Kal the Guardian

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

Location - ?

With - Nektann

 

Something slowly changed in Viltia as chills ran up and down the wires that formed her nervous system. Her hatred fell away, bit by bit. In its place was a deep yearning to connect with all forces of the universe. The stars, life, even death had its place, awaiting her embrace. Skakdi were a part of that. Why had she ever disliked them?

Her silver seaweed tendrils moved as if taken by some ocean current, reaching out to comfortingly embrace the stars.

As the Skakdi spoke, Viltia tried her best to discern his words, but they were above her comprehension. The names he used were strange to her, and none of them connected with the memories in her head. Awake, asleep. It made no difference to her.

The Skakdi looked back up at Viltia, sighed, and watched her silver threads dance closer. “The question? That’s stupid. Everyone knows the question, deep down in their bones: why are we here? The answer is all that matters. I will find the answer.”

“The answer to that is easy,” Viltia responded. With nary a thought, life bloomed around them. In an instant, a small seaside garden appeared. Modest olive and date trees blew in a cosmic breeze. Grape vines could be seen strung up on non-existent trellises. Tomato, cucumber, and radish plants grew in rows, placed in a dirt not there. Small hedges ran in a straight line, creating a border.

Beyond that border was Viltia, this time with much real seaweed intertwining with her silver tendrils as if she were immersed in the water just offshore. Each touch sent another shiver through her.

In the light of thousands of stars, it felt like a night in some small village with a warm sea breeze enveloping everything. Viltia could almost hear the ocean waves gently caressing the shore. It filled her with a quiet happiness, and she hoped it did the same for the Skakdi.

This poor Skakdi, mind full of questions and broken hopes and passing dreams. Her tendrils reached out to him, seeking to comfort him as they had her. Her words came easily, though she couldn’t recall ever thinking in this way before, “We are here to experience. All life is precious, and what makes it precious is the actions it takes and the actions taken against it. Simply being is reward enough. Everything else just enhances life. Rich or poor, good or bad, healthy or sick, simply experiencing life is the reason to live. The void is no place for anyone, dead or alive. In it nothing happens, there is no joy nor sadness to be found. There is nothing. And nothing is the worst pain anyone can experience.”

Viltia’s silver seaweed tendrils were all around the blue, grieving Skakdi, “Come, let me wipe away your pain.” They moved to embrace him.

 

OOC: @Unreliable Narrator

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

Location - Kini-Nui (7, 10)

With - Sala

 

Sorilax beamed in joy as Sala berated him with questions. Having someone to share his journey with was like finding a new species when you already thought you had studied them all. Basically it was amazing. Sorilax catalogued the questions as he normally did, preparing responses for each.

As Sala pulled out some parchment, Sorilax realized he had much to write as well. He conjured a dull yellow hard Light table and chair, making an extra chair in case Sala wished to join him. He pulled out his scroll on Aspects and Taboos and started writing about Kraata, Elemental Alteration, his change to Light, his Taboo changes, his new Kraata, and his Grand Wish step accomplishment.

Talking while writing, Sorilax answered his fellow chronicler, “I still have the Taboo touch of shadow, but my element and nature as an Aspect have changed. So, I can still perform all Taboos and acquire new ones.”

Sala had mentioned Kraata, “Ah yes, Kraata, it seems by being an Aspect of Light, I gain certain changes to my Taboos, and perhaps even how I interact with the force behind them and in turn, how it interacts with my Desecrated. Take, for example, the Kraata Taboo.” Sorilax went on to explain the Kraata Taboo in depth. When he finished, he then went over the changes that had occurred and the new Kraata power he had gotten. He moved on to how his Rahkshi would be different, transitioned into how he could now see through the eyes of and remotely possess his Desecrated, and ended with a “short” musing on what else might be changed for the better should he find new Taboos.

To answer Sala’s final question, he laughed in glee, “Bwahaha! It feels most spectacular! I feel like the other side of a widget. An inversion to good, broken free of my bonds as an Aspect. And best of all, it feels completely natural, like I was meant for this. Oh, Sala, my friend, I can finally say with confidence, I want to take care of and help all of Life, and I vow to stick to the Moral Light!”

He punctuated his last statement with an emphatic period on his scroll. He let it dry off for a moment, wondering if he could use Light to create heat. Lasers were hot, and made of Light. Perhaps…

Not right now, and not with his favorite scroll.
 

OOC: @Sparticus147

 

IC: Cravious - Skakdi of Lightning - Zakazian

Location - Northern Desert

With - Whira

 

Once I spot the creature, I'll hold it down with my powers as I did with your enemies. Once the Rahi is immobilized, hand me the heartlight.

Cravious’ whole body jumped. Every muscle contracted the mechanisms they were attached to, hidden below his armor, causing his body to instantaneously spasm as a reaction. Whira had spoken directly into his head. It freaked him out, since he had been trying to use his Kraata power on the trip over. This wasn’t that.

It had to be some Aspect thing. It gave him the creeps.

He cautiously followed along behind Whira, his X-Ray Vision cutting through the dark in the weird way it did. Now there was a skill that had taken him years to master. X-Ray Vision was janky sometimes. And it never showed things as conveniently as you wanted them to show up. This whole system of layers and looking one layer deeper caused many to use the lesser function of the power and just stick to looking through singular objects. But that never provided enough detail and everyone else was way too lazy, so Cravious took the time to practice.

Now that practice was easy to call upon and command as he avoided loose rocks and felt the heat of the desert drop away rapidly as the cold, slightly humid cave swallowed them. The smell… well it was bad. Almost as bad as the Rig, but more pure in its stench than the Rig was. Everything in the Rig was twisted by his brothers and sisters in such stupid ways. He hated it. And loved it. He made so much money from the fools there.

They approached a larger room that Cravious had seen the Nui-Jaga in upon first viewing. It was still here, and judging by the sounds it was making, Whira had bound it.

Whira began walking over to it. "Cravious, the heartlight," she said.

With two crisp and clear clicks, Cravious opened his briefcase as he joined his Aspect. Cudgel’s Heartlight briefly crackled with the energy from Cravious' Lightning as he pulled it from its resting place. It remained lit in his hand, providing power to nothing. He handed it to Whira, who was basically invisible in the dark with her jet black armor, even with his X-Ray Vision going. He only knew she was still there when she took the Heartlight from his outstretched hand.
 

OOC: @~Xemnas~

 

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

Location - Dead Forest

With - Marrow, Providence, Zak-Yak, Takadox

 

"I don't even know what you are," the first mind said. "I cannot speak to your purpose."

And that was true. For all of them. Hahvok felt no memories nor connections to his purpose in the active thoughts of the minds of the beings before him. That was disappointing, but it was of no consequence. He would not stop until he discovered and then fulfilled his purpose.

Perhaps they could lead him in the right direction, even if they didn’t know his calling? The Kohrak-Va, which Hahvok had named Zal and thought of as his secondary body despite the fact that his main mind resided in it, clambered atop his own head. Zal cocked his head back and forth as he studied the beings before him. Then Zal spoke in the exact same voice as had come from Hahvok’s main body, “Is there anything you need cleansed?”

Hahvok wasn’t sure how conversations with other beings were supposed to go, but he knew he was nailing this one.
 

OOC: @Nato the Traveler @Burnmad @Sparticus147 @Vezok's Friend

 

IC: Le-Metru Nuva NPCs - Various Species - Refugees

Location - Le-Metru Nuva, on the Northwestern fringes of (7, 13) in the Fau Swamp

With - Sidra, Uraborask

 

A Steltian tore his optics from the tree bark shingles that were getting ripped off due to the storm, falling like leaves with the sheer amount of them that had torn free. The village groaned and creaked when it could be heard over the roaring rain and pounding thunder. He gave Uraborask a quick look over in the glow of a lightstone right next to himself as the Skakdi called down to those on the elevator. “Just one sec’, I gotta crank ‘er up.” It was time to pull up Torch and Spark for another resupply of discs anyway.

The Steltian undid the stopper and cranked up the elevator with his tremendous strength. Rotation after rotation brought the elevator quickly into view. A red Toa sat with his eyes closed in concentration and a green armored Vorixx handed off Kanoka to a dwindling supply chain.

Spark turned to the Steltian, yelling over the storm, “There’s too much water down there for me to continue grabbing discs. But we have to help Sidra kill this thing. Take us all the way down.”

Uraborask stepped onto the elevator with the two as the Steltian began lowering them down. This time, all the way to the swamp floor.

Spark pulled out a pistol that glowed with energy. He flashed a smile at Uraborask and yelled again to be able to be heard, “Name’s Spark.” He inclined his head to the concentrating Toa of Fire, “That’s Torch.” Spark brandished the pistol, “Made this myself. Runs on electricity. Probably won’t do anything against that thing. High odds of dying. How’s your day been?”

Torch meanwhile continued to focus on his sphere of fire, growing it as much as he could in the heavy rain. The little undead were taken care of. Sidra might need his help to kill the big one. He was thinking a giant fireball might do the trick. Melt it into nothingness. Purge it within a cleansing fire.

He continued to raise the ball’s level of heat and size, lowering it to make sure it didn’t light up the branches above it. Thankfully there was a large gap above the clearing.

Wing felt like she was ill. It took all her willpower to keep her dinner down. The mutagenic waters were taking their toll. The organic protodermis muscles in her hands now webbed between her fingers. Her arms got longer and skinnier. She was fairly certain she was taller now.

For a while there her lungs were on fire, and now her neck had these weird frills. Small, retractable barbs formed all over her body as a slime started to secrete from them. It smelled awful, even in this rain.

