Keeper of Kraata

IC: Ahri - Abandoned Village, Oki The male bowed, showing respect. Her comment referring to the 'Sons of Zataka' sunk in. No longer was that a term that referred to Ahri. That connection to the divine no longer applied to him; was he truly forsaken? "Greetings, Ilkyazu. I am Mashtet Ahri, and I am in the company of-" He paused for a moment. Was it proper to introduce the other Menti with him, given the gender imbalance? He decided it was, given the obvious difference in age, it was appropriate. "This is Koizumi Yuna and Raika. We are helping a nearby group of refugees, and would appreciate your assistance as well." He came up from the bow, taking in the newcomer. Ikyazu was a Dasaka name and she wore armor in the style of Imperials, but she had a Taajar accent. He rested his makeshift spear on his shoulder as he decided to try something. He directed his mind outwards to convey Ideatalk, but sticking to Vulgar Taa, where his accent would hopefully be less atrocious. .:I ask you stick to speech when talking to us; Yuna is... special. She cannot perceive Idealtalk unless Willhammer is used:. OOC: @ARROW404 @Lady Takanuva @The UltimoScorp IC: Askha - Hanaloi Forest The Mashtet adjusted her grip on the rahkshi staff she held. A tiny portion of her mind took in what Vazaria said; the former owner. The last person she had seen wearing the family armor, the only person to wear it in her lifetime, as her mother, Mashtet Kaetyo. The traitor had all but confirmed her death; it wasn't possible that she would relinquish the Mashtet Panoply to someone not of Clan Mashtet. Her mother was dead. Her father was dead, her family was dead. But as long as a single Mashtet lived, the Clan lived on. She felt in her mind's hands her weapons; they were physical extensions of her will. Her faith in them would see her to another morning. "I see," Askha said. "Then my mother is dead. By birthright, then, her title passes on to me. I am Askha, Toroshu of Clan Mashtet. You betray the Empire, trespass on our island, and defile our dead. I name you as you are: honorless traitor. I'll let you guess the sentence." Scarcely after Askha inhaled, she rocketed forward, jabbing at Vazaria's midsection with her staff, while the floating weapons lashed out in unison, Askha's knife darting sideways before closing in, her sword going for a diagonal cut, and the white falcata going for a deadly chop at the infected Menti's shoulder. OOC: @Nato G

IC: Cyrix - Wise Man's Archive Backroom, Ko-Koro "Well," Cyrix began, adjusting his chair, "From what the Kalta know from our investigations into it, its a potent mutagen that the forces of Makuta, as well as the Piraka, have access to. It had multiple uses, including granting mutations to his followers, and being to induce destructive changes in wildlife and some people." He frowned, looking at no one in particular. Thinking back to the time he had spent hiding in Ko-Koro wasn't pleasant. "Actually, I think it was more the Piraka, and the Legacy's people getting access was part of their truce. I wonder if that's the explanation for their unusual powers... and Rahkshi bodyguards." OOC: @Emzee @BULiK @Goose @ARROW404 IC: Kalyss - Central Ko-Koro Holding a hand up to stop any further action from the Guards, Kalyss further approached Kaminari. "I'm sort of new here myself, only been here a few months. But the abridged version is that Ko-Koro was one of the original Matoran settlements on Mata Nui; it used to be fairly small and monastic, but we've grown into the largest settlement in Mata-Nui. Our Sanctum houses the Wall of Prophecy, an important cultural touchstone for the people of Mata Nui, though its also houses an impressive archives. Several months back, the Koro was occupied by the forces of Makuta; while we were able to free the innocents they took prisoner, we're still rebuilding from the occupation." Feeling like she had deescalated the situation appropriately, Kalyss pulled out her thermos and started unscrewing the cap. "If you want something more in-depth, I'm sure we can find you a tour guide." OOC: @Snelly @Visaru

IC: Kalyss - Ko-Koro Center So, basically a very cryptic tourist. "All right," the Su-Toa said, approaching the Mystix, lowering her hands. It clearly wasn't hostile, or it would have done something already. "It's just... well, Ko-Koro has been through a rough time recently, and while all visitors are welcome so long as they have peaceful intentions, we get a bit nervous when someone doesn't check in at the gate." She breathed a sigh of relief; she had already been involved in a scuffle today and she didn't want to have another. "Is there anything I can do for you, Kaminari? Directions, information?" A talking Rahi was definitely not what she was expecting today, either. OOC: @Snelly IC: Cyrix - Wise Man's Archive, Ko-Koro The Toa of Air studied the perfect form of the Ko-Toa seated across from him. He hadn't seen her during his time observing in occupied Ko-Koro. But still, everything she said technically applied to him as well. Cyrix was silent as he waited for either Syzygos or Muir to answer Niici. OOC: @BULiK @Emzee @Goose @ARROW404

