Kal the Guardian

IC: Sorilax - Aspect of Light and Silence - Aspects of Makuta

Location - Kini-Nui (7, 10)

With - Sidra, NPC Nuju

Sorilax nodded in understanding, “Ah, Kini-Nui has called another. I was drawn to this place to finally free myself from the clutches of my nature as an Aspect.” He held up his left arm and created a small glowing ball of golden light. “Not only have I changed my element, but who I fundamentally am. Finally I can feel emotions fully. No longer do selfishness, greed, and conniving poison my thoughts. It is the best feeling I have ever felt. And now, combined with figuring out how to do Desecrations with Rahi Heartlights instead of Sentient Heartlights, I no longer fear that my Aspect nature will lead me astray. I can offer help with truth and sincerity so that I might one day help all Life.”

He waved away the topic, “But as for yourself, I can not speak with certainty as to why you are here. Perhaps you are here to unlock the secrets of Tren Krom by searching out the Far Shore for the missing Makoki Stones. Perhaps you are here to open those bunkers and use what is inside. Perhaps you are even here to fight the darkness that lies below, though that one I doubt most of all. I would caution any who seek to challenge the void filled shadows deep beneath.”

Sorilax stroked his chin once more. “Maybe you can access the Suva Kaita. I could not, but perhaps Aspects are not allowed. Hopefully they are not, actually. My species isn’t exactly what I would call ‘good intentioned’.

“But it is hard to offer suggestions for your purpose without knowing what, or what circumstances, in the Temple of Ice caused you to be drawn here. I know my own ultimate goal that I am striving towards, though right now I too am not certain where it might lead me next. Perhaps meditating would help rearrange your thoughts? It certainly has helped me these past weeks.”

OOC: @Nato the Traveler

IC: Sorilax - Aspect of Light and Silence - Aspects of Makuta

Location - Kini-Nui (7, 10)

With - Sidra, NPC Nuju

Oh? So she had some kind of mental ability? Perhaps Psionics? Sorilax readied himself for the information. When it came, Sidra could feel him stripping apart the memories, categorizing them and placing them in the relevant alcoves in his mind. He cross-checked her memories with his own, noting that the village was in the same state as when he had left it, meaning she had shown up soon after he had left.

With the way Viltia spoke, and the way the villagers acted, everything seemed to point to this Sidra being part of the same timeline and universe as he was, or at least one so similar as to be basically the same. He wasn’t sure if the distinction was important or not.

Sorilax nodded to himself, “Well, that is certainly the same village I know. In fact, the beings there are exactly as I remember. So perhaps those other portals simply cross the space of this universe, and don’t lead elsewhere or elsewhen.”

The shadow lizard lowered its head, falling asleep to Sorilax’s voice.

“As for this place, hummm, where to begin?” He pondered for a moment. Well, more like a good fifteen seconds of silence. “Actually, it may be far faster to just read my memories, if that is within your capabilities.”

Sorilax gathered the knowledge and memories he had of this place, beginning from entering the clearing around the temple to walking down the Amaja Circle tower steps. Then he thrust them from himself, so that Sidra wouldn’t be lost in his ancient mind.

To him, they were memories. To Sidra, not familiar with how his mind functioned, they were transcripts of what had happened, with hundreds, or maybe thousands, of addendums attached that either added his own knowledge of the subject or his thoughts on what had happened. They were still memories, however, and Sidra would be able to easily understand the gist of what had happened here.

Sorilax and Sala had arrived, with no Far Shore portal in sight. They had walked around and found the dead Toa of Water. They had buried the Toa with respect nearby. Sorilax had solved the Suva Kaita puzzle, with it descending and offering him a Taboo, which he had used to change his element to Light. Then Sala had placed the partial Makoki stone in the giant head, summoning the portal.

After that, Nuju had arrived from the portal, offering knowledge. The addendums on Nuju’s words were plentiful, too many to go through, but the transcripts of what Nuju had said offered a much deeper understanding of the world, though at every turn, the smallest of Sorilax’s addendums screamed for evidence or proof of some kind, which Nuju had never offered.

Then the memories moved to the dark abyss below, and the doorway of death, that had almost killed the Aspect. To cap things off, she saw the uselessness of the Amaja Circle to offer hidden knowledge and then how he had noticed the other portals and the unearthed bunkers near them.
 

OOC: @Nato the Traveler @Eyru

IC: Sorilax - Aspect of Light and Silence - Aspects of Makuta

Location - Kini-Nui (7, 10)

With - Sidra, NPC Nuju

Sorilax gave the stranger before him a sideways glance. He knew everyone in Le-Metru Nuva. There weren’t that many beings living there, and she wasn’t one of them. But… even knowing the name of the village validated her claims. And if she hadn’t come through this portal right before them, then perhaps the other ones must simply be to the same, or possibly slightly altered, timeline. And if she had come from an altered timeline, then perhaps that timeline’s him knew her, so he should seek to find out if what she claimed was true.

“Though you knowing the village’s name lends credence to your claims, I do not remember ever seeing you before, and I know everyone who lives there. Well... I suppose I have been away for some time, so not currently. Can you offer any assurances that what you say is truth?”

He did not miss her saying she knew nothing about the Far Shore. He was mentally gathering what Nuju had told him, ready to launch into a lecture when the time was right. As for coming from the Ruins of Ice, perhaps he might want to take that portal to record the place. Whether this timeline or another, it would be good to write down its essence so it could be remembered.
 

OOC: @Nato the Traveler @Eyru

IC: Saybo - Toa of Water - Aurax

Location - The Coliseum (4, 9)

With - (Great Being) Aurax

Saybo’s hand gripped his pistol as Zaliyah’s broadcast came through. Her vile mouth spewed foul words like oil spilled in a pristine pond. He was ready for her to burst through the workshop door so he could gun her down for her atrocities for denying a Great Being such as Aurax. It was unthinkable, and should be rightly and justly punished. He didn’t even need emotions to know that.

But Aurax, in his great wisdom, didn’t order Saybo to do so. Truly, Aurax was a just and kind Great Being, offering his other subjects the opportunity to slay the corrupt intruders. Instead, Saybo nodded his compliance to Aurax’s commands and suggestions, and grabbed as many weapons as he could find, setting them out for inspection.
 

