Simulacrum

-IC:- Hound had been very careful as he entered neutral (or Muaka; it was hard to tell) territory, senses primed and mind focused on the activity at hand. Due to this, the movement of Olari and Wyrm was noticeable; with an emotion somewhere between bloodlust and ecstasy, Hound activated his powers and followed the two with a burst of speed (and a call of "Beings ahead, engaging!" for the sake of his allies). Due to his vastly superior vision, he was able to recognise the Toa of Magnetism's sash as he grew close, and the combination of his other four senses made it more than clear that something stealthed was following her. His powered strokes granting him terrifying velocity, Hound surged into Wyrm, attempting to restrain / grapple with the being so that he could easily deal a killing blow. OOC: Post very rushed, so I'm sure I missed something / made an erroneous assumption. I'll edit if that's the case.

-IC:- "Then it's settled. Search and destroy." Hound attempted to put great excitement in the words, but the speec was slightly, almost imperceptibly, flat. He didn't want a repeat of the previous violent deaths; the Denuian hoped that self-control would kick in at the last moment, preserving some of his social grace. With a great, rippling surge, Hound began to swim in earnest, his monolithic bulk carrying him towards Muaka territory. He (thankfully) wasn't going full speed; assuming they weren't fatigued, his allies would be able to keep up. As his strokes carried him, Hound kept his senses primed for distant threats, heart beating a staccato rhythm in its hunger for carnage.

-IC:- It seemed clear that whatever the Muaka warriors were doing to her shapeshifting teammate, it wasn't going to let the being reach any of them or do any damage with enhanced attacks. Selaphiel had to go directly into combat if she wanted to be of use; therefore, with her usual dispassion, she vanished. Moving through the water faster than most of the swimming combatants and with far less effort, she circled her teammate, analysing her opponents. The winged, crimson-tinted Makuta seemed to be the most obvious target, as engrossed as he was in his offense. Selaphiel appeared behind the Makuta, hand oustretched to tap on the back of Miras' head. The touch would contain much of the energy she had absorbed from her environment's hydrokinetic energy, resulting in force more than capable of rupturing a Makuta's armour. -IC:- Get out of my head? Either a Ce-Toa's playing with her or she's schizo; either way, stepping back might be a good idea. I rest one hand on my revolver. "Need some help?" My Elda's telling me who's around; I'm trying to examine them for a likely target.

-IC:- The Skakdi's almost gleeful pugnacity was growing on Hound; few things were as invigorating as a comrade who proposed taking the fight to others. Hound glanced at Zangah, waiting calmly for his response. As the Denuian waited, the subtle, shivering oscillation of aquatic ambiances filled his mind, most likely originating from some distant combat, pain and fear turned into delayed reverberations and deformed by ghostly decay.

OOC: Might have not noticed some posts; correct me if I've missed anything. -IC:- Hound nodded, momentarily analysing their situation. "What will be our course of action?" the Denuian addressed both Halken and Zangah with his speech, curious as to their opinions. "Our defenses at base will be useless now, but I think it likely that some of our allies returned there. I also suspect that many of our allies were washed away into enemy territory. The question is clear; offense or defense, but the situation is not."

-IC:- "Not as far as I know, although Nisa here seems to find it a dream come true. I take it you're a newcomer, too?"

-IC:- "Yes, you have a point..." Hound murmured as he swam slowly, putting most of his attention into searching for any signs Zangah or Mirror. "Perhaps one of us shoul-" Hound was interrupted by the appearance of a crimson-clothed being of familiar appearance (Zangah). A smile grew on the Denuian's face, accompanied by a slight deduction of the great concern in his eyes. "Glad to see you've survived, crimson warrior. Come across anyone else?" -IC:- Selaphiel stood in silence, impassively consuming the large amounts of hydrokinetic energy that surrounded her, quickly refilling her depleted reserves. She kept a close watch on the movements below; the moment that Tomo attempted to physically attack any of her opponents, she would find her strikes contained considerably more kinetic energy than she, or her opponent, expected. -IC:- "Mysterious hosts, beings of all sorts from all places..." What next, a beaming Mata-Nui showing up to hand us the prizes? I turn my head slightly to glance at the being behind us (Ivhi), pausing momentarily before addressing her with a friendly grin. "What do you think about all this? Seem normal to you?"