IC: Hanaloi Askha's mask curled into a smile as she forced the renegade down. She shifted in the branches, viewing her options; Mashtet were trained to use the treeline to their advantage, and she would be doing just that. Below her, the kraata on Vazaria's shoulder shuddered and spat out a fast-moving, crackling blast. The residual heat briefly felt like a soulsword, but quickly subsided. The plasma bolt impacted the trunk behind her, exploding in a shower of sparks and cracking the branch below her. The sound of the tree cracking filled the night over the din of battle; panic raced through the young Mashtet's mind as she ran and leapt to another tree. That crackling blast sounded again and she was showered with sparks as she was blinded by the light. Askha twisted away from the fire, falling towards the ground. A snarling kavinka jaw greeted her; on instinct, Askha tucked into a roll, nudging herself with Mindarm to land on the kavinika's back, which gave out with a sickening crack. She pushed herself from the underbrush, focusing on the fiery armor, the one thing that stood out nearby as her vision readjusted to the twilight. She recognized the armor. It was a new look, but only one set of armor was like it in Kentoku: the Mashtet Panoply. Using an ancient, advanced form of Mashtet Carving that reflected the soul of the wearer, passed down from Toroshu to Toroshu. Her mother had worn it for ceremony and for times of war. Breathing heavily, Askha reached out to her thrown Rahkshi staff, pulling it to her hand. On their own, her other weapons drew themselves from their sheathes; the sword at her hip, her white crystal falcata, and her dagger splayed splayed out behind her like abstract wings. "That armor doesn't belong to you." The aqua rahkshi curled into a defensive position to shield its face from Mari's darts but it wasn't quite enough, and one of the darts found its way into the demon's eye. It was in a frenzy, though, and didn't flinch or recoil. Mari was not who the Rahkshi's attention was on. When Rina's soulwhip wrapped around the Rahkshi's leg, its staff glowed, and the energy whip did not bite into the Rahkshi's armor. The Rahkshi jerked its leg back, pulling Rina towards it, where with reflexes no Menti could hope to match, it caught her and by the chest and smashed her to the ground. Before it could do anything further, it moved to defend itself from several new strikes; Kaazi Lana, taking the form of a three-headed serpent, struck with alternating heads covering her weapons, the ends of a Rahkshi staff that her Jahagir had snapped. The Rahkshi of Fire Resistance was forced back by the assault until it caught one of the Zrupgar's blades on the strong end of its block, throwing her off-balance. With a clawed foot, it grasped the prone form of Rina and with serpentine grace, threw the body at the illusion-cloaked warrior, sending both Dasaka flying. It did not notice the Plangori warrior lurking behind it. Nearby, the mottled blue and silver Rahkshi recovered from the distraction, and its eyes locked on the screaming warrior rushing it; it did not meet it with an attack; It's staff glowed again while the creature shifted its angle slightly, and gravity changed around Murasaki, turning her charge into a helpless fall parallel to the ground, slamming into a tree. The demon made to impale the Plangori to the trunk, but she appeared to slip away and begin running; the Rahkshi tilted its head in curiousity, stabbing her in the back. Her form dissolved, and in her place was a half-rotted piece of wood. In the grove, Somei concentrated her illusion cloaking Murasaki from sight. She was still pinned by the crushing gravity, but at least she could drop her Mindarm from the decoy. A snarling from her flank caused her to inhale in panic; all around her, several kavinika stalked the underbrush, sniffing the air. She slowly exhaled, layering the illusion around her and masked her scent as well. The infected beasts growled, but did not leave. Hambra and Riko's eyes met for the briefest moment, but that look shared almost as much information as a conversation in Ideatalk. Riko's Kualsi glowed once more, taking her behind Semraed, pulling them back from Caana's attack range. "Koshi Zrupgar," Hambra shouted in Vulgar Taa, "Take to the trees, the kavinika cannot climb!" One of the infected rahi leaped, lunging at Hambra's neck. She turned slightly, and the creature was impaled on the spines of the rahkshi armor on her shoulder. It still snapped at her throat, but it was ineffectual; the Kaazi Jahagir's Pakari glowed as she grasped the beast's neck and pulled; the snap came before it fell off her armor, and she threw it at the traitor Caana. The purple Rahkshi viewed Caana's skirmish impassionately, neither moving to help nor hinder. The infected kavinika parted around the demon. It raised its staff, pointing at Caana. It began to glow, and the ronin could feel her thoughts being probed. It was unlike a Willhammer; there was neither finesse nor savagery, only cold, methodical Knowing. OOC: @Nato G @Mel @Goose IC: Ahri - Oki Village Sighing, Ahri nodded. "That's good; I'm glad it's apparently in such good condition despite..." He glanced at a hole in one of the huts. "... everything else. We haven't found much of use, but those creatures were here at some point. Though we did find something," he said, echoing the last part in Ideatalk as well. .:Come out. I know the touch of a Willhammer; if you mean no harm, then neither do we.:. OOC: @The UltimoScorp @Lady Takanuva @ARROW404

IC: Cyrix - Wise Man's Archive Backroom, Ko-Koro The Le-Toa nodded in greeting to Niici, observing both her and the reactions of the Po-Koro pair. He leaned back as Niici literally took a seat at the table. This was what he was afraid of; hopefully, everything would stay civil - and controlled. Still, better to nudge it towards that goal. Under his disc buckler, he pulled the lodestones apart slightly before letting them click back together. "Niici," he said with a gentle smile, "You arrived just in time." Lie. He could use her appearance to his advantage. "Syzygos and Muir are investigating some events that occurred during the occupation. Turns out they dovetail into some matters that the Kalta have been looking into. Chairwoman, how familiar are you with the Legacy?" * * * "Medium hahnah bisque." The De-Matoran chef nodded brusquely, and Casanuva handed over his thermos before shuffling off to the side. He handed a few widgets to the cashier, who gave him his steaming thermos and a small bun. "Thank you," he smiled and raised the thermos, taking in the rich smell. He had gotten a taste for this back in Ga-Koro, and was delighted when the soup shop had started carrying it. Next in line, he heard his teammate audibly thinking, like she was a vast calculator grinding her gears. What vast knowledge of prognostication required this work? "Hmmm... I'll take the jambalaya, Po-Koro style." The chef's frown slightly deepened as she took Kalyss's thermos. Moments later, Kalyss dropped a few widgets into the palm of the cashier as she was handed back her thermos. "Uh, don't I get bread?" Oh dear Mata Nui. Casanuva tried to get Kalyss's attention, making a quick chopping motion over his throat. "Bread is extra. Next!" "But you gave him a roll," the Su-Toa said, gesturing at Casanuva. The blue-armored Fa-Toa held up his hands defensively. "Kalyss, it's fine. I will give you my bread. Lookout duty, remember?" The Toa Kalta of Plasma sighed audibly in frustration as she joined Casanuva; he sighed silently in relief as she didn't get them banned from his favorite soup place. He tossed the bread roll to Kalyss, who quickly caught it. "Hey, that Ko-Toa lady was let in." The two had taken up their earlier positions at the edge of one of Ko-Koro's bridges, overlooking the avenue with the Wise Man's Archive. Casanuva took a gulp of his soup before replacing the lid and magnetizing the thermos to his belt. When Cyrix had asked the two of them for their help when he had dropped in, he had already wanted to tap out from the scuffle with Soraph earlier; his bandaged shoulder was still a little sore. The lodestones that he was tracking were still together; no signal yet. "Apparently, he was expecting her. Of course he was." He heard Kalyss inhale to reply, but it was cut off by a bestial roar. He spotted a winged shadow passing over the Koro spread out beneath them; their gazes went to the sky. Casanuva had trouble seeing anything, there was so much reflected light; Kalyss apparently had no such issue, being a Su-Toa. "Some sort of flying rahi; reptilian, not a gukko. It looks like it's touching down in the Koro center. Let's... What's up?" She ended her command with a tilt of her head. Casanuva was staring at the library below them. "I just felt a signal. Small one, he put them back together; he wants eyes on the situation." The deputy of the Kalta looked from the library to where the dragon had just landed, and back to Casanuva. "Okay, Cas, you stay here and be ready to intervene, I'm going to check this out. If I need backup, I'll throw up a flare. If I need all hands on deck..." "Three flares, understood. Good luck, glorious leader; don't get eaten." Kalyss gave him a wry smile, punching him softly in his wounded shoulder, as a reminder of what would have happened without her around. Her Great Kakama glowed as her form blurred, and she was off. * * * With the Kakama, you had to cede a lot of control over your movement to physics and reaction time; it was never about how fast you could go, it was what you could do with it. Running straight the the Koro center would have been pretty dangerous, but Kalyss was very practiced; she didn't need to think in straight lines. Walls, rooftops, and the open air were just as easy to traverse for her. It was less than a minute since the sighting before Kalyss skidded to a halt in the Koro's center, spraying melted snow and steaming from her armor. It talked. This wasn't just a misplaced rahi; beyond that, its eyes glittered with intelligence. Well, at least that gave her something to work with. Kalyss held her empty hands out as she approached the dragon. She spoke loudly to be heard above the din of surprised matoran. "Attention, my name is Kalyss of the Toa Kalta, guardian of Ko-Koro. I can see that you're not just a rahi; provided your intentions are peaceful, all are welcome in Ko-Koro. What is your business here?" OOC: @Emzee @ARROW404 @BULiK @Goose @Snelly

