Namata

Thank you so much! :)

Thanks a ton! Glad to hear it doesn't feel jumbled. Good luck with the homework! Thanks T!

Thank you! I love that song too, glad it was recognizable

Thank you for your kind words and for yet another front page feature! You may absolutely use it for BZP videos and livestreams. PM me, perhaps?

I hope to one day finish my Naming Day fanfic, but in the meantime, check out my electronic, dance-friendly medley of BIONICLE music! Complete with a slideshow! Youtube link I'm an amateur music producer, so I very much welcome constructive criticism about how I can improve the mix. But I must say, I'm pretty happy with how I managed to combine two of the rock songs in the final chorus

Wow, thank you very much!! Glad to hear I'm not the only one fascinated by this gap in the story and the possibilities it holds for character development. Plus, it's always scary to try to write comedy, so I'm really happy you found it funny. This was exactly the encouragement I needed to keep writing chapter 3

Chapter Two The forest was alive with a thousand voices. The Matoran had obediently, if not all that efficiently, arranged themselves by color and were now talking excitedly within their six new groups. Nokama’s blue crowd was no exception, though they appeared slightly more restless than the others. Ga-Matoran were not designed to thrive in this intense heat. Still, they were cheerful enough, and it looked to Nokama like friendships were already being forged. Perhaps some of them remembered each other subconsciously? Or were they simply bonding over their shared anticipation of being named? Never mind the why, Nokama thought to herself. Let’s just be glad that they’re all friendly toward each other. That will make things that much easier. She grabbed one of the stone tablets that Whenua had brought and placed it on the tree stump that served as her desk. “Very well,” she said out loud. “Who is first?” The crowd fell silent in the blink of an eye. One Matoran took a few tentative steps towards her. She wore an azure, triangular mask, and her eyes were a piercing yellow. “Turaga Nokama, I am ready to go first, if I may.” “Of course,” Nokama said. “Your name is Kai”. She carved the three letters into the stone tablet and showed it to the Matoran. “Take a moment to memorize the spelling.” Kai fixed her eyes on the carving. “Now write it yourself,” said Nokama, handing Kai another tablet and a simple carving tool. The Matoran promptly chiseled her name into the stone, eager to do as she had been told. It was strange to see her so obedient. Nokama had never known Kai all that well on Metru Nui – the Matoran had worked as an overseer at the main docks of Ga-Metru and always seemed uninterested in academics – but she had been known to dislike authority with a passion. The contrast made Nokama uneasy. How much of the Matoran’s personalities had been lost along with their memories? “Well done, Kai,” she said. “You may go, but do not wander outside the forest. We will see each other again soon.” The Matoran looked up at her, reverence in her eyes. “Thank you, great Turaga.” Half an hour later, Nokama had begun to settle into the routine: identify the Matoran, say her name out loud, write it down, and then teach her how to write it herself. Most of the Matoran she recognized immediately, such as Hahli, Nixie, and Nireta, and their names brought memories of past encounters, friendships, and rivalries. For the ones that weren’t instantly familiar, she relied on a scroll that Nuju had given her. It was a copy of an old record of the Metru Nui population, which he had recovered right before they left the city. Unfortunately, it was outdated by several hundred years, but still largely relevant given the long lifespan of Matoran, and Nuju had made copies of it for each of the Turaga. Thus, whenever a Matoran came before her whom she hadn’t known on Metru Nui, she used the scroll to identify her by her mask design and her various hues of blue. She was in the middle of reading through the records for the fifth time when she was overcome by a sudden urge to look upwards. She did that, then jerked her head to the left, in the direction of Onewa and his crowd of Po-Matoran. Her brown Turaga brother was giving her a distressed glance from across the glade, and she finally understood what had happened. Onewa had used his Mask of Mind Control to make her look at him. He was trying to get her attention without the Matoran noticing. Why he hadn’t simply used his power to make her walk over there, she wasn’t sure. Perhaps he considered that rude, or perhaps the Turaga version of his mask couldn’t manage such a feat? “Forgive me, good Matoran,” she said as she rose. “I must consult with the Turaga of Stone. Please wait here.” “As you wish, great Turaga!” she