JRRT

Entry 1.1 is up. Considering I said I'd update every-other Friday, I suppose this can be considered a small Christmas gift, if you will. Although whether or not you like it is another question. Regardless, here Takanuva arrives at his dark, lonely destination, and takes stock of his situation.EDIT: Entry 1.2 is up. Finally we're getting somewhere. I know the entries are short at the moment. But I promise--they do get longer. In this entry we lead up to a pivotal point in the story. Also, you can see one of the departures from the original plot: the fact that Takanuva is not carrying the entire (albeit shrunken) sundial with him, but rather just the gnomon (a nod back to MNOG). I always thought that was a bit odd in the original, and I wanted to give that element a bigger role, since it doesn't figure much in the canon version. Anyways, I hope you like it.EDIT DEAUX: Entry 1.3 is up. Aaand we're back. A bit late this time around, unfortunately. Not that anyone noticed. The views on the topic do seem to go up somewhat when an entry's posted, so at least there's a chance some person is reading. Enjoy, whoever you are. JRRT

Thanks for the congratulations, all. And congrats to Kakaru as well--I'm excited to be working with him and the entire reporting team.JRRT

*checks this off his list of life accomplishments* JRRT

“Go.” The voice echoed in the dry air of the chamber. Helryx’s voice was terse, thick with urgency. She stepped forward and pressed something into his hand. It was the gnomon—a piece of the ancient sundial he had unlocked. What did it mean? He could not say. Takanuva glanced to his left. The Silent Toa still stood motionless, his eyes grim. Krakua was a strange Toa, Takanuva thought; but, of the three beings which surrounded him in this dim chamber, he trusted him the most. Krakua nodded, his voice echoing in Takanuva’s mind: “Go.” The other being was there too: Brutaka, the traitor, the one whom they said had despaired, once. “Once condemned, but now redeemed,” Helryx had said. The scarred mask upon Brutaka’s face flickered with a dangerous light. The Olmak was perilous. A thing that could open doors…gateways. Windows through the Void. There was nothing for it now. No other task, no other cause. No other duty. “Go!” Takanuva faced forward now, steeling his nerves, eyes wide against the terrible light of what loomed before him. The portal gaped. He stepped forward. Windows Through the Void - A serial - Main Topic : Review Topic Okay, after a brief delay caused by the awesomeness of LEGO LotR, here is an official blog entry for this epic. This story is meant to mirror the Bioniclestory.com serials of the past, taking especial inspiration from "Takanuva's Blog," in which the various travels of Takanuva on his way to Karda Nui were described. Each entry will be posted in the main topic, but I will also add a corresponding update to this blog, featuring a portion of the entry (not the whole thing, of course) and a link to the new post. Why is this? Visibility, mainly. And also so that a record of the serial is preserved as a category in this blog. At the time of writing this, I have enough material for every-other-week updates for the next couple of months, meaning that this'll last a while. As always, your comments and criticism are very welcome, but, above all, your readership is most appreciated. Stay tuned. JRRT

Windows Through the Void Hi folks,This story has been sitting around, slowly growing and expanding, for a while. It’s inspired by the old Bioniclestory.com serials, particularly those involving Takanuva’s journey to get to Karda Nui. There was a lot of untapped potential there, and I wanted to take the opportunity to expand on some of that potential here. You’ll recognize the origin of this story—the rather brief City of Silver episode. Basically, here is an expansion of that story, with (hopefully) a slightly more meaningful message and a slightly more exciting plot.Note that although the different posts will technically be split up, they are usually meant to be read in a continuous fashion, without too much narrative breakage. Updates will occur regularly (as possible) every other Friday. I hope you enjoy it.JRRT

“Go.” The voice echoed in the dry air of the chamber. Helryx’s voice was terse, thick with urgency. She stepped forward and pressed something into his hand. It was the gnomon—a piece of the ancient sundial he had unlocked. What did it mean? He could not say.Takanuva glanced to his left. The Silent Toa still stood motionless, his eyes grim. Krakua was a strange Toa, Takanuva thought; but, of the three beings which surrounded him in this dim chamber, he trusted him the most.Krakua nodded, his voice echoing in Takanuva’s mind: “Go.”The other being was there too: Brutaka, the traitor, the one whom they said had despaired, once.“Once condemned, but now redeemed,” Helryx had said. The scarred mask upon Brutaka’s face flickered with a dangerous light. The Olmak was perilous. A thing that could open doors…gateways.Windows through the Void.There was nothing for it now. No other task, no other cause.No other duty. “Go!”Takanuva faced forward now, steeling his nerves, eyes wide against the terrible light of what loomed before him.The portal gaped.He stepped forward. Windows Through the Void - A serial - : Review :

Showdown, by Taipu1. Claimed and reviewed. Just like that.JRRT

What’s this? Why, Taipu1, I do believe it’s an official SSCC3 review. Imagine that.------Starting off, I’ll say that I really like the way you’ve presented the mixture of Matoran and Agori culture here. The different ways in which both sides have difficulty figuring each other out is very interesting. I especially liked the scenes between Mazeka and Baru and the various problems (masks, names, different tribes, etc.) they dealt with. Although technically the drink wouldn’t have been a problem—Matoran can still drink, they just absorb solids through the hands (sorry that’s the nitpicker in me talking ).The plot of the story is also very interesting. I like the way you’ve taken Mazeka, who in my opinion, never presented a very complex character at all, and expanded on him in this new world of Spherus Magna. A good read, all in all.But now, the real reason we’re here: critique time.Overall, you’ve got a great writing style. Good sense of action and movement. Very good dialogue—it really is hard to find dialogue that’s good enough that you can distinguish characters by their lines alone, but you’ve accomplished this very well. In fact, because of this, I have very little to critique in these areas.So, the main issue I’d like to look at is the overall structuring of the plot itself—the pacing and flow of the narrative:The first point where the narrative flow could have been more effective was actually at the very beginning of the story. Some say (and I’m inclined to agree with them) that the opening lines of a story—especially a short story—are the most important, and so it’s crucial to make sure that they get the reader’s attention. As it is now, unfortunately, your story doesn’t quite accomplish this, and it’s mainly because the opening “scene” isn’t really a scene. The flashback technique you’re using, while it certainly works in other places, doesn’t quite work here. So basically the opening lines of your story start off a scene—the fight between Mazeka and Strakk—but just when you’re starting to engage the reader, you cut to another scene entirely. This might look like a lot of text devoted to something minor, but it’s really quite important. My suggestion here would be to expand that first scene—the Mazeka vs. Strakk battle—such that the reader is pulled into the action of that scene. You could even shift to the flashback when the battle is at some preliminary climax, making the reader want to find out what happens. These are all vital techniques for creating a gripping story, and you’ve got all the tools you need here.There were a couple of other points in the story where the transitions between the scenes could be improved as well. Actually, it may be the headings that you use to transition between these scenes that need alteration. It seems that, because the bulk of the story exists in two main settings (the present and one day before the present), the smaller divisions of time aren’t that necessary. The timeline starts with the present, switching to one day before the present, with a short switch to eight days before the present, then back to one day before the present, then two hours, then one hour, then the present again. The headings splitting up these scenes may not actually be useful to the reader, since the last three scenes all occur chronologically again. Also, related to the point made above about the opening scene, it is always tricky to pull off a “flashback within a flashback.” In this case, it may be more effective to transition from the “1 day previously” to the “8 days previously” flashback more smoothly than just splitting the two flashbacks off completely, since it can be difficult to keep track of where exactly we are in time.-----And that’s it. Really, there are very few thematic problems here—despite the large amount of words used to critique the few things that may need improvement. Again, I enjoyed the story a lot. I look forward to more.Nitpick time: Apostrophe there. Semi-colon could be replaced by a comma. Generally, semi-colons are used to join together two independent, yet closely associated, clauses; (!!) commas join dependent clauses to independent clauses. Comma isn’t necessary here. “too” “bowels” Nothing wrong here, actually. Just wanted to note that “knackered” is a great word. Yep. “off” “spun” “gaging” Delete.Edit: Ouch. Wouldn't you know it--I read the story, but missed the author's name. Taipu1 it is. JRRT

