The Iron Toa

So very fine rock particles also count as Earth. Thanks, Bonesiii.

In those two cases, it's turning your body into sand, not elemental control of sand. But my question still stands: If stone was ground up into very fine powder, would it count as Earth, or still be Sand and so not controllable by a Toa?Also, can Toa of Earth make earthquakes on any sort of solid ground, including glaciers and sand dunes? I'm not sure if earthquakes are a special elemental ability they can cause anywhere there's something to quake, or if they can only do it over Earth that they can normally control.

Hmm, what about rock powder? Does that count as Earth, for elemental control?

I thought I knew the answer to this, but I guess I forgot...Can Toa of Earth control sand?

End of YrentaChapter Thirty-five==Yrenta Region, Northern Continent, Matoran Universe==~543 AGC~ A quick wrench of Imlen's wrists freed his hands. His Visorak guards noticed immediately, but as they reacted, he released an intense wave of plasma. Their Rhotuka missed him, and they were incapacitated. With his hands unbound, it was easy for him to melt through the rest of his chains. Everyone else in the camp had noticed him, and dozens of Visorak and soldiers attacked. Without a weapon and a mask, he was weak and vulnerable, so he singled out the nearest soldier that was wearing a Kanohi. A short, intense elemental blast knocked the warrior out, and Imlen took his sword and his Kanohi. As he put on the mask, Imlen could feel it was only a Noble Mask, but it had the power to replenish the strength that had been halved when his Mask of Psychometry had been removed. Now armed and revitalized, he darted to the healers' tent, dodging Rhotuka on the way. The medics had heard the commotion and went outside to see what was going on just before Imlen sliced a hole into the fabric of the back of the tent and entered.“Thanks,” said Vilam as Imlen unshackled her, then the other Toa. “Good job.”“Let's get out of here,” said the Toa of Plasma, and he led them outside just as something ignited the tent.“We can't fight our way through the whole legion,” said Iskanemo as a ring of soldiers and Visorak advanced from all sides.“The commander's tent is over there,” Imlen indicated, narrowly ducking under the flight path of a Rhotuka an instant later. “If we can get to him...”“Good thinking,” said Iskanemo.In the rush to apprehend the escaping Toa, the Brotherhood warriors amassed into a dense mob. This gave the Toa an advantage, for projectiles could not hit them through the crowd, and the soldiers nearly trampled each other in their eagerness. But it was not an easy fight for the Toa. Many Visorak and soldiers attempted to cut them off, and they cut these down as quickly as they could. From their first three victims, Vilam, Iskanemo, and Mozmana took new weapons. They used their elemental power liberally, creating storms of electrified plasma and other such effects to clear the way, but they reserved some energy in case this plan did not work out. Up ahead, the commander emerged, and under his direction, the troops began to take ordered positions. But it was too late to stop the Toa. A psychic attack caused the lieutenant at his side to fall unconscious, and a moment later a lightning bolt struck his sword. His arm spasmed and he dropped the weapon, and he took a step backwards as the Toa bore down on him. The entire legion went still as the Toa cornered the commander and leveled their weapons.“That's right, halt,” Imlen called out, then he addressed the commander. “Now order them to disperse, and let us go.”“Or what?” said the commander mockingly. “You're taking me hostage – that's not very Toa-like behavior. Surely you're above such barbaric methods, correct? Why should I fear you more than I fear my masters?”“Because we're here, right in front of you,” said Imlen, taking a step forward. “Toa are dying out, and the universe needs us. We'll do what we must to survive.”With that, Imlen held the tip of his borrowed sword just below the face of the commander, just as the Brotherhood officer had done to him not long ago. The commander stared at Imlen intensely, his deep red eyes locking onto Imlen's bright orange ones. There was a moment of silent tension, then the yellow-armored being made his decision.“You're bluffing,” he hissed smugly, then he barked the order to his soldiers. “Kill them!”With his sword at his enemy's throat, Imlen could have killed the commander right then. But he hesitated, pulling the blade back involuntarily. Then a Rhotuka shot by, barely missing him, and struck the nearby tent. Imlen heard the sizzle of acid as he glanced at the source of the spinner. It had come from a Keelerak, one of the legion's many Visorak. He estimated there were about seventy Visorak and thirty soldiers and around the camp, and knew there were many more elsewhere in the forest. He turned back to the legion's leader just in time to see Iskanemo plunge his borrowed spear into him. The Toa of Air pinned the commander to his tent, right beside the hole the Keelerak's spinner had made, then he withdrew the spear. The Brotherhood warriors paused in surprise as their leader fell, mortally wounded, then they resumed