Nuju Metru

The crystals are mined by a combination of real tools and specially-trained Soulswords. They're shaped by specialized artisans/engineers using both Mindarm and Soulsword techniques. The crystal is mined on Iki.

Take a walk down memory lane... and let me know if I've forgotten anything important.

THE BZPRPG STORY - BRIEFLY (...as briefly as I could manage; it's still pretty long) First Plot Arc Chapter I. Prologue: Establishing Our World The story of the BZPRPG begins on the island of Mata Nui, under circumstances very similar to those found at the end of the Mata Nui Online Game from 2001, with one important change: the Toa Mata – referred to in this game as the First Toa – failed to vanquish Makuta. At the critical moment, Makuta exploited Kopaka’s jealousy and ambition, and convinced him to betray his teammates; because their tenuous unity had been broken, the First Toa failed to fulfill the Great Prophecy.In the wake of the First Toa’s defeat, the Great Spirit Mata Nui relayed to the fleeing Takua a Second Great Prophecy, which foretold Makuta’s overthrow at the hands of a new team of heroes. As soon as Takua wrote down the Prophecy in coded Bird Speech on a stone tablet, though, he was made to forget it, so that the information could remain safe. This was the Prophecy: The Great Spirit then led the Chronicler’s Company to a pseudo-real location known as the Keeping Place, where his failsafe weapons – powerful and unique masks, including the Kanohi Hiripaki, the Legendary Mask of Stories – waited for the new heroes. Only by uniting the six Virtue Crystals, stored in the Temples of Virtue in the six Wahis of Mata Nui, could anyone access the Keeping Place again. A series of clues, one for each of the Virtue Crystals, was the only hint of their importance. Takua entrusted each of his Company with one clue, gave Taipu the tablet bearing the Second Great Prophecy, and then the Chronicler’s Company dissolved, with most of its members reintegrating into society and Takua disappearing.Makuta did not kill the First Toa; instead, he twisted them into his most powerful lieutenants. He siphoned much of their raw elemental power and life force into six Essence Stones, reducing them to husks of their former selves, before he corrupted their hearts with evil, made them darkly beautiful, and bestowed upon them elemental Shadow powers. Makuta locked the six Essence Stones, which in Matorans’ hands could act as potent Toa Stones, in the Vault at the center of his lair, and kept his Shadow Toa a secret (even to each other).Shortly after the fall of the First Toa, Makuta unleashed his sons the Rahkshi for the first time to discourage the Matoran from revolt. After a suitable demonstration of his power, though, Makuta retracted them, and continued to breed a reserve army of the creatures.Thereafter, Makuta began to summon to the island foreign beings: Skakdi, Vortixx, and others (most custom species fall under this category), any and all that he believed he could bend to his whim. In response, the sleeping Mata Nui turned scores of Matoran to Toa, hoping to counter the surge of corruption, but none of these forced Toa had the same power or goodness in them as had the First Toa (these “forced Toa” are the class of Toa that Player Character Toa are).The island flourished cautiously under Makuta's watchful eye. A new village of sinners and outcasts, called Xa-Koro, formed on the southern Kumu Islets. Taipu, made afraid by the peace, gave the Second Prophecy tablet to Whenua and went into hiding alone.Chapter II. Searching: The Start of BZPRPG Gameplay Somehow, it was discovered that the members of the former Chronicler’s Company bore clues to an important, but unknown, riddle; Makuta’s servants and devotees systematically hunted them down, revealing clue after clue.Unseen and unfelt by Makuta, Takua broke into the Vault and stole the First Toa’s six essence stones. Upon discovery of the theft, Makuta sent forth Rahkshi, as well as Shadow-Kopaka – now known as Heuani, and armed with a crystal flamberge – to try and seek them out. When gangs of searcher Rahkshi happened upon Toa and Matoran, skirmishes broke out, and the island was reminded of the Rahkshi’s strength (this was their first appearance In-Character). However, Makuta’s search was ultimately fruitless; none of the Essence Stones were recovered.The Peers, a group of conniving businesspeople, arranged the destruction of Xa-Koro, and by their machinations, the whole Koro exploded, collapsed on itself, and sank into the sea.A group of Matoran headed by a Matoran named Stannis had been following the trail of clues left by the former Chronicler’s Company. Turaga Whenua and Stannis conversed, and when Stannis asked about the whereabouts of Taipu, Whenua said that he did not know, but revealed the tablet bearing the coded Second Great Prophecy. He told Stannis of how he'd conferred with the other Turaga about this tablet, but only Nuju had understood what it meant, and Nuju had refused to translate the words, for fear that Makuta would discover them. Whenua decided to trust Stannis, and gave him the tablet.Stannis and his group traveled to Ko-Koro, and at last, Nuju consented to translate the tablet. In doing so, he made the Second Great Prophecy comprehensible to Stannis, and uncovered the remaining of the six clues. But before Nuju could relay these clues, he was seized by Makuta, pulled down into the earth by darkness.All across the island, Heuani abducted the other Turaga. When all six were gathered, Makuta forced the first of the Parakuka, Kraata-like parasites, upon them, sending them into a deep sleep. Makuta told Heuani that the militant pro-Matoran group, the Island Liberation Front (a player-created organization), along with many of the Koro militias, planned to attack the Nui-Rama hive in Le-Wahi, and that Heuani would lead Makuta’s forces in the battle. Heuani, with comatose Turaga in tow, departed for the Hive.In the subsequent battle, the Island Liberation Front slowly but surely battered away at the Hive, killing masses of Nui-Rama. The battle itself was, however, meant only to buy time for the Parakuka-hosting Turaga to awaken and “activate” (see Parakuka link). When the Turaga awoke, they changed into horrible creatures that fought blindly against their own people, striking a moral blow against the island as a whole. But soon, the energy rush from the Parakuka died off, and the Turaga were subdued. Heuani left the hive, and it fell to fire.Once the hive was destroyed, a tall obelisk of black stone, the Suva Nui, stood in the middle of its embers. At the base of the Suva were six notches, and the words “hidden lines,” a phrase from the Prophecy; other than these markings, it was indecipherably blank.Chapter III. The Wanderer’s Company: The First Staff Quest Takua emerged into the world again, and furtively visited six Matoran to tell them that they had been chosen by the Great Spirit to embark a quest of great magnitude. The leader of the group was Stannis, who had been earlier named by Nuju as the “Wanderer.” Stannis and his five new companions – Reordin, Sulov, Oreius, Aurax, and Lepidran – were christened the Wanderer's Company. Takua also bestowed a Toa Stone upon a Matoran named Joske, who was destined to play another part in the fight against Makuta.Takua met with the Wanderer’s Company and revealed to them the true nature of their quest: it was the duty of these Matoran to recover the six Essence Stones. After obtaining all six, the Matoran of the Wanderer’s Company would use them to transform into Toa as strong as the First Toa, and end Makuta's reign once and for all.Takua led the Company to the first Essence Stone’s hiding place. Immediately after the Wanderer’s Company recovered it, Rahkshi ambushed them. The ensuing battle was short but violent, and Aurax was fatally wounded. Before more blood could be spilled, Takua ran, baiting the Rahkshi away from the Company, to his presumed death.The remaining five Matoran buried Aurax, and recovered Takua's satchel, which held a clue as to the identity of the Matoran who would replace Aurax: a list of names that contained their own and two others, though one of the latter – Joske’s – was rubbed out. Reordin recognized the remaining name, Leah, as a warrior from the hive battle, and the Company convinced her to join them.Using a map in Takua’s satchel, and the Essence Stone they’d already recovered – which, when it got closer to its fellows, signaled their presence – the Wanderer’s Company, with some difficulty, gathered two more. When in Ko-Wahi, they encountered Joske, now a Toa. A recorded message on Takua’s Book of Chronicles revealed to the Company and Joske the existence of the Keeping Place, and the necessity of the Virtue Crystals. Joske volunteered to hunt down the Crystals while the Company gathered the rest of the Essence Stones. A surprise attack by Makuta’s servants sundered the company in two; while Leah, Reordin, Sulov, and Lepidran continued on, finding another two stones and discovering that Lepidran was not destined to hold one, Stannis and Oreius encountered a Matoran named Korero, who joined them.Meanwhile, the Peers hired mercenaries to assassinate the six Turaga, and the mercenaries did so successfully. Stannis, Oreius, and Korero entered Onewa's hut only moments after his death; unbeknownst to them, Onewa's death was not due to an assassin, but rather was the result of his Parakuka, draining him of life. The Parakuka, without a host, latched onto Oreius instead. Korero and Stannis found the last Essence Stone while Oreius was comatose.Chapter IV. The Toa Maru: Player Character Heroes The Wanderer’s Company reconvened at the Suva Nui. There, they discovered that it was Korero, not Lepidran, who was destined to receive the last Essence Stone. The chosen Matoran placed their Essence Stones into the notches at the Suva Nui’s base, and were transformed into powerful Toa. As this happened, a door to Mangaia opened on the obelisk, and a squad of Rahskhi poured out. Even though the new Toa were inexperienced, they defeated the Rahkshi. On the Suva Nui, a new word had materialized: Maru. The Toa realized that this was the name they were destined to carry.Meanwhile, Joske and a small team gathered all six Virtue Crystals. When he placed them in a shrine in Ta-Wahi, Joske was transported directly into the Keeping Place. Unbeknownst to him, Heuani covertly followed through the same temporary entrance. The Keeping Place showed Joske one of its special masks, the Mask of Conjuring, and allowed him to take it. When he exited back to the Keeping Place’s doorstep, Joske found Heuani waiting for him, and the two had a ferocious duel. Heuani seemed victorious until Joske used his mask to grant himself elemental powers of Light; thereafter, Joske gained the upper hand and emerged triumphant.Joske met the Toa Maru at the Kini Nui temple, whereupon he showed them the entrance to the Keeping Place. The Maru entered, and the Keeping Place tested their mettle before bestowing upon them six new masks, including the Kanohi Hiripaki, which was given to Stannis. The Toa Maru descended into Mangaia, and were initially met by Manas Crabs, which they easily defeated. Next, the Maru fought the Shadow Toa, led by Heuani; though these foes posed a much greater threat, the unity of the Maru was strong enough to overpower them. Heuani, bearing the body of Shadow-Gali, fled to the surface; he died in Joske’s presence, and Joske took his crystal flamberge. As the Maru progressed deeper into Mangaia, a battle to defend the Kini Nui temple from Makuta’s Rahi and assorted followers was waged and won.The Toa Maru entered Makuta’s chamber, and faced at his hands the same assaults of mind and body that the First Toa had endured. Although the heroes exhibited the unity that the First Toa had not, and so resisted Makuta’s temptations, even their strongest combined attack