Maybe… Shrugs
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This was very well-written! I’m excited to see what’s next.
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Thank you, guys!
I originally planned to have this in Chapter 2, Part 1, but I figured the part was getting a little longer than I liked it, and it’s pretty important to make you guys wait for it:
Interlude - "THE WHIRLWIND"
Ono was flying. Not just taking a wind chute. He was flying. The metal cylinders fastened to his arms - Spigot referred to them as “rockets” - hummed as they spewed heat and flame. The triangular wings extending from these so-called “rockets” sliced through the air, allowing Ono a clean and stable flight. It was amazing, this feeling. He wasn’t pushed by the wind or pulled by gravity, but he was simply… free.
“How’s it holdin’ up, Big O?” Rench asked through the tele-ear.
Ono fumbled, his stability shaking. He quickly straightened out his arms, and the metallic wings caught him just before he crashed into Habero’s Heat House. He had forgotten that he was still tethered to Moda Nui through the extremely long cord winding from his earpiece down to the roof of Spigot and Rench’s penthouse apartment. Ono carefully leaned to his left, the rockets pushing him closer to homebase.
“I-it’s working fine,” he said, his vocal speakers making their characteristic stutter. “The r-rockets feel very smooth. I think-k these are the b-best iteration yet.”
“Great, ‘cause we took out the parachutes to make room for the mufflers,” Rench said in his gravelly voice.
Ono almost lost control again. “W-what?”
He heard Rench and Spigot cackle on the other side, followed by a slap. A high-five.
It took all of Ono’s willpower not to bury his face in his hands. The brothers, commonly referred to as the “Twinventors,” were both geniuses with amazing creativity, ingenuity, and adventure in their cores, but they also were just bullies sometimes.
“Why don’t you take another lap and then come back to us?” asked Spigot.
“Yeah!” said Rench. “Remember, don’t get the tele-ear line caught on any starscrapers!”
“I’ll r-remember,” groaned Ono. He missed the days before Rench and Spigot were rich and popular. In those days, his friendship with them was a courtesy, not an obligation. Now, it just felt like he was a test subject for all of their gear. At least you’re helping, he told himself. Still, his father always told him he needed to stick up for himself whenever he was being taken advantage of. Was now one of those times?
A low roaring sound caught Ono’s receptors, not the one with the earpiece magnetized to it. Up ahead, he saw boards and parchments and all sorts of trash funneling into a spiraling cluster of trash that was rapidly approaching.
“H-hey? G-guys?” Ono said to the tele-ear. “You r-remember how y-you p-p-promised there wouldn’t b-b-be any w-whirlwinds?”
“I don’t remember promising that,” said Rench. Ono was fairly certain that was a lie.
“There definitely should not be,” Spigot said. “There was one reported three days ago!”
“W-well, I’m l-l-looking straight at one!”
“They’ve been following such a strict schedule! One a week, always midday…” Spigot paused before adding, “Rench did the calculations.”
“Did not!” Rench protested. “He knows I can’t do no math!” His “th” sound in “math” was closer to the “f” sound.
“That’s because you’re a null-brain!” said Spigot.
“Well, you’re a dim-spark!” spat Rench.
“Grime-box!”
“Treason-face!”
“G-guys!” Ono said, beginning to panic. The whirlwind was beginning to take hold of him.
“Yeah, fly away!” Spigot said. “But don’t over-exert the rockets! They might explode!”
“Nice one,” said Rench, laughing.
“It’s not a joke!” said Spigot.
Ono frantically threw his arms forwards, attempting to blast back out of the wind tunnel. He pushed further and further, squeezing the trigger little-by-little until…
The rockets’ humming raised into a shrill whine, and the metal began to glow and warp the air around it as they began to spike in heat.
“Ah!” cried Ono, releasing the triggers. The rockets ceased their expulsion, only to release their owner into the violent wind. The earpiece yanked loose, cutting Ono off from the Twinventors as he screamed, dragged in a mighty circle through the gridded buildings of Aero City.