Remember : : “Throw me the line, Parus!”Oska slid forward across the ledge, reaching out a hand. Above him, the Fire-Agori Parus uncoiled his rope, tossing it back down the cliff-side.“Catch!” he said as he anchored it into the rough stone. “I hope you’re not getting tired, scholar. We’ve a ways to go yet.”Oska scowled, “Even scholars have some brawn, Parus.” He heaved himself up on the line slowly, testing its strength. “We simply use our brains in applying it.”“Hah!” Parus laughed, “Well said...well said.”Above them, the face of the cliff rose in shelf after shelf of overgrown lichen and sornaxa-bush. The sun blazed full and bright in the midday sky, bathing the rise with heat.“Old Solis is unforgiving today,” Oska said as he pulled himself onto the ledge, standing up beside his companion. He stopped to wipe a sheen of sweat from his forehead.“They say he used to be brighter,” Parus said, smiling. “In the time of the Matoran. Right, scholar?”Oska scoffed, “I seem to remember you also theorizing that the great wars were caused by sun-sickness.”“Ah, well...” the Fire-Agori shrugged and stretched, lifting his pack again. “Ready for the next leg?”“As I’ll ever be.” : : By evening they had scaled several more ledges. The sun was low on the western horizon, and the two Agori had stopped for the night. There was a low cave leading off from the shallow plateau they had reached—an excellent place to make camp.The Fire-Agori, true to his heritage, had a small fire crackling in short order, and soon they were satisfying their hunger with some provisions. The light faded slowly from the sky, ruddy orange dying into dark blue. Stars flickered up out of the sunset.Oska looked out from the mouth of the cave, surveying the dim landscape below. The mountain-slope stretched away before him, giving way to woodlands farther to the west. Southward, the trees thinned out into wide, grassy plains. The cities of Tesara and Mava lay two days journey in that direction, now hidden in the veiling night.“So tell me, scholar,” Parus spoke through a mouthful of dried meat, “what do you hope to find in the Mountains of the Matoran? Pottery? Or maybe some of their old masks?”“What?” Oska turned back to the firelight, “Old masks? Is that all you think the Matoran were?”“Ah, well. Can’t say I’ve seen much more of them in the museum-halls.”“I doubt you’ve ever visited an archive in your life,” Oska prodded. “We might have lost a great deal about the Matoran, but we still know some things.”“And you’re in the business of finding out more?”“Of course. Haven’t you ever wondered what they were like? How they lived? They were a remarkable race.”“Apparently not remarkable enough to survive.”“I wouldn’t say that...” Oska trailed off. “I’ve made over seven expeditions to these mountains, and I’ve brought back numerous artifacts from their culture. You should go educate yourself about them sometime.”“Hah! Maybe later. Right now I have better things to do, scholar. Like not breaking my neck.” Parus chuckled.“Although,” he added, “I have to admit: these mountains are rather strange. I’ve climbed a lot of mountains in my day, scholar, and I don’t think I’ve encountered any that were so...I don’t know...“So...what?”“Straight, I suppose.”“Straight?” Oska frowned, “What’s that supposed to mean?”“The slopes,” the Fire-Agori gestured, trying to explain, “they’re not like, say, the Black Spikes or the Quartz Ranges at all. They’re straight. Angular, I guess you’d say. And the rock is tough to anchor in.”“I suppose...”“Even this cave,” Parus continued, “look at how squared-off the entrance is. I don’t know how that could have formed naturally in this kind of slope.”“Now I’m beginning to wonder if old Solis was hard on you too.”“Hah. Maybe, scholar. Maybe.”They lapsed into silence, listening to the crackle of the firewood.“No birds, either.” Parus muttered.“Oh, go to sleep.” : : Hours passed, and the night was cool when Oska suddenly awakened.He was shivering, his rough cloak offering little protection from the cold wind that was now blowing into the cave. The fire had burned down to fitful embers in the steady breeze.“Parus!” Oska whispered, turning over. “Where are you?”The Fire-Agori should have been keeping watch......and keeping the fire fed. Oska cursed as he got up, his teeth chattering. He shuffled forward in the darkness of the cave, moving toward the entrance.Where was he? Did he fall asleep?“Parus!” Oska called out, his eyes straining in the darkness. No answer. There was no moon tonight, and the stars offered little radiance.Oska turned back to the cave, searching blindly for the store of tinder they had gathered. He found a few of the dry branches and quickly tossed them onto the remnants of the fire.Embers flared up, sparks of flame licking at the wood. Oska crouched before it, facing into the cavern with the wind at his back. The camp-fire flashed slowly to life, lighting up the interior of the cave with a flickering glow.The scholar squinted at the coals, letting his eyes adjust to the light, rubbing his cold hands together. After a moment, he leaned back and looked up...He froze, sudden fear rooting him to the stone. His eyes widened.The cave was empty. Parus was nowhere to be seen. The floor seemed undisturbed.But there, at the back of the cave, dark against the fitful light of the fire, there was a black opening in the cave wall.An opening that had not been there before.The wind was rushing steadily into the breach: a straight crack almost the width of Oska’s arm.The scholar fell back in amazement, scrambling backward, out of the cave-entrance. Where had the opening come from? What could have opened it?Parus.The cold fear seized him more sharply. What could be living in this cave? A beast? He shivered. Parus had said he knew of no predators in the mountains, nothing worse than a cliff-bat or two, at least.Parus could be wrong.And if it was a beast? That meant it must have taken Parus. Could it have missed him? What should he do? He couldn’t abandon his friend.He had to do something.Oska lurched forward suddenly, groping for his pack, eyes fixed on the opening. He pulled out an unused torch, dropped it, found it again. He glanced away from the crack long enough to thrust it into the dying fire.Then he crept forward, using his body to shield the torch from the wind. Nothing happened. Slowly he advanced, skirting the wall of the cave.Now he had reached the opening, peering intently into the darkness beyond. No movement. Nothing. Should he call out to Parus?“Hello!” he yelled on impulse. Then he cursed to himself, Fool! You’ll bring something worse instead.But nothing came. The wind continued to flow into the opening, sucking at his torch. The fire behind him was sputtering out again.He wavered, taking a step away from the opening. He could feel his heart beating fast. The darkness inside the crack seemed impenetrable. What should he do?He would have to go in.No…he could wait. Wait for Parus to come back…Parus might never come back.He might be dead, somewhere behind the opening...He would have to go in.The scholar did not consider himself very brave, and he did not feel brave at all now. But there was nothing else to be done. He couldn’t wait around. There were too many unknowns.He turned from the opening and stumbled to his pack, snatching it up with shaking hands.That was when he realized that Parus’ pack was gone as well.Was that good or bad? He didn’t have the time to think about it.Now he was back at the opening, examining the cave-wall in the light of the torch. It was definitely not natural. There was a seam in the stone along the wall, much corroded with dust and age, but it had been disturbed recently. Like a giant door.Oska thrilled with the thought, even despite the fear that choked him. This was a discovery. A real discovery. Something ancient.And it’s not important right now. Find Parus. He forced himself back to the opening. Turning, he tried to squeeze through the gap in the stone. It was not large enough for him to pass. That wasn’t a good sign. How could he move a giant stone slab? How could Parus have moved it?Maybe Parus didn’t move it, he thought. Maybe something bigger and stronger did.He hesitated...No...he had to try.Placing his shoulder against one side of the opening, he began to push. With all his strength he heaved against the hard rock.It gave way! The slab slid suddenly farther into the wall. Oska fell onto his back. He had not expected it to yield so easily. His torch clattered to the stone, sparking as it rolled into the space beyond the door.Don’t lose it, you fool!He staggered up and gave chase, stopping the rolling torch with his foot. He snatched it up again, cupping a hand around the sputtering end.The torch flared back to life, and Oska breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t think that he would have the courage to continue on without a light. He raised it shakily, letting its radiance light up the emptiness before him, almost afraid to look at what might be hidden there.There was no beast. It was a passageway: walls stretching away into the darkness beyond the reach of the torch, leading straight on into the mountain. This was no animal-den. That was certain.The wind poured into the gap even faster now that he had enlarged the opening, rushing around Oska like a river. It whipped the flame of his torch into a frenzy, tearing at the thin flame.Something caught his eye to the left. There on the wall. Something......glowing.It was a light, embedded in the stone. But no, it wasn’t just a light. Oska could see.It was a symbol.He knew what it was. He had seen it many times before...a Matoran symbol. Circular.It seemed to glow right out of the flat wall. Oska sidled toward it, keeping one eye on the dark passageway. He slid his free hand over the symbol.Incredible... he thought. Another discovery. This was history. He was touching it. He knocked on the wall. It resounded with a clang. Metal.Not stone...His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of rasping. The sound of metal on stone.The sound of the door sliding shut.“No!” he yelled, leaping toward it. He didn’t even have time to react.It was too late.The slab closed with a clang. The wind vanished. The glowing symbol winked off. Sudden silence deafened him, oppressive, like a crushing weight. He yelled desperately and pounded on the slab with his free hand, eyes roving around the space. It now seemed so very small, closing in around him.He was trapped.Trapped!Oska spun around, pressing flat against the closed door, breathing hard. He thrust the torch out in front of him, his heart pounding up in his ears. What could he do? There was no escape. He didn’t know how to open the door. He was alone.Parus.The thought struck him. He had almost forgotten. Parus was in here too.That was some comfort, but not much. Parus could be lost in the dark or fallen down some chasm, for all he knew. He might spend the rest of his life wandering in the depths of the mountains...Again Oska pounded on the stone slab. He searched around the edges, trying to find some opening mechanism, clawing at the smooth seam in the metal. There was nothing to grip, nothing to pull on. No response.He stopped, leaning against the wall. Sweat beaded on his brow. What now?There was only one way to go. Down the passageway. Down into the darkness of the mountain. The thought chilled him to the bone. Images of deep pits and creatures lurking in the dark rose in his mind. He shook his head, trying to think clearly.He could not stay here. That was certain. He had to try to find Parus. Maybe the two of them could find a way out.The passage went on before him, long and straight.He could always come back...right?Right...Oska breathed steadily, calming himself, trying to keep his hand from shaking. It was not so silent here after all. The torch crackled in the still air, lighting up a place that had been dark for who knew how many ages. Even the air smelled ancient.He had to go on. : : The passage stretched on. Time stretched on, or at least it felt like it. Oska plodded down the tunnel, not knowing how long he had been walking. He called out every so often, calling to Parus. He got no answer back, or at least, nothing more than his own muffled echo. Sometimes he thought he heard a voice that was not his own, filtering from across vast distances.Other times it seemed like sounds came from the walls of the tunnel. Something pounding, thudding rhythmically deep in the earth. It reminded him of the sound of a factory he had seen in Old Vulcanus many years ago. Iron gears grinding…The walls of the passage were smooth, for the most part. At intervals, Oska found small grooves in the thick metal. He thought they might be doors, but he didn’t know how to open them. He hoped Parus didn’t know either—even though the Fire-Agori had apparently managed to open the door in the cave. Otherwise he would surely be lost.Once, near the beginning of the passage, he had come to a place where the tunnel widened into a large chamber, the roof higher than the torchlight could reach. He had searched around the perimeter of it, but found no sign of Parus.There were notches in the walls there too, and he thought he had seen another Matoran symbol glowing from across the chamber. But by the time he reached it, there was no sign of it. Perhaps he had only imagined...his eyes playing tricks in the flickering light.No, for now there was only one way to go: straight forward.Luckily, he still had his pack when he started down the tunnel. It had been on the right side of the door when it closed, and that meant he had one extra torch. But that was a while ago, and by now he had used up one of them. If he didn’t find Parus soon, he would have to turn back or be forced to continue blind in the dark.“Hello?” Oska called out again into the dead air. “Anyone?” His voice faltered. He was tired. He needed to rest, but that would mean letting the torch burn lower. He couldn’t let that happen.The sound of his own footsteps droned in his ears. Repetitive, wearisome. He had tried to whistle at one point, but the sound didn’t carry in the close air. It fell flat, disheartening.I can’t go much farther like this, he thought, watching the torch sputter and hiss.It would burn his hand soon. And then it would go out. He would be truly alone…lost…forgotten.No one would know what happened to him.No one would remember...Thud.He ran into something flat and solid, falling hard on his back.“Oh...” he moaned, rubbing his face. He sat up. Luckily, he hadn’t dropped the torch.It was a wall. The end of the tunnel?Yes. It was a dead end. The tunnel ended abruptly here. He had been watching his feet, hadn’t been paying attention...He sat motionless for a moment on the floor, staring dumbly at the featureless wall. What possible purpose could there be in this passage if it just ended here? Where was Parus?He stood up slowly. Could Parus have really come this way? There wasn’t even a sign of him. Maybe he had gone through one the doors...or maybe Oska had missed a branching of the tunnel. Maybe Parus hadn’t even entered the tunnel!The thought sent a shiver of fear through him, rising up to choke his mind. All of this could be futile. Parus was not here. He was alone. He should turn back now, before the light was gone.The light... Suddenly Oska’s dazed mind registered the spluttering sound of the torch going out. The oiled wood was spent, and he watched in horror as it sparked, flickered, and died in his hand. The shadows closed in around, covering him, filling his eyes and his mind.Standing there in the absolute darkness, Oska felt despair creep into his thoughts. Despair and fear.It was over. He could not face the long journey back through the lightless passage. Even now, the fear of something creeping down the tunnel froze his heart with unknown terror. Things crawling out of the doors in the passage behind him.He couldn’t see. He was blind now. Blind and dead.The dead air pressed down on his spirit, choking him. He fell to his knees, clawing at the hard metal before him, scraping it with his finger. He couldn’t make a sound. His throat was shut, his eyes clenched tightly. There was no where to hide. It was over.Once.Twice.Three times he struck the hard wall. His fist hurt, and tears sprang to his eyes. He drew his arm back for one more strike. One more before he gave in. Before the darkness claimed him.His fist flew forward......but it struck nothing but emptiness. Wind blew past him with the sound of the door moving aside, and he fell forward, hurtling through the sudden opening......and two arms caught him. : : Oska.He felt like he was floating...no solid ground beneath him.Oska!Weightless…Hey, wake up!Falling...!Oska sat up suddenly, gasping. He was awake. Awake! He had heard a voice...someone had spoken....Someone had caught him.He tried to stagger up, thrashing.“Whoa, hold on, scholar!” A hand gripped his arm in the darkness. It was...it was Parus!Relief washed over Oska’s mind.“Parus!” he croaked, “By the spirits, I’m glad to hear your voice!”“Hah!” the hand moved to his shoulder. “The same to you, scholar.”Oska couldn’t see. His eyes were wide open, straining. It was still pitch black. They were still in the passage.“How long was I out?”“A few minutes, maybe. Looks like you were pretty high-strung.”“You have no idea, Parus. I thought I was going to die down here.” Oska winced, feeling the pain in his bruised hand. He shook his head, trying to clear away the cobwebs, the lingering horror that he had felt.“Hey—“ he said, feeling a bit irritated, “what on earth possessed you to go wandering down here, Parus? You could have wakened me at least! You should have got me up.”There was a silence.“Eh...” Parus’ voice sounded embarrassed, “I...meant to come back. I did. But...I sort of got lost.”