Matoran und Panzer

[Nato G]

IC: Cor Saeva - Ash Hound.

 

"I refuse to indulge your childish antics," I replied calmly, deciding not to take the bait. 

Edited February 12, 2015 by Roman Torchwick

[NorikSigma]

IC: Zekev

 

"Suit yourself," I shrugged.

 

I turned tot he gun and peered out.

 

"Nothing much going on..."

[Not Quite Dead]

GM

Dark and surprised looks pass between the natives. Who were these people. The younger Matoran spoke again. "Hadals are other persons here. They come from surface a long ago, ja. They are changed and different, from the old wars and speaking with Starshe Staryy."

 

"Pomoch' im!" The tall matoran points two of his other men to the matoran in the net. "We help them down, ja? If you need to find Doroga to hunt out Hadals, we can offer some home and barter." The younger matoran speaks to Kat and Lufon.

 

* * * * * *

 

The golem at the forefront reaches out to snatch the disc out of the air, clearly unsure of it's purpose or potency. When it shears half of it's mud-and-branches hand off, it looks at the wound for a brief moment, processing the action and appropriate reaction. Turning back to the trio, it charges Oblitus, several hundred kilos of angry mud closing the gap with surprising speed and lashing out with a it's unwounded right fist.

 

As the other two matoran were further from the golems, they opted for ranged attacks. A vine laying near Einefus rose from the ground like a snake and whipped out at his head. Olis would find two chunks of mud filled with sharp bits of bones and sticks hurdled at him from the golem furthest to the right.

 

* * * * * *

 

Exactly as Logan had claimed, the forest thinned out. Tall pine copses replaced with low brushland and the occasional stunted tree. Whatever had attacked them had chosen not to show it's face again. Whether it was hiding or had given up pursuit was unclear.

 

Logan's voice crackled over the teams radio.

 

"There she is, squad!"

 

Through the dawn fog, the reefs came into view. Great stoney protrusions reaching out from the dark waters like the bones of some great fossiled sea monster. The water was choppy and crashed against the structures in large foamy white waves. Some landbridges were apparent, but it was high tide right now. So they only showed themselves between laves, slick expanses of rock covered with lichen, shells and small squishy creatures.

 

Difficult to spot with the naked eye was a large island, perhaps a kio off the coast. Even at this distance, the island and it's castle were clearly massive. Gothic turrets and crumbling stone archways making up a low and sprawling building. The island was likely half a kio in diameter. It's beaches were composed of rocks, coarse sand and stunted little gatherings of tree and brush.

 

At high tide, it was hard to see, but a roughly hewn stone staircase climbed out of the waters surrounding it, leading up to the castle's front area, a darkened entranceway.

 

"Codename Burial, we'll set up camp directly north of it and observe the tide. If you focus your binoculars on it you'll see what appear to be stairs. If our intel is correct, they're uncovered during low tide, providing easy access."

[Nato G]

IC: Cor Saeva - Burial (Ash Hound).

 

"Now there's something going on," I said smugly. "Why don't you just fly us all over there?"

__________________________________________________________________________

 

IC: Lufon Vance - Ertrunken (Subterranean Sea).

 

I gave the strange Matoran a blank look, unable to make sense of its mangled words.

__________________________________________________________________________

 

IC: Oblitus - Vingt (Mangaia Temple).

 

I ducked under the fist and fired my disk launcher, point-blank, at its waist. The creature hadn't grown back or reattached its damaged hand, so perhaps if I cut it into enough pieces it would stay dead. 

[Khromatose]

IC: Shard/Burial (GemCycle)

I used my scope to observe the castle's details closely.

 

OOC: GM, what do I see?

[Not Quite Dead]

GM

With the help of his scope, Shard would see several details.

 

First off, the waters around the island were vile and corrupted in color and had a thick and sludgelike appearance.

The castle's walls were in disrepair, several holes allowed glimpses of a courtyard beyond, exact details were inscrutable.

At it's southwestern corner stood a tower, windowless and extending for several dozen bio above the surrounding walls.

