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Illuminatus

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  1. Illuminatus

    Just Two More

    By Illuminatus,

    Sent to bonesiii, who'll pass it on to the BSS for reviewing.
     
    UPDATE: Read this entry, it contains the updated concept.
     

    - - -


     
    As we're all aware, there's been a recent outbreak of complaints as to the overabundance of elements and their seemingly random addition to the BIONICLE storyline. Most members now are strongly against the addition of any new elements within the boundaries of the MU, with the grounds that there are "just too many" of them. And they've got a good point, if the addition is indeed random, and without an initially established final number. So, BSS (and hopefully Greg), I present for your consideration:
     



     
    This theory will attempt to explain why there is (or could be) a certain number of virtues, legendary powers, elements and hours within one day in the Matoran Universe.
     
    Now, let's start off with one of the most basic concepts of BIONICLE The Three Virtues:
    Unity
    Duty
    Destiny
    There are also three legendary powers in the MU, which in a way could be associated respectively to each virtue:
    Creation
    Life
    Time
    Unity brings about creation, as it could be related to building, or constructing. Life can viewed as a duty to the others and/or yourself, depending on your goals. And destiny can only be unfolded within a certain time span.
     
    So, we've got three virtues, and three principal powers. My primary idea is to have the number three be at the base of all other significant numbers, as each of them is comprised of it. There are six original elements, which were introduced in 2001, and six is divisible by three. We know of ten secondary elements so far, but let's assume that the total number is twelve. Twelve is divisible by both three and six. Furthermore, the complete number of elements in the MU would be eighteen, the product of three and six.
     
    I've composed this chart, enlisting the three virtues, and the hypothetical eighteen elements:
     

     
    | CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE |


     
    Moving on, a BZP member recently presented the idea of there being thirty-six hours a day in the MU, with an eighteen-hour night and an eighteen-hour day, and that idea is currently being voted upon. If we assume that that idea becomes canon, then we've got one more significant number in the MU, one that fits perfectly in the virtue/element "matrix." Thirty-six is divisible by each preceding number three, six, twelve and eighteen, and it completes the cycle of the matrix.
     
    Here's a list of the described equations:
     



     
    And that is the essence of my theory. With your help and hopefully Greg's approval, we can make this a canon aspect of BIONICLE, and create room for two more elements. I realize that some people might not like the addition of new elements whatsoever, and that's understandable. But if we accept this idea, then such an addition would no longer appear arbitrary and uncalled for, plus such a matrix would pertain to the Great Being's way of work.
     
    Thank you for taking the time to read this.
     

    Acknowledgements:


     
    bonesiii, for his idea to associate the three virtues with the three legendary powers.
    Zakitano, for his sundial and thirty-six hour theory.
     

    - - -


  2. Illuminatus
    - - -


     
    First of all, I'd like to point out that I don't really see this proposal as a theory, but rather as a discovery. Most aspects of it have been hinted at since the very beginning of BIONICLE, but have never been clearly explained. What this proposal aims to do is to unravel the grand scheme, if you will, and redefine that which has been there all along.
     
    I've divided the theory into several basic parts, each raising and answering a question that I believe to be pertinent. So, starting off:
     



     
    Most fans of BIONICLE never really stop to ask themselves what actually makes an Element and sets it apart from a regular power. Every explanation we've been given so far is dubious, to say the least. Some people just describe the Elements as something "Toa" wield, and are done with the subject, but that explanation leaves something to be desired.
     
    So what really is an Element? IMO, it's an essential part of the Matoran Universe, that makes sure the infrastructure of the Mata Nui "robot" is running efficiently. In a broader sense, the Elements are an inseparable part of all life in the MU, which ensure a wide variety of environments, characters, abilities, and moralities.
     
    Naturally, there must be several categories of Elements, as some are much more powerful and important than the rest. In this part, I'll enlist two categories:
     
    The first and most essential category is that of the Legendary Elements, or as I like to call them, the Abstract Elements: Creation, Life, and Time. They are different from all the other Elements, as they aren't and cannot be wielded directly by any know species, but are fundamental parts of the MU. Creation in its own right is a process and a facet of every other Element. Life is at the base of all existence, and Time ensures progress and evolution. Out of these three, none can be created or absorbed, and they can only be manipulated to a slight extent.
     
