HahliNuva

Oh man, I made some seriously embarrassing squeeing noises when I found out about the announcement,,, Anyway, I'm probably going to end up buying the sets regardless of what direction the story takes, but I'm sincerely hoping for some sort of continuation; just because the story got too complicated doesn't mean that everything needs to be done away with.

Your post highlights another big problem fan-made projects face - whilst there are often plenty of people willing to contribute, the number of them who have the sort of technical skills that are needed is painfully low. It doesn't help that many fans may be expecting an almost professional standard of quality. May I ask what story or media you're working on specifically? Without giving too much away, right now we're working on a couple of short test animations that will hopefully look nice enough to show to the public once they're finished. Depending on how much interest and support those generate, we might try to move on to some more complex projects. Are 3D models and stuff in Blender the only things you need? To finish the shorts? Not exactly; the character models for the shorts are almost done (just have to finish up some rigging stuff), there's a couple of people working on sets, and an animator is working on the first of the shorts, but we're also going to need sound effects and possibly music at some point.

Your post highlights another big problem fan-made projects face - whilst there are often plenty of people willing to contribute, the number of them who have the sort of technical skills that are needed is painfully low. It doesn't help that many fans may be expecting an almost professional standard of quality. May I ask what story or media you're working on specifically? Without giving too much away, right now we're working on a couple of short test animations that will hopefully look nice enough to show to the public once they're finished. Depending on how much interest and support those generate, we might try to move on to some more complex projects.

I know that this isn't quite on topic, but I'd just like to say that there is still a very small group of people who are still working on 3D B:NG. We have a forum set up, although at the moment we're really only accepting people who are able to contribute constructively to our progress (for example, people who already know how to work with Blender); I'd like to stress that it's intended to be a work forum, not an idle discussion forum. If you meet those requirements and would like to help us out, PM me with proof of your skills for whichever department(s) you'd like to join. Right now we're up against the age-old problem of finding animators, and before anyone asks, we're not looking for voice actors at the moment.

Name: RiversongGender: FemaleSpecies: ToaElement: WaterKanohi: Great Mask of Healing shaped like a KirilAlignment: Lawful GoodWeaknesses: She lacks the stamina needed for long battles, and suffers from chronic stress issues.Description: http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Riversong/BZRPG/Riversong/riversong.png (is going to be updated later)Weapon: A long-bladed dagger.Personality: Riversong tends to isolate herself from others, and tends to speak in a slightly muted tone. Although she will (in most cases) carry on a conversation if spoken to directly, Riversong prefers to listen rather than speak. However, she is willing to help those in need (especially if they’re injured) despite the fact that she's less proficient with her mask power than she'd like to be. At times, she suffers from bouts of guilt and paranoia brought on by some of her past actions; Riversong is still trying to come to terms with what transpired, but refuses to speak about it. She has found that she fits in fairly well at Ko-Koro, but does not harbor any ill will against the other villages, seeing no reason to dislike them.Biography: Riversong currently lives in Ko-Koro, with a part-time job at a local hospital serving as her primary source of income. She is soft-spoken and prefers quieter areas as opposed to the noise and bustle of the heart of the Koro. Although she has been referred to as an "unlikeable loner" in the past, Riversong really is just trying to come to terms with some of her own feelings. Physically, Riversong often appears to be vulnerable when, in fact, she is actually quite ready to defend herself – a side effect of her slight paranoia. Her offensive skills are not as strong, as she makes a point of trying not to pick a fight. Others sometimes regard her as odd, but Riversong just simply doesn't care.Status: Living in Ko-Koro. This section is currently under construction. I intend to rejoin the game with a new character, but I'm not ready just yet.