IC: Cyrix - Wise Man's Archive Backroom, Ko-Koro The Le-Toa shook his head. "We haven't exactly had a large sample size; I'm unaware of any other side effects. Skorm's blood turned oily black and he started bleeding from his eyes; his Kanohi is still stained, but with Soraph and her parasite, besides what healers have told us is a much longer coma than usual and the Parakuka's size, it doesn't seem to be out of the ordinary." He heard, faintly, the sound of knocking. It wasn't his backup, they wouldn't knock. Another customer, possibly, but someone he had a good hunch had been coming was Niici. "You know, I really wish you had approached me with this earlier. One of the theories I had been operating under was you were a mercenary spying on our industrial dealings. I... may have conferred with others and shared that conclusion." OOC: @BULiK @Goose @ARROW404 @Emzee

IC: Ahri - Abandoned Oki Village "Raika," Ahri said, his voice hard, yet level. "You are not alone, you are safe. You have to be strong, for those refugees, for Yuna, for me. I know that strength is inside of you; I would be dead otherwise." The Mashtet pulled Raika into a hug, and his voice went hoarse. "And if anything is going to try to hurt you two, they're going to have to go through me." He held Raika for a moment before whispering, scarcely audible: "And I don't mean to panic you, but I think we're being watched." He saw Yuna heading for them, still dripping wet from her dive. He gave Raika one last squeeze, then softly let her go, moving his grip to her shoulders. "You good?" There was a quality of performance in his voice not usually there; this was for show. OOC: @Lady Takanuva @The UltimoScorp @ARROW404

IC: Hanaloi The mind-reader heard this as well. It wordlessly looked at the lead rahkshi, who swept down to engage the larger group. As it flew through the branches of the trees, its passengers leapt from the trees, almost a half dozen kraata. The whining stopped, replaced by a screaming warcry as it plunged at Rina, staff glowing. The blue rahkshi joined it, but kept its distance as it drifted to the ground before reaching out with its staff. The air itself became impossibly heavy around the group; Somei cried out as she was pulled to the ground, unable to stand up. The mind-reader went to assist their willing ally, landing down between the groups, observing. Hambra was still turning when the treacherous ronin's leg kicked her own out from under her. Hitting the ground briefly, the pain dazed her, and when she came to, she could foggily see Caana readying to stab her. .:You're just the same as the others.:. The image of half a dozen Hambras rolling out of the way appeared. The true Hambra was none of them, instead turning invisible and forcing herself to her feet, activating her Pakari while she brought her own staff to bear. As the Kavinika closed the gap, the two Kaazi zrupgar glanced at each other as they struggled to stand, and Lana nodded. They both shifted into their battle forms; Lana into a mix between a serpent and a nui-jaga and Riko into a Rahkshi. Riko activated her Kualsi, leaving a pop in the air as the now empty space filled. Riko let forth the warbling scream of a Rahkshi as she appeared behind Caana, stabbing with her own stolen staff. Askha was forced onto one knee by the increased gravity. Two traitors. Ideatalk was out unless she used Taajar, which she knew that the other Imperials didn't speak. Her aunt was immobile, and even though her Menti outnumbered the Rahkshi and the traitors, the Kavinika were almost upon them. It would be chaos, and then it would be a slaughter. We've faced long odds before. She had. Her family had. Why would things change now? That blue one was doing something, but it hurting them; the same reason the Mashtet deployed their sighteyes: battlefield control. She brought her staff to bear like a javelin and threw. If she had been relying on her muscles, it wouldn't have gone far, but she instead used Mindarm. It wasn't particularly fast, but all the same, the rahkshi had to bat it away, disrupting the gravity attack. "Fanai, Murasaki, distract that silver one; Somei, get up one of the trees and help with Sighteye, don't let it get off another attack on us! Dastanas, Lana, take out the bright blue one. I'll handle the traitor." She clutched her hand into a fist, telekinetically picking up a flat, mostly round piece of shale. Askha pulled the broad knife from her sheathe, jumping up the nearest tree, using the knife to hold herself. When she had a better view of the sky, the Mashtet focused on the flying Menti with the smoky armor, spinning her makeshift discus with her mind, then threw it to intercept. She remembered the name that the traitors had discussed with each other... .:Hey, Vazaria! The Mashtet have a welcome gift for you!:. OOC: @Goose @Nato G @Mel

