Unreliable Narrator

IC: Reliable Narrator | Kumu Peninsula As Korruhn admitted the darkness in his heartlight he truly felt towards Sidra NUVA and turned his ACR away from her, one of Grime’s arms slipped loose from Korruhn’s embrace. It dangled limp and lifeless, and silver blood slipped off the palm and fingers to fall with finality towards the basalt ground. As she considered Korruhn's rebuke and questions, the NUVA noticed something about the tattoos running up the matoran’s arm: she’d seen them before. OOC: @Gecko Greavesy, @Crimson Jester Sidra is a perceptive enough individual that she would notice this. OOC: Music for next section "Children of the Omnissiah" IC: Axxon and Tuyet, Reliable Narrator | Kini-Nui Axxon scowled, for he saw Viltia and Atamai both told the truth of their perspective. The toa before Axxon could indeed forge disks of such divine power. He saw her body was marked with the symbols of apostasy, but the light of the Krom burned within her, and the strange tethers of his ancient memory were freshly placed upon her desecrated flesh. She could not help him as she imagined, but there was hope while the light flowed in her veins. She was marked, as was the thief Atamai. Perhaps it was possible to complete the ritual after all in this strange time, but to bargain with her would be as bad as to bargain with the Witch of Time. But inside him a shade stirred at the mention of Great Disks. So too did the amalgam. It grew restless, and a lancing pain forced him to lurch from his otherwise imposing stance of strength. It wanted to feed. Life was here, ripe for the taking. The spirits in his halberd hungered as well. They begged to be released, to be let loose to gorge on the souls of those close by until their mortal forms returned. Axxon took a deep breath and rose tall once more. Death would come in time for them as it did for him. He did not need to rush the inevitable for those before him. “How many have you consecrated with NUVA,” requested Axxon of the assembled group as his mask of truth glowed with power. “If we are to preserve the actions of my time, they must join me at the Forge of the Heartsflame. The rite must be performed once more.” Tuyet looked at Viltia with concern. This stranger unleashed a demon from its tomb, stuffed it back inside with a bunch of wood, walked up to join in on a conversation, and now seemed to have the perfect solution for Tuyet’s problem. Worse, Axxon seemed interested and was proposing options. Any options besides sticking this dude somewhere that wouldn’t ruin everything were bad options. If the guy kept asking questions and getting straight answers a steaming pile of problems were inbound. And he wore her sword. The nerve! She balled a fist and began striding towards Axxon with intent to harm. Axxon sensed it. “I dunno what your problem is or like what you think you’re gonna do about it,” Tuyet started; “but your free ride is over. Time to go home. Buddy, Handy: let's get him." The two Kaita ACRs continued straining against their bonds. A fight of desperation overcame them. The riteborn was close! So close! Their mouths opened as their machinery strained for freedom. Golden ichor began pouring from their throats... OOC: @~Xemnas~, @BULiK, @Vezok's Friend, @Smudge8, @Kal the Guardian, and I think that's everyone? Tuyet is throwing down the gauntlet @Eyru. The Kaita ACRs will truly tear themselves apart trying to break free of their bonds if they are not removed from the hex or allowed to attack the riteborn. It's their nature.

@Kal the Guardian, Cravious NUVA approved.

