Ghosthands

IC (Ageru Tazera) [Aboard the Chiisai Ryuu] "Hard to say, ma'am," Tazera replied. "It certainly could be, as far as I can tell. I'm told there are some among the natives able to produce illusions — through a Kanohi, I think — whereas I have heard nothing about any creature of this sort on the island." Ever the professional soldier on the outside, internally Tazera was still a little giddy to be asked her opinion by the Rora herself, to share her newfound knowledge of Mata Nui with Zuto Nui's chosen representative among Dasaka. But she checked herself: essential in the virtue of Order was the principle of humility before one's betters, and truthfully, her ability to analyse the situation was limited. "But...actually identifying illusions is outside my area of expertise. I am sure the Commodore would not be fooled by such tricks, though." She reached into the mental plane to transmit her thoughts to her commanding officer and closest friend. ::Commodore, Lieutenant Tazera here,:: she Ideatalked, doubly careful to keep her communication appropriately formal in front of the Rora herself. ::Requesting your assessment of the situation, ma'am.:: OOC: @Umbraline Yumiwa @Vezok's Friend

IC (Ageru Tazera) [Aboard the Chiisai Ryuu] Tazera snapped another bow. "Right away, ma'am." It didn't take them long to get to the forward observation deck: a spacious (by the cramped submersible's standards) two-level room located near the Ryuu's prow, tapering along its length as the vessel narrowed. Set into its sloping walls, ceiling and floor were several transparent panels designed to allow the submersible's passengers as unrestricted a view of their surroundings as possible without compromising structural integrity. Above was the clear blue sky, dotted with clouds and wheeling gulls; to either side were the dark hulls of conventional sea vessels; and below were the gorgeous reefs and swirling schools of fish for which Ga-Koro's waters were famous. Tazera led the Rora along the walkway that straddled the room to a point where a bulky roughly-cylindrical shape was extended down from the ceiling like a smooth crystal stalactite. Tazera reached up into the bottom of it to grasp a pair of handles and pulled, drawing out a long device from which a pair of small cylinders protruded. The lieutenant put her eyes to the cylinders and squinted, adjusting knobs and dials on the side of the periscope to bring the image of the sub's environs into focus. She pulled on the handles to rotate the device on its axis, moving her field of view along the dock until — there: the dragon creature, now surrounded by a small, curious crowd at what they presumably considered a safe distance. Fortunately the periscope was high enough to grant a view over their heads. By the look of things the dragon itself was still in conversation with Ayiwah. Tazera adjusted the knobs once again to zoom in a little more on the dragon for Yumiwa's convenience, then stepped aside with a bow. "Simply put your eyes to those lenses, ma'am, as if you were using a pair of binoculars."

IC (Syrik) [Echelon's Lair] "Then it sounds like he learned his lesson," Syrik replied with a smirk. "He had a contingency for me, but it wasn't quite as reliable as he thought." The Toa leaned back in his chair, but his gaze remained fixed on Aerus intently, eyes narrowed: examining, evaluating. "I think you and I are the same, in a way."

IC (Syrik) [Echelon's Lair] Syrik gave a small, cold smile. "Same thing, with him. He had some interesting theories about power..." His gaze slid over to the door that led to Echelon's old laboratories and the cells that adjoined them. The smile remained, but there was a haunted look in the man's eyes that his chameleonic casualness couldn't hide. He spoke his next words softly, and Aerus could've sworn he heard his voice choke a little. "...and pain." The Toa was staring at his own hand now, which began to curl into a fist. It looked almost involuntary; the hand shook as the fingers closed. Aerus heard — or perhaps felt, inside his skull — a low, buzzing hum. The air tasted metallic. Syrik's face seemed to be caught in a struggle between anguished grimace and manic grin, lips tautened and curling back to reveal clenched teeth. His eyes were wide and staring. And he was right. Abruptly, the hand dropped back to his side. The humming stopped, and so, it seemed, did whatever had come over the Fa-Toa. Syrik pulled over a chair and settled into it, breathing a long, slow breath. For a moment he looked drained, exhausted, before the demeanour of relaxed affability returned. His eyes flicked back up to meet Aerus'. "He ever tell you 'people make the best weapons'?" he asked with a knowing smirk. "I'm sure he did. One of his favourite maxims. It's why he used the Tryna, after all. But those flesh-puppets of his were only good for direct control; and sure he had mercs, but they're expensive, and not exactly loyal. He needed a weapon that could operate independently out in the world, go places he couldn't, but that he could still control. That's where I came in." He scoffed. "He never told me any of this, of course, but it didn't take me long to figure it out. The missions made my purpose pretty clear. Why he needed me...why he made me."

