Jump to content

Pahrak Model ZX

Premier Outstanding BZP Citizens
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    5,462

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    35

 Content Type 

Blog Entries posted by Pahrak Model ZX

  2. Pahrak Model ZX
    ...It's a Wonderful World...
     
    I am actually crying right now, you have no idea
     
    TWEWY on the Switch, with new content that will include Hype-chan after all these years
     
    It was unwise of me to spend my Christmas money on a Switch but I am now extremely glad that I did
     
    Thank you God, I'll do better in 2018
  3. Pahrak Model ZX
    I mentioned cycle-type things in my last post, but now I'm thinking that might not be accurate...so, for lack of a better term, here's some Ikhav Trilogy Trivia!
     
    Amy, Hyohana, and Xyla, the major love interests in their respective Books, have a lot of trivia surrounding them.
    -The order of the Books they're most important in is also the alphabetical order of their names. (Book 1 Amy, Book 2 Hyohana, Book 3 Xyla)
    -Each one specializes in an Element that is a different state of water. Amy (Water/liquid) and Hyohana (Ice/solid) are obvious--Xyla is more of a stretch (Air/vapor). When deciding on what Element Xyla would specialize in, I noticed this and decided to go ahead with it.
    -Between the three of them, they cover the three major 'categories' of natural hair colors: blonde/white (Hyohana), black/brown (Xyla), and red (Amy).
    -All three are tied to important Spirits (Amy allies with Jeune Ange, Hyohana is the daughter of Gahu-Ice, Xyla *removed for spoiler reasons*)
    -Their initial attitude towards the man they eventually marry is progressively worse--Amy was nice to Khadaz from the beginning, Hyohana started with a neutral opinion of Kharuun but eventually grew to like him, and Xyla starts out just plain hating Genakex.
     
    Genakex, Khadaz, and Kharuun, the reasons why I call this the Ikhav Trilogy, have a little bit of trivia.
    -The chronological order of the Books they're most important in is also the alphabetical order of their names (Book 3 Genakex, Book 1 Khadaz, Book 2 Kharuun)
    -All of them know sentient Spirits, each one with chronologically newer origins (Genakex knows Exo-Pahrak Kal Titan (origin to be revealed later), Khadaz knows Vinxeng (who is a normal Bioni-Spirit younger than Titan), Kharuun knows Zadakh TP (who was scientifically altered--a reasonably new process)
    -I also feel that their chronological order is the same order as how flawed their characters are--I'm trying to put strong character flaws in Genakex, Khadaz has some fairly mild flaws, and Kharuun...not so much.
     
    Some trivia on important Spirit groups...
    -The allies of Les Quatre Freres de Lame who appear in Book 3 are planned to appear in the same order as the allies in the Gathering covered in Books 1 and 2, although the Freres themselves will not.
    -Also, the new Freres will have names that are similar to the Freres we are already familiar with.
    -The number of each Book in the Trilogy is the same number of special Spirit groups seen in it (Book 1 only has Les Quatre Freres de Lame, Book 2 has the Freres and the Twilight Guardians, and Book 3 will have the Freres, the Guardians (to a very small extent), and the King Bohrok)
    -As the timeline progresses, the special group introduced in each Book has an increased level of purpose (the Kings serve themselves, the Freres serve destiny, and the Guardains serve an undisclosed high power)
     
    And finally, Kytan's importance decreses as the timeline moves along: he's a main character in Book 3, in the background but still important for most of Book 1, and virtually entriely background in Book 2. However, he does appear as 'the 10th Level Bioni-Lord' at the end of all three Books.
     
    That's all I've got for trivia so far. If I think of anything else I'll let you know.
     
    I'm planning on updating the Spirit Index this week, so be on the lookout for that!
     
    Forgotten Bond is still going, and we're finally incorporating the RoboRiders!
     
    As I mentioned before, I'm taking a class on writing this semester, and I'm planning to use Bioni-Lords for some of the prompts. I'll probably share some of these with you guys through blog posts (because I'm running out of ideas on what to say lol).
     
    I think that's it, so have a nice week!
  4. Pahrak Model ZX

    And That's It

    By Pahrak Model ZX,

    After completing a paper that is literally 1 word over the minimum count and submitting it with approximately 5 and a half hours to spare, I am officially done with the semester. A little stressful, but the classes weren't too bad overall.
     
    Except for that 8 AM science class. To heck with that class.
     
    But anywho, I have about a month off before the next semester starts, so in between my job and intense sleep, I'm going to try to be productive with non-school-type things. Hopefully I can even get somewhere with Bioni-Lords!
     
    So yeah, I'm officially on Christmas Break. Woo.
  5. Pahrak Model ZX
    It would seem my stress has taken the route of producing ideas at a faster rate than I can actually work on them, while simultaneously stopping me from getting too far on any particular one (including the ones I was already trying to work on).
     
    So, a brief look at what I’ve been kicking around lately:
     
    -Shooting Star Sonia 3, of course. Unfortunately I seem to be stuck on Chapter 2.
    -Wall of History, as mentioned previously. The mechanics and prompts are actually all set, and I’m about halfway through the lore, so not too bad.
    -An extended Mega Man ZX fic, probably as a result of replaying ZX just recently. Haven’t quite finished the first chapter and a little unsure how far I’m actually going to get.
    -A brief burst of inspiration on Glimpse of Horizon’s broader idea, but like…thinking I could make it into a novel for actual publishing? For some reason? Did not get far before that fizzled out, but who knows I guess.
    -That new story focusing on Vhisola I mentioned recently, which has exactly one chapter right now. I have some specific ideas about where to go, just stuck on what needs to happen next, naturally.
    -A short Kingdom Hearts fic in which Kairi is aware of how horribly the series treats her. That just sort of happened. I’m going to let it sit for a while, edit it, and probably just post it because I don’t know I just want to finish something and look productive.
    -One MASSIVE new Lego story idea I’m planning to give more information on in a separate post, stay tuned for that one.
    -Three, count ‘em, three separate ideas for Mafia games. Granted one was already complete before this, but now I’m thinking more about it, plus I finally sat down and revamped the Chorus System for another Musical Mafia, PLUS another idea that’s been floating half-formed through my mind for a while and now has been hammered into a pretty fine shape. I don’t want to do so many back to back, but…no one has had a new Mafia game since Hotel of Okoto ended, so…?
     
