Onaku

IC: Arkius - Spiriah's Labyrinth Arkius let out a dry chuckle. "Ah, a bloody nihilist. Of course... So that's it, then? You're giving up? Rolling over and conceding to the inevitable without a fight?" A disgusted frown came to his lips. "You're pathetic." @Eyru

IC: Arkius - Spiriah's Labyrinth A sneer came to Arkius' eyeless face. Then, in a calm but assertive tone, he spoke. "No. I did not come here as a sacrifice. I came here because I seek justice. Retribution for a betrayal I suffered at the hands of those I had considered my closest allies." Arkius paused, clenching his fist in rage, before shaking his head. "No. You won't kill me. Right now I am of far more use to you living and with agency than dead. Anything you need, anything you desire, can be in your grasp, and the only thing, the one singular thing I ask in return, is at most a minor tangent for you. I seek vengeance. Grant me that, in return for my service, in return for my life even, and I will concede my being to whatever perdition you would subject me to." @Eyru

IC: Arkius - Spiriah's Labyrinth Arkius' was further and further baffled as the presence spoke, until suddenly, at the drop of one particular name, he shifted. A strong hint of anger rose up in him, strangulating the fear and awe which had dominated him since he'd arrived. His demeanour changed, the apprehension melting away to be replaced by an oddly assertive intensity, with a clear undercurrent of fury sustaining it. "Very well, Spiriah, Aspect of Faith. Where am I? Why did you bring me here?" "And how in perdition do you know the name 'Onaku'?" @Eyru IC: Arkius - Kini-Koro Hospital A nurse came in, checking on Arkius again. A couple more came in after, and together they started work on tending to his injuries and cleaning him up as best they could. Finally, with their work done, they began gathering their supplies, when a guard came in carrying a satchel in his arms. "I came as fast as I could, it seems I was erroneously told to go to Ko-Pou with this." The guard opened the satchel and retrieved a mask, a grey metallic Pakari, which the nurses took and carefully brought to the still unconscious Arkius, placing it on his face with hopeful anticipation. But nothing happened. The mask, rather than shifting into the Earthen black of Arkius' previous masks, stayed the same metallic grey, and the Toa remained unconscious as before. "Strange... we'll have to keep monitoring him." The nurse noted something down, and then they followed everyone else out of the room, leaving Nale alone again with the yet unconscious Toa. Despite the bruising that was still apparent on him, he seemed almost peaceful. @Tarn

IC: Arkius - Spiriah's Labyrinth "I... I am..." Arkius found his words catching in his throat. Focusing his senses on that pit, that endless seeming pit, he could only sense power... unfathomable power... "... Who are you?" @Eyru

IC: Arkius - Kini-Koro A large roundedly rectangular building came into view, the wagon pulling up next to it. A few more medical workers exited the building, proceeding to helping the medics carry the stretchers inside. Each of the injured were brought into a room, with Arkius being brought into a room with the only bed that could fit his yet immense though diminished form. Laid down and connected to re-created medical equipment of Metru-Nui design, Arkius showed stable albeit weak life signs, his breathing still shallow as before. A medic looked him over, took some readings, and then left the room, leaving Arkius alone with whoever was there to visit. @Tarn@The UltimoScorp IC: Iradra - Ko-Pou Iradra turned around. "Triage? We've come here to help, but our presence seems to have agitated them. Why were we not notified of this affliction before?" @Snelly@Vezok's Friend@Toru Nui

IC: Arkius - Kini-Koro Finally, a handful of medics arrived at the scene carrying stretchers. One of them knelt by Arkius, looking him over. Nodding to the other medics, they and a couple of the guards worked together, lifting his unconscious body onto the stretcher, before they started making their way to Kini-Koro. @Tarn@The UltimoScorp@BULiK@Sparticus147

IC: Arkius - Kini-Koro There Arkius lay, bruised and beaten, with shallow breaths audible as his mouth sat slightly ajar. He was smaller in stature than Nale remembered, his imposing physique slightly diminished despite still being visibly athletic. @Tarn

