BZPRPG - Ga-Wahi

[Keeper of Kraata]

IC:

"Well," Aokora stated, "that's one way to do it. I wonder how matoran were supposed to solve this? I think this place is intended for no-gear besides maybe a lightstone, and-"

She was cut off as the passage behind them started to grind shut. The grate beneath them rumbled, before dropping. It fell just above the water line, knocking anybody prone. Those that were not yet in the room found themselves cut off. As Aokora started to regain her footing, water came pouring in from holes on the walls.

"Oh, that's how..."
 

*     *     *

 

If an Onu-Turaga could pale, Maeloc would have when he saw Leah Maru making her way towards the hut... and them, indirectly. Struggling to keep his composure, he turned to his assembled expedition.

"I think it's time we left, hmm?"

Fyura gulped, and nodded. She had no desire to tangle with a Toa Maru. Not here, at any rate.

Edited March 13, 2015 by Necrocybermancer

[Constructelf]

IC: Ira

Nodding, Ira noted the Toa Mary approaching as well as the departing Dasaka. "Back to work, huh."

[Vestak]

IC: Jalkron

 

Jalkron falls, clutching the object in his hand.  He forms spikes on the toes of his boots and on his gauntlets, then jumps as high as he can, digging the spikes into wall.  He does this again, launching away from the wall and up, towards the hole in the roof.  After a few more jumps he reaches the hole.  Ignoring the strain on his muscles Jalkron uses his staff to put the object in the hole.

[Voxumo]

 

 

IC (Tupua):

 

"Simply put." Tupua answered Volgue. 

 

"I have spent roughly a milennium hunting them, following them to places you never heard of before and many whose names I cannot recall anymore. We've traced them to here, following a trail of countless bodies. That should give you an idea who we are dealing with here. That is as lighthearted as the story gets for you."

 

IC: Voulge

 

"So you've wasted all that time on a group of individuals, who you can't even remember their names, and what do you have to show for it? It's obvious you are failing in catching them if it's taken you this long. Have you ever heard the phrase 'Some things are just not meant to be?' This sounds like a perfect example. Would you care to enlighten me and the group on why you continue to hunt them, despite apparent failure?"

[Nato G]

IC: Zaara - Temple Chamber.

 

Standing calmly in the waist-high water, Zaara clapped slowly, clearly unimpressed by Jalkron's showy display. "You know, you could have just made some metal pillars to stand on, or waited for the water to rise a little. Then you could have reach it more easily."

[Prowl Nightwolf]

==Ga-Koro - Cave - Flooding Temple chamber ==

 
OOC: Amnesiac Ga-Matoran
 
IC:  As the water level increased in the room the Ga-Matoran just let her body do what was natural and floated on the surface. Only submerging slightly when the water levels swished and swayed due to the movement of the others in the chamber. Being that the Water levels where waist high to a Toa, she was unable to touch the grate/floor of the chamber without going under the water level. "Ah let the guy show off. This so far has been the calmest part of our little adventure if you ask me." She splashed a little in the water as she floated around the chamber on her back.

[Vestak]

IC: Jalkron

 

"I'm not showing off.  I'm conserving elemental power and getting up here as fast as I can.  If this doesn't work I want time to figure out something that does."

[Constructelf]

OOC: trying a different writing style for Asa (credit to Eyru and Albrect von Armbrüster)

 

IC: Asa

As the crew conversed on the issue, I

Mused to myself. Something came to my mind.

I felt the desire to voice my thoughts.

 

.:Perhaps... Forgive me but I mean no jest,

But there may lie another solution:

Is it be acceptable to journey out

Into the Koro, adorned with nothing

But the skin and plate fixed to our bodies?

In similar manner to the locals?

Our colors should not be so different

That they would recognize us at first sight.:.

[Timageness]

IC: Aine and Shu - Cave (Temple)

Shu stood up, helping Aine back to her feet inside the now-flooding chamber. His mind raced, thinking of ways to prevent them from drowning just in case the Fe-Toa's plan was less than successful.

"Zaara, if you had to, do you think that you could melt your way back through to the last chamber in order to get rid of some of this water?"

[Nato G]

IC: Zaara - Chamber.

 

"It wouldn't be too difficult," she said with a nod, "do you want me to?" 

[Keeper of Kraata]

OOC: Might I remind you that the water has not yet reached the entrance; the grate dropped, remember?

 

IC: As the Fe-Toa put the keystone, an oddly light tetrahedral carved from volcanic rock, into the receptacle, the entrance once again opened. Opposite it, the wall slid open, revealing the way down. Water continued to fill the room, but stopped when it reached the level of the doorways.

