A courageous toa of air imbued with the energies of the mysterious soulforge. Tenum gave his life during the Battle of Bara Magna, protecting the innocent from the forces of Teridax.
(Tenum is a character from the Cyclic Plane Storyline. Things in bold are specific to that storyline.)
Tenum was originally a Le-matoran who lived and worked in Le-Metru as a Bike-Racer, but he was also employed as a pilot in the city’s military. During a fateful dogfight, Tenum was shot down and crashed in the Silver Sea as the Great Spirit watched on. Something in the depths transformed him…
He washed up weeks later on the northern shore of the Northern Continent. His Air powers had kicked in unconsciously to prevent him from drowning. He first attempted to return to Metru Nui, but after discovering the foul deeds of an evil warlord and his armies, he realised his Destiny was to be on the Northern Continent. After a year, the war was won.
With Tarthex defeated, Tenum and his team were invited to Korrothis for special congratulations from the Elemental Lords. During the celebrations the Le-Nui, Wakanhi, took Tenum aside and offered him a place as one of his Archons. Sensing Destiny pulling again, Tenum agreed.
Much later on (after Varrix’s betrayal) the Onu-Nui, Reglas, wished for Tenum’s help with an experiment with the powerful Soulforge. The aim was to grant him powers over nitrogen, refining his Air powers into something more chemical and precise. Unfortunately, Reglas made an error and Tenum was granted powers over Aluminium instead.
Due to the drastic elemental change the new Le-Nui, Gringat, could no longer call him an Archon of Air, and the Po-Nui, Garrush, already had many Archons of his own. Sorrowfully, Tenum returned to the Northern Continent and rejoined his team.
He did not do so empty-handed, however…
Enter the Kahu, created by Gringat specifically for Tenum.
The Kahu was a curious type of speeder which was able to channel the elemental energy of its rider, as well as the energy of their mask - the Great Mask of Speed, in Tenum’s case. It was designed to work with his powers over air, too, though the change in his abilities put a damper on that.
It was designed with Metru Nui in mind, making it far more special to Tenum. It handled in a similar way to the plane he used to fly as a matoran, although with better handling, higher speed and a lot more power in its chronodermis-fuelled engine.
The main weapons are two long-range kanoka disk launchers. Gringat insisted on these, as kanoka powers are so variable and useful, as well as allowing a toa to disable enemies without hurting them in many cases, so keeping to The Code. A gun on the vehicle’s belly and two spearguns are also installed.
What’s more, the wings were able to split and move independently to divert and direct air flow in flight, allowing for trickier moves in the air. Tenum was able to control this and many other funtions of the craft just by willing it with his powers.
The cockpit offers a comfortable sitting position, with the motion of the wings controlled by foot pedals, kanoka launchers controlled by rotating wooden handles, and a plethora of other wheels and buttons. The ones on the wings controlled valves that directed the flow of air through the craft.
The underbelly of The Kahu featured a gun that fired streams of aluminium pellets, and a powerful floodlight that could extend during night flights.
…
Tenum used Kahu to fly all over the Northern Continent, keeping watch over a vast area while the rest of his toa team tended to stick to particular villages.
During the Battle of Bara Magna, Korrothis blew a hole in the side of the Great Spirit Robot and flew out using its Great Engines similar to The Kahu’s, albeit colossal.
Without the Elemental Council to sustain The Weave, the elements of the Matoran Universe fluctuated and went haywire, forcing Teridax to attempt to stabilise them himself, greatly weakening him. Tenum followed Korrothis out of the Matoran Universe and protected it from aerial attacks from flying
Hordes of rahkshi, shadow matoran and flying rahi followed Korrothis out of the Matoran Universe, and Tenum, along with many other archons and flying toa, fought them in the skies. Disaster struck when a rahkshi of weather control pulled The Kahu into a cyclone. It landed in the seas of Aqua Magna, but Tenum was not so lucky.
His parawings broken by a bolt of acid, he was grabbed out of freefall by a squadron of shadow matoran and killed by a lethal barrage of shadow bolts.
After the battle, the Kahu was recovered and returned to Gringat, who repaired it and then donated it to the Great Archive under Drachen’s Hope, along with Tenum’s mask. There lie a thousand testaments to those brave beings that gave their lives to save four worlds from annihilation.
Tenum was made in 2012 as an entry to the 2012 Bio-Cup. The aim was to make a hero with a vehicle or a mount.
My opponent was Rennoc~. Here’s his entry: Ignis and Bestian
A toa of aluminium was one I’d been planning for a while beforehand. Once I had the idea to give him a plane (which are historically made from aluminium), everything fell into place. Tenum himself draws a lot of inspiration from old WWII RAF pilots, right down to the “fur coat” details on his body meant to resemble a pilot’s jacket, and the mask’s moustache/sideburn looking design. The Kahu also uses a lot of really old school parts to try and give that sort of vintage look.
Aluminium itself tends not to be too colourful in its chemistry, so Tenum’s a pretty bland white and silver toa.
A friend of mine called Krikitt (whose self-MOC is here) came up with Tenum’s name.
Tenum’s waist design is by Kai Heffernan
I pronounce it al-u-min-i-um, 'cause there an I between the U and N
Now write it down slowly, and read it out fast~
