That Matoran with a Vahi

IC: Akie - Onu-Koro Square Oh boy. Bad memories, huh? She winced a little. Definitely a good time to stop making assumptions, if even just the mention of Turaga seemed to spook her new friend so much; Akie could make a hundred guesses at why it might be such a touchy subject, but in all honesty she didn't need to know. A settlement ruled by its own Matoran might be a new concept to her, but clearly it worked... And clearly things were different on Mata Nui than what she dimly perceived as expected, so she'd keep her thoughts to herself and learn, instead. Seemed, at least, that Toa were still respected here at least, though, even if Turaga weren't; at least, that was what she gathered from the suggestion that her presence may open a few doors with the Akiri. She shrugged a little, a light bounce of her shoulders. "Glad if I can be of help. I..." She guessed he'd been hoping to speak to the Akiri too, anyway, given how quickly he jumped at the chance of joining her. She might have said that aloud, in fact, if not for the distraction of him accepting the widgets back, and then-- Her eyes snapped wide as she saw him stumble, and the moment his feet left the ground Akie on instinct thrust out a hand. Her element of gravity thrummed through her veins and out of her fingertips, catching Gonrae and making him just a touch lighter. Enough to keep him from hitting the ground, while also being careful not to overdo it - didn't want to send him floating away, of course. "Whoa, careful there." Just sounding casual, as if catching people with her elemental powers was something she did every day. @oncertainty

IC: Jeizmel, Streets of Atero "Ooooh." Her eyes sparkled at the sight of the beautiful objects on display. Their delicate details, the way they gleamed as the overhead sun caught them... all at once she was transported back to that moment all those years ago, when she had first discovered just how deeply crystals of ice in their very purest form touched her soul. Every piece of the jewellery seemed to call her back to that moment, reminding her of the thing she thought so important in life... If she hadn't been convinced before, she knew now that she had to get one of them for herself. Blue gaze scanned over the items, searching for the perfect one that really called to her, and it took very little time for her to make her choice. "How much would you ask for that bracelet?" The one she pointed at was a good thickness - enough so that she'd notice it every time she looked at her arm, not so much as to get in her way while doing tasks - and glinted sharply just like the most freshly-formed icicles. It would be perfect-- Just supposing she could afford it, that was. @Daniel the Finlander @Toru Nui

I know my favourite was one of the Onu-Koro ones. Took me a minute to place exactly where it fit in the game, I wanted to say it was the one that plays near the Le-Koro dig site, but I couldn't remember for sure. I just went looking on YouTube though, and found it again - yes, this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Yy8u-D0Ud0 It's always been one of my favourites, it's just... such a great ambiance piece, I really like it.

OoooOOOH, I loved that last chapter! It feels like such a perfect culmination, and such a strong note to end on with Exxan taking his first steps to move forward. Really nicely written, too, got me very invested in it ^^ (I also have to mention that I really appreciated the passing mention of Blizzard towards the end there; I'm happy to know that Exxxan will be taking her up on he offer )

Okay, so this is... random. But it's just something that occurred to me and now I'm puzzled. The Toa Mata, right? As we learn in Swamp of Secrets, the Toa Mata haven't had the most eventful past. They were created in what seems to be secret by the Order of Mata Nui, spent (x) amount of time training, (x) more months battling thingies in Karda Nui, and then got into canisters and stayed there for multiple thousands of years. While some Matoran who would end up on Mata Nui, like Takua, did meet them in Karda Nui, they had their memories wiped in the Time Slip when they were placed in the wider world, so that knowledge would have been unlikely to progress far. No-one in Metru Nui is mentioned or implied to have known about the Mata during the 04-05 story (it's stated in Maze of Shadows that the Toa Metru hid the Toa stones with the intention that they would be used by future Matoran to become Toa, rather than to summon already-existing heroes as they eventually were), and almost everyone who the Nuva meet in the wider universe, apart from members of the OoMN, don't recognise them as special from any other Toa. Yet, then there's 2001. Where not only do the Matoran of Mata Nui know that they're expecting Toa to arrive, they know exactly who those Toa are, even down to their physical appearances if all the statues of them around the island are any indication, and have multiple stories and legends about them. And I just have to wonder, how? In real life, of course, this can probably just be attributed to a difference of vision between the earlier and later iterations of the Bionicle story team; but I was wondering if there was - or could be - an in-universe explanation for it, too.

