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Six Kingdoms: Apocalypse -- Gameplay Topic (IC)


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IC: SidraThe Far Shore

 

The Coliseum

Sidra stepped out of the elevator just in time to see Dume die. The room was dark, illuminated only by the flickering flashes of far-off firelight beyond the windows, but she still saw it all clear as day.

The Turaga of Metru-Nui, Forgemaster of Zakaz, Maker of the Great Disks, despot and desperate madman, stumbled back a few steps as he clutched at the jagged harpoon embedded in his chest. A fireball bubbled to life in his hand, and he flung it at Vezok, only for it putter pathetically onto the floor, setting the carpet alight. Dume opened his mouth to speak, but only blood came out, and then Vezok reeled him in. The blue Skakdi grabbed the shaft of the harpoon in his hand, planted his foot firmly on Dume’s chest, and kicked his corpse away as he ripped the weapon free.

Sidra felt numb as the Zakazian Turaga breathed his last. Knowing where he’d come from, the things he’d known but chosen not to share, knowing what he’d tried to do during her time, she felt no remorse or regret for his passing. Certainly no sympathy. But today hadn’t been his time. Perhaps it hadn’t even truly been his time when Sidra herself had tried to kill him, but at least dying then had been his choice.

“We have company,” Reidak observed.

Sidra raised her hands, unleashing twin beams of Great Disk energy from her hands, freezing Avak before he could summon another prison for her, and Reidak before- the ice seemed to flake away as swiftly as it surrounded him, repelled by his accursed adaptation power.

“Not this time, you backstabbing brakas,” he growled.

He drew his weapon and took a step forward, blinking in surprise as Sidra disappeared before his eyes, the light from Dume’s fire providing enough light for her to shadow travel. Her teleport brought her right behind Reidak, and she swung her sword towards the back of his spiny skull, only for Vezok’s impact vision to fling her straight into – and through – the very window she’d once teleported through to kill Dume.

She skidded down the side of the building, scrabbling for something to grab onto as glass showered down around her. She twisted the dial of her electro-chute blade, pushing the intangible weapon through the side of the building, then dialling it back up to a solid density to anchor herself in place. She was barely able to hold on, closing her unprotected hand around the blade in her panicked scramble to stop herself from falling all the way to the arena far below.

Biting her lip to stop herself from crying out, Sidra adjusted her grip to hold the sword’s handle with both hands, which only caused the blood from her sliced palm to flow over the handle, making it even harder for her to hold on. Her feet kicked and clawed wildly for a foothold, but found nothing on the smooth, sheer surface of the tower.

And then a great plume of fiery light erupted somewhere behind her, providing enough illumination for her to slip through her own shadow and emerge beside one of the flaming cracks outside the Coliseum. She turned her eyes towards Ta-Metru and saw the roiling, resplendent shape of the Kanohi Dragon rising up from the heart of the district, tongues of flame rising like towers around it, cutting into the clouds above.

She wasn’t sure how long she spent just… staring at it. She’d heard the stories, but they didn’t do it justice. The Kanohi Dragon was terrific and terrifying, a force of pure elemental fury, one with the flames that it immersed itself in. Just like the Tahtorak Nektann had embodied the rain, so too did the dragon embody the flame. Sidra remembered the story. It had taken eleven Toa – including four of Ice – an entire month to defeat the creature. They hadn’t been able to kill it. There were no Toa here now, just her… but she had the power of two Great Disks of Ice. She wasn’t sure if it would be enough, but it was all she had. It was all this city had. Maybe it was why she’d been brought here to begin with.

Karzing Destiny.

Before she could begin to make her approach, however, she spotted Reidak and Vezok making their way out of the Coliseum, carrying the still-frozen Avak between them towards the main entrance. They were headed for an airship that was coming in to land, with the familiar figure of Eliminator at its controls.

“Hey!” She shouted, “I’m not done with you yet!”

The two Skakdi faltered, stared at her, then broke into a run, unceremoniously chucking Avak into the open hatch of the airship before it had even landed, and shouting something at Eliminator. The airship took off immediately, turning to blast Sidra with the spray of pressurised protodermis from its propulsion engine as she ran towards it. She was knocked to the ground once more, steam spitting and sizzling around her as the liquid protodermis struck the heated ground.

As she fell, a reverberating roar ripped through the city. A roar of rage. A roar of revenge.

The dragon rose skyward, and Ta-Metru burned.

Flaming airships tumbled from the sky, bleeding Kanoka from ragged gashes in their hulls. Smoking towers collapsed into the streets in showers of rent metal and shattered glass. Gas lines ignited with sounds like thundercracks, drowning out the screams of the terrified Matoran caught up in the carnage.

And from where Sidra lay, sprawled on the cobblestones of the Coliseum, there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Her armour scorched and shattered, she rose weakly to her feet. She raised her sword, but struggled to keep it steady in her blood-slicked hands. Laughing, the two Skakdi standing between her and the exit advanced, weapons raised, and she stumbled forward to meet them.

Reidak, ever the overconfident one, reached her first. She sidestepped the swing of his buzzsaw, and slashed across his forearm, forcing him to drop the weapon with a yelp. His other arm swooped in with a brutal punch, and she ducked under it, dialling down the tangibility of her blade and driving it straight through his heartlight.

He didn’t react.

“You think I’ve never been electrocuted before?” He sneered, swatting her away with a dismissive sweep of his arm. “I don’t go down so easily.” He reached up to carefully grasp the bloodied handle of the blade, beginning to pull it free of his body.

Sidra didn’t give him a chance. She activated her Kanohi and interfaced with the weapon, adjusting its dial and bringing the blade back to its solid state in a split-second.

Reidak’s eyes bugged wide as the sword suddenly re-materialised halfway through his torso. He took a step forward, then toppled, landing bodily on the hilt of the blade and pushing it the rest of the way through his body.

“Not bad,” Vezok snickered, stepping straight over his fallen friend and advancing towards her. “But I wager you’re running out of tricks. How are you planning to best me?”

Sidra’s response was a blast of ice aimed at the Ga-Skakdi smug face. Ice that dissipated the instant it struck him, just as it had with Reidak only a few minutes earlier. He’d copied Reidak’s adaptation power. And that wasn’t all, for Vezok replied in kind with a Freeze blast of his own, which Sidra narrowly dodged, her armour coming away glistening with frost from the near miss. The ice was followed a second later by a blast of Impact Vision, which clobbered her back towards the steps of the Coliseum.

“Credit where it’s due, kid, you really screwed things up for us,” he raised his harpoon. “But not enough to stop anything.”

As he fired, Sidra seized control of the harpoon with telekinesis, sending it whipping in a swift circle around Vezok, it’s cable tangling tightly around his neck and spines. He dropped the launcher and clawed at his throat.

“Well, I stopped you.”

Sidra got to her feet and raised her hands, telekinetically seizing both the harpoon and launcher and yanking both in different directions, tugging the cable taut around Vezok’s throat. He snarled and sputtered, his blue face darkening to purple, his eyes dimming, and his skewed Skakdi smile going slack as Sidra released her mental hold on his weapon and let his body collapse.

She approached Reidak’s remains, rolling him over and pulling her blade free of him, before setting off through the exit. As she did, a great shadow passed by overhead, the buildings nearby shaking from the passage of the immense entity. Cinders and chaos followed in the Kanohi Dragon’s wake as it carved a path across the skies, striking down the airships still occupying the air with belches of flame or great swipes of its claws.

Sidra watched on from below as one smoking ship wheeled about in the air, a brilliant bolt of lightning lancing from its open hatch to strike the dragon’s flank. The dragon seemed more annoyed than injured, turning about in midair and flying straight towards the vessel. Sidra increased the zoom on her Kanohi’s lens, spotting Eliminator hanging out the side of the ship as he struggled to charge up another blast. A still partially-frozen Avak appeared behind him, bailing out the ship with a parachute in his hands an instant before the dragon’s flaming jaws snapped shut around the airship.

For several minutes more the dragon criss-crossed the skies, annihilating every airborne entity it encountered. When at last the skies were secure, the dragon flew back towards Ta-Metru, and Sidra reluctantly followed in its wake.

* * *

Ta-Metru

Avak flailed and floundered through the air, ash trailing behind him as his flaming parachute swiftly disintegrated. Chunks of ice still clung to his form, melting and breaking away as he glided down through the heat haze. Bewilderingly hot gusts of air buffeted him as the dragon passed by above, and something that had probably been important to the Matoran exploded below.

He managed to steer himself towards a rooftop a few seconds before his parachute tore completely into two fluttering, flaming fragments. He swung out his arm, hooking his pickaxe into the wall of the blackened building, before clawing his way up onto the roof.

He muttered a scathing string of curses under his breath as he worked his way across the rooftop in search for stairs to the street below. He’d told Eliminator to leave the dragon be, but no, the lumbering lunatic had to take potshots at it.

No one ever listened to him. He was the smartest karzing guy in the room, but because he’d made one miniscule miscalculation, suddenly he was a laughing stock.

“Well who’s laughing now?” He sneered, to no in particular.

As he wrenched open the door to the stairwell and began his descent, he pulled out his iStone and checked for new messages. Amphibax and Eliminator were gone completely from the network, and Dweller had stopped sending in his regular progress reports. Vezok and Reidak weren’t bragging about having obliterated Skirmisher, so they were probably dead as well.

Even Lariska had gone quiet.

“Last man standing,” he chuckled to himself. “Someone’s getting a promotion.”

He made it down the stairs onto streets strewn with death and debris, and started making his way out of the district. He needed to find a boat or an airship to get him out of this city. He needed to give his report to the Shadowed One. He needed to-

His iStone chimed, and he dug it out of his belt pouch to find a new message waiting for him.

He skimmed it, scowled, then turned about and started heading deeper into Ta-Metru.

* * *

Great Furnace

Ta-Metru had always been the district of fire, but tonight things had been taken to a whole new level. Molten protodermis flowed freely down the streets, entire buildings were ablaze, and the air was thick with smoke and ash. For over an hour, Sidra swung and climbed and teleported through the maze of murk and misery, until at last she found herself clambering up a barely-intact stairwell and entering the Great Furnace.

The structure’s roof had been split open like an eggshell, letting distant starlight filter down into the inferno below, and the smoke to flow freely into the open air. A spiderweb of scorched catwalks and conveyor belts criss-crossed the interior of the Furnace, some shattered from where the dragon had smashed through them. Down below, an immense lake of raw molten protodermis had formed, and half-hidden below its surface lay the Kanohi Dragon, coiled up like a serpent. The steady breaths of its shallow slumber echoed through the building, fresh waves of warmth wafting upwards with its every exhalation.  

