BZPRPG - Ko-Wahi

[Krayzikk]

IC:

"I'm not going to talk you out of it, am I?" Krayn didn't wait for a response and rose from the chair, gesturing for Four to take it while he downed the last of his old coffee. "You can take over. Not headed upstairs, though, I'll sit here with you. You could use the extra hearing."

"If I doze off, I doze off."

[25K Now!]

IC: The Fourth

 

"If that's what you want then," she acquiesced, moving to sit in the chair.

 

A light smile crossed her face.

 

"I won't draw anything on your mask when if you do snooze."

[Snelly]

IC: Skyra

 

I'll admit I laughed a little as I heard the idea of Four drawing all over Krayn's mask. I cleared my throat and approached the two. "Hey guys, I woke up so I just came down to check on how things were...everything quiet?"

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

There was something foul in the air of Ko-Wahi that only he could taste.

 

Reordin had started off the Infernavika's journey in typical fashion, happily joining on the roasting sessions that had carried them through Ta-Wahi and always there to make a suggestive comment right alongside Alfon. But as the days had gone on, and they sailed closer to the Toa Maru of Ice's occupied homeland, he had started growing quieter, reserved, and finally downright sullen. For the past three days, not even the Skrihen/Plagia power bloc had been able to coax a word out of him, and he had been entering his cabin onboard the ship later every night and earlier every morning. Sleep meant dreams, and his dreams only irritated him.

 

...

 

You arrogant tosser. We were unstoppable together. You had your gut instinct and I had mine. If you'd just talked to me--

 

--you would have ignored me. The prophet is without honor in his household and home. I loved you as a brother, Reordin, but I could never speak to you as I could to Aurax or Lepidran.

 

You stopped trying. You expected blind faith.

 

You followed where I Wandered. It had never failed before.

 

Look at my home, Stan, and tell me you didn't make a right cock-up of things. You turned your back on us.

 

I wanted to make it right. You turned your back on me. The Maru's job is to fight the darkness.

 

We did, Stan. We destroyed it.

 

Look to your home, Maru of Ice, and tell me what we have managed to destroy.

 

...

 

Reo had woken up grinding his teeth, muscles so taut on his heroic countenance that they had reopened a cut on his jaw. Cursing softly under his breath, the Toa of Ice pulled himself out of bed and made a fist out of the hand he'd brought to his face.The fingertips drew lines of slick blood along his palm. He cursed again, this time intermingling the sound with a faint sigh. Instead of immediately throwing on his jacket, he decided to stand in the mirror and clean and protect the cut. The Infernavika's cache of supplies had been more effective than any sort of on-the-fly guerrilla remedies that Reordin had used to treat his wounds while fighting alone in Ko-Wahi, and many of the bruises, black eyes, and cuts he'd worn into Ta-Koro as a makeshift disguise were starting to fade away. Only the dried blood on his Sanctum Guard regalia remained.

 

He would wash that when he took back Ko-Koro.

 

Reordin lowered his face to the mirror to work - and two faces stared back at him. 

 

He sighed and began to work. Thankfully, the other Toa of Ice in the mirror gave no reply. He just hovered, a ghostly Akaku, in the corner of Reo's vision. It was a change of pace that sent a shiver of doubt up the Toa's spine; normally the presence was both more malevolent and more mischievous, never violent but always seeking to cause upheaval. This was more haunting...yet, somehow, had stopped short of the dark poltergeist that Reordin Maru had encountered in Mangaia. The other Maru had all done this on numerous occasions - called forth the remnants of their respective predecessors when in need of counsel or aid.

 

All except Reordin. Until now.

 

Did you know what was going to happen? he asked the Toa Mata of Ice. Even inside his head, the question was phrased quietly, almost meekly.

 

...

 

To who?

 

Don't be daft. Did you know what you were going to do? Down there in Mangaia? On the way to...

 

He couldn't bring himself to finish the thought, but luckily, there was enough strength in Kopaka's spirit to answer the question half-asked.

 

No. We all went in blind.

 

Reo's bloody fist made an instinctive clench.

 

How did it feel down there? What did your gut say?

 

...

 

I remember...loneliness, the First Toa answered cautiously. The answer was like a punch to Reo's heartlight. 

