Magnus Greel

IC: Team Comet: the Arena:Once they finally stopped spinning, Team Comet got an unsteady look at the lava strewn battlefield. Questions flew through Hexxon's mind, like ''Who did this - the Arena operators?'' and ''Why would anyone go this far?''.''No one told me it was going to be this dangerous!'' Kaytana cried, still acting unlike herself, and panting from the heat. They both checked themselves for any damage that they might have recieved before turning intangible. Nothing physical, fortunately. But that horrible roar still rang in their heads, and a vertigo feeling kept them off balance. It was nothing they couldn't shake off, except for the possible headache later. They couldn't have these problems stop them from winning the match. ''Were not done yet,'' Hexxon told his Skakdi partner. ''We're probably much more suitable to continue fighting than the other competitiors. I doubt they could escape this unless they had some special power. Otherwise, I'd say they're done now.'' Through all the smoke and molten rock, he couldn't spot Calik. He didn't get to see if his Shadow wave had hit, but maybe the volcano finished him off. The thought of all the injuries caused by this made him grimace; the people fighting eachother here may be in the infimary for weeks.''Come on,'' he said. ''We can still win this. I feel a scout out would benefit us. There might be the slightest chance others survived.'' Decreasing their density even more, to the point where they floated higher up into the air, Hexxon pulled Kaytana over with him to the center of the Arena. Both moved themselves around so that they began spinning slowly, their eyes scanning the area below first, then the outer ring.

IC: Parched WastesGreel had Rocky back up and leave the broken building. Outside, he looked around, searching for a spot to bury the deceased Toa of Fire. While doing so, he thought about this ceremony thing. When other slaves died, did they just rot on the ground, with no one caring about their bodies? Perhaps Irriane was one of the few dead who someone actually took the time to lay them to rest. After a few moments, he resumed his search. Greel didn't think about it any longer; it was just something not commonly thought upon here.IC: Parched WastesReptak and Vertan walked upon the sands of the Parched Wastes once more, having left Ashring far behind. The place had gotten boring at the moment, and now they wanted to explore the rest of the island. Both Skakdi had passed by ruins, not even stopping to check out the places. Not that they feared that other slaves would attack (they certainly believed that nothing could win against them now) but because the two didn't want to spend more time in this dry desert. IC: Parched WastesAlong the way, Vertan had absorbed the blistering heat from the air to replenish his Elemental energies that he had used before. It upset him a little that he hadn't savored his power at the moment he and Reptak worked together, instead losing the opportunity in battle with that Toa Arillan. Taking advantage of the opportunity now, he conjured up flames in his hand, which leviatated just aboved his palm. It was good to use them again, to feel the warmth and fire bending to his will, doing his every whim.A few moments later, he closed his claw into a fist, and opened it again; the fire was gone, sucked into his body.Then he stopped, seeing something. He launched himself ontop a dune, and looked ahead. A single slave walked by, wearing armor of silver. He seemed to be grumbling about something... something that had to do with being attacked by another slave and losing a satchel and supplies.Grinning, Vertan raised the sonic bow, and pulled back on the string.Wait, wait for it... wait for the right moment. The slave stopped, apparently looking up at the map.Now!He let go of the string of sound, letting an arrow fly. It struck the slave with a banging sound, shattering his dull-colored armor into thousands of pieces, and knocking him down. Before he could get up, identical beams of impact energy collided with his shoulder, and a force bolt hit his left leg. With a bellowing cry, Vertan vaulted to him, hoisting his club and bring it down.There was a sickening crunch and a cry of pain, and the slave was still. The Skakdi pulled his weapon from the mess, pulling off mechanical pieces from the spikes.''You see that, Shepherds?'' Vertan called to the sky. ''Because that's the thing I do best!''Several feet away, Reptak rolled his eyes at the gruesome sight. It was typical Skakdi warrior behavior. The two then marched back on.IC: Eastern SeaThe water behind the Griffon II pushed the boat north as Reya disturbed them with her powers.IC: ShadowtangleHexxon had returned to his mountain base in Shadowtangle. Unfortunately, some others hadclaimed the riddle cache before him, and do all that wondering and teleporting was for nothing. Oh, well, he thought, stepping back into his cave. Perhaps next time. But one cache is not enough. I need more to survive on this place of pain. Even my current abilities will not last forever.

