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IC: Daikura Koga "I would be honored to serve the royal family. Once, when I was young and held visions of glory by combat, I dreamed of serving the Rora as her personal bodyguard," Koga said after he wiping away the bead of sweat from his brow with the hem of his sleeve. The battle of wills took a toll on the first son and he felt exhaustion setting into his bones. Koga was out of practice and the thought was disconcerting, but in the whirlwind of the sudden ending and surprise offer he could do little to stop his pounding heart. "Then again, I seem to have returned to those old thoughts in the past few days. Granted I was young and inexperienced in the ways of my clan, but the concept of such honor seems to have lingered. What would you have me do? I said earlier I am in your debt for taking me as your pupil, and those words are still true." He paused as the pungent perfume met his nose after so long deprived of scents. It stirred his mind and he thought of the floral aromas Soraph had carried with her when she arrived for dinner. A different citrus scent, though.

Mata-Nui Weekly for the 13th to 20th of this glorious month. Just waiting on Po-Wahi and then that'll be added to the list of news as well.

Editorials "This week saw a good dose of player activity across the board. A special mention goes to Tyler & Co. for the Xa-Koro expedition, and also to EW's continued awesomeness with Yumiwa. And of course, there's also the recent happenings in Pala-Koro to take note off. Things are happening again, let's make the most of it." ~ Geardirector "The past week was a little rocky in some cases, full of one-liners, but also stuffed with details and plot. Things are moving forward, and forward is always a good sign. Summer keeps creeping closer and with it the post count rises." ~Kughii KENTOKU ARCHIPELAGO Hogo toroshu Noshima extended an invitation for her clanswoman Akone to join her at the masquerade. They began working on attire to wear for the party, starting with a trip to Soraya's practice. Vilda roroshu Relisai altered the memory of a messenger dashi after a furious outburst of her true self. Vilda Soraph asked Mako about his earlier service as a guard. Had he protected a toroshu, she wondered. His answer was that he had not protected any of the current toroshu. Herupa first son Jiyu met with Chōjo Yumiwa in the great temple on Sado. He spoke of the Herupa toroshu's passing, as well as the suicide of his aunt. Later, Yumiwa visisted Inokio, first son of clan Korae, and spoke with him about finding a collection of menti for her bodyguard during the Mata-Nui voyage. Once she left he hastily wrote a letter using an alias he rarely touched. Amakusa first son Seiryu was let loose by a retainer at the temple and he said his prayers of forgiveness for his family. Daikura first son Koga visited Korae first son Inokio shortly after Yumiwa departed. He asked to be trained in a third menti discipline and after a short conversation Inokio relented. As a test of his new pupil's skill he asked to see the strength of Koga's willhammer technique. The two began a furious battle of the mind. Herupa Hanako, handmaiden to the Chōjo, received the letters notifying her of her mother and aunt's passing. Yumiwa arrived after the letters to console the young woman. KINI-NUI Syvra's and Griesk's fight ended prematurely by the arrival of Echelon and Co. Echelon revealed his new shadowy version of magnetism to those within the tunnel while Agrona got to work on sealing Toro's, aka Griesk's, mouth shut. The rest of the group stood by and watched, occasionally commenting TA-WAHI The Alley Team were joined by Votaka. Mekana was rescued from the Lavapool ruins and taken to safety. In the commotion, Thok passed himself off as a “concerned citizen” to the guard. He was eventually found out by Leah and attacked by Sulov. Zaktan reflected on why the Piraka work even when they never should. Avak and Vezok embedded Loren into the wall of the Lavapool when he tried to engage them. The Treasure Hunters ran into a giant Nui-Jaga, Zauk realized they needed the stone on its back. Examus brooded over the deaths of the Turaga whilst flipping through case files. Seeing the possibility for answers in Pala-Koro he headed there. Aurum and Stronin discussed economics. KO-WAHI Braen offered Zadron a room in his home and the promise of further employment opportunities. Ferron met with Khervos and Tuli in Ko-Koro, and the two matoran introduced him to Noka, the once-love of Kuhrin. After speaking for a time they decided on a plan of action: use Noka to lure Kuhrin into the open. Iegasa returned to his shrine in The Drifts. GA-WAHI Avier and Mar continued to talk outside the Great Takea. Barthel and Liano comment post-fight about the others' tactics. Aoleus and Arden, two consciousnesses in one body, are open for interaction. Ishi Polzin slipped away from his brother and disappeared into the jungle. There he met Krios and the two traveled to Le-Koro. Trieze talked with Beynii, a sailor in her crew. Apparently they lost their to-do list. After meeting up with Arden they decided to speak with Akiri Hahli. Kehuwa began to talk to a matoran after following them throughout the day. Ignitus woke up on board his ship and began speaking with Kiron about the weather. JL joined them. LE-WAHI Asuno led Jrahann to one of his supply caches in Ta-Koro. Krios and Ishi banded together on a trip to Onu-Koro. Esao, Ackune and Kythera began a reconstruction effort in Pala-Koro Ior’s quest for donuts led him to Pala-Koro. Kunitu flew off on a Gukko, intent on getting away from the hustle and bustle. Eventually she reached Pala-Koro. Votaka noticed Kunitu flying off before he left through a tunnel to Onu-Wahi. Naona and Dehkaz made plans for infiltrating a criminal hideout. Examus arrived at the gates of Pala-Koro Cael & Co. hit a snag when Utu attempted to run off. Dorian caught him, but he and Praggos were given a thorough flogging by Tuara regarding their behavior. ​ONU-WAHI Kehuri told Naru of his meeting with Stannis. Krios and Ishi stopped by the Wise Man’s Archive, where the Hapaka made preparations for his meeting with the Abettor. Votaka asked Ashiem where a good place to find a job would be, but later decided to leave for Ta-Koro. PO-WAHI Jokaro entered the Tech Expo and talked to Farzan. Fotioks checked out the train station. Voulge and Vail reached their destination: a warehouse. After preparing for the inevitable fight they entered. Dryken and Thentyle talked to the newly returned Kriigata about her mission. 88 installed a printing press in his house. Jokaro posted mysterious posters all over Po-Koro and then talked to Rannin. Media Kiron, by Kughii Kriigata, by Kughii