-IC:- Is everything this exciting where she comes from? Do they burst blood vessels over the thought of lunch? "Huh. Sounds like someone with unlimited funds likes to watch repeated battles to the death. What's the story of our Host?"

Plagia is seriously underrated; that post is more than enough of an explanation as to why.

-IC:- "Right. Well, first things first; let's start searching," Hound began moving in the direction the water had initially pushed him, hoping to find some trace of Zangah or Mirror. He was forcing his senses to adapt to this new environment, straining them to their limit for the smallest signs of opponents or allies. -IC:- If Selaphiel was a normal, mentally stable fighter (yes, I know, oxymoron), she would have been positively joyous after the environment change. Unlike so many of her combatants, she was naturally aquatic; the only modification she had gotten from mutagen contact was the ability to speak clearly despite her situation. Sel, however, was far from normal or mentally stable; in response to the favourable change of circumstance, which had interrupted her just as she had prepared to deal the hyperkinetic blow and forced her back into surprised intangibility, she had merely remained silent. It wasn't a very pronounced change. The dragon could be handled by the others; with an utter lack of interest, Sel flew through the murky depths, searching for potential opponents. She discovered, with a definite lack of surprise, combat occurring between several rather strange beings (Tomo, Miras, Jorth). Sel took up a position in an empty, still-standing building, once again choosing to wage battle from behind a window. With utter calm, Sel put all of her available concentration into absorbing the kinetic energy around her in as large an area as possible, be it from aquatic lifeforms or her fellow fighters. They would notice that their physical attacks were slow and sluggish (even for aquatic combat), and, assuming no one noticed Sel, would remain in such a state until she had powered up sufficiently. -IC:- The ecstatic Matoran is gushing with information; I get so engrossed in her baseless excitement that in the ensuing rush I almost miss the being approaching from behind (one of the many things nice about having an element; to control it ya gotta sense it). "Sounds like you know your way around this place, Nisa," Master of Understatement is one of my secondary titles, right after Honourable Mention. "Mind filling a rookie in?" I acknowledge the existence of the person behind me with a glance and nod.

-IC:- "Indeed," Hound was truly relieved to see the monolithic form of Halken; his approaching sound had been garbled by the aquatic environment, but Hound knew there was something familiar about it. "Have you seen any of the others? My senses are still recovering from this change; you're the first teammate I've found."

Nope, Hound's mutations are no different from anyone else's. Well, that was stupid of me; thought for some reason it was part of the mutation. Edit complete.

-IC:- Things hadn't gone terribly well for Hound. Firstly, the newly displaced water had nullified most of his tactical plans. People could surround him in all directions now, regardless of their flight ability. Secondly, having reached the spot where his allies had once been, his fears were confirmed; anyone who hadn't been able to secure themselves had lost their way in the abyssal, murky water that surrounded him. This wasn't to say it was all bad, of course. Hound's senses were going to be extra useful now, seeing how everyone else was going to be floundering about in the near-darkness. There was also the small matter of physical movement; thanks to his mutation, Hound had acquired a few suitable additions; gills, modified sensory apparatus, and even the strange ability to speak underwater. His strokes carried him farther than most other beings, their sheer force sending ripples through the water, making him feel for all the world some massive and cumbersome shark. Or, to be observant of the size of his fellow beings, an orca. Regardless of his analogous relationship to the various types of marine predators, Hound had a mission; find his teammates, get them back to base, and see if anyone else showed up shortly. If they didn't, well, Hound would be leading the hunt for them. With surprising speed, Hound began examining the area where his allies (Halken, Zangah, Mirror) were previously stationed, searching for any sign of their continued existence. -IC:- Well, I can solemnly say that breakfast in this place is better than at home. Considerably less hygienic problems (I blame that lapse of judgement on a combination of exhaustion and inebriation, not that it's any of your business), you see. Only complaint is that the guy behind the counter wouldn't let me get any more than the "healthy limit", a limit curiously enacted only after I told him where he can shove that spatula of his. That's just a minor obstruction, though; give me time and a clear line of fire. Oh, who am I kidding; murder's a job for after lunch. Might as well get a feel of the place between these golden hours of stuffing my face; I'm sure there's something around here I can entertain myself with. No one's tried to start a fight yet, far as I've noticed, so not much going for this place on the non-tournament recreational combat aspect; might have to check out that "Training Sector", wherever the #### it is. Hmmm? Flashy lights and the sound of battle? I saunter (never before has an adjective been so accurate) over to watch the battle televised on massive screens, finding myself next to a hyperventilating Matoran. "Someone you know in there?" My voice is friendly enough, a bit relaxed and self-confident, a far cry from snarky sarcasm or failed wit; just 110% Dynomi enthusiasm, as ardent as my belief that the Great Spirit played it fast and loose when it came to setting up my social abilities. OOC: Dynomi interacting with Nisaduf.

