BZPRPG News and Discussion

[shadow pridak money gang]

The game is coming. Just keep patient.

 

-Tyler

[Voxumo]

@ Norik:Honestly? It's probably life stuff being life. Staff members do tend to have those.

Lifes? What is this foreign concept you bring up? Surely staff are merely robots in disguise who secretly control our lives through elaborate holograms.

Oh did i forget to mention somehow we are in the matrix now?

 

The game is coming. Just keep patient.

 

-Tyler

*twitches* Must.. Be.. Patient..

*sighs* It will be hard. But alas i feel the wait will be worth it

[sunflower]

hey i saw something about gravity-

 

oh

 

 

well

 

 

okay

 

 

fine

 

 

 

 

In other, more relevant stuff, for those of you whom I hired, plans are really in limbo ATM, as I'm not sure how this timeskip will affect them.

[Voxumo]

hey i saw something about gravity-

 

oh

 

 

well

 

 

okay

 

 

fine

 

 

 

 

In other, more relevant stuff, for those of you whom I hired, plans are really in limbo ATM, as I'm not sure how this timeskip will affect them.

Hmm.. well let me know what you do plan since at the time we were discussing the terms of your mercenary needs

Edited November 8, 2013 by Voxumo

[Toatapio Nuva]

While you wait for the game to return, you might release the built-up RPG pressure by editing the wiki and posting stuff there.

 

Works for me.

[- JL -]

bap bap bap kiss kiss

 

In an text based RPG, you have literally an infinite number of possible choices of what you can do, even if there are limitations placed on you - like realism. But it does mean that a Toa of Gravity with a Kakama can fight in a very different way compared to a Toa of Gravity without one. While it definitely doesn't make a character OP per say as all the other masks, elemental powers and simple writing skill can combine to create another 'set' of infinite possibilities to continue this fight, it does change the rules and limitations of what your character can do, and from there, it's just your creativity and writing skill that could get in the way.

 

Nothing is pointless; Everything is fun!

 

Welcome to the RP!

[Vezok's Friend]

While you wait for the game to return, you might release the built-up RPG pressure by editing the wiki and posting stuff there.

 

Works for me.

 

I don't have to, I just draw the things to come XP

[They]

You know, Veef. That was a horrible, horrible tease.

Edited November 8, 2013 by Kughii

[Mr. House]

Precisely the point. The elemental energy(or Mask Energy etc.) becomes a another form, used to keep the zombie half alive.So maybe Ak'Rei'An don't exist. Maybe the prayers and ritual words allow the zombie controller to consciously convert the energy into the energy used to fuel the zombie, not because an archangel did it himself.

 

I will neither confirm or deny...

[Falcon Lord]

What are the rules as for Matoran to Toa or Toa to Turaga conversions?

[Mr. House]

No Matoran are allowed, period. Toa may turn into Turaga, if already a member. But they will be relegated to elder status, and kept from combat.

[Lara White]

AFAIK the rule is "Matoran may not become Toa unless given a Toa Stone by a staff member." It's happened at least once, AFAIK.

 

[They]

The only toa given a toa stone in 2012 by staff was Joske Nimil. The six Maru were given a similar stone, called an essence stone. Besides those seven, there were no toa stones given to the player base. Matoran may evolve, if you will, into a toa only with the staff boon. Toa may become turaga at any character developmental point which a player feels it is necessary, but they are not given a koro obviously.

[Shadowhawk]

No Matoran are allowed, period. Toa may turn into Turaga, if already a member. But they will be relegated to elder status, and kept from combat.

 

AFAIK the rule is "Matoran may not become Toa unless given a Toa Stone by a staff member." It's happened at least once, AFAIK.

 

 

The BZPRPG and the Brotherhood of Ak'Rei'An are two different things, everyone. Let's all (Falcon Lord in particular) try to use the 'Quote' feature a bit more in future, eh?

[Lara White]

Ach. my mistake. :facepalm:

 

[Mr. House]

Indeed.

[Mr. Coffee]

I actually got Fiera's transformation approved by EW during the last time skip.

[Nuju Metru]

(NOTE: The below content may also be found in the first two posts of this topic, for easier future reference.)