OOC: @~Xemnas~

IC: Sorilax - Aspect of Light and Silence - Aspects of Makuta

Location - Kini-Nui (7, 10), Atop the Amaja Circle Tower

With - Sidra, NPC Nuju

“You did, did you? Hummm. Very interesting. You don’t seem to be a projection like our friend Nuju here.” Sorilax inclined his head towards the Ko-Matoran, his flower crown jostling slightly, causing the small shadow lizard to raise its head from its sleep. “As for me, my companion Sala and I spent the last four days walking from the Fau Swamp to the south, taking our own path north through the drab marshes before climbing these mountains. It was quite a long and arduous trip, though I suppose in actuality I don’t get tired, being an Aspect and all. And in Avagah, Sala doesn’t get that winded either. So, perhaps arduous was an inaccurate statement.”

Sorilax scratched his chin, “But if you came from the Far Shore through this portal, can you validate Nuju’s claims with evidence, that it is a place that validates all universes?”

OOC: @Nato the Traveler @Eyru

IC: Viltia - Toa of the Green - Metru-Nui Refugees

Location - Grand Temple Ruins

With - Apex

Viltia jumped at Apex’s deeper, growling voice and shrieked in surprise. Already prepared for a Nui-Rama to attack her at any moment, her tethers shot out in all directions, grabbing whatever they could find. They pulled Viltia up into the air, away from the noise, spinning her to face it. They did this all as naturally as could be, acting without thought at the sudden sound, shifting and moving to adjust their grip if need be. She looked like a large, glowing spiny urchin.

The Rahkshi Staff, which one of her tethers was wrapped around to hold it, was pointed in Apex’s direction even as Viltia fumbled for her axe/crossbow.

But her demeanor completely changed when she realized who it was. Her tethers gently set her on the floor and she left her axe where it was on her back. She placed a hand on her chest, trying to laugh off the scare. She walked over to Apex, “Sorry about that. I thought you might be a Nui-Rama. How have you been?”

OOC: @Sparticus147 @Eyru

IC: Cravious - Skakdi of Lightning - Zakazian

Location - Irnakk’s Tooth (7, 10)

With - Whira

As more and more information was revealed, Cravious became more and more focused. The horrors of the space seemed distant as he drank in the sweet elixir that was knowledge. There were special discs that had been made here in these very lava flows. Perhaps the level 9 disc that he sought to make. They had taken Heartlights as ingredients, which was odd, but also oddly fitting. Based on the depictions, they had been Matoran Heartlights, but he sure hoped that part wasn’t mandatory.

The closest parallel he could think of was Aspects needing the Heartlights of sentient beings, so perhaps that would work here as well and they wouldn’t need to go find expendable Matoran. Wherever they might be.

Cravious pointed at the carvings, “I believe we just got what we needed. We need a Heartlight. Probably from a sentient being. And I’ve seen that forge from outside the volcano. No doubt we should cast our Kanoka and then Kanohi in the lava flows outside. Though the Heartlight might be a problem.”

He turned to Whira, “What do you think? Do you see something else in these ancient carvings?”

OOC: @~Xemnas~ @Eyru

IC: Viltia - Toa of the Green - Metru-Nui Refugees

Location - The Air Suva

Viltia turned from the Suva. She would be back later with more masks.

She laughed at herself. She didn’t have to come back at all! Le-Metru Nuva was within the Suva’s range. Viltia ran her hand over the Suva, intrigued by its power. Being able to store everything she made was amazing. But she didn’t like how dangerous it would be for other villagers to get here to link up with it. Not to mention, with how easily she had connected to it, no doubt others could come along and prosper off of her hard work, potentially stealing things from her.

She felt her connection to it in her mind. If she could make her own Suva, or some mask equivalent, that would be awesome. But later, later. She had a ton of stuff she wanted to do, like make more masks. Viltia paused, wondering. Could she maybe still find a way to merge masks? She smiled. Only one way to find out.

Swapping out her mask of Rahi Control for the mask mask of Flight, she moved to the doorway where she paused once more. She didn’t like leaving her original mask in the Suva. It felt insecure. Unsafe. Mata-Nui had given her that mask for a reason. Not to mention she used it all the time in the village. Maybe- Maybe she should make a powerless mask later and swap out for it. Yeah. That would be pretty easy, and good practice. If she needed to, she already had several lying around the forging hut.

Viltia activated the power of Flight and shot through the canopy, the branches bending out of her way before returning to their natural positions. The sun was a little closer to falling behind the giant robot head, but she still had time. She momentarily fell as she swapped to Levitation and scanned the horizon. A particularly large conical Nui-Rama hive stood out to her. She waited for the delay between switching masks to end and Teleported to it.

Suddenly loud buzzing rang through her head and she was filled with confusion. It was too soon to switch to Levitation so she used her tethers to feebly grip the hive, not doing a very good job as she slid lower. Eventually, she reached the canopy and was able to easily descend, keeping an eye out for angry Nui-Rama. None seemed to notice her yet, thankfully

As she scanned the large, yellow hive for secondary openings, she realized it was growing out of a giant building, much like the one she had just been at. She gently touched the ground, looking up as a Nui-Rama left the hive. A couple also arrived to the hive, crawling down and in. But none seemed to have noticed her.

Viltia looked over the structure, large and ancient. Maybe she could find a secondary entrance into the hive from inside and avoid most of the Nui-Rama. She needed to find that Vuata Maca Crystal before they used it for something awful.

Spotting the entrance, Viltia cautiously made her way inside. At a certain point, she felt electricity jolt through her and she felt a sensation much like the Suva. She paused, but nothing horrible happened, though now she couldn’t hear the Nui-Rama hive humming anymore.

She emerged to find a room with a dead Skakdi in the corner, three doorways, and a white, pristine flower floating in a pool. She was glad the Skakdi was dead and paid him no mind. The doorways were intriguing. Perhaps she would find her entrance to the Nui-Rama hive through one of them.

But she paused for a moment, appreciating the white flower. She decided to grow him some friends, filling the top of the pond with almost identical flowers. Now, a bed of white sat amongst all this decay, beautiful and almost glowing. It made her think of being with Nektann in that field of space. Her Heartlight warmed and her tethers started to drift once more like seaweed in an ocean current. She wished she could go back there and be with him. Maybe someday.
 

OOC: @Eyru Also, @Unreliable Narrator and @Vezok's Friend, Viltia now has masks of Rahi Control and Flight in the Air Suva. She is currently using Teleportation.

