BZPRPG - Po-Wahi
Po
IC: Hakari - Forsi, Papa Podu's -
Hakari nodded as Aurax answered Kanohi's question. "Looks like there should be enough plants on the way." Hakari then thought over if there was anything they needed before they took off. "I think as long as we make sure we have plenty of water we should be fine."
OOC: @Harvali @ARROW404 @Mel @Lady Takanuva @Tarn @BULiK @~Xemnas~ @BBBBalta @Umbraline Yumiwa @Rahisaurus
IC: Sir Dahkapa (Blackrock Canyon)
"Back to Ko-Koro," he replied without turning back to face him or stopping. He was heading back the way they had come. "I care not if you follow, but the desert is treacherous to cross alone... especially without water, or ice. Might be wise for you to do so. But don't expect much generosity or kindness from me."
IC: Joskander (Blackrock Canyon)
Ko-Koro. Ha. Funny how that works out, I suppose.
Joskander watched Dahkapa as he walked out into the burning light of the sun. Message received. Bridge burned. Just as well they'd be going in the same direction, he supposed. Perhaps he'd stop off by the Sanctum, let the guards know of their erstwhile knight's wanderings? No reason not to, he supposed. The Guard could do with that information what they wished. He had another former protector of Ko-Koro to look after.
And I've got a news flash for you, brother. I'm the one with the Mask of Speed, not you.
Maybe I'll see you there. Maybe this is farewell for good. I'll leave it to Destiny to decide which.
Joskander's Kakama flared to life. A gust of wind rustled Dahkapa's cape as the Toa of Air blurred and vanished across the horizon.
OOC: @Daniel the Finlander Joskander to Ko-Wahi.
On 4/15/2023 at 10:22 AM, Harvali said:
IC Kardaka - Po-Wahi - Ostia
The Turaga swallowed, and tried to act casual, though her fingers drummed her staff with unease. “Ah, So, um, it’s been some time since I stepped foot in a village of Stone, and news is sparse in the desert. Are there any new laws of Akiri Hewkii I need to be aware of?”
"I'm afraid I'm not really the best person to ask," Verak said, leaning over the edge of the rattling elevator, as if trying to spot someone he knew on the crowded market street below. "I try not to follow politics too closely. But I do at least know enough to tell you that Hewkii ain't Akiri anymore. Been replaced by someone named... Renaka, I think? Don't know much, except she's made the Koro practically unrecognizable."
IC: [Kohra - Iron Mahi, First Passenger Car]
Kohra saw Dolbren gesture in response. So-so. Could be better. Yeah, that tracked. Then, she watched him fling himself over to the cargo carriage and hoist himself back up to the roof. Her shoulder flared up in pain just from sympathy. Or maybe it was actually hurting again. Stopping her fall earlier had almost dislocated the whole joint. She paused for a moment, closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against the cool metal of the carriage for three breaths, before scouting out the next best handle to continue her own climb.
It felt like forever, and whatever what might be going down could probably have been over in the perceived time it took her to finish the rest of the climb, but eventually the vortixx arrived back on the part of the train people were supposed to go, between the passenger cars. She’d have to try and find Datrox again. Best way to do so was to call him she supposed, so she pulled open the first passenger car’s door and did just that:
“Datrox!?”
OOC: @Tarn, but also open for interaction!
IC: Sir Dahkapa (Blackrock Canyon)
Dahkapa raised an eyebrow. It seemed like Joskander had decided to leave him behind. His previous bitter warning about lack of water now seemed pointless, as he probably wouldn't run out if he'd cross the desert at this speed.
Joskander hadn't uttered a single word about what he was planning, but he knew it wasn't anything good. Part of him thought that returning to Ko-Koro would be a bad idea. And perhaps it was. But with Ak'rei'an on his side, he had nothing to fear. Let the heathen plot whatever he wished, he thought, and continued marching across the desert. Without a Mask of Speed, it would be a lengthy and slow journey. Plenty of time to think.
OOC: Dahkapa to Ko-Wahi
IC, Aurax: Forsi
Aurax nodded. "Right. Let's make sure we have enough water and supplies for the trip."
...
After a short (but seemingly long) trip to the local shops, Aurax and his company were ready to set out. The vast stretches of desert lay before them. Aurax was pretty familiar with the area, as Po-Koro was previously his home, but luckily he had Sigrus there to help keep him from getting them all lost. Just in case.
OOC: @Harvali @ARROW404 @Mel @Lady Takanuva @Tarn @BULiK @~Xemnas~ @BBBBalta @Umbraline Yumiwa @Rahisaurus
[Forsi, the road out (Ranok)]
Ranok adjusted the moist rag strapped around his mouth and nose. His contribution the shopping trip had been mostly finding a succulent for Lapu—the hen-and-chicks had been perfect.