 

CHAPTER II

 

“Faith, it's an attractive concept... but it is a euphemism for slavery. If faith is a willingness to follow one's destiny, then it is the willingness to throw oneself, too pathetic to do otherwise, into bondage.”

 

The Dasaka are coming.

 

On the day when Makuta was banished by the Toa Maru, on the very day when the island of Mata Nui was freed at last from the oppression of its dark tyrant, a bejeweled island far across the expanses of the sea discovered, to its great surprise, a new world.

 

Destiny is a titan with fingers as vast as islands.

 

Ages ago, a council of wise Datsue philosophers theorized that the Kentoku Archipelago, the eternal motherland of the Dasaka people, could not be alone in the endless ocean. How, the philosophers had asked, could the Dasaka’s islands be the only dry protrusions in an inestimable sea? How could it be that the Great Spirit Zuto Nui had bestowed her great and infinite gifts exclusively on such a small portion of the world? Geographical and spiritual hypotheses, though, had not been the only tenants of the philosophers’ theory; the Datsue council had also reasoned that primeval stories, above all else, pointed to the existence of unknown lands.

 

In the vague reminiscences of ancient legend, there were several similar tales of strangers who had visited the Archipelago, curious beings that resembled the Dasaka and Dashi of Kentoku, but as an imperfect reflection. In the legends, these beings had possessed powers unlike any the Dasaka had ever seen, been as colorful as the foliage of the Janu birds, and wielded priceless metal weapons. While traditionalists always dismissed the alien characters in these stories as creative inventions, the Datsue had argued that the consistency between the tales could not be coincidental, and that perhaps the strangers of the legends were something more than myth… that they had come from somewhere else.

 

In their time, the theory of the philosophers’ council had been viewed with great skepticism, dismissed outright by some, used by others as a political cudgel against the sovereignty of the Datsue. As time passed, the revolutionary theory was buried by the continuance of war and tradition, reduced to an obscure joke, left alone as one volume among thousands in the libraries of Dasaka lore.

 

On the day when Makuta was banished by the Toa Maru, on the very day when armies of Rahkshi had scattered and the sun had shone unfettered for the first time in a long time, the long-dead Datsue philosophers smiled from their graves.

 

Lucky circumstance brought the Dasaka their first foreigners in an epoch.

 

They had appeared seemingly out of nowhere. A Saihoko schooner on a routine fishing expedition had seen a pillar of smoke on the far horizon; curiosity had compelled its crew to approach. Upon reaching the source of the smoke, the sailboat had discovered a wooden ship on fire, nearly collapsed into the sea. Hanging on to splinters of its detritus had been six beings, the likes of which the sailors had never seen. They’d had heavy jaws, clawed hands and feet, and showy spines running down their backs, and they had been all the vivacious colors of Janu birds.

 

The Saihoko craft had promptly saved and escorted these strangers, who had seemed very polite and grateful, back to the Archipelago; within hours, the six colorful beings had stood before the Rora. They had introduced their kind as Skakdi, but either could not or would not say anything about where they had come from, why they had been at sea, or how their ship had caught fire. Though some Dasaka had found the Skakdi’s selective recollections – and the incongruities in their details from telling to telling – suspicious, the general marvel and excitement felt by all had drowned out such concerns… for a time.

 

It did not take long for the six Skakdi to show that their true colors were not as vibrant and pure as those of the Janu; it did not take long for their tendencies towards crime and violence to become apparent. The chaos that they caused and the damage they inflicted were extraordinary; within weeks, the six Skakdi had been sentenced to death on the Rora’s orders. But the six Skakdi had possessed abilities unprecedented by the Dasaka’s prisons, and had escaped on the eve before their executions in a stolen submersible.

 

The Rora had ordered this stolen submarine searched for; vain though such a gesture had been, it bore unexpected fruit.

 

On the day when Makuta was banished by the Toa Maru, on the very day when the Koros of Mata Nui had breathed sighs of relief, one of the chasing submarines happened upon something entirely unexpected: land.

 

Lucky circumstance may seem contrived by Destiny.