heard Kai say behind her, as she shuffled through differently colored crowds toward the other end of the glade. *** “So, what’s going on?” Nokama asked. “I’m sorry to call you over here, sister,” whispered Onewa, careful not to let the Po-Matoran hear. “It’s just that, I think I got two Matoran mixed up.” “Which ones?” “Do you see the one over there, with the black mask and feet? Don’t look directly at him! Do you know him?” “Isn’t that Taipu, from Onu-Metru? He gave me a guided tour of the Archives once,” Nokama said. “I knew it!” Onewa exclaimed. “I told him he was Hafu, and one of mine! A Po-Matoran!” Nokama chuckled. “So where is the real Hafu?” “I told him he was Taipu, and sent him to Whenua.” Onewa pointed discreetly to a Matoran who stood at the back of Whenua’s group of Onu-Matoran. He did indeed look a lot like Taipu, with a black mask, black feet, and a beige torso – a color scheme that occurred among both Onu- and Po-Matoran. The only significant difference was the mask design. “Sorry to bother you with this, sister,” said Onewa. ”But the others wouldn’t have understood.” “It’s all right. You should just talk to them both and explain the mistake. No one said Turaga have to be perfect.” “I know, but it’s only our third day. Don’t you think that a mess-up at this scale, this early on, will undermine my authority forever? Basically, what I’m asking is, could you help me correct the mistake without letting them know that it was a mistake? Something like, ‘I have heard whispers from the mighty ocean, that you two will switch names’?” “As you may recall, I was never fond of the pseudo-mythology idea,” said Nokama. “As for your authority, I think it will only be strengthened if you own up to your mistake. Show the Matoran that you take responsibility for your actions.” Seeing that her brother was not yet convinced, she placed an arm on his shoulder. “Believe me, I understand it’s not easy. We didn’t ask to be tribe leaders and no one prepared us for it. But no one prepared us for becoming Toa, either, and look at what we accomplished anyway.” She gestured toward the one thousand Matoran in the forest, who would have been trapped in Metru Nui right now, under the tyranny of Makuta, were it not for the six Toa’s bravery. “We saved them.” “I’m not so sure about…” Onewa began, then stopped short, realizing that what he had been about to say would have been upsetting. It didn’t matter. Nokama knew exactly what he was thinking. They had brought the Matoran here from Metru Nui in small spheres, because Makuta had trapped them in there as part of his plot to seize power. The Toa had believed that the spheres merely rendered their occupants comatose, but as it turned out, they were also eroding both their minds and bodies. The Matoran were slowly dying inside them. When the Toa brought them to this new island of Mata Nui, and sacrificed their power to release them, they awoke smaller, weaker, and without their memories. In a sense, the Matoran who had lived in Metru Nui were gone, perhaps forever, because the Toa failed to save them. “No, you’re right, sister,” Onewa said somewhat blankly, as if trying with mixed success to convince himself. “We should take responsibility for our failings, not dwell on them. And try to take pride in the good we’ve done. I’ll go talk to Whenua, about sending Hafu back here.” *** Meanwhile, Turaga Matau was becoming bored. He had named twenty Le-Matoran so far, and the routine was already unbearably repetitive. The only bit of fun was the opportunity to be extra strict towards those he had disliked on Metru Nui, such as the incredibly daft Tuuli, and that novelty was wearing off. But, I suppose life isn’t always going to be quick-thrilling from now on, he thought. And maybe that’s all right. Maybe looking after these Matoran will be a different kind of adventure, one that’s less about excitement and more about responsibility. Strengthened by this epiphany, Matau beckoned the next green Matoran to his makeshift desk. “Greetings, Orkahm,” he said warmly, and started to carve that name into his tablet. Then he saw a spot of blue in the corner of his eye. It was Nokama, standing among the Po-Matoran, and conversing with Onewa. The latter looked strangely embarrassed. All of Matau’s newly gained maturity vanished in an instant. Something funny was going on, and he needed to be part of it. If nothing else, it was a much-needed break from the excruciating tedium of Naming Day. He excused himself from the Matoran and went to talk to his brother and sister, leaving Orkahm with the tablet. The confused Matoran looked down at his unfinished name. “It says ‘ORKA’,” he told the group, “but there was another letter at the end, wasn’t there?” “I think it was an ‘N’, said Tuuli helpfully. I think he called you ‘Orkan’.