    The second category would be that of the Physical Elements: Air, Ice, Fire etc. Those Elements are also important parts of the MU, but unlike the Abstract Elements, they can be wielded directly by a number of species. They can be created, absorbed, and manipulated. So far, the Matoran/Toa/Turaga are known to naturally utilize every Physical Element, with the exception of Shadow, which is a Makuta Element (and also Acid, but more on that below).
     
    Powers, on the other hand, are either artificial or Element-based abilities, that aid numerous species in their missions and goals. In my observation, what sets them apart from the Elements is they are not essential aspects of the MU, and grant their user a much more limited range of abilities, albeit diverse. A Toa of Water, for example, is capable of absorbing, creating, and manipulating her Element, whereas a being with Water-based powers would only be able to create Water and manipulate it at best.
     
    A large number of Powers directly or indirectly originates from one or more Elements, as they all manipulate the environment and its inhabitants in some way. However, an Elemental being such as a Toa, doesn't necessarily have control over every single derivative of their Element. For example, Sand is essentially an aggregation of miniature Stone particles, but it cannot be controlled by a regular Toa of Stone. If it ever became a Power, it would still be a Stone-based one, regardless of the fact that it doesn't fall under the jurisdiction of a Stone-wielding being.
     
    So, we've given a definition for the Elements and Powers in BIONICLE, and also separated the Elements into two basic categories. Moving on:
     



     
    As every dedicated fan of BIONICLE knows, there are two Physical Elements that stand above all the rest, as they are the physical manifestations of the inner good, and inner bad within every being. You guessed it, I'm talking about Light and Shadow.
     
    Now, in BIONICLE, Shadow is more than the mere absence of Light. It is a type of tangible, physical energy, that is the diametric opposite of Light. Furthermore, any being with active or inactive Elemental abilities has the potential to gain control control over either of the above two Elements, but in order to do so, they must become either completely good, or completely evil. So, virtually any Toa can become a Toa of Light, or a Toa of Shadow, however the former is a naturally occurring Toa Element, and the latter is not, meaning the only way for a Toa of Shadow to exist is if they were either willingly, or forcefully "purged" of their Moral Light.
     
    The only instance we've seen so far of beings being purged of their inner good, is the Av-Matoran in Karda Nui and Takanuva, and that was done with the help of Shadow Leeches. The official explanation is that these creatures have the ability to "drain" your inner Light, or good, and then instill a mental barrier in you that would prevent your inner Light from "regenerating."
     
    Personally, though, I've always disliked the way good and evil were referred to as something you can have more or less of. I believe that good and evil, i.e. inner Light and inner Shadow are abstract absolutes that are present within every being and don't shift in quantity or ratio. Instead, what determines whether a being is good or evil, is which of their two inner aspects they've decided (or have been forced) to embrace and pursue.
     



     
    As you can see in the above graphic, I've presented the state of moral "balance" as a state of Void (I've also enlisted it as a regular Element, but more on that below). Don't misinterpret it as lack of morals, it has no negative or positive connotations whatsoever. It is meant to represent that difficult-to-attain state of complete peace and stillness, devoid of any ambition or desire. Mind you, being in this state would not mean you have an equal amount of inner Light and Shadow, but rather that you are equally inclined to "hear" and embrace both, while being in between.
     
    Some of you might think this makes no sense, but ask yourselves, can you really be good and evil at the same time? No, just as you can't be happy and sad. You can't be both, but you can be neither, and that is precisely what the state of Void stands for.
     
    The gray area around the center of the scale represents the so called "comfort zone" that most beings are in, as they are constantly leaning either towards their inner Shadow, or towards their inner Light. While they are still in this zone, they have control over their natural Element, but as soon as they cross either boundary, they begin to gradually lose their original Element and gain either Shadow or Light-based powers. At that point, they can walk the entire path and become complete beings of Light/Shadow, or they can go back and become regular "balanced" beings.
     
    All of the above naturally raises the question of what the Shadow Leeches actually do. Well, personally, I like to interpret the expression of "draining your inner Light" as a figure of speech. You see, what a Shadow Leech really does is it makes you embrace your inner Shadow in a single instant, and it completely "deafens" your inner good (which would basically be equivalent to the mental barrier). Thus, if you were "drained" by a Shadow Leech, you'd be overwhelmed by your Moral Shadow, and would become completely incapable of responding to your Moral Light.
     