IC: Parched WastesGreel turned his head all around, taking in the sight of the ruins. It wasn't grand - or maybe it was, at one point - but not an utter mess.Shrugging, he said, ''Not too terrible. It can serve its purposes just fine.'' The entrance was just big enough to allow Rocky through, who was urged to come in by his master with a pull of the reins. ''Now,'' he said, ''first things first: what to do with her?'' Greel pointed to the dead form of Irriane. Once she was taken care of, they could get to work.

IC: Team Comet: the Arena:The shaking had caught both Kaytana's and Hexxon's attention. He didn't like the feeling of what was going on - whatever it was - and moved quickly, grabbing Kaytana - who was screaming at something - by the arm. He instantly activaded his Density Control power, turning both intangible as the volcano erupted and exploded.He thanked her shouting as he saw chucks of debris fly all around them, also causing the pair to roll around in the air due to their decreased weight and inflicting dizziness. She had alerted him in time to safe both from unwanted injuries, though they could still feel the great heat from the lava, and perhaps a later headache from the rumbling that met their ears.OOC: Would that work, or is it immpossible? I'll edit if I need to.

IC: AshringBoth Skakdi stood there, astounded, their eyes fixed on the tree fragments first, then the sonic bow. ''Amazing...'' Reptak breathed. ''It's a bow... charged with sonic energy.'' The ends of his mouth curved upward at sharp angles, forming a wicked smile. Vertan's mouth was in an ''O'' shape, with a surprised look on his face, his scarlet eyes wide. Then it turned into a great smile too, revealing all his pointed teeth. He threw back his head, letting out long lasting, wild laughter. It was as if his destructiveness had increased tenfold. That wasn't good. ''Think of the possibilities, the damage we could do with this...'' Reptak said, his voice tainted with evil and curiosity. ''But is there a time limit on it, before it runs out of energy - if it does?'' Reptak seemed to be talking to himself, for Vertan wasn't listening. He pointed the bow at a piece of volcanic rock, pulled back on the almost invisible thread, aimed, and let go. The arrow of sound streaked through the hazardous air and hit the stone, reducing it to almost nothing but dust. A sudden blur caught their eyes, which caused their grins became snarls, and low growls escaped their lips. Vertan held onto the bow too tightly, so Umaroth couldn't take it. Although they couldn't see this new attacker, they could definately tell that someone just tried to steal the recently discovered prize. Another arrow hit the ground, but it was a distraction. A strong whirling of winds captured the black smoke from the air in their movements, sucking it in and bringing it down to the three. View was now blocked for several minutes, but the currents finally ceased. When the smoke cleared, Reptak, Vertan, the bow, and the cache box were all long gone, the two having escaped using memory of their surroundings. IC: Eastern SeaReya stepped on deck, making way for the rail. She stopped, her eyes on the sea. With both hands out, the waters below churned, bubbling and foaming.''Which direction?'' she called back.