    And yet I still feel like it wouldn’t be a great idea for me to actually start posting/hosting any big projects. I have a new apartment lined up, I just need to move, but in a few weeks I’ll need to move again because I actually need to stay at my dad’s for a while until my new apartment is ready. Even after that, I’m really searching for a second job because I really need one, so if that works out there’s a question of how much time I’ll actually have for this stuff.
     
    But, depending on how this goes, there is a distinct possibility I could have an extremely productive fall. So I guess that’s pretty cool.
  6. Pahrak Model ZX
    Wait…have I really been here ten years?
     
    Dang.
     
    I was hoping to do some sort of special story thing for my 10th, but I couldn’t get a decent idea together. Ah well.
     
    Hm, what have I accomplished in these ten years…? Well, I’m not an especially prominent member. I can’t say that I’ve participated in any momentous events, and both my proto and post count are less than what you’d probably expect from a ten-year member. Doesn’t seem like I’ve done a whole lot.
     
    But, my member title is “Bionicle Writer of the Month.”
     
    I know it’s seriously not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but the simple fact that one of my stories (heck, more than one!) was considered good enough to win a contest and be featured on the front page just…feels like a wonderful accomplishment. It implies that my writing has improved over these ten years, and that alone makes the whole stay worth it, I think.
     
    So thanks for putting up with me for a whole decade, BZP! I hope we can continue to coexist.
  7. Pahrak Model ZX

    Annoyed

    By Pahrak Model ZX,

    I almost made it a year without making an entry whining about my personal life. I really wanted to hit that milestone. What a shame. But, looks like it’s time for Emotion™, so I’m afraid I have no choice but to bump my thoughts on Megaman ZX until my next post.
     

    The Nonsense So, I have a lot of skin tags on my neck. Always have. I’m really very ugly. One of them has gotten rather large lately, and now both of my parents are saying I need to check it out, my dad sobbing about how he thinks I could have cancer. I’m not particularly worried and figured I would just humor them, it might be nice to have this thing off my neck. After getting off work today I get a text saying I have an appointment to get it looked at tomorrow morning, and now I’m livid.
     
    “But Pahrak,” you’re probably asking, “why are you angry that your father is getting you to the doctor?”
     
    And you’re probably right. I am a horrible person. But here’s how my Horrible Person Brain is looking at the issue.
     
    I’m going to need to be at my dad’s house just after 10, and 10 is when everything opens around here. I work tomorrow, and will need to leave my apartment for there a little past 1. So I figure this is probably going to take my entire morning, which puts a wrench in my plans for tomorrow. I’m getting over a cold and I think my sister is catching it, so I was really hoping to get to the store and buy us a giant pack of tissues. Doubt I can do that now, since the last time I tried entering the store before 10 they told me to go stand outside for the next 8 minutes. Will I get to eat my lunch? Maybe. Probably won’t be able to shower before work, and I might not feel like it after, which means I’m going to smell terrible and be in an even worse mood on Friday.
     
    And let me reiterate: I have no reason to believe I actually have cancer. So I feel as though I’ve suddenly been asked to throw away my entire morning just to completely waste my time. That’s a big part of why I’m angry.
     
    Going a little deeper, I do have a tendency to freak out over little things (like you could say I’m doing right now!), partially due to the distinct possibility I have that Anxiety thing, and I’ve really been trying to make progress on that and some other things in my life. And now, my parents are putting the idea of cancer in my head. So I really only have two options: get angry at them for doing that, or think about it and be totally terrified. I’m sure you can tell which one I’m exploring at the moment.
     
    Which sucks. Because I’m so, so, so, so sick of being angry and afraid all the time, especially since it’s almost always over nothing, and right now I feel like those are my only two options. I don’t know, maybe there are more and I’ll realize that if I calm down, and then I get to continue feeling like an enormous idiot as always. Huh, I thought I was going for a positive outcome there…
     
    The reason it has to be tomorrow is because our main doctor is leaving for an extended trip out of the country on my next day off (Friday). So really, even in the remote event he finds out I have cancer, he won’t be able to do anything about it for who knows how long, while I’ll just be sitting here thinking, “Well dang, cancer!” Heck, I might not even get the results tomorrow, which means I’ll be at the job I hate, tossing around dead chickens to avoid being rude to customers, thinking, “Gee I wonder about cancer.”
     
    …I just don’t want to be scared. So, I’m gonna be angry, because I still haven’t learned an actual way to cope with that because I’m too stupid to actually take anyone’s advice or do anything at all.
     
    Right, whatever. RAEG TIEM.

     
    As expected, that was poorly organized at best. Yikes.
  8. Pahrak Model ZX
    New tournament means new stuff!
     
    Upgrades:
    -Yes, we have a brand new upgrade, none other than the Shadow Leech! For 10,000 W, your fighter will have the light sucked out of them, replacing their current Element with Shadow. We’ll also provide the Klakk’s Scream to cure it for a measly 5,000 W.
     
    -New Kanohi:
    -The Kanohi Crast can be purchased for 7,000 W, and when used in battle will prevent the opponent from approaching you. Good for keeping them at a distance so you can snipe them with your mind powers!
     
    -The Kanohi Felnas costs 9,000 W. When used, the opponent will take damage based on the gap between their mind and their toughness, and they will temporarily lose their Elemental powers. These powers will return before the end of the fight, though, and you won’t be able to bring any other items into battle with you when using this mask.
     
