Harvali

IC Kanohi - Kini-Koro

Kanohi paused, thinking. “I … you have given me a starting point at least. I would like to wait, but Councilor NU and I should probably return to Tobduk-Koro sooner than later.” At that thought his fingers began to thump and drum his armor, and he became lost in thought

Finally he spoke up. ”I know our idea was suicide. And clearly I … I am not strong enough to face a war again,” his wrists flapped against his armor wildly as he recalled how quickly he fell to pieces at the sound of Cordak missiles.

He shook his head to continue, “Still, something should be done. I think … start small. Do you think we could send traders to Metru-Nui through the Ice Ruins, and offer some of Tobduk-Koro’s disks in exchange for supplies? Either way, it builds on the truce, but it could also give us a better idea of the League’s situation. If NU uses her sense hijacking staff on the trader, she could scout herself. If we know more information firsthand, maybe we can make better decisions.”

OOC: @Sparticus147 

Nice, more ways to get elemental weapons. 

By the way @Unreliable Narrator I am wondering, if the Aqua Sphere currently in range of the Fire Suva? Just checking if Mahrika can switch swords if she needs to once she goes to the sphere.

Related, @Eyru should I wait for a reply from Tuakana, or should I just post her preparing to return to Kas? Because I would wait, but if a reply is never coming I just want to know. 

IC Kanohi - Kini-Koro

Kanohi swallowed, thinking of Matoran like Avka. They were territorial, refused another to touch their mask, refused to have it studied by Sucordak. He had though they were just proud to have gained more powers, but … was there a mental effect to it? The Matoran could not bring themselves to remove their masks. Even beyond their reliance on it.

It was … Vulimai was touching her mask now. Was she massaging it? That rough texture, Kanohi stimmed and fidgeted with his masks but with that jagged gravely texture…

Finally he said, “I … thank you for your honesty. You must have a strong will to even realize the effect the mask had on you.” Well clearly she did, she had taken charge as soon as those Cordak missiles were launched, facing the danger while he had flailed — no. No wallowing. He had a Duty to do. For Collector.

The Fe-Matoran tapped the mask of his right thigh, “I wonder, the Vortixx in my village has a Kanoka Blade of freezing. Do you think this compulsion would be so great, that they might try to freeze their mask to their head?”

Kanohi shook his head, “It’s a bit dark I suppose. But if you plan to speak to Whisper shortly, do you think it would be possible for me to be present? Before I return to Tobduk-Koro it would be best to know more.”

OOC: @Sparticus147 Kanohi in a rare moment of insight has successfully guessed that if Collector gets their mask desecrated, they would totally freeze it in place. Helps that they would be getting cold resistance.

…

IC Kardaka - the Ruins of Metru-Koro

Kardaka flinched she … she was more unused to her current stature than she though. It had not even occurred to her these towering people were Toa. Toa, the masters of elements, selfish and devote in their superiority. Warriors who would drain a Vuata Maca to death just to recharge their elemental energies. Tow, who likely had abandoned this land for a few more millennia of power.

Pebbles danced in her pouch, as her fingers twirled in fear that she might need a distraction. But for now he had not made a move against her. And she could not hurt him even if she was strong enough. She had no right to judge, and she … she could not hurt another. Not again.

Finally she spoke up, “I am Kardaka, I am a wanderer of this island, performing my penance. You … you came from the Ark, yes?” She gestured towards the colossal sunken head that lay across from the abandoned village. 

OOC: @Onaku @Tarn 

IC Kardaka - the Ruins of Metru-Koro

Kardaka paused as she pulled herself upright. Voices, and they spoke Matoran. Were they survivors of this village, or looters? She shook her head, she should know better after all these millennia. Her people drained the island dry and left it a dying wasteland. Either way, her kind would pillage and raid, before abandoning the weak to pillage elsewhere. They were roving bands, only their ACR’s were cities.

Still she had lost the right to judge. Hers was to serve for penance, to lessen suffering without hope of redemption or reward. And not all who spoke thus tongue were her kind. Their slaves spoke it too.

