Bzprpg - Kumu Islets

[~Xemnas~]

IC, Nilyn: "Yeah," said Nilyn, still a little shook up from the ordeal of having a cave being brought down on top of her and nearly crushing her. "So I guess we just keep going?"

[Ghosthands]

IC (Lohkar)"Well, each to 'is own, I s'pose," Lohkar replied, waiting for the rest of the crew to join them.

[25K Now!]

IC: Lasinia"Anyway Mimi, let's head down. Blue Guy is probably waiting for us."

[~Xemnas~]

IC, Zijak: Zijak strode over to where Lohkar was standing, biting into an apple at the same time. "So, we going to go to a bar or something?" he asked.

[Snelly]

IC: Mimira - Infernavika, Ga-Wahi -"Oh...okay!" Mimira said, following Lasinia like a lost puppy.

[pokemonlover360]

IC Yasurek-Infernavika:Yasurek hopped over the side of the ship down onto the dock to join the rest of the crew. "Might I advise we start by finding someone to repair the nice big hole in the side of the ship?" he suggested.

[otter]

IC-Verak:"I, uh...I could help with that," Verak said timidly, popping his head out from the main hold of the ship. "I, uh...I decided to stay on. I hope you guys don't mind."

[Ghosthands]

IC (Lohkar)"That's why we're here, mate," the Lesterin replied, "ta find Tellus."Lohkar swung around, a Zamor launcher cocked and pointed in Verak's face."An' who the Karz are you?" he asked.

[otter]

IC-Verak:"A shipwright from Ga-Koro, who was enlisted to help with the ship after a big battle in Ta-Wahi," the Toa of Plantlife growled. "Get that bloody thing out of my face," was the next thing he said, and probably the stupidest. "I'm not here to attack you."

[25K Now!]

IC: Lasinia"Oh yeah, that battle thingie in Ta-Koro. I was slept through the entire thing."

[Ghosthands]

IC (Lohkar)"Well, mate," Lohkar replied, "if you want ta stay on that ship, then I am your Captain an' I will point this bloody thing where I like."Nonetheless, he tucked the launcher back in his belt."If not, then you're free ta leave. I already 'ad a shipwright an' I have no need o' two, so if ya want ta stay in my crew you'd better prove you're worth keepin'."With that, Lohkar turned and began to head off into the streets of Xa-Koro.

Edited August 27, 2012 by Ghosthands

[EmperorWhenua]

Ic: The electress thundered into the shores of the Kumu Islets with a galley at her back. She stood with the beauty and sternness on the bow of her ship like a carved mermaid figurehead as she led the way into the harbors of Xa-Koro. Oarsmen at the sides of the vessel heaved rhythmically as they turned their shafts and urged the ship forward with the drumbeat, but they were not slaves, they were not chained, they did it because they believed, believed in what they were being led to, believed in their leader.Aurelia had that sort of impact, wielded in a charisma that both hid and somehow complimented the charmless cunning she held inside that would stop at nothing to attain her desires. But her purpose in the Islets was not a wholly personal path to glorification, it was a shared conquest. She was there to help seize it not only in her own name but for the other three men she represented: The Four Peers.Already one was present; the other two were still in business on the mainland. But while her associate was the feet and cane on the ground of Xa-Koro, she would be the driving force in the scheme. It was her job to make the Peerage takeover seem to be wholly resting in the hands of the people of Xa-Koro.Self-empowerment was something the denizens of the village longed for so much but were always incapable of doing it. Now she was going to walk in and make it happen, but only because her plan did not rest in handouts and giveaways but rather used simple psychology, something she was a master at using. For her, as she drew near to the piers, she did not see a village in ruins but rather saw a slowly boiling pot of stew cooking frogs who did not know they were on the menu they were promised to eat from. All she had to do was tell the frogs that there was a menu.The galley drew close to the harbor and the oars were lifted away as the stately looking boat drifted to the side of one of the longest piers. Moments later, when it was securely fastened with ropes to the wooden siding, a bridge was drawn and thumped to the dock. A small squad of lancers poured out and secured the empty area before the woman behind it all descended. She stepped onto the creaking dock dressed in her usual attire, wearing a black coat lined with furs with gemstones embedded in her cuffs. Her black leather boots with dark red heels matched the gloves she wore with a ruby-encrusted ring around two fingers on each hand. She looked about at the deserted area before turning to her guards and shocked them."Leave me be. I will enter the village alone," she commanded. The men looked at her with aghast faces; the request was akin to a death wish, particularly when the ward was a noncombative lady of obvious nobility. They opened their mouths to protest but she silenced them before they could utter a syllable. "Ahhh," she said as she wagged a finger at them, "stay. I will be back soon."Her assurance was not vain; Bad Company was already suspecting her arrival. Her associate had dispatched Brykon from his shelter earlier with the intent of sending him on a wild goose chase, but in truth was released him so he could prowl the shores and see the galley that came in. Aurelia was safe, and she was able to trust in Brykon's skills far more than she could her lancers.She stepped confidently towards the village.

