BZPRPG - Onu-Wahi

[Smarty35]

IC: Vesun

"Darkness. That's... unfortunate." Vesun knelt down to look at Khervos. "And why did you come to me? And what shall we do?" 

[Nato G]

IC: Reson.

 

"Darkness?" Reson gulped. "What kind of being can have that power?" 

[ARROW404]

IC: Kehuri

The young Toa of Earth grunted as he inspected his shield. Somewhere during that brief attempt at a prison break, his shield had been damaged. He could always get a replacement, but this one had been with him nearly since his transformation into a Toa, and replacing it was absolutely out of the question.

 

Placing it on his back, where it usually sat, he raised a hand to knock on the door of Ferron's Forge, but stopped when he heard voices, a little curious. He thought he recognized Ussalman Tarnok's voice, but the other was unknown to him. It was the subject of the conversation that surprised him, however. He only caught the end of it, but it seemed he wasn't the only one harboring such thoughts after all. 

 

He finally knocked, and stepped inside as Tarnok was finishing his thought.

 

"... there's a Matoran holding the line."

 

"Tarnok," Kehuri said, nodding his head in greeting. His eyes fell on Ferron and his expression went blank. The turaga? Whoa, what had he missed? His self-doubt kicked in and kept him from making a comment. After all, it could just be a turaga that looked like the Toa he was looking for, and he didn't want to make any assumptions.

Edited October 1, 2014 by Mj. Spoilers

[25K Now!]

IC: Sajis

 

"Obviously a servant of Makuta," said Sajis. "Let us move then. No matter this being's allegiance, he has brought disorder to the village."

[Smarty35]

IC: Vesun

Vesun sighed. "Where can we go? I defer to your experience, Sajis, but we have very little to go on. The place of kidnapping clearly won't help; any fool would know not to linger." He looked down again at the stone he'd picked up, not once having let go of it. It was now covered in writing so small he could only make it out right in front of his face. "Perhaps I should return to..." he trailed off and looked back up at Sajis. "You said a name – Makuta?" His voice was quiet with incredulity. "It sounds familiar."

[Voxumo]

IC: Syvra

 

Syvra looked back to onepu as the other member of the group decided who would lead

"Will the ussalry be covering costs for supplies for this mission?"

[Toatapio Nuva]

IC Khervos

(Onu-Koro, Ussalry HQ):

 

Khervos mind began to work out the theories he had. His experience fuelled his logic, and soon he said: "I'm sure the kidnapper intended to kidnap both Kirgan and me. No one would leave a witness alive to report to others about the kidnapping, especially since the deed was done with secrecy in mind. This means that whatever he or she was using to cloak the area rendered him blind as well. Which means the shadow powers cannot be inherent to the being."

 

Khervos paused, thought for another moment, and continued. "I'm inclined to believe the kidnapper is an amateur in that field. He obviously wants to avoid conflict, since he ambushed us but didn't stay behind to capture me after he got Kirgan, instead preferring to keep his identity a secret by escaping. An amateur kidnapper would not stay in the village, since he would be afraid of being caught if he did so. A good kidnapper would conclude that the village itself would be the last place the law enforcers would look. Therefore Kirgan's kidnapper is most probably outside the village, perhaps in one of the various caves of Onu-Wahi."

 

IC Onoraza & Kavala

(Onu-Wahi, tunnels):

 

Onoraza walked with a limp down the tunnel. She had injured her leg in the battle in Ko-Koro; only by miracle had she been able to escape the conflict and the village. Now she was headed to her hideout in Onu-Wahi, where she would rest and heal to fight another day.

 

That was her original plan, but she had not expected to walk into a Toa of Earth coming from the direction of her hideout.

 

"Who are you?" Onoraza growled. "Get out of my territory!"

 

Kavala looked at the female Skakdi and saw that she was injured. Not a dangerous opponent, in any case. "Beware, Skakdi", Kavala said. "You do not know who you are dealing with. I am the chosen one of Makuta himself."

 

Onoraza chuckled. "You think that is supposed to frighten me, knowing what happened to him..."