Smouldering skeletons clung to the railings in places, so ravaged by the fire and fury of the dragon that Sidra wasn’t sure which ones were Matoran and which ones were Vahki. She reached out with her mind, searching for any signs of life, but all she sensed was herself, the dragon, and- What? No.

“It was the first thing I taught you, the first thing I teach all of the Dark Hunters I take under my wing,” Lariska dropped down from a higher level, landing in front of Sidra. “Don't turn your back on an enemy until you're sure she's stopped breathing.”

Behind Sidra, Avak clambered up a ladder from a lower level. He had his seismic pickaxe in hand, an energy blast already charging at the end of the jackhammer.

“And don't turn your back on a Dark Hunter until her body has rotted in the sun and her armour's been scattered to the winds,” Lariska continued. “Did you really think I wouldn’t have an antidote for my own poison?”

“I hoped you did,” Sidra said. “And I was hoping you’d realise you’re outmatched and walk away.”  

“So you’re okay with killing all of our friends, but you drew the line at me?” Lariska snapped. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you girl, but I’m going to enjoy carving it out of you.”

“We’re not friends. We’re a bunch of cutthroats and killers forced to work together out of fear, and the promise of mutual reward. I’m not going to shed a tear for any of them. But you… you gave me a chance at a new life once. I owed you the same courtesy.”

“Yet you’re the one standing between me and that new life. When Avak and I trap the dragon, we’ll be the heroes of Metru Nui, and they’ll welcome my rule with open arms.”

“You’re the ones who let the dragon loose, and killed Dume,” Sidra pointed out. “The Matoran as a species may be a little on the stupid side, but they’re not that dense.”

“The dragon escaped during an earthquake offshore,” Avak chimed in, “And Turaga Dume was murdered by a Skakdi thug, who I strongly suspect has already paid for his crimes. But we Dark Hunters arrived in the city just in time to save everyone from the rampage of this terrible beast.”

“You expect them to buy that?” Sidra asked.

“Once the truth dies with you,” Lariska drew her daggers, “I’ll make them believe whatever I want.”

“About that…” the pickaxe in Avak’s hands abruptly fired, the energy blast flying right past Sidra to strike Lariska in the chest. She fell against the railing, her daggers clattering off the catwalk, a smoking crater marring her chestplate. Down below, the dragon stirred, woken by the sound of gunfire.

“…I’ve been thinking. I did all of the work here, so why should you get all of the praise?”

“You stupid little-”

“Stupid? Me?” Avak stormed past Sidra, jabbing the pickaxe at Lariska’s face. “I came up with most of the plan! I was the one who set the dragon loose, and it’ll be my prison power that traps it. All you’ve done is hang back and boss the rest of us around.”

Sidra let him go. She still had to deal with the dragon somehow, and she was in no hurry for yet another fight. Once these two took care of each other, she could finally finish this.

“You are nothing, Lariska,” Avak continued. “You’re not important or powerful, you’re just an angry lady who likes knives. But me? I can create the perfect prison for anyone. That makes me stronger than anything.”

“Avak, think about-”

“Oh, I have been thinking about it. I’ve been thinking about just how much my genius has been going unappreciated with the Dark Hunters, and all the good I could do in a city with the resources of this one.”  

“Well, there’s something else you need to think about,” Lariska said.

“And what's tha-argh!”

With the speed of a striking doom viper, Lariska’s hand lashed out and seized Avak by the shoulder, yanking his smug smile directly into the path of her mechanical fist before he could fire his weapon. As Avak jerked back, choking on a few of his own teeth, Lariska sprang to her feet and followed up with a flurry of ferocious blows, swiftly pummelling the unprepared Po-Skakdi into unconsciousness.

The catwalk rattled as he fell prone upon it, and the whole building shook as the dragon shifted below, turning one of its eyes up to gaze upon those who’d intruded upon its domain.

Sidra sighed.

She’d expected this outcome, but she’d been hoping against it. She didn’t want to fight Lariska again. This time she knew she’d have to finish it, without ambiguity or mercy. Lariska wasn’t going to allow any other outcome.

“I gave you everything, and this is how you repay me?” Lariska snarled, snatching up Avak’s pickaxe and brandishing it at Sidra.

“You didn’t give me anything!” Sidra spat back, “You were bored, and I was useful.”

“I gave you place, purpose, and power,” Lariska’s voice took on a plaintive, pleading tone, “You didn’t see your own potential… I showed it to you.”

“You showed me how to be cold, and cruel. You showed me how to kill.”

“Because that’s what it takes to be strong in this world, Skirmisher. Virtues and codes and morals are barriers that stop us from reaching our full potential.”

Sidra felt hot breath buffet her from below. The dragon was leaning up out of the protodermis now, looking right up at them. The already-high temperature inside the Furnace was rising further, flares of flame dancing up the walls.

“You and I were mortals in a world of monsters and magic, and we had the strength to become something those greater than us feared.” She darted at Sidra, launching a vicious kick that Sidra barely managed to redirect.

“That’s not strength!” Sidra swung a hasty punch that Lariska effortlessly leaned away from. “I never wanted to be feared… I just… I wanted to be accepted.”

“And we gave you that,” Lariska stepped closer, swinging the sharpened edged of the pickaxe at Sidra’s throat. “We gave you a home, and we made you strong, when no one else would!”

“No… no,” Sidra stepped back from the blow, backing away further as Lariska advanced on her. “I know what it feels like to be accepted. I know what real strength feels like. What I had with the Dark Hunters wasn’t that.”

“And what do you have now? I know you, Skirmisher. Whatever you’ve become, whatever you think you are, deep down you’re still that lost, lonely girl I met so long ago, scared of her own power.”

“I… no… I’m not,” she stammered, stumbling slightly as she backed into the railing. “Amphibax, Dweller, Reidak, Vezok, I was more powerful than all of them. I’m stronger than a Great Disk, stronger than a Toa, stronger than the Dark Hunters. Definitely stronger than you.”

“But you’re still afraid of your power, aren’t you?” Lariska brought the pickaxe swinging down at Sidra’s skull, the blade biting into the railing as Sidra shifted to the side. “You’re afraid to truly embrace that strength.”

Sidra punched at Lariska’s head while she was still trying to free the pickaxe from the mangled railing, but Lariska was ready for it, catching the punch then digging her thumb into the open wound in Sidra’s palm. Sidra screamed, then broke off into a choking gasp as Lariska’s foot collided with her chest.

“If you’re as strong as you claim, you could have slaughtered us all where we stood, but you didn’t,” Lariska finally free her weapon, but didn’t advance this time. “You still held back, fought with your blades and your words first, favouring your gadgets and your little tricks. You're still doing it now. Just like you’ve always done.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Your hypnosis. The power you were born with. You always used it like a last resort, as if you were ashamed of it… ashamed of what made you strong. With those eyes of yours you could have had anything you ever wanted. No one would ever say no to you.”

“Not using it was what made me strong,” Sidra retorted, “Everything I had, I worked for. I took from those I killed, stole from the places I infiltrated, or bought with the blood money I earned. I didn’t cheat, nothing was ever given to me.”

“And what did you prove by forsaking the one gift this world gave you, huh?” Lariska challenged, renewing her attack with a flurry of swift blows that drove Sidra back towards the other side of the catwalk. “What about the new powers you have now? Why hold back with those?”

“I’m not… I don’t know if I deserve this power…” Sidra’s defence slipped, and Lariska’s next kick slammed her against the rail. . “This… I tried to work for it, but in the end it was given to me… and I don’t know if I’m worthy of it.” Her shoulders slumped as her own truth defeated her

Lariska’s smile was akin to that of a Takea.

“You’re not.”

She pulled the trigger, but the seismic pickaxe in her hand clicked uselessly, as Sidra used her Kanohi to prevent the tool from firing. Against any other weapon, it might not have worked, but Sidra knew exactly how a seismic pickaxe operated, having spent the last month figuring out her own.

“Karz,” Lariska tossed the pickaxe aside, and drew her last remaining dagger. “Let’s end this.”

“Let’s not,” Sidra’s eyes glowed gold, “Walk away. Go.”

Brow furrowed in fury, Lariska lowered the dagger to her side. She started to walk towards the exit, footsteps unsteady as she tried to resist the psionic compulsion to retreat. She fought Sidra every step of the way, her sheer strength of will preventing the command from fully taking hold in her consciousness. She passed Sidra, and kept going, one reluctant step at a time.

Sidra knew she could push harder, overwhelm Lariska’s mental defences and force her to obey. But she didn’t want to. She still wanted Lariska to choose to leave, to live.

Down below, the dragon roared, flames billowing from its maw and singeing Sidra’s feet through the catwalk. Her focus broke, Lariska’s footfalls changed, and Sidra twisted around just in time to see the dagger sweeping towards her face.

And for the first time since the battle with the Grand Untethered, Sidra truly didn’t hold back. Centimetres from a third and final death, she struck out in desperation and defiance, unleashing the full fury of her newfound powers in a single, savage storm of psychophysical energy that ripped through Lariska like shrapnel through paper, flinging her shredded remnants into the fires below.

Flecks of blood spattered Sidra’s face as her mentor evaporated before her eyes, the dagger that had nearly gone through her eye scattering in shining, shattered shards. She fell against the railing, her shaking hands clinging to it tightly. Her head ached. Her vision was swimming, her ears ringing.

Sidra had killed before, more times than she could count, and seen innumerable deaths dealt by the hands of others, but nothing she’d witnessed compared to the sheer brutality of what she’d just done. And it had been her. Not a gun or gadget, not a trick or trap, just her own unwavering willpower, focused into physical force. She’d spent so long trying to prove to Lariska how strong she was, how worthy she was, and in her final instant of existence, Lariska’s doubts had been destroyed along with the rest of her. It felt wrong. For all of her confidence and skill, Lariska was an ordinary nobody, with no power or possibility of defending against Sidra’s supreme abilities. Lariska had built herself up out of nothing, raised Sidra from nothing, and to destroy her with such insurmountable power… it felt like cheating… a betrayal of that bond of normalcy that had existed between them…

“I bet she didn’t see that coming,” Avak’s hand clapping her on the shoulder was like a hammer blow smacking Sidra back to reality. She whipped around and shoved him against the railing, her launcher spinning up to loose a rhotuka into his face from point-blank range.

“Easy there,” he raised his hands in mock surrender, “You need my power to trap the dragon. We both want the beastie contained… for the good of the city, right?”

“Right,” she muttered, lowering her launcher and stepping away from him. She took a quick glance inside his mind as he moved towards the railing, reading his intentions with ease. Avak was so full of himself, so packed with self-importance that his thoughts shone like neon lights. He was planning to betray her, to trap her in a perfect prison and let her fall into the fires below. The only reason he hadn’t done it already was because he knew he might need her help to trap the dragon.

