ARROW404

IC: Yoka - (mostly) Oki Abandoned Village When Mitsuri had finished drinking, Yoka took the waterskin back and hung it from her hip. Then, sitting back, resumed the work of clearing space around her. Targeting her thoughtspeak more precisely to those of her companions who where able to hear it, she suggested, .:Might we perhaps continue this discussion out loud?:. "Were you here when this village was... When whatever happened, happened, Mitsuri?" She repeated the name purposefully, for both Yuna and Ikyazu's sakes. Once the rubble was clear, and not threatening to shift, she stooped over the Vilda, examining her wounds more closely, to determine if it would be okay to move her. OoC: Just gonna leave these here to copy-paste if I want Ikyazu to say something in my next post. Pay it no mind:「」 @The UltimoScorp@Keeper of Kraata@ARROW404 @Click@Lady Takanuva

IC: Priicu - Wise Man's Archive His eye for detail was one of the things that made him effective at his job, so the peculiar pencil did catch his eye. I ought to get myself one of those, he thought. It was impressive how quickly he was able to write with it, truly, and he could imagine how Muir must have put it to use. Well as I said, I am at your disposal, going forward. Is there anything else to discuss? He wrote. Cyrix passed by behind him. Priicu gave him a nod as he passed. He didn't have any reason to distrust Cyrix, only some of the company he kept from time to time. "It is, sorry," he said, having to step away from Muir to unlock the door. His keys jangles as he slipped them from a compartment at his desk- a great many of them, color coded and numbered, strung onto a wire. "Until next time, Toa Kalta," he bid him farewell, as he unlocked it. "Tell your friends about the Archive," he reminded him with a hint of a smile.

@ARROW404 @Snelly @Harvali@Lady Takanuva @Tarn @BULiK @Umbraline Yumiwa @Mel @BBBBalta @Rahisaurus@~Xemnas~ IC: Lapu, Kimala - Shady and now considerably more dangerous warehouse Lapu had been too concentrated on the cactus, he hadn't noticed what was off about the plants around them. Now he did. It was clear they had been tampered with, though how exactly, he couldn't yet tell. Plants could move to some extent, although generally by growing, and in other cases only in specific ways. These ones moved more akin to tentacles, differently even than the way they moved when he exerted his powers on them. This was something... new. And as it usually was for him, he didn't like it. As the door slammed shut, he turned towards it, but stopped himself as a new sound approached- a Rahi, infected with the plant that had led him to Kanohi, and set him on this quest in the first place. His eyes narrowed. Abuse of Rahi was not something he took lightly. Paying no mind to the voice, having little care what it had to say for itself, he strode between the ape and the other members of the group and began reaching out with his power, sensing the properties of the parasite as quickly as he could- how it attached to the Rahi, and if he could sever that attachment. Kimala lifted a hand, and her second tomahawk lifted from its sheath, into her hand. She had already been standing at the edge of the group, and didn't have to move to stand defiantly before the ape, ready for battle. She had expected it to charge, though, so rather than attack preemptively, she waited, listening to the presumed owner of the warehouse as they spoke. She wasn't the best candidate to answer the question though, so she didn't. Instead, she glanced at Timak, and used her elemental power to etch a message into the blade of one of her weapons: Can you pinpoint the source of the voice?

I don't know about blood sorcerers, but there's one openly practicing Nakilh in Westside Zakaz (though whether he will survive remains to be seen), and I've got a Nakihl religious leader at the Nakihl HQ... as well as an undercover member or two. On another note, are there any characters in Le-Wahi waiting to get some interaction? I've still got this dragon, and nothing to do with him. Meeting another dragon is on the table, but I'd like to start in a place that hasn't met one yet first.

@Goose IC: Priicu - Wise Man's Archive, storeroom (Sorry, we're closed!) He placed a hand over his mouth, processing the information. He thought he was generally a well-informed person (even if he hadn't recognized Cyrix on sight) but this information was completely new to him. He knew Pala-Koro had been destroyed of course, but that was the extent of it. It was no wonder why either. Given the Gentry's power, they had as much control over the flow of information as the government. And if he was realistic, probably more. How much investigation it must have taken to glean this much information... and how much more there must have been, yet to be discovered. Suddenly, he felt quite averse to the idea of taking their money. Financial support meant control, and he wanted no part in a propaganda machine. Grabbing his notepad and pencil, he scribbled a response. First: Best we not speak aloud. He showed this to Muir and returned to scribbling. This is very troubling. If you have any reading I could do on this- reports for example- I would like to have some copies here, in the back. And if I can help against them, please keep me apprised. The evidence Muir had mentioned was circumstantial, particularly concerning Ko-Koro. Again, Priicu suffered from his lack of a full picture. Knowledge was his only power, and he was quickly coming to realize he had less of it than he had thought. Another thought occurred to him and he added another line. Syzygos mentioned investigating corruption in the Ko-Koro government. Is the Gentry a part of that? He would think to immediately destroy the paper he was writing on when he had the chance. Having said his piece now, he tore out a page and handed it to Muir, offering him the pencil as well, though he suspected a lawyer would have a few on hand.