     
    Ironically, the only cure for a Shadow Leech's barrier is the sonic scream of a Klakk bird, which would symbolically let you "hear" and respond to your inner good.
     
    So, let's assume that the three basic moralities present in all inhabitants of the MU are Shadow, Void, and Light. They'd represent the inner evil, the inner balance (or state of "neither"), and the inner good, respectively. Altogether, they'd comprise the three Moral Elements, the third Elemental category.
     
    But, as you've probably seen in one of the above graphics, I've also featured Void as a Physical Element.
     



     
    As I mentioned earlier, Shadow (as an Element, and not a morality) is a tangible sort of energy, or matter. It isn't the absence of Light, as some people might think. But if Light is its own thing, and Shadow is its own thing, then there must naturally be something in between, something that would be the absence of both. And that's precisely where Void comes in. From a physical point of view, it is nothingness, the complete absence of matter. It would be the direct result of absorption.
     
    It might be a hard concept to wrap your head around at first, but when you look into it, it actually makes tons of sense.
     
    Void would be the opposite of all matter, and in that sense, it would the counterpoint of every other Physical Element:
     



     
    "So, would there be Toa of Void then?"
     
    Well, there don't need to be any, because all Toa already are Toa of Void, in a way. By absorbing their individual Element, they bring abut Void; and conversely, when they materialize their Element, they absorb Void. You might say this sounds far-fetched, but consider what Makuta Teridax said at the end of the MNOG:
     
     
     
     
    So why would Makuta say all of that? Because he saw Shadow as the void? Hardly.
     
    Teridax is by nature a contemplator, and a schemer. He's also a bit of philosophical type, and likes to deify himself whenever he gets the chance. By the time he'd started plotting against the Great Spirit, he'd have surely figured out that Light and Shadow are evenly matched, being both tangible forms of energy. So Makuta must've started searching for something greater than Shadow. What's the one thing that stands between that and Light, yet also above them? That's right, Void.
     
    In the literal sense, Void can be interpreted as a Physical Element, as it is simply the absence of matter, but Makuta must've also viewed it as an Abstract Element, taking it to be the direct opposite of Creation (as Void relates to absorption), Life (as it is inanimate), and Time (as it is perpetual).
     
    So naturally, after such a revelation, Teridax must've convinced himself that he should become Void, and the only way he could've gone about doing that would've been to meditate on the concept. We can't tell for sure how successful he was, but we can say that he believed in this idea.
     
    Anyway, enough about Makuta. One last thing I should say on the matter is that Light and Shadow are both Physical and Moral Elements, so if Void were to be the third Moral Element, it would be sensible for it to also have a Physical counterpart. Thus, out of all the Physical Element, Shadow, Void and Light would make up the three Fundamental Elements. Following them would be the six Primary Elements (a.k.a. Air, Ice, Fire, Water, Earth, and Stone) and the nine Secondary ones.
     



     
    BIONICLE has always been about three and six. Six heroes, one destiny. Six breeds of villains, six villages and tribes. Three Toa to form one Toa Kaita.
     
    As you've undoubtedly noticed, I've featured the number three several times in the above parts: three Abstract Elements, three Moral Elements, and three Fundamental Physical Elements. What could I be missing? Why, it's the Three Virtues, a key point in the BIONICLE franchise.
     



     
    As portrayed in the above graphic, each Virtue can be related to an Abstract Element: unity brings about creation, as it's associated with building and constructing; life can be viewed as a duty to the self, or to the others, depending on one's goals; and destiny can only be unfolded within a certain time span. The pattern fits rather nicely, wouldn't you agree?
     
    Moreover, the Matoran of Mata Nui had derived six Principles out of the Three Virtues:
     



     
    By now, people should be convinced that the number three plays an important part in BIONICLE, which is why I consider it to be the base number of the MU. Six, being the number of Elements originally introduced in 2001, is a multiple of three, and it is also the number of Toa needed to create a Toa Seal. It's an inseparable facet of Unity.
     
    So, if we assume that Void can be a full-fledged Physical Element, it would be one of three Fundamental Elements (Shadow, Void, and Light), followed by six Primary Elements (Air, Ice, Fire, Water, Earth, and Stone), and eight Secondary Elements... so far.
     