 

It was too close to home.

 

I left my team behind.

 

You're going to be in the same place.

 

...

 

I left my team behind.

 

Yes.

 

He had once gotten enough courage to ask Sulov and Leah what their First Toa said to them, and the answer he had gotten was that they were vague, half-salient recollections at best; they barely had the strength to form a word at a time, let alone a whole sentence. It left Reo wondering whether Kopaka was so strong inside him because he was the first to surrender to Makuta, the one who gave up all of himself voluntarily to the darkness. Sometimes Reo thought it might be something about himself.

 

But, Kopaka continued, I was with a full team in Mangaia. It didn't affect the loneliness. If I had been more prepared, perhaps it may have. No doubt my teammates often cursed me for my lack of readiness. I was never in a position to ask them, you know.

 

Reordin weighed that.

 

Ko-Koro is my home.

 

Yes.

 

I can't leave it.

 

You did before. What's so different now that it's occupied?

 

Echelon is there. Makuta's Legacy. Once they're gone--

 

It was the wrong thing to say. Kopaka laughed dryly in his head, and Reordin's pride felt the need to double down on his less-victorious predecessor.

 

###### you, ghost. We beat him. We buried him somewhere no one will ever find him. 

 

You shoved him in a closet and locked the door.

 

Makuta is gone forever.

 

The Toa chewed that one over in their heads for a while; enough seconds passed by that Reordin started to believe that the First Toa had run out of strength. Then the reply came.

 

If you believed that, needled a more familiar, caustic echo, then you wouldn't hate Stannis, big guy.

 

Reordin stood in the mirror silently for a moment, staring at himself, before sliding into his jacket. The bloody fur hugged his neck and jaw warmly, but the Sanctum Guard lieutenant found no comfort in the embrace.

 

...

 

...

 

...

 

Out on the deck of the Infernavika, the snow grew more blustery for a couple seconds, and then abated entirely as Reordin Maru stepped onto the deck. The Toa of Ice leaned over the port side railing and looked out to the horizon, searching for the ivory silhouette of his home.

 

"You've done alright, Captain," he said to the Lesterin behind him. He took a second longer to stare into the wastes before turning to the assembled mercenaries and pirates on deck. "I won't forget it."

 

-Tyler

[Ghosthands]

IC (Lohkar, Infernavika)

 

Lohkar grinned.

 

"S'always good to know a hero owes you a favour."

 

He tossed the Toa Maru his spyglass, and pointed out across the water to a small, dark cluster of shapes on the interior shore of the fjord whose mouth the Infernavika was now passing.

 

"That's the port over there, mate," he said, beginning to turn the ship to starboard to approach it. "Looks clean to me from here. You see anything?"

[Void Emissary]

IC: Alfon

 

"Oh c'mon, it's not that bad. Look, we have cloaks!"

 

As per cue, a ratty blanket smelling of rum suddenly enveloped Plagia from behind. The culprit, none other than yours truly, stood a few feet away shivering in his own bundle of what might as well have been thick burlap. The frigid wind cut right through it and straight into my bones, and a solid minute of racketing teeth breathed new life into my longtime hatred for Ko-Wahi. 

 

"Fighting in this weather's gonna suck," I groaned, staring at the glacial waters. "Any idea on how we get inside?" 

 

IC:

 

"Hey, Alfon," I said, pulling the blanket tighter around myself -- and trying very hard not to think about where he might have found, "remember the last time we were in Ko? With the Shadow Puppies, or whatever they were called?"

 

IC: Pae - Ko-Koro - Abandoned Home

 

Pae awoke with a start, his grip on the hammer hard. He looked to his comrades.

 

IC:

 

Nika was still slumped back in his chair. It turned out that he snored.

 

-Void

[25K Now!]

IC: Ril                   

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"You know, this place is prettier than I expected."

[Palm]

IC:

 

Nika was still slumped back in his chair. It turned out that he snored.

 

-Void

 

IC: Pae - Ko-Koro - Abandoned Home

 

Pae's grip softened. Nika's soft snores complimented only by the sound of the wind just outside in the streets of Ko-Koro.

 

He looked over to Jin, still awake, on watch. He stood up. Speaking softly, "I can take over watch."