IC: Saybo - Toa of Water - Aurax

Location - The Coliseum (4, 9)

With - (Great Being) Aurax

Saybo’s optics studied the Vahki as it entered the workshop and gave its announcement. The news of arriving minions didn’t sit well with Saybo. His training screamed for background checks and weeks of observation. Logically, it would be best to take every precaution possible for every encounter Aurax had with anyone else. But Saybo also knew his training wasn’t exactly suited to protecting a Great Being, so he would have to continue to adjust and act on the fly.

The smell of oil filled his senses and his mind moved back to the ACR, so he continued working on the mech.
 

OOC: @~Xemnas~

 

IC: Sorilax - Aspect of Light and Silence - Aspects of Makuta

Location - Kini-Nui (7, 10), Atop the Amaja Circle Tower

With - Sidra, NPC Nuju

Sorilax sat back, actually slightly more refreshed than he had been. But he was a gaseous entity after all, if he didn’t get tired normally, then he wouldn’t need to rest to regain energy. It made sense, though it went against how most other life operated.

This Amaja Circle didn’t seem to hold any special or hidden knowledge. Which was slightly relieving. With what lurked below, Sorilax wished to rejoin Sala and leave here as soon as he could to continue his Grand Wish.

Sorilax pushed himself to his feet and went to leave the tower, when he noticed two portals beyond Kini-Nui, each with glowing rainbow edges just like the Far Shore portal. Near them were bunkers of some kind that looked like they had been unearthed recently. Perhaps he wasn’t done here just yet.

He descended the stairs and moved to inspect the Kanoka receivers around the Far Shore portal when he noticed it wasn’t at all Sala who had been talking with Nuju.

This new being was silver and emerald, certifiably loaded with weapons and technology he couldn’t comprehend. He noted that the being didn’t appear to bear any Kraata, so there was no need to hold back any knowledge.

Sorilax stepped up to the machine, looking at one of the Kanoka receivers to see if there was any special disc that needed to be inserted. Then he turned to the new arrival, “Greetings. I am Sorilax, Aspect of Light. Did you happen to travel here from the Far Shore, or perchance from one of those other two portals?” The being wasn’t wavering in any place, so they seemed real enough. Not at all like Nuju.

Connected so intrinsically to her element, Sidra was able to dive deep into Sorilax’s mind easily if she so wished. If she did, she would find herself in a mental space much like a library, with carved stone shelves running from floor to ceiling in a seemingly endless space. Each shelf held dozens of alcoves, each one containing differing amounts of stone tablets. Each alcove was labeled alphabetically. The easiest one to access would be Tarakava, Sand - North eastern subspecies. The tablets, if picked up in the mental space, would reveal surprisingly and extremely detailed facts and observations about Tarakavas. The space was lit with a warm golden light, and she would be able to tell that was his element.

At her waist and below would be a black sea of freezing cold water, one that didn’t just envelop her, but the lower half of all the stone shelves. If she pried further, she would find that the water resisted her attempts to breach it, hiding the information on the shelves below the waterline not just from her, but from Sorilax himself. And the waters weren’t just that. No, they held a terrible and indecipherable knowledge, one that would entrap weaker minds. They were full of the essence of shadow, or perhaps something that ran even deeper. They felt like waters, yet at the same time also as if the void itself were around her.

If Sidra decided to search out his current thoughts, she would find herself lost in these rows of shelves, random tablets flashing through her hands as Sorilax’s ancient mind thought about several topics at once, none of them having much bearing on his question. Whether this whole mindscape was a mental defense of some kind or just the mind of a being whose brain worked fundamentally differently than her own, she couldn’t be sure. Either way, he was hard to read.

But a few things Sidra would know for sure. The name Sorilax was the same name that Viltia occasionally brought up. He was the one who had helped found Le-Metru Nuva and his knowledge of the Fau Swamp had kept the villagers safe. He had also unintentionally set up the system of rule and morality that now kept all the species of Le-Metru Nuva united. His ideas had shaped a new set of standards that valued all life equally, and one that allowed the absolute defense of that life if necessary. If she had been paying attention, she would also know Sala the Matoran was supposed to be accompanying him, but Sala was nowhere to be seen.
 

OOC: @Nato the Traveler @Eyru Eyru, Sorilax checked the Kanoka receivers around the Far Shore portal to see if they had anything inscribed on or around them.

IC: Cravious - Skakdi of Lightning - Zakazian

Location - Irnakk’s Tooth (7, 10)

With - Whira

Cravious looked at the carvings with confusion. Was that a giant robot just like the head that came crashing down a couple weeks before? But, how? How could there be a carving of it here from so long ago?

He pondered that for a moment. Well, perhaps it had floated by before, way up in the sky, and the original natives of this island had seen it, creating this carving. Actually, this was evidence of what Whira and he sought to find here, remains of the civilization from before the Skakdi.

A rush of heat swept through the cavern, bringing with it the increased smell of oil and vomit. Cravious’ stomach soured further. But he tried his best to fight the feeling and looked back at the murals as Whira continued to clean them. Was there anything more to see?
 

OOC: @~Xemnas~ @Eyru

IC: Hahvok - Za and Ja Krana of Ice - Independent

Location - Underground Dead Forest

With - Marrow, Providence, Zak-Yak, Takadox

With no response forthcoming, Hahvok focused on following Marrow as the Mesi led them through the tunnels. As they descended, the air grew even colder. Hahvok enjoyed that. Every so often the tunnel would break off to a large cavern, where droplets of water could be heard splashing from the ceiling to the cave floor and the puddles that collected there.

And still, they walked, Marrow guiding them.
 

OOC: @Nato the Traveler @Sparticus147 @Burnmad @Unreliable Narrator

IC: Cravious - Skakdi of Lightning - Zakazian

Location - Irnakk’s Tooth (7, 10)

With - Whira

Cravious watched with interest as Whira moved. Anything to take his mind off of how he was feeling. The shadows of the cavernous space suddenly writhed and scurried about. For a second, panic filled his Heartlight, before he realized it was Whira doing the moving, not Irnakk.

The Skakdi of Lightning took a deep, shuddering breath and closed his optics for a moment. When he did, visions of dead Skakdi and pit witches danced before him. He quickly opened his optics again, though the noises of the visions remained as old discarded limbs rattled in the distance and evil cackling softly reached his audio receptors.

