Ghosthands

IC (Broker NPC: Rhuvok) [Burning Steppes digsite] The Raven looked up from his scrivening. "Tch. 'Zom;bii;'," he repeated derisively. "You should not concern yourselves with such ideas. The dead do not rise of their own accord; such things are merely puppets of some outside influence, be it Skullworms, Gloom-Ghasts, or those fanatics in their 'Barrowfort'. As we have already established, the tomb is sealed. No creature has entered it in millennia, therefore, nothing capable of raising the dead lies within." He pointed his stylus in Vekus' direction. "On the other hand, you are quite right to be concerned about traps. They are almost certainly present at a site like this, and most likely perfectly preserved to boot." He looked around at the group, directing a particular glare towards the more gung-ho members. "I suggest you all watch your step." Sure enough, the grainy image on the device's screen began to sharpen, and beneath the monochrome image of the door's surface a number of fainter shapes began to appear: six thin channels in the rock, containing what appeared to be thin metal rods, turning a right angle upward about a foot beyond the surface and disappearing upwards towards the door's summit. They connected to the surface of the door in one area only, which matched where Aden had seen the ancient Lesterin elder press to open the door. That area was covered by what could only be a map of the ancient Lesterin Isles: an archipelago of eleven islands, each one a contoured shape of gold, arranged on a crystal sea carved with sweeping waves and many-masted ships. On the radar screen, Aden could just see that the six mechanisms in the rock connected with six of the golden isles...very much as if they were in fact buttons. The Reader's mechanisms responded obediently to Kalzok's practiced fingers; well-oiled gears turned this way and that, moving the struts and arms which in turn moved the lenses and shuttered Lightstone capsules that produced the necessary beams of light, directing them precisely through the crystal encased in its socket. The beams refracted into rainbow colours in the crystal's depths, and shone through the other side in the form of letters (and the occasional diagram) projected onto a raised board like that of a writing desk, where their secrets were revealed. This crystal was titled 'Chronicles of the Archive-Keepers, Volume 23' and appeared to be a record of the activities of a group tasked with maintaining the tomb (or as it was apparently properly referred to, the 'Archive-Mausoleum'). Most of the entries dealt with rather mundane activities of cleaning and other maintenance, but Kalzok noticed several that indicated a rather more interesting duty of these 'Archive-Keepers': receiving visiting scholars, and granting them access to the tomb. Two entries in particular caught Kalzok's attention. Both concerned difficulties with individual scholars, who it seemed were frequently absent-minded (several other entries also expressed the Keepers' frustration at the scholars' tendency to forget their instructions). The first seemed immediately useful, as it concerned the operation of the door: Fourth-day of Second Neap-Tide, Wood's Moon, 3193 Deputy Chief Keeper Suhlik Received Under-Scholast Inlohk yesterday, visiting from Oshan. Instructed him in all the Ways, and he was most insistent he had understood them fully. Escorted him to Reading-Chamber Three for his studies and informed him he could make the Ways alone from now on. He returned safely by nightfall. However, this morning he came to us angrily, having failed in the Way of Entry, claiming we had not told him the correct order. Reminded him that the answer lies upon the door itself. His embarrassment was plain to see. The second was rather more foreboding. First-day of First Spring-Tide, Salt's Moon, 3244 Chief Keeper Esruhn An unfortunate tragedy occurred today. Our guest from the Isles of Thought, Nezuri, has been killed. This was her fifth day entering the Archive-Mausoleum; on each previous day she appeared to remember the Ways perfectly, and professed to have no difficulty following them; but today she did not return. We found her in the Passage of Blades, her body separated into several pieces. We are not yet sure what went wrong: whether her memory of the Ways failed her, or her small stature made disabling the Mechanisms too difficult (regrettably, they were not designed with non-Lesterin in mind). Either way, she failed to pass them, and they did their work all too well. I shall sail to Lamo-Lyco-Oshan at first light and to explain the situation to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. I pray to Mata Nui this does not cause a diplomatic incident with the Thought-People. In the meantime, I shall impress upon the acolytes the importance of ensuring that our visitors fully memorise the Ways, and fully understand the dangers of the Archive-Mausoleum. Our forefathers designed this place and its Mechanisms to protect the Archives from uninvited guests for all perpetuity, in accordance with Lord Jehaeros' wishes. The Mechanisms must be understood and respected, and the Ways followed, lest further tragedies occur in future. OOC: @NorikSigma @a goose @BBBBalta @BULiK @Rahisaurus

