What is Bionicle: Origin-1?
Bionicle: Origin-1 is a fan project that aims to reimagine the rich story and lore of Bionicle from the ground up. Through this endeavor, Bionicle: Origin-1 hopes to offer new stories, new lore, new builds, and more for Bionicle fans to explore and enjoy!
Helryx, The First - Character Profile | Bionicle: Origin-1
From the very beginning, you were always destined to be the first among our esteemed vanguard. The product of my hubris; a delicate tapestry woven from machine, spirit, and nature. You are to become the shield for those weakened by our long and brutal war. The mace to strike against our greatest of enemies.
May you unleash a wave of harmony to ripple across our shattered peoples. A surge of hope to shelter from the dead of night. A tide shifted in our favor.
Our protector.
Our valiant defender.
Helryx.
– Angonce, Great Being of Space
-Backstory-
Project: Toa
Helryx’s creation was one shrouded by desperation and the looming destruction of Spherus Magna. Though despite the chaos and death that was occurring all around, Helryx’s completion instilled hope within the hearts of her creators, the Great Beings.
When the Core War first broke out on Spherus Magna, the Great Beings had become divided on how to address such a conflict. One side aimed to arrange peace between the tribes and reunite Spherus Magna through harmony, while the other aspired to dominate and instill a new world order where uprisings such as this would not be permitted. These dueling ideologies would take root among the Great Beings, eventually erupting in a schism that split their once noble order into two. Both now viewed each other as sworn enemies, and both would stop at nothing to ensure their future of Spherus Magna became reality.
Known as the Collective and Regime respectively, these factions would begin competing for control of Spherus Magna. The Regime was particularly aggressive in attempting to gain control of the tribes, using the allure of advanced and powerful technology to earn their alliance. With these tactics, the Regime would gain control over the majority of the tribes on Spherus Magna, leaving only a small few to be conquered. In response, the Collective would create a new initiative to counter the spreading influence of the Regime. This initiative would become known as Project: Toa.
Aside from the initial prototypes, Helryx would be the first Toa to be created by the Collective. Upon her conception, the Great Beings breathed a sigh of relief, as they now had a proper defense for the remaining tribes on Spherus Magna. Made using a combination of both mechanical and organic components, Helryx was far stronger than the majority of Agori. This combined with her innate elemental abilities, made Helryx a powerful force in combatting the Regime.
Project: Toa was a success, and Helryx would soon be followed by the creation of more Toa. This time the Collective would attempt to create an entire Toa Team. Who, given the combat efficiency of just one of these warriors, would surely be an unstoppable force on the battlefield. However, despite the immense power possessed by this first Toa Team, they would soon fall to the might of the Regime.
This Toa Team would be brutally massacred by a mysterious warrior belonging to the Sand Tribe, who’d been enhanced using the Regime’s technology. It would seem the Toa had finally met their match, as only the Team’s Leader would live to speak of this encounter. As a result, the Collective began creating and mobilizing more teams of Toa, with Helryx eventually receiving a Team of her own.
Much to her own dismay, Helryx would be reassigned to the Toa Ordahn, a Toa Team consisting of 5 members. Those members were:
Hypanthus, Toa of Day
Eronix, Toa of Space
Rohtun, Toa of Iron
and Arvanis, Toa of Crystal
Despite Helryx being the most experienced, Hypanthus would be designated the Team Leader. This angered Helryx, which alongside other contributing factors, caused her to loathe her teammates and treat them as more of a burden than anything. There may have been conflict among the Toa Ordahn, though while Helryx will never admit it, it was Hypanthus’s leadership that kept the team afloat.
When it finally came time for Mata Nui to depart Spherus Magna, the Toa Ordahn would be one of the few Toa Teams left standing, though not all in one piece. By this time, Rohtun and Arvanis had fallen in battle, both casualties of the Regime’s most expert warriors. This left just Helryx, Hypanthus, and Eronix. All hardened through battle, they were ready to see what life awaited them in the Matoran Universe.
Hand of Artakha
Upon entering the Matoran Universe, Helryx, Hypanthus, and Eronix would all be designated members of the Hand of Artakha: a temporary organization that would help establish society inside the Great Spirit Robot. As part of their task, the remaining members of the Toa Ordahn would be sent to the northern regions of the Matoran Universe.
There they would oversee and aid in construction projects being conducted by the Matoran, mainly those taking place on the Island City of Metru Nui. While in Metru Nui, the Toa Ordahn were also responsible for placing the 6 Great Kanoka Disks within the confines of the city. These Disks were all fragments of the Legendary Kanohi Vahi, the Mask of Time, so it was imperative they were made hidden and hard to reach.
Once work on the Matoran Universe was complete, the Hand of Artakha was no longer needed, and the organization would shortly disband thereafter. While her brothers remained at the Hand’s former headquarters on Artakha, Helryx would depart the Island with intentions of starting a new faction of her own.
Order of Mata Nui
Ever since Helryx was denied leadership of the Toa Ordahn, she’s always been desperate to prove herself as a leader. It’s for this reason that after the Hand’s disbandment Helryx would seize the opportunity to create a faction of her own.
