BZPRPG: Kini-Nui

IC: Zauk [Kini-Nui]

Zauk's pulse thundered in his head, but the Toa of Lightning gave no indication of it. No longer standing tall, his back was hunched slightly, his hands held close to his body. His bow was held loosely in one of those hands, and his apparent posture gave him a submissive feel. His once shining armor was now caked with grim, mud, and dirt; as a result of his non-stop hike through the jungle. His eyes burned with an inner insanity as they squinted while looking up at the Toa of Iron before him.

All and all, he looked like your average infected Toa: no more than a husk of a former being. "I... I don't know," he replied, his Ko-Koroan accent completely replaced with a Ta-Koroan one. The fact that he didn't know wouldn't arise suspicion, as most of the time infection was such a traumatic event that many recoved Toa said that they completely blocked out the memories. The Toa of Lightning's eyes flicked behind the Toa before him, before once again focusing on Aurum.

"Pala-Koro?" he asked after a moment's pause.

IC: Aurum

"Interesting......indeed."

He didn't know how to respond, at all. Aurum's eyes started to analyze the Toa of Lightning in front of him, and then over-analyze. From his eyes, Aurum could guess that Zauk knew he needed to come here, but not what to do when he did. There was a chance that somebody in Pala-Koro had been captured and had their mask traded, but it didn't seem...right. As far as he knew, Kufa didn't give these masks out as equipment.

But Zauk's posture was that of an infected Toa. It was nothing like Ronkshou, whom Aurum knew had had experience with his mask. It definitely gave the feeling that Zauk was a new blood. That, or he was great at art.

"So, now that you have this mask....what have you been told? Why are you here?"

IC: Zauk [Kini-Nui]

Sure as Karz is a good thing I dumped my pack in the forest.

The Toa of Lightning frowned, his eyes defocusing, as if trying to remember a half-forgotten memory. "I needed to find some place... Someone... It was important, I had to go, it told me," he insisted quite pitifully, eyes wide and fixed once again on the Toa of Iron before him. His breath came out shakily. He looked, for all intents and purposes, like a recently infected Toa. Lost, changed, never to be the same again. Some took time to adjust to the rapid change, especially if one had been morally sound before, others craved such a thing happening.

IC: Aurum

He didn't know what to do. Aurum pitied the Toa of Lightning; He was in a similar situation. Aurum could guess that Zauk was one morally...on the side of Good. Perhaps that was why his master had decided that, when Zauk had turned into one of the Makuta's servants, something deep down inside of him had to be suppressed. Buried. Removed. Either way, Zauk was having a bad time, and Aurum wasn't one of the Makuta's servants who had no care for each other. Especially since his master probably orchestrated Zauk into coming here.

The doubt in Aurum's mind cleared.

"Can't help you with that. Most of the Makuta's followers have had to spread out; For now, are orders are simply to lay low. Be nice, as we were told." That phrase just about summed up everything that the Followers of Makuta were going to try to do for now. It summed up their orders, where they are, and what they will try to accomplish next. But for Zauk, it would be a little harder to decipher with just 2 words. "I realize you may have forgotten much during your.....chance. Do you remember a name?"

IC: Zauk [Kini-Nui]

Once again, the crazed, soulless orange orbs that were his eyes defocused, not quite staring past the Toa of Iron, but almost staring into the being. "Akuz... that is... my name, right?" the teal-armored Toa replied, his face showing quite clearly that some memories might have been buried deeper than others. Zauk mentally shuddered, but gave no outward clues to his state of mind. As of now, even just acting, the hunter pitied those who were actually infected.

Unlike other Makuta Followers, they were changed against their will... Well, most of the time. Some Toa already aligned simply wanted a deeper connnection with Makuta.

IC: Aurum

Buried. Oppressed. That was the state of Akuz's mind. And while Akuz and Zauk were completely different people, they shared one thing in common, and it was something Aurum found out about through Zauk's deception.

They were dangerous.

Aurum stood up straight, giving only a twitch of his hand to show his starting discomfort. He was never trained to talk to infected beings whose memories were suppressed into the bottom of their subconscious, but to have even a name get buried, even a little bit, meant that Akuz was either seriously having problems, or he could be a possible threat.

Or he could be Zauk, acting. If Aurum knew, he would have first given the Toa an acting award, and then used it to stab his throat.

