BZPRPG - Ko-Wahi

[Geardirector]

IC: Helios (Jaa's Office)

 

"Well, I don't have anything better to do" Helios reasoned "lay it on me"

[Tahakki]

IC:

 

Yaake grinned. "Oh come on, now. You can trust me. We may be in the same line of business, after all..."

 

Sernon nodded to the newcomer. "Hello. Business visit, or just relaxing?"

[Voxumo]

IC: Tivanu

 

Tivanu shrugged as he thought about this.

Technically i am here on business but my business is so lax that it could be called relaxing.

"Pleasure. Just got done with some business and now i have been paid and thought i would treat myself and my winged friend here to some decent food."

He ran his hand over Kive-phu's back and in turn she cooed slightly

"So what about you? Business or pleasure?"

[Ghosthands]

IC (Alak)

 

Alak looked at Yaake quizzically.

 

"I'm not sure what you're implying, sir," he replied, clearly not meaning the last word sincerely. "What line of business might that be?"

 

What exactly the Le-Matoran meant by this, he did not know; but his tone seemed to suggest some sort of underhand dealings. Smuggling? Fraud? That wasn't Alak's style at all. Not to say that his business was entirely above-board (information, for example, was a valuable commodity not always on the books) but he didn't make a habit of engaging in such questionable practices - and when he did, he certainly would not share his details with some Po-Koronan trader.

 

And what exactly said trader saw in the respectable Gentryman to suggest such a thing was hard to figure out.

 

IC (Echelon)

 

"Indeed."

 

Navigating the twisting tunnels, accompanied by the trickling of the meltwater around their feet and the steady crunching noises of Echelon's staff making contact with the ice, the party eventually emerged from the natural labyrinth, only a short walk away from the Ko-Onu border. The tunnels were the perfect disguise for the hidden base; even the tracks left by their feet were erased by the steady flows of meltwater, leaving treacherously smooth pathways with no indication of previous travellers.

 

It was snowing as they made their way towards the barren landscape of the Onu-Wahi surface, and the thick flurries of flakes whirled around the five forms: the Necromancer, tall and thin and robed in black; the Assistant, small, quick and easily unnoticed; the Husk, massive as though he might have been carved from the arctic landscape itself; and the Thralls, mindless and obedient, corpses forced into undeath.

 

All were, in their own way, under the power of the first; after all, it was in power that he dealt.

 

OOC: Echelon and company to Po-Wahi via Onu-Wahi

[BBBBalta]

IC: Of all the places to have a crossbow bolt shot through your shoulder, the most convenient was definitely the wahi with the most advanced hospital on the island. Within a few days, Demas had healed enough to travel. The doctors - who, by the way, were under the impression he'd been attacked by bandits rather than a guardsman - would of course want him to stay another week or so to ensure complete recovery. A week, however, was something he didn't have.It was about an hour before sunrise when Demas gathered his belongings and departed. With any luck he'd be at the coast by midday.

[a goose]

IC: Aerus (Ko-Wahi)

 

"Indeed."

So this is it, then. The threads of the web drawn together at last. And there he goes, the spider at its centre, beginning his sluggish crawl to the outside.

 

By far the most well-known spider on Mata Nui is the Fikou. Whether small or otherwise, it's a dangerous animal. They spin their webs, expanses of invisible silk, then sit in the darkness and watch the threads dance. That way, when its prey arrives, the spider knows. And at last it comes out of the shadows, shows its face to its latest meal. But that's not where it ends.

There is no time for a quick and painless death when it comes to spiders.

 

The spider moves slowly, crawling, lifting each leg with great caution as it scuttles toward the fly. Meanwhile, the fly struggles, squirms, beats its useless wings in a futile attempt to remove itself from its silky, sticky cage. The spider just walks slower, taking shorter steps with its long, creeping legs, letting its prey know just how doomed it is. And then the real cruelty shows.

The Fikou has two venomous fangs, used for injecting poison into its prey so it won't put up a fight as it's eaten. But some spiders don't finish there. Some spiders make their prey dance. They use the strings, they turn it into their own personal marionette.

 

Allow me to introduce Echelon. Allow him to introduce his puppets.

 

OOC: Aerus to Po-Wahi via Onu-Wahi with Echelon.

[The Lonesome Wanderer]

IC: Taka

"Personal Bisness"

 

OOC: Tivanu was talking to me, correct?