 

In the absence of Makuta, political enmity grew on Mata Nui, but it also grew on the Kentoku Archipelago. While the Vault was an issue of contention and dangerous possibility amongst the Matoran factions, the discovery of a new world served the same disruptive function among the Dasaka clans. Their debates were fierce. Some Toroshu clamored for exploration, weaving words of temptation and glory; others argued for isolationism, wielding fear, doubt and tradition as their devices. The rifts between clans – formerly as small as they’d been in a very long time – reopened with savage speed.

 

A final compromise was officiated: the Dasaka would send one submarine to this newfound island, and upon its return – or lack thereof – they would have enough information to decide whether or not to pursue exploration and colonization. The mission’s crew was selected, and the submarine departed with all speed.

 

After its diplomatic representatives met with Akiri Hahli of Ga-Koro, after they exited the Koro bearing maps of the island and a trove of information about its people and society, the Dasaka’s exploratory submarine returned to the Kentoku Archipelago.

 

On the day when Makuta was banished by the Toa Maru, on the very day when Toa Stannis had felt such piercing uncertainty about the potential costs of his actions, he may have exchanged one aggressive power for another.

 

The Dasaka are coming.

 

…

 

On the island of Mata Nui, meanwhile, tensions have – at least, for now – eased.

 

When the six Akiri held council at the pinnacle of the Kini-Nui temple, many of the grievances that they had held against one another were exposed to have been insubstantial shades all along. Compounding suspicion and paranoia, above all else, had been to blame for the misunderstandings. How, the Akiri had lamented, had they been so foolish as to think one another capable of evil deeds? Why had they not simply met, face-to-face, earlier? The Akiri rediscovered their old friendships at that meeting, and all breathed a sigh of relief at the realization that the war for which they had been preparing themselves and their people would, perhaps, not come.

 

When at last the summit broke, it was as though the Akiri had brushed a dark fog from their eyes; they returned to their villages proclaiming a new era of peace and goodwill, and professing their trust in the other Akiri, their firm convictions that all would be well again on Mata Nui.

 

On the surface, the land knows peace. Below the surface, in the bowels of Mangaia, the dark fog sits close to the earth, and turmoil waits patiently for its time.

 

By now, several beings of stout heart have journeyed into the heart of Makuta’s old lair to speak with the black-gazed Abettor. In a tunnel above the Vault – eerily round, its surface peppered with the sparkling faces of geodes – these journeyers have all been blinded by the same blue light and been asked the same questions. Those that attempt duplicity in the presence of the Abettor are slain; those who try to pass the metal behemoth uninvited meet the same fate. The Abettor douses their lives without hesitation and, even when set upon by a dozen Toa at once, without difficulty.

 

Those who do not try to force past or lie to the Abettor, however, have been allowed to leave its tunnel unscathed… and bearing morsels of tantalizing knowledge. Some have even been given clues about what the powerful goliath guards. The Abettor has rumbled that while the Vault contains some of Makuta’s shady and mysterious devices, these are nothing compared to its real treasure: “all the simplest power of the world.” All the simplest power of the world… This phrase, above all else, has sparked a refreshed wave of relentless speculation, a fresh pang of shameful longing, among the people of Mata Nui. What could that power be? And how can it be unlocked at last?

 

The rumors about the Vault come from everywhere and Nowhere, sweet as honeyed fruit and insubstantial as dark fog.

 

A show of peace may have been made among the Koros, but all is still not well on Mata Nui. Around the island, corners of darkness coalesce and deepen. A necromantic Brotherhood slowly reconstructs its ancient fortress. Peers and mercenaries play dangerous and subtle games against one another. Former disciples of the great darkness are drawn back to one another. Five incompatible Skakdi whoop, giggle, and backstab as they turn the island into their playground.

 

The sixth Skakdi, conspirator with the dark fog, knows something that the other five don’t.

 

Makuta is gone, but he is not dead.

 

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

WELCOME TO THE NEXT PHASE OF BZPRPG 2013!

 

Bienvenue, madames et monsieurs! I’m very happy to say that, after just a bit of game downtime, we can finally begin the second chapter of the BZPRPG 2013 Arc. All the behind-the-scenes work that the rest of my staff and I have been doing in the last couple of days is, at last, done; we’re ready to open the game to players once more. This second start is very exciting for me, because it marks the final revelation of something I’ve been keeping (mostly) under wraps for a very long time: the Dasaka!

