BULiK

IC: Vrill [Po-Koro, Fenn Legal Clinic] "We're nowhere close to being done," Vrill responded. "If there are any more evidence or leads it's going to be in my city, one place or another."

IC: Vrill [Po-Koro, Fenn Legal Clinic] In the heart of the Sanctum's fortress, Korzaa gestured for Vrill to shut the door, waiting to continue until there was no chance of being overheard. After he complied, she revealed his next assignment: “You are going to continue your investigation. There is a new Akiri now, and like his predecessor, I don’t know him as well as I need to. I need you to pay special attention to his business dealings, aiming to uncover anything that might prove a potential threat to the security of the village. You have my official authorization to take your investigations to the other Koros, if that is where they bring you. I have no leads except my suspicions." "I am giving you complete discretion as to how you conduct this investigation and what you focus on, but remember that no one is to know about these orders besides the two of us.” Korzaa had good reason to fear this investigation leaking: it would look bad for her, discredit any true findings, and otherwise fracture and cause further instability in a city sorely lacking it. Press might claim that Vrill's investigation was a crime in and of itself, and working with another Koro to carry it out, especially with Renaka's seal of approval, would not help him shake that accusation if it came to pass. His captain's orders were extraordinarily clear, and the risks were self evident... but Vrill knew that orders were merely a suggestion, a way of communicating the thing that truly mattered: intent. Disobeying orders to carry out the intent of the commanding officer, while insubordination by most definitions and an extremely risky maneuver by any account, was sometimes necessary to complete the mission, for every mission differed from the plan once seen in the chaos of reality. Vrill needed Fenn's expertise to complete his mission. Fenn needed the truth to be an asset - not because he needed the truth, but because otherwise, Fenn would cut himself loose and be a thorn in Vrill's side, potentially causing a greater risk of mission compromise than if Vrill told the truth. After a silent moment of considering the aforementioned calculus, Vrill spoke softly. "Tarkhan. Hired the Kalta, so I started there."

IC: Vrill [Po-Koro, Fenn Legal Clinic] "Nice lock," Vrill said with all honestly. Not that he hadn't already taken note of the security measures earlier, but still. The Cy-Toa stood still, his posture speaking to the fact that he knew the Fa-Toa had something in mind to elaborate on. After a brief silence, he took the bait. "Something bothering you?" Based on Fenn's tone, it was clear what he had in mind, but Vrill wasn't known for his directness. Not that he was known for anything, for that matter.

IC: Vrill [Po-Koro, Streets] The veteran Sanctum guardsman didn't have to guess Reo's opinion, but then again, assumptions were dangerous. He didn't expect be looking to find two Maru so soon - the poster-boy heroes weren't normally within the agent's purview. "Couldn't hurt to ask," Vrill smoothly responded, letting Fenn take the lead back to his establishment. Shockingly, Vrill wasn't that talkative on the way there. For most of the journey, he simply observed the denizens of the desert city and mulled over his own plans in his mind. Approaching the Kalta directly was obviously a bad idea - the last thing Vrill needed was for them to know they were under investigation, or worse, that they weren't the main targets of it. However, while Muirtagh saw Ko-Koro's other defenders as his entryway into the Kalta psyche, Vrill's thoughts drew towards their environs for something a little more concrete; if the Kalta were hiding something, any physical evidence would probably be in their new base of operations... if Vrill could get inside without drawing attention. But only if there was a good opening - for now, Fenn's way was a safer bet until they had more information.

I just created a new set of keys and updated the spreadsheet. Try them now.

OOC: Recommended 5 minute window: IC: Vrill [Po-Koro, Streets] Po-Koro had given him everything he expected it could. Ta-Koro only had a cold case that hinged on antidermis - same with Ga. Fenn was on the right track with the connections between Tarkhan and Onu... but there wasn't much to go off of yet, and besides; Stannis and Ra'lhen were in the midst of diplomacy there on Po's behalf, and getting mixed up with them would only slow things down. Their visit to Stannis turning into a visit with Renaka had cost Vrill his cover but gained them something an undercover cop usually lacked: displayable authority. That seal could get them into a lot of places without causing nearly as much fuss as Vrill's alternative methods. Solid alibis were in short supply in his line of work. Soon after they had strolled out of earshot from the Akiri's residence, Vrill turned to his partner in crime (solving) and began to synchronize his plan with whatever was undoubtedly cooking up in Fenn's mind. "Ko?"

