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[Friar Tuck]

BZPRPG Rules and Index
Be sure to read the FAQ!

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BZPRPG Hosts

• Friar Tuck ( PM | Email: krunch_line@hotmail.com | AIM: Tucky Unlimited | MSN: krunch_line@hotmail.com )
• Nuju Metru ( PM | Email: aaron.new01@gmail.com | AIM: bznuju | MSN: ??? )
• Emzee ( PM | Email: emzee@ymail.com | AIM: RokaBZP | MSN: emzee@ymail.com )
• Sisen ( PM | Email: inosisen@aim.com | AIM: inosisen | MSN: smartguy5796@wmconnect.com )

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Map of Mata-Nui
(As pointed out by some of our sharp-eyed sleuths, some of the locations are not exact. This is just a generalization to get basic bearings in-game, not a perfect topographical map)

Story Thus Far: Intro!

Bzprpg 2011: Mata-Nui
The Story-

In the time before time, the Great Spirit descended from the heavens, carrying we, the ones called Matoran, to this island paradise. We were separate and without purpose, so the Great Spirit blessed us with three virtues: unity, duty, and destiny. We embraced these gifts and, in gratitude, we named our island home Mata-Nui, after the Great Spirit himself.

But our happiness was not to last. Mata-Nui's brother, Makuta, was jealous of these honors and betrayed him. Makuta cast a spell over Mata-Nui, who fell into a deep slumber. Makuta's power dominated the land, as fields withered away, sunlight grew cold, and ancient values were forgotten.

Still, all hope was not lost. Legends told of six mighty heroes, the Toa, who would arrive to save Mata-Nui. Time would reveal that these were not simply myths – for the Toa did appear on the shores of the island. They arrived with no memory, no knowledge of one another – but they pledged to defend Mata-Nui and its people against the darkness. Tahu, Toa of Fire. Onua, Toa of Earth. Gali, Toa of Water. Lewa, Toa of Air. Pohatu, Toa of Stone. And Kopaka, Toa of Ice. Great warriors with great power, drawn from the very elements themselves. Together, they were six heros with one destiny: to defeat Makuta and save Mata-Nui. These heroes were infallible.

Or so we thought.

As was their destiny, when all the masks of power were found, and their powers perfected, they descended into the Makuta's lair to confront the Master of Shadows himself, to free the Matoran of his power and awaken Mata-Nui. They disappeared into the temple of Kini-Nui… and never returned. Somehow, even the combined powers of the six Toa were not enough to defeat him. Makuta was too strong. After the Toa's disappearance, there was nothing to prevent the Master of Shadow from taking back the island; the Makuta was free to unleash his shadows once more. And unleash them…

He did.

The land and beasts were once again his. The rahi of the island, from the flying Nui-Rama to the crawling Mana were enslaved to Makuta's will by infected masks. But Makuta awakened even darker things to serve his will, as well. Terrifying and demonic creatures known as Rahkshi, spawn of the Master of Shadows himself, appeared, possessing the same qualities and powers of their creator - including his characteristic lack of mercy.

This was over a hundred years ago.

The Matoran of Mata Nui live still in fear. Many Toa have since come into being; the ailing Great Spirit has created hero after hero, but none so far have had the power or the strength of will to topple Makuta. Foreign races have washed up on the shores of the island, none able to remember from where they came. Only the fragile trust between the Koros has been enough to stave off Makuta's forces... but Unity is a virtue that is steadily losing its vitality. Duty is a dull pain that too many live under.

The virtue of Destiny, however, has not run its full course. There is a new prophesy in the stars, one that brings hope to the Matoran: the rise of a new set of heroes, ones that will defeat the mighty Makuta, and save Mata-Nui. This is difficult to believe however as the Master of Shadow's hold on the island is nearly complete, his forces growing in number and force by the day.

This is where my tale ends, ours meet, and yours starts, Adventurer. Who will you be? Are you a hero, a foretold one has come to fulfill the original six's destiny? Or are you a servant of the Makuta, working to make his hold complete?

Your actions will reveal all.


