#kanoka disks

[bionic-baby]

Ok, that’s it, Vakama!

Now go back to your room!

[rahiwatching]

Just completed the greatest scavenger hunt in the history of Metru Nui!

What do you think of my Morbuzakh inspired display for the 6 Great Disks?

After finishing my Toa Mata Kanohi collection (the display for which is coming along well by the way) I decided to move on to the great disks given I already had most of them from the Kanoka packs back in the day. I tried to use parts I already had lying around to make it, with only minimal bricklink purchases once I had the design down.

The idea was to base the Morbuzakh off of the versions seen in the promotional art and the Toa Metru character videos rather than the comics, which I think I’ve done quite well on. The flat stud in the central “eye” glows in the dark too, to compliment the glow from the disks.

I also tried to match the shape of the display to Metru Nui itself.

Now I just need to figure out where to hang it…

[toacody]

krekka (2024)

Only gets better with time.

Source

Creator: FeroxJ

[txttletale]

one bit of bionicle lore that ive always found particularly funny was how 'reconstitute at random' was one of the basic kanoka disks in metru nui. Literally why the fuck would you ever want, let alone MASS PRODUCE a magic disk that, quote, "temporarily scrambles the molecules of a target, resulting in a new and unpredictable shape" . what possible use case was there for this

[crystaltoa]

@big-funky-tree Someone say ‘body horror frisbee’?

OK I actually can't stop thinking about the Body Horror Frisbee game.

Imagine the Toa Nuva finding out about this. Onua would be horrified that his Matoran used to do that to themselves (and each other), whereas Tahu would be more like "haha, yep, sounds like my boys alright."

Whearas Vakama and Whenua, when the sport inevitably gets revived in Metru Nui, just heave a weary sigh and think "Mata Nui, not this again..."

[bioniclechicken]

Arsenal, ape sniper

Ook ook

He wields a Kanoka Sniper Rifle, which fires energy rounds with effects from whatever disk is loaded

[tiredspacedragon]

Ranking the Metru Kanoka symbols by intelligibility

#1. Ko-Metru: First place goes to Ko-Metru for a fantastically clear image representing the district. The clearly discernible shape of the Knowledge Towers, the Metru's most iconic feature, even cleverly arranged to match the silhouette of the the Coliseum on the Metru Nui skyline, and the two dots on the sides possibly representing Metru Nui's dual suns/moons, emphasizing Ko-Metru's focus on astronomy, astrology, and all else to do with tracking the motion of the heavens. It doesn't get much better than this, folks.

#2. Le-Metru: Coming in at a close second place is Le-Metru, its symbol instantly recognizable as a collection of Chutes filled with cargo, a simple and elegant means of of showing of Le-Metru's status as the transportation hub of the city. Straightforward and to the point, exactly what we want to see.

#3. Onu-Metru: Third place starts to get a little more abstract, but the artistic intent remains fairly clear. The Onu-Metru symbol appears to depict a hallway of the Archives, with exhibits on either side and a steady stream of Matoran visitors and/or workers filing through the corridor. It is slightly less obvious than the two above, but if understood correctly, it is an excellent representation of exactly what Onu-Metru is all about.

#4. Po-Metru: Fourth place is where we start to see these symbols go off the rails, and where I'm going to have to start providing visuals to illustrate my interpretations. Po-Metru's symbol had me stumped for a long time. It is carved in the notch that held the Po-Metru Great Disk, but that isn't much to work with. I think I've finally figured it out though. I believe it speaks to the Po-Matoran's sculpture work, specifically one of their favourite subjects: maskless faces.

To my eye, the Po-Metru symbol appears to be six of these^ pieces arranged in a circle, or at least faces of similar shape. If that is indeed the case, then I commend the artistry, and the choice to use it as Po-Metru's symbol, as using the Po-Matoran's art to represent them is perfect. However it loses points for being less immediately recognizable than the preceding three symbols.

#5. Ga-Metru: And in fifth place, Ga-Metru veers further into obscurity. While simple and elegant, this symbol lacks any easily recognizable features to connect it to aspects of Ga-Metru's culture or architecture. At best, I can offer theories.

Perhaps the top-heavy shape of the blue section is in reference to the Ga-Metru lighthouses? It's possible, but seems unlikely as the shape is not an exact match and only bears superficial similarities.