    New Miscellaneous Items:
    -Who wants a Cordak Blaster?! Put down 8,000 W to buy the blaster, and then you can start stockpiling ammunition. 1,000 for a 2-pack of rockets, 4,000 for a 5-pack, and 7,000 for a 10-pack.
     
    -The Midak Skyblaster makes its appearance! Purchase for 9,000 W and use in battle to deal a medium amount of damage and temporarily blind the opponent.
     
    -We’re also bringing in the Nynrah Ghost Blaster, also 9,000 W. Deals a medium amount of damage and briefly paralyzes the target.
     
    -Last but not least, the Power Lance! This 8,000 W weapon will amplify Elemental Powers, but only when you fire them in a straight beam.
     
    That’s everything for this tournament. After Tournament 5, I have one last batch of items to share. After that, I’m sure we’ll get some new stuff every here and there, but updates to the shop will be more sparse. This last group is small, but I think you’ll like them, heheheh…
  9. Pahrak Model ZX

    Another Destiny

    By Pahrak Model ZX,

    Has it really been 9 months since I last posted a Bionicle story? Wow.
     
    Anyway, I just posted a new short story over in the library: An End Escaped. I don’t feel motivated enough to commit to a full story right now, but I still wanted to throw this idea out there in some form, just to feel sort of productive.
     
    Essentially, it’s a prologue to a potential 17 story that could have been. It begins by summarizing an alternate end of the 16 story, and then sets up a new character to embark on the quest to gather the fragments of the MoUP rather than cramming that into the end of JtO. This particular character (the winter wave villain, if you will) is actually a G2 iteration of a certain someone, but you’ll have to read the story to find out who!
     
    It’s really more of a proposal than anything else, and there’s probably not much chance this closely resembles what Lego was planning, but hopefully it’s some enjoyable food for thought. If nothing else, it felt good to stretch my legs in the Bionicle world again, especially for G2, since Okoto 579 kinda flopped. Now I wonder if I can get together something for G1…
  11. Pahrak Model ZX
    Y'all need to chill the heck out
     

     
    There isn't anything I can say that hasn't already been said probably but whatevs
     
    Maybe it's real. Maybe it isn't. We're not going to know for sure until we get an official word and/or it's 2015. A little hopeful excitement is understandable, as is a little pessimistic displeasure should it be true, along with some irritation should you think it's fake.
     
    But seriously: chill out
     
    People of all stances have been taking this way too seriously. Even if it is fake, that doesn't give you the right to chew out those believing it. Even if it is legit, saying it's going to be A. the greatest thing since sliced bread OR B. a sign of the apocalypse is something you're guaranteed to be wrong about.
     
    I get that we all love Bionicle, but for crying out loud, people!
     
    Chill
     
    Out
  12. Pahrak Model ZX
    I feel like I need to use this blog more than I have recently, so here are various story ideas I have right now.
     
    -Should probably first take a moment to remind myself which ones I’ve actually started. Right of Law is the only Bionicle story I’m working on right now, and I’ve got big plans for it—I got way more into thinking about the Melding Universe than I ever thought I would and I don’t want any of that going to waste. Section II is coming along rather nicely, I think.
     
    -Other than that, I’m working on Shooting Star Sonia 3…which I’m still rather behind on. Got to get back in the groove there. Probably shouldn’t have posted the first seven chapters at once like that.
     
    -And, other than that, I am working on a Mega Man ZX fanfic, but I haven’t posted it here since I think one spot in my Recent Works block dedicated to OTC should probably be enough. (If that interests anyone you can find Mega Man ZX Termination over on FanFiction.)
     
    -So, what have I thought of but not actually started? Well, there’s, uh…ahah, oh yeah. Olkir. That, uh, that sure was set to be a thing. That never happened. Gosh I hope I do something with that someday. I want to focus all my Bionicle effort on Right of Law at the moment, though.
     
    -There’s also a G2 idea I had, Ends of the Earth, where Earth Okotans Onepu and Tehutti get caught up in a storm and end up on the island of Onan, which has some curious similarities to their home while still being very different. Fascinating as it is, the dedicated Onepu is eager to return home, but Tehutti, being a fugitive, is looking for ways to not do that. I like the idea, just not sure when I’ll get around to it.
     
    -I had a couple other vague possibilities for Mega Man stories, like a third entry in the data timeline, or a completely new timeline, or Maverick Hunter X Hunter which is exactly what it sounds like for the sole reason that the name just works too darn well to let it go to waste. I hope someone writes that.
     
    -I would really like to do something The World Ends With You related. I still love that game to bits, I missed the 10 year anniversary of the Japanese release last year, I’d like to catch the anniversary of the American release this year, and especially with Final Remix coming out…I want to do something. But I’m not too sure on the what. I was kicking around the possibility of a short reflective thing, probably titled “The World Still Hasn’t Ended”, but…it’d probably be short or get repetitive, and wouldn’t really be all that interesting. I thought of seeing where the characters might be after the game, but actually, I’m not sure I can do that as well as I would like to. Hmmmm. Maybe I should just wait until after I play Final Remix.
     
    -I’d also like to do something with Final Fantasy V. Also having a tough time figuring out where these characters would end up, though there’s the possibility of a new group of warriors facing a new threat. I also kind of like the idea of a series of oneshots featuring past heroes, the ones whose memories/souls/whatever enter the crystals and become the Jobs, but there are so many it would run the risk of getting really stale really fast. And, uh…for some reason or another…it did cross my mind to explore an FFV high school AU. Yes, stupid idea, but come on! Those dorks would fit into a series like that perfectly! Class rep Lenna, drama club member Bartz, delinquent Faris, Galuf as the teacher and his granddaughter Krile being the transfer student, it could be great! Or not. I don’t know, I just thought it was fun to think about.
     
