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EmperorWhenua

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Blog Entries posted by EmperorWhenua

  1. EmperorWhenua
    Somehow I am still Premier. Did I really buy it this late? Or did someone mysteriously gift me some? Huh. If the latter: thanks! If the former: no soup for you!
     
     
    So, as you may have heard, rumour's on the street I'm a Bionicle coordinator for BrickCon. I'm actually quite pleased I got the post and especially a Bionicle coordinator (I previously always thought the Administration somehow held a monopoly on it, but it came easier, and more forced, than anticipated. The things you learn!), and hope to somehow help make BZP, and Bionicle in general, have a very good show for being a discontinued line. Especially in a Washington convention. =P
     
    I also note another curiosity. Nukaya and I met at BrickFest in '09, and in her first full convention this year she was a coordinator (for the Other category). This is true for me as well at BrickCon. It's trivially amusing, to say the least.
     
    For those of you attending BrickCon, I look forward very much to meeting you all, and would like to make a point to meet you. Don't leave until we're at least introduced, y'hear? BZP's pretty much a big thing for me and I've met so many really cool friends, but I've only really met met a handful of them! So, to say I'm excited to meet other people is an understatement. The Lego crowd's a wonderful gang, and the BZPers are an even better group. Plus, after knowing only pixelated usernames and avatars for ages, to go and see someone and realize that member I've seen online has a name and a face, I just am awed by it.
     
    I also understand BS01 will have a big presence at the event. I don't have much more than a toehold in the site, though I know a few through BZP. I look forward to meeting Swertman and Beefy especially, since they're the ones from that mysterious Wikiworld that I know the best.
     
    A couple other things about BrickCon and I. I'll also be doing some coverage of the event for KanohiJournal and another large Bionicle fansite that I staff, and I'm fairly certain Jason and I will be doing some stuff for BZP, too. Also, I do recall saying that the BZP Member's T-Shirts will be sold there. Well, unfortunately, it appears not this time, since we have a couple issues with money, but don't worry, they'll be at BrickFest in the spring! We're still smoothing the project out, and I do intend to keep it alive for as long as I stay active on BZP.
     
     
    I'd also like to thank Bionicle Raptor for sending my own BZP member's T-shirt to me. I'm quite impressed with the quality of it all and want to thank you for being my crutch for this first leg of the project. It couldn't have been done without you. Also of note, ChocolateFrogs, who I met at Scout Jamboree last month, sent me a Lego care package with a few token items from BrickFair and Jamboree, which I found very nice and thoughtful. You two are testament of my previous comment about the BZP peeps being the best. =D
     
     
    The Bionicle RPG Contest #19 is just around the corner, and I'm proud to say that I will be entering it! Yes! It'll be my first time entering a BRPGC, which is exciting. Yeah yeah, almost four years of RPing and two years flickering on and off in the RPG Forum and just now I am joining a contest. I'm not going to brag about my entry's ideas but I do look forward to the competition and fun to be had in it! It's all about the journey of RPing, not the actual winning, so while I'm cautiously optimistic, I also am simply happy just having fun. May the best one win!
     
     
    Finally, real life. College looms ahead, starting September 27th. Eep. I guess I'm not as scared as I thought I'd be, though, and I'm confident I'll do well as always. Money is still an issue, but players seem to be answered lately and change is on the way. And soon, I'll be doing well enough to get my technological gear back on track with the 21st century! I can't wait until I can freely buy the things I need without digging my mom's pockets. XD
     
     
    Tomorrow, I shall try to rebuild my Viking Ship set and begin working on my several roleplaying projects. Until then, however, goodnight! Er, morning! xD
     
    ~EW~
  2. EmperorWhenua
    In case you didn't notice, I am absent from BrickFair. The reason is a lack of funding, and this might have been a good thing cuz I have several things of dire importance that had to get done quickly here at home. However, I understand the T-Shirts are doing well, so you can say I am there in spirit.
     
    I am home from Jamboree at last! Have been home since 5 AM Thursday, but haven't gotten around to making an entry because I have SO MUCH TO DO AUGHAG~ Pics from the trip are forthcoming once I collaborate with other people's albums and make a complete compilation of pics, from which i will then select the best ones and post them here.
     
    WHAT HAS HAPPENED WHILE I WAS GONE
     
    Well, I am an Eagle Scout at long last! Have been since the 14th of July, but I haven't said it here yet. I am an Eagle and have gotten my documents and Eagle card, so it's all good now. I turned 18 in New York City and celebrated in Little Italy, and my wish of a tiramisu dessert with a candle on top was granted. It was fantabulously delish', as well. =3 Kudos to my fellow Scoutmasters for paying attention to my midnight ramblings of tiramisu for a birthday cake. XD
     
    Jamboree itself was fantastic. And as my first job as a true-blue adult leader, it was even better, as it challenged every aspect of my leadership. The opening show was eh, but the closing show was absolutely phenomenal. Mike Rowe, Switchfoot, fireworks-- what could be better? Plus, I met with ChocolateFrogs earlier that day, so I was in a very good mood.
     
    And now I'm an adult, looking for a job and bracing myself for college. I am enrolled in my local community college with a transfer program to Southern Oregon State, studying for a degree in Business Administration (will study for Sociology later on). But! I'm an adult now. YAY NO MORE DRIVING CURFEWS.
     
     
    And another thing I'm bracing for is the ending of my Premiership. I'm surprised it hasn't happened yet, actually. Hmm.
     