IC [Burning Steppes digsite] In Aden's mind's eye, an image began to form as her Kanohi tapped into the great door's 'memory'. The Mask of Psychometry was one of the more mysterious of its kind. No one had yet managed to discover the secrets of its function: what these traces of the past were that remained in objects, nor how the mask was able to extract and decipher them for its wearer to comprehend, nor how it selected which moments to reveal from among (potentially) millennia. Yet somehow, it worked. It was not without its limitations, however: the 'memories' were not perfect recordings, and it seemed they could become degraded in certain ways. The most common of these was simply the passage of time: as a general rule, the further into the past one attempted to look, the less distinct the image became. Aden was trying to look very far back indeed, and so the image that began to take shape in her mind was commensurately degraded, its colours bleached and its shapes hazy. Nevertheless, she could make out what she needed to. There was the door itself, set into its hillside structure, not ancient and weathered as it was now, but clean, newly-built, its reliefs gleaming gold and azure as if freshly polished. Where now there was nothing but sand and shattered stones, a wide paved road led to the monolithic entrance, lined with neatly-trimmed trees. Tracing it back, Aden thought she could see roofs and spires in the distance. Throngs of Lesterin stood on either side of the road, rapturously watching a procession formed mainly also of Lesterin (all robed in grey), but with six Skakdi (or rather, Skathi) labouring at its front, carrying on their shoulders a sizeable yet elegantly-shaped casket. Its top was carved with the likeness of a Lesterin lying on his back, arms crossed over his torso; the detail was difficult to make out, but as far as Aden could tell (and as seemed likely given the context), the carving was of the same Lesterin shown so grandly at the apex of the door's reliefs. Music played out from somewhere in the procession, sounding in the time-worn memory as though played from an old and scratched gramophone disk; it was strange and ancient in style, but recognisably grandiose and solemn in tone. The procession halted, the music reached its conclusion. An elderly Lesterin stepped forward from a small but well-heeled-looking group (also clad in grey robes, yet noticeably more layered and opulent ones than those worn by the Lesterin in the procession) standing in front of the door. He raised his arms towards the sarcophagus, and began to speak. Much like the music, the degradation of the memory made many of his words incomprehensible (not helped by the Old Lesteri, spoken in its original intonation, which was a difficult tongue to follow even for an expert). "Gathered ▒▓▒▒▓, we ▓▓▒▒▓ here today to ▒▓▒▒▓▒▓ our beloved Lord Jehaeros, ▒▓▓▒▓ of Scholars, ▒▓▒▒ of ▓▒▒▓..." The elder went on similarly for quite some time, apparently attributing a long array of epithets and great works to this 'Lord Jehaeros'. "As we now ▒▓▒▓▓▓ his soul to Artakha, let us give ▒▓▓▒▓ for what he has left to us ▒▒▓▒▓, this grand Archive-Mausoleum, where his earthly ▓▓▒▓ shall be ▒▓▒▒ until the end of times, and where the knowledge he ▓▓▒▓▒▓ shall be ▒▓▓▒▓ for as long as ▒▓▒▒▓▒▓▓▓▒▓." The elder turned and strode towards the door. The procession resumed in his wake; Aden could just about make out the grunts and groans of the Skathi pallbearers struggling under their burden. The elder reached out his palm to the door's surface (towards the carvings? The surface was too indistinct in the memory for Aden to make them out) and pressed sharply in different places, once, twice, three, four, five, and finally a sixth time. The deep muffled sounds of some hidden mechanism emanated from somewhere in the recesses of the stonework, and the monolithic door began to slide smoothly upwards to reveal a cavernous passage beyond, gently sloping down into the earth. The elder entered, followed by the sarcophagus and its bearers, the other richly-robed Lesterin, and the rest of the procession. When the last of them had disappeared into the depths of the passage, the mechanism rumbled again, and the door began to descend inexorably back to the ground... IC (Broker NPC: Rhuvok) [Burning Steppes digsite] "Hmph. I would expect the carvings themselves to be of more use than one crystal from what I presume are thousands," Rhuvok replied dismissively. "But if you must examine it, we have a Reader somewhere amongst the equipment." The memory crystals of the ancient Lesterin operated by refraction of light: by techniques now lost to time, the information they contained was carved in minute detail within the crystal's interior. While the basic information of the its place of origin could be read simply enough by ambient light, to truly read the crystal required a complicated contraption to hold and rotate the crystal while passing a carefully controlled beam of light through its core. Such devices, known as Readers, had been found in a handful of ancient Lesteri sites, and a number had been reverse-engineered. The device supplied by the Broker was of the latter variety. Rhuvok snapped his fingers at some nearby workmen and sent them off to fetch the box containing the Reader. He then turned back towards the door, pulled a notebook from a fold of his robes, and began noting down the long passages of runes that snaked across the carvings. OOC: @a goose @NorikSigma @BULiK @Rahisaurus @BBBBalta

