BULiK

Hadn't had much reason to check this topic in a while, didn't see the edit of your post that had some more survey data and thoughts. Dope to see some of my characters up there, I'm glad people enjoyed them. Even more awesome to see some characters that didn't make it to SKA still getting big mentions, like Zaliyah.

IC: Kreigero [Ko-Koro, Gates] Kreigero began walking in the correct direction.

IC: Kreigero [Ko-Koro, Gates] Another nearby mound shifted as a mysterious figure ascended from within. There was a crunch as the cavity within the mound slowly collapsed, the snow sliding down the white cloak of the Matoran and onto the ground below. A hapaka burst forth from the pile, excited by the activity. Reyal landed nearby and shook off a thick layer of snow with gusto. When his grey fur was cleared of large clumps of snow, he looked towards the two strangers while sitting on his hind legs like an attentive yet stationary guard. Kreigero capped her heatstone thermos and stowed it away in a snug holster, then leaned downwards to pick up her spear and shield from the ground - the latter of which stood out from the ruins of her miniature makeshift igloo, the closest thing the slow pile had to a load bearing wall. She strapped her shield to her back while wordlessly looking onwards at the two. Her spear she kept in hand, planting the blunt end into the ground like a walking stick. The huntress stood still, her facial expressions a mystery underneath the shemagh wrapped around the lower half of her kanohi and the dark tint of her kaukau's visor obscuring any meaning from the upper half. Facial expressions or words were unnecessary; the trapper's form was unmistakable as the stranger from last night, and her posture declared she was ready.

what if it's inside the ruins of a lesterin parthenon/colosseum

IC: Quoribay [Forsi] So, there I was - a regular spy, with Po-Koro's goons none the wiser. Thinking up the biggest score of my life. Yeah, I always had the stash if i needed it, but I wanted more, y'know? Sometimes when you're this good you need a bit of danger to up the stakes again. Thanks to my new best friend, Mr. Wire, I knew the rotations for the guards at the docks, and there was some mighty interesting stuff moving through. Like, stuff you'd never heard of before. Top secret stuff. Being sent to Forsi for final testing, probably to get out of the public's eye. Yeah, I know, right? That was what I was looking for. This gig was bigger than anything the island had seen in a while, and better yet, it was mine. But even I needed help to pull of something of this scale. So that's why, after wiping my place down for prints and taking any notes I had with me, I took a ferry down to Ga-Koro. OOC: Quoribay to Ga-Wahi

IC: Quoribay [Forsi] Alright, where was I? The talker, riiiight. So, as I was sayin', the latest gizmo spoke. Now, a savant like myself easily realized that this wasn't alive, nor was the result of magical trickery. This device was clearly electrical in nature, although I have no idea how such a machine could be made to speak - that was for someone with a far more boring life than I to discover. I had important work to do. Now, I'm not known for my note taking skills, but for once, I was actually attentive to the conversations that passed through the wires. After some experimentation and patience, I found which wire had the most interesting conversational topics: the one going from the Sentinel outpost to Forsi's port master. See, one of the first things you learn when you start stealing is to not steal when other people are paying attention. Well, duh, it really is that simple, when you get right down to it. That's why the real art of stealing comes in with how you ensure people aren't paying attention - that's why misdirection is key. If you can get control of someone's attention, you can get anything you want from them. I once knew a vortixx - a real sly karz####er - she could practically steal your Kanohi right off your face without you realizing it. How was that possible? Well, maybe you should be checking your pockets instead of focusing on me telling that story. But do focus on this story. Where was I before I lead you astray? Misdirection? No, before that: misdirection is a tool to get you in the position you want to be in: someone's attention being away from their valuables. The only tool better than getting someone to pay attention somewhere other than where you want to nab is them telling you all you need to know about their security for you. So for days, every time the port master and the guards chatted remotely with the cocky confidence of their new toys, I took notes. A little bit here, a little there, all those bits and pieces of intel as we call it in the 'biz, I could fit together like one of those puzzles Le-Koronans always try to sell Turaga. It wasn't quite full manifests, but Karz, it was close, as long as I took the time to gather the requisite context. Because they were coordinating patrols to best fit the shipments, that also meant - Oh, right, I need to- hold on, gimme a minute to talk to this guy privately, I'll be back before you know it. That is my style, after all.

so you're saying that they should have read the profile? ironic.