    ~EW~
  3. EmperorWhenua
    The following is done under approval and license of Snoopy82 and his BZPower-inspired epic, BZ-Metru. While the characters and some puns are based off of real BZPower members, the details for them are done under creative license and are not to be confused with their actual personalities. No offense to any of them is intended. Thank you. (Also, thanks go to my proofreaders Spink and Arpy.)


    The Death Of Bionicle Raptor: Errant Spy


    It was a cold evening in BZ-Metru. A nippy evening wind whipped up flurries and conjured the occasional howl at the window of the apartment's owner. Lazok: Apprentice Muse was the sole occupant of the abode, a small studio apartment in a sparsely inhabited corner of northernmost BZ-Metru. The venerable and old Premier Member and former martial artist lived peacefully, meditating while the war between BZ-Metru and BZ-Republic raged just on the other side of the river visible through the frosted glass of his shack-like apartment building.

    He sat by a fire, reading a book in the much-appreciated solitude when he heard shuffling noises from outside. His acute ears soon picked up the sound of a door closing and the gentle creaking of the stairboards, as if someone were stalking to his door. Equally slowly, he reached to the nightstand next to him and pulled a pistol from the topmost drawer, preparing to face the intruder.

    The steps ended at his door, but to his surprise, no burglar barged in; rather, a polite knock announced the visitor's approach. Still cautious, Lazok got up and quickly walked to the door, gun leveled at whoever might be behind the wooden barrier, waiting to leap in and kill him. He opened the door slowly and stared right in the face of a strange member.

    "Oh! Please don't kill me!" the person almost yelped at the sight of the gun. "Please don't! Please!"

    Any hint of paranoia momentarily disappeared from Lazok's mind as he saw the battered and bruised member, clearly under the effect of the wounds on his body and the gusts that chilled even Lazok's sheltered spine. "Come on in," he said with a nod. He slipped his gun into a pocket of his thick robe and closed the door as the man nearly fell into the room, collapsing onto the lone couch in a frightened and exhausted fashion.

    "What's your name?" Lazok asked as he poured still-hot water over fresh tea leaves.

    "Bionicle... Bionicle Raptor," the man said as he recovered from his ordeal, sitting up and gratefully taking the steaming cup of tea from Lazok's hands. "I'm a Premier Outstanding Citizen."

    Lazok sat down in his chair opposite Bionicle Raptor, observing the member drink the potion. He patiently refilled the cup when asked and made no motion to press the member, which Lazok observed greatly relieved the stricken and wounded man. But he also made no motion to move his pistol to its appropriate location in the nightstand, as he gradually grew warier of the situation. Why would this man be around at this hour, in this weather, in this condition? It was too disturbing to be relaxed about, but also too early to jump to conclusions. Finally, after several silent moments, he decided the time had come to ask questions.

    "What were you doing around at this time?" he asked calmly.

    Bionicle Raptor tensed, as if questions about this event disturbed him. "I was on a walk," he said.

    Lazok knew it was a lie. His wise and wrinkled face gave a disarmingly warm smile. "I took you in, let you rest, warmed you up, gave you tea, let you bleed on my couch, and now I ask what your purpose is and you respond to my hospitality with untruth?"

    Bionicle Raptor knew better. He paused, reflecting on what he should say and do. Lazok was the one to break the silence, however. "A better, easier way to do this is you simply narrate what has happened to you. A story is easier to tell than an answer." Raptor relaxed and agreed, nodding slowly.

    ~~~~

    "It all started nine o'clock on last Saturday," he began. "I was sitting at the bar, drinking butterscotch, watching the regular crowd shuffle in. Nothing particular was happening, and even the guy in a sailor outfit was normal. Gins were ordered, piano music played, and then suddenly a man appeared next to me and sat down. I didn't see him come through the entrance, so I was a little freaked out, especially when I looked at him and noticed he was dressed completely in black. I couldn't see his face thanks to the hat and upturned collar on his trenchcoat.

    "You're Bionicle Raptor, aren't you?" he asked in an oddly artificial tone.

    "Yes," I replied, a little more nervously than I wanted. "Who are you?"

    He ignored my question and just said, "Have I got a deal for you," he said.

    "Yeah?" I asked.

    "How would you like to be a patriot?"

    I didn't know how to reply to that. A patriot? Did this mean being a spy, a soldier, or something else? I didn't have to say anything before he passed me an envelope and instructed me to open it. Inside, I saw money, a BZR ID card and a note with instructions on it.

    After I read the note, the man said, "That's your first mission and some tools of the trade. I'll find you when the job's done." If it wasn't for the cigarette smoke making me cough, I would have asked him what he meant, but by the time I recovered from my fit, he was gone, the only sign of his pretense being the fat envelope in my hand and the drained bucket glass on the counter.


    The next day, I stressed on the weight of this strange new unsolicited responsibility. After work, I started my walk home, a trip too short to use a car for, and I enjoy walking anyway. I took advantage of the while to think about the mission handed to me, and decided that it was for the greater good. Arriving home, I quickly jumped in my car and sped away towards my mission's objective.

    It was easy as making t-shirts. The border crossing was a breeze and the actual mission was even easier. One would think that something so simple was obviously not right, but I continued on in ignorance. When I got home, the man in black was waiting for me in the living room.

    "Good job. You just saved countless lives." I noticed his voice was different this time.

