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IC: Nale Vella - Archives This was going to hurt far more than a skinny Skakdi's fingers in her knee, she thought, and Nale braced herself as Thom lined up the shot. He fired and she let out a cry of pain, gripping her leg as the firework round burned her--but, as excruciating as it was, the heat successfully cauterized the wound. Didn't mean walking from here on out would be any easier, but at least the Fa-Toa wasn't bleeding out any more. Nale struggled to her feet, now leaning against the wall again as she stood on one good leg and one not-so-good leg. "I...thanks," she said to the Skakdi, amazed she was thanking him for anything after he'd tried to duel and probably kill her. It was also the second time Thom had burnt her, in completely different contexts. Meanwhile, there was still the duel doing on just around the corner. The Fa-Toa looked at the rifle at her feet and frowned. @Dane IC: Jutori - Le-Metru Jutori slapped another eelman trying to sneak up on the group away with his sledgehammer. A reddish cloud was beginning to rise around them, and soon the Ba-Toa began to feel a stinging in his eyes and throat, and then started coughing. "That's not... koff ...good..." @EmperorWhenua@Snelly@That Matoran with a Vahi

OOC: probably the last Kanohi post of Escapement, it’s been a pleasure, see you all next season. IC Kanohi - the Coliseum Border with Le-Metru Why were Matoran put in the universe? Just to suffer? Where was Mata-Nui during all this destruction? Why was he letting the league slaughter millions, destroy whole civilizations? Why was he letting the powerless Matoran be butchered? Kanohi … did not know. He didn’t know how Mata-Nui could let this happen. He was not smart enough, not wise enough. As towers crumbled, bridges collapse, and the very island seemed to shatter, there … there was no point. The war was senseless. All these deaths, all this art, technology, homes and airships destroyed … there could not no meaning from it. And if … if a Turaga told him that something good could come from this horror … Kanohi honestly didn’t know what he would do. There was no point, no lesson, no moral. Just genocide and destruction. It was the end of the universe, at least the end of its time as the Matoran Universe. But still, Kanohi grappled. He launched across the city, swiping Matoran off crumbling bridges and collapsing skyscrapers, freezing and mending the structures long enough for the Matoran to evacuate. It was … all he could do. He was not the savior of Metru-Nui, not a brilliant Nynrah Ghost, not a noble Toa nor a wise Turaga. He was powerless in the face of the city’s horrid destiny. Nothing he did could change how the war would end. Nothing he did would matter in the face of this war. So all that mattered, was what he did. Small tasks, manageable tasks. Catch the Matoran, mend the bridge enough for a crowd to flee across, remove the poison from a crowd caught up in a caustic cloud, just … do what he could in this end of days. His hands trembled, his heartlight pounded like a dwindling flame, he could feel his gears twirl in his chest. But he would keep going. He had his duty to the Matoran, he believed in them, even if Mata-Nui had failed them, he would not abandon his fellow Matoran. And so he kept lunging into the fray, devoted to saving as many as he could from the war even as his body rattled. For Unity. For Duty. For the Matoran.