IC: Kreigero [Ko-Koro, Rhanus's Inn] The fact that Kreigero was looking back at Savrehn's optics trying to ask the same question was the only answer either needed. For a moment, the surprise was even visible, but all traces of it were gone before Atamai had a chance to look to his two guides for approval. That was... not a beginner slope by any means. In fact, Kreigero couldn't remember the last time she had been out that far into that region of the glaciers. On the one hand, this wouldn't be a cake walk for the newcomer, but on the bright side, going on that far a trek was actually something that appealed to Kreigero - this would be an actual test, not a tour. With backup instead of just her and her Hapaka, this shouldn't be a challenge by any means, and would build her confidence in the geography of that particular region. Unlike Savrehn, Kreigero wasn't one for keeping track of her pathways with maps. They were a suggest, not an answer - it was far more important to explore and keep track of the ever-shifting landmarks amongst the dunes of snow. Kreigero gave both Matoran a silent nod and strode confidently out into the chilly streets of Ko-Koro. Somehow they knew she would be there when the time came. It was unclear if she was walking home or somewhere else - the hunter and hapaka turned the next corner and were nowhere to be found. IC: Vrill [Ko-Koro, Sanctum, Korzaa's Office] Vrill nodded at the positive response, and shut the door casually at Korzaa's command. Korzaa's agreement with his assessment was expected - his next mission, however, was a surprise. He listened intently, his face kept stoic at the severity of these orders. Perhaps he should have expected it, and to be truthful, it was what a part of him had been hoping for something along these lines after the new Akiri's decisions regarding Ko-Koro's defense. Outsourcing to another Toa team when Reordin Maru was already their champion, pressing Ko-Matoran into service so they would have to die for the freedoms the formerly disciplined Sanctum Guard did - none of that sat right with the Cy-Toa. But he wasn't a patrolman anyhow - the plainclothes detective kept his mouth shut about such matters. "Yes ma'am," the officer responded. "Given the nature of the mission, I'll probably be going relatively dark again for a while, but I'll keep you informed about my progress when I'm able to." He gave a salute to his captain and saw himself out of her office. He carefully made his way to through the back halls of the sanctum, towards the less conspicuous secondary entrance that he'd slipped in from.

have it so that the visit was actually before the timeskip and he gave Dahkapa a big birthday cake with miniature pickaxe inside and a poster of Zataka, and the entire timeskip was him shawshanking his way out

IC: Kreigero [Ko-Koro, Rhanus's Inn] Kreigero finished packing her things as the other two matoran conversed. This Ta-Matoran was going to get himself killed, and she couldn't just... let that happen. The hunter sighed, finished her drink, and stood up. "Water. Food. Shelter. You need to have all three or a way to make them if you don't want to become a permanent part of the Wahi." She tightened her gear, double checking everything was ready to go, as she continued to speak. She raised her hood, and tightened her shemagh around her Kanohi. Only her Kaukau's black-tinted visor was visible. Reyal trotted to her side, sensing the intent in the air from the minute tells in her actions. "But before you do any of that and decide what you need to bring, you need to know where you're going."

Can't wait for those new Star Wars movies!

Looks like [Forgetful Fog]'s back on the menu, boys!

No, that old gig? We're gonna be much more professional than that. It's actually reference to something that will happen this arc, provided enough widget-loving risk-takers from the Outsiders are there to help make it happen This is the public call to arms - if you have a lawfully-dubious character that likes widgets, joyrides, trains, heists, train heists, and perhaps most importantly, fun, then I'd recommend getting them started at or near the Outsiders, because some foolhardy thief might just propose the biggest score of their lives. Expect some movement on the planning side for that soon™ So if you want to take part, getting a character to the Outsiders within the not-too-distant future is your fastest ticket to the wildest Iron Mahi ride that they'll ever see. It will certainly not be easily, and success is by no means guaranteed, but the plan is that it will at the very least be legendary. What more could a merc want?

What are the Outsiders' opinions on, say, train heists? (Asking for a friend)

IC: Kreigero [Ko-Koro, Rhanus's Inn] Sip. Silence. Still packing her bags, not giving Atamai even a glance. "Why would escorting a liability like you be worth my while? Certainly not just to prove my point." She wondered if stoking the Ta-Matoran's temper could pay off.