IC: Arkius - Spirah's Labyrinth Arkius, though not eager to, complied. @Eyru

IC: Arkius - Spirah's Labyrinth For a moment, he considered lashing out, unleashing his rage on these wretched monstrosities and taking down as many as he could before they could do the same to him... but a coldly logical counter current swayed him from such a suicidal act. It slowly dawned on him how utterly delusional he had been to think these monstrosities could be negotiated with, but the words of the one who spoke in return gave him a slim lifeline. Certainly they could just as likely kill him and tear him to pieces even if he complied, but it was a better chance than the certainty of getting slaughtered by resisting. Stuffing his pride down, though seething all the while, Arkius placed the crate on the ground, and slung the two weapons off his back before placing them on the ground as well. With clasps and straps undone, the silver armour he'd worn with pride was doffed and placed down as well, leaving his form utterly stygian with spots of pale emerald glow. Finally, Arkius removed his mask, and without the mask's eye holes defining where his eyes had once been, his face now instead looked as if it had never had eyes at all. Placing it down on the ground, Arkius found himself vulnerable and at the mercy of the true masters of the chthonic depths. @Eyru

IC: Toa Arkius NUVA Proxima - Outside Ruins of Earth It would be a lie to say Arkius didn't feel worried by the swarm of Mesi encroaching on his location and surrounding him. The skittering of the malformed and crooked beings converging on his location made his fight or flight instinct flare up, but he fought it down, kept a cool head, and did his best to supress the fear that took hold of his heart. These beings, these Mesi, they were well adapted to living underground, crawling through its vast and narrow reaches, certainly they wouldn't be inaccurate to call this place their home and turf. Except... they had adapted. These Mesi, these twisted offshoots of Skakdi, had certainly not hailed from the depths below. Their bodies had been contorted and twisted to fit in these caverns, mutilated by ages of crawling and crouching into a form more suited for the underground, their bodies covered in the same growths that thrived in the deepest darkness. The depths of the Earth had claimed these creatures and made them their own... But Arkius had been made to be the Earth's master. The Mesi had adopted the deep, but it was Arkius' birth right. And he would not be intimidated by those whom his element had mastered. "Stay your weapons and heed my words. We have a common enemy on the surface. The warskaks-" he spat the word, making clear his disposition toward them, "- deserve to be wiped off the face of this island, and I can offer you the tools to see it done." His mask of charisma, though glowing before the Mesi arrived, had gone dark, yet its power remained in effect. Should his words prove insufficient on their own, then surely his mask would at least lend them more weight. Slinging the spear onto his shoulder next to his axe, Arkius retrieved the two Great Disks from the box, showing them to the Mesi in the knowledge that they could perceive by other means than their absent eyes, before stashing them back into the box. "I offer you these keys to ultimate power, along with the knowledge of how to use them, and my oath to fight alongside you in the extermination of the warskaks... and all I ask in return is that you aid me in breaking those who have betrayed me." @Eyru

IC: Iradra - Ko-Pou "Yes... but I wonder how were they exposed?" @Snelly@Toru Nui

IC: Iradra - Ko-Pou "Try to convey to them that we're here to help them." Iradra said, looking over the afflicted with a sympathetic expression as she pulled down her hood to reveal her scarred mask. "Do we know what caused this?" She asked, her gaze moving from the afflicted to the Turaga standing before them. @Toru Nui@Snelly@Vezok's Friend

IC: Okuo - Ko-Pou Pots bubbled and pans sizzled on pale blue flames, the pleasant aroma of a simple but hearty meal being prepared wafting throughout the guardhouse from the kitchen. The sound of a knife swiftly chopping up some vegetables was barely heard over the choir of other noises, though the loud sizzling of the chopped up greens being thrown onto the pan overpowered the cacophony. Okuo swiftly turned his attention back to the bubbling pot, stirring its contents for a bit while sprinkling some dried herbs in. Supper was on the way.

IC: Arkius and Arkius - Ruins of Earth Unearthed from what was almost his final resting place, the unconscious Arkius still looked very much worse for wear, his body beaten and bloodied. It was clear he was going to need medical aid as soon as possible. Toa Arkius of the NUVA Proxima strode through the pitch black corridor leading out of the temple, mulling over his next steps. It was unlikely he could get through all those Mesi on his own, as much as he would like to, and it was unlikely he could sneak away. As far as he'd learned in the time it had taken to reach this place, all those overheard words of resentment toward the surface folks and the warskaks, there was another option; bargaining. So, as his mask began to glow, Arkius stepped out of the Ruins of Earth and boomed in as respectful a tone as he could muster. "Mesi! I have come to bargain!" @pokemonlover360@Tarn@The UltimoScorp@Eyru