Seeming to sense their intentions, the dragon stopped watching in idle curiosity and began to clamber up towards them, claws raking at the Furnace walls, flames bubbling in its maw. Avak focused, and something started to take shape around the dragon, but the beast moved too far and too fast, breaking through the cage before it was complete.

“It’s too strong,” he stammered, “You need to weaken it!”

And there it was. Destiny rushing up to meet her. Fire versus ice. A second chance to defend Ta-Metru from a monster. And this time she couldn’t run away and leave it to someone else, because there was no one else.

Sidra pointed her hand down at the dragon’s open mouth, unleashing a withering beam of Great Disk energy down its gullet. The jaws snapped shut with a gurgling growl, the dragon retching as frigid fury blossomed in its belly. It dived back down towards the lake of molten protodermis, immersing itself in the heat while its bladed tail flicked up to cleave through the catwalk.

Sidra and Avak were scattered in different directions, the Skakdi being lost to Sidra’s view as she landed in an awkward roll on a lower catwalk. She pulled out her Great Disk and poured psionic energy into it, a programmed pattern of telekinetic movement. Then, as the enraged dragon lunged up towards her again, she flung the disk down into its open, glowing mouth, forcing it to dive again.

This time, however, the plunge into molten protodermis wasn’t enough to warm it. The disk continued to move inside the dragon’s throat, telekinetic energy forcing it to fly back and forth, unleashing its power each time it made contact with the inside of the dragon’s body. At the same time, Sidra struck out with her own Freeze power, aiming at the molten protodermis the dragon was floundering in, cooling it to prevent the dragon from thawing out again.

Soon Avak made his move as well, a great matrix of intricately layered ice forming around the dragon as it raged and roared. Before the cage closed fully, Sidra reached out with her telekinesis, pulling her Great Disk out of the Kanohi Dragon’s open mouth, through the air, and back into her waiting hand. And then the shell sealed, and the dragon fell silent.

Wisps of mist drifted on the air, white frost contrasting with the black smoke. Small flickers of dying flame dotted the Furnace, as the last of the dragon’s energies abated. Sidra let out a breath she didn’t even realise she’d been holding, and lowered herself into a sitting position on the cold catwalk. She closed her eyes, wanting nothing more than to drift off and put this whole twisted dream behind her… but it wasn’t done. Not yet.

She could sense Avak nearby, searching for her. His thoughts were still easy to read, full of bravado and belligerence. She was the last loose end. If he got rid of her, it could all be his. He could take the city as his own and no one would stop him.

But it wasn’t to be.

Drawing on the last reserves of her elemental energy, Sidra struck out at Avak. She breached his mind, broke it, bent it to her will, burned away everything but a single overriding command: to stay where he was and maintain the prison around the dragon until the beast was relocated or Avak dropped dead, whichever came first.

And with her work done, there she sat, in cold comfort and quiet contemplation. Everything she’d accomplished… it didn’t feel like a victory. It didn’t feel necessary. But it did feel real. It felt like a final farewell to Lariska, to the Dark Hunters, and to the vile and violent legacy Sidra had lived for so long.

When she opened her eyes, all Sidra saw were stars, constellations that crept and crawled beneath the shifting skin of her surroundings. Gripping the railing with her good hand, she pulled herself upright, and started moving towards the greatest concentration of stars, which roiled and reshaped themselves into a portal exactly like the one that had brought her to the Far Shore in the first place.

It seemed that Destiny was done with her, for the time being.

With blood still dripping freely from her wounded hand, and her armour shattered, soot-stained, and scorched beyond all recognition, and exhaustion dragging at her like an anchor, Sidra staggered through the portal and left the tattered timeline behind.  

 

OOC: Part 5 of 5 of Sidra’s Far Shore Adventure. Thanks for sticking with my self-indulgent silliness everyone. I hope you all enjoyed the story.

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IC: Ostrox (Far Shore Rift, Outskirts of the Junkyard) - Ostrox’s Far Shore Adventure, Part 5

The plan was inelegant in its simplicity. According to Fera, at the filthy heart of Ragboda there was a massive monument to Matoran ego called 'the Depot'. The command center for this entire landfill island. It was where they kept anything considered valuable - Noble or Great level Kanohi, functioning weapons, slaves deemed useful... and of course, Kanoka.

"We’ve gotta get out of there as soon as we can - Farros won’t be oblivious to what we’re doing forever, neither will our siblings."

They took one of the anti-energy shields each, and made their way across the Junkyard in this ramshackle vehicle Fera and a few others cobbled together, called 'the Clunker'. An apt name, from what he had seen of it.

"I don’t wanna risk the lives of anyone else here. I want to risk your life because you’re willing for it to be risked and I don’t like you that much."

Their journey had been relatively uneventful thus far. There was no sign of Farros’ influence to be seen. The Junkyard had been far bigger than Fera had led him to believe, however. Ostrox suspected there was little about the woman that was genuine. She had claimed that her physical form was no more a form than Farros’ junk golem body he had created earlier, it was just that hers was 'better made'. Laughable. He wasn’t even sure if what she was saying was even possible. For all he knew, 'Farros' was the product of illusions and trickery. He would know.

Once they were finally beyond the boundaries of Farros’ territory, they set up camp on a dreary, muddy plain, the Clunker parked right outside. They didn’t end up sleeping, of course. Ostrox made it a rule not to sleep when enemies were nearby, and Fera equals Toa equals enemy. Fera was so committed to her elemental goddess act that she apparently didn’t feel the need.

"Just go to sleep, you big baby. I don’t want you tired for tomorrow."

"And you don’t tire, do you?"

"Benefits of being pure energy. Of course, it’s not something I recommend to others. You don’t know just how much you enjoy eating, drinking, and various other 'carnal pleasures' until they’re gone."

"This didn’t cross your mind before undergoing your, ah, 'ascension'?"

"I was... a different person, then. And it’s only an 'ascension' in terms of strength. That seems to be all that matters these days."

"Strength is a requirement for any stable society. Or the illusion of strength, prettied up as 'moral superiority'."

"I’d like just one conversation with you that doesn’t end with you complaining about how much we suck. Just - just one."

"It’s hardly my fault that Matoran prosperity is built on the subjugation of mine. Or am I supposed to be genial and polite to the foul, ignorant fanatics who are killing the universe?"

"You mean... killing it metaphorically, or - you know what? It’s all well and good to call them out for being evil. But I’ve done nothing but help you, even though you’ve made every attempt to make me regret doing so. What have I ever done to you?"

"An interesting question. Here’s another - why does Farros have unstable physical forms, but you don’t? Why can’t he get past the Haven’s shield, but you can? On that subject why aren’t you affected by this little wonder of technology?"

Ostrox held up the miniature anti-energy device. Fera rolled her eyes. "I don’t believe this..."

"You 'sensing' me shut that Matoran’s ignorant mouth? You’re wearing an Akaku. There was no 'sensing' involved at all. Like all Toa, you pretend to greatness just because you have some impressive tricks. You’re not special. You’re not holy. You’re not even supernatural. You’re just-"

Fera then collapsed. Not collapse as in fall over - she fell apart. Head disconnected from torso, torso disconnected from limbs, and so on.

"A pile of junk?" Her severed head asked.

 

IC: NU-8020S, Achro and Gnabol (Kini-Koro) - The Blind Directing the Blind

NU8020S’ facade of being mindlessly obedient began to crack further. "'Neural physiology', 'daily exercises'... evidently, this is all some sort of elaborate practical joke that I’m too robotic to understand."

Then Gnabol showed up. "KEEP IT DOWN! PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO SLEEP! FOR THE LOVE OF-"

Meanwhile, Achro was about to be let himself be drawn to the sounds of violence, before being questioned by a strange creature with a strange question.

"Tavern... that’s the, uh... alcohol house, right? It’s over there, I think." Achro gestured vaguely in the direction he thought it might be.

@EmperorWhenua@Snelly@Harvali@BULiK@Tarn@~Xemnas~@Daniel the Finlander

 

IC: Navu (Kini-Koro, The Taku, Cargo Bay) - Duck and Cover

Navu ducked for cover and shielded her ears, but rose back to her feet once she realized that those noises were a little too quiet to be close to her.

@BULiK

Edited by Toru Nui
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IC Kanohi - Kini-Nui

Kanohi shakily moved off of Stannis, and nodded. “S-sorry, I hope you aren’t hurt. I … panicked.” The Fe-Matoran sat up, rubbing his head. He forced a laugh, “I almost thought I was having a vision, thought I was back in Metru-Nui for a second.

He sighed, “I don’t know if I spoke too quickly to you earlier, but Po-Koro has been abandoned. I was greeting a number of travelers, when a colossal storm began to rage. We were only on the fringes, but the rain turned the ground into a quagmire, the buildings collapsed, people drowned in the mud. Because of the travelers most of us survived.

In the wake of the destruction I had a vision. Well, a series of them. Islands rising out of the sea to form a toothy jaw, light bursting through darkness, a green and a red Toa dying in each other’s arms, and of a peaceful village laying besides a ruined temple.

Some of the villagers told us that they had found a ancient temple, so I had us travel there to form a new village. It’s going well, it’s a lot less ramshackle than Po-Koro, regularly makes disks of regeneration and weakening, a few Jutlin and Kiril have also been made there, some even powered. Got a pasture for Mahi too. We call it Tobduk-Koro. It’s connected to this village, the temple has a portal that goes to and from Kini-Koro.

The portal opened when Toa Atamai inserted a Great Disk into a lock. His body was enhanced when the door opened, and strangely his personality seemed different too. Another was caught in the blast, Toa Arkius.  He grew stronger too, his mask melted into his face. His personality changed too, and almost immediately he left the village with Toa Jutori, Kilo, and Toa Kat to unlock another door. I … I worry for their health. This power seems … dangerous for the mind.

The councilor turned to look after Vulimai as she started to leave, “I … I need to ask something to Akiri Vulimai. And the Toa Taja. One of my villagers is interested in Aspect Whisper desecrating his mask. Other villagers in Tobduk-Koro have already desecrated their masks, but he is wary. He saw Toa Atamai and Toa Arkius change, and he fears the side effects. And well, as a leader of Tobruk-Koro, I should figure out what the cost of desecrating masks might be. L-lives depend on me.