IC (Ageru Tazera) [Aboard the Chiisai Ryuu] "As you wish, ma'am," Tazera acknowledged. "I'm afraid you won't be able to see the Yukanna's decks, though; the Ryuu sits too low in the water, even at the bridge level." This was a fact the lieutenant knew well from long hours at the bridge. The sweeping views that might've made the shifts more pleasant were mostly occluded by the hulls of taller vessels moored to either side. "However, from what I could see, the dragon — or whatever it is — was standing on the dockside. The periscope at the forward observation deck should have a clear view." The technological marvel that was the Chiisai Ryuu still amazed Tazera at times. These "periscopes" were apparently a recent invention developed specifically for the sub, combining mirrors to raise one's vision above the water level with crystal lenses that provided better magnification than any spyglass she'd ever used. When she wasn't supervising the bridge, she would often make her way to the one at the vessel's aft and use it as a telescope, looking out past the looming hulls and across the sparkling water. With the lenses adjusted correctly, she could even pick out details of the sandstone cliffs on the far side of Naho Bay. The shell of her professional demeanour was rock-solid, but inwardly Tazera was thrilled to have the privilege of demonstrating the operation of these contraptions to the Rora herself. "This way please, ma'am." As Tazera led the Rora and her handmaiden towards the fore of the vessel, she was surprised by a fiery and unfamiliar Ideatalk presence: She paused, and looked back expectantly at Yumiwa in case this merited a change to the Rora's instructions.

Hi there @davidvkimball, and thanks! As you say, this is an ancient piece of work (oh god, ten years...) and I've long since moved on to other things. I doubt I'll ever come back and finish the kits I'd started, let alone "complete" the project; to actually make these sprites usable would require a lot of work on different posing options, which is something I just don't think I'd have the time or patience for. That said, whenever I look back at these sprites I'm still fond of them, and I still adore the MNOG aesthetic that inspired them, so never say never. What you see here is (almost) everything I made back in the day. Going through my old files, I can see that I'd been working on a Toa Mata kit, but never finished it. I did make Lewa, though:

IC (Ageru Tazera) [Aboard the Chiisai Ryuu] Ageru Tazera marched hurriedly down the corridors of the Chiisai Ryuu, ducking through bulkheads and whirling around corners. With Ayiwah resuming command of her flagship the Yukanna, Tazera had become the acting captain of the Ryuu. Famously loyal to her Commodore but ever the professional, she had kept her reluctance about this separate assignment private and set about her command of the docked submersible with characteristic verve and efficiency. Needless to say, the seriousness with which she took this responsibility was only redoubled by the presence of the Rora herself aboard the vessel. And so when she was patrolling the surface deck of the Ryuu, and an actual 'taka-loving dragon came crawling out of the bay and demanded an audience in thunderous tones, she made a beeline for her empress. She passed Umbraline Sinshi on her way (a little surprising to see the Menti here on the sub, given that everybody on the expedition knew how personally she was establishing relations with Ga-Koro — but Tazera swiftly shunted this thought to the back of her mind) and she gave a brisk nod of greeting, barely slowing her stride as she combed the decks in search of the Rora. She soon found them coming the other way, and snapped a smart bow. "Your Majesty," she said quickly but with all the appropriate deference. "You are appraised of the situation with the...ah...dragon?" She'd picked up Ayiwah's Ideatalk, but rigorous double-checking was a standard worth maintaining; and implied was her readiness for any orders the Rora might have. OOC: @Razgriz @Umbraline Yumiwa

IC "All right." said Vekus. "I think he'll be interested. No promises, mind. But I'll get your offer to him, and let you know what he says. I think one of his faster couriers is in town — should take a day or so to hear back."

IC (Ageru Kilanya) Kilanya raised her eyebrow a little at Jasik's confident reply as to the readiness of the Dastana troops. She didn't doubt his sincerity, but it didn't quite square with what his sister had said over the war table. Perhaps it was just a matter of differing attitudes between the Twins, or perhaps Arsix was playing for time for some reason. Kilanya pushed her suspicions aside once more: the three-day commitment was good enough. If Jasik made sure they arrived earlier than that, all the better; if not, as she'd said, Kilanya was confident enough in her scout reports that there would be no major attacks before they arrived. Zuto Nui willing, the tide might just be about to turn for Odaiba. "I'm not sure I can make any promises on that front," she replied wryly. "We must all make sacrifices in the service of the greater good, now more than ever. But...I'm grateful for your concern." She smiled, and dipped her head in farewell. "Until we meet again, Dastana Jasik."

IC (Syrik) "I was just a kid," the Toa said, sounding almost wistful. "Back in Xa-Koro. I was still learning to use my powers; playing in the street, throwing around bits of metal. Guess I must've shown some promise, because one day when I was walking home, a couple of the old man's zombies showed up and grabbed me." He smiled grimly. "I can still remember the smell of 'em. They must've been out of cold storage for a while because they reeked. Never even saw the old ####### himself, but he had to have been there somewhere, controlling them. They stuffed me in a bag. I was in there for hours; must've passed out somewhere on the way. Woke up here, in one of the cells." He jerked his head towards one of the doorways that led to Echelon's laboratory areas, adjoining which were a number of cells that usually held the Necromancer's living test subjects.