Then perhaps the connected circles represent the connected pathways here at the Protodermis Falls, and likely across many other of the Metru's canals? Or even the long bridge from the coast to the island where the Great Temple sits? These possibilities seem more likely to me, but not enough to say it is either for certain. Regardless, the fact that the best I can do is offer some maybes is enough to land Ga-Metru squarely at the bottom of the list, kept out of last place only by...

#6. Ta-Metru: What is this. What-- What am I even looking at here? Is that a disk launcher? An eclipse? Is it meant to be the foundries pumping out the clouds? Is it an extreme close up of Lhikan's Hau or some other mask?

I don't know, I just don't know. I'll grant you that out of all six Metru, Ta-Metru is the most lacking in terms of iconography; the Great Furnace is not a terribly inspired building, nor are molten Protodermis vats exactly visually striking, but there had to be something that could have been done. If it is meant to be a mask, that's actually a fantastic idea. Kanohi are Ta-Metru's primary export, they'd be the perfect way to represent the Metru. But if it is a mask (zoomed in way too far), it's not at all recognizable as one, or as anything else for that matter. And had all six Metru's symbols been similarly abstract, that wouldn't be a problem! There's nothing wrong with a good old-fashioned Shape. But when at least three of the other symbols do such a quality job of showing off aspects of life and work in their Metru, Ta-Metru's symbol being so undefined places it firmly at the bottom. Last place.

[origsmocs]

Chute Reaver (it/its), a Dark Hunter who prowls the unseen parts of Metru Nui’s vast infrastructure network and strikes with terrible precision.

This fearsome creature once lived as a Le-Matoran cargo hauler until one fateful day when a large crate of kanoka disks bound for Ta-Metru came loose overhead, and the resulting crash of powerful energies permanently disfigured and empowered its body.

After the incident Chute Reaver became shunned by its former comrades and enlisted its services to The Shadowed One, using its knowledge of the chute network to traverse Metru Nui practically unseen.

Ok so this build was prompted by @malwarewolf-mocs ’s idea to make era appropriate 2005 Dark Hunters, which I totally recommend you try out yourself.

[malwarewolf-mocs]

DH2005 Moc (1/3): Disruptor

A small but incredibly aggressive and destructive Dark Hunter, Disruptor is the kind of Hunter that The Shadowed One likes to point at a bunker or caravan or city when he wants it leveled to the ground. Disruptor is heavily equipped to destroy almost any structure, and her weapons include a pair of explosive cannons, a sonic blade that can crumble buildings and shatter armor it’s lodged into, an incendiary Rhotuka launcher on her back that can arc back down in front of her, and a Fragmentation Kanoka disk launcher that can magnetize to targets and set to remotely detonate. Destroying her surroundings often sends her into a massive destructive craze, so much so that she once destroyed half a heavily populated city in the southern Islands and had to be personally stunned and recovered by Ancient.

This was my first attempt at the 2005 era-appropriate Dark Hunter Build challenge that you can find here. I won’t lie I did use some 4L with stop axles, but that was mostly because I was having a hard time finding 4L axles, which would have worked just fine. Otherwise she is completely era-appropriate to 2005! I have two more builds with this idea I’ll be sharing, and I’m very happy with all of them. Hope you enjoy!

[the-bigger-fish]

"We're smokin' filtered lime joints, ya stupid piece of Mega Bloks!"

"I don't give a rip if I go blind, I don't need to see the Mask of Life anyways..."

"I've got Krataa under my skin, I need a screwdriver to get them out!"

"I'm high on 12 Mazekas, ready to beat the sap out of a young Vuata Maca tree...."

"We're smokin' that Voya Nui Canonical Romance 90 Years of Play Protodermis."

"This Zamor Sphere'll send a good Toa straight to Karzahni."

"Caught a broke matoran trying to come up on my Toa Canister, so I skinned his mask alive! AHHHHH!"

"The antidermis has me acting inconsiderate!"

"I have seen the Throwbots. I have seen the Wheels of Roboriders. I was flippin' LEGO Bricks for Ole Kirk Kristensen before you were all a type 1 civilization!"

"We're on that Nynrah Ghost Blaster sippin' on that Bahrag Queen Power Plant Toa Luma Energized Protodermis."

