~kh

I find Teridax kind of generic, to be honest, but to be fair, from what I've seen on your list, I think you're kind of younger. Nothing wrong with that, it's just that when you look outside of cartoons and you find a plethora of fantastic villains and you're just haven't been able to experience what some of the older members are calling great villains. (I do question the absence of anyone from Avatar: The Last Airbender, though) From the two shows I've watched most recently, Walter White and Frank Underwood are fantastic villain protagonists that I love really watching. In terms of BIONICLE, though, I'd actually rank the Shadowed One much higher than Teridax on my personal list. Not that he's any less generic at times, but the addition of Shadow as a safeguard really impressed me. It's rare you see characters in the type of line BIONICLE was that show that much foresight.

I don't really think we need new tribes, but in the TV Show some animal races just "pop up" without an actual tribe. Peacocks, skunks, foxes and the like are active members of the world, but they don't actually have on-screen tribes. I can see the merit of people playing the characters/animals they want, although a dragon might be pushing it.

If there's one thing that Chima has done well from the start(even in the show), it would be the world building. I think they've done a really good job with the world, so we probably don't need to tamper with it all that much. Also, now that you mention players, I'm a little concerned about the number of people that will actually play this. Honestly, Chima isn't the most popular line among folks on BZP, so I'm not sure if there will really be all that many people playing... Actually, I'll disagree with you on that first one, but only around your definition of worldbuilding. The world looks great, and there's a lot of great design that went into the villages (the Eagle spire, for instance, really stands out). But I honestly don't count it as worldbuilding. To me, worldbuilding means literally building your world: seeing how your world functions, how the mundane things about society work. Politics, economics, education, social interaction, what each society values, how parents bring up their kids, things you don't really bring up all the time but flesh out beforehand so the world actually feels like a living, breathing society (or a bunch of them, in Chima's case). Think of Bionicle. For me, the biggest amounts of worldbuilding didn't come from the books or movies, it came from MNOG and MNOG II. Especially MNOG II, because one of the big things that they did was make Mata Nui living and breathing. You didn't just go on an adventure, you swam and collected seaweed. You spun the seaweed into flax, you made that flax into string, you traded that string for widgets, and then used those widgets to buy other things and so on. You met a ton of other villagers who weren't just there, but they had jobs and they had hobbies and they made their society work and you could see, witness and be a part of that. Combined with the location design, I believe that's what made Mata Nui and by extension 2001-2003 so alive. It wasn't the fact that they had adventures there. Compare Mata Nui to, say, Karda Nui or Mahri Nui and it's pretty clear which one was more well built. Obviously, we don't need to go into such great detail as MNOG, but because Chima doesn't have everything completely fleshed out, a few sentences on how each society works would (I imagine) at least help out any of the players as to what to expect. I wrote up some real quickly as an example; see if you like them: Lions Constitutional monarchy government with emphasis on fairness and true democracy (majority rule); communist (aka government-run equal distribution) economy; society promotes altruistic values (selflessness, bravery, etc.) but also revolves around things like Speedor racing, seeing as Chi is their main "export" and the Speedor races always seem to be right outside the Lion's city Note: the economy is communist because the Lions distribute the Chi this way (the government is in charge of equal distribution of Chi among the other tribes), so it bears to reason that they would take this approach internally to their economy Eagles "Monarchy" but mostly for show, with no real power attached to the monarch and mostly constitutes as a oligarchy; socialist economy with an implied abolishment of public ownership; society is based on learning and knowledge, with scholars and philosophers being the ideal Eagle citizen's dream career Note: The TV Show explicitly states that the Eagles are socialist and have no concept of private ownership, but Eris is also somehow the princess even though that never seems to have any clout except maybe when the Lions call the leaders together. Presumably, the Eagles more than likely have an oligarchy with a council of people that rule and have a king as a spokesperson. The Lions have a council too, but they only advise the King, as opposed to the Eagles who have an active role and can even overrule the king as necessary. Crocodiles Traditional monarchy, the King is always in charge and makes decisions; capitalist economy, but with a lot of implicit tax laws to inflate government profit; strength-based society, with emphasis on national pride. Note: Crueller and Cragger could have not have made all the decisions and acts they did if there were a constitution, it's implied that they did whatever they want because they were the new King. Also, this is not to say that crocodiles do not value such things as bravery/selflessness/etc. under Cragger's dad's rule, but obviously they went along with Crueller/Cragger without much struggle, so it's not as valued as national pride. Conversely, if Laval tried to lead the lions in an all out war in his father's stead, most of them would oppose or not follow his rule. Wolves Traditional monarchy; communist society; warrior-based society with emphasis on ferocity/physical strength/determination, but also with a strict honor code Note: The honor code is visited several times in the TV Show, with the wolves willing to honor an agreement that they made years ago with the crocodiles. The economic is communist because presumably the Pack Leaders are the one that controls the finances for each pack. Ravens Constitutional monarchy; capitalist society, but with private ownership with certain objects being equated with skill instead of previous ownership (if you are able to steal something protected and valuable, your skill makes you the new owner); society with emphasis on cunning, manipulation and profit Note: The Ravens are seen as the most conniving salesmen, that seem to value profit over all others. But they do have a strange honor system that functions on thievery. For instance, they only seek to steal the choice things from each other, as opposed to just going into someone's house and taking everything they own (if they functioned purely on stealing everything, the society would fall apart; so there is some area of honor left). Ravens take care to hide their precious valuables in safehouses, but stealing something not as valuable/something needed to survive from other Ravens will result in being humiliated by the rest of society because it took no skill to do so. In fact, being a salesman and cheating someone out of a good deal is seen as the highest form of skill, because you not only stole something from someone, you made them like the fact that you were doing it.

