BZPRPG: Ta-Wahi

IC: "The Wanderer"

He almost missed them as they were leaving the marketplace. He had almost fallen asleep in Ta-Koro's warmth, lying against the shoddily-constructed stall door. Thankfully, they had just passed in front of his slowly closing eyes right when he was on the threshold of blissful sleep. He decided against activating his Huna, as he had used it so much and it had drained so much energy from him. He wrapped his dark cloak around himself more tightly, even though it was the usual temperature of "blazing hot" in Ta-Wahi. Finally, judging that the time and distance was right, he stood up, and continued his discrete trail of the two Piraka-hunters.

IC: Stronin

"Har de har har ... No."

OOC: Voulge and company from Ga-wahi

IC: Voulge

Voulge walked through the gates of Ta-koro with.. He had picked up the pace a bit and was not focused on whether his companions were with him or not.. Though he reached into his belt and pulled out the little folded piece of paper and read over it again

"If i were a secret man who wanted to hide where would i meet someone.."

He said softly to himself as he looked around seemingly trying to find this person again

IC Otokax

This was becoming unbearable! Being out-bargined by a Toa? This was out of hand, but he knew he needed that sword.

"If "Solis" wants her swords to be apperciated why does she sell them at such one-sided prices?" He raged at Stronin.

IC: "The forerunner"

I swiftly walked towards the beachfront, making a turn for a nice secluded spot. I checked the area, doing a full spin. Something caught my eye. I crouched a small hole, and inserted my heatstone. I placed the pot on top of it, and carefully poured in some photothermic powder.

"Make sure this doesn't explode, it is ok if it bubbles, but not otherwise. I have to see about something."

I walked towards our shadow.

OCC: That would be the wanderer I am walking to.

IC: "The Wanderer"

He froze. Uh-oh. "The Forerunner" had certainly spotted him and was quickly closing the distance between the two of them. He sighed under his hood. If he disappeared or ran away, this would only contribute to suspicion of him, which was not what he wanted. He took a few steps to his left, so he and the "Forerunner were more fully concealed under the outcropping of a rock as he arrived.

OOC:

IC (Oreius and Inu)

 

The Charred Forest had not changed after the Makuta's defeat. It was a vast wasteland of ash and dead trees, burnt and desolate. It was more than eerie, though: it was dangerous; those who didn't know how to navigate it could easily get lost, and wander until they died. Every direction looked the same: a seemingly endless expanse of black trees extended in every direction, void of life. Just like a scar won't disappear when an enemy is defeated, so the Forest didn't revive when the Darkness fell. It was a scar on the face of Mata Nui, a reminder of the damage the Makuta had done.

 

Oreius had walked the forest many times as a Guard. He had learned to navigate the dead trees, to notice the smallest signs and landmarks that marked a path. This place was no longer frightening to him; he had learned, long ago, that the dead trees weren't a threat. Nothing lived here; it was a barren place. Even beautiful, in a grim way, even though it was a dead place

 

The Toa of Fire had been walking for an hour or so when he finally found his destination: a clearing in the trees, featuring a shallow ravine that held a stream of lava that hissed and smoked. Next to the stream lay a small pile of stones. Oreius knelt here, next to the piled rocks. He was silent.

 

A long, smooth slab of marble lay on the ground beside the cairn. It looked out of place in this desolate wilderness: it was a pristine white, not the black or scorched grey of the surrounding rocks, and thin, precise letters were carved into its surface:

 

 

Here lies the Cy-Matoran Aurax

He gave his life for destiny

IC: (Dusty. Motionless. Silent.)

I guess he's been kneeling there for hours. That estimate isn't supported by the speed with which he whirls to face me.

He tightens into a preemptive hunch at the sight. Could pounce in a tenth of a second. Swords and staff drawn in less. He's prepared for conflict.

My hood is down. Yet Oreius--scans confirm it's him--doesn't recognize me.

(Blinded by your brilliance.)

The Toa tenses.

Onua, advice is appreciated.

(I speak the truth.)

Whatever. Maybe Oreius suffers amnesia. Maybe it's not Oreius. Fight or--

He blinks.

Blinded by my brilliance.

It is Oreius. He's not at fault. But the brightness of the sun behind my body casts me as a silhouette.

I step out of the light to nod to my brother.

IC: "The forerunner"

"Don't try running off. Who are you? Why are you following us?"

