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  1. "Two and a half months later."

    BZP IS BACK.

  2. Snelly
    Latest Entry

    This blog is my property.

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    Recent Entries

    Yeah this will take some getting used to...

    Hopefully broken things get fixed...

    Those 2011 dataclysm flashbacks are stronger with this new flashier look after a while of waiting...

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    I convinced Black Six and ChocolateFrogs to record a video while we were at Scouting 4 Bricks. I had footage. I edited.

     

    Now there's Elmo yelling fire, a new BZP t-shirt emblazoned with Black Six's words, and an uncomfortable zoom into a horrifying LEGO walking figure.

     

    Please. For your sake,

    . And certainly don't stay long enough to see the two times Elmo appears.
  4. Sumiki
    Latest Entry

    My grandmother died this morning at the age of 77.

     

    Words can’t even begin to describe the misery she went through in the past several years of her life. Her immense medical record was just about as long as the list of doctors who were mortified at the prospect of having to navigate the murky medical waters of a woman who, by all rights, should have been dead five times over. Between her assisted living facility, the various wards of the hospital, and rehab facilities spanning across several counties, she was a threat to sap the combined medical resources of the greater Charlotte area. 77 is not an old age, but aside from her thinning, yet stubbornly black hair, her body might as well have been 97.

     

    I don’t know, at this point, what finally did her in, but I can venture a guess that it’s something to do with the all-too-uncommon perils of someone with her comorbidities: her stage 2 kidney failure prevented her from taking the full dose of diuretics necessary to get the inevitable fluid buildup away from her heart and lungs, while her stage 3/borderline stage 4 heart failure had a hard time keeping up with the volume overload. People in her condition walk a thinner and thinner tightrope until they (or their loved ones) are forced into choosing death by kidney failure or death by heart failure.

     

    It was getting to a point where we would have been forced into making a difficult decision on her behalf. While she never suffered from any sort of neurological conditions (other than lifelong anxiety and depression), she was so tired—especially in the final months—that she could barely lift up her head, and her generally high creatinine levels (a byproduct of kidney failure) led to many a moment when the vivid imagination of her dreams got to her in her few remaining waking hours. She would have been in no condition to weigh the awful choice which was coming her way; a nursing home would have been the next step, and that process would have been an unimaginable emotional anguish for everyone involved.

     

    Her passing, while undeniably sad, is a weight lifted. Her condition would have killed a lesser person, and her life is a testament to a strength of willpower so strong that the rest of us would do well for ourselves in life if we had the tiniest fraction of hers.

     

    You often hear about deaths like this being sad, but not too sad, because they’re “expected.” As cliché as that might be, I can attest to its accuracy, having seen her on her deathbed on multiple occasions within the past several years. It was hard on those occasions because we grieved her passing and got through the emotions associated with such a loss, only for her to pull out and get through another two years.

     

    Even towards the end, she had good days, good weeks, and even good months. She found as much joy as possible in the little pleasures and comforts still available to her—watching the livestream of my graduation, hosting her bridge club for the final time—up through May. When it became clear that her body wouldn’t get back to the quality of life she once enjoyed, it shut down for good; that fight to get to the next goal, the next thing-she-was-looking-forward-to, just wasn’t there this time.

     

    If there’s anyone who taught me perseverance in the face of adversity, it’s her, and I hope that I can follow her example for the rest of my life.

  5. T-Dawg
    Latest Entry

    A simple 1 year course in welding covering the most used process and a couple other subjects and I'm done, now to work on a resume and get my foot in the door.

     

    Planning to start small and build up my skillset and then move on up to better positions/jobs, a far off goal could be pipeline work with my own small side shop doing request work for repairs or art people would want.

     

    Dunno where this field will take me but I'll make sure to try to enjoy it and learn more things along the way.

     

     

     

    More ideas down the line but gotta buy my own Tig machine first.

  6. Last night I turned in my final undergrad assignment before getting my BS in Mechanical Engineering. It was a 100-page research document entitled "Motivations, Values, and Creative Processes of Participatory LEGO Bionicle Fan Community," which feels like an appropriate way to cap things off.

     

    Might try to get it published. We'll see if I have the motivation.

  7. wow look i'm returning to bzpower for a hot second to see what's up after x years away! i am super unique in this aspect! look how subversive and cool i am!

     

    in all seriousness thought i'd come back here for a hot second and say hey. was never super active in the community but had a lot of good memories from here, and this site actually taught me some about interacting with people. i'm super grateful for both of those things, and i'd like to say that things in my life are good, not great but good, and i've got a lot to be thankful for.

     

    bionicle was an important part in my life, still got a guy sitting on my desk in my apartment (my apartment, back in the day those two words together wouldn't even make sense), and i owe bzp a decent bit. maybe i'll haunt this blog a little more often, we'll see

     

    <3

  8. Vezok's Friend
    Latest Entry

    A few things I've worked on over the last two years have finally come out as well, so it's time for another update to the list!

