The Exiles of Metru Nui (NLAU)

The Exiles of Metru Nui

Exiles Group Shot

In days long past… The great island city of Metru Nui has fallen. The Makuta Teridax— who was charged its protection— has turned away from his Duty. Through the Makuta’s machinations, the Great Spirit Mata Nui has been cast into a terrible slumber, and the entire population of Metru Nui has been locked away in pods, sleeping just like their Great Spirit.

But one group of heroes stood against the Makuta. In defiance, they stole away six Matoran pods, held off Makuta Teridax, and escaped past the Great Barrier through a Sea Gate. The company fled south to the shores of Northern Continent, where they then awakened the six rescued Matoran. Now, with an uncertain future, they stand together, United in their goal of one day freeing Metru Nui and its people from the evils of the Makuta.

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The Exiles:

Turaga Dume, wise and serious Turaga of Metru Nui. Rescued by Takua from the pod he was trapped in, Dume left Metru Nui reluctantly. He now leads the Exiles, along with Lhikan, his strong and stern demeanor bringing stability and direction to the wayward heroes.

Toa Nuju, solitary and intelligent Toa of Ice. Former scholar, always looking to the future for answers. With the stars dimmed by Mata Nui’s slumber and the future harder to predict, Nuju will have to learn to rely more on his companions as the Exiles wander the world.

Toa Whenua, inquisitive and thoughtful Toa of Earth. Former Archivist, with a deep love of history and the past. Still reeling from the events that led to the Exiles departing Metru Nui, Whenua turns to his knowledge of days past for guidance and comfort in the uncertain present.

Toa Nokama, smart and fierce Toa of Water. Former teacher, with deep knowledge of many things. Saddened by the abandonment of Metru Nui, she strives to bring comfort and direction to the rest of the Exiles as they wander the Matoran Universe.

Toa Vakama, trepidatious and determined Toa of Fire. Former mask-maker, leader of the Toa Metru, creator and onetime wielder of the Mask of Time. Having always felt like an outsider, Vakama has struggled to meet his own expectations of a Toa. Now, he seeks counsel from the two Turaga as he helps lead the Exiles forth on their travels.

Toa Onewa, hot-headed and courageous Toa of Stone. Former carver, with top-tier skills at shaping stone. Though he may not show it openly, Onewa deeply missed his island-city home, wishing to return and retake it with all possible haste.

Toa Matau, mirthful and adventurous Toa of Air. Former test-track driver and skilled chute diver. Though his happy-go-lucky attitude has been somewhat tempered by abandoning his home, Matau manages to maintain a cheerful disposition as the Exiles venture out into the world at large.

Turaga Lhikan, warm and insightful Turaga of Fire. Former Toa-idol of Metru Nui, who sacrificed the last of his Toa power to awaken the six Matoran rescued from the city. Lhikan now serves alongside Turaga Dume as leader of the Exiles, his kinder demeanor providing a counterbalance to the sterner Dume.

Pokepi, kind and quiet Ko-Matoran. Former scholar, who would always prefer to stay in and study stars or manuscripts. A former colleague of Nuju, Pokepi has had a hard time adjusting to life outside of the Knowledge Towers of Ko-Metru.

Mitua, intelligent and blunt Onu-Matoran. Former archivist, with great skill at understanding Rahi behavior. Sometimes coming off a bit abrasively, Mitua has always felt a bit more at home among Rahi than other Matoran.

Maku, adventurous and imaginative Ga-Matoran. Former owner of Maku’s Canoes, always eager to explore. Though she misses home, Maku is eager to sail new seas and explore new places with the Toa Metru.

Feron, inquisitive and witty Fe-Matoran. Former investigative liaison, with a knack for solving puzzles. Having immigrated to Metru Nui years ago, Feron’s knowledge of the wider Matoran Universe is a most welcome addition to the Exiles, most of whom had never left their island home before.

Huki, strong and loyal Po-Matoran. Former Akilini disk trader and A-class athlete. Always up for a challenge, Huki enjoys friendly competition among friends, who he would indubitably go to the ends of the world and back for.

Nuparu, curious and inventive Onu-Matoran. Inventor, designer of the Vahki, always working on something new. With an open mind and a knack for tinkering, Nuparu hopes to provide something useful to the Exiles as they travel to faraway lands.

Takua, Chronicler of the Toa Metru. His bravery and independent spirit were instrumental in the Great Escape. Never having felt content as a simple toolsmith in Ta-Metru, Takua’s been overjoyed to accompany the Toa Metru, despite the danger it puts him, feeling he has at last found his calling, his path… his Destiny.

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This band of Toa, Turaga, and Matoran have a long journey ahead of them, as they navigate a universe reeling from the cataclysm wrought by Mata Nui’s slumber. And through the course of their journey, they may very well lay the groundwork for events that will alter the Destiny of their world forevermore…

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Ooh the mocs from your story! They look good, I particularly like how your Matoran build can be customized and changed into different types and the Toa look nice as well. Neat mocs

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I really like the idea you have for a story here, and the mocs have a classic feel to them.

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Thank you thank you!!
I’ve spent a lot of time working on creating multiple distinctive Matoran builds that I can use, that all still feel somewhat cohesive. I honestly think Matoran-sized builds have become my new favorite, where each little design choice is a much larger part of the build as a whole.
And it’s important to me that– especially for these Matoran who all have roles to play in the story– everyone is able to stand out. Maku’s silhouette is distinct from Huki’s, which both are distinct from Pokepi’s, etc.
(I might eventually post a breakdown for the torso design used in both Huki and Mitua, which I’ve sort of adopted as my first ‘definitive’ torso design. )

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Thank you! I’ve slowly refined my MOCing style, and it definitely is pretty rooted in more classic design elements. (I missed the boat on all of Hero Factory/G2, so my design aesthetic is still very heavily G1-themed.)

I have already posted the series of events that led everyone to this point (specifically from Takua’s persepctive) in the story in other posts, if you are so inclined to read (but like, no pressure at all).

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really loved the story that you’ve done along with these characters

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this is super good!

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