And her tongue, it grew too much for her mouth, dropping down from her lips like some kind of vile scarf. It brushed against her body and then she did puke. Body heaving and quaking even as the mutations took hold and finalized.

Her slime didn’t just smell horrible, it tasted even worse. Wing desperately tried to force her metallic tongue back into her head. It simply wouldn’t fit. At least it wasn’t organic protodermis like her lungs, stomach, and muscles. She wrapped it around her head and under her mask a couple times, gingerly tightening it. Thank Mata Nui that her head didn’t secrete the slime. If she had to taste that all the time she might just give up here and now.

She continued to slosh through the now knee high water as the rain doused her. Not being able to completely close her mouth was seriously annoying her. But there were more important things to think about. Like all this flooding. She knew this swamp would look completely different in the morning. She stepped on something that shifted under her feet. Stooping to pull it from the water, a flash of lightning revealed several level 3 and 4 Kanoka. Beruv must have just made these.

There was a strong light close by. It flickered like it was a flame. She hoped nothing was on fire. Wing moved forward, fighting against a current that now pulled her towards the village for some reason.

Beruv checked the charge on the mining laser, mind made up. She was ashamed of herself for running away and hiding. The remaining members of her old village were out there, potentially in grave danger. Her new family was out there. Sidra and Viltia, her apprentices, were out there.

She controlled the LeviCart, pushing the door open and letting even more water down into the mines. Beruv paid it no mind, steering the LeviCart to hover over the water on what she was fairly sure was the path back to the village.

A glow started to form, like a sun had sprung into existence below Le-Metru Nuva. In its light she saw a horribly thin creature slogging through the water. The LeviCart started to droop as the Kanoka power ran out and the Levitation disc automatically struck again. The creature turned to face her. A familiar mask greeted her. Beruv dropped her mining laser in shock. The creature was Wing.

The female Vortixx with the Ruru stood next to the Zyglak and the member of Mimic’s species. She stared in awe through the hole in the canopy that had been created in the middle of the village. A monster the likes of which she had never seen filled her with dread. It made her curse the low level of tech in this savage place they were forced to call home. Her designs had been brilliant, with a level of elegance not seen anywhere else. If only she had at least one of them in her hands, she might be able to do something to the beast as it stood there menacingly in the rain and lightning, holding something in its hand.

And then it ate Viltia. The Zyglak softly cursed all Toa and fainted.
 

OOC: @Nato the Traveler @Unreliable Narrator @Sparticus147

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

Location - ?

With - Boss?

 

Her body was at peace, floating gently at the bottom of a starry ocean, surrounded by glowing silver seaweed. It wrapped her in comfort and protection, soothing until she felt no pain and her mind cleared. She just had trouble remembering things. She was… she was in Le-Metru Nuva? Had been?

She searched the starscape before her, realizing it was wrapped all around her just as her seaweed was. Viltia felt full, rested, and even bursting with energy. It was like she had awoken back at her old village on harvest day, barely being able to sleep through the night due to excitement. The work of the day was a pleasure to accomplish.

A voice broke into her thoughts, "I seek the answer. Do you know it?"

She turned on her silvery flowing bed and looked at another being floating with her in this vast star field. She sat up, the seaweed accommodating her change in position. It was a Skakdi! Viltia’s hatred burned. This one’s armor was covered in scars, but he seemed in his prime. He seemed to sit without anything to support him.

She thought of her captors. The ones who had worked herself and her friends until some died of exhaustion. The ones who had killed all of her protectors to take her captive. The ones who had still tried to kill them even as the Fau Swamp was picking their own group off. Even the attacking island Skakdi had tried to chase her down and kill her. They were all of them evil and deserving of death!

But those eyes. She couldn’t look away. Those piercing red eyes filled her mind with the image of a monster with a spark of intelligence. Just what exactly was going on here? He held his hands to his head as if he were in pain. That spoke to her. She wanted to help beings. Le-Metru Nuva had taught her that all beings could live in harmony. She would protect any member of her village, regardless of species.

But it was a Skakdi! She was surprised he hadn’t killed her yet. But… But he was in pain, and his eyes pleaded for help. She looked around. There was no one else. They were alone in the void and the stars offered no answer.

The eyes did her in. Those intense red eyes. Maybe she could help him first, kill him later. Yeah, that was a good compromise.

The silver seaweed swirled around her in a beautiful display as she made her decision. It danced to her thoughts and offered a soothing background motion. It was as much a part of her as the rest of her body was and she didn’t realize it ever hadn’t been.

Viltia answered the large blue Skakdi, “I might. What is your question?”

 

OOC: @Unreliable Narrator

That poem was superb. And the star realm description was great.

Although it's very suspicious how fast all the plants are decaying. Something else is afoot there.

At least trees harden when they die, so Le-Metru Nuva should be good for a few years.

IC: Sorilax - Aspect of Shadow (?) and Silence - Aspects of Makuta

Location - Kini-Nui (7, 10)

With - Sala

 

Sorilax grinned widely as he laughed. It felt good to do after the events in the past week and after this poor Ga-Toa. His smile faded slightly as Sala mentioned the prophecy wall, “Well, do be careful, old chap. The message that Toa wrote makes any attempt to solve the puzzle potentially quite hazardous. I would quite like it if you were to remain safe from harm.”

Motioning to the opened Suva Kaita, he continued, “I see another Taboo here. Go ahead and start without me.” As Sala left, Sorilax reached out to the symbol, with it inscribing itself on the inside of the second joint from his right hand, right below the Kraata symbol. He felt the Taboo sea in his mind surging even more powerfully now. Some type of information was building below the currents, though he couldn’t discern what it might be.

As the Taboo knowledge was revealed to him, he smiled. He had found it, his way to change himself forever. He sat down at the top of the steps, as close to the middle of Kini-Nui as he could get. He emptied his mind, finding it easier than other nights when he had to worry about being attacked.

Once more he was in his mindscape that represented his knowledge of Taboos. This time he stood atop the pedestal the beacon of light had sat on. Now there was no light as the inky black depths crashed and wrestled with each other. As usual, it was calmer where he was, even more so now. It seemed the more he knew of Taboos, the calmer the cold and crushing sea became.

Sorilax placed his right hand into the water, the force behind Taboos itself. Two varying gray glowing strands wove off into the dark. The Kraata strand intertwined with the Rahkshi strand and the Elemental Alteration strand found a current all of its own. He was learning more and more in such a rapid amount of time. Excitement surged within him. He should be able to figure out other Taboos even easier now. Maybe he could figure out how to use a Kanohi like Torch and Viltia?

Removing his right hand from the water, Sorilax lifted his left. It was unmarked by Taboos, pure and clean. His left hand in real life mirrored his mental body’s movements. It was finally time. He touched it to his chest, activating the Taboo.

Shadow...

to Light.

The change was instantaneous and shocked his mind. It felt like everything was inverted. All that he had studied about his element of Shadow was suddenly useless. He felt the sunlight peeking around Irnakk’s tooth, he felt ambient light bouncing around as he realized most shadows weren’t as dark as he had thought, but most of all he felt free, unshackled from his own nature. The selfishness was gone, the manipulation no longer running through his head. He became content with whatever body he might have. Millennia of having to fight his nature gone in an instant.

In his mind realm, he realized he was now the beacon of light, illuminating the void sky and pure black waves. The Taboos inscribed into his arm inversely shone of void like the sky above, still a part of his being. His element and nature had changed, but shadow was still a part of him. A part he couldn’t, and wouldn’t, give up. Taboos.

They were still there, and he felt just as closely connected to them as before. But, this time they felt slightly different. He grabbed the Rahkshi thread and slowly smiled, full of joy. His Rahkshi would no longer be bloodthirsty monsters! This was perfect! He needed to figure out how to make some as soon as possible.

He grabbed the Kraata Taboo’s strand, still smiling. Even they were slightly changed.

The other Taboos that he knew remained the same, but this meant he might be able to turn other Taboos more toward the Light and it encouraged him to continue seeking out as many as he could.

He also felt his Kraata power grow. He had finished the third step of his Grand Wish! He felt his connection to his Desecrated also grow. He realized he could now remotely puppet them. That... was kind of scary. But no doubt Sala would be happy, his Kraata should be stronger, too.

Speaking of Kraata... Sorilax realized something else had changed with that Taboo. It took some mental searching, but he finally found it. His Kraata of Shadow had been replaced with knowledge of a Kraata of Life. Could this day get any better?

Stopping his meditation, Sorilax slowly stood, seeing the world in a new light. He conjured his element, his new element, in his hand. A soft glow formed. He laughed, overjoyed. He had waited so long for this!

He created a box like how he would create solid Shadow boxes. Very gently he squeezed it, when it held firm, he squeezed as hard as he could and laughed again. Brilliant!

He felt as the light bounced off the Suva Kaita in front of him to reach his optics. Could he?...

Sorilax reached out mentally, stopping light from bouncing off the railing in front of him. It disappeared from sight. Sorilax yelled, “By jove! I’ve done it!”

He rushed over to Sala by the wall of prophecy, producing a yellow ball of light in his hand, “Sala! Sala! The Taboo was to change elements! Look, look! I am a being of Light! I am finally whole, broken free from my nature’s shackles!”

 

OOC: @Sparticus147

 

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

Location - Dead Forest

With - Marrow, Providence, Zak-Yak, Takadox

 

Hahvok finally caught up with the minds he had sensed. He knew they all weren’t supposed to be here, though he didn’t know why he knew this.

