Silvan Haven

Hormd Gronjkr - Kini-Nui IC: "You know where to find me." For the first time there was a hint or ironic humor in the man's tone. He certainly wasn't going anywhere. It had taken a long journey but he had found his place in this world at last. So he nodded a farewell to the odd Toa before calling out one last time. "Fair travels to you. And pray do listen to Mata Nui when he speaks to you. It is often through subtle and not always straightforward means." OOC: @Geardirector

Po-koro - Suva Temple IC: Ordinarily there would already be a pair of Sentinels standing guard at the entrance to the temple. All the new expansions and chaos of the previous era had resulted in a manpower gap that was still being addressed. As a result the area had a roaming patrol that quickly came in response to the loud call about Makuta worshipers. A call that every guard across the island was on the lookout for. In normal Sentinel fashion it was a duo. One of them a tall Lesterin with an equally tall glaive. Rock-like armor gave bulk to what would normally be a very lithe form. Easy to see above the mixed crowd of rushing people. By his side marched a Matoran so covered in armor and gear that he'd likely already have perished from the weight and heat of it all if he hadn't been of the sturdy stone-folk. Although that clearly did not make him immune to it as his huffing breath suggested. The taller of the two quickly took in the situation with an experienced eye. Nobody was screaming in pain yet. Plenty of cries of fear and alarm for sure. If something wasn't done soon the crowd of panicked and fleeing beings would fix that. There were no obviously cackling evil minions of the dark god around. Although he did see a couple of people trying not to fall off the roof of the Suva temple. The veteran Sentinel frowned up at them as he considered if they were the threat. They didn't look like they were preparing any attacks or other dastardly deeds. Although that didn't always mean that nothing was afoot. Without a clear threat to direct their adrenaline fueled skills against the pair of guards fell back on making sure that nobody was gravely injured during their hasty retreat from what was suddenly a very unfriendly feeling location. The Lesterin used the telekinetic powers of his mask several times to push people out of the way of a quickly rumbling cart. The heavily armored Matoran stood between the press of the crowd and a couple children before their parents found them and pulled them to safety. With the wide streets leading to such an important cultural and spiritual location the crowd was quickly dispersing. Leaving only the brave, the foolish, or both.

Hormd Gronjkr - Kini-Nui IC: "To choose one would be to diminish the others. Unity allows us to perform our Duties, which in turn lead to our Destiny. A Destiny that then provides Unity for our community and children. It is a cycle that reinforces itself if given the chance to do so." The old Matoran let out a soft sigh as his blue eyes looked at the sky above them. The dense jungle never around the shrine never seemed to try and encroach on this sacred place. No matter how many seasons he lived here. It was one of the duties that he'd planned for himself when first setting up his own small place. It meant that the glories vault of the heavens was never blocked out by the wide leaves of the trees. "Yet, as with all systems things get messy once free will enters the scene. We must make the choices that lead from one Virtue to the next. That itself can be a difficult task. Even so some people find the right path and choose not to walk it. And so the cycle is set askew and must be fixed by others." OOC: @Geardirector

Hormd Gronjkr - Kini-Nui IC: "He may have seen something in you. Some element of your soul that promised a brighter path. Of course it is one that you have to choose to follow. Doing the right thing means little if there are no other options." Philosophical questions like this were always tricky to answer. Especially right after meeting someone for the first time. He had no idea what the Great Spirit had seen in this Toa. That would take time and conversation at the very least. Yet this was part of why he was here in this place. A craftsman did not blame the tools he had on hand. He merely used what was at his disposal to deal with the issues of the day. OOC: @Geardirector

Hormd Gronjkr - Kini-Nui IC: The eyehole in Hormd's Hau raised in curiosity at that. Getting people actually interested in the philosophy inherent in this place was rare. Usually they were adventurers seeking to dive into the darkness in search of excitement or power. What was also interesting was what sounded like a tact admission of looking for answers from the darker denizens of Mata Nui. Even so, the priest had a Duty to fulfill. "You've come to the right place in that case. Please, explain your thoughts and maybe I can help shed some light on your path." OOC: @Geardirector

Hormd Gronjkr - Kini-Nui IC: "It is what I have been called to do. Despite what lays beneath the Kini Nui this is still a temple. It should have someone around to tend it." The old man looked from the somewhat battle scared shrine over to the woman on the other bench. His eyes narrowed slightly in thought before he spoke once more. "I noticed you came up from the dark paths under the temple. You did not enter from here as I did not see you do so. Nor hear the Sanctum Guard get involved and they can be a rather noisy lot when it comes to such things. That suggests you came from the Dark Walks. Those were not safe at the best of times and those days were brief enough." OOC: @Geardirector