IC: Akie - Onu-Koro Square So, Makuta was a he... that was good to know insomuch as it would make it easier to refer to him, although it otherwise didn't increase her understanding any further. She could take plenty of guesses as to the nature of this Makuta, sure, but without the context Akie felt like she would shoot pretty wide of the mark. She already had in her head that he was some kind of undead being, and even that may not have been strictly true... so she'd wait until she knew a bit more before voicing any such guesses aloud. Fortunately, her companion already had a follow-up suggestion for her. "Akiri? You mean you're not led by a Turaga?" That was standard practice, she had assumed... but in fairness, Akie would have been drawing from a pretty small pool of reference even without her amnesia. Maybe settlements were usually lead by Akiri Matoran, and wherever she'd come from had been the oddity; she, again, could hardly say. Maybe she should just hold her tongue on making random assumptions from here on out, when this place clearly had its own effective ways of doing things. "But that sounds good! Whatever he needs of me, I should be able to do." Whether it was joining a Toa team, at least temporarily, helping make other preparations for what she presumed would be a battle, or what. Akie was a girl who liked to make herself useful when she could, so she'd run with whatever was demanded of her. "Where would I find him? Oh, and--" remembering something, she held out back to Gonrae the bag he'd had her pay for his drink from. "Your widgets, by the way." @oncertainty

IC: Akie - Onu-Koro Square Ah. Akie felt a little bit of a chill caress her spine as Gonrae explained to her. Not that what he said added much to her understanding, but between it being very old and very bad, and the mention of ghost stories, she figured she could put together some pieces... and found she wasn't most comfortable with what they suggested to her. Whether this Makuta was genuinely some kind of undead that had menaced the island before, or whether her guess was going wide... Well, either way. It couldn't be good. "Well... with Toa Akie on the case, you shouldn't have anything to worry about! Who's the best person to talk to about sending this thing back where it came from?" She... didn't necessarily feel the level of confidence that she was projecting; if she was honest, it was mostly just an act that she hoped would lift her friend's spirits even for just a moment. This place surely had Toa forces of its own that she could lend her strength to, even if she wasn't officially joining up with them; she might generally fly solo, but even she knew when something was far too big to handle alone. ooc: @oncertainty No worries, I completely understand! I've been slow myself too, sorry!

Thanks for including it! If I may make one tiny correction, though... in the last paragraph of your introduction, where you said 'wanted to share his story'; I didn't make it clear, sorry, but Blizzard's actually a girl. I'd like to add, though, I really enjoyed the introduction there; the perception of the world that you've given to Exxan is a really interesting one, and I like all the little ways you express that in his narration ^^

IC: Jeizmel, Streets of Atero "I confess I didn't bring a fortune with me; but I'll certainly buy something small, at the very least." She had some money, after all. Like she'd said, it wasn't exactly a fortune, and she should probably really be saving most of it for supplies and lodging for as long as she was going to be moving around... but this was a special case. Not only was it helping to support a fellow tribeswoman, one who was of a like mind to herself no less, but having a little pendant or such to carry around with her, displaying this beautiful, intricate purity, would be a constant reminder of everything that she stood for; it would be perfect. And, as she'd told Vraek just before Xani had arrived, she was confident she could earn her own keep as they travelled, enough to make back whatever she spent here; an odd-jobs woman like her, surely, could always find something that she could do. She hid a little grin behind one hand as Vraek made sure to clarify that the idea of things of beauty being delicate didn't apply to herself. Perhaps the Glatorian hadn't meant it specifically to be humorous - hence, hiding her reaction, since she had no intention to offend - but it certainly was enough to amuse Jeizmel a small amount. Though not that she would have thought otherwise of Vraek, even without the clarification. @Daniel the Finlander @Toru Nui

Ooh, I KNOW I've seen photos of that one, or at least a very similar model, back in the day. I thought it was here on BZP, but a quick search through the news archives didn't immediately reveal it. I definitely have a saved photo of the model that I must have found somewhere on the internet though; from that picture's context it looks like it was a model at an official Lego shop, or maybe a Legoland park store? Definitely must be from 2005, that was the year those sets were new. I wonder if a deeper trawl through the BZP news archives for that year might turn up something more on it...