“You got lost...in a straight tunnel?” Oska almost laughed.“No, no...” the Fire-Agori cringed, “it was that first chamber. You see, I went looking around the walls and ended up taking the wrong way back. Then I came to this door half-open, and it closed when I went through. I’ve been stuck here for a few hours at least. It only opened when you started pounding on it.”“Oh, well that explains some things.” Oska said, still irritated. “At least you have a good excuse. How did you manage to open the door in the cave in the first place?”“I was checking out the back of the cave, and I noticed the seam in the stone. It just opened when I touched it. I really don’t know how it works.”“Neither do I. It closed when I went through. So technically we’re both trapped.”“Ah, excellent, scholar. A fine situation we’re in.”Oska sighed. “All the same,” he said, “I’m glad I won’t have to die alone down here.”“I suppose that’s some consolation,” Parus chuckled. “Anyways, we won’t worry about dying yet. But what now?”“I don’t know.”“You say we can’t go back?”“Maybe...I don’t know. The doors don’t seem to open from the inside.”“Looks like whoever built this place didn’t want anyone getting out...”They sat silent for a moment, each with his own thoughts. Oska was relieved to have found his companion again, but a sense of foreboding still lingered in his mind. What could they do now? They had limited resources—maybe enough for a few days—but no light and no way to go......except forward.“I explored farther up the tunnel before you got here,” Parus said quietly, as if he wanted to keep the conversation going. “It turns to the left after a while, and there are no more channels in the walls after that.”“Do you want to go back?” Oska asked, half-wishing that he’d say yes.“Actually, scholar, I thought you’d want to go on.”“Why would you think that?”“Well, isn’t this what you’ve been looking for? History?”“I’d prefer to be able to tell people about it in the present. It looks like we may become history here...”“Heh, well said, scholar. But what if there’s another way out? These tunnels can’t go on forever.”“Can’t they?”“Hmph...well, I’m not going to sit here and wait to starve, if that’s what you’re suggesting.”“No, no, you’re right, Parus.” Oska sighed again, rubbing his face. “I want to see where this all leads as much as you do.”“I thought you’d say that.” Parus was smiling. “So we’re agreed?”“Agreed.” : : As Parus had said, the tunnel turned sharply left after a short distance. The going was much slower now that they had no light. The two Agori walked side by side now, each with one hand on the wall. They didn’t want to miss any openings.At least another two hours passed in this manner. They stopped to rest occasionally, taking some food from their packs. Water would be the vital thing to conserve, so they drank sparingly.They talked a little to pass the time, but otherwise silence filled the tunnel. Eventually they came to another tall chamber, similar to the first.“Let’s make sure we go through the right door this time.” Oska said dryly after they had searched the smooth walls.“No need to rub it in, scholar.” Parus said, gritting his teeth.They left the chamber behind, continuing on into the straight, unchanging tunnel. Once again, they lapsed into the rhythm of walking, walking and listening, the same as before.But after a while, something changed.It was subtle at first: a quiet and unobtrusive noise. But soon, both Agori knew that they were not imagining it:It was a rhythmic sound. The sound of pounding: something beating, pulsing from beyond the walls. It was unmistakable. They stopped a few times just to listen, to make sure it wasn’t their minds playing tricks.It was there. Oska could almost feel it vibrate into his feet. Not everything was dead down here. There was something alive in this ancient place.Neither one of the Agori spoke now—all there was to do was walk and listen, walk and listen. A long, drawn-out rhythm of movement and sound. The tunnel went on straight and unbending. Time went on, unmeasured. There was no time here. There was only the relentless walking, the tunnel, the beating noise, the darkness.Suddenly the walls on either side ended. They were out of the tunnel—another chamber? Yes, it was another chamber, but this one was larger—much larger. It stretched away into emptiness, an immeasurable space. The air almost felt thin, all vibrating with the vast, unending noise.They stopped abruptly. The transition from close quarters to the feeling of massive, unseen space was startling. Oska dropped to one knee, bracing a hand on the floor.“You can feel it here,” he mumbled. “Even the floor is vibrating.”“Oska!” Parus spoke to his left. His voice was quivering. “Look!”Look?Oska had not realized that his eyes were closed. In the darkness it had not mattered, and he had forgotten.But now he opened them, raising his weary eyelids slowly.He cried out and staggered back, shielding his dulled sight from the brightness which suddenly assaulted him.“What is it?” he yelled. Points of light flickered in his vision as he steadied himself, trying to ease his eyes open again.This time it was not nearly as bright. There were two points of radiance to his left: they were mounted in the wall on either side of the opening they had just passed through. Parus was examining one of them, his face pale in the white glow.“Look at this, Oska! It’s amazing. No heat at all.”“No heat?” Oska rose, moving toward him. “Where’s the fuel coming from?”“I don’t know. It doesn’t look like it’s even attached to the wall.” The Fire-Agori stooped and rummaged in his pack for moment. “In fact,” he continued, holding up a rock-climbing pick, “I think I can pry one loose.”“Be careful,” Oska replied, stepping back. “Don’t damage it. I’ve had my fill of blindness.”“Hah, so have I,” Parus wedged the pick in behind the glowing stone, heaving down on the handle. It came loose without much effort, and Parus crowed with triumph.“Better than a sputtering torch, eh, scholar? We’ve gone up in the world!”“If you say so.”The Fire-Agori pried the second stone out of its sconce, handing it to Oska.“One for each of us. No more stumbling in the dark.”The stone was cool to the touch, giving off a pale, white radiance—a translucent crystal. Oska had never seen anything like it before. He stared at it for several moments, feeling the smooth surface.Then he turned to the massive space, raising the light-stone aloft.The floor lit up before him, and Oska now saw—to his sudden horror—that the floor ended a short distance from where he stood. Beyond it there was only empty space.“My...” he stepped back hurriedly. “Careful, Parus, it’s a pit!”They were on a platform, jutting out over dark emptiness.“Watch your step, scholar.” Parus said, his voice grave. “Thank the spirits we didn’t keep walking...”“Don’t remind me.”Before him, Oska now saw that the platform narrowed into walkway—thin, but straight—which stretched out over the chasm, continuing into the darkness. Presumably it led to some other opening on the far side of the pit.Parus stepped forward.“Be careful!” Oska warned.“—I know what I’m doing, scholar. What, afraid of heights all of a sudden?”He sidled slowly toward the edge, peering down into the blackness for a moment. Then he dropped one of the burnt torch-shafts into the depths, watching as the darkness swallowed it.There was no sound of it hitting the bottom, even if they could have heard it above the steady pulsing in the air.“That’s enough of that, Parus.” Oska gestured for him to come away from the edge. “We know it’s deep. Very deep.”“Of course, well, shall we cross the bridge then?”“Oh...If we must.” Oska eyed the narrow walkway nervously.“Unless you’d rather sit here and listen to the hammering. It’s louder here than in the tunnel.”“I think it’s getting louder as we go on.”“I don’t know if that’s good or bad.”“Neither do I...Alright, let’s go.” Oska raised his light-stone aloft again, moving toward the narrow walkway. He squared his shoulders, making sure his pack was balanced.Then he stepped forward.Step after step, one at a time. The thin light revealed more and more of the walkway as they continued on. On either side, the chasm stretched into infinity—up, down, left, right. The cavern echoed with the unending noise, resounding in the unknown distance above and below.Soon, Oska could glimpse another platform and a wall with another opening away in front of him. They were near the end. It was almost over.He slowed his pace, looking back over his shoulder.“Almost there, Parus! Only a little farther.”The Fire-Agori was close behind, sauntering. Almost casual. Oska scowled, turning forward again. He plodded on, matching the pace of the pulsing noise.He could almost imagine the great wheels and gears and throbbing pistons that could make such a sound. Maybe if there were lights in this chamber he could see them, away to the left or right.He wished he could see them. That in itself would make this journey worthwhile.The machines of giants.Or of the Matoran...If only...His thoughts were shattered by a sudden lurch. The bridge shifted underneath him, shaking violently. The pounding noise suddenly rose faster, louder, filling his ears and mind. Oska cried out, trying to keep his balance.He fell to a knee, arms outstretched, wavering.“Go!” he heard Parus shout behind him, and a hand shoved him along the walkway. He had to get to the end—the wide platform. He was almost there.Oska stumbled forward, teetering from side to side. The ground lurched again, and he almost fell, instead he lost his grip on the light-stone.Away it flickered, down into the bottomless pit. Oska felt sick at the sight, but he staggered on.Almost there.Almost there.There! He had made it. He collapsed to the floor of the platform, hugging the flat metal as it shook beneath him. In the corner of his vision he saw Parus do the same. The Fire-Agori still had a light-stone, at least.“What is it?” Parus yelled above the noise that now thundered around them.“I don’t know!” Oska replied.“Maybe we shouldn’t stay to find out!”They rose in unison, both dashing toward the opening in the wall which loomed before them. Parus rushed through first, holding the light-stone forward, and Oska followed, stumbling.For a moment, before he entered, the scholar stopped in the doorway. Bracing himself against the wall, he looked back into the massive chamber.It was a short moment, a short glance, but it was long enough to glimpse a flickering host of lights winking on in the vast distance of the chamber.White light glinted momentarily upon huge shapes rising the distance. Cyclopean machines throbbing and pulsing as they worked—the last thundering throes of mechanisms worn out by time and entropy...It was a sight at once beautiful and frightening in its immensity...fearful and terrible.Oska turned and fled into the tunnel. : : The passage lead straight on as all the others had, except this one now began to slant upward.It was a gradual incline, but soon both Agori were breathing hard as they struggled up the slope, fleeing from the quaking and the deafening noise.Parus still lead the way, holding the light-stone aloft to illuminate their path.Both were weary—weary of this place, weary of the journey, weary of fear.There must be an end soon, Oska thought, feeling his muscles burn with the effort of running. A sense of urgency drove him on. The feeling of some impending conclusion to this journey.The tunnel went on.Time seemed to skip quickly forward, rushing, rushing.The slope steepened, now they were almost crawling, bent forward.Oska went with his hands out to catch himself if he fell...It was almost done. Almost over.The breath stuck in his lungs as he gasped, his heart pounding with the speed of the pounding machines in the depths behind them.Pounding in his ears…Pounding in his mind…In front of him, Parus seemed to stop for a moment, the light in his hand wavering as he bent. Was he going to rest?No, it was another door. Another dead end. The light-stone shone white and flat against it.No.Not another one. Oska couldn’t take much more.Parus raised the lightstone, searching for a groove or seam. There was nothing. Nothing!He beat upon the stone. Oska beat with him. Neither spoke. There was nothing but the thud of their hands on the stone. Nothing more to do but that. Nothing to do but escape. Escape.Escape!And then the door moved.Light blinded them. But this time it was real light—no artificial, crystaline radiance.It was sunlight. Blazing, brilliant sunlight.They staggered forward out of the dark and into the day. : : Wind smote Oska’s face as he stumbled forward upon the dusty ground. It was a crisp wind, bitingly cold after the stillness of the tunnel.“We’re out!” he heard Parus yell to his right as he staggered in the haze of sunlight. Even with the glow of the crystal to acclimate his eyes in the passage, the light of the sun was blinding, painful.He was out of breath, lungs heaving, limbs weak after the last desperate effort up the sloping tunnel. He stood still, trying to regain his bearings. At last, his vision cleared.…and the sight that greeted him was staggering.Before his feet, the ground sloped steadily downward: a long, gray, sweeping curve that lead down into a vast Plain.Immense: a shifting ocean of gray dunes and hills of ancient sand, all sculpted into unmoving waves by the icy wind.Before him it spread, huge and incredible, not just for its size, but also because, as Oska gazed in speechless awe, he perceived that it was a cavern. The wall behind him rose up into an unbroken cliff-side, towering higher and higher, slanting outward into the vaulted arch of a gray stone sky above him.Far out in the vastness, three massive holes in that artificial sky let in the sunlight from beyond.One of holes was more jagged than the others: a rough gap torn in the colossal roof.Oska fell to his knees, overcome.Beside him, Parus rubbed his eyes, his jaw slack. There were no words to describe the scene—not only the sense of scale but also the sense of......Age.Eons lay upon the dry expanse of that ancient sea, that primeval vault of sky. And upon the single feature that rose up from the ashen gray of that plain: an island amid the spreading dunes.Oska thought that he could almost glimpse the spires of towers upon the indistinct shape that glowered in the distance. A mountain?A city?“What...” Parus swallowed, trying to form words. “What is it, scholar?”“I don’t...know...” Oska replied, struggling to his feet again. He moved forward, step by step, farther down the slope. His mind felt far away, shocked and overwhelmed.The wind blew around his knees as he fell forward suddenly, catching himself with outstretched hands.The dust hissed between his fingers, fine-grained and sterile, and he felt something hard beneath the surface. With trembling fingers, he scraped away the accumulation of ages, finding a hard corner of stone or metal.“Parus, where’s my pack?” he mumbled, breathless.“On your back.” The Fire-Agori moved toward him, tearing his eyes away from the landscape.“Oh...” Oska shifted his shoulder, dropping the pack to the ground.He rummaged in its depths for a moment before drawing out a small brush. He then proceeded to unearth the stone object, finding the edges, clearing away the dry grit.The wind aided his progress, and soon he was kneeling before a small raised pedestal which jutted out of the dust.“Found something already?” Parus stooped beside him, peering over his shoulder.“Yes...” Oska bent and blew on the stone, clearing out the small channels and grooves with his breath. An inscription appeared. Several inscriptions. Oska’s heart was beating even faster now.His eyes darted over the pedestal, trying to discern the symbols.There were Matoran symbols here. Matoran. There were several variations. He couldn’t read them very well. Some were worn away by the passing of time.Oska felt a feeling of urgency rise in his chest, almost desperation. He had to find out what they meant...he had to. There had to be some purpose to them, somehow.He traced the lines down the pedestal, line after line, searching......and then he saw it.There along the lower third of the stone: the final set of inscriptions. He caught a word. It was Agori: old—very old. But Oska knew much of the old languages of Spherus Magna, especially his own.He could read it.He could read it.It was here—here for him, he was sure. And it meant that some other Agori had been here at one time. Some Agori had, in ancient days, carved these words alongside the words of Matoran, perhaps at the same time. That in itself was a revelation.“Well?” Parus broke into his revelry, a quiet voice against the wind. “What does it say?”What does it say?Such a question demanded an answer...What does it mean?Such a journey demanded a purpose...And in those few short moments, there kneeling before that awesome expanse—the dry, spreading sea-plain, the dim city-shape, the rising dome of the sky pierced by the shafts of the morning sun—Oska the scholar recited the words carved there for him to see in the long-forgotten depths of time: Look, O inheritor. Look and see.O heir of this world—this world broken and healed and broken again—look long and well.Regain what we have lost, when the life of our world is dying and gone.Remember what we have written here.For, in the remembering, this world shall live again.Look, inheritor, and remember us:We, the Children of the Great Spirit.Children of the Bionicle.Remember:---“In the Time Before Time…... : : The End : :-------------------- [Originally posted 4/21/11. The archived version is here.]Original post: Hey again, BZP.Just thought I’d bring this one back from the time before the cataclysm. Comments/criticism is always much appreciated.JRRT