It was unwise to fiddle with any of his instruments in the harsh desert air, and he found himself stepping from one foot to the other in absence of the familiar distraction. He looked at his companions, waiting to see who would make the first step.
OOC: @~Xemnas~ @Harvali @ARROW404 @Lady Takanuva @Tarn @BULiK @BBBBalta @EmperorWhenua @Rahisaurus
[Po-Koro, Technology Emporium (Ferellis)]
A Po-skakdi in Po-koro…was just about the most normal thing on the island. It disconcerted Ferellis that she felt so out of place in the village, er city of stone when everybody else seemed to pay her absolutely no mind. (There had also been moments when she would have killed to look more like a helpless tourist in order to be offered directions.)
Still, she was here now. She was actually doing this.
Ting.
She stuck her hands in her pockets as she waited for the shop workers to respond to the call bell.
OOC: @Perp @Geardirector...and anyone else who works here.
IC, Aurax: Forsi
Aurax looked at his companions, then began to walk forward, in the direction of Po-Koro, his old home. He wasn't sure what exactly awaited him there, if anything at all.
He glanced back and spoke up. "So, what other changes have happened on the island? Besides the train, anyway."
OOC: @Harvali @ARROW404 @Mel @Lady Takanuva @Tarn @BULiK @~Xemnas~ @BBBBalta @Umbraline Yumiwa @Rahisaurus
On 4/18/2023 at 7:46 AM, a goose said:"Vy!"
IC: Vyartha | Second Passenger Car on the Iron Mahi
I didn't lower my sword, but I glanced back to where Nikarra had spoken -- not for long, but enough to see the colour return to her cheeks and her eyes light up with the glow of sentience. Still no one behind us in the compartment, though. That was something, at the very least. I turned my head again, back to where the sounds of movement had come from.
"People are climbing on the outside of the train," I said, shuffling backwards, back towards Nikarra. "Moving backwards. No efforts to attack us yet. What did you find?"
OOC: @a goose
-Void
On 7/21/2023 at 1:49 AM, ~Xemnas~ said:IC, Aurax: Forsi
Aurax looked at his companions, then began to walk forward, in the direction of Po-Koro, his old home. He wasn't sure what exactly awaited him there, if anything at all.
He glanced back and spoke up. "So, what other changes have happened on the island? Besides the train, anyway."
IC: Nichou [Forsi]
The Onu-Matoran was glad he had tinted lenses for his Kanohi - even with them protecting his optics the light was on the edge of unbearable. His gaze had been at the sandy dirt underfoot. Nichou still wasn't quite sure what to think of this whole 'resurrection' business. He had been quiet for some time until now
"After the Turaga were killed, Makuta was defeated, and the Akiri had stepped up to lead, things got tense for a bit. Lot of damage to repair. Po-Koro turned inwards to heal and rebuild - made itself hard to find. There were some strange attacks going on all over the island, even with Makuta gone. Was getting scary - but the bigshots eventually put aside their differences and things cooled down."
"And then... well... Matoro was killed and Ko got taken over by cultists and scoundrels. Last major gee-oh-pol-iti-kal thing that happened was when the Maru liberated the city. Not everyone made it though..."
Refocus. It's all about perspective. Nichou thought back to the bitter-sweetness of sunset.
"Quite the mess to clean up. So my point is - that's how I wound up getting into architecture."
On 4/3/2023 at 9:34 AM, ARROW404 said:IC: Suran - The Dancing Crab, Ostia
The Lesterin knocked back a second shot, then tapped the bar for a second glass, which he poured and slid toward the Ta-Toa. "Nothing makes me 'sure,'" he said. "Which is precisely my point. We don't know what to expect." He gave a slight shrug, "Matoran, Lesterin, Skakdi- people are not so different from one another, at the end of the day. Probably, we will find a place full of people whom, at the core, are just like the rest. Either way, I'll keep my hopes... middling."
IC: Tailua — Ostia, The Dancing Crab
“I suppose you gatta point,” Tailua said, “While I ain’t expecting da worst, I ain’t hopin’ for da best either!”
Tailua then pondered for a brief moment. Should he order a drink as well? At the very least, he should probably offer to cover the damage he did to the barkeep’s window…
The Waif — Ostia, Rooftop of the building near The Dancing Crab
The lithe, hooded figure continued to pace around the rooftop of the neighboring building. With all exits accounted for in her mind, she twirled a poison dagger between her fingers. She tracked her supervisor as he circled the tavern's rear, dipping in and out of view even to the Waif’s expertly trained eyes.