Belatedly, but: Whoo, Lhikan! He's been possibly my favourite Bionicle boy since LoMN, I'm really happy to see him come out top; though for me it was definitely a tough pick between him and Takanuva! I'm surprised by just how few votes Tahu had compared to them though; I thought for sure he'd put in a tighter race, since he's the face of the brand. I guess against any other sets he might have done better; but I remember that both the golden boys were very impressive back in the day, and still feel like particular stand-outs to this day in my view, so it makes sense ^^ Looking forward to more of these brackets, because this was fun!

IC: Jeizmel, Streets of Atero A fan was... as good a description of herself as any, Jeizmel figured. More a fan of Vraek as a person than as a fighter; but in the end it all amounted to the same thing. She nodded her head a couple of times, agreeably; but was distracted from saying more by their new companion's next words. A crystal crafter? She knew it, she had been sure this was someone who appreciated ice for its purity just as she did, and that - as well as the mention of being misunderstood - was all the confirmation that Jeizmel needed. Surely this was a lady of like mind to her own! "It is beautiful," she added her own appreciation to Vraek's, her voice soft as her blue gaze wandering the intricate shaping of Xani's mask. "I'm not really an artist, but there's nothing I appreciate more than the purity of such work. I'd love to see more." Oh of course, names, names... "I- I'm Jeizmel. It's a true pleasure." ooc: Iiiiii'm sorry this is so late! I've been working on other things and kinda neglected to check in here for a while ^^; @Daniel the Finlander @Toru Nui

I think I'd want to do something new with it. As much as I loved Bionicle back in the day, I wouldn't want to just revisit the same story all over again; especially not with the way it felt a bit like it was drowning in its own minutia in the final few years. I admit I haven't really thought about it before, so this is just me throwing around random ideas off the top of my head, and isn't going to be the most well-thought-out thing ever, but... I'd definitely want to keep some of the classic story, I grant. But really, I think what I'd want to recapture would be the FEELING of Bionicle, rather than the details of Bionicle. I think I'd return, at least initially, to that 'mysterious robots on a tropical island' vibe that drew so many people into early Bionicle, and definitely make sure that right from the start it was a world with lots of hidden backstory and secrets to uncover. I don't know that something exactly like the MNOG would fly very far these days, but I definitely think that an immersive video game would be the best way to draw people into the world as the primary story medium for that first year - because of the way it lets players really feel like they're experiencing that discovery for themselves - especially now that story-heavy games feel more common than they used to be. Maybe with comics on the side that are supplemental to the game, but also tell their own story in the world so that they can be appreciated even by someone who never plays the game. The multimedia aspect of Bionicle was one of the things I loved about it, and I wouldn't want to lose that completely - but I feel like such an approach works best when each form of story media can stand on its own, something that wasn't often the case in Bionicle's original run. I'd definitely want to start out with new main characters. Whether NEW-new, or a collection of minor characters from the first run that never got their time in the spotlight, I dunno; but I'd build the story, especially in that first game and comics, around them as they uncover bits and pieces of the lost story of their world... and then, at the very climax of the first year's story in both mediums, I'd have a very familiar face from classic Bionicle turn up, but in an unexpected way. Maybe one of the original Toa, but as a much older, battle-weary figure, who is able to shed light on the story details that have been discovered so far... in such a way that it's a nice little bonus for classic fans, but doesn't alienate newcomers. We would never explicitly go into their past, so that it would retain the possibility of being a far-distant-future continuation of G1, but would never confirm nor deny otherwise (it would be solely up to fans if they wanted to headcanon that as the case or not) and wouldn't need to bind itself to the old canon. Beyond there, I don't know. I think if I had my way, I'd then like to return to comics being the main story medium going forward after that game... this is nostalgia talking, in a way, but there's also a degree of feeling like the original run's books didn't necessarily age as gracefully; whereas the comics, especially the ones with that classic Carlos D'Anda art, still excite me to this day. I definitely have trouble warming to the idea of a TV show for Bionicle; as someone who often avoided watching TV as a kid, I would have found the concept alienating when I was younger and wouldn't want to exclude any current kids who feel that same way. I could certainly go for the occasional movie release; but I can't state enough that any story told via a movie would need to be self-contained enough not to demand prior knowledge of the franchise from its viewers - and, likewise, the comics shouldn't just leave a gap that skips over the movie stuff but, even if they can't show movie plot directly for spoilers, work around it so that the printed story still stands on its own too. I'd want it to carry a feeling of maturing with the audience over the years as the story progresses, as well... possibly in the subsequent different settings it moves to, as the original run did. Maybe after a few years of focusing on the same protagonists, they could split up to each lead a team of their own that go their separate ways; that way we get, say, six years where we get to journey with a different team each year, but each one of those teams is led by a character who we've already had chance to get attached to, even if the rest of their teammates are new. I think, after all, that part of why Bionicle was able to hold attention for so long was because, while it wasn't afraid to switch out its main heroes, every time it transitioned to a different team, they were still characters who we'd known since the beginning and so already had that attachment to... this would preserve an aspect of that, while at the same time getting to have new team dynamics so that first protagonist team doesn't get stale. That way, too, when the teams reconvene in the final year, it's exciting to have the original protagonists back together for the climax since we won't have seen them together for several years. I don't know where exactly I'd take the story from there. I think I'd like it if the ultimate big-bad was also eventually revealed as having their roots in classic Bionicle, albeit - again - not spelled out explicitly as such. But I don't know exactly who or how. And I'd definitely want it to end with a big twist that had been planned from the beginning, much like the true nature of Mata Nui as the universe in the past story was - but something new, that has that same level of amazement when it's revealed, rather than reiterating what had been done before. This is... a lot of rambling, so I hope some of it makes sense, at least!

