Geardirector

IC: Ferron (Onu-Koro Highway) The lights of Onu-Koro were plainly visible to them now, Ferron listening intently to Oliphko's account of how she had attained her powers and become a Toa in the first place. It was interesting; he had heard of a few examples of this before, of these abandoned Toa Stones that were occasionally just found out in remote, unexplored locations. He sometimes wondered about those. A lot of the island's early Toa had suffered grim fates as they tried to follow the mantle of the First Toa. Sometimes, things just got lost, or was left in hopes of being needed in better times. "I'm glad to hear that," Ferron answered gratefully, "I've been a little bit nervous about just how well I'm pulling off that whole 'Turaga' thing in the first place." "It's often pointless, in my opinion to speculate on why things happen. The question that matters is 'what are you going to do about it?'" "I had to answer that question many times," the Forgemaster muttered, his voice darkening, "I... I'm just glad I have made choices I can live with" OOC: @Daniel the Finlander

IC: Mar (Ko-Koro) I permitted myself a little bit of a smile as I looked it over, starting to feel just a little bit more confident as the picture became just a little bit clearer with every step. "Now, we start heading towards the outer rings of town" I explained, "we have to start by asking around wherever he'd actually be able to blend in if he was still here. Original Koro residents only toward the center for now." "I think we should take a look around some of the drinking spots. Always a good place to start." I took the lead once again. OOC: @Rahisaurus

IC: Salwa (Precipere) "Same to you" I answered, and got out of there and away from the presence of others as fast as I felt safe enough to do. I had to take a moment just to make sure that everything actually was as good as it could be, but nothing else. First and foremost, I had to double back to the dens to check on Gatog. He never went very long before he became ornery if he didn't have me somewhere nearby. Once I'd taken a moment to check on that, I would also need a moment to make sure everything else I might need was in as good a shape as I could get to be, and then I would need a moment to myself to think through what might be good to say at the meeting with Somok and then... well. I wasn't quite ready to think about that yet. OOC: @Nato G @Toru Nui

IC: Ageru Tamachan (Sado, Imperial Gardens) The population of Soko being cared for in the gardens of the capital often got company from one who stood out for their striking, black coloration. This steed, a powerful, large specimen bred for war was not so much unwelcome as simply very easy to notice, for this color that was considered unlucky on their kind. Old superstitions like that were becoming a bit less important when every available hand was needed to deal with the... everything that was happening in Kentoku at present. Ageru Tamachan was quite concerned about that everything. The Menti had only recently arrived in Sado on one of her sporadic, but always brief excursions to do some sort of care for her Soko, Sarala. The Ageru Soulsword was very active in the field these days, as a scout to keep an eye out for the dangerous creatures that were now infesting the isles. Right now, she was returning from her own visit to Sarala, and was on her way to get something to eat, when she spotted a familiar face. She decided to speak up and get her attention. "Hatchi," she spoke, seeming comfortable with taking to a given name, "how are you faring?" OOC: @Mel

IC: Akiri Nuparu (Nuparu's Office) "Certainly, and I wish you best of luck" Nuparu answered, and the two visitors where promptly ushered out of the Akiri's office. OOC: @Palm @Void Emissary

OOC: I think we're all on the same page mostly anyway. We can definitely proceed from here just fine I think. IC: Vilda Mako (Ga-Koro docks) "That's right, well remembered." I answered, and glanced around us a few times to ascertain our privacy. About as good as we could really hope for it to be, and at this point, normal speech might be the best choice anyway when so many of my kinsfolk had shown up here. Ideatalk would be easier to overhear. "She's probably the highest-ranking member of our clan around on this island, actually, but she's also at least a little bit of a spoiled princess who's got more beauty than sense." OOC: @Endless Sea (Alaki Nuva) @Mel

IC: Salwa (Precipere) "Y-yes. Yes!" I answered, at first hesitant and then in a hurry to answer. It was never a good idea to seem too doubtful about one's instructions in Somok's presence. "If you give me a few moments I can meet you there" OOC: @Nato G @Toru Nui