No one's ever really gone... I will always love how BZP brings people back, <3

IC: Kreigero [Ko-Koro, Rhanus's Inn] Kreigero began to take the supplies she bought from Rhanus. Her large snow white cloak parted further and Savrehn could see the array of pouches, straps, and tools on her natural armor underneath. It was almost beautifully chaotic - clearly organized with intention, but so personalized to be otherwise indecipherable. The Ko-Matoran began to routinely tuck each item away with ease. While Savrehn spoke like he was slowly drifting away from reality, he had spirit, and Kreigero agreed that his love for the Wahi itself was not misplaced. As Rhanus gave Savrehn a nod and began to turn back to grab a fresh ice-cold glass, Kreigero made the bartender pause for a moment when she stopped stowing her supplies to raise a hand with her index and middle finger outstretched. Two drinks. Rhanus gave another nod and complied, grabbing a pair of glasses and pouring them full with a graceful precision afforded by years of practice. Reyal jumped up on his hind legs expectantly, and with a sigh, Rhanus grabbed an icy saucer and poured some of the amber liquid inside, which the hapaka lapped up with joy. Rhanus and Kreigero didn't even look surprised. The trapper merely took a sip of her beverage. Kreigero chuckled lightly at Atamai's self-aggrandizement. He was the real hero, of course. But the pretentious lava-bones at the other end of the room clearly failed to ask himself the big question; if the Wall of Prophecy couldn't predict the invasion, or Makuta's return, what was the point of working so hard to preserve it? Those fools, looking to the stars and the ancestors instead of the enemy at their gates. In their quest to find the fair lady Destiny so she could save them, they always forgot survival wasn't mandatory. The Ko-Matoran saw an opportunity, however, and cut straight to the point. No need to waste more time "Why?" IC: Vrill [Ko-Koro, Sanctum, Korzaa's Office] Vrill stepped into the office, optics darting towards the myriad tablets and occasional scrolls from other Koro - Korzaa's cruel punishment for working her way to the top. The Cy-Toa could feel the pain and exhaustion in her voice, and see it behind her Hau. He leaned casually against the wall to the side of the door, arms crossed. Where to begin... "You no doubt already know by now, but the Hand of the Akiri and High Vizier Ambages is dead. Slain by one of Echelon's lieutenants during the occupation. They say that apparently the Hand was trying to negotiate a deal of some kind, but we'll never truly know. At the very least, he died taking a great risk for Ko-Koro, and in retrospect, maybe that's comforting." The officer paused for a moment. A moment of silence grew naturally as the thoughts of both Sanctum Guards drifted to all those who were lost. The feelings of regret and loss were inescapable to any enlisted man or woman. "There are, however, some rumors I looked into beforehand, and there are some loose ends and... coincidences in the Massif that don't make sense. I couldn't find his escorts, Guardsman Zurec and Guardsman Ardor either..." Vrill gave a frustrated sigh, his frown turning even more grim at the thought. "Mata Nui knows where they ended up in this debacle. The only other lead - the Polzin spy - has completely disappeared in the chaos as well." It was clear the detective's spirits were low. Any straight faced assessment of his investigations would conclude they were a utter failure. Vrill always wished the facts lined up, that a bigger picture could be formed from which meaning could be derived, and lessons could be learned. But this was one of those cases that kept coming back to Vrill when he looked at the bottom of his glass. A failure against the entropy of the world that drove him to do better next time. "I... wish I had more to report... but in summary, I don't think this case is getting any less cold."

IC: Kreigero [Ko-Koro, Rhanus's Inn] Kreigero looked unamused behind her kaukau's visor as she saw the gristly Matoran whose gravelly voice mirrored his grating personality. The tracker watched out of the corner of her optics as Savrehn approached. Reyal became acutely aware of the incoming alpinist as well, the hapaka warily looking up from his drink to watch the approach. The curious hound sniffed in the direction of the backpack soon after it came to rest on the ground. Was there something in there? While Savrehn wasn't recognizable as someone Kreigero knew, his appearance told her all she needed to know about why he thought they were anywhere close to the same. Surely this loudmouth wasn't what the townsfolk saw herself as? At least she had some manners. Kreigero gave a curt nod at Savrehn's introduction, responding in kind. "Kreigero." A Ta-Matoran in a fireside booth towards the back of the inn sneezed loudly, before speaking up. It might have been considered an interruption, if it seemed to anyone nearby that Kreigero intended to speak further. While the patrons would never find out if she had any more words for the mountaineer, it was clear the second interruption of the afternoon was beginning to frost over her bubbly personality. Kreigero glanced towards Atamai, her unyielding gaze cold enough to send chills through the Akaku's fancy lenses. "Your Kanohi's magnification is keeping you from seeing what's right in front of you, firespitter." It was during that remark that Rhanus silently returned, carefully carrying a stack of assorted consumables. Dehydrated fruits, cured meats, a few flasks with dubious contents, other minor amenities that couldn't be scavenged easily on the fly in the drifts. Atop it all was a neatly folded copy of Mata Nui Daily. Good kindling in a pinch. He set them on the counter in front of Kreigero, who promptly downed the last of her glass in a swig so she could give the empty container to the innkeep with a grateful nod.