OOC: Yeah, Hexxon did get. Actually, it was a Kaukau. :PToD: Hexxon's swimming in the southeastern sea, having solved the riddle, but obviously is too late. So I don't think Trian and Felix would have seen him by now.IC: AshringReptak had flown straight to Ashring, where he knew Vertan would most certainly be dwelling in. Typical behavior of a Fire type, the green cloud thought. He loves the heat. Sure enough, there was the red-colored Skakdi, sitting on the western coast of Ashring. But something was different; he was grasping a box...No, it can't be...The crystalline fragments of Reptak drifted down to his partner.Vertan gazed upon the wonderful prize he held. He had swum all the way back to this spot, and he knew he must wait for Reptak. The Skakdi didn't even spot the green mist-like form of Reptak descending from the smoky sky. ''Vertan!'' Looking up from the cache, Vertan watched as Reptak reformed, his mouth first, and then the rest of him. ''Look! I found it! That Toa hadn't thought to take a look below. I grabbed it -''''- And you came here,'' Reptak finished. ''Because you knew he might come, and I would find you here. I see you haven't opened it yet.... How kind of you to wait.''Vertan simply looked back down. ''Yes, but no more waiting. You're here, so let's see...''Both ambitious Skakdi watched greedily as they snapped off the lock, and looked inside...IC: Parched WastesGreel nodded as Nostala left to check. He could see the ruins coming up, and soon they could rest, plan, and get to know everyone.IC: Eastern Sea''Yes,'' Reya said, breaking the silence. ''The Wastes would be a nice spot to start.''She hadn't at all visited the island's other side, but she didn't want them to know that.''And blacklisted?'' she thought. Then realized that might have been what the possible two Shepherds said. Whatever the problem was, she shook her head. ''It's time to get going.''

IC: Western SeaReptak floated over the western waters of the Island of Pain. Vertan was nowhere to be seen, he wasn't even under the water - a quick dip clarified that. His first thought was that maybe his Skakdi partner had left him - or drowned, or swallowed by a Takea, or been blown away. No, he's too strong for that... where is he? Then he knew the place where Vertan might be, an area he would love, and flew off to that location.

IC: Toothy BaneReptak was angered by Arillan's statement, by calmed. This fighting wasn't getting them anywhere. Both had lost the cache within, the search was over.''Fine, Toa. But just so you know, we were in the water first, we swam along counterclockwise to the prize. We earned it, not scum like you.''Done and defeated, Reptak fell apart into dust and flew back to the sea where he thought Vertan awaited. He was quite wrong, however, as his Skakdi comrade was long gone. Talk about underestimating an ememy, he thought to himself. He bluffs, he knows I am more powerful, he knows nothing of me. I know when and how to deal with my opponents. Next time we see him... there won't be an Arillan on this isle.

IC: Southwestern/Weastern SeaThere! Vertan spotted it! Quickly he scooped the cache, and swam off with it. He knew that if Arillan hadn't found that it wasn't in the buoy, then he would come back. So the Skakdi headed away. Reptak would know where he went, he was sure - he was smart.

IC: Hexxon: the Arena:Whatever small, darkness particles remained of his tendrils grew and expanded rapidly, becoming a large wave. It was like water, but black, with a purple ''mist'' around it. Hexxon sent that flow of energy at the approaching Calik, focusing on it like the field of darkness he had made earlier, so it would take out the enemy light and warmth.

OOC: But what was pushing the buoy there? Decreasing it gravity would cause it to go up, instead of floating in all different directions.IC: With Reptak moving around in the sky, it was hard to get a concentrated air attack to disperse his particles, so only a large chuck was blown off. Indeed, it was not pleasent, but Arillan was underestimating his foe. The bits of crystal that still stayed together flew down toward the Toa, the bottom collecting into a pair of legs, and the rest of him followed, the blown away pieces returning under his will. His eyes flashed again, causing two laser beams at full intensity to fly at Arillan.

OOC: Wouldn't they still be over the water?IC: When he felt the buoy fall, Reptak had simply dissolved into his crystal form, leaving the object to fall alone. Now he reformed quicly, blasting the piece Arillan stood on in two with his eyebeams. He then shattered his body again, ready to watch the Toa share the same fate as the buoy, and shifting around in the air excitedly.

IC: Team Comet: the Arena:''Hexxon!'' Surprised, the black and gold-armored officer turned to see Kaytana's face. Normally, he wouldn't be surprised to see her, but the Skakdi sounded... different, looked different. She wore an expression of fright and uncertainty upon her horned face - not a usual appearance. Further more, why was she not challenging her competitors?''What are you doing?'' he asked, puzzeled. Then he noticed his shadow tentacles fading from around Calik. With a snap of his fingers, they returned, and slithered off to trap the Toa again. ''It was someone in here. I can't attack without realizing it might not work, even the audience seems to smirk at me!'' Kaytana cried angrily, though she sounded scared as well. Hexxon turned back to Calik, stroking his chin. ''Well, we'll deal with it after this one falls. Can you at least keep an eye out?''Kaytana nodded and hesitantly looked all around.