was only enough to weaken him, for he had grown stronger.As the Maru battled Makuta, his army of Rahkshi, which had been covertly tunneling from Mangaia to each of the Koros for quite some time, finally revealed itself; springing out of the newly created Dark Walk tunnels, legions of Rahkshi advanced on the villages of Mata Nui, and though the defenders were brave, they could not stop so many Rahkshi, and soon the dark armies overwhelmed all defense and proceeded to invade.Stannis realized that the power of his Kanohi Hiripaki was the only way to defeat Makuta; even though the mask would trade Makuta for an unknown, equal force, doing so was the Maru’s only option. He sent Makuta into the Legend, the mysterious nowhere place from whence the Hiripaki summoned its miracles. As Makuta vanished, his armies of Rahkshi lost all direction; feral, they either killed each other or scrambled back into the dark places of the island. The people of Mata Nui only let their relief become complete when the Toa Maru, each voyaging down one of the Dark Walk passages, emerged into the light and told them what they’d been hoping to hear: that Makuta was gone.Current Plot Arc Chapter I. Makuta is Gone: Testing Player Leadership Following Makuta’s banishment, the people of Mata Nui elected new leaders: Jaller, Hahli, Kongu, Matoro, Nuparu, and Hewkii. These Matoran were known as the Akiri of their Koros (and control of the Akiri characters was vested, for the most part, to non-staff players).The Toa Maru searched Makuta’s former lair and removed all items of danger from it that they could. At its deepest level, they discovered the doorway to his Vault. For all their effort, the Maru could not open the Vault; however, there was a riddle carved onto its door, making clear that the Vault’s key existed, though was out of reach of the denizens of Mata Nui: The Vault’s existence soon became common knowledge across the island. Uncontrolled speculation abounded as to the nature of the powerful objects assumed to be inside, each new rumor wilder and more tempting than the last. Under residual spell of Makuta’s evil energies, the Koros drifted apart, gradually at first but with progressive rapidity, until Mata Nui was essentially divided into six city-states, each with their own plans for advancement and survival. The Akiri found their bonds of friendship with one another strained as their trust in the island’s people and in one another decayed. Onu-Koronan inventors advanced the technology on Mata Nui, introducing primitive radios, locomotives, generators, and more to the island. Using its position as innovator to profiteer on the impending conflict, Onu-Koro fed an arms race between its fellow villages.The Akiri surrounded their Koros with new defenses, and plotted against one another. A mercenary hired by Hewkii, using Onu-Koronan technology, sabotaged Ta-Koro’s new monorail, further increasing hostilities between the Koros. In recompense, many of the other Koros plotted against Hewkii (while simultaneously planning to take advantage of each other’s overextended military forces). The Piraka, cooped up together in a submarine that, it was later revealed, they stole to escape from the distant Kentoku Archipelago on the eve of their intended executions, made land in Ta-Wahi after having endured many nautical adventures in each other’s company. They salvaged the wreck of their vehicle and built a bungalow near the coast. Another submarine from the Kentoku Archipelago arrived on the Ta-Wahi beach weeks later. This one carried a group of Kentokuan natives: Toa of Psionics, known in the BZPRPG as Dasaka. The Piraka’s escape had led their Dasaka pursuers to Mata Nui; this submarine’s exploratory crew had been sent to gather preliminary intelligence on the island. After landing, the Dasaka commander reasoned correctly that there would be a settlement somewhere on the coast, and so the Dasaka party headed along the beach until they reached Ga-Koro. There, the Dasaka met with Akiri Hahli, learning lots of information about Mata Nui, before they returned to Kentoku.Stannis sent Joske into the Legend on a mysterious mission. Joske left behind Heuani’s old flamberge, and so Stannis gave it to Joske’s friend, a Toa named Dorian. A Toa named Greed forayed into Mangaia and discovered in the chamber of the Vault’s entrance a hole in the ceiling. He ascended up into it, and found himself in another tunnel, this one blocked by a behemoth robot guardian known as an Abettor. The Abettor implied that its tunnel was another entrance to the Vault, and revealed that the Vault contained “all the simplest power of the world.”The Akiri, in light of the rising tensions between their Koros, decided to hold a summit at Kini Nui to discuss matters going forward.Chapter II. The Dasaka are Coming: A Fresh Start, a New World A BZPower forum crash resulted in the loss of about two months’ IC posts. This, and pre-crash ill feelings among players, gave the BZPRPG staff reason to enact a “time-skip” forward in the world of the RPG upon the forum’s return.Players were told that on Mata Nui, the Akiri’s summit had gone very well, as the six Matoran had realized how shaky the foundations of their mistrust in one another had been, and that peace and trust had for the most part returned to the island. But all was not entirely well on Mata Nui: shortly after the timeskip, Matoro was assassinated at the hands of the Peers.The time-skip also involved the revelation of Dasaka Culture, and the opening of the Kentoku Archipelago as a game topic. Players, through their interactions, began to give shape to the world of Kentoku, creating clans and various aspects of culture.The First Son of Clan Fursic, Kuno – engaged for political reasons to Yumiwa, the eldest of the Empress’ daughters, of clan Umbraline – hatched a number of unsuccessful schemes to launch a full-scale invasion force to Mata Nui. In one such scheme, he convinced a Dasaka named Nihi, who’d been on the first expedition to Mata Nui, to speak in the capitol city’s central market in favor of conquest. Many notable Dasaka, including Yumiwa, were drawn to the resulting public debate.Meanwhile Makuta – gone from the island, but not dead; the Hiripaki had trapped him alongside the sleeping Great Spirit Mata Nui in a Nowhere place – spent the last of his lingering influence to guide some of his former servants to vials of Antidermis (in the BZPRPG, “liquid evil;” a creation of Makuta’s, rather than his intrinsic substance). The Antidermis augmented these beings’ power and wickedness, and soon a small group led by the Dark Toa Echelon known as "The Legacy" had congregated.Zaktan was among the beings led to Antidermis, and in his mind Makuta told him that the Antidermis was the answer to getting past the Abettor. After unsuccessfully trying to reach the Abettor’s tunnel alone, Zaktan returned to the Piraka bungalow for help. He met mutiny and imprisonment on his arrival; but when Zaktan showed his gang the Antidermis, and suggested a “rescue” run into Ta-Koro (Vezok having been captured by the Ta-Koro Guard), the rest of the Piraka, delighted at the prospect of violence and plunder, set him free. They caused havoc in Ta-Koro until the Toa Maru arrived; the Piraka then fled to the entrance of the Dark Walk, and caused a cave-in at their backs to defray pursuit. It was revealed that something very much like the Vault on Mata Nui existed on Kentoku; in the crater of the Archipelago’s largest volcano, guarded by its own Abettor, a crystal shrine stood before a massive door bearing this riddle: Yumiwa threw an elaborate party for the Dasaka nobility, where a second, larger expedition to Mata Nui was announced. The Empress herself showed up as a surprise guest, but someone must have known she would come, because she was assassinated by a weapon incriminating Jasik, the First Son of Clan Dastana. Following her mother’s death, Yumiwa ascended to the throne, and the Mata Nui expedition submarine, christened the Chiisai Ryuu, departed from the Archipelago.Upon reaching the Abettor's tunnel in Mangaia, Zaktan threw his vial of Antidermis at the Abettor, corrupting the guardian to consider the Piraka "worthy" of entering the Vault. Inside, the Piraka found a large vat of Antidermis, a dozen special masks, and a large pile of various foreign technologies. The Piraka discovered that Antidermis could be used to enslave Rahkshi, but also that the Vault's secrets were far from resolved; the first Rahkshi Zaktan tamed stumbled too close to the door of the Vault, and was incinerated while the Vault's riddle was relayed in a mysterious bodiless voice.Chapter III: The Game is Afoot: It Hits the Fan Bartering with the loot they found in the Vault, the Piraka formed a working alliance with Echelon and the Legacy. They amassed a group of evildoers and enslaved a few dozen Rahkshi. Frustrated when Jasik was not immediately executed, Umbraline extremists took matters into their own hands, and revenged the death of the Rora by slaying the Dastana’s matriarch. As the vigilantes fled, Dastana guards captured three, and the next day executed them before crowds in the street, igniting a riot between Umbraline allies and Dastana sympathizers. Attempts were made upon several Umbraline and Dastana leaders. Preparing for impending civil war, the Dastana won the support of several minor clans, and sent diplomats to others; meanwhile, the Umbraline raised an army and set Menti to ruthlessly policing the streets of the Imperial Palace. En route to Mata Nui, the Chiisai Ryuu was attacked by a giant sea monster; after defeating the creature, however, the sub made land in Ga-Koro, whereupon the Dasaka were greeted by an assembly of native beings. Antidermis-affected, tree-eating insects known as Entropy Beetles were introduced to the Le-Wahi jungle by Zaktan, but before they could destabilize Le-Koro, various helpers massed by Akiri Kongu destroyed the threat. Forces sent by the Piraka-Legacy Alliance, aided by the Brotherhood of Ak'Rei'An, massed on Ko-Koro and overwhelmed the village, taking it and turning it into a haven for nefarious beings. Echelon subsequently betrayed the Brotherhood and expelled them from the Koro, leaving it solely under Legacy rule. The Lord High Executioner Rayuke determined that Jasik was, in fact, innocent of Yusanora's murder. But his discovery did little to abate the accumulated tensions within the Empire. Shortly thereafter, the Dastana clan formally declared its secession from the Empire. Akiri Nuparu announced his intention to take Ko-Koro back from the forces of darkness, and unveiled his engineers' latest military breakthrough: the Exo-Matoran. Diplomacy between Ga-Koro and the Dasaka delegation was interrupted by a narrowly-averted kidnapping attempt by one crazed local. The expedition's leadership became more cautious as a result of this, and although exploration of the village soon continued, the Dasaka took steps to make themselves less conspicuous. Back in the Archipelago, Rora Yumiwa announced her acceptance (but also disapproval) of the Dastana's secession. Tensions appeared to relax, but shortly after, the disgraced Vilda Toroshu was broken out of the Imperial prisons and the Dastana twins falsely implicated in her escape. The disappearance of Po-Koro Sentinel outposts in the Dark Walk spurred two groups to investigate the tunnels. They discovered not only that the 'mythical' Artakha Bulls were very real, but that these powerful creatures had been corrupted by something darker. Out of the bowels of the earth a black ichor was seeping: Antidermis. Hewkii found himself no longer able to bear the pressures of leadership and stepped down as Akiri of Po-Koro. Renaka, an ex-Guard with experience in government, was elected in his place. Her first major action in office was to adapt the telegraph system's technology into an internal messaging system for the Koro. Last Updated: 8/9/2015

