Crimson Jester

1/5 for now. I've pretty well just come out of a hiatus since before you joined.

1/5. Can't say I recognize the name, but it looks as though you signed up as I was getting close to going on hiatus.

A link to what looks to be a well-written epic! May have to check it out when I have a chance.

IC: Cartographer Ko-Metru Hideaway The Cartographer stood silently in the center of the chamber, hands grasping the plinth, awash with awe. He had traveled so far and so long, the Matoran thought, that this world could have no more surprises, no secrets yet to be discovered that he hadn't seen before. And yet, here he now stood, in the middle of a chamber, with a plinth, enigmatic carvings, and an even more mysterious puzzle; a puzzle that serves a purpose, a puzzle to prove the worth of those wishing to possess the secrets it contained. The aura of mystery which had enveloped the Cartographer was pulled violently away from him as though it were a sheet over his head, when the utter silence of the room was broken. The Cartographer tensed as his hands slid from the plinth down to the familiar shape of the handles of his ice picks. One forward grip, one reverse grip, the Cartographer turned slowly to face his new guest, activating the boost switch on his headlamp as he did in hopes of preventing the guest from discerning his features too well. Both stood silent as they gave one another an ocular pat-down of sorts. The sight of a fellow Ko-Metruvian eased the Cartographer, though only ever so slightly. "I thought I saw someone come in here. Honestly, I'm pleased, but why are you in the tower I'm about to conquer?" The Cartographer fought to stifle a chuckle at the Matoran's final word. This figure in front of him, he had heard mention of a type like him from some of his fellow Cartographers. One of the adrenaline-types, speed climbs the towers across the Metru, sometimes to the chagrin of the Cartographers. And according to the stories, they always refer to summiting as "conquering". A minor annoyance, sure; but a man of these skills could probably be useful to the Cartographer, should he agree. In unity, wisdom; it says. "I'm a Cartographer," he finally replied, after leaving the silence a little too long. "I'm not here to race you to the top, if that's what you're worried about. There's an artifact in here that must be recovered at all costs. Should it fall into the wrong hands, you might not have any more towers to, ahem... conquer." OOC: @EmperorWhenua

PUZZLE REACHED. The Cartographer is going to go dig out his Nathan Drake costume now.

"I'm Commander Shepard, and Six Kingdoms is the best RPG on the Citadel!"

IC: The Cartographer Ko-Metru Hideaway As he emerged from the dark, claustrophobic portal into the massive hollow center of the tower, The Cartographer gasped. He was utterly overwhelmed; he, nor any others from the Department had ever come across anything even remotely like this. The architecture, smooth and flowing, with a seeming endless loop of surface from the floors to the walls, evoked a wholly alien feeling, as though this forgotten corner of Ko-Metru was not merely that, but a planet all it's own. He reached into his pack, withdrawing a lightstone headlamp. It flickered to life, and he secured the fine Ga-Metruvian fabric straps taut around his masked head. The lightstone, although the most powerful he could find at that size, was seemingly overwhelmed by the sheer size of the room. Tendrils of light grasped into the void, but could reach nothing beyond the center of the chamber, and the tree of ice that dominated it. Although apparently empty aside from the Cartographer, the chamber echoed amplified sounds from all around, turning the pitter-patter of water droplets into war drums, the scraping of feet into screeching violins. And then there were the carvings. Not a single inch of wall space was spared, and in fact, even the inner roof dome seemed to be completely covered in these strange runes; sharp, angular, almost violent in nature - and definitely unlike any known script in the recorded Matoran Universe. Even to a veteran explorer such as the Cartographer, any quick attempt to translate would be a literal and figurative stab in the dark. With his curiosity temporarily sated, and his goal back in the forefront of his cortex, the Cartographer turned his attention to the middle of the chamber, the ice-tree, and the small, light-emitting hole in the center of the roof. He removed his pack again, and began withdrawing his kit: one length of Ga-Metruvian hand-woven climber's cord, one anchor, and a pair of ornately-carved climber's picks that he'd had made by his old friend, Nuparu, what seemed like years ago. With his pack resecured, his cord and anchor strapped to his chest, and picks in hand, he approached the tree. The Cartographer's hand ran along it's surface; and although this tree appeared, and definitely was carved, it had no evidence of tool marks. Something that deserved a second look, but not today. His pick dug easily into the ice-bark of the carved tree, as did the other with a satisfying crunching-slicing sound. Pulling himself upward, his foot spikes found a home in the tree, and so carried on the cyclical climb. Aside from a few weak spots on thinner limbs as he ascended the tree, he found little other trouble. The Cartographer reached the highest limb, mere feet from the roof, and the strange hole. He pulled himself into the limb, and began to peer up into the hole as he stood up. OOC: @Unreliable Narrator I await you to make the next move.