Edited June 5, 2013 by The Lonesome Wanderer

[Voxumo]

IC: Tivanu

 

Tivanu idly hummed

 

OOC: Nope he was talking to Sernon (Aka Tahakki) although if you would like to get involved we can elaborate on the whole bird thing your character was talking about.

[Tahakki]

IC:

 

"Neither, I'm afraid. Politics." said Sernon, idly swirling his drink in his glass. "I've been appointed Po-Koro's ambassador to the Akiri here in Ko-Wahi. We're constructing a radio station as we speak. Personally, I find the whole inter-Koro mistrust business rather tiresome."

 

---

 

Yaake relaxed. If this chap had been a spy of some kind, he would surely have played along with Yaake's shady act. The man clearly wasn't entirely as honest as he claimed, but it was no concern of the Le-Matoran's.

 

"My apologies, I must have been mistaken." he said, leaning back in his seat. The gentleman clearly thought he was some kind of ruffian; best to play to his expectations. He leaned forward again, grinning hugely.

 

"So, d'you reckon we're all gonna have a scrap, or what?"

[Ghosthands]

IC (Alak)

 

"A 'scrap'?"

[Tahakki]

IC Yaake:

 

"Aw, come on, you know. A big scuffle. Punch-up. War."

[Voxumo]

IC: Tivanu

 

Tivanu nodded slowly as he heard this

"Hmm interesting. I will admit that i also find the mistrust odd but i also understand why there would be mistrust, The whole island is on edge and we seem to be taking it out on each other."

[Ghosthands]

IC (Alak)

 

"Ahhhh," replied Alak, giving the Le-Matoran a shrewd look. "Do I think that the tensions between the Koro going to escalate into war? Well, I wouldn't presume to know the long-term goals of the Akiri, nor whether any of them are desperate enough to risk a full-on conflict. Certainly the villages are not as close as they used to be. So what do you think?"

[BBBBalta]

IC: It didn't take much effort to find a trawler heading out for Ga-Koro. Convincing the boat's captain to let him hitch a ride - and stop in Leva Bay to let him off - was a good deal more difficult. Eventually, they came to a compromise that involved a large sum of widgets in the captain's pocket and a considerable amount of deck-swabbing on Demas' part. The conditions were far from ideal, the quarters were cramped, and the stench that hung over the ship seemed born of the depths of karzahni itself. Still, it was better than a trek through the desert.OOC: Demas to Po-Wahi.

[Spicy Salmon Samurai]

IC: Nipaki

 

Back at his home, Nipaki had called a meeting with his friends, Maripo, Kapa, Apito, Paito, Kupowe, and Laapi, all of whom made up the League of Koros. (The LoK is a small coalition, comprised of Nipaki and his friends, who work to bring understanding and cooperation between the Wahis)

 

"Alright everyone, I think you are all wondering why I called you here." said Nipaki.

"Yes, why did you? It's freezing here!" Kapa replied. He was obviously tired from the journey, as he only got snappy when he was exhausted.

"The answer is simple: We need more members." The others nodded in agreement. "If we want the League of Koros to truly be effective, it has to be bigger than just the seven of us. We need more people from more Koros and walks of life, to show that peace can be achieved."

"I agree. We're under-represented as it is. There can't be just one Matoran to each Koro; we don't even have that kind of membership yet." Maripo mused in his deep voice.

"What I want each of you to do is go back to your Koros and recruit people." Nipaki said. "Please try to recruit as many people as possible, but make sure they are the right kind of people. Since all of you are the original members, I'm making you the heads of operations for your Wahis."

 

At this there was some excited murmuring, and the meeting was adjourned. The friends stayed at Nipaki's apartment for a while, but eventually went home to fulfill their missions.

 

 

OOC:

 

The League of Koros is a faction that stands for understanding and cooperation between Koros, through Grassroots rallying and peaceful demonstration. They work outside of their Akiri's agenda and want a unified Mata Nui.

 

Anyone who is interested in joining the League of Koros. please, all of my characters are open for interaction. If you would like more information, just PM me, I'd be happy to tell you about it!

Edited June 6, 2013 by darthme

[Geardirector]

IC: Helios (Jaa's Office)

 

As Helios sat down, awaiting Jaa's response, he took a moment, surprised that he could even afford it, to relax and reminisce.

 

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I proudly present today's winner; Melna from right here in Le-Koro"

 

The announcer's congratulation was partially drowned in a cheer from the relatively small gathering of people that'd come to witness the game.

 

"That's what I'm talkin' about" a burly voice yelled from the back row, as the Skakdi named Colx cheered by his lonesome self.