Rambling platitudes aside, it was clear that she was not moving. She just stood frozen, whether out of fear or something else, she just stayed still, her legs unresponsive.

The yellow and grey Turaga did not interact with Matoran much nowadays. Or people much. When she built that refugee camp of stone tents she immediately hurried away from the survivors, only stopping to help that Vortixx. And even still in her memory … she could feel in their eyes they knew what she had done. Whatever it had been. 

Kardaka slapped her mask’s cheek, she had to do her penance. She had to help. After all that had died, after all her people had done, it was the least she could do. The very least. The Turaga swallowed and walked towards the voice. As she approached her hand went to a pouch, her fingers tickling the strap loose. Just in case she needed to summon her pebbles.

Finally after stalling for ages, Turaga lumbered towards two tall figures, her Badge of Office acting as her third leg. As she drew closer she called out, “Hello? Are you survivors of this village?” 

OOC: @Onaku @Tarn 

IC Kardaka - the Ruins of Metru-Koro

The airship had taken off long before Kardaka had drawn close. As she had walked had done her best to observe the landscape, the water and the ground. The ocean level had not risen much here, perhaps it was the higher elevation. Or perhaps the water was rising unevenly.

The ground was no longer a floodplain, the new Tahtorak had not passed by here, it must had headed elsewhere, perhaps into the swamp. The swamp, it was already marshland, would it be the next part to be flooded? Or had it already been submerged.

Her elemental energies had recovered when she began to spot the village. It was bigger, wider, and it had a silhouette on the horizon. But the land was burst, the land ruptured and bent. Like two Skakdi of Fire and Earth had unleashed their powers below the village.

Once more, a village of survivors had been extinguished. The first by water, this by fire. Perhaps this cycle was ending, and the sinners were being extinguished. And the rising seas, perhaps the next era would be underwater, only the Riggers would survive then, perhaps relying on the Kraata of Aspects to keep them alive. 

This time she did not ride a landslide into the village. A ruin like this, it had been damaged by war. Not a mere beast that had long since passed. And she might need to save her elemental power. Limited as her power was. 

But there may be people here, so she approached. As she stepped into the streets there was not much movement in the village, it was eerily quiet. Broken roofing slid off the scorched huts, some dangled by threads. Weeds had sprouted up here, but they were sickly. Perhaps the poisoned and burnt land was too toxic to flourish in.

As she walked she paused, spying something in the dirt. She bent over, but her feet were too off-balance and she fell. She caught herself on her hands, briefly dropping her staff. She lifted it up and used its leverage to shove herself back upright, before nodding.

Stones had been dislodged here, she could feel them, the grains of rock chipped off, someone had kicked it, perhaps when walking. Which made sense, someone had landed here after all in that ship of the airs. But where any of them still here. 

Kardaka began to walk down the streets, stumbling on the uneven craters. Each time she stumbled she winced. She … she deserved to lose the grace and power she had possessed as a Toa. But still, she should be more careful. Too much noise might attract attention.

OOC: @Onaku @Tarn if you want to interact with her, she’s here. 

IC Kanohi - Kini-Nui

Kanohi paused, thinking. Finally he said. “Thank you, Toa Stannis. But I don’t think I can let myself to believe that, at least not completely. I am not fully innocent. I profit even now because of my breed, despite the better qualifications of others.”

He could not believe he was fully innocent. Not when he had become Akiri with no qualifications. Not all of Tobruk-Koro sings folk songs praising Arkius and Jutori for their help in the flood, while ignoring the aid Collector and the Vahki offered. Even Kanohi had a few songs, despite the resentment of Matoran like Supaka. He still was honored while others who worked just as hard to save lives were forgotten.

He paused and said, “If it’s not too trouble, the vision of a green Toa and a red Toa dying in each other’s arms in a jungle? Do you think you could warn the two Toa speaking to Knichou? The Toa of Jungle and the Toa of Air?  Since both are green, and there are few green Toa in this village, it may be wise to warn them. Just in case one of them is close to a red Toa. Assuming the vision should be taken literally.”