Presumably, it's a slight AU to work better with the story, which I have no objections to.Anyways, this is pretty well-written, and fits well with the feel of the early years, if slightly darker. Very nice, especially since you seem to have written it quite quickly, this apparently being an entry to the Short Story contest and all.That's correct--this is, for all practical purposes, an alternate universe, with some pretty drastic changes. For now, I'm just going to paste from the blog entry on this story: JRRT

Hi folks. It's been a terribly long count of years (months), but I'm still, here, writing this stuff. I think it helps keep me sane. . .Whatever the case, if you're here to read this new lesson on the Matoran Language, it might do to read up on some of the older stuff. I don't know, maybe like the previous four lessons? Lesson 1 Lesson 2 Lesson 3 Lesson 4 And now that that it's all fresh in your mind, move on to Lesson Five: Pronouns I: =l Pronouns I l= Matoran pronouns have much the same function as they do in English: they replace nouns, serving as the subject or object of a sentence, and fulfill most of the roles played by nouns. Consequently, Matoran pronouns are modified for the same functions that nouns are: Case, Motion, and Time/Location. However, the current means of modification is through inflection, rather than a particle system. Although pronouns were previously modified by particles, these particles have since become “eroded,” in a sense, and have now developed new pronoun forms. Pronouns and Case: Pronouns are inflected for the same three-fold case system of Nominative (Subject), Objective (Object), and Genitive (Possessive). Now, in English, whereas nouns function in these roles by their Word Order in a sentence, pronouns also have the extra feature of inflection. For example, the Nominative (Subject) form of the first person pronoun is “I”, while the Objective (Object) form is “me” and the Genitive (Possessive) form is “my”. These characteristics manifest in the other persons as well. Third person Nom. “he/she/it”, Acc. “him/her/it”, Gen. “his/her/its”. Second person Nom. “you”, Gen. “your”, etc. Matoran features a similar—if a bit more complex—structure, with pronouns being marked for the various cases and numbers (singular or plural). As with nouns, we’ll start off with the Case Pronouns: -Nominative: As is the case with all the pronouns, there are three Persons: first, second, and third. These come in singular and plural forms, the plurals being historically formed from the singulars by a particle -ee, which has since been assimilated to the pronoun stem. There is also a "fourth" person, which is the equivalent of English "one," as in "One is bored when one has nothing to do." This is classified as the "impersonal" subject and has no plural form. Here are the forms of the nominative pronouns, beginning with the singulars: 1 o – “I” 2 oa – “you” 3 ia, ai – “he/she/it” 4 hua – “one” Now the plurals: 1 oe, u – “we” 2 ue – “you (pl.), you all” 3 ie – “they” These pronoun forms are usually placed directly before or after the verb, regardless of the verb’s position in the sentence. This is a pretty strict placement rule. -Objective: Next, the objective case forms. Historically the singulars were formed with the addition of a particle aak-. The plurals were formed by a combination of the ee particle and the addition of the n-prefix from the nounal case particles. Singular: 1 ako – “me” 2 akoa – “you” 3 akia, akai – “him/her/it” 4 ahua – “one” Plurals: 1 ngoe, ngu – “us” 2 ngue – “you (pl.), you all” 3 ngie – “them” -Genitive: Lastly, the genitive pronouns. Singulars are formed with the addition of the genitive particle ui (which you should recognize from the general nounal particles). Plurals are formed by the further addition of plural ee and the n-prefix (with subsequent assimilation): Singular: 1 uio – “my” 2 uikoa – “your” 3 uikia, uikai – “his/her/its” 4 uihua – “one’s” Plural: 1 moe, mu – “our” 2 mue – “your (pl.)” 3 mie – “their” Genitives are placed after the nouns they modify in the same way that genitive-case nouns are. -Usage and Examples: The usage of the different cases with respect to pronouns is the same as with nouns. Thus, nominative pronouns are used as subjects, objectives are used as direct or indirect objects, and genitives are used to show possession. I will now offer some examples of these different cases forms: Ia teryo ea matoran. “He/she/it attacked the Matoran.” Teryo i rahi uikia akia. “His/her/its Rahi attacked him/her/it.” O kanna wo wahi a. “I went through the region.” Na oro orakhe oa. “You will say words.” Matoran akia kharmo. “The/a Matoran made it.” Oe kamo ii koro uio. “We went toward my village.” Na kanohi moe kharmo ie. “They made our Kanohi (pl.).” [Note once again that the word order is not crucial in these examples (except for the placement of genitive pronouns, of course): it is the case inflection that determines the role of a noun or pronoun in the sentence.] This concludes the discussion of case for pronouns. Still to come: Time/Location Particles on Nouns, Motion/Time/Location and Pronouns, Adjectives. Stay tuned. JRRT