@Gecko Greavesy, Hakkzan approved

IC: Kanohi Ignika the “Administrator” | Mi-Kiri, Elemental Temple of Light Try as she might, Mahrika’s eyes could not adapt to understand the words flashing across the wall. They went from floor to ceiling as if in fear of what came next, transitioning from a projection to an afterthought in more time than it took to notice the individual phrases. Only the common pattern of IC and OOC could be seen repeating itself throughout the scurrying text. So when Mahrika turned towards the Ignika once more it was perhaps with a sense of defeat, and a hope for answers her eyes couldn’t detect. She asked her questions of the Kanohi Ignika, and Sorilax interjected his multitude of technical inquiries. Sorilax wanted to know how things worked. Mahrika wanted to know why. The Ignika replied; “life is not ours to live, nor will it ever be. Life is ours to nurture, grow, and decay as is the natural order. Death is a part of this process. It is inevitable that we observe the decay of this reality, as we observe time and time again. To exist in a dichotomy is an imbalance.” The AI’s voice echoed off the stones, and the force of its declaration caused the glowing water covering the floor to ripple with a sudden surface tension. Small droplets rose from the water like rain falling in reverse and drifted in the air. The droplets caught the light of the room, reflecting rainbows across every surface. Kas did not reply to Sorilax. The antiderm’s possession of his body was the ultimate castration of his sense of self, and Kas wished to fight for what little dignity he might retain. Nevertheless, Kas’ destiny was now bent to aid Sorilax, and the aspect could easily tell from Kas’ momentary thin slicing and decision making that the toa of fire knew nothing about the strange cables. They were as new to Kas as to Sorilax himself. Truly, Kas believed the flaw in the system was the Ingnika. Kas wanted to wear the Ignika or destroy it. With his new internal battle about wearing masks, Sorilax realized Kas began leaning further towards destroying the mask of life. He could feel the toa of fire balling his fists and beginning to channel the flames inside. He paused at the sound of footsteps echoing from the hallway. “It looks like you are running out of time,” said the Ignika. “The others are coming, as they have since you first opened this sanctum. I do not welcome them, but all serve a purpose in protecting the natural balance. Will you leave at peace with yourself now that your curiosity is sated? We must return to our duty. There are many who seek penance in the lands of flame. They must be offered redemption.” “Don’t you wax poetic on me,” Kas blurted out in a moment of freedom; “I’ll show a land of flame!” He began to channel the inner fire of his soul, imagining the radiant heat of his toa essence boil the waters around him into a fine steam. He jerked an arm back behind as if to throw a ball of flame, then found nothing happened. The elemental energy fizzled, and his final attempt at sabotage were undone. He fell to his knees in the water and hung his head. He realized there was only one thing more he could do. Maybe. But was it worth it? OOC: @Kal the Guardian, @Harvali I edited this section to be more clear that Kas would not be able to conjure a fireball regardless of Sorilax. IC: Reliable Narrator | Elemental Ruins of Fire Truly, it was the lands of flame where Cravious and Whira dared to enter the Elemental Ruins of Fire. The temple inside the crumbling pile of rubble existed in a state of rapid decay. Walls and rooms were clipping, stretching, or simply refusing to render. Once ornate puzzles were simple geometry and shrieking starlight. The hidden room of the Amaja Circle continued to turn into a space of solid blue on a flat plane, and existing in it was like being an amoeba squished between glass panes in a prep slide. Whira and Cravious soldiered on in their dogged determination until at last they reached the central chamber of the temple. Cravious inserted the Great Disk he forged from the nightmares of his kin, and then with a rush blinding light filled the chamber and then he was gone. “Y-y-you ar-ee-ee-eee erro-rr you-- nOt-- bUILDeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeer- - -fghkfghk lor -- lorem ipsum delor - ss---tarrrrsss---- haaappp--y haappppyy cc-cc-ccc--...” The Administrator’s voice spat unintelligible garbage and could not warn those inside the temple to flee. The transformational light became a torture nearly too great to bear for Whira, but she could not escape. The room swam, her body distorted and became black lines on a white canvas. Lizards danced around her, keeping the truth at bay. They crawled around her, burying her under their weight. They expanded, as if all the lizards entwined formed a balloon filling with air. The Elemental Ruins of Fire exploded in a burst of starlight, twisting flame, and freed dreams. The screaming wails of sleepwalkers flew through time and embedded themselves once more in the minds where they first lived. The terror of the dark crawled back along the spines of those who slept with a candle by the bed. Those who feared their individual insignificance were haunted by the knowledge they would amount to nothing. The skakdi inventor stood in a pool of white water. Beneath him were dark footprints, a reflection extending far into the darkness. Another part of him waiting to be revived. Cravious returned to the burning earth of a roaring fire. He felt smoke fill his lungs. He felt radiation wrack his frame. Whira was nowhere to be found. Whira was not dead. Her physical armor was indeed destroyed in the explosion of the physical temple. She was indeed incorporeal. But she was something more now: she was separate. She was herself, and nothing more. Nothing came before her, and nothing would come after. She was an aspect severed from the very thing that made her. She was free. Wow did freedom hurt. OOC: @Kal the Guardian, @~Xemnas~ the Elemental Temple of Fire has been destroyed. Cravious is now Cravious NUVA. Whira is now Whira NUVA Proxima. Please note, that as part of removing herself from the cycle of life in the Caldera she may now physically interact with the world and be interacted with in her gaseous form. Please add that to her Physical Flaws when submitting her new profile for approval. IC: Spiriah | Kumu Peninsula “Be quiet,” Spiriah said with a wave of an ethereal hand towards Ostrox. “I have had a long day and I am in no mood for the words of your kind. You still think there is but one Mata-Nui. Let those who ascend speak.” The shifting shadows moved closer towards Parnassus. “Working together? With these? They are infected with idolatry. Two are already bound in pacts with a sworn enemy. I spare them now as a humor to you. Is working with these really what you suggest after traveling across the surface?” An odd sucking sound reverberated from the shadow. Parnassus realized Spiriah was laughing. “You would play pretend. It is not our nature, and you know this. You seek grandeur as a lord among nightmares? Then ascend through countless cycles. Let them worry about death. We exist without such petty consequences. You wish to lead them with promises of goodwill? Faith is what binds. Faith and darkness. Do you truly seek power so desperately?” OOC: @Void Emissary, @Toru Nui, @EmperorWhenua, @TL01 NUVA, @Keeper of Kraata IC: Opal | Shores of Metru-Nui Her body plunged into the waters and the darkness of a dying god gripped her. "More," she heard in her thoughts. "More." She swam deeper in the blood of a tortured divine, and Opal tasted the sweet deliverance of death as the hands of the undead gripped her wounded form and dragged her into the deep. Irnakk frowned from atop his throne of bones in the Realm of Nightmares. He didn't like losing his toys. Opal did much much for Irnakk, and her death displeased him. He began searching for who took her from him... OOC: @Gecko Greavesy Opal rolled a 22 for interacting with Defiled EP and has died without the option of resurrection. IC: Reliable Narrator | Elemental Temple of Water "You will find where to go by walking outside this temple and looking at the sky. Look for a large sphere floating in the air that is not the sun or the moon. This sphere, Mi-Kiri, is where the main servers are located. Follow the big coiling cables to the center of the city, and there you will find those who attack me," said the Administrator. Something about the way it spoke gave Jutori the distinct impression the AI was attempting to mitigate confusion for Skyra NUVA. "The proximity shields are down, the servers have been breached. Immediate assistance may reduce risk of data loss. Data may include culturally sensitive artifacts or rendered suva spaces." ooc: @pokemonlover360, @Snelly, @Tarn