Maybe it’s fortunate that the Toa of Air was now exiled. If she was not in the jungle, she could not die with her beloved.

With that Kanohi hurried off, rushing to Vulimai. “Akiri Vulimai,” Kanohi said as he ran up, “I do have a question. Not on the matter we were discussing, I … you and Stannis spoke wisely. That is all I will say.”

”My question is about your mask. A Vortixx in my village is considering desecrating their new mask, but after seeing Toa Arkius and Toa Atamai’s transformation, they are wary of power. And as a Councilor, it’s important for me to know the downsides of Desecration, so I know how to advise and help my people. So if it’s okay, and not too personal, can you tell me about any changes or experiences since you desecrated your mask? Or any insights into Aspect Whisper? If it’s too personal it’s okay, I plan to ask others such as Toa Taja as well.”

OOC: @Kal the Guardian @EmperorWhenua @Sparticus147 @~Xemnas~ @Toru Nui @BULiK @Snelly @Tarn

IC Kanohi - Kini-Nui

Kanohi froze, then swallowed. The Toa had said it, more openly than Kanohi would dare. He … he had to match that bravery. “Stannis. I … I thank you. I … you probably are wise enough to know that I kn-know. Or suspect. I-I have to say it th-though. I need to know. So I can lead.”

”What I really dreaded, I struggle to say it to you but … the League, they formed because of crimes Toa did, d-didn’t they? At least originally. I am not a complete fool, they killed many who did not deserve it. But the league, the war, it started with us oppressing them. It started with us declaring ourselves the chosen breed of Mata-Nui.”

Then quietly he said, “I … my village was isolated. Ignorant. I worry, the only reason we did not profit off the suffering of others, was because we had no way off our island. Because none of us knew other breeds existed. Not because we were noble or kind, but because we just didn’t have the opportunity to be our worst selves. And even then, I think of some lessons our Turaga taught us, and I worry.”

He shook himself off and began to walk off, saying, “I should not wallow. If there is something I still trust in that Turaga Bomahri taught me, it is to break things down into more manageable tasks. Make the duty ahead smaller. Don’t worry about making a Great Kiril. Worry first about making a disk of regeneration.” He paused briefly, perhaps to hear Stannis’s reply, before hurrying after Vulmai. 

OOC: @EmperorWhenua @Sparticus147 @~Xemnas~ @Toru Nui @BULiK @Snelly 

IC Kanohi - Kini-Nui

Kanohi nodded, “I don’t think I would want my mask desecrated, the surface would be too jagged and well, I don’t think I would know what to do with more power. I think … I am comfortable with my current limits. Cross-wired and anxious as I am, I do not need to be changed. Or to have power…”

He trailed off, thinking. How much should he say. Finally he  continued, “Forgive me this, but I … I don’t think I view the Toa the same as I did once. I still know there are many great Toa, noble heroes but … they are people. Different than me, but still Protoderms. I have seen some at their lowest points, and because they were Toa, I did not realize they needed help. I do not wish to make that mistake again.”

The Councilor made a note to ask NU if she would want a Hive built. Not just to support additional Vahki that rebelled against the League, but just in case. He was no expert on robotics, but he believed he had heard that the other Vahki rely on NU to a degree. Like a mobile Hive. That kind of constant mental strain, the strain of leading Tobduk-Koro could be taxing for him. Imagine supporting other minds.

He stood up to follow after Vulimai, but hesitated. “Stannis, I do have a question. I dread the answer, but you may know it. I have … I have heard…” he winced, he could not ask about the crimes of the Toa. It … Stannis was too old. As much as it hurt to consider, he might have been a part of why the League rebelled.

So instead he said, “I overheard Whisper and the Administrator talking. The Administraror said that an Ark had been launched from Zakaz. The Ark was our old universe, wasn’t it? This land had once been our home, and we abandoned it?”

