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Chapter 6 – A Tale As Old As Time From the notes of Chronicler Crisda. The Makuta’s tale has been told and retold several times since he arrived in our city. At first, he told it only to the Toa and Turaga in a private gathering, who in turn passed it on to us. After the failed rebellion, he told it once more, broadcasting it across the city. And his Toa Hagah are all to eager to remind us of it any time we step out of line. Today marked the third time Makuta Vhel told his tale himself, and this time it felt… different. It’s hard to describe in words. There was something provocative and prideful in the way Vhel spoke. It felt like a challenge, directed at the returned Toa. Putting them in their place, daring them to disagree, belittling their beliefs. The first time this tale was told, there was violence and vitriol, defiance and despair. Some Matoran and Turaga even took their own lives. But this time, I fear the outcome will be far worse. * * * Trina “There is much that you do not understand about this universe and your place in it. To understand how we have reached this end, you must first understand how our story began.” Trina suppressed an involuntary shiver as the Makuta spoke. She’d spent most of her life living in the mountains, and the last few centuries in the close company of a Ko-Toa, but something in Vhel’s voice gave her chills in a way she’d never experienced before. “We Makuta first came into being some 100,000 years ago, wrought from antidermis by the Great Spirit you all so revere. He cursed us with pride and power, and set us to work nurturing and protecting life in this universe. Despite what your Turaga teach you, it was we and we alone who created the plants and rahi that provide you your sustenance and fill this world with wonder. It was we who took it upon ourselves to thwart the League Of Six Kingdoms, we who ended the Matoran Civil War in this very city, and we who toiled for centuries to prevent similar uprisings elsewhere in this universe. And yet… who did your kind proffer their praise and prayers to? Not us.” Murmurs rang through the crowd as the Makuta spoke. On the surface, nothing Vhel said truly stood out as unfamiliar or false. From everything Trina knew of history, the Makuta did have a known history of creating creatures, they had been the ones to bring down the Barraki, and Teridax’s massacre had ended the Civil War, but the way Vhel was completely cutting out almost any involvement from Mata Nui flew in the face of everything the Turaga taught, everything Trina had always held to be true. “No. You gave your faith to an absent, distant Great Spirit who has never done anything for any of you! The same Great Spirit who put the Barraki in power then let them conquer unchecked for a thousand years. The same Great Spirit who designed us to be jealous, and let that jealousy fester to the point where we rose up against him. If your god was truly all-seeing, all-knowing, how could he not foresee the consequences of his choices? Why did he stop any of it? Why did he not spare you from your suffering? The answer is not that Mata Nui could not see, but that he simply wasn’t looking. Your Great Spirit had a Destiny of his own, one that left him looking ever outwards, not inwards.” Trina glanced at her companions. Some looked disinterested or confused, while others appeared distraught. Icthilos’ brow was furrowed, as if the words being spoken were some complex riddle to be deciphered. But it was Widrek’s crestfallen expression that left Trina most concerned. Widrek wore a Kanohi Rode, and was capable enough of recognising falsehood even without it; if anyone here could discern the deceptions in the Makuta’s words, it was him. The fact that he looked so utterly defeated could only mean he hadn’t found any. “But that Destiny is lost to us now,” Vhel continued. “There is no new world awaiting us. Only this one, and it dies each more with each passing day. So we each must fulfil the functions we were made to perform, and in so doing make up for the mistakes of our kindred and forebears. I will be your provider, the Toa will be your protectors, and you Matoran will work, as Duty demands.” “And if we don’t accept your rule?” Came the amplified voice of a De-Turaga somewhere near the back of the crowd. “I urge you to speak with the citizens of this city before blindly flinging yourself into defiance for defiance’s sake. Do what Mata Nui could not: contemplate the consequences of your choices before you make them.” “You say the Great Spirit never did anything for us,” Trina interjected, “What of heat and light? Gravity? The means to bring new beings into being?” “Valid points. But as I said, there is much you don’t understand about this universe. The truth of it is beyond what your kind are capable of comprehending.” “Then dumb it down!” Savnu shouted. “Even a simple explanation is better than none at all,” Trina agreed. “Your brother said much the same thing,” the Makuta mused. “So I tell you all what I told him. Your Great Spirit was not a god, and this universe is not some magical realm. For lack of a better term, this universe is a machine, and we are all essential components in a grand, symbiotic system. The Great Spirit gave you light and warmth because it was what your kind required to live and work efficiently. He gave many species the means to create more of their kind to ensure there would always be new workers to replace those who died or retired.” It made a twisted kind of sense, loathe though Trina was to admit it. The Matoran of Voya Nui, Mahri Nui, and Metru Nui had all spoken at times of a world above and an ocean below, of inconceivably vast open spaces without walls or Domes or Sea Gates. It was already difficult to dismiss so many beings from so many places swearing to the same story, and the fact that light still shone through the Sun Holes of the city only added to the veracity of their claims. The idea that this universe was some manner of machine made as much sense as any other for why there were apparently these arbitrary artificial barriers barring access to the world above. “We need proof!” Savnu’s voice rang out across the arena again. “You’re just words, spouting revised history from somewhere we can’t even see.” “It’s strange, isn’t it?” Vhel chuckled, “For 100,000 years you didn’t need to see the Great Spirit to believe in him.” “What I see is a few hundred beings who have the power to make anyone say anything they want,” Savnu countered, “For all we know there is no Makuta, and you’re just one of these Mesmers speaking in a scary voice and spinning a stupid story.” “Your cynicism is… warranted. If you doubt my words, then consider the history of this very city. When a Civil War broke out among the Matoran the effects were felt throughout all corners of the universe. A Toa had to retrieve the Kanohi Ignika and give their life to revive the Great Spirit. The same events played out after Makuta Teridax caused the Great Cataclysm. This city is deeply connected to the machine you call your universe, and when the work stops, the system crashes.” “You’re still just words.” “Then designate one of your number. They will have the privilege of meeting with me in person, and learning the terrible truth of our reality. I will share with them my memories and knowledge… if their mind survives the experience, I trust their testimony will sate your scepticism.” Trina found herself stepping forward. There was no rational reason for it, just an impulsive need to know. If this was all true, then she needed to understand, not only for the sake of her own curiosity but for the sake of everyone’s survival. If the universe was a machine, maybe it could be fixed? If the Makuta understood the nature of this universe, perhaps he knew something of what lay beyond it? But she’d scarcely taken two steps before Icthilos’ firm hand caught her arm. “Don’t you dare say you have to be the one to do it,” she warned, pulling out of his grasp but not moving any further forward. “You don’t need to be the martyr every time-” “No. It shouldn’t be me,” he said. “And it can’t be you.” “Why not? If you say you think I can’t handle it I swear-” “Because we didn’t make it this far to lose each other,” he snapped, his earnestness taking them both by surprise, “Especially not to the most obvious trap in the universe.” “I… okay, I’ll give you that one,” she stammered, trying to cover up her surprise with the first flippant remark she could think of. “So who, then?” “Him,” Icthilos said, pointing to the lone figure, already at the front of the crowd, who was moving out into the open. He stood a head taller than any of the other Toa, more so if one counted the fin jutting from atop his Kanohi Rode. Widrek. The second he stepped fully away from the rest of the crowd, the shadows around the arena seemed to stretch and shudder, coalescing into a cloying curtain of blank blackness that engulfed the lone Onu-Toa, leaving no sign of him when they dispersed.

