The Dark Chronicler

IC: Mayixa And the moment of truth had arrived, it was time to once again preach the word of the Great and Glorious One, Neroxidecost. Maybe that was why he had found to cold so unbearable, it was all to lead him here to speak with Kiara. He was here to finally find someone willing to see past the False Spirit and look towards the hidden Truth of the world. He was being given another chance to prove himself worthy, and he would give it his all ithut going overboard. "I was out here preaching the word of He Who Was Forgotten, the one of power far beyond the False Spirits of Mata Nui and Makuta. I have been speaking of the Holy Majesty, Neroxidecost. But it is quite cold out here, and have traveled in seek of a nice glass of piping got cider. What is it that brings you out on such a cold day as this. madam?"

OOC: Hello there, Aurora. Meet the Mad cultist. XD IC: Mayixa Someone walked towards him as he traveled, perhaps someone that had heard him preaching in the streets not that long before. Maybe they had merely waited until he was finished before speaking to him, so that they would not interrupt him as he tried to get his message across. That was a pleasant thought, and it only served to fuel the polite smile upon his face at the person's arrival. She was a Vortixx dressed in blue and white, certainly a good match for the cold colors of the Ice village. He wondered if her armor had any form of thermal lining to it, considering how the cold didn't seem to phase her at all. Or maybe it was just that, being a Toa of fire, he was really weak to the icy chill compared to others. Maybe he should think about getting the thermal lining, it would certainly be quite nice... Then she asked hi a question, one that stood out as being of the stranger variety. But, after what he had been asked today, it didn't really come as much of a surprise. "A question being odd doesn't make it any less important to ask. I'm a Toa of fire, though my armor may not show it. I had red armor that matched my element once, but it was damaged in an accident. Afterward, I decided upon this appearance you now see before you." The question in his mind was if he should bring up Neroxidecost immediately, or wait for it to come up on its own. Though the Great and Glorious one's commentary would have been greatly welcome, he remained silent. He was leaving it in the hands of Mayixa... Mayixa just hoped that he would do well.

IC: Theriss When LoJak returned, she had already thought up her responses to his explanations. He had taken her question quite differently than she had intended him to, she already knew the story he had just restated. Saying it again appeared to be his own form of avoidance, much like her own creation of a meeting with an imaginary client. But she wasn't going to let up on it so easily, there was something she wanted to know. He could act as though his past was nothing, but it had clearly had a heavy impact on him. Not only that, but he was honest about it except for one small section. Glancing back at LoJak and matching his gaze with her own calm, she spoke. "Before I answer your question, I have one more of my own. When I asked about your own troubles, I was speaking about that period of time that you only speak of as being 'dark'. You speak of the deaths of your fellow Toa on past teams quite easily, but that time frame you don't seem all that willing to bring up. That is what I was speaking of, this 'dark time' that is terrible enough that among deaths, it is the point that is hidden." She paused for a moment, to let her line of thought sink in before she asked the question itself. This question was asked in as calm a voice as Theriss could manage, it held no spite within it though curiosity was slightly apparent. "What is it that would cause you such pain that you would only call it a 'dark time'? If you wish the team to share their burdens, perhaps it should begin with your own." "And as for my dinner plans, at the current moment I have none."

