Letters From the Void

It's a New Year, which apparently is a magical reset button that changes everything, which is why we all resolve to do something new that we apparently couldn't do until hitting the reset button.  "That was easy"...but anyway.

2011 means I'm going to start talking about Bioni-Lords Book 3: Kako.  The subtitle, "Kako", is a Japanese word meaning "past".  That's right.  Book 3 is a flashback book!

Book 3 takes place around 1274-1275 A.B.L., approximately 20 years before Book 1.  Khadaz's parents, Genakex and Xyla, are main characters in this one, so it completes what I call "The Ikhav Trilogy," and the main point is to show what things were like before the 10th Level Bioni-Lord came to power.  Right before.  As in, immediately before.  (Strong hinting over.)

I'll probably adress a few other points as Sekai reaches its end, but for now that's all I'm saying about Kako.  Oh, except this: DON'T SEND IN ANY GUEST STARS OR PLOT IDEAS.  I have some ideas and guest star slots, but don't call me.  I'll call you.

Sekai is currently on a bit of a hold so I can work on the websites.  The Main Site has been updated, although I'm considering a few more things...please give me feedback on the content of the website.  As for the Orb Index, I have about 211 Spirits to put up, plus I want to make a Navigation page, so...could take a little while.

But I've already started writing the Volt-Isle arc.  It'll probably be pretty short, and I'm skipping a few Medallion battles almost entirely.  As said earlier in the book, Nuhvok won't be attacking while the kids are on Volt-Isle, but there is another Twilight Guardian temple there...

And if you've seen my sig, you know that I've decided to finally drop a hint towards The Forgotten Bond.  The line under the banner, saying that "Coming Soon" means "sometime between now and 2013" is a bit exaggerated--I'm hoping to get The Forgotten Bond up within 2011, but I'm going to give myself 2012 as a margin for error.  I should hurry, because the sequel ideas won't shut up...

Anyway, Happy New Year everyone!  Hope it's a great one for you!

Turns out my Letters From the Void got lost in the mail.  What's worse is that while wandering the Void, I ended up in the Disgaea universe and got killed, so I trned into a Prinny.  Being a Prinny is NOT fun.

But...back in the real world.  I'm beginning to think that I'm going to have to push back the deadline for Sekai--it probably won't be done by the second anniversary.  I'll try to finish it as soon as I can--Lost Continent 10, 11, and 12 are all really short, and I'm not planning to put too much on Volt-Isle.  Draco-Isle...not entirely sure right now.  And the ending arc will be long, very, very long...

I'm so sorry that there's so much in Sekai.  It's overcrowded and it's just a mess, really.  I'll do what I can to cut down the volume of Book 3, and Book 4 will definitely be shorter but might be a bit cluttered...meh, we'll get to that when we get to it.  Speaking of Book 3, I believe that in an earlier entry I said I would begin dropping hints about it in 2011?  Check back here some time in January if you're interested.

Back to Sekai, then--I have some free time this week, so I should be able to get a new chapter typed and posted.  There is something else I'm doing with my computer time right now, though, so...Wednesday?  Maybe?  I do need to make some site edits, but I think I'll put those off until we get to Volt-Isle.  Just some profiles, a few miscellaneous articles, and a Spirit or two, plus some updates to the Story Arcs page to keep it up to date.

But if you're not interested in Bioni-Lords, I have some other news.  Remember the other story I announced on this blog?  "BIONICLE: The Forgotten Bond"?  I've been doing some work on it as well, and I'm just about to start Chapter 12.  Right now I can't predict how many chapters it will take, but I garuntee you that it'll be shorter than a Bioni-Lords book.  All of the villains are together and we're about to bring together two groups of heroes, and once that happens I can get on to the next few scenarios.  This is also the point in development where I'm beginning to think up short story and sequel ideas.

Once Forgotten Bond is almost if not entirely finished, I'll begin posting it on BZPower, and after it's over and I see what kind of reception it gets I'll decide if I'll be doing any related stories.  Part of me wants to begin giving hints about it, but I also want it to be a surprise...

Meh, no one's reading this anyway.

If by some chance this letter shall be read by anyone, I offer this piece of advice: never go seeking a Void-controlling warrior unless someone or something with magical powers says you're destined to do so.

I am Exo-Pahrak, formerly honored with the title of "Kal Titan," but unfortunately I made the horrible mistake of taking on a mission I was not prepared for.  In pursuit of a Void Saber, a sword capable of cleaving reality, I hunted down my world's static portal to the Void and grappled with its protector, Silhouette Panrahk.  He was stronger than I was expecting, however, and I was cast into the Void.