Member name: TolkienEntry name and link: The Coming of the Toa There 'tis. JRRT

The Coming of the Toa =||= Do you remember, Kua, how all this came to be? The words sounded as clear to Kua as they had when the old Turaga had spoken them on his deathbed. “Do you remember…a time before? A time when the islands were not separate, when we were not scattered as we are now. Scattered and broken like leaves on a pond’s surface.” The old Turaga had lain very still, and Kua had held very still beside him, daring not to breath. The room was dim, and only the light of their eyes had lit the space. Time was running out. “D-do you remember,” the Turaga began again, “a time before the cities were built, before the Red Star dawned in the north? Surely…surely you must. Surely we all must, for we were all there. But it was so long ago…We have forgotten everything.” “No…not everything, elder,” Kua tried to comfort his friend, tried to reassure him in his final moments. “Surely not,” he said, “We…we have the Legends, and the walls of history, and—” “—No, Kua,” the Turaga sighed slowly, “th-they are only a reflection of…of what we have lost. I do not understand why we do not remember. No one does, and it makes us afraid. Afraid to seek out the answers to our questions. Afraid to remember.” The old Turaga shuddered, his breath rasping through crushed lungs. The accident had been so sudden, so fast. Kua had not been able to stop it. Now it had come to this. His elder was dying. His friend was dying. “We…” Kua could not find the words. “We are not afraid, elder.” “Oh, but we are, Kua,” the Turaga replied. “There…there is a darkness in our past. A darkness that we have fled from all the days of our lives. You know I am right, Kua. You are…my most trusted disciple. You know…I am right.” Kua did not understand it then. Did not comprehend the elder’s words. Standing there with the old Turaga’s hand clasped in his, choking back the tears. And afterward, when the ceremonies of death had been completed, after all the ritual and the burial and the entombment of the elder’s Kanohi was done. Even then Kua did not understand. But the words stayed with him. Gnawing at him, deep in his spirit. It drove him to seek out their meaning, to seek out some meaning…any meaning. That was why he turned to the Stars. That was why Ta-Kua, right hand of the late Turaga Vakama, resigned from his place. That was why he left his village behind, why he fled to the Tower of the Great Telescope, with its ancient markings, undeciphered. There he might find some meaning. There in that tower, alone, with only the view of the stars that the telescope offered him. He would find something there. Some way of recovering what the Matoran had lost. Some way of…remembering. It was painful to remember. Painful to hear these words again, echoing in his mind. Kua turned over in the darkness of the night and clenched his eyes, trying to sleep, trying to find some peace. But there was no peace. He could not escape his own thoughts. And the sound of the sea crashing on the rocks below was no aid in slumber. Not tonight. He would have no rest. He stood and walked to the door that opened on the Sea. He went out and stood upon the balcony of the Tower, looking out into the black night. Below, the darkness was filled with the noise of moving water, endlessly swelling up from the depths to break against the rocks of the islands of the Matoran. Endlessly trying to suck them down, to gnaw away at the foundations, to undo them by time and patience. Endless, yes. For they were the waters of the Endless Ocean, the waters that had no edge and no boundaries. Kua raised his eyes, squinting. The stars were dim tonight, clouded. But he could still see the brightest of them faintly: the constellation Nuyo, the mountain, and Hoii, the great turtle, and, shining clear in the north, Nga Rui: the Two Brothers. He knew them all, their names and their paths across the sky, their portents in the prophecies and designs etched upon the surface of the Telescope. It was said that every island had its Telescope. Every island had its link to the stars. But even knowing them so well, the stars still filled him with awe: the immenseness of space that lay between him and they, and the great patterns in which they all turned, infinitely vast. He was so small. Perhaps…perhaps he would never find what he sought, out there in all that distance and time. The thought always rose at the back of his mind on nights like this. The clutching of despair, trying to drag him down, whittle away at his resolve…would he ever find what the Matoran had lost, lost in all the distance of time? Lost in the darkness when the sea bore them, when they were led by the Great Spirit, when the cataclysm was over and the islands were scattered… You will never know. It whispered to him. It is all gone. It said. All lost beyond recall now. Kua felt sleep finally winning the battle, he had no strength to resist this…this voice out of the emptiness, out of the void. What was the point? He slumped against the stone railing, letting his head lean forward, staring into the night and seeing nothing. He didn’t know how long he remained that way, drifting in and out of sleep, fitful and restless. His muscles ached, and always his ears were filled with the noise of the crashing sea. He didn’t care, didn’t care about anything. But then…then something changed. Something in the wind, maybe, or maybe it was more subtle than that—could it be that the sound of the waves had changed? The voice of the waters no longer seemed so…so angry, so deep. And then his sleep-dulled eyes saw something. Or at least he thought he saw something, in the corner of his vision. Could it be a light? Had he stood here all night long? No, it was not the sun. It came from the north, not the east. But it was a light. Kua stirred and inclined his head slightly, looking to his right, looking to the north. It was red. A fiery, crimson glow that began as a single point, marking the edge of the horizon. Quickly it spread, outlining the surface of the ocean where it met the sky. A blazing red line, and then it all flared up and resolved into a single point again. A single light. A single star. The Red Star. Up, up it rose, faster than any of the other stars. Comet-like, it streaked up across the pattern of the heavens, drawing its scarlet line in the darkness, splitting the night sky in two as it flashed ever higher. Kua watched in dull amazement, hardly registering what he saw. Could this be real, or was he dreaming? Never before had he seen the Red Star—Inaitea, the star of prophecy—so clear and bright and moving so fast. Already it had reached the zenith, speeding south. He leaned back, trying to keep it in view as it moved behind him. The crest of the Tower would block his sight soon, and it would be lost. Kua leaned out from the railing, craning his neck to see. Suddenly there was a burst of radiance, and the trail of the Red Star swelled with the trails of other lights. Six more in all. All following, all falling. Falling in the darkness. Six new stars… A vision blossomed in his mind, filling every part of his thoughts, every crevasse, every chink, ever hidden, deep facet of his soul. He knew it was a vision—something in the way he saw things, as if everything was clearer, sharper. He stood upon the balcony no longer. No longer did the weight of his limbs or his body inhibit him. He was rising high above them all now. Among the stars. The space yawned beneath him, black and empty, and he felt fear. But above him there was light—pure light. Light and hope. The darkness reached out with formless hands to seize him, to drag him down. He cried out— —And he was answered. Out of the light above him something fell, and it seemed to embody the light. It was a stone, oval-shaped and smooth. It fell toward him and past him and struck the earth. Earth? Yes, there was earth beneath him now—the darkness had gone. Only dim sand spread on all sides. The stone towered above him, and Kua saw that it was carved with a face. It was the face of the Great Spirit. He had seen it many times in the etchings on the walls of history. An ancient face. An eternal face. And yet…the Great Spirit had not spoken to them for so long. So long. Kua wept at the memory, that slow descent into despair. He remembered how the Turaga had felt, how he had said that there were no more visions. No more prophecies given to him. They had all dried up, like water scattered upon the ground. Dried up and soaked into the earth. “…into the darkness that lies beneath,” Vakama had said, and his old eyes were sad. No visions for a century of centuries. But this…this was a new vision. This was something new. Kua looked on. The stone of the Great Spirit still towered from the sand before him, and now Kua saw that around him there were many smaller stones. They were moving, drawing closer to the great Stone, tracing lines in the sandy surface of the earth. They formed a circle around the Great Spirit, gathering themselves into smaller groups. It was good. The light seemed to shine brighter from above now, banishing the darkness. It was good… But it did not last. Suddenly a shadow fell across the scene. Great and black, it reared up from the blackness that surrounded them, and Kua felt the earth shudder as a black stone fell from heaven to bury itself in the sand beside the Great Spirit. Terror seized him, and Kua knew suddenly what it was. This was the darkness—the darkness from their past. The nameless, creeping, whispering darkness…It must be. Now the sand began to quiver again. The two Stones stood side by side now, and Kua felt the struggle between them, though he saw no visible change. Face to face they stood: the stone of the Great Spirit and the Black Stone, and Kua watched horrified as a shadow crept out of the base of the black rock and moved across the ground between them. Up, up it rose, covering the face of the Great Spirit, that ancient face. The ground quaked and shook, and Kua fell to his knees. Before him, the small piles of stones fell apart, scattering again into chaos as the earth beneath them shuddered with the struggle. Kua wanted to cry out, wanted to rush forward and do something, but he could not. It was a vision. His purpose was only to watch. And watch he did. Again the light above him flashed, and now Kua saw six smaller stones hurtle down out of the glowering sky. Six stones…they fell in a circle around the two larger ones, surrounding them, glowing with a white radiance. Something had changed. Now the balance of power was different. The earth no longer trembled in fear—it trembled with power, with energy. A shock ran through the sand, expanding outward from each of the six stones—Kua could see the ripple in the earth. Suddenly the ground lurched violently beneath the Black Stone, and the stone cracked. Cracked! The sound was like thunder, deafening Kua, but he did not turn away. It seemed that the Great Spirit had won! But it was not so, for even though the Black Stone broke, it did not crumble. Instead it fell forward, toppling, slow and immense, falling, falling… …With a great noise it struck the stone of the Great Spirit, and Kua watched in horror as both fell shattered. Shattered! The white stone toppled in ruin, and its pieces were scattered over the sand. Dust rose up, and Kua could not see. He was blinded. No! He could not bear it, could not bear to watch as the darkness claimed the Great Spirit. To see the victory of the Six Stones undone…it was too much. He fell forward upon his face, despairing. But the vision was not over, and, try as he might, Kua could not resist looking up again. There, there above him, far off in the blackness, the Red Star still hung, blazing and immense, and it seemed that a voice spoke to him out of the light of the Star, spoke to him with words that had no sound except in his mind: I have slept for so long. The words echoed through his thoughts, and now the dust cleared from before his eyes. Kua turned and looked upon the scene once more. My dreams have been dark ones. There, scattered across the sand that spread endlessly on all sides, Kua saw the remnants of the white stone. But now… The pieces stirred suddenly, rising up out of the dust in which they had been buried, tracing lines in the sand once more. …now, I am awakened. In the center, Kua saw the Six Stones, standing in their circle still, unmoved. The pieces of the white stone crept slowly back within the circle, converging on one point. Now the scattered elements of my being are rejoined. Up, up, the great stone rose once more. The face of the Great Spirit lifted again from the sand—that eternal face, regarding him again with ancient eyes… Now I am whole. And the darkness cannot stand before me. The vision ended. Kua fell forward, spent. He felt the stone of the balcony-railing rough against his hands. It was strange, feeling something solid again. He was back. He lifted his head, searching the black sky for some sign of the Red Star, but it was gone, lost in the swelling night. Kua’s spirit fell. Was it over then? No, for though the Star was gone, the night was not dark. Another light was shining, but it was not the light of the Inaitea. It was morning. Dawn broke from the east as Kua stood motionless atop the Tower of the Telescope. The spreading sunlight flashed across the water and turned it all to gold as he watched, still exhausted from the vision. This was a light that did not fade. There was something different on this morning. Surely there was. Surely something had changed. Six new stars… Kua closed his eyes. Peace flooded through him as the sunlight swelled over the ocean. Yes, he would find the strength to continue. Find the strength to carry on through the distance and the time…find a way to remember, to discover what was lost. He had been given the key… He leaned forward heavily on the railing, eyes still closed. The light seemed to shine through his eyelids, filling his mind with warmth, with peace, with freedom and release. He was light as a bird, light as air. Soaring in the wind. Soaring like the birds. Falling, falling away into nothing… Crack. The black stone of the railing broke, cracked, gave way, and Kua fell. Fell down, down. The air rushed in his ears, deafening him, but he didn’t care. Didn’t care as the water rose up to take him. Didn’t care as the darkness yawned to accept him in its embrace—the darkness that lies beneath. Didn’t care, for he was a light now, a light hurtling down into the dark, and he knew, knew in the depths of his soul, as if a voice still spoke to him there… …Knew that it was not the end. The sea rose and crashed upon the rocks, endlessly gnawing at the foundations of the world. Birds sang in the morning, circling high above the Tower of the Telescope, set alone upon the coast of the island of Mata Nui. No one stood on the broken balcony there. No figure watched at the window. The morning was still again. But far below, where the pebbled shore stretched northward in an unbroken line, a round metal cylinder lay half-buried in the sand. The sunlight glinted on its ancient burnished face as it lay there, waiting. Waiting. Patient. Through all the distance and the time…Waiting… …and dreaming. =||= I have slept for so long. My dreams have been dark ones. But now, I am awakened. Now the scattered elements of my being are rejoined. Now I am whole. And the darkness cannot stand before me. =||= JRRT