     

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  9. Apologies if this is slightly confusing or incoherant.

     

    So, I've been listening to this song over and over for months after finding it on Spotify:

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWB3-6MZ_UE

     

    I find it fascinating, and really like it, in a very precise, specific, probably almost nitpicky way.

     

    It's clear the narrator in the song (whether he's supposed to be Ethan Wood himself, doesn't matter) spent his childhood with bionicle. Seeing as he's showing specifically Tahu Mata, and the fact that he still has the original set with the original canister, it likely mattered to him through his childhood, teenage years, and now adulthood.

     

    Now, he's an adult dealing with adult problems...he clearly is approaching the end of a relationship, which is a difficult and confusing thing for anyone to go through.

     

    So, how does he try to make sense of his emotions in that moment? He relates it to Bionicle, something that's been a part of him since he was small. He expresses vulnerability in the confusion of this moment by essentially showing something pure from his childhood. In doing that, he expresses at the core who he is, as expressed in the line "what you see is what you get".

     

    That may be reading in too much...but really, this resonated with me in a big way. The narrator in the song clearly had hopes for everything in his life to go well when he grew up, and when something didn't, he calls back to his childhood in an effort to make sense of it. This isn't a new idea, but to my knowledge, this is the only song to do something like that with specifically bionicle...Bionicle was one of the biggest parts of my development as a child, so this resonated with me in a big way in particular.

     

    So, bringing attention to that song is one thing...but, there's a second thing that it made me realize. All the original fans of bionicle, who were old enough to be there for 2001 and experienced the story as it unfolded until 2011, are adults now. There's an entire population of people who were influenced by Bionicle as much as the singer in that song, all of whom are entering their respective industries right now, if they haven't already.

     

    For star trek, so many of the people who saw it in theaters were so inspired by it that they took jobs in specific scientific fields, changing what technology is available today. Some went into film, creating some of the most well-known movies and shows. Some got jobs in the government out of optimism to try to create the future. Many of those people lived their lives in a way that were shaped by what they took away from star trek. Many of them brought unique insights to their careers that were inspired by star trek. Many of them changed the course of the world in some way, influenced uniquely by star trek. This isn't at all unique to star trek, it just so happens that Star Trek's influence is well documented.

     

    Well, Bionicle's influence begins now. Obviously, the song I showed is not well known at all, but it is deeply unique and could only have been made by someone who grew up with bionicle. I think that some of the media, technology, and policy that emerge soon may begin to be influenced by the bionicle fans who contributed to them, even if it's in small ways. I think, statistically, that at least a handful will make a massive impact in the world, influenced by their experiences with the bionicle story and sets. I have no idea what the specifics of that will look like, but I believe that that will begin around now...and that's really cool to me.

     

    Again, maybe I'm reading too much into it. but it's definitely something I've been thinking about for a few months.

  10. Queen of Noise
    Latest Entry

    I logged into this site for the first time in two years to dig up an old recipe I'd lost...figured I'd post some recent pictures and a plug for my band while I'm here, for old time's sake. For those who don't remember me, let's just say I was once an admin...briefly. :psychotwitch:

     

    STRANGE LIPS, fronted by yours truly: http://strangelips.bandcamp.com (twitter/IG: @Strange_Lips). If you live in or around New York, come see us sometime; we generally play at least one show a month.

     

    Most-recent picture of me, post-haircut:

     

    qyHWxDK.jpg

     

    Some pics from a gig last month, pre haircut:

     

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  11. Before I continue my years-long pattern of "Hi I'm back" posts followed by radio silence, I thought I'd drop in to the forums once again to see what's been happening. It's been a decade since I made my account, and longer since I started reading the forums (though I couldn't tell you when). Reading back over my old posts has the expected embarrassment of encountering your younger self at any point, but it's cool to see that some people I recognise are still around. I really enjoyed taking a look at the Dark709 Hereafter series in particular; those old flash movies were really inspiring back when they came out, and I hope Dark and the whole comics crowd have gone on to even better things since.

     

    I stumbled back here after I found that someone had made a small page about me over on a wikia site dedicated to the old BZP comics community. I don't know how I compared to someone like Dark709 back in the day (though my younger self certainly felt I was right up there with the big dogs), but it was nice to see that someone remembered me enough to record a couple of random facts and images.

     

    I should really go back and see if I still have all of those old comics buried somewhere on my computer. Now that Majhost is gone, a couple of twitter avatars are the best things I can find outside of Brickshelf.

     

    These days my main presence on the internet is a YouTube series reading some silly old Japanese Visual Novels with a friend of mine, so if that's your speed I'd love if you could check it out.

