Iben

Great to see that Nova Orbis is slowly coming back ! I absolutely love the Venators, and I think their color-schemes are amazing. Now I do have a little hypotheses here, not sure if I'm correct in any way, but I'll leave it in spoilers just to be sure : Anyway, keep up the great work, can't wait to read more in the future ! -Iben

I don't necessarily agree with all your points, but this. THIS. I'm almost 100% convinced we'll get another mask hunt next year, and I'm really not looking forward to that. I didn't mind it that much in G1, given that we had a wide variation of masks, but now the unreasonable amount of golden masks is slowly starting to bother me... -Iben

Thanks ! I'm happy that you like the symbols of the principles, it was pretty hard to find unique symbols for each of the tribes, so it's great to see that you like them. ^^ Thank you ! I must admit, the map is my favourite part as well It took me a while to find nice locations and tidbits that would feel natural, but I'm happy that they turned out authentically enough ! ^^ The island actually has a volcano, but it's sunken down and is the small island in Ga-Wahi. Look at it as if it were an iceberg, with most of it being underwater. Bo-Matoran are Matoran of Plant-life, which are official Matoran; whilst Sa-Matoran are Matoran of Sand, which are a type of Matoran unique to this universe. Thanks again for the comments guys, I truly appreciate feedback like this ! -Iben

So, for the past few years I've been working on a 3 year-story arc called the Mehri Nui Saga, situated in the Spherus Magna Reborn Universe. In the past few months I've made some artwork to go with it, which I'd like to show here. Spherus Magna Reborn Universe (Full size) A first look at the start of the story, with a little description of how things got how they are now. The Island of Mehri Nui ( Full size) To start, this is the map of Mehri Nui, which is an island located on Spherus Magna. It's quite big, a lot larger than Mata Nui ever was. Ta-Wahi : Situated at the South-West of the island, this Wahi is home to the vast Kele Uahi or “Smoking Swamp”. Tormented by years of seismic activity, the swamp is a hotbed for volcanic activity, releasing the tension coming from the now dormant sunken volcano of Ga-Wahi. The whole area is covered with small natural vents, geysers, and other pipes; constantly releasing sulphuric gases into the air. The underground is muddy and sticky, resembling a tar-like substance. Bo-Wahi: The largest Wahi of all, Bo-Wahi stretches over several thousands of kio across the Southern part of the island. The biggest part is covered by the immense jungle at the foot of the Veto Mountain. Big areas of this vast jungle still hold secrets to the Matoran, and only few have ever dared to travel through this green ######. Onu-Wahi: Onu-Wahi is technically the largest Wahi of all, as it stretches across the whole island, consisting of thousands of kios of tunnels, caverns, mines and more. The surface of the true Onu-Wahi, located in the North of the island, is mostly a barren wasteland with very little plant- or wildlife. The reason behind this apparent lack of life is the booming life under the surface. The plants get their minerals directly from the source, and live underground. Po-Wahi: Located at the centre of the island, Po-Wahi is home to one of the biggest deserts known to the Matoran. The desert of this Wahi divides the island between the colder North and the warmer South. This area is treacherous and only the Sa-Matoran truly know their way in this ever changing world of sand. Ko-Wahi: Ko-Wahi, or the world of cold, is located at the North of the island. Few is known about this area, but it is home to Titiro Mountains the location of The Council. This mighty palace is the home of the Turaga, giving them a birds-eye view over the whole island. Ga-Wahi: Of all Wahi, Ga-Wahi is the smallest. It is said that somewhere in the past seismic activity caused the island to break apart, resulting in the now sunken and dormant volcano in Ga-Wahi. This Wahi is situated at the Western coasts of the island, with Ga-Koro at its centre. Highlands: A piece of grassland that is stretched out from the entrance of the Southern Tunnels to the pathway to the Council, all the way to the Forbidden Forest. It’s the last patch of green to be crossed before entering the Po-Wahi Desert. Forbidden Forest: An forest near the edge of Ko-Wahi. A never-ending mist lingers over the pine-trees, tangled in mysteries. Many Matoran consider it to be cursed, and as only a few have ever returned from this crooked woodland, the Turaga decided to forbid anyone from entering them. The few Matoran who safely got out of the forest are now empty shells of what they used to be, incapable of expressing themselves in more than just a few grunts and sighs. Principles of the Matoran The principle of the Onu-Matoran, Endurance stands for the ability to exert itself and remain active for a long period of time. Embedded deep in the heart of the mining community of Onu-Metru, this principle praises the massive strength and endurance of the centuries old Elder Roots. These ancient roots have stood the test of time and supported the ever-changing city of the miners for thousands of years. Endurance leads to the skill of Stamina, allowing one to function with the same level of energy for longer periods of time. The principle of the Bo-Matoran, Acceptance stands for the will to accept the world and others as they are, not forcing them to become any different than their nature intended to be. This form of respect for the core of each being stems from the idea that nature knows best, and the Matoran shouldn’t try to impose change upon it. Acceptance leads to the skill of Confidence, creating a deeper trust in in one’s abilities. This trust enables beings who master the skill of Confidence to push their abilities to the limits. This skill allows the Bo-Matoran to enter a state of mind where they are able to make further leaps, climb higher trees and run faster. The principle of the Ga-Matoran, Responsibility stands for the will to accept the consequences of one’s actions. The principle is linked to an old wisdom that said that one drop of water makes the sea rise, and the Ga-Matoran recognize that their lives and actions have an influence on those of all the Matoran. The principle of Responsibility demands the Ga-Matoran to live life in such a way that one’s actions do not have negative consequences on the lives of others. Responsibility leads to the skill of Strategy, allowing one to have a better view of what their actions might accomplish. This skill brings the Ga-Matoran in a state of mind where they can quickly plan out their actions in order to get the best out of each situation. The principle of the Av-Matoran, Purity stands for a life devoting to the avoidance of distraction and corruption. The principle stems from the purity of Light itself, an element untouched by any force of nature. Purity leads to the skill of Focus, allowing one to more accurately view the situation, without the many distractions of the environment. Focus allows the Av-Matoran to reach a state of mind where they are all their senses are blocked out, and all their attention is focussed on the problem they’re facing. I hope you liked it ( and the images aren't too big), and see you next time !

