#kiniga

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Region-District Parallels

           Fun fact; There is a direct duality, a parallelism between the six Elemental regions of Okoto, and the six districts of Xia in Bionicle: RaE! Each one corresponds to its other island counterpart, respectively, with Xia’s districts being a ‘dark mirror’ of the role the Mega-Villages serve on Okoto as well! Specifically, the Mega-Villages and their respective regions are synonymous in these dualities…

           Stelt parallels the Vuata Maca; The Macans grow flora, crops, and food, and Stelt is where nutrition and crops are mechanically-grown and hoarded within greenhouses and facilities! The Gukko Airforce acts as the primary means of transportation for people and goods across Okoto, and Stelt does the same with its Chutes for Xia! Trade and Okoto’s economy is facilitated by the Gukko Airforce, while Stelt is the main heart of its economy, with black markets, banks, smuggling, all that stuff going on.

           Tametru’s parallel to Tawahi is obvious; They both start with Ta and are adapations of Fire-related locations in G1. They’re both the hottest areas of their respective islands, and use that heat to melt down materials and reforge them into stuff. Weapons are made here, amongst other metallurgic tools.

           Now, despite its heavy reliance on water and its presence… Voymari is actually meant to mirror Marn! Yes, water is a big deal and Voymari has a few shipyards, but its primary export and industry is mining; Just as the people of Marn specialize as tunnelers due to their subterranean location. Voymari relies more on mining and changing the landscape than anything else, deals with minerals in the air, and so it’s just naturally more suited for the element of Earth.

           Zakaz and Levato go hand-in-hand. They’re both located in vast, barren deserts and rely a lot on scavenging. They have naturally brutal conditions, but also have entertainment; Levato specializes in the arts, in sculptures, as well as board-games, and sports like Kolhii. Zakaz’s entertainment comes in the form of brutal gladiator matches and races, but it also has its own sports like Akilini, and of course theater productions, studios, and casinos as well.

           Nynrah goes with Kiniga! This one is less obvious, and that’s my fault; I never DID make my own separate post detailing Kiniga, but I may do that soon! I think I’ve finally begun to figure it out, so look forward to that…! Anyhow, Nynrah was and in some ways still is the sector of education, and Kiniga is where a lot of schools and textbooks are located! Medicine and healing is a big deal in Kiniga, and in Nynrah, the Nynrah Ghosts work specifically towards the anatomy of others and how to alter it. Water is the stuff of life, and it can sustain it… But with Nynrah, it was used to carry chemicals, mutagens, and Visorak into the bodies of others, horrifically transforming and distorting them.

           Finally, Artidax is the direct counterpart to Kokoro! Both involve knowledge and information; Kokoro stores past texts, deciphers them, and reads the stars. It is well-versed in the lost traditions and ancient culture and religion of Okoto. Artidax’s computer-banks store vast quantities of information, and both areas value the power of the mind and ‘thought’. Artidax’s satellites can read weather patterns just as Kokoro reads the stars, and it relays information and decodes data transmissions, just as Kokoro interprets past texts and forms predictions, and then brings that information to the rest of Okoto through the Gukko Airforce. Both have arctic locations in the north; Or at least Artidax did, but most of the snow and ice has melted. Some of it still remains, however. Finally, while the Region of Ice hosts another race of sapient beings, the Frostelus, Artidax hosts sapience separate from humans in the form of AI!

           Additionally, each Xian District in RaE has the same symbol as their corresponding Metrus from Metru Nui, you can probably guess which is which at this point. As G1 fans may have noticed (so basically, 99% of the Bionicle fandom), I took a LOT of inspiration from Metru Nui’s industrial, hi-tech city setting! If Okoto adapts the mythical, island parts of Bionicle, I wanted Xia to be an adaptation of the futuristic, sci-fi part of it, its later years; This includes the Bara Magna saga as well, which is somewhat represented in Zakaz and its Baran Desert. Naturally, Xia’s G1 namesake itself, as well as the districts’ namesakes, played heavy roles in influencing the island and its landmarks and locations, to varying degrees.

           Each district also takes heavy, direct influences in terms of aesthetic, function, and appearance from locatons in other forms of media as well! Stelt is based off of the images we have of Xia in G1, specifically its polluted air and its dark, mechanical skyline. Its whole deal with trade is also from G1 Stelt as well. It probably has the least fictional influences, in all honesty.

           Tametru is based off of G1 Ta-Metru obviously… But a lot of it is also inspired by Hotland from Undertale! In fact, everytime I think of Tametru, Another Medium plays in my head… Hotland is almost entirely responsible for my conception of Tametru as a location, not gonna lie, and I personally consider Another Medium to be my ‘theme song’ for Tametru! I love that song…

           Voymari is actually based not only on Mahri Nui (specifically with the Fields of Airweed and the semi-aquatic setting), but also the look of its towns and the skyline and shipyards come from Corellia’s Coronet City from Solo: A Star Wars Story! Sue me, I thought it was a cool movie with lots of cool locations that visually inspired me… Also, the idea of ‘Saltlung’ comes entirely from the town of Stain’d-by-the-sea from All the Wrong Questions.

           Zakaz is… literally just Bara Magna from G1, combined with Mad Max. Not much else to say here, honestly, other than that it also some adequately-developed cities and small nations, kind of like how G1 Zakaz had some urban areas before Spiriah ruined everything. Like G1, Zakaz has a LOT of conflict, and the Skakdi as well to boot!