"Well, that's a start. Do you know the name of the one you are searching for? Or is it just our Master, the Makuta?"

IC: NPC Matoran:

He did as he was told. The masters had ordered him to break the three seals that would prepare for their arrival. And he knew where the first of them were. As he stood at the bottom of the pillar, he stared at the top of said pillar in defiance. The temple was some distance away, he didn't want to be there, be near the evil. He looked up at the top of the pillar...

And began to climb.

OOC: Sorry for double-post, but it's been more than two hours.

IC: NPC Matoran:

As the blue Matoran neared the top, he saw a small disk sitting in a hole, carved upon it was a robe. The Seal.

The Matoran pried away the seal from the pillar, and tried to crush it with his hand. No, the rock was too solid. Next, he bashed it against the pillar, the pillar chipped, but the seal did not. The material that it was made out of seemed to be stronger than the common rock. His masters must not have wanted to been summoned unless it was under their instruction. Just before he climbed down from the pillar, the sun shone through the clouds that covered the sky. In the brief second that it did, a flash of light came from the hole that the seal was in. The Matoran's grip lightened as he used the hand that held the seal to block his eyes from the blast of light. When the sun was hidden again by the clouds, the Matoran frowned and looked at the hole again. Inside were crystals, the Matoran recognized the position. It was similar to that used in the telescopes, but not ment to see out of.

It was made to shine light through it.

The Matoran looked up again, there was another hole in the clouds that the sun could shine through again. Moving out of the way of the hole, he watched, waiting to see what the light pointed to. Around him, it grew brighter, and again, a flash of light burst forth from the pillar, but instead of being as large and chaotic as the Matoran thought it was, it was a small beam, pointing south, at the jungles of Le-Wahi.

The Matoran grinned, pocketing The Seal, and climbing down to his two compatriots.

"Well?" The green Matoran asked the Blue Matoran, "Did you retrieve it? Is the first seal broken?"

The Blue matoran held up The Seal in answer to the Green Matoran's questions, before tossing it to the Red Matoran, "Take it to Po-Koro, find someone who can break it. I know the location of the next Seal, and I shall depart to there."

"And what shall I do?" The Green Matoran asked.

"You... You shall deliver the message," The Blue Matoran said, noticing that his Green companion had begun to grin, "The three of us shall not meet again, but best of luck to you all."

And with that, The Blue matoran headed south, the Red north, and the Green to the East.

IC: Huaki (Edge of the jungle)

A pair of gleaming red eyes burned through the shadows and peered into the clearing at the feet of Kini-Nui's steps. One or two of Makuta's servants still stood around talking to each other, but the majority of them had left, including Huaki's quarry. She deduced he had indeed deserted them with the Fe-Matoran as Xylak had suggested. So, she heeded her master's advice, and took her leave, heading straight for Ta-Koro.

OOC: Huaki to Ta-Wahi.

IC:

Like the sharp end of a whip being pulled through a long metal tube, the dark eyes from Po-Wahi were drawn elastically back to their source. Winding and whistling through the underlying darkness of the island, a parallel shadow world, the eyes drew back at the speed of thought until they were one with the frothing black. In a dark cave in the impregnable earth, distinct but indistinguishable from the ambivalent shade all around it, this nebulous darkness foamed and bubbled like some chemical fume.

The darkness, a thin, heavy shroud over the room, snapped back and forth in mixed joy and apprehension. By sheer luck - or rather, by the unlikely success of a reasonable plan - the darkness had watched as the last of what had been taken from it was recovered. It was contained inside a Kohlii stone, the darkness had always found that amusing; but, now that the stone ball was out of his hands, it was less a laughable prize than an urgent priority. The thief, even if long since disposed of, had clearly imparted the locations of the stones to others, because from what the darkness had seen, the two Matoran who had recovered the Kohlii ball knew exactly where it was going to be.

And the darkness had recognized the Matoran with his eyes for the brief moment they'd been in view, but had been unable to follow their Kahu as it sprung into the air. The darkness cursed for the umpteenth time the interference of his slumbering enemy; the light was potent even in his dimness, and had been able to shield the group of Matoran that referred to itself as the "Wanderer's Company" from the darkness' roving senses. It was an inconvenience that the darkness had to admit was effective - after all, the Company was still alive, and for all his eyes around the island, he could not see them unless they strode straight into his line of sight.