JRRT

Feel free. JRRT

[bump'd, 4/21/11. Because I wanted to. So there.] [Wouldn't you know it: I go to add new material to this, and it tells me I've reached the limit for a blog entry. So be it. I've thus split this "dictionary" into two "volumes" (because "volume" just sounds so much more important). In terms of describing the content of this "update": I've added around 120-130 new entries in all, in addition to modifying and revising older entries. Most of the words have to do with plants, landforms, colors, and the Matoran body. So enjoy, if you will. I know I did.] =ll= A Dictionary and Etymology of the Matoran Language =l Volume I l= As inscribed by the Scholar Ihu of the Knowledge Tower Oroko in Ko-Metru in the Great City of Metru Nui. This record being written in the ninth century of the Golden Age of Metru Nui: the year 79908 since the Beginning and the Time of the Great Beings. Prefatory Notes: The organization of this dictionary is according to the order of the first letter of the Matoran word, in the sequence in which these letters appear in the Alphabet of the Matoran. Thus Volume I begins with those words which start with A and continues until L, while Volume II begins with M and continues to Z. Each entry gives a description of the basic meaning and classification of a word, followed by a more thorough explanation of the word's usage, as well as its etymological history, form, and development. Those words whose etymologies are uncertain are labeled as such. -A- aan, n. being, individual [etymology uncertain; also used as the name for the letter a] aavel¹, n. brightness, shining [Derived from the elemental word avo "elemental light"; it originates from an ancient stem modification involving the suffix -li and the reduplication of the stem vowel as a prefix, forming the hypothetical form *aavoli, eventually to aaveli, with usual vowel change of o > e and eventual loss of -i, finally becoming aavel] aavel², adj. bright, shining, luminous [Originates as an adjectival form of the noun aavel¹ (see entry); used frequently in compounds] aka, n. power, ability [An independent augmented form of the original element ka (see entry ka)] akaku, n. cmpnd. the power of vision [From the elements aka "power, ability" and aku "sight, vision"] aki, n. courage, bravery, ambition; (honorific) leader, lord [Historically a conjunction of the semantic suffix -ak, at the time meaning something like "active" or "intensified" (although now it has come to have negative connotations), and the general nounal suffix -i; basically synonomous with the term tai (see entry)] aku, n. sight, vision akuavo, n. sun, star; title of one of the twin suns of Metru Nui [Originates as a conjunction of the ancient elemental stem avoi "light" and the term aku "sight, vision". The word's usage as a title for one of the twin suns in the city of Metru Nui is probably historically based upon the fact that vision is given through light (as in the light of the eyes of the Matoran), and more colloquially upon the idea that the twin suns somehow represent the "eyes of Mata Nui", an idea which is afforded very little credence by the educated community] akuhii, n. lit. things of sight; eye(s) [Formed from the elements aku "sight" and the suffix -hii "thing, object, place"] amahti, n. hand, grip; lit. "thing that holds, grips" [From the modified stem (a)mat "hold, grip, contain" with addition of the suffix -hii "thing, object, place"] amakii, n. finger; lit. "part of hand/grip" [From the modified stem (a)mat "hold, grip, contain" with addition of the suffix -ki(i) "part/piece of"] amakii-ovo, n. cmpnd. fingertip [A compound formed from the elements amakii "finger" and -ovo "end, finish"] apalikavo, n. cmpnd. lit. light-power in hardness; lightstone [Originates from the archaic word apali "hardness, rigidity" (see entry opoli) and the compound form kaavo "light power/energy"(from the elements ka "energy" and avo "elemental light")] arratu, n. resonating musical instrument [From the word coinage artra (see entry) with addition of the nounal suffix -tu, denoting a thing or concept that embodies the stem meaning] arta, n. refuge, haven arti, n. prison; banishment ar(t)ra, n. echo, resonance [From a word coinage artra, based on a reversible syllable structure meant to reflect the sound of an echo; variants include eastern ardra, ardro and southern arthra, arthro] ar(t)rau, adj. echoing, resonant [From the word coinage artra (see entry) with addition of the adjectival suffix -u] aso, n. sand [Derived from the stem aes "sand, gravel, dirt" with addition of the suffix -o denoting a substance or physical concept; also appears as a variant form aswe with alternate suffix -we] aso-mahri, n. cmpnd. sea-shore, beach [Formed from the elements aso "sand" and mahri "ocean, sea"; also see synonymous entry asorho] asorho, n. beach; lit. "sand-shore" [Formed from the element aso "sand" and the suffix/prefix rho "line, edge"; also see synonymous entry aso-mahri] aswe; see entry aso atu, n. mind, will [etymology uncertain; it appears that the word atu may have diverged from the ancient stem maet "mind, thought" at a very early point. In meaning it refers specifically to the Will of an individual, as distinct from thought or intellect (ideas associated with the similar term metye (see entry))] atuma, v. to think, consider [Formed from the element atu "mind, thought, will" with addition of the verbal suffix -ma] avaku, n. sun, star; title of one of the twin suns of Metru Nui [Originates as a conjunction of the ancient elemental prefix av(o)- "light" and the term aku "sight, vision"; also see entry akuavo for further discussion of origin and usage] avenerui, n. lightvine [Originates as a conjunction of the ancient elemental prefix av(o)- "light" and the term enerui "vine, creeper"] avo(h), n. elemental light [Originally avoi, still attested in some rare cases; also found as the adjectival prefixes av- and avo-] av(o)ta, n. (a) light, torch [From the elemental word avo "elemental light" with addition of the nounal suffix -ta, denoting a concept or thing that embodies the stem meaning] -B- barra, n. war, conflict Barraki, n. cmpnd. lit. war-leader; (honorific) Warlord [From the elements barra "war, conflict" and aki "leader, lord" (see entries)] bohye, n. vigilance, watchfulness [From the ancient stem bo "vigilance, watchfulness" with addition of the nounal suffix -hye, denoting a general universal concept; also realized simply as boh] bora, n. watcher, guard [From the ancient stem bo "vigilance, watchfulness" with addition of the agental suffix -ra] -D- daika, n. note, music [Originally a compound of the ancient stem dae (an augmented form of the elemental word dei "elemental sound") and the element ka "creative power" with development of the diphthong ae > ai] deh, n. elemental sound [Originally dei, still attested in some rare cases; also found as the adjectival prefix de-] dema, v. to make noise/sound (base-stem) [From the stem deh "elemental sound" (older dei) with addition of the general verbal suffix -ma] deta, n. voice, mouth [From the elemental word deh "elemental sound" (older dei) with addition of the suffix -ta, denoting a thing or concept that embodies the stem meaning] detarui n. cmpnd. jaw; lit. "joint of mouth" [Composed of the elements deta "mouth" and -rui "joint" (see entry)] dika¹, n. whistle, tune; rahi-noise, cry [A further progression from the term daika "note, music" (see entry) with development of the original diphthong ae > ai > i] dika², n. rahi, beast [Developed from the similar dika¹, meaning "whistle" or "tune", but more importantly "rahi-noise, cry" (see entry), eventually embodying the concept of a beast or a thing that makes rahi-noises; also found as diika] -E- edrai, v. to control, rule (ai-stem, e-declens.) [Derived historically from the ya-stem verb terya "to influence, persuade" (see entry; originally from the obscure ancient word form ter(e)n "guidance, direction, purpose") with addition of the prefix e-, denoting that the action is turned fully outward (tereya > eterai > etrai > edrai) ehel, n. flow, course, current [Historically from elemental word gae; it derives from an ancient stem modification involving the suffix -li and the reduplication of the stem vowel as a prefix, forming the hypothetical form *agali, eventually to egeli, with usual vowel change of a > e and loss of -i, finally becoming ehel (with eventual weakening of intervocalic g)] ekama, v. to move (something); to send (away) (base-stem, e-declens.) [Derived from the base-stem verb kama "to move" with addition of the prefix e-, denoting that the action is turned outward] ekurma, v. to anger, enrage (base-stem, e-declens.) [Derived from the base-stem verb kurma "to rage, be angry" with addition of the prefix e-, denoting that the action is turned outward] elesma, v. to listen; eavesdrop (base-stem, e-declens.) [Derived from the base-stem verb lesma "to hear" (see entry) with addition of the prefix e-, denoting that the action is turned outward] emaima, v. to lift, raise (base-stem, e-declens.) [Derived from the base-stem verb maima "to rise" (see entry) with addition of the prefix e-, denoting that the action is turned outward] ematya, v. to take, possess (ya-stem, e-declens.) [Derived from the ya-stem matya "to master, use" with addition of the prefix e-, denoting that the action is turned outward] eneh, n. stem [Derived from the ancient elemental stem nei "elemental plant-life" (modern neh)] eneh-palnehu, n. cmpnd. bamboo, tree-trunk; lit. "woody-stem" [Composed of the noun eneh "stem" and the adjective palnehu "woody"] enerui, n. cmpnd. vine, creeper; lit. "jointed stem" [Composed of the elements eneh "stem" and -rui "joint" (see entry)] eterma, v. to plan, arrange (base-stem, e-declens.) [Derived historically from the base-stem verb terma "to guide" with addition of the prefix e-, denoting that the action is turned fully outward] ezai, v. to attack, strike at (ai-stem, e-declens.) [supplanted older archaic zya; originally from the same root zaa "violence, retribution" with addition of the prefix e-, denoting that the action is turned outward, along with the verbal suffix -ya, forming the hypothetical *ezaaya > *ezaai > ezai] -F/PH - fanne, n. sky; ceiling, roof phantoka, n. cmpnd (archaic) lit. spirits of the sky; birds, flying things [From the older element phane "sky" (see modern fanne) and -tika "spirit, form, shape" with alteration of -tika to -toka in accordance with historical vowel pattern a-o-a] -G- gah, n. elemental water [Also has connotations of peace, purity, and serenity; Originally gae, still attested in some rare cases; also found as the adjectival prefix ga-] gahre, n. weight, mass, importance [From older garahye, originally from the ancient stem gar(a), with addition of the suffix -hye, denoting a generally universal concept; also attested as garye] galinyohi, n. cmpnd. jungle; lit. "wet-forest" [Composed of the elements gal- "wet" and inyohi "forest"; also found as galinyo-wahi] galinyo-wahi; see entry galinyohi galno; see entry galnu galnu, n. mud, swampy earth [Contracted from an older compound gal-onu "wet earth"; also found as a variant galno] galonuhi n. swamp; lit. "watery earth" [Derived from the older compound gal-onu with addition of the nounal suffix -hii "thing, place"] galonu-wahi; see entry galonuhi garai, v. 1 (phys.) to weigh 2 (meta.) to consider, weigh, ponder [From the ancient stem gar(a) with original addition of the verbal suffix -ya (garaya > garai)] garye; see entry gahre gauru, adj. discordant, conflicting; separate [Probably derived from an intermediary term *gauur (elemental gah and suffix -uur, see entry guur) with adjectival suffix -u] gea(-o), adj. blue [Originally from an augmented form of gae "elemental water" with addition of the usual adjectival color-suffix -o] gehel, n. river, stream [Contracted from the original compound ga-ehel "flow, current of water" (see entry ehel)] graal, n. rahi bear; Ash Bear [Originally an onomatopoeic word symbolizing the roar of the Ash Bear] gukko, n. rahi bird species [The term is a southern dialectal form of the original word goko (still used in some dialects), which was historically gokua; goko is used to define a specific species of rahi bird, including the kahu, kewa (or goko-kahu) and taku and originates as a compound of the onomatopoeic word goh (imitating the call of the kahu subspecies) and the element kua "flying thing" (related to stem kua "free, free-flowing, flying")] guur, n. discord, fragmentation, separation [A perversion of the elemental word gae with addition of the negative suffix -uur] -H- hah, adj. calm, peaceful [From the stem hah "peace, calm, safety"] hahu, adj. calm, peaceful [From the stem hah "peace, calm, safety" with addition of the general adjectival suffix -u] hara n. rope; flax [etymology uncertain; may be descended from a hypothetical stem *haar(a) "fiber, weave"] harakeke, n. cmpnd. lit. "flax-bush" or "rope-bush" [Composed of the elements hara "flax, rope" and keke "bush, shrub"] hau, adj. defending, protecting; used as the name of the Kanohi Mask of Shielding [Originates from the ancient stem haa (also attested as hoh) "protection, defense" with addition of the adjectival suffix -u, denoting an "active" or "outwardly focused" meaning] haye, peace, security, calm [From the stem hah "peace, calm, safety" with addition of the nounal suffix -hye, denoting a universal concept] hoi, n. shield, protecting thing [Originally hohii, from the ancient stem hoh "protection, defense" with addition of the suffix -hii "thing". Originally used in reference to the protective Kanohi shell of the Hoi Turtle, the first of which were actually Kanohi Hau (to which the word hoi is etymologically related)] -I- ihnenu, n. tall/high grass [Formed from a conjunction of the elements iih "high, high up" and nenu "grass"] ihneye, n. tree [Formed from a conjunction of the elements iih "high, high up" and neye "plant"; also found as contracted forms inye, inyo (see entries)] i(h)no; see entry ihnu ihnu, n. hill/mound [Formed from the conjunction of the elements iih "height, high up" and (o)nu "elemental earth"; also attested as later forms ihno and ino] iihe, n. high place; mountain-top [From the stem iih "height, high up" and the suffix -hii with alteration of -hii to -he due to the presence of preceding long i in the stem; also see related entries iiho and iiho-nuyo] iiho, n. peak, crest [From the stem iih "height, high up" with the nounal suffix -o, denoting a physical concept; also see related entries iihe and iiho-nuyo] iiho-nuyo, n. cmpnd. mountain peak, crest [Composed of the elements iiho "peak, crest" and nuyo "mountain"; also see related entries iihe and iiho] iiho-yehonu, n. cmpnd. ridge [Composed of the elements iiho "peak, crest" and yehonu "slope, incline"] iihu, n. high, far-seeing; wise, transcending (as a proper noun) [From the stem iih "height, high up" with addition of the adjectival suffix -u] ik(i), adj. high, tall; happy [A Le-Matoran dialectal convention derived from the stem iih "high up"; also found as ikh(i) and ih(i)] Inai(tea), n. the Red Star [From the stem inaeh "star", along with the adjectival tea-o "red, fiery"; also attested as Initeo] ini, n. star [Historically inaeh or iniih] inihe, n. lit. star-places, the heavens [Formed from the modified stem iniih "star" (descended from an earlier inaeh) and the suffix -hii with alteration of -hii to -he due to the presence of a preceding (historically) long i in the stem.] inika, n. cmpnd. lit. star-energy/power, energy of a star [Formed from the elements ini "star" and ka "power, energy"] ino-nui, n. cmpnd mountain [Composed of the noun ino "hill, mound" (from ihno) and the adjective nui "great, mighty, vast". Synonyms: (o)nuiwe, (o)nuyo] inye n. tree [Contracted from the older ihneye "tree"; also found as a variant inyo] inyo; see entries ihneye, inye inyo-galnu swamp tree inyohi n. forest, wood [A more modern term derived from the word inyo "tree" (itself contracted originally from the earlier ihneye) with addition of the nounal suffix -hii "thing, place"; also found as a variant compound inyo-wahi] inyo-wahi; see entry inyohi -J- jaga, n. rahi scorpion johve, n. subtlety, cleverness [From older jovohye, originally from the ancient stem jov(o), with addition of the suffix -hye, denoting a generally universal concept; also attested as jovye] jota, n. detail, complexity [Originally from the ancient stem jov(o) with addition of the suffix -ta, denoting a thing or concept that embodies the stem meaning] jovye; see entry johve jutma, v. to collapse, decay -K- ka, n. power, energy; ability, (creative) potential [Theoretically is may have developed from a form *kae; also spelled cah or ca (using the old orthographic c); also realized as aka, akha, kan, kar, kha(r ) and in very rare cases as the prefix gah- (separate from the elemental ga-)] kaatu, n. color [Derived from a hypothetical root *kaa "energy, light, color" (related to ancient stem *kae) with addition of the abstract nounal suffix -tu] kaatuhi, n. flower [Derived from the word kaatu "color" with addition of the suffix -hii "thing, object"] kai, n. skill, talent, ability [An augmented form of ka "power, ability, potential" (see entry) with addition of general abstract suffix -i] kaihe, n. Unity [Developed from the older compound form ka "energy, potential", the adjectival form yi "together, combined", and the nounal suffix -hye, denoting a universal concept; also see analogous entry kaita] kai-o, adj. colorful [Originally from an augmented form of ka "power, energy, light" with addition of the usual adjectival color-suffix -o] kaita, n. lit. potential combined/together; unity [Developed from the older compound form kayita, which is composed of the elements ka "energy, potential", the adjectival form yi "together, combined", and the abstract, nounal suffix -ta; also see analogous entry kaihe] kama¹, v. to move [From the element ka "energy, potential" with addition of the general verbal suffix -ma] kama², n. motion, speed [Originates as an abstract nounal form of the verb kama¹ (see entry)] kan; see entry ka kane, n. energy, passion; rahi bull [This term has come to be associated principally with the species of rahi-bull; kane "power, energy, passion" is formed of the element kan "power, energy" and the general nounal suffix -e] Kane-ra, n. cmpnd. wild bull [used to describe the Kane-ra species of bull; it is formed of the word kane "bull" (see entry) and the term ra "wild" used here as a type of adjectival compound] kano, n. mask [used as an alternate term for kanohi; the term kano originated as a craft-word used by those of the mask-making profession and only passed into common use after the origination of the kanoka disks, in which word it is used (see entry kanoka for further historical notes)] kanohi, n. cmpnd. mask of power [Formed from the word nohi "face, mask" and the element ka "power, ability"] kanoka, n. cmpnd. disk of power [The etymology of this term is rather complex. When the first of the disks of power, from which Kanohi masks are more easily forged, were created, the Scholars decided upon the term kanoka by considering the history of the word kanohi, since the two objects—disk and mask—are closely related. Kanohi comes originally from nohi, which means both "face" and "mask". And nohi, in turn, derives from its ancient form noihii, made up of the elements -hii "thing, object" and noi, the elemental word for the substance of Protodermis. The Scholars chose to form a new word—noka—from the elements noi and ka "power" to define the concept of the disks, which, in essence, utilize the power of Protodermis, and they made the further addition of the element ka to better distinguish the Disks of Power as unique. Thus, the term kanoka was formed and has since passed entirely into common use.] kar; see entry ka kara; see entry kharra karahe, adj. passionate, rash, reckless; unstable [From the compound element ka-ra (ka "energy", ra "wild, untamed") and the adjectival suffix -he "having"] karda, n. heart, core, engine [From the element kar "energy, power" (see entry ka) and the suffix -ta, denoting a concept or thing that embodies the meaning of the stem, with eventual assimilation of t > d, due to the preceding r] kau, n. breath [From the element kau "breathing, free-flowing"] kea, n. rahi shark keke, n. bush, shrub [etymology uncertain] kha(r ); see entry ka kharma, v. to make, form [Originally from the element khar "energy, ability, potential" with addition of the verbal suffix -ma] kharra, n. maker, builder, shaper [Formed from the element khar "energy, ability, potential" and the agental suffix -ra; also attested in a simplified form kara] kh(i)ye, n. that/the place, thence [A grammatical function word. It originates historically from a conjunction of the suffixes -hii "place" and -hye "abstract concept", forming the hypothetical compound *hiihye, which was then later contracted and strengthened to khiye] kini, n. temple koh, n. elemental ice [Also has connotations of sternness, and severity, as well as silence, calm, and composure; originally koi, still attested in some rare cases; also found as the adjectival prefix ko-] koro, n. village, town; walled city [Originally from a stem (o)kor "wall, barrier, landform", which is derived from an older hypothetical form *kaer "hinder, repulse" under influence of a coeval stem rho(k) "boundary, ring, edge". The term has gradually shifted its meaning from "wall, barrier" to a "walled city" and thence to "village, town"; see related entry korwe] korwe, n. wall, barrier [Originally from a stem (o)kor "wall, barrier, landform" (see entry koro for full etymology) with addition of the nounal suffix -we "substance, physical concept"] korwe-mahri, n. cmpnd. sea cliff [Composed of elements korwe "wall, barrier[/i] and mahri "sea, ocean"] kou adv. external, outside; around [etymology uncertain] koyo, adj. white [Originally from an augmented form of koi "elemental ice" with addition of the usual adjectival color-suffix -o] kraah, n. elemental shadow [Originally krae; also found as the adjectival prefix kraa-]] kraahkan, n. cmpnd. power/energy of shadow [From the elements kraah "elemental shadow" and kan "energy, power"] kraata, n. cmpnd the will of shadow [Formed from the elements kraah "elemental shadow" and atu "will, mind, thought", with eventual assimilation of final -u to -a] kua, n. bird, flying thing; liberty, independence ku-amahi, n. cmpnd. palm; lit. "mid-palm" [Composed of the initial element (u)ku "middle, half" (modified from an older stem keu(n)) and the form amahi, contracted from amahti "hand" (see entry)] ku-ino, n. cmpnd valley; lit. "between hills" [Composed of the initial element (u)ku "middle, half" (modified from an older stem keu(n)) and the form ino "hill" a variant of ihno (see entry)] ku-mirehe, n. cmpnd. elbow; lit. "mid-arm" [Composed of the initial element (u)ku "middle, half" (modified from an older stem keu(n)) and the word mirehe "arm" (see entry)] ku-noiwe, n. cmpnd. see entry ku-noyo ku-noyo, n. cmpnd. waist, lit. "mid-body" [Composed of the initial element (u)ku "middle, half" (modified from an older stem keu(n)) and the word noyo "body" (see entry); also appears as a variant form ku-noiwe] kuta, n. knowledge kur, n. anger, rage [A perversion of the elemental word koi with addition of the negative suffix -uur] kurma, v. to rage, be angry (base-stem) [From the stem kur "anger, rage" with addition of the general verbal suffix -ma] ku-warehe, n. cmpnd. knee; lit. "mid-leg" [Composed of the initial element (u)ku "middle, half" (modified from an older stem keu(n)) and the word warehe "leg" (see entry)] -L- leh, n. elemental air [Originally lei, still attested in some rare cases; also found as the adjectival prefix le-] ler, n. acid, poison; sickness, illness [A perversion of the elemental word lei with addition of the negative suffix -uur; also found as luur] leru, adj. acidic [From the stem ler with addition of the general adjectival suffix -u] lehel, n. wind, breeze, wind current [Contracted from the original compound le-ehel "flow, current of air" (see entry ehel); synonymous with the later term lehelye (see entry)] lehelye; see entry lehel [A synonymous term for "wind, breeze" derived from lehel with the abstract nounal suffix -hye] leo, adj. green [Originally from an augmented form of lei "elemental air" with addition of the usual adjectival color-suffix -o; also found as ly in southern dialects (with shift of diphthong eo > y] lesma, v. to hear (base-stem) [From the verbal stem les "hear" (from lus, older lues) with addition of the general verbal suffix -ma] lhihke, n. righteousness, virtue, honor [From the stem lhi(k) "virtue, justice" with addition of the nounal suffix -hye (lhihkye > lhihke)] lhii, adj. virtuous, right, honorable [From the stem lhi(k) "virtue, justice" with addition of the adjectival suffix -ii; also found as hli in some compounds and as a feature of Le-Matoran dialects (see entry)] lhikhe, n. just, fair [From the stem lhi(k) "virtue, justice" with addition of the adjectival suffix -he] lusak, n. deafness [A more colloquial word used to describe deafness that is unnatural or was caused by something and has negative results; originates from the stem lus "hearing" (older lues) with addition of the negative suffix -ak; common southern dialect forms include lesek (with common alteration of -ak to -ek) and shorter lesk (lek in compounds or names); also see entry lusuur] lusse, n. listening, hearing [From the stem lus "hearing" (older lues) with addition of the general abstract suffix -e] lusta, n. ear [From the stem lus "hearing" (older lues) with addition of the suffix -ta, denoting a thing or concept that embodies the stem meaning] lusuur, n. deafness [From the stem lus "hearing" (older lues) with addition of the negative suffix -uur; primarily used as a scientific or medical term; also see entry lusak] Here ends Volume I. Volume II continues with entries M-Z. JRRT