IC: Riversong (in Ko-Koro) Ducking out of the hospital - which was still crowded with all manner of wounded beings - Riversong sat down near the building's entrance. Excitement seemed to buzz through her body; the Makuta was dead, according to the strange Toa of Ice, and it felt as though a great fear had left her mind. Was everything perfect? No. But it was good enough for the Toa of Water. Something about all of this brought a memory to the forefront of her mind, a memory of another time on another island. It wasn't often that she thought about her more distant past, having found that it only caused unwanted feelings of suffering and loneliness. But today, Riversong decided, she would make an exception. She didn't remember how she had arrived on Mata Nui, only that she and one other had set out from their war-torn island in search of more peaceful shores. There was something that had happened on the way, Riversong knew that much. But what it had been, she couldn't say... Riversong looked to the horizon, a slight smile on her face. Another thought had crossed her mind, one that she usually didn't dwell on for fear of generating false hope. You're out there somewhere. And someday, you and I will meet again.

IC: Riversong (in an inn, talking to Marrak) The commotion caused Riversong to start suddenly, nearly toppling her teacup in the process. She had always been rather high-strung, and it didn't help that the noise had been of distant ground splitting open, followed by some sort of animalistic chorus of screaming that reminded her all too much of the hated "brain slugs". Obviously this was more than just an avalanche or other natural disaster. Leaping from her seat, the Toa of Water made for the exit (curious as to what was going on outside) - only to stop, realizing that she should probably see if Marrak would follow. She turned around and made a "come here" motion to him, saying, "We should probably go see what that was. Although if you don't want to come, I understand...after all, we hardly know each other."

IC: Riversong (in a Ko-Koro inn, talking to Marrak) Caught off-guard for the second time in as many minutes, Riversong couldn’t help but pause for a moment before replying, “Er, yes, some tea would be nice,” It had been a very, very long time since anyone had offered her a drink of any sort. OOC: Internet access may be sporadic for today and tomorrow; I probably won't be able to reply until Sunday.

IC: Riversong (talking to Marrak in a Ko-Koro inn) Inwardly, Riversong sighed. It was the question that she had been hoping to avoid, one of the more common questions that she had no answer to. "Well...I've been...okay....I guess...." she said quietly, finding herself unable to meet Marrak's gaze.

IC: Riversong (in a Ko-Koro inn, talking to Merrak) "Well, he always has liked to wander off, but he would usually come back in a few hours...he wouldn't have left the Koro. At least, not by choice..." Riversong trailed off there. Taking a slow breath, the Toa of Water forced her emotions down. She didn't have much experience with losing people that she cared about, which was a large part of why the disbanding of the group had affected her so. Feeling more distraught than ever, the Toa of Water allowed the silence to continue.

IC: Riversong (in a Ko-Koro inn, talking to Marrak) "Well, I moved here from Ga-Koro a few months ago," Riversong began, "unfortunately, I arrived just before the terrorists attacked. Shortly afterwards, I and some others were attacked by a group of beings with slugs attached to their necks." She paused for a moment, deciding to omit the fact that she and the aforementioned others had formed a group dedicated to hunting down the slugs - the group was disbanded now, but that didn't make talking about it, especially to some stranger, any safer. "That was the day that I also found my cousin wandering around here. I decided to stay here (for a while, at least), while he continued to explore the Wahi. One day he went out and just...never came back." Another pause, this time to force down the lump that seemed to be threatening to rise in her throat. "I've lived here ever since, trying to find some sort of stable job." she concluded. It was the most that she had said to anyone in a very, very long time; even when Janas had been around, Riversong had never said much to him - something that she was only now beginning to regret.

IC: Riversong (in a Ko-Koro inn, talking to Marrak) After a moment of hesitation, she replied, "I'm Riversong.". A more-than-slightly awkward pause ensued as Merrak looked away, leaving the Toa of Water unsure of what to do next. Having never been especially good at starting conversations (or continuing them, for that matter), the silence stretched on as Riversong wracked her brain for something to say. "So," she said at last, "what brings you here?"

IC: Riversong (in an inn in Ko-Koro) She snapped out of her thoughts just in time to see a white-armored Toa moving in her direction; although her first instinct was to move into some sort of defensive position, she quickly realized that he looked more uncomfortable than threatening. Smiling slightly in an attempt to disguise her inner tension, Riversong replied, "Sure, I don't mind,", moving over slightly to give him room to sit.

