City of Legends

[Samus Aran-Bounty Hunter]

IC: Lariska (Archives)

The Korumine was pushed backwards as Turano broke free, sheaths straining at their belts as the metallic blades were pushed away. Lariska narrowed her eyes at the current scene. Karorahk's Rahi, only one of those remained as far as she could tell. Three Toa, at least one enraged. Karorahk could handle him for now, Lariska had an Iron Toa to finish. Shaking her hands and letting the blood drip onto the floor from both her claws and knife, Lariska began to move forwards. Time to end this and get Lhikan, finally. She raised the obsidian knife and broke into a sprint.

Zakaro

[The Lorax]

GM IC (Lhikan): Two hunters down, three to go. Spellbinder was stretched out on the ground, charred and unconscious. Lhikan doubted she would die from the burns, not unless she was very weak. The Toa code bound him, and he had moderated his force. That was becoming more difficult, however, as the battle raged on. Two hunters down, but how many Toa? The sounds of battle still came from above, but there had been a period of deathly silence just before. Did that spell the death of one of his fellows? There was no way to tell, or even give his aid to the dying until there were three hunters down. Crewo stood between himself and the others, holding his own weapon against him. Internally, his fire burned hotter and he let out a yell, letting it burst free as he formed it into a roaring torch. He took it in hand like another sword, twice as long as his other one and burning with white-hot intensity. He drove it forward towards the hunter and charged.

 

IC (Karorahk): Before Zorvon reached him, Karorahk reasserted control over the metru mantis he had been using to menace the Toa before the hostage situation, and had the huge rahi step in to tackle him from the side.

 

IC (Turano): "No!" he cried as he threw himself at the dead Matoran. Let it not be true! But all he found was a cold unresponsiveness from Tehutti. Death had taken their guide, and it would not give him up. Blood dripped from his wrist and shoulder onto Tehutti's mask, mingling with the Matoran's. His gambit had failed, and there was nothing more he could do for him.

Edited February 3, 2014 by The Lorax

[Falcon Lord]

IC:

 

Skald watched Lariska charge towards his fellow Toa, he quickly let out a blast of ice, aiming for where Lariska's feet would be and then leaped forward, attacking with all the speed that comes from many years of practice.

Edited February 4, 2014 by Falcon Lord

[Geardirector]

IC: Crewo, Spellbinder and Zorvon (Archives)

 

"Let him think he's won"

 

Crewo was never an extroverted person, preferring to keep his emotions contained within, and this attitude served him well upon the minor surprise (keyword; minor) upon hearing Spellbinder speak to him; none of it came to show in his face.

 

Crewo brandished his newly gained sword, swinging it into a block against Lhikan's own Greatsword as he shifted to avoid the flame blade.

 

Zorvon continued to pour the elemental energy through his body, this time directed at the Metru Mantis.

[The Lorax]

GM IC (Lhikan): Although it felt completely wrong to hammer away at his own blade, Lhikan pressed his attack. He spun to the side and whipped his sword around to strike at Crewo's waist.

 

IC (Karorahk): The metru mantis screeched horribly as much of its front half was melted and boiled away by the heat of Zorvon's plasma. It couldn't get off him, pressed in by the force of its own dive to intercept the Toa. Karorahk's will also drove it forward as it struggled to sink its teeth in Zorvon's arm, to strike one last blow before it died.

[Geardirector]

IC: Crewo and Zorvon (Archives)

 

Zorvon let his elemental power fizzle out, calling upon his Calix to help haul the creature off of him, grabbing it close to its stingers to drag them away first.

 

Crewo defended by angling his shield into an underhead swing against the sword. Once the attack had been averted, Crewo splintered into his razor-sharp crystalline form, and proceeded to rapidly smother Lhikan in a quick dive forward, guiding his body into a forceful stream at the Toa Mangai.

[The Lorax]

GM IC (Lhikan): The crystal-thing shattered again, raining down sharp edges all around him. One punctured the armour just below his left shoulder, and he hissed sharply at the sudden pain, but then his hau-shield was up to deflect the rest. Would these crystals burn, or just melt, and would that hurt this creature? Lhikan didn't know, but he summoned an inferno around himself anyway, wrapping the flames tight around him like a cloak as he stoked their heat.