Darkness shrouded the entranceway, which did not lead directly to the courtyard, as evidenced by the lack of lighting.

 

Further details were difficult to ascertain, as the sun was rising to the east, behind the castle. The sharp dark/light contrast obscuring finer details.

 

* * * * * *

 

On the highway out of Neuf, the crew of the Jattiko and her vanguard would be treated to some lovely scenary, the northern beaches were composed of fine, white sands. Both sides of Naho Bay had fertile soil and majetisc stands of trees covered them. On the western shore, Neuf's farmlands appeared as a rich tapestry of greens, golds and browns. The guardtowers surrounding it were small in the distance, they would not bother the squadron of armor without due reason.

 

Further to the west stood Motara. Unlike it's sister city to the south, it was not composed of a patchwork of ruined buildings and green glass plains. The tall structures were unharmed, some contained functioning electronics. Where as the south resembled a warzone, the north resembled a city in the midst of an evacuation. Vehicles and and travel equipment still littering the streets. Of course, at this distance they could not see those details.

 

The highway they were on took them directly into the city's center, before hand it made stops at a couple of taverns and pitstops. They were all independant businesses, owing allegiance to no nation. They were remarkably peaceful, the people out here knew that unity was the first line of defense against the dangers of the west.

 

Near Motara, they could take a path that wasn't nearly as peaceful, it carried them past Naho Bay and it's farmlands to the northern coast, pirates and worse roamed these areas. Using the numerous docks and buildings as hideouts, the streets there were torn by wars of the present, rather than the past. Alliances of gangsters, pirates and criminals forming and dissolving in a tumulteous roiling melting pot of death.

 

All of this info was contained in the handy travel guides that many armor salemens were fond of selling with their wares.

 

OOC

Jattiko crew is still wherever they were. Pretend that exposition and info was in a travel guide of some sort. Dan was kind enough to point out I teleported you guys

Edited February 13, 2015 by Tiragath

[The UltimoScorp]

IC Kat: I turned to look at Lufon, offering another shrug as The other's were helped out of the nets.

 

"Looks like we're invited in."

[Nato G]

IC: Lufon Vance - Ertrunken (Subterranean Sea)

 

"So it would seem...." 

[silo]

OOC: Sorry that I haven't been able to post - I've been a little busy lately.

 

IC: (Olis)

Thanks to Olis' EDD, the hurled projectile fell short of its target due to it's increased weight.

"What are these things?" he hissed, drawing his disc launcher.

 

IC: (Zeleran/Near Neuf)

"It is rumoured that there are various bases scattered across Noman's that hold...something powerful - treasure of some kind, most likely."

[Daniel the Finlander]

IC: Derkahn (Ihu Mountain Range, Northern Higway)

 

"Yeah, I know. When I was back in the tavern some weird guy bantered about some weird site with crabs and talking computers.. But it was ridiculously insane. Come on, everyone understands that those rumours are based on a bunch of mad ravings. You don't actuall believe in them , do you?" As I talk I drive the tank onwards through the windy road.

[The UltimoScorp]

IC Carth:

 

"I've seen some old ruins in my travels," I said Cheerfully.

 

"Never been in 'em by myself, but with a buncha people I bet you could find all sorts of things in there!"

[Not Quite Dead]

GM

The golem's waist was much thicker than it's wrist, Oblitus' disc buried itself in the creature's midsection with a muddy *thunk*. Prompting it to swing it's wounded arm at the matoran like a club.

 

Olis' opponent took no note of it's projectiles being weighted down, marching straight towards the matoran. Olis would find his feet being covered and restrained by mud and small vines.

 

* * * * * *

 

Underneath Ertrunken, the expedition from Vingt were led around the subterranean lake, on the far side was a wall of rock. Two matoran with EDDs approached it, and together, they parted the wall. Revealing a passageway they had covered earlier. It opened onto the highway that the expedition had exited on the other side. Construction materials were scattered about, perhaps a bridge over the lake had been planned before the city's fall?