IC: Quoribay [Forsi] Day 1 I'll admit, robbing the first guy I saw the first day in town was not one of my best moments - correction: not one of my smartest moves. It was a pretty good moment, if I do say so myself. I would say I can't believe I got away with it, but with me? I'd only be surprised if I didn't get away with it. Was good practice, it's been some time since I went Running with a capital R. But overall, a sloppy moment that just shows how rusty I've been. Barely even got away too. People are on edge lately. What had it been? A few days? Weeks? Since I slipped out of Ko? I needed that rush again, and as a matter of fact, that kick in the head helped me wind up seeing what was underneath me. Literally. I didn't plan on this being a setup, per se, but when I saw that many Sentinel gizmos being shipped in, I knew I had to know more. So I stayed a while. Where was I? Right. Day 5 That's when it got good. Got Real™. I'd stuck around a while, let the heat die down before making any rash movies. Mr. Nice Guy and the psycho ##### he was trying to impress had skipped town - maybe they didn't even file a report. The plan was go. See, Hewkii's goons (PLEASE can we not get political here I don't care if glup ####ing plimbo was running the Koro by this point, bear with me on the terminology) were doing lots of construction. I'm not talking huts or even buildings, they were tearing up the roads and repaving. No- no, I'm telling you there's a point here. I'd been to Forsi a few times before, and it had been growing, but this was a Po-Koro road, not a Forsi road, if you get what I mean. If you were there and had two brain cells to rub together you'd see this wasn't some average public works job, they had some real nerds running about overseeing stuff - nerdier than the usual foremen. Every time one of the Gov's buildings got renovated, they were there, hauling in some interesting crates that were kept under guard. Under guard most of the time, that is. Cut to Day 20. Mishap at the inn's kitchen. Some idiot labeled one thing the wrong way and when they started working on dinner... skadoosh? You know what I mean? I will admit, I didn't think that accident would stink up the place for so long, but it was worth it. The fascists scrambled and I got a peek inside the crate. Real high tech ####. All the bells and whistles. In fact, now that I think of it again, the contraption does actually have some bells and whistles. At least, I thought. I hadn't been able to hook it up to anything yet, but I could tell whatever this was, it was big. Problem is, who in Karz would buy it? Day 35. I had to know what it did. So, I got a hut. It did hurt my pocketbook a bit, but I needed to do this work right, I knew it would pay off later. I can scrounge up what I need to survive without dipping into my rainy day fund, I knew I'd be fine. Where was- right. So this hut I got was in the residential district, right? Between the special building with the big poles and where I'd tracked the local officer to. I knew they ran a few lines to that side of town, remembered the route from the construction before. So, as I was saying, I got this hut, has a great basement, well an unfinished basement on the road to eventual greatness. Probably meant to be a Bula wine cellar type thing, y'know? If I was designing it I'd add, like, a small couch down there or two. A pool table, maybe, would fit, but only if you put it at an angle. Solid place, if had some renovations. Renovations. Right. That's why I bought the cheapo hut. See, As soon as I bought it that's when I started to dig. It was a muaka and a half to get through the wall, but once I hit the sandstone, then it was golden. I'll skip a lot of the boring details because well, this wasn't that glorious, but it might be the most 'honest work' I'd done in my life. That had to mean it was all going for a big payout. So 35 days into the plan, I hit paydirt. Well. Okay there was a lot more to it than that, and it's more like I stopped hitting dirt, but you're catching my drift - I was one step closer to the Big Score™ I almost chipped the wires, that would have been bad. But no, I took my time to clear then out more once I was there. So, now I'm at day... ####, what day is it? I'm at the day it really starts to make sense. By now I've figured out which wires are the power wires (No, gal, I will not be recounting that story today, or, now that I think of it, ever) and which are the 'wire' wires. Hook one end of the machine up to the thing and the other bob there and press some buttons and... nothing happened. I looked at the manual from the crate all those weeks ago. I triple checked it. No, that was the setup. I was so dishearted, I wasted all that time and money to install a glorified button pusher and then THATS when I nearly fell out of my seat - The printing press from Karzahni talked to me. Hold on, I need a refill, one sec folks.