Thank you so much for your kind feedback! I'm glad you think that way about the characters; I made sure to reread the Adventures series to get them right.

Welcome to the review topic for my new story, Naming Day. Friendly criticism is very much appreciated!

EDIT: Many thanks to Black Six for featuring this story on the front page! It feels unreal! Ever wonder what the first few days on Mata Nui were like? How the Turaga adjusted to their new roles as village elders? Why some Matoran's names were spelled differently on Metru Nui? This story takes place very shortly after the Toa Metru awoke the sleeping Matoran and became the Turaga we know and love. It's a serious story, if slightly comedic in tone, and I've tried to emulate Greg's writing style to an extent. It's also supposed to be canon-compliant, because that's how I like to do things, but there are probably a few errors here and there. If you notice any lore inaccuracies, or have comments or criticisms in general, feel free to let me know in the review thread! Naming Day Chapter One Nokama waded out into the calm ocean surrounding Mata Nui. Not for the first time since she and her brothers arrived on that island, she found herself trying to command the sea, only to be painfully reminded that she was no longer a Toa. All she could do now with her diminished elemental powers was stir the water slightly. Still, she found comfort in the thought of why she had sacrificed her powers. It had been the only way to wake the Matoran of Metru Nui from their comatose state and save them from eventual death. Besides, she thought, I was a Matoran for thousands of years before becoming a Toa, and life was generally good. I think I’ll survive a couple of thousand years as a Turaga. She came to a stop and shut her eyes. Clearing her head – not easy for a scholar to do – she made an effort to focus on the currents, the plants and the marine animals around her. After only a few moments, her worries started to wash away. Nokama smiled, her spirit soothed. Though she no longer controlled it, water was still her element. Of course, this water was quite different from that which surrounded Metru Nui, her old home. That had been silvery in color, not clear. And that was only one of many mysteries of this new island… “Sister!” Nokama turned and saw Onewa, Turaga of Stone, standing on the rocky beach. She was still not used to his new, smaller form, but his voice was the same, coarse and with a constant hint of cynicism. “The Matoran are waking up,” said Onewa. “We should probably get ready for the ceremony.” “Of course,” said Nokama, wading ashore. “Let the six hours of uninterrupted carving begin.” They left the beach and made their way through Ta-Wahi, the recently established fire region of Mata Nui. It was a barren land made up of dark, volcanic rock. Smoke billowed from streams of lava that crisscrossed the terrain. This was to be the site of the new Ta-Metru, and Nokama had no doubt that any Ta-Matoran would feel right at home here. But to water types like her, the stifling heat and pitch-black landscape were unbearable. The one thing she found beautiful was the forest in the distance, perhaps the only significant vegetation in Ta-Wahi. Lush and green, it appeared completely unbothered by the vast pool of lava that bordered it. Thankfully, this forest was their destination. “So, how do you feel about the whole… Turaga thing?” asked Onewa. “I feel surprisingly at peace with the physical change,” Nokama answered truthfully. “But I’m not sure we’re ready for life as Turaga. It’s going to be our greatest challenge yet, one we’ll have to face without our Toa powers.” “I feel the same way,” said Onewa. “But I guess we’ll have to do what we’ve always done.” ”Dive recklessly into the unknown?” Onewa chuckled. ”I was going to say listen to Vakama, but that too.” *** “Sister, good you’re here,” said Vakama, Turaga of Fire, when he spotted Nokama and Onewa entering the large glade. “I sent Matau to gather the Matoran from the shelters a few moments ago. Whenua is retrieving the stone tablets and should be here any second.” “Good. And Nuju?” asked Nokama. The answer came in the form of a sharp clicking sound from her left. She turned and saw the Turaga of Ice, waving his arms about. “Brother, I thought we agreed that you’d speak normally for the first