 

It was a quiet journey. The natives spoke amongst themselves and paid the outsiders little heed, this was their territory now and they showed no fear or apprehension. Eventually, they reached a large and open room, the wall they entered from had a dozen entrances, different tunnels opening into the darkness, rails laid along the floor. It was clear that the highway system was far more complicated than it had first appeared.

 

The settlement was built out of great train chassis, hundreds of them. They had been reappropriated as shelter and stacked together to form a wall between the entrances and the settlement's center. The soft glow of fires and old, incandescent lightstones lit the room. It was hard to ascertain the size, as the edges were lost in darkness. But, there seemed to be at least several hundred people living here. Nothing compared to the great cities of the east, but surely more than anyone would've expected in such a remote location.

 

The tall matoran captain turned to the younger one. "Voz'mite lidera, pokaza't soldat kazarmy."

 

"Da, ser!" Turning to Lufon and Kat, he switched to their language. "Your men are to be shown to barracks for food and rest. You two are officers, ja? We will be taking you to the leader."

[Nato G]

IC: Lufon Vance - Ertrunken (Tunnel System).

 

"I'm an officer," I corrected the native, "she is just the hired help." 

_______________________________________________________

 

IC: Oblitus - Vingt (Mangaia Temple). 

 

I stepped back away from the golem's swing, but was a little too slow. The clumsy swipe tore my disk launcher from my grip, sending it bouncing off into the refuse all over the floor. Deciding now was as good a time as any to test it out in battle, I hit the button on the wrist device Ascension had given me, and teleported behind the golem. 

 

After a brief moment of disorientation, I spun around, raised my elemental gun, and fired a sonic burst right at the back of the creature's head, hoping that the high-powered sound waves would scramble whatever was holding it together.

[The UltimoScorp]

IC Kat:

 

I chuckled, "Said Officer almost started a war with you lot over a few brandished sticks." I teased.

 

Inside, my eyes flicked from one thing to the next, taking in my surroundings. There were innumerable tunnels, it was agood thing we'd been able to communicate with these guys. We'd have never found our way otherwise.

 

I radioed the Vingt commander(Whose name I certainly hadn't forgotten), "Found quite the civilization down here, what was it you said about nothing living in these tunnels?"

[Nato G]

IC: Lufon Vance - Ertrunken (Tunnel System).

 

I was sorely tempted to just shoot her dead and be done with it, but decided now probably wasn't the best time. Once this was all dealt with, I'd report her to the commander and let him deal with her insubordination. 

[(Daedalus)]

IC: Einefus Ingrayv (Mangaia Temple)

 

In the half second after I see the vine rise from the ground, I consider my course of action. With my left hand already grasping my pistol, it would be a simple matter of drawing it and squeezing the trigger once the weapon is pointed toward the third golem. However, I have two things to consider: one, greypowder weapons are not terribly accurate, especially the pistols, so my chances of hitting the golem would be low; second, I doubt these golem things have vitals or anything like that, so the chances of my shot doing much damage, should it hit at all, are, once again, low.

 

With that decided, I duck under the swinging vine. As I do so, release my hold on my pistol and shift my left hand toward the vine. I unleash a steady stream of fire. At the same time, I fling my right hand out toward the golem approaching Olis, letting loose a fireball.

[Some Random Phrase]

IC Elerc - Treize town:

Elerc walked down the street, looking for a bar. Generally speaking, those were the best places to find recruits while Treize looked through its records for people suited for a gunning position on his Tank. Elerc liked most things about the Treizen military, except for the neverending paperwork, though he supposed that was normal for any job.

[Makuta Miras]

IC: Arktinen (Jatikko/Nearing the western end of the North Ihu Highway)

 

"D'ya know where any of them are?" I say brightly as Carth's voice crackles over the radio.

 

OOC: Lohi's kinda sitting around in Seize doin' nuffin. Could someone interact with him please?