OOC: @EmperorWhenua @Sparticus147 @~Xemnas~ @Toru Nui @BULiK @Snelly 

…

IC Kardaka - the Ruins of Po-Koro

Kardaka had walked for miles across the dead land of Zakaz. Once, her people had given it their own names, but as they had killed it and then abandoned it, she took the name used by those people who stayed behind. They were not a kind people, but neither was hers. And despite her efforts, neither was she.

She had walked across the unnatural flood plains with growing fear, her large feet oozing through the mud and silt. Canyons and creeks carved by a Tahtorak’s tail cleaved through the land, the beast had terraformed the land into a waterlogged wasteland.

If the Tahtorak had belonged to Nektann Jr, perhaps this had been an attempt to revitalized the wasteland. Bring rain to a barren dry landscape. Perhaps a Tahtorak of the Green would have been a better choice. Still, it was a nice thought. Though her fear yet grew.

Her last few hundred feet had been more turbulent. As she grew closer and closer it became clearer that the village heir not breach the flat horizon. Then she left it had been only of stone tents, but even still. And then as she grew closer she realized the truth.

The ground had swallowed up the stone tents, the mud engulfed it until each structure had sunken. There were no Matoran in sight, nor Vortixx, nor Skakdi. The village she made of stone had been destroyed. 

Pebbles had flowed out of her pouches, flying beneath her large feet. With a thrust of her Bade of Office the many stones began to tumble and roll, carrying her on a controlled flat landslide. She roller-skated across the terrain on her pebbles, moving far faster than her clumsy steps.

Finally she tumbled to a halt before the ruins of the village. She almost collapsed in the mud she … she had not realized how much weaker her elemental power was. She started to levitate the stones back into her pouches, but stopped herself. Best not exhaust her elemental energies, if she had not already. She scooped handfuls of pebbles into her pouches before hurrying into the village to look for anyone who needed help.

Try as she might, no one was in sight. She reached into the mud with her Badge of Office, stirring through the gunk. There were a few masks deep in the gunk, had they been buried? Then, were there survivors?

She waited an hour, spending it searching among the ruins. Gradually as her elemental energies regenerated she began to stomp her feet, trying to feel through the stones. There were some corpses, but they were buried deep, in the tunnels of the Worm. Maybe they were victims of the flood that hit this place, not buried.

Finally the Turaga stood in the mud, leaning on her Badge of Office. Too many villagers were missing, there had been far more when she had built this place. Survivors existed. Maybe taken as slaves by the Skakdi, maybe fled to another settlement.

And then Kardaka saw it. A massive cylindrical oval, plowing through the sky like a Razor Whale off the coast. This ship of air powered through the sky, like a solid cloud.

”Technology from the Ark?” She wandered, watching it as it suddenly turned, and began to move downward, moving to the southeast of her position. Could that be where the new village lay? She began to walk towards the airship, even as its height diminished. It was certainly landing, whether in a village or not she did not know. But she would reach it. 

OOC: @Onaku @Tarn It will take time, but there’s a Turaga of Stone headed your way. This scene with her is sort of a flashback, it takes place back when the Crimson Galleon landed seeking medical aid for Tuyet.

Congrats @Nato the Traveler it was a great read from start to finish. And I have to appreciate how you were willing for Sidra to really get hurt, really showed the stakes. It was nice to see a rarely visited part of canon Metru-Nui history, and you really set up the conflict with Sidra and her past and present. Very enjoyable. 

And congrats to all you folks writing Far Shore adventures, they seem really fun, and I am getting more and more tempted to give it a try myself. Y’all have been really inspiring, thanks for the cool stories.

IC Kanohi - Kini-Nui

Kanohi shakily moved off of Stannis, and nodded. “S-sorry, I hope you aren’t hurt. I … panicked.” The Fe-Matoran sat up, rubbing his head. He forced a laugh, “I almost thought I was having a vision, thought I was back in Metru-Nui for a second.”

He sighed, “I don’t know if I spoke too quickly to you earlier, but Po-Koro has been abandoned. I was greeting a number of travelers, when a colossal storm began to rage. We were only on the fringes, but the rain turned the ground into a quagmire, the buildings collapsed, people drowned in the mud. Because of the travelers most of us survived.”