IC: Hanaloi The pack runs together, jaws waiting to be slaked on blood. Hambra led the three back; though she was able to use the shortcuts only someone very familiar with the forest would know about, but the sun crept lower and lower. By the time the tallest tree was in sight, the sky was lit orange as the sun behind Mount Koshiki, casting a wide shadow over Hanaloi. What might have been a bush moved to Hambra; one of her Koshi Zrupgar. "The mainlanders are still there with your cohort, Jahagir. Otherwise, its quiet." Hambra nodded. That wasn't exactly a good thing; it meant the enemy was hiding something, and it was always quiet before dark, even on the night of the attack on their village. "Thank you. Take the others and pull back to the camp, I'm going to introduce our guests." The scout nodded and disappeared back into the brush. Glancing back at Caana and the Kuychar. .:There are some other mainlanders I have brought to meet you, two of the Kuychar on the south shore and the menti Caana.:. Images of her guests accompanied her Ideatalk. .:I believe we represent all Dasaka on the island.:. Heavy panting. Meat to be shared. As the sun dipped below Koshiki's peak, the Rahkshi around Vazaria moved. Silently, the newcomer, the heat resistant rahkshi, and the mind reader stalked outside and assumed their flying positions, waiting on Vazaria. Despite the extra weight of her new armor and her guests, Vazaria's Kanohi was up for the flight. The heat resistant rahkshi took the lead of the formation, while the healed blue and silver rahkshi and mind reading purple rahkshi took up the flanks around Vazaria. In formation, they flew north into the forest, just above the treeline. In the sparser areas, the dark Menti spotted movement below the canopy, but the Rahkshi didn't stop. She realized that it was a mass of bodies converging on their same destination, several packs of kavinika, running, hunting. Rip. Tear. Devour. Askha and the others heard the Ideatalk, though it was faint. She had never seen the ones Hambra had referred to, so it couldn't be the traitor .:I'd like to talk to them. There's one more Menti on the island, a traitor working with Zataka. They're doing something at the Mashtet fortress; I did some scouting. We were also attacked by a small creature, something from a Rahkshi.:. She, in turn, relayed an image of the slug that had tried to attack them. .:It's dead, but if one attacked us out here, how many more are there?:. Around them, the natural sounds of the forest came to a halt; cicadas quieted, bird rahi stopped, only the wind on the leaves. When the chimes started, they did not seem out of place, as natural a sound as the wind. First one, then many followed; in the trees, Taajar and Imperial, visitor and islander, could spot dozens of pairs of glowing eyes making their way through the darkened canopy of the forest. The Koshi swung from branch to branch as if they were made of delicate paper. The Kaazi were just as shocked as the Dastana. Riko smiled in wonder; "I've never seen so many Koshi out like this... it must be a good omen!" Somei tracked them; all the strange little rahi were moving in the same direction, north. A cold feeling struck her belly as she looked south. In the dim twilight of the forest, she could see distant movement. "It's not an omen," she said shakily. "It's a warning!" The sound of pairs of paws over earth and stone, too short and rapid to be dashi, soon reached the two groups. Soon it was joined by panting, growls, and the high-pitched whine of flying Rahkshi. The silence of the forest was about to come to a crashing end. The command echoed inside the minds of the infected kavinika: Kill. Kill. Kill. OOC: Breakdown of coming battle: the forces of Zataka include Vazaria (@Nato G), three rahkshi (Mind Reading, Heat Resistance, Gravity), roughly two dozen infected Kavinika, and a host of revived kraata currently riding on those previously mentioned. The other Dasaka are spit into two groups, roughly in shouting distance of each other: One group is Plangori Fanai (@Mel) the NPCs Dastana Mari (Arhtron/Mindarm), Dastana Rina (Huna/Soulwhip), and Plangori Murasaki (Calix/Soulsword); and Mashtet Ashka and Mashtet Somei (@Keeper of Kraata) and the NPCs Kaazi Riko (Kualsi/Sighteye) and Kaazi Lana (Akaku/Sighteye). The other group includes Kaazi Hambra, Caana (@Goose), and the Koshi Zrupgar NPCs Kuychar Falki and Kuychar Semraed. The battle is taking place close to the Observatory, so the terrain is generally hilly, but broken up by a multitude of large trees. The forces of Zataka's goal is, obviously, kill or infect everyone present. The goal of the Dasaka and Taajar is equally simple: survive.

IC: Raiyo - Harbor, Ga-Koro The Dashi collected herself, audibly taking in a breath. "I will try to convince the Toroshu of my request. And I will try to find someone for your... second condition." She bowed, before scurrying away. That had gone better than she hoped. She wanted to feel happy, but she knew it was only the first step of what was going to be a long, difficult process. She could convince Robalta, of that she was certain. Even if she had to lie... but she would do what she had to. Indeed, it seemed the more difficult task was to find someone that would go with her to Onu-Koro... OOC: @Vezok's Friend

IC: Cyrix - Wise Man's Archive Backroom, Ko-Koro The Le-Toa wrinkled his mask. "Uh... I think so. I didn't really connect those two together. I haven't been back to Le-Wahi since then, and I had a lot on my mind doing recon for the team in Ko-Koro." He leaned foward again, more attentive. "It wasn't the last time that Skorm and I encountered Antidermis. In fact, its how we know what it's called; a Dasaka dignitary that had been travelling with the Kalta was captured by the Legacy - don't ask, both of us thought it was a bad idea and Aelied only allowed it because he figured she would sneak off and do it anyway, and we mounted an extraction. By the team we had showed up, though, they had latched the poor girl with a Parakuka and, according to a Legacy clerk we were coercing, the parasite had been injected with Antidermis. It had grown to huge proportions, and what we know about Antidermis is largely a result of the... hasty interrogation we performed. We had to leave the clerk behind, an Onu-Turaga, but one of them found and freed him before the Legacy withdrew into the Dark Walk. According to him, Antidermis was known amongst Makuta's forces to induce... mutation. Grant new or enhanced abilities; we didn't have a lot of time, but most of the Legacy leadership was enhanced in this fashion, including Echelon, but not Eisen." He leaned back, glancing into nothing as he organized his thoughts, like mentally pulling forward a map. "One of the reasons I never engaged Zaktan was because he could... disincorporate at will. Turn himself into thousands, millions of particles and reassamble himself again. I think Antidermis may be the source of that ability." OOC: @Goose @BULiK @ARROW404