few days on Mata Nui,” said Onewa. “We want the Matoran to take us seriously.” Nuju responded with a series of angry shrieks, clicks and gestures. Because Nokama’s mask had transformed along with her body, it no longer enabled her to instantly translate Nuju’s bizarre language, but she had picked up enough of it as a Toa to get the general gist of what he was saying now. In the interest of keeping Onewa from smacking their white-armored brother right in the mask, she decided not to share it. “Enough,” said Vakama sternly, though Nokama could tell he was amused by his two brothers. “The Matoran will be here soon. And Onewa is right; we must make a serious impression. These Matoran will look to us for guidance for millennia to come. Let us show them we deserve that trust.” The words made Nokama more uncomfortable than she wanted to admit. This was only their third day on Mata Nui, and she already felt overwhelmed by her new responsibilities. She was to become the leader of over a hundred Ga-Matoran, oversee the construction of a new Ga-Metru, and protect that place against whatever threats their enemy, the evil Makuta, might unleash on it. Worse, the Matoran had all lost their memories on their way here, and had no idea who they were or how to survive on their own. It was up to the six Turaga to reeducate them. An excited chatter became audible in the distance, along with the soft thuds of a thousand tiny feet against the forest floor. The Matoran were coming. “Let’s do this,” said Nokama, more to herself than to any of her brothers. *** “Gathered friends,” said Vakama, ”on our first day here, we told you the Legend of Mata Nui. You know now about the Great Spirit, the Three Virtues, and…” he paused, “the threat of the Makuta.” The assembled Matoran shuddered at the mention of their enigmatic enemy, and Nokama felt a twinge of guilt. The ”Legend of Mata Nui”, which the Matoran had immediately accepted as truth, was nothing more than a simplified, incomplete version of the actual events, shrouded in excessive mysticism. The other five Turaga had vetoed her wish to share the truth about Metru Nui, and the real nature of Makuta, arguing that a false mythology would be easier for the Matoran to handle. ”Trust that we will share more tales about the past,” Vakama continued. “But now, let us focus on the present. Let us focus on you.” The gravelly voice of Whenua, Turaga of Earth, continued the rehearsed speech. “You are all strong in body and in spirit. Yesterday, you built shelters in this forest, to be your temporary homes until we begin construction on our six cities. Your unity and sense of duty would make the Great Spirit proud. However, one obstacle still blocks the path to your destiny.” Matau, Turaga of Air, delivered the next line in an exaggeratedly solemn tone: ”You have all forgotten your names, and this third day will be dedicated to reminding you of them. This is Naming Day.” Nokama glanced at Nuju. Naming Day had been a biannual holiday on Metru Nui, one where especially brave Matoran were honored with new names. All the Turaga had thought it appropriate to honor that tradition by repurposing its name for this important day. All except Nuju. The original Naming Day had occurred much later in the year, and moving it to today made no sense from an astrological point of view, he had argued. No one had paid him much attention. ”We Turaga will help you remember,” said Onewa. ”Look at your colors, for they will tell you where to go. Those of you who are brown, come to me.” ”Blue Matoran, come see me,” said Nokama. ”Anyone who is black, dark grey or purple, come to me,” said Whenua. ”All green Matoran, form a line here”, said Matau. ”If you are white or light grey, talk to me,” said Nuju, sounding more than a little uncomfortable. It was the first time he had spoken the Matoran language in a while, and it was clearly not coming to him easily. ”And finally, those who are red, orange or yellow, you will go to me,” said Vakama. ”What if you’re both blue, red and yellow?” asked a timid voice from somewhere in the crowd. Vakama smiled, clearly familiar with the Matoran. ”Come and see me anyway, my friend,” he said. ”If anyone else has multiple colors and is unsure of where to go, ask Nuju,” said Matau, struggling to keep up the serious act. ”He is quite fond of speak-talking.”

