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I'm not sure what possessed me to make this, but uh, here we are! Comic 1 Comic 2 Stay tuned to see if it possesses me to draw some more EDIT 2/2/2024: Added another page! Thinking of making this a weekly release, possibly more often if the mood strikes me. --Akaku: Master of Flight

Happy birthday, BZP! Not sure if I should make a topic for this or just add a birthdaygreeting post, but here goes! An art attempt at honoring the site staff! 21 tiny tributes. Each is a mini 3x3" pencil and mechanical pencil drawing on watercolor paper. Sealed with Krylon Workable Fixatif spray. ~62.5 hours (please forgive if faulty figures!) total set drawing time, done from lap desk + tablet reference photos. My utmost apologies for detailing differences, "happy accidents", small dots/blemishes on a few of these that the free version of Pixlr wouldn't allow me to remove, and any current staff I've maybe missed (uncertain as staff page did not list everyone) ! Thanks to each and every one for all the work done to make the site fun! A special thank you to xccj for abounding aid in art inspiration and extensive advice on staff history! Doc with full size scans/more pictures. Original drawings mailed to Black Six. Doc with full resolution scans and more pictures. In order: @Eyru@GSR@Erebus@xccj@Dimensioneer@SPIRIT@Emzee @Ta-metru_defender@Nuju Metru@Nukaya@ChocolateFrogs@Black Six@Binkmeister@InnerRayg @Zatth@dviddy@Takuma Nuva@Sumiki@Tufi Piyufi@Brappy Hour@danny316p

With the end of Premier Memberships, there's still a hope that the community will help support BZPower and keep the site running. We have to pay monthly for our hosting, keep the BZPower domain names, install an SSL certificate to secure the connection between our site and our users, and have an active license for our forum software so we can stay updated. And that's just at a bare minimum. Other things like shipping raffle and contest prizes add more expenses, and none of that even considers the time the staff donates behind the scenes. To hopefully help with all that, we are opening the site up to donations, with a goal you can see here that tracks our expenses for the year to date, plus the fees and taxes that will be removed from any payments. There's no perks for donating, just a sincere thank you from myself and everyone else who still uses and enjoys BZPower. We appreciate any and all support! Even if we don't meet our target, we will still continue to keep the site running for as long as we are able. BZPower means a lot to us all, and we'd love to see it stick around for a long, long time. If you can help, we truly appreciate it!

Feel like this should have been done privately...

Retiring Premier Membership BZPower has had the Premier Membership program for a long time, providing a way for people to help support the site financially while receiving some perks in return. Over the years, with changes to the forum software and the decrease in activity on the site, the allure of those perks has understandably been reduced, making the program much less appealing than it was in the past. Invision, the company that makes BZPower's forum software, announced that in their next major update they will be removing the store aspect of the forums, which is how Premier Memberships are managed. Keeping everything above in mind, this seems like the right time to cease the Premier Membership program. Of course, anyone who purchased a Lifetime membership will retain that title and the remaining perks, but memberships will no longer be for sale as of February 29th, 2024. The forum software does have new ways of doing subscriptions and accepting donations, so we may look into doing a new program in the future. If we do, it will be something that fits with the current activity level of the site and capabilities of the software. We appreciate everyone who has donated to support BZPower over the years! Every little bit has been helpful in keeping us running, and we thank you all!

Floral Fury Built for the "Plants vs. Horror" collab hosted by Bionilug. I know, it's not so much horror, let's say the real horror comes from the point of view of the Matoran in this specific situation. 13/11/2023

Strong, stalwart, and as old as the mountains themselves...

IC: The Ghost (The Tower) For the first time in their conversation, the Ghost looked legitimately confused; the expression was ill-fitting on his face, as if it had been turned to a purpose for which it simply had not been designed. ”Abandon the Spice? Lords, no. You're worthless to me in withdrawal. Worse than worthless, even. No, you will continue your use of Spice.” As he spoke the last sentence, he stood up once again, and walked to the far side of the room. Once there, he opened and closed a drawer; whatever he had taken was small enough to fit in his enclosed hand. “From now on, I am your supplier. I won't have some drug dealer in the outer ring withholding your Spice in exchange for some advantage of your elevated position, nor will I allow some cut substance to rob me of one of the only people in this compound I can trust.” He placed the object in his hand upon the table, but did not sit. It was an odd little device, a blunt metal hook smaller than the palm of Taldrix's hand. “This goes behind your ear. When you wear it, I hear what you hear; when you don't, it's as lifeless as any implant without a source of bio-electricity, barring a meager back-up supply with only one purpose. Observe:” He put two fingers to his wrist, as if to take his pulse, and a tiny blue light began blinking on the device. A subtle vibration ran through it, too, enough to slightly shift its position on the table. “If I need you, and the device is not active, this will let you know. If it is, you will simply hear my voice in your ear, as clearly as if I were standing next to you. When you need Spice, or you're interrogating the Iron Tribe girl, or you find yourself witness to anything else that I should hear, you put it on. Likewise, I will use it to inform you of when, where and how to collect. If you attempt to take advantage of my generosity, I will know, and you will sorely regret it.” Throughout his speech, his smile had been unwavering, but only now did the menace recede from his eyes. “Now that that's dealt with, is there anything that you would like to ask me?” OOC: @Toru Nui IC: Celrys (CelTech workshop, Tajun) “The wreath, yes. It's… how to put it…” He frowned for a moment, then turned to one of the workshop’s many drawers and produced an odd implement. “This, Del, is called a stethoscope. You put the buds in your ears, like so, and you gently press the disc against the left side of the chest, like so.” He demonstrated on himself, then removed the earbuds and offered them to Del. “Would you care to try it?” OOC: @Techn0geist @Snelly IC: Kirbraz (Staff NPC; The Shadiest Spot on Bara Magna) To the delight and dismay of philosophers everywhere, Kirbraz conclusively proved the existence of the soul to both Cacia and Karak as they witnessed his own briefly depart from his body. His first thought, naturally, was that this lurking man who he had never seen before must have been an assassin, sent by Scodonius’ secret friend. He was certainly intimidating enough, but as Kirbraz mopped the nervous sweat from his brow, he realised there were a few holes in that theory. Chiefly, that Cacia seemed only mildly frustrated by the terrifying Glatorian, but also the fact that this man had already been inside the premises when he arrived, and the building’s proprietor had yet – to the best of Kirbraz’s knowledge, at least – to invent a precognitive implant. No, this man knew Skyra Daring; he’d seen her come in, or perhaps even come in with her. This was his ticket. “Y-yes, sir. The driver. Have you, uh, well, I, erm, what I mean to say is, she- is she here? I saw her vehicle parked outside, and I wanted to hire her.” OOC: @Jesse Pinkman IC: Tueris (Staff NPC; Valley of Death) Tueris grunted his assent, falling in at the rear of the procession, the better to keep his eye on all of them. High above, he heard the familiar chatter of the carrion birds – buzzards and vultures, perched upon the edge of the canyon walls. Watching. Waiting. “Seems we have spectators,” he muttered. Nothing to worry about for now; it was only when they began to fly away that there would be trouble. If Tueris and the others were the ripest pickings to be found, it meant there weren't any larger predators feasting nearby. It was funny, how the things the ignorant mistook for omens so often meant the opposite of their fears – all the same, Tueris tried to put little credence altogether in omens. He knew already that this journey could only end one way. OOC: @Burnmad @oncertainty @~Xemnas~ @Toru Nui @Nato G IC: Skrall (Markets, Bone Hunter Stronghold) It had been some years since last he stepped foot within these walls. The Stronghold had changed since then, as it had changed each time he had come here, growing larger and more perverse with every passing day. He had spoken on occasion to the Gatherers, a choice which he was swiftly given cause to regret on every occasion, and gleaned from them the source of their continuing prosperity: Iconox. Not twenty years ago, this thriving settlement was little more than a ramshackle fort; slavery was an even dirtier business back then, carried out exclusively behind closed doors. Even the Skrall had little need of their services, with Roxtus maintained only by a skeleton garrison, just as it had been until this past year. The rest of the south fared little better, their whole fragile economy being as reliant as it was on the trade of exsidian. Cybernetics were key to the performance of all the manual labour on which southern society had been built, and the rarer exsidian became, the more expensive it was to work, to live. As harsh as the Wastelands were now, it chilled Skrall to imagine the awful lengths to which the southerners must have gone to survive back then. It was an Ice Tribe Agori, Metus, who had changed all of that; his discovery of exsidian in the White Quartz Mountains made it plentiful once again, and his open embrace of slave labour made it cheap. Scarcity became saturation, a situation that could have killed the southern economy once again if not for another Agori. Celrys, they called him, though his success sounded to Skrall’s ears more like a matter of luck – a Grand Champion of their annual Tournament was declared, a no-name Glatorian who had been buoyed to success by the artificer’s implants. He was not the only competitor benefiting from the accessibility of exsidian, and Celrys was not the only inventor of combat implants. Just the one who won. It was an arms race from then on, as arena matches became dominated by fancier and fancier devices, all built by the boy with the reputation for building the device that won. It was a self-fulfilling prophecy from then on; it didn't matter how many Glatorian with a CelTech implant were defeated, because CelTech made all the implants, and every competitor had them. No matter who won, they would have commissioned Celrys. After all, not being implanted would have meant being at an immediate disadvantage, and the arena battles weren't for sport alone. What village would want to be represented by a Glatorian without cybernetics? Suddenly, exsidian was as much a prerequisite for arena fighters as it was for manual labourers, and the former were far more likely to seek out upgrade after upgrade to stay ahead of the competition. And as the demand for exsidian went up, so too did the demand for slaves. The demand for Gatherers. That was the messy truth at the heart of it all: though the south nurtured freedom and individuality, its wheels were greased by just as much blood and suffering as those of the Obsidian Legion, if not more. Though he respected the people of the Wastelands in many ways, and perhaps even envied them, one thing was perfectly clear: Order would have to be brought to the chaos of the south, and only the Skrall could do it.

The community here is small enough as-is. Excluding people from taking part in giveaways if they don't meet some arbitrary post quota will just encourage spam, or drive people away altogether.