OOC: I found that under the ''Combining Elements'' section of the Elemental Powers page. I believe that's when they purposely put their two elements together, while they can use them separately. Also, I found this quote from Destiny War, where two Skakdi use their powers: So, if they could only use their elements together, then the two Skakdi would only have succeeded in making an instant seal, instead of having the bolts fly overhead.IC: Southwestern SeaArillan had only succeeded in making the buoy lighter; he needed something to push the object to the island. Though Reptak wasn't going to give him that chance. The gust was indeed powerful, but the Skakdi had found a good holding on a section of the buoy, and had even dug his claws into the surface. He gripped tightly to it, refusing to give up. ''Be careful,'' he said once the wind died down, ''you don't want to deal with a Skakdi's temper.''Two laser beams of energy flashed from his eyes, slicing off the part of buoy Arillan stood on. Then he aimed a kick at the Toa, in order to keep him off his feet. IC: Southern SeaImmediately after the winds vanished, Vertan ducked underwater, escaping the air current, and then he kicked forward with his powerful legs.Up above, Reptak was fighting with his teammate, who also needed his help. They were most likely beyond the range of using their powers together, so Vertan would have to get up there quickly.But then a thought occured to him. Was the cache underwater, in the ''dregs'' of the sea, or inside the buoy? If it was inside the buoy, then Reptak might easily get it. If it was down here, Vertan could look for it.He made a cursory search of the seabed, needing to get back up soon.

Actually, it would benefit Arillan - by not getting shredded. Reptak wouldn't be fighting at all, also. Hence why he told everyone to stop fighting. He'd be trying to help contain his partner, probably.

IC: Southwestern SeaUnfortunately for Arillan, Reptak was perched ontop the buoy, and close to the Toa. He had only caught himself in his own storm, getting water on his face as well. There was an easy solution for the green Skakdi here: laser vision. The lasers from his eyes, being composed of bright, searing light, evaporated the liquid, and he blew the rest away. His head whipped in Arillan's direction. ''Unfortunately, we have to leave you alive, too. Such a same - and how ironic. Did you really think you could beat two Skakdi?'' Because he, too, was blinded, Arillan's concentration on both the buoy's gravity and the winds would begin to deminish. And having a gold blade at his chest wouldn't help. Reptak then exerted a small amount of his will upon the winds, in order to slow them down somewhat. IC: Southwestern SeaVertan wasn't being idle. He used his impact power to blast the water from his eyes, and then a little heat to evaporate it. What was this Toa thinking? Taking on two Skakdi and putting up a hasty getaway?Not if I can help it. There better be some backup for this ''Arillan'' character, because I'm just about ready to pull him apart. I didn't going swimming around this sea just to get crushed by an arrogant Toa!Focusing, he began building up a heat attack.OOC: TPtI, is the cache with the buoy, or underwater?

IC: Eastern Sea Hexxon floated in the water, thoughtful, his head and shoulders above the waves, and his Kaukau switched off. His eyes were fixed on the riddle next to the map, moving back and forth as he read the lines. He was in the perfect spot to head back ''home'' on the mountain, but he could also head for the hidden cache's location. I think I got it. It obviously said to begin at Ashring - Dragon's Roost, more accurately - and to stay away from the desert. ''Follow those with fish'' meant that one would have to do some swimming, and navigate around the island in a counterclockwise path. But when to stop might be the question. Did it mean to head inland after moving west from the volcanic coast, to get to the Shimmering Maze? That was his first guess, but he knew from the minds of Sledge, Trian, Qayzaf, and Felix that there had been a special cache in there before, and the content of that prize was now his. So, he knew it wouldn't be inside the maze, or below - that would be redundant. But maybe it tells one to go around until one is south of the maze? he had speculated. That was his second, final guess. If I really want to go, I can always use my Kualsi to teleport there in a few moments, by traveling to the farthest spot in my range of vision. It's an even bigger opportunity for me, for it must be located in the sea, and I can spend almost as much time as I want searching the seabed for it. Giving a shrug, Hexxon removed the Kaukau from his Mask of Quick Travel. Once there, his powers would be fully recharged, and he could just disguise his presence from all the other contenders. They would never detect him. With that, he looked to the south; just two teleports would do; one from here, and then one west. Then he would be directly west of the Shimmering Maze. The Toa of Psionics vanished from the spot, leaving the waters of the east alone.