I've had to do a coverage with the guys over at The Three Virtues of nearly every episode of Chima so far, so something I'd like to make mention of is that the first season does not really deliver. There's a bunch of lore that works, but the television show's execution was kind of less than stellar for various reasons. So maybe a kind of alternate history for the first season could also work? Keep some of the stuff that works, but rework it into something that's much more fleshed out and makes more sense from a plotline perspective. We could keep the "Forgotten Tales" thing, of course, but maybe have ramifications that carry over into the "main story"? One of my main complaints is that there's way too many dumb races. There's the hippie-dumb race (Gorrilas), the sleepy-dumb race (Bears), and just the dumb-dumb race (Rhinos). I don't think we need to wipe everything about them entirely, but maybe stop having them be idiots for idiocy's sake. The Bears, for instance, could perhaps function as one of the strongest/ferocious races, but their strength and ferocity is directly proportionate to the time they spend sleeping, hence why using too much of it has them drop off into sleep. Or maybe something along those lines, something that makes sense rather than just be used as a brunt of a joke all the time. Also, one thing I'd like to get into is how individual tribe's government/society works based on their values. For instance, I've felt that the Lions would function more like a democratic-based constitutional monarchy, with a lot of things being put to vote by majority rule and emphasis on following on what the votes come out on. The Eagles, on the other hand, would be a debate based system and function more like a courtroom (with open forums being their national pastime). Ravens, of course, would be strict capitalists. And so on. Not any of these ideas need to be directly applied, of course, but the idea for expansion should remain about the same.

I'd really like that CD-Rom, if you wouldn't mind.