 

In the tunnel above, the mantis finally perished, slumping to the ground with Zorvon's handprints burned into its neck, still burning with residual heat even after he had let his power drop. The carcass lay across much of the floor, reeking of hot metal and charred flesh. Its front legs and chest were barely recognisable as any form of life, the burns were so horrific.

[Geardirector]

IC: Crewo, and Spellbinder (Archives)

 

The massive blast of fire made Crewo's crystalline body shatter into the many fragments it was composed off, tearing the Dark Hunter apart at the seams with a painful howl.

 

Or rather... that's what Lhikan thought he saw.

 

Crewo had in reality survived. Burnt and injured, yes, but not helpless by any means, and as Lhikan stood there, panting to regain his strength, Crewo proceeded to deliver a massive punch with his mechanic fist right at his face.

 

From behind, Spellbinder let a blast of telekinetic force rise up to meet him in order to whack him around again.

Edited February 6, 2014 by Geardirector

[The Lorax]

OOC: And so it begins.

 

GM IC (Lhikan): The unexpected force hit Lhikan like a freight train, completely out of nowhere. His hau-shield disappeared a second before it met Crewo's fist and cracked clean in two, splitting down the middle. At the same time, Spellbinder's energy smacked into him from behind, lifting him off his feet. The wave rushed forwards, crushing the Toa of fire up against the ceiling and then dumping him violently to the floor. His last remaining greatsword fell from his hand and his fire died around him. The temperature of the tunnel dropped noticeably.

 

Crimson blood seeped outwards around his armour, staining the gold plates the same red as the rest of his body, and a trickle ran out of his mouth. Lhikan's green eyes were dark, and though his heartlight still flashed, it was slow, as was his breathing. The flickering light caused small glimmers in the tiny spots of dark crystal embedded in his leg armour. The commander of every Toa in Metru Nui was out cold in enemy territory, and was separated from his team.

 

"Yes!" Spellbinder crowed jubilantly on the mental plane. "Lhikan is fallen, let the Toa tremble and the rest of Metru Nui fall with him!" The message spread out like a shout through the deep layers of the archives. A floor above, Turano heard the message resonate through his mind and slumped a little lower on the floor.

[Geardirector]

IC: Spellbinder and Crewo (Archives)

 

Spelllbinder gathered up the unconscious Lhikan, and took off towards controlled Dark Hunter territory. Crewo, quietly followed as an escort.

[The Lorax]

GM IC: Spellbinder's mental shout went before her, spreading the news of Lhikan's defeat. Before she had even reached then end of the tunnel and the hole in the ceiling that Lhikan and Crewo had come through, a portal opened up at its end, and two beings stepped out.

"Thankyou, Vanisher, you may go" Ancient commanded. "I will summon you again when we need to leave". Obediently, the other hunter waved his staff and was swallowed by another portal.

 

"Now, to you" the titan continued, turning to the two hunters in front of him. "Well done. Spellbinder, I was not aware you had joined Lariska's team, but good job nonetheless. You will be raised above all hunters once the war is won, exalted in the Shadowed One's favour, for not only have you brought us the commander of the Toa Mangai, you have also brought us this". He stooped to Lhikan's prone form and, with a small knife, pried a pair of crystal fragments from his legs.

 

"For centuries, the Dark Hunters tried to capture the Nui Stone, but were unable to thanks in part to our friend here. One Toa Tuyet attempted to take its immense power for herself, but she failed, and in doing so, shattered the stone. The pieces were all taken away, save for these, which lodged in the armour of the Toa nearby, and from these tiny fragments, we can recreate the whole."