IC: Akie - Onu-Koro Restaurant "Hmm." The sound she made could mean anything, Akie knew; but it wasn't deliberately meant as an agreement or disagreement to her companion's assertion that his work sounded boring. More, she was simply chewing over his answer, and hadn't found a more specific response to it quite yet. But she supposed it made sense; even jobs that sounded mundane even to those who did them were ultimately important for society to function, right? Where would they be without pulleys and bridges and the like, after all? Before she had chance to finish forming an answer, however, her companion was on his feet. Clearly, the activity she'd noticed was relevant to him, even if it meant nothing to her; so she, too, made to stand. No point hanging around an empty table-- On that thought, she almost didn't notice the bag tossed her way; but not for nothing did Toa have quick reflexes and, even caught by surprise as she had been, she was able to snatch it out of the air with ease. The clinking of metal from inside told her it held widgets before his words did, and she wasted no time digging in it for a handful of them. "You got it." Not, she realised belatedly, that she had any idea how much was a reasonable amount to leave. While widgets were a near-universal currency, how much you could get for them still varied from place to place - and on top of that, she had no idea what Gonrae's drink had been. Deciding to err on the side of caution, she doled out a generous (and hopefully still reasonable) handful onto the table, before striding to catch up with her new friend. She still wasn't sure what to expect-- but the squeal of a microphone told her it was probably some kind of speech. Sure enough, an audibly projected voice was quick to follow. For the first few sentences, Akie found herself lost. Who, or what, this Makuta was, she didn't know... or even if she did, it had been yet another casualty of her recent amnesia. Behind her mask she frowned, puzzling over what was apparently big news; but context was quick to follow. First off, that this was a very very BAD thing. Makuta was, apparently, an enemy, and likely a powerful one. She wasn't sure how much of the leader's subsequent rhetoric was true, and how much was a drive to bolster his people's spirits by sounding encouraging... but one thing, at least, was clear to her. She glanced at her companion, wondering about his reaction to what would clearly have more significant for him than it did for her. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like it may have been just the right time for a Toa to show up here," she mused thoughtfully. @oncertainty