 

"Good work, Jalkron! At this rate, you might just be able to replace me." Aokora dived under the water to retrieve her lightstone, resurfacing in seconds, and swam over to the revealed threshold. "That is, if you're any good at writing essays and curating. So, you taking the lead again?"

 

*     *     *

 

Maeloc did his best to scurry away, praying to the Makuta that he escaped Leah's gaze. The expedition found their way to the docks. Finding a boat wasn't particularly difficult, at least; finding one willing to part with its captain was less so. But, sure enough, Maeloc's stipend was enough to get a captain to turn a blind eye to their 'rental'.

 

Maeloc boarded the small vessel, barely seaworthy, and spoke to the assembled expedition, his gravelly voice loud to be distinguished above the waves. "So, which of you wants to be our boatman this evening?"

[Timageness]

OOC: I know. That was just meant to be a backup plan in case the key didn't work and the water level continued to rise past that point. Since it did work, however...

IC: Aine and Shu - Cave (Temple)

Realising that the Fe-Toa's efforts were in fact not in vain, Shu turned his attention back to Zaara.

"Looks like you won't have to melt the door after all," the Le-Toa said.

"Thank Mata Nui," Aine said, releasing a sigh of relief. "I thought we were going to end up drowning in here."

Edited March 13, 2015 by Timageness

[Nato G]

IC: Zaara - Chamber.

 

"How many more traps are in this place?" she wondered idly. 

[Tea-rex]

IC: Krakant

Krakant had silently followed behind the company thinking about what he could filch out of the temple and sell for extraordinaire prices. It just so happened that this time he was actually going to be useful.

"I could give it a go." He said in response to Maeloc. "I got myself over here, I guess I could get us over to an island in a tub no problem." He continued.

[Prowl Nightwolf]

== Ga-Koro - Cave - Temple Chamber ==

 
OOC: Amnesiac Ga-Matoran Orca
 
IC: Orca looked at the others in the chamber then to Aokora and Zarra. "Aw is swim time over?" Getting out of the water she peered down the newly opened descending passage. "How far do you think we are going below Mata Nui?" Taking her Lightstone she tossed it down the steps to see how far it would go.

[Void Emissary]

OOC: trying a different writing style for Asa (credit to Eyru and Albrect von Armbrüster)

 

IC: Asa

 

IC: 

 

I absent-mindedly pulled another cigarette from my pocket, muscle-memory from the brief and glorious time when I wasn't in a confined space with limited ventilation and about a hundred other people who weren't excited about being second-hand smokers.

 

Unfortunately, I have a good memory, and proceeded to put the smoke away with barely-withheld tears.

 

"You know, Asa, that for that to work you'd have to get another person to go outside like that."

 

-Void

[Vestak]

IC: Jalkron

 

Jalkron drops, splashing everyone when he hits the water.  "Keep your job, Aokora.  If there's one thing I hate, it's sitting still and being cooped up inside.  Yeah, I'll go first."  He heads into the new tunnel, activating his Arthron and again taking no lightstone.  

[Keeper of Kraata]

IC: Aokora narrowed her eyes as she straightened her mask, looking ahead to Jalkron. "We started out pretty high on the cliff; I predict we are just reaching sea level, now." The Archeologist climbed up on the threshold behind Jalkron, and something occured to her "This isn't seawater, this is freshwater... weird. The ancient matoran that built this place must have had some way of collecting rainwater, or tapping into a well." Tightening her backpack, she shrugged.

 

"Or... something. I'm not from Onu-Koro, they'd probably know.

 

The tunnel ahead of them, strangely enough, went up before winding down more. There was a hard corner, which was out of place in the smooth brick of the tunnels behind them, which turned into a long, straight corridor. Jalkron's sonar could only percieve that there were several small holes in the walls; there was little trace of any metal.

 

*     *     *

 

Maeloc smiled humorlessly at the sight of the skakdi and toa piling into the small boat, with Krakant as their 'captain'. "You have the wheel, Krakant. Don't make me regret it. Take us toward the island to the north. That's where our destination is." The Archivist saw Fyura huddle near the bow of the boat, looking off to the side, her spine flush with the boat's railing. Well, at least she was housetrained, it appeared. Maeloc clambered over the railing, approaching her. "Let's set off, then," he stated, malevolent gaze set on the Fe-Skakdi.

[Void Emissary]

IC:

 

"I wonder if this ship has a hammock," I mused out loud. "I've always wanted to sleep in a hammock. Wherya, you think this ship has a hammock?"