IC: Wolf (Atero; Red Star Room) “Awake and ready,” she replied, pulling her helm down over her eyes. Her few belongings were already gathered into a pack and flung over her shoulder. “I gather you would have preferred the floor; you’ll sleep well in the Serrate.” OOC: @Wotz IC: Celrys (His office, Tajun) Celrys, his scope retracted, watched the strange Glatorian leave with a look of unmistakeable sadness in his eyes. There was disappointment there, yes – disappointment that he hadn’t been able to get through to him – but there was also hurt. The pain was an unfamiliar one, here as he was in his custom workshop, where people came to him from all across the known world, where he was respected and, perhaps, even revered. It was the look in the Glatorian’s eyes; it made him think of another Celrys, living another life, years before he would become a household name. One who was forced to grow accustomed to that look, one not just of anger or unease but of disgust. They looked at him like he was an aberration, an affront to nature itself. He felt a kinship with that other version of himself, who had seemed so distant until this moment. It was curious; he had faced criticism before, even hatred. Many considered his work unnerving or unnatural, and some even made their antipathy far more personal. What was it about this that was so different? Offense, he realised. People found his work distasteful, they found him ‘creepy,’ but those were matters of taste, based on his actions and his words. That Glatorian had felt all of those things, and none of them truly mattered to Celrys; what had gotten under his skin was the way in which the man seemed to be offended by his very existence. He didn’t care what the artificer said or did, he wasn’t even listening. It was his presence itself that he objected to, and there was nothing that could be done to change his mind. Without realising it, Celrys had grown used to being larger than life – but in that Glatorian’s presence, he felt so very small. Still, there was no time to dwell; Del was what was important. As if awakening from a trance, he turned his attention back to his actual client, just in time to experience their meltdown. No time to waste. “Cacia, we need some water in here, now.” Celrys was already on his feet, and making his way towards the door through which he had emerged. “Right away, sir.” The voice that responded, though tinny and seemingly emerging from Celrys’ desk, was unmistakeably that of the receptionist. Though he rolled his eyes when she addressed him as ‘sir,’ he said nothing, focused on the door. “Skyra, I need you to help Del up and follow me.” He held out his open palm, and the door slid open once again, revealing the workshop that had seen Skyra’s implants installed, like so many other Glatorian. In contrast to the office, the room was all sterile metal – metal walls, floor, desks, moveable trolleys. Metal implements, too. The only exception was the adjustable chair at the centre of the room; though metal in construction, allowing its position to be adjusted as necessary (even laid back entirely), in place of ‘cushions’ it had a rubbery surface upon which the client was expected to sit. It was not as uncomfortable as it looked, if not by very much. Celrys himself had made his way to one of the metal cabinets, from which a fog emerged as he opened it. OOC: @Morgan Yu @Techn0geist @Snelly IC: Somnii (Bone Hunter Stronghold; Somnii's Cell) And there it was. It had worked. She was so dumbfounded that she couldn’t quite keep the look of surprise off her face, but she quickly regained her composure. “You’ll probably want to write this down.” Somnii took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and then began. “Usually, it takes one to two weeks from the first symptoms until… until death. Some made it to three; one was even pushing four when I left. Didn’t even know it was a disease to start with. People just… stopped dreaming.” She shuddered involuntarily, and had to take a moment before she could continue. “It’s not like what you think. It’s… it’s as if you’re still there, the whole time. Asleep, but fully aware. And I don’t just mean you can’t move; I mean you’re aware, and that’s it. You don’t feel anything, don’t hear anything. Your body is asleep, you’re not physically anywhere. But you can’t think either. Only experience. And there’s nothing to experience but time. Every single second you’re ‘asleep,’ you’re aware. Hours of… nothing. Like being forced to sit and stare at a wall, without even the ability to distract yourself. The hours feel like years. And then you wake up, and it gets worse, because there’s no rest either. You wake up and you’re just as tired as when you fell asleep – more tired, even – and then that exhaustion compounds. It gets harder to think; you’re groggy, your reflexes are slow, your legs are as heavy as lead. You start forgetting things – blackouts, at first, then recent things stop sticking. You forget where you are, what you’re doing. Soon enough, though, it doesn’t matter if you used to know it. You don’t have the energy to find it in your mind anymore. You don’t have the energy to do much of anything anymore. But even that is better than being asleep. “Pretty early on, people start trying to keep themselves awake. Simple stuff at first, caffeine, trying to keep your eyes open, the usual things a miner on a long shift knows to do. But that’s not enough, because you still fall asleep, and you still have to experience that… that void. That's when the dying starts. Some people take their own lives; it can’t be so different, after all. At least when you’re dead, you’re gone. Better to be nothing at all than to be forced to stare forever into oblivion. Sometimes it’s an accident – people try to go to work or go about their lives, but they’re slow. They fall, or they get hurt. Sometimes they hurt themselves on purpose, just trying to stay awake, and they’re too tired to realise they cut too deep. It doesn’t matter, because they’ll soon enough die anyway. “The next stage turns the tiredness and confusion to aggression. People become violent, paranoid, irrational. They lash out, hurt others, get themselves hurt. It only takes another day or two after that before they just stop waking up. After that, some of them die quicker than others. We tried to keep the first few alive, comatose; that was before more people started getting it, and we realised what we were doing was tantamount to torture. Better to be dead than to be trapped in that dreamless sleep. So yes – you’re right not to shake my hand. I wouldn’t wish this sickness on anyone. Not even you.” OOC: @Toru Nui

Hello everyone, friends new and old. I’m slowly putting together a character for this RPG as I dust off these old joints. Once they’re active, it will take a bit of time to get them to a location where they’ll be available to players, but as soon as I do, I hope I can join you all in crafting this wonderful story! Good gaming, and see you around!

IC: Skrall (Markets; the Bone Hunter Stronghold) “She is right.” He had returned without the slightest sound; stealth was easy in this place, so loud and so crowded, and it came naturally to him. “Do not mistake depravity for weakness. Look around: this is a fortress. Multiple walls, a watchtower, only one entrance and one exit – not to mention that the market means no shortage of supplies to outlast a siege. Not only that, but these Gatherers are disparate; this represents only a fraction of their number, and this location is strategically valuable only in that it can withstand an assault. Those grains of sand would slip through our fingers. Meanwhile, this is our nearest source of supplies outside Roxtus, and they have another stronghold along the route, meaning that they could easily raid the caravans carrying supplies to our army, or even attack our flank. It would be a massacre, and if we won, we would have shown our hand to the South, revealing ourselves as invaders and making enemies of their most powerful Tribe in the process by halting the supply of slave labour for the duration of the siege.” He looked back to the market; Agori were hauling supplies to the carts in which the Skrall had arrived, carefully avoiding the spikits. “I have seen to our supplies. Once Atakus is finished with the handover, we will be ready for the long journey to Tajun.” OOC: @ skrall IC: Kirbraz (Staff NPC; The Shadiest Spot on Bara Magna) The Agori shifted nervously, weighing up his options; he had no idea who this man was, and if he was indeed a mercenary, he would have no reason to take Kirbraz’s side. The moment he spoke the name aloud, the Glatorian would know exactly who the highest bidder would be. “Someone wants me… silenced. I know something they don't want known.” OOC: @Jesse Pinkman

IC: Mard & Ahmoa - Training Ground, outskirts of Atero "Oof! Ouch." Ahmoa proclaimed involuntarily as Lorqua brought Lutenus's axe charge to a stop with her shield-bash. "A tad rough, don't you think?" "Pull your blows, last warning! That looked nasty!" Mard barked at the combatants, wondering how bad Lutenus would feel the bruising come morning. But the counterattack had left Lutenus wide-open, and the referee readied himself to call the fight. Seeing how Lorqua had turned the tables so quickly however, he couldn't count out Lutenus doing the same just yet. So uncannily quick to push the attack, the two Agori wondered how that would translate to defensive recovery and offensive response. IC: Del - Celrys's Workshop, Tajun Del returned Karak's brief glance as he left the clinic, trying and failing to decipher what was happening behind the blood-red Glatorian's eyes. <<Analysing scenario.>> The information imparted by Celrys gave Del rare pause. The heat climbing inside their head spiked. <<Unknown quantity aided Del I leave isolation. Unknown quantity, voice, dire— >> Del's process was interrupted only briefly by Skyra Daring's colourful freakout, barely even a tick. << —cted Del I find Celrys. Del I find Celrys.>> <<Nemoni. Nemoni. Nemoni.>> Tick. Tick. Tick. Like a skipping record needle. <<Cannot reconcile. N-N-N-Nemoni not I. Del I. Name Del I. I-I-Identity Del I...>> A fierce sweat broke on their brow. Their mind was running hot now, dangerously hot. It had to throttle back, hard. <<Quarantine w-w-when sick people... p-p-prevent-t-t-t making others sick-k-k-k-k-k...>> "Youuu cooontracted thhhe Ferrummm Plagggue..." Del slurred out in lazy repetition, abandoning their usual precision speaking clip. "Theeey hhhave the Ferrum Plaaague..." The helmet, slipping from their hands, clanged loudly onto the floor. Del looked up to Celrys, to Skyra. Their vision swam, their face clammy and their forehead hot with fever. <<Q-Q-Q-Query.>>> "Del I... sick?" OOC: @Toru Nui @oncertainty @Morgan Yu @a goose @Snelly

IC: NPC (Celrys' Workshop, Tajun) It was a pleasant little stone building, and surprisingly humble, tucked into the shade in one of Tajun's most affluent neighbourhoods. The only thing that gave any indication of its nature was a gold plaque by the door, upon which was embossed: CELTECH Consultations by Appointment Only The text seemed almost to glare at Skyra, its disapproval palpable. Still, the door was answered – not by Celrys, but by a diminutive, beleaguered-looking Water Tribe Agori. She was young, but her face gained a decade at least in the moment she laid eyes on Skyra. It was quite apparent she recognised her. "Miss Daring, the door was not locked. If you and your-" She looked briefly at Del, and then even more briefly – so much as to seem intentionally so – at Karak. "Companions would like to step inside, you can explain your predicament and I'll find out when he's available." IC: Somnii (Bone Hunter Stronghold; Somnii's Cell) Then he wanted her alive. She had suspected as much, but to have it confirmed… She could use that, somehow. She would find a way. "I've got good news for you, then; I've already lasted longer than I expected, but I watched nearly a dozen miners succumb to this plague. It took them all, in the end." Somnii paused, a thought occurring to her. "That's what this is about, right? I heard Crucius say I was being 'kept for observation.' If that's the case, then I think we can help each other." IC: Skrall (The Prison Wagon) Skrall sighed and shook his head. He had little love for the Bone Hunters – they were parasites, without honour or worth, and made allies of the Skrall only out of a desire for further profit. Such venality drove every decision they made; if another tribe made a better offer, they would turn on the Black Legion without hesitation. Still, he supposed, the Skrall would have to take allies where they could find them. The greed of the Hunters at least made them willing to overlook the notions of conquest and racial supremacy that so chafed the rest of the locals, and the old saying about the choices of beggars held true. This was how it had to be – for the Skrall, and for their prisoner. OOC: uhh, let's see here. @Snelly @Morgan YuYuYuYuYuYuYYuYuYuYuYuYuYuYuYuYuYuYuYYuYuYuYuYuYu @Techn0geist @Toru Nui @skrall

Yes, that's the best name I could come up with - names are hard! Coming back from a couple months of soul-searching, I am ready to return to streaming - come join the block party! After almost a decade of doing different types of streams with different names and schedules, I am merging everything into one generic LEGO-themed stream not tied to building sets, playing videogames, days of the week, or a specific platform. That stream is B6's Block Party! Our first stream will be tomorrow, March 20th, at 7 PM Eastern, where we're going to build a LEGO set. What set? You'll have to come and find out! We haven't changed locations, so we'll still be over on the BZPower Twitch channel, with archives posted on our YouTube channel. Moving forward, the plan will be to announce a schedule every Sunday or Monday, with at least a day's notice so people can plan accordingly. We'll be building sets, playing videogames, and maybe other things? I have a lot of bricks that need to be sorted and some sets that need to be taken apart eventually, so maybe you'll see that too at some point (or you won't because it sounds boring and you won't watch). There won't be anymore giveaways like we did with our set builds - believe it or not after almost a decade since we received the first pallets from The LEGO Group, we are actually starting to run low and want to focus our remaining supplies on things like contests and the convention circuit. So yeah, something new and hopefully fresh and fun! At some point I'll probably need to come up with a new logo and maybe some overlays and other graphics - if you want to help, please let me know! Thanks everyone who has ever watched one of our streams and to all our future viewers - we do this for the fun of it and hope you have fun too!

With this MOC, I've finally made at least one revamp or reimagining of all six of the original Toa!