The last she saw of the taller hooded figure was him dipping into a pitch-black alleyway. The cries of terror that had flooded the streets earlier had died down to whimpers and moans before just becoming a quiet shuffling of people. Someone had moved and covered the failed Tenderfoot’s cadaver with a worn tarp.
Barely sparing a thought to the lost potential, the Waif continued pacing.
IC, Aurax: Po-Wahi
Aurax frowned. He was saddened to hear of Matoro's death. The Ko-Matoran translator had always been kind to those who had sought out the wisdom of Turaga Nuju.
"Glad to hear that you've been doing alright, Nichou," he said. "Ko-Koro taken over..." Aurax processed the information. "At least it's been liberated, I guess, but that's still really concerning. Nothing like that has ever happened before, and that was with Makuta gone. Who knows what could happen now that he's returned?"
The Dashi became silent for a moment as his words hung in the air.
"Say, Nichou, if my house has been demolished while I've been gone, do you think you could design me a new place to live?" Aurax said this with a slight joking tone, trying to bring a little humor back to the conversation.
OOC: @Harvali @ARROW404 @Mel @Lady Takanuva @Tarn @BULiK @~Xemnas~ @BBBBalta @Umbraline Yumiwa @Rahisaurus
16 hours ago, ~Xemnas~ said:IC, Aurax: Po-Wahi
"Say, Nichou, if my house has been demolished while I've been gone, do you think you could design me a new place to live?" Aurax said this with a slight joking tone, trying to bring a little humor back to the conversation.
IC: Nichou [Po-Wahi, Desert Trail]
"Certainly*," Nichou shot back with a different, slyer intonation. "*provided enough widgets are involved, of course."
Joking aside, he brought the tone back down to earth.
"Perhaps it's a little early to start checking real estate trends. Not to mention - you don't strike me as someone who's going to settle down somewhere any time soon."
Nichou kicked a slight outcropping of sand, the dust scattering as it fell. Their footprints would be swept away just as easily by the whims of nature.
"Then again, stranger things have happened; supposedly Lepidran is still cataloguing bugs somewhere in the jungle. Atiel must have settled down at some point, too - I never caught wind of what he or Dece did after we split up. They could be anywhere. Now that travel between and outside of the Koros are less dangerous, the island feels so much bigger than back during The War."
"Maybe that's just because I've seen more of it now. Enough to understand how much I don't understand."
IC, Aurax: Po-Wahi
"There's a lot that I don't think anyone understands," Aurax said, "including myself. My time in the Archipelago, for me at least, puts into perspective just how big the world truly is.
"I mean we've always had people washing up on Mata Nui with no memories," he glanced over at Timak briefly, "but the existence of Kentoku, and now this Seprili place, makes me wonder what sort of future we're in for. Why is all of this being revealed now? Will something about these other lands help push back against Makuta- or help him strike against us?"
He let out a small sigh. "I guess a lot of my questions just boil down to why... Hopefully I'll find some answers, but I'm not sure if I'll like them."
OOC: @Harvali @ARROW404 @Mel @Lady Takanuva @Tarn @BULiK @~Xemnas~ @BBBBalta @Umbraline Yumiwa @Rahisaurus
IC: Nichou [Po-Wahi, Desert Trail]
"The 'why' will only take you so far."
He paused for a moment, looking down from the cloudless sky to look member of the group in the optics. On reflection, it was a very un-Nichou-like thing to say, so he took the time to explain it. Perhaps as much to explain it to himself as to them.
"I've had a lot of time to think about the 'why' while you were dead - or, wherever you were," the Onu-Matoran continued. It was tempting to get sidetracked with how little they knew about what happened do Aurax, but Nichou maintained course. "Why some of us in the Companions were 'chosen'. Why you were the one who died. Why Lepidran didn't become a Toa, and why Stannis did."
"It's not worth it. Too... abstract. Does Mata Nui need to give a reason? If he did, would we even be able to understand it?"
Nichou paused, simultaneously for effect and to form his words. It was the same as if he took a chisel to a slab of marble in Po-Koro: visualizing the carve he needed to make to reveal the statue it would become. Measure twice, speak once.
He had slowed down for a moment physically as well. He put his hand on Aurax's shoulder and looked him in the optics.
"I've always wanted to understand why these things happen - that urge is why I joined up back in the day - but it took me years to accept that I didn't need to understand the 'why' to appreciate the 'now'. You don't need to understand your reincarnation to take advantage of it."
Nichou let go and continued to walk, readjusting his pack on his shoulders by pulling the straps. The pace picked up again.