           Nynrah started off as Fallout’s post-apocalyptic wasteland, but then it was combined with a lot of Resident Evil after I got into the series and realized just how well it fit; Specifically, the whole situation with Raccoon City and monsters roaming about the streets. In all honesty, Resident Evil’s monster aesthetic and whole corrupt scientist group schtick has overtaken as Nynrah’s primary influence. There’s also just a LITTLE bit of Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, believe it or not. I went with the fact that G1 Nynrah had the Nynrah Ghosts, who are very science-oriented, and worked from there.

           Finally, Artidax is a combination of the aesthetic of Blade Runner and other cyber-punk settings, but is also blatantly ripped from Sanctuary Fortress, from Metroid Prime 2: Echoes! Brilliant game… Fun fact, Artidax was the last district to be planned and designed by me, by a LONG shot. For like three years, I didn’t even know what Artidax was supposed to be, what its function was, what it looked like; All I knew was that The Mountain existed within it, and that was about it. And even then, it wasn’t like I intended for The Mountain to have anything to do with Artidax’s lifestyle, as well! Occasionally, I even entertained just giving up and making The Mountain take up the entirety of Artidax…!

           But, I held on; I waited for inspiration, and lo it came to me with Sanctuary Fortress! I love Metroid Prime 2, it’s a great game and you should seriously play it! Metroid’s hi-tech, mythical settings are VERY conducive to Bionicle in general, and I have much to thank Retro Studios for their creative influence on me! Once I saw that mountainous region, with the hi-tech facilities of drones and computers, with coding that seemed to come from the skies… It all came into place!

           As you can probably tell, the Artidax District bears the least resemblance to its G1 namesake. The G1 Artidax was known for having a bunch of volcanoes and being where Makuta Miserix was imprisoned. I sort of tried to maintain that spirit by making the Artidax District mountainous (and mountains are basically sauce-less volcanoes), because I already had the heat and molten theme with Tametru. Mostly, I just took the name of Artidax because it was an island location in G1, and I needed a name for the final Xian district.

[xatzifragetiki]

Gamw den antexw allo , thelw na se akousw na anevaineis tis skales tis polykatoikias kai na trexeis sto diadromo gia na ertheis spiti , thelw na ksypnisw kai na se peiraksw enw koimasai , thelw na anoiksw tin porta tou mpaniou kai na se dw na ksyrizesai , thelw na koitaksw sto saloni kai na se dw na vlepeis tv , thelw na sou fwnaksw pou pineis nero kateftheian apo ti vrysi xwris potiri , thelw na gkriniaksw giati exeis ksaplwsei panw mou kai me skepazeis kai den pairnw anasa , thelw na myrisw sto maksilari to arwma sou , thelw na sou thymwsw epeidi mou les oti otan perpatame sto dromo menw pisw , thelw na kanoume voltes mesa sto spiti agkalia san pigkouinoi , thelw na akousoume gia ekatosti fora tin idia playlist kai na gkriniazeis giati den saresoun ta tragoudia pou vazw , thelw na doume tainia agkalia ston kanape , thelw na paroume makaronia apo to agapimeno sou magazi , thelw na kanw moutra pou den me afineis na sou kanw simadia sto laimo , thelw na mou les poso theleis na mou kaneis paidia , thelw na me kotoideyeis pou anti na paraggeilw fredo kanw frappe moni mou , thelw na kanoume pali mpanio mazi , thelw na stelnoume mazi hxhtika pou leme malakies stous filous mou , thelw na me kinigas gia na mou pareis to kinito kai na sviseis tis fotografies pou se vgazw kryfa alla pote na min tis svineis , thelw na me akous otan sou lew poso omorfos eisai , thelw na me koitas sta matia ki egw na kryvomai epeidi ntrepomai , thelw na paizoume mazi stoixima kai na gelame pou xanoume , thelw na pigainoume xeraki xeraki sto dromo , thelw na mou filas to metwpo otan lew xaza , thelw na koimitheis sto stomaxi mou , thelw na vazoume mazi plyntirio ta rouxa mas , thelw na pigainoume mazi supermarket , thelw na kanoume mazi puzzle , thelw na me malwneis pou kapnizw....thelw ola ayta ksana kai ksana alla mono mazi sou.

[kigalisight]

Aguero yasezeye burundu kuri ruhago no muri FC Barcelona yari amazemo amezi atagera kuri atandatu.

Aguero yasezeye burundu kuri ruhago no muri FC Barcelona yari amazemo amezi atagera kuri atandatu.

Umunya-Argentine Sergio Aguero wakiniraga FC Barcelona yahisemo gusezera umupira w’amaguru imburagihe kubera ibibazo by’ubuzima. Mu muhango wari witabiriwe n’abakinnyi b’ikipe ya mbere ya FC Barcelona, umuyobozi wa FC Barcelona, uwa Atletico Madrid n’umutoza Pep Guardiola wamutoje muri Manchester City, Kun Aguero yahisemo gusezera umupira w’amaguru kubera indwara y’umutima. Mu kiniga cyinshi…

[p7johnny]

finally fu kiniga finished drawing fucking ugly tord

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Okotan Landmarks (Pt 1)

Region of Fire-

           A volcanic landscape dotted with charred slopes, lava flows, and fertile soil. It is home to the Mega-Village of Tawahi. Most of the volcanoes are in a constant state of eruption, and the sky is mostly darkened, save for falling pieces of volcanic debris that resemble shooting stars. Despite being such a brutal and hostile place, the Region of Fire can help host life due to the fertile soil spewed by the volcanoes.