Thankfully falling soot and ash caught his attention in the dim light, distracting him from Irnakk’s heavy gaze. He looked back up at the murals. It seemed Whira’s probing shadows had dislodged some of the grime covering them up. Not even trying to use his X-Ray Vision, he instead focused on his Telescopic Vision on the murals as he called out to Whira, “Can you fully remove the ash from the carvings on the wall? Maybe they can help us.”

OOC: @~Xemnas~ @Eyru

IC: Cravious - Skakdi of Lightning - Zakazian

Location - Irnakk’s Tooth (7, 10)

With - Whira

Cravious gestured around the volcanic cavern, “And I don’t see where to go from here. My X-Ray Vision hasn’t worked since we entered this acc- this sacred place.” Whoa. That was close. There was no need to offend Irnakk in any way. The god was already inspecting him closely, he could feel it. And the whispers and cackling laughter sure didn’t help him any. It gave him this cold feeling that reached deeply, past his layers of machinery to touch his “organic” protodermis muscles. It was unsettling and he wanted it to stop immediately.

It was a good thing Whira was here, though. She forced him to put up a front of strength, to not show any sign of weakness. She was all about power, after all. And if one day he was forced to do away with her, then he needed every advantage he could get.

Otherwise he might have lost his mind in here, in this volcanic pit of darkness and heat.
 

OOC: @~Xemnas~ @Eyru

Where did everyone go? We haven't had a post for a couple days now. 

IC: Sorilax - Aspect of Light and Silence - Aspects of Makuta

Location - Kini-Nui (7, 10), Atop the Amaja Circle Tower

With - Sidra (Kind of)

Having already climbed up the Amaja Circle Tower, Sorilax missed as Sidra passed below and walked to the dome of the Suva Kaita, where she called out to Nuju. Sorilax hadn’t been paying attention and wasn’t exactly in the best of conditions, so when he heard a voice and didn’t make it out amidst the cawing of the seagulls, he just assumed it was Sala. Somehow he had missed seeing his friend. But that was fine. As long as Sala was safe.

Sorilax wished to pull out his scrolls and document the Amaja Circle he now stood above, but he only had so much energy right now and he wanted to spend it learning as much as he could. So he crouched down on his knees and used his long arms to reveal as many of the Amaja stones in the sand as he could find, trying to see if there was some other purpose to them and this tower, or even trying to figure out the story that was trying to be told.
 

OOC: @Unreliable Narrator @Nato the Traveler

IC: Sorilax - Aspect of Light and Silence - Aspects of Makuta

Location - Kini-Nui (7, 10)

Like a gift from Destiny, the Suva Kaita had started to rise. It took all Sorilax had to lift with his legs and push himself onto it. He lay on it, exhausted, as it rose back up. The horrible feelings of the dark slowly receded as he entered the light. Twice he felt the urge to throw himself from the Suva Kaita and join the darkness. Twice he refuted the feeling.

The sun had risen high enough to no longer be blocked by Irnakk’s Tooth and he just let himself bake in it as the Suva Kaita came to a stop at the top. Sorilax closed his optics, just appreciating how he could feel the light as it struck him. He started Absorption of the sunlight, trying to refill his elemental energy. As he lay there, tired beyond belief, he lost track of time. His mind, not used to tiredness, wandered in every which direction, and he thought of fauna he had long since finished studying.

He knew not how long, but after a while, he came back to himself. His body didn’t need to rest, and so it had slowly been refilling itself even while he was awake. Sorilax slowly sat himself up, grateful just to be alive. He turned to look at the portal. Nuju was still standing there, patiently waiting.

Where was Sala? Sorilax turned in the direction of the Amaja Circle tower. He didn’t see Sala there either. Perhaps Sala had tired of waiting for his friend and moved on to explore. Sala had already done that here. He hoped his friend was feeling alright. Sorilax slid himself off the Suva Kaita, his brown and tan form standing tall once more.

Without the same amount of vigor as before, he walked to the Amaja Circle tower, climbing the steps to find his friend, and see what else there was to see here before they went back to Nuju.
 

OOC: @Unreliable Narrator

IC: Cravious - Skakdi of Lightning - Zakazian

Location - Irnakk’s Tooth (7, 10)

With - Whira

Cravious emerged from the tunnel crawling, body scraping on the rough, volcanic rock. As he exited, the overwhelming emotions of fear and regret immediately fell away, showcasing their inherent otherness. Those hadn’t been his own emotions so much as warped amplifications of his emotions. He hated that they had affected him so, but even with his mental training, he hadn’t been prepared. Or perhaps the power that caused them had been too strong.

He lay face down, catching his breath. He could feel Irnakk above, closer than he had ever felt the god before. He knew in that moment that Irnakk was actually real without a doubt, and he wasn’t sure if he was more scared or less at the realization.

Cravious tried to gather his wits. Irnakk hadn’t killed him yet. Perhaps he would be fine? He took a deep breath, held it for a little too long, then let it out. He slowly got to his feet, his tools, weapons, and the parts in his duffel bag clanking against each other. He tried his best to brush ash off of himself, but it clung to him like Clash and his constant the Gadunka references. He would have to clean up when they got back to the Cube.

For a moment, he thought he had missed Whira saying something, but then the noise continued, and from all around. There were whispers in the dark, and the sounds of hollow limbs could be heard rattling in the distance, a stark reminder of the presence of death and perhaps something more. Skakdi came here to die. Cravious wanted out of here. But the forging station, he had seen it from the outside. He just needed to find it, steal its secrets, forge the mask of Shadows, and get out of here.

Cravious turned where they had come from, barely making out the inscriptions on the wall. He coughed. No doubt this air was toxic. It sure stunk like it was. He activated his X-Ray Vision, cutting through the layer of ash to better read them.

Then he saw where they had emerged. That’s right, they were out of that stupid tunnel. Maybe now he could actually see stuff. He made use of his X-Ray and Telescopic Vision, optics scanning every inch of the volcano’s interior. He ended with a cautious look over the edge of the cliff.

It felt like Irnakk was breathing on his neck, hovering close, like a weight on his back, trying to push him in.

He backed away from the edge, turning to Whira, “Well, that was no mental manipulation like I’ve ever felt. I have mental defenses and it cut through them like they weren’t even there.” Cravious shook his head with a look of slight disbelief at the event, though even talking about it sent a shock of fear running through him. He tried his best to hide it.