 

"Thanks," she said, arching her back into a languid stretch. "It's dead as my love life out there."

 

Pae's expression was deader, but he took her place closer to the door regardless. He gave Jin a glance however, and continued by saying, "You could have ran while we slept." He took a seat on a stool, keeping everybody plus the door in his line of sight, "I was offered something of great value as well."

 

Silence.

 

"We agreed to not share. But I would not be here if I didn't believe Polzin could give me what I want."

Edited January 7, 2017 by Palm

[Eyru]

IC (Jin)

 

"I wouldn't be here either," I said, picking my words a little more carefully than usual. "I try not to spend my weekends in drafty shacks, you know."

 

Silence. Pae was good at that.

 

"But... you're good company. Better than I'm used to."

[Palm]

IC: Pae - Ko-Koro - Abandoned Home

 

Pae's face remained entirely unchanged. He turned his eyes to Nika who was still sound asleep. Pae did not return the sentiment directly, but he did say, "I hope we all get what we want."

Edited January 7, 2017 by Palm

[Eyru]

IC (Jin)

 

I looked at Pae, then dropped my eyes absentmindedly to my fingernails.

 

"Yeah. Me too."

[Void Emissary]

IC:

 

There was a snuffling sound.

 

The smack of a tongue against the roof of Nika's mouth. A dry cough. The creak of joints.

 

"Did I oversleep?"

 

-Void

[Palm]

IC: Pae - Ko-Koro - Abandoned Home

 

Pae said nothing.

[Void Emissary]

IC: 

 

Deep inhale. Deep exhale.

 

The clink of metal on metal, the grind of a screw top lid. Sloshing water. The grind of a screw top. A deep sigh.

 

"Love these talks of ours, Pae."

 

-Void

[Eyru]

IC (Jin)

 

I yawned. "As much as I hate to miss this conversation, I think I'll turn in."

[Palm]

IC: Pae - Ko-Koro - Abandoned Home

 

Pae was unwavering in his demeanor and attentive posture. Though he made note not to let Nika take any targets near him in combat after sampling his flask.

 

"You didn't oversleep."

[Wade.]

IC: Alfon

 

"Very vaguely," I replied, recalling our time in Ko but drawing a blank when it came to 'Shadow Puppies'. "Might have to refresh my memory, brain fluids are starting to freeze."

[Void Emissary]

IC:

 

"Glad to hear, Pae," Nika said, fitting the canteen back onto his belt. "Want the chair, then, Jin?"

 

IC:

 

"It was right after the terrorist attack, back with the ILF. Or, was it the ILS back then? No idea. Anyway," I said, "these Shadow Whatever folks had grabbed some hostages and we ended up in the longest and coldest stand-off I've ever experienced with them. Only ended because we managed to forge an entire suitcase of widgets for them. Good times."

 

-Void

[Krayzikk]

IC:

"Funny enough, I do trust that you want." The De-Toa remarked, a moment before he heard approaching footsteps. He could recognize the sound, there wasn't any need to look. It sounded different when Kale walked or when Arankhe did. "Everything's been quiet, yes."

IC:

"I tagged along with the ILF to Ko once." The former Mark Bearer of Joy mused aloud. "Just before everything went to Karzahni, I was dragged off, and you all made a mess of things while I was gone."

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

"Did I? I put in so many hours saving all your lives from the forces of darkness, I don't remember getting much free time to ruin Pala-Koro too. Can we all get back to the business at hand?"

 

-Tyler

[Krayzikk]

IC:

"I didn't say you, Reo. Chill. Do you see anything at the port?"

[Eyru]

IC (Jin)

 

"Sure," I said. "What a gentlema-- hold up."

 

Beat.

 

"You guys hear that?"

 

Rhetorical question --of course they did. Something was happening outside, and I had a feeling my beauty sleep might have to wait.

[Snelly]

IC: Skyra

 

"That's good..." I said as I reached the two, crossing my arms and trying not to shiver. I really did not enjoy the cold at all, it made me wonder why the bad guys even wanted to take over Ko-Wahi of all places, to match their frozen hearts? 

 

"After this is all over I'm taking a nice, long trip to Ga-koro and I will sunbathe the entire time." 

[25K Now!]