OOC: Jam with @Vezok's Friend. IC (Korero | Leah) [Ga-Koro docks] After what seemed like an age to the anxious Toa Maru of Air, the Dasaka guard finally spoke again. “The meeting is concluded. Your associate will be here presently.” He breathed a semi-reassured sigh, and sure enough, a few moments later the familiar blue-armoured figure of his Toa-Sister appeared at the top of the strange vessel's gangplank. “Leah!” Korero exclaimed, concern and relief still competing for dominance of his expression as he darted forward. “I heard you were injured – I came as fast as I could – “ The Toa Maru of water wordlessly descended the ramp. They clasped forearms in greeting at first - until Leah thought better of it and pulled her brother into a firm hug. “I’m glad you came.” she said with obvious relief, before stepping back, giving him a first good look at the fresh scars on her cheek. “It’s been a very long day.” Korero stared at the unfamiliar marks on his Sister's face, worry etched on his own. “What on Mata Nui happened?” he asked. “I heard something about an attack, some kind of creature…and poison?” Leah unconsciously reached up to her cheek but checked the motion, grimacing slightly. “Yeah…” she started, then paused, looking around. There were the Dasakan sentries still - but also plenty of Matoran and others going about their business. “I’ll tell you all about it - but not here.” She pointed with her thumb. Following the indication, Korero spotted the top of the giant Kaukau overlooking the village. The Toa of Air gave one wordless nod, placed a hand on Leah’s shoulder, and the two vanished in a flash of white. Reappearing atop the huge sandstone carving, Leah shook off the brief sensation of vertigo brought on by the Hiko jump while Korero cast his eyes around their new environs. “Pretty sure we're alone,” he confirmed. “So…?” She turned to take in the view for a few seconds, then sat down, looking out over the village. “So…” she said, gathering her thoughts. A lot had happened. But there was no good way to ease into this. So, right into it then. She let out a breath. “I almost died today, Korero. One of my villagers wasn’t so lucky. Her name was Sera.” She let that sink in for a moment before continuing: “She didn’t do anything wrong, she just…ran into that creature you heard about. Well…Lesterin, actually. With some kind of poison…Not sure what exactly. But the closer he gets the worse it is. And if he manages to cut you with it…“ She gestured to her scars again. They were still mildly throbbing. “If it hadn’t been for the Fowadi’s crew and Cael…” Korero looked aghast. “Mata Nui…if it really came that close…” He looked away, down to the lilypad village in its sparkling bay. “I’ve felt it for a while now, but this…this confirms it. There’s a darkness gathering. The Rahkshi are getting more aggressive, more organised. And beings like this…whatever he was…they’re getting stronger.” The young Le-Toa looked back to his Sister, his expression grim. “Don’t tell me you haven’t felt it too. It all points to one thing…” “Yeah...I’ve been camping out near the dark walk for some time now. Caught a Rahkshi just this morning. So that’s how my day started.” She sighed. “I already told Hahli. The Dasaka know of course. It’s what brought them here. But the rest…the ones that were with me this morning, the Fowadi crew…they feel betrayed.” Korero looked away again, down at the village, lowering his head, his slim frame curling in on itself as if compressed from all sides by the weight of his shame. “And who can blame them?” he said softly. Things were quiet for a bit. Leah found a little comfort in the sound of the rushing water and the soft wind. Eventually she said: “Maybe if we’d said something back when Stannis told us…but that’s just wishing the guilt away. Can’t change