their attack. The Toa ducked inside the tent as more Rhotuka splattered against the canvas. There, they found their own weapons and Imlen's mask. Just as they finished equipping themselves, the tent burst into flames.Iskanemo created a wind that lifted the burning tent off of them and blew it onto a group of charging Visorak. The Rahi panicked, and the Toa took the opportunity to cut their way through them and to the outer ring of advancing soldiers. Mozmana used her elemental powers to spread confusion and disorder while the other Toa created a thunderstorm with lightning that burst into jets of plasma. Despite the efforts of the legion's remaining officers, the bold attack of the Toa caused the ranks to collapse into chaos again. One leader among Visorak rallied its lesser brethren, and when the Toa noticed this, they swiftly targeted it. With its death, the servile Oohnorak were overcome with indecision, and the undisciplined Keelerak rampaged, cutting down their own allies for a chance to reach the Toa. The Toa fought their way through the mob, making for the side of the encampment that led to the depths of the forest. They used the last of their elemental energy, and their weapons clashed against their enemies'. They had almost made it out of the camp when some sort of missile struck the ground nearby and exploded.The shockwave threw Imlen forward and he landed on his front. Aching all over, he pushed himself up and looked around. It looked as if Iskanemo and Mozmana had been knocked down too, but they were already on their feet. Vilam was still on the ground. For a moment, Imlen feared she was dead, but then she twitched and attempted to rise. Imlen saw incoming spinners in his peripheral vision and dropped. The Rhotuka zoomed overhead, then he stood as quickly as he could. He was sore and rattled, and his armor was dented, but he was not badly injured. Several Visorak had not been so fortunate, and their carcasses were scattered around the small crater the missile had left. To Imlen's dismay, Vilam was still lying a few bio away, and she seemed unable to get herself up. He and the other Toa rushed to her side.“Vilam!” Imlen called as he reached down to help her.“I don't think I can walk,” she groaned, raising one arm to take Imlen's hand but failing to lift the other.“Take it easy, we'll carry – look out!” said Iskanemo.The other Toa ducked. Iskanemo activated his mask a split second after the Brotherhood warrior fired his launcher again. Repulsed by the Kanohi Crast, the projectile reversed direction and struck the one that had fired it. The soldier and many of his allies were blown to pieces in the explosion, and Iskanemo turned to help lift Vilam. But when he reached his hand under her and attempted to pull her up, the ache in his right arm turned into a sharp, intense pain. He cried out and cursed. Mozmana took his place, and together she and Imlen carried Vilam. The Toa made it out of the camp and continued to a large tree that was about seven bio away. There, they stopped to catch their breath and examine their wounds. Imlen and Mozmana let Vilam down, and a quick inspection showed that one of her legs and one of her arms were badly injured. Iskanemo's arms were also almost useless, as his right arm – the one that wasn't truncated – was broken internally.Mozmana could not heal their wounds completely with only her mask, but she decided to do what she could. She began to focus on restoring the lacerated flesh in Vilam's leg, but her concentration was broken suddenly when the tree wilted and crumbled. A Boggarak's Rhotuka had struck the plant, instantaneously dehydrating it. Desiccated wood and leaves rained down upon then, and they quickly lifted Vilam and continued. The entire main part of the legion left the camp to pursue, and there were squads that the commander had already sent out into the forest. Out of elemental energy again and with two of them unable to fight, the Toa knew that they would stand no chance against more than a few enemies. Fortunately, it was getting dark, and they managed to evade the Brotherhood force and make it out of the forest. They made for the hills to the east, crawling over the tops so their silhouettes would not be visible against the night sky. Just as they made it over the peak of the second hill, an orange glow touched the short, coarse grass. They looked back to see the forest on fire.“Catching your quarry in flames,” said Iskanemo with disgust. “It's often an effective tactic, but needlessly destructive.”“It's not the first time they've tried to burn us out,” said Imlen, and Vilam nodded.The Toa continued for about an hour, until they were confident they had left the legion behind. By then it was full night, and they soon stopped to rest in a hollow. There was no shelter from the sky above, but they were hidden from the horizon, and Mozmana did not sense the mind of anything dangerous nearby. They lowered Vilam gently and used the medical equipment they carried in conjunction with Mozmana's mask to treat her wounds. When that was done, they treated Iskanemo's arm. The operations lasted late into the night, and even when they had done all they could, they estimated it would be days before the two injured Toa would have full use of their limbs. Until then, Vilam could not walk on her own and only had the use of one arm, and Iskanemo would be unable to wield a weapon. Imlen and Mozmana took turns watching while the others slept. They were undisturbed throughout the night, but Mozmana sensed Brotherhood scouts coming uncomfortably close. They quickly prepared to go at the first light of dawn.