OOC: "... and a real Toa..." IC: Vrill [Po-Koro, Akiri Renaka's Home] Vrill may not have been the best person. In fact, from any objective frame of reference, that was almost certainly true. He wasn't the best person, nor was he good at being a person... but did he understand people? He would say he knew them all too well, but truthfully, the Cy-Toa didn't understand so much as recognize. Vrill was an observer, and his Kanohi had given him the power to do so at an unparalleled temporal resolution. With that power, he'd seen so many microscopic moments in his time as a Toa; the subtle flickers of optics, the shifting of one's weight, the dancing of fingers... (Did he know what each felt like?) The Ko-Koronan didn't need to use his Kanohi to see those tells anymore, the slowness gave a smooth clarity that made his comprehension in real time nearly as fast and accurate. A valuable skill in his line of work. That skill is a part of what made him, in his own way, a people person. That skill is why he knew that any pause in real time spoke volumes, for its weight was exponentially increased the slower Vrill had seen a face go through that subroutine. Despite asking for it for practical purposes, Fenn wasn't sure if he was ready for what Renaka gave him, or if it was what he truly wanted. As the two Po-Koronans made their exchange, Vrill stealthily took a few steps backwards and spun around to face the exit, already unholstering a cigarette from a hidden sleeve as he opened the door with his dominant hand. He leaned against the door, propping the threshold open until Fenn finished his consignment and exited with him. It was as much a sign of respect as it was mistrust - teams stuck together, but only teams that could trust each other the most could truly act independently. Vrill had the capacity for trust... but only as much as he could verify. It wasn't a problem to leave the Akiri and the lawyer alone, but would Vrill if he could help it? Not a chance. The spring loaded flick of a stamped metal shell. The abrasive irregularity of flint and steel. The soft hum of a warm flame. Vrill's lighter snapped shut, wisps of smoke drifting from his Kanohi as he gave a puff and looked to Muirtagh. Orange lenses grew over his eyeholes once more as the sunlight raced inside. There was a long road ahead of the unlikely duo.

IC: Varqui [The Eyries] "What other purpose would those banners serve?" Varqui retorted, pointing at the clearly visible and completely-within-the-realm-of-description flags and draped ensigns emblazoned with a probably-recognizable insignia roughly resembling a coat of arms. "I'm pretty sure it's something to do with who runs this particular encampment. Maybe." The Vo-Skakdi sighed in a rare moment of admitting something outside of his vast worldly knowledge. "I've got hardly a clue about Kaiakan culture. Guess I assumed since you Lester;Nii live close by, that you would be familiar with your neighbors. My mistake, clearly." Varqui paused. Perhaps he was asking the wrong questions. It was easy to forget that he had one of Seprilli's most vast reserves of living knowledge by his side... albeit said vast reserve of knowledge was entirely restricted to the research area of wines, spirits, and all other means of intoxication. He looked to Merrill with a sinister glint in his optics. "Do the Kaiakans store their ale here?"

IC: Varqui [The Eyries] The mountain king liked Merrill much less when she was beginning to sober. "If I do not succeed, then you can consider the prophecy false. Luckily for us all, that will not happen." He stopped in his tracks for a moment, gazing down at a small village below on the path ahead. One of the many Kaiakan settlements in the Eyries. The Vo-Skakdi crouched down and pointed at the assorted huts. "Have you been to the Eyries before? Do you recognize this clan's banners?"

IC: Vrill [Po-Koro, Akiri Renaka's Home] Vrill's arms restlessly rested at his sides after completing the handshake. He truly was ready to leave, thinking there was nothing more to discuss with the Akiri, but Fenn's idea was a good one. Vrill might have even thought of that himself, but it had been a long time since the Sanctum's spy had needed to flash a badge. In fact, his best work was often done without needing it, but the Cy-Toa begrudgingly admitted that sometimes there were benefits to generating a paper trail. After a moment of thought, Vrill realized that it had been some time since Fenn had worn a badge - albeit for entirely different reasons to himself. Given that, it was certainly a sign of respect for the former Sentinel detective to be asking his new Akiri for an official seal assigning her authority to this investigation. Maybe this meant Fenn was getting cozier with the idea of working for The Man again, providing that that man was indeed an honorable one... though Hewkii was a low bar. On the other hand, maybe it was just a temporary alignment of interests.