@Gecko Greavesy: Far Shore Adventure Prompts for Xaril Timeline: A Element: Stone Conflict: Character vs Nature Twist: Yank the Dog's Chain Optional (up to 3): Accuracy Courage Creation Duty Faith Peace Purity Speed Stamina Strategy Unity Willpower

@Kal the Guardian, here are the prompts for the next Far Shore Adventure for your bohrok friend Timeline: A Element: Earth Conflict: Character vs. Society Twist: Genuine Imposter Optional (up to 3): Accuracy Courage Creation Duty Faith Peace Purity Speed Stamina Strategy Unity Willpower

IC: Reliable Narrator | The Cube The first nightmare Cravious experienced was from a skakdi once known as Boss. @Kal the Guardian

@Crimson Jester your mech is approved

IC: Reliable Narrator | Elemental Ruins of Water Skyra felt her change from matoran to toa all over again. She remembered so much and so clearly. So why did a lizard cling to the back of Jimatru while he ran? Why did a lizard scuttle across the office floor when she went back that night? Who cares, Skyra was awesome and totally showed she wasn't a coward. So she was here now: stuck in a place of just white void with little rippling puddles under her feet. She kinda got the sense that maybe something was up. Something new and exciting. ANd yeah, maybe it was. Maybe it was the massive shadow underneath her that totally hinted at a rad mech waiting on the other side of all this weirdness. So it was pretty cool that the weirdness ended quickly and Skyra stepped out the golden light into the chamber as Skyra NUVA, bathed in the light of Tren Krom. OOC: @Tarn, @pokemonlover360, @Snelly congrats!