IC: The Fourth

 

"I might join you, Skyra," said the Fourth. "I haven't returned home in a while."

 

She rested herself back against the seat.

[Vezok's Friend]

 

OOC: Korero, Leah, Stannis and Sulov from Ta-Wahi.

 

 

IC [Leah - safehouse, Ko-Koro]:

 

She blinked a couple of times, shaking off the second of disorientation that lasted after every Hiko-powered location-change with her teammate. They had done it enough times by now though for the effect to fade almost immediately. Having regained her bearings, she looked around the room they were now in. It was a wisely chosen location to make their entrance. It would allow them to enter the village unnoticed and give them a little time to plan while in the village itself. Unfortunately, plans relied on intel. Intel was provided by Korero and Oreius in this case - and Oreius was nowhere to be seen. Leah fought against the old Le-Matoran instinct to comment on the situation with snark. Instead, she took the facts and immediately went to work with them as she tried something she had made very little use of so far since becoming a Toa.

 

Closing her eyes and calling upon her element, she reached out through it. Of course, Ko-Wahi was mostly rocky mountains buried under unfathomable amounts of ice in turn covered by seemingly endless snow - but there was still water here for her to sense with her power. Not just in the air - it was also within living things. It gave her a rough indication of where beings were in proximity to her and the amount of liquid present in them, which in turn was an indication to their size or how many were gathered. It wasn't exactly like using and Akaku to pinpoint and observe from miles and miles away, but it was reliable enough. And if what she felt needed to be confirmed, it would be easy for Korero or Sulov to call upon their elements to double check where there were vibrations in the ground or air flowing around beings.

 

Aside from the four Toa in the hut, there was nobody else in the immediate vicinity of the building, though she noted several smaller concentrations of water moving around the village. The biggest amount however came from a little further away. She opened her eyes. Since they were inside the house, she had no point of reference to tell where in the village they were exactly. So she looked to the other Maru as she raised a hand, pointing at the wall beyond which she had felt the concentration of water in the distance, and said: 

 

"Unless Echelon commissioned a heated public pool, there seems to be a relatively large crowd gathered in that direction."

 

 

IC: Kythera

 

IC [Rewera & Aparangi, Ko-Wahi]:

 

She started to grin slyly. "I don't think those who run this place intended for another entrance in that big wall aside from the main gate..."

 

 

IC [Rewera & Aparangi - Snowdrifts outside Ko-Koro's walls):

 

Using the night and typically overcast Ko-Wahi weather as cover, the two Aitua and their companion had managed to sneak up to the villages defensive wall. Hiding in its shadow and seemingly impervious, it towered above them now.

 

Using her acute sense of hearing, Rewera started to systematically knock against the fortification's base, ear close to the surface. Meanwhile, Aparangi kept an eye on the ramparts above, ready to signal in an instant if a guard should poke their head out or a perimeter patrol came into view. They carried their work out in silence, which stretched on to the point where even he started to feel like their chances of finding the secret entrance before they themselves were found out were growing slim. 

 

Then, suddenly, Rewera raised a fist. The sound she could pick up had changed. It was only a subtle change, but the deepening of the returning sound when she knocked was obvious enough. There was a door or hatch here. Turning around with a satisfied smile, she nodded her head at the wall, indicating for her brother to get to work.

 

Letting out a breath, Aparangi turned to the indicated spot, then called upon his power or transformation to turn his left arm into an appendage ending in fine tentacles with feelers. They were just sensitive enough to feel out the fine gap that marked the edge of the hidden access way. He also found what must have been a keyhole for a simple lock. Though by this island's standards, it was already rather advanced. Another transformation into a lockpicking index finger later, and the doorway lay open before him. 

 

He stepped aside and gestured to his allies: "After you."

 

 

 

-IC:-

 

"Splendid. If you will follow me, we shall begin." I gesture to my selected building before beginning to move. Mind-Reading still whispers in flat tones, feeding me the streams of information slithering from the minds of the other Rahkshi.

 

Upon reaching the building's roof, I begin preparations and organise my Rahkshi. Silence and Mind-Reading, crouching out of sight of observers below, supply me with silenced weapons and crude situational awareness. The rest of my Rahkshi, preparing for combat, fly in two separate circles a fair distance away from my person, searching for the first signs of the coming violence. 