Edited February 14, 2015 by Miras: Makuta of Awesome

[Not Quite Dead]

GM

Oblitus' elemental pistol was a powerful item. Compact, accurate and capable of cracking stone and pulping delicate organics. Unfortunately, the golems were neither delicate organics nor made of stone. The sonic blast blew a chunk out of the creature's head, but that did little more than cause it to charge at the De-Matoran with even more anger. What was effective was Einefus' attacks of elemental fire. The soup of decaying biomass and dead branches proved highly flammable, setting the golem attacking Olis ablaze, accompanied by a small shockwave as the pockets of methane and kindling in the creature caught fire and exploded. Covering the two matoran in muck.

 

The vine was not destroyed outright, but recoiled at the fire. Creeping away from the trio. Recognizing the Ta-Matoran as their biggest threat, the other golems focused their aggressions towards him, sharp bones and branches growing in place of their hands.

 

* * * * * *

 

Lufon and Kat were led through the village by the young translator, inside the walls the train chassis were used as makeshift buildings, the upholstery had long been torn out or repurposed and the shells turned out to be conveniently sized and stacked. The pair were led past heavily guarded storerooms, farming buildings where mushrooms were grown and several smokehouses where fish were being processed. The lack of fumes in the air pointed to some sort of ventilation system in the oldworld tunnels.

 

Due to the several hundred bio of rock and metal separating them, Kat and Lufon would find their radios unable to contact any surface units.

 

They arrived at a particularly large chassis, several guards posted outside eyed the outsiders with surprise, neither exosuits nor steltians were common down here. Though the duo had noted several vortixx and skakdi in the encampment.

 

After a quick conversation, the young guide turned to the duo. "You will need to exit your armor, weapons will be left outside, ja?" As if to say, "this is our turf." the guards stationed around the chassis-house were equipped with much better weaponry, well maintained, if old greypowder rifles and a couple of disc launchers, the discs they carried were inscribed with the numbers and symbols that denoted powered Kanoka, rather than simple metal discs.

 

* * * * * *

 

The sun was high in the sky now, beating down on the expedition from Treize, it must've been especially rough for the natives, as Treize was a naturally snowy and cold country. Logan was moving to and fro through the camp, preparing equipment for the journey out to Burial. Bring the tanks was of course, out of the question. Shard's small exosuit could be taken.

 

Five rucksacks of supplies were leaned against the Sergeant's own armor, containing rations, ammo, hiking and climbing supplies. He called the trio and mercenaries and the Cy-Matoran to the area for a mission briefing.

 

"By our approximations, we have about forty-five minutes until lowtide, that'll give us time to cross the reefs and get close to the ruins by the time the water line is below those stairs. We have five people's worth of supplies, the others will be staying here to guard the camp. Unfortunately," he turned to the mercenary trio. "Both of your armors are too large to access the island. Our intelligence had suggested... Otherwise, but unfortunately, that hasn't turned out to be the case. If one of you wants to stay behind and guard your armor and the camp, that is understandable. If not, us five will be the party to enter the ruins. I have a set of hiking and climbing supplies for all of you. Any questions?"

[Nato G]

IC: Cor Saeva - Treize.

 

"No questions. Let's just get this over with."

_________________________________________________________________

 

IC: Lufon Vance - Ertrunken 

 

"Uh..... fine," I scowled openly, I pulled my crossbow off and put it down, then dumped my hatchets as well. My bandolier stayed, as did my Mask and gauntlets; I wasn't exposing my burned skin to whatever kind of nasty stuff might be floating around down here.

_________________________________________________________________

 

IC: Oblitus - Vingt

 

The golem came at me again, and I teleported behind it, firing once more, this time at its legs. 

[The UltimoScorp]

IC Kat/ ertrunken:

 

I didn't much like the idea of being mostly unarmed, but, given they hadn't done us any harm yet, even with Lufon's slip up earlier....I was willing to give 'em the benefit of the doubt. 

 

I unstrapped my disc launcher, and pulled my combat knife from my leg strap. The EDD had to Stay, having been implanted in my armor, but, hopefully I wouldn't need to use it.

 

I popped the hatch, climbing out from the Old Girl, shutting and locking her up behind me.

 

No way was I gonna leave Legion open for visitors.

 

"Alright, where to?" I asked in what could pass as cheerfully.