He knew that any vestigial protection that the Company retained from their guardian spirit would, however, fade when they turned... That would be a moment the darkness was ready for. And, indeed, he knew where they would turn; he would be very ready indeed. Extending a tentacle of thought down to a cavernous room elsewhere in his labyrinthine realm, the darkness awakened and summoned forth six of his sons, willing them to lie in wait. The Company would surely not be prepared to face such powerful adversaries at the moment of their rebirth...

OOC: For your reference (and mine), the Rahkshi that have been activated just now are Disintegration, Fire Resistance, Ice Resistance, Power Scream, Quick Healing, and Cyclone.

IC: Zauk

The eyes fixed themselves on Aurum, his expression showing that he was quite lost. "I had to... had to... come here... It told me," 'Akuz' replied, glancing around once again.

OOC: I'm stumped.

IC: Aurum

Aurum was stumped. Nearly all his questions, Akuz had thrown back at him an answer that didn't bring him anywhere, just that he was lacking in memories...and finding a hard time to remember.

Shaking his head, he started to rub his temples, trying to focus. Akuz looked like he had no idea what to do, where to go, apart from 'go here'. And now that he 'was here', Akuz didn't have much of a place to go.

Perhaps it was Makuta's will? Or was it Mata Nui's?

No, it was Makuta's. Why Aurum thought about the other guy, he doesn't know. But whether or not both sides were right or wrong, one thing was clear to the Toa of Iron: Akuz needed helping, and Aurum was the only guy who could.

"Well...since that's all you remember, perhaps you should look around for whatever it is you need."

OOC: Lol.

I'm just winging it now anyway.

IC: Zauk

And 'Akuz' did just that, glancing around the immediate area for... something. By now, Zauk had his story down. It was simple, really, but all the better for it. Remembering an entire life was challenging, so Zauk simply... Didn't. His name was Akuz, Toa of Lighting of Ta-Koro. He awoke on the beach, Kanohi already infected. His memories were gone, a case of amnesia and suppression. He didn't know what happened to him, which was entirely true.

The key to it was not making it believable for others, but making it believable to himself. He had to believe such a thing did happen to him.

The problem was knowing when the acting stopped.

Almost in a trance, the Toa of Lightning's eyes fixed on the massive temple behind Aurrum, and slowly, he began drifting towards it, as if pulled by invisible strings. All the while, his eyes remained fixed on the temple itself.

IC: Aurum

A slight interest started to tie itself like a knot into the back of Aurum's mind. He stood, watching, leaving a gap between himself and Akuz but making sure to not stray too far so as to always keep an eye on this...this spectacle.

IC: The Pale Rider

The Pale Rider urged his steed onward, pushing him faster.

"Faster, Despair. We're almost there." he commanded, using one of his scythes to clear away the brush in their path. Suddenly a raven flew alongside him. "Dust, how much further?" he asked. The raven sqwaked, and the being sighed.

"Right. You're a crow." he said, as they suddenly burst through a clearing. There were others here, and the being quickly leapt from the horse, its cries echoing as it retreated into the brush nearby, disappearing. The being walked towards the strangers.

"Excuse me. Can you tell me how to find the Kini Nui?" he asked, drawing their attention.

OOC: That would be Aurum and Zauk

OOC: Death, huh?

Ruin'll come soon. And, no motorcycles?

IC: Aurum

The Toa of Iron literally pointed to the massive temple that was meters away.

"Newcomer, huh? Welcome to crazy. "

OOC

Yeah, I though it would be cool to have a character like this. Not sure how it'll work out. XP

IC: Death

Death looked over to the large temple. He smiled under his mask.

"Figures, it shows up just when I ask for directions." he muttered. He glanced back to the beings.

"What do you mean, crazy?" he asked.

IC: Aurum

He sighed. "Nevermind. Excuse my friend here, he's, uh, suffering from a bit of amnesia."

OOC: Why can't I find you on the neatchat?

IC: Death

"I see. You haven't seen anything strange around here, have you?" Death asked. He looked around, scanning for anything that seemed out of the ordinary.