IC: Confronted with Ayiwah's frigidity, and a crew member offering to escort her from the submarine, Nihi was very much aware of the dire turn her situation had taken. She'd run headfirst into the wall that was, she knew, composed of the consequences of her rashness. Pushing the Saihoko off the gangplank had been impulsive and thoughtless; Nihi was beginning to realize that no matter how often she told herself - when she was levelheaded, remembering her mistakes - that she'd never do anything so stupid again, she'd end up doing the wrong thing anyway the next time she was riled. But she'd been justifiably riled; a Saihoko had told Nihi she had no business on the submarine. But she'd put up with the Chojo's party, she'd gone and stood around stupidly long enough to see her Empress die, hadn't she? It was her fair recompense - her right - to go on this voyage, like Yumiwa had said she would. That was the deal she'd made, and even if Rora Yumiwa was too important to remember to put her on a stupid list, Nihi meant to extract her payment. She, of all people, deserved to be on this voyage. She had scores to settle for her sister. "I'm supposed to be on this vessel, ma'am," Nihi replied, avoiding Ayiwah's piercing eyes even though she was telling the truth. "I arrived late, and that was my fault; but when I got up the gangplank, she--" here Nihi directed a pointed glance at the glaring Saihoko "--stopped me, telling me I wasn't on the list. I informed her that Rora Yumiwa herself told me I would go on this journey, but she didn't believe me, and she tried to force me back down the gangplank. I lost my temper, and then I boarded the ship to find someone else - like you, ma'am - to present myself to."

OOC: Onua39, Rahkshi staffs aren't imbued with any powers by themselves. They only have powers in the hands of their Rahkshi. IC: One of the Rahkshi had simply fled in the face of the fire; the other one that still possessed its staff and its life must have been a self-preservationist too, because it backed away from the cluster of newcomers, hissing threateningly and drag-banging its staff along the cave wall as it retreated into its own territorial section of the tunnels. Though it was never lucky to run into three Rahkshi at once, Drogon had been fortunate enough to have encountered three small-timers, and to have been surrounded by help. He could not rely on his good fortune so heavily in the future; most of the surviving Rahkshi down here were the baddest of the bunch. Though the Toa Maru had searched Mangaia extensively following the banishment of Makuta, even they hadn't been able to find or extract all its treasures. In what may have been either coincidence or fate, one of the warning blows from the retreating Rahkshi's staff shattered an abnormally thin section of the tunnel wall, revealing a shallow niche that'd been disguised there. Inside it was something worth much more than a Rahskhi Staff: a Kanohi Kiril, the Great Mask of Regeneration. But there was only one.

IC: It hadn't been a very good lie, Nihi supposed, but at least she had tried. She sighed in surrender, and leaned into her staff resignedly. There was no point in lying anymore. "I'm supposed to be on the passenger list for this voyage," Nihi told the Ageru. "The Rora herself promised me a spot. It seems, though, that I'm not on the list; whether that's accidental or not, I'm not sure, but it doesn't make a difference to me. So, I've taken matters into my own hands... Since stowing away clearly isn't a viable option - look what you just did to me - now my best chance is finding someone of authority to speak with. Where's the captain?"

IC: Nihi's old battle instincts took over as she instantly assessed her predicament. She could easily tell that the Dasaka wasn't one of the submarine's normal crew - what sailors were male, or wore Ageru colors? - so he had to be one of the Chiisai Ryu's ordained passengers. Based on his physical weapon, she assumed he wasn't a Soulsword; based on his treatment of the doors, she knew that he was a Mindarm, and that he presumed Nihi had no right to be on the submarine. Maybe he presumed correctly; perhaps now-Rora Yumiwa hadn't placed Nihi on this ship, perhaps she'd broken her word or just forgotten; Nihi wouldn't have been surprised, in light of her recent first-hand encounter with the duplicity and self-absorption of the upper caste. Nihi no longer chided herself for having thoughts like these; they weren't treasonous if they were true. But she couldn't let herself think them, yet, because there were more important things to think of... like her alibi. She couldn't claim to be a sailor, and she couldn't claim to be a passenger - though this was true, as far as she still knew, this Ageru didn't look like the understanding kind - so all that remained was a third option. Nihi said the first thing that came to mind. "...I'm a messenger," she told the Ageru male as confidently as she could. "I've been sent to deliver a last-minute message to her Majesty the Rora. It's from her royal sister, Princess Desdemona."