OoC: Time Lumune finally did something IC: Lumune, Dancing Crab, Ostia She had spotted something about a captain looking for a crew outside. Well, heard people gossiping first, then noticed a flyer. She had no intention of leaving the Island, but these people were probably well-traveled, she had reasoned. They might have been able to answer the question nobody else had so far- not that she had gone too far out of her way in asking. "'Scuse me," the wind-worn Po-Matoran piped up, near the table where the captain was. "I have a question for a well-traveled sailor," she said, keeping a hand near her dagger just to be safe, but standing stiff and stoic. "It needn't bother the captain." @Void Emissary@Ghosthands@pokemonlover360

IC: Ikyazu - (Mostly) Abandoned Oki Village The former Eiyu glanced at Raika, almost smiling at their resolve. It was shaky, but still they made such a promise so fervently. She felt they had more strength than perhaps they appreciated. Amid this hopelessness, such a warm and kind declaration felt like a warm hearth fire to Ikyazu, warming bones she hadn't realized had grown so cold. She wondered how Yoka might react if she could hear it. She took a step forward and placed an approving hand on Raika's shoulder, though she kept her face turned to the one they had just rescued. "I promise the same. Here." She unhooked her waterskin from her hip and knelt over her, "The rainwater barrels nearby are still fresh, so drink as much as you need." She uncorked it and held it close to her lips for her, in case she lacked the strength to hold it herself. She had questions, but she trusted the others would ask them.

IC: Priicu - Wise Man's Archive, different back room (Still Closed!) The Ko-Matoran opened his mouth to respond, but quickly shut it as Muir continued, giving him more time to think of what he would say. Muir's advice was welcome- and eye-opening as well- though he was off the mark regarding Priicu's motivation. "Thank you, Toa Muir," he said. It felt a little strange adding the title 'Toa' given their openness toward one another thus far, but it had come to him naturally. Looking up at a person tended to have that effect. "You needn't worry about my soul, though it is appreciated. I only want to agrandize the library, not myself. Power does not suit me. I was considering the Gentry as clientele and donors, and nothing more." He kept his voice particularly low, seeing as they were speaking not far from a Toa of Sonics, about said Toa of Sonics. It took many more words to explain that than he usually used, but complex thoughts were often so, and he wanted to be clear. He put on a little extra smile as well, so the non-Ko-Wahi-native would recognize his genuineness. His expression darkened after though, into a touch of concern. "I had heard rumors... But... Pala-Koro? The Island Liberation Front?" There was the occupation matter as well, but one thing at a time. "What did the Gentry do there? Allegedly."

@ARROW404 @Smudge8 @Nato G @Zeal @Sparticus147@Mel @Snelly@Geardirector@Visaru IC: Gashril The bruiser with the arms covered in metal, Sohmak, offered to make some noise with her. She had been so fixated on her damaged voice that simply using her element had slipped her mind. And here was a fellow Sonics Skak:Dii. It had been a long time since she had battled using pure, unaided elemental energy, the idea brought a grin to her toothy maw. "That sounds-" Before she could answer though, the world turned upside down. Having little choice, she released her vision power to try and get an idea of what was happening. The ground had given way beneath them- another of Garsi's defense measures, no doubt. She gripped the arm of the Skak:dii of Earth who was piggybacking her, and the two reached out quickly. Mixing Earth with Sonics in this situation wasn't ideal, but it was a sight better than fire, plasma, or lightning. The collapsing earth all around them slowed, screaming as it did so. She kept the sound in the lower frequencies, but presently in the middle of tumbling head over heels, she couldn't keep the sound to a lower level. All attempt to communicate would have to wait until she and her partner finished their manipulation, but the landslide was now no longer deadly at least. They held their position for the moment, letting their allies caught in the trap get themselves free before they could start to pack it all together safely. Those closest to the fort had been hit the worst, the partnered-up plasma and lightning Skaks trapped underneath the now slowly shifting rubble. Through the irritating sound, they managed to blast their way free though, a little singed and banged up, but raring to go. The others were taking care of the oncoming bikers, but someone had to handle the grenades, rock launchers, and other projectiles headed their way, so they got right back to it, laying out their mixed powers like a shield between the fort and their allies once more.