Name: Kahi Species and Gender: Su-Matoran, male Appearance: Shorter in stature, but no less commanding. A dark maroon mask, body and feet cover his starkly contrasting white arms and legs. He has bright yellow eyes that always seem to be gleaming, and his smile always has a hint of a smirk. Kanohi: Calix, inexplicably always shiny. He has a saying, "This mask has almost a religious symbolism attached to it. Matoran wear it say that they are guarded by destiny, that fate protects their minds. I wear this mask on my head as my own symbol. Fate should be honored that it has my mind to back it up." Weapons: A silent gun, powered by compressed air. It holds three bullets and is made for maximum close range impact. He hides it under the sleeve of his right arm. On his left he carries a extendable blade. Gear: He wears a distinctly noticeable suit, specifically layered to keep in body heat. He carries a small, collapsible pickaxe and a set of goggles, with a mini wielding torch for sticky situations. He also wears a monocle, which he insists is cool despite protests from basically everyone. Abilities, Powers, and Skills: Kahi is a very savvy individual. He boasts a keen business-centered mind, as well as deductive and reasoning skills. He has a captivating charismatic ability around him, and is able to twist around arguments and debates in his favor. He was a well-sought after lawyer for most of his career, doing everything from patent law to murder trials. He has a very natural inclination towards technology. He is also very wealthy, due to both his legal career and the recent bequeath of his friend's ownership stock in his company, Generation Electronica. Personality: Kahi is a very eccentric individual, but keeps a general sense of intelligence around him. He has always been quick to argue and easily takes advantage of whatever opportunity presents itself to him. He is overly ambitious, always looking for something more and willing to do whatever it takes to get it. If asked, he privately would think himself to be above the good majority of people, but instead prefers to let others think otherwise. He loves taking challenging cases, and likes to win as much as possible. Kahi is opposed to any sort of corruption or gain by other individuals, but he is opposed to it because it does not benefit himself. In a world where the wealthy and bullying sat on the top of the pyramid, he would not want to abolish it, but merely put himself at the top. Weaknesses: Kahi is addicted to success and money, and his moral compass is generally centered around himself. He views life mostly like chess; there are a small group of individuals that he values and remains loyal to, but the rest are merely pawns in a very grand scheme. He is always in pursuit of whatever route would gain him more money, often playing both sides to increase profits. He has an obsession with always winning, one that he takes often to the extreme. Biography: Kahi was always a lawyer by trade, but joined up with his friend Mavra, a Vortixx, in a venture for an engineering and technology company named "Generation Electronica". While he kept out of most of the engineering that Mavra did, but sunk a very large amount of money into investment for the startup. His legal skills and keen business sense soon proved invaluable and he managed to keep them one step ahead of other businesses, bolstered only by his Mavra's genius inventions. The both of them grew very wealthy, and he kept on the frontline of the company even through the beginnings of the winter by landing one high profile case after another. Due to Mavra's untimely death, he was given the entirety of Mavra's stock and ownership of the company. This, combined with the stock he already had, made him the CEO of GE. He is having some trouble adjusting to this ownership, however, and feels more at home back in his law office, but plans to use the company's assets to secure himself in the grand scheme of things. He also has suspicions that Mavra was murdered and is privately investigating this. He also wants to eventually get rid of the winter, but not before he sets things so that he'll be able to be on top once the change goes over. Name: Emalyne Species and Gender: Ce-Toa, Female Appearance: Sharp and sleek armor, very modern, very aerodynamic. She bears a clean, white armor look from top to bottom, with glowing lights bored into each joint segment. She often carries a blank look on her face, but her eyes search everywhere. Once she locks onto you, her blue-eyed gaze burns deep into your soul. Kanohi: Suletu, in the shape of a Nobel Ruru Weapons: A plethora of throwing knives, multiple grenades, a collapsible short sword. Gear: Emalyne has numerous pieces of gear attached to her at any point in time. She carries a satchel full of equipment and papers, and also boasts a very strong rope-and-grappling-hook combo. The hook, when locked together, provides her primary weapon as a ball and chain. It can also be launched and projected in order to hook onto or grab ahold of an item. Abilities, Powers, and Skills: Emalyne has a wide array of mental and telekinetic powers, and has devoted most of her time to developing her mental powers. Her telepathic powers allow her a lot of room for corporate espionage, and she is able to peel back mental blocks and access the memories of many individuals. She cannot control people with her mind, but she can engage them in mental warfare. She is also a skilled martial artist, preferring to use her fists instead of any weapon she can come across. Personality: Emalyne is a very stoic individual, viewing life with a heavy dose of snark. She has gleamed a lot of passing information from people, and her personality is no longer really her own after assimilating with so many other people. She longs for her old individuality, but instead has resigned herself to just living as she can. She had a stronger moral compass back in the day, but her consistent presence around Kahi has made her more accepting of morally questionable decisions. Weaknesses: Emalyne has surely but slowly started to lose grip of herself because of her over taxation of her telepathic abilities, often hearing thoughts or voices that aren't her's. While she was able to block them out initially, the consistent use of her powers has started to wear herself down. If she were to lose concentration, she would eventually cave in and be suppressed by all of the thoughts going around her. Biography: A younger Toa trying to find work as a bodyguard, Emalyne was handpicked by Kahi who saw potential in the impressionable Toa. Under his guidance, she soon expanded her skill with telepathy and worked as both a personal secretary and bodyguard for the Matoran for several years. Over time, she has noticed that she has noticeably changed and had gone from a crusader of justice to a much more placid and compromising mindset. She would have left Kahi's employ a long time ago had she not glimpsed at all of the plans and ambition he had stored inside his mind. She has resolved to stick it out, and does have the distinction of being one of the people that he trusts implicitly.

[iC: Jarros | Onu-Metru Archives] "Blades, up around that ridge" croaked the voice behind them again. Jarros, all but forgotten, floated two feet off the ground, his hand outstretched with an accusing fist towards Vilu. Both Skyra and Manaka turned to glare at him again and the Matoran on Vilu's back looked at him with a puzzled expression. Jarros glanced all around at the people around him. "I...uh...I think he should die too. For the record." The silence persisted. He cleared his throat.

[iC: Jarros | Onu-Metru Archives] "If you were smart," said a voice from behind Skyra. "You would have funneled increased air pressure into the wound. It would clean out the blood and prevent the rust, and the jet from the air would have--" A sound crack split the air and Jarros was smacked backwards with the butt of the rifle. Immediately, the Toa and the Frost Beetle turned and faced him.

[iC: Jarros | Onu-Metru Archives] The clamor of the battle rang out to and fro from the archives, ringing in and out through the caverns that made up the hallways. A cloaked being stumbled through one of the dark tunnels that joined into the arena and fell onto the floor. Instead of getting up, however, the being twisted his head to face the ground and slowly levitated his body upwards. Hovering above ground, he cocked his head to the side and arched it back, pulling his feet towards the floor as if he were standing. Both hands reached up and pulled back his hood to reveal a dark and grimaced face. It was time to join the battle at last. OOC: In the bio, Jarros was not affiliated with anyone, which puts me at a bit of a disadvantage here seeing as how two groups of people are having it out. But hey, any interaction one of you can cook up would be great. Thanks.