 

The two small crystals, he placed on the ground and brought the Staff of Artakha to bear on them. They were bathed in a beam of power, and began to grow. Still Ancient continued speaking. "I had been readying an army of Dark Hunters to march on the coliseum tonight, in the wake of Dume's death, and take the city once and for all. Without me, they will be growing restless as dawn approaches, and will be lacking orders. Still, with the stone we can undo all that and more. Each of these stones-" he gestured to the still-growing stones beneath his staff "-contains far more might than even what Tuyet tried to use. They draw strength from the Toa around them, you see, and grant it to the wielder. With 11 Toa Mangai to draw from over the last 15 centuries, and the hundreds to Toa who have swarmed to this city in the past few months, they contain enough raw force to destroy Metru Nui a hundred times over and more. We will not destroy it, of course, but with them, sweeping the Toa aside becomes a trivial matter."

 

The stones had reached their full size, and Ancient held them up in one clawed hand, while using the other to summon Vanisher back to him. "I tell you all this so you can understand what you have achieved tonight. I must now go to gather the army and give these stones to ones who can use their power effectively. You may come with me to fight, or stay in Onu-Metru to watch and rest. Either way, you have earned it."

 

He turned to go, walking underneath the gaping hole in the ceiling just as Vanisher reappeared from a portal, with both stones still held triumphantly in his claw.

[Samus Aran-Bounty Hunter]

IC: Lariska (Archives)

As the mental message registered in Lariska's mind, she stopped her approach and instead slipped away into the shadows, leaving the scene in favor of returning to base.

Victory was at hand, 2-3 broken Toa would be nothing to worry about.

And as she ran through the shadows, she smiled grimly.

'Mission Accomplished.'

Zakaro

[Geardirector]

IC: Crewo and Spellbinder (Archives)

 

Crewo absolutely felt like he needed to rest, so he took off towards the secure part of the Archives.

 

Spellbinder, on the other hand, remained completely awestruck for a second or two, as she processed what Ancient had said.

 

Such power...

 

She already considered herself a master of the mental realm, but oh wouldn't she love to become it's undisputed ruler?

 

A wicked grin tore apart her mask as another realization hit her. This would be her chance to prove it once and for all. They thought her insane? She would show them insane.

 

She cackled madly as she followed Ancient.

 

"I don't want to miss a second of this"

[The Lorax]

GM IC: Ancient paused for a moment as Lariska dropped lightly through the roof, followed by Karorahk, who was less than graceful on his locked-up leg.

"Lariska, congratualtions" Ancient said simply. "Your team has done its work well. For this, be sure that The Shadowed One will reward you greatly, delivering both Metru Nui and multiple Nui Stones to him in one stroke. You may ask him anything, I think, up to even his own staff. For now, though, come with me. We must lead the army, and dawn in coming on fast. The rest of you, stay or come as you will."

[Geardirector]

IC: Spellbinder (Archives)

 

"I'm going to enjoy this" Spellbinder "said" while wringing her hands.

 

"And I think you're all going to enjoy what I have in store for you" she thought to herself.

"In fact... I think I'll just get to it right now."

 

And she lashed out at Ancient and Karorahk simultaneously, knocking the two hunters asunder.

 

She caught notice of the stones, as they cluttered along the floor where they'd flown out of Ancient's hand, and she rushed forward, hovering along the floor even as she pulled them towards her.

 

The second her fingers touched the stones, she felt the waking world white out of her vision as she experienced a powerful hum resonate through her body.

 

She looked around, only seeing swirling masses of blue, with small flickers here and there. She was now on the mental plane entirely, and the flickers were the feeble minds she shared this environment with, at least for now.

 

She cackled madly again... letting loose her power in a frivolous blast of draining force across the City of Legends.

 

There was nothing that could stop her now.

[The Lorax]

GM IC: The two super-charged stones met Spellbinder's hands and a shockwave of power exploded out into the tunnel. A red crackling glow surrounded her as she shuddered in transformation. This infusion to toa power was like her first transformation from being a Matoran, only much bigger. Just like the first time, he mind and senses expanded in order to cope with the new degree of power that was hers. She could feel the minds not only of those around her, but throughout the city, and still her perceptions and control grew wider as she became accustomed to the new power.