           The Charred Forest is a collection of blackened trees. Despite their name and appearance, these blackened trees are a natural color, having adapted to be mostly resistant to the flames of the Region of Fire. They thrive off of the fertile soils of the Region of Fire and require little water- As such, they can only thrive in the specific conditions of their home.

           The Lake of Fire is exactly what its name implies- A lake of bubbling lava, and the largest in all of Okoto. Dotted with archipelagos of islands and caverns, the Lake of Fire is home to many creatures, such as the lava-spitting Hikaki dragons, or the colossal Ranama.

           Mount Mangai is the tallest volcano in all of Okoto. Due to being more stable than most volcanoes, the inhabitants of the Region of Fire have built the village of Tawahi near its base, guarded by its sluggish lava flows and thriving on its heat and fertile ash.

           After the Great Cataclysm, the Mask of Creation was sent hurtling into the Region of Fire, where it landed in one of the many rivers of lava. Countless years of the ever-changing, boiling landscape has caused it to currently dwell at the bottom of a volcano, one that is preparing itself for eruption…

           The Dragons’ Den is an area of the Region of Fire that is, quite literally, on fire- All of the time, 24/7. These fields of towering flames are fueled by underground coal deposits, as well as the fiery breath of Kardas. Within the Dragons’ Den, temperatures get so extreme that only animals such as the Hikaki, who lay their eggs to hatch in the furnace temperatures, or the Ranama, dwell amidst the flickering blazes.

Legend has it that the Dragons’ Den is not just named for the flames or the Hikaki, but also because the legendary Kardas lies somewhere in the cover of the smoke. Supposedly, a Protector of Fire, Flammik, once battled Kardas and wounded it, taking one of his teeth as a trophy. True to the tale, Kardas dwells deep in the Dragons’ Den, where the temperatures are too hot for any to follow. He has a hoard of assorted treasures, including Masks of Power.

Skull Spiders have attempted to explore the Dragons’ Den, but the temperatures are so high that only the Armored Spiders can make a few excursions before melting. When Phase 2 of the Skull Spider wars commenced and animals that could handle the heat were controlled, even they quickly backed off from the flames near the center of the Dragons’ Den. These fires were stoked by Kardas’ energy beams, sometimes even igniting into plasma. The Okotans eventually managed to successfully breach the center of the Dragons’ Den and defeat Kardas to an extent, accessing his treasure horde.

           The Inika is an ancient summoning device whose reach extends even to the space surrounding the planet. Even prior to the Great Cataclysm, it was inactive and devoid of energy.

Region of Water-

           Mostly flooded, this region is surrounded by mountains and filled with water that has risen to the top of the peaks, creating a natural ‘fish tank’ of sorts, with the great majority of land being an archipelago of partially-submerged mountains. Other parts of the Region of Water consist of freshwater wetlands, lakes, and estuaries, and the region is privy to massive, relentless storms and drastic high and low tides. Sailing across its waters is the floating Mega-Village of Kiniga. The Region of Water is home to all manner of marine life, as well as towering waterfalls and other features.

           The abandoned City of the Mask Makers is home to the Artakha. Also known as the Great Forge, it was once used to imbue life energy into Masks of Power. Now, the City of the Mask Makers has been overtaken by the Brotherhood of Makuta and acts as their main base of operations against the Okotans. Although the Artakha was deactivated by the Great Cataclysm, the Brotherhood is using the harvested souls of many captured Okotans to slowly recharge it.

          Various sunken cities lie at the bottom of the Region of Water. Many treasure hunters dive to these hidden troves of treasure, while other areas remain inaccessible due to the intense pressures. Skull Spiders are scattered across the floor, unable to swim due to a lack of buoyancy.

           The Razor Whale’s Teeth are a ring of jagged, towering rocks jutting out of a section of the Region of Water’s bottom. Here, the pressures are immense and the waters are incredibly dark. A popular hunting ground for many aquatic predators, from Takea Sharks to Tarakava, the remains of many large creatures have sunken down here to decompose, torn apart by scavengers. The Razor Whale’s Teeth are a frequent visit for the Okotan Demigod Nocturn.

           The Pillars of Salt are exactly what their name implies; Massive, columns of salt beneath the waves of the Region of Water. Some small creatures and fish get their sodium from pecking at these built-up salt spires. All of the Region of Water’s saltwater came from the Pillars of Salt being mixed with the massive floods from the Great Cataclysm. Prior to the flooding, they were originally mountains containing huge salt deposits, but the constant erosion of the tides broke apart the surface of these mountains and exposed their crystalline contents to the waters, mixing and creating an ideal environment for creatures normally found in the waters surrounding Okoto.

Region of Earth-

           A rocky, rolling plain of infinite black soil, obsidian, and mountains, the Region of Earth is constantly shrouded in a heavy, overbearing mist and fog. The looming mountains and the deep chasms allow the shadows to thrive heavily, and dotting the region’s surface are a variety of beautiful gems and other crystals. The vast majority of the region is made of soft soil that enables both Okotans and animals to dig tunnels, and countless cities lie buried beneath the dirt. Most inhabitants of the Region of Earth live underground in the Marn Caverns, thriving off of the ores and materials found there.