IC: Oreius | Ga-Metru "You can sense his weakness, I can feel it. You can end this threat permanently, protect those you have sworn to. And you know that it requires only one stroke..." Indeed, Oreius's mask detected all the weak points he had seen in Skorm concentrated in the Av-Matoran; the fearful, confused Matoran was the point that would cause Skorm the most pain. The Toa wanted nothing more than to scour this bridge in cleansing fire. Whatever these... things were, they were abominations. They were unnatural, and only moments ago the sum of their parts, the Toa of Light and Shadow, had stood in his way. Stood between him and the Matoran he was sworn to protect. It would only take a moment. All he had to do was reach for that flame that burned in his chest, that gift from the Great Spirit, and let it out. But something stopped him. He looked down at the Matoran and saw that it was afraid. Perhaps this was all a trick, and danger still lurked, ready to strike. Perhaps this being was only an illusion, or the bait on some trap that would spring shut the moment he lowered his guard. Perhaps... or perhaps not. A flicker of colour ran across the Matoran's frame, like its armour reflected light that no one else could see. And Oreius remembered. "I still don't get how you do it." "Do what?" The Ta-Matoran leaned back, hands behind his head. Before him, a yellow beach sloped down into the rolling surf. "You know. Change colours." The other Matoran shrugged, a splash of orange rippling across his body as he moved. "What's there to get? I'm an Av-Matoran. It's what we do." "I know it's what you do, but I still don't get how." The Ta-Matoran reached over and placed a hand on his companion's arm. As if on cue, the armour under his fingers bloomed green. The colour of the grass at the edge of the sand. "It was white just a second ago. Now it's green. Did it really change? Or is it just an illusion?" The other Matoran shrugged again. "I don't know. It's got something to do with light, I guess." "Obviously." His companion looked smug. "If it's so obvious, then why didn't you say so?" The Ta-Matoran sighed and flopped back onto the sand. "Never mind." A long moment passed, marked only by the slow, measured pace of the tide rolling up and down the sand. The Av-Matoran looked down at his green arm and frowned in concentration. The green withered under his gaze, his arm returning to a pristine white that matched the rest of his armour. He paused, then frowned again. The white darkened to a deep gold that splashed across his torso, quickly covering his entire body. When the colour settled, he looked over at his friend lying on his back. "What do you think?" he asked. The other Matoran looked over. "It looks good," he said vaguely. "Good?" "Yeah." "Better than the white?" "If you say so." The now-gold Matoran smacked him on the shoulder. "Do you say so? I'm asking." The Ta-Matoran shrugged helplessly. "You know what I'm going to say." "That you don't care." "No. That you look fine either way." "Fine?" "Okay. Great. You look great." "Now you're just pandering." The Ta-Matoran sat up, half-laughing. "I can't win with you." "No." The Av-Matoran looked satisfied. "I'm always the winner." "If you say so." "I do say so." "Then you're right." The two of them sat in silence for a long time after that, watching the sun sink down towards the horizon. At last, the Av-Matoran spoke again. "I just want to look good for tomorrow. You know. For the ceremony." "You'll look great. Don't worry about it." "Well, what if one of us is chosen to be a Toa? Does that mean..." He seemed briefly lost for words. The other Matoran seemed to realize that this was the heart of the issue. "If you become a Toa, then you'll be the best there's ever been. Don't worry." "No. It's not that." The Ta-Matoran looked confused. "What is it?" "If one of us is chosen..." The Av-Matoran bit his lip and stared resolutely out at the horizon. "...then we'll leave. Maybe for good. Go off to be a Toa and I'll be left here..." "Don't be crazy," the Ta-Matoran said sternly. "First of all, I won't be chosen. Who needs another Toa of Fire?" He reached out and placed a hand on the other Matoran's shoulder. "Second, I'd never leave you. I mean... how could I?" "Easily." "Don't say that," he said roughly, pulling the Av-Matoran in for a hug. "I mean it. I love you." A long pause. Then the golden Matoran released a long breath and relaxed into his arms. "...I love you too." His vision suddenly blurry, the Toa of Fire stayed his hand. The fire in his palm went out, and he lowered his sword. He knelt down next to the Matoran, who looked at him with a mixture of confusion and terror. If this was a trap, then he would allow himself to be captured. For the sake of another Matoran, from another island and another time. "It's alright," he said. "My name is Oreius. I'm here to help you."

Yeah, but like this level of emotional devastation really isn't healthy. It's like...too much. You're letting your feelings control you and you're believing a lot of scary stuff. Maybe my post above was too long. I'm worried that if Bionicle doesn't come back, you're gonna jump off a bridge. Okay, you're sad that Bionicle ended. You hope that it's going to come back. But Bionicle shouldn't be giving you depression. That's too much. Depression is a reference to feeling and believing that your entire life is meaningless. Just because Bionicle is gone, that doesn't mean that your life is meaningless. Far from it. You still have a life. If you're not truly thinking of that, but are just feeling bad, then don't use this scary language that makes us think that I should put you on suicide watch. But you're still getting grief over it? Bionicle's first cancellation was 10 years ago. It's second one was in 2016, 4 years back. Feeling this level of sadness for that long is unusual, to say the least. I prefer to believe that what you're saying is true, even if you don't understand the implications of it. Thank you for the points in bold. That helps clarify a lot. Idk, but it seems a bad focus to aim your dreams at stuff that you expect other people to do for you, versus looking at what you can achieve. Having dreams of what you can do leads to you doing things. Having dreams of what other people do leads to you blaming them for your problems, which leads to you treating them terribly because of what they didn't do. Besides, even if Lego were to bring back Bionicle tommorrow and give you that TV show, theatrical movie, and a good video game, would you be satisfied? No. You'd just want more, and complain because we didn't get a MMORPG or something. Coping mechanism for what? Having to wait for more entertainment? May I suggest reading Samuel Beckett's Waiting For Godot? Don't worry, it's a short book. As for Black Widow, it's coming out on May 1st of this year. Here's some trailers:

Made This For A Client, Takanuva Mutated By Makuta Energy.

