55555

I got a flukey 16.8 Dang this game is awesome. - 55555

BRING ALL THE LEGO. - 55555

Nice. Make sure that the orientation of this in the build has the trans orange piece pointing slightly toward the ground. I like the looks of this. - 55555

Congrats to all the winners! I'm especially happy to see that the Vakama winners are the three entries that I had tons of trouble deciding between in the poll. :PAnd thanks Rayg, for hosting such an awesome contest. - 55555

Chapter 19"The Queen awaits you on the Dragon Plains. Where you were formed, were you fell, and where you appeared again," Aimilia heard Alkiviadis say.And the young Zykard intoned, in a voice older than the swelling hills and swirling mists, "Thank you Alkiviadis. You a white mage of a low order, have betrayed your morals. The services of the Black Mage that you first abhorred, and then made use of; with shrewd cunning you plot the slaying of the Raven Queen, relying on my bloodied soul, your wits are a dark magic of their own; and even now you plot to take my power for yourself."The sword rasped through the air, and Alkiviadis parried, sweat beading his brow, and backed through one of the lofty doors onto one of the cliffside ramparts of the Raven's fortress."I have faced once before, remember! I escaped alive through my swordsmanship, it will prevail again."Then Tenshiryu laughed through Zykard, his foul amusement echoing off the cold stone walls, "Alkviadis, fallen mage, you think you can defeat me? I am now come into my full power, I am not a half-trained boy with a heavy blade he does not understand, still with shreds of mercy clinging to the edges of his heart. And you were four men strong that day, look about you now."His compatriots were nowhere to be seen, Alkiviadis seemed to see the footprints of their flight glimmering in the feeble light of the oncoming dawn. Perhaps they would come back, the choice of change lies always before men.Aimilia's face contorted in fear and sadness. Zykard had begun to resist the power of the blade, and now he would kill a man with whom he had no quarrel, possessed by an ancient power, unstoppable and foul.Then suddenly her eyes cleard, as she remembered one of her many scrolls. She plunged into them, frantically looking among the dusty documents for the information she half remembered.---The black mage listened to the voices of Tenshiryu and Alkaviadis, and a smile creased his skull like face, the light of long hopes being realized in his eyes. Norscu and the rest had already forgotten that he traveled with them, his craft had seen to that."I have waited so long to feel that sword in my hands, to triumph over it and in that triumph gain its powers. The day is near."

"Red ones, though rare, are hated too. I don't hate them; do you?"There are red ones? Interesting tip, I'll have to look into that."Blue is most common, black second-least, but both, to MOCs, are like a feast."I don't know what you mean in this line. Is it because MOCs tend to devour parts?"they are essentially the same, as I'm sure we all know, so why are the blue ones hated so?"The answer to this is a bit obvious, so it does not fulfill its purpose as a climax to the poem. They're hated because they are blue, and that disturbs color schemes. :PAnyway, interesting to see Bionicle MOCist poetry, never seen any before.- 55555

Oh finally. I have been mourning the passing of the old news thing for a long time now. - 55555