@The UltimoScorp @Lady Takanuva @ARROW404 @Click@Keeper of Kraata IC: Yoka - Oki Abandoned Village 「I will help,」Ikyazu offered. Yoka thumbed at her glaive in agreement. Ikyazu's specialty was Mindarm. She would be of more use than her, who used it with only middling skill. She stepped out of her body, and Ikyazu returned to her home with practiced ease, the process taking less than second. "You have it," she told Ahri, stabilizing the rubble as he shifted the most important pieces.

IC: Priicu - Wise Man's Archive back room The librarian frowned, but he was in a good mood, and didn't want to come between the Toa's potential partnership, "If you must smoke, please do it by an open window," he told them, gesturing at those on the far side wall. He tilted his head slightly, but nodded, figuring after a brief moment that, if Muir were asking this, then he had something more to say. "Of course, sir, right this way." @ARROW404@Goose @Emzee @Keeper of Kraata @BULiK

IC: Lapu and Kimala The Toa of Plants picked up on the tension in the group far more than their words. Inside the warehouse, he took the farthest position in, keeping himself between the group and the center of the building. Kimala did the same, one of her crystal tomahawks in hand, the other still sheathed on her back. As several members' attention fell upon a particular plant, Lapu was drawn toward them by curiosity. He leaned over the small one who held it, and reached out with his element, studying it. A fascinating specimen. He hadn't encountered anything like it, to his knowledge. The cells inside it had huge vesicles, full of water, clearly able to survive for long periods of time. Its life energy was oddly faint too, yet strong despite that fact. It produced spikes as well. Small, ineffective things against a mechanical being such as they. But as he studied the cells that produced the structures, he imagined ways he could create it with his element, into something much larger and more threatening. There was also something within its sap. A biological chemical that he guessed was medicinal in nature. He would have liked to examine it closer, but he could sense this was something important to these individuals, and so refrained from doing so. @ARROW404 @Snelly @Harvali@Lady Takanuva @Tarn @BULiK @Umbraline Yumiwa @Mel @BBBBalta @~Xemnas~

IC: Yoka - Oki Abandoned Village The former Taajar glanced at her body's original owner. She couldn't hear the IdeaTalk coming from the bird, and must have been confused about their reactions. Fortunately, Ahri gave an explanation that provided Ikyazu the information she needed. She nodded to the others, though there was little resolve in her eyes. "I will go with you." It was more for lack of any other options that she said so. Ikyazu looked at her with approval. She fiddled with her glaive subtly, in a sign she and her 'sister' had agreed on, a subtle offer to switch positions. 「FIll me in on what I have missed,」Ikyazu said, before drifting toward their body. Yoka slipped out, their shared body's eyes growing momentarily vacant, until its original owner was once more in control, Yoka now the one floating along invisibly. She began immediately to relay information to her. This close to the others, she hadn't wanted to risk someone picking up on the targeted IdeaTalk that would have been required to fill her in otherwise. 「The male, Ahri, speaks Vulgar Taa,」she finished.「It would be best if I remained in our body for now.」 Acquiescing, albeit with a little annoyance, Ikyazu switched back. At least now she had been brought up to speed. @ARROW404 @Keeper of Kraata @The UltimoScorp @Click@Lady Takanuva

IC: Kimala For her part, the Toa of Crystal assumed that whatever those mushrooms were, they couldn't be illegal, because what kind of dealer would do business around a crowd this large?