The rockets were still cooling down, but at this point Ono wasn’t sure they would even help him. He flew entirely out of control, sent upside-down and around by the rushing gusts. This was certainly it. This was the end of Ono’s short time in the wonders of life. His mother and father would never see their son again, at least not with light in his eyes and life in his core. He would be claimed by the whirlwind, carried across Moda Nui and dumped in some tree in Fauna Jungle. This would be the end of Ono the Matoran.
As he lamented, the wind finally released its grip on him, sending him plummeting towards the city below. He lifted his arms to cover his eyes. He didn’t want to watch it happen. As he did, however, he accidentally pressed down on the rocket triggers and launched himself outwards, flailing through the air and crashing onto a chute monitor station, a heavy ring around the glass tubes that circulated the city like a web of air-powered transport. Something broke beneath him.
He groaned as he pulled himself up. “Uh… G-guys?” he said, forgetting that he had lost the tele-ear. Next to him, the chute vibrated a low-sounding tune to go along with the muffled howl beneath. Besides that, the air was eerily silent.
Ono’s head throbbed with pain. He rubbed in a soothing manner as he turned around to assess his damage. The dark metal of the structure was scratched, some of the paint chipping off. Ono assumed some of his paint, too, was now scarred. There was a broken crate on which he must have landed. Its pieces were scattered like wood chips over the station, but it didn’t seem to be holding anything. Ono breathed a sigh of relief. At least no one was hurt. Of course, the paint was going to cost a fortune, and squeezing a coin out of the Twinventors was about as difficult as navigating through a whirlwind with a parachute, but he hadn’t compromised the wind chute. That could lead to some problems.
He slowed his breath back to normal speeds and began to pick up the pieces of the crate. As he combed through them, his hand hit something metal. Ono halted. Had he broken something important, after all?
He uncovered the unknown item to find a strange, rounded metal shape, silver in the gray skies of Aero City. It had two holes cut into its symmetrically designed shape, with runes lining its edges. As he stared into it, Ono felt as if… as if he was hearing someone say…
Toa Orano…
I also have been publishing some bio’s for the other Toa that I will post here as soon as I finish the last one!
Let me know if you guys like the whole interlude idea, I may do more!
Thanks, and have yourselves a good one!
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oooh another Kanohi mask…
I thought it was pretty cool. I like the idea of introducing the other Toa in interludes like this
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I liked this story and I like the idea of having interludes between books. If you want to write them, I’ll read them.
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Thanks, guys!
Just in time for Pitch Fest, I have written up backgrounds for the six Toa Moda! I hope you enjoy them, and let me know if you have a favorite!
QUICK NOTE: This was brought up on the World Builder site, so I thought I’d address it here. I reference “parents” and “siblings,” which G1 Matoran do not have. By the time New Shores takes place, either in the far future or in a separate timeline, Matoran have adopted many traits associated with organic beings, becoming more of a mechanical representation of life rather than mechanical workers with a specific purpose. They eat, they love, they die.
Toa Kidoma
Master of Water.
Once an awkward and distant Matoran yearning for adventure, Kido discovers an ancient mask on the shores of his home island that grants him a grand opportunity to become the hero he so desperately yearned to be in the shape of Toa Kidoma - something he now wonders if he regrets.
BIO
As a Matoran, Kido is a native to Mako Village and works as a fisherman with his sister, Neida. He finds the work rather tedious and would much rather be exploring the ocean and helping people, though he feels tied to his place in the village. He often wonders what his life would look like if he was free to be the hero he is in his dreams, and his question finally seems to be answered in the form of a strange mask washed up upon the Great White shores.