what happened now - and it doesn’t change the fact that our task isn’t done.” Some of us wanted to say something, Korero almost said, but thought better of it. “No, it doesn't,” he agreed. “But it'll be that much harder without the trust of the people we're supposed to be protecting. If we have to fight Makuta all over again…we can't do it alone. They need our help, and we need theirs. We all need Unity, and Unity requires trust. Trust once broken has to be rebuilt. But…” He closed his eyes, steeling himself to broach the Kikanalo in the room. “...I don't know if we can even achieve that within the team. Let alone with everyone else.” Another quiet moment passed. Even without her mask, she could tell what her brother was thinking - she’d felt the same way. But everything had started moving so fast, there had barely been time to react at all. But again…that was the past. Focus on now. “You’re right.” she said, without reservation or bitterness. It was just a fact. “Even if the others would help the two of us individually if we asked them - I can’t see us uniting right now. I don’t know how Oreius is doing. I meant to check in on him but with the Dasaka…I haven’t seen him since after Ko-Koro. Reordin should be there, but he’s…withdrawn as of late.” Korero could see the sadness in her eyes as she mentioned the Toa of ice, but she continued: “Sulov is hard to read even with the Ruhaku and Stannis…I don’t even know…” she trailed off. He had been their leader. Emphasis on had. But even as equals, the thought of him keeping things from them again - things that they absolutely needed to know - she couldn’t accept that. “But we have to start somewhere.” she said, with renewed determination. “And…I have a lead as to where.” Korero nodded as she spoke. Her words echoed his own feelings about each of their Toa-Brothers, and the sadness in her eyes was reflected in his own. It pained him to see their team so scattered and compromised, with even the lovebirds that were Leah and Reo seemingly drifting apart — but he perked up at her mention of a lead. “You do?” She nodded reassuringly and turned her left hand palm up. Six large drops of water formed above it, floating lazily in the soft breeze. “There were Matoran on the Kentoku archipelago.” She let that one sink in before continuing: “I don’t know how they got there, but according to the empress they witnessed Makuta’s return.” She spent the next few minutes catching Korero up on everything she had learned from Yumiwa. The prophecy, the inadvertent ritual, how her uncle's sword had served as the key and how it mirrored Heuani’s flamberge, all illustrated by the flow of water about her hand. Finally, the six spheres reformed, returning to their drifting pattern. “The six Matoran are Lekua, Leli, Tarnok, Soraya, Kellin, and Seven - and they’re most likely still here in Ga-Koro. If we can find them…well it’s a start.” The drops shot away towards the village and disappeared into the dark, joining the waterfall of the Kaukau on their way down. Ever the historian at heart, Korero had listened intently with both focus and fascination, the urgency of their mission and his natural curiosity at the strange tale working in perfect harmony. “That’s quite the story,” he said. “There’s still a lot I don’t understand, but a whole lot more is starting to make sense…and you’re right. It’s definitely a start. We’ve got a thread to pick at now — maybe we can start to unravel all this. And if we can understand it, we can start to do something about it.” He smiled, starting to look a little more like the buoyant young Toa Leah remembered from before the Maru began to fracture, and held out a hand. “Together?” Leah reached out to the offered hand and clasped it firmly. “Together.” she agreed. In a flash of light, the two Toa-Heroes were gone.