IC: Riversong (in an inn in Ko-Koro) Riversong finished her meal, deep in thought. Janas - her only companion - was gone, and there was no way that she could search the entire Koro on her own. It had quickly become apparent that he wasn't going to return; whether he had chosen this or not, Riversong did not know. The problem vexed her - if she went after him by herself, then the chances of finding her cousin were minimal at best. And of course, who would be crazy enough to accompany her across the island in search of someone who probably wasn't even alive anymore? How long had she been pursuing this same line of thought, thinking and rethinking, with no desirable result? A week? Longer? The Toa of Water couldn't remember. Not for the first time, she wished that things could go back to the way they had been several months ago. Sure, hunting down Parakuka was by no means safe, but at least her allies were with her then. That's something I never thought that I'd miss, Riversong thought to herself. Companionship.

Rating characters could lead to a lot of unnecessary debating/arguing, in my opinion.

IC: RiversongThe Toa of Water stepped into the inn, feeling frozen and more than a little frustrated. Her cousin, a Ba-Toa by the name of Janas, seemed to have vanished yet again; it was getting to be a habit of his. With large sections of Ko-Koro still in disrepair, it simply wasn't safe for him to be wandering around on his own- not that it had been safe before the near-destruction of the Koro to begin with. Inwardly sighing, she sat down as close as she could to the fire, rubbing her hands together in an attempt to return feeling to her fingers.

IC: RiversongThe Toa of Water wandered aimlessly down an icy street, unable to escape the feeling of abject pointlessness that pervaded her mind. Ever since the disbanding of Sucogu's team, Riversong had felt lost. The temporary rush of fame had been all well and good, yes, but what bothered her was that they had never actually figured out where the Parakuka came from in the first place. And with the group out of commission, the chances of her finding out were slim to none. Riversong had tried telling herself that she would move on to something else, but the problem was that she lacked the motivation to move on to anything. With a pang of guilt, she realized that she wasn't even keeping track of her cousin any more. Almost involuntarily, Riversong curled one hand into a fist.I should find him.It was more of a seed of a purpose than an actual purpose, but at this point, she was going to take what she could get. Riversong turned around abruptly, setting off towards where she had last seen Janas.

Personally, I find this rather exciting; in my mind, it's opened up quite a few possibilities story-wise.

This just made my day! Looking back, I suppose that it does make sense...

IC: Riversong (talking to Janas in the Ice Howl Inn)So she recounted what had happened during the past three days, from her arrival in the Koro to the fight with what had been dubbed Brain Slugs, ending with their meeting in the inn, all the while speaking in an even quieter tone than usual. Telling him about the fight was the worst; the way that the infected Matoran had gone limp as her blade pierced his neck, and how the horrible slug-like creatures had become a part of their foes' bodies...all memories that she had done her best not to recall. Riversong stopped speaking abruptly, forcing the potential display of emotion down, despite the fact that the deaths had disturbed her greatly. A barely-perceptible shudder passed through her thin frame.Now is not the time for that, especially not in front of Janas; it's probably the last thing the kid needs to see. she told herself sternly, meeting her cousin's gaze once more.

IC: Riversong (in the Ice Howl Inn, talking to Janas)"I'm fine," Riversong replied. "Are you ready to hear about why I'm in Ko-Koro?" she said without further preamble.OOC: Last post for the night. I'll be busy until tomorrow afternoon, so don't expect any activity from me until then.

IC: Riversong (in the Ice Howl Inn)Noticing that her cousin was finally awake, Riversong beckoned the Toa of Gravity over to the table she was seated at.

IC: Riversong (in the Ice Howl Inn, speaking with Sucogu)"I think you mean morning," she corrected him, "but I'm doing well enough. Are you?"

IC: Riversong (returning to the Ice Howl Inn)Nodding at the other two beings, Riversong made her way back to the inn, feeling ready for a meal.OOC: Might not be on very much tomorrow, just so you all know.