IC: Mayixa As he watched the person leave, he felt the slightest hints of sadness welling up in him. He thought he had been so close to breaking through to someone, but it was nothing more than someone working for work, something Mayixa couldn't provide for him. So far the day had held two times that he had thought he might reach the understanding of someone, and both times it had been far from what he expected. A Turaga who found him to be harming business, and a person hoping to find themselves a job. He had been standing outside for hours now, the cold was ferociously biting at him beneath his armor. There was nothing to show for all this frozen suffering, nothing at all for his hard work. He didn't understand why it was that no one would listen, was the false spirit of Mata Nui so strong in their minds that the thought of anything else seemed impossible to them. Why was it so hard to make someone, anyone see the Truth? All he had received was a large number of glares from the people passing by him, as though he was doing something wrong. He would have been happy if a single person had looked at him with anything but scorn, or asked anything related to Neroxidecost. He would have been happy if one person had even stopped to ask him if he was getting cold, having been outside for so long. But there was nothing but cold contempt. He had seen it many times, even before becoming the chosen of the Great and Glorious One. It seemed as though everyone was so caught up in themselves, in their own beliefs, that anyone who thought differently or did something in a unique was worthy of anger and scorn. That was what had lead him to... the event in the first place. It was there that Neroxidecost had made himself known, and with him the Truth. But it seemed that none would accept the truth today. He would move on to another village tomorrow, maybe. His home was here, but he knew that he would have to travel to spread the Truth of his Holy Majesty eventually. And with Ko-Koro so unreceptive, he would have no reason to stay beyond his own. Was it his speaking? He had been a public speaker once before, but that seemed so long ago now. Maybe his skill had slipped, maybe he wasn't worthy... Maybe he should just go back home and - Then in his mind came a booming voice, like the screaming of a thousand people amid an endless clap of thunder. He had heard the voice before, it was Nerxidecost. The voice was not his true voice, but what his power converted it to s that Mayixa's mind could comprehend. "You did not fail. The False Spirits hold great sway over the minds of the people. You must be strong and determined, and then they shall see." It was short, and the voice faded away as quickly from his mind as it had come. But that was all that Mayixa had needed to hear. With a smile returning to his face, he decided to head towards the nearest place that would sell something to warm him up. A large cup of nice hot fruit cider would be the perfect thing for the cold that had enveloped him. Yes, he would quite like that.

IC: Eshai She noticed Sanei returning to her quickened pace, the lack of information from Eshai had probably caused her to grow bored with that path of conversation, now she was moving along at a pace just slow enough that she could live her life with comfort, and just fast enough for her to miss any of the happiness that life presented. Eshai sometimes wondered how Sanei managed to keep moving at such a pace without even exhausting herself. With a teleport right beside Sane, she too glared at the Imperial Palace. It seemed so cold against the landscape, like an empty memory of a time when she might have gone there as something more than a hired servant. "There was mention of a training battle on the way here, but I am uncertain as to what should be done."

IC: Theriss As LoJak began speaking, she could tell right away that the question likely wouldn't be something she wanted to answer. The slow and deliberate way he was speaking left no doubt that he had a very serious matter in mind, and there hadn't been much recently that could inspire such a tone. That is, unless he wanted to speak of Voulge's mission, she would have no issues with conversing over something of that nature. But of course, it wouldn't be that easy, it was going to be about the night before. That night had left her with a lot of questions of her own, ones she would rather leave unanswered. Answering them for LoJak was something she had no intention of doing. "It was nothing more than that. Outside of the building, I noticed an old acquaintance of mine that was a little behind on a loan payment. I have business to take care of beyond the Toa Sarsi at times, this was merely one of those that was important enough to halt the celebration for a few moments. It wasn't the longest of conversations, but I do believe that I managed to convince her that not paying me was a bad idea. That was when I returned into the building to you and the others all staring up at me as though something terrible had happened... except Crasaro, who I don't believe could have lifted his head from that sandwich even if he had tried." She took another sip from her drink before she continued, still remaining as calm as she could manage. "I really don't know what commotion you're speaking of. I was a short distance away from the restaurant at the time, and I didn't notice anything occurring that was outside of the normal. Actually, I have still not been informed as to what it was that had caused everyone to show some form of pity towards me. Was it Geklan's leaving perhaps? I can tell you with utmost certainty that I did not mind having Geklan away from the restaurant in the slightest." Theriss took another drink from the cup, her rate of consumption of the fruit coffee was steadily increasing as LoJak's questions came towards her. Despite this, her face showed very little reaction. "Spotting a good actor? That would be a very useful skill, but I'm afraid that it isn't quite as good as you think. I'm not much of an actor, I have trouble keeping the truth from escaping to my face." While not necessarily false, she was certainly not going to mention that the expressions that sometimes broke through were only anger and sadness. There was no need for LoJak to have unnecessary and possibly incriminating evidence against her. "Yes, we are a team now. And the fact that you feel the need to question me over such certainly goes a long way to showing how much you trust me. I have explained what happened that night, and I really don't feel the need to keep speaking over it when you so greatly seem to think that something else occurred. Sharing our burdens is useful, no doubt. Strangely enough, outside of being a mercenary, I don't recall you ever speaking much about your own past, which appears to have had quite the impact on you. Why is it that I must speak of this, and yet you are free to remain silent. I've seen your face during a fight, I know that something haunts you. Perhaps you're trying to find the same in me, as an outlet for your own troubles?" She looked right into Lojak's face with a cool calmness that seemed to permeate her entire body, except for her hands.They were carefully moving the cup around on the table, as though uncertain if they should bring the cup up for another drink. "I'm fine, LoJak. I thank you for your concern, but it is unwarranted."

