Arcee

[ READ ] The war is over, if there was a war I hope you won A little boy waits with a lever on his own So I craft a ship to fly my way back home When the ocean of the sky swallows me whole The Used [ CONTENTS ] VORSPIEL/ REISEN AKT I/ THE MOUTH OF THE BEAST / NIGHTMARES / WELTSCHMERZ

[ REVIEW ] VORSPIEL/ /RIESEN Waves crashed relentlessly against the walls of the tunnel, and a stream of Matoran bolted through it. Besides the deafening sound of the sea, the commotion of armor clanking against walls made the shouts of idle conversation impossible to make out. "Hey, watch it..." said Sephra, knowing that raising her voice beyond the groan that escaped her mouth would be futile. The Matoran scrambling to their stations around her battered her from all directions. Despite her prided Le-Matoran agility, she was finding it difficult to stay upright among the furor. Sephra was launched into place as if the Matoran around her were one large monster spitting up a particularly unsavory meal. Not hesitating to watch the Matoran around her apply the electrodes to the flesh beneath their armor, Sephra set to work. The Booster Suits were quite an ingenious invention--of course, nothing surprising coming from the brilliant smiths of Fälsch. Sephra gazed through the protoglass window as she applied a cluster of wires to her right forearm. Easy now, she thought and clenched her fist. The Booster Suit beyond the glass twitched reluctantly for a moment, and finally its huge fingers curled up into a fist. Sephra continued with the laborious process, easing each electrode into her muscle with a satisfying magnetic tug. "Booster Unit!" boomed a voice, almost immediately silencing the clattering armor and small talk made in shouts. The only sound to be heard in the corridor was the waves, and even they seemed to shy away from the imposing presence. "No doubt you heard the alarms sound," continued the voice. Sephra strained on the tips of her toes to see over the masses of Matoran around her gearing up for battle. "And I'm sure you all know what this is about. The onslaught upon Fälsch continues. I'm here today because the enemy has taken... certain measures to advance." The voice drew closer and finally Sephra could discern the shape of the Toa as the crowd parted around her. "Intelligence reports that among the enemy today is a breed formerly unknown to us, a bruiser of monstrous proportions. I haven't come because I doubt a single one of you. I've come to warn you of the grim dangers to come, and to inform you that today I will be taking part in the battle." The silence gave way to a cacophany of gasps, which quickly silenced itself as the crowd regained its reverence at once. Sephra continued to watch the Toa walk her way until she passed for a brief and glorious moment: Kalii, the Toa of Lightning. Despite her career as a defender of the island, Sephra had only caught a few glimpses of Toa Kalii in person. All other depictions of her were drawn from pictures and statues. Every time Sephra saw the Toa, though, she was amazed at how Toa Kalii was truly larger than legend. She carried herself like a true soldier, standing straight and confidently. Toa Kalii took a quick downward glance at Sephra as she passed, and Sephra nearly jumped out of her armor. As the magnificent Toa strode away, Sephra was sure she saw a smile flicker across her mask. "Intelligence has yet to report the origins of this beast, or if there are more to come. Nonetheless, we must take extraordinary precautions. I will fight alongside you today. Other than that, it's business as usual. Carry on." And as mysteriously as she had appeared, she vanished through the sliding door at the end of the corridor. The excitement started to build up again, first a series of mutterings that built into a chorus much louder than before. Sephra stood there dazed for a moment. Toa Kalii was, more literally than not, legendary. Not a single Matoran was ignorant of the many heroic tales that surrounded the Toa, but she was rarely seen outside the Fälsch-Metru, let alone smiling at pitiful, humble Sephra. She was knocked out of her daze as a crass Fe-Matoran nudged her. "Wake up, cross-wire." Sephra scowled. Cross-wired, maybe, she wished she could say, but I didn't see Toa Kalii smile at you. Bottling up the bitterness that the Fe-Matoran had resurfaced in her, Sephra continued to prepare her Booster Suit. The familiar echo of the captain boomed through the corridor as a new alarm began to sound. "Booster Unit, take up arms and move to your stations." The protoglass shield lifted with a tremendous groan, and the line of Matoran marched forth to their Booster Suits. The suits stood magnificently: armored like the Bohrok and coursing with life like the Maker itself. Sephra pounded up the metal stairs and into the cockpit, her electrodes' wires retracting into place in the suit. The Booster Suit shuddered mechanically as Sephra clenched her muscles. She performed all the obligatory tests--arm lifts, leg lifts, head rotations which made the metallic tendons in her neck crackle--and a new loudness exploded into the room. Sephra turned with the rest of her unit and continued the march as the tremendous door to the sea opened and the floor flooded with frothing Protodermis. Straining her eyes, Sephra could see the lines of the enemy approaching on the gray horizon. It almost felt like ordinary routine until a shadowed figure appeared among the fleshy masses. This was... different. Even from bio and bio away Sephra could make out its monstrous shape. It looked like a pillar, straining toward the thunderclouds above. The captain's voice echoed uproar: "Forward!" There was something uneasy about his command... a certain hesitance, as if he feared this unknown monster as much as the rest of the unit. Sephra sat transfixed, watching the thing glide through the sea with an eerie stillness. This only lasted for a second though--she was a soldier, and she couldn't back down now. Sephra took to the waves among her comrades, Jets thrusting and legs pedaling. Even in her heated cockpit, she felt chilled to the core. But despite the frost within, Sephra knew she could take on any challenge. For Fälsch. For Kalii. For the Fe-Matoran and his cruel words, and all the cruel words of the others. She repeated the mantra in her head. I am a giant. Sephra would do this for her people, but above all, for herself. Lightning crackled in the sky and the invasion began. -------------------- [ REVIEW ]