He could tell all minds turned their attention to him as his short legs carried him to the group. His Kohrak-Va with his main Krana mind hid behind his Kohrak body, mirroring Zak-Yak and Providence. With all attention on him, he figured now was as good a time as any to pose his question, “What is my purpose?” The voice was mechanical, with weird organic undertones. It was spoken out loud, with the source coming from his main Kohrak’s head.

 

OOC: @Nato the Traveler @Sparticus147 @Burnmad @Vezok's Friend

IC: Cravious - Skakdi of Lightning - Zakazian

Location - Northern Desert

With - Whira

 

Cravious gave Whira a look of disgruntled disbelief. She was the one in charge, the one who controlled shadows, and the one who actually knew what they were about to do. She should really be the one leading the way. It’s what he would have done.

Well….

Cravious looked up at the cave. It was several bio straight up, carved into a cliff face. A putrid smell of decay grew stronger as they walked up to it. This certainly was the place. Who knew what might live in there.

…

Maybe Whira was right. Send in someone expendable first. Keep yourself safe, since you were always the most valuable part of any operation. Cravious momentarily thought of sending Clash in, but let it pass. Clash was good at his job. Well, good enough, anyway.

The rock wall before them had enough handholds for even the most novice climber. Looking closer, Cravious saw major spherical scraping from a Nui-Jaga’s odd, ball feet. He supposed it could have been something else, as he was no tracker nor zoologist, but it sure seemed like a Nui-Jaga. Or at least he hoped it was.

Cravious had spent much time while traveling thinking about how to make that mask of Shadows. It weighed on his mind. He knew the secret had to be on this island, as many of the non-Skakdi natives had masks of their own. But he had never been able to find anyone who knew how. Okay, that was willing to tell him how.

Once this whole Nui-Jaga Desecration thing was out of the way, he could devote his attention to it fully. Maybe Cudgel’s body might provide a clue? Ehhhhh… Doubtful.

Cravious started his climb, tools, weapons, his duffel bag, and his briefcase all swinging from his back as he shifted positions. The extra weight didn’t even phase him as he carefully picked out rocks to ascend.

As he reached the opening of the cave, Cravious kept his head under the lip, activating his X-Ray Vision. He smiled widely and cruelly. Bingo.

Quiet as he could, he climbed into the entrance of the cave, propping himself against a small rock with his back to the wall to keep himself from falling. He looked back down at Whira, catching a glimpse of the Cube. Whew! it sure was a beauty. Dirty from all the travel, but beautiful. The crown jewel of his accomplishments.

Okay not the crown jewel, but he appreciated the vehicle in the moment. Looking at Whira, he gave her a thumbs up to indicate their prey was here and then motioned for her to join him. He had no idea what he was supposed to do. Kill it? It seemed to him that Whira should just do that shadow hold thing again.
 

OOC: @~Xemnas~

It's so hard not to do everything at once. So much to learn and discover and solve!

EDIT: My Sorilax post had been rushed, so I just edited it to flesh it out a bit more, just so everyone is aware.

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

Location - Kini-Nui (7, 10)

With - Sala

 

The sight of Kini-Nui in the dusk of shadow due to Irnakk’s Tooth blocking the morning sun was a real optic opener. Not only was it grand to behold, but he felt the hold on his mind slip. More information leaked in, raising the level of the choppy sea of Taboo knowledge in his mind. It crashed and surged as it filled in space, pushing his boat closer to the black sky. He had accomplished what he had set his mind to. He had learned the Infectious Kraata Taboo. He knew all its intricacies and all its rules and shortcomings.

Looking down at his right palm, where the eight pointed star that symbolized the Rahkshi Taboo was engraved into his armor, he noticed a new engraving on the first segment of his long, many jointed arms. It was an upside down triangle, though with his arm lowered it would be right side up. In looking at it, he knew what it stood for. Infectious Kraata Creation. How odd, that a symbol could contain (or release?) the knowledge of a Taboo. He would have to ponder that more later.

A plan started forming in his head even as Sala and he crossed the bridge into Kini-Nui. But before they fully crossed, Sorilax stopped the Matoran. “Just so that you are aware, I have been researching Taboos while you, and Vhisola, slept. I am proud to say that I have figured out the Infectious Kraata Taboo. Once I can change who I am, the Rahkshi I make should be able to help us more than ever.”

Sorilax gestured to Kini-Nui before them and changed subjects, “Beautiful, isn’t it? It didn’t seem right at the time, so I never crossed this bridge, but I believe now to be the time. Let us uncover this location’s secrets. I think they might end up being most beneficial.”

And with that, they passed over the bridge, exploring the various locations around Kini-Nui’s many bridges. It was a beautiful place, full of life. Sorilax felt content here. The call to change felt like it pulsed below him. Or all around him? Or at least in the gaseous part of his body near his armor’s feet. He knew he could change his very nature here. He just had to find out how and where.

After their initial scan, Sorilax pulled the small stone sculpture from the dead Toa of Water’s body. He remarked on her interesting clothing and the odd beauty it held. He gently laid the sculpture to the side and searched the rest of her clothes for anything more. Then, with reverence, he lifted her up, carrying her away from Kini-Nui. Sala and he found a good spot to bury her, the birds from the jungle calling out even as a seagull circled overhead. Sorilax used his power over Shadow to both dig the hole and fill it back in. Sala said a few words and placed a branch from the jungle as a headstone. They shared a moment of silence, both thinking of Metru-Koro and Le-Metru Nuva. Then they were back in Kini-Nui, sadness pushed aside and the excitement of adventure ahead.

As they returned, Sorilax grabbed a Shadow orb full of dirt from the ground of the clearing and one full of liquid protodermis from the lake. These he used to fill in the two alcoves that had been empty by the Suva Kaita. It seemed only fitting. There was a majesty to this place that he sought to honor. The dead Toa seemed to indicate something horrible had happened here to desecrate this place. With things seeming unfinished, it was only right to put them back in order.

Still standing next to the Suva Kaita, Sorilax turned to Sala, his voice excited and a grin on his face, “Alright, old chap, where do you wish to begin?”

 

OOC: @Sparticus147 @Unreliable Narrator

Lizard is ? | ? confirmed.

*potentially excited noises tempered by realistic expectations*

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

Location - Le-Metru Nuva, on the Northwestern fringes of (7, 13) in the Fau Swamp

With - Nektann King of Monsters

 

The vision of the hand came true, plucking her from the village and plucking part of the village from the canopy. She felt the ocean surround her completely, its waves and tides soothing and comforting her in the darkness of night. It would have calmed her mind, but at the same time, the hard snapping of splintering wood filled her audio receptors and the jagged bite of torn boards assaulted her from every angle like she had been deposited into a wood chipper.

Then the oppressive dark night retracted, letting rain once more assault her body and the many new wounds it had just received. Viltia couldn’t get her bearings. Her vision swam from all the pain. Her mind was still reeling from the touch of a dead god. And her body was still in shock.

The smell of a fresh spring rain and newly cut wood filled her nostrils. And something else. She wasn’t sure what.

But one thing was clear. An optic larger than the sun and far more red burned before her. It stared at her with unknowable thoughts hidden behind the roiling fire that lit it. It sat nestled in roiling clouds, a frame of lightning, and a covering of rain.

She wasn’t sure if she was living out a vision or having a vision affect the real world, but she knew one thing. That optic held a spark of intelligence. And whether it was the dead god trying to absorb her or some vision come true, some part of her mind knew what her body needed.

Viltia weakly smiled. With a voice far too calm for the situation and that was threatened to get lost in the roar of the rain assaulting the landscape below, she spoke, “Hello. Can you help me?”

 

OOC: @Unreliable Narrator

 

IC: Le-Metru Nuva NPCs - Various Species - Refugees

Location - Le-Metru Nuva, on the Northwestern fringes of (7, 13) in the Fau Swamp

With - Sidra, Uraborask

 

The elevator jostled as something caused the village above to shift in the trees. Torch and Spark clung to the railing as a couple Kanoka slipped and fell to the sinkhole below, quickly swept up by the ever increasing amount of water. The sound of a building being violently and suddenly ripped from the village reached them.

Torch looked at his ball of light, having to increase the heat to keep the fire from going out. Sidra down below seemed to find success another way as a second undead gave up its hold on a tree. He was torn. Light was essential for Sidra, especially so close to their enemy, but something was happening to the village up above that might need his help to take care of.

He thought of Viltia again. She had come so far in so short a time. She was kind and eager to learn, if a little new to almost everything except for gardening. He would trust in her to take care of the village. And he would trust in her judgement of Sidra.

So he continued his support, providing a bright, blazing orange light to help fight the Untethered.

Wing burst from a pond that had been hidden beneath the layer of water that now rushed on the swamp floor. She coughed up water, feeling her body tingle. Some change was occurring within her. She could feel it in her stomach and in the way her muscles reacted to her inputs. She knew she wouldn’t show up to Le-Metru Nuva as the same Wing that had left. Mutagenic waters swirled around her and now even inside her. She coughed up more water.

But she had to get back. She had a guard force to lead. A village to protect.

Wing struggled against the surging waters that couldn’t seem to figure out which way they wanted to go. She used tree roots to help her progress wherever she could. The going was slow, and her already injured body from the fall was now changing on her.

The Zyglak froze in shock as Viltia disappeared from before him. He had been so close. He had almost saved her. He stood at the edge of a bridge to nowhere in shock at the gaping hole in the canopy where she had just been. The bridge’s rearmost supports started to give out, causing it to droop, forcing him back to a different platform with some Skakdi he had never seen before and… was that a Hapaka?

