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!
Orolax: History, Locations, and More | Bionicle: Origin-1
Unknown Orolaxian Spacecraft
1 BUE
Agon continued to watch on from the rear viewport as Orolax slowly shrunk out of sight. It was painful to look on, but his eyes still glued themselves to the shadowed sphere, sparking memories of the dense cityscapes he once called home. Agon hated Orolax, but despite how idealistic it might be, he’d hoped that one day it would get better. Now that day would never come.
Agon wondered why the other survivors weren’t there with him. Had they moved on already, or was the sight of Orolax simply too bitter for their shattered spirits to handle?
-Backstory-
Genesis
Over a billion years ago, the planet Orolax was created alongside the Origin-1 Universe. This spontaneous event was brought on by the being Nehrua, a member of a god-like species called the Oroborn. Orolax was just one world in a sea of many, however, it would set itself apart by eventually fostering life. While primitive now, this species that calls Orolax their home will evolve into the proud and highly advanced Orolaxians.
Nehrua’s Arrival
After millions of years, Orolax is discovered by Nehrua, which becomes a defining event for the planet and its people. Nehrua came to Orolax in search of something. Due to the nature of their powers, they had been left severely weakened by the creation of the Origin-1 Universe. Nehrua was slowly dying and now sought a species capable of inheriting their power.
Using their Aspects of Virtue, tools Nehrua created to analyze the Unity, Duty, and Destiny of a species, the Orolaxians were selected as potential inheritors. This placed them among a list of species, which Nehrua saw as exhibiting desirable characteristics. By this time, the Orolaxians had experienced much growth from their primitive beginnings, and by Nehrua’s assessment, there was still much more to come. The Orolaxians had been left in awe by Nehrua’s god-like nature and would reform their society into one that held them above all else.
A major part of this reform was the introduction of a rigid caste system, atop which sat five Orolaxian Emperors. There was Malrovan, Amzoran, Edokan, Rantevan, and Vedan, and together these five would unite the entirety of Orolax under their rule. This would lead to the founding of the first great city of Orolax: The City of Nehrua.
As the Orolaxian species continued to grow in the name of their god, Nehrua, so too did the city they named in their honor. With its expansion, Orolax’s natural landscape would slowly be overrun, but this didn’t matter to the Orolaxians. To them, what mattered most was the evolution of their species, no matter the cost.
In time, the Orolaxians would begin to establish further cities as well. The northernmost regions of Orolax would become the City of Malrovan, and soon after, the City of Amzoran would be founded in the south. Located on Orolax’s poles, these cities would be home to the most ambitious project in Orolaxian history.
To facilitate travel into space, the Orolaxians would begin construction on a pair of massive space elevators called the Twin Cordaxus. The Northern Cordaxus would be built in the City of Malrovan, and the Southern Cordaxus in the City of Amzoran. Together, the Twin Cordaxus would cast a forcefield around the entirety of Orolax, protecting the planet from outside threats. It would take many years, but the Orolaxians would eventually complete this project.
Following the completion of the Twin Cordaxus, the Orolaxians would then establish the City of Edokan, as a religious site. Due to its significance, the City of Edokan would remain widely untouched by the urban expansion present in Orolax’s other cities. This made it one of the few places where Orolax’s natural environment still shined through.
Later, the Orolaxians would make plans to establish a fifth great city to act as the primary manufacturing hub of Orolax. As a result of their success with the Twin Cordaxus, the Orolaxians had an ambitious vision for this city, which they would name the City of Rantevan. These plans would fall through, however, leaving Rantevan an incomplete mess. Soon the city would devolve into anarchy, marking a great failure for the Orolaxians, which would continue to haunt them for years to come.
Finally, just prior to the birth of the final Orolaxian Emperor, Akeyan, the City of Vedan was established. Due to the failures of Rentevan, the City of Vedan was left relatively undeveloped. At this point, the Orolaxians were more focused on the larger cities, than allocating resources to construct new ones. Nehrua, Malrovan, and Amzoran had developed into economic and technological powerhouses for the Orolaxians, which they would come to rely on after their losses with the City of Rantevan.
The Mulox Virus
Over the past several millennia, the Orolaxians had been left widely unbothered as they continued to expand across Orolax. By this time, almost all of the planet had been consumed by cityscapes, which in some instances, extended miles into the sky. The Orolaxians were now among the most advanced species in the entire Origin-1 Universe, but all of that progress was about to come crashing down, bringing Orolax along with it.
After their visit to Orolax, Nehrua continued to search the Origin-1 Universe for viable candidates to inherit their power. They had now accumulated a vast number of candidates, but their time was finally running out. To decide who was truly the best candidate, Nehrua would unleash chaos and destruction upon the Origin-1 Universe, and whatever was left standing would become their inheritors.
For the Orolaxians, this chaos would become the deadly Mulox Virus. The Mulox Virus was highly contagious, with the ability to warp the mind and body of its victim into a slave to spread itself further. Mulox would first find its way onto Orolax aboard a spacecraft, returning from a mining operation on a nearby asteroid. After making its way down the Northern Cordaxus, Mulox would begin to spread throughout the City of Malrovan.
The Orolaxian Emperors would establish strict quarantines to close off the City of Malrovan from the rest of Orolax, however, that would do little to quell the spread. Sharing a border with the City of Malrovan, the City of Nehrua was the next to be infiltrated by the virus, triggering a mass exodus from the city.
The Orolaxian Emperors had planned to flee to the City of Amzoran, but Mulox would soon find its way there as well. Similar to Malrovan, the outbreak in Amzoran was the result of travel through the Southern Cordaxus, which had been left unaffected until this point. The Mulox Virus was quickly consuming the largest cities on Orolax, and in time, arrived in Edokan, Rantevan, and Vedan as well.