 

Lava Launcher once again spreading its hints of warmth through my hand, its hum now strangled by Silence's grasp, I wait to see if Sylus' new mask is as all-seeing as its reputation suggests. If the rest of the Maru's rescue mission hide behind disguise or masks of subterfuge, Sylus and I shall prove disruptive. Mind-Reading alerting Marfoir and Lunefeld as to my new position and intention, I wait and appreciate the sounds of the duel below.

 

 

IC [Leah - Inside a Ko-Koro hut with the other Toa Maru]:

 

She was sitting cross-legged on the floor, eyes closed as if meditating. But Leah Maru was far from zoned out. Her brow was furrowed in concentration. 

 

They were still cooped up in this hut in Ko-Koro, and there was something going on outside. A commotion, by the feeling of it. Using her control over water she'd reached out to pinpoint where other beings were on the outside and found a large concentration several blocks away. Why there was a commotion she couldn't say, but they were arranged in a lose circle, with space in the middle, so something was there in the center, grabbing the attention of an audience. 

 

Beyond that, she could also feel other beings in the vicinity - or rather the water within their bodies - including several that moved in a fashion she could tell were on a patrol, or searching for something.

 

"Seems they've prepared for trouble," she mumbled quietly, before relaying the rough positions of the beings outside to her team mates. It would be handy to have an idea of which routes were relatively safe to take once they set foot outside the door. 

[Ghosthands]

IC (Korero, Ko-Koro Maru hideout)

 

Korero was pacing back and forth, struggling to keep his agitation in check.

 

"Oreius should be here by now. I don't like this."

 

He could easily enough avoid the patrols Leah had described, but what was this gathering? Anything important enough to attract that much of an audience was probably bad news.

 

"This gathering," he said, stopping his pacing for a moment and facing Leah, arms folded. "Do you have any idea what's going on, what they're looking at?"

[Krayzikk]

IC:

"Ga-Koro isn't for me, I don't think." Krayn mused aloud, cleaning one of his revolvers now that he was relieved from guard duty. "Nice place, but there's a little too much baggage there. Same for Po-Koro. The only places really left are Ko-Koro, Onu-Koro, or Ta-Koro."

Left unspoken was why he didn't include Le-Koro. The former Lieutenant didn't have any more intention of returning there than he did to Po-Koro. Less, in fact. He could find many of his friends if he went to Ga, but... He would also find memories of Mark Bearers, and weddings, and people now gone. Not the right place when looking for some piece of mind.

 

"Maybe I'll stay here. The locals will need help rebuilding, and they don't have much of a Guard left. A little volunteer work wouldn't go unappreciated. I hear Ihu-Koro is nice and quiet, too. Not many people pass through. The peace might be nice."

[Wade.]

IC:

 

"I didn't say you, Reo. Chill. Do you see anything at the port?"

 

IC: Alfon

 

"I see a land covered in Mother Nature's dandruff."

[Krayzikk]

IC:

"No one asked, Alfon."

The mercenary gave the other Toa a meaningful look, shined an apple against her jacket, and took a bite.

[Wade.]

IC: Alfon

 

Something about that apple triggered a wave of fear to come crashing into me. My eyes went wide, my skin broke out into a cold sweat, and I felt my stomach do a somersault. Suddenly, I was on the ground, quaking like a soldier with PTSD, a horridly blank stare glazed over my face. 

 

In my mind's eye, images and sensations flashed erratically.

 

A fastball throw.

 

The swooshing of death.

 

A wall fissured by wholesome goodness.

 

Each and every one chipping away at my fragile psyche. I wanted to cry. And as I'm sure you've already figured out, I am an unreliable storyteller whose words should be taken with a grain of salt.

 

I did flip her off, though.

[Vezok's Friend]

IC [Leah - Inside a Ko-Koro hut with the other Toa Maru]:

 

Korero could see Leah's eyes tighten even more in concentration.

 

"Let's see..." she muttered, focusing on the gathering again. Most of the beings assembled stood still she realized as she zeroed in on the commotion and separated the individual concentrations of liquid in the bodies in her mind, giving her a clearer picture. But the closer she got to the inner circle she noticed the concentration of water becoming larger. It was as if...