           The Hanging City is a nickname given to ruins whose original name is lost to time. Heavily displaced by the Great Cataclysm, the ruins of the Hanging City jut out of the side of a cliff, overlooking the coast.

           The Sideways Palace is a gothic castle that was left sandwiched between a pair of mountains following the Great Cataclysm. Somehow in a stable position, the Sideways Palace is literally hanging sideways, held in place above the air by the twin peaks over a chasm of fog.

           The Place of Shadow is a chasm and the deepest point of elevation in the Region of Earth. Surrounded by looming mountains, covered in fog, and descending hundreds of feet downwards, it is said to be the darkest place in all of Okoto. Some legends claim that if one peers directly into the Place of Shadow, they will see themselves; Others warn that Umarak himself peers through this darkened pit like an eye of shadow at Okoto’s skies. 

           The Cavern of Light is exactly what it says it is- A cavern filled to the brim with countless, naturally-forming Lightstones. Connected to the Marn Caverns, its lightstones are constantly mined to be used by the Okotans.

           Buried swarms of Kirikori Nui, the prehistoric locusts, lay beneath craggy barrens of rock. Once feared for devastating entire forests, fields, and crops in their relentless hunger, after feeding, the Kirikori Nui would go into deep hibernations lasting from decades to even centuries. Thankfully, the Great Cataclysm brought a wave of dirt that buried the insects, fossilizing many of them. It’s unlikely for them to resurrect anytime soon...

Region of Stone-

           A ruthless, arid climate that houses vast deserts, grasslands, and savannahs. The Region of Stone is home to the Levato Fragments. Constantly plagued by sandstorms, the region is home to many buried ruins and ghosts of the past. Numerous metal deposits are scattered throughout the region, some buried and others protruding from the earth. These metal deposits frequently interfere with compasses, making navigation difficult in some areas.

           The Motara Desert is the largest desert in all of Okoto. Marked by vast, rolling sands, the Motara Desert houses a lake of quicksand where most of its inhabitants make their home. It is frequently plagued by powerful sandstorms that cover the area in darkness.

           Mount Levato was once one of many mountains in Okoto. Having been shattered by the massive forces of the Great Cataclysm, most of the fragments of the former mountain have landed in the Lake of Quicksand, and now form the foundation of Levato.

           Tiro Canyon is a massive chasm that the powerful winds of the region blow through. The air travelling through the uniquely-shaped holes in the canyon create a strange cacophony of noise that many have likened to singing.

           The Ivory Pillars are a series of massive, ivory formations that stick out of the ground of the Region of Stone’s savannahs. There are many stories regarding their origin, with some claiming that the pillars are the fallen-out teeth of a powerful being, or the protruding ribs of a half-buried titan.

           The Mesa Nui is a massive mesa in the savannahs of the Region of Stone. According to legend, it was the first stone in Okoto, cast by Ketar, and when it landed, the sands of Okoto spilled out from its cracked bottom. Now in the savannah thanks to the Great Cataclysm, the Mesa Nui is worshipped and prayed to by many, who have occasionally left gifts at its base, either in hopes of having dreams or wishes granted, or else in honor of the deceased.

           Somewhere lies the remnants of an ancient city. A mysterious cult worshipped Umarak, Deity of Shadow from their home, until the Great Cataclysm heavily damaged it. Now abandoned, the Ruins have become a popular resting place for Umarak. The city contains a fragment of Makuta’s soul, from which the Mask Hoarder is able to converse with the Hunter.

           The Mountain of Shadow is, fittingly, the main lair of Umarak the Hunter. Inside its caverns, Umarak has amassed a horde of Shadow Traps that contain all of the energy that he has stolen from the Elemental Deities. His Shadow Traps hibernate in these amassed energies, slowly forming into a horde of Elemental Beasts that, when awakened, will raze Okoto to the ground.

           Destral is the former capital city of Okoto during the Creation Age. The site where the Great Cataclysm began, the city has been scorched by the energies of the shattered Mask of Life. Destral is filled with the petrified bodies of those who were killed in the explosion, and all Okotans consider the city to be haunted. The former capital itself is named directly after the ancient tower at its center, a construct of unknown origin and seemingly indestructible nature.

Region of Jungle-

          An endless, twisted mass of overlying roots, towering trees, humid jungles and plentiful forests. Most of the fauna of the Region of Jungle live and traverse through layers of branches and foliage that substitute an actual ‘ground’, while others live atop the canopy. The ground itself is far below, choked beneath waves of titanic roots, and flora of massive sizes and quantities frequently compete for sunlight as bright colors and fruits burst all over the place.

           The Vuata Maca is said to be the oldest and largest tree in all of Okoto. Far dwarfing any other plant in the Region of Jungle, the vast majority of Okotans here have taken to living in its massive branches. The tree provides a ready supply of sap and fruits for those who live among it, and lesser trees sprout from its ever-reaching roots.

           Massive Nui-Rama hives, constructed from scratch, can be found across the Region of Jungle. These hives are tended to by swarms of Nui-Rama, who frequently work to find prey to feed young, construct food, and defend the nest against intruders. They are set at a natural rivalry towards the hives of the Nui-Kopen.