”In the wake of the destruction I had a vision. Well, a series of them. Islands rising out of the sea to form a toothy jaw, light bursting through darkness, a green and a red Toa dying in each other’s arms, and of a peaceful village laying besides a ruined temple.”

”Some of the villagers told us that they had found a ancient temple, so I had us travel there to form a new village. It’s going well, it’s a lot less ramshackle than Po-Koro, regularly makes disks of regeneration and weakening, a few Jutlin and Kiril have also been made there, some even powered. Got a pasture for Mahi too. We call it Tobduk-Koro. It’s connected to this village, the temple has a portal that goes to and from Kini-Koro.”

”The portal opened when Toa Atamai inserted a Great Disk into a lock. His body was enhanced when the door opened, and strangely his personality seemed different too. Another was caught in the blast, Toa Arkius.  He grew stronger too, his mask melted into his face. His personality changed too, and almost immediately he left the village with Toa Jutori, Kilo, and Toa Kat to unlock another door. I … I worry for their health. This power seems … dangerous for the mind.”

The councilor turned to look after Vulimai as she started to leave, “I … I need to ask something to Akiri Vulimai. And the Toa Taja. One of my villagers is interested in Aspect Whisper desecrating his mask. Other villagers in Tobduk-Koro have already desecrated their masks, but he is wary. He saw Toa Atamai and Toa Arkius change, and he fears the side effects. And well, as a leader of Tobruk-Koro, I should figure out what the cost of desecrating masks might be. L-lives depend on me.”

OOC: @EmperorWhenua @Sparticus147 @~Xemnas~ @Toru Nui @BULiK @Snelly @Tarn

Maybe Knichou could direct her to the Fau Swamp, since he now knows there is a village there? 

IC Kardaka - the shrinking northwest coast of Zakaz

The world had been dying for countless years, millennia had gone by. All because of the greed of the Matoran. Their cruelty, their arrogance, it had poisoned their world. The rich and their slaves had sought to flee the dying island, escape to the stars. But their escape was doomed, one does not outrun one’s sins. Not for long. Not forever.

A Turaga of Stone peered over the coastline, her mask furrowed in thought. “It’s growing,” she muttered, “or the island is shrinking.” She gazed over to the shadow of the head, the remains of the Ark that the powerful fled on. It had started to sink too. She paused, could the head have displaced the ocean, risen the water level? No, the head of the Ark was unimaginably colossal, but not big enough to deform the ocean itself.

Still, something had changed. The water level was rising, and if it continued, even the hardly Skakdi would be flooded. Assuming the Rig and the fort had not yet collapsed. It had been some time since she had eyed them. Legs too short to work quickly.

She stepped forward, nearly stumbling on her big feet. Funny, her feet were still the same size, it was the rest of her that had shrunken. She did not regret giving up her Toa power, it had been part of her penance. She had saved the life of that Vortixx, it was far more important for the life of a slave to be saved, than another Toa pollute this isle.

The Turaga paused and turned to face the south, moving her gaze East. That village she had built, well, she supposed a refugee camp was a more honest description; was it still standing? Between the violent rainstorm and the island sinking, how much longer would the shelter of stone tents last?

Kardaka made her decision, and began to walk south, back to the refugee camp she had carved of rock and stone. She had her penance, as a Toa she had served the Matoran, and though her memories were faint, she knew she had done terrible things. She did not recall them, but she knew her actions had killed the island, same as any Toa. So until Tren Krom released her from this cycle, she must serve her penance and help all who still lived. And for now, that was the people of the ‘village’ of stone.

OOC: Kardaka wandering the west coast, heading south towards the ruins of Po-Koro

…

IC “Collector” - Tobduk-Koro

Collector spat, “You sound like a Vortixx.” Conniving monsters, testing any new weapon they developed on anyone in reach. Still, too many lives depended on this machine working properly, as they continued to search for any damage. They owed it to Tobduk-Koro.