OOC: @EmperorWhenua @Sparticus147 @~Xemnas~ @Toru Nui @BULiK @Snelly @Tarn

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"Danger is the anvil on which trust is forged"-Jaller(Jala) :smilejala: 
"We're on our own here-like we've always been-and we'll stand or fall on our own"-Tanma
"He may seem slow and strange to you, but his simple words often carry a hidden wisdom"-Turaga Vakama on Kapura

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Kanohi: Stories of a Matoran Vigilante The Impact of a Rebirth: a Kanohi Fanfic The Willing Exiles: a Kanohi Fanfic SKA PC Profiles: Kanohi, Collector, Mahrika Kardaka BZPRPG Profiles Avatar by @Harvali 

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IC: Parnassus | Fort Nektann

That insufferable, condescending--

Parnassus reached for the hilt of their weapon once Drukarus had turned, only for their wrist to be caught by Detsu. The two figures did not even have to look at each other -- the past month had been enough to acquaint each with the other's tics and tendencies, for better or for worse.

"Very well," the Aspect said, quietly. 

They followed behind Drukarus.

OOC: @Sparticus147

-Void

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IC, Whira: Kumu Peninsula

Whira stared at the caldera. While she was quite disappointed that the rock hadn't led them to energized protodermis, she wondered if at least there would be something there that could provide some clues.

"I don't think it's safe for any of you to go near it," Whira responded to Cravious. "I will go and investigate the pillar. Wait here." She outstretched her hand, and the shadow cast by the pillar began to grow and stretch. It warped and emerged from the ground, forming a bridge to the caldera's island. Whira stepped foot on it, making sure it was safe. She didn't want to return to the pool.

She crossed the bridge carefully, and soon reached the island. She placed a hand on the pillar, unsure as to what, if anything, would happen.

@Unreliable Narrator @Kal the Guardian @Toru Nui

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3 hours ago, Harvali said:

The councilor turned to look after Vulimai as she started to leave, “I … I need to ask something to Akiri Vulimai. And the Toa Taja. One of my villagers is interested in Aspect Whisper desecrating his mask. Other villagers in Tobduk-Koro have already desecrated their masks, but he is wary. He saw Toa Atamai and Toa Arkius change, and he fears the side effects. And well, as a leader of Tobduk-Koro, I should figure out what the cost of desecrating masks might be. L-lives depend on me.

IC Stannis | Kini-Koro

It seemed like much had changed for the Metru Nui refugees and the aged man listened quietly as Kanohi gave light to the details which had previously been missed by the other narrators. He was pleased to hear that Kanohi still received his visions; they were important glimpses into futures not yet revealed. Their meanings were likely lost on Kanohi or many other, but to the Wanderer they spoke far more than he could put to words. Already, it seemed, those futures were coming to pass bit by bit, and it assured Stannis' presumptions that Kanohi was rightfully placed as a leader of his fellows, using the knowledge from the things he dreamed to help those in need. It was difficult for him to say precisely why this was a good thing, and he was reticent to laud Kanohi's value in order to be kind to the traumatized Matoran's sensibilities and fickle self-worth, so he settled for doing only what was appropriate in the moment. "Good work," he said simply. 

The notes about Arkius troubled him, however, and a cloud of confliction settled on his mind about the wayward warrior. Arkius already possessed a reckless and stubborn personality, and if he became anything akin to a NUVA in the same vein as Atamai it was anyone's guess at what cost that power had come. While it was good to hear Arkius was still alive and well, he was not the healthiest of companions in the first place and an alteration to his bearing had the possibility for dire consequences indeed. Stannis made a mental note to check on his old friend in time. 

"Desecration of one's mask is not the same magic as the magic within the deep temples, and the changes are quite dissimilar," Stannis said, addressing the last of Kanohi's concerns with as much information he dared to provide in the moment without overwhelming or tipping off anyone. "The costs are different, and will vary depending on the Aspect's disposition and intentions. I am still unsure about Whisper's personality, but in regards to her motives..." he paused, choosing the right word for the sentiment, "I think your people are not threatened by them. You are right to seek out as much knowledge as possible before making a choice, just as it was right for Vulimai to ask me for counsel. Knowledge is never a bad thing to obtain, it's what you do with it afterwards than is important. Remember this."

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IC: Okuo - Metru-Koro

Watching as the silhouette of the airship slowly shrank against the sky, Okuo eventually turned to Triage, before looking behind him down the street leading to the familiar abandoned abode. "Right then... suppose we should get back to checking out Vhisola's house." He said, turning fully to start approaching the building, his eyes peeled and his analytical software in full swing on his HUD as he took everything in. Last time he'd been here he'd had enough on his mind, too distracted to pay attention to his surroundings. This time would be different...

He hoped it would be different.

@Vezok's Friend@Tarn

 

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IC: Skyra Daring - Kini-Koro -

With the angry matoran gone, Skyra decided to land back on the ground amongst the others. She sort of just stood there, a blank expression on her face. 

"You know what...this is fine...yeah this is completely fine. I'm not suited for civilization anyway...not like they want some broken Toa like me messing things up. Yep, this is totally a good thing that's happened to me..." 

OOC: @EmperorWhenua @Nato the Traveler  @Toru Nui @Tarn @Eyru @Harvali

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IC: Niidak (Kini-Koro)

Well, those were the most useless directions she had ever received. The Toa probably didn't actually know where it was. But Niidak didn't care, as she had something else in mind. Something related to her true profession: Business.

"Um, thanks. By the way, would you like a new mask? Yours seems pretty battered." She took out the mask from her satchel and showed it to him. "Kanohi Miru, still in pristine condition as you can see. I'll offer it for a bargain price! And if that doesn't interest you, I've got other stuff too, as long as you have widgets. I'm open to barter, too. Money's tight here."

Knowing her luck, she bet the Toa either had nothing to offer or wasn't interested, but it was worth trying anyways.

OOC: @Toru Nui

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IC [Metru Koro]
 
The six-eyed lizard watched as the duo of Toa approached his tanning spot. The nerve of some people! It thought, before promptly scurrying away.
 
The first thing Okuo and Triage noticed, seeing the hut in daytime were the letters carved into the wall near the front entrance, which read ‘Nixie - Astronomer’. Okuo then remembered what the afflicted had recounted of that night, as far as possible: Vhisola had been staying over at her friend’s place after returning from a trip, it wasn’t her hut.
 
Aside from that realization, everything looked familiar still. The telescope in the back of the hut had been removed during the move to Kini-Koro, as had Nixie’s collection of charts. But things that weren’t worth carrying over had been left behind - including the mess the two Matoran had left in the wake of their transformation. Their bedding was still scattered in the middle of the room, along with the remains of their supper. Okua remembered Vhisola telling him of Nixie kicking and screaming. A few stains marked the floor, but if there had been food left that night, it had long since been scavenged by Rahi. Some dishes and a single cup were lying where they’d fallen.

OOC: @Onaku @Tarn

 

IC: [Nixie - Kou-Po]

The two afflicted brawlers snarled once more, but more meekly, before lowering their heads in submission as the Turaga stood her ground. They retreated a little away from her, exchanged glances and then hesitantly settled down on the floor. 

Nixie meanwhile hissed softly, with a look of defiance. As far as she was concerned, Klawne’s words were not meant for her. She’d tried breaking the brawl up in her own way, she wasn’t going to submit to punishment for that. The former astronomer turned around once, shooting the other afflicted a look that seemed to tell them to play nice, before she took up the now vacant spot from where she could observe outside, where the airships that had made their way to Kini-Koro earlier.

OOC: @Toru Nui

 

IC [Zataka - Irnakk’s Tooth, w. Yumiwak & Co.]


The titan was about to answer, when she heard suddenly approaching footsteps. Once again, weapons immediately pointed in the direction the sound was coming from, but it turned out to be Korio. 

“Yeah, something like that.” Zataka replied to both his and Ysocla’s earlier questions.

The titan inclined her head slightly with a knowing look and let out a long breath, as she began to keep pace with the Skakdi. She decided not to elaborate on her experience. Anything she shared would find its way to Yumiwak and she wasn’t too keen on that idea. 

“Like you said...bad memories and nightmares. Too much to unpack just now.”

With the Skakdi now in the lead, the titan focused on covering the spots Ysocla and Korio weren’t, while also keeping an eye on what the shadows and her Kanohi told her. If Yumiwak or someone else was near, she’d know.

OOC: @pokemonlover360 @EmperorWhenua
 

Edited by Vezok's Friend
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IC Kanohi - Kini-Nui

Kanohi nodded, “I don’t think I would want my mask desecrated, the surface would be too jagged and well, I don’t think I would know what to do with more power. I think … I am comfortable with my current limits. Cross-wired and anxious as I am, I do not need to be changed. Or to have power…

He trailed off, thinking. How much should he say. Finally he  continued, “Forgive me this, but I … I don’t think I view the Toa the same as I did once. I still know there are many great Toa, noble heroes but … they are people. Different than me, but still Protoderms. I have seen some at their lowest points, and because they were Toa, I did not realize they needed help. I do not wish to make that mistake again.

The Councilor made a note to ask NU if she would want a Hive built. Not just to support additional Vahki that rebelled against the League, but just in case. He was no expert on robotics, but he believed he had heard that the other Vahki rely on NU to a degree. Like a mobile Hive. That kind of constant mental strain, the strain of leading Tobduk-Koro could be taxing for him. Imagine supporting other minds.

He stood up to follow after Vulimai, but hesitated. “Stannis, I do have a question. I dread the answer, but you may know it. I have … I have heard…” he winced, he could not ask about the crimes of the Toa. It … Stannis was too old. As much as it hurt to consider, he might have been a part of why the League rebelled.

So instead he said, “I overheard Whisper and the Administrator talking. The Administraror said that an Ark had been launched from Zakaz. The Ark was our old universe, wasn’t it? This land had once been our home, and we abandoned it?

OOC: @EmperorWhenua @Sparticus147 @~Xemnas~ @Toru Nui @BULiK @Snelly 

 

IC Kardaka - the Ruins of Po-Koro

Kardaka had walked for miles across the dead land of Zakaz. Once, her people had given it their own names, but as they had killed it and then abandoned it, she took the name used by those people who stayed behind. They were not a kind people, but neither was hers. And despite her efforts, neither was she.

She had walked across the unnatural flood plains with growing fear, her large feet oozing through the mud and silt. Canyons and creeks carved by a Tahtorak’s tail cleaved through the land, the beast had terraformed the land into a waterlogged wasteland.

If the Tahtorak had belonged to Nektann Jr, perhaps this had been an attempt to revitalized the wasteland. Bring rain to a barren dry landscape. Perhaps a Tahtorak of the Green would have been a better choice. Still, it was a nice thought. Though her fear yet grew.

Her last few hundred feet had been more turbulent. As she grew closer and closer it became clearer that the village heir not breach the flat horizon. Then she left it had been only of stone tents, but even still. And then as she grew closer she realized the truth.

The ground had swallowed up the stone tents, the mud engulfed it until each structure had sunken. There were no Matoran in sight, nor Vortixx, nor Skakdi. The village she made of stone had been destroyed. 