IC (Broker NPC: Rhuvok) [Burning Steppes digsite] Rhuvok scowled, but begrudgingly stepped aside. Much as he disdained the Kanohi masks favoured by the Lesterin, he could not deny that they had their uses.

IC (Broker NPC: Rhuvok) [Burning Steppes digsite] "Indeed, we are wasting time." Rhuvok shot one last glare in Aden's direction, then turned (accompanied by the usual clinking) to follow Zassani. The great stone doorway loomed over the group as they approached. When shafts of sunlight managed to slip between the columns of smoke rising from the Steppes and rove over the stone, they set the crystal reliefs in its surface aglitter. The designs became clearer as they came closer: figures of Lesterin (and the occasional subservient Skathi) in a variety of tableaux, surrounded and entwined by snaking successions of the triangular letters favoured by the Lesterin (albeit in an archaic form that made them strange and near-incomprehensible to uneducated eyes). Many of the reliefs showed library-like rooms containing figures seemingly in states of study and contemplation, against backgrounds of shelves stacked with small regular shapes resembling the memory crystal Kalzok had found here previously. At the apex of the door was carved one particularly resplendent figure: a Lesterin crowned in gold, coins spilling from one hand, and a memory crystal in the other. The Lesterin merchant-princes of antiquity were famed for their prosperity; less so for their subtlety. Rhuvok positioned himself in front of the door, facing the group. "As I said, the site appears to be very well preserved. The door shows no signs of having been opened since it was sealed..." The Nakihl cleared his throat, and glanced back at the door with what might have been sheepishness. "...nor, indeed, any obvious sign of how one might do so. However, I am confident we will find some clue as to how this can be accomplished in these carvings; they most likely contain instructions of some sort, if we can decipher them." He glanced to a nearby cart stacked with crates, each one painted with a bright red "X". "Failing that, the Broker has provided us with ample supplies of explosives..."

IC (Broker NPC: Rhuvok) [Burning Steppes digsite] "'Preservation'," Rhuvok scoffed. "This is Zakaz. The present consumes the past and carves the future from its bones. What is useful is taken, digested, put to use. What is not, has no purpose, and so is of no value. This is the natural order of things. There is no room for such...sentimentality for the past." The Raven's thin lips curled, baring yellowed teeth in a mocking smirk. "Ah, but then you are a Lesterin. I suppose the past is all you have."

Thanks! To be honest, it's unlikely. I never made any instructions for it at the time, the model itself is currently in several pieces in a box somewhere, and I haven't really got the time to dig it out and figure out how to put together an instruction set. However, as I recall it wasn't a hugely complex build, so I'd have thought you could probably reverse-engineer it from the gallery photos without too much difficulty. On the other hand, I'm pretty sure I still have the decal designs saved somewhere, so I'd be happy to share those if you'd like!

No problem at all, thanks for reminding me it existed...!

OOC: Taking the liberty of pushing things along to get Green Boi moving again. IC (Korero) [Ga-Koro] Having gathered from Cael and Praggos that Leah had expressed an intention to speak with the Dasaka Empress, Korero gave the group his earnest (if hurried) thanks and sped off at barely less than a run in the direction of the Ga-Koro docks. With the Hiko he could've been there in the blink of an eye, of course, but from what he'd heard the Dasaka were particularly on-edge after some sort of hijacking attempt the previous day (he hadn't stuck around to hear the details, being far more concerned about Leah's condition). Materialising at the docks without warning, expedient though it might be, seemed unwise. Fifteen minutes of pushing through crowds later, Korero was coming to regret that decision. But eventually the throngs began to thin, and soon the masts of the Dasakan flagship were towering overhead. Korero was immediately struck by the strange construction and sheer bulk of the vessel: it radiated an aura of solidity and power, despite being built from what almost looked like glass. Intentional or not, the presence of such a warship looming over the Ga-Koro dockland made an emphatic statement: these people might be refugees, but they were far from powerless... He sensed eyes on him: the mistrustful glare of nearby Dasaka guards, no doubt suspicious of an unfamiliar Toa emerging from the crowds to stare at the ship carrying their leader. He turned to them and raised a hand in bashful greeting, suddenly unsure of himself in the presence of these soldiers from a far-flung land. Korero might have had the power of a Toa Mata running through his veins, but he still couldn't always shake the instinctive shyness of a misfit Ko-Matoran. "Uh, hello. I'm, uh, Korero Maru. I'm looking for my Sister — Toa Leah. I was told she might be here...?" OOC: @Vezok's Friend @EmperorWhenua