IC: "Thanks," Nihi grinned wryly. "If that Saihoko comes around looking for me, please, er, stall her if you can. Thanks." Without much more ado, Nihi walked as quickly as she could while maintaining a facade of calm - some of the submarine's crew had just turned the corner, and passed her in the opposite direction - toward the passage Soraya had eyed. Cautiously, Nihi made her way further down into the belly of the sub. To her relief, nobody looked at her strangely as she progressed; but then, she supposed, how would the sailors know which passengers were which, who was (or accidentally wasn't) on their vessel's list? All Nihi had to do now was not bump into anyone who would know who she was - or, in this case, who she wasn't - until after the sub had departed. How hard could that be? Nihi hoped she'd get actually lucky for once in her life.

I don't think conjoined twins have been done... Nor have octoplets.

IC: Soraya, observing the interior design of the submarine behind her as she walked forward, bumped squarely into Nihi, who had been doing the same thing, but had been looking frantically for a hiding place. "Ah!" Nihi squeaked on the contact, instinctively flinching away. "I'm on the list!... Madam Soraya?" The seamstress responsible for her party dress was the last person Nihi had expected to literally bump into at a time like this, and the surprise was a relief. "I'm sorry," she apologized breathlessly as Soraya smoothed her strap. Nihi kept frantically searching for a nook that could hold her as she babbled on. "I hadn't expected to... well, see, I boarded late, and the Saihoko at the door told me I wasn't on the list, but I have to be on the list, because the Cho- Rora, the Rora said I would be, and I have to go on this trip, so I-- Well, I'll probably get thrown off this ship if I can't find somewhere to hide in the next few seconds."

IC: Nihi had spent too long saying goodbye, so she was late to the dock. She rocketed up the gangplank, her satchel - she'd only packed one satchel, she didn't have many things, she hoped she hadn't forgotten anything - bouncing almost off her shoulder, her staff clutched tight in the other hand, but as she approached the Chiisai Ryu's door, a member of the crew held out her arm, stopping Nihi flat. "I'm sorry, miss," the Saihoko said gruffly, chewing a wad of seaweed. "You've got to be on the passenger list to be allowed on board." "I am on the list," Nihi told her. "Eiyu Nihi. The Rora said I would be on this voyage." The Saihoko pursed her lips. "I don't recall seeing your name." "Well, it's there," Nihi said behind a forced smile. "If you wouldn't mind looking again, please?" The Saihoko sailor spat a glob of seaweed-juice over the side of the gangplank, and ducked her head inside the porthole. She pulled out a piece of flax paper, and examined it, one eye squinted. She mumbled as she read the names to herself, but when she finished, she looked up at Nihi. "No Eiyu Nihi here." "That's a mistake," Nihi insisted. "The Rora herself told me-" "The Rora herself gave me a foot massage," the Saihoko said, rolling her eyes. "I need to get on this submarine," Nihi groaned. "You don't understand." "I understand just fine," the Saihoko snapped back, chomping harder on her seaweed. "A little Menti, looking for a little glory, like you always do-" "That's not it," Nihi hissed, suddenly annoyed. It wasn't as if she was a Toroshu, but to hear a 'Hoko speak to her that way made Nihi's neck crawl. "Go ask someone, they'll tell you I'm on the-" "Descend from this gangplank, Miss," the Saihoko barked. "Or I will be forced to use, well, force." Nihi stared down at the Saihoko incredulously. She was admittedly a burly Dashi, but that meant she was only a little taller than Nihi's waist. Nihi took a quick look around; there were no faces in the submarine windows, and the dock behind her was busy. Nobody would be looking; good. Nihi bounced a little in her knees. "You descend," she snorted, before she used her Mindarm powers to shove the Saihoko laterally. With a squeal at odds with her deep voice, the Saihoko went the way of her seaweed-juice and toppled over the side of the gangplank, falling into the water below. Before she had a chance to surface and yell, Nihi darted through the submarine's door and latched it behind her. Maybe that'd buy her some time. She had to find a hiding spot, or someone who would believe she was on the list, and do so quickly.

The rule amendment GSR just posted is only one of the several improvements my staff and I are undertaking on the forum right now. Others (some already done, some being worked on) include: Edits to the DMRP, including an expanded "Kentoku Society & History" sectionA BZPRPG Starter Topic, for new members, with all the resources they'll need to get started in the RPGA general Staff Plot overview outline, stretching back to the start of the first arc, to be regularly updated with new events (probably to be found in the Starter Topic)Clarifications about our relationship with the BIONICLE canon, which will be found in the aforementioned Starter Topic as well as in the rulesA new character recruitment contest, to be hosted by Tyler/Plank, for the opportunity to play a pivotal role in the progression of the arc; details forthcomingThis is the Feedback Topic at work. Please keep giving us ideas there, we love to hear from you guys!