The village itself was starting to fall apart from the heavy onslaught of rain. Like watery bullets, the droplets started piercing and cracking up the hardened tree bark that shingled Le-Metru Nuva’s roofs. The few in-progress buildings, platforms, and bridges were all taking heavy damage, with some falling from view to crash into the water below. In a couple places, railings loosened from the beating, no longer the safety net they had been.

Everyone still in their guard posts hung on for their lives as the storm raged with an intensity none of them had ever seen before.

In the village, a large branch from above couldn’t handle the strain of rain and broke free, crashing through a bridge and sending two Matoran careening down over a hundred feet to the shallow water below.

The Kahu and his untrained companion were forced to seek shelter. He huddled close to a tree, hanging onto the large branch he had found to perch on.

Things seemed grim. And still it rained.
 

OOC: @Nato the Traveler @Unreliable Narrator @Sparticus147

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

Location - Dead Forest

With - Marrow

 

The sentient mind’s surface thoughts were suddenly lost to him, becoming guarded behind caution. Hahvok wondered if maybe this mind had noticed him. The charcoal trees, though devoid of leaves, still managed to block out visual confirmation of the being he sensed.

He considered rolling up into a ball to travel faster and catch up, but then his core mind would be left behind in the Kohrak Va. He couldn’t let anything happen to himself by leaving himself, even for a short time. So instead he continued to follow the other mind by continuing his walking.

He paused as suddenly three more minds popped into his range. The first mind was heading for them. He took a moment to consider what to do and realized this situation only helped him. At least one of the four had to know about him. His purpose was calling and he would find it.
 

OOC: @Nato the Traveler @Sparticus147 @Vezok's Friend @Snelly @Burnmad

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

Location - Dead Forest

With - Marrow

 

The Valley of Bones hadn’t turned up any obstacles in his quest to recall his purpose. The valley had eventually sloped upwards, depositing him in an area filled with ash and charcoal trees long since burned away. It was fairly clean, though he knew some of his brothers that would have done a better job. The jagged trees stood as a reminder that it was best to finish cleansing an area before moving on, otherwise the job remained undone and others would be forced to pick up your failings.

He, both of him, wandered through the drifts of ash and barren ground as the sun kept the overall heat high. Hahvok knew he needed to get someplace colder soon, being in heat was so annoying. But what if his forgotten purpose could be found here?

So, he soldiered on, dutifully scanning for any intelligent minds that might be able to fill him in on what his mind was missing. Finally, after he had declared this place a waste of time, a mind emerged within the range of his Mind Reading powers. The being was looking for home, or so his idle thoughts told Hahvok.

Hahvok got excited. He was looking for his own home, too.

Maybe. He wasn’t sure.

He, both of him, made his way in the direction of the mind. Hopefully this homeward bound being might know his purpose.
 

OOC: @Nato the Traveler

 Well, uh... maybe I should wait for Kal to show up.

Hahvok is wandering around the Ash Barrens. Specifically the Valley of Bones. He has spent months waiting for a PC Kal post, but I'm happy to have him join up with Marrow so he can actually do something.

IC: Cravious - Skakdi of Lightning - Zakazian

Location - Northern Desert

With - Whira

 

The assembled Skakdi yelped in surprise as their own shadows curled around their limbs and heads, holding them in place and blinding them like the seaweed beneath the Rig. It was a display of power that would intimidate the hardiest of Skakdi. How could you ever drive away your own shadow and be free from potential harm?

Meanwhile Cravious frowned, face hidden inside of Debt Collector. He turned his head to Whira, “Well that’s no fun.” He disengaged and disembarked his ACR, grabbing a long, thin strip of flexible protosteel that had a miniscule hook on the end, “Highly effective and time efficient, but not fun.”

He went over to Cudgel, the orange Skakdi blind and immobilized. Cravious wiped off an area around Cudgel’s Heartlight, finding the gap where the Heartlight was slotted into the body. He pushed in the thin metal strip, feeling around until he felt it catch. Then he slid the strip up and pulled back slightly.

Cudgel’s Heartlight came free and slid forward a bit. Cravious retracted and stowed away his tool. Grabbing the Heartlight, Cravious slid it out of its slot, exposing the wires that fed the energy provided by the Heartlight to the rest of the body. Cravious shook his head in disgust at every other Skakdi. They stabbed and gouged like there was no other way to extract a Heartlight. They ruined perfectly good parts to salvage one. It was the perfect sum up of their entire race.

He unscrewed the washers holding the various large wires to the Heartlight. As the last one fell away, Cudgel was officially dead, his contract paid in full. Cravious slotted the Heartlight into his briefcase, keeping it beating now off of his own power over Lightning.

Reentering Debt Collector, he gathered Cudgel’s body, leaving the others behind. Generally the bodies he recovered were mangled and destroyed from the fights that took place while acquiring them. With Whira here, he was finally going to be able to study a Skakdi complete and whole. He was actually getting excited.

Cravious forced himself to remain calm as the pair went back to the Cube. His focus was on helping Whira right now, he could experiment later. He unlocked and placed Cudgel’s body in his cold storage room. He might be able to crack “organics” from this. He couldn’t wait. But later, later.

Now under Whira’s direction, the Cube tread onwards.

 

OOC: @~Xemnas~

Glad to have you back!

And I totally have agree. The Untethered are terrifying to try to deal with. Like Sparticus once said to me, this whole situation feels like a movie unfolding. There's something special to this whole thing. It's been so much fun to write, even if my poor little Toa isn't really cut out for it.

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

Location - Le-Metru Nuva, on the Northwestern fringes of (7, 13) in the Fau Swamp

With - Nektann King of Monsters

 

Suddenly the pain she hadn’t been feeling broke into her mind. It squeezed her as tight as it could, making it hard to breath. And with it came something else. Something other and yet in a way giving her more of herself. She lost herself to it, not able to even begin to comprehend what was happening.

Only her previously started actions were able to save her as fake Wing was thrust aside, disappearing from view as the imposter rolled under the railing and off the edge of the platform.

Her leg mesmerized her, fake Wing quickly forgotten. Silver strands grew from her like seaweed, waving in an imaginary breeze. They reminded her of that wonderful day she had spent at the southern beach with the Kahu. It had been so peaceful, so calming. She had been able to get away from everything and simply be. The sand had been so soft, the crash of the waves so soothing, the sun brightly lighting the sky so tranquil.

The memory of the warm embrace of the sun on her body fled from her mind as another bolt of lightning lit the sky. The rain was coming down hard, almost to where it hurt. Her hand still gripped her axe/crossbow tightly. It helped her forget the pain in her leg. She was heaving in and out air, rain bouncing off of her with intensity. She didn’t realize it, but her body was starting to slightly shake.

And then she was more. With a connection like with her element, her mind beheld terrible things as a universe devolved rapid-time into further entropy. With each example worse than the last, assaulting her in unfathomable ways. Then came the voice, that horrible voice. It stung her like it was her wounds, stealing away her breath and numbing her mind. It spoke with the same intensity as… she couldn’t remember what it reminded her of.

You’re so sure about what you want

Hold me

How can you see your destiny

When I fixed the stars?

Life is not a dream

For you

My dreams are your life

Join me

Feel alive because I can’t

See the world like I did

When we are sure about what we want

Wish me

Dream me

Caress me

Spell the words on my palm when I cannot see

Give me life so I may live it

Among the stars

Of your destinies

Visions came to her of terrible, awful things. They echoed in her head and warped her mind and touched her very soul. She felt like soil churned to make way for new seed. Her mind was turned on its head and scrambled about, awaiting formation from a gardener’s hand.

The final vision made the least sense. A blue hand larger than could ever be possible descended through what looked like the canopy of the Fau Swamp. Reaching for what, she didn’t know. The vision lingered far longer than the others. Was there some special meaning to it?

She wanted the voice to tell her what it meant. No, she didn’t want to hear the voice again! Did she?

She blinked, trying to think. The replays of what had just romped through her mind kept bouncing around her head, echoing off into the distance before returning again. Each time they returned she felt her left leg pulse in pain. For some reason the giant blue hand vision continued through it all.
 

OOC: @Nato the Traveler @Unreliable Narrator @Sparticus147

 

IC: Le-Metru Nuva NPCs - Various Species - Refugees

Location - Le-Metru Nuva, on the Northwestern fringes of (7, 13) in the Fau Swamp

With - Sidra, Uraborask, Viltia

 

Spark continued his work in the orange glow of Torch’s fireball. More and more Kanoka were being lost to the muck below, pulled underneath just as the giant undead and then the truck had been. Kanoka supplies were running low, not that there was ever a giant amount to begin with.

Kanoka flew less often from the tree perches where the guards were stationed. The female Vortixx with the Ruru clutched her only level 3 disc as her mind raced on when was the best time to use it. For some reason Wing had stopped bringing her discs.

Well, if Wing had stopped resupplies, then she could do little else from here. She stowed away her last disc and climbed from her post, trying her best to stay balanced in the rain.

The Zyglak heard Viltia screaming and broke from the disc resupply chain. The rain hitting hard against the roofs of Le-Metru Nuva caused him to lose all sense of sound direction. Where was she?

Well, there were only so many places to look. He took off running.

Wing groaned, slowly rising to her feet. Her body hurt all over and she had lost all of the Kanoka she had been carrying. She was drenched with muck and soaked with rain. Looking around, she couldn’t get her bearings.