IC: Mar (Ko-Koro) "If you're good at something never do it for free, isn't that what they say?" I replied, as I got up from my seat to get going. Karv flanked me with his own attention taken up with staying at the ready for whenever I might give him a command. He was not at all warmed up to Siika yet, but she was at least for now deemed acceptable, because I had deemed it so. "Alright, let's go then." I didn't feel the need to talk further or to wait for the Skakdi to out loud say she was coming after me. If she did, she did. If not, that was not my problem. I remembered more or less where the Sanctum Guard held office. Their bounty board was still a bit crowded, but that was no surprise when they were still dealing with the aftermath of that traumatic occupation period. "If the Guard knows about your quarry, it'll be someone on here, most likely" OOC: @Rahisaurus

IC: Salwa (Precipere) "Very well" I answered quickly and curtly before turning to nod in the direction of Xyde. "I'll need a few moments anyway to get ready to head back out again, and we'll need to have a word about our approach. Could we talk further somewhere else?" I asked. OOC: @Nato G @Toru Nui

IC: Ferron (Onu-Koro Highway) "Well, I'm not under any obligation to maintain cryptic mystique, so by all means" Ferron replied good-naturedly. "What occupies my thoughts is something that you'll have to forgive me if you've already told me, but... how was it that you came to be a Toa in the first place? The Stone that granted you your new powers, how did you acquire it?" OOC: @Daniel the Finlander IC: Akiri Nuparu (Nuparu's Office) It took a second or two for Nuparu to grasp Nika's curt speech patterns and gather his words. The information needed only be processed, and Nuparu's expression grew increasingly attentive. "I see... yes," he muttered, reaching over to one specific iStone among the ones spread across his desk, "I'm glad you came here" "I have to confess I've neglected to look at those parts of Whenua's paperwork. It's a sore topic, and also not really to my tastes." Nuparu exposited as he scratched out a few notes with his signature prominently featured. "With all that said, you have my permission on both counts to conduct this investigation. Whenua's possible dealings with the Gentry, and... our interrogation of his killer while in custody" Nuparu did hesistate for a moment, before reaching out with the hand holding the signed permission slips. These people were well-informed. OOC: @Palm @Void Emissary

IC: Vilda Mako (Ga-Koro Docks) I attempted to grant a reassuring smile to Cephala as she asked what was going on. It wasn't my greatest skill, I'll admit. "We're just fixing to make a little bit of a rescue mission happen, I suppose," I answered, "some of our people have been lost somewhere else on the island for a while now, from the party I got here with. One of our clan's top ladies is up somewhere in the area you folk call 'Ko-Wahi'" OOC: @Mel @Endless Sea (Alaki Nuva)

IC: Zelvin (Mangaia) Zelvin just regarded the Matoran standing ahead of her with an icy, cold look across her features. She was in no mood to be toyed with, and even in a place like this, she was conceited enough to make that come across by her demeanor. She held her Toa Tool in her hand, its impact with the stone floor echoing as she took a few steps with it as a walking stick in the direction of the voice that was coming from further in, in roughly the same direction as the harrowing screams she had heard before, she noted. She cast a glance at the Matoran ahead of her, seemingly lost by the way they were expressing themselves. "Well? Are we going to keep our prospective host waiting?" OOC: @ARROW404@Snelly

IC: Salwa (Precipere) I frowned, something that, fortunately, my helmet mostly hid from my leader. I wanted to just excuse myself and pretend like this conversation never happened, but that wasn't going to help anyone. I could feel a hole being burned into my neck as I imagined what my cousin would say if he saw me like this... "Our scouts and hunters will need to leave the village for some time anyway," I answered, "our hunting routes need to be retraced, we need to get a sense of how the lay of the land has changed, and we need people out there who can get some sense of what we're up against if we're hoping to keep ourselves safe" OOC: @Nato G