IC: Jutori - Le-Metru The Ba-Toa coughed his way down the hole Stannis had created, following the group into Le-Metru's brand new tunnel system created by the older Po-Toa. Jutori rubbed his eyes. "That was quick thinking, Stannis," he said, coming up alongside his mentor. He hefted his sledgehammer over his shoulder and peered down the tunnel, amber optics narrowing at the thought of what they'd have to do. With the group's combined efforts, Metru Nui would have one less warlord running amok. He just wasn't sure if that meant killing Ehlek...or whatever Vashni had in mind. "Let's," he replied to both comrades before he began walking ahead. @EmperorWhenua@Snelly@That Matoran with a Vahi IC: Nale Vella - Archives The Fa-Toa stayed behind. Thom was pursuing his own destiny now, and here she was slumped against the wall, staring down her weapon like it was staring right back. All it had done was bring her trouble, and her actions with it continued to hang in the back of her mind. Nale sighed and picked it up. One last time, she thought. Nale braced the rifle's barrel against the corner, taking aim at Mantax's leg and firing, ensuring the warlord wouldn't be able to move again before the final blow was delivered against him. OOC: The floor is Kilo's. @Dane@Onaku@pokemonlover360@Unreliable Narrator

IC Stannis | Le-Metru In between the chaos sown by his sweeping the terrible beam of light power across the merfolk ranks Stannis' mind was in a state of zen-like calm. The old man hated fighting, disliked violence for violence's sake, and strove for peaceful resolutions in all that he did, but that did not place him above the basic ideas of practicality. While peace was always his end goal, he was a proponent for Mata Nui's faith and strove to stamp out the violent people who would uproot it. To him, the Barraki were usurpers of that faith, replacing Mata Nui's will with their own, supplanting Matoran-folk's place as the true favored people with their own kind, all because they . They said Mata Nui was dead and they were the real religion now—and they were right—but in their earnestness to throw the true god out they failed to realize the One True Prophesy: Destiny is a wheel, and there was never anything new upon it. The matoran Kanohi, somehow, could see glimpses of that wheel, and had shared it with Vashni who, in turn, shared it with the Wanderer. It meant nothing, and yet everything, a sign that what had been will be, and there would always be another foe to try and make Destiny their own. He knew that crimson banner in the vision, he'd seen it before, long ago, too long to remember what host It belonged to, but it belonged to an enemy for another day, another turn of the wheel. Would Stannis himself face it, as he had the Barraki, and the ones before them? He did not know, and he did not cling to the hope that he would be. But he was assured that there would always be a Wanderer. ... And then, abruptly, the merfolk seemed to vanish, harassing them no longer, at least for the moment. The old toa and his friends paused to catch their breath—Stannis especially—and collect themselves in a plan for the next step of their assault. He knew better than to think they had cut through the entirety of Ehlek's host's blockade already; the conniving one was almost certainly about to release his newest trap. The inexhaustible clinking of BO-1337P's metal heels clipped up beside Stannis. "Toa Stannis, this unit needs to inform you that Zataka dispatched four squads of Bordakh to the shores of Le-Metru. They have entered Le-Metru airspace." Stannis nodded in thanks, glad he kept the unit along with him for these exact moments. Unit BO-1337P was his link to the Coliseum and Zataka, and the warlord was holding her end of the bargain so far, it seemed. The vahki may not be enough to sway the battle, but they could divert some of Ehlek's attention and give Stannis the chance he needed. At that moment, luckily or not, the Kanohi Haonga's power reset. And then the surprise came. It started as just the single lightstone bolt, and then quickly escalated to a patter and then hailing of bolts as the reddish gasses disbursed into the air around the small group. Time was short—and already Jutori was feeling the effects of it, and Jabali, with her smaller physiology, was likely feeling worse off yet—and the warmage needed to be decisive in the next steps. "BO-1337P, weaken disk, on the ground!" he commanded, and the enforcer dutifully complied by teleporting a kanoka to its mandibles and shooting it as directed; meanwhile, Stannis threw up a quick shield of stone to block out the explosive lighstone energy rounds from their front, relying on the others to watch the back. He took a single pace forward and stomped his foot where the kanoka had landed. The ground fractured, but did not give, and he followed with a second strike, and this time a hole opened up in the street. "Follow me!" he said as he jumped down through the hole, praying for momentary solace below. Once the others reached him in the understreet they caught the elementalist focusing hard on something, eyes shut and mouth mumbling. In his hand he held one of his spears and pointed it ahead. He remained thusly for a few more seconds, but when he opened his eyes he revealed that he had not busied himself with programming his great mask but rather summoning his true powers; he had been feeling the realm around him, attuning himself to the priced of stone that existed across Le-Metru in the cobblestoned streets, in the masonry of buildings, in the asphalt of the roads. He felt their place like a blind man feeling a face, and brought them in to his own essence. It was no Po-aligned domain, but where there was even a single rock, Stannis commanded it, and its power was his. Grasping the spear firmly with both hands he entrenched his feet in a stronger stance, and then gave a powerful shout, and his elemental stone powers poured out from the tip of the weapon with the force of an earthquake. And it continued to pour out. All the granite, gneiss, limestone, and sandstone Stannis felt around him had been absorbed and then shot out from the spear, punching through streets and foundations like an auger bit on a battering ram. From above ground, Ehlek could see from his cameras a mysterious eruption from where he last noted the interlopers, and something akin to a burrowing mole sliced through the undercity, causing buildings to tremble and edifices to crumble slightly. And that chaos grew, stretching like an unseen hand, and zoomed its way... directly towards the Barraki's tower. ... When Stannis was finished he staggered forward, only barely catching himself with the spear as a staff. He panted, exhausted from the incredible burst, and felt the sweat trickling down his face splatter on the ground and splash his knee. But ahead, where he had focused his powers, was a perfectly hewn tunnel of pure stone. "There... we are..." he said between ragged breaths. "Our foe... will be waiting for us... at the end of this path. Let's go... give him [karz]."