When they were first introduced in 2007, the Barraki brought with them a game-changing new backstory that completely reframed everything we thought we understood about the history of the Bionicle universe. The idea that the Matoran aren’t the chosen people, that the Toa weren’t the original peacekeepers, has always fascinated me, and it was disappointing that future years of the storyline never explored these implications. The fact that these six all-important Prime Species never really played much of a role in the story before or since 2007 is strange as well, so in this thread I wanted to explore some theories about where the Prime Species come from, and what happened to them after the Barraki were imprisoned and their armies were disbanded. From information given in the 2007 storyline, in guidebooks and encyclopaedias, and comments from Greg Farshtey, we have a wealth of information to work with. We know each Barraki was the leader of a different species, and Greg Farshtey has been adamant in the past that none of these species were ones we’d encountered in-story before, meaning none of them are Toa, Skakdi, Vortixx, Steltians, etc. A caveat to that is his statement that connections to the Dark Hunters weren’t discussed, meaning that some of the Dark Hunters of unknown origin could theoretically be members of a Prime Species. The encyclopedia gives a rough rundown of which region each Barraki ruled, though there’s some dispute over this, as Takadox’s entry completely contradicts information given in the other five. BS01 considers the Takadox account to be incorrect, so for the purposes of this thread, and my map above, I’m going with the information in the other five entries. (Note: as Destral can move, Daxia was secret, and we know from The Mutran Chronicles that Artakha and the Southern Islands weren’t conquered, I’ve left those locations unclaimed on my map. We also don’t know for sure if Karzahni was taken over, but given its proximity to Metru Nui, I’m choosing to assume it was). For the purposes of my theories, I’m operating under the assumption that most of the Barraki include their own homelands in their territories. Ehlek probably has the weirdest territory of the bunch, ruling his homeland of Zakaz, but also controlling the western island chain. This arrangement makes a little more sense if we assume he was also responsible for the oceans in general. His species is the only one we know for sure has appeared in-story post-2007, with Federation Of Fear revealing that they became servants of the Order Of Mata Nui. Kalmah was said to have ruled the Northwestern region of the universe. In my map I’ve given him the Northern Continent, but I theorise that he also ruled the island that once neighboured Artakha. The Bionicle World guidebook (written in-universe by the Order Of Mata Nui), states that the inhabitants of Artakha destroyed a larger neighbouring island that was connected to theirs by a land bridge, as part of the measures to hide their island from the rest of the universe after Makuta Kojol’s raid. The guidebook claims this larger island was uninhabited, but given the generally deceitful and villainous nature of the Order, I think this entire account is questionable. We know the Order actively assassinated anyone who knew the location of Artakha, and that Kalmah’s species, ruling the Northwestern part of the universe, would have likely known the location, so I believe that the Order may have committed genocide against the species and sunk their homeland to hide the evidence, explaining why we don’t see this species again in-story. This is further evidenced by a line from Kalmah in The Mutran Chronicles, where he says “As for Artakha, let the old fool putter among his creations,” a strangely personal insult which suggests some degree of first-hand knowledge, given that most other beings we see in-story reverentially regard Artakha as a near-mythical figure. Pridak is one of the biggest mysteries here. All we know about his origins is that he was a servant of the Brotherhood of Makuta who travelled a lot. Upon becoming a Barraki, Pridak is said to have ruled the northeastern part of the universe, with Xia being the only island specifically named. To give him a territory more comparable in size to some of the other Barraki, on my map I’ve given him Stelt, Karzahni, and the unnamed islands to the east. But given what we know of his backstory, I don’t think any of these islands are his original homeland. The best theory I’ve seen - in Click's wonderful Simplifying the Species List thread - is that he might be a member of Tobduk’s species (with his pride/vanity being the emotion he feeds on). This would reframe the Brotherhood’s decision to unleash the Visorak on that island as an act of deliberate revenge against Pridak, and/or an attempt to prevent others of his kind from taking up his banner. Takadox is said to have ruled the eastern part of the universe, which I’ve interpreted as the chain of islands that includes Odina, Nynrah, and Visorak. These islands provide a few possibilities for the origin of his species. Nynrah is said to have a native species of craftsmen, separate from the Fe-Matoran who would later become known as the Nynrah Ghosts. This doesn’t fit what we know of Takadox super well, so I believe a better candidate for his homeland would be Odina. The Bionicle World guidebook states that there was a society native to Odina prior to the Dark Hunters making the island their base of operations, who were killed off/driven out. The Dark Hunters were established after the Barraki were imprisoned, so I feel that this fits the timeline quite well, and explains why Takadox’s race doesn’t appear again in-story. Finally, we have Mantax and Carapar. Mantax is said to have ruled the central part of the empire, while Carapar controlled the south section, and made some attempts to conquer the island chains further south. Given that it’s the only landmass left, I’m assuming that these two shared the Southern Continent, with the Tren Krom river being the border separating their territories. We know the Great Cataclysm did severe damage to this continent, and likely decimated the populations of these species. Given that no other Barraki seem to originate from the same landmass, it’s also possible that the homeland of Carapar’s species is actually one of the southern islands. In this case, us not seeing anything more of his species still makes sense, since the story never really explored those islands.

Dune Surfer Ronin Made as a group project with Petersheikah and DanV. I built the base, Dan the surfboard and Peter the Ronin. 11/03/24

IC: Skrall (Markets; the Bone Hunter Stronghold) Skrall shook his head. “They have attacked our caravans before. It has rarely ended well for them, but they thrive on anonymity; their numbers, lack of a command structure and their disparate clans all prevent blame from being leveled, and they know that our desire for retribution will be tempered by our need for trade. The Roxtus garrison has hesitated to alienate our allies with false accusations.” He paused, then, and looked up at the watchtower on the horizon. “That said, it has been months since the last attack. Perhaps the full force of the Black Legion being so nearby has made them more wary of attracting our ire; Tirveus is known to inspire such fear.” He wanted to believe what he had said; the might of the Skrall should be feared, and Tirveus had a reputation for disproportionate (and misaimed) retribution; he had no qualms about punishing the innocent, just so that a crime would be seen to have been punished. But even he heard in his own voice the absence of conviction, the lack of the certainty which usually came so easily to him. He knew there was another explanation, one that unsettled him greatly: the Bone Hunters had changed. Skrall knew the South better than anyone. He had come with eyes unclouded by propaganda or tradition, and become as much a stranger to his own people as he was to the Southerners; he was a son of the Black Spikes, a true Roxtusian, of neither North nor South. He saw both with a clarity that neither possessed, whether looking inward or outward. It was this enlightened perspective that defined him; his truth was absolute. And he knew that neither the Skrall nor the Southerners were capable of independently changing their ways. They needed people like him, people who were not swayed by petty tradition or nationalistic vanity. Outsiders. It was a fundamental truth of the world that change could not come from within. This truth was absolute. Certainly, aspects of the Bone Hunters – and the South as a whole – could change. But though their Stronghold grew and the champions of the South adorned themselves with greater numbers of cybernetic modifications, the changes were matters of scale. Of growth. Surface details. The Bone Hunters themselves had not changed, could not change, not on any fundamental level. He understood them, understood what motivated them. Survival and profit, and nothing more. If their behaviour had changed, it was in service of survival, or it was in service of profit. “On the other hand, the Skrall being closer at hand has also made us more valuable customers. You may be right; perhaps now they see the value in not alienating us.” Profit. Survival. That was all. There was no truth to the uncanniness he felt. Things were the same as they ever were. OOC: @Burnmad @oncertainty @BULiK @Nato G @Toru Nui @Vezok's Friend

I’ll admit, I don’t have a lot of personal experience with autism, so I can’t speak to your experiences. I’ve struggled with other mental health issues of my own, so I try not to judge people for that sort of thing. From what we’ve seen here, it seems quite clear that you’re struggling with impulsive/obsessive behaviour and other self-control issues. And I agree that intent can easily be misconstrued on the internet. But with all of that said, it’s very hard to take you at your word when you’ve been nothing but disingenuous and deceptive since you got here. By your own admission, you used an AI to write your apology for you. You gave conflicting accounts of the situation you were apologising for, and misrepresented the facts to make yourself seem the victim (despite the person you were harassing having ample evidence to the contrary). You basically tried to trick this site into taking your side in an argument we knew nothing about. And on top of all of that, all of us have now seen you publicly promise multiple times that you would stop your behaviour, only for you to go back on your word within just a few hours. As harsh as it sounds, it would probably be in everyone’s best interests for you to unplug for a while, and avoid the temptation to engage with the internet until you're better able to control yourself. It sounds like you understand that you need help. I implore you to seek it.

Okay so I haven't bothered chiming into this situation because it's none of my business, and it'll stay this way after this post, but likeeee...you're asking people to not publicize this situation and keep it private...while you are also, by making this post, publicizing this, and you have been making the situation very public this whole time. I, and I'm sure many others on this site, would have not been aware of this situation had you not made this a public spectacle. Just pointing that out, a little two cents. Back to silence I goooooo

1) pick a more active venue than BZPower. The unfortunate truth is that this website doesn't get as much traffic as it used to and probably never will again. 2) respectfully, put more effort into your topics. Of the recent ones I have checked out from you, most of them were not things I found very interesting. Your recent question about whether you are allowed to put "Official" in a topic name is a basic yes/no question that I just assumed an administrator would eventually handle for you. [I think the answer is no, BTW, or at least it used to be. I once tried to make something like an "Official Rhotuka Spinner Power" topic some years ago and it got closed.] I don't know anything about the Pringles vlogs you mentioned in another topic. You don't actually mention BIONICLE that much. If you can write/draw or make MOCs, posting those would be the most baseline way of engaging with the BIONICLE community. 3) tying in to point 2, try not to post as many topics. A small number of higher-effort engagements will be better received than a ton of fairly low-effort posts bordering on spam. On a deeper level, though, not just BIONICLE fans but people in general don't like to follow creators who feel like they're trying to get popular. The people who get platforms are the ones with interesting talents or unique perspectives, not people going out of their way to just get popular. Hope you found this helpful.

The sun shines so brightly here. Yet that is not enough for them. The plants are more than alive now. So they hunger for more. -.-. .- .-.. .-.. .. -. —. ....... .. -. ....... .- .-.. .-.. ....... .— . . -.. ....... .— .- -.-. -.- . .-. ... More on Instagram

IC: Tueris (Staff NPC; Valley of Death) “They don't like villages. They'd stay away regardless. Just routine. Instinct. Whatever you want to call it. We won't know what to expect until we get there, only that it won't be good.” He knew the Agori was only trying to hold on to hope, but hope was dangerous out here. Better to expect the worst, and come prepared. OOC: @Nato G and the Iron Canyon Crew IC: Kirbraz (Staff NPC; The Shadiest Spot on Bara Magna) Metal god? Could he have meant Celrys? There was no telling how long she might be in there for. “Uh- say, I don't suppose your services are, ah, for hire? As, you know… as protection. Just until Miss Daring comes back.” OOC: @Jesse Pinkman IC: Celrys (CelTech workshop, Tajun) “No sound, no. Electrical impulses. That is why we need a wreath, rather than a stethoscope.” OOC: @Techn0geist @Snelly IC: The Ghost (The Tower) Wouldn't I like to know… He watched Taldrix with a renewed intensity. “You have a talent for asking the right questions, but the only people who know that are long gone. I have spent my life picking through the rubble, and still I have no more answers than you. Not yet.” Something shifted in his expression, as if he had heard a noise somewhere in the distance. “I promised your compatriots power. Weapons. Their desires are… simple, like that. But there is more than just power waiting out in those canyons. There are answers, to the questions that plague us both.” The Ghost walked slowly to the map table. A square grid depicted, in excruciating detail, the canyons east of the Wastelands, from the Creeps all the way to Ferrum – at least, in the squares that were not blank. The space was strewn with painted tacks and dyed string, deliberate in their placement but without an immediately obvious meaning. A pencil lay close by; the Ghost had been drawing it by hand. He gestured toward the table with an open palm, encouraging her to look. “This is my search for those answers.” OOC: @Toru Nui

Could it be, a birthday on BZP? Why yes, there just happens to be one on this day! Happy birthday, @otter! Art gifted on the behalf of Mushy, who is currently feeling a bit under the weather:

IC: Gayle – Iron Canyon While the two Glatorian jostled for the unenviable duty of taking the lead, Gayle settled in towards the middle of the group’s procession. The decision was motivated as much by common sense as it was self-preservation. She was one of the smaller beings present, and her axe didn’t offer the greatest range. Taking up a defensive position better-suited to someone with longer reach would only put all of their lives at risk. And in the eyes of any prowling predators, she was the smallest and most appetising snack, so having Glatorian on either side of her would certainly improve her chances. She left her axe holstered for now. Though she knew the time it took her to draw her weapon could be the difference between life and death, gripping the weapon for hours on end would lead to tired arms, sweaty hands, and cramped fingers, and that could get her killed just as easily. She angled her gaze upwards as she walked, keeping her focus on the sky and canyon wall above the group. Unexpected attacks from above had ended the lives of many an unprepared traveller, and Gayle had no desire to join them. When she faced death – whether it was today, tomorrow, or a decade from now – she intended to look it in the eyes, and go down swinging. ______________________________________________________________________ IC: Somok – Precipere The party from Vulcanus had become little more than indistinct splotches of colour shifting in the shadows of the floor of the canyon below, but still Somok stood and watched. At his side stood the captain of the guard, Giltu, nervously turning his spear in his hands. “What do we do now?” Giltu asked. “What we’ve always done.” “But if there truly is a plague-” “Then we will ensure it doesn’t reach our village,” Somok said, turning away. “Make certain your guards have eyes on the canyon at all times. Inform me the moment they see any one or thing approaching from the canyon below.” ______________________________________________________________________ IC: Skrall – Bone Hunter Stronghold The stronghold wasn’t at all what he’d expected. He’d spent so much time thinking about the cities of The South that he now realised he hadn’t given any consideration to the first destination on their journey. He’d expected a ramshackle camp, maybe some primitive fortifications, but this was a true, thriving settlement. They had infrastructure, diversity, commerce, and far greater numbers concentrated in this one location than he’d expected. Though they were collectively referred to as Bone Hunters, Skrall had long believed his cousin tribe to be little more than scattered bands of scavengers, undisciplined and drug-addicted. The well-maintained fortifications and organised marketplace he’d just witnessed spoke to something more cooperative and competent... almost civilised. As the carts came to a stop and the group disembarked, Skrall’s first instinct was to let someone else shoulder the responsibility of escorting the prisoner so he could explore the marketplace. But a selfish, sudden realisation changed his mind. As intriguing as the marketplace was, it was clearly something the Bone Hunters had no qualms about letting their visitors see. But the opportunity to get a glimpse behind the scenes and learn more about how this place was run… Atakus was only extending that offer to one volunteer. As small a responsibility as it was, as flippant as Atakus seemed to be about it, it was a position of privilege that Skrall was eager to embrace. Skrall stepped up behind the prisoner and gave him a firm, forceful nudge with the blunt end of his spear, in the direction Atakus was going. “Move.” ______________________________________________________________________ @Vezok's Friend @a goose @oncertainty @Toru Nui @Burnmad @~Xemnas~ @BULiK