She was on the swamp floor, ankle deep in water crawling with all kinds of life sucking parasites. All this sudden rain was raising the water level all over the swamp, making the deeper pools hidden and now dangerous. Potentially she was being mutated as she stood there. It was a grim thought on an even grimmer night.

Suddenly the destruction of an ancient tree thundered in the distance as it came crashing down. Then a sky rending roar vibrated through the air. Wing knew that tonight, that noise had to come from the direction of Le-Metru Nuva. There was no way something else horrible hadn’t come seeking their destruction.

Determination filling her being to protect her friends, she began the slog back to the village, following the sounds of destruction.

Beruv quivered in the LeviCart as a roar split the sky and rattled the tools hung in the mining building. Water spilled over the brink of the doorway, starting to rush down into the mine. The LeviCart shifted from the flow and Beruv desperately activated it. The levitation disc struck the frame and the LeviCart rose from the ground, keeping her safe for now.

Torch watched as Sidra successfully defeated one of the monstrosities. The tethers were the key! Then a giant tree tossed her further into the sinkhole as it fell.

A giant roar hummed through his very being, he looked at Spark in shock. What now?

A villager of Mimic’s species appeared in the tree above Uraborask. He yelled over the pouring rain, “Quickly! This way!” All he saw was a fellow being in need of help. A trait born in Le-Metru Nuva that he hadn’t found elsewhere in their old universe. It didn’t matter that Uraborask was a Skakdi or from Zakaz. He was ready to get him up into the village and hopefully there they would be safer from the undead that now climbed the trees.

The Kahu circled above, the untrained one following behind it. He was concerned for the dark green one that had been so kind to him and took him for long, exciting flights. Was she okay? He was afraid to get closer but something kept him from leaving completely.
 

OOC: @Nato the Traveler @Unreliable Narrator @Sparticus147

I have thrown my lot in with Upvote. May Tren Krom deal with us kindly.

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

Location - Le-Metru Nuva, on the Northwestern fringes of (7, 13) in the Fau Swamp

With - Fake Wing

 

Her Observation began to meld with her Control and Viltia happily let her focus slip as she pulled her roots under herself. Not so much as to tip herself, but enough to disturb the clearing below Le-Metru Nuva.

As she connected to more and more plants, she rejoiced at the rain, feeling it grant her the hope for continued growth and sustenance. The various trees that held the different buildings and platforms of the village all stood strong, she stood strong. She was tickled by the droplets on her leaves, proud to house the Rahi seeking shelter from the storm, and absolutely terrified to feel the Grand Untethered as it peered back at her even as she peered at it. It was alien and otherworldly and all too familiar. And then she felt the signals of pain, of life stolen. There were many others like the large one, all small, but growing as they fed. They were killing her!

They were going to kill her friends.

They-

She was suddenly several Kio away, being torn apart at the very fringes of her Observation’s max range. Ravaged by uncaring talons and uprooted with little regard for her ancient majesty. A monster of immense size crushed her beneath its heel. She was dying. Being destroyed!

Viltia started to breathe erratically. A monster was coming. A monster was below them. A monster was hidden among them.

She could feel the Grand Untethered still looking at her as surely as she sensed it by the dead plants around it. It was too much. She couldn’t save everyone. She felt her branches shake in fear. She had to do what Sidra had said. Her mind raced even as her senses were overloaded as she connected to more and more plants.

A weird voice that mimicked Wing’s echoed in the one part of her mind that wasn’t focused on simply being the swamp.

“Give me life so I may live it.”

Its words pushed her over the edge, reason gone and replaced with terror. In that moment she used her personal connection to the Green with reckless abandon, her elemental energy conversion rate taking a nosedive as she output tremendous energy.

In a pulse originating from her, she stopped every single process of everything she was. Trees hardened and grew rigid, fungi lost their glow, vines ceased their climb, all became still. If there was a function, Viltia stopped it. If there was a process, it lost its purpose and froze. In her fear fueled mind, she pulled too hard on the command, stopping the life of all plants for almost a Kio around the village, even reaching out into the marsh.

The result was a feeling of numbness that left her cold, body unresponsive. The plants were still there. Still green. But they were dead. Their operations ceased. Though she was still connected to them, there was nothing to feel, no senses to glean. All had been wiped clean, forced to give up their hold on life.

Viltia slowly stopped her Observation of her element. Retracting it to the point where she turned off her passive Observation. She felt so weak, so drained. She had never used that much elemental energy at once before. Nor had she even been so low with her body’s reserves. She opened her optics, disoriented, still feeling numb. She wasn’t sure how, but now she was laying on her back instead of standing up. She tried to lift her head.

This platform didn’t have a roof, so water splashed her face as it came down. The leaves danced differently now, stiff and lifeless, waiting for decay to set in. She looked down. Something was eating her leg. She looked to her left. The lightstone near her caused the rain to dance beautifully in the night. She looked around the platform. No one was around. But it was dark, they were probably off sleeping after a long day’s work.

Viltia wondered where Torch was. She couldn’t quite remember, but she thought she had been talking with him. She tried to look around. Sidra was gone too? They were probably both asleep. They deserved it.

Smiling, Viltia was content to let the rain wash over her.

Lowering her head back down, she heard an odd noise, like the swamp being ripped apart from afar. Lightning flashed, dazzling her optics. Thunder cracked and boomed. Viltia slowly blinked. She felt like she should be doing something, but her body was numb, her mind foggy. What had she even been doing? Why was she laying down in the rain? Why couldn’t she feel life in the trees around her?

She started to panic. She couldn’t feel any plant life around her. Where was all the Green? What had happened to it? Why couldn’t she think straight? Her body suddenly flooded with emergency energy as directed from her brain and she snapped back into focus, her senses coming into vivid detail. But she still couldn’t feel her left leg.

Viltia sat up and screamed. Some… thing that looked like Wing had eaten through most of her thigh, armor and all. It’s mouth dropped bits of the silver mucus as it looked over at the movement. It was Wing, but it was undead. Viltia’s hands tightened in shock and she realized she was still holding her axe/crossbow. She screamed again and swung the Toa tool axe first, the blow awkward due to Fake Wing literally being on top of her.

Viltia was just trying to get Fake Wing off of her. Anything to get away from that thing. Her mind was full of fear, full of panic. She needed to get away.
 

OOC: @Nato the Traveler @Unreliable Narrator @Sparticus147

 

IC: Le-Metru Nuva NPCs - Various Species - Refugees

Location - Le-Metru Nuva, on the Northwestern fringes of (7, 13) in the Fau Swamp

With - Sidra, Uraborask, Viltia

 

Torch paused his help in the redistribution of Kanoka, wanting to make sure Viltia was all right and that Sidra wasn’t being weird. As he jogged a covered bridge back to the platform he had left them on, Sidra jumped from the railing. Torch yelled out in surprise and concern, looking over the railing of the bridge. The night was too dark and they were too far up for him to see the village’s new addition as she fell.

His mind raced as he contemplated what to do. Sidra had accused him unjustly and in front of everyone. He already had been keeping an eye on her and now she went and tried to undermine his authority. Out of all the villagers, he felt the least tied to her or having to protect her. She was her own entity that operated by herself, without need for his input. Or so his anger said.

Then he saw Viltia gripping a branch in complete concentration and his compassion took over. Viltia, while naive in many ways, had grown much in the last week. She had become his Toa Sister as much as his original Toa group had been. And Viltia trusted in Sidra wholeheartedly. He made his decision. He would afford Sidra the same amount of respect and compassion that he would show for any member of Le-Metru Nuva.

Torch spun, running for the elevator, dodging the few Matoran that continued to redistribute Spark’s retrieved Kanoka. The elevator was lowered, the Steltian that cranked the winch beside it. That Steltian did amazing, hard work for the village and Torch greatly appreciated him. But Torch couldn’t wait for the elevator to be lifted again.

He jumped, grabbing the elevator’s cable and sliding down it. He Absorbed the heat caused from the friction of his hands holding on as he descended. Thankfully Spark had a lightstone so he could tell how far down he had to go. Near the end he grabbed a tight hold of the cable, slowing his descent but not nearly enough as he still crashed on the elevator a little too hard and knocked off a few discs.

Spark’s whole body jumped and Torch quickly reached out to keep the Vortixx from falling. Spark turned and realized it was just Torch, so he got back to work collecting Kanoka from the swamp floor.

Up above in the Rahi pens, both Kahu hid underneath the partial roofs provided for them to seek shelter from rain. The trained Kahu inquisitively listened to the noises of the night. Something seemed wrong. His new caretakers were agitated by something. He wanted to help them, but he didn’t know how.

The untrained Kahu paced under his roof, occasionally tugging at the rope that kept him from leaving his captors behind. Yes, they were nice to him, far nicer than he had ever been treated, but he had one driving urge, to be free. His Rahi brain could comprehend little else since his capture. He strained at his rope again, causing one of the little captors to draw close and check on him.

Off in the distance, a great crashing sound could be heard over the ever increasing rainfall. It was like a giant was destroying trees and sod both with reckless abandon. It was a noise that drove fear into already frightened Heartlights.

The trained Kahu jumped from his pen, finding an open spot in the canopy. His great wings lifted him up over the dark green sea of leaves. He knew that noise meant he had to leave immediately.

The untrained Kahu struggled furiously at the noise, the rope holding him starting to give. The little oppressor joined him in the pen. In his fear, he didn’t notice as he knocked the little captor hard against the railing. He flailed his wings, he needed to get to safety. Something horrible was coming. The little captor was struck by his wing, flipping over the railing and becoming lost to the 125 foot sea of darkness below the village. The noise of the little oppressor hitting branch after branch and then ground with lethal force barely made any noise, especially not enough noise to be noticed by anyone until much later.