IC: "The Wanderer"

"The Wanderer" slowly turned from his confronter and raised his hands. In each was a single, metal canister. He activated his power over magnetism and allowed them to float up against against the rock outcropping. He concentrated, pushing them harder and harder against the rock, scratching over and over again. After a little while, the words

appeared.

IC: "The forerunner"

"Why did you follow us?"

OOC: Vail from GaIC:Vail had long grown tired of studying the details of Voulge's back. He and Crasaro had lagged behind a bit, as the Toa of Iron's pace was not one easily matched by the hungover Toa of Crystal. Vail had to carry Crasaro when his legs gave way, though he took care not to drag him and scratch his sleek armor. These days, The Toa of Fire covered his tracks without even thinking about it. After all, he knew all too well that being discreet often paid off. At long last, the pair had reached the gates of Ta-Koro. Vail took in the ashen air, and let it out in a long exhale."Well, here we are." He said, half to his companion, half to the bubbling lava that lay in wait beneath the bridge. It had been a long time. "Let's try not to make too much of a scene, yeah?" With that, he took a step through the threshold.

IC: "The Wanderer"

The cloaked Toa repeated the same process for "Forerunner", carving

To Protect You

on another part of the same rock face. He considered trying to remove his carvings to prevent anyone from tracking him... but he then realized that leaving them there like clues, just outside the gates, would just make things more interesting. And "The Wanderer" hadn't seen a lot of interesting happenings for a while.

IC: "The forerunner"

"I don't need protection, I need a second. I assume you know of my mission?"

IC: Vezok

Suffice to say, that was the wrong thing to say. Oh yes, I got the meaning, the idea. I knew the intention, the drive behind it. The direction of the statement was more than completely wrong. Now I wasn't the most tolerant person, not when it came to dealing with those more... ignorant... than I. I knew perfectly well that others spoke of me having a "short fuse", a lack of control. It probably wasn't far from the truth, not far at all. Besides, it's wouldn't do to disappoint them now would it?

And so I stopped dead with a release of breath, ever so slightly rolling a kink from my neck. Some things just had to be dealt with more directly, that didn't imply a lack of control, rather an intelligent application of force.

"Why are you out here all alone, little matoran?" I began, not softly, though not loudly either. I didn't turn to face her, staring straight ahead. "Who knows what could happen."

IC: "The Wanderer"

He looked the other Toa in the eyes. For a moment, neither of them said or did a single thing. The cloaked Toa then nodded. He did know that they wanted to capture or hunt down a being known as a "Piraka", that much he knew for sure, so for now, a simple gesture of the affirmative would suffice.

IC: "The forerunner"

"Follow me." I turned around and began to walk back to where Kaunis was.

"Kaunis meet our new friend."

IC: Stronin"You mean perfectly logical prices considering the quality of the ores, forging techniques and time taken to bring these weapons up to high standards."

IC: Voulge

Voulge turned to look at Vail and Crasaro and smiled

"Yes.. let's avoid a scene.. Though we are looking for a cloaked toa.. Though i am tempted to have you two head toward the bars to gather information while i check via my method of investigation."

IC: Crasaro

"Urk, no bars for me, thanks." Crasaro wished his headache would stop. "Maybe we should ask around, see if anyone has seen a cloaked Toa. Maybe even check the beaches, too. The beaches are nice."

IC: Voulge

Voulge seemed to consider this and nods

"That may be a good idea.. Just ask around but make sure to avoid anyone who looks dangerous.. i don't need therris killing me if you two get hurt."

IC: Crasaro

"Please, I probably drank enough alcohol to poison myself yesterday. I'm surprised I didn't." Crasaro added. "Hey, uh, Vail, can you let me down? I can feel my legs again."

IC Otokax

If Otokax hadn't been in a hurry he would have stayed here all day, however, time was pressing so he knew he had to end this.

"Very well." He moaned. "100 Widgets, but don't expect to see me again. I hope you rot in Karz for robbing a poor Matoran."

IC:"Poor Matoran? Coming from the one who just spent 100 widgets, on one of the best finely crafted short sword on the island up for sale."

IC: Stronin"Never been a really religious person myself," said Stronin, taking the Matoran's widgets as he handed over the finely crafted blade. "Pleasure doing business with you."

IC Otokax

"I will never say likewise!" Muttered Otokax as he left the shop. Ah, all that time wasted, half the customers most likely have stopped buying by now, still, you never know. Otokax looked at his reflection in the blade. It was a fine one he had to admit. He walked back into his Map Shop and began packing his equipment.