 

-Void

[Vestak]

OOC: I'm regretting not having Jalkron fix the saw trap right about now.

 

IC: Jalkron

 

Jalkron grabbed a lightstone and looked down the hall.  He created a small ball of metal and tossed it down the hall, right in between the holes.

[Tea-rex]

IC: Krakant

"Right you are then." He said. He started the engine of the boat which then moved slowly towards the island.

[Prowl Nightwolf]

IC: Krakant

"Right you are then." He said. He started the engine of the boat which then moved slowly towards the island.

OOC: I'm regretting not having Jalkron fix the saw trap right about now.

 

IC: Jalkron

 

Jalkron grabbed a lightstone and looked down the hall.  He created a small ball of metal and tossed it down the hall, right in between the holes.

ooc: Are we about to have company and did Jalkron just pick up Orca's lightstone she throw down the path?

 

== Ga-Koro - Cave - Temple Chamber ==

OOC: Amnesiac Ga-Matoran Orca

 

IC: Even though Orca was the first one on the ledge she all to willingly let Jalkron and Aokora go first. She still was not a fan of this place, though hearing that they were maybe about at sea level calmed her a bit. Looking back at the rest of the group she called out to them. "The Exploration train is leaving. Everybody out of the pool!." She then followed the two leaders down the tunnel.

[Timageness]

IC: Aine and Shu - Cave (Temple)

By the time the Le-Toa had made his way to the water's edge, Aine had already climbed out by herself.

"Not so fast when you're soaked to the bone, now are you?" she asked playfully before punching him lightly in the shoulder. "Come on; you heard what the lady said, and I don't want to be left behind."

Shu rolled his eyes as the Cy-Lesterin made for the stairs, muttering something inaudible as he pulled himself out of the water.

[Nato G]

IC: Zaara - Tunnel.

 

Creating another ball of plasma for illumination, she followed the others. 

[Hanako Herupa]

IC: (Vera Polzin)

 

I lead them towards the study where we had our discussion before, I took a seat by the small table off to the side. Looking to Pae and then to Nika. I spoke.

 

"You two may take a seat if you like. I heard what happened in Ko-Koro, awfully tragic that they'd lose a leader, and are now ruled by cultists and brigands. Tell me everything you have learned thus far, about the situation in Ko-Wahi and the investigation I sent you there for," I spoke flatly. I had only whispers, small bits of information to initially work with. I needed something more substantial, something my gut told me, but my brain couldn't quite put together. Ultimately that was all this was, a bunch of loose connections.

[Keeper of Kraata]

IC: The Archeologist's eyes tracked Jalkron's metal ball flew down the hallway, before bouncing off the stone floor with a metallic clank, and slowing to a roll. The hallway was otherwise still.

 

"What is it? You see anything? Or, well, sense anything?" Aokora noticed more runes on the wall. Well, looked like this was another test, it seemed. She was starting to gain a knack for translating these, at least. "With proven virtues quick and clever, one must have the... what is that?... tenacity of..."

 

The metal ball still rolled. It dipped onto a small hole on a stone tile; there was a slight grinding sound as the tile slid downward; several popping sounds emanated from within the walls. For a dreadful moment, the air continued to be still. Until gouts of flame shot out of the walls, scorching the walls. The sudden rush of heat was felt back to the members of the expedition still climbing out of the last chamber. The flame continued for several seconds, before subsiding. With a shocked look on her face, Aokora looked at the last word, glowing on the wall under the scorched stone.

 

"... flame."

 

 

*     *     *

 

 

Maeloc breathed in the salty air as the vessel pulled out of Ga-Koro's port, and started to speed off to the isle to the north. With Ga-Koro, with its Maru, Marines, and mysterious outsiders, the Archivist assumed everyone on the boat was as glad as he was to be gone. One step closer to their goal, finally. Now, just one problem had to be dealt with. His spade staff tapped on the deck as he walked towards the despondant Fe-Skakdi. He checked to make sure the others were nearby. He knew from experience the damage a cornered Skakdi could inflict. Fyura glanced at him, mouth shut. Great, now she was following orders and not talking.

 

"Miss Fyura, if I recall, there were three things I told all of you to avoid." The Onu-Turaga feigned friendliness, placing his hand on his staff's head.

 

Fyura grumbled. "But zhey vere-"

 

Maeloc pulled the spade head off his staff, unsheathing the hidden blade that tipped the staff. The Onu-Turaga, with surprising swiftness, held the blade against the skakdi's Parakuka. Fyura didn't get a chance to react, her eyes simply widening, and she began to quiver. "I wasn't finished, dear. You, in all of your astounding wisdom, ran off. I'm not going to blame you for that. I am going to blame you for revealing yourself to the outsiders and the Marines. Which I told you not to, if I correctly recall."