[iC : Paladium : Central Po-Metru] "I could have," said Paladium, waving off Laredo's greeting... if it could even be considered a greeting. "Look, I know what it looks like. I'm a shady character, you're shady characters, so let's call a truce for the moment. You haven't any reason to trust a stranger like me, but I like to fancy myself a pacifist. Usually." Paladium cringed at the final addition to her statement, noting that she should really look into learning to bluff. "Anyhow I suppose me barging in like this was rude. Alliances aside, I'd like to keep things in these parts... tidy. Nonviolent. A sanctuary in this city is rare, maybe even impossible. You can call me Paladium." Paladium's Kanohi undulated in sickening agreement, maybe laughing at Paladium's lack of social skill. Millennia with this thing and she still didn't know if the mask was capable of having an actual sense of humor. "And you?" she nodded to the two.

[iC : Paladium : Central Po-Metru] Unbeknownst to the scruffy Turaga of Iron and the hotheaded Ta-Matoran, a cloaked Paladium stalked the scene. "...and I simply ain't in the mood for work at th' moment," said the Turaga. This was her cue, realized Paladium. The last thing she wanted was some timeline causality paradox, so though she wished to spy a bit longer on the alignment-ambiguous halflings, she knew better. It was time to interrupt. Her mask clenched around her face, sensing her tension. Paladium lowered her hood and limped into the light, giving a theatrical half-bow to Laredo and Miira. "Peace. A little birdy tells me there's some exchange of arms going on in these parts. Could you help me and maybe ... enlighten me about this barbaric trade?"

Paladium Gender: Female Species: Toa Kanohi: Organic Mask of Clairvoyance -- crafted in a similar manner to the Kanohi Inika. Pros of it being organic are visions more prolific and potent than that of an inorganic one, cons are it possesses a capricious sentience making the visions debilitating and often very inconvenient. Paladium is locked in a complex stalemate with her mask and is effectively unable to remove it or switch it with other masks. Element: Sonics Faction: The Northwinds Appearance: Paladium is ancient. As such, she is war-torn and scarred. Once tall and lanky, she's now inflicted with a limp and a slouch that require her to use a cane. Her armor is a mix of dark gray and dull gold, a washed-out emblem of her original status as a soldier. Her gray Kanohi is alive and constantly pulsating, covered in scales. Powers: Standard sonics powers, fine-tuned due to extensive training and experience. Her elemental mastery and seer-like qualities granted by the Kanohi make up for her physical slowness and deafness caused to constant exposure to the sound of battle. Equipment: A staff with a hidden retractable blade. Typically used as a tool rather than a weapon as she is not fit for hand-to-hand combat. Skills: While still incapable of hearing, Paladium is able to pick up the general "shape" and volume of sounds and is also a skilled lip-reader. She has the sharpened mind of a soldier and battle experience. Weaknesses: Obviously her physical slowness and deafness are a weakness, and as such she prefers to refrain from physical fighting and, when she does fight, stays in the back lines. Her mask has the power to give her a dramatic upper hand but she does not necessarily trust its visions due to the fact that it often purposely misguides her. Bio: Paladium is an ancient veteran from the southern islands. Left deaf and physically weak by the endless battles she struggled in, she now considers herself a moral authority. Though long due to have transformed into a Turaga, she believes she has more use on the battlefield than as a sage. Once she aspired to join the high ranks of the Circle, but after witnessing their corruption become more and more apparent her stubbornness was finally subdued and she joined the then-new Northwinds. She's still not completely aware of how her nature shapes her own judgment, but after learning about how her own unwillingness to learn caused her people great injustices both inside and outside the law, she chose to take a more liberal stance in politics. Currently learning about Metru Nui and its nuanced power system, she prefers to take part in smaller missions meant to correct injustices, much like a vigilante version of the sort of leader she once wanted to become. She is almost politically invisible and lives in isolation in Po-Metru, always waiting for new chances to spring into action. As per custom of her home island, she believes in a pantheon of higher power, one which is the highest echelon of truth and believed to be attainable by mortals such as herself. As a Matoran, she dreamed of joining the ranks of these gods, but as she learned more about herself and her philosophy she realized that coveting a seat in the pantheon was not only selfish, it was counterproductive. She still holds a blazing ambition, one that she is currently curbing in order to maintain stealth in society.