     

    So hey, if you happen to run past this post and you want to chat about anything old forums, new forums or how much we've all grown up while this place has been around, drop a comment. I promise I'll try not to disappear for at least that long.

  12. Okay, so let me preface this with a disclaimer of sorts, nothing that I may say here is intended or directed in any way to cause discourse or conflict, in my own personal life I had been between (metaphorically) juggling balls left and right, for a long time I was more or less trying to appease two sides of people in my own personal life, both of which having some strong detrimental tendency on me personally, I'll explain exactly what I mean by this in a bit, but for now let me get to the meat of the issue.

     

    I have for so long now felt as though I am in a limbo, I have recently, more or less, cut off the stress from my life, and though my OCD still reminds me of it, I live each day knowing full-blown well that I do not have it on my shoulders any more. So, I have fallen into sort of a limbo, a limbo where I try to ready myself for a major personal task one day, only for that day to come and I lose the will to go ahead and do it, with examples of such, personally, for myself to get anywhere, literally and metaphorically, I need to do my GED, I need to apply to accomplish getting my learners permit; eventually learning to drive, and so on from the GED more-so, though admittedly from both, I need to get a job, and beforehand finish my resume. There have also been lessor things I've been more or less held back from, like getting my iPad repaired for some damage that peeves me (which is regardless of money for me and my family, money isn't an issue), as well, I've been looking to find a relationship, but everytime I get to talk with a girl I just lose the will to see them, and I don't know why. I talk to 'em, and get to know them, but than I just seem to not care anymore, and I seriously can't put my finger on why. And, I know, not everyone is going to know or be interested in my personal hobbies, like bionicle, like conlanging, such and such, but, going back to the original prefaces, how am I supposed to do anything when (and admittedly I may not have originally said this) I feel like I'm being shot down left and right from reaching my goal.

     

    I do have anxiety, and depression, but the former of those two, in regards to me actually reaching and achieving those things, my anxiety I feel is that which is holding me back the most. I want to get my life in order, I need to get my GED done, but why would I want to remind myself of school again?, I want to get my learners permit, but why would I need to drive when I have nowhere to go?, I want to be in a relationship, but why would you want to be in a relationship with someone who doesn't care about your interests or someone who you don't feel attached to? This is my conundrum.

     

    And, back to the regard of my personal interests, and a going back to my disclaimer of I mean no offense, I feel like-, no, I know that my friends are simply not interested in conlanging and linguistics, but can I blame them? It's a very specific field, and a very finite detailed creative field at that, in fact if anything it shows I do have a degree of autistic tendency to how I function, which may to some degree be something that is holding me back, but more so I feel the lack of care or passion people; my friends, family, peers, show towards me is seriously hampering me as a person. It's a very basic conundrum when you get down to it, why would you want to keep on living and doing something if no one appreciates you? And not in the regards of my close friends, but some of my less close friends, I know they simply do not in their hearts appreciate me, even if they say they do, they just don't care. So, why would I want to care about them you may ask? I care about all my friends, not simply because I consider them as such, but because I want to try and come to an understanding with them, but there is no way to achieve that from where I am.

     

    I have become so sick and tired of the petty tendencies people do to each other, "we have a difference of opinion, so we're going to fight one another and make ourselves tear our own hair out in anger because of it." just absolutely petty bulldung as that, and it drives me insane, so I cut myself from it, even though it hurts me, because I do truly believe that understanding can be found, despite how much we allow something to tear us apart from eachother.

     

    Now, I have come to the realization that I have to make something of my life, I try each and every day to get myself motivated enough to get to doing just that, but as I have stated here already, I quickly lose my motivation to keep on going, and as so clear as day, I may look to the mirror, see my reflection, I may see my shadow, see the light I block, as is such the nature of future and past, we may try and look to the future, but be will never truly be able to see it and live it before it's time, and the past we may very well remember it forever on for the rest of our lives, but there is somthing keeping me from looking in the mirror so-to-speak, and I simply cannot overcome it, and so this is my limbo. Neither in pain nor in suffering, not in joy or pleasure, but as has always been there, sadness is the only fallback, and the only adictive substance of my limbo which I simply will not be falling back on again as I have so many times, and even if I somehow do, I can't be there for long. So, I am stuck here, in a limbo, with no way to get out.

  13. It's now official enough to talk about: I'm starting an exciting new job at Comcast in Philadelphia on October 15th. In some ways, it's a big step up after a lengthy rough patch, but in other ways, it's a logical next step after the end of my time at Talari Networks in 2013. I was overdue for a sane career move and it couldn't have come at a better time.

     

    In related news, I'd currently be up for roommates or crash space in the Philadelphia area. I figure I need to start with some temporary arrangements until I can find a place to move into permanently. I'll still be paying a mortgage in Camp Hill until after I've secured a house (or equivalent) within reasonable commuting distance of Center City.