[Void Emissary]

IC: Gunner - Xa-Koro DocksI dropped down from the railing, landing on a cushion of air over the hard wooden dock. Letting go, my feet hit the ground, and I immediately walked up to the rest of the group. Glancing at Verak, I clapped a hand on his back."Don't worry, mate," I whispered, "He threatens everyone. Don't take it personally."-Void

[EmperorWhenua]

Ic: Brykon was not going to give up hope, sure that there was one more victim he could seize on the streets. His search had taken him from the inner town to the outer parts. He hunted by the water and meandered towards the docks, aware that the first place a fugitive would go to escape the city from would be the watercraft moored there. But as he came close to the docks he could see a regal and strange ship mooring. Though his mind was at first totally dedicated to finding the fugitives, he stopped and retrained his thoughts on the ship. Intrigued, he stopped and stood to the side, watching...He spied as a team of guards poured out from a gangplank and seemed to be securing the perimeter; The intrepid oafs, Brykon thought, There is no perimeter to secure. But then from the ship descended a wealthy socialite, an aristocratic-- Aurelia. The revelation hit Brykon like an expected punch. The second of the Four Peers had arrived. She was going to be his boss from now on, and he was fortunate to watch her from afar for now. It gave him a chance to watch her mannerisms, her attitude, her countenance, and her plan. But what surprised the colonel more than anything was that despite her guards and her vulnerability, Aurelia went forth... alone. Either she was stupid, hand a trick up her sleeve or was profoundly more dangerous than she seemed. Little did Brykon know that he was the trick.

[Ghosthands]

IC (Lohkar)"Now, mate," said Lohkar - he'd heard Gunner's whisper - "that's not fair, is it? I don't threaten everyone. I just threaten people who mysteriously appear on my ship without anyone tellin' me they were there."

[otter]

IC-Verak:"Well, I was here when you popped up in your disguise," the Toa of Plantlife growled. "If you'd paid attention, you may have noticed me."OOC: Not really, of course.

[Flex Lord Splash]

IC: Dorum"North," Dorum suggested, "to Le-Wahi."

IC: PurgatoryThe crimson armored Skakdi nodded. "Sounds good." he said walking off towards Le-Wahi. OOC: Purg to Le-Wahi.

[Ghosthands]

IC (Lohkar)Lohkar paused, and turned. He walked back to Verak."Mate," he said, smiling, but with a hint of danger in his voice, "if you want ta remain in my crew then you 'ave a very funny way o' showin' it."

[Zulu Yankee Kilo Echo]

IC: DorumDorum followed.OOC: Dorum to Le-Wahi

[Snelly]

IC: Mimira - Infernavika, Ga-Wahi -Mimira tugged on Lasinia arm. "Can we go explore outside the ship?" Mimira said to her, looking at the Toa. Mimira wasn't sure what she was supposed to do and she was getting bored. For Mimira, being bored was sheer agony, she fidgeted uncontrollably on the deck as she continued to tug Lasinia.

[25K Now!]

IC: Lasinia"Sure! Let's head down to where Captain Blue Guy is!"

[Ghosthands]

IC (Lohkar)Lohkar heard Mimira's words."Explore," he said. "Explore! Yes! I believe a little shore leave is in order."He span around, and addressed the crew."Crew dismissed," he said. "Meet back here tomorrow mornin' at sunup. Until then, do what ya please. Enjoy yourselves. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a Toa o' the Green ta find..."With that, he turned and strolled off into the village.