Ever wondered why certain Mata Nui Matoran switched masks when they appeared in MNOG2, choosing an otherwise uncommon Kanohi? This story offers a possible explanation. Enjoy! SPARES Nuparu was no stranger to fear. Too many times had he found himself at the mercy of wild Rahi or some other creature who threatened to end his life. But no matter how real the danger was, he never let himself be swallowed by panic. As he stared at the broken black Komau on the floor of his hut, however, panic became a very real possibility for him. “I … am so … sorr-.” As he faced the mask’s former owner, his heartlight nearly went out again. Nuhrii was an exposed torso suspended in mid-air, his armour stripped down to his organic insides. He was next in line to receive the rebuild every Matoran was to receive after Naming Day. Despite rebuilding dozens of Matoran already, the sight of one in such a state still made Nuparu jump. Nuhrii’s maskless expression of horror and anger didn’t help. This is what happened: Nuhrii had complained to the engineer of a fault in one of his optical sensors. Nuparu had removed his mask so he could have a closer look, placing the Komau on the ground nearby. As he reached for his tools, however, he accidentally knocked over a piece of a broken down Boxor. This piece landed on the mask, shattering it beyond recognition. Nuparu now had to quickly find a replacement. Still stunned by the sight of Nuhrii, the engineer completely forgot about his unfinished apology to the Ta-Matoran. “Do you, uhm, …” he finally spoke with some difficulty, “… have any requests regarding your new mask?” Nuhrii visibly relaxed as he pondered which mask to choose. “Can I get a Hau?” “I’ll check the pile,” answered Nuparu. He hurried towards the room where he kept the spare Kanohi, jumping over the disassembled parts of inactive Bohrok on the floor. “A black one, if possible!” called the Ta-Matoran from his chamber. “I’ll see what I can find!” called Nuparu back. He began to rummage through the assortment of masks which, he soon found, had massively decreased in size since he last had to pay it a visit. He searched for black Haus but couldn’t find any. Then he tried to search for Haus in other colours, again with no success. It seemed there was only one type of mask left in the pile. Resigned, Nuparu grabbed the first black coloured Kanohi he saw. This’ll have to do, he thought and returned to the chamber to face Nuhrii. “Did you find it?” enquired the Ta-Matoran. Nuparu cleared his throat. “Well …” *** Nuhrii walked noiselessly into the Ta-Koro square, trying not to catch the attention of his fellow tribesmen. Unfortunately for him, everyone seemed to be looking at him. At the Suva, Keahi and some of his comrades were conversing. As Nuhrii came past, their conversation turned into a series of giggles. Keahi decided to speak up. “Going for a swim, are we Nuhrii?” The comment left the group of Ta-Koro guardsmen in hysterics. Nuhrii shot them an angry look and continued on his way. That stupid Onu-Matoran, he thought to himself. Breaking my Komau was one thing. But replacing it with a Kaukau, of all masks, now that is the work of Karzahni! Nuhrii continued to fume as a couple of visiting Po-Matoran hewers passed him. One of them broke free of the group and stopped where Nuhrii was standing, eyeing the Ta-Matoran with curiosity. He too was wearing a Kaukau. “Hey, Kivi!” his compatriots called behind him. “Are you coming or not?” “In a minute!” the Po-Matoran called back. He turned his attention back to Nuhrii. “Let me guess,” Kivi asked, pointing at Nuhrii’s new mask. “It was the only one left?”