“We had better get to the jungle. Turaga Morok will provide shelter while we recuperate,” said Vilam, and the other Toa nodded.“I just hope they don't burn the jungle next,” said Imlen.“If they find out – or suspect – we're hiding there, they will, but hopefully we'll be strong enough to stop them by then,” said Iskanemo. “Now, Imlen, I must bring up your hesitancy in killing the commander...”“Sorry... I guess his words got to me,” said Imlen. “Just for a moment, though.”“Sometimes a moment is all it takes. It didn't make much difference this time, but entire Toa teams have been wiped out by a second of indecision,” Iskanemo reminded Imlen. “Remember, it's not a crime to kill an enemy to keep yourself alive. His words were empty, only meant to delay you.”“I know that. He just seemed so... convincing somehow,” said Imlen.“I'm not surprised that such a leader would be charismatic. A legion like that needs a strong presence and a compelling voice to keep it in order. But don't let it happen again – don't lower your guard, don't let your enemies make you pause,” warned the Toa of Air.Imlen vowed to keep that in mind. With Vilam leaning on them for support, the trek to the jungle was long and difficult. Fortunately, they did not encounter more Brotherhood forces than one small Visorak patrol, and Turaga Morok received them not long after they set foot in the jungle. They told him what had happened, and he led them to his village. Like all true veteran Toa, Morok had learned to treat injuries, and he diagnosed Iskanemo and Vilam's wounds as too complicated to be healed quickly. It would take at least a week of recovery, he told them, before they would have proper use of their limbs. The Toa were reluctant to split the team, but Imlen and Mozmana did not wish to waste time waiting while others need their help, and so the Turaga tasked them with sending a message to Turaga Vibrak. They traveled carefully, avoiding settlements so as to not alert the Brotherhood to their presence, and the journey took five days. Imlen led Mozmana past the little Ga-Koro by the pond several kio west of Yrenta's border, and beyond to the forest that was intersected by many gorges and gashes in the ground.This time, Imlen did not fall into the traps the De-Matoran had set to defend their village. Of course, though he and Mozmana had been quiet out of respect, Vibrak's people had heard them coming long before they stepped down into the sheltered chasm that housed the hidden community. The Turaga stood alone at the bottom, and he greeted them.“Toa Imlen?” he said, and Imlen nodded. “Welcome back to my village. You have been away for a long time. Where are your old companions, and who is this new one?”“Thank you, Turaga Vibrak,” whispered Imlen politely. “This is Mozmana. Vilam and another new ally are recovering from their wounds in Turaga Morok's village. Paqyar... Paqyar is dead.”“And you have not even been Toa for eight years yet,” said Vibrak sadly. “Never before has there been a more dangerous era to be one. Well, why have you come now, and why have you been away for so long?”“I'm sorry we haven't visited... after we returned to Yrenta from here, we were chased out. Makuta Teskor's forces were too strong for the three of us, and so we spent seven years traveling the universe, attempting to recruit more Toa. I suppose I was afraid to return to this part of the continent before... before we were ready,” said Imlen. “Now we have defeated Teskor – though he might still be alive – and the Ukzokth are scattered, their strength broken forever. Turaga Morok has sent us to tell you that Yrenta is safer than it once was, and he invites you and your people to return to your old homeland.”“To return to Yrenta... to rebuild De-Naja and dwell on the plain again,” considered the Turaga. “I do miss that place sometimes. But we are safe and hidden here – safer than we were in Yrenta – and the journey could be dangerous. I think we should remain here, but I will consult with the others. This is something we must all have a say in.”Imlen and Vilam spent the night in the village while the De-Matoran debated. By the next day, a consensus had been reached. Though they missed their brothers and sisters in Yrenta, and the fortified village on the plain where they had lived for countless years, it was judged to be wiser to stay where they were. The forest was peaceful, quiet and bountiful, and they were hidden and sheltered in the gorge. And so it was decided they would not return to Yrenta, but some of them pledged to visit someday. Vibrak apologized, and expressed a wish to speak to Turaga Morok when a safe journey could be arranged. The Toa left in the morning and began their eastward trek back to Yrenta. Just as they were almost out of the forest in which the De-Matoran dwelt, an unmistakable voice hailed them. Startled, the Toa turned to see Tanaman striding towards them. The shape and color of his bark and leaves had changed to blend with the trees native to the area, and Imlen knew they could have passed him a hundred times in these woods and never noticed him, had he not revealed himself.