 

"Zhey zlaughtered vun in front ov me!"

 

"Sh-sh-sh-shhhh..." Maeloc shushed her. "And then, when I finished covering for you, a Toa Maru showed up. It was only by sheer luck that I wasn't recognized as a ranking member of the Legacy. Now, I'm sure there are ways to make sure this never. Happens. Again."

 

The turaga smiled, cruelly. His head turned to face Ira, but kept his eyes on Fyura. "Now, Ira, our Brotherhood friend, is there anything, that you would do, hypothetically, if you were in a situation such as mine?"

 

 

 

*      *     *

 

 

Deeper into the temple, the guardian awoke from its vigil. The flamespouts had been activated, it would have recognized that acrid smell of the flammable gas anywhere. That meant there were visitors. Intruders? Perhaps. Either way, its Duty was to test them, and, should (when) they failed, it would go about the slow task of restoring the temple. That last treasure hunter was troublesome, but at least he left the temple's defense's intact. Mostly. They had triggered a cave-in; that suited it just fine, an additional layer of defense. Mata Nui, that must have been almost a century ago. Besides that, there hadn't been activity for almost... a millenia it must have been.

 

It turned a stone wheel, closing off the lightstone receptacles. It was time to prepare, if they were this close. It grabbed its spear, and a number of smaller javelins, and hurried to one of its passages in the wall. Secretly, it hoped that these were worthy. The guardian's vigil had been long; it would like to rest.

Edited March 18, 2015 by Necrocybermancer

[Nato G]

IC: Zaara - Tunnel.

 

"I've got this," she stepped forwards. Su-To had an innate resistance to heat; of all of the members of the expedition, she probably had the best chance of making it through this trap unscathed. "Any idea how I can disable it to let the rest of you come through?" 

Edited March 17, 2015 by Roman Torchwick

[Palm]

IC: Pae - Ga-Wahi - Vera Polzin's Mansion

 

"We rescued the leader," Pae said quietly, "She is with Ta-Koro's guard. She offered information, but nothing we did not already know. I have a friend watching her, I can undo any damage she could do. Unknown Matoran killed the Matoro: No affiliates: Perceived suicide shortly after: Very clean: Very Efficient. The kill is exceptional."

He paused, "Jin went to speak to a contact. Potential information."

 

"Echelon and Kohra are known attackers on the Koro. Strange powers and strange equipment. Each member was formidable," Pae became somewhat tired of speaking so much and he looked to Nika, "What did you notice?"

Edited March 17, 2015 by Palm

[Prowl Nightwolf]

== Ga-Koro - Cave - Temple - Flamesprout Tunnel ==

OOC: Amnesiac Ga-Matoran Orca
 
IC: Orca felt the blaze as soon as the fires within the tunnel ignited. She was cast back in fear as the roar echoed past them and into the last chamber. "Yeah out of the swimming pool and into the fire. This place just keep getting better and better." She was trying to be sarcastic to lessen the blow of their current predicament. When Zaara asked for advice on how to turn off the Matoran Barbeque Orca had to offer her opinion. "How about a backfire? Snuff out this blaze with it's own fuel?" She didn't know if Zaara had the ability to do that or not but it was the first thing that came to mind.

[Timageness]

IC: Aine and Shu - Cave (Temple)

Aine pondered in thought for a moment before speaking up.

"Maybe we don't have to shut it off," she said. "If we sent people across one at a time, Shu could use his powers to keep us from being burnt to a crisp before using his mask to catch back up with us."

The Le-Toa turned his attention towards his charge once more, clearly annoyed at how eager she was to volunteer him for the task.

[25K Now!]

IC: The Seventh

 

"Um."

[Snelly]

IC: Wraith

 

Wraith silently pulled himself out of the water, not giving Gabe more than an upraised eyebrow. 

[Perp]

IC: Gabe

He could sense it all.

The rippling of the Ko-Toa's muscles as he exited the glimmering water, sending shockwaves of electric signals through his nerves. 

 

The waves of the vast ocean rippled as well, even at a microscale as the occupant of the moist depths of that which they called Naho sent out even more ripples, smaller than their larger cousins but circular and curved.

Curved like the eyebrow he could feel emanating from the Ko-Toa, as his facial muscles rippled in unison with his others, once again making waves, through another fluid medium - the air, which precariously sat on top of the water, hovering above but not daring to descend below, unless brought there by the courageous explorer of the murk.