Pebbles had flowed out of her pouches, flying beneath her large feet. With a thrust of her Bade of Office the many stones began to tumble and roll, carrying her on a controlled flat landslide. She roller-skated across the terrain on her pebbles, moving far faster than her clumsy steps.

Finally she tumbled to a halt before the ruins of the village. She almost collapsed in the mud she … she had not realized how much weaker her elemental power was. She started to levitate the stones back into her pouches, but stopped herself. Best not exhaust her elemental energies, if she had not already. She scooped handfuls of pebbles into her pouches before hurrying into the village to look for anyone who needed help.

Try as she might, no one was in sight. She reached into the mud with her Badge of Office, stirring through the gunk. There were a few masks deep in the gunk, had they been buried? Then, were there survivors?

She waited an hour, spending it searching among the ruins. Gradually as her elemental energies regenerated she began to stomp her feet, trying to feel through the stones. There were some corpses, but they were buried deep, in the tunnels of the Worm. Maybe they were victims of the flood that hit this place, not buried.

Finally the Turaga stood in the mud, leaning on her Badge of Office. Too many villagers were missing, there had been far more when she had built this place. Survivors existed. Maybe taken as slaves by the Skakdi, maybe fled to another settlement.

And then Kardaka saw it. A massive cylindrical oval, plowing through the sky like a Razor Whale off the coast. This ship of air powered through the sky, like a solid cloud.

Technology from the Ark?” She wandered, watching it as it suddenly turned, and began to move downward, moving to the southeast of her position. Could that be where the new village lay? She began to walk towards the airship, even as its height diminished. It was certainly landing, whether in a village or not she did not know. But she would reach it. 

OOC: @Onaku @Tarn It will take time, but there’s a Turaga of Stone headed your way. This scene with her is sort of a flashback, it takes place back when the Crimson Galleon landed seeking medical aid for Tuyet.

Edited by Harvali
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"Danger is the anvil on which trust is forged"-Jaller(Jala) :smilejala: 
"We're on our own here-like we've always been-and we'll stand or fall on our own"-Tanma
"He may seem slow and strange to you, but his simple words often carry a hidden wisdom"-Turaga Vakama on Kapura

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Kanohi: Stories of a Matoran Vigilante The Impact of a Rebirth: a Kanohi Fanfic The Willing Exiles: a Kanohi Fanfic SKA PC Profiles: Kanohi, Collector, Mahrika Kardaka BZPRPG Profiles Avatar by @Harvali 

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1 hour ago, Harvali said:

Kanohi

IC Stannis | Kini-Koro

"That is a theory," Stannis said, knotting his brows in consternation. Caedast inwardly tried to think hard on what they knew was true and what they had to surmise and assume. "True to your dread, there are unfortunately many things that support that theory, and one I personally believe to be true. Even if we do not have a history here, the Matoran people do... there's no denying that. I do intend to find out, however—mysteries are my speciality."

He folded his robe and took his from his arm and over his shoulder instead. "But you are right about toa, Kanohi. We are flawed. So many toa are drunk with power but have so little wisdom, or know so little about what is right. Toa need help, often from themselves. They have been used as peacekeepers and enforcers of a divine will that wronged to so many others," he said, referring to the League, "and that changes people. I'm sorry that truth was revealed all too late."

 

 

 

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IC Kanohi - Kini-Nui

Kanohi froze, then swallowed. The Toa had said it, more openly than Kanohi would dare. He … he had to match that bravery. “Stannis. I … I thank you. I … you probably are wise enough to know that I kn-know. Or suspect. I-I have to say it th-though. I need to know. So I can lead.

What I really dreaded, I struggle to say it to you but … the League, they formed because of crimes Toa did, d-didn’t they? At least originally. I am not a complete fool, they killed many who did not deserve it. But the league, the war, it started with us oppressing them. It started with us declaring ourselves the chosen breed of Mata-Nui.

Then quietly he said, “I … my village was isolated. Ignorant. I worry, the only reason we did not profit off the suffering of others, was because we had no way off our island. Because none of us knew other breeds existed. Not because we were noble or kind, but because we just didn’t have the opportunity to be our worst selves. And even then, I think of some lessons our Turaga taught us, and I worry.

He shook himself off and began to walk off, saying, “I should not wallow. If there is something I still trust in that Turaga Bomahri taught me, it is to break things down into more manageable tasks. Make the duty ahead smaller. Don’t worry about making a Great Kiril. Worry first about making a disk of regeneration.” He paused briefly, perhaps to hear Stannis’s reply, before hurrying after Vulmai. 

OOC: @EmperorWhenua @Sparticus147 @~Xemnas~ @Toru Nui @BULiK @Snelly 

Edited by Harvali
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"Danger is the anvil on which trust is forged"-Jaller(Jala) :smilejala: 
"We're on our own here-like we've always been-and we'll stand or fall on our own"-Tanma
"He may seem slow and strange to you, but his simple words often carry a hidden wisdom"-Turaga Vakama on Kapura

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Kanohi: Stories of a Matoran Vigilante The Impact of a Rebirth: a Kanohi Fanfic The Willing Exiles: a Kanohi Fanfic SKA PC Profiles: Kanohi, Collector, Mahrika Kardaka BZPRPG Profiles Avatar by @Harvali 

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IC: Sorilax - Aspect of Light and Silence

Location - Far Shore

 

Stars played in the void that made up Sala’s body as he lazily eyed Crystal. With the force of a collapsing and frozen waterfall, she yelled a war cry and blasted him with both Water and Ice. A stasis field enveloped him before the blast hit, blocking all damage she sought to inflict. As her attack faded, the stasis field dropped and Void Sala raised the emerald Air Hatchet, wind picking up and chucking Crystal away. He motioned with his blacker than black hand and several shadowlings sprung from their hiding places around the gleaming glass vats, dancing in the scant light as they obeyed him and surged forward towards the Toa of Water.

As Sorilax watched the exchange, suddenly the powers of the shadowlings made sense. The wind from Sala’s Air Hatchet, the stasis field from Sala’s Kraata. Their powers stemmed from Sala. Sala… was their source.

No. No he wasn’t. This wasn’t Sala. He refused to believe so. This was a Far Shore apparition summoned from his mind just like his other creations. Sorilax raised his long arms, Light bristling along them. In a near instant attack, beams of Light shot forth. Sorilax tried to inflict damage, to disperse the dark.

Void Sala laughed cruel and harsh as the pithy Light struck him and was absorbed just through the power of his shadow body alone. And then he was upon Sorilax, smacking him with his hand.

Suddenly Sorilax was frozen in stasis, unable to move. He tried to wiggle, to summon his element, but he remained frozen in place, his element not manifesting outside the field. Though he wasn’t fully in stasis, as he was still aware of his surroundings and could look around and hear.

Void Sala cackled and turned from him as the struggling form of Crystal was dragged across the ground by the subservient shadowlings. Her mask was gone and her head looked damaged.

Around Sorilax, in the distance, he heard the sound of battle. From his position, he couldn’t tell how it fared, so his mind remained focused on his Ga-Toa.

Void Sala lifted the Air Hatchet, sweeping up Crystal and dunking her in one of the glass vats with the wind. He secured the lid and moved to a console attached at the base. It had a tiny screen with only room for one line of text at a time. The keys were thick and well worn. Off to the side was a temperature gauge that had a temperature that kept shifting and changing. He tapped a few select keys with loud clicks and pressed a large button off to the side. A warning beep sounded and the vat filled with energy.

The liquid in the vat remained whatever gel it was, but Crystal started to convulse. Her optics started to glow light, ice blue and ice formed from her mouth. She grew rigid, her very body freezing and becoming ice. The temperature gauge in all timelines, except one, crept down to zero.

Void Sala strode over to Sorilax. As the stasis field gave out, he quickly smacked Sorilax again, reforming it. Then he moved back to watch Crystal.

She had started to glow, growing to a pure white color. Then in a moment that shook Sorilax, he saw as her soul was stripped from her body, traveling through a translucent tube. As her soul left her body, her body became a void star field just like Void Sala. But unlike Void Sala, it sealed over, leaving only her shadow behind.

Her soul found its way into a compressor which produced a liquid. The liquid slowly dripped into a vial which Void Sala picked up, inspecting it. Then, like a giant pill, he opened his mouth and swallowed it, his stars growing brighter on his body and his already dark body growing darker. Sorilax tried to yell out in pain at the loss of Crystal, in defiance of Void Sala, yet he couldn’t move. His soul ached. He had lost her once already. And now he knew she was truly gone.

Void Sala turned to Sorilax, offhandedly commanding Crystal’s shadow to join his ranks. He drew close, a starry smile splitting his face, “The former inhabitants of this now dead world think they can hide from me. But I will not be so easily left behind. As you can see, my friend, I can go below zero now as well. The secrets of Project Frostelus are but mundane facts to me. I know all their secrets, and I will find them again.

Void Sala spun Sorilax around with the wind from the Air Hatchet. Sorilax’s creations were fighting desperately in the distance, but were vastly outnumbered. Though Sorilax hadn’t hesitated to follow his Destiny and create a prosperous following, still they were being defeated. And he was trapped, absolutely powerless to help them, or even himself. Void Sala whispered in his audio receptors, the sound creeping into his very soul like the poems of his Taboos, “Your creations will make the perfect fuel to help me ascend. I’ve waited so very long to get this opportunity. I thought it would never come. I thought I would have to strip this planet to its very core to find where they hid their bodies so I could get my fuel. I know they didn’t take everyone with them. They couldn’t have.

Sorilax wallowed in grief as he was forced to watch his creations fall before him. He had had the opportunity to end this. He had been able to attack Void Sala. And yet it had done nothing. He was too unfamiliar with his element. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t stop the manifestation of shadow, or space, or whatever it was that Sala had become.

As he watched his creations valiantly giving their all for him, something slowly came over him. His creations were giving their all for him. Absolutely everything. How dare he sit here and think he had already done his best. That he had done all he could. He most certainly had not. No, not at all.

He had more to give with his element. He knew he could damage these flimsy shadowlings. He had to. Sorilax steeled himself. He didn’t need anyone to save him. He had his own well of strength to draw from. He wasn’t just some dusty professor, he was a well practiced elemental user, who now offhandedly used his element like it was second nature.

Sorilax slowly built up the light in his already glowing optics. Sorilax poured all his focus and elemental energy into his optics, using his righteous anger at the destruction of his creations to turn the harmless Light into the fury of a barely contained laser. The process was alien to him, yet at the same time felt right. The energy swirled around inside his optics, only the stasis field keeping it from flying forth.

And still he poured more energy into it as he thought of Sala, real Sala, still out there in the Far Shore, potentially still in need of his help. It built and built and built, until he felt he might damage his own vessel.