    "Thanks, I guess," I said as I hung my jacket up.

    "You've met the approval of my bosses, and they want to welcome you aboard. You're officially a patriot."

    I dumbly beamed, somehow proud of myself.

    "But your job's just begun," he continued as he got up, limping slightly to the window and looking out before continuing. "You asked me who I am." It was a statement, not a question, so I said nothing. "You can call me The Operative. My real name and my position is not important."

    "Fair enough," I said with a shrug.

    "Now, you likely have many more questions. In your oven, you'll find another envelope, just as before, with more directions."

    "And answers?"

    "That depends on your questions." And with that, the mysterious man left.

    I was still unable to see his face or his namebadge, so his identity remained secret to me. I used the BZPower search feature to find information on any members who limped, but it came up empty. I was still dumbfounded but resolved to carry out the next mission, though my doubts were starting to creep up on me when I read the note. The mission wasn't a walk in the park like before. It was a smuggling trip.


    A couple nights later, I reluctantly did that mission as well. The target point was an abandoned warehouse in the Reference Center forum. I parked my car at the curb as directed and surveyed the darkness around me. Cold winds whipped about and I tensed as I came out of my car; the chilly wind still penetrated my clothes and caused my teeth to chatter. I quickly ran to the warehouse's sheltered interior and closed the door behind me in a huff. The inside wasn't much warmer, but at least the wind was gone.

    Igniting my flashlight, I began to scan ahead of me as I walked towards the east end of the building, where I was told the package waited.

    Then I heard thumps of racing footsteps. Turning my light just in time, I saw a pair of men ambush me. I'm not a fighter, never was, but I tried my best to fight them off. I landed a blow to one before he could tackle me, but the second man brought me down with an athletic kick. The wind was knocked out of me and I crashed to the dirty floor, struggling to fight back as they kicked me and screamed at me.

    Suddenly, we all were lit up like lightbugs when a car roared at the other end and started to race towards us. The two men started to run away, clearly frightened, and darted through the door I came from and the car screamed in pursuit, crashing through the wall and then fading away. I was too scared to move for a moment, but finally gained the willpower to grab the package and go. After a few moments of searching, I found it and raced back to my car. As I came back out to the bitterly cold exterior through the gaping hole the car left, I saw the two thugs slumped apart from each other, both bleeding from slicing wounds, a nauseating sight for me. Whoever it was in the car was obviously no friend of theirs.

    I took the package and drove away as quickly as I could.


    That night, I couldn't sleep. That mission had done it to me. I couldn't cope with the bodies, the blood, the fights and the sheer blood pressure I got from the event. The Operative wasn't there that night, so I could only assume he would be back tomorrow, the thought of which only caused me to be more restless. I finally decided being a spy wasn't for me, and that I would get to the bottom of it all before he came back.


    I didn't work the next day, instead devoting my time to doing some online investigating. The Internet proved very useful this time around, and I was able to find a lot of information, even on limping members, thanks to some clever keywording. To my surprise, there were only a few BZPower members who limped, and only a couple were prominent by any standard. Suddenly, in the middle of my search, the door opened and The Operative walked in unannounced. I hurriedly shut the computer down before he could see what was on the screen.

    "Good job on the mission," he said, again with a new voice. "I find it odd you're not at work."

    "I'm still recovering from it, and I feel a little sick," I offered.

    "I see," he said flatly. I could tell he wasn't buying it.

    "I'm going to ask you questions," I said with a stern tone, more defiant than I thought myself capable of, "and I want answers for them. Real answers, not codenames."

    "What makes you think you have the right to ask me questions and demand answers?" the man said, getting angry.

    "I almost died in there!" I implored. "I'm a tailor, not a spy! I'm not a smuggler, and by your definitions, not even a patriot! I support my government by living and helping provide to its well being through my work. It's how things are supposed to be! I did what I did as a sacrifice, and because of that, I think I deserve some respect."

    "Is that it?" the man asked. "The life of a spy isn't one that offers you questions. It's a do or die life."

    "I never asked for this life. I never wanted to be a spy!"

    "Then you should have said so," he said with a venomous tone.

    A long, narrow dagger appeared from under his coat, and it briefly exposed his namebage just long enough for me to read it. EmperorWhenua wasn't planning on me living to tell anyone, clearly.

    I thought fast and flung the nearest vase at EW, ducking to evade the weapon as it sliced the air with swiftness. Grabbing his arm with dexterity that surprised myself, I thought I was winning until he tossed me against the wall behind me and tried to pin me down with his knives. Diving away in time to avoid getting cornered, I kicked his leg and, to my surprise, he screamed in pain, allowing me to run away.

    I bolted to the backdoor and slammed it behind me just as EmperorWhenua's dagger stuck into the wall. I just ran as fast as I could. The sun was setting in the east and it was starting to get colder, and I started feeling a sort of deja vu from the night prior as I got in my car and sped away. In my rearview mirror, I could see him in the middle of the street, defiantly yelling curses at me.

    All I could think about was how things were starting to come together. EmperorWhenua had set everything up, and as far as I could tell, he was planning on killing me in the end. But why? The only possible answer was that he felt I was a threat. But to who, or what? I had never heard of him, so a grudge was out of the question. He seemed a powerful official figure which pointed at a political reason for assassination. But he was with the BZ-Metru team, my own side! Perhaps he was secretly with the Republic? It would explain the ID card, the missions, and the reason for my death. But perhaps that was just the delusions of my tired and paranoid mind.