This realm of 'nothingness' isn't what I expected: there are bits of rubble floating here and there, along with thousands of star-like points of light.  Not to mention all the creatures wandering its depths...I've had close encounters with both the dreaded Shinryu and the fearsome Omega.  Worst of all is the current, a destructive force trying to pull me in all directions at once, seeping through my body and tearing at my very soul.  The Void is perilous indeed, but...I can't allow myself to just fade away.

I am now Exo-Pahrak, Void Nomad, and one day I shall find my way out of this world of emptiness.

I've been taking some classes at college for a while now, and this semester I'm taking a "Writing for the Web" class.  One of our projects is to create a fake homepage for a fictional business, and I thought I may as well see if the Bioni-Lords website would fit well enough.  It seemed incredibly unlikely, but...it did.  The Bioni-Lords website, Exo's Desk V2, is about to be submitted for review to my college professor.

For obvious reasons, this inspired me to make lots of updates, to both Exo's Desk V2 and the Spirit Index.  I added paragraphs to both main pages that show the date of the latest update, and the Spirit Index now includes a Color-coding Key and a link to Exo's Desk.  Exo's Desk has a link to the Spirit Index, links to every Bioni-Lords story (minus the Halloween one...I have disowned it ), a "What's on This Page?" paragraph on most pages, and a few other edits.

And if you read the last chapter of Sekai, you'll know that Jungle and Psionics are now Elements.  I've added them to the Elements page on Exo's Desk V2, although there isn't quite as much information as with the others, and soon I'll start editing the pages on the Spirit Index to show which Spirits and attacks have these new Elements.

All this time I've been complaining about how school hinders my work with Bioni-Lords.  Irony strikes again!

Well between school and life I haven't been able to get much of anything done, have I?  Life snuck up on me while my back was turned and started shooting at me, so I was at a bit of a disadvantage and needed to find cover.  Of course, once I found cover Life kept shooting and I couldn't find an opening, and it was quite some time before I could step out long enough to deflect some bullets with my sword and get closer, but once that started I gained momentum and eventually got up to Life, cut off his arm, and knocked him out cold.  I dropped him off at the hospital with a note addressed to him saying, "Don't mess with the nest."
...Get it?  Nest?  Because I'm a Bohrok?
...

But anyway, hopefully the next chapter of Sekai will be up this week.  I've gotten real far behind on that, but I'm still hoping to finish it before (or not far after) the two year mark.  I guess we'll just have to wait and see how that goes...
I hope you guys like this next scenario.  It's still in the Lost Continent 9 arc, and it focuses on Khadaz and Norscu and everyone investigating the Dark Knights' castle.  How can they do something like that, you ask?  You'll see.

BIONICLE: The Forgotten Bond has made some good progress, though it will still be a while before I put it online.  Besides this and Sekai there are a few other stories I'm working on (for use on other websites), but they're almost done so that may create some more time for both Sekai and Forgotten Bond.

And Technic Coliseum...I really need to get better at making frequent updates on that.  Registration for the next tournament should begin this week, and once that's over we'll have new recruits and equipment--I'll be making some items for Hero Factory heroes available, sorry it took so long.  As for the recruits I don't want to say, but you can probably guess who they are and what equipment they might be needing.  And the Krana Xa-Kal...I've still got nothing.  Its only storyline function is to wake up the Bahrag--how do you turn that into a battle item?  Any suggestions would be welcome.

I've also been considering a name change, but I kind of like "Exo-Pahrak Kal Titan"...my new idea was "Paladin Panrahk."  I'll have to give that some thought...just saying, I might become someone new sometime soon.  Not sure when I'll go back to being an Exo-Zadakh.  But that's all I have to say.  Until next time!

What's this?  Exo-Zadakh has become Exo-Pahrak?

Oh, wait, no one cares lol

As usual, I have stuff to say about Sekai!  Chapter 90 just went up the other day, and that's the end of the Mutant-Isle arc.  Since I have a long weekend I may be able to get you into the Lost Continent 9 arc real soon!  The main website is...semi-up-to-date, and as of this typing the Orbs List is complete.  I'm attempting to write the first chapter of Fe-Isle, which is going, eh...okay I suppose.  I have a few events planned for this island, just not sure how to space it all out so that it works...oh, and Chapter 100 probably won't be anything special, sorry.

In BIONICLE: The Forgotten Bond, I've made it past the writer's block I had and right now I'm working on Chapter 4.  I'm so far, right? I'm actually a little concerned about how it'll be received...in the first chapter it appears to be a type of story that some people will probably reject, but it's more expanded than it seems at first glance.

Also, in case anyone reading this doesn't know that I'm working with some excellent writers in the Library Summer Olympics Epics Unlimited Relay, check out the Team 4 Story Topic to read Shattered Obsidian!