IC: Jeizmel, Streets of Atero Okay, she could have phrased that better, Jeizmel would admit. She had, at least in her own mind, meant to imply that she could take any role that Glatorian Vraek needed her to, rather than just being dead weight to be dragged around; but in hindsight it did sound like she was offering to fulfil a role that was more stupidly formal than a professional warrior would have need of. Still, she simply shrugged a little, not offended by the other's amusement - the only thing that would have offended her was if the Glatorian had treated her like a child; something that, she was grateful to note, wasn't the case. "Oh, that sounds fine. Yes, I won't make it a big deal." She would have said more - if not for the unexpected interruption. Jeizmel tilted her head a little at the other Ice Tribeswoman's approach, pondering for a moment if she recognised this newcomer... she didn't think so, but it was hard to tell behind the mask. And what a mask! The artistry that must have gone into crafting that crystalline design; it wasn't a skill that Jeizmel thought of herself as having, but ever since her childhood ice cavern experience, she had developed an appreciation for the beautiful clarity of ice crystal, and crystal in general. Surely, then, this was someone else who valued the purity of ice, just as she did? The newcomer was addressing Vraek, however, rather than herself; so for the moment Jeizmel opted to keep politely silent. --At least, until such a moment may occur when she felt like she had something that needed to be said. @Toru Nui, @Daniel the Finlander

Really sorry that I've been MIA for a bit, @Toru Nui, @Daniel the Finlander; I've had other things on my mind lately. Aiming to get a reply up either tomorrow or in the next couple of days! ^^

IC: Jeizmel, Streets of Atero "Great Beings, do I know that feeling..." Perhaps it wasn't exactly the same thing. She, after all... as much as she hated to admit it, was barely more than a kid; it was hardly surprising if no-one took her as seriously as she would like. Vraek, on the other hand, was their tribe's famed warrior; it seemed downright incredible that no-one would listen to what she had to say. Oh, sure, it surprised her not at all if Metus didn't listen - seemed to her that all the man would listen to was the allure of filthy money - but that no-one else would give the honoured Glatorian the time of day either? Something was definitely wrong with that. As Jeizmel frowned to herself, though, she caught Vraek's next question. "It's the next thing on my to-do list; I really only just got into town this morning. I, um..." She played with the strap of her goggles for a moment, a little self-conscious about what she was about to ask. "Actually, running into you here, I kinda wondered if I might tag along with you for a while, wherever you're going next? I'll earn my own keep, of course; I can be your personal assistant or anything that you need. I'll be happy just to be around a friendly face." Especially of someone who she looked up to as much as Vraek.

Just finished catching up on the chapters since I last checked the story! Fantastic writing from everyone; and that last chapter in particular was incredibly written; perhaps my favourite so far. The characterisation, and the way it really explored the concept and potential of the new breed, and the feelings surrounding them... it all built up together really well, leading to a very satisfying ending. I enjoyed reading it immensely; really great work! - On another note, I... may have got a little bit carried away a few weeks ago and wrote up a full chapter for Blizzard xD I'm not sure if you'd be interested in including that or not, since she was in the RP for so short a time; and I'm not sure how much it adds to the overall story. But if you want, I could shoot it across your way and let you decide whether or not to use it ^^

ROCKET RACER!!! He was my favourite Lego character back in the day, and it's absolutely fantastic to see him here! Love how he looks in your style; you've got his smug confidence down perfectly, and I like the combination of both his classic outfits: I guess that was inspired by his City Stuntz minifigure? The little keychain he has of his minifigure self is a fun touch, too The others look great too, of course! I'm just not that familiar with the more recent Lego characters xD; I saw earlier in the thread that you're open to suggestions; would you consider doing any of the Rock Raiders sometime? I'd love to see them in your fantastic style; but no pressure of course! ^^

IC: Jeizmel, Streets of Atero "Of course we are." Her own grimace, her world-weary tone despite her obvious young age, spoke more eloquently than her words could have. The trade with the Bone Hunters - apparently they weren't even mentioning the specific word in public, which was... fair - was an ugly blight on the honour that the Ice Tribe should have been standing for. Ice, at its best, was the purest of all the elements, and it was that standard to which Jeizmel felt inclined to hold her tribe. Which was apparently 'bad for business' these days. "Me, either. Though for what it's worth, Metus hates me now for interfering with that whole thing." That was something that she could take pride in, at least. Even if it hadn't worked out... quite so well as she'd hoped. She shrugged a little. "So I'm... not very welcome in Iconox right now."