           The Labyrinth of Infinity, also known as the Skrall, is a complex maze that transcends space itself. Constantly moving, burrowing, and spreading its corridors underground beneath the foliage, its interior is said to be larger and more vast than the entire island of Okoto itself. Located within it is the Mask of Control, and the Labyrinth itself is defended by the mysterious warriors Axonn and Brutaka.

           Various massive trees have sprung from the jungles beneath cities and their foundations. As a result, many trees can be found with entire buildings and settlements hanging from or entangled within their branches, now inhabited by various creatures such as the Gukko birds or the Brakas monkeys.

           The Swamp of Secrets is a murky bog hidden deep within the Region of Jungle, behind massive tree roots, branches, and waves of moss and foliage. Only a few stray beams of sunlight make their way into this swamp, which is thriving with crocodilian Swamp Stalkers and stinging Niazesk. Gases are constantly emitting from rotting vents, and within it all is the hut of a prophetess. This oracle receives enigmatic visions of the future by inhaling fumes from the corpse of a rotten beast; Allegedly, this decaying beast came from the future itself.

Region of Ice-

           A rolling series of tundras, snowy mountains, massive glaciers, and constant blizzards make up this frozen region. Entire cities can be found, flash-frozen and perfectly preserved within titanic glaciers, many Okotans’ bodies still intact. Frozen, arctic waters, ranging from lakes to rivers can be found, and many of them have frozen-over surfaces, which in turn are covered up by blankets of snow; Such areas are hazardous, as travelers may be traversing the snow, only for it to collapse beneath them and plunge them into icy, frigid waters. Giant pine forests can be found in the warmer sections of the Region of Ice, and some waterfalls and rivers have been preserved as crystalline formations.

           Mount Ihu is a frozen mountain that has the Mega-Village of Kokoro sitting atop its flattened peak. According to myth, it was once the tallest mountain of all, topped off with a sharp peak. However, an ancient battle between titans sliced off the entire summit, leaving behind the foundations for Kokoro which have long since had their ore deposits removed to make room for crystalline Knowledge Towers.

           A frozen palace exists, having once, prior to the Great Cataclysm, constructed several spires and towers to collect waves of rainwater. After the land froze, many of the currents leading into this palace have frozen over into slick slides, and remain the only way of accessing the castle with its gates frozen over and buried beneath the snow.

           Tribes of Frostelus exist even further towards the north, living amongst floating glaciers. A nomadic species of four-armed, four-legged beings with an affinity towards Ice, they are generally territorial and hostile to intruders. Their history with the Okotans is unfriendly, but otherwise they won’t bother anyone if left alone.

           Caverns of Bitterbite, a ‘super’ form of concentrated, pure ice exist across the Region of Ice. Bitterbite is a hyper-cold crystal, formed from nearly zero, frigid temperatures and created entirely by the Great Cataclysm. Bitterbite lasts far longer than ice in any heat, able to withstand boiling desert conditions for entire hours, and is mined for use in air conditioning units in the Mega-Villages of Tawahi and Levato. Direct contact with Bitterbite can cause frostbite.

           In areas where blizzards don’t completely block off any and all sunlight, there are fields of frozen-over ice sheets. When sunlight emerges, these ice sheets reflect them, creating massive, blinding mirrors. At night, one can see their reflection in these sheets; At any other hour, they are best avoided to keep one’s eyes from being burned out. Some angles are safe to view these glittering ice sheets, and some nights will even have them reflecting the gorgeous Aurora Borealis in the skies.

           Massive, intricate snowflake structures can be found spread through the ground and across the snow. Likewise, there are many fields of ice sculptures and frozen-solid snowmen, from initial generations of Okotans prior to the Skull Spider Wars. Many of these beautiful, pristine sculptures continue to last, although some don’t have any known creators, and look disturbingly lifelike...

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Takua

           Roaming the island of Okoto is a lone, travelling vagabond. Masked and constantly shaded from the sun with a wide-brimmed hat, a scythe slung across their back, at first glance this figure can be interpreted as almost menacing.

           In reality, this figure is a young Okotan named Takua, and for all intents and purposes she’s actually a good sign if you’re out in the wilderness and lost. Takua is a traveler of a wide variety of skills and is proficient at survival and self-sufficiency.

           Years ago, Narmoto was travelling the Region of Fire alone when he came across a feral child. This child was dirty, thin, torn-up, and could barely speak. When Narmoto asked this child where she came from, she responded that she didn’t remember anything besides her name; Takua.

           Obviously not going to leave a child to die out in the wilderness, Narmoto invited Takua to Tawahi, feeling a kinship with her regarding strange origins, and escorted the feral child across the Region of Fire and even past Skull Spiders. Upon arriving at Tawahi, many Okotans were puzzled about Takua, who was taken aback by all of these strangers and their loud rambling.

           Narmoto made arrangements for the local caretaker to look after Takua alongside other orphans who had lost their parents to the Skull Spiders. Efforts were made to ‘recivilize’ Takua, although she still proved to be a rather unusual child. She was anti-social, a bit of an introvert, and had a tendency to explore and get into trouble because of it.