     
    In the above chart, I've presented all of the Physical Elements, including a free slot for an additional Secondary Element. Why do we need one? Because it would be the ninth Secondary Element, and nine is also a multiple of three. Furthermore, the complete number of Elements would be eighteen, which happens to be the product of three and six.
     
    Why all this obsession with numbers? Well, numbers and numerical ciphers are what pertains to the Great Being's way of work, plus you have to admit, this proposed "matrix" is rather unequivocal and follows a strict pattern, in contrast to the already high number of Elements that have pretty much been canonized on a random basis.
     
    So what is to be the eighteenth Element? I'll leave that spot blank.
     



     
    Acid is probably the most problematic Element in BIONICLE. It's been confirmed that it cannot be wielded by Toa, as it is "immoral." Some sources describe it as a "low-level" or "non-Toa" Element, whilst others depict it as a regular Power.
     
    In my opinion, Acid shouldn't be considered an Element, for one of several reason: first of all, it isn't an essential part of the Matoran Universe; secondly, it cannot be absorbed or manipulated, but only created, unlike every other Physical Element; thirdly, its current status as a "non-Toa" Element only creates confusion, especially since Physical Elements are considered to have no moral connotations.
     
    So should Acid be considered a sub-power? Perhaps, or it could also be seen as a derivative of The Green. Some plants are known to synthesize Acid, so it could easily be considered a Plant Life-based Power. It wouldn't necessarily be controlled by a Toa of The Green, for the same reason Toa of Stone can't control Sand.
     
    Another rather controversial Power would be Vacuum. It's never been considered an Element, as it is essentially a sub-power of Air. But it is the only Bohrok-Kal Power to have not been made into a Toa Element, so that somewhat disrupts the pattern... unless, you recall that Acid was also the only Bohrok Power to not be based on one of the Primary Physical Elements.
     
    All the Bohrok breeds had Powers based on a respective Primary Element, except for the Lehvak, which had control over Acid. Conversely, all the Bohrok-Kal had Powers based on most of the Secondary Elements, except for Lehvak-Kal, who had Vacuum as a Power (a derivative/sub-power of Air the remaining Primary Element).
     
    So, basically, Lehvak-Kal had a Power based on one of the Primary Elements instead of the Lehvak, which in turn had Acid Powers. Earlier in this part I suggested that Acid be a derivative/sub-power of The Green (and that just so happens to be a Secondary Element). Thus the Lehvak would've had Plant Life-based Powers. Why not? They were the green Bohrok, after all.
     



     
    One thing we haven't observed yet, are the genders and their role in BIONICLE. Now, I can't say if there is a specific purpose for the current ratio, but that's really irrelevant. One thing we do know, is that genders pertain to Elements, and vice versa. So far, we've seen eleven male Elements, three female, and two mixed (Light and Shadow). Shadow encompasses both genders as a natural, as well as an unnatural Element, and so does Light (Toa of Light are naturally male and female, and so are Makuta; however, any being, regardless of their gender can become a being of Light or Shadow as well).
     
    How would Void fit into this chart? Well, it is the third Moral Element, as well as the third Fundamental Element, next to Light and Shadow. As it virtually encompasses all Physical Elements, it can also be said that it pertains to both genders. Thus the three bi-gender Elements would be none other than Shadow, Void, and Light.
     
    And that leaves us with three mixed, three female, and eleven male. Why not make the last Element male? This way, the ratio would be 3:3:12. Twelve is yet another multiple of three, and fits perfectly into the rest of the numerical matrix.
     