IC: Okuo - Metru-Koro Okuo nodded with a reassuring smile, before turning to look in the direction of the Ice Ruins. "Aaaalright, lets see... gonna need a better vantage point..." He muttered to himself before he clambered up onto the roof of one of the sturdier looking buildings that were still standing. Pulling out his dagger, Okuo held it tight in his hand, looking in the direction of the ice sheet in the south, before he started focusing... and then he wasn't in Metru-Koro any more, but instead standing in the cold snowy expanse south of the deserted village, a shiver instantly shooting through his body as the change in climate hit him. Wrapping his scarf around himself tighter, he looked around, trying to locate the Ruins of Ice, which he did easily enough... along with a Muaka that stared at him in what looked like surprise. It quickly got over that surprise, though, and visibly started readying itself to pounce on the newly arrived morsel. "Sorry, not gonna happen." As the Muaka's jaws snapped forth, they closed around empty air as the Toa who'd stood before it moments before disappeared into thin air as quickly as he had appeared. The Rahi was left wondering it had hallucinated the whole thing. Okuo meanwhile appeared out of thin air at the gates to Ko-Pou, still shivering. @Sparticus147@Tarn@Harvali

IC: Arkius and Arkius - Ruins of Earth The ally Arkius was speechless. They'd done it. Kilo had activated the mechanism. Kat had received Proxima. They stood a chance against his counterpart now. The enemy Arkius was seething. A bare moment had passed after Kilo had disappeared and Kat had transformed, Jutori had barely gotten out his words, before Arkius roared so loud that the chamber felt like it shook. Then, from his very being, an explosion of earth buried the entire chamber. From the earthen wall that now reached the exit of the NUVA chamber emerged Arkius holding the box of Great Disks under one arm, the Spear of Fusion in his other hand, and his axe on his back. Where he went, earthen barrier after earthen barrier sprung up behind him, blocking the corridors as he made his way to the mirrored chamber. @Eyru@Tarn@The UltimoScorp@pokemonlover360

IC: Okuo - Metru-Koro "Urgent... right..." He pinched the bridge between his eyes, closing them as he groaned internally. "Alright. We'll be there soon as we can. Over and out." Handing the radio back to Triage, he turned back to the Turaga. "We can do better than point you, we can take you there directly." Following this, he turned to Triage. "We might not be enough space for three. Could you drive her if I use the dagger?" @Harvali@Tarn@BULiK

IC: Okuo - Metru-Koro Okuo sighed. "And I don't suppose it can wait? Over." @BULiK@Tarn

IC: Okuo - Metru-Koro "Hello, this is Okuo speaking. We're a bit busy right now. Why is our presence being requested? Over." @BULiK@Tarn

IC: Okuo - Metru-Koro Okuo furrowed his brow in disbelief. "What?? Now wait just a minute. We're in the middle of something right here and now! Here, let me talk to them for a sec." He held out his hand with an expectant expression, looking at the radio. @Tarn@Harvali IC: Iradra - Ko-Pou Iradra stopped in front of the doors. She shivered slightly as she looked the building over, before turning to Vashni, nodding, and then pushing open the door to step inside. @Vezok's Friend@Snelly@Toru Nui

IC: Iradra - Kini-Koro "In that case, we can focus on the issue present here already. Could you lead us to the afflicted matoran being tended to at this outpost?" @Sparticus147@Snelly IC: Okuo - Metru-Koro "Hey now, don't think of it as taking advantage. I'm the one who offered. Though if you do want to help, I wouldn't mind another pair of eyes searching around here, but don't feel like you're obligated to do it. You're still welcome to supper either way." Okuo gave the Turaga a kind smile, before perking up as he heard Triage talking over his radio. Turning to the medic, he gently stepped up next to him with a curious expression, looking at the radio and then at Triage. "What's up?" @Harvali@Tarn

IC: Iradra - Kini-Koro "I've tried not to." She responded simply. Walking the trail from Kini-Koro, the trio eventually arrived at the Ice Ruins portal, stepping through into the Ice Ruins and beyond that arriving at the garrison stationed at the portal. "I was informed my presence was urgently requested." Iradra said, looking around the place with mild interest. Slightly colder than she'd expected, Ice Ruins or not. She pulled her robes tight to herself, a slight shiver shooting through her as her breath condensed in the nippy air. @Sparticus147@Snelly