TPtI, adding Caretakers would definately add excitement to the fight. It would be fun to have Vertan try and plow through them as he tries to hurt Arillan.

OOC: And the laser beams?IC: Southwestern SeaThe amount of concentration required of the wind to break Vertan's focus was enough that Arillan's was lessened on both Skakdi - or Reptak, specifically. He floated doward, already planning of an effective attack when he heard the Toa's words. ''Member of Team Patronage?'' he said, coming to a rest on the floating buoy, his twin talons curled around the edge. ''Wait! Stop this senseless attack! A member of Patronage cannot fight another!'' Then, he said, with a smirk on his face, ''Vertan - you're partners with a Toa.''IC: Southwestern SeaVertan went rolling through the air from the attack, but didn't fall - merely came to a slowing stop, due to his decreased gravity. His first thought was to prepare another fire attack, but paused at Arillan and then Reptak's sentences.I'm allied with a Toa! As if this day couldn't get worse... I despise Toa.''I, Vertan of Team Patronage, love fighting anywhere, especially against weak Toa like you! Think about taking our treasure? We'll see about that...''He waited for a response from both Arillan and Reptak, all the while raging at his placement on such a team.OOC: At first, I thought they could fight, just not severly injure or kill, but then I remembered this: IC: Yawning Sunder/Eastern SeaHexxon swam through the waters of the Yawning Sunder, his Kanohi Kakau glowing in the dark waters. He still held all his equipment, except for the cache box. It was probably smashed, somewhere in the rocks at the waterfall's base. Having the cache itself didn't matter to him; he already had a container for his Kanohi.So, that's - what? Four masks now? I'm on a roll. Too bad it didn't have anything else, though. I could do with a power up right now. The whole breathing water thing was new to him; he hadn't used a Kaukau before, but he knew its power and shape. The time he was spending swimming out of the chasm of the Sunder would give him time to regenerate the elemental energy he had used - which wasn't much, but still. Now he headed back to his mountain home, where he could rest until the next hunt. Or solve that riddle, he thought.

OOC: Levacius, what about the attacks?IC: Southwestern SeaReptak, once up in the air, had returned to his normal form: a light green and gold Skakdi, eyes filled with hate, and both pointed at Arillan. They began to glow, and twin laser beams shot out, aimed directly at the Toa. And unfortunately, the mask he wore could not create black holes - only able to lift or press down a target.Vertan's personal vacuum bubble was shredded by his ''friend'' and had fresh air flooding his lungs as well. His scarlet-colored eyes held fury more intense than Reptak's, for he hated Toa - all of them. He pointed a claw at Arillan's glowing Kanohi as he floated up, increasing the temperature on it to searing, and then hotter. Not enough to melt the mask, but making it painful to wear anylonger, about to heat up the metal face, and the organic components behind that.OOC: Last post for today.

OOC: Hexxon's pretty much going to stay on his own for most of the game. He'll go after caches, work from his little base, maybe ally - but not team up. He simply will want to survive, be alone for the duration.Reptak and Vertan will be together, since they need eachother to access their elements. What they'll do? Time will tell... and Vertan will definately have his rematch with Levacius and Amalia, though at a later time. As for Reya, she just wants to leave and go back to being a thief. IC: Southwestern SeaWhat Arillan found was a giant fireball coming at him, along with a volley of force bolts. Being in the sea first had its advantages, and so the two Skakdi were not so far behind as the Toa of Air would probably have liked.Both were at the buoy, Vertan coming out of the water via his decrease in gravity, Reptak was coming up very soon, ''eyes'' whirling around, looking for the cache. Arillan was about to be in a very interesting fight.IC: Southeastern SeaWhat Levacius had talked about was enough to put Reya into a thinking pose that would last some time. Was he expecting all that from them all - including himself?She definately needed to think about was she was in for.