 

I’ll elaborate on how they’ll be integrated into the world of the game, and on other important points about the new chapter of the game, below.

 

I. THE TIMESKIP

As I revealed earlier, we’ll be resuming play in the world of the game after an IC timeskip. I can vaguely say that this timeskip is far shorter than the one that existed between the 2012 and 2013 arcs. Before you ask, though, I am not sure exactly how long this timeskip is… I don’t think I can be sure, what with RPG time and its usual wonkiness. Not knowing this doesn’t bother me; what I do know is what’s happened during the timeskip, and that – rather than petty labels of weeks, months, etc. – is what’s really important to pay attention to for the sake of maintaining realism in the IC world.

 

There are two keys to help you along the path to playing the timeskip accurately. First off, all the location topics have been updated at least a little bit to indicate how they’ve changed since they were seen at the beginning of the first chapter of the arc. In most cases, this change is actually minimal; aside from the addition of a few locations of note, and the subtraction of some sentences, they’re almost identical to the first 2013 location topics. This said, you’ll still want to carefully read the topics, just so you don’t miss any of the small stuff that’s been shoved in there.

 

Secondly, and most cohesively, there’s also the latter half of the above post, which summarizes the general changes on Mata Nui since the timeskip. Read through this again, just to be sure you got everything; that’s the new status quo, folks, so be sure you know it.

 

But how, you might ask, does all of this timeskip stuff apply to my plots and characters? How am I supposed to know what to do with them? How much time has passed for them since the last things we remember playing? Where are they now? These are all good questions, and there is one elegant solution: it’s up to you. I can’t definitively say where every single narrative thread of the game should be found after the timeskip, not least because the latest developments in all those threads were lost in the dataclysm. But, more importantly, my job as head GM isn’t to tell you everything. The yarn of this game belongs to you, the players; you get to choose how to interpret the timeskip as it pertains to your stories.

 

That idealistic babble having been said, if you have questions about the plausibility of where your characters will “re-start,” or you and other players disagree about where your interacting PCs should be, please feel free to bring these questions and concerns up with staff. We will give you as much help as we can, and give the final say on disputes. My advice for multi-player plots is to just let the first person to post decide the new status quo; it’ll be a fun curveball to find your character in an unexpected position, even if it’s a less-than-fortunate one.

 

II. THE DASAKA

As was so clearly stated in this chapter’s expository post above, the Dasaka are coming! Very shortly, Dasaka characters will be open for you guys to play. The particular details about how to get yourself a Dasaka – process, guidelines, restrictions, and whatnot – will soon be found in the second post of the profiles topic. Once the appropriate information has all been posted, and once I officially declare open season, you’ll be able to make Dasaka characters (within the set parameters) to your hearts’ delights.

 

The Profiles Topic, though, isn’t the only place you guys will find details about the Dasaka and their society. There’s already somewhere you can read up. The location topic for the Kentoku Archipelago has been posted, and this is designed to be your one-stop place for Dasaka reference. In the Kentoku Archipelago topic, you’ll find not only a standard location description, but also a comprehensive reference post below it. This reference post outlines the basics of Kentoku society, includes resources like a dictionary of terms/pronunciation and a list of notable Dasaka individuals, and provides thorough descriptions of everything from the most notable Kentoku clans to the Menti disciplines of the mind.

 

For now at least, there are no Dasaka on Mata Nui. Once Dasaka characters are open to create, they will be – at least for a while – confined to the Kentoku Archipelago topic. Look at the necessary period in Kentoku as a time to explore your characters’ places in the highly regimented Dasaka social structure; the Order of society is, after all, one of their prime Virtues. Dasaka characters will be able to go to Mata Nui in the future; the details of this will be fleshed out at a later date.