IC: Irna watched Ostrox go, walking further and further away until he just ... was gone. Like a puff of smoke. How did it go, the story that they would tell around the campfire when the night sky was black and starless? O, that this too, too solid flesh would melt, thaw and resolve itself into a dew. Irna could imagine the same thing happening to her. She could imagine herself turning to nothing but drops of water upon stone in the early hours of the morning, when the world was shiny and fresh and new. It was a better to be, she thought, than to be one of Lord Carapar's butchers. It was a better thing to be, she knew, than the woman who let a murderer become God. Had Pridak known -- when he had sent her and Mazor with the Krom Sphere? Had Metru-Nui known what slept beneath its Crown? Had the world known, and she had just never been let in on the joke? Oh, mother. What am I to do? Of course, the thought lingered -- she could stay here. On this beach, wherever it was. Until she died of old age, lost and forgotten. What would happen to her village, she wondered? Would they be all right? What would happen to Metru-Nui, and all the rest of the world? Did it matter if she ever left this place? "That is the question," her mother would recite, crouched low over the fire. "Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and, by opposing, end them?" How many more slings and arrows could she take? How long could she stay afloat in this sea of troubles until, raising her arms above her head-- "Mother," Irna muttered. And then, against her better judgement, she suddenly imagined her mother's blood staining stone in the dead of night. Her father. Her brother. All her family, all her friends, all her people. Dead at the hands of a Matoran, or a Barraki, or a Great Spirit. Hadn't she set out on this quest in the first place to stop that? To protect them? Wasn't that what all this was for? Wasn't that the vow she had taken? Irna reached up to her throat, and she touched the medallion there -- a broken hammer, now mended. The Zyglaki symbol for Karzahni, the god of misfits and outcasts. God of those who had broken against the waves of outrageous fortune -- and who put them back together again. She breathed in. She breathed out. She turned to the Matoran, Dume, and she gave him a solemn and respectful bow. And she followed Ostrox's path back to Metru-Nui. Irna, sixth-born of Perror of the Northern Continent, had made a promise, after all. -Void

IC: Skyra Daring - Ko-Metru - The league soldiers hadn't been prepared for Rose and Skyra's sneak attack and had been ended pretty quickly. The Toa of Air looked up, she could heard shouting and fighting several stories above...then needed to get up there. Skyra looked at Rose and her face frowned a bit. It would be easy enough for Skyra to fly up there, but Rose couldn't just ascend like that. She would have to carry her. Her jetpack could handle it, even if they went slower because of the extra body, but the main issue would be Skyra's own strength. Skyra figured she could manage it long enough to get them up there, but she was going to feel realllllllllly sore after this. "Hold still a second Rose..." Skyra said as she went behind the Toa of Fire and wrapped her arms around her waist tightly. "...I'm getting us up there." Skyra's jetpack roared to life as took the both of them up, using a enough of her element to power the jetpack so that it could lift the both of them. Her arms burned as she held onto Rose but she locked her hands together to make sure she didn't lose her grip. Would of been pretty awkward if she did... What felt like an agonizing long time only took about twenty seconds as they reached several stories up, there was Pridak, fighting a...Turaga? Skyra landed quickly, collapsing on her hands and knees as soon as she put Rose down, her arms shook uncontrollably from the strain they just suffered. "Argghhhh...I'm never doing that again!" @Tarn@Unreliable Narrator@Azibo