The founding of the Order of Mata Nui would fill a void left by the Hand of Artakha. While the Hand’s primary purpose had technically been fulfilled, its absence created a lack of order within the Matoran Universe. Crime and violence were all on the rise, and Helryx sought to instill peace from the shadows.
Helryx would journey far and wide searching for candidates to join her new Order. These Agents would hail from a multitude of different species, each with their own unique quirks and skillsets. Though, notably, Helryx would restrict any Toa from joining the Order of Mata Nui. Due in combination to her past experiences working with Toa, and the recent adoption of the Toa Code, which heavily condemned tasks the Order would undertake.
Unlike newer generations of Toa, who came to prioritize ideas of virtue and honor, Helryx retained a mindset she’d developed during the Core War: do whatever’s necessary. This meant Helryx wasn’t against things such as killing and lying, just so long as it was done for the greater good.
Shortly after the Order’s establishment, Order Agents would begin conducting operations from their headquarters on Daxia. From espionage to assassinations, the Order’s influence would reach into every corner of the Matoran Universe. You may not have seen them, but they were always there, watching and enforcing peace from the shadows.
-Equipment & Abilities-
Kanohi
Kanohi Ahjin: The Mask of Psychometry
The Kanohi Ahjin is the Mask of Psychometry, which allows Helryx to see the past of any object through physical contact. While the Kanohi Ahjin is now used commonly among the inhabitants of the Matoran Universe, Helryx was the first to utilize this Kanohi and its power. As such, Helryx has become highly experienced with using this Kanohi and has gained a deep understanding of its abilities.
Original Artwork by Mister-N
3D Model by Galva
Weapons
Helryx’s Mace
Helryx’s Mace is a unique design, created specifically for her. The head of the Mace is comprised of three sections: two spiked domes on either end with a jagged disk sandwiched between them. This disk is able to freely rotate between the two domes, and Helryx can control the speed of the rotation. At slower speeds, the Mace is much easier to control, while at higher speeds, it trades ease of use for greater destructive power.
Helryx’s Shield
Forged from the highly durable substance known as Protosteel, this mighty Shield has stood the test of time. From the battlefields of the Core War to undercover operations, its protective capabilities are useful in almost every situation.
3D Model by Vahki6
Elemental Powers
Helryx, being a Toa of Water, is able to control, generate, and absorb Water or Liquid Protodermis. These are the powers of every Toa of Water, but Helryx is by far the most adept at using them. This is mainly due to the vast amount of experience Helryx possesses.
Other Abilities
After Helryx established the Order of Mata Nui, she mandated special training to shield the minds of her operatives. Helryx underwent this training as well, meaning her mind is now protected against telepathy and mental attacks.
-Personality & Character Traits-
Aside from being the first of her kind, Helryx is unique among the Toa for a multitude of reasons. Helryx is known best for being an unusually fierce and assertive Toa of Water, driven to do almost anything to achieve her desired outcome. This has earned Helryx the respect and admiration of her Agents, but others, particularly her former teammates, detest her for it.
This resentment is reciprocated, however. Since Helryx is so definitive in her beliefs, she will usually avoid working with others unless it’s necessary in accomplishing her goals. It’s for this reason that Helryx was angered by her reassignment to the Toa Ordahn. Despite the events that contributed to this decision, Helryx felt the addition of other Toa would only complicate things. Not only would they have to agree and make decisions together, but Helryx was also frustrated being teamed with newer, inexperienced Toa who she viewed as inferior.
These feelings were only exacerbated when Hypanthus was chosen to lead the Toa Ordahn instead of Helryx. Ever since this decision, Helryx has always been somewhat desperate to prove herself as a leader, which was part of her motivation in founding the Order of Mata Nui. The deaths of Rohtun and Arvanis were also contributing factors to Helryx’s hatred of her team. Helryx blames these deaths on the supposed inadequacy of the remaining members of the Toa Ordahn, and has led her to view most, if not all Toa in this way. In addition to the adoption of the Toa Code, these past conflicts are what fueled Helryx to restrict Toa from becoming Order Agents.
Despite these selfish and jealous tendencies, however, Helryx is still widely respected for her experience and contributions to the Matoran Universe. Helryx may not be the kindest individual, but at the end of the day, she still fights to ensure the greater good.
-Trivia-
- This is actually the second iteration of my Helryx Moc. The first version of Toa Helryx was posted to my YouTube Channel in May 2021, and became the basis for this Moc’s creation.
- Given Helryx’s status as the first Toa, she was chosen to be first character released for Bionicle: Origin-1.
-Extras-
Instructions
Below you’ll find PDF Instructions for the Origin-1 Version of Toa Helryx! If you’re interested in recreating this Moc, or simply curious to see how it was built, they’re available to download completely for free!
Moc Showcase
Select Mocs built for Bionicle: Origin-1 also receive a Moc Showcase! These videos go in-depth about the design decisions that go into a Moc’s creation, and below you will find the Moc Showcase for Toa Helryx!
Theme Music
I also like to assign Theme Music to each of my Mocs, and Helryx is no exception! Below is a video showcasing the Theme Music for Toa Helryx!
Thanks for checking out the Origin-1 Version of Toa Helryx! I hope you enjoyed, and stay tuned for more!