“Hello, Tanaman. You surprised me,” said Imlen pleasantly, then he suddenly became worried. “Is there... bad news?”“Just a warning. Brotherhood assassins have been sent to Yrenta,” said the floral-mechanical being. “The Makuta don't want to burn the whole region to the ground, but they don't want to let Toa that vanquished one of their own to run free, so they're using some finesse. Be careful – I'm not the only one that can sneak up on you. If you don't want to end up dying before you know what hit you, I suggest you be more vigilant.”“Is Teskor dead, then?” asked Mozmana.“I haven't found out yet. It sounds like he's still missing, or at least the local Brotherhood forces still don't know what happened to him. The assassins might know, but they don't have much to say,” said Tanaman, and he looked at Mozmana thoughtfully. “A Psionics user might be able to search their minds for the information, actually.”“I'll keep it in mind,” said Mozmana. “Can you tell us anything more about these hunters?”“I saw a group of seven of them. Now, I know of all the Brotherhood's top enforcers and assassins, and I haven't recognized any of these,” said Tanaman. “This means either that they're new, or they're not the best... or they're some top-secret minions no one's ever seen before. If the Makuta have sent second-rate hunters after you, there is still a chance for you to escape before they dispatch their most lethal enforcers. So go, find your friends, and leave Yrenta while you can.”“I agree we had better get back to Vilam and Iskanemo. But I don't want to run from my home again,” said Imlen. “Thank you for the warning.”Tanaman started to speak as if to argue with Imlen, but he stopped and disappeared into the forest without saying another word. The two Toa continued their journey, and the next day they crossed the border a few kio north of the southern hills Imlen and his friends had failed to cross years ago. From there, they made their way across the grasslands near Vibrak's old home. The plains were wide, but the terrain was easily traveled. By night, they were almost to the river. They wished to continue, but they were weary, and so they stopped to camp half a kio from the western bank. They rested under a tree with a large crown, and as usual they took turns sleeping. Hours later, in the middle of the night, Imlen glanced over at the hourglass they had set on the ground and saw that his shift was nearly over. He sighed with relief, and decided to spend the final minute watching the last grains pour through the neck of the glass. As he knelt down, he realized it was not right to lower his guard, though the night had been quiet and he was tired.He stood up, mentally scolding himself for considering something so reckless. But he was so looking forward to his turn to sleep and – his thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a flash of light in his peripheral vision. He twitched to the side just in time to avoid being hit in the chest, though the energy blast grazed his arm, melting the armor it touched and scorching the flesh under it. Imlen shouted in pain and surprise, waking Mozmana. The Toa of Psionics got up as quickly as she could, but not before a second attacker emerged from behind the tree. Imlen caught a glimpse of the silhouette of a raised dagger behind his companion's back, and he hastily hurled a blob of plasma in that direction. He missed the assassin, but his attack caused the sneaky being to hesitate while alerting Mozmana. Realizing something was behind her, she took a step forward as she spun to look. Her attacker was a winged being with horns or large ears on his head. Without delay, she released a psychic attack. The winged assassin barely flinched, and she sensed her opponent had a strong mind. His dagger shot towards her face, and she barely managed to telekinetically divert it so that the blade only scratched her mask.Behind her, Imlen had dodged a second energy blast from the first attacker. The brilliant bolt had illuminated the assassin, revealing he was a kind of being Imlen had seen before, one that was about the height of a Toa, but heavier, with thick limbs and oversized hands and feet. This particular one had claws attached to his great fingers, from which crackling white energy converged into his third attack. Imlen jumped back just before the blast turned the ground in front of him to glass. Having found the position of his opponent, Imlen retaliated with an intense stream of plasma. The energized matter lit the area around it like daylight, and Imlen was not pleased by what he saw. Not only was the clawed being easily enduring his attack, but Imlen had seen at least two others advancing on him. He turned to see the winged assassin overwhelming Mozmana, and flung plasma at him, blinding him momentarily to allow Mozmana to recover. The light also revealed the last three assassins coming at them from the direction of the river.Review