    After a while, my car ran out of gas and died. I got out and felt disoriented on top of still being scared out of my mind. All I knew was I was somewhere in the northern reaches of BZ-Metru. I wandered for hours, trying to find shelter and just survive 'till morning. I had to get to the bottom of it all.

    And that's what brings me to here. I saw your lights were still on, so I came here, hoping for some hospitality, and thank goodness you offered that to me."

    ~~~~

    "An excellent story," Lazok said sagely. "I wish I could help you, but the night inhibits much from happening."

    Bionicle Raptor sighed and looked up, suddenly frightened. "Do you think he's still following me? EmperorWhenua?"

    "It is entirely possible that he tracked your vehicle and found his way here the same way you did. He seems to have the resources to do so, at any rate. But no, I don't think it possible that he'll find you here, at least this soon. And if he does..." Lazok got up and walked to the bookcase behind him. From one of the recesses at the side, he pulled out a beautiful sword from Lazok's old days as a warrior. "I'll take care of him."

    "Thank you," Bionicle Raptor said, grateful. "But why do you show this support for me? Only a little bit ago, you were suspicious of me."

    "Ah, a good question!" he said, his eyes sparking. "I'm old and don't have much excitement here. Not that I'm avidly looking for it, either, but, well, I miss it. I used to be a teacher, but those days are long gone. This sword is almost the last artifact from those years. Still, I don't have much to live for now, and I'm too old for the war going on. You can say this is the closest thing to reliving my past that I'll come to, and I'm looking forward to whatever it may bring. It's not that your story convinced me, I'm sorry to say, but I at least share some common interest with you and I have nothing to lose. Does that make sense or is it just my mad mind?" Lazok asked cheerfully.

    "Right now, I'm too tired to say, really. I'm just glad I have you on my side."

    "You should rest. You deserve it," Lazok said, pulling a blanket from a dresser and tossing it to Bionicle Raptor.

    ****

    Lazok paced back and forth while Bionicle Raptor snoozed away. His gun and sword were ready for use, but even that seemed inefficient against EmperorWhenua, not to mention his skill with either weapon was rusty. Lazok knew EW, and at some point had even referred to him as a friend, but they had parted ways long before and never spoke again. He also knew --or hoped he knew-- what EW was capable of, but even if his former comrade not improved his skills since then, it would still be a one-sided battle.

    The soft murmuring of a car caught his ear just in time, and he didn't waste time feigning ignorance. Waking Raptor up, he told him to hide. Raptor's figure vanished just in time before the knocking of the door told them EW was there. Lazok stashed his weapons away and answered the door politely.

    "Hello," he said blankly at the man at the door. He immediately knew who it was but played dumb. EW stood there, well groomed and proper with collars down and hat perked up.

    "Lazok? What a surprise! It's me, EmperorWhenua, your old buddy!" To Bionicle Raptor underneath the sofa, this was the first time he had heard his foe's true voice; young, charismatic and disarmingly cheerful.

    Lazok perked up. "Yes! Hello! Come on in! Would you like some tea?"

    "Don't mind if I do," EW said, wiping his feet before entering and sitting on the sofa when gestured to relax. Bionicle Raptor tried not to breathe as the dust from the underside of the sofa fell on his face, almost causing him to sneeze. The tea soon came, and EW took it with vigor. "What have you been up to?"

    "Still five-foot-nine," Lazok replied with a grin.

    "And still as sharp as a tack, I see."

    "Always." Lazok smiled.

    "Now, I don't mean to be quick, but I am on a tight schedule. Late hours, you know."

    "Oh, you can rest here!" Lazok said quickly, trying to be as cordial and friendly as possible.

    "No, I don't need to rest, I just need to get the job done. You haven't seen a member, about six-foot, brown hair, wearing a pair of sunglasses and a bomber jacket, have you?"

    "No, I certainly have not," Lazok said, shaking his head. "Why? Is he in trouble?"

    "Yeah, he is. See, I'm a cop now, and, well he's a wanted criminal. I got a couple tips that he came out this way."

    "I'm afraid I'm of no use to you there."

    "No worries. Let me know if he does cross paths with you, though, all right?" EW said, getting up.

    "I shall!" Lazok said, showing his friend-turned-fiend out.

    When the door closed and the car rumbled away, Bionicle Raptor came out. "That was close!"

    Lazok put his finger to his lips. "Yeah. Now get ready. You're taking my car and getting away from here."

    "Wha- what?" Raptor said, surprised. "But he just went away!"

    "No, he hasn't. He's still around, I know it," he said, gathering his sword and gun. "And I'm going to get rid of him once and for all. If what you said is even half-true, then EW is someone who must be stopped at any cost and you're a trophy that must be protected."

    Bionicle Raptor couldn't believe it, but he reluctantly prepared to leave. "Thank you for everything you've done and are doing. Really."

    Lazok smiled broadly, the simplest way to show his kindness. "We don't have much time." With that, he began to share his plan.

    ****

    Lazok led the way, noiselessly creeping down the old staircase. Bionicle Raptor followed much less clandestinely, causing the boards to creak under his unpracticed weight and eliciting an angry stare from Lazok's otherwise patient eyes. Once they made it to the bottom, they opened the door slightly, allowing them to see that the wind had died down and the night was still save for the lap of the river's waters.

