#Kikanalo

[toacody]

Fj Kikanalo

An earthquake? No, that's just migration season.

Source

Creator: FeroxJ

[irradiated-imp]

So, been a while since I posted Rahi so have some of my recent ones. The Kahu and Kikanalo have been updated recently with new wings and feet, tho that's it.

Tullo Fish Tropical fish rahi found in the oceans around Okoto Nui. They are common prey for numerous rahi and animals.

Khabew Large beetle-like Rahi. They are temperamental and very territorial often fighting with each other or anything else that enters their territory. Bone Hunters have been known to catch them to pit against each other or other rahi for fun.

Tarakava Semi-aquatic lizards. Tarakava are massive, dangerous predators able to punch with enough force to break solid protodermis.

They dig dens for themselves under water, gathering air weed to breath. Some have been known to take stones with coral polyps on them and placing them at the mouths of their dens intending to use the burgeoning coral to draw in small fish to use as bait for larger prey.

Whali Small bugs found almost everywhere. Many matoran consider them cute.

Fikou Nui Massive, venomous Spider-rahi that stalk Okoto-Nui's forests, jungles, and caverns. The only spiders feared more than them are the Vizorak.

Size comps

I always thought it was weird that something that spent alot of time under water didn't seem like it could swim, so I corrected that with my Tarakava build. I like the idea that tropical fish will school around Tarakava for protection.

[driver270]

Rahi Ride

Aaaaaaaand now I'm regretting not buying more Rahi sets from back in the day because they make for decent Horizon Machines. 😅

[shidraoftheworldpillar]

hey remember when I was talking about the toa trio?

Welp I got ocs

Sundu: bo-toa, wears a brown rau, loves talking to rahi, specifically snake rahi.

Tudre: ko-toa with a lavender faxon, has a pet kikanalo

kaperii: vo-toa with a gold zatth, absolutely feral (I mean they all are but shes the most feral)

[turaga-maxil]

Antroz and his Destral Cycle

“The lights in the lower cabin switched on, to reveal Antroz’s bounty in all its glory. It had been acquired in a skirmish with the Dark Hunters a few weeks prior, and someone had been smart enough to let him know about it.

He felt eagerness bubble within him as he examined it.

The Destral Cycle, as some unimaginative underling had deigned to dub it, was a marvelous sight to behold for Antroz (and likely very few others). The craft had a wide, spoked wheel on the front of it. There were jet engines mounted to the back. It had a brutish simplicity about it that tickled Antroz. The Skakdi had a penchant for making loud, clunky machines. This one was clearly an attempt to break that mold. Antroz lifted the compartment door in the front end of the vehicle. An energy core rested in there, dormant. He reached in, making sure it was secure. Then he let a jolt of electricity loose from his hand, sending it directly into the core. Immediately, it lit up as energy coursed through it. The bike sprung to life, whirring and roaring like a Kikanalo. Antroz smiled.”

Small taste of something I’m writing to go along with this.

[0m3g45n1p3r4lph4]

Inspired by this post of Krahka on Mata Nui, I do love thinking about Metru Nui stuff appearing on Mata Nui. Be it Kikanalo heading through the Po-Metru canyons being respected and honoured as natural carvers, Turaga's right hands being trusted to wield a Kanoka (imagine Jaller having a Ta-Toa Kanoka while everyone else uses Bamboo), or a little more emphasis on some really advanced machines using recycled Airship parts.

However one of my favourites is the Ash Bear from Maze of Shadows. Since the GBA game shows it using the Makuta Nui combiner, I like to imagine the specific mutated Ash Bear Nokama talked to looked like this. Thankful for peaceful passage from the Toa, and respecting that they too come to the island paradise seeking safety from great danger, she agrees to coexist with the Matoran from a distance.

Legends tell of a beast roaming the jungles of Le-Wahi and southern forests of Ta-Wahi. Red eyes glowing in the dark overhangs, massive teeth glinting, and terrain marked by twin slashes, massive and deep. A roar, rivaling a Muaka easily but not traceable to any known Rahi. It had rarely come north, but it's closest sighting ever was in the Battle of the Charred Forest.

As the flames spread, the roar was heard deafeningly close, nearly paralyzing half of the Guard in fear. From the flames emerges a beast so unusual - so grotesque to the Matoran - with a burning Matoran in one hand, and massive blades on the other (blades so long they spawned rumour that the Makuta had 3 arms). Believed by many to be the Makuta himself on the front lines of his most fierce attack yet, it was actually trying to scare away the rest of the Rahi to protect the Matoran, and carrying the corpse out of the fire.

[afanofmanyhats]

You know, reading through BIONICLE: Adventures really has me wondering why the writers decided to make the Toa Metru's masks a whole mystery. I can't think of a good explanation out of universe. After all, we already knew what masks the Turaga wore, so it wouldn't have been a shock for their Toa masks to be the same. And in-universe, it doesn't make any sense at all for half the team to not know. Vakama is a mask-maker that customized Nuju's mask; Whenua is an Archivist with encyclopedic knowledge of most things; Nokama is a teacher that has random information crossing her desk all the time.