IC: Lapu - Outside the Takea The tall, plant-matter-covered Toa reached down a little after Kanohi finished showing his message, and touched the tablet, a little trickle of his elemental power restoring the wood, effectively erasing the message so a new one could be carved into it. That done, he turned his attention more to the enormous plants that some of the town was made out of. He was not very familiar with aquatic plants, and wandered just a couple bio away to study their structure with his elemental power, experimentally changing the color of a Matoran's house's wall without fully realizing it, to a deep reddish-purple found on some fruit trees. He rubbed his chin. He had been going for a brighter color. IC: Kimala - same place The burly Toa of Crystal read the tablet quickly, and murmured the word "Seprilli" to herself. She knew very little about it, only the rumors about Skakdi and Lesterin regaining memories. She unfortunately had nothing to contribute to the peculiarly-armored Matoran's inquiries, and she doubted anyone in Timak's group did either. @Harvali @ARROW404 @Mel @Lady Takanuva @Tarn @BULiK @~Xemnas~ @BBBBalta @Umbraline Yumiwa @Rahisaurus @Snelly

@Mel @Visaru @Nato G @Snelly @Smudge8 @ARROW404 @Zeal @Sparticus147@Geardirector IC: Gashril - Assaulting Fort Garsi Looks could often kill on Zakaz. Gashril's looks weren't one of those that could, though, lucky for Zanakra. She had a hard time- and precious little of said time- figuring out what was going through her new boss lady's head just then. Had she picked her crew up for just this? Were they going to end up just being fodder for this attack? Why was their fearless (in the bad sense) leader standing in the middle of the attack if that were the case though? Was she just that desperate to have this fort? She had more pressing matters on her hands though. The battle was joined, whether she liked it or not. She rubbed her neck. She had one, maybe two sonic blasts left in her. If she held back a while, she might coax out a third after a little recovery. She swore under her breath, now wishing she had taken Zanakra up on her offer for a Sarke match. She cursed again. It was time to act, not think! The crew she had surrendered to Zanakra nevertheless looked to her. She nodded and pointed her sword toward the fort. They were doing this. At least for now. "Seeker," she rasped, then pointed to T'harrak, "She wants iron. Give it to her." Jojax didn't stick around for a plan, so he would do instead. "Lookout," she called for her Skakdi of Air companion- the one who had been harassing Jojax earlier, but was looking quite serious now- "Find me a target on the walls." He nodded and sprinted off to the side, then stopped, staring intensely at the walls, before quickly diving back to her side. "Stone Skakdi on the ramparts," he told her, pointing to the spot on the walls. He pointed two others off, before she nodded and gestured for him to move out. She nodded at the rest of the crew, those with ranged weapons and laser or heat vision firing into the building. Taking a step back from the front line, she grabbed her Earth companion. "I'm going for a look. Hold on to me, and call my name if I'm needed." He nodded and shrugged her up onto his back, while she squinted toward the building. Her vision swam, darkening, before reforming and seeing herself, along with the rest of the Razorfish warband below. Some sort of weapon off to the side, firing off chunks of stone. No, not off to the side, held by the Stone-powered individual. And grenades too, at that. A lot of them, which she watched explode prematurely as Lugnoz and Ythrok combined their powers into a wave of lightning-infused plasma that set them off both prematurely and unevenly, dulling their explosive power drastically. Gashril held her gaze through the eyes of the sentry, watching for any hints she could use to her advantage. Seeker, the Skakdi of Iron, arrived at T'harrak's side. "I've got iron, how can I help?"

IC: Priicu - Wise Man's Archive Back Room To say the Ko-Matoran was listening with rapt attention would have been quite the understatement. As a student of knowledge, this opportunity to learn about something hitherto unknown was captivating. As a student of history, his excitement bubbled at the idea of the potential alliance- or at least pooling of resources- that may come of this meeting, and its effect on the future. As a Matoran who wished to see evil purged from the island, he rejoiced in the thought of a weapon turned against evil, or of a cure for the weapon employed by the agents of chaos. And, as the owner of the library they stood in, he was more than a little excited it was happening here. Unfortunately, he had nothing and less to contribute to the conversation itself. And so he listened, excitement registering only in the glow of his eyes as they flitted from one speaker to the next.

IC: Yoka - Oki, Abandoned village Yoka's eyes passed from one member of the trio to the other as they were introduced, and made quick mental notes of which was which. She had no precise intentions, but the odds were, they could help one another. The male- Ahri's- use of Vulgar Taa gave her pause. She had to repeat what he said to herself after he said it before she registered the words themselves. How long had it been since she had heard her language? It was a slightly different dialect, subtly different vowel sounds, but recognizable, and more than a little nostalgic. She wasn't sure how to react to that, and she couldn't communicate with Ikyazu without potentially giving herself away. The one called Raika spoke next, breaking Yoka from her train of thought. She nodded in response. Another wanderer. Then the last one asked the question Yoka herself had been wondering. She shook her head. "No, I arrived here last night and took shelter." She glanced about the empty settlement behind her, then back, eyes resting on Ahri once more, the gears turning in her head. His garb was in even worse shape than hers, no clan alignment discernible. Was he Taajar, then, to speak their language? He lacked the accent, though. Should she ask? She needed more time to think, before the silence could grow awkward. Ikyazu folded her arms pensively. In her ghostly state, she had been unable to follow the Ideatalk portion of the brief exchange.「Ask them about the refugees,」she suggested. "You mentioned refugees?" OoC: I just realized I confused myself. Ikyazu was actually the one who was supposed to be in control. It's too late to change now though, so I'll roll with it.