Chapter 15Zykard read the ancient words, long ago marked in watery ink on the crude parchment, age and many hands had soiled and smeared the document to the point that many words were indecipherable.His eyes skimmed across the page...The demon...The dragon...The deathless...He tore his eyes away, his face contorted with horror and sadness. He had taken so many lives, so many lives without reason. He looked back at the scroll, as Aimlia approached to sit crosslegged next to him, the grate between them.The Dragon rose, the Dragon fell, and the Dragon rose anew. Tenshiryu, dark mage, dealer with demons, swordsman unchallenged, conqueror of all he chose to conquer, the creature with the bloodlust unquenchable in his eyes. The Dragon was the name given to him, as the gift of flight he had, and all he breathed upon was withered with an invisible fire. Always he led his army into battle, and not a single piece of armor did he wear. Dressed in a white, swiftly bloodstained cloak he shone and slew, leaping higher than any mortal man, shattering the very rocks with his blade, and sowing a fear in his enemies more deadly than poison.He burned and ravaged land after land, ransacked and destroyed village after village on a conquest with no goal but to bring death to all that stood before him. In his wake lay many shallow graves, each one was marked with only the broken sword of its occupant.Then the ravaging Dragon met a stronger empire than any of the warlords and mercenaries he had encountered. The Raven stood in his path, and the two forces must crash together, though that clash break the world itself. Long the raven had heard of his coming, and long they had prepared. Every blade was honed, every armor plate gleamed, every muscle of the fighting men was hard and disciplined. The army had been trained and tested by the Lord of the Raven, the mightiest swordsman in the land. The forces looked upon eachother, the bloodied chaos of the Dragon upon the shining discipline of the Raven.The battle was joined, and many on each side were slain before the retreat was sounded. The next day the strove again, and for many days after that. Each day more men were lost, more blood was shed, and the plains on which they fought grew fouler and more barren. The bowmen spoke among themselves of the shots they had let fly at the Dragon, how they had missed when it seemed impossible for them to miss, how their arrows seemed crooked and their fingers awkward when they aimed at the white and red of the Dragon's cloak. One man among them was silent, for he had seen what others could not. His second sight had shown him the demons protecting Tenshiryu the Dragon from all harm. He knew a little of the ways of the mages, and for a single moment had bent the demons from their purpose. At that moment he had let his arrow fly, but he could not swear it had met its mark, and touched the Dragon.After eighteen days, the Raven's traditional number of completion, the battle was not yet won or lost, but the casualties were beyond number. Few remained of the Raven's talons, and these were bloodied and blunted from long use, another day of battle could be their undoing. The Lord of the Raven called a meeting of his highest generals and closest allies. He had formed a desperate plan to save the remains of his kingdom and his warriors. A single combat with whoever the Dragon chose to fight for his army, or the Dragon himself.His advisors pleaded with him, but he was firm in his purpose. The challenge was sent.But the Dragon had been wounded by the archer's arrow, and his very life lay on the line. He was lying in his tent in agony when the challenge came, and, with a hissing breath, he ordered it read aloud to him.When this had been done he screamed aloud, and all that were with him fled in fear. There he laid a spell greater than any he had laid before, he transferred himself into his blade, the blade with which he had spilled the blood of so many. The challenge was accepted.The Lord of the Raven and Tenshiryu walked slowly toward eachother in the middle of the Dragon Plains, as they are now called. But it seemed that instead of the Dragon himself, another held his blade and fought in his place. The Raven was cold and wrathful, the Dragon was eager and confident. The swords struck and struck again, and as the battle went on the Lord of the Raven wondered if this conflict would ever end. The ground cracked and moved beneath them as they strove in mortal combat, the lives of so many hanging in the balance of the two swordsmen. Even the magic of the sword could not best the Raven Lord's swordsmanship.Then the Dragon saw his opening, and with a reckless blow drove the sword Tenshiryu into the Raven Lord's left shoulder, between the plates of his armor. But as he did so he let his guard down, and the Raven slew the Dragon even as he died himself.As the swords and the men fell to the ground, the plains shook and shattered again, greater than ever before. The men scattered, and Tenshiryu was not found when the place was searched in the days following.Be it known that this is the true origin and nature of the sword Tenshiryu. It is conscious, evil, and thirsty for blood, especially the royal blood of the Raven dynasty by which it fell. As long as it exists it is a threat to all.

Oh sweet, glad you found an alternative to the contest. Looking forward to seeing them... Aaagh BrickFair will be epic. It'll be nice to see you again! - 55555