Then the temporary stasis field was gone. In the few seconds it took for Void Sala to strike him again, twin beams of pure laser burst forth from Sorilax’s head. They shone like the sun, illuminating the whole of the massive building. They struck the void of Sala’s form, initially just being absorbed like before.

Sorilax pushed harder. He was strong enough to fight, to win. He hadn’t lived thousands of years just to fail in his Grand Wish, to cast aside what he had learned in this place.

Void Sala was frozen in place, concentration playing across his constellation face. He tried to raise the Air Hatchet, but failed in his efforts as he was flooded with Light.

Sorilax reached out his long arms and grabbed his faux friend to keep the void being still, his body starting to glow as well.

Void Sala started to scream as the stars on his form started to grow bright. Too bright.

And then Sorilax’s lasers tore through the floor as Void Sala was dispersed like a puff of smoke in the wind.

Sorilax slowly stopped the flow of raw elemental energy, not used to the application and so not sure how to pull back the power. As he came back to himself, he looked around the massive room. Most of his creations were dead, but many still lived. Thankfully all the shadowlings were gone, or appeared to be.

He slumped to the ground, back against one of the ice covered, glass vats as he pondered what had just transpired. Too many emotions were running through him. Yet he felt numb at the same time. He had won, but he hadn’t found what he had been looking for, and he had paid a terrible price.

As his creations gathered around him, tending to their wounds and cheering for their victory despite, or perhaps because of, their fallen comrades, Sorilax realized his next Grand Wish step. He needed to be able to create Life, not just in some alternate reality, but for real. And the best place to figure that out would be in the Aqua Sphere. Its rain brought about a reversal of time, possibly a renewal of Life. He needed to go investigate what was going on there.

Sorilax stood, fondly regarding his creations. “Thank you all. I know your decisions are your own, yet you decided to stand by me. I wish I could stay here with you, but my place is elsewhere. I shall never forget you nor your sacrifices. I wish you all full and joyous lives.

In one of the shifting timelines, his creations were all dead, Void Sala standing over them victoriously as his shadowlings dragged them to the vats. Sorilax shuddered. How many other timelines of this world existed? And in how many of them had this world died, leaving a remnant of supernatural oddities behind? He hoped he never found out.

He pushed the thoughts aside as his creations looked on in awe at something behind him. Sorilax turned, the glittering rainbow portal that was his exit glimmering before him. Sorilax turned back one last time to look at his creations and this world. He was sad to leave, but hopeful for the future. He had learned much, and in only a few days. He was ready to stride forward and help all Life.

Sorilax bid a final farewell and stepped through the portal, not noticing that his flower crown, the shadow lizard, and his backpack had returned to him. As he stepped through the portal, his creations disappeared. For despite his revelation about his Destiny as a Life creator, that was only a small part of his ultimate Destiny. He was no Life seeker, no mere Life creator, he was it all. Seeker, creator, and sustainer. Without him, Life would not be able to live. To keep going. To be sustained. And so as he left this world, so too did his creations, traveling with him in his mind, where their Life had truly been born and now resided.
 

OOC: Sorilax Far Shore Adventure Part 4 - Final Part

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3

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 IC: Exuze, the Crimson Galleon

"Yea, thanks," Exuze responded, the compliment keeping his mind off of the altitude.

"I'mma Lesterin," he answered, running his hand along the short crest that jutted from the back of his head. "Like Toa, but nil on tha elemental magic. We make up for it by being able to outdrink a steltian, so..."

OOC: @Unreliable Narrator

IC: Knichou, Kini-Koro outskirts

"Think we should talk to her?"

"Probably a good idea," Knichou told Nale, half-listening to Kanohi and Stannis discuss, and utterly ignoring Nuparu's clockwork contraption. He called out to the Toa of air who just landed and was currently sulking nearby.

"Hey there, hotshot, did you get shooting rockets out of your system or are you open to a promotion on that career path?"

While Skyra was obviously a loose cannon, Knichou would need any and all cannons he could muster if his plan went noticed by Aurax. Before he could hear her response, the strange Toa from earlier approached. 

Uh, hey. Me again. I’m told you’re the pilot of that airship. Would you like to trade for some Levitation and Increase Weight discs?

The Toa of iron was pleasantly surprised by this offer. "As a matter of fact, those are exactly what I need. What do you want? Name a fair trade and if I can, I'll make it for you, -"

He paused, optics angling towards the sky for a moment as he scoured his memory.

"What was your name again?"

IC: Berys and Arnex, Kini-Nui hillside, the Taku

Berys leapt up from his seat at the sound of explosions in the distance. Looking out the cockpit, he saw the source of the commotion - rockets fired into the air and subsequently exploding mid air. While he was tense for a few seconds, he checked the radar and saw no movement, and the lack of alarms from the village confirmed it was nothing to worry about. Were these impromptu fireworks?

He used the ship's intercom to address those on board. In the cargo bay, Arnex paused her search in the Taku's manifest to listen to the announcement after the beep.

"Looks like false alarm."

He went back to listening to the radio. What a strange broadcast. Regardless of the bizarre music, it was useful information.

OOC: @Sparticus147 @Toru Nui

Edited by BULiK
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IC: Skyra Daring - Kini-Koro -

"Hey there, hotshot, did you get shooting rockets out of your system or are you open to a promotion on that career path?"

"Hmm?" Skyra turned to look at the other Toa. "Rockets are my life, and well, so is my wife." She cleared her throat. "Why you ask, you need something blown up?" This could work, Skyra needed a way to get rid of her current frustrations. 

OOC: @EmperorWhenua @Nato the Traveler  @Toru Nui @Tarn @Eyru @Harvali @BULiK

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IC: Knichou, Kini-Koro Outskirts

"Possibly," Knichou called back, before turning to the other green toa. 

"Sorry, as I was saying, a trade?"

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IC: Vashni - Kini-koro -

Vashni stepped out of her home, it was honestly a little strange to even have a home for her. Things had changed a lot in the past month, she had decided to take a break from all the adventuring and do some counseling. After all the endless war and death, she had no end of clients after all, and it honestly felt good to just help people in a way that didn't involving fighting some wanna-be psycho in the streets. 

She was feeling a little restless today, and decided it would be a good time to take a joy ride on her bike. She began to do just that as she stepped up onto her hoverbike, and who knows, maybe she'd run into some old friends on the way. 

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IC: Nale Vella - Kini-Koro

Seeing Knichou having to juggle between two separate conversations with different flying green Toa (one of which seemed to have tentacles--maybe her and Whisper should hang out, she thought), Nale looked up at Skyra. "We have an opening on our airship's crew. You interested? We could mark you under demolitions, if you'd like."

@BULiK@Snelly@Kal the Guardian

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IC: Skyra Daring - Kini-Koro -

"Sure, not like I have anything better to do right now." She laughed. "I'm Skyra Daring, for those of you who didn't know." She knew at least a few present probably did, like Stannis, who hadn't even said so much as hi to her yet, the ####.

OOC: @BULiK@Tarn@Kal the Guardian

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3 hours ago, Harvali said:

Kanohi froze, then swallowed. The Toa had said it, more openly than Kanohi would dare. He … he had to match that bravery. “Stannis. I … I thank you. I … you probably are wise enough to know that I kn-know. Or suspect. I-I have to say it th-though. I need to know. So I can lead.

What I really dreaded, I struggle to say it to you but … the League, they formed because of crimes Toa did, d-didn’t they? At least originally. I am not a complete fool, they killed many who did not deserve it. But the league, the war, it started with us oppressing them. It started with us declaring ourselves the chosen breed of Mata-Nui.

Then quietly he said, “I … my village was isolated. Ignorant. I worry, the only reason we did not profit off the suffering of others, was because we had no way off our island. Because none of us knew other breeds existed. Not because we were noble or kind, but because we just didn’t have the opportunity to be our worst selves. And even then, I think of some lessons our Turaga taught us, and I worry.

He shook himself off and began to walk off, saying, “I should not wallow. If there is something I still trust in that Turaga Bomahri taught me, it is to break things down into more manageable tasks. Make the duty ahead smaller. Don’t worry about making a Great Kiril. Worry first about making a disk of regeneration.” He paused briefly, perhaps to hear Stannis’s reply, before hurrying after Vulmai. 

IC Stannis | Kini-Koro

"I was there when Pridak and the others seceded," he said. "They did not leave because of the toa, they left because Mata Nui's hierophants and enforcers had enslaved the League's citizenry. Pridak and the others were given gilded shackles and palatial prisons, but their people were still mere work fodder to a god who did not care for their prayers. It was wholly within their rights to be stark raving mad at injustices inflicted by the ruling elites who governed from Daxia and Metru Nui. They reacted to the spears of their oppressors when they desired to rule themselves as truly free people.

"... It was also wholly wrong  for them to slay countless innocents on their crusade for justice. Matoran like you, Knichou, the villagers of Maru Nui, and so many others do not have to bear the guilt of a system of oppression. You knew not what you were part of. But you do now, and that knowledge can make us all stronger and better—for everyone—as we bear the responsibility to create a better future of our own devising... and not a god's."

Edited by EmperorWhenua
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IC: Viltia - Toa of the Green

Location - Kini-Nui

With - Knichou

 

Viltia shifted as she thought about what the village might need. She had gotten electronics already… Perhaps more defenses? “It’s Viltia, and in exchange for three Kanoka of Levitation and three of Increase Weight… How about three Rhotuka launchers? Or… maybe some Zamor Spheres? We’ve been using Madu Cabolo that I’ve been growing so we could something less explodey. Orrrrrr…. I really don’t know much about weapons or types of weapons, honestly. What do you think is fair?”

 

OOC: @BULiK

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IC Yumiwak | Irnakk's Tooth

When I went into the Nightmare Walk I was accompanied by my clan-family and Zataka, all of us as close together as if we were bound by threads so as to not spread away from one another. There was an urgent sense of danger and excitement in all our hearts as we scampered in, the exhilaration of decimating the Mesi’s ARC and defensive promontory still giving a spirited pep in our steps, and mine was the most peppy of all. I was being pulled into the vast doors like a fish on a line, charging forward to collect my family’s birthright and destiny. My birthright. My destiny.

This was the culmination of generations of work and I was determined to manifest that greatness so that I could finally bend Xakaz under my heel in the perfect image my ancestor’s wrote about. Our principles of Purity, Power, and Skill would be realized on a grand scale at long last by my hand, with the power of a great beast as my herald. I clutched my satchel of ancient scrolls that served as my guide in this devilish realm with one hand and fingered the pommel of my Tormenter carbine with the other, earnest to see this through at last at any cost.