OOC: I'm not sure...I don't know what that is... XD

IC: Zauk

The Toa of Lightning appeared to not notice the newcomer, instead he continued to drift towards the temple. With every step closer to the massive structure, an ever increase blanket of darkness folded around him, threatening to engulf his body and spirit completely. A breeze chilled his soul, and with only sheer force of will did he suppress a shudder. This entire place was entirely wrong, as if the fabric of reality were slightly off. Not separate, but different in a fundamental way. His entire being rebelled against moving closer towards the temple. It felt as if his legs were encased in iron weights, his thoughts being surrounded and pushed down on all sides by velvety shadow. It was suffocating.

He had to continue.

His eyes were half lidded now, glazed over as he stared into the distance. Purple arcs of electricity danced across his armor as his hold over his elemental power loosened. His pulse was thundering in his head, the world seeming to slow down around him as his armored boots clanked against the stone. With movements more akin to that of a specter, the Toa made his way to the top of the Kini-Nui.

His fiery orange eyes stared down to the rock beneath his feet, almost as if get could glimpse through the solid stone and down into the depths of the earth. Everything that he stood against was down there. I will kill you, he vowed silently to himself within the deepest recesses of his consciousness. He stood there, simply staring down at the ground, sparks dancing around him, unmoving.

IC: Death

Death watched the Toa move towards the Kini Nui, and sensed something wrong when sparks began dancing across the Toa's armor. He sprinted over, leaping up over the steps of the Kini Nui to land directly next to the Toa.

"Toa, are you well? What ails you, my brother?" he asked. Suddenly a chill spread through his body, and the crystals embedded in his chest ached like they hadn't in years. There was something wrong with this place, some great darkness pouring from its heart. He placed a hand on the Toa's shoulder, coating it in crystal to protect from the lightning.

"Toa, we should leave this place. Can you hear me?" he asked.

IC: Zauk

The Toa of Lightning slowly moved his eyes towards the Toa of Crystal's skull-like Kanohi. The surface of Zauk's own "Infected" mask glinting off the the light of the suns. The dead look in his eyes was all that was needed to give any indication of his mental state. "I'm home," he said simply, staring deep into the Toa beside him. Zauk wasn't a fan of the Toa's arm on his shoulder, but it could wait.

Or maybe.

With one hand, this one not having arcs of power running along it's length, he pushed the Toa's arm off his shoulder, and rotated his shoulders to face him directly. He wasn't Zauk any longer, instead "Akuz", servent of Makuta and the forces of evil that plagued this island.

IC: Death

Death took one look at the Toa's mask and knew. This being's mind was infected, tainted by the filth of corruption. He drew his twin scythes, crossing them in front of him.

"Resist this corruption, Toa. Don't force a fight you aren't prepared to fight." he said, readying himself. Crystal dust formed in the air around the temple, glinting teal in the sunlight. "Do not pick a fight with Death."

OOC: Ooh, not active for one day and I'm already getting some action. This is going to be fun.

IC: Zauk

A dry laugh came from deep within the tall Toa of Lightning's chest as sparks continued to arc around his muscles form. "I do not fear Death," he stated simply, a maniac grin forming over his Kanohi. Yes. Yes. Zauk wanted to fight this man, to rid himself of his rage, to direct his anger at the death and destruction caused by Makuta at someone.

He didn't care who it was. As long as he cleared his soul.

With a push of his mind, the crystal dust building up around the temple was pushed away by telekinetic force, clearing the air and condencing into a thicker cloud of material. Zauk's breathing slowed, an inner calm spreading within his mind. A calm that focused the burning rage within him. His whip was in hand, electricity sparking along it's length.

"I welcome it."

IC: Death

Death chuckled.

"Then so be it." he muttered, and turned the crystal dust into a barrage of crystal spikes large enough to take off someone's head. With barely a nod, Death forced the crystals inward, using his mask to leap from spike to spike until he stood atop one of the pillars. The spikes surged towards the Toa of Electricity. "Death welcomes you."

IC: Zauk

The Toa of Lightning raised his arm towards the on rushing crystal spikes, further tapping into his mask's power. Grabbing them in a telekinetic hold, he ripped the spikes off their path towards him. They shot into the stone, forming a circle of razor-sharp edges around him, but not one even scratched his teal armor. Further manipulating the psionic energies granted to him by his mask, Zauk latched onto the top of the pillar the Toa of Crystal was currently perched on. A mental tug, and suddenly the stone beneath Death's feet was ripped out from under him.