As they worked they continued, “The light of Krom, there is a Turaga native to this island known as Klawne. She has spoken of a god known as Tren-Krom. Is his the light you empowered Toa Arkius and Toa Atamai with? And what kind of god is this Tren Krom?”

And most importantly, why did the power of this god change their minds? Atamai, whenever Collector encountered him since his transformation he seemed colder, emptied, more a machine than a Toa. But Arkius, that anger, that passion. Collector had not seen Arkius since, but it was clear he was more volatile. It was as if the emotions of Atamai had been drained out of him and then pumped into Arkius.

Why would a God’s power cause that kind of mental dis-balance?

OOC: @Unreliable Narrator @Toru Nui

Mahrika: huh, I appear to have adapted to have gills. That’s … troubling. 

IC Mahrika - The Suva of Fire

Mahrika optics widened, but not at her new Flame Sword. No this … this blade, she had not even considered that she held a weapon that could be wielded against Aspects. This … this changed the scenario completely.

Focusing, the Desecrated Ga-Matoran reached out through her mind to the Aspect Tuakana. “Brother Tuakana, we need to talk. This is urgent. I have discovered a blade that can harm your people. It was build by a Forgemaster, I … I can hardly believe it, but I believe its creator is the giant whose massive head lays on our island. The lesser spirit Mata-Nui.” 

She paused to swing the Flame Sword. It felt lighter than the Legendary Blade, like embers drifting on the wind. She continued, “When an Aspect is hit by this Crystal Blade, they are knocked out of their current body. And their gaseous form can be harmed by the blade, once they have been expelled from their body.”

Mahrika swallowed, “W-would you want this blade? To wield against other tricksters? I … I can tell you how to unlock it, though you will need a sword to a trade for it. I … I have a sword I could trade, but I suspect the other sword will be more useful to me.” As she spoke the Flame Sword’s blade erupted in flames, the air around it rippling like the fumes from an oil stove. Her optics widened, and her telescopic lens peered up and down the blade in awe. 

OOC: @Unreliable Narrator @Burnmad @Eyru For reference, the events Mahrika is participating in still take place during the time skip before the game started. But yeah, she’s got to talk to her boss about this.

In other news, I took some photos of Mahrika today, include some with Vokarda before she started living in Mahrika’s belly.

…Yeah I literally just made them from 2001 Matora and Macku. 

Nice. I have no plans to make more Matoran PCs or MCs, but that satisfies my curiosity.

You know, there is a question I have about breed quirks. When I read the Onu-Matoran page on BS01, it notes they not only have strong dark vision (and poor vision in daylight) but they also have more strength than most Matoran. So would those both count for their  breed quirk? Because for some reason I thought Onu-Matoran in this game were shown to have the vision thing. Am I misremembering?

Also does a happy puzzle-solving dance.

IC Mahrika - The Suva of Fire

Mahrika leapt with relief, before nearly stumbling under the weight of the sword on her back. She recovered, and began to massage Vokarda with one hand and her mask with the other. What was she missing?

12:00, most clocks started at that position, right? She couldn’t recall, she did not think her tribe typically possessed that kind of technology, the only clock they had made was from Vokarda, after she had reverse-engineered one that had been traded to their village. She was always been good at tinkering, it’s how she made Mahrika’s telescopic lens.

The Desecrated Ga-Matoran shook her head, she needed to focus. If the other doors were not the starting positions for their rings, then she needed to start from 12:00. She slid the Cream Ring to the 2:00 position, and the green ring to the 1:00 position. Was she still on the right track?

OOC: @Unreliable Narrator @Burnmad 

IC Mahrika - The Suva of Fire

The Desecrated Ga-Matoran paced back and forth. What was she not getting? She still could not hear the voice of the Suva, nor her big brother for that matter—

Tuakana. Their goal was to become the god of time, to destroy death. The last Suva involved the passage of time, and cycles, she recalled circles and cycles were vaguely important, if it was about time, perhaps this Suva was meant to resemble something like a sundial. But more like the mechanisms of the Vahki corpse she scavenged her Kanoka from. A clock.