I just create a character. I don't think about how I want the character to develop, because I can't know what their future will hold. What I try to do is create a mindset for that character, and let that change as events occur. While sometimes I do like to have plots ahead of time, character development is something that I really can't pre-plan, it just happens as I write the characters.

IC: Eshai It didn't appear that Sanei was going to let her slip away with as vague an answer as she hoped. She really wasn't happy with talking about anything in her past, it just stood as a gleaming pillar, showing how far one could fall without a clan or family. "I was a Menti, I trained myself to be the greatest warrior I could. I focused more upon my strength than I did my mental power."

IC: Theriss There was a slight jolt when LoJak had arrived. She hadn't heard him enter the building, and seeing him suddenly standing there had been a bit of a surprise. For a few moments she wondered if perhaps she had left her eyes closed for longer than she had realized, perhaps she needed another cup of the sickeningly sweet coffee that was clearly not strong enough to ward off her exhaustion. Taking another sip of the drink, she placed it down on the table before her. Judging by the look on LoJak's face, he too had suffered through a mostly sleepless night. He looked just as tired as she felt. With a 'good morning', he walked over to the table and took a seat directly across from hers. The table was much smaller that the multitude stuck together from the previous night, and felt much emptier overall. There wasn't any of the clutter and food plates from the party, there was only her own cup to stand out against the serenity of the small table. The more she thought about it, the more it seemed like her own life. Before the team, it had been emptier and simpler, now it was like the table from the party, cluttered with surrounded by those expecting success. "Good morning to you as well, LoJak. What did you want to speak to me about?"

IC: Eshai She noticed that Sanei was slowing down a little, something that really seemed rather strange. Sanei seemed to be all about rushing through everything in life, always racing even without any clear goal in mind. The fact that she would slow down even a little was quite a surprise to Eshai, who really had no trouble keeping up when using her mask. She wondered if it was so she could keep up, or if Sanei's own thoughts were what slowed her down. Then came the one subject that she had done everything to avoid, her past. It was something that she really didn't like dwelling upon, but always found her own thoughts slipping back to. Talking about it was the last thing she wanted to do. "Much like the current clans such as your own, only smaller."