     
    So, let's round up the key points of this proposal:
    The Elements are essential parts of the Matoran Universe. They are divided into three basic categories: Abstract (Legendary), Moral, and Physical Elements.
    The Physical Elements in their own right, are also divided into three groups: Fundamental, Primary, and Secondary Elements.
    Void is the third Moral Element, as well as the third Fundamental Physical Element, alongside Light and Shadow. As a Moral Element, it symbolizes the state between inner good and inner bad, or the state of neither, i.e. "balance." As a Physical Element, Void represents the absence of matter, and the direct result of Elemental absorption. It encompasses all other Physical Elements, in the sense that it is indirectly utilized by every Element-wielding species.
    Three is at the base of all significant numbers in the MU. It stands for the Three Virtues, the three Abstract (Legendary) Elements, the three Moral Elements, and their respective Physical counterparts. It is followed by six (the number of the Primary Physical Elements), nine (the number of the Secondary Physical Elements), and eighteen (the total number of Physical Elements).
    Acid is a Plant Life-based Power, a derivative/sub-power of The Green. It likely cannot be controlled by Toa of The Green, for the same reason Sand can't be controlled by Toa of Stone. Vacuum is a derivative/sub-power of Air.
    The gender ratio for the Elements is 3:3:12, with three mixed (Shadow, Void, and Light), three female, and twelve male. Twelve is yet another multiple of three. The eighteenth Element should be male.
    And I believe this is it. Thank you all for taking the time to read this (and I realize it's been a lot of time). I look forward to hearing your opinions. If you've got any questions regarding the proposal, feel free to ask.
     
    - Surreality
     

    - - -


  3. Illuminatus

    Uncanonized

    By Illuminatus,

    Just had another idea laid to waste by the Greg man:
     
     
    And just in case anyone's interested, this is something else I suggested to the BSS a while ago:
     
     
    I look forward to hearing what you think.
  4. Illuminatus

    Change in Plan

    By Illuminatus,

    NOTE: This proposal is also outdated. The current (and final) suggestion is being reviewed by the BSS and will not be posted publicly until they've consulted with Greg.
     

    - - -
     

     
    | CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE |


     
    Three is still at the base, with all ensuing numbers as multiples.
     
    Void is basically a superset of Vacuum, it is nothing, the absence of both good (moral light), and evil (moral shadow). It is to be a physical representation of the moral balance present in every Toa, except for the Toa of Shadow. Shadow is to be the only physical Element that would be unable to exist without its moral counterpart, whereas physical Light would be able to exist in a state of moral "Void." Altogether, Light, Shadow, and Void are to be the Three Fundamental Elements, acting as physical manifestations of the three basic moralities found in all things.
     
    "Poison" is just a placeholder name I used for an eventual Acid-based Toa Element. The idea is to simply redefine the powers we've already been presented with, and cause Greg as few headaches as possible, all the while preserving the main concept of the "numerology theory."
     
    On a side note, Void would be the third mixed-gender Element, along with Light and Shadow, and thus the gender ratio would be 3:3:12, with 3 mixed, 3 female, and 12 male Elements.
     
     
     

    - - -


  6. Illuminatus
    So I'm looking into assembling my own Toa Krakua per John Dexter's original instructions. I had some fun compiling a BrickLink wanted list until I realized the set can't be assembled without having both dark gray and dark bluish gray parts and that's a huge pain in the neck. But it's still a childhood dream of mine to have the Toa so I'll do some experimenting until I find a color scheme that's as seamless as possible.
     
    IIRC Toa Krakua was the first Toa of a different element besides Fire, Air, Water, Earth, Ice, Stone and Light to be introduced into the canon, right?
  8. Illuminatus
    Beating my own lay attempts years ago, someone figured out a way to extract all the musical fragments from BIONICLE: The Game and sewing them together to bring the most complete, well-composed and high-quality OST of the game available online:
     

    or DOWNLOAD! 
    The score includes fragments that have never been used in the actual game for one reason or another, like
    amazing passage for Ta-Koro and entire battle theme for Ga-Koro. 
    Credit goes out to Hexadecimal Mantis for extracting the music and That1Cactus for editing. Insane job, you guys.
     
    I'll go ahead and also share the original Onua Nuva and Tahu Nuva tracks Bob & Barn were kind enough to share with me some years ago that I never got around to uploading—and while I'm at it, here's the entire thing I personally managed to put together:
     
    DOWNLOAD! (23/32 edited tracks + 2 original tracks by Bob & Barn)
     
    Enjoy the best score ever composed for BIONICLE!
  9. Illuminatus
    I'd have ended the story in 2008 with a cliffhanger and a "to be continued," then made Bara Magna the proper Generation 2 after a year's hiatus.
     
    Let's face it, BIONICLE had two reboots: a minor one and a major one. Both failed. IMHO, Bara Magna had promise but was handled poorly. The fact that it ran for only a year is still just surreal to me.
  10. Illuminatus
    For the past several years, I've been doing what I could never do as a kid—namely collecting BIONICLE sets, collectibles, pieces and merchandise online.
     