IC: Iradra - Kini-Koro Iradra shrugged. "I've been alright, all things considered. Still dealing with the occasional headache or dizziness spell, especially if I overexert myself." @Snelly

IC: Iradra - Kini-Koro Iradra's gaze lingered on the hardlight user for a moment, a thoughtful expression on her face as she regarded him just a few seconds longer. Then, finally, she turned away, shaking her head, and looking back to Vashni. "Nothing relevant to our current task." She simply responded, and the three of them made their way to the Ice Ruins portal. @Snelly IC: Okuo - Metru-Koro The Turaga's words took a moment to register for him, as his eyes trailed over the toxic lake under the dead god's detached head. The coastline was shrinking? That couldn't be, he didn't see anything different... Though hadn't there been a hill over there in the distance earlier? Okuo shook his head, and as quickly as he'd registered something was wrong, the thought was out of his head, the Toa turning to the Turaga with a kind expression. "Yeah, Turaga of Earth. I'm sure she'd be happy to see you, she's over yonder, at Ko-Pou." He said, pointing in the direction of the Ruins of Ice. "We'd be happy to give you a lift there after we're done here. If you're hungry, I'll be cooking up some supper and there's always room for one more mouth, though I hope you don't mind the meal being rather basic." Okuo rubbed the back of his neck and gave Kardaka an apologetic smile. @Harvali@Tarn