IC: The Cartographer Ko-Metru Hideaway The Cartographer pulled his binoculars from his face, satisfied with his preliminary survey of the scene. From his perch straddling the top of the ice wall surrounding the Hideaway, the Cartographer pensively studied his surroundings, assessing and formulating in the clockwork manner that Ko-Matoran were known for. It was eerily quiet, but then again, nothing was out of place from his last journey here. He gulped, pushing any uneasiness into the darkest corners of his being, and slung his bag back over his shoulder before kicking off and sliding down the inner surface of the ice wall to the grounds below. From the ground, the Hideaway seemed less like a Ko-Metru spire, and more a pillar, holding back the heavens themselves from the island. The structure had no identifiers on it, not a trace of an architect's stamp, or builder's graffiti, or even tool marks; absolutely no way of discerning it's origin, it's purpose, or even it's age. The shimmering ice surface was flawless, with new ice reforming on the surface every evening when the daylight retreated. Ironic I start my search here, the Cartographer thought to himself, letting a brief smirk cross his lips. It was arguably this structure, and the mystery surrounding it, that led him to become the Cartographer in the first place. But today was not a day for sentiment or reflection. The Cartographer approached the structure, and the small, dark alcove he had spotted from his perch on the ice wall. He wasn't sure where it led, as it had not been there on previous journeys, but then again, the Ko-Metru landscape was constantly shifting with the day and night cycles, with new openings forming by day, only to freeze solid again at night. As the small doorway loomed closer, the Cartographer could begin to see beyond the shadows, into the great antechamber beyond. There was no turning back now, regardless of any apprehensions he may have had. With a resolute sigh, he took his first steps into the shadowy unknown...

Well, keep me informed! It seems like it's gonna be fairly lonely in Ko-Metru otherwise, at least for the next bit.

Glad to finally get a start in here! Anyone in/have plans to be in Ko-Metru anytime soon?

IC: The Cartographer Ko-Metru The ice-blue parapets of Ko-Metru's towers spiraled impossibly high in the sky; seemingly reaching like cold fingers into the heavens themselves, while casting a deep blue shade into the twisted labyrinth of obelisk towers, communication cables, and all other forms of organic and non-organic amalgam. The wet glisten of sun rays reflected off of nearly every surface in the region, cascading light in a manner of beauty that the Cartographer had never seen elsewhere in his vast travels. It was that beauty that always tugged at his emotions, calling him back when he'd been away too long. But today it was not the beauty of Ko-Metru that drew the Cartographer back to his home; nor was it work, as he had cut his teeth surveying every inch of the Metru in his early days. Today, it was something far more pivotal, more significant than anything he'd ever done prior. A job so secret he couldn't even stop by the Knowledge Towers and inform the others in the Cartography Department of his finds. Everything he had done, everything he had ever cared for, could all be completely undone should he fail in this task. The scraping sounds of his feet sliding across snowy cables, and his climbing hooks digging into frozen materia suddenly pulled the Cartographer back out of the annals of his mind. He was immediately aware of the breeze against his Komau, the welcome chill encapsulating his body, and the extreme rate at which his heart was now beating, as he gazed into the distance at his destination. Known as the Ko-Metru Hideaway amongst the few who actually knew it's purpose, this naturally-formed ice tower was oft-ignored, sitting on the vast southern fringes of Ko-Metru, abandoned by both the citizens and time itself. But the Cartographer, ever-curious, had explored the remote grounds of the tower; even scaling it for a brief glimpse inside. He knew it was there, the pieces all fit. But as the spire grew larger and larger in his field of view, the Cartographer wondered if he would have what it takes to face the yet-unknown perils that stood between himself and the Great Disc...

I missed RPing. I spent a good majority of my formative years here, and have made many friends here that I keep in frequent IRL contact with. It feels only natural to still be here, even 16 years later.

Well, I'm back for good now, I think. A little dusty, but it still feels like home.

