Tameku also reined in his Ussal, squinting at the being ahead.

"Doesn't look like one of the Dark Hunters - or any species I'm familiar with", he muttered, "Do you think it could be ...? He did say he'd meet us outside and also mentioned he was looking for a better body."

"Um, hello?", Tameku ventured, loud enough for the strange being to hear.

As soon as they called out to it, the black figure turned its head to look in their direction. The shadow melted away into its surroundings, and a moment later the tall being appeared beside them, showing no signs of having moved its body at all.

"Well met," said the now familiar voice of the Makuta. He was looking down on the two Matoran with a face bearing a single red eye. "Don't be frightened. My spirit is freed and my form has changed, but I remain the same."

Changed was perhaps an understatement. Gone was the mining robot originally used as a vessel; only a few plates from its body and the lone eye on its head were still recognizable. The Makuta's new body appeared to be cobbled together from the bodies of many Rahi, a haphazard mix of parts where raw materials had been taken and integrated wherever they fit.

Though taller and clearly strengthened, this form was still a far cry from the titanic armor they had seen lying on the floor in the underground chamber several hours ago. The torso was far less bulky, and the limbs looked weaker. The head showed signs of unsettling Rahi fangs whenever the mouth moved, and the entire armor had already rusted a little at the seams.

"Hunting what I needed took longer than I had hoped, though it was well worth the time," the Makuta continued. "I arrived here only a few minutes ago."

"Have you decided what path you will take from here?"

Tameku couldn't help but recoil a bit from the strange appearance of the Makuta. He wished he'd at least wear a mask. Still, he tried not to let his uneasiness show.

"We're planning to catch up to the researchers heading to the Storm Temple to fulfill our mission", Tameku explained, "After that we are planning to visit the glacier village as the Turaga there could know a thing or two about the elemental artifacts and how to safely carry them. Then we'll have to decide what is best for Rangi Motu - the elements need to be calmed. Unfortunately the Dark Hunters already have one of the artifacts safely on their ship and I see no way in which we could realistically get it back. I was thinking that maybe we could head for one of the harbors of this island and alongside sending word of the status of the researchers send a message to call some Toa for help."

"But now that you're strengthened again you can at least rein in the storms, right?", Tameku asked hopefully, with a worried glance at the bad weather ahead.

"A good plan. Though bringing Toa from elsewhere may not be necessary, if you can fill the part. I wish you luck."

The Makuta gazed skywards. "... This storm will be rough. I shall see what I can do. My power has not yet fully awakened from its long slumber."

He looked from the rolling clouds to the circling bird high above, before turning towards the shoreline. "The artifact must not be allowed to leave. I will attempt to locate the Dark Hunter ship. Your people have already shown themselves capable of handling two of the thieves; if they bring their strength in numbers, I am sure they can at least make sure it stays landlocked."

"Good luck to you, too, then. Will you be able to tell us where the Dark Hunter ship is once you've located it?"

"By the way, I've told Turaga Zuhras to keep the passage leading to the Earth Artifact open for at least a little while, in case we'd have needed to return for it right away. If there's something of yours left down there you might be able to reclaim it if you're quick." Tameku hesitated, then continued: "But the main reason I'm telling you this is because maybe you can figure out something additional to secure the Earth artifact or maybe rein in its power enough to prevent it causing more earthquakes?"

"Also do you have any idea where the guard might have gone?", Tameku asked, pointing at the empty hut, "I hope the Dark Hunters didn't get to them."

The makuta’s new form unsettled Lutorian deeply, he had expected him to take control of a Rahi as a vessel, but this, felt twisted to the Matoran. He remained silent as Tameku and the Makuta conversed, fixated on the unnatural and unnerving movement of the amalgamation of Rahi in front of him.

The Makuta had for a moment seemed distant, distracted by his own inscrutable thoughts, but he reacted to the mention of the Earth Artifact with clear interest.

"The Turaga should have known I would be the only one who could keep this island safe perpetually," he said, with a hint of fury. "Opposing me was short-sighted. He seeks to lock the artifact away in what he thinks is my tomb, as if that will keep his troubles at bay. Let the black stone shake his spirit; I will retrieve it from the rubble. I have more immediate concerns. If I find the ship, you will know."

The tall being turned to leave, but suddenly contorted oddly for a moment before pulling on the face-plate of his new armor. The metal shifted as if soft and malleable, with the most crooked and excessive parts melting away to gather in the being's palm. When this matter settled and turned rigid once more, the Makuta grunted, clearly annoyed, and tossed the scraps away with a flick of his arm. They landed somewhere off to the side of the road.

"Look what they have reduced me to, he muttered offhandedly. "Scavenged parts that need to be broken in."

With that, the Makuta took the path leading south from the crossroads, heading for the ocean. If he knew anything of the guardsman, he didn't care to say.