Ever had a friend/coworker who constantly complained about something but you never had the guts to call them out, so you just kind off let them go on and on? Agni knows just that kind of Matoran. I'm back with another little snippet of Matoran life, this time focusing on members of the Ta-Koro Guard. Enjoy! AGNI AND KALAMA Agni and Kalama marched slowly back and forth on one of the fortified walls of Ta-Koro. “It’s so hot in this village,” said Kalama as he passed Agni. “Mm-hm,” mumbled Agni in response. After a few steps, the two Ta-Matoran reached the towers on either side, lifted their weapons, turned around and slowly marched in the other direction. Agni looked straight ahead. “Everything is so red and hot,” added Kalama as he passed Agni. “Mm-hm,” mumbled Agni in response. When the Miru-wielder reached the other side, he eyed the village entrance down below. Then he lifted his weapon, turned around and marched slowly in the other direction. Kalama soon came near. “I wish there was something to do,” moaned the Matatu-wielder as he passed. “There is nothing to do in this village.” Agni was about to suggest Kalama try lava-surfing. Then he remembered his comrade had already dismissed the sport as too dangerous mere minutes ago. Instead, he simply mumbled in response and marched towards the other side. There, he stopped, lifted his weapon, turned around and marched in the other direction. “What do you think I could do, Agni?” asked Kalama as marched towards his comrade. “To pass the time in this village I mean?” Agni paused so he didn’t automatically respond with another mumble. As Kalama came near, he suggested: “Perhaps, comrade, you could take time to ponder the virtue we guards live by.” “Yes, Duty,” said Kalama. “I will ponder the virtue of Duty. Thank you, Agni!” “You’re welcome,” replied Agni flatly. As the Miru-wielder reached the other side of the wall, he once again looked down at the entrance. To his delight, he saw a familiar figure with a black Komau standing at the gate. “Ho, Nuri!” he called. The Komau-wielder looked up. “Have the other guards returned from their mission yet?” “I’m afraid not,” called Nuri back. “There is no word yet from the Captain or the others.” Agni’s shoulders drooped. “I have to go back now,” called Nuri. “You and Kalama will have to extend your shift until they return.” Extend my shift … with that lethargic Husi named Kalama, thought Agni, barely stopping his optical sensors from twitching at the thought. Before he could plead with Nuri to take his place, the Komau-wielder turned back and left. Agni simply sighed and saluted. He lifted his weapon and turned around. As he composed himself Kalama, who had continued marching the entire time Agni was speaking to Nuri, was coming towards him to the other side. Agni straightened his back and marched forward. “I’m very grateful for you, Agni,” said Kalama as he passed. “You are my favourite marching partner.” “Mm-hm,” mumbled Agni in response.