Name: Jarros Gender: Male Species: Toa Kanohi: Mask of Biomechanics, shaped like a Kanohi Kadin (minus the spikes) Element: Magnetism Faction: Unaffiliated Appearance: Jarros is a bit on the shorter side of Toa, often mistaken for a taller Matoran. He does not intimidate people by size nor stature. He has slender, almost spindly limbs. He keeps a deep cobalt black armor scheme, his chest housing a metallic gray piece of armor. He wears a dark cape/cloak with a hood, which, through time and wear, has made the end of it ragged and torn. Powers: As a Toa of Magnetism, he has access to the wide range of powers that the element implies, including manipulation of magnetic fields and magnetically-attracted objects. He can fly at a low level by repulsing himself against the magnetic field of the island. His Mask of Biomechanics allows him to mentally interface with technology and control or influence them (depending on range and complexity). He cannot control parts that belong to another living being, but is able to slow them down. Equipment: None Skills: Jarros has very precise and powerful control over his elemental abilities, able to exceed what most people would consider possible. He also has a very acute and almost eidetic memory along with a strong willpower, and is able to think and process information very quickly. He keeps a mental dossier on the people he comes into contact with. He can sink into a state of mental concentration and form plans or retrieve information distinctively at the cost of losing all sense of time, danger, and other sensory inputs. Weaknesses: Jarros was not a very physically strong Matoran, and this led to a disastrous attempt at becoming a Toa. He is extremely weak, unable to do almost anything but stand up. He cannot carry or brandish a weapon, and it is only through focused willpower is he able to get around. If he were to be put into a position where his mental willpower was impaired, or where he was not able to access his elemental powers, he would be nothing short of easy prey. He is a very vengeful Toa, and has a great deal amount of pride in his abilities and mental prowess. Bio: As a Matoran, Jarros was not favored on account of his extreme lack of physical strength. Often passed over for military recruitment and unable to provide much for himself, he lived in poverty for most of the beginning years of the war. He often passed the time trying to "read" the people that came across him. He had a good memory, and with the amount of time on his hands, trained himself to keep a mental dossier of the people that he came across at any such time. He found discipline in allowing himself to think internally, blocking out the sights and smells of the slum around him. Finally, he stumbled across a very lucky break when he came across an abandoned Toa Stone from one of the skirmishes. He hoped that it would enable him to be stronger, but it had the exact opposite effect. Weaker than ever before, Jarros had to spend months and months honing his mental willpower and skill to manipulate his magnetic abilities to where he could remain functional. Since then, his elemental prowess has increased, and he managed to steal a Mask of Biomechanics in order to help him do everyday things such as stand or walk. After years and years of training, Jarros has deemed himself skilled enough to re-enter the war-torn world, but being by himself for so long, he has no allegiance to any side as of yet. He has a extraordinary great deal amount of pride in his abilities, and he views his entrance into the world as a sort of phoenix metaphor, dragging himself from the ashes by nothing but sheer willpower.