IC Kanohi - the Coliseum Border with Le-Metru The skyscraper crumbled like a clump of sand, Matoran fleeing underneath. They were most made up of Le-Matoran refugees, clumsy on the ground and overwhelmed by the destruction of their homes, they were too slow and would not make it to safety in time. At least, without help. Kanohi fired one of the freezing disks he was given, the stronger of the two. It slammed into the side of the skyscraper, plastering it in ice. Crystalline cold spread across it like a shadow, acting as a crude paste. The building’s collapse slowed to a crawl, still doomed but now it’s destruction was literally and figuratively frozen. The vigilante grappled past and caught the disk, stowing it away before hooking another building. From his perch he fired one of his regeneration disks, mending a bit more of the support beams. He hurled across the street and grabbed that disk too, as the Matoran underneath fled for safety. There was a sound not unlike a massive Ussal Crab clicking, and Kanohi turned his head around to see another building crumbling. Debris from the second slammed into the first shattering and breaking his ice. And he could still see a few Matoran under the collapsing structure’s shadow. Swallowing, Kanohi grappled under the collapsing building, arm outstretched. As he launched past his elbow hooked a Matoran, wrenching her free of the crumbling structure. The two Matoran tumbled into a heap and Kanohi shoved himself upright. He turned to lunge back into the chaos, only to see both skyscrapers collapse in an explosion of dust. He stared at the destruction there … there were definitely Matoran still trapped in there, now crushed like leaves. Like snow beneath a Ko-Matoran foot. ”Mister, we need to go,” the Matoran he had rescued tugged on him, and Kanohi shakily nodded. Hope … hopefully they would find peace on the Red Star. Or … or if … at least they would be remember by the living. He certainly would not forget them, what little he saw. Numb and disassociated, he grabbed the blue Matoran and grappled away, flinging away from the shock wave of dust with each blast of his Volo Lutu Launchers.

Maybe you should look into emotional support therapists...

IC: Arkius vs Mantax - Archives Fisticuffs Arkius’ elbow connecting with the pressure point sent a shiver of pain up Mantax’s leg and spine until reaching the base of his neck. Growling in frustration Mantax retaliated by swiping at the back of Arkius’ head. He could tell Arkius intended to keep his distance as much as possible. It made sense: if you’re smaller than your opponent stay light on your feet and be ready to dodge and evade. The difficulty for Mantax was needing to land just one clean grab on Arkius. Just one grab, and Mantax could break the warrior’s spine. Before Mantax could hit him over the head, Arkius had rolled under him, coming up behind him before flinging himself forth to wrap his arms around his waist for a firm grip, which if successful would be followed by a manoeuver that if pulled off would be sung about for centuries after. Arkius was going to try and suplex the giant warlord. Arkius’ fingers just barely met on the opposite side of Mantax’s waist. The toa’s muscles bulged and his pistons hissed as he stepped back and lifted up with his upper body. Sweat splashed off his brow, and his fingers almost slipped, but suddenly the great warlord Mantax rose in the air and came crashing down to earth in a tremendous shockwave in the halo of the blue lightstones in the ceiling. Arkius had done the impossible. He’d tossed the giant to the earth like a meteor and left a crater to remind the world of his achievement. Mantax smashed his back into the floor of the Archives, leaving a ring of shattered stone and depressed floor tiles as he disengaged with a kick and rolled aside to one knee. Mantax groaned and licked the blood from his lips. His neck hurt, his shoulders were on fire, steam rose from the sweat on his back evaporating from the heat of his rage, but he held his composure. He rocked his head back and forth, eliciting a loud crack from his neck as the joints popped back into place. Then, slowly, Mantax rose back to his full height. His body language spoke plainer than words ever could have: he had every intention of ripping Arkius to pieces. Mantax strode forward and attacked with a furious right hook. Arkius felt the impact. Suplexing someone that big was not without consequences as Arkius tried to shake the daze out of his head, too late realising that the great titan he had just toppled was up again and throwing a megaton punch his way. Arkius was thrown back, wind knocked out of him, brain scrambled, and he landed with a loud thud some distance away, for a moment motionless before finally he stirred, growling in pain as he got up again far too quickly for his body to handle, almost falling over again as he stumbled to get a solid footing, raising his fists limply before flexing his bruised muscles and taking a more proper stance, his eyes looking up at Mantax with a glare of defiance. "My Turaga hit harder than that." Mantax laughed at Arkius' insult. Then, with the thickest accent, Mantax spoke in matoran. His voice grated on the ears, his mouth not made to create the same sounds as fluidly. "I wish I could meet them. At least they'd be more of a challenge." Arkius watched as Mantax approached again, once more swiping with an open palm to begin grappling. The warlord knew his strength: so long as they fought without weapons or masks he was confident in the ending. Arkius rushed in underneath Mantax's swipe, aiming to thrust his elbow with all his might into just below the warlord's sternum. Mantax's swipe overshot and spittle flew from his mouth as Arkius knocked the air out of the warlord with his attack. Mantax staggered backward, a hand reactively covering where he'd been hit. His eyes flickered with a moment of concern. "Be thankful you got me instead." Arkius finally retorted, stepping back and taking a light stance in preparation for whatever the warlord did next. Mantax huffed and feinted two quick jabs toward Arkius' head, then sidestepped to his right and swept wide his leg in the hopes of kicking Arkius back to the ground. Arkius ducked away from the first blow, and just barely managed to block the second one, wincing from the strain of handling the warlord's fist. As the warlord's leg swept at him, Arkius let himself get kicked over, leaning into the momentum to quickly roll back to his feet by Mantax's side where he went in for a kidney punch to the warlord's back, stunning the warlord momentarily. OOC: Thanks to @Unreliable Narrator for the jam

