Maybe she just disguised the weapons?
Like, cloaked them or something?
That’s what I thought.
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My understanding was that she was using her illusory powers to prevent the weapons from being seen. I have never seen anything that would suggest that Toa of Psionics can produce weapons from thin air, nor does that really fit with a Psionics powerset.
From No One Gets Left Behind:
“I was wondering, though,” ‘Grey’ said. “Why is it that you guys don’t carry weapons? Are you that good?"
A look of surprise briefly flashed across Norik’s face, replaced by one of understanding. He looked at Varian, and nodded slightly. Varian exhaled deeply; wicked looking blades suddenly sprouted from her elbows, and a massive spear appeared on Norik’s back. Both carried shields that seemed to radiate light, despite the oppressive darkness.
“Now THAT,” ‘Grey’ said, “is a nice trick.”
Varian’s body language seems to suggest that she is relaxing, which would fit with a deactivation of her powers, not her starting to use them.
Additionally, Norik is surprised that “Grey” doesn’t think they have weapons before he realizes that Varian is up to something, which almost certainly means that they have actual weapons that Varian was using her powers to hide.
Also from No One Gets Left Behind:
Once she had put enough distance between the two, she ducked and lunged backwards, thrusting with her elbow blades.
Midair, Varian pulled out her shield, and focused her power into it. A spinning wheel of energy formed at its center, imbued with a Sleep power. Varian let the Rhotuka fly; the wheel flew at a deadly velocity, striking Lurker dead on. He was unconscious before he hit the deck.
There was Norik, flames swirling about him, spear and shield at the ready.
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Jerminator beat me to the punch, but yes, Varian was simply using her powers to disguise her and Norik’s weapons. I went to the Greg Archives just to be sure he didn’t say anything about “conjuring weapons” and found nothing. (Of course, Norik shouldn’t have his spear and shield by this point, but that’s a different matter).
However, I did find this funny in relation to Orde:
Now I’m wondering if Orde being the first Psionics Toa was solely to cover for Greg biffing his gender, or if this question put it into the back of his mind. Either way, it gave me a chuckle.
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So is it just me or does the passage @TheJerminator listed seem like there isnt a really distinguishable difference between Norik’s and Varian’s shields? Almost as if they are the same shield type?
I had always imagined that Varian just used the standard rhotuka shield piece from that passage because I don’t find any language or context that would imply theres much of a difference between the two
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It does seem to imply that…
somewhat disappointing to me, but oh well
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If its the general consensus that that interpretation is correct so be it, but I don’t think most would mind if during the contest a different shield design was made
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I’ve always interpreted her shield as being the same as the Hagah’s, not least of all because it’s the only rhotuka shield design we’ve seen, but I wouldn’t think twice if someone gave her a more custom design as well.
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I’ve always imagined it like this, and I hope that the final Varian model has the standard piece.
However, I don’t think the contests could mandate the use of the specific Rhotuka Launching Shield piece; we know that Varian has a shield that launches Rhotuka, but, despite what BS01 says, we don’t know for sure that it’s a Rhotuka Launching Shield.
To that effect, I also noticed that No One Gets Left Behind describes Varian as forming a Rhotuka in the “center” of her shield, which the Rhotuka Launching Shields don’t do. I’d be hesitant, though, to accept what might just be “flowery language” as hard evidence to ban the standard part.
I suppose @KINGSIDORAK 's modded version could be pretty cool, and might actually be more fitting for a Toa who isn’t as battle-ready as her peers:
(I’ve got to say that I like the colours in that picture as well; a standard-material silver shield, with a maroon Rhotuka to reference the Sleep Rahkshi’s colour)
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Would look horribly out of place on a blue and gold Toa. Maybe gold/red could work, but silver/red won’t look good.
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That picture made me realize: if Rhotuka are pure energy, and thusly only appear when about to be fired, what’s that spare Rhotuka supposed to be/represent?
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A play feature? Storage for kids who tend to lose things?
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that’s just the Toa’s lunch, they carry it in their shield
Probably an unlaunched Rhotuka, so they don’t have to charge one up and can just instantly fire.
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Apparently they are able to “queue up” a second Rhotuka:
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I have quite a few custom Rhotuka designs
And more I need to release. I really need to sit down and design some from scratch with new themes
Sid Note: SID_W666 was supposed to be SID_W66. Hella mistake
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SID_W65 or nothing.
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Ooh, those are actually pretty awesome. Especially the metallic green one, it basically just takes the best part of the shield and multiplies it. Would be neat to see something like those on art.
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Print it
It’s so powerful
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Its so beautiful… you sir are a true artist
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I can on the Ender 3 Max that I have, but it takes like 2 days or somethin, and I don’t feel like doing that
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