 

A fist of earth erupted from the ground, hitting Onoraza hard and knocking her off balance.

 

"Do not insult the legacy of the Dark One!" Kavala said. "That will only bring you pain."

 

"Whatever, whatever, I just want to go to my hideout!" Onoraza yelped.

 

"The cave I'm coming from... that must be yours then."

 

Onoraza nodded. Kavala thought for a moment, then said "Listen, would you be willing to share it with me? In exchange, I can promise you an ally... and the rewards I reap from the mission I'm on."

 

Onoraza didn't like Kavala by any means, but she decided it was best to go with whatever he was planning. At least until she was back in full strength. "Deal", she said.

[25K Now!]

IC: Sajis

 

"I see."

[Smarty35]

IC: Vesun

"Impressive deduction," Vesun said. "But caves will not be easy to search. Also, this deduction implies that someone has a shadow weapon. If a being of elemental Shadow were to get hold of it... it would be very powerful." The Toa looked down at the stone in his hand again. "Of course, not all Shadow elementals are malevolent. My best friend back home was a – a... I don't know what he was. But he had power over Shadow, and was good nonetheless. Are there any such beings here?"

[Toatapio Nuva]

IC Khervos

(Onu-Koro, Ussalry HQ):

 

Though startled by Vesun's remark on a friend of his wielding shadow, Khervos decided to leave the matter for later enquiry. "There are several dark beings around, but I don't think any of them can actually control shadow", Khervos replied. "Then again, with the rumors I've heard about those six Piraka, I suppose anything is possible... but I think I might be able to find some leads to find the kidnapper. I just need some Toa around in case the kidnapper comes after me. After all, I am a witness."

[25K Now!]

IC: Sajis

 

"I see."

[Nato G]

IC: Reson.

 

"I guess that's where I come in?" Reson assumed. "You guys go search the caves, I'll stay here and look after the witness. That sound like a good idea?"

 

IC: Lash.

 

"I might stay here, too..." Lash suggested. If the mystery assailant truly was a Makuta-friend, then surely he would want to eliminate any witnesses as soon as possible. Her best chance of getting in touch with whoever they were was to stay here with the bumbling sound Toa, and wait...

[Daniel the Finlander]

IC: Danaku Ran (Onu-Koro Prison)

 

"Oh", he said, somewhat disappointed. "Does that gun you drew have any part in it?"

[Smarty35]

"I don't think searching the caves is efficient," Vesun responded. "I'd rather we found these leads in the village. Also, you –" he turned to Khervos – "sought me out particularly. We should talk further. If you wish to search, Sajis, Reson, do so. But I will stay with... what's your name?"

[Toatapio Nuva]

IC Khervos

(Onu-Koro, Ussalry HQ):

 

"Khervos, the best Private Eye in Onu-Koro", Khervos answered formally. "I sought you because I know you were in contact with Kirgan. He told so himself."

[silo]

IC: (Silo)

 

"Depends on what happens. But let me put it like this: we may have allies, namely, a few of my old team and also...well, you know those Piraka - no, you don't do you?"

[Daniel the Finlander]

IC: Danaku Ran (Onu-Koro Prison)

 

Pi-ra-ka.. "No, I don't. Who are they?"

[Nato G]

IC: Reson.

 

"Okay, let's go searching." Reson said acceptingly. He turned to the Vortixx. "What are you going to do?" 

 

IC: Lash.

 

If the sonic Toa and the guardswoman were both going out looking for the missing matoran, there was a pretty good chance of them finding him. In a cave system like Onu-Koro, sound traveled, and a sonics toa became an expert tracker. Even if this one was an idiot. 

 

"I'll go with you." she decided.

Edited October 2, 2014 by NatoGreavesy

[Smarty35]

IC: Vesun

"Good luck," Vesun said, then turned away from the others to focus on Khervos. "So Kirgan told you about me. But it sounded like you were looking for protection, not clues. Why come to me? There are many other Toa out there, or you could have gone to the Ussalry. Why was it my name you were shouting in the streets?"

[25K Now!]

IC: Sajis

 

"Then let's move out."