"We should also consider that Makuta's return might make as little sense to him or his forces as your return does to us. That new lands opening up is neither good nor bad, but what we make of it. Regardless of why it's happening now. That's not to say we shouldn't be searching - if we can understand more of the 'how', it could help the heroes who will be doing the fighting."
IC, Aurax: Po-Wahi
Aurax let out a small smile. It seemed that he wasn't the only one who had changed since the disbanding of Stannis's Companions; Nichou's thoughts seemed to say that his time on his own had left him with a sort of personal wisdom that Aurax was appreciative of. It was different from the Nichou Aurax knew while being a Companion, but he gladly welcomed the Onu-Matoran's input.
"Alright, thinking about 'hows', then, three come to my mind: how did Stannis and the other Toa defeat Makuta, how did Makuta return, and how can we fight back and defeat Makuta again?"
He glanced ahead to double check and make sure they were still on the path to the Koro before looking again at Nichou. "Have you talked to Stannis lately? Has he told you anything of importance about the battle against Makuta?"
OOC: @Harvali @ARROW404 @Mel @Lady Takanuva @Tarn @BULiK @~Xemnas~ @BBBBalta @Umbraline Yumiwa @Rahisaurus
IC: Nichou [Po-Wahi, Desert Trail]
"Last time I talked with him was right after he fought at Ko-Koro," Nichou responded. "Needless to say, those three questions weren't on his mind," the tradesman continued before a momentary pause. "At least - he never brought up anything of the sort."
"We mostly talked about you being dead and how he never found your grave afterwards. He also mentioned some kind of 'Keeping Place'-" Nichou made quotes in the air with his fingers for effect "-underneath Kini-Nui where he likes to meditate. Apparently it's a big secret and even the other Maru don't go there - he didn't go into much detail about where it was or what it was 'keeping' - maybe they trapped Makuta in there?"
OOC: @BBBBalta Lekua might recognize some key words from here
IC: Lapu - Po-Wahi desert trail
The mute Toa paid little attention to the conversation happening at the other end of the group. His focus was on scanning the surroundings, ensuring everything was safe. In one of his hands, he practiced summoning cacti and aloe, based on what he had seen thus far in Po-Wahi. As a result, he had also learned how nice chewing them was, and offered a piece of each to Kanohi and Hakari.
On 8/14/2023 at 8:44 PM, Emzee said:The cries of terror that had flooded the streets earlier had died down to whimpers and moans before just becoming a quiet shuffling of people. Someone had moved and covered the failed Tenderfoot’s cadaver with a worn tarp.
IC: Gunner | The Dancing Crab
Let Lohkar parry philosophies with another hired gun on the run, I figured, while I make sure that this nimrod's nimrods were well beyond the horizon. I tapped the Captain lightly on the shoulder, nodded slightly towards Tailua, then towards the front of the tavern, and clicked my tongue once for good measure. I prayed he got the message -- I was already up and out of the backroom by then.
I almost missed the broken window as I stepped into the main room, so casual were the patrons of the Crab. Might as well have been that nothing was amiss at all, but a good quartermaster knows that might as well don't mean is, and I spotted the poor busboys sweeping up the shattered glass from the floor. I walked over to the bar, where the owner-slash-barkeeper was grumbling over a few dozen shot glasses of stinking Salamander. I traded a few words of concern for his damaged property (not appreciated), and slid over enough widgets to buy a hypothetical top-shelf bottle if such a thing could be found here (more appreciated). I slipped a couple more widgets into the aprons of the busboys on my way to the window, too.
The scene outside the broken window was a sight indeed. The shape of a body underneath a sheet was impossible to miss in the middle of the road, and I prayed that someone, anyone, got it out of the sun before too long. Mostly, though, I was praying that whoever was under there was the same person that had been hunting Tailua, and I wouldn't have to worry about them anymore.
But, you know me. Lady Luck's never been my biggest fan.
So, instead, I glanced about, checking the alleys and the rooftops and the mid-day crowds for a sign of an assassin, or even an assassin's assistant. A glint of a sword on a passerby, but that was to be expected; same as skulking youths in the alleyways, probably looking to fob off some shoddy narcotics; but had that been a shine of metal twirling up on above, on the rooftops? Hard to say, frankly -- could've been anything. But never could be too careful.
"This place gotta back door?" I asked one of the busboys as he stood back up straight. He answered in the affirmative, pointed in the expected direction, and I -- like an idiot -- gripped my sword and headed back there....
OOC: @Ghosthands@Emzee potentially to run into the Waif's supervisor? Up to you -- let me know if Gunner potentially catching sight of the Waif's twirled knife is too much.