    "Alright. You have the keys," Lazok whispered. "Ten seconds after I go out... starting now!"

    Lazok stepped out into the cold night air, sword held high in hand, prepared to deal a blow in any direction. He glanced side to side, then vanished from Bionicle Raptor's sight. When Bionicle Raptor counted to ten, he, too, jumped out and raced to the old yellow roadster Lazok owned, hoping he'd make it.

    He covered the distance in mere seconds, opened the door, climbed in and hurriedly put the key in the ignition. The car hadn't been started in a while, and the cold only hindered the engine further. Bionicle Raptor urged the motor on as it whined and sputtered. Finally, the engine started to turn over a little and he looked up in hope. To his dismay, EmperorWhenua was staring at him via the rear view mirror, dagger prepared to be plunged into his neck.

    For an instant, there was silence, one side trying to comprehend how things had gone so wrong and the other savoring the moment. Then something neither party predicted happened, and the next thing Raptor saw was Lazok's lithe body leaping up and his shiny sword shattering the rear window of the car into a million pieces, narrowly missing EW's head in the brutal swing.

    EW responded by abandoning his stunned target and focusing on Lazok, leaping out of the broken window like an angered black panther, his clothes catching a few shards as he jumped out, daggers whirling in his fingers. "I knew it," he said in satisfaction, knowing how the battle would end. "You were hiding him."

    Lazok grimaced, wishing already that his strike hadn't missed. His car had died again, and Raptor repeated his prayers for the old engine to start. "Surprised?" Lazok responded before attacking, his sword swooshing through the air like a bird of prey.

    EW ducked and raised his daggers, parrying the sword with a loud clang. The two foes froze and faced each other before resuming the fight.

    Lazok's swordsmanship was quite able, but rustic and unpracticed in contrast to EmperorWhenua's fresh and sharp tactics and skills. The two sets of weapons met and clashed with one another, their clings and clangs creating a sort of deadly song. EW's daggers caught the sword and EW swiped the old weapon to the side, preparing to disembowel his foe once and for all, but Lazok was skilled with more than his sword and gave a severe kick to EW's side, causing him to double backward. "Not so hasty," he said, raising his sword to finish his old buddy.

    EW wordlessly rose up and threw a dagger. Lazok blocked it and the weapon flew somewhere to the side as he still stepped forward. But Lazok wasn't prepared for EW's feint as he leaped up, seemingly to attack Lazok with an aerial. As EW descended, however, Lazok thought he was closer than he was, and his defensive swipe missed EW entirely as EW crouched to the ground in front of Lazok. The Premier Member realized all too late that he had been bested, and he failed to defend against the lunge that drove a dagger into his heart. His dying words were muffled as he fell in a heap to the icy ground.

    Bionicle Raptor frantically pressed the gas and turned the key, still not having much luck, trying not to pay any attention to the battle. Finally, he realized what was wrong: he wasn't using the clutch! Bah! He should have realized this was a manual shift car. Depressing the clutch, he turned the key, and the car started without a hitch. The gears ground as he made the car slowly go in reverse, and for a moment he thought he was going to get away, but that dream was shattered as easily as his side window when EW's flying dagger destroyed it. Glass fragments struck Raptor in the face as he ducked and pushed the pedals as far as they could go, but this was a big mistake and caused the motor to die. He reignited the engine and rekindled his hope, but EW's limping body was already there and he reached in to grab Raptor in a deathgrip. Slowly pressing the pedals while ducking away from the firm fist, he narrowly evaded it. EW's arm, still in the window, was caught and thrown aside, tossing him down as well.

    EmperorWhenua picked up a third dagger and tossed it at the moving vehicle, still spinning around him. The blade caught the hood of the car, the powerful shaft penetrating the hide of the car and inflicting damage in the engine cavity. Bionicle Raptor righted the car just in time to see the knife insert itself, and he cried out when he realized he had just aimed the car at the river.

    Bionicle Raptor came to realize as well that he was going to die. The car was fading again, maybe due to the cold engine or maybe from the dagger hitting some vital part, but he didn't correct the car's path, deciding a quick death in the river was preferable to a painful death by his enemy. Time seemed to pass slowly as he passed EmperorWhenua, the man's black trench coat fluttering in the wind like some ancient pirate flag, and he saw Lazok's corpse lying face down in the dirt. Bionicle Raptor's final thought as the car careened into the lake was a conclusion that he, like Lazok, was dying like a true patriot. He died with a smile of satisfaction.

    EmperorWhenua stared aghast as the car exploded violently upon contact with the water, the mushroom cloud of oily smoke rising with a plume of flame, hauntingly painting the surroundings with orange hues. EW had succeeded in his objectives but caused way too much destruction than he had expected. What he did was simply out of self-preservation, though he regretted having to do it all, especially since he still had some love for Lazok.

    As he walked away from the wake of the battlefield, he determined that good had indeed triumphed that night. But the question echoing throughout the entire war effort still remained: which was the good side?
  5. EmperorWhenua

    World Cup

    By EmperorWhenua,

    First off, I'm still soliciting donations. Glance over thar yonder entry below this 'ere one for infermation.
     
    Secondly, my votes for the World Cup are Brazil, Germany and Britain, respectively.
     
    ~EW~
  6. EmperorWhenua
    The EW will now enter his natural habitat, enjoying Scouting brotherhood with fellow camp staffers for the next two-ish weeks before heading to National Scout Jamboree afterwards. Until I return on at least the 4th, I will be a rarely spotted big game animal.
     