           As the years passed by, Takua grew up, improving upon her language, even if she hated staying still during lessons. In her freetime, Takua would often go about Tawahi, learning as much as she could, doing whatever she could, and trying out various things. She put together a hobby of collecting and scavenging, and even did some trade with fellow villagers for new items. Her inventory became a mess, and despite her poor grades at school Takua was clearly an intelligent and intuitive child otherwise, being able to figure things out on the fly.

           Due to Takua’s troublemaker status, as well as her unusual origins, rumors unfortunately began to spread regarding who Takua was and where she came from. Some even went so far as to suggest a relation between her and the Skull Spiders, of all things, and Takua inevitably continued to be an outcast. As far as she was concerned this was fine, as she liked being alone, at least that’s what she figured…

           Of course, Narmoto made efforts to encourage the villagers to accept Takua, or at the very least not treat her as some feral, trouble-making child who was always up to no good. Yes, he was still fixing his room from THAT prank, but…

           If anyone heeded his advice, a young child named Jaller definitely did. The son of two proud Tawahan soldiers, Jaller was a rule-follower and a stickler for tradition. He honored his elder Protector’s suggestions and trusting in Narmoto, made efforts to extend the hand of friendship.

           Jaller wasn’t the only one to have attempted this, but he was the only person to really stick around afterwards, and likewise be accepted by Takua. The two became an odd pair of friends, despite Jaller’s rigid adherence to rules and discipline, in contrast to Takua’s lenience regarding laws and habit for mischief. Jaller would work to remind Takua to stay on task and do what needed to be done, while Takua would often teach Jaller to loosen up a little and have some fun.

           The two became close friends, often doing puzzles together as well as other activities. As Takua grew up, she learned how to fight- Although she was admittedly a bit averse to the lifestyle of Tawahi, she still possessed a strong sense of honor and justice. If innocent lives were in danger, she’d fight to protect them. The harsher rumors about Takua died down as she helped against Skull Spider efforts, proving to be ingenuitive and cunning in danger, but she was still of course regarded as the Town Weirdo, and this time Takua was perfectly fine with this arrangement.

           Takua’s thirst for adventure and curiosity eventually won out, and she began to make trips to the other Mega-Villages of Okoto, paying members of the Gukko Airforce to take her using profits scrounged from side-jobs and errands done for neighbors. Takua quickly became enamored with the unimaginably gorgeous, strange environments of the other Elemental Regions, prying into the lifestyles of other Okotans as she inquired as to how they adapted to such strange lands. Takua lurned how to swim in Kiniga, find water in the Motara Desert, test for poisonous berries in the Region of Jungle, etc.

           Soon, Takua’s antics became known amongst the other Mega-Villages as she developed a habit of scrounging for items, wooing some of the locals, and indulging in the local culture. Takua was determined to learn, and would even spend hours in Kokoro’s libraries, learning about the history of the island and desiring to figure out more. She asked the Brains of Okoto countless questions, voluntarily took classes in Kiniga, and so forth.

           An accident eventually occurred that left Takua stranded in the wilderness, far from the other Mega-Villages. Everyone assumed her dead and mourned, but then weeks later Takua returned.

           To everyone’s shock, she’d survived the entire time out there, using the skills and assets she picked up in her travels to self-sufficiently live while avoiding Skull Spiders. Many applauded Takua’s crazy boldness in managing to survive for so long, and Takua herself felt like she’d returned to a sense of nostalgia she’d longed for since arriving in Tawahi.

           When she became old enough, Takua made her decision. She chose to become a lone traveler, combing Okoto for secrets as well as its natural wonders. Obviously everyone deemed her insane, and Narmoto begged Takua to not adopt this lifestyle; He knew of a few who’d tried it before, and just about all of them died.

           Still, Takua felt certain about her decision. Somehow, she’d survived for so long out in the wilderness as a child. Being there, being alone, just by herself, against nothing else but the island itself… it felt natural. It felt like home. As far as she could tell, this was her destiny.

           And so, Takua packed her bags and left. The soldiers of Tawahi watched, amazed, as she walked away from the village walls, eventually disappearing past the charred forests. Everyone was uncertain, especially Jaller- He trusted in Takua, even if he knew better than everyone else how stupid she could be. He might’ve gone with her, but he also recognized that Takua valued her isolation, and likewise he had his own duties to Tawahi. So he too stayed behind, but of course he also provided a gift to help Takua in her travels.

           Takua began her lone, wandering vagabond lifestyle. She knew that a single Okotan would be harder to track than entire teams, and realized that alone, she could evade the Skull Spiders in ways groups couldn’t, as well as search ruins and other areas for answers, tools, and other assets against the swarms.

           It was by no means easy, and many times Takua came close to death. A large percentage of her escapes were admittedly more through luck than her own skill or ingenuity, but one way or the other she survived. Takua’s path eventually traversed huge swathes of the island as she explored, discovered, mapped, and scavenged. Milestones of distance were passed as she hiked across mountains and accessed other Elemental Regions on foot. Takua eventually developed a habit of returning to one of the Mega-Villages, depending on her proximity, usually for food, resources, as well as to trade in what she’d found. Takua became infamous for finding lost artifacts in places no one else had dared venture, often arriving at Kokoro and providing invaluable ancient scrolls in exchange for a meal and a bed for the night.