 

Well, not entirely by himself, if someone took a closer look, they would also spot a Matoran, black with a golden mask and gray boots, also applauding enthusiastically. Melna practically beamed of delight as she accepted the medal for her win, which only served to make Helios and Colx's applause even more intense.

 

Sometime later, a rowdy echo of laughter and incessant chattering could be heard coming from a hut in a small dead-end branch of the Koro, where celebration was the order of the day

 

"You did a good job out there today, Melna" Colx complimented before he took another big helping of Ta-Koronan Ale. Helios himself nodded in agreement where he sat, almost adorable the way he curled up in a piece of furniture way too large for him.

 

"D'aaaaw" Melna cooed teasingly "are you going soft on us, big guy?"

 

The Lesterin athlete was sitting in another chair, her legs crossed elegantly as she put a hand to her chest as if undergoing a deeply emotional experience.

 

"Dream on, pipsqueaks" Colx retorted with a chuckle "no offense, Helios" he added to the Ba-Matoran.

 

"None taken" Helios replied as he stared at his mirror image in the glass of water he was holding. How tame, he was having water while they were enjoying alcohol, Melna would've laughed at him hadn't she been so nice... and perfect... in every way.

 

"It really was a good game, you looked great out there" he complimented, after which he immediately felt his cheeks heat up.

 

"Thanks" Melna replied simply, though Colx gave the Matoran a wink.

 

The evening went by fairly normally after that, just as the sun set, Melna and Helios prepared to leave as Colx got ready to turn in.

 

"So, nice hanging out with ya" Melna said with a smile as the three stood in the doorway to Colx's hut.

 

"Anytime" Colx encouraged, Helios nodded in agreement.

 

Melna proceed to give Colx a big hug, which the Skakdi begrudgingly obliged to. When it was Helios' turn, he was smothered by the considerably larger Lesterin in a warm hug which the Ba-Matoran gladly returned. She smelled lovely.

 

As Melna put the Ba-Matoran down and walked off, Colx could see an idiotic grin plastered across the disk maker's face. The Skakdi shook his head in paternal annoyance and lightly tapped Helios in the back with one of his clawed toes.

 

"Hey, wake up, ya lovesick puppy"

 

Helios, so rudely awakened from his fantasy, blushed and looked away

 

"I was just having a nice daydream" he muttered.

 

"I'll take your word on it being "nice", but I'll take the liberty of guessing the exact content myself" Colx replied with a knowing grin.

 

"Night" Helios muttered flatly and walked off.

 

"Have fun" the Skakdi replied with a sarcastic undertone.

 

"I'm glad that particular obsession wore off" Helios thought to himself as he watched Jaa go through the paperwork to find the job Helios allegedly could take.

Edited June 5, 2013 by Geardirector

[The Lonesome Wanderer]

IC: Tivanu

 

Tivanu idly hummed

 

OOC: Nope he was talking to Sernon (Aka Tahakki) although if you would like to get involved we can elaborate on the whole bird thing your character was talking about.

OOC: That was your bird......

xD

IC: Taka

I ordered another round of this 'Hot Cocoa" stuff. It was REALLY good.

[Toa Fanixe]

IC: (Valria)

 

IC:

 

LoJak ran out of the Sanctum after Valria. Arriving outside he looked down one side of the street, then the other. He spied the Toa of Gravity in the distance, walking at brisk pace into a rather large crowd of Matoran. LoJak glanced back at the Sanctum doors, feeling slightly guilty about leaving Iulius and Sur behind but telling himself they would meet up sooner or later. And right now, he needed to talk to Valria.

 

He broke off into a sprint.

 

Dodging the dozens of Matoran going about their lives on the streets of Ko-Wahi and a few wagons as well, LoJak finally caught up to Valria. She was still walking away, oblivious to those around her as though lost in thought. LoJak took a few more steps forward and laid a hand on her shoulder. She stopped abruptly and turned around.

 

"Valria? Are you ok?" LoJak asked, searching for an answer in Valria's beautiful emerald eyes.

[Visaru]

IC- Korzaa - Sanctum Guard HQ

Korzaa and Klavier entered through the back door of the guard headquarters and walked down a hallway. About a dozen different rooms of various sizes opened off of it, and Klavier got a glimpse of them through the doorless archways- offices, closets, and rooms filled with weapons or ice tablets were visible as he was lead through the heart of the sanctum guard. A few of the guards looked up from the desks they were hunched over, but most paid no mind, busy dealing with tabletwork or some other important task.