Though it rarely stayed there, deep below, oft being expelled by its weary host, bubbling up and making its great journey to the surface so it may once again be reunited with its kin.

Kin, like the rahi living amongst the molecules of water at such depths, welcoming the cold and the damp rocks under the crushing liquid as their home, or like the rahi grazing the fields or prancing amongst trees, mud lapping at their shins.

He felt it all, he was in tune with everything.

 

Razor sharp, like the incumbent crown of euphoria seated upon his cranium, but still soft, like the brimmed tiara in his palm. These vessels of sheer prowess and power were a part of him - hardly vestigial. He took it upon himself to show the plebeian dwellers of this rock the truth of life, the sheer grace and wisdom that made up the salt of the earth, given unto beings in the form of a divine garment.

When the garment, the crown, was atop his head, he could feel it.

Everything.

The world and the stars and the fedora-wearing deities smiling down on him with such great pride as their Prophet delivered their absolute word.

Destiny.

With a fluidic motion, not unlike the lapping of the waves or the motion of the atoms of air, his hat-bearing hand moved upwards in a snapping motion, his muscles rippling just as the Ko-Toa's eyebrow had. The tiara left his grasp, flipping and tumbling and lost in vertigo for just a moment, towards its destined bearer still within the water, intent on crowning the royalty of the new era.

He felt everything.

This is why they called him the Hatmaster™.

[25K Now!]

IC: The Seventh

 

W H A T

 

Another emotion to add to the stormy cloud.

[Not Quite Dead]

IC Red

Even from the far flung abstruse depths of the most esoteric of labyrinths, the pulchritudinous tip and flip could be felt, it reverberated through his somatic being.

 

He shuddered.

[Constructelf]

IC: Ira

"Hm..." Ira thought of Maeloc's question, staring at his feet before answering.

 

"... As a scientist, I'd subject her to behavioral conditioning programs, hopefully to eliminate the unwanted tendencies through chemical drugs, um, 'therapy', and potentially lobotomy if there was no other way. As a member of the Brotherhood of Ak'rei'an, I would do the same. As... As me, as an individual though..."

 

"I've had to suppress the urge to test my recipe for well-done fire-roasted Skakdi at least three times already."

[Vestak]

IC: Jalkron

 

"Walk down the hallway and see which tiles trigger the fire.  Then we can not step on those and we'll be good to go."

[Snelly]

IC: Wraith

 

My observation is this person is disturbed. Wraith thought as he observed Gabe's actions. 

 

Without a word Wraith offered his hand to help Seven out of the water. 

[Keeper of Kraata]

IC: Fyura shivered as her eyes shifted between Ira and Maeloc. She remained silent.

 

"Very good suggestions. Although the last one may be a bit blasphemous, since it would be topped with a side of fried Parakuka... on the subject of food, I would probably go for something simpler. Stab you in one of your spines, perforate your little spine slug, and dump your corpse overboard, and let the takea and makutafish have what's left of your corpse. Have you, Fyura, any suggestions?"

 

"Vun ov zem vants to meet me!"

 

That caught Maeloc off-guard. "What?" he asked, deadpan.

 

"Vun of zem used, er, telepathy or zumzhing. Zhe vants to meet me tomorrow morning! To vind out more about Parakuka!" A bit of a nervous smile crept onto her wide mouth.

 

Maeloc grunted. A tall story, but Eisen had told him that these outsiders possessed mental abilities. He lifted the blade from Fyura slightly. "That's... unexpected. But interesting. Your ranting actually seemed to accomplish something." He removed the blade from pointing at her, and put the spade's head back on it. "I suppose it would be wasted to kill you. I will be writing your behavior up, and depending on this talk, it might not save you."

 

Fyura stood, rubbing her parasite where she had started feeling the edge. "I underztand. It vill not happen again."

 

"You should hope." Maeloc looked ahead to the island; there was another boat, anchored near one of the cliffs. "Krakant, take us towards that boat over there. They might have... pertinent information."

 

*     *     *

 

Aokora nodded, smiling. "Jalkron's idea is a good one. Just walk through, and see where these flame bursts are triggered from. There might also be some sort of trigger to turn them off on the other side."

[Nato G]

IC: Zaara - Tunnel.

 

"Okay, here goes nothing," she started walking forwards, walking slowly and carefully, making sure to keep track of where she was stepping. Several times flames engulfed her, searing her armour and making her choke from the burning air, but once they subsided she backed off a few steps and started walking forwards again.

 

Eventually reaching the end of the tunnel, she turned back to face Aokora. "I'm not seeing any mechanism to turn it off. If there was one, where would it be, and what would it look like?"