Okay, I get what you're saying. Let me change up Kahi for a bit (I believe Emalyne is good as is?)/ Name: Kahi Species and Gender: Su-Matoran, male Appearance: Shorter in stature, but no less commanding. A dark maroon mask, body and feet cover his starkly contrasting white arms and legs. He has bright yellow eyes that always seem to be gleaming, and his smile always has a hint of a smirk. Kanohi: Calix, inexplicably always shiny. He has a saying, "This mask has almost a religious symbolism attached to it. Matoran wear it say that they are guarded by destiny, that fate protects their minds. I wear this mask on my head as my own symbol. Fate should be honored that it has my mind to back it up." Weapons: A silent gun, powered by compressed air. It holds three bullets and is made for maximum close range impact. He hides it under the sleeve of his right arm. On his left he carries a extendable blade. Gear: He wears a distinctly noticeable suit, specifically layered to keep in body heat. He carries a small, collapsible pickaxe and a set of goggles, with a mini wielding torch for sticky situations. He also wears a monocle, which he insists is cool despite protests from basically everyone. Abilities, Powers, and Skills: Kahi is a very savvy individual. He boasts a keen business-centered mind, as well as deductive and reasoning skills. He has a captivating charismatic ability around him, and is able to twist around arguments and debates in his favor. He was a well-sought after lawyer for most of his career, doing everything from patent law to murder trials. He has a very natural inclination towards technology. He is also very wealthy, due to both his legal career and the recent bequeath of his friend's ownership stock in his company, Generation Electronica. Personality: Kahi is a very eccentric individual, but keeps a general sense of intelligence around him. He has always been quick to argue and easily takes advantage of whatever opportunity presents itself to him. He is overly ambitious, always looking for something more and willing to do whatever it takes to get it. If asked, he privately would think himself to be above the good majority of people, but instead prefers to let others think otherwise. He loves taking challenging cases, and likes to win as much as possible. Kahi is opposed to any sort of corruption or gain by other individuals, but he is opposed to it because it does not benefit himself. In a world where the wealthy and bullying sat on the top of the pyramid, he would not want to abolish it, but merely put himself at the top. Weaknesses: Kahi is addicted to success and money, and his moral compass is generally centered around himself. He views life mostly like chess; there are a small group of individuals that he values and remains loyal to, but the rest are merely pawns in a very grand scheme. He is always in pursuit of whatever route would gain him more money, often playing both sides to increase profits. He has an obsession with always winning, one that he takes often to the extreme. Biography: Kahi was always a lawyer by trade, but joined up with his friend Mavra, a Vortixx, in a venture for an engineering and technology company named "Generation Electronica". While he kept out of most of the engineering that Mavra did, but sunk a very large amount of money into investment for the startup. His legal skills and keen business sense soon proved invaluable and he managed to keep them one step ahead of other businesses, bolstered only by his Mavra's genius inventions. The both of them grew very wealthy, and he kept on the frontline of the company even through the beginnings of the winter by landing one high profile case after another. Due to Mavra's untimely death, he was given the entirety of Mavra's stock and ownership of the company. This, combined with the stock he already had, made him the CEO of GE. He is having some trouble adjusting to this ownership, however, and feels more at home back in his law office, but plans to use the company's assets to secure himself in the grand scheme of things. He also has suspicions that Mavra was murdered and is privately investigating this. He also wants to eventually get rid of the winter, but not before he sets things so that he'll be able to be on top once the change goes over. Is that better?

Okay, I get the whole lo-tech vibe thing. Is it okay for me to keep the whole company/invention angle without making the technologies high-tech in nature? Also, what level are we at with the technology? Are we strictly no computers medieval tech, steampunk level tech, early ninety-sixties computer tech?