IC:"So.....now that's done....." Aurum turned towards Stronin even as he reached into his bag, hefting out a pouch. Awkward bumps poked, forming a shape that would have been unrecognisable to most. But to a blacksmith, he expected the shape of ore to be easily recognized.

"Do you accept custom requests?"

IC: Stronin

"Of course," replied the Iron Toa. "Depending on what you want, it'll take a while, but yeah, we do customs."

IC: Vail obliged, placing the Toa of Crystal soundly on his feet. "Good, cause you'll need them to search." He tapped a finger lightly on the side of his kanohi as if pondering. "I'll check the bars then, since you need a little vacation from alcohol." He spoke both Voulge and Crasaro. "Should we meet back here once we have our facts straight?"

IC: Crasaro

The toa of Crystal staggered a bit, and stood up straight. "Yes, I think that would be a good idea. I'll go check the beaches." And with that, Crasaro headed off to the beaches.

After falling on his face, of course.

He quickly scrambled up, and attempted to preserve his dignity.

IC: Voulge

Voulge sighed a bit as he watched Crasaro run off already

"Well i was going to say meet back here in 2 hours but i don't think crasaro will hear that.. so yeah.. and remember vail be safe.. avoid any conflicts."

IC Kaunis

(Ta-Wahi):

Kaunis raised an eyebrow at the suspicious-looking being joining them.

"Who is he?"

IC Surina

(Ta-Koro):

"I'm not just a little Matoran", Surina replied. "You don't know who I am and that's the way I like it, but if you did, you mighty consider my offer. What do you seek on this island?"

IC:

"Okay then. You're the one with the experience. What would be the best bladed weapon, or set of bladed weapons, that would be versatile for just about all situations?"

IC: Stronin

"Knives," replied Stronin. "They're rather portable, and having several of them is quite useful when you're in a pinch. The only real disadvantage is range though."

IC:"And is there anything that can be used swiftly alongside this knife, but does cover this disadvantage?"

Aurum thought about it. Using a knife was possible; now that his abilities to use illusions was gone (And he wasn't a ranged fighter anyway) and replaced with a Volitak, it was something that might work well. But it was also something he could easily do anyways; being a Toa of Iron himself, he could easily go forth and create a simple sharp object in his hands easily.

No; a Knife wouldn't do. Not just a knife, anyway. He needed something strong, fast, versatile. Something.....surprising.

IC: Crasaro

The hungover Toa of Crystal stumbled towards the beach, to see what, exactly could be going on there. He fell a few times in the sand and got a few good looks at it, and determined there were no Toa hiding in the sand. Which would be strange if there were Toa hiding in the sand. He passed by a group of three people, cooking something in a pot that was vaguely bubbling, and stopped. He turned to look at them, and waved his arms as if to say, "Hey, can I talk to you?"

Or maybe it was a wave signifying that Crasaro was not drunk, just terribly hungover. Either could have worked.

OOC: That would be Kaunis, 'The forerunner' and 'The Wanderer'

Oh, and Xaron from Ko-Wahi

IC: Xaron

As we traveled in the cable car, I whistled to pass the time.

"So...how has you guy's life been? Have you guys always lived in wherever you were, or did you come from some other place?"

Might as well get to know my fellow adventurers.

IC Kaunis

(Ta-Wahi, Beach):

Kaunis saw the newcomer.

"It looks like we keep gathering attention", she said to Forerunner. "I hope that's not a problem to your plan."

IC Kirgan and Sulkua

(Ta-Koro, cable car):

"I'm just a miner. I haven't really been adventuring before. Just doing my duty."

The cable car arrived in Ta-Koro.

IC: "The forerunner"

"It would appear that he is ether mentally unstable, or drunk... ....or both."

IC: Crasaro

The Toa of Crystal had come up to the group, and answered the statement with, "I was drunk yesterday, not today. and what are you even cooking? It smells bad."

IC:"Sure thing." With that the Toa of Fire walked off to look for some clues.

IC: "The Wanderer"

He glanced at the now-slightly-less-intoxicated Crasaro. Yes, that was the one whose head he attempted to push out of a sandwich. Crasaro was definitely suffering from the after-effects of his previous drunkenness, as he was unsteady on his feet and seemed to have a generally weaker countenance. He was also either dumb or still mentally affected thanks to the alcohol, as a simple glance would tell the Toa of Crystal that they were "cooking" some kind of fancy powder. "The Wanderer" also waited for his companion to explain to Kaunis who he was.