IC: Varqui [High Eyrie, Summit] "Well, there probably was a version that rhymes but nobody memorized it before it was burnt to ash. It's an ancient text - they don't just print prophecies at the newspaper stand in bulk."

IC: Varqui [High Eyrie, Summit] "All this talk - what are you, some kind of psycho-ia?-ologist?" Varqui countered, scouring his vocabulary in real time.

IC: Varqui [High Eyrie, Summit] The warlord-in-training didn't slow his pace any further at the question, although he was silent longer than usual. "You don't remember? The ancient legend of the mountain king?" he boasted. "I explained it to you las-" The Vo-Skakdi trailed off. To be honest, Varqui's memories from the bar last night were similarly hazy to Merrill's. "It's a legend in tomes that were burned across the mainland, predicting the rise of a warlord that would bring glory to Skakdi once more and subjugate all worlds. This champion was destined to become great warlord and unite the clans to shatter the curses of the Vortixx, and bring alignment to society." "This Skakdi would be doubted by many, but after becoming the first to climb all three peaks of the end of all worlds, the mountain king would look upon his kingdom with the eyes of a true Dii and with that wisdom, become a just and balanced ruler of all. After many other trials and tribulations of course - reaching for the stars is merely the first step in my ascension." Throughout his speech, the bold skakdi had marched ever forwards, often gesturing dramatically to the glorious skies above. It was only at the end that he turned to look over his shoulder at his companion. "What's my deal, O' Merrill? Destiny." After a sinister grin, the skakdi looked to the unblazen trail ahead and continued his descent. "If I could give you any more proof of my divinity, it would no longer be a matter of faith. Believe my destiny or not, it matters not. Irregardless of your opinion, we will accomplish great things..."

I think the plan right now is to stop by the eyries and then hitch a ride from Jukvere to Zakaz proper, and yeah, anyone who wants to climb Zakaz's mountains, ride Tahtorak, and witness a silva;rii;dii (or die trying) is welcome to join in. The only plan is to enter as many danger zones as possible and become legends or die trying.

IC: Vrill [Po-Koro, Akiri Renaka's Home] While he may have looked almost bored or aloof, as soon as the Cy-Toa was referred to, without skipping a beat or pausing for deliberation, he uncrossed his arms and extended one towards the Akiri for a handshake. "Thank you for your time, Akiri." Despite the Ko-Koronan operative feeling above the law at times, he was by all means a professional.

Seprilli's been slow until just recently. The biggest thing going on is Varqui, my skakdi mountain climber who is going to be gathering a posse of kaiakans, lesterin, and skakdi to adventure around the most dangerous places on zakaz in his bid to become a warlord.

IC: Vrill [Po-Koro, Akiri Renaka's Home] Vrill looked to Fenn with his classic bored, almost unnervingly emotionless expression on his face. Did his lawyer have more questions? Behind his mask, the Cy-Toa was running back through his mental notes. He'd succeeded in blowing his cover to make Stannis Maru more cooperative, and now they had a sanction from another Akiri to investigate Skorm, giving Vrill the excellent cover of plausible deniability to all but his partner Fenn himself, who had yet to know how this investigation had truly come about... but was disturbingly close to the truth, despite Vrill's attempts to mask it. The only way this could get more ironic and convoluted is if Commander Tera approached and asked them to investigate Renaka... that would be too funny. Depending on the perspective, an argument could be made that Vrill was a clandestine agent of a koro, a double agent, or a triple agent. Just the way he liked it. Being able to swim that sea of ambiguity without drowning within it was the test of true tradecraft, and Vrill felt at home in those murky waters, always swimming forward like the sleek and deadly Takea.

IC: Vrill [Po-Koro, Akiri Renaka's House] A visibly unsurprised Vrill downed the last of his mug of coffee as Renaka spoke, successfully suppressing his reflex to do a spit take at the unexpected turn the conversation with Renaka went. The agent had been expecting something more... dramatic... but it appeared that there had been a détente of sorts regarding his motives and origins. Fine by him. The Cy-Toa's empty mug dissolved back into his crystalline armor as he crossed his arms, waiting for Fenn to answer how Vrill knew he would.