IC: Mar (Ko-Koro) Seated across from Siika, I realized she was nearly a head taller than I was. Even for Skakdi she was a lady of considerable size, and I'd been told I was tall on more than one occasion... Why did I care about that? "So yeah, I've got a score to settle," she said with a huff of frustration, "and I can't sit comfortably knowing that folks like that are still around. Not to mention, the way they fought, they definitely had training, so there could be more of them". Ah, there it was. Somebody with an actual principled stance, unlike somebody else I knew. I cleared my throat and focused on committing to memory the actual details that I was being handed. I'd gotten used to this at this point, gotten a little bit of a head for it. I could make something of this. It didn't really need to be anything other than business as usual. "I can see the problem," I agreed with a nod, "somebody who's likely to be dangerous even on their own" Under the table, at my belt, I fingered with the handle of my pistol, frowning slightly as I cast my glance at a few spots around us. "There's a few things we could try to get some clue of where they are now, the Sanctum Guard is still posting a bounty or two for people they suspect of being involved with the occupation" OOC: @Rahisaurus

IC: Ferron (Onu-Wahi Tunnels) "I'll manage just fine, the road at this point is quite safe" Ferron answered, and gave Oliphko a smile, "but like you said yourself, it's not something you're rushing towards, either. Whatever decision you make is up to you" Ferron turned and continued to walk towards Onu-Koro. If Oliphko needed to catch up with him, she would be quite able to. OOC: @Daniel the Finlander

IC: Zelvin (Mangaia) Zelvin stopped, straining her eyes to glare at the black smear that stood ahead of her, beyond her ability to make out anything distinct about. It was in places like this that she prized the versatility of her mask the most. Sensory Aptitude applied to all senses and where her eyes were useless, smell and touch and hearing were all practiced tools for picking up the slack. The Toa of Crystal had thought about creating for herself a lightstone but decided against it. Down here it would have been practically useless. The fact that someone had spoken put Zelvin at ease. In places like this, there were far nastier things to worry about running across than someone else with the command over normal speech and possibly sinister intent. She was used to dealing with those. "A seeker" she answered. OOC: @ARROW404

IC: Ferron (Papa-Nihu Reef) "I'll be staying here, but making a visit elsewhere sounds like a good idea." Ferron remarked as they walked together towards the entrance back into the tunnel leading to Onu-Koro. The Forgemaster got very quickly accustomed to having his metal rod serve as a walking stick, and with the lightstone fixed at its end he lit the way until they met the main tunnel road, and the lighting became consistent. "You're very welcome, by the way," he added to Oliphko's second remark, "I'll see about trying it again sometime if you like? There's always more that can be done with that sort of thing." OOC: @Daniel the Finlander

OOC: Zelvin from Ko-Wahi IC: Zelvin (Mangaia) It was with a not insignificant sense of foreboding that Zelvin started walking the trek down into the underworld that rested like a pulsating wound beneath the island's monument to its deity. She supposed there was some poetry in that, some indication of the general state of things on the island in general. Darkness hiding under one's very feet or behind the friendly face of another, or in the cockels of one's own heart. Why did those who deserved no such torment, suffer it again and again. Zelvin had long since given up trying to create some cogent statement about the hows and whys of this conundrum. It simply was and she had to be satisfied with that. It was funny how things kept turning out like that when the will of Great Spirits had to be accounted for. The only honest answer was not to be found in bound books of scripture or in the traditions passed down by Turaga and their acolytes. A great story could make anything seem like the truth, and it could inspire as well as twist and cheapen something that was, at the end of the day, beyond mortal comprehension. But, "I don't know" was an unattractive answer. It satisfied nothing, and even now the Kru-Toa had it on her mind as she walked the long cavern tunnels of this dark place, her senses all peeled for the slightest hint of danger. She did not have true light in her heart, she knew that, but was that enough to go unnoticed in shadows such as these? The howls of anguish that flared to life from further into these dark depths were both a surprise and thoroughly unsurprising. Where else would that sort of people congregate but here? After a moment's hesitation, she went in that direction. OOC: @Snelly @ARROW404