I understand why the writers went with it thematically, as the Toa are rookies who are maturing into their role. But... Since it's canon that it takes great mental strength to use masks, couldn't they have just used that? The Toa Metru are disorganized and undisciplined. It would be easy for all of them to simply need time to work on their powers even if they knew what they were.

That could have been a great element for the story. There's nothing more frustrating than knowing you'll gain a skill but not knowing when that'll happen. Knowing that there'd be the option for Matau to make a distraction, or for Nuju to help everyone clear a large gap, but they can't yet would give ripe space for interpersonal conflict and growth.

This would also strengthen the moments when they do activate their masks for the first time. Nokama, who's been failing at mediating the conflicts between her brothers finally owns to her shortcomings and is able to understand another's perspective (the Kikanalo). Matau recognizes that sometimes being a hero means having all eyes on you in some... Unorthodox ways. Onewa cracks through his mask when he gives Nuju and Whenua orders, not in a bullying, dominant manner, but as a tactician and a leader in Vakama's absence. Nuju finally opens his mind to all the possibilities, not just the narrow view of his tower. Whenua, similarly, is able to open his eyes to more than just the darkness of the past. And Vakama? Vakama unlocks his mask when all he wants to do is run away, to hide, to forget everything that's happened to Metru Nui, but he knows he has to live up to Lhikan's legacy and face Makuta.

Being able to measure their growth from a more sensible starting point- "I know what I will be able to do, but I'm not there yet"- really would have strengthened the narrative and made it really accessible to kids. After all, childhood is an endless stream of "Someday I'll be able to do this, but when?"

[bionicle-ramblings]

All the moments with Vakama x Matau in canon, because they're adorable and I love them!

And, yes, this is the post where my shipper brain goes off the rails

The two bumping into each other when they first meet(meet-cute)

Matau PEACOCKING with his, "Like us, all Matoran. Some just more handsome than the rest." Not showing off, or really, "look how much better I am than you," just, "I'm handsome here," AND I FEEL LIKE HE'S LOOKING AT VAKAMA!

Matau poking fun at Vakama's weapon(Le-Matoran usually speak in joke's and poking fun at each other). Later he says to Vakama, "Nice weapon. Can we trade?"

When Vakama sacrifices himself in The Darkness Below, Matau dives after him and saves him

Matau somewhat helping Vakama by pushing him into the chute, when they're escaping the coliseum, then Vakama catching him and they ride on a bit of cargo together. Vakama CATCHING Matau when the chute reverses!!

Vakama charging in to save Matau when Nidhiki blasts him, and saving him even with a herd of kikanalo charging toward them

Matau going to get Vakama back in WoS, HIS ENTIRE SPEECH TO VAKAMA, and then Vakama saving him after Matau lets go of the edge of the coliseum

Vakama being SO WOUNDED in Time Trap when he thinks Matau is dead

I may have missed a few moments, but this ship. I love them. They're cute to think about

[triggeredpotato]

WHAT DO YA THINKA THAT YA KOHLI-HEADED, CROSS-WIRED, HORDIKA, SPIRIAH, KANE-RA SMELLIN, MAHI-LOVIN, BARA-BRAINED, FIKOU-BITTEN, BRAKAS-ACTIN, DUTY-QUARRELING, FIRE-SPITTING, LATE-KNOWING, CHUTE-LURKIN, CABLE-CRAWLIN, KIKANALO-BREATHED, ROODAKA-CROSSIN, TREN KROM LOOKIN, GUKKO-BRAINED, VAHKI-BAIT, KARZAHNI-BUILT, PIT-DWELLIN PIRAKA?

[skarchomp]

oh, you say this video game has 64 bits? how amusing...bionicle set 8811 toa lhikan and kikanalo contains over 200 pieces.

[downtofragglerock]

Alright, since we're still on the mammal train, let's talk ungulates

In our world, ungulates are a group of mammals that make up most larger scale herbivorous mammals worldwide, much like the carnivorans, they also have quite a lot of variation among the subgroups

Having counted, there are only 6, maybe 7, ungulate analogue rahi

First there's Bovidae, a subgroup that includes Bovinae (bovines), and Aegodontia (antelopes, sheep, goats, basically every two horned herbivorous mammal that isn't a deer or a pronghorn)

For Aegodontia, we the Mahi, a goat that, despite seemingly being the only member present in the mu, at least seems pretty common, and much like goats in our world are domesticated

For Bovinae, we have quite a few: the Kane-Ra, the Artahka Bull, the Fader bull, and the Mata Nui Cow. Most of these seem to be fully wild, but the Mata Nui Cow seems to be the exception to that.

The only other ungulate group seen are the Rhinos, namely, the Vako

But then that "maybe 7" comes in, since the Kikanalo seem pretty rhino-like. But they also are pretty kangaroo-like as well. They're a full on hybrid. So the question is, do they count? are they a rhino that has a body plan similar to a kangaroo? Or are they a marsupial that happens to have cosmetic similarities to a rhino? These are now questions I must live with.

But that's it ungulate-wise, which leaves a lot of groups completely out of the picture, as far as we know, the matoran universe doesn't have deer, giraffes, pigs, hippos, tapirs, or most notably, horses.