    -I considered doing a Pokémon story, set in a new region. I still really like the idea of Alola’s four guardians, so I thought of doing a system kind of like that: trainers travel to four areas within the region, pass a test to enter the guardian’s temple, and then battle the guardian as a bigger trial. I thought that upon winning, the trainer would select one of their Pokémon to receive power from the guardian, enabling them to use the power of Mega Ascension (tentative). This allows the Pokémon to transform into a state where their abilities are augmented and they also possess the abilities of the guardian. Since I don’t want to design too many Pokémon, though, I was thinking there would only be a handful of new ones and a bunch from other generations…and maybe some regional variants, because I dig those.
     
    -One idea I had was a story about a randomized Pokémon Platinum game, with some plot changes for fun. Its name…Pokémon Insinnohty. Because that’s how I roll. I randomized a few Pokémon already just to see what I’d have to work with, and some of this is looking pretty interesting, like Turtwig becoming a Dragon/Psychic Seedot with Ice Body, and Togekiss becoming a Ghost/Flying Gallade with Zen Mode. It’s a definite possibility.
     
    -One other Pokémon idea…I feel like concept of Team Rainbow Rocket still has some unused potential, so it might be worth it to do my own take on that. Have the bosses all actually be working together, rather than just showing up in the same place for a few minutes—each could rule over their own ideal world while collaborating with the others to take over more worlds or trade resources or fight Ultra Beasts. And certainly other characters would be involved. Lillie and Gladion were quick picks, but I also realized this could be a great opportunity to write about Silver, which I’m kind of surprised I haven’t done before now. The only idea I had for a title so far was “Over the Rainbow”, but if I actually do this I might try to think of something else.
     
    -And there is that original idea I’m still working on…though mainly just in the form of brainstorming. I posted a story in OTC to test out some concepts a while ago (Glimpse of Horizons), but the idea has morphed considerably since then, and I might actually try to turn it into a novel. (I’m also thinking “Valkyrie Errant” as the new title.) We’ll see where this goes, but I really, really want it to go somewhere. Maybe I'll post something about that sometime soon.
  13. Pahrak Model ZX
    There's been even more new Pokemon news since my last entry! It's come to a halt for now, so I may post a blog entry about it in the near future...
     
    Also I went to see Star Trek Into Darkness recently. I was quite pleased.
     
    It's really happening...the link to Bond of Heresy is on the front page!! EXCITEMENT!! In related news, a comment or two on the story asked if I had any plans to continue it, which got me thinking. The next logical step, I think, would be for Ahkmou to discover a way to transform into a Toa, and then perhaps gather a few other corrupt Toa to supplement the army of Zyglak he'll be working with. If I do decide to pursue this story, I'm thinking "Chronicle of Heresy" would make a good title. I dunno, I'll have to see how it goes.
     
    In more FFFC news, A Recluse's Dilemma received an Honorable Mention in "The Queens." I've made two entries to the new "Trial By Fire" contest: Averted Trial, about a search for the Kanohi Dragon, and Make It Stop, about a Toa being tortured by Skakdi (yes, the name is terrible).
  14. Pahrak Model ZX
    Figured I may as well round up and share all the new Pokémon info that has been revealed. Again, source may not be allowed on BZP. I’ll do my best to list everything, though I may miss a few details. Let’s see now…
     
    -You can now move diagonally. I REPEAT: YOU CAN MOVE DIAGONALLY IN POKÉMON X AND Y. Need I say more?
     
    -Also you can sit on benches! The camera will then shift to show a better view of the area, with the trailer showcasing a nice little fountain.
     
    -It appears that every trainer you encounter will now have VS artwork. Shown is artwork for the “Lass” Trainer Class, saying “You are challenged by Lass Anna!”
     
    -There will be a limited level of character customization! It appears there are three sets of hair color and skin tone combinations that you can select, and we have been promised that new clothing and accessories will be made available as you progress through the game.
     
    -The new region, which is confirmed to be inspired by France, is named “Kalos”. At the dead center of the region is Lumiose City, which, of course, has an Eiffel Tower duplicate. The official region map was revealed, so I’d recommend searching for it—can’t be too hard to find. Like Gen V, routes begin back at Route 1.
     
    - The Pokedex, which resembles a tablet, is divided into three areas: Coastal Kalos, Central Kalos, and Mountain Kalos. They are respectively color-coded blue, white, and red so that the mini-diagram of the region resembles the French flag. It looks like Marill and Zigzagoon will be in the Kalos Pokedex.
     
    -Four new Pokémon were revealed: Pancham, a Fighting type panda; Fletchling, a Normal/Flying type Japanese robin (and likely the Pidgey of this Generation); Helioptile, an Electric-type lizard; and Gogoat, a Grass type goat.
     
    -Pancham displays a new move named “Parting Shot,” which lowers the opponent’s stats and lets Pancham switch out. Helioptile uses “Parabolic Charge,” which does damage and heals the user. Also, it appears that you can actually ride Gogoat, although this may be limited to Lumiose City.
     
    -The character limit on names seems to be extended.
     
    -Boxart was also revealed—it looks pretty good, if I do say so myself.
     
    -There are also screenshots showing the movesets of the three starters at Level 5 (Chespin and Fennekin), Level 8 (Chespin and Froakie), and Level 11 (Fennekin).
     
    -This may not be new, but it looks like rollerblades will be available in the game.
     
    -Also, official artwork was released for the two player characters. They both have some sort of black cuff on their wrist, which may be this Generation’s equivalent to Pokegear/Xtranceiver/etc.
     