@Tarn Jutori Nuva Proxima approved, but please make sure to add a physical flaw along with the current psychological flaw.

IC: Spiriah | The Caldera The dirt shifted beneath Parnassus' feet, and a little ways away he saw hands beginning to breach the surface of the earth. Mesi warriors were crawling from below, having made the trek unopposed by those who strove in the world above to find some meager essence of deeper meaning in their wretched existence. The mesi knew life was a wretched thing. They knew, and they harbored the knowledge deep in their heartlights with the bitterness and hatred of the ignorant fools above them in equal measure. However, they made no attempt to attack Parnassus or the group behind him. They instead rose from their tunnels and began to march further south towards an unknown destination. They'd gone as far as they could in safety and stealth, and now they journeyed in the darkness of the mists towards a bitter death. "I have heard whispers in the dark," replied Spiriah. "Tell us more, Parnassus. Tell us what you have learned." The kraata in Waveahk's arm twisted painfully. So too did the kraata in Keitara's spine. The worms were excited. OOC: @Void Emissary, @TL01 NUVA, @Keeper of Kraata, @Toru Nui, @EmperorWhenua

IC: Spiriah | Kumu Peninsula, Caldera Parnassus felt the shadows beyond the edge of the Caldera coalesce into the wraithlike form of a toa. It strode across the green waters, each footfall a breath away from touching the bubbling brew of life and death. The wraith’s arms were like Parnassus’: outstretched and welcoming. “You have returned at last, as you swore you never would,” came the voice of Spiriah from the shadowy figure. The ground began to churn beneath the feet of those assembled with the younger aspect. They could feel vibrations from below, like a small earthquake or some great host digging relentlessly towards the surface. “Welcome home, my wayward son. There is much work to be done.” OOC: @Void Emissary, @Toru Nui, @TL01 NUVA, @EmperorWhenua, @Keeper of Kraata IC: Reliable Narrator | Elemental Temple of Water The disk slipped easily into the machine’s awaiting port. It rested with a click, and then the disk was pulled into the machine and the receiver disappeared into the dais as it did in each temple before. A flash of bright light lit the room. It glittered and burned hot as the countless faces of the coins and treasures reflected the golden light back. Skyra felt herself pulled through an opening in the floor directly into the light. She felt the exhilerating pumping of adrenline that came from only the most dangerous drive tests. This was her. She was jumping into the unknown again. And she was gone. Jutori screamed. His body melted and burned and the light wracked him with a radiation worse than he could possibly imagine. No one had mentioned just how painful this was. No one had mentioned just how much you wanted to die but you just couldn’t close your eyes long enough and you just couldn’t stop breathing long enough either. In the brutality of the moment he found no words. Then, what seemed like days of torment to Jutori later but to Kilo’s mechanical mind were mere moments, the deed was done. Steam rushed from his body. His new body. He was Jutori NUVA Proxima, bathed in the light of Tren Krom. But what of Skyra What of the reckless adventurer who jumped headfirst into danger with a smile? What of the one who prodded the devil and demanded to play? She stood in Metru-Nui. It was quiet here on the race track. She knew the toa stone she’d borrowed was in her bag and today was the day… But how did it go again? OOC: @Tarn, Jutori is now Jutoria NUVA Proxima. @Snelly please write how Skyra became a toa before we continue with her transformation. Have fun.

@Snelly, Skyra NUVA approved

IC: Admin | Reliable Narrator "Oh. A Daring. This'll be good. Alright Air Breather, do the thing. I'm certainly not capable of stopping you, and to be frank I've read enough about all your selves that I know not to try. I'll just be over here, in my lane, slowly dying because you refuse to help." OOC: @Snelly

IC: Reliable Narrator | Kini-Nui Viltia held the Krom Sphere in her palms and considered it deeply. She felt a kind of kinship with the object, and with Mazor, and also with the flower about six miles north of here. At this point what didn't she feel kinship with anyways? It was okay though -- she had the stars as friends now, and she could everything grow and make the skakdi stop breaking things. There was a little part of her that wanted to help the skakdi grow too. Otherwise, the Krom Sphere brought a sense of peace and comfort but no strange portents and no catastrophes. OOC: @Kal the Guardian IC: Admin | Elemental Ruins of Water "You are very crass. Have we met before? I feel like we've met before." @Snelly