Name: Kahi Species and Gender: Su-Matoran, male Appearance: Shorter in stature, but no less commanding. A dark maroon mask, body and feet cover his starkly contrasting white arms and legs. He has bright yellow eyes that always seem to be gleaming, and his smile always has a hint of a smirk. Kanohi: Calix, inexplicably always shiny. He has a saying, "This mask has almost a religious symbolism attached to it. Matoran wear it say that they are guarded by destiny, that fate protects their minds. I wear this mask on my head as my own symbol. Fate should be honored that it has my mind to back it up." Weapons: Twin half-circle blades, about hand-width in size, which can expand and fit together to form a frame for an energy shield. He has several electric "grenades" that he keeps for backup, and a one-time-usage EMP stake that he can implant in the ground. He also has a close-range projectile plasma discharger. All of these weapons are collapsible and are built to be concealed. Gear: He wears a distinctly noticeable suit, specifically layered to keep in body heat. He carries a small, collapsible pickaxe. He also carries a wireless computer device, which takes the form of a rounded piece of metal and machinery about the size of a palm. Through this, he is able to access his companies' database and/or hack devices. Abilities, Powers, and Skills: Kahi is a very savvy individual. He boasts a keen business-centered mind, as well as deductive and reasoning skills. He has a captivating charismatic ability around him, and is able to twist around arguments and debates in his favor. He was a well-sought after lawyer for most of his career, doing everything from patent law to murder trials. He has a very natural inclination towards technology. He is also very wealthy, due to both his legal career and the recent bequeath of his friend's ownership stock in his company, Generation Electronica. Personality: Kahi is a very eccentric individual, but keeps a general sense of intelligence around him. He has always been quick to argue and easily takes advantage of whatever opportunity presents itself to him. He is overly ambitious, always looking for something more and willing to do whatever it takes to get it. If asked, he privately would think himself to be above the good majority of people, but instead prefers to let others think otherwise. He loves taking challenging cases, and likes to win as much as possible. Kahi is opposed to any sort of corruption or gain by other individuals, but he is opposed to it because it does not benefit himself. In a world where the wealthy and bullying sat on the top of the pyramid, he would not want to abolish it, but merely put himself at the top. Weaknesses: Kahi is addicted to success and money, and his moral compass is generally centered around himself. He views life mostly like chess; there are a small group of individuals that he values and remains loyal to, but the rest are merely pawns in a very grand scheme. He is always in pursuit of whatever route would gain him more money, often playing both sides to increase profits. He has an obsession with always winning, one that he takes often to the extreme. Biography: Kahi was always a lawyer by trade, but joined up with his friend Mavra, a Vortixx, in a venture for an engineering and technology company named "Generation Electronica". While he kept out of most of the engineering that Mavra did, but sunk a very large amount of money into investment for the startup. His legal skills and keen business sense soon proved invaluable and he managed to keep them one step ahead of other businesses, bolstered only by his Mavra's genius inventions. The both of them grew very wealthy, and he kept on the frontline of the company even through the beginnings of the winter by landing one high profile case after another. Due to Mavra's untimely death, he was given the entirety of Mavra's stock and ownership of the company. This, combined with the stock he already had, made him the CEO of GE. He is having some trouble adjusting to this ownership, however, and feels more at home back in his law office, but plans to use the company's assets to secure himself in the grand scheme of things. He also has suspicions that Mavra was murdered and is privately investigating this. He also wants to eventually get rid of the winter, but not before he sets things so that he'll be able to be on top once the change goes over. Name: Emalyne Species and Gender: Ce-Toa, Female Appearance: Sharp and sleek armor, very modern, very aerodynamic. She bears a clean, white armor look from top to bottom, with glowing lights bored into each joint segment. She often carries a blank look on her face, but her eyes search everywhere. Once she locks onto you, her blue-eyed gaze burns deep into your soul. Kanohi: Suletu, in the shape of a Nobel Ruru Weapons: A plethora of throwing knives, multiple grenades, a collapsible short sword. Gear: Emalyne has numerous pieces of gear attached to her at any point in time. She carries a satchel full of equipment and papers, and also boasts a very strong rope-and-grappling-hook combo. The hook, when locked together, provides her primary weapon as a ball and chain. It can also be launched and projected in order to hook onto or grab ahold of an item. Abilities, Powers, and Skills: Emalyne has a wide array of mental and telekinetic powers, and has devoted most of her time to developing her mental powers. Her telepathic powers allow her a lot of room for corporate espionage, and she is able to peel back mental blocks and access the memories of many individuals. She cannot control people with her mind, but she can engage them in mental warfare. She is also a skilled martial artist, preferring to use her fists instead of any weapon she can come across. Personality: Emalyne is a very stoic individual, viewing life with a heavy dose of snark. She has gleamed a lot of passing information from people, and her personality is no longer really her own after assimilating with so many other people. She longs for her old individuality, but instead has resigned herself to just living as she can. She had a stronger moral compass back in the day, but her consistent presence around Kahi has made her more accepting of morally questionable decisions. Weaknesses: Emalyne has surely but slowly started to lose grip of herself because of her over taxation of her telepathic abilities, often hearing thoughts or voices that aren't her's. While she was able to block them out initially, the consistent use of her powers has started to wear herself down. If she were to lose concentration, she would eventually cave in and be suppressed by all of the thoughts going around her. Biography: A younger Toa trying to find work as a bodyguard, Emalyne was handpicked by Kahi who saw potential in the impressionable Toa. Under his guidance, she soon expanded her skill with telepathy and worked as both a personal secretary and bodyguard for the Matoran for several years. Over time, she has noticed that she has noticeably changed and had gone from a crusader of justice to a much more placid and compromising mindset. She would have left Kahi's employ a long time ago had she not glimpsed at all of the plans and ambition he had stored inside his mind. She has resolved to stick it out, and does have the distinction of being one of the people that he trusts implicitly.