The two soon emerged into a large lobby where a few guards walked about. Various posters lined the walls, the newer ones proclaiming rewards for anyone who could collect Onewa’s Komau. Everything was cast in a blue hue from the sunlight reflecting off of the ice that formed the building.

Another turn, another walk down a short hallway (this one with no rooms on the sides) and the two emerged in Korzaa’s office.

The captain of the guard took her position behind the desk that was carved into the same ice as the rest of the building. It was the only furniture save a bench set into the wall near the entranceway. The desk was fairly organized, with a few neat stacks of stone and ice tablets as well as a carving tool. The far wall was filled with numerous slots where fresh tablets waited to be used.

Korzaa turned in her ice chair to reach one of these and placed the slab of ice on the desk, where she quickly scrawled a note asking for Nuju to meet the blind prophet. She made sure to include details about the Rahkshi he had killed and his intentions to meet the Maru, hoping that Matoro would make sure to be as cautious as she was. She also reached under her desk and retrieved a small stack of golden widgets that she placed atop the tablet. Korzaa slid the request and the pile of money over to the Toa.

“There you are.”

[Spicy Salmon Samurai]

IC: Nipaki

 

Nipaki headed out onto the streets of Ko-Koro to try and recruit others to his cause.

 

OOC: Nipaki is open for interaction

[Hanako Herupa]

IC: (Valria)

 

"No LoJak I'm not...for the longest time I've not been okay," I said in a hushed tone. "And I'm sick of pretending that I am. That I'm okay with my nearly nonexistent powers over gravity. That I'm okay with nearly losing you. That I'm not sick of all the death that seems to happen around me. I just wanted it to stop, and this war? I can see it coming from a mile away. Anyone can. So this is how they repay the death of our friends, they spit in their faces and prepare for war." I turned around and started walking away again, increasing my pace. I was on the verge of exploding like a volcano ready to blow, raining a fiery Karzahni on those below.

 

"Val, come on that's not very nice. That's not how you treated a guy that you confessed your feelings to. Then again given your track record with men he'll probably die within the month. Perhaps making him split up with you is a good idea, that way he can survive and you can find another guy. Like you always do!" A Toa of Lightning said to my left as he jogged in front of me, walking backwards with that awful grin on that Kakama. He had golden and white armor and golden eyes as well. He started showing three months ago and hadn't left me since. A dark passenger who taunted me and egged me on. Every time he appeared in one form or another, sometimes with the bones I broke, other times he was wreathed in flames. His skin, armor, and eyes were charred black. Always reminding me that it was me who did that to him, that I had sunk down to his level once, gave into my darker urges and my soul paid the price.

 

"Shut up Telric," I hissed, clenching my fists so tightly that they were starting to shake.

 

"Let's start at the top shall we. One of the guys pining for you now lies dead in a Ko-Koro cemetery. He was tortured by yours truly...have to say when I carved that Hau into his stomach I found his screams much more bearable than his annoying laugh. So that's Alrin. Kuyre disappears on you, and honestly who wouldn't you as you alway flit from one guy to the next. So if LoJak doesn't die at some point in the near future you're probably bound to dump him."

 

"Go away," I grumbled, as I finally made my way back inside the warm inn, waving weakly to the owner, before running upstairs and closing the door to my room at the inn behind me. Then I went into the bathroom picking up my pace until I could close the door and feel safe as I slumped against it and slid to the stone floor. I saw those feet in front of me, Telric's but I didn't look up, I didn't want to acknowledge him, as if that would stop him.

 

"It's rude to interrupt people like that Val you should have let me finish. Now where was I. Oh yes! Mef meets you in Onu-Koro, he travels all around with you to help you find moi, you hug, you kiss and you fall in love. Then you run into you exes and he disappears, but wait! What's that he comes back, and he wants to make things better, but so does Kuyre. It's too much for little Valria, so you attempt to kill yourself. It fails and you get the slap you deserve for thinking this is all about you."

 

"I did deserve that," I said weakly.

 

"Then I killed Mef, I mean really though the guy wasn't your type. He was...too nice, you need someone who understands you, not a Toa with raging hormones pining for your affection all the time. You need someone who truly grasps who you are."

 

"Like you?" I grumbled sarcastically.

 

"YES! Most definitely like me! I understood you better than any of them, better than LoJak, that idealistic little #####. I understood that you liked taking orders, and you had your place. I told you what to do and you did it, it was simple it was nice! If I remember correctly you started being liking it."

 

"Only because the trauma you inflicted was so great my own mind locked up all the memories so I could get through that Karz, you ######!" I hissed, my eyes boring into stone floor.