If you read the above storyline, you'll see that it is almost identical to that which we introduced at the beginning of this year. Imagine the island of Mata Nui, as it was in the 2001 story arc - but imagine that the Toa Mata failed. Since then, the island has grown more perilous, but no less innocent. The Matoran of Mata Nui try their best to go about life as it once was - fighting off Rahi is now as normal to them as enduring a storm. Toa are being created by the dozens (explains the high percentage of Toa living on the island) in an attempt to defeat Makuta. Skakdi and Vortixx, newcomers whose origins are uncertain, have been spotted by many. Some theorize that, just as Mata Nui has extended his will to increase the numbers of Toa, so too has Makuta extended his own intellect, interfering with the fates of many and landing many potential servants from other places off the coast of the island.

If you read the above storyline closely, you probably also noticed that something is different from the beginning of the year: Xa-Kuta is no longer part of the story. It never existed. It never will exist. Our rationale for this can be found in the next post.

Alright guys, this is the General Discussion Topic, or GD for short. Here you can talk about the game in general, catch up on recent events, or just chill out. If you have a specific question to ask staff, please use the provided links above to contact us directly, for any reason.

Welcome to the game!

Edited by Friar Tuck, Oct 15 2011 - 01:34 PM.

[Friar Tuck]

Alright guys, welcome back to the BZPRPG! There have been a few changes that we, the staff, have deemed necessary to make. The biggest of these is the total elimination of Xa-Kuta magic and Xa-Koronian society: it no longer exists in the game, and that includes any hierarchy, locations, tech, rules/laws, you name it. We as a team decided that, cool as all the mage stuff was, it wasn't helping our story or our environment - in fact, we deemed the existence of Xa-Kuta to be detrimental to our game.

Why? It was too advanced for Mata Nui. The technology, social structuring, and urban/futuristic attitudes that the existence of Xa-Kuta fostered were bad for the spirit of the island of Mata Nui. We wanted to recreate the innocence, the simplicity, and the charm of the first years of BIONICLE. Xa-Kuta was doing the very opposite. As such, it is gone. It never happened - Xa-Kuta was never a part of the story.

You may ask here, "But, if Xa-Kuta never existed... what happens to all those plots and characters shaped by it in the earlier part of the year?" The answer is very simple. They are disregarded. It's really a very easy fix. How, you wonder? Here's how:

EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED IN THE FIRST PART OF THIS YEAR NO LONGER HAPPENED.

Yes, yes, I know, shout and cry all you want. But that's what we've decided is necessary to revive, to simplify, and to repair the game. For one, the earlier part of the year is all stuffed together in the old posts archive - inaccessible and inconvenient to keep checking back to for consistency. Another problem with trying to keep continuity with the first part of the year was the Xa-Kuta removal - it would have made the stuff that already happened confusing, full of holes. And we wanted to give ourselves and you a second shot at this "new beginning;" I don't think we got off to a very good start last time.

For once a large data change worked in our favor. Imagine that

The other big announcement(s) is how I am going to handle the game form now on. First, some changes in how staff plays characters. All staff are still allowed to play personal characters; however, personal characters have NO PERKS; they are no more special than other PC's. They must follow the same rules as everyone else. If my staff wants to play just to have fun, then that's all they're doing. Treat staff personal characters as you would any other character.

To balance this, though, staff will also control "BZPRPG Canon" characters that may or may not resemble personal characters; the purpose of these characters is to either help or hinder the players in the course of the game. They can have their own storylines and interests and dreams, but their first priority will be to the game and to the players. BZPRPG Canon characters may seem like regular PCs, but they most certainly are not. These guys will probably be at a much higher power level than everyone else, and will probably be able to kick-butt at will... but they are here to move the game along, help/hinder the players.

Second, staff will be loosening up the gameplay a bit. I have been working with Nuju an my other staff to direct the BZPRPG to more of a sandbox-type game in which you can do whatever you want with your character. So if you want to be a detective, financial guru, sword-for-hire, create your own organization, or anything else, I'm not going to shoot it down. Everything is negotiable as long and its reasonable, you work at it, and realize a bunch of stuff might happen before it becomes a reality. There WILL be an official background story, but that's just it: background. Its what keeps this island fresh and time moving on, and chances are just like in real life most of you will not be able to affect it... though if you're lucky enough or just good enough or in the right place and the right time meh, it can happen.