Except, I'd like to point out, it would be destructive instead of peaceful terraforming. The sudden plant growth would probably tear apart and smother obstacles.

Since it seems Makuta don't permanently lose vitality after using some of their essence to create Kraata or otherwise losing it, I guess that under certain conditions, antidermis can regenerate. But we know that the Makuta were created very early in Mata Nui's reign. According to BS01, the Great Beings made the liquid antidermis, and Mata Nui, under instructions from the GBs, made the Makuta out of it.

Those ideas sound feasible to me.

I had the feeling that each community of Matoran could make more of their own kind, unless maybe they are missing certain equipment (as they probably would be on Mata Nui and Voya Nui). Matoran of different regions have different builds, and I'd expect their appearance would be less diverse if they were all built in one or two places.

Interesting story so far. I like the illustrations you added, I really should try something like that sometime. I also especially like your description of Karzahni. Now, I did notice some spelling, punctuation, and capitalization errors (Matoran should be capitalized all the time, for instance), I suggest you look over what you've posted and fix them, and proofread your future chapters thoroughly before you post. And this is more of a personal preference than an error, but I think you overuse '...' Also, I think the text size is better in the later chapters, you should shrink the text in the first chapters to match. Keep up the good work, and I hope you decorate future chapters with pictures, too.

I found this on the old forums. Here's the link.I thought that it was said that they could wear masks, maybe he confirmed that later, but this just says why they didn't.

Any ideas for extra armor? I don't think she needs any but I could try it.

Darn, this would have been a good opportunity to build that mysterious fire giant from my epic. But it's kind of late for it now, I don't think I could come up with anything suitable that soon. Oh well, it probably wouldn't have been very good anyway. Though I ought to pay more attention to these contests, might be fun to make an entry sometime.

The backstory made me laugh out loud. :biggrin:The Duplo parts fit very well. I can't even tell if the bucket scoops are Duplo or System or Technic. I can't quite see how you made the arms and torso, maybe you could take some more closeup or construction pictures to show the details.

Well, if I replace the extendible parts with those 2-long half pin half axle pieces, her arms will be too short.

This is a Matoran I built. She's a minor character in my story. In short, she was an insane Karzahni-fixed Matoran that was left behind when Voya Nui broke out of the Matoran Universe, and she was brought to a village to be tended to. She was later rebuilt into this stronger form, in the image of the other villagers:FrontSideBackI know she has weird arms, they were inspired by these Matoran and this arm piece. The blue part of her forearm can extend and retract, as you can see in the pictures. The stopper on the back of her legs let her knees bend back just less than 90 degrees, and keep them from bending forward. Her feet are kind of big, but that's inspired by the Mahri Nui Matoran, and she had silver feet in her other form anyway. Otherwise, I'd use Toa Mata feet.The ball joints in her torso don't add any flexibility -- I think she's articulated enough -- but one could let her bend at the waist by removing the connection between the ball joints. Also, I was going to leave out the light gray bush pieces on either side of her heartlight and the dark gray axle hole and pin hole (+o) pieces on her back that hold them there. That gives a nice mechanical look, but I decided it made her chest too skinny -- no room for her lungs. The Bohrok eye-shaped pieces on her shoulder are just a little decoration and a leftover from her Voya Nui form.And here she is working on boat parts. Smoothing them with that brush/sander thing, I guess, while she holds a carving knife on the other side of her hand and a hammer in her right hand, where it's partially hidden by that barrel.Here's the gallery. (Not public yet, as I post this.)And here's the parent gallery. It's her Voya Nui form, not as original a model, but the gallery is public as I uploaded it a while ago.

I don't remember exactly what Duplo sets I had. I remember I had some Duplo train car pieces when I was a baby. The first set I distinctly remember getting -- a System set -- was a dune buggy. I guess must have been this one: I was three or four at the time.

Ah, but didn't the Great Spirit Robot land face down when it fell? That could make a difference, though I too expect most of the Bohrok survived.

I'm not sure about the first two questions, but as to whether Matoran brains are organic, it's not confirmed to be one way or the other. Greg said whether they are organic or mechanical, the way they work is based on Agori brains, which is why psionic powers of Matoran Universe beings also work on Spherus Magna beings (and the other way around, I guess).

I get it. Thanks, guys.

Oh, so it's not water, as in the water equivalent in the rest of the universe. So it's like an equivalent to liquid oxygen, maybe, except not extremely cold?

Aren't the transport chutes in Metru Nui filled with (protodermic) water? If so, how do the Matoran use them? Do they hold their breath? It doesn't seem like they could do that long enough to get anywhere.

I think each chapter should be more than one paragraph, and you should explain more about the light beings and their dimension. Also I think you meant 'tried' instead of 'tryed'. That's all the criticism I have. Keep it up, and I'll read your next chapter.

No, Toa of Fire can't control lava. If they can absorb enough heat to freeze water, though, I expect they could freeze lava into stone by absorbing heat from it.But in conjunction with a Toa of Earth or Stone, that makes sense. Hm, by that logic, I wonder if a Toa of Fire and a Toa of Ice together could control water.