We’d managed to get through the first few turns in the caves as a group, but when I turned around to cheer us onward… there was nobody there. Footsteps that had previously echoed just at my back weren’t there anymore, the air had grown cold and still, and despite suddenly feeling lonely there was a niggling feeling that I was not at all alone in the dark. I slowed my pace at once and instinctively stilled my breath to listen to my surroundings carefully, and my heartbeat began to pound with anxious rapidity. The spines at the back of my neck stood up as I felt a malevolent tendril touch my mind, tearing through my mental shields with the ease of a sharp dagger through a linen curtain. Keen on narrowing down angles of attack I reached for the cave walls to keep to the slight safety the surface could provide and an orientation point from which to steer my bearings. I steeled my nerves, straining to fight off the presence that peeled at my layers effortlessly, and shut my eyes to fend off the oppression in my head.

Welcome.

I did not feel welcome. 

Ah, a first timer. Do you know what you are afraid of yet?

You will.

 

...

 

The world rocked back and forth, like I was on a ship. I could smell the salt in the air. Focus, Yumi! I thought, knowing I was not on my boat but in the caves around the volcano, reminding myself of that fact with each quickened breath I took, but everything I sensed around me was being betrayed by what I knew. I’m in the caves. I’m in the caves. Cries from far-off birds pierced the air. Gentle creaks of tugged rigging and flexing wood sang with the rocking of the floor.

Open your eyes.

I’m in the caves. My hand felt the stone wall behind me for reassurance, some sensory confirmation that I was where I knew myself to be, but it was not the warmth of gneiss my fingers played upon but a wooden mast worn smooth with the patina of friction and weather. I opened my eyes.

The sky was bright and blue, and all around me was open ocean. The ship I found myself standing on was not my Panda II but certainly very much like it, and felt as though it was the ship mine was modeled after as an imperfect replica, down to the balustrades and great sails. I glanced around hysterically, still not sure what was happening at all, still knowing subconsciously that this was not real, that I was in a cave, for crying out loud. There were no crew in sight, just myself, pressing my back against the great mast with the anxious fear that if I let it go, somehow everything would fall apart and death would take me.

Voices stirred behind me, and I stole a glance over my shoulder to see the ship mates at work heaving lines and singing shanties in low dulcet tones between grimaced teeth. A pair of them looked much like myself, with armor adorned with crystalline plates and gold metalwork, and suddenly it dawned on myself what I was seeing. It was a memory, I told myself, one I barely could remember in lucidity but that resurfaced on some nights.

Yumiwak, get away from there!” the male figure scolded me, pointing at my hiding place against the mast. I looked at myself; I was but a child, deprived of the trappings of adulthood and sovereignty I’d treasure in later life. “They’re about to loose another sail so we can outrun the storm—it’s not safe to stay there, chisai'i ryuu.

My father, I thought in recognition as I slowly stepped away from the mast, enraptured by what I saw, then looked towards the other Skakdi beside her. My mother, Yusanorak.

No. No. Not this memory. Not this one, I thought in aghast shock. I knew how this one ended, it was why I tried to hide it, to forget it, felt sick and in a cold sweat when I woke up after having it in a nightmare. The tug at the nape of my neck came back agin, gleeful at the torment it was exacting upon me. How utterly portentous that I would suffer a nightmare on this inauspicious walk.

This was the memory of when they died.

The skies darkened with a clap of thunder far off in the distance. Everything turned black again as the rain fell in buckets.

 

...

Music

My legs buckled and I stumbled awkwardly; there wasn't any avoiding it. The whole ship shook and shuddered as it was torn apart by the storm's greedy jaws, pulled asunder in chunks as it crumbled apart like a jigsaw puzzle being pushed off a table's edge, cascading bit by bit away from view and falling onto the floor in a discordant array. Crew all around me were tumbling about, some pulled asunder by waves that crashed on the sundering ship, others holding on to dear life as yet more fumbled with deploying the rescue shuttles. I frantically looked around again, crying out for my parents, trying to shout louder than the screaming winds and roaring ocean that thundered everywhere around us. I wiped at my brow, straining to keep my eyes clear from the rain that was already falling in dense sheets. The Tactical Panda was keeling more every second, tilting further and further the more it lost its mass to the unforgiving sea. It was only a matter of moments before it all slipped away.

Finally, I found my parents. My father was rushing in between collapsing waves to release one of the launches. My mother was on the other end of the ship, authoritatively ordering the remaining survivors to give up their tasks and board the shuttle my father was working on. There were so few of them left altogether we wouldn't even fill the launch as a group. My father caught sight of me, too, and wasted no time in grasping my mom by the hand, pulling me towards them with their psionic powers, and giving me a reassurance of, "Thank the Golden, you're going to be okay."

I was getting lost in the vision, I knew, but I was not afraid. I had nothing to be afraid of. This was not real, this was a dreamscape, history, I was—

It happened as soon as my mom boarded the launch. The Panda, surrendering itself to the sea's vengeance, snapped in finality. A portion of the deck under my father broke under him, sending splintering wood and shards of crystal everywhere like shrapnel. Our launch lurched onto the water, splashing but remaining upright. I almost fell out of it. I screamed, loud, long, hard, yearning for a different outcome than the one I knew by heart but knowing it wouldn't come. The Panda slipped under the waves, and for an instant it looked like it would have taken my father along with its wreckage to the deep, but then—there! At the end of a length of rope! There he was! My mother and a crewman pulled the rope in like a winch while the others rowed hard to get away from the quickly sinking ship's wake. 

I cried. In the vision or in reality, it did not matter, the result was the same. 

Ahhhhhh... I see it now...

We almost had him. They pulled the line in and he was nearing the launch's relative safety, only a few more heaves and it would be alright. 

I could see the light of his eyes.

(.:Still there, princess?:.)

The mast, the final vestige of the ship we knew and loved as our home and the very thing I had been holding on to for safety, had the last laugh. In its final act before fading away forever it slammed into the water right next to us. It almost killed us all, but it only took one casualty. 

I almost threw myself off the launch in a vain attempt to save him. My mother caught me, clutched me close, bonded with me. Our rages echoed off each other, melding together in a duet of pain. I shrieked, I wailed, projecting my emotions on the psionic plane for all to hear everywhere around me, the survivors, the fish, the ocean...my father...  one blast of pure unabashed, unabated anguish, a simple cry of "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"

So, it's loss...

 

I blinked the tears away. The world was black again and I was back in the cave, and holding my hand mid-energy share was Zai. 

The ending of the nightmare, it seemed, was real. 

@Vezok's Friend @pokemonlover360 @Tarn @Nato the Traveler @Unreliable Narrator

Edited by EmperorWhenua
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IC: Marrow (and minions) - Nightmare Pits

The Mesi were no strangers to dark spaces or long waits... but this place, it set Marrow's nerves on edge. Knowing the horror that was beyond the curve of the tunnel behind him, and not knowing what manner of attacker was approaching from the front... it made this wait worse than most. Even the softest of sounds -  the shuffle of bare feet on rough rock, the furtive breaths of his companions, the natural rumbling of the volcano - it all sounded hollow and haunting. 

And then came a sound like a thundercrack, a reverberating roar that crashed and cascaded through the confines of the cavern. The whispers of distant speech soon drifted through the tunnel in its wake, followed by the wordless warrior's scream of a being defying their fears.

"They're coming," Marrow whispered, tensing against the barrier. "Be ready." He drew upon the power of his kraata, swiftly summoning a dense, cloying fog that billowed and filled the unlit tunnel, reducing the already limited visibility to near nothing. And then he resumed his wait. It won't be long now...

 

OOC: Positions and defences of Marrow and co. described in this post. Arrive/attack at your leisure @EmperorWhenua @pokemonlover360 @Tarn @Vezok's Friend 

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IC Kanohi - Kini-Nui

Kanohi paused, thinking. Finally he said. “Thank you, Toa Stannis. But I don’t think I can let myself to believe that, at least not completely. I am not fully innocent. I profit even now because of my breed, despite the better qualifications of others.

He could not believe he was fully innocent. Not when he had become Akiri with no qualifications. Not all of Tobruk-Koro sings folk songs praising Arkius and Jutori for their help in the flood, while ignoring the aid Collector and the Vahki offered. Even Kanohi had a few songs, despite the resentment of Matoran like Supaka. He still was honored while others who worked just as hard to save lives were forgotten.

He paused and said, “If it’s not too trouble, the vision of a green Toa and a red Toa dying in each other’s arms in a jungle? Do you think you could warn the two Toa speaking to Knichou? The Toa of Jungle and the Toa of Air?  Since both are green, and there are few green Toa in this village, it may be wise to warn them. Just in case one of them is close to a red Toa. Assuming the vision should be taken literally.

Maybe it’s fortunate that the Toa of Air was now exiled. If she was not in the jungle, she could not die with her beloved.

With that Kanohi hurried off, rushing to Vulimai. “Akiri Vulimai,” Kanohi said as he ran up, “I do have a question. Not on the matter we were discussing, I … you and Stannis spoke wisely. That is all I will say.

My question is about your mask. A Vortixx in my village is considering desecrating their new mask, but after seeing Toa Arkius and Toa Atamai’s transformation, they are wary of power. And as a Councilor, it’s important for me to know the downsides of Desecration, so I know how to advise and help my people. So if it’s okay, and not too personal, can you tell me about any changes or experiences since you desecrated your mask? Or any insights into Aspect Whisper? If it’s too personal it’s okay, I plan to ask others such as Toa Taja as well.

OOC: @Kal the Guardian @EmperorWhenua @Sparticus147 @~Xemnas~ @Toru Nui @BULiK @Snelly @Tarn

Edited by Harvali
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"Danger is the anvil on which trust is forged"-Jaller(Jala) :smilejala: 
"We're on our own here-like we've always been-and we'll stand or fall on our own"-Tanma
"He may seem slow and strange to you, but his simple words often carry a hidden wisdom"-Turaga Vakama on Kapura

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IC Stannis | Kini-Koro

He reflected on Kanohi’s reaction; some knowledge was too much to bear at once, no matter how truthful it was. 

He drifted closer to Knichou and Viltia, perhaps to investigate if either would be the subjects of the aforementioned vision, or at least if either knew a weaver. 

@BULiK @Kal the Guardian

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IC: Knichou, Kini-Koro outskirts

"We've been using?" Knichou asked. Unless she was trying to use three Rhotuka at once by holding one with her tethers, this mysterious Toa was arming someone else. "Who is 'we', and why do you all need weapons? That might give me a better idea of what you truly need."

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IC [Zataka - Irnakk’s Tooth, w. Yumiwak & Co.]


The titan braced herself against the wall, face grimacing at the sudden mental assault, which she had listened to inadvertently while trying to find the princess. Of course the scream made locating her a lot easier.