Okay guys, I get you're taking a position and defending it like it's Constantinople. That's fine. Really, I totally get where where you're coming from and I agree: discussion is awesome and most often entirely valid. Karz, I even make flowcharts sometimes or to-do lists. My comment was about taking all that great discussion energy and thoughts on the outcome of a topic and moving from theory to reality. That's all. Instead of focusing on how a war would end why not put our energy into actually getting the two societies to meet, and then see what happens? It's only taking a long time because of our busy lives and the fact we're not actually writing it into creation as actively as we could be. Can I stress how much I'm not arguing right now, simply expressing an idea.

I personally find the time we spend debating we could use for actually doing. Of course I love a good discussion as much as the next player, but eventually discussion leads to stagnation and nothing gets off the ground. If you want to prove your points, make them valid in the game itself instead of just discussing them. No one would be at a loss for inactivity while they're writing about tromping though the Fau Swamp with enemies closing in from all sides, or desperately seeking water in a wasteland of sand and rock, or the horde of elementalists descending from the glacier peak on the unsuspecting regiment below. What about about the anguish of starvation, the need to steal from the locals just to survive? If we're gonna debate it why don't we write it?

Wow, great job!

Very helpful, thank you!

No this just hadn't been published.

Ooc: Take Three. IC: Daikura Koga The initial siege of Inokio's mind left Koga master of ashes, yet a single battle did not a war make. His overwhelming strength had left his own mind defenseless. He had hoped to keep Inokio always on the run during their fight, without a chance for a counter attack to discover beyond the raging wildfire there was only a simple ember, glowing in rhythm like a heart beat. Once the rouse was up Koga had no choice but to divert himself between two fronts. The snow leopard moved across the plane. It could see the tiny home from which the fires spread, watch as it fluttered and guttered and trembled. The mantras of both men began to intertwine; their words built walls and fortifications, dug trenches, drew lines of territory where there had once been void. The Leopard's pelt turned to blue fire, the fire turned to tiny kittens, and so the cycle began anew and grew into a leopard once more. Their battle at first seemed like a pendulum. One moment Inokio held the upper hand, the next Koga's fires would reclaim what had been stolen. The first of Inokio's attacks struck true and returned the pain to its maker, the snow leopard's claws batting the little ember. If there had been anyone in the room to watch the conflict their eyes would have seen the bead of sweat trickling down the side of Koga's face, the tiny tremor growing on his temple. The pain arced through his body but he endured. :You are mine, First Son of Korae, Battlemaster Inokio,: Koga declared. The ember turned into a man wreathed in flame and all at once his grasp on Inokio's sight and smell and hearing vanished. In giving up his complete control he had grown stronger. :And you will dance for me. I do not need your sight or taste or smell for you to dance. And you will dance.: The burning man walked steadily toward the leopard. He did not fear its savage teeth or claws as they grappled in the darkness. The pain Inokio dealt echoed in Koga's raging form. He took a step and beneath him the plane coursed with veins of azure light, his power only growing as his command became a mantra of attack – dance for me, dance Inokio. The leopard dug deep into his thighs and raked his back, but the mantra replenished his fiery form and still he repeated the command. :Dance for me. Dance Inokio.:

Kakama messengers seem all the rage.