"Good."

Meanwhile, elemental power gathered in his free hand, the air taking on a ionic small and humming from the electrical halo around his fist.

IC: Death

Death leapt from the pillar, his balance thrown off. Using his Mask of Fate again he did an amazing flip mid-air and landed on the other side of the temple. He could taste the lightning forming in the air, and readied his power, waiting for Zauk's attack.

"Do you worst." he muttered.

IC: Zauk

The teal-armored Toa continued to hold the chunk of stone within his mental grasp, almost casually throwed it at Death as he ambled over to the Toa of Crystal with slow deliberate steps. No need to rush into things, not now. His anger was burning with an intesnity that almost caused himself pause, but not unchecked, as he continued to direct it into a fine edge.

The elemental energy continued to build up in his fist, stray arcs of purple energy connecting with the ground around him, scorching the stone as he walked.

IC: Death

Death easily destroyed the stone with some well placed crystal spikes. He watched as Zauk moved towards him, slowly. Death studied his every move, waiting for the attack. The air was once again filled with crystal dust, but it surrounded only Death and the air behind him, straying away from Zauk's form. Death clutched his scythes loosely now, the two blades swinging at his sides.

IC: Zauk

The air around "Death" shimmered with the teal glint of crystal suspended within, Zauk payed it no mind as he continued his advance towards the Toa of Crystal, the orange obs behind his Kanohi Matatu burning with a cold rage. With his first attack having been destroyed by his opponent, Zauk took to simply ripping more chuncks of stone from the temple with his mask, and telekinetically throwing them at Death just like the first. All the while, more and more energy built up within his hand, crackling with electricity.

IC: Death

It was only after Death disposed of the rest of the stone that he realized what Zauk was doing. Any closer and the mad Toa would pump him so full of electricity he's be able to light the whole of Mata Nui with his eyes.

"I don't think so." he said, using all of his strength to create a wall of Crystal across the clearing, high enough that the Toa couldn't jump it, and deep enough that he couldn't move it with his mask. He focused as hard as he could, bringing the wall into a curve, slowly encasing Zauk in a prison of Crystal.

OOC: Signing off for the night. See you tomorrow.

IC: Zauk

The Toa of Lightning stopped with forward walk as the massive wall of crystal materialized before him. He didn't move as the wall curled around him, forming a cage too high to jump, too thick to move with his Kanohi. But... There were other methods to escaping such places. This wasn't the first time he had fought a Toa of Crystal, the most recent being in Ko-Wahi, just outside-

No!

He couldn't think of her.

Not now.

Zauk slowly walked around the edge of his cage. Crystal was strong, stronger than most types of metals in some cases. He wouldn't be able to simply break his way out. Or could he? While it was insanely strong, if impacted in the right place, a shatterpoint, then one could possibly damage it. All it would take was finding such a weak area. His keen eyes quickly scanned the crystal nearby, the telescopic lenses built inot his mask focusing on the crystal structure. Wait, there. The light refracted in a radial pattern around. It was the best he was going to get in such a short amount of time.

Lightning still arcing across his arm, Zauk slammed his fist into the spot, dicharging the power into the crystal. The energy flowed through the structure, the electricity weakening it far more than he actually expected. With the crystalline structure damaged from the lightning, the force of his punch was more than enough to completely shatter a section of crystal around it. A grin grew over his face.

Taking a step back, Zauk gathered his mental energy, focusing it through his Matatu to generate a powerful telekinetic punch. The psionic energy impacted the already weakened crystal with considerable force, and the part of the cage facing him collapsed entirely under the strain.

It wasn't without cost, as Zauk felt the earlier electric punch take a large chunk out of his elemental energy. Not that he really cared. He would kill this being all the same, electric powers or not.

OOC: AuRon, creator of the Horsemen (An approved group), made a webchat for us to discuss. I didn't see you there. Nor did I know who was creating Death....But I know I'm doing Ruin, AuRon is doing Conquest, KNI, Draezeth and Meta-mind are all creating a horsemen as well.

And also, we're trying to get motorcycles as steeds...and trying not to expy Darksiders.