Chapter 11Norscu was on one of his customary walks through the village, greeting his many acquaintances and enjoying the peacefulness of the streets. He was talking to a friend of his, an old potter who was losing his sight, when he heard the horn sound the call to arms.The horn sounded on, calling and calling again as the village erupted into chaos. Everywhere craftsmen, still becoming accustomed to their new trades, were becoming warriors again. They sprang up from their work and sprinted for their tarnished helms and rusted swords.Norscu's face grew grim. He had not told his people of the masking magic that had been woven to cover the village, and this was his reward. To calm them down now, without revealing the measures that had been taken for the protection of the walls would be a task indeed.He strode down the street, the wind moving the dust of the road around the hem of his purple cloak, a man with a single purpose among the confusion of the streets. He was going to the main watchtower, the horn that had sounded the alarm could sound the all clear just as easily, though the minds of the people would be harder to reverse.The disorganized mass of men on the walls came to attention as Norscu arrived on the ramparts. He ignored the men and walked on to the where the commanders, Dakari signaled to the horn blower and he fell silent."Why have the trumpets sounded? Why was I not informed before the alarm was given?"Dakari bowed and gestured to the four strangers in their midst. Norscu turned, an eyebrow raised. Their leader stepped forward, a noble looking man clad in the armor of the Raven, the muted sun gleamed dully off of his dark hair."Lord of Virdina, I bring dark tidings over many miles. An army marches on your home, it follows my message by few hours, it will be in sight at any moment."Norscu made no response to this. He had expected as much. This must be the man who had found them once before, none could find the village who had not seen its walls before. How Alkiviadis found his way that first time was a mystery."I know what you are thinking Elder. Yes, I am of the force that comes here, hat will be pounding at the gates and burning your homes. I am with them in body, but not in spirit. They threatened my home, my entire village with fire. I have long served their Queen, but with as much futility and inefficiency as I could manage."Norscu's visage was as solid as a rock. The armed men waited for some kind of response to these statements, their confidence ebbing as the silent seconds ticked by.Norscu turned to the horn blower, "Sound the all clear, we are safe as long as we stay within the walls."The men on the walls exploded into confusion behind him, Dakari exclaimed aloud in his consternation before running after the Elder.Alkiviadis turned to his men, his eyes narrowing, "Battle is not something I fear, it would be comforting compared to this..."---Norscu sat alone in his room when Dakari burst in, without knocking. The fire in the center of the chamber threw a dark, shifting shadow of Norscu against the wall. Dakari's voice was quiet in the sound of the crackling flame."What do you mean, 'We are safe within the walls'? What are you hiding?"Norscu smiled into the fire at Dakari's choice of words. He rose and strode toward Dakari, putting a and on the other's shoulder."Trust me in this Dakari. Us elders must have our secrets. We are safe from this invasion, and any other while we are within the walls of Virdina."He walked Dakari towards the door.The door was thrown open with a crack and a black cloaked figure was hurled inwards. Norscu sprang backwards, his red hair falling into disarray. Alkiviadis and two of his men followed, their swords drawn and their attention on the dark figure, who lay bound on the floor before them.Alkiviadis strode towards the elder, his sword glinting in the firelight."The invasion comes, and you tell us that the walls will guard us. How long have you been employing this black mage to conceal your fortress?"Norscu grimaced and turned away, his face lost in the shadow,. "I did what I had to do. My people had been at war for too long, they needed peace to raise their children, to pursue their trades, to gather food and to grow our culture."Alkiviadis raised his head to look at the smoke escaping through the hole in the ceiling. "But art what cost Elder? No magic such as this is free, all blessings from darkness come with a curse."The cloaked figure stirred on the floor, everyone in the room turned towards him, and he spoke in a strangely calm voice, "Norscu, Elder of Virdina, it is time to make my true purpose clear. You would have seen it long ago had I not clouded your mind against it. I alone keep this fortress from destruction, as I have kept it so from the beginning. I said that I would tell you my price when the time was right, and that time is now. If you do not give the sword Tenshiryu into my hands before sunset tomorrow, I will unveil your fortress and leave it naked to the wrath of the army outside."

That sounds amazingly fun. - 55555

Happy birthday Greg. - 55555

WWell I have two if you count the not entirely true one in my profile!Yes thanks Micah, Jason, Katie Andrew, Evan, Nate, and um... Thomas?The other half, I don't know you half as well as I should like, thanks!- 55555

Chapter 7Zykard lightly ran his fingers over the carving, concentration furrowing his brow. What dd this mean.Behind!Zycard whirled around, bringing Tenshiryu up in a combat stance. He stiffened as he saw the warriors before him.They had entered the ruins silently, and they were twenty in number. Armored with old armor and holding ancient weapons, they stood tall and strong with the strength of days long passed."Swordsman, we come not to kill you and mean you no more harm than you mean us. What brings you to this place?"Zykard smiled slightly under his cold helmet, his eyes narrowed in anticipation.Kill them. Break their swords.A voice seemed to whisper to him."Swordsman, tell us, why come you here?"Defeat them with your strength.Zykard straightened, and spun his sword in a salute. It was a movement taught to every student of the sword, it was a declaration of combat, it was not a challenge but an announcement. A fight to the death.The leader of the twenty looked startled, and then angry. He loosened his dagger in its sheath, lowered his visor and signaled to his men. In such a battle as this there were no rules, no holds barred and no quarter.Wait, they must feel fear.Zukard stood, head lowered, watchful, silent and relaxed. The warriors were tense as they spread around the walls, surrounding him. They seemed more afraid of him than he was of them, there was something about him and his silent declaration that struck fear in their hearts.Go.Left, under the guard of the young man with his sword to high, spin and slash the one who charged him from behind, hook the ankle of the one from the right and slice him as he goes down...Zykard felt he might almost close his eyes and still destroy the twenty men that surrounded him. It was like a dance, with a pounding drum in his mind to keep time to. The steps and movements flowed, one into the next, and man after man fell.The leader was more difficult from the rest, he broke the tempo with a block and a calculated swipe. But he too fell.Zykard straightened up, p[anting only slightly. Where twenty living men had stood none now breathed, only twenty bodies of dead men.No, only nineteen. One had escaped in the complex chaos, no, in the complex order of combat. One lived to see another dawn color the clouds, one to carry the tale as far as his life carried him.Zykard looked once more over the bodies in the ancient room, and raised his visor.