If the red North door, if that was significant, maybe it was meant to recall the 12:00 setting on an analog clock. So then Cream would be at 4:00, and Green at 8:00. And if she took those doors as the starting places to move the rings, and if she moved them by the hour, based off the numbers in the statues…

Mahrika moved the Red Ring to face the 4:00 position, the Cream to face 6:00, and the Green to face 9:00. Would this finally work?

OOC: @Unreliable Narrator @Burnmad 

Here you go. At this point I am pretty sure the attempt I did in that post is wrong, but at least I already know my next plan.

In other news, here are my current notes on the Fire Suva puzzle. I haven’t posted my current theory yet, waiting on a reply, but if the Suva is indeed meant to be a clock, then maybe the numbers refuse to moving the rings that many hours. So if my latest attempt is wrong, I believe I will need to put green on 9:00, put cream on 6:00, and put red on 4:00. 

IC Kanohi - Kini-Nui

Kanohi looked away, unable to match Stannis’s gaze. “You … you … I am s-s-sorry, you are right. I kind of w-wish you were not though. The Vahki saved the Matoran of Po-Koro during the flood, we owe them. And even if we did not, it … it feels wrong to let them remain slaves.” He shuddered briefly, drumming his armor made of masks.

”I … forgive me for my rudeness, everyone. I … I know the Vahki were … in Metru-Nui, they could be … overzealous, I f-felt it firsthand. B-but, I have to believe they can change. And the Vahki of Tobruk-Koro have changed. I … if they can change, so can we.”

The Councilor continued, “B-but … peace has finally been brokered for the first time in millennia, I-I cannot throw it away. It would be i-irresponsible. Monstrous. So many have died already, and so many more would die. And there are already few of us left. I … I cannot be rash. B-but the order of slavery is no peace at all. It … it’s wrong. But I cannot break the truce, not with so few l-left to fight. I … I do not want to be like the Late Turaga.”

”It’s … I’m sorry this is obvious to all present, b-but to lead right now, it f-feels like I am standing between a Nui-Kopen and a Nui-Rama. No path is safe, no path is good. B-but I still have to decide on one choice.”

He bowed low to Councilor NU, “I am sorry that we might need to wait. I … I am so sorry. But we can still prepare and plan at least, for this revolution. Even if it comes long after I am dead and you have a new co-councilor to deal with. H-hopefully it will be a lot sooner than that, though. I … s-sorry.”

Then Kanohi swallowed, “Toa Stannis, I know I am naive and a fool. Th-thank you for being honest, as much as I do not like this truth, I needed to h-hear this. Do you think it is possible to request Aurax loosen his grip on the Vahki? Maybe through diplomacy? Likewise, do you think we could set up a Hive here or in Tobruk-Koro, to allow the Vahki who do defect from the League and rebel to find a home here?”

OOC: @EmperorWhenua @Sparticus147 @~Xemnas~ @Toru Nui @BULiK @Tarn

IC Kanohi - Kini-Nui

Kanohi had not really noticed Vulimai’s reaction, he had been uncomfortable gazing at the mask and had turned away. But Nale’s reaction reached his sensors, as did Vulimai’s reply. Had he made her uncomfortable, drawing attention to her mask?

“S-sorry, did not mean to be rude,” he said as he followed them out of the airship. He shouldn’t have said anything. It was cruel of him. Though, he had to ask for Collector. Though, if Collector had a desecrated mask, would he be similarly uncomfortable. And was this more of the Matoran fear of things unlike them?

As he followed Vulimai he found Stannis standing besides the Aspect Whisper, along with the Toa Taja. He … he had a duty to their unity. He swallowed and apologized, “Toa Taja, I am sorry for blurting out a request earlier only to leave. It … it was rude. Toa Stannis, I am sorry for not taking the time to speak to you in length, I have no excuse for either.”

OOC: @EmperorWhenua @Nato the Traveler @Sparticus147 @Toru Nui @Tarn @Eyru