-Void
[Road to Po-koro (Ranok)]
Ranok listened intently to the conversation between Aurax and Nichou, but the usually talkative bard was silent—partly to avoid exposing his voice in the desiccating air and partly because the two matoran were giving shape to stories he’d only heard secondhand. The Keeping Place...that would make a lovely name for an instrumental piece, if he could capture the feeling of idyll...
There was pattern in the story, like a barely-detectable leitmotif, though he thought it best not to voice it yet.
Stannis, it seemed, had a habit of keeping to secret places. From what he’d heard of the toa of stone, it was a general part of the Maru’s demeanor, whether it was cultivated or simply the result of a long career of needing to stay one step ahead of Makuta’s servants.
He had a hunch they might find any of the other Maru much more willing to speak.
OOC: @BBBBalta @BULiK @Snelly @Rahisaurus @Tarn @Lady Takanuva @ARROW404 @~Xemnas~ @EmperorWhenua
IC Sigrus | Po-Wahi Road
"Of course he doesn't go into detail," the often silent but always observant administrator said with a stir. "Speaking plain ruins his brand as a ✨prophet✨." Accustomed to the high-elevation forests against the Ko-Wahi slopes and their cool climes, Sigrus was absolutely suffering under the sweltering Po-Wahi heat. His hopsack woolen cape, usually kept close and tight, was now thrown wide open, its cloth bunched together on his back, and exhibited his rarely-seen twin meteor maces dangling at his sides—for some, it was a glimpse that even the most peaceful of men could be dangerous.
"There's a lesson that even Stannis, in his 'wisdom,' is still learning, yes—That is: Not everyone who performs miracles is holy, no."
OOC: Trying to get back into the swing of things
IC, Aurax: Po-Wahi
Aurax blew some air out of his nose in a bemused manner. "From what I remember Stannis wasn't already super open, even as a Matoran. It's been a long time since I've seen him so I can't really comment on how he is currently. Hopefully he didn't let his status as the Wanderer get too into his head- maybe he'll be more open if he sees that I've returned, somehow. This, uh Keeping Place, was it? Could be important."
OOC: @Harvali @ARROW404 @Mel @Lady Takanuva @Tarn @BULiK @~Xemnas~ @BBBBalta @Umbraline Yumiwa @Rahisaurus
[Road to Po-koro (Ranok)]
“If I may suggest,” said Ranok, his voice slightly muffled by the wet cloth. “Perhaps we are following too much in other’s footsteps, instead of charting our own path.”
“If this Keeping Place, as lovely as it sounds, held the secret to defeating Makuta, surely the Maru would have found it. Maybe, we need to look precisely what has been overlooked by the heroes of the past—what has been considered too public, to insignificant, too mundane.”
OOC: @BBBBalta @BULiK @Snelly @Rahisaurus @Tarn @Lady Takanuva @ARROW404 @~Xemnas~ @EmperorWhenua
IC: Nichou [Po-Wahi, Desert Trail]
The Onu-Matoran gave Sigrus an appreciative nod. That former navigator knew how to steer a conversation towards the key points that actually mattered.
Nichou himself didn't have anything else to contribute until the musician spoke.
"Now we're talking -" he exclaimed. "This island has never been lacking in mysteries. Perhaps finding them went out of fashion when it was no longer a necessity, but they've always been out there."
"Kini-Nui? Been done. The temples of the principles? Those were sought out and picked clean long ago. But what other structures could have the same history to them? Even the oldest buildings in each Koro, like the Sanctum or Po-Koros walls, have changed immensely over the years."
IC, Aurax: Po-Wahi
The Dashi's eyebrows furrowed as he became lost both in thought and in memories, memories of his time with Stannis and the others, visiting the Kini-Nui and the temples of the Principles. Just like old times, but without direction...
Public... mundane...
Suddenly a thought occurred to him, one with such clarity that it almost made him feel like he was regaining his memories all over again.
"If you want public," he said, looking at Nichou, "we should take a look at the Suvas! There's one in every village, two in every Wahi, but ever since the First Toa lost to Makuta, they've sat in the middle of each Koro. Even before the Wanderer's Company was formed people would pass by them like they would a rock in the middle of the road."
Direction!
OOC: @Harvali @ARROW404 @Mel @Lady Takanuva @Tarn @BULiK @~Xemnas~ @BBBBalta @Umbraline Yumiwa @Rahisaurus
[Road to Po-koro (Ranok)]
Ranok let out a sigh of relief, audible to only himself and Timak. He’d had no idea of where to actually look after his revelation.