A Dictionary and Etymology of the Matoran Language =l Volume II l= Compiled by Ihu, Scholar of Metru Nui, k. 79908. This volume continues with entries M through Z. -M- mahri, n. ocean m(a)i, adv. up, above, over [From the stem *maeh "up, above, over"] maima, v. to rise (base-stem) [From the stem *maeh "up above, over" with addition of the general verbal suffix -ma] maita¹, n. brain [From the ancient stem maet "mind, thought" with addition of the nounal suffix -ta, denoting a thing or concept that embodies the stem meaning, and with development of the ancient diphthong ae > ai] maita², adj. mental, of the mind [Originally maihta, the word eventually merged in form with the earlier maita¹ (see entry). It derives from the ancient stem maet "mind, thought" with addition of the adjectival suffix -ha, and with development of the ancient diphthong ae > ai] mai(h)te, adj. intelligent, mindful, reasoned [From the ancient stem maet "mind, thought" with addition of the adjectival suffix -he "having" and with development of the ancient diphthong ae > ai] Makuta, n. cmpnd. Master of Knowledge [From elements ma- "master, user of" and kuta "knowledge"] manas, n. monster, fearful thing Mana-ko, n. cmpnd silent monster [From older Manasko] manta, v. to create (base-stem) [From the element man (see entry mat) and the general verbal suffix -ta] mareno, n. (the) West [Apparently derived from an older stem mairee- (which eventually produces our modern term mirehe "arm"), in conjunction with the ancient elemental stem (o)noi, referencing the element of Protodermis.The term follows a trend in the derivation of "location-words" in which the words for the cardinal points originate from terms for parts of the body. See related entries metiono "north", merhono "east", and wareno "south" for further discussion] mat (ma-), n. user, master, creator [etymology uncertain; it is believed that mat first originated as *maa but this is not definitively attested; also appears as man] Mata, n. lit. Master of All [used only in reference to the Great Spirit; mata is formed of the element mat "master, user" and the ancient intensive suffix -a] matatu, n.cmpnd. master/user of the mind [From the elements mat "master, user" and atu "mind, will"] mator(o), n. cmpnd. word master, a master of words [From the two elements ma(t) "master (of)" and oro "word(s)"] Matoran, n. lit. word-master-beings, generalized as "speakers", "those who speak" [From the older matoroan, it is formed from the element mator(o) "word master" and the suffix -an "being, individual"] matya, v. to master, use (ya-stem) [From the element mat "master, user" and the verbal suffix -ya] mau(h)te, adj. changed, altered [From the ancient stem maut "change, difference" with addition of the adjectival suffix -he "having"] mautur, n. ruin, distortion [From the ancient stem maut "change, difference" with addition of the negative suffix -uur, denoting an opposite meaning; the term originally meant "idleness" or "stagnation", but later took on the meaning of a similar word mutak "ruin, distortion", eventually supplanting the term and losing the historical meaning] mautye, n. change, modification; mutation [From the ancient stem maut "change, difference" with addition of the nounal suffix -hye, denoting a generally universal concept; also found as the more modern muhtye, with development of diphthong au > u] merhono, n. (the) East [Apparently derived from an older stem mairee- (which eventually produces our modern term mirehe "arm"), in conjunction with the ancient elemental stem (o)noi, referencing the element of Protodermis. This origin is identical with the related term mareno "west", differing only in the combination of the two elements (merhono showing the gradual prevalence of the onoi element, whereas mareno shows the opposite). The term again demonstrates the usual convention by which the names of the cardinal points all originate from terms for parts of the body. See related entries metiono "north", mareno "west", and wareno "south" for further discussion] metii, n. head [From the ancient stem maet "mind, thought" with addition of the nounal suffix -hii "thing, place" and with development of the ancient diphthong ae > e] metineye, n. cmpnd canopy; lit. "tree-head" [Composed of the noun metii "head" and a contracted form of ihneye "tree"] metirui, n. neck; lit. "head joint" [Composed of the elements metii "head" and -rui "joint" (see entry)] met(i)ono, n. (the) North [Apparently derived from an older form of the stem met-, at the time meaning "mind" or "head", in conjunction with the ancient elemental stem (o)noi, referencing the element of Protodermis. There is still debate over the exact motivation for the derivation of this term, although some have proposed that it is related to the location of the city of Metru Nui in the north of the world, the term metru sharing the same or similar etymology (from the ancient stem maet "mind, thought"); also see related entries mareno "west", merhono "east", and wareno "south", all of which seem to be derived from terms for parts of the body] metru, n. city [etymology uncertain; it appears that metru originated from the ancient stem maet "mind, thought" with obscure suffix -uu (which may signify a place embodying a concept), eventually becoming -ru with loss of preceding diphthong ae. It is unclear why a term for a city originated from such a stem; however, this could be explained by the fact that maet may have developed from the older hypothetical stem *maa (see entry mat), connecting its meaning with the early construction of a city. There is no considerable consensus on this (or the preceding) interpretation.] metye, n. mind, intellect [From the ancient stem maet "mind, thought" with addition of the nounal suffix -hye and with development of the ancient diphthong ae > e] mirehe, n. arm [Historically composed of the adjectival element mai- "up, upper" and the word reehe "limb, appendage"] mirehovo, n. cmpnd. wrist [A compound formed from the elements mirehe "arm" and -ovo "end, finish"] misso, n. mist, fog [Formed from the stem miis "mysterious, unkown" with addition of the suffix -o denoting a substance or physical concept; also appears as a variant form miswe with alternate suffix -we] missu, adj. unknown, mysterious [From the stem miis "mysterious, unkown" with addition of the adjectival suffix -u] miswe; see entry misso misye, n. mysteriousness, (the) Unknown [From the stem mis "mysterious, hidden, unknown" with addition of the suffix -hye, denoting a universal concept; also found as mishe in southern and eastern dialects, with common dialectal shift of sy > sh] mo, n. field, plain, country moa, n. lit. of the plains; plains-dweller, desert bird [Historically moha, from the elements mo "plain, country" and the adjectival suffix -ha "of the…"] mora, n. wilderness, wild country; landscape [From the elements mo "field, plain, country" and ra "wild untamed"] motara, n. desert; hot, barren region [Historically a triple-compound formed from the elements mo "field, country", ta "fire, hot", and ra "wild, untamed"] mua, n. rahi cat, tiger mudra, n. changer (one who changes things) [Historically mutra, it originates from the ancient stem maut "change, difference" with addition of the agental suffix -ra and with usual later development of diphthong au > u; complementary to the similar word munna (see entry)] muhtye; see entry mautye mukai, v. to ruin, distort (ai-stem) [Historically derived from the ya-stem verb mutya through analogy of the archaic stem mutak, forming the hypothetical form *mutakya (with insertion of -ak into the stem), eventually developing into the form mukaya and thence to mukai] munna, n. changer (one who changes) [From the ancient stem maut "change, difference" with addition of the agental suffix -na and with usual later development of diphthong au > u; complementary to the similar word mudra (see entry)] mutaku, adj. ruined, distorted, disparate [Originally derived from an archaic stem mutak "ruin, distortion" (now unused, supplanted by more recent mautur (see entry)) with addition of the general adjectival suffix -u] mutu, adj. different, unlike [From the ancient stem maut "change, difference" with addition of the adjectival suffix -u and with usual later development of diphthong au > u] mutya, v. to change (ya-stem) [From the ancient stem maut "change, difference" with addition of the verbal suffix -ya and with usual later development of diphthong au > u] -N- neh, n. plant-life element [Originally nei; also realized as the adjectival prefix ne-] neto, n. leaf [Derived from a stem (e)net, modified form of the elemental root nei, with addition of the nounal suffix -o "physical concept"] nekua, adv. thus, so, in that way [etymology uncertain] nenu, n. grass [etymology uncertain] nenu-leru, n. cmpnd acid grass [A term for the species of acid grass found in the Northern Continent and in the island of Xia, it is composed of the noun nenu "grass" and the adjective leru "acidic"] neo, n. nature; the Green [Originally from the ancient elemental root nei "elemental plant-life" with addition of the nounal suffix -o "physical concept"; also found as ny in southern dialects (with shift of diphthong eo > y). Translation of the term as "the Green" stems from the similarity of the modern form of the word to other color-words derived from elemental stems (cf. leo "green")] neto-kaatuhi, n. cmpnd. petal; lit. "flower-leaf" [Composed of the elements neto "leaf" and kaatuhi "flower"] neye, n. plant [Modified from the ancient elemental root nei "elemental plant-life"] nohi, n. (outer) face, mask [used by mask-makers to refer to the powerless Matoran mask; nohi comes from the ancient form noihii, which, in turn, is formed from the ancient elements -hii "thing, object" and noi, the elemental word for the substance of Protodermis. Thus, nohi may, historically, be rendered as "thing of Protodermis"] noiwe; see entry noyo noka, n. disk [A more modern addition to the Matoran lexicon, noka is formed from the elements noe "elemental protodermis" and ka "power, ability" to have the historical meaning of "power of protodermis". (see entry kanoka for further historical notes)] noyo, n. body [Derived from the ancient stem onoi, with the repurposing of the initial o as a suffix] nui, adj. great, powerful nuva, adj. new nuyorho, n. mountain range [Originates as a conjunction of the word (o)nuyo "mountain" and the suffix/prefix rho "line, edge"] -O/Y- ohama, v. to come, move toward (base-stem) [Formed from the older verb kama "to move", with addition of the prefix o(h)-, denoting that the action is turned inward] okune, n. (a) silence, pause, rest [From the element koh "elemental ice (also connoting 'silence' and 'calm')" with addition of the circumfix o-…-hi construction, denoting "an instance/object within the concept of the stem"; the development of the theoretical historical form *okoohi into the modern form okune occurs according to a process by which the -hi suffix, in the presence of a preceding "back" consonant sound (in this case k), is strengthened to -ne, while the historically long vowel oo is raised to u due to the effect of the original -hi] onkoro, n. cliff [Derived from the word koro in combination with the elemental earth prefix onu-; also appears as a variant onkorwe with suffix -we "physical concept"] onkoro-nui, n. cmpnd. the Great Barrier [composed of the noun onkoro "cliff" and the adjective nui "great, mighty, vast"] onkorwe; see entry onkoro (o)nuiwe, n. mountain [Originates from the ancient elemental stem onue "elemental earth" with addition of the stem iih "high, high up" and the nounal suffix -we "physical substance/concept" [onue-iih-we > onuih-we > onuiwe]. Synonyms: (o)nuyo, ino-nui] (o)nuyo, n. mountain [Originates from the ancient elemental stem onue "elemental earth" with addition of the stem iih "high, high up" and the nounal suffix -o "physical substance/concept" [onue-iih-o > onuih-o > onuio]. Synonyms: (o)nuiwe, ino-nui] onne, n. solidness, steadfastness, loyalty; stubbornness [A very ancient word derived from the element onu "elemental earth (also connoting 'solidness' and 'loyalty')" with addition of the general nounal suffix -e] on(o)to, n. tool, instrument; weapon [From the older form ono "tool, weapon, implement" (etymology uncertain), with further addition of the suffix -to, also indicating a tool or implement; the stem ono is possibly descended from an older form *hno, similar in shape to the hypothetical stem *hro, see entry oro] ono-vawe, n. cmpnd. island [A compound of the elements ono "elemental protodermis" (derived from the ancient stem (o)noi) and vawe "foundation" (see entry). Synonyms: pauhi, pa-nui, vawe] (o)nuh, n. elemental earth [Originally (o)nue; also realized as nu, nuu, and as the adjectival prefix onu-] onwo, adj. black [Originally from an augmented form of onue "elemental earth" with addition of the usual adjectival color-suffix -o] opahi, n. (a) stone, rock [From the element pah "elemental stone" with addition of the circumfix o-…-hi construction, denoting "an instance/object within the concept of the stem"] oraha, v. to say, speak (base-stem) [Consists of the verbal stem ora, which is in turn derived from the older stem of oro "word" with addition of the verbal suffix -ha] yraha, v. to tell, relate (base-stem) [Originally derived from the older verb oraha "to say, speak", with addition of the prefix e- (forming the archaic eoraha), denoting that the action is turned outward; it then exhibits the development of the diphthong eo > y in initial position] oran, n. word being, being(s) who use words (language) [used as a reference to those races throughout the universe who speak with language, Matoran or otherwise; oran (older oroan) is formed from the element oro "word" and the suffix -an "being, individual" with eventual absorption of the -o in oro.] oro, n. word [etymology uncertain; possibly descended from a stem *hro] oturhe, n. (a) fear, fright [From the word tur " fear, cowardice" (older tuur) with addition of the circumfix o-…-hi construction, denoting "an instance/object within the concept of the stem"] ovahi, n. (a) time, instance, moment [used in reference to a specific point in time; it is formed from the elemental word vae, with addition of the circumfix o-…-hi construction, denoting "an instance/object within the concept of the stem", so "a specific point within the concept of time"] ozahi, n. violent act, crime [From the element zaa "retribution, conflict, violence" with addition of the circumfix o-…-hi construction, denoting "an instance/object within the concept of the stem"] -P- paavelta, n. cmpnd. lit. luminous stone; lightstone [Originates from the elements pao "elemental stone" (see entry poh) and the archaic word aavelta "luminous, shining thing" (itself formed from the element aavel "shining, luminous" and the suffix -ta, denoting a thing or concept that embodies the stem meaning)] pah; see entry poh paka, n. strength, hardness [Physically, denotes the strength of a physical object or individual, but metaphorically paka can refer to a hard or stern personality; paka is formed from the elements pa "elemental stone" and aka "power, ability" to have a literal, historical, meaning of "power of stone"] palneh, n. trunk; lit. "hard stem" [Contracted from an older compound pal-eneh "hard stem"] palnehu, adj. woody [Derived from the older compound pal-eneh "hard stem (trunk)" with addition of the general adjectival suffix -u] palnewe, n. wood [Derived from the older compound pal-eneh "hard stem (trunk)" with addition of the nounal suffix -we "substance"] pa-nui, n. cmpnd. island [Composed of a variant of the ancient elemental stem pao "elemental stone" and the adjective nui "great, mighty". Synonyms: pauhi, vawe, ono-vawe] pauhi, n. island [Derived from the ancient elemental stem pao "elemental stone" with addition of nounal suffix -hii "thing, place". Synonyms: vawe, ono-vawe, pa-nui] pawo, adj. brown [Originally from an augmented form of pao "elemental stone" with addition of the usual adjectival color-suffix -o] piraka, n. cmpnd lit. "agent of evil"; (obscenity) a thief or murderer [Formed from the elements piir "perpetrator, agent of" and -raka "great destruction, evil" (from -rak and older intensifier -a)] pire, n. perpetrator, agent; participant [From the stem pir (older piir) with addition of the general nounal suffix -e] poh, n. elemental stone [Originally pao, still attested in some rare cases; also realized as pah and as the adjectival prefix po-] pura, n. friend, companion [From the stem pu (originally from the elemental po) "friendly, pleasant" with addition of the agental suffix -ra] -R- ra, 1 adj. wild, free, untamed; 2 n. wildness, freedom [An extremely ancient word element applied mostly to animate things, it has inherently both nounal and adjectival properties which have never been separated into distinctly different words; historically raa] rahi, n. wild thing/creature [Formed from the element ra "wild" and the suffix -hii "thing"; historically raahii.] rama, n. flying rahi insect rau, n. understanding, translation, decipherment [Originates from the stem oro "word" (see entry)] raura, n. teacher; translator, "understander" [Derived from the word rau "understanding, decipherment" (originally from the older oro "word") with addition of the agental suffix -ra] reehe, n. limb, branch; appendage [Probably from a stem like *(e)ree (modified from the ancient stem raa "wild, chaotic, deviant"), signifying "divergence" or "branching off", also with addition of the suffix -hii "thing, object, place"] rehovo, n. cmpnd. foot; lit. "end of limb" [A compound formed from the elements reehe "limb" and ovo "end, finish"; also found as an alternate form warehe-ovo, with more modern warehe "leg"] rhot(t)u, n. ring, wheel [Historically rhoktu, from the stem rho(k) "ring, circle, edge" with addition of the nounal suffix -tu, denoting a thing or concept that embodies the stem meaning] rhovawe, n. shore, shoreline [Composed of the element vawe "foundation, basis, island" and the suffix/prefix rho "line, edge, circle"] rho(we)-nuyo, n. cmpnd. mountain range [Composed of the elements rho(we) "line, edge" (with nounal suffix -we "physical concept") and nuyo "mountain"] rodye; see entry rohte rohte, n. truth, reality [From older rotohye, originally from the older stem rot(o) (augmented from the stem oro, see entry), with addition of the suffix -hye, denoting a generally universal concept; also attested as rodye] rui(hi), n. joint [etymology uncertain; possibly derived from an earlier modification of the ancient stem form raa "wild, chaotic, deviant", with a reversal of the meaning (thus "together, converging, united, etc.")] rui-mirehe, n. cmpnd shoulder [A compound formed from the elements mirehe "arm" and rui "joint"] rui-rehovo, n. cmpnd toe-joint [A compound formed from the elements rehovo "foot" and rui "joint"] rui-warehe, n. cmpnd hip [A compound formed from the elements warehe "leg" and rui "joint"] -S- sa(a), conj. and [A conjunction used to connect words of the same type (noun-noun, verb-verb, etc.)] suva, n. shrine, gathering place -T- tah, n. elemental fire [Also has connotations of courage, bravery, and leadership; originally tae, still attested in some rare cases; also found as the adjectival prefix ta-] tai¹, n. courage, bravery, leadership [From the elemental word tah (older tae) with addition of the general nounal suffix -i; the term merged at an early point with the adjectival form taii (see entry tai²); also see synonomous term aki] tai², adj. brave, courageous, bold [From the elemental word tah (older tae) with addition of the adjectival suffix -ii (*taeii > taii > tai) taka, n. light, illumination [Can refer more to the light of a fire or a torch, thereby also carrying the connotation of "leading" or "revealing", as the light of a torch reveals the way] takea, n. all-king (honorific) [The etymology of this term is at once simple and obscure. This is primarily because of its usage: the term takea can be used as an honorific of great respect, denoting mastery and power, but it is also used as the name of the Rahi Takea Shark. This dual usage has resulted in a double meaning of sorts, since, as the name of a Rahi, it is used to mean "king of sharks". The constructions used for this latter meaning are the elemental prefix ta-, denoting authority and leadership, and the word kea "rahi shark". However, in its primary (or historical) usage, takea can be traced back to the ancient word aki "leader, lord" with the intensive suffix -ea (historically -eaa). This forms the term akea, which, combined again with the prefix ta-, yields the "all-king" honorific. Because of this variety in meaning, it may perhaps be simpler to classify both words as completely separate.] tea(-o), adj. red, fiery [Originally from an augmented form of tae "elemental fire" with addition of the usual adjectival color-suffix -o] ter(e)na, n. keeper, guider [From the obscure ancient word form ter(e)n "guidance, direction, purpose" with addition of the agental suffix -na] terenhe, adj. purposeful, meaningful [From the obscure ancient word form ter(e)n "guidance, direction, purpose" with addition of the adjectival suffix -he "having"] terenye, n. guidance, direction, purpose [From the obscure ancient word form ter(e)n "guidance, direction, purpose" with addition of the suffix -hye, denoting a generally universal concept] terma, v. to guide (base-stem) [From the obscure ancient word form ter(e)n "guidance, direction, purpose" with addition of the general verbal suffix -ma] terne, n. intention, goal [From the obscure ancient word form ter(e)n "guidance, direction, purpose" with addition of the general nounal suffix -e] terya, v. to influence, persuade (ya-stem) [simplified from older tereya; it originates from the obscure ancient word form ter(e)n "guidance, direction, purpose" with addition of the general verbal suffix -ya (terenya > tereya > terya)] tika, n. spirit, form, shape tur, n. fear, terror, cowardice [A perversion of the elemental word tae with addition of the negative suffix -uur] -U- ua-eneh, n. cmpnd root; lit. "under-stem" [Composed of the adjectival element ua- "down, lower, under" and the word eneh "stem"] ua(h), adv. down, beneath, under [etymology uncertain] uama, v. to descend, go down; drop (base-stem) ussa, n. steed [etymology uncertain] usya, v. to ride (ya-stem) -V- vah, n. elemental time [Originally vae, still attested in some rare cases] vahye, n. Time [used in reference to Time as a universal concept, in contrast to the elemental concept, represented by vah; it is formed originally from the elemental word vae with the addition of the suffix -hye, denoting a universal concept] vau, adj. treacherous, dangerous [From the stem bwa "treacherous, trickery" with addition of the adjectival suffix -u and with usual change of bw > v; also found as a place name Fau, with de-voicing of initial consonant characteristic to Le-Matoran dialects] vawe, n. foundation, basis; island [From the stem vu(a) "source, beginning" with addition of the nounal suffix -we, denoting a physical substance or concept embodying the stem meaning (vuawe > vaawe > vawe); also see entry ono-vawe "island"] vawe-nui, n. cmpnd. continent, large landmass [Composed of the nounal element vawe "foundation, island" and the adjective nui "great, vast, mighty"] vike , n. edge, sharp edge [etymology uncertain; possibly related to the adjectival prefix vi- "narrow, fine"] vikuino n. cmpnd. ravine, crevasse, narrow valley [Composed of the element ku-ino "valley" and the prefix vi- "narrow"] visso, n. venom, poison [From the stem viis "poison, venom" with addition of the nounal suffix -o, denoting a physical substance; also found as viswe with alternate suffix -we] vissu, adj. venomous, poisonous, deadly [From the stem viis "poison, venom" with addition of the general adjectival suffix -u] viswe; see entry visso voake, n. greed, gluttony [From the stem bwo "hunger, need, consumption" with addition of the abstract, negative suffix -ak (with usual development of -ak > -ake in vowel-final, monosyllabic stems); also voage] voakhe, adj. greedy, gluttonous [From the original form voak (see entry voake) with addition of the adjectival suffix -he "having"] vohye, n. hunger, appetite; desire, need [From the stem bwo "hunger, need, consumption" with addition of the suffix -hye, denoting a universal concept] voita, n. end, completion, termination [Derived from a stem voe "end, finish, completion" with addition of the nounal suffix -ta "concept embodying stem meaning"] vuana, n. founder, beginner [From the stem vu(a) "source, beginning" with addition of the agental suffix -na; synonomous with the term vuara (see entry)] vu(a)neye, n. seed, spore; lit. "plant-source" [Contracted from an older compound vua-neye] vuara, n. founder, beginner [From the stem vu(a) "source, beginning" with addition of the agental suffix -ra; synonomous with the term vuana (see entry)] vuata, n. source, beginning [From the stem vu(a) "source, beginning" with addition of the nounal suffix -ta, denoting a thing or concept that embodies the stem meaning] vuneye-nenu, n. cmpnd. fern; lit. "spore-grass" [Composed of the elements vuneye "seed, spore" and nenu "grass"] vurenye, n. Destiny [Historically a compound of the stem vu(a) "source, beginning" and the older word terenye "guidance, purpose" (vuaterenye > vuatrenye > vurenye); also realized as the more archaic compound ter(e)vua] -W- wa, adj. wide open, great, large [Historically waa] wahi, n. region, place [From the elements wa (historically waa) "wide open, large" and -hii "place, thing"] wanoyo, n. chest [From the elements wa "wide" and noyo "body, torso"] warehe, n. leg [Historically composed of the adjectival element ua- "down, lower" (eventually contracting to wa-) and the word reehe "limb, appendage"] wareh(e)ki, n. shin [Derived historically from the word warehe "leg" with the suffix -ki(i) "part, piece of". The term is more modern than warehe, since at the time of its derivation the -hii suffix in warehe (older wareehii) had already been retracted to -he [ua-ree-hii > wareehii > warehe-kii > wareheki]] warehe-ovo; see entry rehovo wareno, n. (the) South [Apparently derived from an older stem uaree- (which eventually produces our modern term warehe "leg"), in conjunction with the ancient elemental stem (o)noi, referencing the element of Protodermis, exhibiting the general convention of deriving "location-words" from terms for parts of the body. See related entries metiono "north", merhono "east", and mareno "west" for a more thorough discussion] -Y- yehe, n. back, side; surface [Originally a development from an older form ike- (from which is also derived the grammatical particle ihe "before, behind") with addition of the nounal suffix -hii; frequently appears as a prefix ye- in compounds] yehonu, n. cmpnd slope, incline, hill-side [Composed of the noun yehe "side" and the ancient stem onu "elemental earth", here used to represent "hill, mountain"] yemetii, n. cmpnd back of head [Composed of the initial element ye- "back, rear, side" and the word metii "head" (see entry)] yenoyo, n. cmpnd back, spine [Composed of the initial element ye- "back, rear, side" and the word noyo "body" (see entry)] yerehovo, n. cmpnd heel [Composed of the initial element ye- "back, rear, side" and the word rehovo "foot" (see entry)] -Z- zya, v. (archaic) to attack (ya-stem) [A highly archaic term, usually supplanted by the more modern ezai (see entry); historically it originates from the stem zaa, with a meaning of "violence" or "retribution", and the addition of the verbal suffix -ya (*zaya > zya)] Here ends the Dictionary. ...whew. JRRT