 

"There we go again you're making me the bad guy again! I gave you purpose Val! Did you really think Mervik's group was going to solve the disappearance of the Toa Mata. Please! Now though, you don't have any purpose and you don't like what you're seeing. You messed up that beautiful little thing we had by killing me! Now there's no purpose for somebody like you. Someone so incredibly useless! You're eye candy Val, that's all you were ever good for!"

 

"How dare you!" I roared at him, my whole mask drenched in salty tears.

 

"I'm just telling you the truth, name one instance that you were actually useful to anyone! Even then it would one instance against a thousand other times that you did nothing, or were saved by some valiant Toa! Things just happen to you Val, you're always a victim and you always want to be one. I can name three and that's it!" He roared back. He came forward kneeling down, and I could feel his strong hands pinching my cheeks. Wiping away the tears. "Val, you already know your place, you just refuse to acknowledge it." Running a finger over my Huna.

 

"Why...why are you doing this to me?" I whimpered, closing my eyes and trying to pull away from him." I could still feel him there. The carresses, the hot breath, it all seemed real.

 

"I'm not doing anything to you...you're doing it to yourself." I opened me eyes and Telric was gone, my tormentor had disappeared for now. I could cry anymore, all I could do was just sit there in a state of shock. Telric's was right, there was nothing good about me, no matter how much I convinced myself I wasn't good for anyone. I was just a mess. I was always a mess.

[Tahakki]

IC:

 

Sernon sat down at the table again, gesturing to his new drinking companion to join the group, just as Yaake was beginning to speak.

 

"A few months ago, I would have said no, not a chance in karz. But now? With all the new tech comin' outta Onu-Koro, and each village having its own, we're not really relyin' on each other to keep the economy stable, are we?"

 

Yaake tossed a widget in the air. It glinted, and then by some slight of hand on the Le-Matoran's part vanished.

 

"You mark my words, gents. Give it a few weeks, and these will either be worth a whole lot more or nearly nothin'."

 

The poet was slightly confused as to why the trader's speech had altered, but he chose to say nothing.

[Voxumo]

IC: Tivanu

 

Tivanu had followed sernon over to the table. He felt odd given how much larger he was than anyone else at the group.

 

As the Le-matoran spoke he watched him carefully.

"What you say may be right. I imagine the Koros will soon become more like Factions than villages each one fighting for ultimate control. But even with all the technology some of the koros will have to work together. Seeing as Onu-koro is still the main producer of ore the other villages will have to gain that from them."

 

He took a sip of his drink before continuing

"There is a reason that in the past civilizations that never traded with others slowly collapsed like a flan in a cupboard."

 

OOC: One million imaginary Lucky time points for anyone who knows the reference (slowly collapsed like a flan in a cupboard) also given everything that is now in the bionicle universe in this game i imagine a flan or something like it is existant

[ToaKapura1234]

IC: Keldor

 

Keldor noticed a Miru-wearing Ko-Matoran that didn't seem to be heading anywhere or talking to anyone. He decided to strike up a conversation. "Hello there. I'm Keldor and I'm suffering from a bullet wound. Do you know any doctors?"

[Vezok's Friend]

IC: (The Traveler)

 

His eyes shot open as the Toa woke up with a gasp. Things were blurry at first, so he blinked rapidly, his breathing not much slower, as he tried to get a read on his environment. Last he checked he'd collapsed outside in the snow-drifts, closer to death than to life. He was still lying in something soft, but that something was rather warm and comfortable. Was this a last moment of awareness where his sensations were completely backwards?

 

No, that wasn't it. As his eye focused a high ceiling came into view, and feeling around with his hands he realized he was lying in a bed. He looked left and right. There were more beds there, some hidden by curtains but all had some sort of night-stand. So he was in a hospital. That was a good thing. It meant he was not dead and apparently not close to it either.

 

He tried to sit up, but a sharp jolt of pain from his abdomen stopped him. Whincing, he propped himself up on one elbow and pulled the blanket covering him back with his free hand. They had taken off his armour. In its place were bandages wrapped around his torso. He carefully felt over them and applied pressure. It hurt a little, still, but from the looks of it he wasn't missing any kidneys or any other important internal bits of himself. That was a relief.

 

Out of the corner, he noticed a clip-board at the far end of the bed. It took him a bit of effort and gritting of his teeth, but eventually he managed to snatch it. There wasn't much on there that he didn't know already. Extensive damage to the abdomen, cuts and lacerations on the extremities, frostbite. What caught his eye though was the name written at the top of the page.