  14. BBBBalta
    Latest Entry

    Logged on today and found by complete coincidence that August 6 was the day I had joined BZPower back in 2010. Thought that was interesting.

     

    Then I looked at my last blog entry and realized that I unknowingly made that one on the sixth of August as well, two years ago.

     

    Weird.

     

    Of course as I write this it's now past midnight were I live.

  15. 43757682181_2c584cb339_c.jpg

     

    A reimagining of Nocturn, where he sought redemption in his imprisonment.

    Image links to the gallery which should have complete photos by the end of the week.

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  16. Pomegranate
    Latest Entry

    Wild. 11 years on this charming little forum. So many memories!

    Life's at a tipping point, looking forward to a big career move, moving on from other stuff I've been with for a long time. I've been going to a lot of concerts and that's been so much fun! Janelle Monae and Paramore most recently, both were magical experiences. Been going to a lot of museums, too. I've been following Christian Faber's Rebel Nature project for a while and I can't wait to see it released, it seems so wholesome. I finally went to Pride again! My first time was seven years ago, it's so nice to look back and see how much freer and gayer my life has become since then, I'm really grateful for everyone who's contributed to that. Also, uh, I'm really excited about the state of science fiction right now, Star Wars and Star Trek and Doctor Who are really pleasing me right now and I can't believe it's all just getting started. That's been keeping me going.

     

    I hope everyone is prospering and living their best lives, love you all <3

  17. 6F8LuvC.png

     

    (Similar to previous games, this story will take place in a drastically alternate timeline. The game will largely ignore a lot of the GSR stuff, including the forced gender assignments for each element, and instead focus on some of the more mystical aspects of the G1 story. If seeing the early years of Bionicle reinterpreted and retold like this isn’t your cup of tea, go somewhere else.)

     

    THE STORY

     

    Two years have passed since the events of the first game, and the situation on Mata Nui is worsening. Swarms of roving Bohrok rampage across the island, growing in number and strength with each passing day, laying waste to the landscape. Colossal defensive barriers now surround each of the villages, shielding swathes of land and wildlife from the wrath of the ravenous creatures.

     

    Debates rage in every corner of every settlement as to how this crisis should be combated, with no clear answers. Some argue for unity, while others petition for independence. Followers of the old gods urge for the resurrection of Makuta, while other factions suggest that nature be allowed to take its course.

     

    Regardless of what line of thought one chooses to follow, one thing is abundantly clear: something needs to be done, and soon. The remaining Krana have been found, but their power is wavering. Unconfirmed sightings suggest that the rumoured ‘Generals’ of the swarms, the Bohrok-Kal, have awoken, and if they have freed themselves from their ancient prison, then it’s only a matter of time before the Bohrok Queens rise... and all life on Mata Nui succumbs to their ravenous hunger.

     

    HOW IT WORKS

     

    Although I imagine that most of you will be somewhat familiar with how these games work by now, I’ll give a quick rundown of the basics nonetheless.

     

    The game will consist of seven rounds, known as Episodes. (However, the number of rounds may be increased or reduced if I feel it necessary) These episodes will last 3-5 days, depending on how much is happening, and I will announce in this topic when each episode begins or ends. Over the course of each episode, players will use PMs to travel between locations, interact with other players, and a wide variety of other actions, which will be elaborated on further below. When each episode is concluded, the actions that occurred across the various PMs will be combined into a scene and posted in this main topic.

     

    Keep in mind that even if you, the player, knows something from reading the scene, that doesn’t necessarily mean your character will know those same things in-game.

     

    In regards to PMs, there are two kinds: OFFICIAL and BACKDOOR.

     

    An Official PM is any PM that I have been added to. Anything you say or do in these PMs may or may not find its way into the scene, so be careful. Actions and moves made in Official PMs are the only ones that will be acknowledged in episodes, so if you wish to travel, or communicate, or do anything that will actually happen, it needs to be declared in an Official PM. Each player and village will have an Official PM, and others will be established as the game goes on. (So please ensure you have room in your inboxes for multiple PMs).

     

    A Backdoor PM is any PM that I’m not included in. These are the PMs where you can form secret alliances, communicate covertly with other players, or whatever else you wish. Keep in mind, though, that anything you say or do in a Backdoor PM will not be acknowledged as having actually happened. This also means that information gained in a Backdoor PM can’t be used in-game unless your character has another way of learning it.

     

    MOVES

     

    There are a great many actions you can take over the course of an episode, and very few limitations to what they moves can entail, but here’s a brief overview of some of the more common moves you might choose to make.