PERSONALITY
Excitable, Insecure, Distractable
APPEARANCE
As Kidoma: Toa Build, Lean, Supple, Azure Plating, Silver Accents, Orange Eyes
As Kido: Matoran Build, Short, Azure Plating, Purple Accents, Orange Eyes
HOMETOWN
Mako Village
LIKES
Daydreaming, the Thought of Adventure, Impressing Kaidi
DISLIKES
Fishing, Actually Going on Adventures, Not Measuring Up
Toa Auru
Master of Earth.
Life in the mountains was always tough for Auru, but that just taught him how to be tougher. As a Toa, his strength and dependability make him a highly valuable teammate, though his fear of conflict is well known. Regardless, the Toa Moda of Earth is a powerful ally and an even better friend.
BIO
When the Matoran Ara was very new in the world, a great avalanche lost him the use of his right eye. Ever since that day, he’s been used to burying his pain and frustration, building himself up into a walking iron cage of emotion. He is far from expressionless, however, as he loves being friendly and hearing jokes, no matter how terrible. Now, he is expected to be a part of a team which requires his full emotional support, which may prove to be more treacherous than any mountain.
PERSONALITY
Boisterous, Enthusiastic, Affable
APPEARANCE
Toa Build, Bulky, Muscular, Silver Plating, Black Accents, Green Left Eye, Right Eye Patch
HOMETOWN
Granite Town
LIKES
Laughing, Talking Loudly, Everyone Being Friends
DISLIKES
Arguing, Strange Animals, Having One Eye
Toa Vosala
Master of Fire.
The flames of the Flickering Wastes only rival the ferocious blaze in the core of Toa Vosala. His drive for excitement, fame, and attention is unmatched by any of the Toa Moda. He often comes off as being arrogant and occasionally even obnoxious, but perhaps, underneath all that flare, he has the spirit of a true hero.
BIO
The Matoran Vola had been recently denied the promotion of his dreams when he discovered the hidden Kanohi Mask of Fire. Ever since then, he’s been a celebrity among his people, and he adores it. The fame, the autographs, the looks of admiration, the praise, he could bathe in it forever - until he’s expected to save the island with five strangers who are just as admirable and famous as him.
PERSONALITY
Confident, Energetic, Self-Absorbed
APPEARANCE
Toa Build, Athletic Shape, Muscular, Crimson Plating, Yellow Accents, Blue Eyes
HOMETOWN
Emberstone Barracks
LIKES
Making (Terrible) Jokes, Flattery, Walking Away from Explosions without Looking
DISLIKES
Tough Crowds, Being Made Fun of, Not Measuring Up
Toa Shynali
Master of Jungle.
Shynali is the fast, skilled, and courageous Toa of Jungle. She grew up with very little connection to Matoran community and culture, and so often comes off as awkward and strange to her Toa companions. Regardless, she is rather protective of her teammates, and would do anything to defend them.
BIO
Shali the Matoran grew up with her father, an adventurous man who avoided much of society. She took great interest in learning about the different animals and Rahi within, which allowed her great knowledge and care for the many different specimens native to Moda Nui, but unfortunately stunted her social comfortability. Now, as Toa Shynali, she finally must learn to work as a member of a team.
PERSONALITY
Loyal, Protective, Socially Inept
APPEARANCE
Toa Build, Athletic, Agile, Lime Green Plating, Fuchsia Accents, Dark Gray Cloak, Cyan Eyes
HOMETOWN
The Wilds of Fauna Jungle
LIKES
Taking Care of Her “Pack”, Examining Flora/Fauna, Being Depended Upon
DISLIKES
Misreading Social Cues, Being Left Out, Failing Her Team
Toa Narale
Master of Ice.
Stubborn and arrogant, Toa Narale has found great difficulty in trusting anyone’s leadership other than her own. However, she isn’t actually as confident in herself as she appears, and so forces others to be confident in her. Being a part of a team, especially one that may command her to relinquish the control she so desperately yearns for, may prove to be her greatest challenge yet.