OOC: @~Xemnas~ @Eyru

On the BS01 page for the Great Discs (https://biosector01.com/wiki/Great_Disks), it says:

Quote

They have the ability to emit beams of energy, which were used to destroy the Morbuzakh.

Is this true for SK as well, that any Great Disc is capable of emitting a beam of pure energy that is not their Kanoka power (Teleportation, Freeze, etc.)?

IC: Hahvok - Za and Ja Krana of Ice - Independent

Location - Underground Dead Forest

With - Marrow, Providence, Zak-Yak, Takadox

Two different voices? Hahvok scanned Zak-Yak’s mind. It did not appear as if the Skakdi had understood at all. In fact, it seemed like the Mesi’s mind needed a good cleansing.

“Incorrect.”

Hahvok was glad he could clarify in a way that would allow Zak-Yak to understand. He stumbled as he walked in the pitch black and Zal fell off of himself. He scrambled to his feet and caught up with himself, who was still walking with Zak-Yak.

At least his ability to sense distant obstacles kept him from walking into a wall, but he did wish someone had a light. It would make the way forward far easier.
 

OOC: @Nato the Traveler @Sparticus147 @Burnmad @Unreliable Narrator

IC: Sorilax - Aspect of Light and Silence - Aspects of Makuta

Location - Kini-Nui (7, 10)

Sorilax’s light revealed the heavy armor of ancient Aspects. It reminded him of something, but he wasn’t sure what exactly. He only knew he felt drawn to the armor design, like seeing an old friend after thinking they had died. It filled him with sadness at things lost. The veil over his memories rippled, but slowly settled. His mind moved to the symbol for Desecration, and he realized he should have that somewhere on him as well. Actually, all Aspects should. Had something changed to ingrain the knowledge into them?

And then suddenly he had the light ripped from him, sucked towards the door that held a power all too familiar and terrifying. It actually drained his body, and not just of elemental energy, but of what should have been impossible. He finally felt hunger; he finally felt fatigue. He almost collapsed right then and there. But he couldn’t, not yet. He needed to get away. To get Sala to safety. For the first time in a while, he felt time affect him fully, and he knew he had to respond immediately.

But he would not plunge himself willingly into the doorway of void. No. Even as a being of Light, he knew this void held far more power than he. It would require something more to fight back against this. Either him accomplishing his Grand Wish, or perhaps some other lost ritual on this island.

Sorilax moved away from the dead beings and finally did collapse, letting himself rest on the side of the Suva Kaita opposite the doorway. He eyed the stairs, knowing that right now he was too weak to try to fight against the wind. Sala wasn’t to be seen, so he must have already ran away. The Aspect hoped his friend wasn’t foolish enough to come back for him.

He grunted in response to the disorientating feelings of hunger and fatigue and placed his hand on the Suva Kaita. He tried to mentally connect to it, like he had with the Air Suva. Perhaps it would hold something to revitalize him, or help him leave this place.

While he waited, he closed his optics, taking himself to his mindscape. The Taboo sea was raging, the void sky hung low, threatening to crush him, to force him off of the land he stood upon. The waves crashed around him, breaking on the small piece of land upon which he stood. They swept across his darkened body, pushing it around. Even here, his Light had gone out.

And then he saw it in the distance, a doorway, blacker than black. A true void, sucking in all it desired. It hung between the black sky and the dark sea, out on the horizon. He could tell it saw him, the true him. It wanted him. Sorilax looked for cover, knowing it was a fruitless endeavor. Other than the land he stood on, which was barely wide enough for him to walk three paces, the only other object around was the boat he had traveled here on.

The cold, crushing sea knocked him on his back. The Taboos on his arm throbbed, and he was filled with a desire to reach out to the doorway. NO! He had so much more to do in this life. He looked around again, seeking to find a way out.

Sorilax noticed the threads that represented the Taboos he knew as they glowed in the frothing sea, the one for Desecration intertwined with what he had accomplished with his first two Grand Wish steps. An idea slowly formed, though for him it was rapid thinking. He had been fundamentally changed. The power behind Taboos couldn’t affect him quite like it had before. Some of his Taboos had even been changed because of him. He should be safe from their influence.

Getting to his feet, Sorilax dove into the sea of Taboo knowledge, hands grabbing the grey, softly glowing threads. His mind filled with deep knowledge of Desecration, of Rahkshi, and of Kraata. He knew details, saw examples. He felt a beating Heartlight in his hand, a Rahkshi by his side, a Kraata on his shoulder. He wrapped the twines around himself, trying to mask his presence from the door.

He felt the Taboos’ connection to Shadow, and he got just a taste of what he had just had earlier in the day. He took that feeling and smothered himself in it, keeping it surface only. He had no desire to become what he once had been, but right now he needed it to hide himself from a doorway he had no hope of overcoming.

He had to escape this place. To come back when he could wrestle these forces into submission through the power of Life.

Sorilax opened his optics, body drained, but mind filled with purpose.
 

OOC: @Unreliable Narrator Sorilax is trying to connect to the Suva Kaita.

IC: Cravious - Skakdi of Lightning - Zakazian

Location - Irnakk’s Tooth (7, 10)

With - Whira

Cravious stumbled, his bad foot landing wrong on all these bones for what felt like the hundredth time. He cursed. He had been forced to steady himself on the tunnel wall again, which was covered in some unknown liquid that he really doubted was naturally occurring and so desperately didn’t want to touch.

Still, he moved forward. Money was forward. Power, then money.

He could feel Irnakk watching him. Judging him. Weighing his life and his past actions. They danced in his head like live feeds from his security cameras, yet from his point of view. He saw himself open his optics for the first time in that alley in the Rig, newly created. His head had been full of knowledge, yet also devoid of it. He knew his language and had chosen a name for himself, yet he knew not the culture that surrounded him nor the nature of his species.

That had been a very bad day, full of beatings and a couple minor stabbings. Later he would realize that was normal Rig behavior, but on that day, it had broken him. He had laid in the streets, cursing his being created. Why would anyone ever place him in such a horrid world, full of pains and regrets?

But he had found his core, his true self, on that day. And not through cunning or conniving, but through sheer force of will, he had talked his way into an apprenticeship with a smith.