    I recently came to a very grim realization that had somehow been eluding me since mid 2011. Shipping overseas (in my case from the US to Bulgaria) without tracking is absolutely unreliable. I went ahead and made an extensive revision of every online purchase I've made from the US since mid 2011 and arrived at the following numbers:
    5 US eBay purchases (without tracking) – 5 arrived (4 BIONICLE-related)
    6 US BrickLink purchases (without tracking) – 1 arrived (6 BIONICLE-related)
    3 US BZP trades/purchases (without tracking) – 2 arrived (3 BIONICLE-related)
    1 other US purchase (without tracking) – 1 arrived (0 BIONICLE-related)

    Which means that out of 15 shipped packages (that I paid for; obviously) only 9 (60%) have arrived. That is absolutely maddening. For every 3 purchases that have arrived to me, 2 have gone missing. Those numbers are insane. I mean look at BrickLink, for goodness' sake—1 out of 6 arrived. Are you kidding me???
     
    I've had packages go missing from other countries as well, but nowhere near as often as from the US. Packages from Germany have occasionally arrived damaged, but almost always arrive without the need for tracking. That goes for almost all of Europe.
     
    Now I was almost certain the problem was with Bulgarian Post (a government-owned establishment) and their sloppy service; I'm willing to bet the majority of the packages that never arrived to me are in fact in my own country; although the numbers make me consider whether USPS is doing a good job too or is partly responsible for this gross unreliability.
     
    I hate to rant, but this simply isn't fair. Literally the cheapest delivery service in the civilized world should, by default, guarantee that your package will in fact arrive. It doesn't matter how long it takes. Arrival should be a given, not a privilege. When we pay for merchandise and pay to have it shipped, we pay for it to arrive, not just to depart. If I were paying for the latter, I could just as easily have the seller toss it out their window and then keep my fingers crossed it arrives somehow.
     
    Not to mention the obvious loss of time, money and valuable merchandise. I don't know about you guys, but even in the very rare cases where I'd gotten a refund, I've still felt extremely cheated, because the items I've (apparently gambled on and) lost have usually been the only ones for sale at the time. For a lost package to hypothetically be compensated, you would need a full refund and the easy opportunity to buy the same item for the same amount from elsewhere. If those circumstances are present, you can get over the time you've lost, but it's never really just the time you lose. You usually lose the time, the money and the ability to obtain the item again. That is literally criminal.
     
    Bottom line is, whenever I want to buy something from overseas, I have to choose between either paying a reasonable amount of money for shipping or being guaranteed that my package will in fact arrive. Having both is apparently too much to ask for in the 21st century.
     
    To wrap my rant up, I'll just go ahead and post a list of all the items I've lost in the aforementioned purchases (all of which are coincidentally LEGO-related items):
    1 Toa Mata US promotional mini CD
    1 Interactive Demo CD
    1 Throwbots 2000 Fusion poster
    7 different marbled silver Rhotuka spinners
    1 glow-in-the-dark opaque Rhotuka spinner
    1 dark bluish gray Rhotuka spinner
    1 pearl light gray Toa Mata head
    9 Kanohi polybags in 3 different colors
    1 Kanohi & Krana polybag

    RIP in the huge magical pile of "lost" packages I guess.
     
    BCJ out.
  11. Illuminatus

    Incepted

    By Illuminatus,

    I was supposed to go to the movie theater with a friend today, but it turned out he had some other arrangements so I ended up going by myself. I didn't mind, really, it rather contributes to the experience when you're alone. The movie of choice was none other than Inception.
     
    The room was pretty empty, and I was at the backmost row, so it felt decent enough. The movie itself was astonishing. I found it well-paced, innovative and with just the right amount of action, effect and intrigue. Christopher Nolan definitely didn't disappoint. Perhaps the only aspect I found irritating was the focus on sci-fi and technological applications, rather than the generally surreal, unnatural and awe-inspiring aura of the dream world. The characters could've done a bit more reality checks, like the one with the wristwatches at the beginning. None of them seemed to have a hard time remembering that they were dreaming, while that's in fact, pretty difficult. "The kick" was an original idea, though, and the overall notion of planting a thought was a stroke of genius.
     