    And to any potential hunters, I'm immune to your measly weapons.
     
    Seey'all later!
     
    (Ps: When I return, my premiership will likely had expired. When that time comes, anyone who wants to get me another year will be amazing and awesome. )
     
    ~EW~
  7. EmperorWhenua
    So my laptop has been giving me problems for the last few months or so. Made me pull my beard out a couple times, beat my chest in anger, devolve into a rabid ape in frustration, etc. So I decided, after much deliberation, to do a complete system restore to factory settings, the ultimate superweapon to computer software problems, and this system, being Vista, needed a superweapon.
     
    It didn't work.
     
    The recovery disk apparently has errors and won't finish system reinstallation, and even that got worse, me left with no other choice but to boot from the worthless disk. Or is it disc. I have no freaking clue. What's even worse is that NOW I find that there were better, safer options for me, which I of course completely missed before I did this whole shibang, so this is entirely my fault and I hate myself for it.
     
    Yes, I tried repairing. The computer doesn't find the drivers for the new system, which sucks.
     
    Basically, my laptop is fried and all I have is mom's PC and my cell phone/handy, which sucks as well (in different ways). As such, I am fairly dead BZPwise. This is all very, very terrible. If any of you have ideas, suggestions, or anything else, comment here or PM it to me. Preferably comments. Very much preferred.
     
    Toodles. *bang*
     
    Edit: Wait... Wait... The disc/k thingy might be working now...
     
    FIXED! Woo! But now I'm behind schedule on everything else I need to do today.
     
    ~EW~
  9. EmperorWhenua
    My, am I lazy or what! XD

    So, guys, announcement: The BZPower Member T-Shirt Project is finished with the pre-production phase. This means we've already selected the design, and the shirts are in fact already being created, if they have not been finished at this time.

    Winner: Chunky!/whatever he's called



    We took this image and put it to use, and the finished product looks something like this.


    What does this mean?

    Well, it means I'm done for now. I put it together, thanks to Nukaya handing the project to me, and got the contest moving and made sure we had our bases covered. Bionicle Raptor is the shirt maker, and he lives up to his title, working on shirts... right about now. Check his blog out for details on that.


    What is the product availability?

    The shirts, as advertised by BR, are a low price of $5 each. This is subject to change, but for now, it's at $5. If you didn't place a hold on a shirt, we might have extras to sell, but that's a maybe.

    The shirts will not be available at BrickWorld. Sorry, but we can't do it. BrickFair, Con, and Fest, however, will have shirts. Also, if the handmade ones by BR are sold out at BrickFair, the shirts sold at the other conventions will be either mostly or completely factory-made shirts, meaning that price will have hiked up for them because of costs. I'll be in charge of the creation for those shirts.

    If you cannot be at any of those conventions and still want one, contact BR and he will send one out to you via postal system. However, this will not be done until after BrickFair. I want BFair to be the project's grand opening, and it would be detracted if there were already shirts leaking out and about.

    I'd say the first batch of shirts is a real bargain! If you havn't pre-ordered, hurry up-- there might be time left to secure a copy. Because when these are gone, they're gone!


    That said, see ya in another life, brother. [/Desmond]

    ~EW~
  10. EmperorWhenua

    Time Is Money

    By EmperorWhenua,

    EW is still hurtin' for money to go to BrickFair. And time is drawing short. In two weeks, I'll be away from home until BrickFair time rolls in (with the sole exception of a weekend) so that complicates things further.
     
    Basically, if you have money you can send and you either have not done so already or you did not know about this before, SEND IT IN. XD It would be really, really, realllyyy loved by those who wanna see me there, and not to mention I. At this point, I'll take anything and everything from a Washington to a Franklin (or a Hamilton, if you have any!). PM me and we can work out the address things.
     
    I've been trying to raise money on my own end, but things got hard for me to do so when finals rolled in and all sorts of other schedule monkey wrenches screwed me over, and I barely raised a hundred bucks, and my schedule as planned for the next weeks doesn't seem too promising, so unfortunately, I turn back to you guys, even though I really didn't want to look like some beggar who depends on other's graces and hogs everything-- I promise, this ain't me! I'm really a good guy.
     
    So, that said, any and all donations and/or loans would be veryyyy much loved and appreciated, and I hope to make it up to y'all.
     
    ~EW~
  12. EmperorWhenua
    Phew, finally kicking this project into gear!


    click > Contest entry is here < click


    First things first: "What are you guys doing?"

    You look in those pics of BrickFair or BrickFest and see those staffers in them snazzy BZPower staff shirts? Then you see the members wearing their rainbow of a wardrobe, looking all... yanno... normal? (Seriously, guys-- you're Lego fans from BZPower. You're not allowed to look normal.) And then you want to, if you ever go to one of these conventions, have some sort of uniformity to make y'all look all sharp and awesome? The aptly-named BZPower T-shirt Project is intended to address this and more!

    Imagine walking down the halls of the Tyson's Corner hotels in your lovely BZPower member's t-shirt, getting admiring oohs and ahhs from passerby as they dig your sexy and snazzy member's shirt, catching whiff of your lovely perfume or cologne (perfume and cologne sold separately). You can walk with pride and without a care in the world in your custom-made BZPower member's t-shirt.


    "Sounds epic. What do the shirts look like?"