IC: Cyrix - Wise Man's Archive Backoom, Ko-Koro The Le-Toa stood still a moment, reflecting on that he hadn't told the full story to anyone except Aelied months ago, and this would be the first outsider he talked to. He pulled out a chair and leaned on the table, but did not speak. Instead, he shut his eyes and inhaled deeply. The distant sounds of the street muffled to only faint vibrations in the floor as Cyrix pulled in the air in the room, leaving it in a shell of vacuum. "What I'm telling you I haven't fully accounted to anyone outside the Kalta. I hope you don't plan on using this information to harm the Kalta, Ko-Koro, or Skorm." He looked at Muir. "Because you will never see retribution coming." Cyrix leaned back in his chair, letting the air circulate before putting up the vacuum shell once again. "I've witnessed three instances of antidermis being used. First, you need to have a picture of Skorm before this happened, because as far as I'm concerned, he was the real victim. We don't remember much from before coming to the island, but our training is intact. Well, my training; Aelied kept me mostly separate from the rest of the Kalta during training. So even when we met, the others didn't know much about me, but Skorm and I had a bond the others lacked. He never knew why he was picked before he touched his toa stone; after, he felt like he had a lot to prove. Had some interpersonal problems with Casanuva, who was the only person who could match him in weapon sparring, elemental control, you name him. Cas could be, uh... polarizing. Very confident, but could be a bit of a bully, and Skorm was not overflowing in the confidence department. He went from someone small who was pushed around a lot to someone twice the size of us who could could bench press his own body weight, under heavy gravity." With another deep breath, he cycled the air again before it got stale. "We actually hit it off; both of us were outsiders on the team. When we woke up on Mata Nui, everyone else was trying to find each other; I knew where they were. Aelied had ordered me to keep an eye on them. I caught up with Cas in Le-Koro, and when he had left for Ta-Koro, I stuck around to shadow Skorm doing the same thing." He averted his eyes. "Then Skorm had a run-in with a green Skakdi. I later found out it was Zaktan. Of the Piraka. Zaktan was doing something with some of the local bugs; Skorm snuck up to investigate, and was splashed with a greed liquid that Zaktan had on him. He dropped and convulsed; Zaktan used a similar liquid to infect the insects which turned ravenous, started to devour whole trees. Skorm was back up pretty fast, he looked... a lot more sure, but that's when his mask started appearing stained. He started using his Huna when he moved; it was nearly impossible to track him, so I wasn't able to keep a direct eye on him; he passed through Ta-Koro, and to Ga-Koro." "I... figured something was wrong, but I didn't know how wrong it was. I was never able to keep on him for long in Ga-Wahi, he was always moving. I didn't witness what went down in Ga-Wahi when he found Kalyss, Cas, and Vakua, but I heard afterwards. After that, I had totally lost him, and I reported in to Aelied in Ko-Wahi; we had regrouped there after the Legacy took Ko-Koro. The next time I saw him, I had infiltrated occupied Ko-Koro and he was sent by Aelied to meet me; he had already been cured. He had been changed; he was sure of himself, and especially of his Duty. I don't know if it was what Stannis did to cure him, if it was because he had to face what he had done under the antidermis, or both. He told me later he remembers everything. He remembers his choices, and how it felt like they were, at the time, logical and entertaining. But there was a lot of pain, too. The arguments with the rest of the team, they became these points of hatred he could use to focus his thoughts, clear the pain. He told me that, somewhere deep down, he knew that he was broken." The air was silent save for Cyrix cycling the air again. "Even before he was literally broken. He was running with a few Vault-seekers, and they ran into some of the Piraka and something called the Abettor. He mouthed off or something and the Abettor smashed him up pretty badly. He was able to ask Zaktan what happened to him, and he said that... his head had been cleared. But it was precious, and that he wouldn't waste more of it on an almost-dead wretch." Cyrix sighed again, dropping the vacuum shell. The air around them popped as the air rushed back together. "I was so close... I had him in my sights. A bolt wouldn't have put down Zaktan, but I could have suffocated him, something." The anger and despair in him manifested in an edge to his voice as he spoke. "I could have captured Skorm, brought him to help. He carried me out of Ko-Koro during the liberation, literally on his back, and I wasn't even the only one. He did it without thinking, without hesitating." Pausing, he pulled a flask of water from his gear and took a sip, the ice-cold liquid briefly biting. "And the worst part is that he wouldn't blame me." Truth. OOC: @Goose @BULiK @ARROW404

IC: Cyrix - Wise Man's Archive Backoom, Ko-Koro The Le-Toa's eyes hungrily followed the dark-armored Cy-Toa as he pulled out the cigarette pack and furrowed when the cigarette was put out. It was a lot to take in; he thought back to the first time he had been at the library, trying to find out what Syzygos had been researching; it had been right there, stories about Skorm. "Yeah... yeah, alright." Honestly, this was a best case scenario. "I'll answer your questions as best I can. Antidermis has been something the Kalta have been looking into. Ask your questions." Truth. OOC: @BULiK@Goose @ARROW404