    -A little off-topic, but another Pokémon-themed 3DS LL has been announced for Japan, this one featuring an Eevee color scheme. Personally, I don’t care for it, since it’s just an awkward striped pattern, although there is an image of Eevee on the back of the console.
  15. Pahrak Model ZX
    So I don’t know if you remember, but a while back I decided I was going to do a series of connected fanfics in parallel to the release of G2, trying to put my own spin on the universe with each new wave. Well, I finally got around to finishing the next one, and I present for your reading pleasure The Failure’s Claim!
     
    Before you click that link, please note that this story was made to tie together the previous two, so isn’t really a good starting point. The Time of the Mask Makers and In Our Bones aren’t super long, and a lot of what’s different in this series gets slowly introduced there rather than throwing it all at you in Claim.
     
    Also, I feel like the whole series at this point is still a little weird due to how it came about and how I haven’t really gotten that far into it. Mask Makers was done as a standalone flashback piece that could potentially mesh with canon (before certain revelations proved it very non-canon), and Bones is another flashback piece, but I decided to depart further from canon, and I must stress that it was written before the name “Kulta” was released. As for the actual 2015 story, my canon sticks to it up to a point, and that point is (about) where Claim begins, so I’m nervous to see how that works out.
     
    Since I now have a better idea of what I want to do with this series, the 2016 stories should be more linear and easier to follow, albeit replacing more official canon. But hey, what do you expect from fanfiction? I’ll soon make a blog post compiling all relevant links for this series that will be updated as time goes on, and if I pull my blog back together I’ll put an easy to find link to it somewhere.
     
    I hope you enjoy the story!
  16. Pahrak Model ZX
    (So yeah, this is a draft of the into to that Hapori story I mentioned a while ago. I know it's long, but if you have some free time, I would be eternally grateful for your feedback. Also, for Hapori Tohu I used the model that won BBC Contest #44: Tohu is Pleased!, created by member Darth Vader.)
     
     