BZPRPG STARTER TOPIC Please do not post in this topic! Welcome to the BZPower Role-Playing Game! Hello there, new player, and welcome to the official, the one-n-only, BZPower Role-Playing Game (BZPRPG, for short)! The BZPRPG is a collaborative narrative game based loosely in the universe of BIONICLE, where players tell stories, create characters, and interact through writing. I’m Aaron (known around here as Nuju Metru), a former head of the game, and I consider it a great pleasure and honor to guide you, with this topic, into our community of players. I say community and I mean it; here at the BZPRPG, we strive as much to create a dynamic world of game-play as we do to maintain a friendly and cooperative atmosphere for our players. The point of the game (it’s a game, after all!) is to have fun, which a lot of us can sometimes forget when we’re deeply invested in it, but it’s something I want you to always bear in mind. I hope you have an enjoyable time here. In the post below, you’ll find a treasure trove of useful information that’ll make your entrance into our game (and your continued participation in it) much easier. If you’re wholly new to the game, I’d recommend you read over this entire topic at least once; however, if you’re in a rush (or only looking for certain things), here’s a table of contents of this post. Table of Contents I. Directory -In this topic -Outside this topic -Active Locations -Other II. Glossary of BZPRPG Lingo III. Frequently Asked Questions -What is RPing? -What’s a text-based RPG? -Can anyone play the BZPRPG? -Can I write anything I want? -What are the rules about appropriateness? -Who’s in charge of the BZPRPG? -Where do I start? -How many characters am I allowed to make? -What comes after making a profile? -How do I play? -How do I improve my post quality? -Does it matter how I write my posts? -How do I get other players to interact with my character? -Can my characters interact with other characters that I also control? -How do I move my character from one location topic to another? -How realistic should my posts/characters be? -What do I do if someone is playing unfairly? -What do I do if I’m accused of playing unfairly? -Who are these veterans I keep hearing about? -Can I create my own organization/shop? -Can my character’s back-story involve foreign places? -What elements of the BIONICLE canon exist in the BZPRPG? -What’s the policy on alternate dimensions? -Any last advice? ~~~ I. Directory In this topic: BZPRPG Master Rules BZPRPG Main Plot Overview Friar Tuck’s Guide to Common Sense in the BZPRPG Outside this topic: RPG Forum Rules Profiles Topic News and Discussion Topic The BZPRPG Wiki (an incomplete source of info, but sometimes useful) Active locations: Ta-Wahi Ga-Wahi Le-Wahi Onu-Wahi Ko-Wahi Po-Wahi Kentoku Archipelago Other: What's a Dasaka? Have a bad guy character? I want to give a few suggestions... II. Glossary of BZPRPG Lingo Like any other game, the BZPRPG has a few terms that you need to know to be able to understand what’s going on. The collection of words and abbreviations below will pop up a lot, so it’s good to know what they mean. When a term from this list is referenced in another term’s definition, it’s italicized, so you know you’ll be able to find it defined here too. BZPRPG: abbreviation for “BZPower Role-Playing Game,” the game we’re playing; a text-based role-playing game founded loosely in the BIONICLE universe. The current iteration has been going on since 2011.Bunnying: controlling another player’s character. If this happens without that player’s explicitly stated permission, it’s not allowed.CD: abbreviation for “character development;” gradual change over time in a character that occurs based on that character’s experiences and interactions.GD: short for “general discussion,” a commonly used misnomer for the News and Discussion Topic.God-Modding/GMing: making your character unfairly powerful. This is against the rules. Metagaming and unlicensed bunnying are forms of GMing. Not to be confused with just plain GM (see below).GM: Short for "Game Master," the title given to the head staff member of the BZPRPG.IC: abbreviation for “in-character;” also a required label for content posted in location topics that moves the story forward.Interaction: when different characters talk, fight, or otherwise intermingle with each other. Interaction is the bread and butter of the game; while IC posts can be wholly self-contained, like short stories, most are part of an interaction.Location Topic: a BZPower forum topic where characters interact. Each location topic represents a different territory or area of the BZPRPG world; everything/anything occurring IC in a given region is to be found in its location topic. Metagaming: using information gathered OOC as a player to influence the IC action of characters; this is against the rules.N&D: abbreviation for the News and Discussion Topic.NPC: abbreviation for “non-player character,” any character not operated by a specific player (shopkeepers, armies, guards, etc.). PCs are not allowed to have NPC entourages/armies.OOC: abbreviation for “out-of-character;” also a required label for content posted in location topics that doesn’t move the story forward.OP: abbreviation for overpowered.PC: abbreviation for “player character,” any character with a profile that’s operated by a player.Profile: the blueprint/outline of a character detailing that character’s appearance, powers, weaknesses, and more. All PCs are required to have profiles. Profiles are found and posted in the Profiles Topic.RPing: abbreviation for “role playing.” Someone who RPs (a player) is known as an RPer.Staff Plot: the “main thread” of the complex BZPRPG story, run and directed by BZPRPG staff members. You can find an updated summary of the Staff Plot in the BZPRPG Plot Overview.Strike: a serious warning given by BZPRPG staff. Like in baseball, you get three; on the third, you will be banned from the game. These are only given for serious rule violations.Timeskip: when a player or players decide to “skip” forward in the timeline of the story rather than explicitly playing through everything that would have happened; frequently used by players when traveling from one location topic to another.Veteran: a player with experience and skill. III. Frequently Asked Questions This FAQ is designed to give you general information, tackle a few of the most common questions new players have when they start in our game, and to circumnavigate a few bloopers I’ve noticed many new players have made. If you have a question that isn’t addressed here, please feel free to send me a personal message (PM) about anything. I’m here to field your inquiries, and am more than happy to help. No question is too small or “stupid,” so don’t hesitate to ask it! Q: I know you defined it above, but what exactly is “RPing?” A: RPing is an abbreviation for Role Playing. Role Playing is the process of adapting the persona of a fictional character, and is really what the BZPRPG is all about. In the BZPRPG case, RPing refers to writing about the escapades of your invented BIONICLE characters. You RP the story of these characters through your In-Character (IC) posts. Q: So then what’s a text-based RPG? A: The difference between a text-based RPG (what we have at the BZPRPG) and the kind of RPG found in video games is that the text-based RPG relies on (you guessed it) text. Words are your controls, sentences your actions. Everything that your character does, says, thinks, and feels is described through your writing. It’s like writing a little bit of a narrative every time you post. You are playing the part of your character by writing about them. Well, we know so far that there is RPing, but where’s the G, the game? The BZPRPG is a role-playing game because it involves interaction with other people’s characters. What your character does is reliant upon what others’ characters do – it’s like a big, group story, where each person contributes a post’s-worth of writing. You interact with people through posting back and forth. Pretty nifty, eh? Q: I’ve never posted on BZPower before… Can anyone play the BZPRPG? A: Indeed they can! The BZPRPG is an open game – you can join without approval. Anybody and everybody are allowed to contribute and play. Your characters and your ideas are welcomed. All you need are a free BZPower Membership, a keyboard, and some writing drive to participate in our delightful sandbox story. Q: A sandbox, ooh, that sounds liberating. Can I write anything I want? A: Not exactly, no. While there is a huge amount of freedom in the BZPRPG, there are certain limits to the kinds of things you can and can’t do IC. Otherwise, people could have “god-like” powers, enabling them to play unfairly; we refer to this as “god-modding”, or “GMing”, and when someone does it, it takes away from the fun of other players. There are rules to prevent foul play and make sure everyone has a good time – read these rules here. Q: So there are rules about what I can/can’t write with respects to interacting with the world and with other characters, but what about rules about appropriateness? A: Though we’re generally more lenient in the BZPRPG when it comes to PG-13 rated content than BZPower at large, there are still limits as to what’s appropriate and inappropriate around here. When you’re writing, please use common sense and remember that many of our game’s visitors and players are minors. If your post contains inappropriate content or circumvents the word filter (or even uses an unfiltered word that we consider to be too provocative), we on the staff will ask you to edit the offending section out, or just do it ourselves. If you’re concerned that your post may be inappropriate, feel free to run it by a BZPRPG staffer before you publish it. Q: “BZPRPG staffer?” Who’s in charge of the BZPRPG? A: The BZPRPG is controlled and overseen by its “hosts,” people like me. We on the staff serve a number of functions, including running the official plot lines, answering questions, and settling disputes. We’re also the judiciaries of the RPG, and are in charge of dealing consequences – both positive and negative – to those who have earned them. The staff’s word is final, and it’s a smart idea not to get on our bad side. This is the current BZPRPG staff team (the usernames sometimes change, but these are the names by which they’re colloquially known): Tyler: Current Game Master, sass-master extraordinaire, fan favorite… Tyler is a lot of things, but my secret lover is definitely not one of them. Where’d you get that idea?Ghosthands: a jolly good chap from across the pond, and a boon of positivity; just don't get him started on matters of science.Krayzikk: A veteran of a thousand RPG games both in and out of this forum, this guy doesn't take no carp from nobuoy.Nuju Metru (Me): Formerly: BZPRPG Game Master, big bad boss, merciless slayer of characters, Pinkie of Smite, yadda yadda… I’m actually nicer than I look.Emzee: the most senior active member of the BZPRPG staff, known for maintaining BZPRPG news and reference posts and for his magnificent, soft-spoken wisdom.Friar Tuck: the former head of the BZPRPG, more myth than man, Tuck is a lot like the Loch Ness Monster: you’ll probably never see him, but when he's here, titanic things happen. He's probably most known these days for his fantastic Guide to Common Sense.GSR: though not actually a member of the BZPRPG staff, Nate is the Forum Leader of the BIONICLE RPG forum, and also one of our players and a swell guy. Q: Okay, where do I start? A: Well, you’re here in the Starter Topic, and that’s a great first step! When you want to join the BZPRPG, the first thing to do is create one or more characters. Once you’ve made them up, you organize the data about the character (such as name, species, personality, appearance, powers, and the like) into a written profile, which must be posted in the Profiles Topic. In most cases, after you have created a character and posted their profile, they are viable for you to play as, and you’re free to explore any of the game topics without needing staff approval. There are some cases where characters do need a staff go-ahead before you