IC: NPCs - Mashtet Fortress The kraata flattened its segments in response to being touched, but did not otherwise react. After several moments, the slug seemed to have what it wanted before slithering off. Several of the other revived kraata inspected Vazaria before slithering off. They all conspicuously avoided the light cast by the setting sun streaming in through the windows. It was almost... peaceful. Vazaria used the time to put on her scavenged armor; it was much higher quality than her previous set, and once she got around to properly fitting it, almost as mobile as her previous set, but the lacquer and crystal lamellar was much more protecting, with significant shoulder and thigh protection. As it had been taken from its host, it had lost its color. But as she put on the now unadorned helmet, the appearance began to change. Momentary panic gripped the fallen Menti as the armor erupted into flames. But there was no pain, no heat; more illusions. Then Vazaria realized these flames matched those of her Soulsword. And the flames were not formless, they formed... feathers? Finally, the helmet was no longer a simple headpiece: projected from it was a cruelly curved beak framing her face. An epithet that one of the hated Imperial aristocrats had spat at her as a curse reflected in her mind: Vulture. She didn't have much time to look over the transformed armor before she heard a noise similar to someone using a Kualsi; she turned, and by the Quick Healing rahkshi stood two more sons of Zataka she had not yet seen, one blue and green clutching a glowing staff and one blue and silver, bearing several wounds. The Quick Healing rahkshi finished on the kraata it worked on, it turned to its wounded brother; as it worked on its wounds, the revived kraata, along with several other of the newly awakened slugs, crawled onto the other rahkshi before it teleported away. The entire transaction was fast and emotionless. The doors creaked open; it was the scarred rahkshi that had been standing vigil outside. Once again, Vazaria felt an alien mind touching hers - but this time, she felt thoughts that were not her own. High up, hiding. Voices. Prey. It slithered through the warped wood; there were four below. But one was close enough. "Mari, are we going to need to make contact with that band of Taajar that camped out along the south edge of the island? If your Toroshu wants lumber, there's only so much the Saihoko and us can do. " Prey, close. Infect... The memories ended midway through the drop with the flash of a Soulsword. Meeting Vazaria's eyes, it drew looked off into nothingness; North, she realized. Instead of returning to its vigil, it instead let several of the kraata latch on before going to a window and staring at the horizon; the sun would soon set. The newcomer Rahkshi, now healed, picked up several kraata and placed it on its own body, even grabbing one off the ceiling with something akin to Mindarm. Several of the kraata flocked to Vazaria, crawling up and nestling themselves into the crevices in her armor. The sun set soon. IC: Ahri - Abandoned Village, Oki Coastline "Raika?" Ahri turned around when the bombardment of fear began. Her body was in front of them, but their mind was clearly in a far, far worse place. "Raika! Listen to me, you're safe, I'm right here!" The Menti grabbed the younger Dasaka's hand and squeezed. "I'm right here." OOC: @Nato G @Lady Takanuva

IC: Cyrix - Wise Man's Archive Backroom, Ko-Koro Cyrix met Syzygos's gaze. Nothing; he saw nothing. By this point, Cyrix had reached the opposite side of the room in a slow circuit around the table where the Cy-Toa sat. "I don't need a Kanohi to know that's a lie. Two reasons; there are plenty of mercenary Toa on this island. Great Spirit knows I had enough of them shooting at me when we took back Ko-Koro," he said, gesturing around the library. Truth. "You're running errands. If someone wants some research done, they can hire a matoran for far less. You're gathering information because you need it for something, or its dangerous. Maybe both. But call me old-fashioned, but something about a Toa choosing to just be a traveling scribe rings hollow. We're Toa, Destiny is part of who we are. Even for those without the moral fiber to fulfill their Duty still end up somewhere; mercenaries, assassins, thieves. And those are just the conventional options; your lawyer here," he said gesturing to Muir, "Can back me up. He's a lawyer. Nobody's favorite, but he's still defending someone, even if it's you. Even Stannis Maru wanders, right? You and I both know he doesn't do it for the exercise." Truth. By this point, Cyrix was leaning on the table; he pushed himself off and backed off. "Also, your lawyer isn't saying anything, which tells me that either he's not your lawyer, or he knows that both of us know you are lying. And dodging my question: Why were you at the Sanctum?" OOC: @BULiK @Goose

IC: Askha & Somei - Hanaloi Observatory "Jahagir," Somei corrected Mari. "Hambra is their Jahagir." At the mention of their leader, Riko and their compatriot turned, and Somei approached them. "Riko, a small creature attacked us in the Observatory; have you seen anything like it?" Accompanying her words, Somei used her Sighteye to create a clearly illusionary version of the slug in midair. "Dastana Mari says that it had a hint of the same vile thoughts that the Rahkshi possess; it likely is another servant of Zataka." Riko examined the illusion. "Hmm... after we managed to kill the Demons that had laid waste to our settlement, we were taking them apart for armor. It looks like one of the soft squishy parts in their spine. We thought it was a vital organ; they stop moving if you can penetrate that area. But we haven't seen them, uh... out and about. I can ask the Koshi Zrupgar, but they report anything out of the ordinary. It's how we found you girls so fast." Somei sighed. "Thank you. As for leaving... I have the tools I need. Not to make new carvings, but to restore hers. But I am not leaving my home, our home, while hope remains. And certainly not when our closest allies remain here alone." She'd already lost her daughter because she hadn't been there for her; she wasn't going to risk losing the Kaazi now. Askha had been silently considering Fanai's offer. She decided that she could do it; she would trust. She caught Fanai's gaze, and nodded once. .:Next time, we'll be ready.:. As the nominal Mashtet lead on the expedition, Askha felt she had a duty to speak up. "As is, we're outmatched. But Zataka's forces are definitely up to something here, and I'm worried it might be too late when our new overlords have some forces free to scour Hanaloi." The Mashtet glanced at the horizon through the trees. "Anyway, we should figure things out soon. Sunset will be soon. IC: Hambra - Hanaloi Forest A smile crept onto the Jahagir's face; it clashed with her stern demeanor, prodigious height, and fearsome rahkshi-scrap armor. "If you two are serving as envoys, I'd like for you to join us; I am taking Caana to meet with the other mainlander expedition to the north." She pulled her Rahkshi trident from the ground and rested it on her shoulder, glancing at the sky between the trees. "The sun is hanging low in the sky; we shouldn't be out at night, it is the invaders' time." OOC: @Mel @Goose ; Ahri and Vazaria's new friends post coming later