Hormd Gronjkr - Kini-Nui IC: The crystalline Toa soon caught sight of another set of structures. These ones were much more permanent than the temporary koro set up by the Sanctum Guard. A hut in the old style that had served the island well for so long. Off behind it a bit was a smaller one that had the look for storage hut. Then, off to one side, was another building. This one reminiscent of the large huts many of the koros and smaller settlements had raised as community gathering spots. Places where the Turaga would tell stories about the island's history or speak about the issues bothering them that day. A Matoran sat at the entrance of the larger hut. He was also white like his brethren but the wrinkles around his eyes and the calm way he looked over the bustle suggested someone much older. This one was clad in white robes perhaps more fitting for a Turaga yet he showed no awkwardness about him. Indeed there was a serenity to his posture and expression. Eventually he caught sight of Zelvin and gave her a small smile. Nodding his head in acknowledgement and welcome. OOC: @Geardirector

Lenat - Po-koro - Engineering Department IC: That last suggest drew a grimace from the lean man across the desk. He didn't try to hide it either. Setting up an entirely new outpost was a big ask on top of a mounting list of big asks. The reward was enticing to be sure but the timing of this was less than ideal. He'd prefer to put this off for a few months and give the koro time to recover from all the massive changes of late. Makuta might not give them that much time though. With the island's greatest threat now back in play they needed every tool they could get. Assuming the dark god didn't use something as risky as this as a chance to strike at them. With a sigh, he leaned back in his chair and looked at Jokaro. The grimace was still in place as he began to speak. "Frankly we, that is the koro administration, can't support another village or outpost. We're already stretched thin as it is. Not enough people in uniform to go around. I've heard of a few proposals to let private citizens strike out on their own with official recognition but that's the closest thing we could manage." He raised one ling fingered hand to momentarily forestall any replies. Quickly taking another sip of bula juice before continuing. "Now that equation does change if we can get significant support from Onu-koro. The simple fact of the matter is that they would be footing most of the bill for this project. Sharing the finished product with them is likely the only way they would agree to such an effort. We have the groundwork already set up for starting the process. Lines of communication are already opened for this like this and I think it more likely than not that they will be open to the suggestion. It's not a guarantee however and I want you to know where things stand."

Lenat - Po-koro - Engineering Department IC: The taller man couldn't help the wince as he saw the proposed figures. Even while downscaled the the R&D price would be significant. Maybe they could pull from the Fowadi's operating budget while the ship was away for however long the ship's newest voyage would take. Moving funds between departments like that usually get those involved feeling testy in case such a move was a precursor towards a permanent reduction in funding. Before Lenat could continue down that line of thinking, his guest's words caught his attention once more. "As a matter of fact I was involved in setting that initiative up. Akiri Renaka sees it as chance to mend some tunnels so to speak. A way to promote unity after the unpleasantness of Hewkii's reign as well as improve our own capabilities. At the moment it's only a general agreement dealing with information that's already more or less available for anyone who puts some effort into it however. They wont be teaching us how to build exo-matoran, for example. Are you suggesting asking for their expertise on this project? This design might still be unfinished but it should be quite potent if it can be successfully completed."

Lenat - Po-koro - Engineering Department IC:The other man's eyes instantly became glued to the paper. His well ordered mind assorting itself, tracing lines of force, stress, fiction points and more. To call this device complicated would be an understatement. The notes indicating various measurements indicated that it would be big as well. Very big...maybe too big. He knew Commander Dehkaz of course. The refits to the Fowadi had been one of the many projects Lenat had been involved in overseeing over the last couple months. The koro's peeminent captain was a consumate professional according to both reputation and personal experience. To suggest a project like this was certainly ambitious. Although with Makuta back it might be needed. It would also be extremely expensive and manpower intensive. At least when it came to technically trained personnel. A frown creased the tell man's brows as he ran through a rough estimate of the costs and resources needed for something like this. It wasn't a pleasant number to consider after everything they had just spent on the Po-koro and its ancillary towns. "This is...impressive to say the least. I can see why you came to me in my capacity as the koro's chief engineer. I could fund most of this project personally but..." He glanced down at the paper again and shook his head. "It would be risky. it looks like you still have some things to work out in the design. The costs on a project like this will be monumental. Probably more than what Po-koro can spare after all of our recent works."

Lenat - Po-koro - Engineering Department IC: The slightly breathy half-chuckle the question received said plenty even if it was shallow on details. The taller man had slept on his office couch the night before and had spent the entire morning before Jokaro had showed up finishing the last week's paperwork. Pages after pages of forms and numbers scrolling past on the slight blue glow of his task pad's screen. If those numbers are right it looks like the foreman of the southern third shift crew is trying to embezzle funds from his designated budget. Plumbing systems don't cost that much to install unless there's something seriously wrong with the location. If that was the case he'd be fighting Jokaro for space in my office instead of sending in massively inflated budget requests. "I've had busier." A slightly haunted look entered his eyes before he shook his head and took another drink from his mug. With a sigh, he let the exhaustion fade to the back of his awareness and focus on the engineer before him. This was apparently important enough for the Matoran to put up with a rather obscene wait time. "Thank you for asking, Jokaro. So, what did you want to see me about? You don't usually come to me unless you want to show off something in person." OOC: @Perp