IC: Long Dihunai [Ga-Koro, Docks] A spark kindled on the mental plane, joining the waves of alerts and confusion. The Rora knew many eyes were on her, and that one of them was a familiar enigmatic Tajaar. ::You were just there. Coincidence?:: OOC: @Umbraline Yumiwa

IC: Varqui [High Eyrie, Summit] "It was as deep as it looked," the warlord reasoned with his chronicler. "... before I landed in it, of course." He continued to trudge through the snow with ease, occasionally spurting flame to melt a smoother path through thick ice, although this soon made his trail slippery. The Vo-Skakdi didn't show it, but he was using his x-ray vision to see what was beneath the sheet of snow and choose a path that avoided crevasses or spiky rocks underfoot. "There don't look to be any drops that steep on the way down to the Eyries," he continued. "You'll have plenty of time to walk it off." After a few moments, the perceptive commander noticed that the stream of curses from Merrill had grown fainter - she was clearly having trouble keeping up. He turned around and fired his grappling hook in an arc just over Merrill's head, the many-spiked projectile landing a few bio beyond the Lesterin. He pressed a button on his gauntlet and it began to slowly retract as he turned around to continue his descending march, clearly expecting her to grab hold to not slow him down any further.

OOC: Recommended listening: IC: Kreigero [Echelon's Lair] The veil of plausible deniability was not lowered, so much as its pretense had been missing from the start. Aerus's words had no visible effect on Kreigero, for to enter the drifts willingly was to accept one's death. To do so with strangers, doubly so. Through a storm? Thrice that. With Makuta's whispers beneath the Rahi's howls? Tenfold. In the presence of dragons? One could only hope to see such beauty before their assured demise. Each step further from Ko-Koro was a compounding inevitability unto itself where all trails led to Ihu's embrace. Mount Ihu had blessed Kreigero in her time as much as it had cursed her, and to the survivalist, this was the beauty of life's cycles and the universe's revolutions. Danger is liberating. The presence of threat frees the mind, unplugging it from routine and overclocking it beyond its self-imposed constraints. Higher risks, higher rewards. Danger incites a dynamic cycle of split-second decision-making that speaks to the primal core of every being. The mind running on its raw hardware instead of limited by its own abstractions. In face of certain danger, a Kofo-Jaga will become a dragon. A Hapaka? A Muaka. But a Matoran? Equally so, when in true danger, a Matoran is within their truest form. They do not "think, because they are", as Ko-Koronan scholars have long touted; in true danger, a Matoran simply is. Danger forces the mind to not recursively classify itself above all. Danger forces a matoran to feel, not think, and within those feelings are the magnificent and deadly truths of reality, forged on the laws of the nature by Mata Nui's great hammer. Danger forces the mind and body act in unison, in a impossibly beautiful balance, where a matoran's spirit is united with the duty of their body, and their metastasized soul decides their destiny. All qualities of a Matoran act as one and with their actions define themself as a living whole greater than the sum of their constituent parts. Thus, danger empowers a Matoran to become their true self, tap into all the powers when looking into their hearts. Danger bred heroes and martyrs, and was the gateway to Artakha itself. It was in this peril that a bloodied Kreigero chose to engage in an equivalent exchange - for if fear and control were this twisted Matoran's sword and shield, then both could be disarmed by the fearless. Without his tools, his words would become as strong as he looked, and perhaps the fog he wanted to stoke would be parted to reveal the truths beyond. Kreigero would not be bullied by a sad Matoran's theatrics. "We're not from the census bureau, the building code office, or the local homeowners association, if that's what you're asking," the huntress unexpectedly replied, doing her best to mask her frigid stutter. "They already told you why we're here," Kreigero continued, the wounded Matoran momentarily tilting her head in the direction of her partners - one a comrade, the other a liability. "So I'd recommend that you ask a useful question... if you're looking for a useful answer."

IC: Kreigero [Echelon's Lair] If they were not still in immediate danger, Kreigero would have given a sigh of relief at Savrehn beginning to correct Atamai's mistakes. A recurring problem that she saw coming and should have avoided. The Massif? Atamai wasn't just a poor liar - he was an ignorant one. The huntress felt that what she was seeing, and how this went down would give her a lot to consider in terms of people, their mistakes, and their saving graces. If she lived long enough to have the space to think of it, that is. Until such a time, thoughts were best kept close and on the situation at hand. While she knew that Savrehn also felt to be a victim of circumstance like herself in this situation, they still had the ability to choose how they reacted, and that was what was on Kreigero's mind. This was a game of information, and their decrepit interrogator was clearly treating it that way with this game of twenty questions in lieu of a normal, helpful Matoran response. Kreigero did not know the right path or even if there was a safe path out of this situation, but she hoped that keeping this Vo-Matoran thinking that he held the upper hand was their best play - her factual obstinance might cause him to slip and give the explorers the information they wanted, or at the very least, not dig a deeper hole like Atamai had done. There were too many unknowns - who this Matoran was, who his Toa servant was, what they wanted, why they were out here... The only known quantity to Kreigero was that she was in danger.