    See, that's the thing. We don't know. We don't even have a design or even know what colour the shirts will be. Why? Because you guys get to design the shirts. Yes, not only will you get to wear the shirts, you will also take pride in a sense of artistic ownership of the designs on the garment.

    Imagine you walking down the hallway of the hotel again. "Oh, nice shirts!" a cute girl says in that carefree Southern accent. "Where'd ya get them?"
    "I [helped]* make them," you respond.
    "Oh, rad!" she says. She may even ask for your number.

    * added because we trust you will have some degree of decency and humility and not take all the credit.


    "So, how does this work?"

    We'll have a few days of spreading the word around, and I encourage you to put on a Project banner (Nice assortment here! =D Thanks Lazzy!) and link to this entry from your blogs, if you have one. After this PR period, I will start a contest here in this blog, also posting rules and stuff when we decide on them.

    Once the contest finishes, we will look at the entries and decide on the one we will use on the T-shirt. Then, voila! They will magically appear and be available at BrickFair this August.


    "Just BrickFair?"

    No! They'll also be available at BrickCon this fall, and BrickFest next spring, depending if we have enough interest.


    "I'm staff. Can I have one too, pweese?"

    Absolutely! You're all members, too. =D


    "I don't have any plans to go to any of those conventions. How can I still get a shirt?"

    Depending on your location and your desire to get a shirt, we may (or may not! haha!) be able to ship a shirt to you. =3


    BZPower T-shirts Project steering committee:
    - EmperorWhenua (The Boss)
    - Bionicle Raptor (The T-shirt Printer)
    - SK (Part-time graphic artist)
    - You


    Comments, questions, concerns, and such go here.

    ~EW~
  13. EmperorWhenua
    Ever been on a streak of good, high-quality blog entries, and just when you think you got the hang of it, you just run out of stuff for entries and enter a slump of empty blahness?
     
    God, I hate that so. ;__;
     
    ~EW~
  14. EmperorWhenua

    Observation

    By EmperorWhenua,

    One downside of these new signature geelines is that I'll have to get used to them again. I report banners even a pixel over the limits, and I had it down to an art before, able to tell if a banner is a pixel off just by glancing at it. Now, however, we have larger sizes, so it will be much more difficult for me to find them, let alone get used to it now.
     
    Oh well. That is all for today.
     
    ~EW~
  17. EmperorWhenua

    Sorries

    By EmperorWhenua,

    Sorry about not being on much lately, but this will continue until at least Tuesday, because I have graduation coming up in a couple days and will be out of state until Monday, so...
     
    ~EW~
  19. EmperorWhenua
    Update - 29/4 - The fund is officially opened. If you want to send me money (cash or check or credit card) let me know so I can give you my mailing address. This is the tricky part.
     
    I don't know if I'll be going.
     
    What it has come down to is that I simply do not have the money. Usually, $400 for airline tickets isn't too much for us, but in this case, it is, what with all our current expenses and all. We're living beyond our means as is and that extra $400 can be a serious predicament for us and leave a mark on our strained budget. The t-shirts will be there, the mastermind may not.
     
    I know it's silly, but I'm serious about this: is there anyone who wants to see me there so bad as to help fund my trip? Like seriously, if anyone could help out with this, that's be awesome. And I might even throw in some sort of gift if I can, too, like a t-shirt or something. I'll be working to get some money, myself, so I'm not asking you guys to hand over four Franklins; I will be raising my own finds, too.
     
    Anyone feel that they might be able to help? If so, PM me to keep such things confidential. But if you do help, I will love you forever and be in your debt.
     
    Some people have volunteered to help out. Thanks, people! Still am a long way from my goal, though, so I'd still absolutely looove (and still neeeed) more help! =D
     
     
    ~EW~
  23. EmperorWhenua
    Proto Energy: What Is It and What Does it Mean for You?

    Proto. We all want it. Some have more, some have less, others are just at the dead center. But why? Why are some people so eager to have it? And furthermore, what does it mean to have it?

    Well, let's start with an example. Member Asdfg has just joined BZPower and is brand new to the system. He's a good member, has been tutored through by a Greeter-- errr, Mentor, and he's doing pretty good with a couple dozen posts so far. He's a nice member of average maturity and excitable brain, basically what one would expect of a member of his standing. He's a, what, Tohunga? Yeah, a Tohunga. He looks around, and ooh! Orange! What's this? Oooooh, "Outstanding Citizen!" He must be something special. What does this member do? He compares. He sees the big difference is that he's got 0 proto and this member, who we shall dub EW, has a full bar, or 5 proto. He's fairly impressed (remember, he's excitable).

    Here's a question for you: Who doesn't wanna be outstanding? When in school, don't you love it when the teacher comes by, slides a quiz on and says "Outstanding work, Doofus"? By the way, your name is Doofus-- she wasn't calling you anything demeaning. Anyway, everyone likes praise, and the word "outstanding" is synonymous for praise. Naturally, just as you were when you were in Asdfg's position, you longed to be deemed fitting for the entitlement of being an "Outstanding Citizen." It's natural to want to be the best, to be the greatest. Little Asdfg, being human, is no exception.

    So, what next for our little adventurer? He tried to get to the top, at first being a Captain Obvious (Dundunduuuun!) and pointing out the most obvious rule violations. This didn't get him anywhere, as saying "This is spam (hurr)" only got a staffer to tell him "This was not needed (durr)."Finally, he starts reporting, and he does well, squeezing in a couple reports every week or so, even if they were a week or so late. He tries his best.