IC: Hexxon: the Arena:Hexxon felt it; his plan - it was working. The pain was increasing, going far beyond limits. Surely this mental assualt would-Then it... stopped. His attack was gone... being replaced with... anger? Yes, he could telepathically sense the strong emotion - which was growing to an unpleasent level of rage.That wasn't in his plan. If Hexxon hadn't been able to feel the fury, it would have been a failed plan... but nothing he couldn't use to his advantage. He simply stepped to the side as Calik launched himself at him, letting the Toa pass right by him.Now, large, thick tendrils of shadow came from Hexxon, a purple-colored glow surrounding their bodies. The tentacles stretched out, seeking to ensnare the Toa of Fire. Unfortunately for Calik, being in a blind fury meant he probably would see this coming.

OOC: Wow... that's a lot of characters we got amassed. We could pretty much take over the island. I call for a revolution! IC: Parched WastesGreel simply shrugged. Maybe it was a good thing the group was getting bigger. The part about being easily discovered wasn't good - for the others, at least. He liked a little fight here and there, once or twice a day. Though it was best to stay away from big threats; he had no intention of losing - or dying, for that matter. The more he thought about it, Greel believed that they might be able to stand up to the Shepherds as a threat, instead of the other way around. I bet they would all like that - to leave. I don't mind much. It really wasn't as fun out there as it was in here. In all his time on this deadly island, he had never thought he would be part of such a large group. He always planned on being alone, setting up traps for others in hopes of a good, victorious battle. ''Perhaps,'' he told Rynekk, ''we should keep whatever we're doing up.'' IC: Yawning SunderHexxon, upon seeing no threat, reached inside for his prize...A Kanohi Kaukau? What is this-The sound of stone splitting caught his attention. Apparently, he was a little too eager to get the cache...A moment later, he felt the impact, the falling, his life flashing before his eyes. He no longer sat ontop his Rhotuka, which had probably dissapated. Death was coming for him - what could he do?I am powerful, I am cunning! I have survived from the losses of others! What abilities can I use to-Then it hit him, the Mask of Power he clutched. Quickly placing it over his current Kanohi, Hexxon activated its power. He held on tightly to all his equipment, and braced for the chill and...The Toa of Psionics plundged beneath the surface of the river. IC: Southwestern SeaBeing closer to the surface, Vertan had seen the buoy first. That was definately a clue, and Reptak needed to know. He sent a force bolt down at the floating cloud that was his partner.The he seemed to have gotten the Skakdi's attention, and pointed at the float. Both swam faster and farther, their greed fueling their efforts.

IC: Southeastern SeaReya headed down below into the ship, where she saw the Lightning Toa drawing something on a table.Alright, let's see what they've got to show me.

IC: Western Sea/Southwestern SeaReptak cursed in his head, for he had no mouth to physically do so. Neither had seen anything that might hint at the hidden cache. They had been following almost the entire western side of the island, having already passed the great split of the Yawning Sunder. The two were close to being in the southwestern sea. Maybe if we just keep going, bend around the southwestern, crooked corner of this wretched place until we are directly ''under'' the Shimmering Maze. It wouldn't surprise me if that supposed tunnel leads across the entire island in a straight line to the maze -- Wait! Under? What if that meant south of the maze on the island's other side? A straight path on land - under meaning south instead of literaly beneath the maze! Go counterclockwise around the land until directly south of the Shimmering Maze!The excited, crystal shards of the Skakdi Reptak moved faster underwater, forcing his way through and dispersing a school of fish. IC: Western Sea/Southwestern SeaOnce again, Vertan saw his comrade's form quicken its pace below him - that meant he had an idea. After taking another swallow of oxygen, he followed the crystal form of Reptak.This time he better be right. I'm tired of all this water. I'll smell like a fish!