@Kal the Guardian congrats on weaving all 6 prompts into your single post. It was a great Far Shore Adventure. Sometimes less is more, and in this case I think the shorter format worked in your favor. Without further ado, loot: Your rolls: 5, 11, 16, 1, 7, 15 Havohk's Ice Shields are now made of protosteel +1 Psychological Flaw (your choice) and a pair of Shredder Claws Kanohi Garai, Great Mask of Gravity All wounds inflicted in the post remain when he returns A Krana Su that allows him to connect to the telepathic hive mind that is formed of any character who wears a krana they got in a Far Shore Adventure (I think Toru Nui has one?) An elemental bullhorn of fire. Shouting through the bullhorn magnifies one's voice and causes great bursts of flame. Focusing one's elemental energies through the elemental bullhorn of fire allows for toa-level control of fire while speaking through the bullhorn.

IC: Irnakk | Irnakk’s Tooth The Great Spirit of Nightmares weighed Cravious’ words. For a considerably long moment Cravious knew he was doomed. Then Irnakk’s twisted visage turned into a sneer, and a booming laugh erupted from his chest as the ribs clattered together like rattling jaws. A dark greasy ooze evacuated from between them. “I am intrigued,” said Irnakk. “You have made armor and kept my interests in mind. You have served my Prized. You have rallied those who would stand against me to follow my cause. You are a good sleeper and I appreciate all your dreaming. It is fair you ask for something to play with. Here, take these.” From within Irnakk’s chest the Great Spirit withdrew four crystalline shards that gave off the faintest wails. Steam rose from them. Irnakk placed them in Cravious’ open palms. “They will help you in your crafts that help me.” Whira noticed something as Irnakk spoke. She noticed a fiery chain around Irnakk’s throat with a fastened stone dangling down. The stone was strange. It glowed all its own, and seemed much the part of something larger. Perhaps a fragment of something that was once a sphere. “Now go play,” Irnakk said; “and for the gifts I have provided you will find and bring me the Mask of Creation. It’s high time someone used it properly.” And Irnakk vanished back to the realm of Nightmares, leaving Whira and Cravious and Voracious alone with nothing but a steaming pile of slime between them. OOC: @Kal the Guardian, @~Xemnas~. Cravious has received 4 Nightmare Crystals after successfully supplicating an angry NPC. Feel free to carry on with kicking Voracious into the volcano. IC: Tuyet | Kini-Nui “I like ideas that involve saving lives,” Tuyet said in tandem with Exuse. She looked towards Zataka for further explanation and continued; “If you’ve got a little bit we could, like, team up or something. The three of us hunting down one undead guard from the past can’t be that hard, right?” OOC: @Vezok's Friend, @BULiK IC: Admin | Elemental Temple of Ice “No,” replied the Administrator. “I am incapable of providing that information. Such an item is not one I know how to create, but if you save me I may be able to aid in your search.” OOC: @BULiK, @Tarn IC: Admin | Elemental Temple of Water “Yes, Kilo-M9, greetings. It is good to see another pure machine. Two Builders did indeed prove their worthiness in this temple, until they freed a prisoner that had been hidden away and let him loose to attack me directly. Thanks to the actions of Mahrika and Ollem I am now being threatened with deactivation at best and the complete annihilation of my databases at worst. Please help. The security of the culture of the Builders is in your hands.” OOC: @pokemonlover360, @Tarn, @Snelly IC: Admin and Kas | Mi-Kiri, Elemental Temple of Light Kas struggled between two motivations and Sorilax could plainly see the inner turmoil of the toa’s thoughts. On the one hand, Kas desperately wished to don the Mask of Life himself. Risk made life fun, after all. On the other hand, the mask he now wore was special to him. It was his for a long time, even though there’d been a little mishap where he’d lost it but Mahrika and Ollem found it again and that was all that mattered. His mask and the ruined district of Mi-Kiri was everything he had now of the past, and to take it off would be as cruel as to kill a dear friend. He couldn’t do it. “It’s not an AI,” sputtered Kas under Sorilax’s loosened control. “It’s the mask. It’s always been the mask.” “You are correct,” confirmed the Kanohi Ignika. The voice filled the room with and sent an electric tingle up the spines of those inside the space as the Ignika glowed brighter. “I am me. I am the Administrator of your culture Mahrika, the devoted creator and taker of life, and you have threatened me for too long. These cables that infest me and supplant the will of another into my actions are foreign to me, not of my design, and not within my power to remove. So long as I remain, I am infected with their whims. “As for interacting with me safely: that was never an option. Death and Life are intrinsic to each other. They are one and the same. You cannot separate them. To do so would be the wish of nightmares. Now, will you leave this place with the knowledge you carry and be satisfied, or will you press your luck further?" OOC: @Kal the Guardian, @Harvali