IC: Cyrix - Wise Man's Archive Backroom, Ko-Koro He's goading you, don't fall for it. Don't get into the weeds. He needed to set the theme. He sighed, pacing the room to close the space, as well as catch a glimpse of what the two had been working on. "Syzygos, I'm looking out for the interests of Ko-Koro." Truth. "I clocked you leaving the Sanctum. There was no record of you, or of anybody fitting your description, visiting the Archives; you're not a regular, I know them. You visited this library, agreed to enter the employ of Priicu, lingered here, and then left for Onu-Koro. And then, I presume, to Po-Koro," he said, glancing at the Fa-Toa. He had realized it as he moved; black underpinnings, and not much in the way of a harness for the axe on his back, not unlike his fellow Kalta, Casanuva. "And now you're back." Truth. "I know what you're doing. All I need to know is why." Lie. OOC: @BULiK @Goose

IC: Cyrix - Wise Man's Archive Backroom, Ko-Koro He let the pause settle into the room. Far more than any of the other Koros that Cyrix had visited, the silence that Ko-Koro fomented was unique. The three in the room could even hear any customers in the library leaving across the hall, and it was scarcely but a whisper and a scraping across the floors. "... What were you doing at the Sanctum before coming here, then leaving Ko-Koro earlier?" OOC: @BULiK @Goose

IC: Cyrix - Wise Man's Archive (Back Room), Ko-Koro When the Po-Koro toa's mask lit up, Cyrix met his gaze. Some sort of sensory augment kanohi. He wasn't scanning him for hidden weapons like an Akaku user would, despite the shape, and there were no rapid eye movements he'd associate with someone with Perception. He thought through the possibilities; Elda to see if anyone else was hiding possibly He doubted it was a Rau. It likely wasn't a mind-affecting mask, given that he could both tell it was on and that he was having these thoughts and didn't recognize any of the telltale signs like Vakua's Suletu; if the lawyer wore a mask of Truth, it would be ironic. Knowing this island, that gave it a pretty good chance. Be careful with what he said; give him nothing. Same deal as normal. "Convenient. Well, Mr. Po-Koro Lawyer, I'm acting in my capacity as guardian of Ko-Koro; I'm investigating your client, but I have no official warrant from the Sanctum." He shifted his right hand lower on his arm, closer to the lodestones behind his shield. "I'm pretty sure that takes care of at least one of your questions." Truth. His man, 'Syzygos', was there. He was looking at the door before he entered, so he had to have been expecting him; some sort of alternate detection? Perhaps that Arthron was being put to use, but the door had been closed. His armor was unusual; it didn't look to be metal. As he spoke, Cyrix shifted his weight to his other foot and cocked his head as he finished, seeing how the black-clad Toa's armor reflected light differently. It was all wrong for any metal he knew, more like... glass? Or crystal. He was familiar with it from when he had rescued Soraph, but this one didn't look like a Dasaka. Something Casanuva had told him when recovering was that he had briefly traveled with a Toa of Crystal that had altered her armor to mimic a Dasaka. His eyes darted back to the Po-Koro lawyer as he finished speaking. OOC: @BULiK @Goose

IC: Cyrix - Wise Man's Archive, Ko-Koro Cyrix narrowed his eyes as he glanced at the back room. A lawyer from Po-Koro? This was certainly getting complicated. He wondered if Niici had picked up on his hint about meeting him here. The Le-Toa noticed that Priicu was stiff, his words clipped and quiet. "Don't worry, I'm not going to escalate." Unless I have to, he mentally amended. "And if they try anything, I have backup. And if one of them is a lawyer, he'll know better than to try anything... rash. Thanks for the heads up, by the way; I'm going to talk to them." He knew he couldn't entirely trust what they had told Priicu, but still, a Po-Koro lawyer was an odd cover story. He was likely either desperate for a lie... or simply telling the truth. The implications of the latter were most unusual. Syzygos had likely visited Onu-Koro, and Po-Koro was one trek away. A patent lawyer to aid industrial sabotage? Possibly. But again: why a toa? He'd have answers, even if they were false ones, soon enough. Cyrix eased on his Volitak to make his approach silent, only ceasing it once he had started entering the back room. Glancing between the two toa, he relaxed and crossed his arms. "Cyrix, Toa Kalta. I have some questions for you." OOC: @ARROW404 @Goose @BULiK

IC: Cyrix - Wise Man's Archive, Ko-Koro Breathing slowly in the cold air, Cyrix exited the alley to the side of the Wise Man's Archive still under the cover of his mask. It would have been next to impossible to follow him through the twists, turns, jumps and stops between him leaving the Cultured Gentry HQ, his stop, and here. Before he did anything intractable, the Le-Toa did a check of his gear; his crossbow was stored and unstrung, and his disk was firmly strapped to his forearm. He rotated it in its straps until the pair of small lodestones were flush with his arm. Satisfied, he dropped the cloak as he walked through the door of the library and spotted the Ko-Matoran he had spoken to earlier. "Priicu, I came as quickly as I could." OOC: @ARROW404

I got three things going on. The big one is Hanaloi; it’s an island off the coast of Odaiba that was the home of the secretive Mashtet clan before they all disappeared several years prior to narrative present, and not even the survivors know why. But, an expedition of some Mashtet survivors, Plangori, and Dastana have come to the island to assess its use for lumber. However, other have come as well; refugee Kuychar and independent actors have also come, and Zataka’s Rahkshi, led by a dark Menti, also have an agenda in the caves under the Mashtet’s fortress, which has led to some revelations about the Mashtet’s fate. Completely unrelated, a Menti with partial amnesia named Mashtet Ahri washed up on Oki’s shore and has met up with two outcasts, Raika and Yuna, and are trying to help a refugee village. The last thing I got going on is my last Dasaka character basically LARPing M*A*S*H in the Sado gardens.