The rope finally snapped and the untrained Kahu fled, spotting the trained one and joining his brother in their flight from some yet to be realized threat.

Down below on the swamp floor, Beruv wished she had brought a lightstone as she stumbled through the dark. And then she saw the glowing undead and stopped in her tracks. The swamp groaned as the roots moved and the ground gave way, trapping many of them in a sink of mud. The ground around her was already mush from the rain and she could feel the new sinkhole trying to take her as well. She backed up as fast as she could when all of a sudden she heard a great, terrible noise, like an ancient earth god was rearranging the swamp.

That drove her over the edge. She made weapons, she didn’t really use them. She turned and ran, tripping and fumbling in the pitch black. The lightning flashes only served to disorient her. She tried to return to the forging hut but must have gotten lost because she ran into a building, dropping the discs she had been holding. She left them where they lay and entered inside.

Somehow the new place was darker than outside. She fumbled around the dark, tripping over her own feet and running into their one LeviCart minecart. She realized she was in the mine building. She didn’t know what else to do, so she climbed into the LeviCart and huddled inside, her wet body shivering. This was just like trying to survive the Fau Swamp when she escaped the Skakdi with Viltia. Her friends and foes alike had been picked off one by one over the course of a couple days of pure terror. How she had survived long enough to find Le-Metru Nuva had to have been part of Mata Nui’s design, because she should be dead already. Her mind couldn’t handle thinking more about the subject and turned to Kanoka forging, trying its best to ignore what was happening outside.

Real Wing was up in the understory layer of the trees, jumping from branch to branch and delivering orders and retrieved Kanoka. She was putting everything she had honed from years of dangerous living to the test. She was unstoppable. Not even the slickness of the branches caused her concern. She was truly in her element, suspended 75 feet up in the air with sometimes branches just wider than her feet to keep her from falling. Her focus was paramount, her risks taken little and properly measured. 

And then the sound of something the size of Evolis Kerhs or larger could be heard wreaking havoc in the distance, coming closer. It was that one moment of distraction, that split second of pure reaction that caused her foot to come down wrong, slipping on the branch and jutting out into open air. Her body twisted, her arms flailing, a feeling of vertigo struck her as she started falling.

She was a Le-Matoran, used to falling out of trees and other high places, but she knew a fall from this high up could be deadly, even for her. She threw out her arms, hands seeking a branch to grab, but she wasn’t so lucky. A branch stuck her under her upper arm, causing her to start to spin as she fell. Every branch she hit after that only continued to daze and damage her. Yes they helped slow her fall, but not how she wanted them to.

Then she was in open air. The last 30 feet above the opening was clear of branches. She fell, back first, into the sinkhole, wind knocked from her lungs. She lay there stunned, slowly joining the Grand Untethered and his fate below the ground.

Torch, scanning the ground for Sidra, saw Wing fall, and far too close to the giant undead. His Heartlight leapt into his throat. Not Wing! He thought of Spark’s Matatu for a moment, but Wing was too far away for the mask to be able to lift her from the muck. His Kanoka!

Torch grabbed his emergency level 3 Kanoka of Teleportation. If there ever was a time to use it, it was now. He leaned over the edge of the elevator, which was still suspended 35 feet in the air. He flung the disc, guiding the Ga-Metru designated Kanoka with his thoughts. It struck Wing’s mask, the only thing still above the mud as she continued to sink. Then she was gone, there one moment and somewhere else the next. The disc now sunk in her place.

Torch didn’t have time to worry about where she might have gone. At least it was away from here. He rubbed his hands together and created a small ember. He pulled his hands close and blew into them, enlarging the ball of flame and giving it strength. When it was large and strong enough to survive in the rain he let it float down, hovering below the branches and directly over the middle of the clearing below the village. The rain hitting it was creating a lot of steam that now rose above it. It glowed orange, almost white.

Torch fine tuned his elemental energy conversion rate into his element of Fire to make sure he was using the least amount of energy as he currently could at his skill level. The ball of fire glowed bright, casting the entire clearing and beyond in a warm light. This not only allowed Torch to spot Sidra next to the overturned war rig, but also gave her shadows for her mask to work. All the lightstones keeping the village lit up above gave her plenty of choices of where to travel.

The rest of the village kept up their battle, throwing their ever dwindling amount of Kanoka at the monstrosities that were threatening to destroy them.
 

OOC: @Nato the Traveler @Unreliable Narrator @Sparticus147

IC: Saybo - Toa of Water - Aurax

Location - Vahki Hive below Coliseum (4, 9)

With - (Great Being) Aurax

 

Saybo couldn’t help but notice the angry whirring of the machine Aurax had plugged in. He could feel the heat radiating off of it, dispelling the moisture that was in the air. Saybo couldn’t let this machine fail his Great Being.

With a half focus born of hundreds of years of practice, Saybo grabbed several spheres of liquid protodermis from the pond and gently submerged OTIS in them one after another. His fingers danced on one hand as he controlled the orbs as they bobbed through the air. He continued this, eyes still watching his surroundings as he kept up a constant cooling cycle for Aurax’s OTIS.
 

OOC: @~Xemnas~ @Eyru

IC: Cravious - Skakdi of Lightning - Zakazian

Location - Northern Desert

With - Whira

 

Cravious laughed, it was a harsh and jagged sound, “I thought you would say that.” He pointed to his head, his large ACR obeying his gestures, “The way I figure it, if you want to Desecrate a Nui-Jaga, then you’ll need a sentient being’s Heartlight to do it.”

He motioned to Clash, who opened the garage ramp. The air outside was still, the sand seemed damp, making the desert smell more earthy than normal. Probably the new Tahtorak’s doing. Cravious continued, “We can find me a secondary Heartlight later. Maybe that Mesi won’t end up being useless and I won’t have to get one myself. All I know is that I have a wish to fulfill and a new partner to help grow as strong as possible.”

Debt Collector, standing two Skakdi tall and colored like bleached bones, the type of which could not be found in this universe with its protodermis based organisms, took up two thirds of the garage doorway as it stepped down the incline of the ramp. Sand was thrown up as its heavy feet sunk into the ground. Cravious made his way towards the towering rocks, the ground becoming elevated and more sturdy as he walked. The rocks themselves were several sizes larger than the Cube, all long and flat and piled towards the center, where smoke could be seen drifting up through a large gap that let sun into the center of the cluster.

The Tarakava Warband camp was nestled among the rocks piled before them, with many smaller boulders forming a type of wall both from the elements and other warbands. Well, other small warbands. If Nektann’s group came through here it would be a slaughter.

As he approached the opening to the passage that was large enough to fit a war rig though, he pondered how this would go down. Generally there were three things that tended to happen. One, the Skakdi betrayed their friend, giving them to Cravious without any hesitation. Two, the Skakdi betrayed their friend, but held him for ransom, demanding payment from Cravious. Or three, the warband stuck together and tried to fight off Cravious.

While option one was the most convenient, options two and three tended to be far more fun. When you were the one who created, tested, and then supplied a large portion of weapons and ACRs to the warbands, you tended to know how to deal with those weapons.

Cravious activated his X-Ray Vision, once more enjoying that his ACR’s elemental dampener only hindered elemental attacks, not other power types. Of course that meant vision powers and inherent powers could be used against him, but those tended to be trivialized by the level of destruction two Skakdi using their elements in tandem could create.

He cautiously observed the warband’s camp, going layer by layer, allowing his X-Ray Vision to slowly peer deeper through the rock. He didn’t want any surprise attacks and so tried to take in everything.

The warband really was hurting for members. There were now only five of them left. A couple were injured and missing body parts. Cudgel was there, and appeared healthy. Why these idiots didn’t have a lookout was beyond him, especially in their weakened state.

Three of them were gathered around a fire, eating. Cudgel was cleaning a weapon and… Cravious went a layer deeper with his X-Ray Vision ...the last one was under the chassis of one of two war rigs. And he was doing a horrible patch job. It kind of made Cravious cringe and want to go in there and do it right. But no, they needed to be quick. He wanted to complete Whira’s wish as soon as possible.

Making sure Whira wasn’t still in the Cube, Cravious made his way through the passage in the large rocks, dropping from view in its shadows. He emerged fifteen seconds later in the sunlight that came through the gaps in the piled boulders as he joined the other Skakdi in the hollow in the rocks. The orange of the fire removed the stark contrast between the white of the ACR and all the names written on it of those who had failed their contracts and had been collected.

Still, Cudgel saw the writing first, knowing that his time had come. For a moment the mostly orange Skakdi was afraid, like when he had first been created, not knowing how to fit into a new, violent world. Then he was enraged by Cravious’ presence. He had fought hard to survive. He had found a warband to call home. He had secured a place in this world. He wouldn’t be taken so easily.

Cudgel yelled in defiance and as a declaration of his intentions to fight back, standing and raising the Plasma Harpoon he had been cleaning. It was the very thing that he hadn’t made any payments on and was the reason he was in this predicament in the first place.

The other Skakdi all turned, their optics going wide as they saw Debt Collector. One slowly reached for his Zamor Launcher like Cravious couldn’t see him doing it. Idiot.

There was a bang of something hitting metal as the Skakdi underneath the war rig hit his head and cursed.
 

OOC: @~Xemnas~ I planned on finishing this fight next post to keep things moving along, since I assume we'll want to go more in depth with Desecrating the Nui-Jaga. Do what you wish.