IC (Ageru Kilanya) Despite her new scars and burdens, Jasik's remark drew a chuckle from Kilanya. The thought of the Twins as a pair rambunctious infants brought an amusement she hadn't felt in a while. "Very astute," she replied, arching her one visible eyebrow in mock displeasure at being described as 'cranky', then settling back into a more serious expression. "But please, do not waste your worries on me. I will endure, as I must, to make sure our people can do the same." She paused, and her tone softened a little. "I'm glad your sister can finally commit forces to Odaiba. Please tell her to give the troops the time they need to rest. I meant what I said — I need as many as can be spared — but Arsix is right; we need them at their best. Based on my scouts' reports we don't anticipate any major attacks in the next three days. We can hold for now."

IC (Syrik) "Much appreciated." The tension hung in the air between the two for a while longer: Aerus' mind clearly on the information he had been so suddenly denied, and Syrik clearly aware of it. Their gazes remained locked as he carefully slipped the folder into the satchel that hung at his hip. It was the Toa that broke the silence, folding his arms and cocking his head to one side as he spoke. The hint of danger was gone from his voice as he returned to the same relaxed, conversational tone. "So...how'd he get you?"

IC (Syrik, Echelon's lair) "My condolences," Syrik replied. As to whether he meant it or not, Aerus couldn't tell: his face was unreadable. "From what I remember, it's worth a shot. Let's get to it." It didn't take long for the Toa and the Matoran to explain the ciphers they each knew; most of the fundamental principles were the same. As ever, Echelon had had supreme confidence in his own techniques. As Aerus began to pull documents from the once-impenetrable trove of Echelon's older notes, Syrik shot out a hand to seize one particular folder before the Matoran reached it. Its label bore a project code-word rather than an unreadable cipher: MARIONETTE. "Hope you don't mind if I hang onto this one," he said. His smile looked somewhat guarded. "Don't worry, it's nothing useful to you."

IC (Syrik) "Not good enough #### to save him in the end," Syrik observed. "But from what I could tell, some of his earlier tricks worked for a while. Could well be something in there that can help you." The Toa looked Aerus up and down, eyes lingering on his cane and other visible signs of his infirmity. "Some kind of wasting disease, huh?"

IC (Syrik) The Toa nodded slowly, staring intensely at the paper-filled drawers. "Good," he said, sounding almost vacant. "Very good." Briefly, there was a tension in his face, as of raging emotion barely held in check. Then it was gone, and the Toa looked back to Aerus, his casual smile restored. "And what are you looking for? I can just show you the cipher, of course, but I might be able to point you in the right direction as well. Save you going through years' worth of notes."

Just because I like the website doesn't mean I won't abuse my staff power in pursuit of vengeance for this indignity.

Ah, right, thanks for the clarification. I forgot the real-time backups hadn't been implemented yet. Still, the site deserves a shout-out regardless. Keep up the good work!

Our local internet whiz kid @BULiK has created an automatic backup and archive of BZPRPG posts at bzprpg.com, so there's no need to do this manually. It's a really useful tool and resource, but I realise we haven't publicised it on BZP yet — we may add a link in the new player topic in future.

IC (Syrik) "Well, let's see..." Syrik began to count on his fingers for emphasis as he listed his topics of interest. "The Akiri, past and present; inter-Koro politics; the Maru..." His gaze became just a little more intense. "...and Xa-Koro. As in, who blew it up. And why."

IC (Ageru Kilanya) Kilanya greeted the approaching First Son with a nod. "Jasik. I fear your sister and I don't quite see eye to eye." She allowed herself a small, wry smile, showing that the irony of the phrase given her recent disfigurement was not lost on her. "I hope you both understand that I ask only what I must, for the sake of all our people, not just the Ageru."

IC (Syrik) "Well, for one thing, I wanted to be sure he really was dead," Syrik replied with a smirk. "Bit disappointing, that. I'd have liked to be the one to do it myself. But hey, we can't always get what we want. One less maniac in the world, at least." He glanced over the paper again, skimming a few lines of Aerus' decryption. "As for the notes, well, Echelon had his fingers in a lot of pies. Lot of interesting things have happened these past few years, after all. I figured there's probably some juicy intel to be had here." He looked back to Aerus. "And you want something from his old ones, am I right? Seems to me that we can help each other."

IC (Syrik) Now I've got his attention. "Seems he underestimated both of us, huh?"

The Zakaz map has been updated with the locations of the approved forts. Happy hunting, warlords.

IC (Syrik) "He had you handling his correspondence, huh? Interesting..." From the desk, Syrik plucked a sheet of paper covered with handwritten text. One half was a transcription of Echelon's coded notes, the other Aerus' decrypted version. The Toa glanced over it, and laughed. "So, the paranoid old ####### changed his cipher," he said, then arched his eyebrows in surprise. "Oh, and you've cracked it. Very nice."