rhombusjones is right, you are very good at making each image unique and memorable. You should consider offering commissions, I would possibly pay for a rendition of my self-MOC in your style.

Great stuff here; I enjoy your style. Too many for me to go over individually, but I'll just say I really like your interpretation of Onewa.

I have to agree on the Rockoh. The shape is jut perfect for swooshing around. The axalara had a lot of cool features, but it was a little more awkward, at least as a kid.

These are so terrific, so many wonderful pictures, I love the vivid colors! Many of these would make great profile pics.

new hero factory creation in 2024, excellent

This is terrific, I love the golden nose ring and the treaded hind legs. Excellent mesh of animal-like and mechanical traits.

IC: Jolek [Ta-Wahi, Fowadi Internals] Although he'd drummed up his share of attention on the surface, Jolek nonetheless found himself taken a little aback at the bustle his shepherd had lead him into as they descended the hatch— for the conversation he'd kicked into gear up top, it quickly became apparent that the ironclad beast never slumbered as it slipped out of the Ta-Koro Bay and into the black of night. As tight as the corridors were, barely three of him apart at their broadest, in a matter of minutes he counted at least a dozen and a half faces milling past, purpose in their eyes only allowing them a quick glance at the gunmetal newcomer before they marched onto the task at hand— whatever it may have been. He couldn't delineate rank or uniform from one another in these foreign symbols, not at a glance, but whatever they were they permeated the air in a low roar. He frowned, reminded of a base or three. Impressive regimentation, but it ran counter to the sales pitch. Whatever the big man had planned for him, it couldn't be all this. Another thing stood out pretty readily, too. His eyes slid over his right shoulder, meeting those that had planted themselves onto the back of his head from the jump. He wasn't a De-Toa like Krayn, and there was enough going on down here that the Matoran's dissonant stride hadn't been what'd clued him in. He was far removed from even pretending to be that good a hunter. But a hunter's instincts still survived in him. A lot like the Forest, little more than a day prior, he'd more felt the eyes on him than heard or seen or smelled or any other type of sense. A gaze was like a weight on your back. Meeting hers, he definitely didn't discern any odd intent that'd undercut the general vibe of the welcome so far, but there wasn't any doubt it was on him. There was something tucked beneath her arm, but the sudden gloom once you got inside was even giving his night eyes trouble, more used to adjusting beneath canopy than steel. Only one thing left to do, then. "So boss," he breathed, turning to the Po-Matoran ahead after a moment. "Is it normal for newbies to get tailed on the way in, or should we wait up on her?"

Good to get those big grinds out of the way and the last remaining achievements have been unlocked. As much as I'm looking forward to seeing you get through Lego Indiana Jones 2 (a game I do like quite a lot because of its unique structure), I'm okay with waiting until after your two week break. Besides, I very much welcome seeing another build stream, as I would like another opportunity to just relax and chat rather than focus all my attention on how you're progressing through a game. And, uh... that's pretty much all I have to say here. See you next week.