OOC: Anyway, after the longest wind-up known to man... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67HND-L9k-A IC: Outside the Hideout Safina's kick struck as the beast wheeled to get out of the way, a howl of discomfort coming--retracted, the creature's natural musculature tensed and prevented a devastating wound. Pushed beyond any sense of self preservation, the Muaka's reddened eyes refocused on Safina as it continued to press, seeking to use its proximity to finally slash at her with rending claws. A sickening crunch came from the darkness to her left as something impacted flesh and protosteel, one of the previously fleeing Matoran hurtling out of the darkness with a freshly broken chestplate and scraping across the ground with a cry. Evidently the Rahkshi wasn't just playing spectator to their fight. IC/NPC: Rahkshi, inside the hideout The clang of the staff on Kehuri's shield was far quieter than it should have been--and the THWACK of pain that came from his back hurt far more than it seemed like it should have. While the shield prevented the immediate impact, the staff almost seemed to phase through the metal only to once again become frighteningly tangible. The worst of the force was abated, but it was still going to leave a nasty bruise. Somehow, that seemed better than paralysis, and didn't interrupt his motion. The Rahkshi chittered, swatting at the lightstone a moment before swinging again--this time for Rall, as the Ta-Matoran took to Kehuri's back. The second Rahkshi to come from the shadows side-stepped the shambling of the corpse, though it had to take a much quicker step back from Skrihen's sword, a rasping sound coming from the creature as it batted the Tryna reanimated Toa back, looking toward Skrihen a moment and its eyes starting to fiercely glow, a mindripping fear starting to burn into the Bo-Toa. Even so, it seemed more focused on keeping the ironclad dead man at bay--and seemingly, the Bo-Toa distracted. From behind Skrihen, a raging torrent of plasma ripped through the air from one of the Rahkshi near the door. Unfortunately for Zueya, the other Rahkshi of the pair seemed to be expecting the head-on charge--and left the undead and the Bo-Toa to its companion, bringing its staff across with bonecrushing force to knock her charge to the side. The Rahkshi jumped to the side, Plagia's lightning orb grazing it as it hissed and started to focus on her. The ground started to shift and stumble beneath her feet, a dull torpor of fog sweeping into her mind and jumbling everything. IC/NPC: The Lieutenant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2L4r0Aelvg "I'll buy you an apology dinner if we survive this, Dartakh," The clone said, the one carrying the shield tossing it to the ceiling. "But we don't die gloriously. Dying gloriously implies we didn't use all our options." From his unseen position elsewhere, the Lieutenant aimed the rifle in his hands at the mirror like surface of the ice shield, hanging in the air. Alka Torin had fought at the Rama Hive. He'd been in Pala-Koro when it was attacked. He'd faced Rahkshi, servants of Makuta, and true Shadow Toa alike. He'd seen the full array that the powers of darkness had at their disposal, and in response Mata Nui had given the side of light... Six Toa. Powerful ones, sure, and each was a person for whom he had nothing but gratitude. But there were only six, against a sea of Rahkshi. And there was no Toa of Light to counteract the darkness. To bemoan that, however, would be counter to his spirit--and that of the village he had chosen to protect when Pala-Koro fell. Be grateful for help, but expect none. Expecting your faith to heal your wounds, to help you stand... ******. Mata Nui helps those who helps themselves. When you bleed, you put on a bandage. When you fall, you get up. When you face darkness... The Lieutenant pulled the Kaitahu Ra's trigger and a blazing torrent blasted out of the muzzle of the weapon, scalding the darkness, the afterimage burning across retinas. The Rahkshi closest to the door staggered a moment, shaking its head and shrieking in animal fury as the light pinged off the surface of the shield and into its eyes. The mental pressure on Plagia immediately ceased. "Move. It won't be blind for long and that won't work as well ever again." When you face darkness... You make your own light.

Mata Nui Online Game Improvement Mod or MNOGIM MNOG is a well-made flash game that, thanks to its use of vector graphics, still looks great even two decades later. However, it does suffer from a few bugs, as well as from the compression once needed to send the non-vector graphics over dial-up internet. My goal with this project is to improve the experience of playing MNOG to be the best it can be. Those at the BioMedia Project have provided versions of MNOG on their website that play at the appropriate 18 fps and save your progress as you play. I have used their original 2001 auto-saving version as a base. High-Quality JPEG Replacement MNOG makes use of many highly-compressed JPEG images. I have re-created nearly every image at the same resolution, but much higher quality. A few images didn’t have an obvious method for re-creation, such as the Ta-Wahi beach sand, so instead I either upscaled with various methods or cleaned up the jpeg artifacts to the best of my ability. Bug Fixes I have fixed a few bugs in the game, such as Maku teleporting to Po-Wahi, incorrectly overlapping layers, and typos. General Changes I have made a number of changes to improve the gameplay: The Telescope wouldn’t update because it looked for 2001 dates, now it updates as you progress through the game; Maku won’t arrive on the beach until you have visited Vakama; A guard will stop you from using the Ta-Onu Highway until after Ga-Koro; Added black bars to the sides of the screen to prevent widescreens from viewing non-playable area; Book of Chronicles can now scroll from bottom to top and vice-versa; Stopped the Ta-Koro gate from instantly slamming down in front of you when you click it; Disabled ability to cross lava when bridge is down & lowered bridge sprites; Villagers no longer tell you that Nokama has a mission for you until you have the chisel; You can now update Maku on Huki’s status; Added check so that Kapura will not be wandering the woods while also in your company. Color Consistency I've modified several Matoran colors, such as changing Matoran eye colors to be consistent with how they are shown in later animations, and a few instances of incorrectly colored parts. Clone Replacement I've changed the appearance of several otherwise identical Matoran to be a little more unique. Eventually I plan for almost all Matoran to have their own unique colors/appearance. Full list of All-In-One changes can be found here. How To Install You’ll first need to install MNOG (Original 2001 Version) from BioMedia Project. You can download the mod as an All-In-One or you can grab separate sections. Install these separate sections in this order as desired: Bug Fixes High-Quality JPEG Replacement General Changes + High-Quality JPEG Replacement Color Consistency + General Changes + High-Quality JPEG Replacement Clone Replacement + Color Consistency + General Changes + High-Quality JPEG Replacement For the All-In-One: Unzip 'MNOGIM All In One.zip' and copy the ‘Mata Nui Online Game’ folder to the same folder that holds your ‘Mata Nui Online Game.exe’ file. Overwrite all files it asks to overwrite. You are now ready to go. For Bug Fixes: Unzip the .zip file and copy the ‘Mata Nui Online Game’ folder to the same folder that holds you ‘Mata Nui Online Game.exe’ file. Overwrite all files it asks to overwrite. For High-Quality JPEG Replacement: Same as for Bug Fixes. For General Changes + High-Quality JPEG Replacement: Install High-Quality JPEG Replacement and then General Changes the same way as Bug Fixes. For Color Consistency + General Changes + High-Quality JPEG Replacement: Install High-Quality JPEG Replacement and then General Changes and then Color Consistency the same way as Bug Fixes. For Clone Replacement + Color Consistency + General Changes + High-Quality JPEG Replacement: Install High-Quality JPEG Replacement and then General Changes and then Color Consistency and then Clone Replacement the same way as Bug Fixes.

A revamp of the OG Toa of Ice inspired by the new, very constraction-y Dreamzzz joint element.

OOC: Taking the liberty of pushing things along to get Green Boi moving again. IC (Korero) [Ga-Koro] Having gathered from Cael and Praggos that Leah had expressed an intention to speak with the Dasaka Empress, Korero gave the group his earnest (if hurried) thanks and sped off at barely less than a run in the direction of the Ga-Koro docks. With the Hiko he could've been there in the blink of an eye, of course, but from what he'd heard the Dasaka were particularly on-edge after some sort of hijacking attempt the previous day (he hadn't stuck around to hear the details, being far more concerned about Leah's condition). Materialising at the docks without warning, expedient though it might be, seemed unwise. Fifteen minutes of pushing through crowds later, Korero was coming to regret that decision. But eventually the throngs began to thin, and soon the masts of the Dasakan flagship were towering overhead. Korero was immediately struck by the strange construction and sheer bulk of the vessel: it radiated an aura of solidity and power, despite being built from what almost looked like glass. Intentional or not, the presence of such a warship looming over the Ga-Koro dockland made an emphatic statement: these people might be refugees, but they were far from powerless... He sensed eyes on him: the mistrustful glare of nearby Dasaka guards, no doubt suspicious of an unfamiliar Toa emerging from the crowds to stare at the ship carrying their leader. He turned to them and raised a hand in bashful greeting, suddenly unsure of himself in the presence of these soldiers from a far-flung land. Korero might have had the power of a Toa Mata running through his veins, but he still couldn't always shake the instinctive shyness of a misfit Ko-Matoran. "Uh, hello. I'm, uh, Korero Maru. I'm looking for my Sister — Toa Leah. I was told she might be here...?" OOC: @Vezok's Friend @EmperorWhenua

I don't know why these images are sideways

IC/ Skrall/ Stronghold imminent Skrall glanced toward their destination as well, but only briefly. She’d seen it before, and Atakus had it well in focus. So instead she began to scan the landscape off to their right. “Eyes up. Check where you look.” She said, to encourage the others to do the same and keep all other angles covered. The tops of the larger dunes made for good cover. Good for bone hunter scouts. Also good for an ambush. Maybe it was Ex-Skrall’s story fresh in the back of her mind that had her particularly weary of the possibility. Relaxing now would be a mistake. She had mulled it over as the others spoke. He said ‘slashed’. By blade or by claw? The respective wounds would look different, even at a glance. Either way, slashed meant close range. Which in turn meant someone - or several someones - had managed to get close enough to a group of Skrall without being spotted and were skilled enough to dispatch them all. There were many in the wastes that could fight well enough to survive, but to do this? She definitely ruled out Vorox. They might be formidable ambush predators - but they couldn’t have killed them all without a trace and gotten away without incurring losses. There was simply no way. Was it possible then that there were Glatorian capable of this level of stealth and brutal efficiency? Or had it been someone - something else? If there had been more time, maybe she could have determined as much by questioning their cargo. But with the hunter’s fortress ahead, time had run out. From here on out, they would need to stay alert and not take chances on the road. Regardless, it all led to the lesson her other companions’ stories amounted to: ignorance rarely went unpunished - and hubris was lethal. Skrall superiority was not an immutable truth of the universe. It didn’t take the ‘witchcraft’ of the sisters to realize as much. Just as they had to maintain and hone their bodies to fight, they would have to hone their minds and add to their knowledge to stay ahead down south. OOC: @skrall @BULiK @a goose

Name: Akrianos Tribe: Unknown Species: Glatorian Gender: Male Appearance: Tall and lean. Akrianos wears old, unpainted silver armour; long dulled and marred by the elements, and covered by a sun-bleached and sand-stained surcoat of black and white, which appears to have once been something of great esteem. His helmet if of the same material and colour as his armour; handcrafted in a simple shape, but with many hand-carved details of unknown origin, and banded with a cross-shaped and rivet studded strip of metal, with holes for his pale yellow eyes in the horizontal band, and vertical vents near his mouth. Akrianos carried a massive sword and a morning star, but both have been seized by his captors. Cybernetics: Sword Link: With the sword in hand, Akrianos can use his cybernetics in his arm to activate a function on his sword which electro-mechanically converts it to a large tower shield. Stimulant Pump: Over the years, Akrianos has continually tweaked this cybernetic, providing him with an on-demand cocktail of various stimulants, granting him enhanced strength, speed and endurance in combat for brief periods. The stimulants aren't regenerative though, and are limited to four uses before needing to be topped up at the nearest location with traders. Personality & Traits: Akrianos is calculating, driven, and adaptable; capable of striking out solo or working with allies, as the situation suits. He prefers diplomacy when possible, but remains alert, prepared, and calm, even in the most insufferable situations. A cybernetic craftsman and ronin by trade, Akrianos spends most of his time exploring Spherus Magna, stopping in cities for work both as a warrior and to upgrade cybernetics of the lucky few. Weaknesses: Akrianos refuses to give up, to a fault. His tendency to wander off the beaten path can wind him up in trouble, as well. Background: A warrior and craftsman of no renown, Akrianos makes his living as a wandering mercenary and cybernetic repairman across Spherus Magna. His age is unkown, although he looks as though he's seen many battles, and even more miles. Although the few who know him see his wandering as aimless, Akrianos has dedicated his life to a search, which he keeps to himself. On his latest journey between Roxtus and Atero, however, he encountered Bone Hunters, and has spent the past several months in servitude at their Stronghold, awaiting the right moment to escape.