 

Widgets.

 

Okay...who came up with this?

 

"Hello? Is there anybody here?"

Edited June 7, 2013 by Vezok's Friend

[Spicy Salmon Samurai]

IC: Nipaki

 

Shocked and slightly amused at the second occurrence of the same bullet-wounded Skakdi asking him for medical assisstance within a week, Nipaki answered, "Well, I can take you back to my store and apply the bio-foam again, but like last time I can't be of much medical help. How come you keep getting shot at, if I may ask? Is it because of the current situation on the island?"

[ToaKapura1234]

IC: Keldor.

 

"Oh I didn't recognize you. Sorry. It's the same wound."

[Spicy Salmon Samurai]

IC: Nipaki

 

Nipaki gives a slight laugh, but then says: "Seriously, though, let me give you some more bio-foam. That's probably unhealthy to keep untreated."

 

OOC: How did he get shot?

Edited June 8, 2013 by darthme

[Seraphimon]

IC:

 

[Grethor]

 

Cold. But not as cold as it could be. Deep within the wastes of Ko-Wahi, in the shadow of Mount Ihu, snow padded lightly on the city of Ko-Koro. Even deeper below, deep within the walls of the city, Grethor the Wild sat on top of a wooden crate that had formerly held firewood that was currently being used in an actual fire. Around him lay the entirety of the Xa-Koro refugees, arranged haphazardly, tents staked wherever they felt like, campfires nearby, weapons polishing, armor gleaming in the strange twisting light of the cave. Greathor adjusted himself and looked deeply into the fire, attempting to ignore his companions around it as they squabbled and diced. Two Skakdi, one white and angry, the other bronze and lazy, and one Matoran with one eye sat across from him.

 

"This is complete and utter ######!" screamed the white Skakdi, his face a contorted mask of rage. "Why are we here?"

 

"Playing dice," said the other Skakdi, positioned casually on top of a crate. Somehow, he gave off the impression of lounging even in such uncomfortable living conditions. "Gambling. Living. Stop complaining and roll the dice, brother."

 

"Don't you 'brother' me, you ######!" he turned on him, clutching the dice in one hand. "You know as well as I do that -"

 

"We know plenty of things." Despite the company, the one-eyed Matoran was oddly unfazed. He merely sat there, cleaning his wickedly hooked blade. "We know we were chosen. We know we were saved from the the destruction of Xa-Koro. Whatever comes next, comes." He looked up and shot the white Skakdi a dirty look. "Or do I need to slit your throat to get you to shut up, Domitian?"

 

This was clearly an old argument. "I want...no, I NEED more than that, Likho. This isn't about me just wanting to kill things." Domitian stared daggers at his brother. "This is about being ###### COLD and sitting in the middle of the ###### SNOW WASTES! For what? NOTHING." He stomped his foot and nearly upended himself. "I'm ready for some ACTION."

 

"I know you are," said the Matoran named Likho, somehow still calm, "but the facts remain. Ilhamotho will come back...and then I'm sure something will happen. Brykon was talking to him 'privately' and then he disappeared." He gave a thin-lipped smile. "He'll be back and then maybe you'll have your answers."

 

Grethor adjusted himself in his seat and said nothing.

 

The other Skakdi gave a yawn. "I hope not. I'm growing accustomed to this cave."

 

Domitian ignored his brother. "MAYBE??! That's not what I need, pipsqueak, I'll-"

 

"Shut. Up. And. Take. Orders," Lekho said, grinding his teeth. "That's all you need to do. Even you should be capable of that, Skakdi."

 

"Like that's some sort of insult, I'll beat your mouth in with-"

 

"I'd RELISH the opportunity to see you try!"

 

"I'm sure you would, you little-"

 

"Just shut up and roll the ###### dice!" yelled the other Skakdi, his eyes glinting suddenly, dangerously. There was a start, the feeling of something snapping, the sound of Both Lekho and Domitian suddenly paled and sat down, glumly, silently. Some of the other Matoran who had glimpsed over at the verbal brawl turned back to their own campfires.

 

There was a long pause before Grethor leaned over and tossed the dice and let out a long, silent yawn.

[Ghosthands]

IC (Alak)

 

"I can agree on that," said the businessman. "It's hard to say what the future will bring."

 

Alak didn't mention his own expectations and predictions, nor his reasoning behind them.