can play; those cases are outlined in more depth in the Profiles Topic. Q: Making characters sounds like a good time. How many characters am I allowed to make? A: You can create as many characters as you’d like, as long as they all adhere to the guidelines in the Profiles Topic. Q: I posted my character’s profile, sweet. What comes after making a profile? A: Once you have posted a character’s profile, the way to jump into the game is to post as her/him in a location topic. Your first post as a character can be as long or short, as simple or complex, as you’d like. Q: I don’t quite get what you mean. How do I play? A: As I’ve said, game-play in the BZPRPG all happens through text and writing; a back-and-forth of IC posts describing the actions and interactions of your characters, and occasionally out-of-character (OOC) asides. As an example, here’s a very simple “intro post” for a new character, involving both IC and OOC content. That’s a very simple demonstration of what a post in the BZPRPG looks like. But what does the game look like when different players’ characters interact with each other? Here’s a sample post interaction between two characters we all know, if you still don’t quite get it… I could go on like this forever, but I think you get the idea of how game-play works. Note how both Zaktan’s and Jaller’s “players” left each other opportunities to parry the other’s attacks, rather than auto-hitting, or scoring blows without letting the other player respond. Also that, when dealt a blow which wouldn’t be avoidable, Zaktan’s player was reasonable, and let Zaktan be injured – this is the right thing to do as a player. When the players had things to say which their characters weren’t saying – things that didn’t move the story forward in a narrative sense – they used the required “OOC” tag. Q: Geez, those example posts were lame and boring. How can I write better than you just did? How do I improve my post quality? A: The answer is simple: practice makes perfect. The more you play, the more you grow as a writer, and the more you write, the better your posts will be. Personally, I’d recommend fleshing out even small posts by writing about your character’s thoughts and feelings, and not just her/his actions and dialogue… this’ll develop your understanding of the character’s personality and make her/him more interesting for both you and other players. Read the posts of veteran players for some good examples of this in action, and try to emulate the levels of vocabulary and character development they have in their posts. Q: Does it matter how I write my posts? Is there any required format to posting? A: Nope. You can write in first person, third person, or however you like – playing around with different narrative methods will help you find the one you feel the most comfortable with (most players opt to use third person). As long as what your character is doing to interact with other characters is clear, the style in which you write is unrestricted. The only required part of any post in a location topic is the use of “IC:” and “OOC:” tags where appropriate. Q: Great, I get how to play. But how do I get other players to interact with my character? A: The first thing you have to do with a new character is post IC as her/him. Once that’s happened, and your character officially “exists” in the world of the game, she/he can be interacted with. Good ways to advertise your character’s availability for interaction are to say “OOC: Open for interaction” at the end of your IC post, or to post something like “______ (your character) is open for interaction in/at ______ (their location)” in the News and Discussion Topic. Q: Interaction with other players is a bit dry at the moment; can my characters interact with other characters that I also control? A: Yeah, that’s allowed, but it’s no fun to play alone. Branch out! Q: Branch out, okay, I’ll try going somewhere else. How do I move my character from one location topic to another? A: Finish your IC post with something like “OOC: ______ (your character) to ______ (the desired location topic)” and then you can make your next post as that character in the desired location topic. Q: This is a fantasy game, right? So how realistic should my posts/characters be? And should it be earth realism or BIONICLE realism? A: The BZPRPG concerns itself with a world full of magic as well as science; in discussions of realism, a degree of stuff can and should be dismissed with a shrug of “eh, magic.” Other times, though, bearing in mind the laws of physics is important. In this game, realism is generally applied as an equalizer. After all, if everyone plays on the same plane of “realism” (quotation marks employed because fire-slinging beings, laser vision, and powered masks scientifically don’t make sense) then there’s a leveler playing field in combat and other interactions. Take a look at Friar Tuck's Guide to Common Sense to get a feel for when the staff considers it important to defer to earth realism. Insofar as the realism of your character goes, we try not to think too hard about BIONICLE species anatomy (percentage organic vs. robotic?), the way elemental powers function (how does a Toa of Stone make rocks appear from nothing?) and other paradoxes regarding the ways Toa, Skakdi, etc. tick given our scientific understanding of the world. For the most part, species in the BZPRPG exist the same way as they do in the BIONICLE canon; however, the BZPRPG recognizes a few differences, like reproduction and the ingestion of food, things that make them more like humans. General rule of thumb for the sake of equality is to think of characters’ physical limits and processes as being like those of humans, because we as players are all familiar with how the human body works. Q: That player just did something that wasn’t fair. What do I do if I see someone playing unfairly? A: If you feel someone is god-modding or being unrealistic, send him or her a PM and discuss your concerns in a polite manner. If they do not cooperate and you still feel that person was playing unfairly, PM one of the BZPRPG staff and we will get involved. Please do not call the god-modder out in the News and Discussion topic; that only creates useless drama and ill feeling among the player base. Q: I’m a bit embarrassed to ask, but what do I do if I'm accused of playing unfairly? A: In my experience, accusations of unfair play happen most often during player-on-player IC combat, when blood can get high. You might be affronted or angry that someone has accused you of playing unfairly. If this is the case, please do your best to keep a level head as you proceed. Reread your “offending” post and all the posts that pertain to the situation you're in. Now consider from as objective a standpoint as you can whether your post is realistic, doesn’t god-mod, and is fair. Be considerate of the concerns of others related to your work; most of the time, it really won’t set your character back too far to retract or edit whatever content you posted that someone else considered unfair. If you still think your post was legitimate (or if you're not sure), send it to a staffer to be safe. We will look over the situation and let you know. Q: You’ve referenced “veterans” a few times. Who are these veterans I keep hearing about? A: Veterans are members who have been involved in the BZPRPG for a long period of time. These are the people with experience under their belts; veterans are the ones who generally know what they’re doing. They are learned in playing the BZPRPG, and so will often share their wisdom with newer players. While the word of veterans has no official weight, their advice is by and large to be taken, seeing as they have been playing text-based RPGs a long time. Veterans, though sometimes whiney, aloof, and change-adverse, are on the whole players who care about the game. Give them the respect they’ve earned. Q: Can I create my own organization/shop? Are there official channels I have to go through to do this? Do I get any special benefits? A: You are more than welcome to form groups and set up shops IC, and you don’t need staff permission to do so, but you have to do all the work yourself. You don't get any official location, NPCs or other benefits given to you. You can only work with what your character – or characters, if you’re collaborating with other players – is allowed to access and control under normal circumstances. If you want your meeting location to be a clubhouse, abandoned warehouse, or a personal underground lab, that’s okay; however, you have to “build” or “find” the location IC, which isn’t supposed to be easy. Q: I want my character to originally come from Bara Magna, Karda Nui, or somewhere else exotic. Can my character’s back-story involve foreign places? A: Sorry to harsh your buzz, but that’s not okay. Here’s the thing about the BZPRPG universe: it isn’t the BIONICLE universe, not exactly. Although ours is a game founded in many parts of the BIONICLE canon, there are parts of the canon that we deliberately discard or ignore, notably among those almost every known location, several known species, and a truckload of universe history. For example: the BZPRPG world isn’t actually a giant robot body; there’s only one Makuta in our universe, and he’s a primeval force of darkness; there aren’t Dark Hunters; what’s a Bohrok?; etc. Disregarding these discrepancies by, say, stating in your character’s profile that she/he is originally from Metru Nui and was once a Dark Hunter would therefore be contrary to the fabric of the BZPRPG world. Q: So let me get this straight: I’m not allowed to refer IC or in my character’s profile to… well, to what exactly? What elements of the BIONICLE canon exist in the BZPRPG? A: Unless something from the BIONICLE canon is explicitly acknowledged by a staff source to exist in the BZPRPG, it cannot be assumed to exist in the BZPRPG universe. To get a better feel of the BZPRPG world and how it’s diverged from the BIONICLE timeline, take a look at the Plot Overview that can be found in the following post, in the various location topics, and in the allowed lists in the Profiles Topic. If something from the BIONICLE canon isn’t mentioned in any of those places, odds are good it’s not part of our game universe. If you’ve still got questions as to whether a particular part of the BIONICLE canon exists in the BZPRPG, just ask a staff member for clarification. Q: What’s the policy on alternate dimensions? I want to play as a Toa that’s been transported to Mata Nui from an alternate dimension by a Kanohi Olmak— A: Whoa there, tiger. Here in the BZPRPG, we like to avoid the headaches that come with rends in space and time; as a general rule, playing around with alternate dimensions isn’t allowed. Just keep your character’s back-story simple; it’ll be easier for everyone. Remember, it’s more important what your character actually does IC than what you get to say she/he did in the past! Q: Gee whiz Aaron, this has been ever so helpful! Any last advice? A: Of course! My biggest piece of advice is this: you as a player are separate from your characters, and therefore the wellbeing of your characters isn't necessarily the same as your wellbeing as a player. I find that there's actually an inverse relationship, there; I know that some of what I feel has been my best work in this game has stemmed from my characters' miseries. The BZPRPG isn't a game about "winning;" it's a game about story, and the best stories (the only stories people actually find compelling) involve adversity. A character in a bad spot is usually more fun to write than a character that's still doing swimmingly, and you as a player lose nothing from the character's setbacks. Your character "losing" or "winning" against another player's character isn't you losing/winning to that player. It's illogical and unbecoming for you to take the wins/losses of your character personally. ~~~ Well, I hope that all this has been useful to you. Please don’t post in this topic; if you’ve got a question or comment, you can either PM a staff member, or post in the News and Discussion Topic. Once again, welcome to the BZPRPG. You’re gonna have a fantastic time.