IC: Kirbraz (Staff NPC) (The Shadiest Spot on Bara Magna) Keep it together, Kirby. There wasn't far to go – the Hotel was at least twenty minutes away if he stuck to the open streets, but he could shave off five by cutting through alleys (and, better yet, stay out of sight while doing so). That made fifteen; he’d been in longer arena matches. Kirbraz would not die tonight. However, while determined, in his feverish panic, he’d failed to realize that in the past hour he’d gained another shadow. One cast from far above, faintly trailing a silent stalker. One cast by one of the most dangerous people in all the villages, at least statistically. Crouched behind roofs, nigh-invisible in Tajun’s night. At least for a time, Kirbraz’ personal ghost. The realisation came as a creeping chill, like a trickle of ice water down the nape of his neck. He didn't dare look behind him – he didn't need to, but more importantly, it would slow him down. He couldn't afford to stop now, not for anything, not when he was so close. Keep it together, Kirby. Keep it together. Beneath the mask, his pursuer’s ruby eyes slid down, a fixed scowl obscuring her expression below. Vitrum’s calloused digits grasped her crossbow - already unfolded and against her shoulder. Ears primed to hear every movement her mark would make. The ghostly green moon looming far above her, far above Tajun’s creviced walls - the only natural light in the village. In the nearby Arena Hotel, all was as still and as silent as the sands themselves. It was always like this, the night before the opening ceremony; the long held breath before the glorious battle-cry. Tarix didn't live for that moment the way some of his competitors might – not usually, at least. But tomorrow would mark his first match as Tajun’s First Glatorian, and he couldn't wait. For the first time in years, the nerves were truly getting to him, and his hotel room felt like a prison. At least out here, out in the cold night air, he could indulge a little. Sure, smoking wasn't healthy. Tarix knew that. But there were far worse habits to have, and he could work on giving it up now that Tajun would truly be relying on him. Tonight, though, he needed a little stress relief, and nothing calmed the nerves like a balcony view of his hometown rooftops and a hit of tobacco. Something tugged at Kirbraz, the same primal instinct that had won him his few arena victories, and he ducked beneath a shop tarp that had been left unfurled, backing up until he was hugging the wall. He turned his eyes to the sky, to the stars and the sickly green moon. His would-be killer was up there, somewhere; the alleys themselves were too empty, too silent, for the assassin to be on the ground with him. Already, he feared he had stalled for too long; he looked from side to side, weighing his options. He could keep running directly towards the Arena Hotel, but the fastest route was far too exposed. His every step would be bathed in moonlight. He set off again, a running start into a sprint so hard that he almost gave himself whiplash. He would take the long way around; the shadows could be his ally, too. (recommended listening: Uno (Alex Goose Instrumental Remix) (youtube.com)) Though nothing could betray it, Vitrum was right behind him, having crossed buildings in an instant. Something in the dark folded back into each of her legs as she dove into a quiet roll from a leap, and then entered into pursuit via the buildings above him. Kirbraz, concerned about his assassin’s line of sight, was being betrayed by every sound he made. Vitrum’s ears pricked upward inside her helmet as she lagged behind ever so slightly, turning her head along with her crossbow to the passageways below. Her red eyes narrowed for a quick shot. Kirbraz stumbled – and for one precious moment, his pursuer and her aim overtook him. The Lords themselves must have been on Kirbraz’s side as the bolt struck not him, but the ground just in front of him, the very spot where he should have been. Instinctively, he looked up to catch a glimpse of his assailant. Without hesitation Vitrum fired again, the crossbow’s oiled clockwork machinations dropping another bolt effortlessly. By the time the bolt took Kirbraz in the shoulder, he was already running. Any other night, it would have been agonising; tonight, he barely noticed. Pain didn’t matter, not to the adrenaline coursing through his system, not when he was so close. Kirbraz would not die tonight. Tick. Vitrum’s chase slowed even as Kirbraz’ flight quickened. Even with his eyes wide and lungs in overdrive his muscles weren’t reacting like they should - his gait was shrinking into a staggered sprint. The exhaustion was setting in, perhaps even faster than it should have been. No, it wasn’t exhaustion. His head was swimming. Something was wrong. And Vitrum knew it. Tock. Then it came to his head, like a tobacco head rush but fatal. His vision swayed from side to side across the alleyway, something was glaring up from the roof at him. Poison. Being forced into slow-motion made Kirbraz see one thing more clearly: somehow, the assassin had been following him, attacking with incredible accuracy, even when he should have been out of sight. They were working with cybernetics. What, then? Very likely visual – highly sensitive to movement, or tracking body heat or somesuch. The poison made the situation into even more of a race against time; if he didn't get help, he could be dead in a matter of minutes. He needed to lose his tail, and he had an idea. As Kirbraz stumbled and shambled along, he went crashing through a doorway. He was fairly confident the building would be empty – most places in Tajun were, especially at night. You didn't get real estate prices like these by selling to people who needed homes, after all. The clumsiness – some of it, at least – was an act; Kirbraz’s ability to hold his drink and play drunk simultaneously had always been useful in backroom dealings. Right now, he would use that skillset to keep his assailant confident and complacent. Once he was inside, his next priority was finding a hiding place, and there he finally had an advantage: he knew this place. It was one of Berix’s safehouses, and being the incompetent that he was, they all had nearly identical layouts, including places for stashing both people and drugs. He had seconds to choose a spot; beneath the floor was too risky. He’d be penned in, and worse, the assassin’s enhancements might be able to spot his movement through the gaps between the floorboards. That left the wall. Escape routes could be just as important as hiding spots, and Berix’s paranoia meant he kept plenty. Secret tunnels were a favourite; in this case, a false wall with a narrow passage leading into the next building. Kirbraz could lose his pursuer and get closer to the hotel in the process. The quiet patter of footsteps as the assassin advanced inside the breached building soon stopped. In fact, Vitrum had stopped moving entirely. Her eyes blinked behind the mask. Moments passed, and as far as Kirbraz could hear, it seemed as if she’d been stumped. Tick. If Kirbraz could have seen through walls, he would have seen his assassin staring directly at him from the other room. He breathed ragged and clumsy and although Vitrum couldn’t literally smell blood, she could certainly hear every tick of the clock towards the moment of Kirbraz’ death. Every snort, every intermittent groan and every inhale and exhale. If she was close enough, she could probably have heard his heart desperately trying to pump the alcoholic poison in his veins away from in his chest. Her wrapped feet carried her near silently towards the wall. Tock. She pushed at the wall forcibly with her leg. Kirbraz was practically crawling at this point, and he heard the wall crumple behind him just as he scrambled through the exit. She wasn't following by sight. It must have been sound. Trying to be quiet was pointless – it might even have been detrimental. With all the force he could muster, Kirbraz bellowed a veritable war-cry as he made a mad dash for the door, barreling clumsily through it. He would not die tonight. Not too far above, something gave Tarix pause. Someone, somewhere below, was shouting – no, practically screaming. He searched out the source, and saw a drunk Agori shambling out into the open street. He didn't know why, but something felt off, his well-honed combat instincts picking up on something his conscious mind couldn't identify. It might have been nothing, but he couldn't let it be; he turned from the balcony and walked to his hotel door, ready to make his way downstairs. Instead, he was met with a familiar face, his hand still raised to knock the open door. “Tarix,” the veteran Glatorian said with an easy smile. “I wasn't sure you’d be up.” Vitrum’s own blood pressure finally spiked as the Agori screamed and shambled outside, as she peered out. Not because of the risk of identification but because he was beginning to draw eyes to him. She could hear two people talking in the building nearby although she couldn’t make a word of what they were saying. A drunk Agori in Tajun is hardly a story but a drunk Agori with a crossbow bolt in his shoulder certainly is. The problem with the concoction smeared on the bolts was that they were ultimately meant to slow, not kill. That isn’t to say the poison never killed anyone but its main purpose was of utility, to make a target unable to resist capture or death. Thus it had effectively failed this task. The cybernetics in Vitrum’s legs folded outwards as the silent thrusters boosted her ever so slightly onto a nearby ledge, pulling herself up with little effort. She was back on the rooftops again, looking down at her injured mark. Kirbraz would suddenly hear a whistle from above. It took him a second to even process the sound; the poison had made his limbs and his head so heavy that he could barely even move, but it was already too late for his would-be killer. As he made it out into the street, he saw a light on in a room far above, and a figure silhouetted on the balcony. Already, the figure was gone, but the shutters on the balcony were still open, and Kirbraz knew whoever it was had recognised his plight. His war-cry, intended to deafen his hyper-sensitive opponent, had instead brought the attention of a saviour upon him. Somewhere, the Lords were looking out for Kirbraz, and a dozen prayers went through his mind at once as he struggled to comprehend why. In his short life, Kirbraz had been obsessed with ego and greed, inflicting uncountable evils upon the Wastelands in his attempts to claim power. No more – he had seen the light. He knew at last just how precious life could be! Kirbraz was a man reborn, and he would dedicate every living moment to helping- Suddenly, he remembered the whistle, and looked up. In front of the moon and the deep green sky, his pursuer had the look of a ruby-eyed shadow; still, something about her posture, and those eyes, felt oddly familiar. “Don't I… know you?” “Ackar! Don't tell me you have pre-match jitters?” “You should know by now that I never compete in exhibition matches. Can’t be giving all my moves away before the main event.” He smiled and winked, but the sadness in his eyes betrayed the lie. Once upon a time, he really hadn't wanted to reveal his strategies too early; but now, after a decade representing Vulcanus without a Second Glatorian to succeed him, Ackar had begun to feel his years. That he had won last year's Tournament was a total shock, and he would have to conserve his energy if there was to be any chance of a repeat performance. “No, I came to check on you. Mind if I come in?” “Actually…” Just as Tarix was about to tell Ackar what he had witnessed, he paused. Was whatever he had seen really that serious? Ackar didn't need his years of hard-earned fluency in body language to know something was wrong. “Tell me.” Vitrum’s stance was static, but something about the familiarity in Kirbraz’ voice pierced through her hard boiled veneer. She froze. Thoughts of his new lease on life, even thoughts of survival, found themselves set aside as Kirbraz stared up at the assassin. The way she froze – it meant something, he knew it. If it weren't for this damned poison, he could have- The poison. Reality came crashing back down on Kirbraz, and with it a fresh burst of adrenaline. Even in his compromised state, he began backing away from Vitrum, shuffling across the street. No doubt his hands would be bruised and cut up like no one’s business come morning, but if he wasted any time thinking about that there wouldn't be a morning. Not for him, at least. “It was probably nothing – just a drunk, stumbling through the streets.” “But?” “But it didn't feel right.” Every instinct in Vitrum’s body wanted her to squeeze the trigger mechanism and kill him as he backed away like a cornered dog. And then, suddenly, she put down the crossbow. Her hands grasped around the bottom of her helmet, removing it from her face. One hand grasping the discarded helmet, the other picked up her weapon again, holding it in one hand. Her ruby eyes stared at him, the rest of her face now bare. “You tell me. Do you know me?” Her voice came like a hiss, not having moved from her position. Kirbraz kept crawling back, back into the shadow of the building. He didn't know what to say, didn't know whether to nod or shake his head – she was so familiar, and still he couldn't place her. “Show me where you saw him,” Ackar said, nodding to the balcony. Tarix stepped back to let him in. “No, you don’t. You’re just drunk, and dying.” Vitrum murmured. Her hearing implants had been deactivated in her moment of distraction, her focus broken. She dropped down onto the street, the moonlight catching her face for a moment. With one hand she placed her helmet-mask back on her head, securing the clasps as she approached him and slinging her crossbow over her shoulder again. No more running, no more risks. Kirbraz shook his head. “No- No, I know, I know I’ve seen you before…” He felt the wall of the hotel press against his back. There was nowhere left to run. And then she lunged forward, easily grabbing him by his shoulder and pulling him towards her. Something metal and sharp burst through his insides and poked out of his back with little but a quick whirr. Grunting, she then pushed the man off her sword with difficulty, before the sword collapsed into itself and folded into her hand and back into her belt as she turned to leave, quickly. Kirbraz was dying. He felt cold. Had Tajun nights always been this cold? His head swam with poison and pain, and he struggled to keep his eyes open as the blurry figure began her retreat. It couldn't end like this. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. He’d had a plan. It was Scodonius. It was always Scodonius. He just had to ruin everything. “Think of it as an opportunity.” “You think I want to profit from a man’s death?” And there he went again, running his mouth. Ruining everything. Kirbraz resisted the urge to sigh, and calmed himself with fantasies of beating his arena partner to death. Keep it together, Kirby. “No, we don't. I think what Scodonius meant to say is that this is our only chance to stand up for what’s right. If we as a people decide that this is okay, we won't be able to take that back – and doing nothing can only be interpreted as tacit approval. You knew the victim, didn't you?” Neptum nodded. “Gorum. He was a good kid. Could've had a long career ahead of him.” “Stygia allowed his killer to go free, with nothing more than a slap on the wrist. Doesn't that make you angry?” “I’m sure it was more complex than that-” “It wasn't.” It was. Or, at least, it had been, before he and Scodonius had set the wheels of the rumour mill in motion. The most beautiful thing about a lie was that it was easy. ‘Hard truths’ were hard in more ways than one; a proper investigation and tribunal took weeks, weeks of impatience and gossip and attention-seeking. For every person who was actually there in the Arena Vulcanus that day, there were a dozen more ‘witnesses’ who were all too eager to tell their stories. That was another wonderful thing about lies: they were so much louder. Kirbraz had been in on the ground floor – he and Scodonius had a match scheduled for later that day, which meant they had front-row seats to the tragedy. They were the first to see what no one else could: a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. This was the situation: During an exhibition match in the city of Vulcanus, a young Water Tribe up-and-comer had gone toe-to-toe with the home team’s Second Glatorian. So far, so standard; the kid would probably lose, but if he didn't he would be a shoo-in for Tajun’s own Second. Bouts like these were a denarius a dozen, which only made it more shocking when the fight turned fatal. The opportunity came in the aftermath. What Kirbraz and Scodonius knew, from their ideal vantage points, was that Tueris was unlikely to suffer any real repercussions. And what Kirbraz realised before anyone else was that there was a very convenient narrative that he could encourage to emerge: namely, that the reason Tueris got off easy was his position as Second Glatorian, and Tajun’s failure of leadership on the part of Stygia. And the best part was that their new narrative would be unfalsifiable – the arena had been utter chaos that day, and a sufficiently relentless disinformation campaign could sow doubt in the mind of even the staunchest eye-witness. As for Stygia’s part in the tribunal, any attempt to set the record straight would be coming from the exact people who would benefit most from a cover-up; no one else was in the room where it happened. Better yet, people wanted to believe Kirbraz's version of events. Everyone in Tajun was desperate to make sense of a senseless tragedy, and conspiracy was always more comprehensible than coincidence. Truth was as hard to swallow as it was to establish; lies were beautifully easy. “The people of Tajun are protesting as we speak, but Stygia won't bow to political pressure. Not while she still believes she has your support. You're our First Glatorian; if you come out against her, she’ll have to listen.” Neptum stroked his chin, thoughtfully. “You have an ulterior motive.” “I do,” Kirbraz admitted. Scodonius’ jaw fell open, no doubt thinking of all the times Kirbraz had scolded him for showing his hand; still, Neptum was the type to respond to honesty (or, at least, the appearance of it). Kirbraz knew how to work an audience. “If Stygia steps down, I’m going to stand for election. I don't expect your support, and I won't be the only candidate.” This was also technically true; Scodonius would also be on the ballot. Everyone else they would bribe or threaten into dropping out of the running, and then whoever won – which would be Kirbraz – would co-operate with the other, who would get more leeway than any crime lord had ever had before. That was the pitch, anyway; in reality, Kirbraz knew Scodonius would only get greedy and fuck it all up, like he always did. Instead, Berix would be his puppet kingpin, and Scodonius would be assigned as the Tajunian representative to the Atero City Council, a position that was technically a political office, but would also keep him powerless and far away from Tajun (and, by extension, from Kirbraz). It was the perfect plan. Until it wasn't. Kirbraz had heard before that one’s life would flash in front of their eyes in the moments before their death, but why that memory? Why now? What did Neptum or Stygia have to do with this? Was that the moment when his fate was sealed? Surely that would have been earlier, or later, not- Not Neptum or Stygia. Not even Scodonius. Tueris? No, not him – but close. Another place, another time, another death in the arena. It was so close, on the tip of his tongue- “Filia.” As the realisation dawned, even as Kirbraz finally accepted the inescapability of his death, he couldn't help but laugh. “Of course… of course he would send you. I should've… known. Exile was too… easy.” Lies were easy. Conspiracy was always more comprehensible than coincidence. “Tell him… Tell your boss, that I…” “I don't see him.” Tarix took a step forward, looking out over the balcony railing himself. Ackar could tell by the look on his face that he wasn't satisfied, but the younger Glatorian just shook his head and sighed. “I guess it was nothing. I must be more anxious than I thought.” As Ackar lay a comforting hand on his colleague's shoulder and began dispensing sage advice, Kirbraz was drawing his final breath not too far below, hidden from sight by the shadow of the balcony. Scodonius had a few questions aimed his way. OOC: A massive thank you to @Jesse Pinkman, without whom I could never have given my best material to this subplot. It's been one of the best collaborations I've ever done, in no small part because he's always bringing his A-game. And can you believe I nearly began this whole plotline after the murder? @BULiK gets the credit for convincing me not to, because again, @Jesse Pinkman made this so much better than it would have been if I were working alone. Anyway, that's a wrap on Kirbraz, and a tantalising mystery for any interested PCs to investigate during these cold Tajun nights.