Aagh it will be awesome. - 55555

Lolg, you post up a perfectly respectable blog entry and get comments only on your typo. Actually that would be an amazing way to drive comments, purposeful typos... But yes I would like to see what people think of what we've done so far. - 55555

Chapter 3Alkavadis walked out of the throne room and into the muted bustle of the dusty streets. The high, grand walls masking the tattered, dismal camp within has a symbolism that pleased him. Long had the Raven's Kingdom hid behind the ruins of their ancient glory, adorned with rich ornaments and strong armor, but lacking the very essentials of life, food and shelter.He strolled slowly down the corridor of ragged tents, orange firelight shinning from either side. It was a cold night in the cliffs. He wrapped his cloak tighter around him and walked faster.The power of the Raven was strong but not wide. Their army was experienced and deadly, but small in number, A sword such as Tenshiryu would change all these things, the Raven would soar above the other warlords and brittle kingdoms, the world would once more hear the cry of the Raven over all the lands.Alkavadis arrived at his own crude shelter, hidden from the moonlight by the high walls. He started a fire and sat down cross-legged in front of it.The Raven's claws had a strong hold over Viridina, and this was why Alkavadis must keep the favor of the Queen. He had tread that line carefully for a long time now, not succeeding any more than necessary, or failing too consistently. And so he was doing now. In truth his expedition had been an unprecedented success, for the sword had been found. Of the four who set out, he alone knew of the sword's appearance and nature. He had seen it before, and one who has seen it once does not lightly forget it.Furthermore he had discovered why the fortress they had sought was so difficult to find. The mists that pervaded that land had long made exploration and mapmaking nearly impossible, but there was something else at work here. Whether the inhabitants knew it or not, a spell had been woven about those walls. A hiding magic, a misting magic, a cloaking magic.Alkavadis smiled to himself in the light of the fire. For he knew that knowledge was power, and power was the one thing he would never give to Queen Syrena.---"We are sending out another trading party. You assure me that they will be able to find their way back?" Norscu asked the figure before him.The person did not turn, but responded, "Yes Elder, those who have once seen the walls of Yonce are immune to the maskings. They will return with ease, and will not be followed."Norscu sighed, and began to depart. He paused, turned back, and bowed to the figure before leaving the house. Respect where respect is due.The elder was not cloaked in his purple robe of rank, he had donned an old gray garment for this meeting. It would be best to keep such things unknown to the people.He reflected on the life they had once led. Never stopping more than a few days at any given place, constantly embattled, the youngest of their warriors had both lost and taken blood in those days. Many of the people fell.But that would not happen now, in the Fortress of Yonce, hidden from the world, Norscu's people would flourish again. The bloodied swords would be replaced by the tools of trade, they would be farmers, weavers, craftsmen. Or so he hoped.

Andrew, yes, Happy Birthday.- 55555

Name: 55555Writing Sample: A black creature charged across the plains, spouting steam and fire into the cool night air. There is a stir of movement in the engine that is not parallel to the reckless speed of the juggernaut, a fluid gesture alien to its mechanical drive. A figure moves in the masking vapor, a boy shovels coals into an inferno, feeding the beast of iron and physics. He wears a cloth over his nose and mouth, and two bright green eyes shine from his smoke blackened face. His posture and movements, his mixed caution and recklessness spoke of long experience despite his early age. His father had worked this line long before he was born, the steam was in his blood.- 55555

I'm signing my brother up, as he is not able to do it for himself at the moment. Hope that's okay. :)Name: What?Writing Sample:As Tahu's steps faded down the corridor, Vakama finally convinced himself that honesty was the best policy. But by then it was far too late. Horrified, Vakama saw a tiny dot go down the fall. He knew he had doomed the Matoran to an existence beneath Makuta just to continue the perpetration of some relatively unimportant lies. He buried his face in in hands. despairing, cursing the lies the Turaga spoke so glibly.It was a sudden crash that brought the Turaga out of the nightmare he had created for himself. He looked up slowly to see a smoking Mata Nui stone in front of him. He stared wonderingly at Tahu's smoldering back as he walked away.- 55555

Hey, Happy Birthday dude. - 55555

Thanks!Yes, glad you like the coloring! It was a last minute decision, and I wasn't sure it would look good but I thought I'd give it a shot. I'm glad I did. :)Admittedly I had hoped for more pages, and a good ending, but the deadline was a problem. :~PArgh I should make more comics.- 55555

[1] [2] [3]Yep kinda unusual. I'm curious to know what people think of it. - 55555

Member name: 55555Entry name: Sunset In MetropolisEntry URL: [1] [1] [3]Thumbnail URL: http://www.majhost.com/gallery/kanoka94/comic/supermansthumb.png- 55555