IC: Kreigero [Echelon's Lair] A typical Ko-Matoran reply: "Yes."

IC: Varqui [High Eyrie, Summit] "Remember? Halfway up, you said you could jump across the Bahrikra pass, that you didn't need to double back to the nearest crossing or rely on my might." Varqui, ever the tactician, had plotted a new route down the mountain from their high view. Travelling along the ridge would take them through the Eyries and it was a steep slope, however there were less sheer drops than the way they (They as in Varqui:Vaa:Dii himself, given Merrill's multiple sources of incapacitation) had climbed up. Less sheer drops... except for the beginning. "Luckily for you, I do not leave my warriors behind, and believe you must break your limits to find them, so you have grown stronger through this," the Vo-Skakdi added as he peered over the peak to inspect a many-bio drop into a mound of unmolested snow. "Follow," he commanded. The neophyte warlord leapt from High Eyrie's peak, hitting the ground with a jingle of his gear as he tactically rolled to distribute his weight more evenly across the many inches of snow covering the summit. He stood up and shook the snow from his spine with a growl, the Skak:Dii unbothered by the landing. The force of nature that he was, Varqui could have easily created a cascading avalanche that would surely smother the Lester:Nii below, but by his grace, the mountain king let Irnakk:Dii's wishes be; the Lesteri:Nii would continue to wallow in their defeat for millennia to come, extinction being too good for their kind. Varqui didn't mind the mongrels that much himself - after all, they made excellent drinking buddies and were useful for doing the manual labor and sick jobs far below the responsibility of a God. Nonetheless, the tougher he was on the Lester:Nii, the greater his status when he returned triumphant to Lamo-Lyco-Zakaz to finish his ascension and eventually become a true warlord, so it was a necessary political stance, by the mountain king's calculations.

IC: Kreigero [Echelon's Lair, Entrance] Reyal took a step back as the door opened, but remained steadfast in front of the entrance, though the small Rahi didn't block it as much as it's posture would lead one to believe. He was utterly unsure what to make of these two newcomers, the small one seeming to be as surprised and confused as he was. Not a threat. The other one seemed cool though, before he gave Reyal the cold, unflinching stare of a predator. The Hapaka waited to see what these strangers did. Kreigero, for all her blood loss and head trauma, became distinctly aware of how utterly unequipped she was. The huntress's spear rested in two pieces on the mountainside far above, and her ice picks were embedded in an ice wall. The Ko-Matoran only carried her shield now, which had fallen into the abyss with them, and a spare dagger sheathed in the many pouches beneath her flowing white cloak, the backside of which was now stained with many drops of blood. It didn't help any that the trio was still tied around their waists with a long strand of rope - a safety measure against the snowstorm that was quickly revealing to be one of the more dangerous decisions they'd made. The trapper was glad Savrehn spoke up, but grew anxious once his train of thought slowed down "Home. We fell and d-d-don't know where we are," Kreigero stuttered. She wanted to lie, but she had a gut feeling that would only make the situation worse. These people wouldn't believe her if she said they were trying to find Ihu-Koro; that was in an entirely different direction from Ko-Koro! Perhaps the truth would be their saving grace: whoever was out here wasn't in a secret bunker because they wanted to be found, and her group certainly didn't want to find them. They truly didn't know where they were beyond a general description, and just wanted to go home. Even for all Kreigero and Savrehn's misgivings about city life, Kreigero found herself wishing to be in twisted urban city that Ko-Koro had become right about then. Actually - there was a lie that would hedge their bets. If these strangers didn't want to be found, the most reliable way to ensure their silence was death, which was unlikely to cause problems unless that meant the threat of a search party. "We've got to get b-b-back home before the boss gets worried." Maybe their idiotic historian companion would make for a more convincing story of something more important going on than a couple of hermits getting lost. It might almost make up for getting into this mess.