Hello! My name is Jackson. I go by Toa Zaz here and on TTV Message Boards. I've been a Bionicle fan since I was 6 years old- still love it- and I'm always in awe at the breathtaking creativity and undying passion that the Bionicle fan community continues to show. This topic is to share some stuff I've been working on, and also a pitch to see if anyone might be interested in collaborating to take this further. So many of us over the years have imagined what it would have been like if Lego had created a Bionicle movie for the 2006 storyline. A HUGE inspiration for me was Tohkann, Toa of Arts' incredible work; I remember his awesome Rebirth Chronicles videos, and since then he's done stunning animations and 3d modeling of 2006 and 2007 in the Miramax style (YouTube) (DeviantArt) As a fun writing challenge, I tried to create a script for this, taking four 100+ page Bionicle Legends books written by Greg Farshtey (who of course is just brilliant and a truly fantastic writer) and compressing them to 76 pages in screenplay format (according to the rule of thumb that 1 age = 1 minute of screentime, Web of Shadows is 76 minutes). Link to the script: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zbQpbwzuNKUJY0A36CWi1PqEhv3yDGGw/view?usp=sharing I used WriterDuet, a free screenwriting software, to get the proper formatting. I've gone through several drafts, added stuff in and taken stuff out, trying to keep the essentials and have the whole plot make sense, and tried to avoid having any more deviation from the books than the difference between the 4 official movies and the corresponding books/comics. I then took one of the scenes from the script and storyboarded it- 100 panels, starts on page 64 of the script. I've become fascinated with the storyboards for the Miramax movies (thanks, BioMedia project!), with their strange human-like faces; it feels like rewatching the same story through a very different lens. And there are great YouTube videos where people put the storyboards and a finished scene side-by-side: Legends of Metru Nui - credit to Emily on YouTube. Web of Shadows - credit to La Voix d'Ekimu on YouTube. So I thought it'd be cool to take the storyboards I made and edit them into a video and add audio: Bionicle 4 pitch video with storyboards All music is taken from Nathan Furst's magnificent score for the trilogy. Voices are self-performed. Sound effects are either taken from the trilogy, self-created, or Creative Commons 0 (meaning they can be used without permission of their creator). Last, I made a mock DVD cover using Krita, at the top of this post. Reference drawing: There were some specific choices for adapting the character designs to the Miramax style: Jaller's arm was based on the arms in CrazyTAC's incredible entry for the Toa Hagah canon contest. . The Piraka's flipping weapons are a main feature in the set (and also described in Legends #3 when Hakann's launcher flips backwards and fires). I was looking for a way to represent that while giving them clawed hands. I thought of the Inquisitor lightsabers from Star Wars. For the Piraka, I imagined there's a little thumb switch (out of view in the DVD cover) that the Piraka can hit and the whole weapon flips up or down; I've done some rough sketches of the various buttons/triggers for each Piraka's weapon. For this to work and to eliminate the hole/gap in the Piraka's left arms, some of the weapons had to be redesigned slightly; for example, the protrusion at the top of Thok's ice gun now retracts inwards when it flips up. EDIT: Forgot to mention, the rubberized grips on the weapons were inspired by the brilliant Miramax-style Toa Mahri Matoro created by the incredibly talented Tohkann. I adapted the cross axle in the Piraka's heads to be Frankenstein-like bolts with creepy veins sticking outwards. This was to fit the less set-like Miramax style, and also because as Skakdi, the Piraka are canonically unstable dangerous science experiments of Makuta Spiriah. . I based Avak off the prototype, as an homage to how many character designs in the Miramax movies were based on different-looking prototypes, and because a lot of fans really like the prototype Avak design. For the Zamor launchers, I tried to stylize it to not look exactly like the set, like the Miramax films did for the Kanoka and Rhotuka. I had the idea of the Zamor spheres, which in the canon are crystal, looking like a crystal ball instead of a true sphere. I made the flex-axle straight to appear "taught"; I thought it could have an appearance like a real-world crossbow, although the functionality would be more like a slingshot. I gave Avak's launcher a stock- I thought it looked kind of cool, would be easy to MOC, and would be practical for aiming a powerful single-hand weapon- but then I realized it wouldn't work against the Inika's thicker wrists, so maybe we shouldn't include it (everything here is just a suggestion). For the Inika launchers, I thought since the Matoran Resistance built them, they have limited resources and would care much more about getting the launchers operational ASAP than their appearance (unlike Avak who has more of an artist's ego), the colors of the components would be a little random and jumbled. And I made the colors of the Inika's Zamors the same as the Energized Protodermis as depicted in Mask of Light. I definitely don't want to stop here- I plan to do more art and stuff related to this project. I welcome all feedback and critiques- my hope here is to make something for the community and as a tribute/thank you to Greg Farshtey and the rest of the creatives who brought us so much happiness. And I'm now looking to see if anyone would be interested in collaborating. This could be something like making more 2006 art in Miramax-style, or more storyboard stuff; or it could be something like 3d modeling or animation, which I have no ability to do but there are incredibly talented people in the Bionicle fan community who have done amazing stuff like that. If no one's interested, then of course that's totally fine. And if people are interested but cannot contribute due to limited time/availability, or due to commitment to the Renaissance of amazing Bionicle fan projects in development right now, completely understand. And in that case, what I would do then is just work on storyboarding the entire film myself. But if anyone is interested in collaborating, I would absolutely love to do so. Let me know! Anyway, thank you so much for reading this super-long post! Have a great day! Script attached below: BIONICLE 4 Island of Doom draft 6 2-3-24.pdf

I once was raffle gifted by @GSR a temporary premier membership and then logged in years later to find I could still/again blog. @Valendale said after a forum upgrade the BZP bday week perks “just stayed on” and I assume that is why I’m able to currently. Newly (post 2020ish) joined members haven’t been able to blog though, for unclear reasons (guessing it involves join date/past access?) and ambiguous current rules on it. @Bambitried terribly hard to help at least a couple of new members start blogs, but finding it for some reason impossible, generously gifted them premier memberships himself. The entire 3+ years I’ve semi regularly blogged here I’ve been 100% terrified to ask if I’m allowed to be, for fear of an unfortunate truth, and feel quite guilty. Too poor/no access to Real Adult Money to properly purchase premier and my peace of conscience back. Kind of feel like a homeless person over there that for some reason nobody has kicked out yet.. Very sorry to staff if I’ve stolen blog privileges somehow all this time…🙈.