IC: Salwa (Precipere) I blinked. Then again. I was not at all expecting that, and now I was walking into uncharted territory. I felt my finger twitch almost unconsciously as I struggled to think about the question, and to provide an answer. Would there be any use in answering honestly? What was the honest answer anyway? "I... think there's a need for more information on our part," I began, "we'll need to send a few out in the direction of Ferrum, but... we should try to avoid being seen there until we can spot whatever parties the other villages send. We can't go there alone, it would look suspicious" OOC: @Nato G

IC: Vilda Mako (Ga-Koro Docks) "A necessary skill in all situations" I remarked with a smile, and looked over at Pradhai with a knowing look. ::Listen,:: I chimed in privately on the mental plane, ::if what we're planning is going to work, shouldn't we just take this 'Turaga' along too? We could use someone who's more familiar with the island:: OOC: @Mel @Endless Sea (Alaki Nuva)

IC: Mar (Ko-Koro) "You're lucky I'm hungry or you'd get your own merchandise right back in your face" I remarked humorlessly as I gestured to somewhere that would serve our needs well. There was a small eatery not too far off that offered people the chance to cook whatever they themselves brought. It was not the best choice, but the closest and I really needed to get this thing on a grill at some point today. After a bit of time, we were sitting down. I was eating an actually decently grilled fish, while Karv was sitting quietly nearby having eaten his long ago at this point. "Alright," I said, looking over at Siika, "you've got a score to settle with a 'troublemaker'. What kind are we talking about? What did they do and so on" I asked. OOC: @Rahisaurus

IC: Zelvin and Farzan (Po-Koro Tech Emporium) I blinked through the light reflecting in my eyes as I held up the lens to examine it. It was all a fine idea in theory, the part that mattered was to make sure that it all could in fact fit together, and make the plan work. We all love it when a plan comes together. The launcher the old Toa had left with me was an intriguing wonder all its own. Crystals as ammunition, now there was an idea... I held it up, blinking as I felt its weight for a few moments. Pretty comparable to one of my rifles, perhaps a slight bit heavier. Poking out from at the top of the muzzle, a little metal ring at the end of a short prong contained a lens with a crosshair for good measure. The door chimed, and once again I saw someone come in with a dissecting look in her eyes. She could immediately tell that the work seemed to be done, and smiled and nodded approvingly. "You're early, and fortunately so was I, Ma'am" I offered as she approached. "A craftsman of such renown as yourself ought to be" she remarked with a smile I could have sworn seemed genuine and not sarcastic at all. Just made me more suspicious, frankly. Payment was no problem for her, just forked it over without quibbling and took her modified gear back. "Come again, always at your service" I bellowed as she left. Zelvin had to say, she was indeed impressed with the young Fa-Matoran's work. This was just what she'd been hoping for, and with this last tweak made to her most advanced piece, she was feeling a surprising hankering to take her way out towards the uncharted road again, despite having literally just done so. Zelvin didn't overthink it, she did that more than enough already with a lot of other stuff that she liked to think about, and she spent a lot of time doing that already. With her weapon returned to its normal state, the gleaming curve of the blade at the end of her polearm, sticking out from where it hung on her back, everyting else ready to go. She left the village of Stone and took the best route she could find to get her out of that desert quickly. OOC: Zelvin to Le-Wahi

IC: Ferron (Papa-Nihu Reef) "I'll be heading back for now. I still have a business to run" Ferron answered with a smile, "I'm sure we'll see each other again, Oliphko" OOC: @Daniel the Finlander

IC: Salwa (Precipere) I nodded at our leader's last remark. That was certainly true, and I could, personally, be quite happy to take a moment away from the field. Somok was probably going to ask us all to keep close to the village for now, so that we wouldn't run afoul of prying eyes when Vulcanus or whomever else was interested came knocking. It would suit me just fine, for sure. OOC: @Nato G

IC: Salwa (Precipere) I held my tongue. Sohmok was in the conspiratorial corner again, as he was so often these days. If you questioned him too much, he would suspect you of treachery, but it also meant that his suspicions could head in nearly any direction with enough prodding, entirely hypothetically speaking. "Whatever happened there seems to have backfired on them very badly" I said, after some hesitation. OOC: @Nato G