-IC:- The being who had cried for help, clad thankfully in a teal sash, reached Hound's group with a whisper of powerlessness. Tomo's hunters (OOC: making a bit of a snap judgement here, since it wasn't clear how far behind they were), weren't visible yet, but Hound could hear the reverberations of their conversation. "Alright, I'm going to need someone to get her back to base... I'll be the quickest. I'd recommend staying put unless you think you've got the advantage. I'll return shortly." Hound carried Tomo in the same manner as he had Riss, although this time the size of the target was large enough that his shoulders began sagging slightly under the weight, before straightening completely as his powers activated. With a nod at his teammates, Hound started sprinting back towards base and the healers. When he reached Feli or Zelnos, he would deposit Tomo and, if the healers suggested it, remove the swords before returning to the others. -IC:- Selaphiel had gotten quite a bit of energy back from that landing, although she was still far from full. She vanished wordlessly from her rooftop, dead eyes in mid-blink, before making her way over to where Okavaung fought. Assuming he survived whatever Aclaraung did to him, Sel would appear and try to replicate Prose's death, this time via a strike to the dragon's ribcage.

Hate to add more to the staff profile-approval load, but looking back at that original rushed Dynomi profile, a lot of it didn't make sense or wouldn't really work in-game. Here's my attempt at a fix. -The Gunslinger- Name: Dynomi Luhso Species: Toa of Inertia Power 1: Elemental Control over Inertia: Dynomi is able to manipulate inertia, the resistance of an object to any changes in its state of motion. Example usage of this element: reducing inertia to enable easier acceleration, increasing inertia to make moving a still object much harder. Dynomi is very well trained in using her power and is capable of adroitly dealing with complex tasks, although her carefree demeanour may suggest otherwise. The elemental trait of this power is accelerated perception (about 150%, and no free reflex speed boost with that), enabling its users to better control objects moving at high speeds. Power 2: Noble Kanohi Elda (Can't detect Mask of Life, otherwise identical to great: Tells her where people are, and not by headaches). Power 3: Toa Tool: A revolver similar to a Colt Python, and hollow point ammunition, unusual only in that it and its ammo are built entirely out of plastics. The Toa Tool function of this weapon is that it has a delayed effect when elementally powered; Dynomi can assign inertia modifiers to bullets that are only implemented after the bullet is fired. Appearance: Between a Turaga and normal Toa in size, Dynomi is disarmingly small, creating a faux air of pacificism that is compounded by her buoyant attitude. Her twin colours are Prussian blue and gunmetal gray, contrasting sharply with her vivid emerald eyes. Her revolver is kept in a holster on her right hip, attached to an ammunition belt that circles her twice in an x-pattern. Bio: Hailing from a universe where, in addition to the base elements, there are myriad potential elemental affiliations, Dynomi is the result of a life of danger and constant combat. Toa in her universe aren't protectors or affiliated with the Matoran civilization; they're self-concerned warriors seeking to gather power, usually from the hands of the regal, Matoran-defending Makuta. Dynomi was an exception to that rule, a bounty hunter who would work for whoever would pay for her. She tried to keep a low-profile, never publicly announcing her success, but was still relatively well known (only by name) as a professional killer with very few failures. Personality/Other: Alternatingly pollyannaish and vindictive, Dynomi is prone to bouts of extreme emotion, regardless of context. She is usually upbeat and blithesome, although the intensity powering her bouts of happiness can easily transfer to anger or cruelty.