    CREATION FOR CREATION’S SAKE


     
    He awoke in a pitch-black chamber. He could see nothing. All he could feel was the soft mattress beneath him. For a moment he felt panicked, as he was unsure of where he was, but this quickly subsided as he got to his feet. Lights flashed on instantly—he was blind for a moment, but then his eyes adjusted and he got a good look at his surroundings.
    The chamber had spacious dimensions and tan stone walls. The bed the youth sat on was nestled into one corner of the room—it was a simple piece of furniture, but it served its purpose of comfort well. The only other piece of furniture was a round wooden table set in another corner of the room. A steel door that had been left slightly ajar broke the monotony of one of the walls, and as the youth moved towards it he spotted something else opposite the bed.
    It was an image—a portrait, perhaps?—that started at the floor and rose a few feet up the wall. The image portrayed a seven-foot-tall figure with brown and yellow armor that reminded the viewer of Bionicles: the feet of a Panrahk, the legs of Avak (with yellow claw-like decorations on the shins), the body of a Toa Metru (brown mostly, with yellow hips) with a Pahrak shield over the chest, brown Toa Metru shoulder armor, brown Bohrok limbs for lower arms (that sported odd gold decorations on the outer sides) leading to large yellow hands, a brown cape that elegantly flowed behind the being…and, strangest of all, the head of a Vahki Zadakh.
    Seems whoever brought me here is a fan of MoCing, the youth thought.
    He turned back towards the door, but then he froze. The image had moved as well, copying his exact movements. Logic provided a solution, but it was cut down by disbelief—the youth could not accept a conclusion such as that. What he thought it was…that was impossible. He knew it could not be true. Still, he had to test his hypothesis—he took several more steps forward. The image copied him. He reached out his hand. The image did the same. At last, the youth looked down at his arm, and logic made its victorious retaliation.
    The image was not a portrait. It was a full-length mirror, and it was displaying his reflection.
    Panic followed logic’s lead and emerged with new life. Confusion and horror surged through the youth—why did he have this strange Bionicle body?! He was human, not whatever nightmarish creature this was. It must be a dream—no, it couldn’t be. Something so terrifying surely would have shocked him to consciousness.
    He rushed at the door, and, in his hurry, collided with it, tearing the metal hatch off its hinges and, effectively, tackling it to the ground. When he looked up, he saw a massive figure looming over him. This being also seemed about seven feet in height, and he wore sleek white armor with a few red plates on the ankles, wrists, and chest. He also wore a red belt and had two large, half-ring shaped plates of red armor that rose from his shoulders at a gentle angle. A light gray cape hung from his back, and in one hand he carried some sort of spear. The most striking feature, however, was the unmasked Toa Mata face with burning red eyes, behind which rested two large metal gears.
    “You are awake.” The stranger’s voice boomed with unquestionable authority. “My name is Tohu, and I—“
    The confused one lunged at Tohu, but in one swift movement, Tohu sidestepped, grabbed the youth’s cape, and yanked on it. The youth was pulled off his feet and hit the ground hard. Pain shot out from his back and paralyzed him for the moment.
    “Don’t worry, Zadakh,” Tohu said. “You are among friends.”
    “What are you talking about?! That’s not even my name! My name is…”
    Suddenly the youth realized: he could not remember his name. When he tried to think of it, he encountered a thick mental fog that proved utterly impenetrable. So, as far as he knew…maybe his name actually was Zadakh.
    “…My name is…Zadakh…?”
    “Yes,” Tohu said. He helped Zadakh up before adding, “Please, come with me. Everything will make sense soon.”
    Zadakh hesitated—after all, he had no reason to trust Tohu. Then again…he also had no reason to distrust him. With nothing else to go on, Zadakh nodded, and Tohu began walking.
    The hallway they proceeded down was poorly-lit—a few yellow lightstones were implanted in the gray rock walls, but they were a bit too sparsely distributed to contribute any real help. However, from what Zadakh could make out, there was not much to see anyway. The walls were as barren as the floor his feet clattered against, and the only attempts to make the architecture interesting were a few arches and pillars along each side of the wide hall.
    Zadakh had only been following Tohu for a few seconds when the leader spoke up, although he did not turn to face the one he addressed: “The Great Beings have never been able to quell their curiosity. Long ago, they developed a process for creating an entirely new kind of life form with virtually unrivaled power. Using their strange abilities, they drew in the energy given off by every living being within a single universe, and then they pooled all of this energy to animate one being…an entity which bore the powers and abilities of every living being from which it borrowed energy. They called it a ‘Hapori’, which in their language is a word for a collection or a group. The experiment was successful…so they made more.”
    The hallway ended, giving way to an enormous chamber made of stone of a much lighter shade than what Zadakh had seen so far. High, high above was a massive lightstone that bathed the entire room in light, allowing Zadakh to see the elaborate carvings in the walls—dozens, perhaps hundreds of figures who appeared to be engaged in battle, some of which he recognized, and some he did not. The hallway he and Tohu had emerged from was one of ten, all equally spaced along the edge of the circular room, and above each one was carved a word—a name—in Matoran lettering. In the middle of the table, a round stone table rose up from the ground, and around this table were ten ornate chairs that almost looked like thrones. Of these ten chairs, eight were filled; in them sat beings with extremely varied appearances, although they all wore some sort of armor. Zadakh was quickly able to guess who they were.
    “These are the Hapori?” he whispered to Tohu. All eight were staring at him, something that made him quite nervous.
    Tohu nodded and extended his arm towards one of the empty seats, which lined up with the hallway they had emerged from. “Please, sit down.”
    Zadakh nervously strode forward and eased into the chair. As he did so, Tohu made his way to the other side of the table, the location of the only chair that remained empty. However, Tohu remained standing when he reached his destination; he planted his spear in the floor beside him and faced Zadakh.
    “My full name is Hapori Tohu,” he revealed. Zadakh couldn’t exactly say he was surprised. “I was created with the energies of the Bionicle universe.”
    On Tohu’s right sat a being who had the body of a weakened Mata Nui Matoran—black armor, gray feet—but a golden, elongated head that displayed a narrow yellow face with slit-like green eyes. This being stood up on his chair and cheerfully introduced himself: “I’m Hapori Slizer. Bet you can guess what universe my energy comes from.”
    On Tohu’s left was a very tall being that was very slender—almost eerily so. His body was entirely covered in gray and black armor, and his face was a chrome mask with pipe-like designs and a shining red visor. He had large black wheels where his feet should have been, but he kept his balance just fine as he stood up. Very quickly, he said, “Hapori RoboRider, Rider for short.”
    To the right of Slizer was someone who appeared to be human, someone who wore a suit of knight’s armor that was a light blue color with healthy amounts of gold added to the color scheme. Behind him was a dark blue cape with gold trim, and this cape proudly displayed a gold hawk-shaped emblem. A pointed gold crown sat atop his thin black hair, and that hair rolled around the lower part of his face in the form of a beard. He stood, bowed, and politely stated, “Hapori Jayko of the Knights’ Kingdom, at your service.”
    The next one to stand up was on Rider’s left—another human-like figure with black body armor that covered him from neck to toe. Two spikes sharply curved up from his shoulders, and he had blue plates of armor around his waist, around where his arms connected to his torso, and on his wrist, in addition to some blue designs on his chest. He looked to be wearing a black Kanohi Hau, although his mask had four mandible-like spikes on the inner edge of the oval indentation on the lower front. This one casually sighed, “I’m Hapori Bluetooth; my power comes from the Galidor world.”
    To Jayko’s right was a being who appeared mostly if not entirely mechanical in nature. The robot had a heavy build, with white-armored legs that sprouted small fins on the outer thighs and thick red arms that ended in oversized hands. His torso was mostly white, as was his rectangular, vaguely bird-like head, which sat between two large plates of red shoulder armor. Two sharp white fins jutted out from his back, about where his shoulder blades might have been, and as far as Zadakh could tell, they existed only to make the machine look more menacing. However, the robot’s voice was completely calm, although it did have a metallic echo to it: “I came from the Exo-Force dimension. You can call me Hapori Mecha.”
    At Bluetooth’s left was a large, bulky man in very simple black and green body armor. Brown hair rested on top of his head, but his eyes could not be seen through the green visor he wore over them. On his chest was a round emblem divided into four parts—two green, two black—and a black cape flowed behind him. With a slight scowl, he stood up and muttered, “I’ve got a bit of power from the Ben 10 Alien Force universe, though I didn’t get near as much power as most of these guys. Still, they call me Hapori Omnitrix anyway…”
    To Zadakh’s immediate left was a Hero Factory hero, built using a 2.0+ body with mostly white armor. This hero wore Preston Stormer’s original helmet, and from the back of his shoulders extended two large, rectangular ‘fins’ that blue spears sprouted from. On his right forearm was an odd gray box-like apparatus, and on his left was a white multi-tool ice shield that sported twin spears and a curved, jagged blade. From the rear of this blade extended a translucent blue tube that connected to the hero’s back, and on each thigh he bore a Hero Badge—one forest green, the other dark gray. He didn’t even turn to face Zadakh as he dutifully said, “Hapori Stormer, from Hero Factory.”
    On Zadakh’s immediate right was a man with black hair and yellow eyes, and he wore a suit of armor similar to the one worn by Iron Man. In truth, the only differences were the lack of a helmet, the color blue replacing Iron Man’s gold color, and blue lines that traced angular patterns on the chest plate. With a friendly smile, this man eagerly shook Zadakh’s hand and said, “Pleased to meet you! I’ve got a little bit of energy from the Marvel and DC Universes, so I’m going by ‘Hapori Comic’.”
    With the introductions behind him, Zadakh finally had a moment of pause. It was a few seconds before he felt the information had been adequately processed, although it still left him struggling to comprehend everything. He scratched his head and attempted to fit together a few of the puzzle pieces he had…
    “So…why am I here?” he asked at last. “I mean…am I…?”
    “You are also a Hapori…Hapori Zadakh,” Tohu answered. “But you are a very special Hapori. From what we understand, the Great Beings gathered energy from the Bionicle universe once again, but this time they planted it in a life form that already existed…a human.”
    Even with his question answered, it didn’t make sense to Zadakh. Logic had taken its earlier victory and abandoned him, leaving only anarchy in its wake.
    “…But…why?” was all he could muster.
    “The Great Beings probably wanted to test a new variable,” Slizer said. “They’re never turned a pre-existing being into a Hapori before.”
    “But what’s the point?” Zadakh asked, his voice rising in volume. “Why did they create us? What purpose are we supposed to serve?”
    “We don’t have a purpose,” Stormer replied. “They created us just because they could. It’s up to us to decide how we spend our time.”
    The utter madness of this statement sent Zadakh reeling. “…What? They just…made a bunch of living beings for no reason? There’s no point to our existence at all?!”
    “You’ll get used to it,” Omnitrix said with a shrug.
    “NO!” Zadakh yelled. He shot up out of his seat and slammed his hands down on the table. “I refuse to ‘get used’ to being purposeless!! I had a life! I…”
    Zadakh trailed off and put a hand to his head—he had once again encountered the invincible fog. Had he indeed possessed a life as he believed? He couldn’t remember any details about his time as a human…so how could be sure? In fact, how could he be sure that he had even been human? Was it all just a lie? Some cruel dream that haunted the edge of his recollection?
    Zadakh leaned over the table and growled, “No…I was human…! Why can’t I…”
    A pressure began to press down upon the other Hapori—it was nothing they could not handle, but it did grab their attention. Jayko quietly said, “Zadakh, please try to calm down. Your power could run wild if you become too emotional.”
    “WELL I AM EMOTIONAL!!” Zadakh screamed.
    As he spoke, a pulse of yellow energy radiated outward from him, knocking back the other Hapori. Bluetooth, however, was quick to recover, and he leapt through the air directly at Zadakh. While airborne, Bluetooth’s right hand twisted and morphed, transforming into a large needle in a matter of seconds. As he came close, he thrust the needle into Zadakh’s neck, causing the youth to come to a complete halt. Zadakh’s eyes flickered a few times, and soon his body went limp and the ethereal pressure ceased to exist.
    Bluetooth withdrew; his hand reverted to normal as he walked back towards his seat. Zadakh collapsed into his own seat, and Bluetooth said, “Dume got pretty worked up too.”
    “Go easy on the kid,” Mecha said. “Do you really think he’ll be the same as Dume?”
    “Silence,” Tohu ordered. He tone was far stricter than usual. “We are not to discuss him. I shall have that law enforced.”
    “Poor kid,” Comic mused. “Accepting a lack of purpose was tough enough for us, but to have your whole life stolen on top of that…”
    “It is not our place to question the Great Beings,” Tohu said. “Zadakh will come to learn that in time. For now, we must do all we can to help him. He is our brother now.”
    “I’m not getting attached,” Omnitrix said. “The Great Beings botched this one. He’ll be gone soon enough.”
    “Quiet!” Rider snapped.
    The lithe Hapori ‘skated’ around the table and pulled Zadakh out of his chair, slinging his comatose comrade over his shoulder. Rider slowly rolled down the hall that Zadakh and Tohu had emerged from, and the other Hapori fell silent for the time being. Zadakh remained locked in his miserable slumber.
  17. Pahrak Model ZX
    I did another Reference Roulette an ended up with the Rahkshi page. I knew I wanted to do something with Melding Rahkshi, but I wasn't sure what, then I reminded myself the point isn't to write something good so I just wrote up what came to mind tried a few more times and came up with The Principle of the Thing. I'm in the habit of making blog posts whenever I do a new story, though.
  18. Pahrak Model ZX
    Earlier this year I ran Slizer Dome, a game where the players assumed the role of Slizers and battled each other in a tournament to decide who was the very best. After having set it aside for a while, I think I’d like to start up a sequel sometime during the next month or two.
     