[Toatapio Nuva]

IC Khervos

(Onu-Koro):

 

As he and Vesun began walking to the alley where the kidnap had happened, Khervos explained. "He was taking me to you, so why shouldn't I have looked for you first? I felt like you needed to know."

[Nato G]

IC: Reson.

 

"Lead on Sajis." Reson suggested, "You know the caves better than I do."

 

IC: Lash. 

 

Wordlessly, Lash trailed after the two Ussalry members. The hunt had begun. 

[Smarty35]

IC: Vesun

Vesun was intrigued. "He was taking you to me... why?" He glanced down at his rock. "And did he tell you about my predicament?"

[Toatapio Nuva]

IC Khervos & Kavala

(Onu-Koro, alley):

 

"Yes, that's exactly why he was taking me to you. To help."

 

The duo soon reached the alley where the kidnap had happened. "Here is the place", Khervos said. "We were walking this way, see there? The kidnapper had to come from behind... so let me check what I can find."

 

*

 

While Khervos was busy investigating, Kavala spied on him nearby. He cursed under his breath when he saw the Ba-Matoran's new Toa companion. All plans of a stealthy second kidnap went down the drain in an instant. Even if he managed to distract the Toa and capture Khervos, everyone in the Koro would still hear about the deed and go after him.

 

I'll have to take a different approach, Kavala thought. A plan was already forming in his mind, as he watched Khervos turn every stone on the small alley in search for clues. If he wants to find me, let him do that.

 

*

 

"I found something", Khervos announced to Vesun. He was pointing at what looked like a footprint on the ground. "It looks like something scraped against the surface. A normal Matoran or Toa foot would not be heavy enough to make such an imprint, but maybe... an exceptionally heavy Skakdi might be. Plus, the imprint is quite large so it would be reasonable that it's a Skakdi's footprint."

 

Khervos turned to Vesun. "What do you think?"

[silo]

IC: (Silo)

 

"Shame"

[25K Now!]

IC: Sajis

 

"It's unlikely that the kidnapper has gotten far," she stated, passing a note to a nearby guard to warn those on gate duty of any suspicious beings attempting to leave. "Deeper exploration of the caves is unnecessary. However, checking the village perimeter quickly shall be useful."

[Nato G]

IC: Reson.

 

"Sounds good." Reson agreed. "I'll keep an ear out for anything unusual, I guess."

 

IC: Lash.

 

Lash didn't say anything. If the mystery shadow-wielder was within the city, chances are they already did or soon would know that someone was coming after them. In that case, they would do one of three things. Lie low, make a run for it, or... fight.

 

The question was; which would it be? 

[25K Now!]

IC: Sajis

 

"Reson, you check the perimeter. I'll search the rest of the village with ... I never caught your name."

[Nato G]

IC: Lash.

 

"I'm Lash." she said as way of introduction. "Not my real name, obviously, but it's what I go by now." in the back of her mind, she knew the guards-woman didn't trust her. That's she wanted Lash to go with her, to keep an eye on her. That was fine. If it came down to the unknown assailant attacking them, Lash was confident they could overpower Sajis.

 

The absence of the Toa merely made things easier. 

 

IC: Reson.

 

"Ah... you want me to search the perimeter of the village alone? Against an unknown being who appears to have power over darkness? Thanks, but no thanks. I'd rather go with you guys, unless there's some other guards around here who I could take with me as backup? Or even an Ussal? I'd settle for having a crab on my side if I'm in a pinch." He laughed at his own awful joke. 

Edited October 3, 2014 by NatoGreavesy

[25K Now!]

IC: Sajis

 

"Then take an Ussal."

[Nato G]

IC: Reson.

 

"Oh, okay, sweet. Where do we keep them?" he looked around. HQ was kind of a big place, and he hadn't had much of a chance to explore. "Do we have any that aren't owned; that I can keep as my own personal Ussal or something?" he'd always liked the idea of having a big scary pet crab. 

[Geardirector]

IC: Ferron (Ferron's Forge)

 

Ferron looked up, somewhat perturbed when Kehuri appeared in the door. For a moment he'd completely forgotten that he was running a business and shouldn't really be spending time chatting with the customers, even if it had been a very productive conversation so far.