A slightly larger picture of the model. Umarak also seems to have a tail in this version, I really wonder what's up with this version -Iben

I have to disagree here. Looking at the Inika, Piraka, several of the Mahri,Breez, The Witch Doctor,Black Phantom etc., I must say that these coloured bones were a great addition to the colour schemes. Saying that they inherently look terrible because there is no "clear" contrast between armour and skeleton because it isn't a neutral colour, that's something I can't agree with. Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to deny that there are certain rules in design like other people do; but here this is nothing more than an opinion in my eyes. A colour scheme can have nice contrast even with less neutral colours ( like Hahli Mahri for instance), but even then I don't believe that a clear contrast is inherently necessary to make a colour scheme good and "not terrible". Subtle contrasts work too in my eyes. I'll be the last one to say that the grey and black bones are bad. In several characters it looks really good and coloured bones would certainly not work; but dismissing coloured bones as a waste of money and something that will make the figures look terrible is taking it a bit too far. -Iben

On its own, it of course doesn't. In combination with the other hints, like the reoccurring Vahis, it gives a small implication that it might be that. And you know what ? I think they'll probably stick with that. Small and little hints that hint to something more, but leave tons of room for imagination. A connection doesn't even need to imply that G2 is a continuation of G1. G2 doesn't need to be an alternate timeline, a future or whatever the people can come up with of G1. It simply means that both "universes" ( due lack of a better word) have something that can "connect". Like two halves of a mask forming a bigger mask. If this is what Lego is doing, focussing on G2's own story ( which it has and which it will be even if there's a connection at all ) but dropping subtle hints and clues that might lead to a small connection if you're interested in following those clues, then I must say it's brilliant. These little things are so easily ignorable for those who don't want to be reminded of G1 in G2, but form a base for imagination for those who do. If you ask me, that's a perfect compromise and pretty much allows for a lot of creativity and imagination; which is what Lego stands for. That's why I dislike it if people go,run around and stomp everything that hints at a connection in the ground. Because it actually takes away that imagination and creativity in my eyes. I myself don't want G2 to be a continuation of either sort. I'd be disappointed if the current characters turn out to be the same as the ones of G1 ( which is luckily nowhere implied ). I want G2 to be its own story. Have its own legends and stories. But if they're connected in a "grander scheme" in a way that each "universe/reboot/generation" has a piece of big puzzle that you can complete; then I'm all for it. It would be cool in my eyes. Because each story would still be its own story but there would be something that "unites them all" so to speak Of course, like I said, all these little hints and things are very easily ignorable. They are easy to brush of as mere easter-eggs, they're not important to G2's own story. So if you're not looking for that, you simply don't need to do anything to ignore it. Perfect comprise in my eyes. -Iben