IC: A notch or two was not sufficient after the talk turned to Skyra’s affairs and Praggos’ complaint about his personal stock. The dial clicked down two more, and the noise around him faded further to something he could ignore without too much effort. There was no further need of him with the newcomer, so he turned towards the mast and paced around to the other side of that large wooden beam. Despite his time aboard the Fowadi, and despite his desire always to pull his own weight, Krayn wasn’t much of a sailor. While the ship was underway his only responsibility was to stay out of the way and not fall overboard. Fortunately the deck was spacious enough that he could claim a little of it for himself to stand and try to run through some of the stretches that had been suggested to him. He had stopped briefly in Ko-Koro on his way in from the wilderness to consult a doctor; the ill-tempered man, after insisting that he could discern nothing wrong, prescribed a series of stretches and strength building exercises. All oriented around his shoulder, of course, and he detested doing them. They didn’t feel like they were doing any good. The simplest was to brace his forearm against something to his side and gently ease himself forward, stretching the muscles in the process. He stopped when he felt resistance, almost instantly bordering on pain, and held the position. After a count of thirty he released it, waited, and repeated the process. On the fourth stretch pain shot through the joint as soon as he began, and he decided that would have to do for now. The frustrating thing was that he couldn’t find anything wrong, either. That didn’t stop him from feeling the spot experimentally, as though he might find something below the faint scar that he hadn’t the first hundred times. He didn’t. The scar always seemed too small. It spoke to how well the healers had done their job that all that remained was a scar like a burn well healed by the passage of time. Of the wound that had required cauterization there was no sign. Medicine wasn’t his profession, but he’d had his share of experience with first aid in the field. With enough concentration he could learn about what was under the surface by feeling the way sound moved through the area. He hadn’t found anything that way, either. Krayn sank to the deck, leaning back against the mast. He fixed his eyes on the sky and allowed his sixth, elemental sense to wander; even with his hearing reduced, sound was everywhere. It was only vibrations, after all, and a ship in motion produced so many. The footsteps of the crew, waves striking the hull when the water grew rough. The sources were innumerable, wherever energy was transferred between one body and another there was sound. Paying attention to the soundscape was a much more relaxing prospect than musing over his shoulder yet again, so he allowed his mind to wander with his senses. If someone needed his attention, he would know. OOC: Small Krayn post as I work to get back in the swing, others to follow elsewhere as needed and time allows.

Oh, I meant to try out some more complex designs, but alas I kind of ran out of time. So here's a simpler concept of what I've been trying for, heh.

@Black Six Thanks!

Part I, chapters 7-9 are updated! yay progress

And just like that, May is nearly behind us and the summer is fast approaching. If you missed it, make sure to go enter the 2024 Member Raffle #5 while you still can! One lucky winner will receive the LEGO Star Wars buildable figure 75525 Baze Malbus. Will it be you? We can only hope!View the full article

Have you done the other skull villians or just this one?

With the holiday this week, my schedule is a little messed up, so we'll just be streaming on Thursday, May 30th this week. You can find us over on the BZPower Twitch Channel starting around 7 PM Eastern time, where we'll hopefully be wrapping up the last few achievements in LEGO Indiana Jones. We made some great progress last week, so there hopefully won't be much to do this time other than a bit of grinding. Looking forward to chatting with you all while we do it!View the full article

The annual Bio-Cup Bionicle MOC competition has begun. The Preliminary Round began last week and will run through Tuesday, June 4th, so there's still plenty of time to build and enter? And the theme, you ask? It's none other than SPACE, and all the exciting ideas that inspires. Get to building your entry, and check back here for MOC highlights over the next couple of months!View the full article