---

* The Makuta is leaving, for better or worse.
* The great bird is circling far overhead.
* Right here: Crossroads, guard hut, decent lookout point and campsite.
* You still have your crab mounts in tip-top shape.

• North: Mountain road.
• South: To shoreline.
• West: Back to Parau Koro, through the tunnel.

What will you do?

Tameku watched the Makuta go, then looked up at the clouds on the horizon again before settling his gaze on the circling bird.

"Any idea what kind of Rahi that is?", he asked Lutorian.

In reply to Game Master (msg # 9):

Lutorian peered up at the bird, straining his eyes to try to identify it's shape.

GM roll what you'd feel right, my profession is Rahi expert and i have a rahi reasercher skill, but this Rahi is quite far away.

The Rahi was flying high, that was true, but it was nonetheless the unmistakable shape of a riding bird. It looked like its owner was slowly circling in search of something too. Lutorian knew flashing it with reflected sunlight would catch the attention of its rider. On the other hand, even on an open road it could be hard to spot a couple of travelers like themselves, meaning it would be easy enough to lay low and stay hidden by going a little bit off the beaten path.

---

07:22, Today: Game Master, on behalf of Lutorian, rolled 6 using 3d6, keeping the highest dice only ((2,5,6)) Result: "Yes, and" you know how to reach it or avoid it, should you feel like it.

"It's a Matoran wind-rider, I don't think it's the guard of this exit, Onu-matoran don't like sun-soaring. I can signal them down here if you wish." Lutorian explained quickly.

"Hm... we could potentially ask them if they've seen the archeologists, on the other hand, if the researchers are already in the mountains, that's probably unlikely. I don't think we should bother the rider unless we have a good reason to do so."

"Let me take a quick look into that guard's hut, maybe there's something there indicating where he's gone. If not we best continue on."

Tameku approached the entrance of the hut and threw a glance inside.

Inside the hut there is little of interest, though the shelves are stocked with written tablets recording travelers. On the table lies the most recent list, where you spot someone who's likely to be one of the Dark Hunters at the end: "Khymada, vortixx, with party."

Next to the door on the inside you find a few pieces of armor belonging to a Matoran. Odd that he would keep a spare face plate. Those are typically never replaced and can't really be repurposed into anything else useful either.

Tameku checked if the list also contained times or dates, as well as in which direction the last group went. He hoped it was towards Parau Koro and some time ago.

Tameku then gave the room a closer, yet still brief, survey, in the hopes of maybe detecting something that could give a hint at where the guard might have gone or if something happened to them.

Skills used: Observation
Tameku rolled 6 using 2d6, keeping the highest dice only with rolls of 6,3.  Survey of the guardpost.

The passage was recorded this day, at a time when you had not yet arrived in the underground village. It appears this vortixx left Parau Koro before the conflict in the mine occurred.

You find nothing special in the hut, though you get the notion that this lack of anything notable may itself hold meaning. There are no weapons to be found, no tools for fitting or repairing armor, no Ussal steed to carry the guard back to Parau Koro in case of an emergency. In fact all the metal pieces look a bit rusted, meaning it must be old, or corroded by other means.

Yet records show someone was present here earlier.

"Hm... this is strange", Tameku muttered, "But we don't have the time for solving riddles at the moment. You ready to ride on, Lutorian?"

Lutorian
* If you decide it's time to move on, you may continue from a mountain pass approaching the glacier. Also choose a person to meet: Stranger, ally, enemy.
* Regardless of choice, I will also add an encounter roll for the journey.

In reply to Tameku (msg # 18):

“Yes, ever-quick” Lutorian said as he snapped out of a daze, he had been staring off in the direction the Makuta has left in “although I suppose Ussal Crabs aren’t very “ever-quick” are they?” He said poking fun of his tree speak.

Well if we’re goinf to pick might as well be a friend.

Time crawled on, and the dark clouds from the horizon crept ever closer to the shoreline. Heavy rainfall was visible above the ocean, and the breeze was picking up, but just as it seemed inevitable that the storm would begin in earnest, the skies appeared to split. Clouds swirled unnaturally and diverted their course away from the island, taking a wide path around it. The weather remained calm, even as the ocean frothed and thunder rumbled in the distance.

The road ahead was worn flat by constant travel and therefore easy to follow. The crabs trotted on, carrying the Matoran towards their destination.



In a valley at the foot of the glacier they spotted a hewed stone wall with an opening in the center serving as a gate to what lay in wait beyond. It was mostly a decorative structure, guiding wanderers to the temple grounds they had heard about. It was here, then, that the Matoran researchers had looked for the true purpose of the elemental artifacts.

To the north the valley was entirely covered in ice. One could see where the dirt path ended and the wide glacier began. A watchpost carrying a bright red flag was barely visible near the top of the first ridge.