 

"I can sense the crowd," she told the Toa of air, "but the center of it is like a puddle with one or two beings moving fast within it."

 

She opened her eyes and stood up. "How many puddles do you know in Ko-Koro that don't immediately freeze over again?"

Edited January 9, 2017 by Vezok's Friend

[Snelly]

IC: Skyra

 

"Sure, the more the merrier, better I'm not by myself anyway, I tend to do stupid ###### when I'm left by myself too long." I told Four. I was silent as Krayn spoke of where he might end up after Ko-koro was liberated. I wasn't surprised at all that Krayn had a lot of baggage regarding Ga-koro, I understood. There were a lot of terrible memories that happened in Ga-koro, me and Krayn shared many of them. Weddings gone wrong and Mark Bearers came into mind...I found it best not to think about it too much. 

 

Why was I okay with going back to Ga-koro then even with those memories? Don't know really. I supposed it was because people healed in different ways. At any rate, I was more surprised that Krayn wanted to stay in Ko-Koro of all places. I mean, it's really cold! Thinking about it gave me shivers, especially since I was at that moment pulling my coat as tightly against me as I could. It didn't help that we weren't moving around much, at least if I was on the move that would help keep me warm.

 

"I mean yeah...it's definitely quiet...but it's freakin cold man! I don't want to stay here a minute longer than I have to. And if you stay here, that means I'd have to come back here to visit you! The very idea makes my whole body shiver!" 

 

IC: Taleen

 

Taleen eyed the port it came closer and clearer in her vision. It looked safe enough from where she stood, but that didn't guarantee that. 

 

"I don't see anything out of the ordinary, but we should stay on our guard all the same..."

Edited January 10, 2017 by D.Va

[25K Now!]

IC: Ril

 

"Hard to hide in the snow on a good day like this."

[Crimson Jester]

IC: Korruhn

 

Korruhn paced across the small room, the same as he had a thousand times before. But this time, something was different, and it showed. His speed had quickened, his shoulders raised, and under his hood, his mask had curled into a look of reserved satisfaction. Years of work, recovering lost maps, record of the First Toa, and pouring over every piece of information for clues that would guide Korruhn toward his holy grail had finally paid off.

 

The Toa's small hovel was modestly furnished in a fashion typical of Ko-Koro. Upon first glance, one could see that Korruhn once kept his home to a military level of cleanliness and organization. But, years of frantic research and gathering of data had left it's mark, littering the walls and desks of the dwelling with maps, historical records, and fables, each one covered in lines, arrows, and scribbles. Upon his largest desk sat one particular map, it's paper yellowed and edges furled by eons of mere existence. It was a crude representation of Ko-Wahi, decorated with drawings depicting various landmarks, many of which were long washed away in the mountains of snow that blanketed the region. This map took Korruhn an unfathomable amount of time, blood, and money to acquire, but none of that mattered. Knowing what he knew now, this ancient map, prepared by cartographers who shared the same air as the First Toa, held the answer he'd been looking for ever since the so-called 'Legacy' arrived in his homeland. 

 

The Toa spun on his heels, walking towards this map once more. He placed his left hand on the table, leaned down, and drew a large 'X' on the map. Grinning, Korruhn closed his eyes. The day he had dreamed of was drawing near.

 

Ko-Wahi will return to the hands of it's people.

[EmperorWhenua]

IC: Savana Sunrose

 

My eyes fluttered against the light.

 

I was in Ko-Koro, I knew, but didn't remember how or when I got there. Some things just can't be explained and I'd learned to roll with them, for a time at least. Waking up on my feet in a city I hadn't been in for years was pretty mild as far as phenomena go for me, anyway, even if said city was reportedly flooded with villains and spurned denizens.

 

Walking forward, my senses caught up with my mind and I froze (froze! in Ko-Koro! hah!) upon hearing a great hubbub elsewhere in the city. Realizing I was a single toa, tough though I may be, in a city of dubious characters, I elected to avoid the commotion and darted next to a row of abodes and the meager grey shadows afforded by the yawning architecture. 

 

My survivalist instincts kicked in and I listened low, to the growing ebb and flow of the crowd and any sounds of life in the abodes. This was moderately exciting! 