    OHMIGAWSH! A PM! It's from a staffer! It's-- a proto reduction. Awww, mannn. He tried to hard! Political discussion, apparently. Bummer, dude.


    We'll get back to Asdfg in a moment. But for now, let's take a peek at what Proto is in the first place. It's a reward system. a merit system, and a sign of helpfulness, right? Well, not entirely. See, the proto system is indeed a merit system in that it shows that you've helped BZPower, but by no means is it an accurate measurement. Let me ask you this: who helped BZPower most? The member who send in money three times ($33 total) and got boosted the whole way, or the member who gave two valid news reports, countless signature reports, and hundreds of post reports and was given boosts according to his help? They both got treated the same in the end. Obviously, we'd say "the second guy-- he really helped" and you'd be correct. The first guy got proto because he gave money, not because he's up to snuff or anything. But, again, they look the same in the end. They're both active members, post a lot, have their blogs, all that jazz. What's more, member Asdfg looks up to them both because of their proto.

    The point of this is to show that proto is not equal. Anyone can become an Outstanding Citizen, anyone, but that doesn't make them actually outstanding. Members, like Asdfg, look up to them because of what they are, not what they did to become what they are. The moral, however, is more harsh: proto doesn't matter.

    It doesn't. Why? Well, aside from the fact that it's just pixels in a virtual reality, it really is useless. I've seen truly great members in regular Arial font and I've seen absolute fools in bold orange. How much proto you have doesn't indicate how great a member you are. But Asdfg and other like him don't understand that, and most people don't even teach that.

    This is where people confuse being Outstanding with being outstanding. One of a couple fallacies appear: 1) the member assumes that by becoming Outstanding one becomes outstanding, or 2) the member assumes all Outstandings are outstanding. Since neither is an absolute, they are fallacies. But people buy them, because they sorta make sense to them.

    My point: Proto isn't a balanced system and cannot be used to determine the actual quality of the member.


    Back to little Asdfg. He's gotten over his loss of pixelly goodness and he's back. He's mproved a bit, and he's actually doing pertty good. He's bought a Premier Membership package, posts responsibly, etc. He still sees members in orange as being the best, though, and he's still aiming for that climax of his BZP career.


    Asdfg seems to be doing fine, so back on the subject of proto for now. What does it mean to be Outstanding? It means you're supposed to be outstanding. You're among the best of the members, you're one of the most qualified in their groups. Maybe you're an artist or a veteral writer, or maybe a roleplaying god or a forum old guard. Or maybe you're just a brand new Outstanding Citizen and you're a bit clueless as to how you got there. You -- we -- have no actual duties, per se (unless you're a Judge or something similar, like me, in which case you do have duties =P), but you do have an obligation: to be a role model. Members like Asdfg will copy you, will look up to you, will listen to you. If you say "Yeahh, doing this is almost against the rules, but it's fun and funny and I like it," hey, guess what, people are gonna copy you and do it, too. Is this good? Is it bad? It's like a computer: it can go both ways, so long as it's used responsibly.

    Being an Outstanding Citizen means you gotta act your best, obey the rules, and show how being a member is done. Not just any member, an outstanding member. It's awesome. Bottom line: if you're an Outstanding Citizen, act like one. All eyes are on you. You da man. And if you're not, act like one anyway. Being an outstanding member isn't something shown by a title, it's shown by how you are, how you act, what you do and how you do it.


    Asdfg has received full proto after two years of being good and helpful. He's now the one showing the example. He's the one being the really outstanding member. Maybe someday he'll be blue or green. Anything is possible for anyone.

    ~EW~



    About the author: EmperorWhenua, also known as Rene, became an Outstanding Citizen in summer of '08. He's received only one actual proto boost out of merit; the rest was bought. He considers himself an old guard member because he's outspoken about what he considers the real way of a member. Sometimes emotional, sometimes vindictive, he's always level-headed and likes to think of himself as the epitome of the average, struggling member. He doesn't think of himself as any better than Asdfg, though sometimes will need a little schooling. A COT RPG Judge, he's one of the most famed roleplayers on the site, though he's still clueless as to why. EmperorWhenua lives in his house on Earth and enjoys debating, hiking, and reading. You can reach him by commenting in the box below.
  24. EmperorWhenua
    Time's up!

    What does this mean? What happens now? Well, easy: voting.


    "How does this work?"

    Easy! You review the list of entries listed below, pick your favourites, and then list the top three, in your opinion, in order that you like them. Once the voting ends at midnight on the 18th, PST, the top three voted entries will be carefully milled over by my staff and I and we will decide on which one to print.


    1. Cap'n K - Entry [gallery] (Entry comment)

    2. Cherixon - Entry (Entry comment)

    3. Robo - Entry back (Entry comment)

    4. Chibinuva - Entry [1] [2] [3] (Entry comment)

    5. Dirty Burrito - Entry back (Entry comment)

    6. .:MatoroIgnika:. - Entry (Entry comment)

    7. Element Lord of Light - Entry back (Entry comment)

    8. Sisen - Entry (Entry comment)

    9. Protosteel - Entry (Entry comment)

    10. Chunky! - Entry [gallery] (Entry comment)

    11. Nukaya Cloud Fire - Entry [1] (Entry comment)


    And there you have it! Vote now, wear later. =D

    ~EW~
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