-IC:- "Unless they specialise in area-of-effect, I should be able to take out ranged combatants," Hound processed the information Zangah supplied with little apparent emotion, his expression remaining phlegmatically grave. "Assuming they don't have a massive range advantage, that is." When Halken spoke, Hound nodded in understanding, thinking of additions to the suggestion. "If we run across anyone we don't think we can handle directly, retreat and make a show of it. I'll be yelling run. Like you said, set up an ambush; just make sure that they believe that they've got the advantage." Turning his head to glance at Mirror, Hound spoke with almost disconcerting calm, every word delivered with a great serenity that was dissonant with the situation at hand. "Did you mention something about magnets earlier? You think you can work with Halken on removing any weapons?"

OOC: Gonna go ahead and get this little group moving while I'm momentarily online. -IC:- Zangah, Mirror, and Halken; more than enough backup. "So, plans? If we get overwhelmed, for example, we should have a tactical response. A direct strike at certain types of targets, or retreat and then ambush." The slowness of his current travel was agonising for Hound; he had to be doing something, using his time well.

-IC:- Selaphiel, not worried about doing something impressive for her allies but wanting to replenish some of her lost energy, materialised on another rooftop and focused her concentration on absorbing whatever kinetic energy Okavaung produced. It wouldn't be much, but it would be something, and she was dangerously low.

Character development takes time and effort; try thinking about why your character would do something, their passions, frustrations, relations to others. Always look for alternative angles and added layers of nuance; in real life, no one is univocal. It takes a lot of time and practice to make a character that's interesting and intensely enjoyable to read, but you can help yourself along by looking actively for solutions to common problems for your profiles. Some example solutions to one-dimensional-characters: 1 2 3.

If you want to leave, Arctic, I definitely can't keep you from it, but I would like for you and Luroka to at least consider staying on. I've done some very, very stupid things and gotten on people's nerves, both in recent times and when I first started RPing, and I understand how being called out, sometimes fairly and sometimes harshly, on your mistakes can be discouraging, but I gotta be honest; no matter how mean it seemed to me when I first heard it, my criticisms were always useful. That isn't saying that I just had an air of "Oh, well, I'll just chin up and continue on" ; I left the BZPRPG shortly after I first joined it because I did something very stupid and got appropriately ridiculed. However, a year later, I was friends with many of the people who had most likely laughed at me, because the next time I joined I just listened to advice and kept the scope of my stuff small. Well, I'm really, really rambling now, but here's what I'm trying to say; if you really, really don't like the RPG and don't want to participate, it's probably the best for you that you leave. Otherwise you're wasting your time, one of the worst things to waste. However, and this is important; if you want to leave because you feel like you're just going to keep on losing or being ridiculed, I'd recommend thinking about why that happens. It might be random, it might be because you're operating under a certain delusion; regardless, think about if you're willing to try and fix that. You're going to have low points in any interaction with people that aren't clones of you; you can either try to fix them or find a new interaction to fulfill the purpose of the last. That's really the best advice I can give; do what you want to do, but don't expect a problem to be solved because you're not willing to work hard on solving it. ...that just made RPing on a Bionicle forum sound important. It isn't; do what will make you happy. Here's hoping you stay and can (and do) have fun! If you don't stay, here's hoping you have fun in whatever you spend your time doing. I wish you nothing but the best of luck.

-IC:- "Alright, let's move out. I'll be staying close; no need to endanger anyone because of my zeal." Hound began moving, his strides carefully controlled to keep him at the same pace as the beings who accompanied him. OOC: Anyone who wants to join in can, just post that they're following. Might be my last post for the night, so sorry if I take a long time to respond to something.