In this case, I fully intend to reward with something nice.

This guy could use a serious hand... and whoever gives him one will be rewarded.

Yeah, it's possible. While Mangaia is dangerous (Rahkshi are only one known threat, and they're a serious one), and you're encouraged to play it as such if/when your character goes down there, the Vault and the Abettor are accessible to whomever would like to see them. Um... I meant the stone on Mount Koshiki. Wasn't sure what to call it. Sorry. The same thing applies - if you're not afraid of dragons, toxic fumes, and a tetchy Abettor, then it's wide open for you. The difference with the Kentoku riddle's site is that there's little to no precedent to journey to it; while on Mata Nui, everyone knows about the Vault and can guess its significance, on Kentoku the site is obscure and confusing without a guarantee of importance.

Yeah, it's possible. While Mangaia is dangerous (Rahkshi are only one known threat, and they're a serious one), and you're encouraged to play it as such if/when your character goes down there, the Vault and the Abettor are accessible to whomever would like to see them.

I agree; I find that simplicity can be elegant, and also usually lends a creation stability, which is definitely a goal of mine when I MOC. There are only a few delicate parts of Nihi - her hands, her skirt - and even these are, I think, as solidly attached to her as I could've managed. Thanks for the feedback!

Free at last, free at last... #happyfourth

IC: Zaktan could recognize a standstill when he saw one, and given his circumstances he had no qualms about leaving it. Reordin had been a diversion that Zaktan, had he not underestimated his foe’s power – and therefore the time it would take to dispose of him – would not have bothered engaging with. A measure of overconfidence was to blame, Zaktan acknowledged coolly; he might have been out of Ta-Koro with Vezok in tow precious minutes ago had he not believed his blades quicker than those of any Toa. Zaktan reminded himself that even a long record in support of his superiority in combat could not be without occasional exceptions. Reordin, faster and stronger than any Toa Zaktan had faced for quite a long time, was one such exception, for he and Zaktan were nearly equal. Never trust the pattern, Zaktan chided himself. A fight among near-equals could last a very long time, and as Zaktan was not so blindly proud that he felt it necessary to discover whether he or Reordin had the edge, it would be time wasted. It always had been time wasted; so Zaktan couldn’t afford to waste more. As he made the decision to depart his duel, the Skakdi’s objective quickly changed from killing his rival to merely delaying him. On Reordin’s next strike, Zaktan neglected to parry, instead letting the Toa of Ice’s axe fall through the center of his body. Reordin, by now acclimated to this trick, didn’t follow through on the strike; he pulled back so as not to overbalance himself, and then skirted to the side to dodge Zaktan’s low-scything foot. The torque from Zaktan’s leg moved all the way up his body and into his Zamor Launcher hand, which came at the side of Reordin’s laterally strafing head. Reordin ducked, but not soon enough; one of the prongs of the launcher cracked him above the ear, sending him stumbling dazedly. But Zaktan didn’t pounce on the unbalanced Reordin; he had no reason to prolong his fight any longer. The Skakdi loped on his flat feet to the edge of the roof and jumped unceremoniously down off it, falling into an alley below. Through the residual blurriness that quickly faded from his eyes, Reordin looked up in time to see Zaktan’s form sink below the rim of the roof. Dizzily, the Toa of Ice made his way over to the edge and looked down at the alley; aside from a few crates, a discarded Guardsman’s shield, and a street vendor’s abandoned cart, the narrow lane on the side of the building was empty. Beyond the alley on either side, though, there was lots of movement, shrouded by an oncoming cloud of thick Lavapool smoke carried by the wind; Zaktan, wherever he’d gone, had easily disappeared into it. Shaking his head, trying to rid himself of the ringing in his ears, Reordin followed his enemy’s example and leapt down, catching himself on a pillar of ice before hitting the earth. Which way had Zaktan gone? Reordin’s practiced eyes looked for clues, and he noticed that the film of soot that always seemed to be covering things in Ta-Koro was noticeably disturbed on the right side of the alley. Reordin could think of only one reason that could be. A couple of seconds after Reordin made his choice, jogged to the right, and was lost in the smoke – which started to seep into the narrow alley – another sort of smoke rose, as though stirred by a contrasting wind, up off the alleyway’s detritus. The film of what had seemed to be soot that’d covered all the items there conglomerated in midair, buzzing and shifting as it quickly composed itself back into Zaktan. Corporeal again, the Skakdi’s constantly melting hand quested under one of the crates, pulling out his Zamor Launcher, while the pincers of his scissor pried up the Guardsman’s shield and retrieved the vial of Antidermis from its hiding place. Equipped again, Zaktan exited the alleyway to his left, intent on finding Vezok – and only Vezok – and getting to the Dark Walk, and eventually Mangaia, as soon as possible. … Of course, with the Piraka, things never worked out so cleanly. Zaktan found Vezok fairly quickly. He was, as luck would have it, in a neighboring alley; less luckily, he was with Avak, and the two were in the midst of a close-quarters melee against a small assembly of Ta-Koro’s protectors, including a powerful Toa of Air who seemed equipped with a flashing teleportation ability. Loath though Zaktan was to bring another of the Piraka along, Avak was essentially innocuous without his trinkets, and wasn’t the type to lead insubordination (though he was more than happy to follow it when it came around, if he saw safe profit in it). In conjunction with Vezok – volatile, but easily malleable, also not a leader – Avak was, Zaktan decided, harmless; and, besides, Zaktan didn’t have time to get choosey. Shortly after Zaktan joined the two other Skakdi in repulsing their enemies – he entered the fray by knocking out the Toa of Air with a surprise blow to the back of the head; the rest didn’t stand much chance thereafter, and most ran away (to Vezok’s disappointment, Zaktan insisted that there wasn’t time to pursue them) – Thok reappeared, bearing Vezok’s weapons and his typical, irritating smile. With deliberate airiness, as he passed Vezok his water harpoon, Thok mentioned that he’d barely escaped from a mountainous Toa of Earth, and that the hero was bound to show up any moment. Once again, pressed now by the impending arrival of the powerful Toa team he’d already seen several of rather than by his desire to leave Ta-Koro with only one minion, Zaktan accepted another of the Piraka into his group, but this time it was with much greater annoyance. Thok’s snide remarks were the least of his disruptive qualities; Zaktan knew that Thok had the patience to lie low until the opportune moment, and that he would certainly try to use the other two Piraka against Zaktan, which would be an inconvenience – but not a threat – later on. Before any of the four Piraka even had the chance to finish off the Toa of Air, who lay comatose and spread-eagled on the ground as they bickered for a few precious seconds over their preferred methods of disembowelment, a broad-shouldered silhouette blocked one end of the alley. With heavy, flying fists of earth – one of which winded Avak as it caught him in the gut – and swipes of a long staff, the colossal Toa, shrouded in smoke, forced the four Skakdi away from his fallen comrade. Under fire, the Piraka popped out of the opposite end of the alley like Patero shot. Zaktan, hoping to use the scramble and the thickening smoke to his advantage, pulled Vezok by the forearm, and the two darted into another corridor of Ta-Koro’s urban maze, intent on outrunning the others. This was ultimately in vain; as Zaktan and Vezok emerged into an empty plaza thus far untouched by smoke or combat, they found Hakann idling there, chipping absently away at the wall of some Matoran’s house with his eyes far away as if he’d been deep in nefarious thought. The appearance of Zaktan and Vezok – and of Avak and Thok colliding gracelessly with their backs as they stopped abruptly at the sight of Hakann – pulled Hakann promptly back to the present, and he made a quip or three before Zaktan suggested between his teeth that the Piraka leave Ta-Koro with all possible speed. By now, Zaktan was quite annoyed by the way things were going; Hakann had been the Piraka he’d sought most to lose in Ta-Koro. Greedy, wrathful, sardonic, and cruel, Hakann was predictable; he was also predictably a thorn in Zaktan’s side. He ignited the mutinous thoughts of the group, and loved destruction for its own sake. Zaktan hated having to use blunt tools. The appearance of Reidak was hardly a surprise, given the pattern Zaktan had faced thus far. The wall of one of the buildings lining the square shattered as Reidak was thrown, back first, through it. He landed on his rump and skidded along the dirty earth for a few feet. Out of the hole his soaring form had created, a slightly hunched, fiendish-looking Toa of Fire emerged, as did a Toa of Water with a staff. Reidak, who had gotten to his feet, met their assaults without giving up much ground. A savage kick sent the Toa of Water crashing away, and a wide arc of his buzzsaw kept the fire-fiend at bay for a beat. It was long enough for Reidak to notice the rest of the Piraka, arranged in a picture-perfect clump, watching him. After a moment’s bemusement, Reidak roared and ran straight towards them; the two Toa followed, and were met by a solid line of projectile weapons raised in such perfect unison that their draws could have been choreographed. The two Toa skittered to a halt; Thok giggled. From various alleyways, rooftops, and buildings, four other Toa rocketed into the square to join their teammates. Zaktan spotted the Toa of Ice from before, as well as the hulking Toa of Earth from the alley, the Toa of Air – revived, with a mean bruise on the back of his head, which would probably debilitate him from using his mask – and a pompous Toa of Stone wielding a halberd. In the middle of the Ta-Koro square, the six Piraka faced the six Toa Maru. Eyes met and narrowed; grips tightened around weapons; feet scuffed the dusty, ashy earth. There was a moment of silence that was almost reverent. Then, Zaktan turned tail and ran away. Whooping and laughing like children playing tag, spines and armaments splayed wild with their impertinence towards life, the other five followed him, and the Toa Maru gave chase. Houses were hurdled, pedestrians pummeled, shops shaken, alleys abused, roads rampaged, and buildings blasted in the ensuing, pell-mell run of the Piraka. They bounded across the Koro with wicked speed and disregard for damages; on their tails, the Toa Maru proceeded as carefully as they could without sacrificing their velocity. The twelve runners – exhibiting the athleticism of jumpers, acrobats, and even (on one instance, involving Vezok and a Madu Cabolo) Kohlii players – exchanged shots of every variety as they sprinted, missing a foe here, grazing a foe there, accidentally-on-purpose setting property on fire and spreading Jitter around the Koro. The Piraka jeered and chortled and made raspberries at their pursuers, and at each other’s misfortunes. Zaktan was the only one of his gang not enraptured by the highs of speed and chaos. The front of the pack of the pursued, he led his gang with purpose to the outer wall of the Koro, where the bridge across the Lava Lake – and, beyond that, the Dark Walk – waited for them. Even as guards watched the progress of the Piraka from below, they made no attempt to lower the bridge and trap the gang with the Maru; Akiri Jaller must have decided that, if a grand confrontation between the two potent forces was to occur, he would not stand in the way of allowing it to happen somewhere other than in his already ravaged Koro. When Zaktan made it to the wall, he hopped from his last rooftop onto the ramparts, which he and the rest of the gang vaulted systematically over. There were no arrows at their backs, because the defenders of the Koro were afraid of hitting the Maru, who were still hot on the Piraka’s heels. Dodging their Toa pursuer’s elemental blasts over their shoulders, the Piraka dashed across the bridge, towards the black maw shallowly situated from the edge of the Lava Lake. Reidak almost succeeded in pushing Thok off the side of the bridge while they ran; unfortunately for Reidak, a powerful jet of water from Leah hit Thok squarely in the back simultaneously, propelling him far enough forward that he caught a crag on the lip of the perpendicular edge of the lake, and was able to scramble to the surface just in time to duck Oreius’ fireball. The Piraka were mere strides away from the Dark Walk, and the Maru were mere strides behind them. “Avak!” Zaktan screeched as he passed inside. “Collapse the—“ “Tunnel, he knows!” Hakann roared as the rim of the passage passed over his head. “Yeah!” Avak hollered, both in agreement and in outrage for having been spoken for. As soon as he was past the entrance, Avak aimed his Seismic Pickaxe indiscriminately behind himself and up, and fired. Whether he’d made recent improvements to his weapon or he’d just gotten lucky was unclear, but the result was the same: the bolt of energy from the Pickaxe hit the roof of the tunnel and, with a rumble, the ceiling began to fall. Just as the last of the Piraka – Thok, throwing ornate curses at Reidak in front of him – got into the tunnel, the rain of dust and pebbles became a cascade of boulders. Reordin, who had been at the front of the pack of Maru, barely stopped short enough not to be hit by any of the falling rocks. The Dark Walk’s mouth was totally blocked within moments; the Piraka, their jubilant, colorful hollers fueled by the adrenaline of their escape and the lust of their latest destruction, continued to run further down its gullet. Zaktan, against his will, would escort them all to the power that waited in the heart of dark places. He felt the vial of Antidermis slosh anticipatorily. OOC: Piraka to Kini-Nui.