So apparently this arrived on 4chan. -Iben

Lego probably needs more money to profit after the costs of molding the new pieces or casting them in new colors. It's just weird that only Belgium and The Netherlands have these higher prices though. Normally we're in the same price-class as our neighbouring countries, which is often just a literal dollar to euro conversion ( so 14.99$ becomes €14,99 ). This is still the case for Germany and France, but not for us; which is what's so confusing to me. It's not that the prices of other products in Belgium/Netherlands really differ that much; so I'm guessing Lego made an error somewhere. Because I don't really consider the lower-price Toa's to be worth 17,99. I know it might sound a bit cheap, but hey, not everyone has a big Lego-budget -Iben

Looking at the Lego online shop, I'm quite disappointed to see that Gali, Pohatu and Lewa area all €17,99 instead of €14,99. To me this is extremely confusing, given that both France and Germany have them at 14,99; while Belgium and the Netherlands have them at 17,99. TBH, although I'm most certainly going to buy them anyway, I do feel like the price-point of 17,99 is quite high for these figures. I don't really understand where the sudden price change came from, as Tahu and Onua both remain unchanged. If anyone is able to clear this up for me, I'd really appreciate it. -Iben

No. Connected doesn't have to mean "continuation", does it ? I wouldn't mind it if this and possible future reboots are all "connected" by a common factor, in this case the Vahi being around in each "reboot universe". I don't really want a continuation of the G1, but a minuscule connection where each universe has a Vahi is something I most certainly can live with -Iben

Wooow thanks man ! I never expected this !

I want in on the giveaway !

I know this is still a bit of topic, but I partly agree with people on the whole "the same heroes over and over again". To me, I'd like to see the same team for a few years, like a year or 5-6. After that, it would be cool if these timeless heroes would go back to where they came from ( and really, the story is perfectly able to do such thing ) and show us Okoto after that. I'd like to see a storyline where the timeless heroes are summoned again but don't turn up, and that a set of villagers are transformed into Toa instead. So basically a mix between G1 and the "Same heroes" way. Keep the same characters for a reasonably long time in order to tell their full story and give them enough growth, but move on to a new set of heroes once their story is told. That to me is an ideal way to keep things fresh. It would allow us to see a story where new heroes come and try to figure out how to be like the Toa they depended on for so long. Like a Toa of Fire asking himself "How would Toa Tahu do this ?". Stuff like that is completely possible, and it keeps things relatively fresh. But more on topic, I honestly would love pet companions for the Toa. I've been wanting it ever since we got Pewku and Ka, and Jallers crab. It would be awesome to see this, and I truly hope that there are some interesting builds here. I wouldn't necessarily mind clone sets in this case, or semi-clone sets like the Protectors, but if I could choose I'd love specific animal types. Seahorses, lions, moles, birds, etc. That would be awesome. I saw someone mentioning different masks, infected and not, and I completely agree that that would make things complete. What I personally look forward to is perhaps a kind of launcher that shoots nets. I'd honestly be a bit disappointed if the hunter turns out to have no net at all, as it's one of the things I'd associate with an animal-hunter quite easily. This brings me to the Toa tools. I hope they are still easily distinguishable for each element ( Fire Swords, Wings for Lewa, etc. ), but do have some "catching/taming" vibe of some sorts. Perhaps a little less gold and silver this time in order to let the Toa camouflage or something like that ? -Iben

Without a doubt one of the best entries so far. I can't believe you don't have more comments on this, because this is absolutely brilliant. I love Dume's build, I love the wings, and overall these two are very solid builds. I hope you win, because you certainly deserve it ! -Iben