In exchange for your newfound liberties, though, myself and my staff will be putting the clamp down a few core rules, this one specifically:

"Do not play as another player's character unless that player has given you explicit permission to do so. Likewise, you cannot kill or seriously injure another character without that player’s permission."

Unless given permission under no circumstances can you take control in ANY way other person's char. This is ESPECIALLY important in combat, where people tend to post the blow landing or otherwise disregard other important details. If you shoot something, merely post the shot, do not have it land. If you are trying to rip the air out of somebody's lungs, post the vacuum but DO NOT post your victim's reaction. He/she is NOT your character, DO NOT RP it! Please use common sense and consideration when RPing with others.

Alright guys, that should cover the big changes. If you have any questions either ask them here or PM them to me or my staff. But before you do, please read below, for this might answer your question(s). Thanks to Nuju for re-compiling/editing this for me/proofreading/etc... Like I'm doing right now! - Nuju


Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Sweet! So I can have my current characters take up the mantle of the Toa Olda!
A: Sorry, no. As has been said several times, this is a hard reset. All history, locations, characters are essentially deleted, erased, gone as if they never existed.

Q: Wait, so that means-
A: That's right: you make a brand-new character. From scratch. There will be NO carryover this time around, and that includes everyone, even staff! So no carbon-copies of previous chars, or really-close representations. Failure to follow this will result in character deletion, and possibly suspension if seen fit. That said, because of who I am, I am giving you an "out". Sort of.

You cannot carbon-copy chars. Period. But I will allow, as long as it complies within the new rules, you to re-create an old char under the "What If" scenario – this is called “Character Preservation.” The key is to find some crucial difference, be it an event from their past, a trait, etc., that makes your past character into someone very different from their previous incarnation.

The core is still there, but with numerous discrepancies, the character becomes instantly different, and now his/her demeanor, dialog, action, decisions, and future will end up being utterly different from those of his/her "first" self. By changing one or two key points in his/her past or character, it is possible to have a character radically different and new, but still familiar.

Also, I would not recommend Character Preservation to newer players, or chars with little actual history. To re-invent someone is not as easy as it sounds, and if you're not careful you will end up with a carbon copy with a few cosmetic differences. In other words, you need a deep, developed character that when you change something really DOES alter his/her life in a radical fashion.

I am being pretty basic, but I presume you get what I am going at. Character Preservation is allowed, but you should be warned – staff reserves the right to decide you’ve preserved too much. For most of you its would be better just to start from scratch, because staff will be watching closely and if ANYONE smells like and old char... Your character can very easily be smited if he/she does not follow our rules.

Q: Okay, okay, no old chars. I got it. Anyway, I see several species other than toa and Matoran?
A: Yes, in order to create a more diverse world I am allowing species from all over the MU instead of just Mata-Nui itself. Certain other species, like Skakdi or Vortixx, are allowed. But bear in mind, this is Mata Nui – the vast majority of the population are Matoran and, to a lesser extent, Toa. Foreign races shouldn’t be in abundance – and how they got to Mata Nui should not be fully known.

Q: Cool, so that mean I can use Xia tech-
A: Ok, come on back here a sec. We are on old-school Mata-Nui, INCLUDING tech level. That means no fancy laser guns or teleportation terminals or shiny spaceships. I'm talking Ussal carts, swords, disk launchers, and mask powers. If it wasn't found on Mata-Nui, you can't have it... and no, after six months you can't build a secret factory to produce the high-tech weapons. Nobody knows how to make them, anyway.

THE EXCEPTION: And this is the only exception – the only way to legally possess more advanced tech is if you have a foreign species character, a Skakdi or a Vortixx. If you have a character of these races, then you are permitted ONE piece of foreign tech. This can be a weapon (like a Zamor Launcher) or any other kind of utilitarian device. You must clear all foreign-tech objects with a staff member.

Q: You said "Makuta" several times. I assume you mean Teridax?
A: No, I said Makuta and I mean Makuta. We don't know who he is. His powers are far-reaching and marvelous, if not mysterious. He is more or less all-powerful. And I think I will end this section on that point.