In the end, the entirety of Orolax and its people were consumed by the Mulox Virus, leaving a once great civilization in ruins. That was except for the meager few Orolaxians who managed to escape from Orolax. Now the last remaining members of their species, these Orolaxians would go on to inherit Nehrua’s legacy.
-Locations & Landmarks-
The City of Nehrua
Named after the deity the Orolaxians worship, the City of Nehrua is the capital of the planet Orolax. It was the first of Orolax’s great cities to be established, making it the largest and most diverse among them. Over multiple millennia, the City of Nehrua has expanded to include multiple city levels. The upper levels are the wealthiest, and home to the most important figures on Orolax, including the Orolaxian Emperors themselves. Meanwhile, the lower levels have become widely neglected, buried under more recent structures. Now consumed by pollution and crime, this has turned the lower levels into a dangerous place for anyone who ventures there.
To traverse the City of Nehrua, the Orolaxians have developed a unique transportation system. This system utilizes airways for the flying vehicles used throughout Orolax, as well as massive vertical tunnels for transport between city levels. Similar systems have been adapted for use in Orolax’s other great cities.
The Sorvexan
The Sorvexan is the capital building of Orolax, located in the utmost levels of the City of Nehrua. This is where the governing body of Orolax resides, including the Orolaxian Emperors and any Orolaxian Counselors. It’s from within the chambers of the Sorvexan that these Orolaxians debate the policies and laws that govern their people. In addition, it also serves as a home for these Orolaxians.
The Prime Oranus
The Prime Oranus is the most glorious Orolaxian Cathedral to be constructed in dedication to Nehrua. Only the most prestigious Orolaxian Priests have had the honor of delivering their sermons within the halls of the Prime Oranus. This is a site of great importance to the Orolaxians and is where many important ceremonies take place, such as the coronation of Orolaxian Emperors.
The City of Malrovan
The City of Malrovan is a military hub, located in the northernmost regions of Orolax. Malrovan was the second of Orolax’s great cities to be established, its namesake being the Orolaxian Emperor Malrovan, who was among the first Emperors of Orolax. Malrovan is home to the largest military installations on Orolax, and serves as a training ground for Orolaxian Warriors.
Northern Cordaxus
At the center of the City of Malrovan is a massive space elevator called the Northern Cordaxus. The Northern Cordaxus is one-half of a pair of space elevators, which generates a protective shield around the planet Orolax. The Northern Cordaxus is far from the only space elevator on Orolax, but due to its size and location, it experiences some of the most traffic out of any of them. This mainly comes in the form of Orolaxian Laborers, who’re often sent to partake in mining operations on nearby asteroids.
The City of Amzoran
Located in the south pole of the planet, the City of Amzoran was the third great city of Orolax, and has become an epicenter of technological and scientific innovation. Amzoran’s population is mainly comprised of Orolaxian Scientists and Life-Workers, who in the name of Nehrua, work tirelessly towards Orolax’s development. Similar to Orolax’s other great cities, Amzoran was also named after one of Orolax’s first Emperors.
Southern Cordaxus
The Southern Cordaxus is the second half of a pair of space elevators called the Twin Cordaxus, which are situated on Orolax’s poles. In addition to facilitating transport off-world, the Twin Cordaxus cast a massive forcefield around the entirety of Orolax. This forcefield keeps Orolax protected from nearby asteroids, as well as any other threats to the planet. Like the Northern Cordaxus, the Southern Cordaxus is also widely used by Orolaxian Laborers. However, it also sees use by the Orolaxian Scientists of Amzoran, who often need to conduct tests on experimental spacecraft.
The City of Edokan
The City of Edokan is Orolax’s fourth great city, though it looks very different compared to the others. While the vast majority of Orolax has been consumed by sprawling cityscapes, Edokan is one of the few places where nature still thrives. This is due to Edokan primarily being a religious site, where restrictions have been imposed to preserve it. This city was named after Edokan, who was among the original Emperors of Orolax.
The City of Rantevan
The City of Rantevan was the fifth Orolaxian city to be established. This city was named after the former Orolaxian Emperor Rantevan, however, it does not do much to live up to his legacy. The government of Orolax had ambitious plans for Rantevan to become the center for manufacturing on the planet. However, after numerous failed projects, this dream was ultimately forgotten. From centuries of neglect, Rantevan has now devolved into chaos, not much different from the lower levels of the City of Nehrua. This has made it a haven for criminals, who’re constantly at odds with the Orolaxian Enforcers stationed there. On occasions, the fighting has grown violent enough to necessitate the deployment of Orolaxian Warriors.
The City of Vedan
The City of Vedan is the sixth great city of Orolax, making it the newest to be established. It’s for this reason that Vedan is relatively undeveloped, sporting a population far lower than the other cities on Orolax. The Orolaxian government has also been hesitant to dedicate resources to Vedan, due to failures when establishing the previous city, Rantevan. Like the rest, this city was named after one of the five original Orolaxian Emperors, that being Vedan.
-Trivia-
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The structure of the City of Nehrua was heavily inspired by Coruscant from Star Wars, with its multiple levels and airways for vehicles. This is also true for the stark disparity between those of the upper and lower levels.
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When Orolax was first conceptualized in December 2020, the City of Nehrua originally spanned the entirety of the planet. This has since been changed so the City of Nehrua is now only the capital of Orolax, and the largest among five other cities on the planet.
-Extras-
Theme Music
I’ve gone ahead and chosen a Theme Song to accompany Orolax. Check it out using the link below!
Thanks for checking out this Codex Entry for the planet Orolax! I hope you enjoyed, and stay tuned for more!