-IC:- Hound was ecstatic, as evidenced by his smile and giddy speech "Two? Marvelous! Your abilities will be the powers that save our team in times of danger. I highly urge you to accompany the offensive groups," He paused, about to respond to Kale's speech, when he remembered Riss' situation. "Oh, and if you have time, there is a De-Toa; she's in need of medical assistance. Tell her that Hound found her a medic; I believe it's inner-ear damage," the Denuian spoke with almost fervent excitement, clearly enthused by his discovery. Without waiting for a response, the Denuian strode off back towards Kale. When he reached the Av/Fe-Toa, he spoke in his usual tone, the polite accents of the deep rumbling forming an atmosphere of quiet introspection. "I am certainly willing to defend, but I do not think that idling would be ideal. Perhaps a patrol with a few others, and the assistance of one of the scouts, to make sure that I can eliminate uncoordinated threats and anticipate any assault?" Hound paused momentarily, senses piqued, before speaking rapidly with great graveness. "Someone's out there," he pointed in the direction of Tomo's cry, "Yelling something about their powers. Who's coming with me?" He glanced about only momentarily. This would once again be a matter of speedy response. -IC:- Selaphiel responded to her opponent's suicidal boost with utter stolidity, frighteningly undisturbed by the severe violence of her action. Selaphiel was about to revert to intangibility when she noticed large amount of kinetic energy moving in straight lines, suggesting something other than the dragons. Gathering energy from Okavaung's movements in preparation, she focused on the source of the new movement, the Toa who had attempted to harm her earlier (Maglev), following his movement carefully, and then acting against him at the crucial moment. As Maglev tried to land without damage to self, he would find his descent much faster than expect; Sel exponentially multiplied the kinetic energy of his fall, using all of her concentration in the act and sustaining the energy boost for his fall's entire duration, before reverting into nothing and rising above the others. The action took up most of her remaining kinetic energy reserves, meaning she would have to absorb more from other fighters or refill it manually if she wished to do anything even vaguely potentially lethal. -IC: (Commercial Sector)- You know that feeling when you wake up and your head has its own heartbeat and your eyes are on fire? That after-the-whole-bottle-of-bourbon feeling? Chuckin' in a toilet while you try your best to remember whose body it is in the bathtub? Take that and multiply exponentially, to the power of, say, five. I really, really don't like teleportation. There's just something about having all my molecules and atoms hurled across space and then thrown back together that gets me queasy; feels like someone tried to make a Dynomi puree but got distracted half-way through. Yeah, Dynomi puree. That's me; split up and torn down and liquidised, as reliable and consistent as a cardboard derringer. Dynomi Luhso, destroyer of kings, the gunslinger, the little #### with no social graces or psychology stay-bill-a-tee. Might have seen me in one of my numerous bloodbaths, blowing out brains and filling chests with little plastic shards that blossom into little red flowers that grow into little grey tombstones. Nice to meet you, too. Aaaaaanywho, woke up this morning, bile on my tongue and head playing a lovely staccato rhythm, to find myself not surrounded by empty bottles but in a little room of stone and metal in dire need of some painted windows. My surprise was only momentary; I've been drugged and kidnapped before, and seeing how my revolver's still in its holster (checked to see my the ammo had been tampered with before I checked to see if I was hurt; that should tell you something about my self-respect), I didn't feel too threatened by my surroundings. Door was unlocked, so I waltzed out after listening to some posh guy tell me how I was being introduced a combat tournament. I don't know about you, but when I get told I'm going to be fighting for my life against others, I do one thing first and foremost: load six little hollow-pointed friends into my revolver's chamber and put on a grin. No one likes shooting what looks like a kid, and few like shooting someone who can shoot back. Not that I expected anyone to get the jump on me; I've picked off more Huna users than I'd like to admit, thanks to my handy-dandy little Elda. Nah, I'm concerned about one thing and one thing only; Breakfast. So I walk into the foodcourt (after a good half-hour of wrong turns), smile ablaze at the sight of the kwi-zeen of a thousand worlds. I went straight for the bacon and eggs, and I'll admit it without shame; nothing like cholesterol and protein to start your day. As I ate with all of the self-restraint of a Muaka, I glanced around at my fellow contenders. Couldn't hurt to check out my competition. OOC: Dynomi, the adorable inertia-manipulating gunslinger virtuoso, open for interaction.

-IC:- Selaphiel absorbed the small amount of kinetic energy generated by Prose's attempt to crawl, slowing him considerably. Using a fairly large portion of her kinetic energy reserves and the small amount of energy gained by slowing him, Sel strode around to his side to plant a hyperkinetic kick at the base of his neck, similar in power to her last strike.

-IC:- Selaphiel waited a moment, analysing Prose and his situation; it seemed very clear that he was mentally invested in his task. Silently, arm already drawn back in preparation for a strike at the Rahkshi's torso armor, Sel materialised and then unleashed her recently collected kinetic energy in an attempt at landing one hyperkinetic, exoskeleton-rupturing strike at very close range on an unsuspecting opponent.

I'm kind of confused; how did Maglev "manage to get a look on Selaphiel"? She absorbed the energy from his attacks and then disappeared, and was only going to reappear when Prose was going to attack again.