IC (Korero) [Cael's Hut, Ga-Koro] Korero's eyes widened briefly as the door was opened not by Cael but by an unfamiliar Ta-Toa, but his surprise waned just as quickly when he glanced past her and recognised the faces of not just Cael but also Agni, whom he knew as another close associate of Joske. There was fourth Toa in the room whose appearance seemed to ring a vague bell, but he couldn't place it (and had more pressing concerns on his mind). He'd barely opened his mouth to ask about Leah's whereabouts when Agni, ever the detective, successfully pre-empted his question. Korero looked to Cael and this 'Praggos' (the name rang a bell too) in impatient anticipation of their answer. OOC: @Eyru @otter @Vezok's Friend @Palm

IC (Korero) [Cael's Hut, Ga-Koro] The quiet conversation of Cael's hut was rudely interrupted by an urgent knocking (hammering might be a more accurate term) at the door. Outside waited a decidedly jumpy-looking Toa Maru of Air, shifting his weight from the ball of one foot to the other in tiny rapid movements, in a futile attempt to diffuse away some of the nervous energy currently coursing through his limbs as he waited for someone to answer. OOC: @Eyru @Vezok's Friend @Palm @otter

IC (Lohkar) [The Dancing Crab, Ostia] "Hey now," the pirate replied, furrowing his brow and raising his palms in a gesture of restraint. "Let's not be too hasty. As I see it, there's no need to be dismissin' heroics entirely. The trick is to believe in, shall we say...the heroism of self-interest." As he spoke, Lohkar sidled around to Tailua's side and wrapped an arm chummily around the Toa's shoulders, casting his other hand towards an imagined horizon with the air of a visionary. One could almost hear the swell of triumphant music. "Goin' where ya choose, doin' as ya please, and thumbin' yer nose at anybody who thinks they can stop ya. Once you look at things that way, there's all sorts o' noble adventurin' to be had, wherever the winds take ya." He bumped a conspiratorial fist against Tailua's shoulder. "Freedom, mate. That's real heroism." He grinned, blue eyes gleaming with the satisfaction of a man who knew the true meaning of life. "An' I should know. I'm somethin' of a hero myself." OOC: @Emzee@BULiK @Void Emissary

IC (Broker NPC: Rhuvok) [Burning Steppes Outskirts] "And I intend to make sure it gets done properly, Adaan" the Raven retorted, not giving her the courtesy of shifting his gaze from the tomb entrance. "The Broker may have forgiven your antics at Katha;Vaa, but he has not forgotten them, and neither have I. The fact that you are on the payroll this time does not mean you have my trust."

IC (Lohkar) [The Dancing Crab, Ostia] "Nastiest shitheap on the Endless Ocean," Lohkar replied, then glanced to the hulking form of Frii'Glokk with a not-particularly-apologetic smile. "No offence." Back to Tailua. "Home o' the spiny bugg— ahem, the delightful Skakdi people. But more importantly, it's a place teemin' with opportunity for people like you an' me. If you're wonderin' why you've never heard of it, well...let's just say memory's a funny thing, eh?" OOC: @Emzee@BULiK @Void Emissary

IC (Lohkar) [The Dancing Crab, Ostia] There was a hint of disappointment in Lohkar's eyes as Tailua removed his weaponised prosthetic. He'd been half-hoping the Toa would offer him it to shake, giving him the opportunity to, shall we say, temporarily relieve the man of his gun-hand and have a little fun. But whether out of an abundance of caution or simply politeness, Tailua had not acted so gullibly. Well, if your excuse for messing with potential recruits was that you were "testing them", you couldn't really act hard-done-by if they passed the test, could you? Lohkar reached forward and gave the stump a hearty shake. His grin widened as Tailua spoke; he always appreciated a little flattery. "Sailin' for Zakaz waters, my friend. Headin' back where I belong. Not to mention far away from whatever gang o' miscreants are after your blood," he added, raising an eyebrow. "Seems likely we can come to a mutually beneficial arrangement, eh?" OOC: @Emzee @Void Emissary @BULiK