I should probably get this out of the way. *ahem* As some of you may know, Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep is coming out soon, and even though I think the voice acting is atrocious (compared to the Japanese voice acting, at least) I'm still getting it.  What this means is that I'll be spending a bit less time on the computer because I'll be busy playing this game.  I'll try to get on at least once a day, though, and if at all possible I'll take some time to set down the PSP and type up some Sekai.

All members of Team 4 for the Epics Unlimited Relay can post here to discuss our story.

The plan: win the contest!  The details: ...*shrug*

So...cue discussion!

Finished that game I was talking about last time, so I had time to put Sekai 88 up today.  This one shows more of the invasion, which is almost over, and shows Zak using a new technique he invented.  There's also a cameo of a character some of you might recognize...if not, then just wait until Book 3.

Writing Chapter 95 right now, which begins the second of two scenarios in the Lost Continent 9 arc.  Not sure how long it'll last, though...and still not sure if there'll be anything special in Chapter 100.  Hopefully I'll be able to get back to a good typing pattern now, and I'm aiming to finish Lost Continent 9 before August 23rd...which is when I have to go back to school. Not sure if Fe-Isle will be done inside of August, but I'll do my best to get both it and Lost Continent 10 done before the end of September.  Lost Continent 10 is probably only going to be only one chapter, so...

But going back to school is likely to slow my progress with both typing and writing.  I'm going to do my best, but I can't make any promises...hopefully it won't push my schedule for Sekai back too far.  Oh, and in case you're wondering about BIONICLE: The Forgotten Bond, I have the prologue and first chapter done, but that's it...well, two or three lines in chapter 2, but that's not much.

Hm...sign off with a random smiley!

Sorry it's been so long since the last chapter of Sekai, but I got distracted by a video game.  As usual. I put up a new chapter today, though, showing lots of Forbidden Techniques and Rien vs. Kikanalo, where Rien explains why Spirit Weapon is so powerful.  Hopefully I'll be able to get the next chapter up sooner; I'm not finished with the game I'm playing, but I'm almost done.

As far as writing goes, I finished the Mutant-Isle arc (which took about half of a 70-sheet notebook) and moved on to Lost Continent 9.  Chapter 91 shows some of Khadaz's new skills, and Chapter 92 focuses on events at the Dark Knights' castle.  93 should finish that scenario, and then 94 can have some talking that transitions to the next scenario which will begin either 94/95...not sure how long it'll take, though.

Chapter 100 is fast approaching, but I'm not sure if anything special will be done for it.  To tell you the truth, in Book 1 I wasn't really expecting to do anything special, but after Chapter 96 I figured I may as well stall for a few chapters and make 100 the Khadaz vs. Union fight.  When I get closer to Sekai 100 I'll decide if I can put anything special in it, and I just might be able to due to the point in the timeline...we'll see.

I've also been giving some thought to when I'll be willing to reveal things about Book 3, and I decided that I'll at least give out one or two bits of information in 2011 or when Draco-Isle is finished...whichever comes first.  Book 3 should start about, oh...mid-2011 if I can keep up with my deadlines, and though I have no idea how long it'll take I'm hoping to keep it a bit shorter than Books 1 and 2.  Please don't send any ideas related to Book 3, because it's probably not what you're expecting it to be...but please send in Spirit Weapon designs if you have a character, because we need those. Desparately.

Hm, I think that should about cover it...I may as well say that I'm working on a new story independant of Bioni-Lords, but I want to get it mostly if not entirely done before I start posting.  When it does go up, though, please check it out!  At this point all I can reveal is the title, which is "BIONICLE: The Forgotten Bond"...might change, but not likely to.  Please, PLEASE don't use that title--it took me forever to come up with it.  This project will take a back seat to Sekai, though, so it might be quite a while before it gets online...hopefully it will be worth the wait.

--Exo-Zadakh

Hey guys, how's it going?  Sorry I haven't gotten a new chapter of Bioni-Lords 2 up lately--I've been meaning too, but I just couldn't find the time yesterday or today.  Hopefully I can get it up tomorrow...

Also, thanks to the new Hero Factory website I'm going to begin work on the Hero Factory Bioni-Spirits very soon.  Some of them may even be featured in Bioni-Lords 2, and I was thinking about giving one or two of them to the Element-Lords in Book 3.

I'm hoping to have Bioni-Lords Book 1 FULLY Rewritten by the end of summer--end of July, if possible--and have Book 2 through Mutant-Isle in a similar time frame as well.  Hopefully I'll also update the websites...the main one is behind, and the Orbs List is in need of the Hero Factory Spirits and a few others I have planned.