 

"But we've heard little news from Po-Koro other than Hewkii's more controversial changes to the status quo," he said. "What does he think fate has in store for us? Akiri Matoro, for his part, I know not to be a lover of armies and militaries. He doesn't even send the Guard on missions outside the Koro. Jaller may be militaristic, but I doubt he wants war; the Le- and Ga-Koronans aren't the kind of people for aggressive military expansion, and Onu-Koro's profiting hugely from the new peace. So what's Hewkii's outlook?"

[Voxumo]

IC: Tivanu

 

Tivanu looked at the being who just spoke and shot him a questioning look

"So if i may interject here from what you speak you are suggesting that none of the Akiri are really overly concerned with Military standing. Am i understanding this right?"

 

Overhead Kive-phu watched the small gathering with meek interest. Afterall she was just a Lava hawk. She did not care about such things along as she could eat and hunt

 

OOC: Also ghosthands may i inquire as to what species and such Alak is?

[Ghosthands]

OOC: Matoran of Crystal.

 

IC (Alak)

 

Alak returned the Skakdi's look with one of his own.

 

"Not quite," he said. "They are all concerned with maintaining their respective militaries. I do not, however, believe that any (or at least most) of them are looking for war. Which is why I cannot help but wonder why Akiri Hewkii is employing such a policy of isolationism."

[Voxumo]

IC: Tivanu

 

Tivanu nodded slowly as he seemed to consider this. He looked down at his gold watch and seemed to be trying to figure out how much time he could devote

"Yes i thought it was kinda of odd. I mean If you consider everything Po-wahi and Ko-wahi are some of the most inhospitable koros given their locations. Blazing sun and sand then ko-wahi is the exact opposite freezing cold. So for me at least it is not too hard to understand the isolationism on Po-koro's part. Although they really have nothing to offer to the island that can not be provided by the other koros."

 

He took a sip of his drink before continuing

"But if Po-koro intends to go with this isolationism plan then it may be for best. They should hoard the resources they have that no one else does then when the island realizes they can not survive without those resources they come back out and raises the prices. But this is just my opinion."

[Toa Fanixe]

IC: (Valria)

 

IC:

 

LoJak stood in shock for moment, stunned first by what Valria had said and then by her turning her back on him. He wished he knew what the right think to do was, but all his years had never prepared him for a situation like this. It was wholly unexpected, and Valria was at the center of it all.

 

One thing LoJak did know was that he did not want to leave Valria alone, not now. Whatever was wrong with her she was in a dark place right now, and LoJak would not want to let her suffer there alone. Taking a deep breath, he followed after her.

 

He was surprised. He saw her constantly talking aloud, shouting at times. LoJak tried to hear what it was she was saying but she was talking too quickly, and the din of nearby Matoran blocked out most words. LoJak was able to catch a few names, however, ones that he'd heard her mention before. Telric. Mef. Toa that had been important in shaping her life but were now dead. The Toa of Fire was only more confused.

 

Then LoJak realized Valria kept on turning her head in one direction as if there was someone there, even though there wasn't.

 

Haunted by demons from her past. I knew she was scarred from what she'd been through, physically and more, but I thought she'd been getting better. The smile she'd worn after we had raised that statue...

 

LoJak's heart tore at his insides, aching more deeply than ever before. It pained him to see Valria like this, hurting herself worse than any Rahkshi could. He couldn't bear to let this continue. He wouldn't.

 

"Valria!" LoJak shouted from across the street.

 

The Toa of Gravity paused, turning her head to see who had called her name. Now LoJak saw the trails of tears that had been rolling down her cheeks, her eyes red and puffy. He ran to her and grabbed her shoulders before she could ran off.

 

"Valria, listen to me!"

 

She tried to shake away but LoJak held his grip.

 

"Valria, you have to stop running. You'll only up snared even deeper in the shadow's net, and getting out will only be harder. Trust me.... I've been there" LoJak started. "I know that things aren't right. None of it is. Not what the Akiri have done, not the Koros, nothing and no one. But that doesn't mean we can just give up and let things get worse. We're Toa - we have to fight when no one else will, persevere when everyone has given up hope. It is our duty, and our destiny.

 

"I don't have all the answers, but believe me when I tell you things will get better. The Matoran will remember why they fought against Makuta, the Koros will reunite and Mata-Nui will awaken. We'll be able to live in peace. Everything will be as it should, and the three Virtues will reign over the land.

 

"But we'll have to work together to make that happen. Everyone. The fighters, the healers, the builders and leaders, everyone. You don't have to be a warrior to make a difference. You just have to be you.