[Crimson Jester]

IC: Korruhn

 

The light of a middday sun, amplified intensely by the thick blanket of shimmering snow that coated every inch of Ko-Wahi bled through the drawn curtains in Korruhn's home. It reflected off of whatever remained for sheen on his armor, revealing him to be finishing loading a small pack with icepicks, marking stakes, and various other specialized equipment one would expect from someone heading deep into the Ko-Wahi wastelands.

 

Slinging the bag over his shoulder, Korruhn grabbed his axes, and checked that his blade was still holstered. He had no way of knowing if he would be the first to find this ancient site, and if he wasnt, he was prepared to kill anyone in his way to secure it, no matter how poorly outnumbered he was.

 

He opened the door to his hovel, and light flooded in, soaking his frame and revealing him to the Koro which he hadn't stepped into for weeks. Korruhn was rather imposing looking, even for a Toa, and much less friendly. His black-and-white armor was heavily pitted, scarred, and adorned with burn marks, to the point that it was impossible to tell the original paint lines, or even the shade of white it once was. His half-cloak fluttered in the typical winter breeze, frayed ends dancing to the rhythm of nature. He stood perfectly still outside his hovel door, as if time meant nothing to him. His eyes darted, scanning his surroundings like a scrutinous machine. He knew these alleys intimately. And he knew something was out of place.

[Void Emissary]

IC: Ril

 

"Hard to hide in the snow on a good day like this."

 

IC:

 

"I've seen weirder things on this island."

 

IC (Jin)

 

"Sure," I said. "What a gentlema-- hold up."

 

Beat.

 

"You guys hear that?"

 

Rhetorical question --of course they did. Something was happening outside, and I had a feeling my beauty sleep might have to wait.

 

IC:

 

"Yeah," Nika said, already on his feet, reaching for his bag. "I can check it out."

 

-Void

[EmperorWhenua]

IC: Savana

 

The noise of an unexpectedly opening door started me. I exhaled sharply and spun on me heel to face whoever was exiting their home. I absentmindedly hovered a hand over the grip of my machete. A man stepped out, all grit-and-grimace, looking like death or a harbinger of it, and my heartbeat quickened at the sight of him. 

 

In the gentle whistle of the mountain winds, we both stood stock still, he still in his doorjamb and me mere steps away. He didn't turn to face me, but there was no way he wasn't aware of me. I soaked his visage in while I could, not sure about my safety, and measured him the way I would a rahi I was tracking; ten bits said he was doing the same thing to me. I couldn't bolt (that would be a sign of weakness, and I wasn't weak) and I couldn't charge without reason (the odds of failure notwithstanding), so I just stayed as I was and spoke calm and measured.

 

"Nice scars. Are you with the others?" The heavy din elsewhere in the city changed tone again, seemingly becoming more agitated, but it may as well have been a world away while this man and I occupied our little alcove. 

[Palm]

"Yeah," Nika said, already on his feet, reaching for his bag. "I can check it out."

 

-Void

 

IC: Pae - Ko-Koro - Abandoned Home

 

"You have consumed alcohol." Pae continued flatly, "One of us should stay to secure this home, while the two go."

[Crimson Jester]

IC: Korruhn

 

"Are you with the others?"

 

Her words rang through his head like a war drum, pounding his clarity to oblivion. Korruhn had taken every precaution to ensure nobody knew of his discovery of the location of a shrine to the ancient evil, the Makuta. He hired street urchins to purchase the necessary texts and maps from various merchants throughout Mata Nui. He moved between houses in each Koro, and safehouses deep in the uncharted regions of the island. Every scholar he spoke to he came well disguised, and under a presumed identity. He even went so far as to avoid contact with anyone for nearly two years to ensure the secret's safety. And now, standing before him in the form of a crisp, clean cut female Toa, is the unraveling of all of that, if anyone knowa what Korruhn does.

 

He turned to face her slowly, but with a certain grace and fluidity for such a large frame. His blue eyes burned intensely through the sea of black that shrouded his mask.

 

"Others?" He asked, speaking slowly and deliberately in an attempt to hide his whirlwind of anger and defeat. "Who are you? What do you know?!"