IC [Zataka, Coliseum]: You’ve got to be kidding... There was a flash as whatever Kohara had fired got intercepted by her own shield of all things. Whoever was writing this story had cruel timing it seemed. Zataka heard the strange noise behind her, knew something was happening just at her back, but there was no time to turn around with the Barraki hurtling towards her. The only thing she had time for was to raise her blade up with her free hand and channel her energies into the weapon as it pointed at the warlord. She hoped Kalmah had enough momentum to skewer himself.

IC: Irna only just managed to suppress a snarl. "No," she said. "He gave it over to Mata-Nui." -Void

Extension approved x2.

This time actually using her whip. Idk I love her too much.

IC: Sidra - Tuyet's Lair "With respect... I did just murder their Turaga. My weapons stay with me, for my own safety," Sidra, who had already holstered her launcher earlier, stepped further away from the machine. She kept her hands raised in a placating gesture, though she was more than ready to reach for her sword, dagger, or launcher if provoked. For all their claims of nobility, she knew all too well that there were Toa who were willing to break their precious code when it suited them. If Dume's words rang true, then they were even willing to kill their own kind if the stakes were high enough. She moved to sit atop a crate out of the way, and watched. It still felt wrong that four Toa - three of them brand new, and another allegedly back from the dead - should get to decide the fate of every other being and species in this universe. Their species had always been more interested in looking after their own kind instead of doing what was actually right for the universe as a whole, so Sidra didn't have any measure of confidence in their ability to get this right. But maybe they would surprise her. And if not, at least she would be there to bear witness. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ IC: Zaliyah - Le-Metru Skyscraper Pridak had been right, Ehlek really was an overthinker. He'd made it sound like a criticism in the moment, but as she watched the latest layer of Ehlek's trap unfold in the distance streets below, all Zaliyah could see were benefits. The green Barraki had thrown together quite a resourceful scheme with only a limited amount of time and resources to work with. She lowered her scope as the gas flooded the streets and the combatants were lost to her view. It had been difficult to be sure at this distance, but it had looked like there had only been a handful of attackers. She was surprised they'd made it as far as they had, but unless they had a Le-Toa on their side to clear the way, she doubted they would be making it much further. It was an ignoble end for the would-be liberators, but Zaliyah had no tears for them. The only tears she would shed in Metru Nui would be those of joy, when the wretched city was at last brought to heel.

IC: Dume | Cortex Memories "So, not friends?"

My top recommendation is in line with Sir Keksalot: use the system your players already are comfortable with. If they like D&D 5E, use that and reskin the races and classes section to have Bionicle lore names and information. It takes minimal effort and allows for players to have easy-access to engaging with the game. The Red Star system (Doranai) is interesting, but obscenely complicated and the team working on it hasn't really decided if they're making a Pathfinder or a Dungeons & Dragons clone in the D20 RPG system space. After having spent time with it, I do not recommend using it for a one-shot. Ever. That said, definitely check them out for inspiration on how to translate your favorite table-top RPG system into a Bionicle setting and consider trying them for a longer series of adventures. Good system for easily porting Bionicle include: Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition: re-skin or custom races (ahem warforged ahem), make masks custom magic items X World: great for reskinning, already open source, and designed for quick pick up and play game sessions 12 Candles: put on a coat of paint and you have a 2001 Bionicle campaign ready to go. Fate System: already made for almost any genre, easily modified for Bionicle. Note: requires special dice available at most game stores. Call of Cthulhu: requires a paint job, but a great way to run a darker toned campaign in line with some of Bionicle's more sinister themes.