    • Communication – The simplest and most integral of moves, this is the simple act of talking to another player. Obviously, you need to be in the same PM as the other person for this to work, but aside from that, there aren’t many limitations to this. Remember, only conversations that occur in an Official PM will be included in the episodes.
    • Messages – Each Koro also has access to a limited number of small Kewa birds. As scavengers, they’re easier to feed and care for than most other rahi species, and serve well at the task of delivering handwritten messages between villages. Due to their small size, there is a slight risk that they can be intercepted by larger bird species, but they still provide the best way of delivering anonymous messages. (In other words, if you send a message by bird, your name won’t be explicitly mentioned in the scene unless someone sees you, or you include your name in the letter). In addition to this, certain roles also have the authority to send NPCs via Gukko bird to deliver messages on their behalf.
    • Combat – Depending on how you all choose to “negotiate”, this might happen a lot, or not at all. How it works is fairly straightforward – you describe your action, then the other player/s involved will describe their response, and counteraction. You might choose to ask me to roll for certain stats to better your chances of landing or evading a hit (more on stats later), in which case you’ll need to wait for me to determine the outcome of the dice rolls before proceeding further with the battle.
    • Command – Regardless of your role, you may at some point find yourself in charge of groups of NPCs. As with regular combat, battle with NPCs will be turn based, with the commanding players dictating to me which re/actions they wish to take. However, battles between NPCs will not be won solely based on whoever has the largest force at hand. The way you take advantage of terrain and resources, as well as your use of strategy and logistics, will have a major impact on deciding the outcome of any engagement.
    • Travel – Another straightforward action, this is the simple act of going from one location to another. How long this takes will depend on where you’re travelling, who you’re travelling with, and what might happen along the way. As a baseline rule, though, it takes roughly 24 hours IRL to travel from one Wahi to another.
    • Other – There are plenty of other things you can attempt. If you can think of it, and justify being able to pull it off, it’s probably worth a try.

     

    ROLES

    • Turaga – In a slight divergence from canon, Turaga is simply the name given to the Matoran who’ve been appointed to lead each village. They get the final say in most decisions, and can potentially overrule the commands of other roles.
    • Captain – Serving as both Captain of the Guard, and Admiral of the navy in certain cases, this role oversees the protection and defence of their village, and is expected to take charge during combat operations. Should the Turaga be killed or incapacitated, it may fall to the General to lead the Koro in times of crisis.
    • Diplomat – These guys handle trade, negotiation, etc. with the other tribes. Much of their time is spent travelling across the island, speaking with their counterparts in the other villages. Some diplomats also have access to certain shady contacts, who may be able to provide them with integral Intel on other villages. Should a Diplomat be eliminated, or deliberately sever trade, it will take three episodes for the other villages to run out of whatever resource that diplomat was dealing in.
    • Other – Each Koro will also have a fourth player. It’s up to you to pitch to me what capabilities and privileges this additional player may have – they may be a religious leader, a spymaster, or something else entirely. In some cases, this role may instead go to a returning character who is estranged from their home village.

     

    GETTING STARTED

     

    You don’t need to have read or participated in the original BZPMN to play this game, but if you wish to read up on the events that have come before, they can be found in the Season 1 topic. There is also a blog post explaining some of the events that have transpired between seasons, and a map of the island.

     

    Please post in the topic which village you would like to be assigned to, then send a PM to me entitled BZPMN 2: [Your Username]. Include in this PM your stat sheet (see below), your character’s pet (if they have one – see below), a short description of your character if you wish, and their name (if you want them to be called something other than your current username). Once all spots have been filled for a village, I’ll gather everyone into their village PMs, where you can decide on your roles.

     

    After roles have been settled, I may contact certain players to assign them additional character-specific secrets or special tasks. These extras will be determined by RNG after roles have been assigned. After this is done, I’ll create a short, introductory prologue episode, and then the game will begin in earnest.

     

    STATS

     

    For the most part, I’ll be relying on player’s own logic and decision-making skills to determine the outcome of most of their actions, but for those of you who prefer to use numbers for these sorts of games, the stats below will help generate more divergence between players during actions and encounters. You have 15 points to distribute between the three categories, although you are limited to a maximum of 10 points for any given stat. Whenever an action occurs that requires a roll, your stat will be combined with a RNG roll out of 10, resulting in a total value out of 20.

    • Strength – this stat relates to any action involving brute force or endurance, such as overpowering an opponent, fighting on despite an injury, and so on.
    • Agility – this stat is used for actions relating to speed and finesse, such as attacking quickly, dodging incoming blows/projectiles, and sleight of hand.
    • Intellect – this stat is used for actions involved perception and persuasion, such as convincing or deceiving someone, or noticing hidden things.

     

    PETS

     

    While resources are somewhat scarce on post-cataclysm Mata Nui, there are nonetheless some Matoran in positions of power who can afford to own and care for rahi companions, which can provide certain benefits. Players are limited to only one rahi pet, which will share the same stat sheet as their owner, and are just as vulnerable to fatigue and attack.