***

"Lohkar!" roared Hahkes, Air Lesterin and landlord of the Black Spot Inn, gripping the pirate's hand in a firm shake. "How's life treating you?"Lohkar grinned, returning the grip, and took a hearty gulp of rum from a pewter tankard."Not bad at all, mate," he replied. "Got me ship back, got rid of ol' Raknar, an' found meself a fine bit o' swashbucklin'."Hahkes grinned back."I knew the rumours that you were dead had to be Maha dung," he said. "All Makuta's Rahkshi couldn't keep you dead for long!""Let's just hope we never 'ave ta find out, eh?" Lohkar said with a wink. "But tell me, mate. I'm lookin' for a member of me ol' crew. 'E got left behind when Raknar ran off with the 'Vika. Tellus, 'is name is."Hahkes nodded knowingly."Ah yes, Tellus," he said. "He's been here in Xa for the last couple of months, since you disappeared. Spends a lot of time in here. You'll probably find him not far from here. Drunk, like as not."Lohkar dumped a pouch of widgets on the bar, and tipped an imaginary hat to Hahkes."Thanks, mate," he said. "I'll be back later! Shore leave's a wonderful thing, even when it's you that decides when it is..."

[25K Now!]

IC: Lasinia"So what do you want to do Mimi?"

[Cadias]

IC: TellusThe alley was small, even peaceful. Sure, it was dirty, muddy, run-down, and looked barely habitable, but it would do. The fact that it was close to the Black Spot Inn helped, too.If one were to glance down this alley, they'd probably notice the ramshackle lean-to that had been thrown together at the end. If they were to take a closer look, for some unfathomable reason, chances are that they'd spot the pair of feet sticking out. If they were to look inside, they'd see the Toa, snoozing with his back to a wall, tricorne hat pulled down over his eyes, and with a half-empty bottle still in his hand.--Life hadn't exactly been easy for Tellus, ever since the Infernavika had disappeared. Missing the ship hadn't been his fault! ... Well, okay, maybe he shouldn't have had that second glass of rum. Or the one after that. Either way, he hadn't been present when the 'Vika departed.Ever since, he had made his living by putting his carpenter skills to good use. Unfortunately, any money he'd earned didn't last long, and the people of Xa-Koro weren't very picky about the state of their property...

[EmperorWhenua]

Ic: Aurelia walked straight into Xa-Koro unaided as her guards looked on helplessly. Her jewels glimmered in the dim light as she paraded herself forward, out of sight. Her life was not up to two things: Her ability to manipulate people and Brykon's watchful eyes.*She stepped through the streets with determination. She wasn't the first rich person to come waltzing through the village, but the locals were far from used to it. To them, wealthy and extravagant people were a symbol from the mainland, the very people who cast them out from their homes and put them into the slums that they dwelt in now, the vipers who stepped on them raucously to ensure their subjugation in the darkness of Mata Nui. It was not something they could tolerate. Every now and then, a charitable person would travel through and give them donations to try and help them, but in every case they failed, not because of how much they gave but how it was received. Handouts would never have a lasting effect on the citizens of Xa-Koro.It was a good thing Aurelia wasn't there to give handouts but to trade.She purposely went around seemingly aimlessly like a magnet on a spring car, spinning around without purpose and attracting nails along the way. People followed her, not because she was waving them to come but rather because they were forming a mob. Some of them held shovels and pitchforks, rakes and clubs, tools made into weapons to crucify yet another trespasser into their desolate neighborhood. But Aurelia was not phased and instead kept circling, strutting calmly through the houses on stilts and by stone huts, by wooden shacks hastily erected with no more skill than the huts they replaced after the fire. Aurelia was fearless, though, and her ignorance of the mob behind her bound the posse from striking her yet.*From rooftop to rooftop, and sometimes on the ground, Brykon watched her. He was covered head to toe in dirt and ash in an effort to blend in, which he matched with a jagged machete he conjured up while alone for a second. He stormed like a part of the gang, his mask contorted in the same mean expression everyone else held. Unsure just how effective he would be if it came down to a bloodthirsty mob against the noblewoman, he still needed to be in the game; he had to try and protect Aurelia somehow.*The female Peer stopped walking when she came upon a clear piece of skyline, a wide area that had been scavenged for useful pieces after it burned down, leaving nothing more than ashen foundations and black soot to mark it. She turned around and looked at the mob, acknowledging them for the first time.