IC: Theriss The night had stretched on far longer for Theriss than she would have liked. After what had occurred, sleeping seemed one of the more distant things from her mind. It was her enemy that had clung onto her thoughts deep into the morning hours, and yet at the same time it was one of her friends. How could it be that Geklan could be such a heartless and terrible person, yet still be willing to take on the merchandise production of a plan that had seemed at the time to be almost certain to fail. What would drive a person to act generous at one moment, and as cruel as possible in another? Trying to understand the actions of Geklan was a somewhat unpleasant thought process. She had seen a little more of herself in him than she would have liked. Could she ever seem to be the same as him to others? She offered loans, which likely seemed to be a great kindness at the time they were received. But when she came to make certain that she got her money, sometimes bringing threats with her, did she seem almost as terrible a person as Geklan had earlier in the night? The more she thought about it, the less she felt like sleeping. Did the other members of the Toa Sarsi see her in the same light as she saw Geklan? She had come offering them fame and fortune, but they had been living on what little money they could pull together and had barely become recognizable. No, the sales were going well, that meant money and fame, she had provided everything they needed, and had don nothing to make them resent it. She was better than Geklan, she had to be. There was no way that she could ever act in such a horrible way. Those thoughts could barely hold against the sick feeling inside her that she was just as bad a Geklan, and merely made the night seem to spread out that much longer. When sleep finally spread over her, it was been line a blessing sent from Mata Nui himself, a peaceful respite from her thoughts, even if for a mere few hours. As the morning had arrived, she had already been down by the time that Voulge, Vail, and Crasaro had departed. She hadn't stopped them, hadn't felt the need to really speak to them. This was Voulge's mission, and he had already made it quite clear to her that he didn't want her coming along with them. Sure, he had stated it in such a way that it sounded more like tactical thinking, but she had no doubt what he really meant. She had meant to bring along the whole team, but Voulge had turned it around into an excuse for why she should stay behind. Barthel, who was one of the best choices when it can to investigation, had also been rejected from the team. Did Voulge really want her along as little as Barthel? It had left the same sickness inside her that sleep had taken away. Was she causing the team to resent her in the same way that Geklan so easily inspired inside her? No, it had to merely have been a misunderstanding on Voulge's part that had resulted in her being recommended to stay behind to lead the team that she planned on bringing with her. She wasn't Geklan, the two really weren't all that similar... why couldn't she make that sentence seem true? It was in this corner table, drinking a cup of what appeared to be some sort of fruit coffee. It tasted terrible, but the warmness of it was quite welcome to the cold illness that permeated her body. Hopefully it would also help wake her after the miserable night had drained her energy. Taking a sip of the far-too-sweet drink, she closed her eyes and slumped back in her chair. These were questions that had never really bothered her before, but now that Geklan had brought them to the surface, they seemed determined not to leave her any peace. She closed her eyes briefly, lost in thought over all that had so far occurred for her Toa Sarsi. They had already accomplished far more than she had expected in such a short period of time, but was that a good thing? It meant more pressure, and faster. As people learned who they were, their actions would be seen by larger numbers and reach farther. They were trying to place themselves on a pedestal of heroism, but could they ever hope to hold that charade for long before their own faults caught up with them? Could one really be a hero without any heroic motives? Could she keep the image of being a hero for long, or would she end up finding that even she could see a reflection of Geklan behind her eyes. She tried to repress those unpleasant thoughts as she waited for the rest of her team to arrive back in the restaurant after their slumber.

IC: Eshai With a slight nod towards the surrounding group, she calmly followed after Sanei. Even moving at her fastest walk, she was still losing ground to the much quicker Sanei, ground that she would make up in a quick teleport when it reached far enough a distance between the two. "Yes... I assume that we probably all do. It is something no one of higher class would ever think of, though. It only occurs to one when there is nothing left."

IC: Eshai Eshai stood silently, and as soon as she heard Sanei say 'good day', she prepared herself to once again start moving. She was uncertain as to exactly what she should be doing at the current time, other than protecting Sanei. Eventually, something slowly trickled through her mind. In a mental message to Sanei, she decided to continue what she had said before. "I apologize for my early comment. I did not wish to disturb you with such unpleasantness, but I did not think before the words had escaped."

IC: Mayixa A job? Talking to someone on the streets was certainly an interesting way to find an employer, but it seemed a little strange. What could drive someone into searching for a job without any knowledge of what it might entail? "I'm terribly sorry, but I don't know if I have any work that needs done, besides spreading the Truth that is Neroxidecost."

IC: Mayixa The person walked closer, perhaps wishing to learn how one could change their ways to become a child of Neroxidecost? If just one person would find understanding and see the Truth hidden behind the shroud of lies, then standing out in this horrendous cold would have been worth it, and standing out for hours more just as worth that one person's understanding. "Hello there, do you wish to know more of the Great and Glorious One, Neroxidecost.?"

That would be the other cult that uses zombies, right?

IC: Mayixa "Through his endless eyes he sees all that is done, watches everything there is to see. He sees all that is, all that has been, and he will lead as into the future that holds no secrets to his holy might! His endless mouths sing out a chorus so beautiful that those not protected by his power would be incapable of hearing a single sound and live." Mayixa was positively giddy with excitement at the thought of having an audience to hear of his vision and meeting with the Great and Glorious One. An audience of one was infinitely larger than an audience of zero, and held infinite more possibilities as well. "But despite his infinite power, he is saddened that such false spirits as Mata Nui and Makuta have become all that is spoken of. His own majesty has been lost to time as dark liars and spreaders of falsities have slithered up to corrupt his children, turning them into the broken children of the false spirits. But we can redeem ourselves!"