IC: Aurum

Too bad. Death seemed to be of the opposing force. As a mobile hand of the Makuta, Aurum knew his duty - Akuz needed a bit of help. While the Toa of Lightning may not like it, Aurum was intruding all the same.

He stepped forward once. Metal strands erupted from the ground, spinning around Death's legs, Death himself not noticing the delicate fibers intertwine with his own 2 feet due to his attention being on Akuz - and Aurum's own skill in elemental manipulation..

He stepped forwards again, and the metal intensely wrapped, it's mass increasing. Death looked down, and saw his legs encased in full, shining iron, which, beneath the ground, spread out like the roots of a tree.

Finally, 2 metal poles grew it's way above the ground, curved, and ended up on the opposite side, just like how a person would manage the poles when itching a tent. Death was directly under the 2 poles, which were connected to the roots of the metal 'boots' Death now wore. As he began his escape - something Aurum didn't doubt Death could do - Aurum's quick manipulation was already finished, and the Fe-Toa gestured to Akuz to do the pleasure.

Death's eyes widened in shock as he realized how shocking it soon would be for him if he didn't get out.

OOC: Oh...I was actually unaware of that. I just thought a character like Death would be cool...IC: DeathTwo against one was hardly fair.Not that Death minded. Focusing all of his power he encased his body in crystal, then forced it to expand outwards at an alarming pace. Wile it wasn't nearly enough to break the metal holding him, it was enough to offer some wiggle room. He leapt from the metal trapping him just as Zauk arrived."I've had enough of this!" he bellowed, raising his scythes. "No more dancing around with lightning and glass. Fight me head on!" he cried, crossing the handles in front of him.

IC-Kalen:

"I'm willing and able," Death might here, and feel the prick of cold steel just barely touching his neck. He apparently had not paid attention to the fact that there were more people there than just Zauk and Aurum. And it was rather obvious that this third man was tiring of the fight.

"Now, I'd just been about to go back to my home in Ko-Wahi, but now, with your disruption...that will have to wait. You have two options. Either, A: I sink my sword into the back of your skull, or B: You surrender, drop your weapons, and leave this place."

IC: Zauk

The Toa of Lightning shot elemental energy into his whip, the arcs of purple power jumping off and connecting with anything within the immediate area. At the moment, he didn't quite care who this newcomer was, and almost downright ignored him. If he was a Follower of Makuta, then he was better off dead as well. The teal-armored Toa continued his advanced forward at the same pace. He twitched his wrist, and exerted some control over his Kanohi, and sudenly his electrified weapon whipped across Death's torso. The whip itself curved around his scythes, one of the advantages of having a flexible weapon.

IC: Death

The whip tugged at his scythe, and the blade pinched his neck. Death was trapped between a rock and a hard place. Taking a deep breath, Death dropped the weapons, used his power to encase the blade in thick crystal, and did a flip over the new foe. When he landed, he whistled sharply and a loud cry resounded from the woods nearby. A great horse burst from the brush, rushing towards Death. He fliped again, landing hard on the steed's back. Using his power, he extended an appendage of crystal from his right arm, encasing his fallen blades and tugging them back to his grasp, pulling hard on Zauk's lightning whip.

"This is getting a bit hot. I think it's time I made an exit." he muttered.

OOC: Three against one, even Death can't handle that.

IC-Kalen:

"He's...gone. Good. Bye everybody," Kalen said, sheathing his blade and beginning to leave. "If he comes back, yell."

IC: Zauk

With an animalistic roar, Zauk shot a powerful bolt of lightning at the retreating Toa of Crystal. The flash and resultant thunderclap stunned even the electric warrior, blinding him momentarily. He had no idea if his last-ditch attempt to hit Death succeeded, but he didn't quite care at this point.

OOC: I don't normally let this happen so easily, but the idea of a group of Horsemen just makes my character seem unneccesary.

IC: Death

Death couldn't avoid the attack. The lightning bolt hit him hard and he fell from his steed, which fell dead from the attack. Death was on the ground, his body fried, and he clawed his way towards the brush.

"This...cannot...be..." he cried. He turned to the Toa who had attacked him, and with the last of his strength he attempted to trap Zauk in a casket of crystal. With one last sigh, he died, never knowing if his attack succeeded.

OOC: It's been fun. See you guys around.