BIO
Narale came into the world as the Matoran Nale, birthed in the Frostglade. In her classes, she always voluntarily took the head of group projects, a quality which easily caught the attention of the school’s directors, and eventually Lord Qualis. She was then adopted into a series of personal classes under Qualis, who trained her leadership and political skills, though she never learned that she was his chosen heir until after she became Toa Narale. Now, she lives in constant fear of failure, not just for herself, but for her people.
PERSONALITY
Distant, Conceited, Strict
APPEARANCE
Toa Build, Lithe, Tall, White Plating, Sand Blue Accents, Blue Cape, Yellow Eyes
HOMETOWN
The Frostglade
LIKES
Being Right, Taking Command, Seeing Justice Prevail
DISLIKES
Losing Respect, Watching Her Allies Be Harmed, Being Alone
Toa Orano
Master of Air.
The most recent member of the Toa Moda, Toa Orano is shy, nervous, and dependent. He is fearful of the role he will have to fill in the team, but truly believes that if they can manage to work together as a team, the Toa Moda will be the unifying force Moda Nui so desperately seems to need.
BIO
Like most Matoran in Aero City, Matoran Ono grew up with both parents. At a young age, he befriended inventor twins Rench and Spigot, feeling bad for their poor reputation as being unusual and crazy. Since then, they became incredibly successful, hiring Ono as their test subject. When one of these experiments sent him tumbling through a whirlwind and into an abandoned crate, he discovered a Kanohi mask that cemented his fate as the final member of the Toa Moda.
PERSONALITY
Quiet, Passive, Cautious
APPEARANCE
Toa Build, Stout, Sturdy, Dark Green Plating, Silver Accents, Violet Eyes
HOMETOWN
Aero City
LIKES
Helping His Friends, Spending Time with His Parents, Flying
DISLIKES
Being Used, Having to Stand Up for Himself, Falling
Also, ultratoa7 on World Builder drew up this amazing art design for Kido and the Kanohi mask next to his Toa Kidoma form! Huge thanks to him!
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Pitch Fest 2021 is starting today, which means I’ll be attempting to have someone official at LEGO take a look at New Shores! I don’t have much hope of anything substantial happening, but I’d like to know what LEGO thinks/is looking for. Plus, it’s kinda cool to show off a fan Bionicle project to the company itself! I’ll keep you all updated!
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Ooh their bios are pretty nice. I really like all their different personalities.
Ooh sounds good. Good luck!
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Thanks! Turns out I have until June to submit a pitch, so I think I’ll take some time on it. I’ve read through all the criteria, and the only two things I am unsure about right now are whether or not New Shores is “uniquely LEGO,” or if it’s different enough from other LEGO IP’s (specifically Ninjago) to warrant making a new theme.
Also, I am debating if I think it’d be better as a web series (3-11 minute shorts, like the 2015 animations) or a streamed series (11-22 minute episodes, like Ninjago). While a streamed series would be amazing, I think what I have currently written may work better as shorter, 7-10 minute shorts, so I’m leaning towards the web series.
Just a bit of blurting out things I’m considering as I continue working on it. I think the interludes are a neat idea to introduce the Toa (and could work as advertising concepts as well?), so I think I’ll write some more. Thanks for any and all feedback, guys! I’m so happy that LEGO has provided this route to work as a community on this. I’m excited to see what the future holds for the project!
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I like all the Toa’s personalities, and I’m looking forward to see how they all get along with each other (or how they don’t sometimes, perhaps).
Best of luck in your proposal, Noah! I’m keeping my fingers crossed for ya.
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Just a question: do the new Toas Kanohi grant them any unique powers as they would in G1, or do they merely give them Toa power and change them from Matoran to Toa?
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The Kanohi are somewhat of a blend between G2, classic superhero storylines, and TTV’s Brickonicle ideas, if I’m remembering correctly.
The Masks in the stories have innate powers over the elements (Fire, Water, Ice, Earth, Jungle, and Air in my world), which are given to their bearers, like G2 masks. The Matoran are transformed by the masks into Toa, like Brickonicle, and can use the Kanohi while they are wielding them to manipulate their individual elements.
