matau-the-228th - Tumblr blog

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Chronicler's Company but they're Toa!

These designs are meant to be, like, a "what if", where they became Toa some time after the Bohrok invasion but before the Rebuilding. Also I decided to take this seriously and not make Hafu and Taipu identical, though I did give them designs that could arguable work for either (and swapped their Toa forms' masks for fun).

(A live-updating list of stuff I use can be found here, feel free to suggest anything not on that list via my askbox.)

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'Danger is the anvil on which trust is forged.'

By Jeetdoh on DeviantArt

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bioncles my beloved

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love dungeon meshi senshi's character design bc when he has the helmet on he looks like a fucking pokemon

and then he takes the helmet off and hes just a guy with a face and forehead and everything

edit:

to me he looks like this

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Wait, that’s not Jerma985

Grass grows, birds fly, sun shines, and brother? I hurt people.

I am attempting something here by using mass upload program (PostyBirb) to re-post a bunch of my old MOC images. P sure not everyone who follows me today saw them back in the day, so it’s a bunch of treats for y'all!

Posted using PostyBirb

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do you think since Whenua is an archivist-biologist he used to be a huge fan of Makuta.... like the other Onu-Matoran hear screaming in his hut and come running but it's just because he heard about Antroz making a new species of bat. he has tried to sneak close to Teridax's lab before. Mavrah has a carving of a Makuta who specializes in marine life on his work desk. there are Rahi trading cards with the names of the Makuta who made them on them. Teridax is all mad Matoran don't appreciate Makuta, and clearly there's an idea of the Makuta as being frightening and dangerous, but the Onu-Matoran of Metru Nui kind of love their work honestly. here's a museum of your work so sprawling that Matoran die inside on the regular <3

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Bionicle- Designing the Masks

One of the first and most popular spin-off franchises of the advanced Lego series “Technic”, Bionicle (standing for Bionic Chronicle), was the tale of a series of heroes on an ancient island, imbibed with the powers of the elements to fight Makuta, the god of darkness. One of the unique aspects of these Toa was their masks of power- each granting them a different power. Over the course of Bionicle’s decade of popularity, there have been dozens and dozens of masks, designed each to look unique and cohesive within their launch group.

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Toa Nidhiki

The mask is Jekdersnek's Kanohi Volitak, bought off Etsy. I like how it meshes the canon Volitak's face-on appearance with mutated!Nidhiki's Vahki-like head-shape.

I designed his Air Scythe myself, using BrickLink's Studio to check the lengths of the axles I wanted to use; I settled on two 6L axles for the ends and one 8L axle in the middle. It fits well when held one-handed or two-handed, and also hangs neatly when holstered on his back.

I'm pretty pleased with how he turned out! Might mod the shoulders later to be more articulated. I also wonder what he'd look like with a pair of articulated hands...

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Onewa, Toa of stone

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Rahaga Onewa, Rahaga Whenua, and I spent many years digging out the cave and carving out each alcove for the Kanohi we were able to recover from the Bohrok nests.

Lhikan's was the first memorial alcove we had planned, but the last one we made. The other Matoran had regained a lot of their abilities by then, so everyone who knew how to dig or carve got to contribute a little to his statue. It felt like the end of a chapter when we held a gathering to set his mask on the statue in the Great Mausoleum.

He was the guiding light for these Matoran in this life, and still guides them, in a way, through the Rahaga. He would certainly still guide and protect us in the next life, if such a thing exists.

Takua asked me if his statue depicted the Great Spirit Mata'Nui.

Perhaps he isn't too far off. Perhaps Lhikan was the closest we got to meeting the Great Spirit himself.

Vakama always seems proud when he tells the story of Toa Lhikan, that somehow, through his words, you can feel the warmth and sense of security Lhikan gave to us. And afterwards, the other Matoran always seem to share his pride and admiration of Lhikan, even though they don't remember him.

It was disheartening, to say the least, when I saw Takua's face fall as I told him who Lhikan was, and why his mask is hung here in the Mausoleum.

Maybe it's just how I recount the story.

...Maybe it's just me.

Songs: Gallery Theme (Myst: URU), May it Be (Enya, LOTR), Smiles from Juran (Warframe)

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Rahaga Nuju of Ko-Wahi.

Wise but reclusive and enigmatic, Nuju prefers to spend his time alone, staring up into the night sky and scouring the outskirts of Ko-Wahi for any wayward Matoran using the specialized mask eye-pieces designed by Rahaga Vakama.

Although his rounds have saved many a Matoran, Nuju has been known to needlessly search and dig through the snow-dunes when all Matoran are accounted for.

We don't know why he does this.

For multiple reasons, he only communicates in bird-speak, a language few fully understand, even his fellow Rahaga, but he is always patient, often repeating words for his translators.

A few Ko-Matoran say that they have heard him speak in a whispered, broken voice in the snow-dunes alone night, as if he is talking to a ghost.

Of course, language barriers don't slow his progress restoring the data retrieved from the Knowledge Shards that periodically erupt from underneath Mount Ihu. Sometimes, if the shards contain data regarding Toa, he will enter an uncharacteristic fit of rage and shatter them, quickly repurposing them into telescopes, mirrors, and other decorations, all the while repeating mournful bird-song.

I don't think he know why he does this.

...I think it distresses him.

Nokama theorizes that the Rahi attributes Nuju received from the Hordika venom come from Snow Pokawis and Crystal Climbers.

Songs: Fukurou (KOKIA), Secunda (TES: Skyrim OST), Mimir (God of War 2018 OST)

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the fucking line delivery of this

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We are so lucky to have so many photos of Bionicle set prototypes and cut or preliminary storyline concepts. It's a veritable treasure trove of ideas. So many things where the creators said "We almost did this, and never got around to doing this other thing." And now we can do those things. AND still have access to all the amazing work they did put out for us, on top of all our own wacky ideas. I really like it here

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Bionicle Mahiano AU Interlude: Teatime

Rahaga Vakama poured me a cup of tea without asking.