"Me and my good buddy Mata Nui standin' back to back shakin' the very foundations of the universe. Truly, we are an army of two!"

"I balled so hard they thought I was a freakin' Bohrok Swarm!"

"Tied the Toa ops to the back of my Jetrax T6 and dragged 'em around the Kara Nui for 24 hours! Suckers looked like a Happy Meal Toy Master of Disaster after we was done with him!"

"I'm on them Le-Metru County Kanoka Disks!"

"I'm on twelve Great Kanohi smokin' that Tren Krom Tentacle!"

"My shooter a Kohli Head, he look like Gali Mistika."

"This Thornaxx got me movin' like an invasive rahi species!"

"I was in the Jetrax grippin' my Tridax Pods. Snipped the launcher, roamed around Northern Daxia with a cracked 2009 joint!"

"This stuff ain't nothin' to me, man!"

[crustacean-menace]

I am very intrigued by how the "Toa Tool" thing works.

Like, yeah, some are made by Arthaka or other famous universe toolsmiths, but for many matoran-turned-toa, their tools are often related to their professions or straight up are tools they had in hand that are transformed alongside them during the metamorphosis.

Vakama was a mask carver, carving masks from kanoka disks, and his tool turned out to be a launcher that could use the raw materials of his profession as projectiles (well, not a hard thing considering they already are used as projectiles by many, but still...).

Takua's Chronicler staff became Takanuva's Staff of light, a powerful weapon that, coincidentally, could also function as a rather deadly version of a Kohili Stick.

These items also seem to be strongly tied with their own wielder physical being, as the toa Hagah weapons were transformed along their users, but despite this, they can also be left behind for the sake of better equipment (Mahri Kongu) which, although understandable in some cases (Two hands), still feels weird. That's not just a weapon, that's a part of you.

Its such an interesting concept that seems so often discarded in favour of elemental powers and mask, but like... Its YOUR weapon. It is related to a matoran entire being, their life, their experiences and things they enjoy. It's a way to use one's passion in a way that lets them protect others, and often also have additional functions based on what they may need. How cool is that? Think about it.

There could be a toa of ice whose job as a matoran was janitor and their weapon is a mop that can freeze its tendrils and become a morningstar, or generate a frozen layer over what its passed over, painting ice paths in an instant.

There could be a toa of air who had a passion for botany and took care of the MU version of bonsai trees, their precision shears turned into a huge, bulky pair of scissors that can be used as a broadsword that can also manipulate air currents to cut things from distance.

There could be a toa of iron whose main job was welding, and lo and behold, the clunky, cumbersome equipment he struggled to drag around became a big flamethrower that it wears like a backpack, complete with a welding mask integrated on top of their own kanohi as a visor.

There could be a Toa of stone who enjoyed the life of a performer, juggling, somersaulting, doing precision throws and whose tool is now a set of spiky or bladed clubs that can bounce on surfaces and enemies alike and then return to them.

A toa of Psionics whose dream to write stories manifested into a strange staff, originally their writing stylus, able to manifest masterful illusions by writing words inside the enemy minds and trap them in stories through the mere strength of their narration.

[lynns-bonkle-blog]

Metru Nui Archives data log 19487: Mysterious Disks

Log author: Chief Archivist Etoku

Category: Inanimate

Current location: Level 1, Anomalous Objects gallery.

A series of 55 brightly-coloured Kanoka-like disks (6 of the following: green, purple, tan, yellow, white and teal; 4 that looked white but glowed green while in darkness; 7 black; and 1 gold), each with a different image in the middle. They can be separated into several "sets", based on the imagery depicted on them:

The first set depict what appear to be elemental symbols, with four of them somewhat resembling the universal symbols for Fire (red), Ice (white), Lightning (purple), Water (yellow) and The Green (green), but a few do not match any symbols; these ones depict a mountain range (tan), seven radially-arranged arrows (black), and a cityscape bearing a slight resemblance to a style commonly employed by Steltian architects (teal).

The second set show what appear to be images of various natural phenomena; glowing sap emerging from within spiralled tree-bark, a small sphere being orbited by three more, cracked rock with lava within, an organic tentacle gripping what appears to be a golden sphere, a mass of icy crystals, a meteor impacting a planet, a large hendecagonal crystal surrounded by lava, some kind of rectangular container with a green glow emitting from within, and most intriguingly, a planet divided into several elemental segments.