Cravious remembered the beatings, the long hours, the fights with the other apprentices. He was paid in food when he was lucky, and he was rarely lucky. Life had been full of the fear of death. And as he learned about the world, he gained the fear of Nektann coming to one day destroy the Rig should it displease the Skakdi.

He remembered regretting stealing scrap from a big scrap dealer, though the regret lay in getting caught. He had learned how to use his mind better by then and had turned things around, but not before he had lost a few fingers. That’s when his fascination with mechanics grew and he broadened his horizons. Reattaching one’s original fingers tended to change one’s worldview.

He remembered a later regret, when he had made a mistake, one little mistake. A single, tiny mistake that had gotten all his money stolen and his friends killed. It was the one regret he secretly held on to, that kept him from getting close to his new hirelings. It was the reason he didn’t trust anyone, only himself. It was why he tried to train his mind, to mentally be able to defend himself.

The regret, once so distant, surged full in him again. It mixed with the fear of his early existence. It mixed with his constant fears of losing everything. It took him to his knees, chest heaving as the emotions swirled around him. His body quivered with each breath he took. He silently screamed at Irnakk, trying to free himself of himself.

The pain, the unbearable pain, it brought him to his feet. It led him downwards. He would never feel this again. NEVER. He would grow so strong that none could stand against him. He would invent things no one could comprehend. He would secure his future. Fear was his past. Regret was his past. Never again.

He hurried his steps, the ache of the weight of his years trying to slow him down. His X-Ray Vision seemed to be broken, but he knew what he had seen. There were tunnels down here. They were there, hidden somehow.

Cravious started breathing in deep gasps, pushing his body as hard as he could. He needed to be free of these feelings. His body had gone cold, his gleaming teeth chattered against each other. Smells not natural to a volcano assaulted his senses. But then he could see it. A light at the end of the tunnel. A warm red light reminiscent of his forge. He pushed himself even faster, tripping on his bad foot more often than not. The last few feet he fell prone, scrambling for the end of the tunnel.
 

OOC: @~Xemnas~ @Eyru

IC: Sorilax - Aspect of Light and Silence - Aspects of Makuta

Location - Kini-Nui (7, 10), Descending down the stairs below

The golden yellow light cast by his floating orb didn’t do much to illuminate the dark. Shadows hung in the air with strength and purpose, like the smell of a well lived in home. 

Sorilax descended with measured footfalls, his mind intent on his surroundings and the feelings he was receiving. A wind rose from the dark below like air blowing through a forgotten and derelict city. But it had an odd quality to it. It felt as if it were trying to grab him, to pull him headlong down the steps into a dark that certainly wasn’t what he would call natural.

He noted this in his mind, completely missing that Sala had left him.

As he went deeper, the sensations changed. The dark hung spotty in the air, moving about in noxious clumps. Whether it was because he was now an Aspect of Light, or whether this would have happened to any being, it felt like the dark was trying to corrode his very essence. Not his antidermis, but the real him. The true him. The energy that inhabited the antidermis. His consciousness, soul, and spirit.

Yet even as the shadows rejected his nature, they also beckoned the part of him tied to the force behind Taboos. Suddenly he understood. This darkness, it was like the sea of void in his mindscape. This darkness held immense and unknowable power. It was deep and ancient; it would threaten to consume him were he not diligent.

As the sunlight faded, Sorilax brightened his orb of light, the steps below him barely being affected by the artificial light. Yet he still could see enough to travel safely.

Minutes passed of him descending and wrestling with the feeling the eternal darkness gave him. As it so often did for him, time lost meaning and the minutes passed like seconds, or perhaps like eons. He cared not for time most days, other than how it affected the life of the island. Time was a useful, if uncaring companion. It allowed him to do many things, but it so often destroyed many other things.

Sorilax wasn’t sure if time was the problem, though. It seemed to him that entropy was. But was entropy wrong? It all depended on your view of the afterlife, it seemed to him. Energy, that he had observed, anyway, never was destroyed, merely diverted to a different outlet. Even powers had to come from somewhere. So if the real you was energy inhabiting a body, then where did you go when that body died? Nuju potentially was hiding the answer to that question.

And then there was the question of if the energy of the soul was even the same as energy in this dimension. Perhaps one dimension higher, it was something else entirely. Sorilax had one theory that they all were just injections from their higher forms who had forgotten their true selves, like fingers stuck into a pond, where the fish saw only the fingers, and not the rest of the being above the water. But in this case the fingers had become fish themselves, forgetting their higher forms.

Oh bother, his mind had wandered. The Aspect of Light and Silence stood at the bottom of the steps, his light orb glowing stronger than it had on the way down, as if the shadows had lessened in one aspect. He wondered if Sala had to wait for him long.

The shadows still hung heavy and with a purpose born of an unknowable mind, but they retreated in a way, allowing him more space to think. The Suva Kaita rested in its new position, with a construction of pipes, wires, and tubes attached to it, looking much like how Cravious liked to build things. That greedy Skakdi. At least he did good work.

The Suva Kaita now looked much like the Far Shore portal’s stand did. It- Oh! Those Kanoka receptacles, he needed to remember to look at those later.

Sorilax took a step towards the Suva Kaita, wondering if he could connect to it like the Air Suva, when he noticed his steps sent small red lines zig-zagging across the floor for a few seconds before they vanished. Weird. But very intriguing. He would have to make a note of that.

Reaching for his scrolls, he paused, suddenly noticing an odd noise.

A great breath was taken, the noise of it actually vibrating the air with its intensity. It reminded him of a giant Brakas he had once found in the Fau Swamp. It had grown too large for even its own long limbs to propel it. So it sat there, trying to adapt by snatching Rahi passing by. The hungrier it got the angrier it got, and it screamed in great fits of rage for hours on end. Until one day, when it no longer had any strength to move.

Sorilax had gotten close, noting the abnormalities it possessed. He had been studying the effects of the Fau Swamp mutagen. He pitied it not, for he had noted the murderous rampages it had gone on before becoming immobilized. It stared at him, optics unfocused and then focused again every few seconds. All Sorilax could see in them was anger.

Its breathing too had pushed him away and pulled him near, so great it was. The breaths hummed low, sending out vibrations as vast swaths of air could be heard entering and exiting its body. Sorilax had noted how you could almost hear each part of the throat as the air traveled through it. It had filled him with fascination.