Mate, this ain't healthy. I genuinely think--and by no means should you take this as an insult--that you've got a problem. Get a hobby, seek out a career, find some outlet for your passion other than making a bunch of threads on a forum with like 20 active members. Idk, write a book and make it a spiritual successor to Bionicle; that's on my to-do list. But obsessing over a discontinued toyline that may or may not be revived will just defeat you over time. Think about what'll happen if Lego just gives up on Bionicle and constraction. What'll you do then? What are you doing NOW? I wouldn't urge you to just forget Bionicle entirely, but clinging to it like this is just gonna bum you out in the end. I am going to go in the opposite direction and recommend that you don't go for religion. At the end of the day, it's the same thing--you're joining a community of like-minded people who all agree that X is good and we should make X a priority in our lives even though X is not so much a tangible thing as it is a concept and, in many cases, a philosophical outlook. To put it simply, religions are essentially just big, organized fandoms that focus on ideas and particular standards rather than specific works of art (unless you wanna insinuate that Christianity is the Bible fandom). You will find more fulfillment if you focus on taking the positivity in yourself and exerting it on things around you to get stuff done. Like I said, maybe learn to write, or find some other artistic medium that makes you feel good. God won't write a spiritual successor to Bionicle regardless of whether or not he exists, but you and I can.

You know, I actually started writing a short story based on that very concept a bit ago, when I wanted to get back into practice at writing Bionicle stuff before the 2018 fanfic exchange. Never finished it, though... maybe I should pick that up again, now that I think of it.

This may be against site rules, but Lenny are you religious person? If not then finding a religion may help with this depression you feel. There are plenty of inspirational figures out there like Mohammad, Buddha, Confucius, and Jesus who I personally believe in and worship. Please forgive me if this post violates site rules I wont do it again, just trying to give out some good advice.

So for the first few months of 2020 I have been posting a bunch of my short stories on BZPower, most of them connected to versions of my vigilante Fe-Matoran character “Kanohi.” Because if you are going to make a Bionicle superhero, there are worse names than “Mask.” The story concept was a Matoran who would protect his fellows, guided by visions like Vakama had in LoMN. Because I freaking love the idea of that glitch. He would never become a a Toa, if fact his Destiny would be to always be a Matoran, never to transform. Since then I have explored a version of Kanohi over in the RPG topic, one who is a bit more of a mess than the one in these short stories. He’s a lovable mess though. He still can be a bit of a mess here, but in these stories he’s been a vigilante for at least a few centuries, he’s a bit more confident and a lot more experienced. Either way he continues to grapple around on Volo Lutu Launchers, helping the Matoran he can. Point is, I figured I should make a little library for these short stories, in case anyone is interested in reading the adventures of Kanohi, outside of the Six Kingdoms RPGs. They are all fairly short, no epics so far, and if I do make an epic I don’t think it would involve Kanohi much, and instead would be about a version of the Toa Inika. Spoilers for one of my continuities though. Anyway, please enjoy these short stories about a Matoran vigilante trying to protect his people. sprite made with the Danska’s Bionicle Builder sprite kit Kanohi: Core The Core Universe Of Villagers, Outcasts, and Heroes: The short story that started it all, this takes place in the island of Mata-Nui, during the events of the Mask of Light movie. This short story is removed from most of that movie’s plot, just him rescuing some refugees from Ta-Koro from a Rahi. This story is canon to both the Core Universe, the Kingdom, and an alternate universe based off the vision Karzahni showed Jaller in the book Dark Destiny. The Willing Exiles: A short story taking place post Mask of Light, in the months when the Turaga tell the legends of Metru-Nui. For some Matoran there is a disconnect with the great city, they feel no attachment to it, Mata-Nui is their home. For others, the revelations the Turaga give are almost a betrayal, as the knowledge they withheld could have helped some outcasts be less isolated. Kanohi feels both, and his bond with Turaga Vakama is damaged. New The Tool of a Matoran a.k.a The Kanoka Project: While not necessarily taking place in the core universe of Bionicle, this story takes place in a timeline after the main storyline. Marendar and Velika both perished, but not after the Toa became extinct and every last Toa Stone was destroyed. In this new era Matoran seek new protectors, and have begun experimenting on themselves to create artificial Toa. In this time a Ga-Matoran joins an experiment to become empowered, unaware of ulterior motives behind the project. Kanohi: Fear In the book Dark Destiny, Jaller witnessed a vision of a world where he did not sacrifice himself for Takua. The Chronicler was killed, the Toa Nuva were overwhelmed, and the island of Mata-Nui fell into everlasting shadow. Of course, this vision does not make sense in canon, as Teridax would not be content to rule a mere island, nor kill the Toa Nuva. So instead of adhering strictly to the vision, I used it as a springboard for a world without a Toa of Light. It is a dark age, Ta-Koro and Onu-Koro destroyed, the Turaga imprisoned, a horde of Rahkshi enforce their Master’s law, all while six false Toa encourage the Matoran to submit to the Makuta. Of Villagers, Outcasts, and Heroes: also canon to this reality. The Company of Cowards: In this short story thirty seven Matoran flee for the south, guided by visions Kanohi has had of another island. Among the voyagers are the Chronicler’s Company, Nuparu, and Hewkii, all hoping to find asylum from the Makuta, and hopefully allies to free Mata-Nui. A Village Against the Rahkshi: Things have changed drastically for the Matoran, both the refugees of Mata-Nui and the hardy folk of Voya-Nui. With the Chronicler’s Company gone to fulfill two desperate destinies, the remaining Matoran find themselves under attack as six Rahkshi land on their island, searching for the escaped refugees. The Matoran of Mata-Nui only know fear from the Rahkshi, but the Voya-Nui Matoran have not been beaten yet. Kanohi joins them with his Volo Lutu Launchers in defending their village from the Rahkshi, but he strangely requests the Matoran capture and not kill the Rahkshi’s Kraata. What has he foreseen? Those We Choose to Forget: A story taking place in a poor village of Mahri-Koro on the shores of Aqua-Magna, millennia after the Makuta’s defeat. Here Turaga Macku is swimming, when the Chronicler of Spherus-Magna comes on a visit, asking for a forgotten tale. Kanohi: Kingdom The Universe of the Kingdom of the Great Spirit, the universe Takanuva visited on his journey to reach Karda-Nui. Of Villagers, Outcasts, and Heroes: also canon to this reality. The Willing Exiles: also canon to this reality A Restless Freak in Paradise: A short story about a version of Kanohi in the Kingdom Of the Great Spirit, years after Takanuva visited it, but before the people all migrated off Aqua-Magna. In this era of peace, where the Toa no longer protect the Matoran what use is a near powerless vigilante. Kanohi: Rebirth An alternate timeline spinning off of Six Kingdoms Escapement, where a version of Kanohi in his past experiences a vision of the events of the first season of the incredible Bionicle RPG. Knowing that his homeland may be destroyed, he resolves to become a vigilante hero early, to prevent the horrible future from coming to pass. The Impact of a Rebirth: After having a vision of a future, noted failure Kanohi resolves to help his Toa and his island as a vigilante. His first struggle? To help rescue Matoran as a fire raged in their swamp of an island. Kanohi: BZPRPG Kanohi was originally created as the amnesic Fe-Matoran Dece for Act One of the BZPRPG. He was a member of Stannis’s Companions, but after the group disbanded he did not show up for almost a decade. Now as Act 3 begins much has changed, Dece is older, more paranoid, and more desperate to prove he has value. Whatever happened in the interim, he now has adopted the vigilante identity of Kanohi, grappling through Le-Wahi helping travelers and Rahi alike. Other Stories Interview with a Supervillain: Ultra Agents came out during my “Dark Age” but a few years ago I discovered their sets, and was enamored by their villains. Struck by how LEGO often makes their own villains, but rarely their own original superheroes, and the fact that “Tox” was a hero of sorts in the Ninjago show, I wrote this story about a former villainess running into an old adversary. It’s a little preachy, I was less subtle back then, also was in a mood, but if you want a story about a vigilante and a former ultra agent being more than a little gay, here you go.