 

He quickly rearranged the wrinkles in his face into an expectant, welcoming smile and turned towards the newcomer.

 

"Sorry about that, I was a little busy. What can I do for you?"

[25K Now!]

IC: Sajis

 

"Go request one from the Ussal Guy."

 

Sajis didn't actually know her colleague's name, but he was a valuable part of the order of the village.

[Nato G]

IC: Reson.

 

"The... Ussal guy?" Reson asked. "Is that, like, his official title or something, or did you just forget his name?"  

 

He looked around again. "Where in this place do I find him, anyway?" 

 

IC: Lash.

 

Lash waited as patiently as she could. The antics of this idiot were mildly amusing.

[Krayzikk]

IC:

 

"Kehuri. Good afternoon." The Onu-Matoran replied simply, altering the angle that he leaned against the counter so as to be able to see both Ferron and the Onu-Toa easier. His limbs didn't feel quite as weak, but he still didn't really trust them to stand alone yet. After a moment, his mind refocused on the newest arrival; Kehuri wasn't someone he'd encountered often, truth be told. Tarnok had encountered him on patrol from time to time, but chance meetings were most common.

[ARROW404]

IC: Kehuri

He cleared his throat and gathered his wits, putting on a smile. He took the object of his business off his back and showed it to the Turaga, a large dent visible in the round shield. "My shield was damaged when I stopped an attempted breakout. Probably my own fault. I don't think it'll threaten its structural integrity, but... I'm no expert." As he handed it to him, he looked him up and down. "You... you are Ferron, right?"

[Geardirector]

IC: Ferron (Ferron's Forge)

 

A rumble rose from Ferron's throat as the smith clapped his uneven hands together accompanying a brief chuckle. The scarred muscles shaking slightly.

 

"Yes, yes I am. Turaga Ferron as it were. I gave up my Toa Power about a week ago. If you're wondering why it came to this, it's a very long story and I don't particularly feel like telling it now. Lest Tarnok here got his interest piqued and wants to hear it as well"

 

It wasn't really a question or an offer, so Ferron proceeded to the business Kehuri had come to him with.

 

"Hmm... yes, this is a fairly simple job, I can have it done by day's end if that suits you"

 

"Tuli," Ferron called for his assistant, "could you get this shield and put it in the back there with the others?"

[Smarty35]

IC: Vesun

Vesun knelt to inspect the footprint. "Yes, that is a Skakdi-shaped foot... though it's surprisingly deep for its breadth. Perhaps by this time the Skakdi was already carrying Kirgan." He stood again. "Still... this darkness power disturbs me. Should the kidnapper return, we will need a strategy. You've seen it before... do you have any ideas?"

[ARROW404]

IC: Kehuri

The look in Kehuri's eyes upon hearing Ferron confirm his transformation looked a lot like surprise, but the term 'reverence' would be more accurate. "Tha-that's fine," he said, his stutter rearing its head again. "I'd like t-to hear it some time," he said nervously. "Your story, I mean. I know i-it's not a common opinion, but I-I'd like to become a Turaga too." He glanced at Tarnok and back. "I overheard... part of your conversation earlier. I... I hope you don't mind. But I agree with you."

[Toatapio Nuva]

IC Tuli

(Onu-Koro, Ferron's forge):

 

"Sure", Tuli said and dutifully took the shield. Although she smiled, her expression had hints of something unusual. Tuli didn't need to keep secrets from Ferron, though, and would tell her boss about what was on her mind... as soon as they were done with their customers, of course.

 

IC Khervos

(Onu-Koro, alley):

 

"I never saw the kidnapper", Khervos said. "But I do know that he had to be quite large, so Matoran are definitely out of the question. I guess we can safely assume it was a Skakdi. The shadow power enveloped us after a clang... could be just a result of movement or perhaps the power came from a device of some kind? It's hard to..."

 

Khervos suddenly pointed to a spot behind Vesun, in the direction they had come from. There was another footprint on the ground... and another... and another.

 

"More footprints", Khervos said, then added "How strange that we didn't notice them on our way here?"