I was between green or red for the skirt, but seeing as red is the family color of an enemy (and I only had the parts I needed in bright red), I opted to go with the green. It was a less obtrusive color, too, which I thought was more fitting for her character. She'll be at Brickfair, alright! Glad to know you enjoy the Kentoku Archipelago! It wasn't all my creation - the Dasaka society was, originally, a brainchild of Friar Tuck's - but I'm happy that an outside perspective still finds it interesting. Mata blue is used as a secondary color in several places in the body of the MOC; because I wanted for the sash to be discrete from the rest of Nihi, it wouldn't have been a feasible color choice. I wanted to use blue, and in a perfect world I would've employed sky blue... however, my parts assortment in that hue was sadly limited. As for the Dalu Rau, that was actually my second choice; I originally had Nihi outfitted in the Nokama-colored one, but then my dog chewed it up when I left it unattended on the floor. I'm happy that the brighter version worked out as well, if not better, than the original.

I make things sometimes. Anyone who makes an up-to-date Wiki page for Nihi will earn my (and probably Ghosthands') love.

Hey guys! This is Nihi. She's one of my characters from the BZPRPG, a Menti warrior of the Dasaka species (What's that?). Nihi, though being just a lowly warrior in the Dasaka's rigid caste system, is frequently entangled by fortune (or misfortune) in situations a little bit out of her league. She's dealt and conversed with princesses, sparked public debates, visited foreign lands, and been wronged by the infamous Piraka. This build took me, on and off, about a week to finish. The hardest part to get the way I wanted it was the torso. I had a lot of fun trying to implement Nihi's Dasaka crystal armor in the right way. Click pictures for bigger versions on Flickr. Thanks for looking! Any comments/critiques you have are welcomed. In which Grokk makes an unfavorable first impression...

IC: "It's alright," Nihi assured, and she meant it, but probably not in the way Desdemona interpreted. "I never expect pleasant stories anymore; true stories are the most valuable kind I can ask for, these days." Though she wasn't awed by the princess herself, Nihi was a bit amazed and bemused as to why anyone - let alone a royal Umbraline - would reveal her troubled past so readily to someone else - let alone a mere Menti warrior - on a first encounter. It puzzled Nihi, but maybe that was because her strategy had lately been to keep her own pain within herself, where she could bottle it and it couldn't hurt people. Even her friends (did she have any? Saru might have counted, and yet Nihi hadn't felt compelled to say hello just a minute before) weren't privy to Nihi's feelings; indeed, Nihi herself was hardly privy to Nihi's feelings, so deeply were they buried within her chest. Nothing could really stir her anymore, not since Nachi - the real Nachi, Nihi had come to realize, because the husk of her sister that she visited these days was just a shadow puppet that Nihi played with to stir her fermenting pot of memories - had been seized from her. Nihi accepted the realization of her own emotional numbness - and, to top that off, the realization of the futility of her relationship with her sister's empty body - without stinging pain; these were merely new layers to the ache that sought to pulverize her bones. Desdemona's pain wasn't another degree of soreness, though; if anything, it lightened Nihi's load. Just like Nihi, Desdemona had lost her true sister; but in Desdemona's case, that sister had been lost before she could remember. While the Chaotic Six had robbed Nihi of her very tangible relationship with Nachi, now-Rora Yumiwa's lifelong frigidity stole from Desdemona a lifetime of potential love. Nihi and Nachi had shared countless laughs; Desdemona and Yumiwa had probably had few enough to count on one hand. Nihi's heart cracked like a vase; in breaking ever so slightly, some of its oil was able to leak forth. "My sister and I shared a deep love," Nihi said. "So deep that she and I were preparing to become Twin Souls. We didn't tell many people about that, it was a silly idea to try so late... She isn't dead, but she's gone from my world. Your sister has been gone for as long as you've known her, and now your mother is gone too; you're really alone, like I am. Having been here a while, I can tell you that it isn't as bad as you might think it is."

The island of Sado is almost entirely taken up by the huge structure conglomeration known as the Imperial Palace. Most would just refer to the Kentoku urban center as Sado, though, since the undeveloped part of the Imperial Palace's island is really just one short beach.