We are starting over to a simpler time, simpler place. There are a lot of unexplained things, and many things will happen that will NOT be explained or actually cannot. We are re-introducing the art of mystery to the game, and no amount of complaining or scheming will bring you answers. There will be many things that just are, is, and otherwise there.

Q: Can I have a mount/ride? If so, what kind?
A: Yes, your character is allowed to have a pet/mount. However, this companion Rahi of yours must be reasonable – no taming Nui-Rama or other powerful/evil Rahi is allowed unless you have both a very good reason and staff permission. If you have to ask yourself, “Is this Rahi too powerful?” then odds are that it is. Take the safe route and go for something smaller. Beasties like Ussals, Gukkos, etc., animals that we already know have been tamed by Matoran on Mata Nui, however, are perfectly okay. And no, other characters can’t kill or maim your mount without your permission – owned animals are like PC’s in combat.

Q: What is the deal with the Toa Olda? What happened to them? Are Kini-Nui, Makuta’s lair, etc. open territory to explore? Do people know where to find them?
A: The location of the entrance to Makuta’s lair is not secret knowledge. However, entering it is a very bad idea. The lair of Makuta is a veritable fortress, guarded by hordes of nasty, more-powerful-than-you-are Rahi, and worse. The six Toa, mightiest of heroes, entered the lair all together, and even they didn’t come out. The status of the original heroes is currently unknown.

Basically, should you try to go and face the big baddie yourself, it is almost guaranteed that you will be torn to pieces faster than you can say “Refrigerator.”

Q: What about other secrets of Mata Nui, like the Bohrok or the Mask of Light?
A: These aren’t discoverable yet. If and when they make an appearance, it will be by choice of the staff. You can’t just stumble in on the catacombs or the Avohkii, or any other hard-to-find information, either. The inhabitants of Mata Nui don’t know all of its secrets, so neither will you.

Q: I’ve heard some rumblings about Toa Stones – those cool things that are a free pass to turn Matoran into Toa at the snap of a finger. Why are these things super rare, if someone can just start off as a Toa to begin with?
A: Toa Stones aren’t rare in the game because the Staff doesn’t want people to have the powers of the Toa easily – Rather, they’re rare because the Toa Stone is an unbelievable character development tool that should therefore be unique. We want those few Matoran who become Toa by the means of the Toa Stone to be special, and as such, Toa stones will only be granted to Matoran characters that are played superbly. Toa Stones are a reward, not a limitation factor. It’s something to strive for.

Q: Is my character okay?
A: If you want a staff member to look over your character, that’s totally okay – but please send it to them via PM. Do not post character profiles in this topic.

Edited by Friar Tuck, Jul 29 2011 - 02:47 PM.

[Emzee]

Hi everyone. Welcome back to BZPower!

The BZPRPG will begin soon. We just need to do one final check to make sure nothing vital is missing. If you have any questions in the meantime, I encourage you to ask them. We hope to make this process as simple and painless as possible.

[Despair]

Great! The only questions I have would probably be considered annoying, as I'm sure you've been getting them for the past few months.

[snoip lion]

I assume that our chars prior to BZP's down time can transfer through to now right?

-Snipe

EDIT: This is probably one of those questions ckmc talked about.

Edited by MicroSnipe, Oct 13 2011 - 07:32 PM.

[Emzee]

Your characters can be carried over (use this archived topic for that), but everything that they experienced has been nixed. It's a fresh slate.

Also: use these links to navigate until Friar Tuck updates the links:

BZPRPG Profile Entries
BZPRPG Index and Rules
Kumu Islets
Ta-Wahi
Ko-Wahi
Le-Wahi
Ga-Wahi
Po-Wahi
Onu-Wahi
Kini-Nui

Edited by Emzee, Oct 13 2011 - 07:41 PM.

[Despair]

Even though I suspected that might happen (and at times, rather hoped for it), it's still gonna be tough to just restart.

NOW I understand why the reboot was so hard for some of you guys...

[Mr. Peanuts]

What.

No Hau V. Knife? No Aexias V. Romulus? No epic Cipher moments?