OOC: @BBBBalta @BULiK @Snelly @Rahisaurus @Tarn @Lady Takanuva @ARROW404 @~Xemnas~ @EmperorWhenua
[IC: Timak, Road to Po-Koro]
Timak ambled ponderously through the sands. They couldn't help overhearing the conversation up ahead, and caught Aurax's glance while the subject of memories was being discussed, and felt a sting of loss deep in their chest. Once again they were reminded of some part of themself they'd never know about, left behind on that grey shore through the endless fog.
Shielding their eyes from the sun with their hand, swapping periodically as each arm got tired, they strode loosely within the group. Unused to matching pace with the shorter-legged members of the group, and distracted by the heat, every so often Timak found themself almost stepping on Aurax's heels and had to slow down again.
At the mention of a Suva they perked up. After their long period of silence, their voice came out a lot louder and croakier than they expected. "I've never seen one. A Suva. I heard that Toa use it to store artefacts of power."
Under their breath, they mused. "I wonder if they'd mind me borrowing anything?"
Timak looked up from the rhythmic plodding of their toes in the dust and interrupted their own thought with another. "How much further?" they asked with an almost imperceptible whining tone to their voice. "My feet ache."
OOC: @BBBBalta @BULiK @Snelly@Tarn @Lady Takanuva @ARROW404 @~Xemnas~ @EmperorWhenua @Mel
IC, Aurax: Po-Wahi
"I've never seen one. A Suva. I heard that Toa use it to store artefacts of power."
Aurax nodded. "Yes and no," he said to Timak, "the First Toa had used them to store the Kanohi that they had collected around the island. As far as I'm aware, they aren't used for much anymore, they're mostly symbolic in function now."
"How much further? My feet ache."
The Dashi laughed. "Afraid it's gonna take a while to get there," he chuckled. "Might get there by tomorrow if we get lucky. We'll probably have to make camp out here in the desert when it gets dark."
OOC: @Harvali @ARROW404 @Mel @Lady Takanuva @Tarn @BULiK @~Xemnas~ @BBBBalta @Umbraline Yumiwa @Rahisaurus
IC:
What the Nui was this guy's problem he just took a hundred volts this is—
The wire, taut and softened by heat, parted under Karmine's blade. The Sentinel's own muscles were coiled tight, ready to spring, but she didn't move. Didn't act. Caught between two priorities, Ruki bounced on the balls of her feet hesitantly. This lunatic couldn't hurt her— a Hau was the ultimate, perfect defense. She chose it for that reason. Standing around here being immovable didn't stop this guy, though, and he didn't have much regard for his own life.
A big piece of her wanted to just electrify the flooring. Hit them all with zap enough to knock 'em out and let the Sarge sort 'em out. But there were friendlies, civilians, and the voltage to drop that Toa without seriously harming a Matoran was... Iffy. Just too chancy. It wasn't the Sentinel way. Wasn't the Toa way.
"Alright, creep, if that's how you're gonna play it," Ruki hissed, flexing gloved fingers deliberately and balling her hands into fists. The uneven, flickering lights— still resolving their surplus charge from what had grounded out into the flooring— caught gleaming nodes on each of her fingers. "Let's play, then."
The Sentinel came in low and she came in fast, right fist headed for her enemy's sternum.
***
"What favor is he doing you?" The Lesterin's brows furrowed, even more confused— and troubled— than before. She didn't bother to point out that his companion's 'rancid' manners were already aimed with lethal intentions.
OOC: Additional posts for @oncertainty and @Vezok's Friend regarding Nota coming soon, along with a post for the folks at the back of the train. Wanted to get what I had done already posted first.
IC Kanohi - Po-Wahi - Forsi
Kanohi hesitated at Nichou’s recounting of Stannis’s Companions, before aggressively clicking his telegraph. Nichou’s had kept a sensor listening for news of Dece? He had heard nothing, which might have been for the best, but the fact that he had kept tracks of news of that unimportant cross-wired freak of a Fe- Matoran? It made Kanohi a bit less stable.
Was it too late to tell Knichou, sorry, Nichou, who Kanohi had been? Should he tell them all? Or had the opportunity passed after Aurax was exposed. Kanohi fidgeted with a mix of guilt and unease, the social situation was difficult to parse and fear overwhelmed him.
Then Kanohi caught sight of something. Lapu was offering Kanohi small plants. The vigilante dipped his head in thanks, thoughtful Kapu, he had needed a distraction. He turned them over in his hands, scratching at the plants with his metal fingers, letting the juice trickle down his hands.
Matoran had a lot of diversity in their anatomy, some were mostly mechanical, others leaned towards biological. Kanohi was more mechanized that most, and his mouth was … underdeveloped. He could only digest by leaching energy from food, and chewing was beyond him.