Hi, guys. I found some Hero Factory stuff, found in Lego Magazines, that HEROsector01 does not have. It’s a good thing that I have these Lego Magazine issues before Hero Factory got canceled. The stuff that I found are: 1. 2010 - I think that’s all from the Club Magazines. I already have the Hero Factory Promotional Magazine from the July-August 2010 issue of the Lego Magazine. The pictures for the booklet’s pages are in HS01, but the guys from HS01 should do prefect scans on them. The September-October 2010 issue of the Lego Club Magazine has a version of “Comic 2: Core Crisis”, where Von Nebula erroneously said “William Stormer”, when the correct name is “Preston Stormer”. I don’t have the instructions for Lucas Valor, seen in the September-October 2010 issue of the Lego Brickmaster Magazine, but that is shown in HS01, despite having imperfect scans. 2. Early 2011 - I think that’s all from the Club Magazines. I don’t have the instructions for Makuro-X1 (the large monster that Akiyama Makuro created), seen in the March-April 2011 issue of the Brickmaster Magazine, but that is shown in HS01, despite having imperfect scans. 3. Late 2011 - I think that’s all from the Club Magazines. 4. Early 2012 - I think that’s all from the Club Magazines. There’s that non-canon comic called “Breakout Issue 1” in the January-February 2012 issue. HS01 has the scans, but they are not perfect. There’s a little booklet that tells you hints for the Breakout game. HS01 has imperfect scans for that thing, too, though. 5. Late 2012 - I only have the stuff from the September-October 2012 Club issue. I don’t have the July-August Club issue, sadly, but I heard it has that non-canon comic called “Breakout Issue 2”. The November-December 2012 Club issue does not have any Hero Factory content. 6. Early 2013 - This only has stuff from the March-April 2013 Club issue. The January-February Club issue and the May-June Club issue do not have Hero Factory stuff. 7. Late 2013 - I only have the stuff from the September-October 2013 Club issue. That issue has a combiner of Furno XL and the first Laval action figure from Legends of Chima. I don’t have the July-August Club issue or the November-December Club issue, sadly. However, I heard the July-August issue has five pages of Hero Factory content: two for a battle in Makuhero City, two for a fight between Dragon Bolt and Jet Rocka, and one for a Hero Factory building contest. I heard the November-December issue has a non-canon comic called “Double Dragon Danger”. 8. Early 2014 - This only has stuff from the March-April 2014 Club issue. The January-February Club issue and the May-June Club issue do not have Hero Factory stuff. 9. Late 2014 - This only has stuff from the July-August 2014 Club issue. I don’t have the September-October Club issue or the November-December Club issue, sadly. 10. Random stuff - Two pictures that I found in Google. One of them comes from the March-April 2011 issue of the Lego Club Jr Magazine. The other came from a Lego Magazine in late 2013 (the November-December Club issue because of the art style, maybe?). I don’t know what magazine issue. 11. Random stuff in 2011 - Pictures that I found in Google. I don’t know what magazine issues. 12. Random stuff in 2012 - Pictures that I found in Google. I don’t know what magazine issues. There are also Club Code pages, which are online pages exclusively found in Lego Club website when you enter a Club Code found in the magazines. Plus, there are Lego Club Inside Scoop pages. I hope HS01 has saved all of that stuff before everything is taken down, sadly. If you guys have all Lego Club, Lego Club Jr, Lego Brickmaster, and UK Lego Club Magazines that have Hero Factory stuff, and have saved the Hero Factory online pages before they were taken down, please post them here. HS01 may have scans on all of them, but has forgotten to post them for some reason. So, just in case.

Hi, guys. If you are annoyed by the fact that YouTube gave you low-quality versions of the Hero Factory TV episodes, I found something that can fix that: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-reqEjSTjg1dYKf90ODyTs9kPZ_lOfrG . I believe you should use your Gmail account to have access to these versions. That’s what I did.

Greetings! I believe the email based login update possibly happened after a bunch of spambots joined (if that wasn’t just a coincidence)? I had also lost access to my account for ages, but was able to contact staff via the BZP Discord server. Black Six reset my password & email after ensuring proper identity a few years ago. Contacting @Black Six either here or on the discord server https://discord.com/invite/caFWVqR would likely help. Best wishes and welcome back!

Specifically, this one: https://www.bzpower.com/profile/1423-kanohi-master/ The forums are asking me to login with an email, but I've never logged in with an email before, and I don't think there even is an email associated with that account. I've tried all of the emails I can think of. My password manager has a saved login that just uses the display name, and that apparently worked at least twice in the past 11 years. The Forgot Password link didn't do anything.

That's such a cool moment!