IC: Krios and Ishi Polzin, from Le-Wahi Soft velvet of deep purple covered the seat of my armchair. I call it my armchair but only because it was from where I reclined and watched as Puroi perused the Wise Man’s Archive. He would flitter like a small bird from one shelf to the next, and the table by my chair tucked neatly into a corner of the building’s first floor had become littered with scrolls and tablets, books and maps, until I was sure he would declare himself a nest builder and settle down for the season. At first I was unable to discern the course of his learning, but as the pile grew so did my understanding. Titles such as, “Rhetoric for Ko-Matoran,” were balanced atop more academic works like, “Geodes: An illustrated guide,” and one particularly damaged copy of, “Understanding Rahkshi,” that had seen far better days. “You’re preparing to meet the Abettor, aren’t you?” I asked, a scroll unfurled in my hand and a claw tapping the compass rose. It was a map of the local tunnels, drawn with thick lines and tiny circular letters. He did not acknowledge my question at first, but after he had flipped through the pages of a small diary and deemed it unworthy for his reading his eyes looked up toward mine. “You’re catching on rather slow. I figured by the third or fourth you’d have noticed the trend,” Puroi commented sardonically and walked back down the shelves to return the rejected diary. I’ve come to believe he is not Puroi. Those two syllables have nothing in common with the way in which he commands himself, the way he dances and dawdles and delights in the fervent exploitation of his wit. His ego is enthralling, full of greed for some object I will never know, but can venture never will he, yet when I have least expected him to he has surprised me with an alarming sense of empathy and compassion. Such is the complexity of a man such as he is, and I do not wish to unravel the bundle of his character for fear of damaging my own. Where am I in all these musings about the little savant? In physicality I transitioned from the armchair to the shelves themselves, reading the titles on the spine without truly bothering to understand what each entails as I follow his gray coat deeper into the Archive. In mind I am desperately searching for the answer to a nagging and tenacious question: why? Why did I join Puroi in the jungles of Ga-Wahi and why did I follow him any further than Onu-Koro? To answer I began with a short list which I will record here: Money Adventure A good gamble Companionship I see now money is what first drew me toward him. When I saw him in the clearing three nights ago he had the air of a wealthy man lacking responsibility. So far I’ve seen nothing to change that first impression, only add upon the groundwork to build something solid. He offers adventure and since my time with the Ga-Koro Marines in the battle in the lighthouse I have grown weary of conning simpletons. Where he goes I surely stand to make a profit, be it in money or memories. That was the gamble of the situation. As for companionship… “Krios, if you’re quite finished recording your thoughts in that notebook I’d like you to help carry these books.” Ishi looked up at the vortixx expectantly from behind the mound of knowledge in his outstretched arms. “That or make room so I can get by. If you’re going to follow me around while I research you might as well help.” Krios stared for a moment and then with a wisp of a laugh Ishi couldn’t quite place slid his pen back into his breast pocket and took the books to the table. Companionship. OOC: yes, these two are open for interaction in the Wise Man’s Archive.

IC: Daikura Koga Koga's willhammer technique lost its razor's edge once a psychic attack was expected. The simple knowledge of the oncoming mental siege gave Inokio a moment to prepare, to fortify his mind with mantras and plan a counterattack, dulling Koga's metaphorical blade. Without an edge the Daikura could not cut deep or with the precision offered by subtlety and deceit; he had gone from a poisoned dagger to a club. But a club could kill if swung hard enough. Daikura and Korae eyed the other, judging and weighing possibilities. Koga flicked his eyes across the battlemaster's form, but it was when he turned his gaze to the wall scroll the violent assault of his burning ember was unleashed. A brilliant azure flame burst into being with no easing of power, no gentle crescendo: it was a single attack of all encompassing might burning into the core of Inokio's mind and seeking to enslave all of the First Son's senses. He would be a thrall, unable to speak or move, unable to do anything but recite the mantras that would keep his sanity. Sanity was the thing Koga sought to break. It was when sanity was gone the core of the mind was available to pick at, like the shell of an egg. "Stand up," He said as the onslaught mounted and his eyes locked with Inokio's. "If you can." OOC: Edited for various reasons, one to remove ambiguity.