[Khromatose]

IC: Shard/Outside Burial

 

I didn't like the heat. But then again a few of my scouting involved going into the deserts of Nomansland. I got my suit ready.

"I'm ready to go, sir!"

[The UltimoScorp]

IC Carth:

 

"Well, I don't rightly know what the place is called, but it's to the northwest a ways. I can take ya'll there if you like."

[Makuta Miras]

IC: Arktinen (Jatikko/Western end of North Ihu Highway)

 

"Ikira? Derkahn?" I say, glancing at the two Matoran. I personally trust this guy- and, okay, I'll admit I fancy him just a tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnny bit, but Ikira and Derkahn are our driver and navigator, so they get to choose. Although... "Hey, Zel! I'm technically second in command, aren't I?"

[Constructelf]

IC: Sora - Jatikko

Sora did whatever she did whatever she did when she wasn't actively operating the radio, making small adjustments in between doing whatever she did.

[NorikSigma]

IC: Mokeron

 

The Matoran complied, dropping his weapons.

 

"What if they attack us, sir?"

 

IC: Zekev

 

"I still don't like this."

[Nato G]

IC: Lufon Vance

 

"Then they'll regret it," I replied to Mokeron, still regarding the locals cautiously. They were small, easily crushed.

 

I didn't need weapons to kill them if it came to that.

______________________________________________________

 

IC: Cor Saeva

 

"Neither do I." I put my blunderbusses in their holsters, sheathed my machete, then picked up my Volo Lutu launcher as well. Who knew what we might be facing once we got in there? I wanted to be prepared.

 

I leaned in close to Zekev. "If it all goes to karz, just run." I didn't want us dying for someone else's greed. 

Edited February 15, 2015 by Roman Torchwick

[Daniel the Finlander]

IC: Derkahn (Northern Ihu Highway)

 

"Like I just said, Arkti, I believe that it's all just a bunch of Kane-ra junk. Those ruins are nothing but old piles of dusty stones. I bet this carthy guy is just as insane as that Matoran in the bar, just saying. I don't think we should trust him much."

[Dane-gerous]

IC: Gamma

"It's truth." Gamma said. 

[The UltimoScorp]

IC Tor: The weathered Fe-Matoran found he squad in the mess hall.

 

"Come on, you two, we gotta go take care of some wackjob in an Exo breaking down buildings."

 

She'd never liked Exo-Suits. Too much power in one person's hands.

[Makuta Miras]

IC: Lohi (Seize)

 

Whoops. There goes another one.

[Dane-gerous]

IC: Kulkakahn

Kulk grinned and got up, spinning his gun around.

[(Daedalus)]

IC: Einefus Ingrayv (Mangaia Temple)

 

Fire works better than I expected. It's good on the one hand--we now have one fewer golems to deal with--but on the other hand, I'm now the focus of aggression.

 

I begin backpedaling and circling to my left. I don't want to back too far into whatever is behind me because, well, I have no idea what's behind me. As I move, I start flinging fireballs at the two golems.

[NorikSigma]

IC: Zekev

 

"Got it. Also, I know you said that just to lean in close to me."

[Nato G]

IC: Cor Saeva.

 

"Idiot," I shoved him away, feeling pain shoot through my back as I did. "Do you ever take anything seriously?" I groaned. 

[NorikSigma]

IC: Zekev

 

"Yes, namely my tank and my decorum."

[Nato G]

IC: Cor Saeva. 

 

"And not your co-pilot?" I snapped. "Love you too, idiot." 

[Voltex]

IC: Ikira - Jatikko

 

"My opinion on adding additional members to our crew should be obvious by now," Ikira said, before falling silent again.

[Khromatose]

IC: Shard/Outside Burial

I groaned inside as I looked at the mercenaries. But...I guess working with other's wasn't so bad...they haven't actually seen what's under the cloak though... I wonder how they'd react.

"It's almost time Sgt. We should begin to make our way."

Edited February 16, 2015 by ArcticFreeze17

[NorikSigma]

IC: Zekev

 

What!?

 

"Did that came out wrong?"