I’ll admit that I like it better these days than I did in 2009. The voice acting is good, the main characters are written decently, and for some reason, the childish comedy doesn’t bother me that much. But I still think it’s a bad product, for a number of reasons. For one thing, the camera work and editing are lazy, particularly in the fight scenes. Notice how long the camera holds on Mata Nui as the Vorox tries to stab him with its tail. Or how stale the Tuma fight looks. Every action scene in the Hero Factory show is the same, so I think director Mark Baldo is at fault here (sorry Mark, you seem like a nice guy). The sound design is similarly lazy. Remember all the glorious sounds from the original trilogy? Like Turahk firing its staff, or Nidhiki and Krekka entering flight mode? Compare that to Ackar kicking Strakk, or the Agori crowds in Tesara, or the infamous Rock Steeds, and you’ll see (hear) what I’m talking about. TLR has better voice acting, but the original movies had a far better grasp of sound design (not to mention better music), so they’re ultimately much easier on the ears. The animation is said to be the movie’s strong suit. But honestly, I don’t see it. Sure, the characters have nice textures, but everything else looks cheap. The sand doesn’t move when the Thornatus rolls through the desert. A lot of the backgrounds are obviously 2D. The ground in most scenes is unrealistically flat. Berix’s shadow in the hot springs looks ridiculous. All Agori look the same. And finally, the character design. I know a lot of people like set accuracy, and I’ll admit that the original trilogy strayed a bit too far from the toys sometimes, but it just doesn’t make any sense. The sets aren’t what the characters really look like; they are representations of the characters, altered slightly to accommodate the Lego system. The original trilogy showcased the actual biomechanical characters of Bionicle. TLR showcases the toys. Furthermore, the inconsistencies with established Bionicle canon are just embarrassing. The lush forests on the Mata Nui island in the opening, Mata Nui claiming that he has never needed help from anyone, Metus claiming that Bara Magna has ”looked like this as long as anyone can remember”, Raanu stating that a Glatorian must be banished after a single defeat, the notion that Skrall and Bone Hunters working together is completely unprecedented, the Thornax being orbs of energy rather than fruit, Gresh’s completely different personality, the aforementioned nonsensical character design… the list goes on. The original trilogy had mistakes as well, but you could tell that the creators were invested in the lore. Baldo, Derek and company simply didn’t try hard enough to properly represent Bionicle. Lastly, the film fails as a self-contained story. For one thing, the world of Bara Magna is barely explored, so none of the character motivations have any weight to them We don’t know why Kiina so desperately wants to leave, why the Skrall want power, why it’s such a big deal for Skrall and Bone Hunters to team up, why the Glatorian system was established, or why Metus betrayed the villages. Concepts like the Great Beings, the cavern with the elements, the latent elemental powers of the Glatorian, and the prototype robot are dropped on the viewer and then never explained further. Some character arcs work, like Kiina’s and Berix’s, but others fall flat, like Mata Nui becoming a pro fighter in a few days, or Gresh being completely pointless. And the final battle is enormously disappointing. I could go on about more flaws in the narrative, but I think you get the idea. Sorry about the rant! I was just really happy to see TLR discussed again, and to have an opportunity to vent my frustrations with it. I think that, while it might have had a higher budget than its predecessors, its incompetence in the above areas makes it feel a lot cheaper. The original movies weren’t always good, far from it, but at least the creators’ competence, creativity and passion consistently shone through (except maybe in WoS, at which point they seemed to be getting bored). The same cannot be said for TLR. At least not in my opinion!