***

Lutorian was the first to notice two beings walking side-by-side on the road in front of them. Tameku's keen eye quickly confirmed that they were a Po-Matoran and his beast of burden: a Mahi.

Thanks to their tireless Ussal they were quickly catching up, but before they could reach the traveler, Velike - always on guard - spotted a burrow beside the road which the stranger had not seen. There sat a currently calm but potentially dangerous creature: a Lightning Bug. If excited it would glow and zap its foe with electrical shocks. Sticking out of its burrow were several shiny metal objects, likely gathered for their conductivity. Something useful, perhaps?


What do you do?

---

Everyone
* The storm has split and is blowing past the island.
* The sun is hanging very low now, and it's getting dark. Night will come soon.
* A Po-Matoran stranger with his Mahi is traveling in the same direction as you.
* A Lightning Bug's burrow near the road contains several metal items which may be of value.

Lutorian
[Tracking]: Vortixx footprints mix with Matoran prints and pointed dots reminiscent of Nektann. They were headed for the ice.
[Wilderness survival]: No way unprepared Matoran could make the entire climb in one day.
[Rahi researcher]: With your mounts you likely have free reign of both the valley and the mountain slopes, and can take your sweet time exploring while still being able to catch up to them later.

Tameku
[Merchant]: The stranger is not transporting any wares. A pilgrim to the elemental temple, perhaps?
[Observation]: He does not appear to notice anything around him, including you.

Velike
[Guard]: The Rahi would likely be agitated if you approached its home, but like any defender it's unlikely to chase you far away from it.
[Survival skills]: Night will be especially cold in this region.

In reply to Game Master (msg # 21):

"Traveller! Be wary! It seems a Lightning worm has placed it's burrow alongside the road!" Velike called out to the Po-Matoran, one hand cupped against his mouth, and the other unsheathing his spear, and pointing it towards the burrow.

"It will not take kindly to your beast disturbing it, but fortunately it is not one commonly known to seek violence beyond that needed to protect of it's den!"
This message was last edited by the player at 20:25, Wed 06 May 2020.

The Po-Matoran started a little at Velike's cry. He turned to look at whoever was following him, then in the direction of the Rahi that was indicated.

"Oh, I see, I see," he said and drew the Mahi gently to the opposite side of the road so as to give a wide berth to the Lightning Bug. "Thank you, I was lost in thought and almost stepped right in it."

Now that the Po-Matoran was facing them, the trio could tell that he was wearing an ornate Kanohi Calix with a strong copper hue. It looked newly minted and contrasted with the rest of his body, which was traditional brown and sand yellow.

"I was not expecting strangers to join me in my lonesome walk. Are we here for the same purpose, perhaps?"

"Depends", Tameku replied, "Are you also heading for the temple?"

While approaching the Po-Matoran, Tameku tried to get a better look at whatever the Lightning Bug had in its burrow while keeping as much distance as possible to the Rahi.

Almost automatically he was also trying to size up the value and potential origin of the Matoran's mask.

Skills used: Observation
Tameku rolled 6 using 2d6, keeping the highest dice only with rolls of 6,3.  Trying to catch a better glimpse into Lightning Bug burrow.

Skills used: Observation, Judging Craftsmanship, Merchant
Tameku rolled 3 using 4d6, keeping the highest dice only with rolls of 3,2,2,3.  Sizing up the Po-Matoran's mask.

"I am. I have walked far to find my destiny. Do you seek yours as well?"

You get the impression he has spent the journey on two feet, for his Mahi does not look capable of carrying him.

Tameku
* You spot a coil of metal wire with a handful of widgets nested inside at the edge of the burrow. Half buried in the dirt is a technological device - a meter of some kind.
* The copper color marks it as one of the masks traditionally awarded to winners of Matoran games, but the added lines and patterns hint at greater importance than this. Its value: certainly higher than a regular mask, but realistically it would only sell as a collector's item.

This message was last edited by the GM at 12:25, Thu 07 May 2020.

"Isn't every step we take a step towards finding our destiny?", Tameku solemnly cited what he once heard a Turaga say, "But I fear it's not this particular goal alone that brings us here this time. We're actually in search of a few Matoran who we heard went to the temple. You didn't happen to see anyone else, did you?"

To Lutorian Tameku said: "That Lightning Bug's burrow looks interesting. Any idea how to get at the items in there without angering the inhabitant? I still have one of those jungle fruit the Gafna in the jungle found so irressistible...?"
This message was last edited by the player at 14:47, Thu 07 May 2020.

Skills used: Rahi expert, Rahi researcher
Lutorian rolled 3 using 3d6, keeping the highest dice only 2,3,2

"I'm not too familiar with this species, bug Rahi aren't food-picky, let me try" Lutorian responded to Tameku, quite frankly, he was excited for the opportunity to get zapped by it either way.