IC: Jeizmel, Streets of Atero "Oh, I--" It was only as she skidded to a stop before the Glatorian that Jeizmel realised that she hadn't thought through just what she was going to say. Mostly, she had just been happy to see a familiar face, and the thought of autographs - or even of asking anything particular - had been the furthest thing from her mind. Still, it seemed rather too presumptuous for a young Agori like her to march up to a famed arena champion and just assume they could chat as if they were old friends. But, confidence, Jeizmel. Don't look like some lost kid. "I was mostly enthusiastic to see a fellow ice tribeswoman. It feels like an awfully long way from home here, and--" Don't say you're homesick, that just makes you sound like a child-- "--I thought it would be good to catch up with tribe news." That was suitably smooth, right?

I don't collect anymore, not seriously so. I used to as a teen, especially from 2004 - 2008; but I eventually gave up when I didn't find the Av-Matoran interesting enough to get all of (and couldn't afford the battle vehicles besides!). Still, at one point I had something like 90% of the (non-promotional, non-playset, non-collectable-pack) sets from the first eight years, which was some kind of achievement at least! I then sold a majority of them when I was at university, having moved on to other interests and figuring they'd do much better going to people who would actually appreciate them rather than them just sitting around in large boxes taking up space in my bedroom. I... don't regret that decision, on the whole. However with hindsight, I do think I could have been a little more discerning. A lot of sets I'm completely happy to have let go on to better homes, but there are definitely a few that I have come to miss. Unfortunately, some of those - especially the titans such as Axonn, Brutaka, Lhikan and 2008 Takanuva - command steep prices on eBay these days and I balk at paying double (or more!) what I bought them for in the past; so, while I look out for them on occasion, I don't have high hopes of getting them back. But yeah. The handful that I miss, and the McToran who were never available in my home country the UK, are the only ones that I'm seriously interested in collecting (or re-collecting I guess) anymore. I just kinda like to have them for the nostalgia, for the fun of rebuilding and posing them a little; but I don't do anything serious with them besides that. It's just nice to have a few of my old favourites around sometimes ^^

IC: Jeizmel, Streets of Atero "Oh-- Glatorian! Glatorian Vraek!" Of all the places to see a familiar face... She probably had no reason to be surprised, Jeizmel figured, as she hurried to catch up with the longer strides of the taller figure. She didn't see the appeal, personally, but Bara Magna's citizens would travel far and wide to attend the arena tournaments; and with a major one on the horizon, then it only made sense that anyone who was anyone would be flooding into the capital of the world. Glatorian even more than most, since their whole living revolved around such tournaments. Still, even if not unexpected, it was always strange to meet someone you knew when you were so far from home. Jeizmel didn't know the warrior well, of course. Glatorian and Agori didn't hang out socially, at least in her experience; but they had crossed paths around Iconox once or twice - usually when Jeizmel had been in trouble for enforcing her personal principles in places where Metus didn't think she ought to have - and, well... From what she'd seen, Jeizmel actually liked the Glatorian. Like herself, she seemed to have some of the standards of purity and honour that so many of their tribe had abandoned, and that was something that the youngster had only the deepest of respect for. Maybe an Agori and a Glatorian could never really be friends, but even so... in a city so far from her own, the possibility of known and (hopefully) agreeable company was one that the smaller woman was eager to seize. It also wasn't lost on her that, if Vraek had already been here for a while, she most likely wouldn't have heard about Jeizmel's own current banishment from the tribe. It would be nice, then, to talk to someone from home without that hanging over her. And as such, she scampered to catch up to the Glatorian. OOC: @Toru Nui Hope it's alright to assume that Jeizmel would know of Vraek, since they're from the same settlement? If not, I can change the post ^^

Sorry, Nuparu; I love you, but I can't NOT vote for Lhikan. You understand, right? Which is exactly what happened with Onua in the first round for me, too... if these polls wanted my votes for my Earth Toa boys, they wouldn't keep putting them up against my favourite character!