Equines, a type of animal that is a quintessential beast of burden for us, just don't seem to exist in the mu.

But there is a rahi that fills their niche, at least culturally.

A rahi that is a common beast of burden, but is also ridden, to traverse long distances, to race, and are used as calvary units.

The Ussal crabs aren't just the dogs of the mu, they're also the horses.

[squared-m]

KAIDRA (2/6)- ROZEN (HE/HIM)

A quiet life is all Rozen ever wanted. For him, and his herd of kikanalo, and the other rahi beasts under his watch. Like his toa sister Maros, Rozen originally hailed from the island city of Metru Nui, where he originally worked as a stonemason, and as a shepherd on Mata Nui. There, he tended to the only known Kikanalo herd on the island.

Unlike many Po-Matoran, who are often gregarious, Rozen spent most of his time on Mata Nui as a hermit, living outside the safety of Po-Koro, much to the chagrin of Turaga Onewa. During one of the rare occasions that he would venture into Po-Koro for supplies, he would meet the Chief Engineer of Ta-Koro, Maros, who had been invited by Onewa to assist in a construction effort. The two would soon become friends, thanks mostly in-part to their statuses as black sheep within their respective villages.

After the defeat of Makuta Teridax during the Battle of Bara-Magna, Rozen continued his animal husbandry, opening up a ranch for various land rahi native to Metru Nui, hiring various agori, glatorian, and oropi workers to assist him. After fifty years, he would be approached by a hooded stranger, and would be gifted a strange glowing stone that, once taken to the derelict Great Temple in Metru Nui, would transform him into the Toa Kaidra of Stone.

[irradiated-imp]

Time for some more Rahi. I've made a handful more since I last posted, and updated two of my older ones.

Fikou Nui Massive Spider Rahi closely related to the Fikou spiders. They will eat almost anything they can catch. They prefer dark, damp places, so they are commonly found in the jungles of Ga-Oko and Le-Oko, as well as the caverns of Onu-Oko. They were made from a modified version of the actual Fikou Nui.

Whali Small bugs that can be found all over Okoto Nui. Like the fikou Nui, they were made from a modified version of the Whali.

Tarakava Large, aggressive, lizard-like Rahi. Where as Murk Lurkers stalk swamps and marshlands, Tarakava live in the shallows along the coastlines. They dig out burrows under water to live in, and regularly grab airweed to use to create air bubbles in their dens. They lie in wait to ambush their prey, stunning or killing it with a swift and powerful punch. Some Tarakava have recently learned to 'farm' coral. They have been observed taking rocks with coral growth and relocating it to the mouth of their den. As the coral grows, it attracts small fish for the safety of the coral. The small fish draw in their larger predators, and consequently prey for the Tarakava.

Khabew Massive beetle-like Rahi. They are solitary Rahi and have few predators due to their armor, bulk, and the powerful horn cannons they possess on the back of their thorax. Khabew Massive beetle-like Rahi. They are solitary Rahi and have few predators due to their armor, bulk, and the powerful horn cannons they possess on the back of their thorax. They are found mostly in the desert of Po-Oko, but some haveb een spotted in Ta-Oko. Khazaak and Zilaak's Bonehunters have on numerous occassions captured them and pit them against other Rahi in colesseum fights in Old Po-Ifo.

And the updates. Recently got some new parts, namely the articulated Piraka Feet, and figured out a better wing structure for the Kahu.

Some additional renders. Pretty sure I shared the last three before, but figured I'd share the updated versions again. Up top is a swimming Tarakava with a school of tropical fish traveling with it for protection. The fish are Rewii, which I shared before. Last three, like I said, are updates to some old Renders I did before.

[driver270]

Lhikan & Kikanalo photo because why not?

[gauntletqueen]

🤜STREAM TONIGHT🤛

Waow I took so long making a lowpoly lego block model and new GQ render for this that the announcement is really late!! I'm gonna be building the noble Toa Lhihkan and the completely unrelated Kikanalo who share a set for some reason!

7PM GMT+1, see yall there~ (twitch link)

[necromastersdomainstuff]

It's, ah, been forever since I uploaded any Dark Hunter designs despite the sheer number of them I still have laying around! Tried this time to avoid uploading any designs I already put up previously-- made the mistake of uploading both Shadow Stealer and Tyrant twice (though to be fair, I am very proud of how that Tyrant design turned out.)

I drew inspiration from Betarotai's takes for both Dweller and Vanisher, whilst Mimic got a lot of inspiration from this piece on Deviantart I stumbled across looking for reference material (he's proved remarkably popular among the Dark Hunter designs from the books, doubtless due to his involved backstory.) Despite being a rather weak MOC, Vengeance proved incredibly fun to reinterpret-- I opted to lean even harder into his mishmash of a color scheme to make him stick out more than "just a Kikanalo with extra parts slapped on." I contemplated not bothering with Savage as I saw a lot of overlap with Prototype but honestly I'm glad I gave him a go, he turned out very fun to draw.

Minion also got to make the cut because you know what? I like Minion. He's a laudably ambitious MOC, if ultimately unstable in practice.