    • Brakas – Annoying, noisy, ape-like rahi, these creatures are extremely dextrous, adept at climbing trees and walls. While not the brightest animals around, they do understand simple commands, and can be instructed to fetch objects and the like. However, they’re not the most stealthy of creatures, and are therefore better suited as distractions.
    • Dikapi – Well acclimated to a desert environment, these creatures are known for their strong beaks, and heightened endurance. A Dikapi is capable of carrying two Matoran, or one Matoran and additional equipment, without reducing travel time. A Dikapi can make multiple trips across the island without needing any sustenance or rest, making it an ideal mount for those who plan to do a lot of frequent travelling.
    • Ussal – Similar to the Dikapi, Ussal crabs can be used to carry two Matoran, or a single Matoran with extra gear, without impacting the time it takes to travel. As well as this, many of them have been trained to serve as mounts in combat, particularly in the Great Ussalry of Onu-Koro.
    • Gukko – Graceful, four-winged birds, these creatures were frequently used as mounts in Le-Koro. The few that survived the inferno have found new homes in the other villages. Riding one reduces the travel time between any location by half, but once the destination is reached, the Gukko will require 24 hours IRL to rest before it can be used in this way again. The Gukko can still fight and travel during this cooldown time, if need be.
    • Hapaka – Agile, dog-like rahi, these bipedal creatures are known for their sociable, curious nature, and sharp, barking cry. They understand basic commands, can track scents, and make for amiable companions or guard dogs.
    • Kavinika – The bigger, meaner cousin of the Hapaka, these vicious lupine beasts are more savage and hard to control than their relatives.
    • Kahu – Cunning, hawk-like rahi, (for the purposes of this game, think of them as being more like a bird of prey, big enough to ride on your arm or shoulder), these intelligent avians have been trained to follow simple commands, and are capable of intercepting and grounding their smaller Kewa cousins.

     

    VILLAGES

     

    As detailed in the blog post linked above, many things have changed on the island of Mata Nui during the past few years. The villages have embraced a newfound sense of multiculturalism, allowing Matoran of any element to reside within their walls. As such, there are many who believe that the names of the villages are outdated, and in desperate need of changing. S0, after a village has been filled, players will have the opportunity to decide if they wish to rename their village.

    Once the villages are filled, players will be arranged into a group PM, which will contain more information about their chosen village – such as some suggested goals, some brief outlines of your current relationships with the other villages, and details regarding which named NPCs might play an important role in your village’s operations.

     

    Ta-Koro

    A veritable fortress of stone and metal, Ta-Koro is encased in towering fortified walls, and surrounded by a moat of lava, with a retractable drawbridge to prevent enemy access during a siege. They primarily trade in metal and other goods mined from within the volcano. The village’s total population numbers at around 1000, with 300 of those serving in the guard, and 100 more in the navy. The population consists mainly of Ta and Su Matoran.

     

    Ko-Koro

    Making judicious use of the natural defences at their disposal, Ko-Koro is situated beneath a colossal block of ice that separates two glaciers, and is surrounded on all side by crevasses. The village is accessible only via a bridge connecting to the main entrance, and a secret tunnel known to only a few high-ranking officials. With a population of skilled rahi hunters, they trade heavily in sophisticated animal traps, as well as various captive rahi and other animal goods. Their population is roughly 1000, with 300 serving in the Sanctum guard, and a further 100 in the navy. Most of the inhabitants are Ko and De Matoran.

     

    Po-Koro

    Situated on the vast, open plains of Po-Wahi, the skilled carvers and masons of Po-Koro have had to work hard to establish their village’s defences. A high stone wall encircles the village, and the surrounding landscape is dotted with statues and monuments that are both visually pleasing, and make for decent cover in a firefight. Officially, the population is currently around 750, with 250 of these operating as a defensive garrison, but the city is still home to a great many criminals and fugitives. Po-Koro is primarily populated by Po-Matoran, but is home to a wide variety of others as well.

     

    Onu-Koro

    Hidden away in a cavern deep underground, Onu-Koro’s isolation is its greatest defence. A singular large tunnel connects from the village entrance to the surface, but there are numerous other entrances known only to the populace. Their exports include minerals and metals mined from beneath the earth, Their population sits at around 750, with 250 of these serving in the Ussalry. In addition to the resident Onu-Matoran, the village has also come to house a large population of Fa and Fe Matoran.

     

    Ga-Koro

    Nestled in the heart of Naho Bay, Ga-Koro is built atop a network of giant lily pads growing up from the seabed, connected by sturdy bridges and walkways, and held aloft by a series of pumps. Much of the surrounding land is dense mangroves and inhospitable bogs, meaning that the safest approach to the village is by boat. Beyond their trade of food and water, their other goods include fish, rope, and bamboo. They have a sizeable population of 1100, 325 of whom serve in the Marines, while a further 125 make up the Gukko Force. In addition to the resident Ga-Matoran, Ga-Koro has also come to be home for the Le and Bo Matoran.