IC: Hambra - Hanaloi Forest The Jahagir let out a pent-up breath. She dropped her illusion as she placed a hand on Caana's bow arm, indicating it was safe to stand down. "Tull'ajaar, Kuychar cousins." The towering Menti drove her trophy staff into the ground, but made no move to disarm otherwise. "I appreciate the gesture, but he sun hangs low; the Kaazi know that the Kuychar come in peace. It's why we haven't met. It seems to be a good day for meetings; I was just about to take this mainlander north to meet with an expedition of Imperials, when we found-" Hambra gestured to ground where the Koshi's body, but had to look again; aside from some blood on the fallen leaves, the body was gone. "Well," she said in Imperial, "at least some things haven't changed..." IC: Askha & Somei - The Observatory As the group made their way down from the Observatory, Askha grimaced. .:It sounds dangerous. When I'm using my Iden, my spirit is all I have; its why we protected this place, our fortress, and any other important places with our carvings; if an Iden user like me is out and about, a Willhammer is as physically dangerous as a Soulsword is to my body, and a Sighteye possibly more so, our carvings extend onto the mental plane, and can stop my spirit just like the wall they're on. If I empty myself? I don't know if I would be able to come back... I'd be a ghost.:. After the expedition exited the Observatory ground entrance, Somei used Mindarm to close the doors once more; the stone ground as the locking mechanism engaged itself once more. Outside the copse of trees, however, there was one less Kaazi warrior. .:Where is Hambra?:. Riko, who was maintaining her Rahkshi form, shrugged. The superimposed image of one of Zataka's sons leaning against the tree out of boredom was an interesting sight, to say the least. "One of the koshi zrupgar scouts brought back word of a mainlander on the island," they said in Vulgar Taa. "Weird armor, but not one of the Kuychar. She went to check her out." The lean Taajar shoved off the tree, looking at the Dastana. "I heard what happened inside from down here. I take it you're heading back to your ship?" IC: NPCs - Mashtet Fortress As the fallen Menti touched the armor, the seemingly spotless O-Yoroi changed; the lacquer and crystal changed color around her fingers; an illusion coating the panoply. It seemed to reveal the aged, yet still sturdy material underneath. Still, Vazaria looted the corpse of its armor, a surprisingly easy task given the dessicated nature of the ruined former wearer. When she was done, Vazaria followed the heat resistant Rahkshi back out of the well; it carried the figurines through the courtyard and through the large doors that stood at the entrance of the interior fortress. The mind-reading rahkshi was no longer at its post; instead, it was patrolling the compound, checking in crevices and other hiding places. Past the doors, the interior was surprisingly well lit; the lightstone lanterns still shone, though they were faint. They were enough to illuminate the floor and walls; in places, they were plain stone and wood. In other places, they were intricately weaving tapestries; watching them revealed that figures flowed through them as if animated by a Mindarm. The fading Mashtet Carvings made any tales they told impossible to read, however. The floor, however, fared much less well; some illusions of luscious carpet and exotic wood gave way to plain stone, and it was covered in dust and filthy. At the epicenter of the grime, another Rahkshi squatted, waiting, observing Vazaria. The Rahkshi carrying the stone figures dumped its armful at the black and brown feet of the one that waited and stalked back outside, apparently for another trip. As Vazaria set down her own carvings, she watched as the Rahkshi grabbed a figurine and tapped it with its glowing staff. Contact with the Rahkshi's staff seemed to awaken something; the stone vibrated and cracked; what looked to be hundreds of years of dust flaked and fell off. The carved helix unbound as its flesh regenerated; color seemed to come back as the Rahkshi healed the creature. After a few moments, the slug squealed in the Rahkshi's grasp, wriggling. As the Rahkshi held it, the slug seemed to calm. Vazaria felt a sympathetic tug; like her, this little creature had been lost for so long, but it too found the embrace of Zataka. The Rahkshi that was doing the healing set the creature down, which slithered toward Vazaria while the Rahkshi worked on another petrified slug. The yellow Kraata slunk up to Vazaria's foot, darkening the area as it went. It inspected the Menti, but did not flee or lash out, seemingly curious. OOC: @Goose @Mel @Nato G

IC: Ahri - Abandoned Oki Village Smiling slightly, Ahri pulled the wakizashi to his hand. Not ideal, he would have preferred a larger blade at least, but scavengers couldn't be choosers. Scavengers. At least he wasn't robbing the dead; he still had some honor. He tucked the scabbard into the remnants of his sash at the small of his back, with the handle pointing left; it was the right place for a knife, and the wakizashi would have to do. The evacuation must have been a lot bigger than he thought; this village wasn't isolated, it was one link on a larger trading network. He stopped behind Yuna and followed her gaze to the boat. "I'm not a Saihoko, but I oversaw a lot of lumber bound for Sado shipyards; figure out how much wood we'll need, and I can probably teach some of the refugees back at the encampment enough about logging to manage to get some timber to patch any holes." Easing up, Ahri looked around the village. He couldn't remember if he had ever been to Oki; he doubted this had been a Vilda settlement. As he was walking around, Ahri almost stumbled in a depression in the sandy soil. Ahri stared at it and turned around before he realized what it was: a heavy bootprint. It wasn't a rahi's hoof or paw, but Ahri's own foot fit entirely within the print. Ahri scanned the area; this was the most obvious one, but there was signs of crushed earth at several points that might have been other footprints, except they were far too spaced out. The legs of whoever left these must have rivaled Rayuke. But judging by the depth, it was much heavier. Ahri's stomach twisted. Raika had shown him what these creatures looked like, but seeing exaggerated evidence like this made it feel real. OOC: @Lady Takanuva @The UltimoScorp

IC: Vilda Raiyo - Ga-Koro, Harbor The Dashi took a breath, then quickly exhaled. Now or never. "I am Vilda Raiyo, attendant of Toroshu Robalta; she's busy with settling in the Vilda. Those that made it off Oki. She's busy and-" Raiyo caught herself looking down out of deference, and forced herself to meet the Menti's gaze. "I didn't want to disturb her; she hasn't been taking the evacuation well, and she is very busy. I have a request, and I didn't want it weighing on her mind. Commodore, you have been here at Mata Nui longer than any that fled Zataka's demons. These Matoran here in Ga-Koro... they have not always relied upon Menti, Toa, whatever they are called, to defend them." Enough preambling. She steeled herself. "I have heard that that the leader of this settlement, Akiri Hahli, has a device built from the bones of the Demons found on this island. It was built in an underground settlement called Onu-Koro." Her eyes welled up with tears, and she bitterly tried to will them to stay there. Do not become a blubbering wreck in front of the Commodore. "This is why I came to you. You're in the Navy; you've fought before. Datsue Robalta wouldn't understand. I wish to go to Onu-Koro, and train to use the Exo-Matoran." OOC: @Vezok's Friend