 

"You might not be strong now, and you might not have as much control over your element as you'd like. But every Toa starts out like that. They all have to train hard every day, push their limits all the time until they're satisfied with what they've achieved. That's what I did, and I know you will to. I know you have the determination, or you would have never gotten to where you are today. But you have to take the first step. You have to be willing to live.

 

"We can show the rest of this island what it means to be Toa and what it means to adhere to the Virtues. Together we can be the role models the people of Mata-Nui need us to be. I know we can."

 

LoJak took a deep breath, finally pausing after the length speech. He looked into Valria eyes, praying that he'd gotten through to her. She was sniffling but she'd stopped crying, momentarily at least. LoJak thought she was finally calming down, but it was difficult to be sure.

 

He let go of her shoulders and took hold of her hands, clasping them in his own.

 

"Now listen to me. Don't you ever worry about losing me, you understand? I've fought my share of enemies back when I had nothing to live for but gold, and I will certainly not let a Rahi or Rahkshi ever stop me now that I have you. Nothing will keep me from finding you, so long as you'll take me. You will take me though, won't you?" LoJak gave Valria a crooked smile, hoping he'd managed to cheer her up.

[Relapse]

IC(Lohka-Ko-Koro)

 

The Matoran obviously liked the idea, bright eyes wide as she nodded, "Sounds great! I'm counting on you to do that!" She pointed at him as he disappeared into the building.

[The Nold]

IC(Ignitus and Xadah):(Ignitus' point of view)Cold. Fix. Cold.I slip off the back of my Gukko onto the frozen ground.I create a flame to keep warm. Making sure it doesn't get too large, I essentially coat my armor in flames, melting the snow and frost. Next to me stands Xadah, sharpening his hatchet on a rock. By this point, he's more or less sober.The others are still landing their birds, so I decide to ask him a question."So, you said you had a grudge against someone here?""Yeah."There's a pause."So," I ask. "What's your story?""Well, I was a Ko-Matoran living here a long time ago. I was never quite normal, always goin' and huntin' instead of studying prophecies and riddles. One day, the class of Matoran I was in, or supposed to be in, at least, was killed by a wild Muaka. I was lucky, or maybe unlucky, enough to be out hunting. Anyway, fast forward 'bout a year, and I found a Toa Stone in a cave. Touched it, and well, this happened. Anyway, over the next years, I became a smuggler, thief, black market salesman, et cetera, et cetera. Anyway, to get back to your first question, I had a girl up 'til yesterday. Found her with some son of a Kavinika named, ah, what was it? Ah, Oriak, I think."What? Oriak? I think."So yeah. I told him to get out if he didn't want to get a good, up-close look at my hatchet, he aimed a crossbow at me, I got chased out of town, ran to Le-Koro, found me a bar, and, well, you saw how that went."He takes a long drink from his bottle."Anyway, looks like he's meetin' the hatchet after all.""So, who was she?""Ah, doesn't matter. Third one this week, probably not the last. Still, though, he's gotta learn his place. Ain't nobody gonna take any girl I'm with and get away with it.":A:

Edited June 14, 2013 by Toa of Awesomeness

[Ghosthands]

IC (Alak)

 

"Hmm," said Alak in response. As an experienced merchant, he could point out several flaws in what Tivanu had just said - for example, the fact that he had said something in one sentence and the complete opposite in the next. But Alak was a shrewd businessman, and he knew that giving out tips was not a good strategy.

 

He glanced at his watch. Almost time for the meeting - he'd better get going.

 

"Gentlemen, it's been a pleasure," he said, rising. Wrapping his grey coat about him and grasping his cane, he strode out of the door and into the cold, making his way through the snowy streets.

[Voxumo]

IC: Tivanu

 

Tivanu looked at Alak and shot him a small wave before he looked to the others gathered and seemed to considered them but said nothing just content to watch for right now

[NorikSigma]

IC: KironGoodness, it was freezing. Worse than his last visit to SulkuaKiron climbed off the Gukko. He had been airsick twice on the trip.He saw the guide and Ignitus talking. Ignitus looked stunned for a second. Kiron decided to walk over.

Edited June 11, 2013 by Norik The Student

[Toatapio Nuva]

IC Jarkale

(Ko-Koro gate):

 

Jarkale shook his head. Xadah's ways would surely bring trouble to the group. For now though, Ingitus seemed so attached to having him in the party that he chose not to voice his thoughts.

 

"Uh, the sanctum is this way...", Jarkale muttered, pointing inside the village. "Please don't cause any trouble, Xadah."