Lenat - Po-koro - Engineering Department IC: The massive amounts of civil works that had been going on in the koro had been an equally massive boon to the parched and often unpleasant town. Nobody who had actually spent any time there in the past could say otherwise. Better public infrastructure, freely available water, actual plants. Before a month ago the only place that plants could have been found in the koro was the homes of the exceedingly wealthy. As much a way for them to show off their wealth as a way to add some color and life to the place. Lenat would know, he'd been one of those people. For the person responsible for directing and organizing all of the various projects and new equipment it had been sheer Karzahni. Exciting, fascinating, and deeply satisfying Karzahni but Karzahni all the same. Seeing his own designs and those of people from all over the island being put to use to improve the lives of the citizens of Po-koro had been deeply fulfilling in a way that few people ever got to truly experience. And then reality had to come crashing in. Problems started popping up left and right. Organizational issues rather than technical ones. People needed to be payed on time. Supplies needed to keep flowing to all of a dozen different construction teams that were working at any one time. That construction had played merry havoc with traffic flows. All of the delegations from the various koros needed to be housed, fed, and protected. A thousand and one minor issues that threatened to spiral into major issues if not taken care of properly. Nobody on the island had ever attempted something as big and complex as this before and Lenat had to wonder if that had more to do with the lack of desire to deal with the headaches involved than the danger of Makuta interfering. The Vortixx wasn't sure when the last time he'd slept for longer than five hours had been. Which all went to say that when his secretary had called him over the telegram to say that one of various mad scientists they kept on staff was here to meet with him, Lenat had said that he'd bee right out, reached for the very large mug of bula berry juice on his desk, and then lost himself in considering whether or not it was possible to overdose on the drink that he was becoming increasingly more reliant on. Did it come in powdered form? Perhaps he could mix it into his breakfast cereals. In fact that would be a great product li- "Sir, your guest has been waiting for a very long time now and is becoming increasingly impatient." Karzing cracked mask! The fact that he did not wear a mask did not drain any of the startled jolt of adrenaline and guilt from his mind as the voice of his secretary crackled over the intercom once more. One hand reached out to grab the oversized mug and the bleary eyed Vortixx took a deep swig of the highly concentrated mixture before reaching out and pressing the button that allowed his voice to be transmitted back to his attentive doorkeeper. "Thank you, please send him in. I'm ready for him now." OOC: @Perp

Kale Ironshaper - Docks - Fowadi IC: "We're stopping here to top off our supplies before we set off on a months long journey into the unknown. As well as one last stop for anyone that might want to leave or join the crew." There was a definite eyebrow raise in there this time. It seemed rather obvious that any vessel attempting such a trip would want to bring as many supplies as possible. The ocean was dangerous enough close to the shore. Very few people had ever gone beyond the horizen. Even fewer had made it back to tell the story.

Kale Ironshaper - Docks - Fowadi IC: "Until the captain gets back from the koro, that's me. What do you need to say?" The words weren't quite hostile. So far this passenger had been odd but not too loud. In fact Kale was pretty sure that the other man had spent as much time as possible passed out and clutching onto the nearest solid object. Which made his demanding an audience with Dehkaz a rather odd prospect to be sure. The Fowadi wasn't a passenger ship to be sure. The fact that the Lesterin had payed for passage was hardly going to get him a more comfortable berth for the duration of his stay.

Kale Ironshaper - Docks - Fowadi IC: One nice thing about being part of the Aggressors was that they were always on the move. Always heading off to deal with some new spot of trouble. It helped him to feel like his life had a purpose. In this particular instance it got Kale out of Ga-koro before he had to explain to the Marines why the latest crisis was not the fault of his ship. The koro was pleasant enough but it seemed like something was always trying to blow it up whenever they happened to be in port. Which all meant that Kale was rather happy to be arriving at Ta-koro's modest dock. It wasn't nearly as large or sophisticated as Ga-koro's facilities had been. They didn't need that however. A short supply stop and a chance for the crew to say hello to anyone they knew inside of the semi-active volcano that threateningly spewed dark clouds of smoke and took up most of the horizon. The glint of sunlight off of the crystalline ships brought back another memory. The bright light of the noon day sun shining on oddly well maintained chainmail as the Infernavika swept past their port side. Disks, elemental attacks, and sometimes people flying between the two ships. This was where he had first met the storied pirate vessel. A ship they they were now allied with. Technically speaking...if you didn't look too hard and were far enough away at the time. They no longer fired on each other upon seeing the other sail into port at least. Things changed slowly but change they did. A volcanic breeze fluttered the trailing edge of his longcoat as the young man stepped up onto the deck. One last minute check of their stores in order to determine just what they would need to stock up on before heading off once more. They may of had a real quartermaster now but old habits died hard. His musings were disturbed by the sound of a fist impacting wood nearby. it didn't sound like someone was trying to break through said wood but that had not been a light impact either. Emerald eyes darted towards the source of the sound and a frown creased his mask. The sounds of metal feet on solid wood joined the rest of the commotion on deck as Kale made his way over to where one of their passengers was apparently trying to punch his way into the Captain's quarters. "if you break that I'm going to add the repair cost to your fee for this trip." OOC: @BULiK