 

It was magic, bright as lightning, strong as stone, swift as thought. It was power beyond what any toa had ever held before, and still it kept on growing. Tuyet had wielded the power of a hundred toa, but even the great empress couldn't hold a candle to Spellbinder now. It was all so much, too much for normal minds to contain, but even as the flood of toa power expanded what hers could deal with, she still felt cramped there in the dark tunnel. Force exploded outwards, blowing up through the deep archives. Ceiling after ceiling gave way and exploded upwards before collapsing down into an ever-growing pit of rubble. Spellbinder was carried up on wings of telekinetic force, and everything that stood in her way was blown aside and stones were shattered into tiny grains of sand. She broke through the last roof and continued to rise, soaring until all of Metru Nui was laid out before her. She hovered higher than the coliseum as the dawn broke around her, bringing light to a new age in the City of Legends as Spellbinder began her work.

 

OOC: Right then, this is the endgame. Spellbinder's power can now be assumed to be practically limitless, and all god-modding restrictions are off. She can go ahead and make this game truly memorable.

[Geardirector]

OOC: I feel so giddy right now

 

Alright, here goes nothing...

 

IC:

 

Spellbinder's Mask of Incomprehension was surrounded in a strong, bluish glow as the Ce-Toa hovered quitely in the air.

 

Perceptions blinked before her; thoughts, feelings, desires... everyone was an open book for her to read as she wished, and she had a feeling she was going to enjoy it.

 

She seized the mind of a Toa she'd encountered briefly earlier, the Ba-Toa who'd fought Vezok. She could see everything, and proceeded to pluck his brain...

 

Helios stood frozen, unable to move as a new wave of debilitating force flowed into his mind, his limbs growing limp even as he tried to resist, only for his will to be crushed instantaneously.

 

"You have no power here, little Toa"

 

The voice spoke the truth, he knew it was so, and his last cramped attempts at resistance ceased, a few blinks of thought were all the reached Spellbinder as she broke the poor Toa's mind.

 

There was nothing left, just an empty shell. Helios fell limply to the ground, not talking anymore.

 

Spellbinder cackled in euphoria, such power felt amazing.

 

She saw another mind, bearing the identity of Riaril, and was about to repeat the process when she caught notice of something.

 

A powerful presence was there; an ancient, an old one was contemplating riddles far beyond the insignificant toils of the City of Legends. Amazingly, it had not noticed her. She carefully probed this strange mind, the realization of what it was hitting her like she'd just discovered the meaning of life itself.

 

This mind... it stretched into every corner of the Universe. It was an all-encompassing presence, a powerful will that held dominion over all that happened, the wind and sea was its playthings, and its inhabitants its underlings.

 

Spellbinder could not believe it... she was actually on the same plane as the Great Spirit himself... Mata Nui. The twin moons hovered above her, and she stared at them, now fully aware of what they actually were.

 

The decision was made before it was ever considered.

 

She creeped into the recesses of the Great Spirit's mind, peeking carefully at his thoughts, and what she saw angered her; hardly a single thought in this being's life had been spared on his loyal subjects, even whilst doing their job which Spellbinder now realized was essential for his continued function. Mata Nui was not the benevolent lord they'd been so often told, he was an arrogant and distant fool of a spirit that did not deserve such loyalty.

 

But she knew someone who did.

 

And so she made her move, drowning the unsuspecting Great Spirit in images depicting the toils of his 'beloved people', her mind was a conduit for everything negative that had befallen the Matoran since the birth of the universe. She ripped these thoughts straight from any given mind at her leisure, forcing them into the Great Spirit's mind whilst hissing.

 

"Yes, this is your fault"

 

 

"What have I done?

 

"You've overstayed your welcome, my dear Great Spirit, I'm running this show now"

 

 

"Nooooooooooo"

Mata Nui's desperate cry of resistance was drowned out by another debilitating wave, fueled by the immense power of the stones, she was the God here, Mata Nui was nothing. She gathered her power and went in, throwing her weight against his, slamming against his mind with her godlike power.

 

It was over before it had really begun. A shake went through the Universe, shaking everything to its very foundations as a powerful sense of dread settled upon them all, Matoran, Vortixx and Zyglak alike.

 

The Great Spirit was no more.

 

And they called to him hopelessly, and they were confused, and they were angered.

 

How? Simply... how?