Will you please read the Common Sense Guide as well? PLEASE?!

I understand the initial reaction to call it a boobs and butt pose but I was actually wanting to get the details of the embroidery while still showing a 3/4 view and it just ended up this way. XD Granted, it is one technically, but please note I wasn't intending it to be derogatory. Thanks for the compliment!

I think I'm on an art spree. Here's Kriigata. EDIT: HOLY SWEET TAKUA EMBED THOSE AUDIOBOOKS INTO THE RULES THEMSELVES ASAP GSR! :3

So, it's been a while but since I've slowly been working my digital art skills I thought I'd give Kriigata another shot, this time in her full vestments for the Brotherhood as a Lady Of The Order. Maybe I'll do some action poses in the near future at the same level of detail. Oh, for those DND nuts out there, the writing I used for "skakdi" is draconic and it spells, "strength." (Click image for full resolution.) As always I'd love C&C! Also, this is kind of the quality I hope to use on all the future RPG character illustrations. This took about four hours in a single sitting, but that's probably because I spent almost an hour just getting the darn spine right. XD ~Kughii

Different kind of bedtime story. I think the mask changes color based upon the primary color scheme of the wearer. That's what happened in canon and I don't really see why it wouldn't because people buy masks from NPCs and the mask then matches their color.

I want you to read me a bedtime story. ALL THE BEDTIME STORIES.

IC: Daikura Koga "I will gladly learn the Mindarm technique and accept failure is a possibility." Koga spoke his words after bowing deeply in his chair. In his eyes was the glimmer of success in the making, the sheer perseverance of a man ready to seize his own destiny. "However, I will treat the Mindarm technique much the same a the second menti discipline I was expected to learn: with determination and diligence. I am in your debt, Battlemaster Korae, and please do not hesitate to call upon it. If there is anything I can do to repay you..." He let his words carry their own meaning. Sometimes gratitude was better left open ended. "When shall we begin training in the ways of the Mindarm? You seemed prepared to leave, surely there is some better time that could be arranged. I would hate to inconvenience you."

Kentoku Archipelago Kini-Nui Ta-Wahi Ga-Wahi Onu-Wahi Le-Wahi Ko-wahi Braen admitted to having no clue who The Company are, easing Zadron's mind as they continued on with their discussions. Braen asked Zadron to pass a message to Echelon, as well as promised future jobs and rewards. Ferron arrived in Ko-Koro and was passed by a mysterious cloaked figure. Widgets, the cloaked figure from the last bullet, thought back on his meeting with Ambages as he walked through the cold streets. Owing a life debt to a matoran of shadow truly had its twists. Rhea and Nero made their way to Ta-Wahi. Po-Wahi

HAHAHA!! Great ones!

IC: Daikura Koga Inokio's home would have been considered spartan by most, but to a scholar like Koga it represented a clear space to focus on the mind and the spirit housed within, to avoid the distractions of the physical life and... perfume? The woody undertones wafted through his palate, complimented a moment later by the citrus tang and vanilla sweetness of something only a woman from the court would wear. Before his mind could continue down the course of intrigue and project any thoughts unconsciously into the psychic plane he addressed the battlemaster's question. "I'm not old, but I'm not young," Koga admitted, speaking plainly now that he had been addressed in kind. "I've watched two daughters pass their tests as menti and have a third soon to follow, but that's the most of my accomplishments beyond preserving the teachings of my clan. I feel I've yet to fulfill the role of warrior, and with the rumblings in the court of the new island I can't help but feel..." He paused. How did he feel? His mind roved quickly back to his conversation with Soraph on the terrace. It had been a dark and beautiful night, and her startling presence only illuminated his feelings of malcontent. That was it. "I feel change in the air and I want to be ready for that change. As a man and a warrior my honor is bound in combat, in power and all the virtues. I've cultivated order in my life and also honor in the giving of life to three beautiful girls, but power I've never achieved on or off the field of battle. I'm sure it sounds foreign to a veteran of combat such as yourself, but aside from the rarest duel I've never met a warrior in bloody combat."

Well, you could always learn the BBCode for hyperlinking. It's pretty simple but I can't type it here or else it'll just become a hyperlink of a hyperlink. I will be playing the Daikura Clan's toroshu with permission of The Lorax until he returns fully to the BZPRPG scene. Just a heads up.

It may or may not make a difference in the overall outcome, but let it be known: Hewkii approves of this kohlii game in Po-Koro.

There's this little button in the formatting toolbox on the top of your posting screen and that button looks like a chain with a little green plus sign. Select a piece of text, click the button, and add your hyperlink.