinning, and every light was striking at him with blinding and powerful force. Was this a psionic attack? Was somebody attacking his mind? No, no, it was much worse.

 

"Makuta-lovin' happy-drink wake-vision." he shouted, as he tried to stand up, failing miserably. He was sprawled out on the beach of Ga-Koro-Nui, with at least half a dozen empty bottles surrounding him and a dying bonfire a few feet away. Nothing in his memory told him how he got here, so there was no reason to assume. Better to live with it.

 

After about fifteen minutes of struggling, Griulth gave up his attempts to stand as his headache pounded. Looking to his right, he saw that one of his bottles was still half full. Deciding to make use of what he had, he grabbed it and quickly went for the finish before throwing it away again. The sun beat down on Griulth's face for another hour before he finally stood, and started making his way to his house. The headache wasn't so easy to stop.

 

-Toa Levacius Zehvor

[Light]

IC: I watched him leave, then turned back to the bar.

 

OOC: Open for interaction.

[-Golden Knight-]

IC - Valia (Central City): It was rather pitiful to see an Iron Tribe survivor loitering in an alley. A passerby would occasionally notice him before hurrying towards their next destination. Vaila hid himself under a tattered brown cloak, hoping to look like a typical vagrant. He seemed half-asleep, occasionally opening his eyes to glance around the alley.

 

OOC: Open for interaction.

[Magnus Greel]

IC: The Golden Widget - Ga-Koro-Nui Gorak sat amid the the flashing lights of the numerous gambling games and crowds of people, a beverage in one hand, playing cards held in the other. He watched the being sitting across the table with with gleeful eyes, anticipating the expression of failure on his face. This one had refused to back down from the game like the others had, though now looked as if he had regreted that decision. His eyes continuously shifted from his cards to the Skakdi's menacing face and then back again. "Whenever you're ready," Gorak said, swishing his cup around to stir its contents before taking a sip. "I'm in no real hurry." In truth, he was waiting patiently for what came next, as he did find amusement in this one's nervousness. He had used several different tricks to thwart his fellow players, but this one thought he knew what he was doing. A look of determination on his face, the being nodded, ready to end it. Both players laid their cards on the table simultaneously. Gorak smiled; his competitor's eyes seemed to bulge out of his skull. Chuckling, the Skakdi reached out and scooped the pile of golden tokens towards him, his hands like shovels. "It was a pleasure playing with you all," he chortled, guzzling down the rest of his drink while the players left the table. IC: Wrathak's Manor - Central City Standing before the dark altar in his home, Wrathak offered his prayers to his Makuta gods. A series of thick, dark red candles decorated the black table, along with a number of other holy sacraments, their flickering flames revealing a triangular stone tablet dangling from the cord grasped in his armored hands. This was a sanctuary for him, a place where he could worship his deities in peace. The Toa of Shadow paused in his petitions, placing his Table of Transit -- a testament to his undying loyalty to his masters -- on the altar beside a black basin, carved from the same rock as the altar. Inside the bowl swirled pure shadow power, procured from his elemental reserves as sacrifice to his dark masters. The Toa's hands suspended over the container, he waved simple gestures that allowed the energy to dissipate. In another gesture, his right hand closed into a fist. The darkness of the room smothered the candlelights in response, extinguishing the flames, and ending the ceremony.

Edited January 5, 2013 by Magnus Greel

[Voltex]

IC: "Endelig", Central City:

 

The admittedly ancient Agori limped down the road, enjoying the fresh air and his first chance to relax in months. Now, that didn't mean that his bad leg wasn't still killing him twice as much as usual after that rabid Nui-Rama encounter, but the medication he'd bought using the funds from his surprisingly well kept library seemed to be helping... sort of.

 

It was thus in this half-delirious walk that the old Agori's eyes glanced over a book store, before they snapped back and the Agori froze, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the lettering above him.

 

"Levacius' Books..." the Agori trailed off into a chuckle. "A book store, or a library? Have I been gone that long?"

 

The Agori stood a little straighter and pulled his wooden staff out to help him balance - inside was always dusty, and any building with books held within even more so. Dust made it harder for him to breathe, which in turn made it harder to balance - unless he had his trusty staff with him. The Agori slowly pushed through the crowd until he was at the doorway to the shop, and he stepped inside.