My favorite Tohu headcanon is that he is to BZP what Mata Nui was to the Matoran That is, if this forum were a personified city we'd be living inside a giant robot with spinny gears on its head. brakelatabasaasta feed him

My favorite thing HANDS DOWN was when everyone put # symbols in their usernames so eventually it became impossible to know who anybody was Don't talk about Creed. Don't talk about Ducks either. Let's forget those ever happened

Considering its sentience and tendency towards mind games, I'd say that on average it's about the same but with more identifiable (not necessarily predictable) patterns. It's hard to say considering the few canon examples we have but my assumption is a synthetic mask's nature would be "the occasional vision out of nowhere" whereas Paladium's mask tends to show visions in more meaningful situations, potentially even as a call to action between missions. Regardless, it's no free token to making the right move, considering how the mask can be benevolent or malevolent depending on its whims.

Name: Paladium Gender: Female Species: Toa Kanohi: Organic Mask of Clairvoyance -- crafted in a similar manner to the Kanohi Inika. Pros of it being organic are visions more prolific and potent than that of an inorganic one, cons are it possesses a capricious sentience making the visions debilitating and often very inconvenient. Paladium is locked in a complex stalemate with her mask and is effectively unable to remove it or switch it with other masks. Element: Sonics Faction: The Northwinds Appearance: Paladium is ancient. As such, she is war-torn and scarred. Once tall and lanky, she's now inflicted with a limp and a slouch that require her to use a cane. Her armor is a mix of dark gray and dull gold, a washed-out emblem of her original status as a soldier. Her gray Kanohi is alive and constantly pulsating, covered in scales. Powers: Standard sonics powers, fine-tuned due to extensive training and experience. Her elemental mastery and seer-like qualities granted by the Kanohi make up for her physical slowness and deafness caused to constant exposure to the sound of battle. Equipment: A staff with a hidden retractable blade. Typically used as a tool rather than a weapon as she is not fit for hand-to-hand combat. Skills: While still incapable of hearing, Paladium is able to pick up the general "shape" and volume of sounds and is also a skilled lip-reader. She has the sharpened mind of a soldier and battle experience. Weaknesses: Obviously her physical slowness and deafness are a weakness, and as such she prefers to refrain from physical fighting and, when she does fight, stays in the back lines. Her mask has the power to give her a dramatic upper hand but she does not necessarily trust its visions due to the fact that it often purposely misguides her. Bio: Paladium is an ancient veteran from the southern islands. Left deaf and physically weak by the endless battles she struggled in, she now considers herself a moral authority. Though long due to have transformed into a Turaga, she believes she has more use on the battlefield than as a sage. Once she aspired to join the high ranks of the Circle, but after witnessing their corruption become more and more apparent her stubbornness was finally subdued and she joined the then-new Northwinds. She's still not completely aware of how her nature shapes her own judgment, but after learning about how her own unwillingness to learn caused her people great injustices both inside and outside the law, she chose to take a more liberal stance in politics. Currently learning about Metru Nui and its nuanced power system, she prefers to take part in smaller missions meant to correct injustices, much like a vigilante version of the sort of leader she once wanted to become. She is almost politically invisible and lives in isolation in Po-Metru, always waiting for new chances to spring into action. As per custom of her home island, she believes in a pantheon of higher power, one which is the highest echelon of truth and believed to be attainable by mortals such as herself. As a Matoran, she dreamed of joining the ranks of these gods, but as she learned more about herself and her philosophy she realized that coveting a seat in the pantheon was not only selfish, it was counterproductive. She still holds a blazing ambition, one that she is currently curbing in order to maintain stealth in society.

The Rebuild, at least 1.0 and 2.0, are good but also lack a lot of the characterization on Misato's, Kaji's, Ritsuko's, and Asuka's parts in favor of Shinji, Gendo, and Rei. As interesting as the latter three characters are, you don't get the same understanding of the characters from the Rebuild and as good as the films are I feel like they serve better as a supplement to the series than an alternative. I'm looking forward to seeing the battle against the Eva Units. That was definitely a cool point in EoE, their design was so...creepy. Also hoping to see more of Asuka berserker mode since they're delving more into the primal aspects of the Evangelions in the Rebuild.