The Kanohi also appear to have somewhat of a will of their own, which can especially be noted in Part 9 (I’ll let readers try to figure out where I mean), as well as the voice they seem to carry.
Whether or not they have any further, more specific powers, or how much affect they actually have on the Matoran beneath, I have not yet decided, but that’s also a great opportunity for contribution!
If you have an account on Tongal (which, to my understanding, is the engine that runs World Builder), you can contribute pitches and ideas to any part of the story, and even make some $$$ if New Shores ever makes it to the official side of things. If you want to just suggest things on here, that’s perfectly fine, too!
Me too, honestly
Thanks!
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Ahh neat.
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Ok. I did make something like that for a D&D mod that I’ve been working on. Toa start with a mask that lets them control their element, plus being able to get a Kanohi that gives them an extra ability later on.
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Ooh, that’s pretty cool! I’ve been trying to think of how the Toa could later “upgrade,” like the Nuva. After all, we’d want multiple years of sets, and even minifigures deserve modifications and improvements.
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Yes, that would work! The Toa gain a “G1” Kanohi that grants an ability, like shielding or whatever you wish, plus their mask of element control that grants them their Toa abilities.
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Ooh, some sort of mask add-on feature… That’s pretty cool, I may just do that! Thanks!
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Yay! I finally finished another interlude! Kinda stinks that it’s a bit more on the boring side, but I think it’s serves well to introduce a side of Narale that may not be as present in the grander story. Hope you enjoy!
Interlude - "THE LEGACY"
Toa Narale tried to slip through the great doors of Lord Qualis’ palace quietly, an effort which proved futile as the massive gate slammed shut behind her. A chill ran down her back as the booming sound of the closing gate reverberated through the towering chamber, shaking the palace from the pine-green carpeted floor to the icy crystal chandelier providing a frosty blue light washing over the walls.
“You’re late, Nale,” came a growl.
Narale shuffled forward, rushing to the foot of a short series of stairs which led up to a great throne. She fell to a knee before the lordly figure, the beautiful pattern of the stained glass window glimmering upon her Kanohi mask.
“I’m sorry, my lord,” she said. “I was just-”
“Do not worry yourself with excuses,” Qualis said. “Worry yourself with the image a leader may create by lacking punctuality. Were you not so flustered with defending your tardiness that you had forgotten to correct my use of your former name, Toa Narale?”
Narale knew that in this instance, it would be safer to simply remain silent.
“Should your punctuality ever be questioned by your subjects, however,” Qualis said, “you must correct such notions. Show up to all expected engagements thirty minutes early, if you must. Build a reputation so strong that no one could ever believe that’d you’d ever be late.” He stood up, his golden crown upon his head looking like horns in front of the window’s light. “Now, let us begin.”
The slender ruler elegantly drew down the stairs, approaching his heiress. “Toa Narale, if you are to be a leader, should you be loved or feared?” His violet eyes flashed towards her.
She remained kneeling. “A leader who is loved will find loyalty. A leader who is feared will find authority. It is best to be both feared and loved, so that a leader may find loyalty when their rule is prosperous and authority when their rule is questioned.”
“So you have been doing your reading,” Qualis said. Before Narale could believe he was pleased, he added, “I expected as much from you. Tell me, what else does Regalitus say a leader must be?”
“They must be a ruler,” said Narale, “in everything they do. If they do not command attention in something, they must reject that activity from their daily schedule.”
“Indeed,” said Qualis as he continued to circle her. “If a leader underperforms in a task, their rule may be questioned as a whole. And as a ruler is questioned, their weakness is to be known.”