           Eventually, Takua became almost a bit of a cryptid amongst the other Okotans, who whispered about this lone traveler with the uncanny ability to survive out in the wilderness and evade Skull Spiders. Others asked Takua of her skills and how she did it, and as far as she could tell it was mostly dumb luck; But some were certain it was more than that. Some Okotans were even inspired to adopt the lifestyle of Takua, but of course she was adamant in discouraging those villagers. Most of the time, they didn’t quite know what they were getting into, or overestimated their luck and skills. Still, if the Okotan in question continued to insist on becoming a lone traveler and felt certain, then eventually Takua would step aside and let them be (as well as keep an eye out for them in her travels in case they needed help, even shadowing a few just to be sure).

           Takua’s schedule became unpredictable. Sometimes she’d be gone for weeks, come back and stay for a few days, and then leave and suddenly return within a week. Takua’s curiosity led her to areas usually unaccessed by other Okotans, and she made a point of informing them of her travels. Still, a large majority of the island was walled off by Skull Spiders, which even she couldn’t do anything about.

           Alone in the wilderness, Takua usually prefers to live a quiet lifestyle. Some have recounted how they were traversing the wilds when they looked up and noticed the lone vagabond sitting on a tree branch, back laying against the trunk, as she played a tune on her harmonica. Takua’s nimble swiftness usually allows her to stay above the ground, which while not perfectly safe still makes it easier to avoid Skull Spiders. When it comes to sleep, she often hides beneath a camouflaged blanket, and has a system of trip-wires to alert her to Skull Spiders; Takua is very easy to wake and alertable, even in sleep.

           Other hobbies of Takua include sight-seeing, mapping, exploring, scavenging, messing with stuff, trading, solving puzzles, taking long walks/hikes, etc. She’s so-so at the Ussal Races, but has a fondness for a crab named Pewku. Every now and then she teams up with the local Okotans to help them on expeditions and missions beyond the Mega-Villages, and has more than once encountered the hermits Kantai and Melea.

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Tarakava Nui

Amongst fishing communities, there was a common warning against over-fishing. Fishermen were advised to use as much of their catch as possible, to not let a single scale or bone to go to waste, and to only fish for what they needed.

           Part of this was, practically, to keep the waters thriving with life. Overfishing could be a devastating issue, and the Okotans prized a harmony with nature and a balance of life. Few, if any, needed to overfish anyway. Only what was necessary was taken, and the rest of the fish and other sealife were left behind to grow and foster new generations, keeping the waters full and thriving.

           But legend has it that some greedy fishermen refused to heed these warnings and lessons. Instead, they began senselessly hauling in and spearing countless fish, more than they or anyone else needed. They treated their catches wastefully, eating only parts of a fish and then throwing the rest over the side of their boat and back into the water.

           According to myth, such wasteful practices happened for far too long, the water populated by decayed, rotting fish meat. Some of it was eaten by the wildlife, but there was still too much left aside even after that. It was a blatant, disgusting waste of life, a disregard for the deaths of the fish and what they had to offer. As far as many were concerned, most of these fish had died for nothing, or at the very least nothing meaningful.

           Excess meat and dead matter coalesced in the waters of Okoto, and within them remained the lingering rage and resentment of the ghosts of countless fish. To die was part of the cycle of life, but they were killed for senseless reasons, their deaths made meaningless and their lives insulted, for they lived all for the purpose of a wasted, unfinished snack. Their lives, their purpose, their bodies were more or less being desecrated and disrespected, and the remnants of these fish began to bear a deep, vengeful grudge against the greedy and wasteful.

           The dead, rotten flesh began to gather together, form, and solidify, until it transformed into a dreaded phantom of vengeance, larger than any aquatic beast the Okotans had seen before. It had a long, curved snout linged with fangs like a barracuda, or a wild salmon. Hanging from its titanic, rotted shoulders were massive arms that curled inward towards its chest, drifting through the waves beneath its body. Its rib-cage was exposed, flecks of dead flesh and fish skin stretched and caught between the bones. The ghost’s body ended in a long, powerful tail, with ragged flippers at the end.

           Because its shape resembled a Tarakava, this dreaded monster was dubbed the Tarakava Nui, although its actual body was more fish-like than reptilian, and comprised of decaying flesh. It was a zombie with wide, dead eyes, torn scales, exposed bones, and decaying meat visible beneath it all, clumped together more like a mush or chum than actual tendons or arteries.

           This fearsome, dreaded phantom enacted its vengeance upon the wasteful fishermen. For weeks, the Tarakava Nui terrorized Okoto’s waters, thrashing through the waves as it upended boats, tore apart nets, and slaughtered unwary fishermen. Soon Okoto’s waters became dark and polluted with the wasted blood and flesh of Okotans who had died senselessly, so many of them killed that there was a harmful excess of dead meat even after the sealife had its fill.

           The Tarakava Nui was a spirit born from the rage towards gluttony, greed, and wastefulness. Its anger would neither be vanquished, nor quenched, and its soul was born of the thousands, if not millions of sea creatures whose lives had similarly been wasted.

           As tales spread of the Tarakava Nui’s rage, others came to stop it. Some dismissed it as just a particularly huge, ugly Tarakava, or another catch of the day. Even the local Protectors tried their luck against the spirit, only to fail. The Tarakava Nui’s rage could not be suppressed, and the disrespect its components had faced had desecerated Okoto’s waters.