T_T

I'll adapt, but it'll take time. I'm not relishing carrying over Hau with changes, especially.

-The Fearless Leader

Edited by The Fearless Leader, Oct 13 2011 - 07:57 PM.

[Strong Arm BioBeast]

Well this will be interesting to say the least.

[Toa Onarax]

There goes my Red Mage, also I'm assuming all previously approved custom powers and characters still apply correct.

[The Dark Chronicler]

Sweet. Time for some character modifications, altered back stories, and a whole new Vrana!

Yes, a whole new Version of everyone's favorite Bird-guy, who I doubt most will even know about.

And yes, Dreenan will be returning. Will she get herself in some horrible situation like last time? Most likely.



​Looking forward to RPing with the awesome people I met before all this happened, and maybe even meeting some new ones.

[Captain Marvel]

Well, I had these awesome story arcs going, and they were going to be epic, but...

At least I can start fresh! Maybe this time it will be more epic because I'm starting from the beginning.

-CM

[Despair]

I just realized that I can pretend that the fight (if you can call it that) between Joske and Salamander never happened. What fight? I dunno, was there a fight? I don't think there was a fight.

YAY! FORCED OPTIMISM!

[Emzee]

There goes my Red Mage, also I'm assuming all previously approved custom powers and characters still apply correct.

If you want to use anything that required special permission from staff, I'd just send a clarification PM to them. The character rules haven't changed though. Just that Xa-Kuta is now banned.

[Tazakk]

I'm interested in joining the RPG once it's up and running again, the idea of a reboot with a 2001 vibe sounds great. How exactly do I join?

[Emzee]

I'm interested in joining the RPG once it's up and running again, the idea of a reboot with a 2001 vibe sounds great. How exactly do I join?

Make a character and post it in this topic. Make sure you understand the character rules.

Once the RPG opens, you'll be able to begin playing. There are no additional steps.

[EmperorWhenua]

I've been considering leaving the bzprpg and BZPower permanently, since I realized that having some free time is actually pretty nice. I'll let you guys know soon enough what my decision is, but if I stick around, I'll only be using one or two characters. Still, I wish everyone the best if luck with their new sagas and all the best of fun with whatever they build with their imaginations.

[Chibinuva]

It's a good thing none of my Sonic characters were mages. Too bad, we had a great story arc with several emotion-based entities, including one with two personalities that split into separate bodies. Oh well, I guess having characters from Charmed was a bad idea anyhow. Now, to wait for the topic to come back up so I can repost some of my characters and edit the others. Also, can matoran have any sort of powers, specifically, a special one that only works when with a toa ala the av/shadow matoran, or is that exclusive to them? (and therefore not allowed.)

[CAPUA]

Man... It's been a long time since I've been on BZP, much less the BZPRPG. I'm considering coming back though.

[Toa Onarax]

Are we allowed to post profiles yet.

[Mr. Peanuts]

Are we allowed to post profiles yet.

I believe that this

I'm interested in joining the RPG once it's up and running again, the idea of a reboot with a 2001 vibe sounds great. How exactly do I join?

Make a character and post it in this topic. Make sure you understand the character rules.

Once the RPG opens, you'll be able to begin playing. There are no additional steps.

answers your question. Next time, please thoroughly read the topic before asking a question ;}

-The Fearless Leader

Edited by The Fearless Leader, Oct 13 2011 - 09:03 PM.

[Toa Onarax]

Are we allowed to post profiles yet.

I believe that this

I'm interested in joining the RPG once it's up and running again, the idea of a reboot with a 2001 vibe sounds great. How exactly do I join?

Make a character and post it in this topic. Make sure you understand the character rules.

Once the RPG opens, you'll be able to begin playing. There are no additional steps.

answers your question. Next time, please thoroughly read the topic before asking a question ;}

-The Fearless Leader

I saw that, I just wasn't sure whether we had to wait for the staff to post first or not.

[Legolover-361]

I don't like how Xa-Kuta was removed from the RPG, but otherwise I'm glad for the reset -- I'll be able to get involved in the BZPRPG again without getting too involved like last time. Three characters was rather much, to be honest.