     

    Kra-Koro

    Built atop the ruins of what was once Kini-Nui, the sprawling encampment that makes up this ‘village’ is protected by a labyrinthine mess of defensive trenches, imposing barricades, and rudimentary ramparts. It remains largely self-sufficient, housing Matoran of all elements and skillsets, and trades nothing to the rest of the island save for vague promises of ‘salvation’. The population is believed to number somewhere around 500, and given the fanatical nature of the inhabitants, it’s expected that most, if not all, of this number would commit themselves to the defence if Kra-Koro were ever to come under attack.

     

    ARTEFACTS

    The island of Mata Nui is home to a great many strange and powerful items and devices, some originating from ages long gone, others having been constructed in more recent times.

    • Krana Xa – provides more complex control over the Bohrok, allowing the wearer to control 30 Lehvak and 15 Lehvak Va. (Currently worn by Tuyet of Kra-Koro).
    • Krana Vu – allows the wearer to control 20 Tahnok, and 10 Tahnok Va, as well as fly short distances. (Currently in Elittra’s possession)
    • Krana Su – grants the wearer greatly enhanced strength, and allows them to control 20 Gahlok, and 10 Gahlok Va. (Currently in Ga-Koro’s possession).
    • Krana Za – allows the wearer to, with concentration, read the surface-level thoughts of others, as well as control 20 Kohrak and 10 Kohrak-Va. (Currently owned by Kaathe of Po-Koro).
    • Krana Ca – provides the ability to generate a weak, temporary energy shield, and allows the wearer to control 20 Pahrak, and 10 Pahrak Va. (Currently in Ko-Koro).
    • Krana Bo – gives night/low light vision to the wearer, and provides control over 20 Nuhvok, and 10 Nuhvok-Va. (Currently in Onu-Koro).
    • Fire Sword – the famed weapon of Toa Tahu, the blade remains hot to the touch, and constantly emits a flickering, torch-like light. (Currently in Onu-Koro).
    • Air Axe – once wielded by Toa Lewa, this weapon is incredibly light, and meets with no resistance when being swung through the air, allowing it to be wielded far more dextrously than is normal for an axe. (Currently owned by Grav of Ta-Koro).
    • Water Hooks – the weapons of Toa Gali, these peculiar tools have a strange habit of making their way back to each other should one of them be dropped or thrown. (Currently possessed by Unit of Ko-Koro).
    • Earth Claws – once owned by Toa Onua, the tips of these weapons are deceptively sharp, able to penetrate stone and metal alike with unnatural ease. (Currently located in Po-Koro).
    • Ice Sword – formerly the personal weapon of Toa Kopaka, this blade gives off a constant, intense aura of cold. (Currently owned by Nidhiki of Kra-Koro).
    • Toa Shield – the other tool of Toa Kopaka. Like the rest of the Toa tools, the shield appears to be utterly indestructible, although the impractical network of gaps in the surface of the shield make it semi-useless for fending off regular weapons. However, the shield has proven itself able to negate elemental attacks. (Currently in Ga-Koro).
    • Staff of Light – formerly wielded by the short-lived Toa of Light, Takanuva, this staff is allegedly more powerful than the other, comparatively dormant Toa Tools. (Location currently unknown).

     

    EPISODES

    As each episode occurs, it will be linked here.

     

    Season 1

    Teaser – Countdown to Chaos

    Prologue – Another Story's Beginning

    Episode 1 – Broken Koros, Part 1 & Part 2

    Episode 2 – Dreams of Chaos, Part 1 & Part 2

    Episode 3 – Beneath the Surface, Part 1 & Part 2

    Episode 4 – The Dawn of War, Part 1 & Part 2

    Episode 5 – A Slaughter of Ice and Fire, Part 1 & Part 2

    Episode 6 – The Cost of Victory, Overture

    Episode 7 – Into Darkness, Finale

     

    Season 2

    Teaser – Evolution of an Island

  18. Paleo
    Latest Entry

    Please! Everyone! Sign the petition!

    And once you've done that, make sure to check out the subreddit for more ways you can help!

  19. Feb 21 marked 10 years since I joined BZPower! And it completely slipped my mind to pay a visit! I'm so sorry! :'(

  20. Hey! Long time no blog.

     

    After a short hiatus, my BrickLink store is back open!

     

    Mention BZPower and get 10% off!

     

    More stock coming next week!