 

III. OTHER NOTES

• As was announced earlier, Tyler Durden has joined the BZPRPG staff team. Please give him all the respect due to someone in his position, and feel free to PM him with your most frivolous inquiries.
• Since everyone played really nicely with native tech in the first chapter of this arc, I’ve decided it’s time to reward good behavior! PCs may now produce (and sell) original native tech items, as long as staff approves those items in advance. Koro-sized orders can still only be fulfilled by Onu-Koro, but since these turned out to be less demanded than I anticipated before, I don’t see this being much of an impedance for the accessibility of native tech.
• One of the biggest bummers about the dataclysm is that the products of all your hard work have vanished from existence, right? I know that’s how I feel… So, to ease the pain, here’s something: if you happen to have saved copies of important – and missing – posts that you want to remain on BZPRPG record for posterity, you can repost them. You may repost your lost gems – preferably in the updated copies of their previous location topics – with the header “LICK,” meaning “Lost In-Character Kontent.” This header is not to be used for IC flashbacks, and LICK posts must be regarded by you and others as entirely detached from the action going on all around them IC. LICK posts are not for interaction, just for restoring vanished content.
• The linking to – but not discussion of – BZPRPG-related artworks (podcasts, drawings, interpretive dances, etc.) is encouraged in the N&D topic, as such artworks are usually really fun and somehow inspiring. For those of you linking to your artworks, be sure that a discussion link is, if separate, also included.

…

 

Thanks for reading all of this. If you have questions about stuff, feel free to pose them below (if they apply to everyone), and I or other staff members will do our best to answer them here. Happy playing, everyone!

Edited November 8, 2013 by Nuju Metru

[shadow pridak money gang]

WE OUTTA HERE BABY

 

-Tyler

[Nuju Metru]

Mata-Nuian location topics - that is to say, immediately playable ones - will go live later tonight.

Edited November 8, 2013 by Nuju Metru

[Aurora the cat]

Well this shall be interesting

 

THREETHOUSANDTHTWOHUNDRETHANDTWENTYFIRST!!!

Edited November 8, 2013 by Ora_unit_SR388

[Ehksidian]

*ahem*

WOOOOOOOOOOOOO

This is going to be awesome.

I cannot wait to get back into the action. This is going to be fun.

Very fun.

[Eyru]

woop woop here we go~

[The Dark Chronicler]

Oh yeah, I can't wait to get back into the game.

 

Time to finish up Mayixa's profile...

[Canis Lycaon]

Mata-Nuian location topics - that is to say, immediately playable ones - will go live later tonight.

- that is to say, immediately playable ones -

immediately playable ones

There will be new locations on Mata Nui.

Edited November 8, 2013 by Canis Lycaon

[Vezok's Friend]

Going live together with the art, Nuju? ^^

[Geardirector]

Oh karz yeah, this is what I'm talking about.

[Aurora the cat]

It's time to start trouble!

[Visaru]

how

 

what

 

already

[Lara White]

Ah, excellent. All in all, things could have gone a lot worse, but foreign policy is self-stabilizing, so that's good.

 

[Silvan Haven]

This looks amazing, I'm gonna have fun.

[The Nold]

So for the Red Star Group, I have a request: I say we start off having bought the ship, preparing it to set sail, but before we leave, I have something I wanna try out.

[Ehksidian]

Alright. Sounds good to me.

And expect more crazy-guy posts soon.

With a third voice added to the mix.

hehehee

[Ghosthands]

This has officially made my evening ^^

 

...

 

And destroyed my weekend ._.

[Dapper-Sama]

We will make it raiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin-

 

After I get some stuff sorted out. It's time I went in with both barrels, eh?

[Falcon Lord]

So for the Red Star Group, I have a request: I say we start off having bought the ship, preparing it to set sail, but before we leave, I have something I wanna try out.

 

I support this.

[They]

If the people involved in the Kumu Islets plot could please PM me so I can create a group PM to discuss our plot. Thank you!

[Mr. House]

I cannot help but be borderline giddy about all of this. The only thing I'm disappointed about is the lack of Koro infighting. As I was kind of looking forward to a civil war.

 

But still, onword we go. I'll soon set forth to kick the BoA off, and tie off some loose plotlines.

[Lara White]

The only thing I'm disappointed about is the lack of Koro infighting. As I was kind of looking forward to a civil war.

Foreign policy is self-stabilizing. The first one to start a war would be the first one to get dogpiled on the grounds of "they might invade us next." This makes attacking with anything less than overwhelming force risky, and not something any Koro leader was really willing to gamble.

 

[They]

I know I said PM me, but I realized a blog post would be much, much easier for everyone to comment on in regards to Kumu Islets.