Name: Jarros Gender: Male Species: Toa Kanohi: Mask of Biomechanics, shaped like a Kanohi Kadin (minus the spikes) Element: Magnetism Faction: Unaffiliated Appearance: Jarros is a bit on the shorter side of Toa, often mistaken for a taller Matoran. He does not intimidate people by size nor stature. He has slender, almost spindly limbs. He keeps a deep cobalt black armor scheme, his chest housing a metallic gray piece of armor. He wears a dark cape/cloak with a hood, which, through time and wear, has made the end of it ragged and torn. Powers: As a Toa of Magnetism, he has access to the wide range of powers that the element implies, including manipulation of magnetic fields and magnetically-attracted objects. He can fly at a low level by repulsing himself against the magnetic field of the island. His Mask of Biomechanics allows him to mentally interface with technology and control or influence them (depending on range and complexity). He cannot control parts that belong to another living being, but is able to slow them down. Equipment: None Skills: Jarros has very precise and powerful control over his elemental abilities, able to exceed what most people would consider possible. He also has a very acute and almost eidetic memory along with a strong willpower, and is able to think and process information very quickly. He keeps a mental dossier on the people he comes into contact with. He can sink into a state of mental concentration and form plans or retrieve information distinctively at the cost of losing all sense of time, danger, and other sensory inputs. Weaknesses: Jarros was not a very physically strong Matoran, and this led to a disastrous attempt at becoming a Toa. He is extremely weak, unable to do almost anything but stand up. He cannot carry or brandish a weapon, and it is only through focused willpower is he able to get around. If he were to be put into a position where his mental willpower was impaired, or where he was not able to access his elemental powers, he would be nothing short of easy prey. He is a very vengeful Toa, and has a great deal amount of pride in his abilities and mental prowess. Bio: As a Matoran, Jarros was not favored on account of his extreme lack of physical strength. Often passed over for military recruitment and unable to provide much for himself, he lived in poverty for most of the beginning years of the war. He often passed the time trying to "read" the people that came across him. He had a good memory, and with the amount of time on his hands, trained himself to keep a mental dossier of the people that he came across at any such time. He found discipline in allowing himself to think internally, blocking out the sights and smells of the slum around him. Finally, he stumbled across a very lucky break when he came across an abandoned Toa Stone from one of the skirmishes. He hoped that it would enable him to be stronger, but it had the exact opposite effect. Weaker than ever before, Jarros had to spend months and months honing his mental willpower and skill to manipulate his magnetic abilities to where he could remain functional. Since then, his elemental prowess has increased, and he managed to steal a Mask of Biomechanics in order to help him do everyday things such as stand or walk. After years and years of training, Jarros has deemed himself skilled enough to re-enter the war-torn world, but being by himself for so long, he has no allegiance to any side as of yet. He has a extraordinary great deal amount of pride in his abilities, and he views his entrance into the world as a sort of phoenix metaphor, dragging himself from the ashes by nothing but sheer willpower.

Well, this is the most discussion I've been a part of in a while. It's been entertaining so far, but I want to stop and say some things for a second to clarify from my last post. First off, I'm Asian. I'm not Japanese, I'm not right there with this Ninjago debate in that I'm being personally "insulted" or whatnot. But I am from East Asia and both my parents were all born and raised there and then brought me over to the west. This is a common trope I see in kind of all media here in the west about all kinds of Asian subcultures. So I don't personally represent the mindset of anyone, but I also have grown up with ABAs and immigrants and the like (which is, hey, another culture in and of itself) and this is generally the opinion of most of them. Secondly, I would like to clear up something here. Most people, from my background, are not severely offended by this. I'm not saying that absolutely no one is, but generally speaking, it's just not a really big deal for us to care enough about it. I know a bunch of you are saying that we do, but honestly, most of us just don't. Not to be racist (and you can tell that whatever I'm going to say after that is probably going to be racist anyways) but you white people seem to get really offended on behalf of us. Especially Americans. Not that we don't like appreciate the sentiment or anything, it's just...well, kind of weird that you're so offended when it doesn't really effect us so much. I'm just being honest here. It's a trend we notice. So no, we're not really super offended that the ninjas are heroes and have names like Cole and Lloyd. We're not offended that you guys don't know that fortune cookies are kind of your kinda deal and not ours. Oh, it gets a little grating when people say that they were expecting chopsticks when they come over for dinner, or ask if we can read something that remotely looks like Chinese (but it's actually Korean/Japanese/I don't read Chinese because I was raised in America and I literally was in the same grade as you for your entire education), but we don't mind it. Yeah, once in a while we'll get around and complain about it, but that's just culture. Same experiences draw people together. Now, would it be nice if the west paid more attention and more homage to the cultures they draw stuff from? Yeah. I mean, it would. Some of us care more about it than others, to be honest, but some attention wouldn't be too bad. Are we really up in arms about it? No. Will we riot if it doesn't change? Probably not. Oh, the more offensive stereotypes, maybe, but we're honestly not caring about it too much. At least, not as much as some of the people seem to care about here. Look, I know I'm saying "we" like I collectively represent the opinion of every Asian that ever lived and that's totally not true. This isn't how everyone sees things, and I'm sure there's someone else from the same background that could give honest opinions as to why they think differently. I'm just saying what I've heard from all types of Asians growing up. It's just part of the deal. Exchange of cultures. Yeah, sometimes we wish that we weren't always hackers or kung-fu masters, and yeah, the West does have a tendency to flanderize other cultures a lot more than we seem to do them. But it's not that big of a deal. It's an irritation you learn to live with. Like mosquitoes. I'm glad this discussion is happening because it does need to happen. I'm glad people are talking about this. I would honestly like to see more accurate representations of Eastern culture in Western media. And there is a lot of stuff that just adds to the stereotype of Easterners that kind of warps the view of white, middle-class American kids growing up. Trust me, I know. To the people that might respond, "But I don't see how it can affect kids like that", I don't have a good answer for you. I just know it does, and my experience proves (to me) more than any rational would. But also, to you guys that will respond "See, I told you that this kind of thing leads to racism and bullying", it also doesn't. I was never bullied or called racist slurs or anything. It's just...living in a different culture. You learn to live with it. We know they don't mean anything by it. So we don't get up in arms about it. If you're trying to claim that it doesn't have any effect on us at all, it actually does. But if you're trying to claim that this kind of thing really affects us and that it offends us, it also really doesn't. I'm sorry to disappoint both sides of this, but that's just how we feel. Your culture's opinion of us isn't that important.