"So, Historian, what do you want to talk about today?"

I waited until the stream of hot water stops before I spoke. "Takua, I suppose."

The Rahaga paused for a brief moment before moving to pour his own cup. "He told me you yelled at him the other day."

Oh.

"I... I shouldn't have done that." I had look away from the Rahaga's eyes. I couldn't take seeing the pity in them. Not again. "I was... frustrated. And I lost control of my anger."

"...I know all too well about that, and certainly cannot blame you for losing control of it once or twice. But it can become a struggle to keep such a thing in check. No harm was done this time. In fact, I think Takua wants to be your assistant now more than ever."

Vakama waved a hand dismissively. "But let us not dwell on that. How is he doing? There is some room for improvement, of course, but I think he will get the hang of being the Chronicler. He's even gotten you to leave the Hall of Records."

I tensed up, feeling some sort of further implication behind his words. But I drank some of the tea and let the bitterness and fruity aroma cover the feeling. It was probably just my own self-doubt trying to claw its way into the front of my mind again.

"He's doing... fine, I guess." I clenched the cup in my hand. "Are you... sure it's wise for me to tell him the whole history? Not the abridged version you- we tell the rest of the Matoran?"

"Well, he is the Chronicler. How better for him to learn how to record and tell stories than by recounting our own?"

"Your own." I reflexively corrected out loud. No, that isn't right. Not really. "Sorry. It's just... how much of this is really... relevant to how we came to be on Mata Nui? Shouldn't we... cut out parts of the story?"

He frowned, an all-too familiar expression. I could even hear his words before he says them. "You were there too. Just because you are a Matoran does not mean you do not have a part to play in the history that has been and will be- no matter if it was in the past or will be the future, you are important!"

That's not what I meant. But I couldn't take the time to elaborate my thoughts before my feelings took over.

"Yeah, I got captured. Now I write down things that have already happened. End of story. Great big world-saving hero-quest."

"That's not the only thing you did."

"What, do you mean being a small nuisance to Dume's Vahki when you needed it most? Or do you mean when I caused some sort of crisis of faith in that Toa of Stone?"

The words came more freely now, uncorked after being bottled up for so long. "That somehow, just by existing, I made him 'see the light' and rebel against Tuyet? The very same thing that killed him? That part to play?"

Vakama's eyes widened, if only for a moment. Then he just... sighed.

"I see. So this is what you have been angry about."

"You and I are the only ones who saw what he did, what happened to him! Manas bones, Vakama! There's no body to entomb! Not even a mask to hang in the Mausoleum! Every single second of his last moments had to have been agony!"

"He would have stopped if he felt it was the right thing to do."

"And are you sure it was? That we couldn't have continued to fight?"

"...No. But there was nothing to be done! He put on the mask and used it, and ended the battle then and there. None of what he did is your fault. It was his decision. His sacrifice."

"But I spent so much time being dragged around the city by him! Spent so much time being protected by him! And not once did I stop to ask him why. How can you say that I couldn't have done-"

There was the sound of splintering as Vakama's hand crushed the bamboo cup he was holding, splattering the tea across the table.

"Because you could not have done anything!" His breath was ragged, trying to keep it tempered; Forcing himself to sound calm, even as small wisps of smoke puffed through is mouth. "I had the mask. I am the one who gave it to him. I am the only one who could have saved him. And even then...!"

Vakama grimaced, slowly speaking his thoughts like they burned his tongue. "Even then, I don't think he wanted to be saved."

His words hung in the air.

"I know it's... tempting. To try to be like him. To think that you have to sacrifice yourself in some way to honor him. I know that's why you've been hiding in the Hall of Records, or at least part of it. But don't. Don't be like him. Don't try to become a Toa. Because..."

He stopped, looking down at the crushed bamboo in his hand.

"...Because I'm not him." I said tentatively.

Vakama looked at me with an even more pained expression. He exhaled, doing his best to look me in the eyes, but his gaze seemed to keep slipping away.

"You are the only Matoran we truly saved, when we were Toa. Has... has that ever occurred to you? No one else is the same person they were before. Not really. They still live, but... all those connections to each other- to us- are just... gone. It was our duty... my duty, and..."

I didn't respond. Vakama looked so tired, so old. Old before his time.

That's right, I remember. I was built two cycles before he was. I'm older. Even if it's not by much.

The silence persisted, only the occasional sound of tea being sipped and poured breaking the oppressive noiselessness.

We sat in silence for a while, Vakama using the quiet to get another bamboo cup and pour himself more tea.

The Lhikan bell tolled, signaling that the sun has fully set, and that night had arrived in Ta-Koro.

"...Where did you leave off in your recounting of the past with Takua?"

"Rahaga... Toa Nuju had just finished his investigation of the Grand Temple of Tekoa, and he's learned a little out about Toa Nhidiki."

"So it would be Nokama's discovery of the artificial island in the Water Sector next, chronologically."

I shrug. "I think Takua wants to know how you six went from being Toa to Rahaga more, not this boring 'finding out the right way to be a Toa' stuff," I laughed a little, "No offense."

He smiled, giving own chuckle that sounded more like a ghekula toad croaking. "None taken. Though I would be willing to wager he's also wondering why you've been referring to yourself in the third person when telling the story!"

I leaned forward, smiling as well. "It's a bad habit I picked up from some story-telling Rahaga, I'm afraid."

And we both laughed and talked as we had not in ages long into the night.

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anyone else seeing weird mysterious failures on Tumblr