As he fidgeted by scratching the fruit it released the aroma of enzymes in the air, but Kanohi found himself distracted. Aurax, Nichou, and Timak were discussing the Suva? It had been a long time since they were relevant, maybe since the Toa Mata fell. The Toa Maru had not used them as far as Kanohi knew. Though, his anxiety suddenly wondered if the Makuta’s conflict with the Maru would have been different if they had harnessed the Suva. Would they have fallen too. Or might Makuta have been defeated back then?
OOC: @ARROW404 @Snelly @Rahisaurus @~Xemnas~@Lady Takanuva @Tarn @BULiK @Umbraline Yumiwa @Mel
…
IC Kardaka - Po-Wahi - Ostia
Kardaka staggered, she only kept upright thanks to her staff. She almost slid down it, staring at the ground as her vents wheezed. Akiri Hewkii was deposed? Or had he just stepped down? And what of his replacement? Had he picked her, or was she elected? Would she be any better? How could Verak not know?
She dragged herself upright and weakly asked, “I must admit this is a shock. Um, may I ask how the Koro has changed? It’s not … worse is it?” What if this Renaka had declared war on another Koro? Or had enslaved Matoran?
Maybe things had gotten better? But Kardaka did not find that thought comforting. If she still did not understand how Po- Koro had become corrupted, she knew no way to prevent it from happening again. She needed to understand what happened to Hewkii and her fellows, to have ruined the Unity of the Matoran.
OOC: @Visaru
IC: Karmine Madoc - Bang.
Cops. They're either thick as pig ****** or too wily for their own good.
She's drawn in, so don't bloody waste the opportunity. She's fast but not fast enough for you - all that power and strength you dredged and scrounged up from the numerous bodies you've laid out in the past means you're just as nifty, ******, maybe even more.
So the punch whiffs past, and with your shooting arm charred but now loose from the chain you grab the weapon still strapped to your shoulder, and decide to give another meaning to the phrase "weapons-free" and squeeze the trigger of your weapon point blank at the Sentinel's neck. Classic guillotine.
OOC: @Krayzikk
On 11/1/2023 at 6:32 PM, Harvali said:IC Kardaka - Po-Wahi - Ostia
Kardaka staggered, she only kept upright thanks to her staff. She almost slid down it, staring at the ground as her vents wheezed. Akiri Hewkii was deposed? Or had he just stepped down? And what of his replacement? Had he picked her, or was she elected? Would she be any better? How could Verak not know?
She dragged herself upright and weakly asked, “I must admit this is a shock. Um, may I ask how the Koro has changed? It’s not … worse is it?”
"Woah woah woah, sister, it's all right, only politics, no one's dead, far as I know." I stepped forward like a proper gentleman to make sure the Turaga remained upright. "Far as the Koro goes, you may want to take an even tighter grip on that staff. 'Fraid our lovely desert town's been drowned in water and railways. Overgrowth crawling over everything and so much new construction you'd be hard pressed even to find the Path of Prophecies. And the sentinels are stronger than ever too, ye can barely scratch under your Kanohi without drawing an angry glare from them. One of the reasons I'm trying to get off this Mata-Nui-forsaken island. Progress has wiped out everything I used to recognize here."
I looked out the elevator at the dim canyon we were dropping into, staring at the tiers of homes and shops carved into the wall, lit dimly with lightstones, and let myself remember how it used to be sand filled canyon, the only residents the nesting Moa Birds who lived in the high caves. I wonder where they are now -- are Matoran now dwelling in the birds' old homes? I felt an unfamiliar pang of sadness for loss of the old desert. Maybe one day the entire Motara desert would cease to exist, swallowed up by the ever growing expansion of the Matoran civilization... A thought I didn't want to dwell on. Yet another reason I need to get onto the open sea and leave all this behind.
IC, Aurax: Po-Koro
It was morning when Aurax and his friends finally reached Po-Koro. They had walked all the previous day and camped out in the desert when it got dark. But now, Aurax was home. A smile grew on his face as they neared the entrance to the village. As they got closer, though, his smile faded to bewilderment.
"...huh," was all he could manage to utter after stepping through the gate. The village of Stone had vastly changed since Aurax had last been there. He could hardly recognize it. He couldn't recognize it at all, in fact. There were unfamiliar buildings everywhere, people were running around, there were strange... contraptions, moving on rails, and the crowds would part for them. The Dashi could spy a large wall further ahead. He knew, based on how different Ga-Koro was, he shouldn't have been surprised at how much his home village had changed. And yet, he still was.
"I'll, uh, try to get us to my old house," he said as he began to lead the others through the throngs of people. Some of them gave him odd glances. "I mean, if it's still there..."