IC: Mayixa He watched the Turaga return to his house with a smile and a wave. "Have a nice day, and remember to be careful of the ice!" Sure the Turaga had seemed less than happy with him, but was that any reason to treat him badly? No, he just did not yet understand the ways of the Great and Glorious One. With that, he has resumed shouting out to the world of the greatness of Neroxidecost, telling of his great wonder and unrivaled power. But none would stop to listen, merely passing by or giving him a nasty glare. He wshed that they would listen, that they would take the time to think and understand. But for now, he would do all he could to try to reach as many people as he could, and hope for one who could see beyond the lies of the False Spirit. Then, out of his eye, Mayixa spotted someone who had stopped and appeared to be listening. He could feel a sense of happiness flooding over him as he learned that perhaps there was one who would hear the ways of mighty Neroxidecost. Perhaps a light had been started, the power of truth reaching into their minds and showing them the honesty of his words. He turned towards the person, still shouting towards the street so that all could hear, and then with a grin he waved hello.

“I saw endless pupil-less eyes, each one forever blinking but never closing, rising out of endless mouths that rose from the inky surface of its skin. Endless limbs spread out from its enormous form, each one branching into a thousand branch-like offshoots. These offshoots each ended in another mouth, which sang out in glory of his holy and unspeakable name. I could feel the darkness in my own soul trying to rend itself from my body in his presence, his sheer majesty causing it to writhe in agony. Then amid his center, a single massive opening appeared, the inside lined with burning quills.From this came a booming voice, that left my mind unable to focus upon anything else, as all of my sense faded. It said in words that were not our own, but my mind could through his power understand. ‘Mayixa, son of the people of the false spirit. I am the glorious one who is called -‘ what he said could not be translated, for no word of ours could ever explain it. I can’t even repeat it for I have not the power to speak it. ‘You see before you the truth beyond what you have been told. Mata Nui and Makuta are but mere specks of dust in my presence, their power is nothing. You must guide your fellow children of the false spirit back towards my path.’I managed to ask a single question of his endless greatness. ‘I can not speak your name… what is it that I may call you to those I must lead?’The booming voice responded with a name, and then I awoke. He said that I may call him ‘Neroxidecost’.” He is currently standing and preaching of the greatness of Neroxidecost over the false spirits. He also just helped a Turaga who slipped on the ice get back onto their feet.

Well, I have a mad cultist to an imaginary eldritch god named Neroxidecost standing around doing basically nothing in Ko-Koro right now, if that holds any interest.

This makes me very happy, and yet at the same time quite shocked. Excellently written said about a character created by me? Sure, I'm giving her posts my all, but I really wouldn't call myself an excellent writer or really even close to excellence in any form. Also, I'm sure I must misunderstand, but the Gecko of Mata-Nui? A lizard of the order Squamata?

IC: Eshai "I live to continue living. There is nothing more left for me, and yet I do not have the courage to merely end this empty continuation." She really had no reason to move onward, no real purpose to her life outside of just continuing to live it and deal with whatever challenges it placed before her. There was no clan to return glory to, no path to redemption that she could follow, she merely took each day is it came.

IC: Eshai "When one is brought down to nothing, they very quickly learn their place. Otherwise, you will find that having such a demeanor causes those who stand above you, even those of the classes once far below you, to find any reason they can to break whatever pride you may have remaining." She explained with the same cold calmness of her mind that covered her face beneath the demonic mask.

IC: Theriss Vouge had a point, the rest of the team really wouldn't be able to function without her, though she wasn't certain Voulge's little group would be able to fare much better. Two of the three had tried to drown themselves in drink, not exactly a sign of someone worth putting confidence in when you couldn't watch them, and one of the heavy drinkers wished to lead their small expedition. She already knew Voulge could be irritating and annoying, and who knew what trouble he would manage to get himself into without someone there to keep him in check. "A good point, both of you... Try not to get yourselves too badly harmed."

IC: Eshai "I'm sorry if I am not always clear enough. I don't have any need for money, because this job holds no place for luxuries. The money to survive is all that I require, which you have been move than generous in providing. ... Is there anything else that I have done or said that has caused you any confusion?" She really didn't want to explain herself any more than she needed to, but if it lead to some confusion in her employer, it may very well end up coming off quite differently than she had intended. Something as single as a misunderstanding could prove far more harmful than a direct insult ever could. It was best to be careful.