    “Sequel” might not be the most accurate—I do hope to eventually do a game in this series inspired by the Slizers 2000 story, but this next game will actually be based on the multiple planets version of the Slizers story. So it will either be called “Slizer Dome US”, or “Throwbot Dome”. (Take your pick!) I think I’m also going to ditch the tournament aspect, meaning a winner won’t be decided by number of fights won anymore. I think this game will instead use a point system and proceed as follows.
     
    Each of the seven rounds will still be divided into two parts, and the first part will stay the same: players choose to Train their physical ability, Forge a disk, or Gather a resource. I’ll RNG a number 1-8, and the resulting weapon will be added to their inventory (Disk 3, Physical 7, etc). This time, if you pursue a weapon you already have at least one of, numbers lower than the level you already have will be removed from the list. So, if you have Physical Level 5 and elect to train, I’ll RNG a number 5-8 rather than 1-8. This should increase your chances of actually increasing your weapon level rather than being stuck with what you’ve already got. You will then receive points based on what level of weapon you received! If you get a Level 1 weapon, you get 100 points. Level 2, 200 points, and so on. If you fail to increase the level of your weapon, you will receive only 100 points regardless of level. When you receive a Level 8 weapon, you will receive a point bonus based on how early in the game you got it: in round 1, a 700 point bonus; in round 2, a 600 point bonus; and so on. There will probably also be a point bonus for reaching Level 8 in all three areas, though I’m not quite sure how much.
     
    The second part of each round will then be a battle against the Elemental Monster of the planet you’ve chosen. You pick one of your weapons, and I’ll RNG an affinity for the monster, and then we see how they match up rock-paper-scissors style. I’m not sure yet if I’ll also RNG levels for the monster, or if you’ll get a tie from both having the same weapon (in which case weapon levels are really only a concern of points). Obviously you’ll get points for defeating these, though I haven’t decided how many, and if a tie is a possible result you’ll probably get half that amount as a reward for not losing.
     