As for Saybo, I don't really have a reason to post him, so no need to wait for him.

IC: Saybo - Toa of Water - Aurax

Location - Vahki Hive below Coliseum (4, 9)

With - (Great Being) Aurax

 

Saybo kept glancing at Aurax as he typed, though most of his attention was focused on remaining alert. Saybo had been forced to learn a few basics of coding with his old job, but everything Aurax was doing was far beyond him.

At least it seemed a fight wouldn’t break out. These Vahki appeared loyal for now, so long as no one could affect their code in the same way he was assuming Aurax was doing currently.

As he stood guard, he pondered Aurax’s aura of fear, whatever it was, and how it was getting easier to handle the longer he spent with his Great Being. He kept it shoved into a corner of his mind, forcefully ignoring it and not letting it affect his decisions. Perhaps it was a test of his devotion. If so, he would absolutely not fail his Great Aurax. He would persevere even if it cost him his life.
 

OOC: @~Xemnas~ @Eyru

 

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

Location - Foothills of Irnakk’s Tooth (7, 10)

With - Sala

 

Sorilax stood there, watching Vhisola depart. The wind blew in warm gusts that weren’t strong enough to threaten Sala and his perch atop the rocky outcropping. The sun was bright and the ground dusty. The scent of a small, hardy desert flower could be smelled filling the air.

After a short while, he turned to Sala, “Well, old chap, I do believe it is time that we carried on ourselves.” He looked at Vhisola, who continued to grow smaller as she walked away. He needed to make this world a place set on equal footing for the benefit of those who inhabited it. And he needed to do it without an Aspect’s nature. It really was time to move on.

The trio, turned pair, continued north, with a slight turn to the west. Sorilax talked to Sala as they went along, explaining the outside of Kini-Nui and what he had already written down about it. As they scaled a steep hill, Sorilax remarked, “Actually, the way we are taking now is much faster than how you are supposed to travel to Kini-Nui. There is a whole convoluted passage that I first took. It started at Naho Falls when I was studying the Ruin there. In a nearby cave I found a tunnel that led me through to a cliff, then a forest, then a canyon, with a snow field beyond that! That is not even the end of it, in the snow field was this gate barring entry. I studied it for a while before I merely used my power to climb around it.”

Sorilax chuckled at that as he created a Shadow ladder for him and Sala to climb on.

“On the other side was a jungle, with Kini-Nui nestled in the middle. Imagine my surprise when I found yet another location to catalogue and record. I was ecstatic. I was almost as happy as when I discovered a far northern type of Mahi that actually has enough features different to make it a new subspecies. I spent…” 

Sorilax continued for some time as they spent several hours climbing Shadow ladders up large swaths of sheer mountain walls. Sorilax knew no fatigue, and Avagah did all the work for Sala. The going was easy with the Shadow ladders, though very precarious. One wrong move and one would fall a very far distance.

They took a late lunch after descending into a valley and almost finishing scaling the other side, where they found a patch of flat ground barely wide enough to sit down on. Sala ate quickly and they were climbing once more.

It was dark by the time they crested the last mountainside, hindering them being able to see Kini-Nui from above. By the time they descended to the small jungle around the structure, it was time to rest. They could walk the rest of the way tomorrow. Who knew what danger might lurk there. No, it was better to be well rested and ready to tackle what may come in the light of day.

Sorilax smirked at this thought. There was safety in light, in the known. He hoped that soon he might be able to taste of that cup.

As Sala drifted off to sleep, Sorilax pulled the Shadow orb from his backpack, finding a flower crown from Vhisola atop it. How… useless. Sorilax closed his optics in regret at the thought. No, not useless. Thoughtful. It evoked emotions in a positive way, and so it held meaning. Placing the crown upon his head, Sorilax studied his Shadow orb.

It was a pure black, oddly mixed with the mutagenic waters from the Fau Swamp marshes. It swirled in ways not seen. In other ways it reached past the physical to touch something more.

There was something to be gleaned from the waters, he knew it. Walking a short ways away from Sala, Sorilax overturned a rock to find a small lizard sleeping, its coloration lost in the night. It opened its optics in surprise as its own shadows warped around it to form a second Shadow sphere. The lizard frantically scrambled around inside as Sorilax walked back to Sala.

The Aspect sat, calming his mind and starting his meditations once more. In his mind’s eye, he sat in his boat, the lighthouse that was Kini-Nui towering over him, its light somehow shining directly on him and only him. Everything else remained black. His boat, his oars, the sky, the sea. All was the color of the void between the stars, of the crushing depths of Taboo knowledge.

Sorilax plunged his hand into the inky black, once more pulling on the thread that stood for his knowledge of the Rahkshi Taboo. The force behind Taboos leapt forefront into his mind, filling it with its deep intricacies, most of the tenets hidden from his comprehension. Foremost of all was the knowledge of the Rahkshi Taboo. He hoped to test it out this very night.

In reality, he created small holes in the orb holding the lizard. He moved it to his mouth, grateful that he had paid extra for a working mouth, and breathed onto the small creature, part of his essence infusing into it. The lizard, who had calmed down considerably considering it’s situation, licked one of its optics.

Sorilax could feel the Rahkshi Taboo at work in the background of the world as it used him as a conduit to affect reality. It was weighing and measuring the lizard, and he felt a return of knowledge that it had too small a Heartlight to turn into a Rahkshi. He had figured that would be the case, but he wasn’t trying to do that anyway.

Sealing the lizard’s Shadow sphere, Sorilax merged both orbs of the night together, the mutagenic waters engulfing the lizard. The Aspect lost sight of the lizard for a moment, despite using Shadow to see since it was so dark out. But he could feel the Rahkshi Taboo trying to work, and there was something more. Something other. Something that was a Taboo, dancing just at the corners of his vision. It was right there, he could almost grasp it!

His mind was taken elsewhere as he sensed the lizard again. The mutagenic water was gone, and the lizard now had a stage one Kraata symbol emblazoned on its head and small spines running down its back. Sorilax could feel the faintest of connections to it. It wasn’t at all what he had thought would happen, but he knew he was almost there. He just needed to think more on what had transpired. He was fairly certain he had all the clues to figure out a new Taboo.

The lizard disappeared from the orb, surprising Sorilax and disrupting his meditation. His mind world vanished back into his subconscious imagination. The lizard reappeared on his head, where it circled a few times and nestled into the flower crown.

Shadow travel? Sorilax had thought the failure of his experimental Taboo usage would be death for the unsuspecting Rahi. Instead, it seemed the mutagenic waters of the swamp sustained life in the creature despite the Taboo failing its original purpose. How interesting.

Sorilax let the lizard remain where it was, dismissing his Shadow orb. He spent the rest of the night meditating on the experiment and pondering the implications. A new Taboo felt so close, like he had it in his hand, but couldn’t yet grasp it.

The sun was blocked half of the day by Irnakk’s Tooth, but Sorilax still roused Sala at dawn and the Matoran ate a meal of what they had gathered on the last section of marshland. Sorilax wrote down his findings of the night before, along with all else he had been discovering during his other nightly meditations. The lizard remained asleep on his head.

With the valley in shadow, but the sky a bright, vibrant blue full of wispy clouds, Sorilax led Sala the rest of the way. The jungle trees eventually fell away to reveal a clearing and there it sat, Sorilax’s goal of making himself better. Of creating a better world for all life.

Kini-Nui.
 

OOC: @Sparticus147 @Unreliable Narrator

 

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

Location - Le-Metru Nuva, on the Northwestern fringes of (7, 13) in the Fau Swamp

With - Sidra, NPC Torch

 

The Fau Swamp was truly a marvel. Normal swamps held wispy trees or short, fat trees full of gnarled knots. The Fau Swamp grew like a mutated rainforest, with many layers for life to blossom in the corrupted way it did here. Some of the larger trees grew to 200 feet tall and formed something called the emergent layer, towering over the rest of the canopy. The average height of a tree was 100 to 150 feet tall, like the ones that housed Le-Metru Nuva. A fall from the village was a deadly affair.

Below the emergent layer, lay the true meat of the swamp, the canopy layer. In the canopy layer could be found most of the life of the Fau Swamp in the form of mushrooms, vines, moss, and various other plants. The plants gathered nutrients from the frequent rains and how the thick swamp trees retained water in their bark. Many insects also call the canopy home. In fact, by Sorilax’s estimations, around 25 percent of the entire island’s population. Many Brakas groups can live their entire lives here and never touch the ground.

Below the canopy layer was the understory layer, home to many Rahi and birds. The leaves of the trees tended to be much larger there, and Viltia guessed that the average amount of light that reached it was only 5 percent. Due to the area’s nature as a swamp, one could find many patches where light did get through where trees didn’t grow due to ponds and lakes, but for the most part, it was a dark, scary place only lit by glowing fungi and Electric Bugs.

And finally, the bottom-most layer was the swamp floor, where only 2 percent of the sunlight was able to find its way through. Many fungi made their home down there, where most plants couldn’t survive in such a low light. A majority of the swamp floor was roots, mud, and murky water, full of garbage from civilizations past. It was a dark, dank, dangerous place full of giant insects and mutated Rahi super predators.

Giant mushrooms occasionally took the place of trees throughout the swamp, though they were rare. They were always easy to spot, due to them being able to be any color they wished. Purple, Neon Pink, Orange, etc. Their shapes were not normal, either, with many growing in strange patterns or unnatural shapes. Several smaller giant mushrooms grew from the large swamp trees themselves, the trees somehow gathering enough nutrients to provide for themselves and their parasites as well.