@Keeper of Kraata IC: Yoka - Oki, Abandoned village She stopped her approach at the defensive response, standing relaxed and non-threatening. Seeing how on-edge they were- and although she kept her Willhammer touch light and unintrusive, she could feel a surprising amount of emotion emanating from one of them- she kept her feet spread evenly, at least ready to run if need be. "Ikyazu," she answered the question, giving the name she and her ghost had agreed to use- it was the name associated with the body, after all. "I am nobody. I was once someone, but the sons of Zataka took that from me." Her eyes did not move as the 'real' Ikyazu drifted into her vision, observing the group more closely, watching for danger.

IC: Yoka - Oki, Abandoned village Yoka straightened slightly at the Ideatalk call. "They noticed me," she whispered. "I will approach." Ikyazu nodded her affirmation and drifted above, observing as Yoka piloted their body toward the beach. She made no effort to remain stealthy, letting the butt of her glaive, and the soles of her feet meet the ground with enough sound to let the gathered group hear her before they could see her. .:Apologies for the intrusion,:. she sent, as she rounded the bend into their view. Those looking her way would be greeted with the sight of what had formerly been a well-dressed and well-trained Menti, who had clearly been dragged through the wringer for some time. Her armor was patched decently at best, and the clothes supplemented with what someone else had left behind. What clothing belonged to her original outfit bore Eiyu colors. .:I was merely making sure I saved my approach until I felt everyone was calm.:.

The BZPRPG recently-ish introduced a new species, the Draconic Mystix, and I wanted to get into some of that action! The wing membranes are purely decorative, and clearly not attached to the body itself. If it existed in set form, it would likely make use of cloth. I based the head on a scaled-down approximation of the Tahtorak, and just kind of went ham for the rest. Oh, here it is, fighting a Rock Lion! And for good measure, a close-up of the head. The main head part is the Ash Bear head custom piece from Galva's custom Stud.io pack. The jaw, as you can see, is made with System parts, attached via clips to a bar piece inside. Hope you like it! His name is Tavo'ssa. You get a like if you understand the reference!

This is way too dang neat, this has to be illegal somewhere

IC: Lumune - Ostia streets The trapper meandered, in no rush, from the butcher's, where she had sold off her catch, a few widgets heavier now. She noticed a tech emporium flyer stuck to a wall and gave it a cursory once-over. She had just been there a few days ago and gotten what she needed, but again, she wasn't in a rush, so why not satisfy a little idle curiosity? She also cast her eyes about the street as she walked, examining the wares on display for things that might be useful, or just nice to have. A few cloaked figures slipped past, though she paid no mind to them. IC: Idas - Ostia desert-side entrance The lion pointedly ignored the looks cast his way, curling up instead for a short nap in the shade. An errant breeze made that difficult though, as a bizarre scent made him shiver. It was distant, but too close for comfort. Ears flicking upward, he sat up and watched for the source of the scent. Antidermis. Rahkshi? He growled lowly.

IC: Yoka - Oki, Abandoned village 「Hold.」 Yoka stopped, at Ikyazu's request. 「Best not to startle them. Wait here.」 She did so, standing in the road, a ways away from the group assembled on the beach, presently out of sight, but not hidden.

IC: Priicu - Wise Man's Archive back room The Ko-Matoran withheld a wince at Muir's venomous words, though his jaw did tighten a touch, nervously glancing between the Toa. So she was a member of the Cultured Gentry. A couple of their members were regulars at the library, though beyond their taste in fine literature and philosophy, he knew little. Despite running a fine enough establishment, he was still what most would consider working-class. His mind drifted a moment to his ongoing investments though, Syzygos's copy crystals, and the Ko-tatsus he had ordered... With some well-placed words, he might find his way into the upper crust's good graces. Just an idle thought, though. He quite enjoyed his current business. Some enhancements would just be nice. He blinked the thought away and carried on listening in silence.