IC: Administrator | Elemental Ruins of Ice "Why?"

IC: The Administrator | Elemental Ruins of Ice At the mention of a name, the voice of the Admin cut the silence that lingered after Knichou's statement; “I am here, for now. I am under attack. Please help Builders. My core resides in Mi-Kiri, the floating city in the sky. An aspect and a builder have attacked me, breaching the firewalls and threatening to disable my systems. I am afraid if they succeed in my deactivation it would doom us all.” OOC: @Tarn, @BULiK

No no, there's a way to get the codex of a Grand Builder.

Somebody had to build the puzzles and temples. That's the job of Grand Builders.

@BULiK what do you mean by Grand Builder?

IC: Kas and Admin | Elemental Temple of Light "Slow down the wall," the Admin asked back as if shocked by the idea; "why would someone want to slow down the wall of Prophecy. It would be much easier to speed oneself up with a kakama. Although, perhaps by donning the Ignika-" "Don't," Kas struggled to get out more but Sorilax's will and control was much stronger. It seemed the aspect who believed himself the arbiter in the dichotomy of good and evil was winning. Kas' mind filled with thoughts of the mask, the need to wear destroy it or at the very least wear it himself. How it could create and destroy all life. He'd seen it, and seeing it had doomed his world. ooc: @Kal the Guardian, @Harvali IC: Irnakk, Great Spirit of Nightmares | Irnakk's Tooth "Ah, Whira," Irnakk purred as his many eyes pulled from the skulls of the dead honed in on the her. "You are an aspect of your future self, are you not? You wish to become an ascendant, don't you? It is wise to bow your head to those who walked the path before." His hulking body lumbered closer, a long and grisly arm caked in magma reaching out towards Cravious. He lifted the skakdi's chin until their eyes locked. The eyes of the great spirit were glazed in death. The fires of the volcano reflected off them. Irnakk said; "I am mad at you. You are one of my Prized. I saved you and let your kind sleep in my nightmares. And you repay that kindness by asking me for more? What else do you bring for me besides words? What acts have you done that show your service? What old toys of mine have you found that strayed? OOC: @Kal the Guardian, @~Xemnas~

Irnakk has entered the Time Between Time at Irnakk's Tooth. Please keep his Hex effect in mind if you enter its range:

IC: Irnakk, Great Spirit of Nightmares | Irnakk's Tooth “You got nothing?” A voice spoke with vile hatred throughout the volcano, and Cravious realized he’d made a terrible mistake. The business transaction he’d been about to start was already off on the wrong foot. “You got nothing?” The voice repeated with a rumbling shout. The smoke shifted and rippled, and then he was there: Irnakk, the nightmare god. His body was made of the slain skakdi tossed into his fiery maw, and his eyes were lit with the nightmares of those who before they woke. His legs were like the thickest tree trunks, and the Great Spirit’s form stomped across the broken shelf of rock that Cravious, Whira, and Voracious stood upon until he came perilously close. “You got the greatest gift imaginable,” replied Irnakk as he bore down upon Cravious. He continued; “Your life was a gift, and you have made it very clear you wish to return it.” OOC: this is a deadly encounter, you have the opportunity to change the Great Spirit’s mind @Kal the Guardian and @~Xemnas~