 

It was then a dark presence entered their minds, a creeping, malicious spire sliding into their souls, tainting them with the mark of servitude, ripping apart their minds to quash every thought of rebellion before it ever manifested, not even the people of Psionics were safe, their feeble little barriers worthless against this all-encompassing power.

 

Eyes went blank, heartlights whited out, battles stopped and quarrels ceased as all acted as one...

 

"Bow to me, puny mortals"

And it was so, for no one could deny this presence its every wish. Although somewhere, a surprisingly powerful presence relented, it was not to last.

 

Velika's knees were forced into the sand as his mind was erased, to prevent it from ever being a threat, one last thought slipping from his dying spirit.

 

"We... we have failed"

 

OOC: And that was all she wrote

[Falcon Lord]

OOC: Looks like heroic last stand time.

 

IC (Skald):

 

Skald strode over to Turano and helped him up,

 

"Though the dawn is cruel this morning, we must fight on. We may fall in battle, but is there any better way to die than defending peace till the end?"

 

Edit: Whoops, ninjad by Geardirector.

Edited February 7, 2014 by Falcon Lord

[Samus Aran-Bounty Hunter]

OOC: Just gonna make myself a last post for Lariska as to tie things up, because why not.

 

IC: Lariska (Archives, Just after disaster but before the wipe)

Lariska, Korumine, betrayer of her people, Dark Huntress, co-leader of the Dark Hunter forces in the City of Legends, lay in a pile of rubble.

Everything had happened so quickly. They had gotten the Nui Stones and begun to leave, when the Ce-Toa- Spellbinder- struck. She had gotten both stones, and Lariska hadn't stopped her.

Even now, as she lay dying beneath the stones, Lariska realized that perhaps, just perhaps, she could have changed history, kept this from happening, and perhaps in some alternate universe somewhere she did, but here, here the universe was going to change beyond what the Korumine could comprehend.

At the least, she would not become apart of this new universe. She would not submit, even as everything crashes down her, to anyone but the one who had helped her leave behind her people in their graves.

The one who allowed her to live true and free.

The Shadowed One.

He would be subject to Spellbinder, Lariska realized. There's simply no way he could stand against the strength of 2 thousand Ce-Toa as proficient in their element as possible.

And he would have no chance to end his life himself. He had no idea of what was coming.

A deep sense of dread filled the Hunter. She could feel it now, Mata Nui, the Great Spirit, was gone.

Only a few more moments.

"Clever, Toa.. You have won over the universe.. But not me."

Lariska nearly laughed hysterically at her own words. Perhaps Spellbinder could hear her. Perhaps not.

But Lariska didn't care. She was not going to be an empty shell. She would be free.

And without hesitation, Lariska slit her own throat, closed her eyes, and let go of life.

She would be no-one's mindless slave.

Zakaro

[Canis Lycaon]

IC: Vezok

The Skakdi ran through the tunnels, fleeing from Ko-Koro when he heard a voice, coming from everywhere. He knew this voice, and he immediately recognized what had happened. Spellbinder had power equal to that of Mata Nui now. She was a god.

 

Luckily, he still had a natural resistance to Psionics from when he copied the powers of that one Toa in Ko-Metru. He could resist her, but not for long. He put his hands on his ears, and then began to channel of the elements he had picked up recently.

 

Vezok had always said he wanted to go out with a bang.

 

He found it funny he had done so literally as his head exploded.

 

IC: Iralia

The Su-Toa knew what was happening as Spellbinder entered her mind. However, quickly afterwards her mask glowed and then she gained immunity to powers of the mind - but would it last? Iralia did not know, but she did not want to find out.

 

She looked out of the Knowledge Tower she was in. It was on the sea coast, and she could reach the sea from it. Iralia knew what she had to do. She took a small chain of beads from her pocket and affixed it to her spear. Then, she impaled herself with it.

 

Dying, she jumped out of the tower, and then she hit the ground, breaking bones. She fell into the water, and died from the wound she had caused to herself.

 

That heretic could take her world from her, but they would never take her freedom.