But even then it had still tried to grab him, tried to live one more day. Its attempts were feeble and weak, but had still inspired caution. So too, did Sorilax now feel cautioned. The darkness rejected and yet beckoned him, and now something massive was breathing in the dark.

His orb of light would not do. He exerted his new power, expanding his orb in size and brightness until it sat like a miniature golden sun a distance above the Aspect. However, the beckoning of the dark and the possibility of more Taboo power subtly persuaded him and he called out, “Greetings. I am Sorilax. My companion is Sala. Who are you?”

OOC: @Unreliable Narrator

Interesting. In that case then I'm surprised Proxima got a buff to also be able to share with two beings.

Super excited to see these in play. Congratulations to those who unlocked NUVA!

Thank you so much UN for taking the time out to be our GM. We appreciate all you do for us and this amazing world you've crafted.

The new NUVA profile states:

Quote

• You may concentrate and fire a beam of energy with the same power type and strength as the Great Kanoka Disk used in your NUVA power-up at a target within your sight.

You removed the term Toa level control from this section. Was that intentional? Are the effects now random instead of controllable? Think teleportation or reconstruct at random.

IC: Cravious - Skakdi of Lightning - Zakazian

Location - Irnakk’s Tooth (7, 10)

With - Whira

Cravious turned off his vision powers for a moment. No connecting tunnels were carved into the volcano this high up. They would have to continue deeper. And so they slowly descended. Skakdi and Aspect, two with one purpose…. For now.

They walked for a while, with the air around them only getting colder. But there came a certain point where things neutralized and suddenly the air temperature started to rise again. About this time, fears started creeping into Cravious’ mind. He saw visions of himself losing the Cube, losing Debt Collector, losing his businesses, his mines being found out and destroyed, basically all his secret stashes of money found out and raided. He saw himself broke, destitute. The fears grew in intensity as they descended.

But his fears only drove him. He needed the power Whira could give him. Then none of these fears could ever touch him. Then he could secure his fortune and never fear again. He turned on his X-Ray Vision again, searching for the tunnel that would lead him to the place he had seen earlier.
 

OOC: @~Xemnas~ @Eyru

IC: Hahvok - Za and Ja Krana of Ice - Independent

Location - Underground Dead Forest

With - Marrow, Providence, Zak-Yak, Takadox

The Hahvok known as Zal left Marrow and scrambled up beside the him who was talking with Zak-Yak. For a brief moment both hims walked in unison, all movements and mannerisms the same, then Zal clambered atop his other body.

“Correct. I am two become one, who is still two.”

The underground didn’t bother him, and he sensed no distant obstacles. In fact, it seemed to be getting cooler already. He quite enjoyed that. Now, he just had to follow these minds to a mind that could tell him his true purpose without the attitude Tall Blue displayed.
 

OOC: @Nato the Traveler @Sparticus147 @Burnmad @Unreliable Narrator

My questions in purple.

Nuva Proxima occurs as a side effect of the Nuva process within the elemental temples. The closest individual to the source of the change receives the tiniest amount of what the disk-bearer experiences and receives the following benefits:

All currently active psychological effects or powers are removed.
All diseases are removed.

Does this include Desecration or Infected Masks?

You may share your element and breed quirks with one other willing creature you see within your elemental range.

Do you need to be actively looking at the willing creature to maintain the sharing?

Will any obstruction, such as passing behind a tree for a second as you walk, break the sharing? And will it need to be reestablished?

The mask you were wearing is fused to your face and you require a new mask. The old mask is now considered one of your breed quirks. If you could not use kanohi masks before, you now gain a breed quirk that says: “you may wear kanohi masks and access their powers.”

If a Skakdi wears a mask before becoming Nuva Proxima, will he gain the powers of the mask as a breed quirk, even though he couldn't use a mask before?

Arkius Grew in size and strength when he was transformed, is this true for all Nuva Proxima recipients, and for Nuva recipients as well?

NUVA (Character Changes):

Great Disk Empowered: As a breed quirk, you may concentrate and fire a beam of energy with the same power type as the Great Disk used in your Nuva transformation at a target within your sight. You may use this breed quirk with the same strength and control as a toa controls their innate element.

Can this power be used on yourself? Such as for the Teleportation Great Disc.

Nuva Masks: the mask you were wearing is fused to your face and its abilities are considered one of your breed quirks. Pick a new mask to wear over your fused mask. This new mask is your Nuva mask. It’s appearance is more organic than other masks. You may share your Nuva mask’s power with up to two other willing creatures you see within your elemental range. While you may personally use both mask powers, you can only share the powers of your Nuva mask. If you could not use kanohi masks before, you now gain a breed quirk that says: “you may wear kanohi masks and access their powers.”

Does the Nuva being know the next mask they wear will become their Nuva one?

And to be clear, you can share both your breed quirk mask powers and your Nuva mask powers at once?

Chosen Pilot, Living Key: you are the chosen primary pilot of the kaita mech assigned to you. Your assigned kaita mech is the same element as the ruin where your Nuva transformation occurred. For example, becoming Nuva in the Ruin of Air assigns the Air Kaita Mech. You must be piloting your assigned Kaita mech for it to run. See your Kaita Mech’s profile for additional information.

Does this Kaita mech count as being a Kaita when it comes to being able to injure Tahtoraks?

IC: Viltia - Toa of the Green - Metru-Nui Refugees

Location - The Fau Swamp

The mask of Flight was odd. Very odd. You couldn’t stop in mid air, which she hadn’t ever thought about before and had caused a couple crashes. And the level of speed was hard to control. Taking off was easy, but slowing down in mid air or coming in for a landing was going to take some practice. And that was even with her being able to use her own mask easier and in greater depth.

Full speed was great though. It was far faster than trying to walk through the swamp. Like riding the Kahu, she was able to fly much farther and much faster than when she was on her own. The mask power didn’t last forever, though, which was surprising. She could only go so far before being required to land, which really forced her to learn how to control the mask.

While she was traveling through the blue sky, she was also searching, looking for the largest Nui-Rama hive in the distance. The sun was above and behind her as she flew, and she tried to view the swamp using the directions Morangad had mentioned before disappearing into the flora. There was some kind of Air Suva around here, apparently. Viltia was pretty sure Sidra had mentioned she had found her ice sword from a similar place. Suva something something. Or Something Suva?