Name: The Cartographer Species: Ko-Matoran Faction: Metru-Nui Brief Description: A Ko-Matoran, The Cartographer is mostly white, with ice blue legs and Noble Komau. He usually wears a shoulder pack with various climbing and access gear, as well as carrying a disc launcher. Background/Occupation: As his name-title suggests, the Cartographer serves as a combination of surveyor and historian, exploring and documenting the many abandonments and historical sites throughout the island. His passion for heritage, combined with above-average athletics have served him well in this role, seeing him discover and record some of Metru Nui's most important sites; and the knowledge of the island's annals and nooks has allowed the Cartographer a unique position in the current state of Metru Nui. The Cartographer, although silently supporting the imprisoned Toa Mangaia, will stop at nothing to acquire the Great Disc of Ko-Metru and prevent the island and it's citizens from being wiped from history. Flaws: The Cartographer is ultimately loyal only to himself and his Metru, and will not necessarily align with a faction should it not suit his vision. Powers: Inactive Ice powers

Awakening from the Dream of Existence to the Multidimensional Nature of Our Reality (Mirror of the Soul) - Blood Incantation

Just finished Death Stranding. Game was so fantastic, I had to fill that hole with two games haha. So now i'm playing KotOR, with some Modern Warfare on the side.

I was very curious when I first heard this rumor, as I wasn't sure how they were going to be able to pull this off, and at what scale. I must say though, upon seeing it, I'm rather impressed. Not something I'd buy, but definitely better than expected.

So, from what I'm gathering, there's two major issues holding this back right now: low player activity, and staff unavailability. Now, I may be on a bit of a tangent here, but this seems like a fairly simple fix for me. In my past experience working as a staff member on the BZPRPG, as well as hosting many of my own, I found that staff availability has a direct effect on player activity. I mean, holidays and starting new school semesters definitely play their role, but I feel as if this RPG could have more life in it than it currently does. Now, before I progress: please don't misconstrue my message (staffers, I'm looking at you). Life gets in the way, priorities change, and what have you. Those are the joys of adulthood and responsibility. But, on the other hand, I see all of these player names that are very active in the forum, and especially so the discussion topic, which tells me that there are definitely people who don't lack the time that others may. That being said: we have staff with no time, and many players with arguably more time, who are ready to progress the story and keep this RPG active. So why can't/haven't our staff hired someone who can be around to keep this moving? I don't want to be the bad guy here, but to me it just makes no sense. In capable hands, with a rough guideline, this problem could be drastically reduced, without hurting player activity or straying too far from the vision of the current staff. Anyway. That's my two cents. Feel free to discuss what you agree with, or don't. EDIT: I just want to clarify: I think the staff here do a wonderful job, and have great knowledge on the subject of roleplaying, and the BZPRPG. I don't want anyone to think I'm bashing or anything; it just looks, from my perspective, as though the staff around here needs help, especially someone who can be around more frequently.

Hey guys! So I've been locked out of my account for a few months now, (make sure to update your email address more frequently than once every 15 years), and so I'm not quite sure where things are at. I see the current arc is ending, is a new one starting soon?

So I know I keep trying, and failing to return. I am much to blame for that myself, as life always finds a way; but also, I feel I may have created a vision much too grand for the current game resources available. My plans I had made and presented to staff still to this day have not been looked at, and at this point I believe I need to count my losses and focus solely on a strong character and character arc, and hope overarching plotlines fall in line eventually. All that said, I'm curious if someone would be so kind as to provide me with a brief synopsis of what's been going on recently. Last thing I recall was the ongoing assault in Ko-Wahi. Cheers, CJ

Fire me a message, let me know what your plans are. I'm on days off starting tomorrow so I can get started then!

Don't mind me, just poking the corpse of this forum with a stick to see if there's any breath left. That being said, excuse my inactivity, and chalk it up to me having grand visions of a story arc I'd like to produce that I've been waiting months for approval on. But now that I see the likelihood of that being resolved in a timely fashion is a futile thought, I think I may just jump in and do whatever so I can stop feeling like a spectator. So, who's got stuff going on and wants some company, or a sharp thorn in their side?

Apologies for the absence, work and life duties tend to take precedent regardless of how inconvenient they are. That being said, I've got another week or so of chaos before I can free up some time to get the ball rolling. Don't burn the place down before I have the chance.

Does anybody know what happened to Sauce? I sent him some arc ideas I needed cleared close to two weeks ago and still haven't received a reply. EDIT: Just read the prior posts. I guess I'll have to improvise until I can get approval for the other stuff.

I joined BZP in '04, I wasn't quite 12 yet. I ended up getting really enamored by this community, and in particular in RPGs. Next thing I know, I've spent a majority of my formative years here, and made some of the closest friends I'll ever have. Thanks, BZP! Here's to another 17!