Edited February 7, 2014 by Canis Lycaon

[The Lorax]

IC (Turano): Mercifully, Turano never lived to see the destruction of everyone he cared for. Spellbinder's ascent into the sky threw him into the roof of the collapsing tunnel, and when he landed, he was impaled on his own sword. The last thing he saw before the darkness took him was Tehutti's huna - the Matoran he had failed to save.

 

IC (Dekuna): Dekuna was not so lucky. He lay in the abandoned Ko-Metru street the whole night, unconscious, but was awake by morning, and strong enough to stand up, walk and speak. Those would be all that was required of him now. That and bowing, which he did robotically, speaking in a flat monotone as all his emotions were wiped out. "All hail Spellbinder, Queen of the Universe".

 

IC (Karorahk): Also buried under the rubble, Karorahk's tough metal frame had been able to survive the collapse, though it was now trapped far below the surface and in total darkness. Then the presence swept over it, sapping its will and replacing it with the commands of a being who was far above Karorahk in every sense. It was much like its rahi control power, it reflected just before all went blank. Throughout its life, the rahkshi fusion had forced its will upon many animal slaves, completely uncaring of what it might cost them. It had commanded them to die for it, and they had gladly done so, unable to resist. Now Karorahk was on the other end of the same kind of control. Its mind was blank white, it could not even lift a finger of its own volition, or summon its own rahi slaves to dig it out. Even if it could, would it want top subject another sentient being to what it was now going through? Unable to reach a decision in the time he had, Karorahk passed out of life and into the unthinking slavery of everyone left alive in the universe. "All hail Spellbinder, Queen of the Universe".

 

IC (Hatann): The Jaga stood ready with his troop of soldiers, looking out from the top of the Canyon of Unending Whispers towards the coliseum. They were to march there and take power. That was all the Dark Hunters ever did. They took power. They stole, and then sold their loot to obtain wealth, which was a form of power. They killed those who had power, and then stepped in themselves. They eliminated their competition to keep their power. Power was Hatann had ever chased, and tonight he would steal a larger chunk than ever before. It was an exciting prospect for the Skakdi.

 

The power died in a matter of seconds, with what looked like a shooting star erupting away to the south, out of Onu-Metru. There was a wave, a shudder of the universe, and then the greatest power-heist in history had been completed, right under Hatann's nose, by someone he had planned to kill. Whatever she had done, it must have been incredible. A grudging respect for the treacherous toa made its way into the Skakdi's head, and then there was nothing. "All hail Spellbinder, Queen of the Universe".

 

IC (Ancient): "No!" Ancient yelled as he felt the stones being plucked from his grasp. This toa could not be trusted with such power. Those he had in mind for the stones were absolutely trustworthy, loyal servants of the Dark Hunters to the end. Even if they had put a foot out of line, he would have been there to take away their powers with his eyebeams. Power corrupts, he knew. He had been corrupted himself, and the same had happened to The Shadowed One. That was why his negation power made him such an effective counter-balance to the powerful objects and beings that the Dark Hinters were interested in. Now, caught off guard by Spellbinder's sudden bid for power, there were no failsafes beside himself. In desperation, he fired his eyebeams into the chaos, but was blown back by the shockwave of power, blinded by her glowing aura as she took the stones in hand and never looked back. "All hail Spellbinder, Queen of the Universe".

 

IC (Lhikan): Lhikan too, never recovered, crushed under the weight of tens of thousands of years of archived treasures. The Hero of Metru Nui's past didn't wake up to the new world. He wasn't part of it, and never could have been.

[Falcon Lord]

OOC: I think I'll be going Lariska's route, Skald and Vorsch are both to proud to let Spellbinder take them.

 

IC (Vorsch):

 

Vorsch felt as Spellbinder's presence began to slip into his mind, although he had considerable control of his element, it was no use,

 

"I think this is the end, goodbye, my friends."

 

He then focused all of his element inward and destroyed his mind, leaving only his armour standing proudly to the end.

 

IC (Skald):

 

Skald walked, not saying a word, he drew his blade.

 

Hoping Spellbinder could hear him, he called out,

 

"You will never have me, I will be free and you will have lost!"

 

He then stabbed his blade straight into his mask, killing him instantly.