OOC: @Harvali @ARROW404 @Mel @Lady Takanuva @Tarn @BULiK @~Xemnas~ @BBBBalta @Umbraline Yumiwa @Rahisaurus after months of inactivity I have moved us (finally) to P-Koro.
IC Kanohi - Po-Wahi - Po-Koro
Before he knew it, Kanohi had found himself in the chaos of Po-Koro. The city was even more built up than Le-Koro and Ga-Koro, there was a scent of ash lofting in the air from the Iron Mahi station. The closer the party got to it the more Kanohi was reminded of the Charred Forest of Ta-Wahi. Po-Matoran walked about, there seemed to be thousands of them, their feet hammering against the stone street.
The smell alone would have been unplease f, but the clanging machinery and the stomping of feet was a cacophony. Trolleys traversed the cityscape, clanking against the stone paths. No one else seemed particularly bothered, but Kanohi found himself recoiling.
Kanohi felt a kinship with De-Matoran in a thunderstorm, overstimulation bombarding him violently. He could see flames in the tinge of ash in the air, he could see the fire. It wasn’t there, he knew that rationally, but a lot of what felt real to Kanohi was not tangible.
He clutched one hand around his audio sensors, while the other hand pressed his wooden armor not only to shrink in stature but to muffle the sights and smells of the city. He was compressing himself.
Kanohi found himself missing Le-Wahi. The jungle had its own noises, but it was not the city. And at that thought, he turned to Lapu. He scribbled a message on his tablet. “Would you like to wait with me somewhere in the city that is less … city like? I am a bit overwhelmed by all this, so I would understand if you need a break too.”
OOC: @ARROW404 @Snelly @Rahisaurus @~Xemnas~@Lady Takanuva @Tarn @BULiK @Umbraline Yumiwa @Mel
…
IC Kardaka - Po-Wahi - Ostia
Kardaka flinched at his words, clenching her staff tightly. It wasn’t just the description of the city, it was, it was his desire to leave. There was no judgement to him, no. But suddenly she was reevaluating her past decisions, she found herself doubting her own motives.
She had left Po-Koro to meditate, to try to find the answers as to how the Akiri could have abandoned Unity. But in leaving, she had disconnected from the problem. Had she ran from it? Should she had confronted the Akiri? Should she have guided her people away from isolation? Had she ran from her Duty?
It was all too clear that she was not just lacking in wisdom. She lacked courage.
Kardaka dipped her head in thanks, before wobbling towards the Iron Mahi station. No wonder she had failed to find answers in the desert. She needed to return to Po-Koro, she had a Duty to fulfill.
OOC: @Visaru
I wave at the Turaga as she leaves.
"Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, sister!" I feel bad for her. Must also be bemoaning how hard it is to get some cheap and fast coin in the city these days. Speaking of, I was on my way out of town anyway, and I'm sure there was more to squeeze from this place than I'd yet found.
I head down to the shops, a little petty theivery on the mind.
[IC: Timak, Po-Koro]
Timak had walked alongside the rest of the Matoran quietly, and as he did so, he was lost in thought. Mostly these thoughts were curiosities about the surrounding landscape, or the village they were heading towards, some of which he voiced to the group. He'd just about gained a basic understanding of where they were going when the group started to slow, the others feeling the fatigue of a long day's walk. This led on to the more interesting thoughts rattling around in his head - he wasn't tired. Sure, his feet ached, but other than that, he felt like he could do this for another day or two without going to sleep. Guess I'm still getting used to the difference now that I'm a Toa, he thought.
The next morning he rose quietly before the others woke, having spent the night listening to the sounds of the desert. He hadn't slept long, only an hour or two, just enough to top up his batteries (so to speak).
As the group neared the city, the ambient noise gradually grew in volume until it was uncomfortable. Timak strode through the crowds with his jaw clenched in an uneasy grimace. He noticed Kanohi's hands were over his ears, and the writing on his tablet confirmed that the poor Matoran needed an escape from the cacophony.
"That makes two of us," Timak said in a quiet whisper, which Kanohi was still somehow able to hear. The lean Toa matched pace with the Matoran, and reached his left hand into the space in front of them before giving him a smile. Then he snapped his fingers - but the snap was silent, and suddenly the noise of the crowds and machinery were hushed. One could almost see the edge of the noise-dampening bubble in the shifting sands at their feet.
"There. What's the use of having powers if you can't have a few comforts?" Timak said lightly, smiling to himself.
ooc: @ARROW404 @Snelly @~Xemnas~@Lady Takanuva @Tarn @BULiK @Umbraline Yumiwa @Mel @Harvali