[pokemonlover360]

IC Yasurek-next to Infernavika:As Lohkar walked away upon dismissing the crew, Yasurek had made a personal discovery: he didn't really have any hobbies. In fact, he really didn't do anything of interest outside of whatever he did with the crew, and even then he didn't do much in the way of interesting things. Mata Nui I'm boring, thought Yasurek's self confidence. It was very interesting that Yasurek's self confidence actually remained in existence despite every single that had happened to him for the past several moths. In fact, the more it shrank away the louder and more annoying it had become. He'd deal with that later. For now, it was time for some sort of fun. Since he had nowhere to start, he decided to go for a walk. Pulling up the hood of his blue cloak, he vanished into the crowds, on a quest to find something to do.

[Ghosthands]

IC (Lohkar)A large quantity of water splashed into Tellus' face. Spluttering, the Toa of Plantlife looked up to see a blue-armoured figure standing over him, holding an empty bucket."'Ello again, mate," said Lohkar, grinning.

[Cadias]

IC: TellusTellus sat bolt upright. "Blast it, can't ye see tha- Lohkar?" His jaw dropped. Taking an experimental sip from the bottle in his hand, to make sure that it hadn't gone bad, the carpenter stood up. "I 'eard ye were dead!" Suspiciously, he squinted at the Captain."Er, ye aren't dead, right?"

[Ghosthands]

IC (Lohkar)"If I am, then I'm feelin' very well for it," Lohkar replied, splashing Tellus again with another bucket.

[Cadias]

IC: TellusWell, Tellus hadn't been expecting that. Sputtering, he exclaimed, "What was that for?! I'm awake already, blast it!"

[Ghosthands]

IC (Lohkar)"That," Lohkar replied, "was for the smell."

[Cadias]

IC: TellusTellus shrugged. "Fair enough."Brushing off his tricorne hat (which was in surprisingly good shape) Tellus walked out of his makeshift shelter. "So, how's the 'Vika holdin' up?"

[Ghosthands]

IC (Lohkar)"Oh, she's fine," Lohkar replied, grinning, then appearing to have second thoughts. "...Except that she's now got rubbish metal armour an' a rather large hole in 'er port bow..."The smile reappeared on Lohkar's face."Which, mate, is why I'm here. I want me ol' carpenter back."

[Cadias]

IC: Tellus"Then ye've got 'im!" Tellus grinned. Then the grin disappeared."Did ye say metal armor? Why did ye do that?"

[Ghosthands]

IC (Lohkar)"I didn't," Lohkar replied. "Raknar nicked my 'Vika after I went ta explore the tunnels under this Koro. I don't know what thick-skulled idea made 'im do it, but it's there. An' I very much like the idea o' getting rid of it."Lohkar looked Tellus up and down."Come on, mate, let's go an' have a drink at the Black Spot. You look like you could do with some honest piratin'."

[Snelly]

IC: Mimira - Infernavika, Ga-Wahi -"Hmmm...." Mimira said slowly, tapping her foot and looking overly cute as she put on her thinking hard face, stroking her chin. "What if we...caught a Brakas Monkey! All pirates need a pet monkey!" Mimira exclaimed suddenly, grinning wildly at Lasinia and hopping up and down excitedly. In the past Mimira had always tried to bring in random animals to my house in Le-koro, I for one thought having two Kahu was more than enough. Obviously Mimira has never seen it that way, and probably never will. I suspect that sooner or later the Infernavika will be filled with animals. Better than at my house!

[Cadias]

IC: Tellus"No kiddin'? Huh, wouldn't have expected Raknar to go and do somethin' crazy like that. I mean, sure, it sounds good, but do ye know how much it'd weigh?" The carpenter shook his head, almost unable to believe that somebody would try to pull something like that off.Tellus clapped Lohkar on the back. "Haha, now yer talkin'! Xa-Koro's a lovely place, don't get me wrong, but I think I've 'ad a bit too much of 'er of late."

[25K Now!]

IC: Lasinia"Sounds fun! Where would we find them?"

[Ghosthands]

IC (Lohkar)Lohkar steered Tellus into the Black Spot. They sat down at the bar."So, how's life been treatin' ya since we last met?"

[Cadias]

IC: Tellus"Oh, not too badly. O' course, it wasn't exactly easy- ye saw me house, if ye can call it that." He chuckled. "These Xa-Korans, though... they 'ave no appreciation for good carpentry! I'd 'ate ta be some o' them in a few years, when their 'ouses'll be fallin' down around 'em. The few that did want their 'ouses ta last weren't generous, either. Still, I got enough ta keep me in food an' drink, and what more could a body want, other than a fine ship ta sail on?"