     

    -CF :kakama:

  21. I don't go to bed before 2am anymore, y'all.

     

    Seriously - I've been trapped in what at this point is probably a month-long cycle where I just can't being myself to hit the sack before the wee hours of the morning roll around. My roommate probably hates it, but he's a pretty sound sleeper and he's never complained about it so I'm not really motivated to stop. That's the thing about this cycle - nothing is motivating me to snap out of it, and because of that I'll do nothing during the day knowing full well I have a 2-hour-plus nook carved out just around midnight where I get the bulk of my work done without any kind of disturbance (except, well, writing this when I should be studying for an exam I have tomorrow). When I come to my senses, I think I'll miss those peaceful hours.

     

    All that to say, I'm in college now and the last time I wrote a post on this website I was still in middle school. Oh, how time flies.

     

    I don't really recognize anything about BZPower's current state - everything I did here was before the Dataclysm (that's what we called it, right?) and the archives don't seem to really actually work, so even though my profile claims that I have over 600 posts, only 2 of them actually exist anymore. Heck, even Maj is dead now, so even most of the comics I made for this place are gone forever now too. I haven't poked around to see what this place is like, although I feel like I should, because I'm afraid I'll look around and just straight up not recognize any names. I have lots of questions about what happened to this place, mostly just about who stayed, who left, and how many new people actually ended up coming here. BIONICLE did come back for a while, so was there a revival of sorts?

     

    At this point the post's gotten a bit rambly, but let me give a bit of background for anyone who doesn't recognize my username (read: everyone). I joined BZPower in 2007, because I had just recently become enamored with the BIONICLE line and after moving to Colorado didn't have many friends at first so I found fun in reading about my favorite toys on the Internet. I guess. I think I mostly posted pictures of my subpar MOCs at first but it probably wasn't even a month after I joined that I released a really subpar comic series, Coleanuva's Comics. Despite my blatant lack of wit or artistic talent, I stubbornly made a home for myself in the Artwork III subforum, and for the next 2 years that was basically the only place I went on the website. I made several friends who also made comics - though I figure they probably looked at me as an annoying little kid who tried to tag along with them, which I wouldn't at ll blame them for because that would be spot-on accurate. Lol. Anyway, I complained my way into the International Comic Continuity, which was composed of thirteen (maybe? idfk, it grew as we went along and most people didn't end up actually releasing much after the group formed anyway) comic makers who, but for a few notable exceptions - okay, maybe just the one - were all pretty darn talented. Unfortunately, pretty soon after that group came to be, some stuff happened and we kinda lost momentum, and then the Dataclysm happened and we pretty much just died. I'm not quite sure where the rest of them are today - they were all older than me so I figure they're pretty much not even thinking about this place, which is probably natural at this point, lol. Kahi I think is still part of TTV, which is pretty cool; I look at Tavakai's Twitter every now and then, and he seems to be doing well; and I was actually in contact with Gavla semi-recently, and that was really nice.

     

    So that's my history on BZPower, which was kind of a long blurb for what amounted to a whole lot of nothing. Which, I don't know, that was probably pretty self-indulgent of me to write but this is my blog and my parents paid 35 buckaroos for me to be able to have it so you're gonna have to deal with it. At this point I feel like I've just been begging for someone to say they remember me, and how vain is that? (Pretty vain.) So I'm just gonna move on.

     

    Since leaving BZP I've had a pretty good life thus far. I got a lot better at talking to people and that led to at least a halfway-pleasurable experience for me in high school, which was nice. I also got better at sports and played baseball on my school's varsity team, which I would not have believed if you had told me that when I used to frequent this place. (speaking of that, if there's a decent baseball community around here, I might be interested in contributing to that - I could talk sports for days with anyone, lol) I began college and I'm here now studying computer engineering, which I'm thoroughly enjoying. I'm living a lot better than I was before, and I'm just generally pretty happy with life. When I used to go on here a lot, I guess I wasn't so sure of that - but I was pretty young, then, so it's not like I knew much anyway.

     

    If you're still here with me, thanks for reading! This is both something I've wanted to do for a while and an excellent way of not studying differential equations because I am so bad at it. If y'all have anything you'd like to tell me about the state of the website, what's changed, or your favorite memories of old (pre-crash) BZP, I think that would be cool! If not, I think that's also cool! I was just thinking about this place and wanted to run by the neighborhood again to see what was going on. Hope you all are doing well, and have a great day!

     

    (also, the sidebars on this blog may no longer be accurate, lol)

     

    Cole

  22. So I've been notably absent on BZP for a long while now, in large part is because of the site slowly plunging further into a death spiral of inactivity. Which I somewhat regret, as I more or less grew up on here. But, leaving reflections on BZP's importance for another time, my main point now is to direct everyone to where my recent MOCs can be found, as they certainly aren't in BBC anymore.

     

    All MOCs of mine going forward can be found on either my Instagram (@ballomnomnom), or my Flickr (Ballom Nom Nom).

     

    https://www.instagram.com/ballomnomnom/

     

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/ballomnomnom/

     

    Cheers!

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