This continued for hours. Qualis would ask questions, Narale would answer. She had been raised this way, in instruction and in authority. She remembered the Education, the strict school in which every Matoran in the Frostglade was assigned for the first ten years of their lives. There, most students had tried to rebel and break the rules to get a taste of freedom. She, however, saw the freedom within the order. It was following the rules, taking charge, and finding control which caught the eyes of her superiors. It was how she first earned an audience with Lord Qualis. She figured, somehow, that it was how she was made Toa.
“Very well done, Toa Narale,” Qualis said. “I am glad to know that your newfound responsibilities as Toa have not distracted you from your duties as heiress.”
“Thank you, my lord,” she said.
“You may stand, now.”
Narale waited a moment. After a time, she had forgotten she was even still kneeling. She rose, gently.
“I am pleased with your progress, Toa Narale,” Qualis said with a proud gleam in his eyes. It took a moderate amount of self-control for Narale to avoid laughing. He was far less scary when she was towering over him in her Toa form.
“My lord,” said Narale, “I have a question regarding my responsibilities.”
Lord Qualis halted his pacing and scanned her in an attempt to get a read on her emotion. “Ask it,” he said.
“I was made Toa, selected by this Kanohi mask,” Narale said, “but before I found it, I was still heiress to the Frostglade throne - your throne, Lord Qualis. Clearly, I have a responsibility to my people, to lead them in honor and authority. However, as Toa, I also have the duty thrust upon me by this mask. A duty to protect all peoples from all threats. I am unsure whom my primary responsibility should belong to: being the ruler of the Frostglade, or being the hero for the peoples outside of it?”
The Lord’s eyes narrowed considerably. “I regret that you would one day come to this question. I wish it could be simple, that the answer would have been plain and accessible, and that you wouldn’t have to be tested in this manner. But I fear that one day, you will be forced to choose between your own people and all of Moda Nui.”
Narale waited patiently for an answer. Qualis’ voice held a certain sadness that produced all sorts of guilt within her, as if she should have just kept her wonderings quiet so as to not distract him from his present works.
“When you reach such a decision, I am afraid that you take the option that best benefits your people. If that is to be the hero which leads the other Toa into the great feat which will protect the whole of Moda Nui, or if it is to make the choice to return to Frostglade and take up its throne, then you must take it. You, Toa Narale, must not allow the other Toa to distract you from the duties which I have placed upon you. Do not let what they persuade you to do overrule your own sense of judgment. Your people need you, Toa Narale, to be its ruler and to be, yes, its Toa. Do not disappoint them.”
“I won’t,” Narale said with as much force and confidence as to convince herself of it, too. “You have my word and my honor.”
“Excellent,” said Qualis with a grin. “What good is a ruler without both?” He turned to his throne and stalked behind it for a moment. When he emerged, he was carrying a beautifully woven, royal blue cloth, large enough to be a cloak. It was embroidered with an elegant silver and gold pattern streaming around its outline, causing its ends to dance and glimmer in the light. “This cloak is designed to be a reminder to you, to serve as my voice should you ever forget my wish. As long as it rests on your shoulder, remember that you have a kingdom to return to.”
“Yes, my Lord,” she responded, dropping to a knee once more.
Qualis threw the cloth over her, clasping it over her neck. It was a heavy, thick fabric which weighed down upon her shoulder, but it also filled her with a courage she had not possessed without it. When she stood again, the cloak fell to her ankles, covering only her back and her right arm, leaving her left arm uncovered.
“It was especially designed for you, Toa Narale,” Qualis said as he admired the lordly Toa. “I believe it will serve you well.”
“I am certain it will,” she said, bowing her head once more.
Qualis lumbered to his throne, dropping himself into it before facing Narale one last time. “Now go, Toa. You must not be late for your combat training.”
“Of course not, my Lord,” Narale agreed as she whipped around and began sprinting off, towards the large doors awaiting her exit. The cloak flew behind her like a shadow.
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This is excellent! I’m curious to see how Narale might reconcile her conflicting duties…
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Yay there’s another one! Qualis is definitely giving me Ihu vibes.
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