The third set depict strange, boxy vehicles navigating various environments; some of the vehicles are shown being attacked or damaged, while other appear to be smoothly navigating their surroundings. One of the disks shows a creature resembling an Avohkah, but much larger and tinted purple, and another has a Takea-like creature in the background.

The fourth set appears to show scenes from a legend of some kind. The beings featured resemble carvings of ancient Toa, but with flatter, smoother heads similar to certain Rahi species. They are depicted in various situations, mostly throwing disks (presumably the ones described here) or fighting various creatures such as giant carnivorous plants in a jungle, some kind of large four-eyed creature in a city, and a vast Lightfish with some kind of pink organic matter within its bell. There are also disks showing these "pseudo-Toa" performing other actions, such as using an energy-beam to cut a channel into the ground for lava to flow through, summoning a Hau-style shield to protect against falling rocks, or running towards the viewer.

The fifth and final "set" isn't really as consistent as the other ones and only consists of three disks; one appears to be a close-up view of a "Pseudo Toa"'s face, the second depicts a meteor heading towards the planet depicted in the one of the second set's disks, and the third shows three "pseudo-Toa" standing on a rock, with the one in the middle being larger than the others.

What's most interesting is the strange markings at the bottom of each disk's face, consisting of a series of lines next to a red square with strange shapes in it. Archivist Mavrah pointed out that some of the symbols resemble letters in the Matoran alphabet, but I dismissed this as just a coincidence, and most of the other archivists concurred. There's also a curved piece of metal fitted along the top-left edge of each disk, with several small glowing orbs fitted inside; the number of orbs varies between each.

As of writing, none of us know where the disks originally came from, other than that they washed up on the coast of Onu-Metru a few weeks ago. Archivist Mamoru suggested they might be gifts from the Great Spirit, showing what is to come in the future. Guardsmatoran Kaj, who was taking time off from his very important job to gawk at the disks, mentioned that he thought he saw something fall into the sea near where the disks were found. Wherever they're from, I don't wish to go there. Looks a bit too adventurous for my tastes.

Archivist Mavrah volunteered to test if they'd be useable as Kanoka, but I refused, as I do not wish for them - or, for that matter, him - to get damaged.

End of log.

[rahiwatching]

Kanoka disks are a widespread technology within the Matoran Universe, with many different powers and abilities. In this Knowledge Tower investigation, we take a closer look at the Enlarge and Shrink Kanoka and derive brand new equations to predict their effects.

New Bionicle Science investigations every month. What part of Bionicle lore do you want to see investigated next?

If you want to support the Knowledge Tower you can donate on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/theknowledgetower

[toacody]

Krekka (2015)

As seen on film.

Source

Creator: FeroxJ

[crystaltoa]

Was it ever established how the six Matoran that knew the Great disks’’ locations came upon that knowledge? Was it mystically bestowed upon them, or did they find out about it in seemingly random, mundane ways?

I’m just picturing Tehutti finding the Onu-Metru disk in storage and bringing it out for a game of Kanoka Toss In The Dark, and then, after witnessing a very unfortunate accident that required the victim to live in a large bucket for a week afterwards, deciding to hide the evidence by shoving the disk back into another random storage closet.

[ctrl-alt-tahu]

Thoughts of Akamai and Wairuha

"You shouldn't talk about the Great Spirit like that," said Pohatu, as they continued to cross Ko-Metru. The wan lights above the dome were at their zenith, providing a pale glow over the ruined city. As they climbed around the exterior of one of the largest (or least-ruined) towers of the Metru, they could see at a distance other portions of the city.

"I believed in Mata Nui, once," said Voriki. "I even thought I met him… but what Great Being would claim to watch over the Matoran and leave us with this." He paused, looking out over the city. They were on a landing of sorts, a flat place that opened where the broad tower below them turned to a much narrower spire. They could see north, east, and south, and Voriki waved a hand over them all.

"You should have seen Metru Nui then, when I first came here: the Coliseum there"--he pointed north east at the most ruinous area they could see: the centre island broken and cracked--"the Temple of Mata Nui in Ga-Metru, the chute system, the great forge of Ta-Metru. It was the envy of the world, and envy it the Makuta did. I don't know all the centuries of war and scheming before my time, but they weren't without effect: Metru Nui no longer ruled its empire, and only one Toa still stood with Turaga Dume, who ruled this city: Toa Lhikan, Toa of Fire.