Atrocity Exhibition by Joy Division

I'm a bit of the opposite--I loved episodes 25 and 26 but couldn't quite come to enjoy End of Evangelion. As silly as the psychoanalytical themes seem in the present day when genre-subverting anime series are way more commonplace, I think the characters were developed well enough for such an extreme ending. As for EoE it was pretty good visually but it came off as trying too hard to be edgy and adult-oriented because of the theatrical release and the psychadellic stuff is just downright confusing. Tbh I didn't even know 3.33/3.0 was a parallel to EoE, I thought that was what FINAL was gonna be. I'm pretty excited to see the final two rebuild films if that's the case because as cool as the "inside story" of instrumentality was imo I really didn't like the "outside story"

Gift of the Magi 2: Return of the Magi by Andrew Jackson Jihad

Looks like some big news is coming up............ On the topic of a possible Skarmory (pr)evo, I'd like to see one but I'd be far happier to see something added to Tropius's chain! It doesn't get much love. Wishing for a baby Trubbish or evolved Garbodor is probably hopeless.

Is anyone here into Evangelion? For those who don't know, it's an anime series from the 1990s widely considered one of the most influential and controversial anime series/films of all time. It's basically a mecha series with lots of stuff like biblical motifs and Freudian psychoanalysis mixed in and it's pretty excellent if you're into that kind of thing. Currently it's being "rebuilt" into a tetralogy of films that uses current film technology to create a "remake" with a lot of new plot points and characters. I figured it was relevant cuz 3.0 just got a subbed version (I still have yet to watch it) and FINAL is coming out pretty soon in Japan. Personally my favorite parts of the series were Misato and Ritsuko's character arcs and also how the apocalyptic scenario dealt with human psychology a lot more than most fictional apocalypses do--Shinji's exposure to instrumentality is probably the high point of the series to me, aside from maybe the beautiful streamlined mecha designs. [[aah i accidentally posted this in otc instead of cot..........posting again here......]]

This year's sets have been overwhelmingly good IMO. Sorry if set discussion doesn't belong in this thread (nobody seems to be talking about them here but this is the first I've seen of them?) but I really dig the fusion techniques used on Rocka's mecha suit--it reminds me a lot of Exo-Force--and there's just an overall confidence to the set design with pieces being used very creatively and with a good flow. Creative villain design is continuing in the form of Dragon Bolt and even though I can't say I love its design it's still cool to see a quadraped in the mix. The only thing I immediately disliked was how lanky Stormer looks...

The font is literally called "Terminator" to my knowledge and can be obtained in the first few links of a Google search for the Terminator font. I might enter this... considering Takanuva is probably my all-time favorite Bionicle character I can hardly just ignore the challenge

edit: wrong off-topic forum, sorry! orz

I really like the General Greivous comparison. I kind of feel like if the "15% organic components" were mostly organs in their head/trunk that letting Matoran be re-built while still conscious makes a lot of sense (tbh I can't really imagine Matoran on the fairly primitive island of Mata Nui performing surgery on other Matoran).

Hero Factory's Splitface, unfortunately. I've been pretty tight on money and wanted to check out Monster Fighters, Chima, and a few other themes but don't have a penny to spare on them.

The Dark Hunters almost came off as anti-heroes at times, or at least far less villainous than most villain teams. I'd have to say that the group with diverse characters as The Shadowed One, Nidhiki, Lariska, and, at one time or another, the Piraka and Roodaka would have to be my favorites. The Piraka alone were pretty interesting in their breed of megalomaniacal ruthlessness but all of the Dark Hunters are pretty cool in my book.

The thought of this kind of surgery is making me cringe, haha. I wouldn't rule out anesthetic as a possibility, but I do remember something about the Matoran being afraid but then being guided by the Turaga when they revealed there was no pain involved.

Re: Number of Toa that can be created at once and how this is possible I think the main thing that needs to be looked at is Destiny. It's kind of a fleeting and abstract concept, but the only clear-cut explanation we have for, for instance, Matoran who can transform into Toa is "the Matoran who are destined." The only example (as far as I know) of a Toa "Ancestor" is Lhikan -- he distributed his energy to six Matoran and transformed them into Toa of equal power, not 1/6 his power. Like bones explained, it's not too implausible to jump to the conclusion that this is just how it works: one sixth of the 100% energy gets restored to the full 100% post-transformation. But that brings up the difficult questions of "why can't a Toa just make a metric ton of Toa stones and make a Toa army?" or "could Lhikan have made 1 Toa, or 3 Toa instead of 6?" I feel like the answer to these questions and all the questions posed in the thread is pretty easy. The answer would be Destiny. You can crunch numbers all day trying to figure out how much energy is in a destined Matoran or a Toa or a Turaga, but I feel like Toa energy is something inherently present in a Toa's body, and in trace amounts in those of Matoran and Turaga. If you're destined to pass on your role to 6 new Toa, 6 Toa come into being, all with 100% Toa energy. A Toa, in a sense, could be seen as a sort of energy generator. Does this make sense at all or am I talking nonsense?