Thank you!

Hope this is the right place for this kind of content! Full size

Looks about as cool as I remember. Thanks for digging it up!

First of all, thank you Peri and Planetperson for your help! This is indeed the thing I was searching for, and I'm glad it still exists in some capacity. I don't remember a proper countdown, but I do remember the Voya Nui logo. As forthe white skin, I remember it too and I believe it was introduced gradually throughout the winter of 2005. Every week or so it looked as if a new dash of white paint had been thrown at the site. It was actually a pretty excellent way of teasing 06, along with the buckling garage door that everyone knew had the Piraka standing behind it. As you and Wrinkledlion X said, it's a shame they abandoned the white skin almost immediately, because it looked great. This. There were some designs I liked in the later years, like the Mistika and Glatorian skins, but man did the website get a downgrade in 07. It used to be a hub for a plethora of old and new story content, truly cementing the lore as the main appeal of Bionicle. Then with the Barraki, all that was discarded in favor of a lackluster "Story" section that only covered the current year, like any other Lego subsite at the time (we had access to some old stuff through the Kanoka club, but that was hardly the same). We got Bioniclestory.com some time later, though, and you could argue that the idea of having one site that detailed the overarching story and one that promoted the current wave was not a bad one.

Back when I was a kid and frequented the 2002-2003 version of Bionicle.com, I would sometimes end up on a (presumably) Flash-based, interactive page that showcased the Exo-Toa. It was taken down in the website overhaul in 2004, and unlike a lot of old content, was never uploaded again to my knowledge. Nor have I been able to find it on any fansites. On the page were images and animations of the Exo-Toa in sort of a blueprint style, accompanied by techno beats. You could click on different sections of the model and get a closer look at the corresponding action features. There were also links to a similar game for the Bohrok and to that ungodly creepy Mata Nui explorer game. Does this ring a bell for anyone, or did I dream it up?

So yesterday I was bored and googled "BIONICLE" (happens once a week or so). Ended up up on Greg Farshtey's Wikipedia article. I skimmed through the content, confident that I knew it all already, until I came across this sentence: "(At the time of its publication, Bionicle was the most widely distributed comic in the world, with over 2 million readers)." This took me by surprise. I knew the comics were popular at some point, but surely not the most widely distributed in the world? That's... kinda extreme. There's no source listed for the claim and my further googling of similar sentences has yielded no results. So I'm assuming it's flat out not true. What are your thoughts though?

What made BIONICLE and Cryoshell so perfect for each other? They both had an awesome Lore!

I'd say about 40% of my dreams are related to BIONICLE or contain elements from it in some way. MNOG I and II in particular must have stirred something in my subconscious when I was a kid, because I keep revisiting both versions of Mata Nui in my dreams. It's simply magical!

Is this amazing or what? I love the rust, the metallic colors, and how you changed color of some technic pieces. It's also awesome to see how you added silver to some pieces to create bolts and bring out the pistons. It really works.Also, I love the base. Clean and unobtrusive, just like a base of a statuette should be. The contrast between the Ga-Metru stone and the Morbuzahk vines makes it so much cooler.A feast for the eyes!

No. A xenomorph is a black, eyeless alien that bleeds acid. However, I believe that the Xenocytes from Ben 10 were inspired by the facehugger, the second stage in the life cycle of the xenomorph. Anyway, on topic. The thing I didn't like about the Vahki was how their gears pointed down and how the Toa feet were used in the four-legged mode. It just felt forced, and that was what I wanted to avoid in this MOC. But yes, I agree that the feet look a little goofy when used as normal feet.

Thanks. Yes, that was exactly what I was aiming for, something basic that looks cool. Thanks! You are very right about the arms, I might try to change them later. The feet are perhaps a little too long when he stands upright, but they were designed that way to make them work with the quadrupedal mode too. That was the biggest problem with the Vahki, I think, that they were clearly designed to stand upright. I wanted to make a MOC where the quadrupedal mode wasn't just a bonus, so to speak. See how those Bohrok feet fit perfectly with the Rahkshi legs? Thank you! I tried it with a silver Onua claw too, convinced it would look better, and while it did, it sort of killed the personality the white jaw had given it. And for some reason, I like the contrast it creates. I might change the legs though. Now that I think of it, I imagined the baterra looking something like this. However, the creature I drew inspiration from was actually the xenomorph (you know, the Alien alien) Thanks guys. This is a MOC I've been wanting to do ever since I got my first Bordakh staffs, so it's a very personal creation. I always knew how it should look and what personality it should have, so I focused on the head and torso, and tried to use older pieces to get the ridged theme. So the build itself became secondary, for once, even though I had a lot of fun making it. I might make custom legs and arms later, though.

Hello guys, This is Blindahk, an eyeless stealth hunter native to the Southern Continent, who uses non-elemental sonic powers to make his steps inaudible to whoever he's hunting. His most lethal weapons are his venomous bite and loud shriek (Think Nazgul), and his shiny exoskeleton and the sharp protosteel blades on his back protect him from attack. Blindahk can also go into quadrupedal mode to climb and run faster. Any weaknesses, you might ask? NO! Anyway, here is the gallery. What do you think?

The Vorox helmet. It may have looked awesome, but was just too small and didn't cover the lower part of the head, which was a shame. The Piraka skulls/spines were also cool, but man I could never get that spine to look good as it would always bend in ways that ruined the illusion. And then I'm sure that many pieces from 2001 were annoying, but nostalgia keeps me from thinking about it.

I love all my titans, though Axonn's build leaves something to be desired. He was basically a Piraka with armor and titan legs. But he made up for it with that axe and the bulky theme created by the Nuva armor and the Rode.