IC: Vrill [Ko-Koro, Sanctum] A Toa of Crystal slowly walked through the many halls of the sanctum. While he had the route committed to memory, he was slowed down by his own sinking hesitation and the occasional signs of graffiti and damage being repaired throughout the facility. A door on his left. ' ' Vrill knocked lightly before entering. "Captain... it's... been a while..." Uncharacteristic restraint from the Toa who always seemed to act like he knew better than command what should be done. But that was before the fall. He stood in the threshold and looked around the Ko-Matoran's office before his optics reluctantly turned to his commanding officer's Hau. "Sorry it took so long to report back in... how are things?" OOC: @Visaru

IC: Kreigero [Ko-Koro, Rhanus's Inn] It was only then that it became worthwhile for Kreigero to look over her shoulder towards the stranger addressing her. Two could play at that game. "What's yours? Heckler?" the Ko-Matoran snapped back rapidly as she observed this talkative patron, gauging his reactions.

IC: Kreigero [Ko-Koro, Rhanus's Inn] "Mhmm," came an unamused reply as Kreigero sipped her glass, the fiery beverage warming her internals. "Shame the Muaka don't see him that way." Reyal kept sloppily lapping up the water with gusto, oblivious to the conversation. There was no suspicious activity to distract him from his refreshment. Kreigero watched Rhanus silently walk to the back room. He already knew her usual requisition.

IC: Kreigero [Ko-Koro, Central Plaza] A hooded figure crunched through the snowy streets of Ko-Koro, followed closely by a confident Hapaka. The creature's shorter legs pattered rapidly to keep pace with the longer strides of its Ko-Matoran master. Kreigero strode past the plaza's many makeshift memorials. Tablets and papyrus notes were posted to the walls of the courtyard. A handful of people stood scouring the walls for names of those they knew. Even all these weeks after the recapture, so many families and friendships were being dug out from underneath the avalanche of war. Many didn't have happy endings. A Cy-Toa looking for a Su-Lesterin. A grave number in different handwriting. A Ko-Matoran trader looking for his brother. A stranger's apology and a follow up address of a shoulder to cry on. An Onu-Matoran carpenter looking for a Po-Matoran Kohlii player. No follow ups. Kreigero wondered how long the Sanctum Guard would unofficially tolerate the graffiti. The mass reunions were a large part of reunifying the city, but the tracker was beginning to see signs of pressure to return to normalcy. Maybe not pressure to forget. Maybe not pressure to forgive. But to sweep it under the rug? To overcompensate with promises of the strength of the future? You didn't have to be a tracker to see the writing on the wall there. The drifter had some sympathies for her brethren in the big city - every time she came back from her hunts, she was both heartened by the repairs and saddened by the reliance on other Koros. It sickened her to see so many flock to capitalize on the suffering of her hometown. Many traders came from outside, setting up shop in what was practically free real estate like maggots in the corpse of the once-great Koro. Few businesses from before were left unscathed. When possible, Kreigero frequented those few remaining local markets from before the siege. The duo entered Rhanus's Inn, and the warmth of the many fireplaces was an immediate relief. The owner of the eponymous establishment glanced over towards the threshold. A skilled innkeeper never truly forgot a patron, especially a regular such as Kreigero. She didn't come often, but she always did in the end. Rhanus put down the glass he was cleaning and looked under the bar for something. The Ko-Matoran emerged from beneath the bar with a bowl and a chilled glass as Kreigero sat down. The bartender placed them on the counter in front of her and deftly grabbed a bottle of an amber liquid to silently fill the glass with. The bowl he subsequently filled with a pitcher of water as the tracker precisely placed a stack of widgets on the bar. Rhanus looked at the amount, then back at the hunter's tinted visor, his blue optics saying all that needed to be said. No game this time. Shame. He scooped up the stack of widgets, looking only mildly inconvenienced. Truthfully, he was just as happy to take Kreigero's widgets as he would have been her catch, however it wasn't a good sign if one of the best trappers he knew was running into trouble this often nowadays. Were the rumors true? Were Rahi becoming more aggressive? Kreigero took the bowl of water and placed it on the ground for her Hapaka to lap up with glee. Some Ko-Koronan patrons looked mildly disturbed by the slight but repetitive shlorping noise as the hound refreshed itself, but restrained themselves from complaining audibly to the traveler who had no doubt survived and defeated worse things than an insult.

norik sigma bandwidth saver

Scrimblo Plimbo's [REDACTED] House when?