[Emzee]

Note: If the topic is open (at least for Bionicle RPG), then you're allowed to post in it

I recommend using this time to plan out your characters and register them in the Profiles topic to save time when the game opens up.

Edited by Emzee, Oct 13 2011 - 09:12 PM.

[Joseph Joestar]

*Le Sigh*

There goes Cipher...

At least, Red Mage Cipher...

No need to worry, everyone's favorite Eternally Lost Toa's coming back, though.

*plans*

[Skarloth]

Oh well, not like I had many plans for my characters anyhow.

I guess a new batch of characters will be good anyways.

-Skar

[Gamzee Makara]

I for one am extremely glad we've got a fresh start. I was never too into it before the downtime, but since in my free time I've tried it out, I've learned to live it and love it. You'll be seein' plenty of me when they boot back up again, I believe.

Now to attempt to reboot my brain for ideas on characters...

[Nuju Metru]

It's absolutely fantastic to see everyone back. Rest assured, the show will go on the road soon. In the mean time, let's have some fun with discussion/planning/speculation!

[Toa Xemnas of Crystal]

Ah... the RPG is back... but the Xa-Kuta is gone... this will be very interesting, indeed... not sure if this will help my character or not...

[Joseph Joestar]

Hm, how shall I begin my shenanigans?

[Captain Marvel]

Grah, I need to see if my story arcs can be started up again. If they can't, then I'll just have to start new ones!

Anyway, I'm excited for this to start fresh again, especially because I'm going to experiment with multiple different types of characters. I'll try to build up plotlines from the ground up with those characters as well.

-CM

[The Dark Chronicler]

Ah, planning, my second favorite part of the RPG. I have quite a few plans prepared already, and most of them easily adapt to this updated version.

Now I merely need to decide which of my strange and somewhat twisted ideas would be best suited for starting with...

[Crimson Jester]

I'm still in shock that I'm actually back. Further yet, I'm actually legitimately excited to get a story line concrete here. Anyone care to start throwing around some casual RP until everyone's got their files in order?

[Bane of No Isles]

It's good to be back. Anyways, I rewriting my characters.

A few shout outs-

The Dark Chronicler- I'm sure in the sake of irony we'll find a way to have our characters be either sworn enemies or the best of friends.

Friar Tuck- Man, all I can say is I'm sorry. For the g-modding and overall abusing the game.

There are too many of you I wish to apologize to.

Now, to rewrite a few charries?

-Midnight

[Half a Cup of EW]

Oh dear, sadness is overtaking my poor little Belieber soul. I do beliebe I may cry...

Srsly tho, there's no way I'm not bringing Greed back in some way, shape or form. He's just too much fun... [/joker]

Should any Toa Daedra post here: are we doing Team Daedra in the reboot? I think we had a great thing going.

I guess it's all for the best. Oh well, here we go! Time for some new adventures.

[Despair]

Guess I need to get to work and post my character profiles...

Or just Salamander's profile. Man, I love RPing as him.

[Emzee]

Additional note: There shouldn't be many issues regarding bringing back your old characters - provided they weren't just created solely because of the Xa-Kuta subplot (that's never a good idea ). Simply start from scratch and ignore everything that happened to them up to the reboot.

And even if they were created solely to fit in the Xa-Kuta subplot, so harm and re-writing them, right?

[Master of Masks]

Hm, I this brings up rather interesting implications. Only a few of my characters can roughly remain the same because they had no connection Xa-Koro. The rest need some changes.

Anyways I can't wait to get started, but I'll be updating my profiles tomorrow, when I'm not exhausted. Might bring down the character count unfortunately.

[Parugi]

In response to Eyru -- I'm all for making the Daedra again; considering I have more experience with Sloth now, I think things could possibly turn out better than they did last time in some regards.

Though I do wonder if I'd be able to keep my Mask of Sloth; I liked my uniqueness....

[Bane of No Isles]

Though this is probably seriously not an issue (XD) if anyone remembers Kinika? Anyone? You may remember Kraeyn and Naara.

I'm giving them away. It seems awefully cliched to play your character's siblings. Does anyone have any interest in them, or any other of my characters?