Like Nato said, just keep reporting the posts. It will stop eventually when a number of the bot accounts are banned, but the best thing to do is to not engage and report the posts. Remember, topics can be set up to send email notifications to the account owner whenever someone replies to a topic, so if you engage in replying to the spam topics, you could be creating false "interaction" counts that the bot presumes is people wanting to buy/learn more about the product. This in turn might be encouraging the creation of more spam topics/accounts since the bot program thinks engagement is happening. Don't reply to these topics, just report them and move on. As others mentioned, it'll clear itself up in a few days probably.

IC: Mard & Ahmoa - Training Ground, outskirts of Atero The duo returned Lorqua's bow, Ahmoa flashing another rare grin "Oh no, thank you. You're our first clients of the tournament season; if the field is of this calibre, I believe we're in for a hell of a show." Ever the jovial host. Ahmoa restrained a sigh of relief. As much as he enjoyed the spectacle the Glatorian provided, he didn't much fancy their continued company. His partner didn't quite catch himself and exhaled much more heavily than usual. Overcompensating, Mard attempted to mask it with a cheesy smile and a loose salute. "Hate to see ya rush off! Where're you two headed?" He and Ahmoa both felt they knew the answer, that familiar fear for their rare companion washing through their beings again. IC: Del - Celrys's Workshop, Tajun "Nominal," Del asserted, but quickly reassessed. "Optimal. Thank you, Skyra Daring. Del I always look at the glass as half full, ya know?" Again the driver's words, and returning the thumbs-up, had seemed the right thing. Mileage may vary. As before the Ferrumite regarded the device Celrys presented to them, now with a measure of analytical curiosity, reaching out slowly and taking the stethoscope awkwardly between thumbs and forefingers. "you put the buds in your ears," Del repeated in word and act, sliding the apparatus under their helmet and nestling the buds in. They bore a little of Celrys's body warmth. "against the left side of the chest." Again to the letter, they gently placed the disc. The glass was cold and it radiated out— Thu-thum, thu-thum, thu-thum, thu— Del pulled the disc away with a start, trying to throw it away but stopped by the buds in their ears, the stethoscope clattering against their breast. The sound had filled their ears, their skull, startled the Glatorian. Wide-eyed seconds passed and curiosity reasserted itself. With a hint of caution, they again took the disk and pressed it to their chest. Thu-thumthu-thumthu-thum thu-thum thu-thum, thu-thum, thu-thum, thu-thum, The thudding was faster but gradually slowed and steadied and stayed steady. "What is..." Del struggled for the words, finding no suitable substitute for the sound, "...buh-buh buh-buh buh-buh?" The obviousness of the impending simile would elude Del, and perhaps Skyra. OOC: @oncertainty @Toru Nui @Snelly @a goose

skrall fam, we're so back (for real this time!)

IC: (Bone Hunter Stronghold) The Bone Hunters’ Stronghold. It was, in some ways, what one might expect from such savage residents; there was a crude quality to the workmanship, its stone walls and wrought iron gates clearly made more for function than form. Still, there was a rather intimidating quality to all those sharp edges, and to the scale of it all; the walls and gates were tall, looming things, all the better to prevent slaves from escaping (and, perhaps, to prevent outsiders from getting too close a look inside). A great stone tower stood even taller than the walls – some kind of watchtower, no doubt, given its height – but its central position was more reminiscent of a prison than a fortress. Through the gates, guards could be seen patrolling on Rock Steeds, some of them bearing strange mechanical augmentations; at the entrance itself, there were two guards visible on foot, and more behind crude parapets. It was one of these who spoke as the caravan came within earshot, his voice made unnaturally loud by some unseen augmentation. “Halt!” Fero cried. “State your business, Skrall.” He spat the word with venom, another reminder of the tenuous relationship between the two offshoots of the so-called ‘Rock Tribe.’ “Barter” shouted Atakus. The tone was stale and sharp - speaking to a misbehaving animal would have warranted more emotion. The agori, who had stood up from his seat at the carriage, turned over his shoulder to look at the caravan. Two skrall [Corv / Oncertainty] had dismounted immediately to provide a defense for any lurking threats. Others, naturally, were still guarding the prisoner. The one most aware of the dangers of the southern lands, however, had yet to make a move. “Just because you’ve seen this before doesn’t mean you can sit idle,” Atakus sneered, keeping his voice too low for the Bone Hunters to hear. “Get the prisoner on his feet.” "Time to move, then." Skrall stood, and grabbed the prisoner firmly by the shoulder. This still didn't sit right with him, but the prisoner's initial resistance instilled some hope; Bone Hunters were used to receiving husks, not true Skrall. Perhaps the barbarians were biting off more than they could chew. At first, Skrall was relaxed but firm, as if trying to shrug off the larger Skrall’s pulling and shoving. He unwillingly disembarked the cart, falling helmet first into the sand. As he was yanked upright and paraded to the front of the procession, the surrounding Skrall could see him shivering. After hours of empty horizon outside his cramped cage, there was no more barrier between the apostate and his fate. Surrounded by infinitely stretching death, and overlooked by a barbaric temple. Even the dunes had eyes. The Skrall could see that their brother was no longer silent out of spite, but fear. Atakus cleared his throat, as if annoyed at how slow this was going. Couldn’t this slave hurry up? Delaying was futile. “In exchange for this prisoner’s blood and sweat, the Great Tirveus, Imperator of the Black Legion, will accept safe passage and fresh provisions for his envoys.” Subtle. Fero emerged from behind the parapets, examining the prisoner from above. He waved to someone out of sight, and the gate rose. "Have your men bring in the merchandise for inspection, and we'll see what it's worth. You and I have business to discuss." Atakus raised an eyebrow. This truly was a day for firsts. He sat back down and cracked the whip against the spikit’s carapace. The cart rolled past the gate, turning towards the hideout’s ramshackle excuse for a stable. It wasn’t hard to find - the stench was unmistakable. Within the gates, the convoy was greeted by a bustling marketplace – stalls with various supplies, where Agori bartered and argued with one another in order to get the best deals they could. Only occasionally did their haggling involve blades. In the city of thieves, commerce was thriving and everything was for sale. There was no uniformity here – every stall, every seller was unique. It was a far cry from the strictly organised military rations of the North, a perfect and immediate encapsulation of the strange economy of the Wastelands. Indeed, the only real difference between this and any other southern market was the goods on display – the black market of Spice and slaves, so well-hidden in the rest of the south, was on full display here, almost a point of pride. The Gatherers were not Skrall, but nor were they some typical southern Tribe, and they aimed to alienate both in turn. It was challenging to steer the Spikit carts away from the wet market. The onlookers refused to step near the Skrall entourage, likely to avoid the beast’s ravenous appetites moreso than the soldiers. It occurred to Atakus that many of these scavengers had picked similar caravans clean. He tried to avoid thinking about how the legion’s property would be parked in such a neighborhood. Once the beasts had been tied off near the most rancid trough of slop, Atakus climbed down from the carts. This “business” the gatekeeper spoke of was a surprise to the Skrall leader’s servant. The prospect of the plan changing kept him on edge, and he already hated being here. “You,” the shrewd agori ordered, pointing towards Skrall. The sand beneath the prisoner Skrall was holding was wet. “You know what supplies we will need for these southern deserts. Get them from the market while I finish our business here.” Skrall nodded, his face a mask; better not to show the relief he felt at being spared the handover process. Let some other fool bring the prisoner to meet his fate. “I’ll need a fighter to escort the slave with me for the negotiations,” Atakus sneered, refusing to pick his bodyguard specifically. They were interchangeable anyways. Without skipping a beat, he began to march to the inner wall, where Fero waited in the shade. OOC: hey @Vezok's Friend @Toru Nui @oncertainty @Burnmad @Nato G et. skral., prisoner escort duty up for grabs, winner takes skrall. Feel free to explore

IC: Lorqua - Training Ground, Outskirts of Atero Lorqua's face fell back to a neutral expression. She eyed Lutenus warily, but said nothing at first, turning back to Mard and Ahmoa. She gave a half bow—without the energy a cheering crowd would expect, but there was only so much she could do—and spoke, "Thank you, gentlemen." She returned to Lutenus. "I don't mean anything by it, but I have a feeling you wouldn't normally call it after the first legal hit," her brow furrowed, eyes narrowed. "I have a feeling you're giving me this one to get me committed. Alright. I'll take it. Grand Tournament, here we come." She grins, offering Lutenus her hand. OOC: @Toru Nui @Techn0geist IC: Escus - Iron Canyon Escus, raised in the shade, felt a certain familiarity in the canyon's long shadows. He loped away from the platform, planted the haft of his axe in the ground, and settled to one knee. Raising a handful of sand, he clenched his fist and felt the grains flow through his fingers. Same as anywhere else. Taking up the the axe again, he turned back to the party, inclining his head to one side. "Shall we?" he asked, rhetorically of course, for their course was long past set now. Without waiting for a response, he set off into the canyon, hunched, hugging the wall. OOC: @Nato G @Burnmad @~Xemnas~ @a goose @Toru Nui

IC: Tueris (Staff NPC; Valley of Death) Tueris glanced around with his one good eye, making sure that the whole party had reached the elevator; the medic, of course, was the last to arrive, but that was to be expected. He nodded to the lift operator, a sturdy Agori approaching middle-age, who began the apparently quite gruelling process of turning the iron wheel that put the various pulleys and gears into motion. If it was this difficult to send a group of this size down into the canyon, he felt a pang of relief knowing the operator would not have to worry about lifting their whole group up again. The wooden platform shuddered beneath their feet; the party was on the move. OOC: @Nato G @Burnmad @~Xemnas~ @oncertainty @Toru Nui IC: The Ghost (The Tower) The Ghost's eyebrow quirked upwards as she mentioned his biological differences, but he said nothing. Still, as Taldrix continued to speak, his eyes lit up; when she finished, he released a soft chuckle. "Oh, you really are something, aren't you?" He grinned as he spoke, but the glint in his eyes had turned sinister, the compliment undercut by… what? Anger? Condescension? Both? "Crucius undersold you, my dear. You're more right than you know – that said, you needn't worry about identifying the source or the means of transmission. Those, at least, I already know. Still, you did miss one crucial detail: this has happened before." The grin had soured into a sneer, though his voice remained warm, almost encouraging. "We've already seen one tribe laid low by some mystery malady that robbed them of their minds, after all, and you've proven yourself smart enough to join the dots." OOC: @Toru Nui

IC: Maxas (Tajun, Celrys’ Workshop) - Conspiratorial That look! It was obvious - she was in on it! Whatever it was - it was bad! “Oh. Well, I’d have to check my calendar if I’m free around that time…” He trailed off. He made a suspicious glance at Karak, then realized that his open suspicion would make him suspicious and stopped. “I don’t want to take up any more of your time, I’ll be going now.” @a goose @Jesse Pinkman IC: Taldrix (Bone Hunter Stronghold, the Tower) - Oh Right, My Boss Is an Alien “No, it appears that the disease afflicts all demographics. Let’s face it, there’s not enough biological differences between us and the Iron Agori to say it only affects them…” She paused for a moment. “I’m not sure how different yours would be to ours, though. I wouldn’t take any chances. She also mentioned that Ferrum’s telegraphy station was ‘malfunctioning’ at the same time, apparently they weren’t able to get word of this out to the other Atero tribes. I doubt that was a coincidence. Apart from that-” I watched nearly a dozen miners succumb to this plague. “...Miners. She singled out miners in particular. Many in Ferrum are miners, but… nothing like this dream disease has ever been recorded before. Perhaps the source is underground? But, er, that’s mere speculation, sir.” @a goose