This is a myth AFAIK. HF apparently did fine-ish, and like I said, Lego made the rare confirmation that G2 was actually on par with the average theme.

I agree with you here. In the books, I always thought Umbra was so cool. The problem was that the coolest thing about him (his ability to turn into a beam of light) is very difficult to translate into set form. There's definitely a lot of untapped potential there.

I agree with Sybre. Why is it that there are so many gatekeepers? There are many kinds of Bionicle fan, and each is still legitimate.

IC: Stan | Po "Do what?"

The magic found in themes of the 2000s fell away and died off by the 2010s. Lego gave more support than ever to their storytelling, but this did no real good when the stories were all garbage. 2010 Lego storytelling peaked with the HF specials, and it all went downhill from there. I think part of it is doing away with any willingness for "dark" storytelling. That isn't to say that darker is better--G1 is proof that it's not--but with lines like EF and KKII, for their minimal support, their stories gave a sense for a capacity for darkness, a very real possibility that the world can and even presently does suck and that there's actual stakes. In Chima, nobody ever dies, and every time something bad happens, it's resolved with no caveats. The characters barely need to grow or change to get anything done, if at all. By contrast, EF features a potential AI takeover, with human beings already being captured by the robots and held as slaves; most notably, Takeshi's dad. That's not to say EF had revolutionary storytelling, but relative to how much media it got, it was far weightier than anything from the 2010s. And of course, you've got the HIGHLY elaborate storytelling of Bionicle. Lego hasn't attempted anything on that scale since. The sheer volume of detail and effort Bionicle got was admirable, even when the storytelling was lackluster. There was a lot of worldbuilding and side plots and a huge list of characters who actually got explored SOMEWHAT. It'd be nice if Lego would at least attempt that again. The closest we have is Ninjago, which has horrendous writing for a line with as many good sets as it has.