Le-Metru Nuva was close to the edge of the Fau Swamp, where it turned into marshes, and so the canopy was thinner and allowed more light to filter through. This helped them grow crops and also to move about on the swamp floor with more safety. They were nestled in the middle of the canopy layer, with the understory layer providing even more leaf cover to hide their presence from any who might peer up from below.

But all that height and all that secrecy was for nothing in the end. The undead had found them. In the dark of the canopy, in the dark of night, and in the dark of a rain storm, the undead had found them nevertheless. They were led to them by an unsuspecting Skakdi, though Viltia knew in her Heartlight that the undead would have found them anyway.

Her shots, though they hit their mark and atomized large chunks of the arm being, only made things worse as other chunks started to form their own undead. The silver mucus that tied them together could be seen even from 125 feet up through the torrents of rain.

Her mind was extremely focused to the point of losing vision of all else except her connection to the Green as she channeled the hours of practice she had put in firing her laser crossbow since she had become a Toa.

Sidra’s words cut her focus like a machete through a vine and brought her back to the full situation.

"Viltia, stop firing! We need to contain them!" Sidra ran towards where the Bo-Toa stood, shouting over the raging rain and thudding thunder.

Viltia stopped, placing her finger on the trigger guard like Spark had taught her, momentarily confused as her mind adjusted to more than just firing. She could feel the undead below draining the life of the trees and scarce foliage.

Sidra continued as another vibration hit the village, though it didn’t line up with the thunder yet again. "Use the tree roots, like we talked about! Collapse the ground underneath the main creature, cut it off from life it can drain!"

Viltia nodded, thinking through what needed to be done. The swamp floor was too far away for her to affect. She needed something to use as a conduit.

The trees.

Viltia moved to the other side of the platform, Torch stepping aside, and reached out her left hand over the railing, grabbing a hold of the leaves that were the normal view of the village. The tree they were connected to filled her being as she gave herself completely over to Observation of her element. She was old, she was worn, she was sturdy.

She wiggled her roots, grabbing the roots of other surrounding trees and connecting mentally to them as well. She continued this until she was many trees. A vast ecosystem contained on a few sturdy trunks. She went until she completely surrounded the actively dying plants. Then she curled her roots, pulling them under herself. There was a great groaning that could even be heard above the rain as the tree roots moved beneath the village. Le-Metru Nuva swayed but held firm, clinging to the separate trees it was built upon.

The ground came alive as it wiggled and shifted at the motion, making loud, wet slopping sounds as pockets of air were created and released by the movement. The mud became muck as all the roots below it retreated and the ground began to sink and suck in all upon it.
 

OOC: @Nato the Traveler @Unreliable Narrator @Sparticus147 This is my personal head canon for the Fau Swamp and not an official GM ruling of how the swamp actually functions. But this explains how I've been writing for the Fau Swamp since the beginning of SKR. Basically a mutated Swamp/Rainforest mix.

 

IC: Le-Metru Nuva NPCs - Various Species - Refugees

Location - Le-Metru Nuva, on the Northwestern fringes of (7, 13) in the Fau Swamp

With - Sidra, Uraborask, Viltia

 

Due to limitations that only recently had been lifted, most Kanoka discs thrown were of Onu-Metru designation, though in this case it happened to be a good thing. Even as the discs struck, several were diverted from their courses and so returned to their throwers, giving them second chances.

Most discs were of level 1 and 2, and so offered weakened results, but they were far better than nothing. There were several level 3s that had been made that day and the day before that were being kept in hands only to be thrown if the threat moved closer. There was no need to waste them.

Most of the guard posts were below the canopy layer, where the thick branches formed their own roads of traversal. One might be able to walk from one end of the Fau Swamp to the other if one were wise enough. The guard posts were far closer to danger, but it was required if they wanted to be able to protect the swamp floor below Le-Metru Nuva from rampaging Rahi.

Many of these posts were now filled with many differing species. They were hidden by the dark, thick leaves, and the downpour of rain. Only the thrown discs revealed their locations but for a moment.

A female Voritixx threw her discs with well honed accuracy and the aid of a Ruru, her vision the best of the village in the dark. She was now behind the horde as it advanced on the swamp floor.

A male member of Lariska’s species threw Kanoka and knives with abandon, his Mask of Rebounding offering him many chances to strike again as long as he caught what returned to him.

The male Zyglak was oddly silent as he handed out weapons to Matoran that had no combat training or experience. The weight of the situation hung heavy upon him. If the undead scaled the trees, he would be the first to enter the fray to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves.

Spark leaned precariously over the edge for the village’s only elevator. It had been lowered down into the understory layer of the trees, where he used his Matatu to retrieve the Kanoka that had struck true and had not returned to their throwers. He grabbed as many as he dared before signaling with a lightstone to have the Steltian that worked the elevator to pull him up so he could start restocking the villagers’ defenses.

Torch left Sidra and Viltia to check on the non-combatants, few though they were. The rain fueled his anger as he wished for it to stop so he could melt down the monsters below. He didn’t save everyone here just so they could die a couple weeks later. When he saw the Zyglak finish arming the few non-combatants, he brought the Zyglak and the group to the elevator to help with the Kanoka redistribution chain.

Beruv cooled off a level 4 weaken Kanoka, head swiveling as the roar of an engine beat out the sound of rain. Then there was a great groaning of trees, as if the forest itself had come alive. For once, she stopped work of her own volition. Concern passed over her face. Just what was going on? Something horrible was happening, she just knew it.

Shuttering her lightstone lamps and closing both forges’ blast doors, the hut fell into darkness as Beruv grabbed several discs, using her memory to guide her hand. She moved to the door and slowly cracked it. The sound of rain and a rush of humidity flooded the forging hut, though no explanations for the weird noises presented themselves. Lightning flashed, though it provided little light and didn’t help her see anything of value.

She eased out into the night, confident that even a starving Rahi couldn’t find her in this oppressive rain that even managed to filter down through the many layers of leaves and branches.

Wing was in her element, jumping from post to post, running along large, slick branches to give orders to her guards. Her feet ran true, her balance remained strong. She did all she could to provide the best defense in a disastrous situation.
 

OOC: @Nato the Traveler @Unreliable Narrator @Sparticus147

 

IC: Cravious - Skakdi of Lightning - Zakazian

Location - Northern Desert

With - Whira

 

Cravious felt… odd. It was one thing to see the ritual’s results and quite another to experience it yourself. He touched his new Kraata, which seemed to pulse with life. It felt just like the protodermis muscle that sat around his face and down his back. And it was just sitting there, he was one with it now. It was… odd.

And there was no sudden surge in power, no immediate ability to read minds. Cravious was disappointed at this, but not surprised. Based on his hirelings, stage 1 Kraata were fairly weak and offered little benefit. Some appeared to do nothing unless a specific circumstance took place. All he needed to do was help Whira get stronger, and then take her out if he must.

He kept his savage grin, “Bound indeed. I just need to make a quick stop, then you can take us where you will.”

The craggy rock of the mountain sped away underneath them as they traveled north, with the ground quickly becoming sandy. The treads of the Cube took the sand in stride and kept them booking along. Half a day passed by as Cravious used his telescopic and X-Ray vision to avoid any and all potential hiccups and threats while they rode on.

The sands started to have boulders occasionally poking out as the terrain changed once more. There were occasionally large clumps of boulders, like some giant had tossed them there in his spare time. It was at one of these clumps of boulders that they stopped, some distance away.

Cravious grabbed his briefcase and retrieved the Debt Collector’s Heartlight key. He expertly climbed inside, closing it upon himself. Speakers on the ACR projected his voice to the nearby Whira, “An orange Skakdi, named Cudgel, of the Tarakava Warband has failed to deliver the payment specified on his now expired contract. As such, his life is forfeit and his payment to me has become his Heartlight. I will kill only him, as that’s just good business, but things may get messy anyway, even with only a few Skakdi left in their group. Care to tag along?”

 

OOC: @~Xemnas~

Yeah I agree. It was fun to see and really feel how horrifying Boss can be now.

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

Location - Le-Metru Nuva, on the Northwestern fringes of (7, 13) in the Fau Swamp

With - Sidra, NPC Torch

 

The sound of the engine barely made it over the sound of the rain drenching the assembled group or over the leaves below the village that helped to buffer the noise. Headlights cut through the stormy night like twin beams of lightning. It was now too late to shutter the lightstone lamps set up in the village in order to hide their presence.

Another shudder vibrated the village, though no lightning had struck. What even was that? Thoughts for another time.

Viltia went to the railing beside Torch, a crack of lightning striking and providing scarce illumination for a brief moment. Behind the rig was something large, loping along with mismatched limbs. Somehow it wasn’t absorbing any life from plants, because she would have felt it. That was kind of concerning.

Her mind leapt to the Kahu, thinking of using it to gain air superiority. But not in this rain, and not under the canopy. No, she would need something like a Nui-Rama or Nui-Kopen to be able to do that. And the village certainly would never be able to tame those.

Viltia grabbed her axe/crossbow from her back, finger on the trigger of the crossbow portion. It was through several layers of leaves, in the dark of night, and in the middle of a rainstorm, but she started firing, aiming for the unnatural mass behind the rig. She had to protect her friends, regardless of any imposter.

Her bolts remained silent when fired, but the light from them lit up the night and the lower canopy they were fired through. She remained half aware of herself and half immersed in the Green. She wouldn’t be surprised again. If any plant died around the village, she would know about it.
 

OOC: @Nato the Traveler @Unreliable Narrator @Sparticus147