IC: Mard & Ahmoa - Training Ground, outskirts of Atero Wincing at that last spear blow, glancing but painful-looking as it was, the referee took up both his and his partner's spears, the dull clank-clank-clank of Mard bashing their heads together poorly emulating the proper ding-ding-ding of some arenas' bells. "Cease! Lorqua of the Jungle Tribe wins!" He bellowed. "That was good fighting, you two! I trust you'll bring that and more to the Grand Tournament!" Ahmoa restrained a chuckle at how Mard rolled his eyes; this was a line oft-used by him after a training match, meant to congratulate the victor and encourage the defeated. The duo had not seen such a bout, or indeed any bout, for a time now; so entertained were they by the prowess and ingenuity of the two combatants that their supposed ulterior motive had almost slipped their minds. IC: Del - Celrys's Workshop, Tajun The Ferrumite processed the question. <<Colloquial. Status update requested.>> "...Nominal." A pause. Slowly the weight of their legs dragged them down. "...Thank you." Another, gentler thud as their torso slid off the surgery chair and to the floor. Del seemed not to notice, nor mind. After a short time and some experimental wriggling and stretching Del was able to somewhat right themself, sitting on the floor with their back against the chair's base, holding the ice to their head. "Hanging in there?" They queried, looking up at Skyra. The intonation did not betray if they were asking for the meaning of the phrase, or a status update in kind from the driver. OOC: @oncertainty @Toru Nui @Snelly @a goose

IC: Kirbraz (Staff NPC; The Shadiest Spot on Bara Magna) In the hours after his plan had entirely collapsed, Kirbraz had a great deal of time to think. He thought about how Scodonius had entirely defied his expectations by stealing the Tajun election from him; he thought about how he should have realised that he had not accomplished that feat alone. Most of all, he thought about how his latest scheme had relied upon the idea that he and Scodonius were, effectively, interchangeable. It was a premise which had guided many of his plans, not least that fateful election. He and his arena partner would 'encourage' the other candidates to withdraw, and whoever won would lead Tajun, with the other in charge of its underworld. Naturally, he had always intended to betray Scodonius; after all, the man had always been too power-hungry for his own good. He wouldn't be satisfied with anything short of total control, which meant that he would inevitably have used his position to usurp Kirbraz. It was on that basis that Kirbraz had secretly offered leadership of Tajun's criminal element to the far more malleable Berix (and Scodonius, ever a font of originality, had done the same). But all of it had ultimately hinged on the fact that Scodonius wasn't smart enough to overcome the odds Kirbraz had stacked against him. Kirbraz had failed to consider how ruthlessness and short-sighted greed could do what brains could not. It was now apparent to him that, though their late-night rendezvous (rendezvi? rendezvouses?) were a recent development, Scodonius and his secret friend had been working together for far longer. But it all still begged the question: why Scodonius? The most obvious answer was that rigging the election left him immediately indebted. It was efficient, but it was also a great deal of effort, and risked exposing his benefactor's interest in Tajun politics. There were doubtless safer, and less cumbersome, ways to have left Kirbraz similarly indebted. There could only be one conclusion: it was not for Scodonius' benefit alone. For whatever reason, the Benefactor needed Scodonius in power. So, again, Kirbraz had to ask himself why? Scodonius was stupid, petty, and short-sighted. So, too, was Kirbraz. He could never have admitted it before, but here, in the final hours of his short and wasted life, he had achieved a clarity heretofore unknown to him; the only real difference between him and Scodonius was that he asked more questions. That was it, then. That was why Scodonius was chosen over him. That was why he was going to die. Kirbraz would have realised the sheer lengths to which the Benefactor was going to keep his interest in Tajun a secret could only mean that he knew something about Tajun that no one else did. That was the real, truly frustrating irony of it all: that Kirbraz didn't even understand the conspiracy that he would be killed to protect. With the effort to which the Benefactor had gone, and his newfound self-comprehension, Kirbraz couldn't help but doubt that he would ever have worked it out, even if he did have more time. The thought gave him pause. If he couldn't have figured it out anyway, then why go to the effort of empowering Scodonius? Kirbraz hadn't been overlooked because he would discover the Benefactor's true motivations – he had been overlooked because his investigations would have tipped off someone who could. And not only that, but the fact that his life was in danger meant that he already knew enough to set them on the right path. Therefore – even with blackmail now off the table – his information still had value. Value enough to be exchanged for protection. Right now, all of the most powerful people in the Wastelands were in Tajun, gathered for the exhibition match. All but one – naturally, the only one he could trust. Raanu. If he was going to survive the night, Kirbraz would need to find a ride to Vulcanus.

IC: NPC (Celrys' Workshop) The Agori blinked. Then blinked again. Somewhere in between, Skyra seemed to have made herself at home in the reception area, and she found herself having to rush back in to catch up. "I, uh, that… as the case may be, you must understand that Celrys is a very busy man. Tournament season is a particularly busy period, it may be weeks before he can offer a consultation to your…" She looked at Del, Celrys' alleged child. There was something familiar about them, to be sure, but even aside from the disparity in species she saw little similarity to Celrys. ”Water. Have?” “Oh, uh, certainly. Give me just a moment.” With that, she retreated to her desk, behind which was some manner of strange contraption. After a moment, she produced a glass of water and placed it on the countertop. “Now, where was I…” A small white light behind her ear began to blink. She straightened up immediately and cleared her throat. “It appears that Celrys would, in fact, like to see you. Take the door on the left to his office, and he’ll be with you momentarily.” Returning to the usual script, or perhaps just the prospect of the three visitors being out of her hands, had greatly calmed her. She interacted with a notch on the desk, and the door she had indicated slid open of its own accord. The room beyond it was quite unique – far from the stone and metal and daylight of the lobby, it was covered almost entirely in imported Tesaran wood, from the bookshelves that lined the walls to the large desk at its apex. There were already two seats in front of it, both wooden themselves, and a third behind that was clearly for the artificer himself, still nowhere to be seen. But strangest of all was the one wall that wasn’t hidden behind bookshelves, and provided the shimmering light that illuminated most of the room: it was, it seemed, a glass window, facing not onto the outdoors but instead into an enclosure of water, lit by unclear means. Fish – some real, some mechanical – swam back and forth within, while the fronds of strange plants swayed, suspended from below. “Beautiful, isn’t it? Like a window into another world.” The voice came from another door next to the fish tank, which again slid shut behind the Agori. He was tall – unusually so, though not so much as to look like a Glatorian – and covered in plated gold, including a helmet which totally enclosed all but his mouth and his pale blue eyes, a glass lens suspended above the right. On a second glance, he appeared to be almost entirely artificial – though dark grey skin showed here and there, his legs, his lower right arm and the entirety of his left were black metal, accented with gold. In his mechanical hands was another wooden chair, which he pushed in to face the desk. Celrys looked at the trio and beamed, a genuine warmth to his smile and excitement glistening in his eyes. “Please, please, sit. I can’t wait to hear what you have to say.” OOC: @Morgan Yu @Techn0geist @Snelly

IC: Mard & Ahmoa - Training Ground, outskirts of Atero Lorqua's back was to the proverbial ropes, not a favourable position but far from out; her ingenuity in using her arm for manoeuvre as well as offense kept her odds roughly even with Lutenus. "You remember my birthday's coming up, right?" Mard suggested, looking pointed at the corded length of limb. "And here I thought augmentations gave you the willies," Ahmoa intoned with half-surprise, half-cheek. "I'm beginning to see the merit. Just keep that creep Celrys on the other side of the desert from me, is all." A flicker of bitterness at the augment tycoon passed through Mard's eyes before he clicked his fingers, turning to his partner with a stupid grin. "Ooh, maybe we could start our own clinic!" The green guard seemed frighteningly genuine about the idea. This loosed a chuckle from the Fire Agori. "Calm down, dear, we're not exactly rolling in denarii. How do you propose to finance this venture?" "My dessert fund?" "Your dessert fund for a thousand years, and it still wouldn't stretch even as far as Lorqua's arm." Ahmoa clapped a hand on Mard's shoulder, looking off into the distance, out across the rolling dunes. "For all we talk down to the man, I hope our Del is in good hands with Celrys..." IC: Del - Celrys's Workshop, Tajun The query was satisfied, the Glatorian none the wiser to the momentary trauma they had inflicted on Karak. As Skyra pounded on and swore at the door of the unassuming abode, their eyes fell on the gold plaque, the word in capitals. <<Celtech.>> Unconsciously they reached up, touching their fingers delicately to their helmet, to the spot on their scalp beneath. The trio piled into what appeared a small waiting room, Skyra falling into a seat with the usual decorum she demonstrated. Del took the chair beside her, sitting rather more deliberately. Del nodded politely. "Find Celrys," they repeated once again, directed at the Water Agori, "he's your father I suppose." The Iron Tribal held their penetrating, unblinking gaze for an uncomfortable few seconds before— <<Query.>> —turning to Skyra, the most familiar face in the room. "Father... is?" OOC: @Toru Nui @oncertainty @Morgan Yu @Snelly

IC: Selamat - Precipere Standing behind Aurax with the rest of the expedition, Selamat bowed wordlessly to the Ash Tribe's apparent leader. It was not worth questioning the implication that they would not be permitted to pass through on their return trip-- evidently, most of his fellows did not plan on making a return trip. He did, but that was a bridge to be crossed when he reached it. He turned away and began studying the construction of the building they occupied, hoping that, permission for passage having been attained, they would not waste further time here. People of the Iron Tribe were very likely dying as they stood here. OOC: @~Xemnas~ @a goose @Nato G @oncertainty IC: Skrall - Approaching Bone Hunter Stronghold Skrall snapped to as Atakus called out their fast-approaching destination. While making sure his visible weapons were visible and his concealed weapons were concealed, he spared a glance to the two younger Skrall in the cart. "Here we go, Skrall. My advice: Don't speak unless spoken to. Don't be afraid to return any stares that come your way, though." As their party neared the mesa, and he completed his self-check, he returned to surveying the sands. Populated did not necessarily mean safe, and the growing intensity of the dunes made for much shorter sight lines. @Skrall

IC: Skrall - On the Road Skrall, to this point, had been silent-- straining his ears to listen to the conversation in both carts at the same time. Taking it all in, drinking in the words of his various traveling companions, trying to get a bead on their perspectives, their weaknesses, and their merits. At the same time, his eyes scanned the horizon, as much to spot any lurking denizens thereof, as to appear like he was not eavesdropping. The results came as a surprise. Well, partially-- that the three male youths were hopeless greenhorns was no surprise. But, there was an unexpected level of nuance to their childish ignorance. Magnet Hands was a thinker; open-minded. If he took care to keep his skull from being similarly opened, that quality might serve him well, when he had gained the experience to know what things were worth thinking about. The other Skrall in their cart struck him as more of a watcher and a follower, someone who took in a great deal of information about the world around him, but struggled to operate without direction. Quite easy to influence, if handled properly, Skrall thought. In the other cart, it was clear that the third youth was trying desperately to be properly Skrall-like. That made him quite predictable, but not necessarily dependable. The female, Skrall could not get a read on. She had said too little, and revealed of herself even less. This was one thing which was not surprising-- of course the female, feared and reviled by all who knew what she was, would not be forthcoming with details about herself. Un-Skrall was not worthy of consideration; even if he managed to earn Skrall's respect, orders were orders, and the traitor would soon be left behind them with the Bone Hunter slavers. Still, the claims he had made were of great interest, and Skrall wondered with a detached curiosity how much of them had been truthful. The scout was the most intriguing of all Skrall's companions. Skrall had initially written him off as a foolish outcast, an ill-fitting link in the Skrallic chain. Now Skrall wondered if the scout was not, perhaps, the wisest of them all-- other than Skrall himself, of course. The scout's story stuck in Skrall's mind even more than un-Skrall's had; the implications it had for Skrall, and what it said of the merits of the Southerners they had come to conquer. There was no doubt in Skrall's mind that the scout had glimpsed one of the myriad faces of Truth-- the ever-shifting crumb of knowledge that few ever saw more of than a mere outline. The question was, had he survived the encounter fully intact? That was a question that would have to be answered through further observation. Presently, it occurred to Skrall that he had been silent for quite a long time while the two youths with whom he was sharing his wagon had been conversing. He thought it prudent to join their conversation, for the sake of group cohesion. They seemed to be talking about Tajun, and one had just asked why all of the Southerners did not live there. "Not enough resources for everyone to live in one place," he said, without tearing his eyes away from the desert sands. "They do as the Skrall did in the North; control sources of not just water, but also food and raw materials. The only difference is that instead of all being Skrall, the villages which control those things in the South are all different. Instead of the leaders taking the fullness of the land's bounty and rationing it out as needed, they distribute it randomly, through a foolish process called economy." OOC: @Nato G @oncertainty

IC: Skrall - Chariot Chats "Our cargo," he said absently, glancing away from his spear to regard the group in the other chariot, "Probably asking what he did wrong so they can avoid making the same mistake." It was a guess, but a logical one. What else was there to ask the soon-to-be-slave about? @oncertainty