Man, I remember being a kid and not having to care about anything other than if my comics topic died. No college, no GPA, no workplace issues, no car troubles, no rent...just opening up Photoshop and copying and pasting sprites. I remember one night, I had this comic due for Lavaside Rahi's Comic Advent Calendar? And I just got a bunch of my best friends on Skype and we talked and I worked until like 7 in the morning and everyone else had fallen asleep. I didn't have to worry about anything the next morning, I just sat down and did it and had a blast, laughed it up with friends, throwing jokes at the board and seeing if they stuck. Crammed a bunch of in-jokes into it, made some real sucky backgrounds because I needed them and I needed them fast. I had this long argument with this guy because I think his kit looked like someone else's kit? Like, it wasn't even my kit that it looked like, it was this other guy's who had left and I was a huge fan of... Anyhow, I guess I sat down for ages and argued with him about it. I just had the time to do that. Nothing else was important to care about. That's a odd thing to be nostalgic for, I guess, but that's my best memories on here. That's what I remember a lot. It was fun. For the most part.

So I had this discussion yesterday and I thought I should weigh in. Both my parents are natives of Southeast Asia, and I've gone back and forth between those cultures during my time growing up here. Basically, what it comes down to is that Western Cultures have long since kind of twisted around Eastern Culture, and LEGO isn't really so much at fault as they're just part of a culture that doesn't know better. You see it everywhere, man. Karate, fortune cookies, that kind of thing. That's a piece of trivia to most people, you know? "TIL that fortune cookies aren't actually Chinese". It's something that some people are shocked to find out. I'm don't usually get in arms about it, though, mostly because that's just what happens when you have different cultures. I don't even think it was made for profit or anything. It's just this approximation of Western Culture's view of Eastern Culture. Ask any kid about ninjas and he'll most likely say something about them being warrior heroes and that he'd love to be one. It's mostly how it just is and you kind of get used to it after a while. LEGO just used that, mostly because their production crew probably had this view growing up and wanted to approximate that into a fun series. Not that I don't wish that it could maybe change at some point, but at the same time, I wouldn't base what LEGO has done on commercial profit or specifically for the mocking of Eastern Culture. It's part of this larger picture, East vs. West, the greatest and worst basketball match of all time, mostly because it has nothing to do with basketball and all about how one culture perceives the other. (This isn't to say that Eastern Culture also has their own views and myths about Western Culture either, of course. This is a universal problem which just applies to whatever case you put it in. I will say that, personally, I feel like the "mockery" is far more prevalent in the West, but that might just be because I've been in the West longer.)

This one actually spoke to me. I'm not being even being ironic here the second comic actually spoke to me on a deep level. This is abstract post-modernism at it's finest because I mean just look at it. ArtworkThreeBionicleForumArtworkThreeBionicleForumArtworkThreeBionicleForumYouAreStillHere I've been here since 2009 and I've made comics since 2009 and now it's been four years and I'm graduated and working and paying taxes and going to college and I'm still here why am I still here I can't I can't even I'm still here ...

*walks into bar* Bartender: What'll it be? *lean over, pull down sunglasses and wink* Me: Sassafras *gets thrown out of bar*

It's a woman's hat because it belongs to Alena and she's a strong woman who don't need no man *snaps finger*

My name is Kahi Govaki and I'm a Kopaka Activist

That was definitely a no chirp.

So here's the deal. I understand the reasoning behind having game ideas for the FCG contest because they take a good amount of time to make and if not there wouldn't be many entries anyhow. BUT if someone has an actual demo/finished game to enter, does this end up taking presidence over a game idea? Like, obviously, a two-week 2D platformer probably will pale in comparison to, say, "Skyrim, but with BIONICLE". But if someone actually makes the 2D platformer, does that get some extra merit because there's actually something to play? Basically, are we voting on how good the ideas are or on the actual product you can deliver?

So there's this video called "BIONICLE Autopsy: The Return of BIONICLE and How It Would Be Handled" which I feel sums up my own opinions quite nicely. One thing I would add, though, is that while BIONICLE shouldn't go after a necessarily PG-13 crowd, it is very possible to have a franchise that is kid friendly and yet has a lot of mature storytelling and characters. Child friendly but not childish. Avatar: The Last Airbender often stands out as the greatest example of this.

Wow, I just remembered how long I've been here. Four years worth of comics and kit stuff. Old Group MASes will be wrecked now... This is actually kind of depressing. Nostalgia was always good to have.