"I don't know where he got the Toa Stones that transformed us. I don't know why he waited until he was the last Toa left and the sea-gates were on the verge of being breached. I don't know why he picked the seven of us--but he did, and we became Toa: me, and the six you say you know as Turaga: Vakama, Nokama, Matau, Onewa, Nuju, and Whenua."

"A seventh Toa!" Lewa whispered. Onua nodded, but gestured for silence. Kopaka and Tahu shared a cryptic nod.

"We weren't enough," said Voriki. "While we tried to learn how to control our powers, how to control our masks, we sought the great Kanoka disks, drove back the Morbuzakh--and missed how much we were needed at the sea-gates. Important as our little quests might have been in peacetime, they were distractions when the city was threatened from without. What did it matter if the Morbuzakh was choking off the Great Forge when the Matoran were vanishing and the Visorak were invading?"

"What are Visor--" Lewa began even as Gali asked "why were the Matoran vanishing?"

"Visorak are a sort of swarming, insectoid Rahi," said Voriki. "There were thousands of them, directed by Sidorak, a mighty servant of the Brotherhood of Makuta."

"And the Matoran?" asked Kopaka.

"We didn't realise it until much later," said Voriki, "but Turaga Dume was long gone. He was being impersonated by the Makuta himself, and it was all his plan: the Matoran were being put in stasis even as the city fell to the Visorak. Metru Nui fell to attacks from both within and without. Only the seven of us were left free in the city--well, and the five Matoran we stole away with us. Whenua, Nuju, and Onewa stayed behind in the Coliseum to buy the rest of us time to escape, and while we were on the run in Po-Metru, Vakama collapsed and Matau and I learned that he had been keeping a secret from us--visions, or so Nokama called them."

There no hiding the looks that the six Toa gave each other. So Vakama is still associated with them, then, Voriki thought.

"He said he had seen the Great Beings in council, and that they had told him that Mata Nui was asleep and we must wake him, and that Valour and Wisdom would guide us. At the time, I believed this was a sign, and that we had to save Metru Nui by waking the Great Spirit, and I believed that Akamai and Wairuha would come and help us--but though we found a Mata Nui of sorts, in the end, no Great Beings came and guided us. If Vakama's vision meant anything, it must have been metaphorical: wisdom and valour, not personified beings."

"They are true-real," said Lewa. "Takua told us."

The wind seemed to pick up, and the already chilly ledge was far from comfortable to any save Kopaka, but no one moved as Voriki stared at them.

"You mentioned him--Takua," said Voriki at last, "in your tale the other night: he is your chronicler."

"Yes," said Tahu.

"And he claims to have seen Akamai and Wairuha," said Voriki.

"Yes," said Pohatu.

"Not 'claimed'," said Gali. "He did see them. I have felt what he has seen."

"Was this before you came to the island?" asked Voriki.

"No, this was the first great battle with Makuta," said Gali. "As we said in our tale: after scouring the island for the Golden Kanohi and being united at last, we faced the Makuta beneath the temple of Kini Nui and defeated him, for a time."

"You said nothing of Akamai and Wairuha," said Voriki.

"We didn't exactly tell you every kick and blow," said Pohatu. "To be honest, most of that battle is a blur. We entered the cave, encountered the Manas and… returned later, victorious. Takua remembers more than we do."

Voriki said nothing, but it was plain that he wanted to dismiss the idea, and why not: if they remembered so little and if the Makuta hadn't even been truly vanquished, then perhaps they hadn't been victorious at all. Yet if their chronicler claimed to have seen Akamai and Wairuha…

"We should get going again," said Voriki. "We're almost there. If the Pituita Nui is still functioning, we can close the sea-gate. I'll have Tehutti see what we can do to close them permanently, and we need to find Nidhiki and Krekka, but that can wait till tomorrow."

He tapped a door that opened onto the ledge with the slightest jolt of electricity, and the door popped open, not quite chest-height.

"An access point for Matoran technicians, not Toa, I'm afraid."

"So, what happened next?" asked Pohatu, "in your story? You went from Po-Metru to find Mata Nui?"

"No, not right away," said Voriki. "First, we encountered more Toa."