"I'm two guys now!" Name: Arkius Onaku Breed: Toa Faction: Refugees Brief Description: A head and a half taller than the average Toa, and with an athletic physique. His armour is jet black with some sparse silver detailing. His vibrant green eyes shine from behind a grey metallic Pakari, a faint scar over his right eye though no damage can be observed on the eye itself. Background/Occupation: The personality developed by an amnesiac Arkius over the course of his long life aboard the Ark, now detached from the presence he’d always carried in his subconscious that unbeknownst to him had poisoned his mind. Now with a clear consciousness, free of the taint of his counterpart, this defused fragment of Arkius seeks to put an end to the psychopath despot once and for all and redeem himself from the monster he was born of. Psychological Flaws: Arkius Onaku, now freed from the mental and physical prison he’d been trapped in for the past month, finds himself an utterly changed person. Detached from the original Arkius, he finds himself missing fragments of his psyche he thought were natural to him. Without the burning underlying rage that drove him his entire prior life, Arkius Onaku now struggles with a lack of motivation and depression, and has latched onto a singular goal to keep himself going; to stop his counterpart, no matter what it takes. Despite being trained to adapt to being without his powers of earth or ability to use masks, he yet finds himself insecure in his capabilities and struggles with a lack of self worth. Physical Flaws: Arkius Onaku is a Toa without the powers of a Toa, a being of mere physical prowess in a world of powers multitude that far transcend it. Due to this, he is left relying on physical strength and skill alone, and though is adept at this, it is a far cry from the behemoth of earthen might he once was. Without the physical diminutiveness of a Matoran, Arkius Onaku finds himself a large target without the powers to back it up. Powers: Arkius Onaku possesses no elemental powers, nor the ability to use kanohi masks. Conversely, he is not weakened without a mask, and still possesses his innate strength and a deep well of stamina, as well as a wealth of training in various styles physical combat. Equipment: Arkius Onaku currently wears a Pakari, though he cannot use it. Name: Arkius, or Toa Arkius of the NUVA Proxima Breed: Toa of Earth (NUVA Proxima) Faction: Himself Brief Description: Arkius is immensely large and muscular compared to other Toa. Where at first he was clad near entirely in black, he later wore a beaten metallic grey chest plate and pauldrons over his dark grey and black form, with occasional glowing green accents that matched his singular remaining eye. He wore a black Calix with one eyehole patched over that hid the silvery scar tissue where his right eye once was. With his NUVA Proxima transformation, the Calix has fused to his face, and the metallic grey armour he wore has taken on a refined silver look. The green glow his eye and armour accents had taken on a brighter, washed out emerald hue, with specks of what looks to be white embers trailing from the corner of his singular eye. Beyond even his previously immense stature, Arkius has now grown yet more in size, towering completely over the average Toa. After being defused by Kilo, he is now missing both eyes, yet retains his other features as before. Background/Occupation: Once awakening in a far away land, Arkius rose to become a prominent Toa protector. When the Legion began its conquest, Arkius stood opposed to them, eventually finding his way to Metru-Nui where he intended to provide the last line of defense against the encroaching Barraki horde. There he became entangled in a strange plot, whisked off his feet by Toa Stannis and his crew as they tried to figure out Turaga Dume's true intentions. But when the Barraki very suddenly teleported into the underground of Ko-Metru to invade the city, Arkius had to leave the crew behind, travelling to Onu-Metru with Toa Nale and the Krahli designated "Kilo" to protect the matoran, or avenge them otherwise. In the end, the latter proved to be his true calling, where with Kilo he rained vengeance upon Mantax's men in the Archives, and battled the warlord before his eventual demise by the hands of his Krahli companion. After this, he emerged to a world tearing itself apart, and with his compatriots emerged on the so-called "Zakaz" to build a new and peaceful life after the Cataclysm. Unfortunately, peace turned out to never have been an option. In this new land, aggressive and vile Skakdi revealed themselves to be the native flock, a people Arkius had never been fully comfortable with, but which here, as the Skakdi-Xa, proved to be even worse still. Arkius resolved to protect the Matoran at any cost... even if it meant the eradication of these vile Skakdi-Xa down to the very last. Calling off a planned counter-attack on the Skakdi in favour of heeding Po-Koro’s call for aid, Arkius returned to Po-Koro in the aftermath of a Skakdi raid, where he remained to protect it as others flew to Metru-Koro on other business. Though he tried to help reestablish Po-Koro’s defenses in that time, the heavy rainfall in the shadow of a great Tahtorak proved it to be in vain, and after helping rescue villagers caught in the flood, he and the villagers relocated to the Ruins of Stone to establish a new village. Following old companions inside, he found himself exposed to the golden energies of the NUVA boon, unlocking his NUVA Proxima form and granting him greater stature, as well as returning the memories of his life before he awoke on the Ark, and with them the Arkius he’d forgotten he was. He has since ventured with Jutori, Kat, and Kilo, to the Temple of Earth, where he intends to fulfil his promise to Katrin and bestow her with the boon of NUVA Proxima. Psychological Flaws: With a new personality made manifest, Arkius has taken to different flaws. Arrogant, Arkius believes himself to know best, and is slow to consider opinions that differ from his. Wrathful, Arkius carries a great turmoil of rage inside him as a result of repeat tragedy and betrayal, rage he sees little reason to keep in check. Prideful, Arkius sees himself as the peak of Toa potential, and sees Toa as inherently superior to all other species, responding wrathfully to anything that might disprove this notion. With the loss of the shard of his psyche that was formed from his amnesiac self’s memories and personality, he has grown unstable and paranoid, sitting precariously between coldly uncaring logic and intense burning rage that are no longer held in balance, not to mention utterly psychopathic due to being stripped of empathy and compassion following the defusion. Physical Flaws: Arkius has lost both of his eyes, meaning without his earth sense he is completely blind. Additionally, even with his earth sense, he cannot see that which is airborne, meaning he is vulnerable to aerial opponents, unless he utilises his earth powers to generate a localised sandstorm, which is the only method by which he can ratify his aerial blindness, a method which cannot be sustained indefinitely nor utilised at all times. Powers/Equipment: Arkius possesses elemental powers of Earth, powers which he has trained with extensively, and which have now grown immensely in scope following his NUVA Proxima transformation. With said transformation he has also gained the ability to share his elemental power with two other beings in his line of sight and elemental range. Additionally, he has a strong physique, and an immense well of stamina. His already great strength has grown greater following his transformation. He wore the Kanohi Calix that has now fused to his face and become part of him, allowing him to perform at the absolute peak of his natural physical abilities (such as executing seemingly impossible leaps, dodges, flips, etc.) so that he moves and reacts better than any unenhanced member of his species. He can share this power with two other beings in his line of sight and elemental range. In his journey to the Temple of Earth, he defeated a Mesi with a penchant for collecting masks as trophies, from whom Arkius acquired a Kanohi with the rough appearance of a Hau, though in truth it is a Mask of Charisma. As far as his equipment goes, Arkius wields only his trusty protosteel axe, a weapon he has felled many a foe with and wields with great pride, greater skill... and deadly intent. With an axe blade on one end of the head and a long bladed spike on the other, the weapon is suited for chopping enemies or piercing through tough armour