Flying on her own felt so freeing. Yes, she loved her Kahu friend, but being propelled under your own power, feeling the air as it slipped past you unfettered, it was nigh indescribable. It... almost felt like being a lone sunflower on a sunny and windy day, but that wasn’t quite right. There was more to the feeling. Much more.

Her speed slowed without her consent, indicating the power was about to run out again. She swooped low to the canopy, a flash of gray catching her optics. Rocks? Or more of that giant robot? Viltia banked hard, the G’s affecting her body unexpectedly and throwing off her concentration. Her mask power shut off, leaving her in a free fall.

She instinctively extended her tethers as far as they could go, dispersing the impact damage as she hit leaves and bark, trying to grab a hold of the branches she sensed around her. She eventually stopped falling, three of her tethers catching her.

It was still wasn’t her worst landing. This time she didn’t hit anything larger than herself. She was getting better!

As she lowered herself, her muscles pulsed. After the Shoal Turtle and then working so hard for her mask of Flight, she sure was getting worn out rather early in the day. If she found that other Vuata Maca Crystal, it might be best to leave it where it lay for now. Maybe. She really wanted to find it.

Viltia fluidly descended through the canopy, tethers stretching, grabbing, and retracted in a natural motion others would have swore she had practiced all her life. She lightly touched the ground. But instead of walking, she let her tethers propel her forward so her muscles could rest. They pulled her through the swamp floor, over puddles, ponds, and shrubs. They avoided barbs, mushrooms, and sap as they moved with a flowing motion like seaweed in water. She moved as one with the plant life around her, breathing for them as they took in sun for her.

The gray rock turned out to be a small temple. Viltia gingerly approached it, poking her head into the doorway. The inside space was mostly empty, with a hole in the wooden floor off to her right, several evenly placed pillars and archways, and symbols of a sun, or moon, above the door and then on the opposite side of the temple.

Viltia stepped inside. Oh, no, the back symbol was a half circle, one completed by the plant growing atop the central structure in the room. What Viltia originally thought was just a broken pillar was actually a mural of some ancient history. She didn’t try to understand any deeper meanings it was trying to convey, but she noticed it was covered in a story of strange beings. As she walked around it, she saw the strange being rise up, with eventually Toa striking them down by merging together.

Viltia’s Heartlight warmed at that. Merging was such a nice feeling. To be able to experience the world so closely with another was incredible. And being able to experience another’s life? It was potentially the best thing that had ever happened to her. Experiencing anything now held special value to her, though she couldn’t recall when she had started thinking so.

She traced her fingers over the last image in the mural. The mythical Kaita standing tall under the stars. Oh, the stars! She wished she could be with Nektann again and try to reach out to them. Her hand idly rubbed the Kaita’s chest.

Suddenly there was electrical prickling along her back that rushed up to her mind as it grew in intensity. Her mind expanded as suddenly she viewed the Fau Swamp from directly above and the knowledge from the Suva filled her mind. She saw the swamp as if high up in the sky and knew going past its border would take her out of the Suva’s range. The view was incredible and made her a little bit happy. This swamp was growing on her. And literally trying to grow on her sometimes, as well.

She came back to herself, trying to make sense of what had just happened when suddenly it spoke in her mind!

Current Inventory:

-Mask of Levitation, origin Forgemaster Dume, power of levitation and personal weight control.
-Sword of Avagah, origin Cravious, powerless.
-Vuata Maca Crystal, origin unknown, power to store and release electrical charges.

It paused for a moment, as Viltia tried to grasp what was happening as her mind filled with knowledge of what the Suva could do, almost like it had when she had gotten her tethers.

Then it finished speaking:

Toa Viltia registered. Element the Green. Maker Mata-Nui.

Viltia waited for it to continue, but it didn’t. Mata-Nui really was her maker? Well, she guessed that made sense.

Okay, that was kind of beside the point right now. Wasn’t Dume the Metru Nui guy? Oh! The one Sidra had killed! He used to make Kanohi? Cool.

And Sorilax’s ACR sword, it was made by someone named Cravious? That name sounded oddly familiar. Maybe Nektann’s memories? She certainly couldn’t remember. She had been more focused on Miserix and Barius’ influence upon her friend’s life at the time.

The knowledge of the Vuata Maca Crystal dropped her jaw. How lucky was she?! She could just find something equivalent in size to it and… Well… She didn’t like the idea of a crystal of such power in the clutches of a swarm of Nui-Rama. If they somehow used it to mutate themselves, that would be disastrous. She guessed she could always use this one if the Nui-Rama had destroyed the other one.

That mask of Levitation, though, that was perfect. She wished she could use that while using her mask of Flight. Then she could take rests while the Flight power recharged. And she could actually stop to look at stuff, too.

Sweet honeysuckle! She held up the masks she held up in her hands. She focused on her mental link to the Suva, inputting the mask of Quick Travel. It disappeared from her hand, space warping around it as it was plucked from her grip.

The inventory of the Suva updated. She focused on her mask:

-Mask of Quick Travel, origin Toa Viltia, power of teleportation within sight.

Viltia beamed at that. That’s right! She was the origin! Booyah!

Booyah? Why booyah? She never said booyah. Whatever. She input her mask of Flight, donning her mask of Rahi Control.

The three masks sat there in the Suva, filling her mind with possibilities. But right now her largest wish was that she could somehow merge them like she merged Kanoka. She focused on the three masks through her link with the Suva, Levitation, Quick Travel, and Flight. She imagined them merging, becoming one. She sighed. Maybe one day.
 

OOC: @Unreliable Narrator @Vezok's Friend @Eyru Posts in the Discussion Topic led me to believe that Suvas can function without needing GM input, with us only needing to tag the GMs when we use a Suva or attune to a different one. If this is not the case and I've overstepped, I'll gladly change the post.

If this post is fine, then Viltia just touched where the Rahkshi Taboo used to be. When Sorilax touched it, it disappeared from the Suva. But the Infectious Kraata Taboo remains in the Grand Temple Ruins. So I don't know if the Rahkshi Taboo is still in the Air Suva Temple or not. Also, I have no idea if Viltia can even get Taboos.

Secondly, Viltia is trying to create a Silver Mask, or three Kanohi in one. Does she succeed? Is the magic of a Suva and her wish enough?

Nuva Proxima states they need to find a new mask, yet Nuva says they need to choose a new mask. If you receive Nuva, do you get a free mask of your choosing immediately upon transformation?