As in closed. It's the principle of the thing. JRRT

Just realized that the Rayg Kit 2.5 topic just recently met its end. A moment of silence, please. -.- JRRT

"The Legend of the Bionicle" is an idea I've used when working on the Matoran grammar. Basically, it's an oral/poetic version of Matoran mythology/prehistory. It's what Vakama was always quoting from (). I've always envisioned the various Matoran legends as being part of a larger structure: the "Legend of Mata Nui" being another piece, for example. The portion in this post is the introduction to the "Legend of Artakha and Karzahni". Arta and Khar are meant to be early names for the two beings: arta means "refuge", khar is a variant form of the word ka "power/creation/light" (referencing Karzahni's original purpose). Karzahni's later name is meant to be a compound of kar (< khar) and zahni "enemy, foe". Thus: "enemy of power/creation/light". Artakha's name is an elaboration on arta with a similar word-variant of ka (-kha). Thus: "refuge of light; the Great Refuge". JRRT

Lhe ke ovahi o, gaa kaira teraio’na a Taka a Kraa, e’ Arta a Khar. Ie te ngie zyo. I ava e’ awa ekamo. During that time, Two brothers ruled Light and Dark, Arta and Khar They strove against each other And the first cast down the second. -- From “The Legend of the Bionicle” -------------------- My, folks, it's been a while. Don't worry. I'm not dead or anything. The project continues! In fact, it's like...it's like I can't stop. ... Help me. -------------------- =l Nouns II l= Recall again the basic structure of the Matoran Noun System: particles placed before, after, or around the noun which indicate the purpose of the noun in a sentence. Thus far, we have seen the first three of these particles—the Case Particles—dealing with the grammatical roles of Subject, Object, and Possession. Six particles remain, and these are split into two groups: Motion and Time/Location. We'll deal with the first group here. Motion Particles: The three-fold particle structure is repeated for particles indicating Motion. Otherwise, the Motion particles are rather straightforward. “Toward/Into” The particle ii, placed before the noun, specifies motion toward, at, or into a noun. The plural form is nii. wahi – “region” ii wahi – “toward/into (a/the) region” nii wahi – “toward/into regions” “Through/By” Motion through, by/beside, or past a noun is expressed by the particle wo…a, with the plural form mo..a. This type of particle differs from the other particles discussed thus far, in that it consists of two parts—one placed before the noun and one placed after, but both forming a single particle. Therefore: wahi – “region” wo wahi a – “through/by (a/the) region” mo wahi a – “through/by regions” Technically, particles such as this would probably be classified as “circumpositions” (think preposition: before the noun; circumposition: around the noun). But, for the sake of simplicity, we will hold to the “particle” definition. “From/Out of” The last of the Motion particles is ka (plural nga), expressing motion out of, away, or originating from a noun. It is always placed after the noun. wahi – “region” wahi ka – “from/out of (a/the) region” wahi nga – “from/out of regions” This concludes the discussion of particles expressing Motion. Simple Sentences: Lastly in this lesson, I’d like to lay out some simple sentences, using vocabulary referenced in previous lessons. Ne matoran ii wahi kamo. "Matoran (pl.) went toward (the/a) region" First, we have matoran with the nominative plural particle ne. This is, of course, the Subject of the sentence. Next, there's wahi preceded by the singular motion particle ii "to/toward". And lastly, we have the verb kamo, past tense (note the suffix -o) of kama "to move, go". Rahi ui matoran wo wahi a kanna. "The Matoran’s Rahi goes through the region." The subject here is rahi (lacking the optional nominative particle i), and it is modified by matoran with the singular genitive (possessive) particle ui. Again we have wahi, now surrounded by the motion particle wo...a "through/by". This is followed by the verb: kanna (from kama) with gradation to show the present tense. Wahi ka rahi kanne. "The Rahi will go out of the region." This sentence begins with wahi followed by the motion particle ka "out of/away from". Next we have the subject rahi, which in turn performs the action of the verb kanne (future tense, with both gradation and the suffix -e). Something to notice in these sentences is the word order—the placement of nouns, verbs, etc. within the structure of a sentence. Matoran word order is less restricted than English word order, and thus we can see in the third sentence that the phrase wahi ka “out of the region” precedes the subject rahi: “Out of the region the Rahi will go.” This is not necessarily a standard structure for English, but in Matoran it is completely permissible, along with a variety of other permutations. For example, one could also say Kanne wahi ka rahi. "Will go out of region Rahi," or even Kanne rahi wahi ka. "Will go Rahi out of region." Vocabulary and Exercises: Here are some practice exercises focusing on some of the elements in this (and previous) lessons. First, try translating these English sentences into Matoran: 1) "The Matoran spoke words." 2) "The Turaga's Rahi attacked the village." (<use terya as the verb) 3) "The Toa went to the city." 4) "The Matoran went to the Turaga's village." Next, try translating these simple Matoran sentences into English: 1) Rahi kamo koro ka. 2) Matoran ea kanohi kharmo. 3) Ohanne toa ii suva. 4) Turaga orakha na oro. And here's some useful (if rather random) vocabulary to help with both tasks. Nouns: kanohi, n. mask of power kanoka, n. disk of power koro, n. village metii, n. head metru, n. city mua, n. rahi cat, tiger oro, n. word suva, n. shrine, gathering place ussa, n. steed (< think "Ussal" crab) Verbs: atuma, v. to think, consider kharma, v. to make, form ohama, v. to come, move toward (Note: verbs such as ohama usually take particles of Motion on their objects) If you happen to be interested in more vocabulary, take a look at the two volumes of the Matoran Dictionary. ------- Probably next on the docket: Lesson 5—Pronouns and Adjectives. JRRT

As far as I know, Tren Krom's message communicated information about the Golden Armor "fail-safe" system to the Ignika (which was already able to create it). But I can't say that this was actually explicitly stated in the storyline media--just by GregF. JRRT