    Did I mention Hans Zimmer is the best movie composer I've ever heard? I should.
     
    "Inception" is probably one of the best movies I've seen in a while, and even though it lacks some of the elements I usually look for in a movie, like the presence of a subtle, deep and philosophical meaning, or the symbolic allusion to higher knowledge and awareness, it's still an incredible and thought provoking piece of work.
  12. Illuminatus

    Light Bluish Gray

    By Illuminatus,

    My very first topic (or post, for that matter) on BZP was in BIONICLE-Based Creations and featured... an MOC with a very vague description and literally no photos, as I hadn't yet heard of Brickshelf. The MOC was called the "Ko-Defender."
     
    On a seemingly unrelated note, I had no idea about the distinction between "light gray" and "light bluish gray" until yesterday; I only knew about "dark gray" and "dark bluish gray" as the pieces in those two colors tend to be bigger. So obviously, I had to go through my entire list of sets to figure out which ones may have incorrect gray pieces.
     
    The answer was easy: all of the second-hand sets I'd bought from 2013 till now and all of my own sets from before and after the color transition in 2004 that I'd personally mashed up.
     
    And it turns out the last sets I'd EVER mashed up in my life were the sets I used for that cringy-looking ice-based MOC in 2005.
     
    So I opened up my Kopaka Mata, Kopaka Nuva, Kurahk and Toa Nuju to check if any of the light gray pieces were mixed up, and—of course—they were.
     
    And now they're all in their proper places.
     
    I literally can't believe how satisfying it was to trace and redistribute these pieces after almost 14 years.
  15. Illuminatus
    Christian Faber was kind enough to share a piece of concept BIONICLE artwork with me over email:
     



     
    Something else that might be interesting is, he'll soon be launching a website, entirely dedicated to his work with LEGO during the past 25 years. As I suspected, he was also involved in the making of the Slizer/Throwbots series, so it's quite possible that we may finally obtain some form of official canon for the guys.
  18. Illuminatus

    Huh...

    By Illuminatus,

    Did I ever show any of these to anyone? Or these things:
     

     

     



     
     
    God, that was such an awesome concept, and the pattern couldn't possibly have been any more perfect.
  21. Illuminatus
    Unbelievably, there appear to be 10 snapshots of my BZP profile in the Wayback Machine, but all of them display a board message. Supposedly due to the fact that you can't view profiles while you aren't logged in. But people certainly must've made the snapshots while logged in and while looking at my profile particularly.
     
    Does anyone have any idea how to make these snapshots work?
  22. Illuminatus
    Back in 2006 when I became and Outstanding BZPower Citizen a US copper Huna was sent out to me as a token of appreciation but unfortunately never made it to me.
     
    12 years later I finally have it. Black Six was kind enough to send me one as a substitute for the Villain Pack I won in the 2018 Member Raffle #4.
  24. Illuminatus
    So just a few hours ago I got what I thought was a great deal on Toa Lhikan and Kikanalo: about $25 in local currency for a seemingly complete set; no box or instructions included. When disassembling the set and doing a piece count, I found a few were missing and several others were in the wrong color. All in all, nothing I wasn't prepared for (these are typical issues when buying from "normies"); I've already ordered the instructions from a US seller and all the necessary pieces from a UK seller. By my current estimations, the extra total shouldn't be more than about $15.
     
    Now the bit that I wasn't prepared for was the fact that Lhikan's Greatswords apparently have very fragile and breakable axles. Upon close inspection of the pieces, I realized one of the axles was glued to the actual sword and when I poked at it it came off with barely any effort; needless to say I'm rather disappointed with the seller, but I've decided to let it go. Here's the issue: Lhikan Greatswords cost a lot on BrickLink, precisely because of their breakability. So I've decided that I'll go ahead and try to mend broken fences, i.e. axles.
     
    My idea right now is to basically even the surface out of both the sword and the axle and then glue them together at as perfect an angle as I can manage. First I'll need to fill in the small crater on the sword with glue or plastic, then file it to produce an even surface. Then I'll file the broken surface of the axle. Then I'll glue the two.
     
    What do you guys think? Yea or nay? Any better ideas? Have any of you gotten a broken piece like that and how did you deal with it?
     
    Perhaps I should get a cheap piece in the same pearl light gray (I think?) color, melt it somehow and use that instead of glue?
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