If I’d known she could scream like that I’d have tried pushing her buttons some more earlier...except now I’ve got a headache. Great.


Blinking, the large warrior steadied herself. She’d expected the fighters lying in wait for them to be the largest obstacle, not the walk in and of itself. But then again, it wasn’t the walk. It was whatever Skakdi folklore spirit was manifesting its power here.

It had gotten notably harder to make out the path, with a dense fog hanging in the hot air. Fog, inside a volcano - yeah, right. That seemed about as natural an occurrence as her nightmare vision. Zataka planted the tip of her sword on the ground and knelt, using her ability to control the darkness creeping in on them to ‘feel’ out the passage ahead. She quickly noticed a being that had to be Yumiwak, not too far up ahead and that the tunnel was cluttered with obstacles further down. And beyond that...hello there.


Whoever happened to be down there had dug themselves in quite nicely. Using the tunnel exit as a funnel was a sound strategy. If they rushed in again, this would not be pretty - for either side. And then she had an idea. Yumiwak might not approve, but even if she was listening in, she’d probably need a moment to regain her senses after her own nightmare vision had passed. A thin smile crept onto Zataka’s face. Whatever power was at work in these tunnels, it did not seem to discriminate between who came down here. So it was likely whoever laid in wait up ahead  - Mesi, judging by the brief glimpse they caught outdoors - had experienced their own visions as well. Perhaps she could try some nightmare diplomacy instead, using her mask. If things still came to a head, then so be it, but she had her own mission to consider as well. A fight would only slow her down. It was worth a try. 


Marrow and his companions suddenly heard a soft, cold chuckle echoing in their minds. Zataka did her best to emulate the same tone of that malicious voice she’d experienced before, hoping it might have some psychological effect.


:A brave defense. Using the terrain and darkness to your advantage. But the darkness might not be the ally you think it is.: the voice said, ominous, but matter-of-factly.


:Why fight another nightmare you don’t have to? Stand down, and everyone here will live to see tomorrow. :
 

OOC: @pokemonlover360 @Tarn @Nato the Traveler @Unreliable Narrator @EmperorWhenua

Edited by Vezok's Friend
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IC: Viltia - Toa of the Green

Location - Kini-Nui

With - Knichou

 

Viltia tilted her head in slight confusion, “For my village. The one I told you about. I already mentioned how dangerous the Fau Swamp is, right? Uh…” Viltia’s optics went wide and she lowered her voice far too late, “Which may or may not be where my village is.

Well, this Toa bore the Mask of Creation, he was probably trustworthy. “But if it was, there are crazy dangerous mutated Rahi there and we don’t have many weapon defenses. The swamp has already killed too many of us. We have the one Rhotuka Launcher, but our healer needs that. And Rhotuka Launchers don’t require ammo, right? So that’s probably what we would need the most.

 

OOC: @BULiK

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-----------------------------

--------- “BRUH” -Makuta, probably ---------

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IC Kardaka - the Ruins of Metru-Koro

The airship had taken off long before Kardaka had drawn close. As she had walked had done her best to observe the landscape, the water and the ground. The ocean level had not risen much here, perhaps it was the higher elevation. Or perhaps the water was rising unevenly.

The ground was no longer a floodplain, the new Tahtorak had not passed by here, it must had headed elsewhere, perhaps into the swamp. The swamp, it was already marshland, would it be the next part to be flooded? Or had it already been submerged.

Her elemental energies had recovered when she began to spot the village. It was bigger, wider, and it had a silhouette on the horizon. But the land was burst, the land ruptured and bent. Like two Skakdi of Fire and Earth had unleashed their powers below the village.

Once more, a village of survivors had been extinguished. The first by water, this by fire. Perhaps this cycle was ending, and the sinners were being extinguished. And the rising seas, perhaps the next era would be underwater, only the Riggers would survive then, perhaps relying on the Kraata of Aspects to keep them alive. 

This time she did not ride a landslide into the village. A ruin like this, it had been damaged by war. Not a mere beast that had long since passed. And she might need to save her elemental power. Limited as her power was. 

But there may be people here, so she approached. As she stepped into the streets there was not much movement in the village, it was eerily quiet. Broken roofing slid off the scorched huts, some dangled by threads. Weeds had sprouted up here, but they were sickly. Perhaps the poisoned and burnt land was too toxic to flourish in.

As she walked she paused, spying something in the dirt. She bent over, but her feet were too off-balance and she fell. She caught herself on her hands, briefly dropping her staff. She lifted it up and used its leverage to shove herself back upright, before nodding.

Stones had been dislodged here, she could feel them, the grains of rock chipped off, someone had kicked it, perhaps when walking. Which made sense, someone had landed here after all in that ship of the airs. But where any of them still here. 

Kardaka began to walk down the streets, stumbling on the uneven craters. Each time she stumbled she winced. She … she deserved to lose the grace and power she had possessed as a Toa. But still, she should be more careful. Too much noise might attract attention.

OOC: @Onaku @Tarn if you want to interact with her, she’s here. 

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"Danger is the anvil on which trust is forged"-Jaller(Jala) :smilejala: 
"We're on our own here-like we've always been-and we'll stand or fall on our own"-Tanma
"He may seem slow and strange to you, but his simple words often carry a hidden wisdom"-Turaga Vakama on Kapura

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Kanohi: Stories of a Matoran Vigilante The Impact of a Rebirth: a Kanohi Fanfic The Willing Exiles: a Kanohi Fanfic SKA PC Profiles: Kanohi, Collector, Mahrika Kardaka BZPRPG Profiles Avatar by @Harvali 

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IC: Fire Suva Inventory | Fire Suva, Ash Barrens

Rather than the voice of Tuakana who she hoped to hear, it was the Fire Suva once more. It offered a strange and different sequence of words than usual:

Recent deposited item fully identified. Withdrawal approved.

Updated Inventory:

  • Mask of Shielding, origin Forgemaster Dume, power to protect the wearer with a field of pure elemental energy drawn from the wearer.
  • Mask of Quick Travel, origin Chronicler Icarax, power to teleport the wearer, their possessions, and up to one willing companion and their possessions the wearer can touch, anywhere within the wearer’s immediate line of sight. The further the distance, the less safe the landing. 
  • Crystal Blade of the Archipelago, origin Forgemaster Mata-Nui, capable of harming intangible beings of shadow.
  • A piece of cloth, origin unknown, a plant-based fabric usable for art, clothing, or notes.

Mahrika felt something dry and light land in her hand. It was a piece of crumpled paper. Opening it and smoothing it out, she saw…

IMG_20210124_171844__01.thumb.jpg.aee531e7ac2c41545a079205df777f18.jpg

OOC: @Harvali

Edited by Unreliable Narrator
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Happy chat.

 

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IC: Knichou, Kini-Koro outskirts

"Rhotuka are... unreliable. If ammunition is a concern, I know what weapon you truly wish for."

He paused for a moment, thinking of how to alter the deal further.

"But for that, I don't just want your Kanoka. I want answers. Tell me more about your village. Where exactly is it in the swamp? How have you survived in there? Who is in charge? How are you making Kanoka? Can you make more?"

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Visit www.BZPRPG.com to view my project of archiving BZPower's RPGs, and also access the BZPower Roleplaying Wiki

BZPRPG Profiles - Ghosts Of Bara Magna Profiles

Exo-Force RPG Profiles - Six Kingdoms: Apocalypse (Knichou, Berys, Arnex, The Taku, Exuze)

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IC: Viltia - Toa of the Green

Location - Kini-Nui

With - Knichou

 

"Rhotuka are... unreliable. If ammunition is a concern, I know what weapon you truly wish for." Knichou paused for a moment.

Viltia was confused. How were Rhotuka unreliable? Sidra could even ride hers. They were very versatile. And what would be better? Did he mean Kanohi machines? That might be perfect. A large Kanohi machine of Shielding and several Kanohi machine turrets of Repulsion would be a perfect non-lethal defense against Rahi.

Knichou continued, "But for that, I don't just want your Kanoka. I want answers. Tell me more about your village. Where exactly is it in the swamp? How have you survived in there? Who is in charge? How are you making Kanoka? Can you make more?"

Viltia frowned. Le-Metru Nuva’s greatest strength was its anonymity and stealth. Why would this Toa want to know all about it? Could the bearer of the Legendary Mask of Creation possibly have shady intentions? The last bit distracted her from her concerns, though.

Oh! I make Kanoka from raw protodermis ore. And I can make a ton more if you want me to. And turn them into masks, too! I’ve made all kinds of masks if you need any. I mean trade for any. Although I don’t have a complete list of possible masks, so I’m sure there’s a lot I still don’t know how to make.

She remembered who she was talking to, “Oh, not that you would need any other Kanohi.

 

OOC: @BULiK

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-----------------------------

--------- “BRUH” -Makuta, probably ---------

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IC: Knichou, Kini-Koro outskirts

So they had a raw protodermis deposits nearby? Presumptively a refinery as well. Intriguing.

"You didn't answer my other questions."

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Visit www.BZPRPG.com to view my project of archiving BZPower's RPGs, and also access the BZPower Roleplaying Wiki

BZPRPG Profiles - Ghosts Of Bara Magna Profiles

Exo-Force RPG Profiles - Six Kingdoms: Apocalypse (Knichou, Berys, Arnex, The Taku, Exuze)

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IC: Viltia - Toa of the Green

Location - Kini-Nui

With - Knichou

 

Oh, oops. What were they again? I kind of got distracted by Kanoka forging. I kind of love it a lot. It’s been so much fun. You should have seen when I first tried merging three discs together for the first time. You couldn’t even tell it was supposed to be a disc!” Viltia laughed sweetly. “Oh, right. The questions. Something about Rhotuka Launchers not being good? What could be better than a Rhotuka Launcher? Don’t all other weapons need ammunition?

 

OOC: @BULiK

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-----------------------------

--------- “BRUH” -Makuta, probably ---------

-----------------------------

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IC: Triage - Metru-Koro Ruins

"Nixie...so it isn't Vhisola's hut, huh? Place is a mess."

Triage approached the home and hesitated at the doorway, looking in on the state of things inside. The medic turned to Okuo. "You were here before, right?" he asked, then looked back towards the plaza with an odd expression. Besides the pair of Toa, and the airship that had already flown off, the abandoned village should have been abandoned. "...did you see something just now?"

OOC: Triage has caught a glimpse of Kardaka.

@Onaku@Harvali@Vezok's Friend

IC: Nale Vella - Kini-Koro

Seeing that Knichou was still negotiating, Nale placed her hands on her hips and spoke to Skyra again. "If you'd like, I can take you to the ship now. Can get you acquainted with the crew and give a little tour."

@BULiK@Snelly@Kal the Guardian

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[BZPRPG]
(shout out to max)

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