    I’d like to do something special for the final round again, but now that the second part of every round basically functions the same as Slizer Dome’s Millennia battle, I feel like I should try to think up something even more different. We’ll see how that goes.
     
    So would anyone be interested in playing this? I’d love any suggestions you might have!
     
    EDIT: After thinking about it a little, I think I’ve actually already got things together. I never was good at pacing myself.
    -Elemental Monsters will have randomly generated levels as well as affinities.
    -Defeating an Elemental Monsters gives 1000 points. If you both have the same affinity and level, you will tie and receive 500 points. If you tie at Level 8, it is considered a victory.
    -There will not be a bonus for getting Level 8 in all three areas, you’ll already have gotten three bonuses and have a very good chance of succeeding in all battles.
    -Round seven part two will have an alternate opponent you can choose to fight instead of the elemental monster. I won’t spoil who it is, but the foe will be guaranteed to be Level 8, and victory will double your score, but defeat will halve it.
     
    Not sure when the game will go up (and still need to decide on title), but keep an eye out for news once Technic Tournament 4 in 3D wraps up!
  19. Pahrak Model ZX
    Finally I have managed to make a quick update! Chapter 4 of Shooting Star Sonia is already up in OTC!
     
    So, I’ve rearranged my outline for the story. Originally, Chapter 4 was going to end differently and lead right into the scenario planned for Chapter 5, but I thought it would work better if I moved that scenario back to Chapter 6. I’ve still got a plan for what I’m doing in the new Chapter 5, but there are a few things I’m still working out, so there might be more of a delay. Also my upcoming vacation. And I guess I was hoping to make some more progress on that other fanfic soon as well. But, regardless of all that, hopefully I won’t take about a month like I have been prior to this update! Now, let me see if I can get this figured out…
  20. Pahrak Model ZX
    I was thinking about making some of the more powerful items harder to get. Rather than just selling them at the shop, I could present them in an auction mode. Every so often, a new auction would be announced, and a rare/powerful item would be offered at a starting price with players able to place bids to decide who wins it. Still just a very rough idea--I'm not sure how often these auctions would take place, if they would have time limits, or even what specific items would be restricted to auctions (maybe items currently priced 15,000 or more?).
     
    Any thoughts/suggestions?
  21. Pahrak Model ZX
    Well it’s not out yet.
     
    But you know what is out?
     
    Slizer Mafia 2.8, a lazily-named short story that briefly introduces the situation you’ll find yourself in and a couple of characters who’ll be important. Also it goes into some mechanics so that I can skip the long explanations in the actual game to save space.
     
    Don’t worry, Slizer Mafia 3 is looking good, and I plan to request permission to host it soon. (Maybe mid-March if the opportunity is there?) And no, you don’t have to read 2.8 in order to understand 3, this really is just hype-building and a chance to elaborate on some of my nonsensical plot points in a less intrusive way.
     
    Although now I realize 2.8 focuses entirely on one faction and wonder if I should do something for the opposing faction too…
  22. Pahrak Model ZX
    It is more apparent than ever that Technic Coliseum is on its last legs. As such, the June tournament will be the last tournament. The successor, Technic Warzone, will begin later that month to give players a week or two to adjust before the first tournament in July. This decision is final.
     
    What is not finalized, and needs to be by the time Coliseum ends, are the exact details on how Warzone will be conducted. I posted a draft a while back--if I do not receive any feedback on potential changes, I'll just go with what I have proposed here. Once Warzone does start up, I will still be open to new ideas and improvements, but I would like to polish it as much as possible beforehand so it can make a great first impression.
     
    Also, there is another note I wish to make about the June tournament: it begins on June 2nd, but I will be leaving on a four-day vacation on the 5th. Going by recent participation, this should still give me time to resolve all matches before I leave, but I would appreciate it if everyone could do their best to not draw the rounds out so we can be sure to get it done. Worst case scenario, I may try to log on during my vacation (no promises ), or I might simply have to delay the remaining matches until I return that Sunday evening. I could have a player take over ref duties in this case, but I hesitate to do that. There aren't many players still hanging around--whoever I chose would almost definitely have been someone who lost in an earlier round, and while I trust you guys, it would still present a conflict of interest. I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get to it, eh?
     
    The tentative release date for Technic Warzone is June 22nd. I hope you'll look forward to it!
  24. Pahrak Model ZX

    Ask a Bohrok

    By Pahrak Model ZX,

    I like to join in popular trends sometimes
     
    So feel free to ask me questions if you want
     
    That also applies to after this entry falls onto that mythical second page no one’s ever read, feel free to ask me weird stuff using whatever channels you like, I can make myself approachable probably
     
    But don’t ask me to choose between things because I’m super indecisive okay
  25. Pahrak Model ZX
    Asterisk Holder: Currently unnamed old man (pictured right)
     

     
    Origin: Final Fantasy Tactics
     
    Was It In Bravely Default?: No
     
    Overview: We have been told that the Astrologer will use “Moon Magic”, which consists of powerful buffs including an ability known as "Element Barrier". Very little information is known.
     
    Personal Thoughts: Since Performer and Astrologer are both buff-focused, I’m curious to see how they will be differentiated. I find it odd that we’ve been told so little about the Asterisk holder—just that he’s a mysterious fortune teller—and since the Astrologer’s command is “Moon Magic”, I have to wonder if he’s related to Magnolia somehow. That could be interesting! I do like the general look of this Job, though I’m wondering what that weird contraption on the chest is supposed to be. Plus, the old man’s floating star halo is nostalgic. I guess he’s mastered the Job already!
     
    Update 1/23: New Magnolia image
×
×
  • Create New...