           The conflict came to an end when local soothsayers were able to divine the Tarakava Nui’s nature, origins, and motives. Feeling remorse for its creation, the soothsayers explained to the villagers why the zombie had been terrorizing the coast. They warned that if the fishermen did not change their ways and stop fishing and hunting needlessly and senselessly, then the Tarakava Nui would never cease its grudge-filled rampage.

           Immediately, the Okotans agreed to the Tarakava Nui’s demands. Offerings and sacrifices were made, even as the local fishermen vowed to change their tactics and only take what they needed from the ocean. To appease the Tarakava Nui, the Okotans made efforts to plant trees, introduce creatures, and ultimately nourish life in areas that had been robbed of it.

           Sensing their efforts and noticing their actions, the Tarakava Nui’s spirit felt justice had been served. Its body crumbled and collapsed, chunks of dead fish meat sinking to the bottom of the ocean floor as it dissipated. At long last, it could rest in peace… for now, at least.

           Generations passed, and tales of the Tarakava Nui were told to children around the campfire by elders, warning them not to waste the water’s life lest the spirit of the Tarakava Nui becomes riled up once more and arises to enact vengeance on those who would waste, kill, and misuse so senselessly. Most, if not all, heeded their elders’ wisdom, maintaining a proper balance between taking and giving with nature. Even though some would eventually begin to disregard the Tarakava Nui as an old wives’ tale, a myth spread to encourage sensible fishing tactics and scare greedy fishermen, the morals of its story were nevertheless appreciated anyway and upheld.

           The Tarakava Nui’s spirit would not be disturbed for centuries later, until the Great Cataclysm occurred. The resulting, devastating changes to the environment slaughtered countless forms of life, from Okotans to sealife, to insects and mammals and anything else caught in the chaos. Senseless, widespread death on a nearly unprecedented level had occurred, one that even the Tarakava Nui was a stranger to.

           Enraged, its spirit rose from the grave once more, coalescing and forming from decaying fish flesh. The Tarakava Nui began mindlessly, angrily searching for the culprit behind all of this senselessly-slaughtered life, roaming the Region of Water in particular and terrorizing starving Okotans who were trying to recover from the disaster.

           The Tarakava Nui’s efforts paid off, and it soon found the soul of Makuta shortly after the Skull Spiders were unleashed, having been further incensed by the massacres that followed. It attacked the Mask Hoarder, but upon discovering Makuta’s soul was intangible and could not be harmed in its present state, the Tarakava Nui turned its attention towards the Skull Spider swarms. Hundreds were shattered and destroyed by the Tarakava Nui’s rage.

           Realizing the threat the dreaded phantom posed to his reign, Makuta unleashed his strongest forces upon the Tarakava Nui. He cast a dark, powerful spell that placed the Tarakava Nui under his thrall, allowing Makuta to control the terrifying ghost.

           Emboldened by his control over a force of nature, Makuta continued his assault and harvest of the Okotans. With the Tarakava Nui as his puppet, he commanded it to stay put in the depths until needed. There, in the darkest recesses of the Region of Water, the Tarakava Nui dwelled, only ever arising to attack Okotans who were attempting to access forbidden areas, in particular the City of the Mask Makers.

           Otherwise, the Tarakava Nui kept to itself, sometimes cruising through the waters of Okoto in a mindless stupor. Many tales surfaced in the Region of Water of fishermen or boaters traversing the waves, only to notice a shadow bigger than any creature they’d ever seen to be moving beneath them. Such tales quickly sobered the inhabitants of the Region of Water, who had once thought themselves safe from the sinking Skull Spiders. Exploration and travel was specifically kept to areas and channels proven safe, such as the Mega-Village of Kiniga.

           During Phase 2 of the Skull Spider wars, Makuta commanded the Tarakava Nui to attack the Mega-Village of Kiniga, hoping to take down the Okotans’ counterattack towards the Skull Spiders. There, the Tarakava Nui came into conflict with Gali, Toa of Water, and Kopaka, Toa of Ice. The two Toa and their allies successfully defeated the Tarakava Nui in a grueling battle that thrashed the waves of Okoto, finally freezing the beast and shattering its body. Due to the thrall of Makuta, the Tarakava Nui was thankfully not at its strongest, and thus able to be defeated by the Toa.

           Sometime later, further into the Brotherhood wars, Makuta successfully resurrected the Tarakava Nui under his control once more. The Tarakava Nui continued to assist the Brotherhood of Makuta, unwillingly, in their campaigns. In the wake of Makuta’s apparent demise, it was freed from his control, returning to the depths of the Region of Water to slumber.

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The Mega-Villages of Okoto

           Following the mass destruction of the Great Cataclysm, there was a fallout period of approximately three hundred years in which the residents of Okoto were forced to adapt to the loss and utter devastation of most of their major cities, including the capital city of Destral and the City of the Mask Makers.

           Although the Okotans were able to inevitably adapt to the extreme geological transformations of the Cataclysm, they eventually found themselves further tested with the Skull Spider threat that emerged at the end of the initial Fallout period.

           Due to the inexplicable cunning tactics of the Skull Spiders, as well as their hivemind, untold numbers, and terrifying abilities, many villages and cities were quickly overrun by the lethal automatons, the residents either slaughtered, forced out, or else captured by the Skull Spiders for an unknown purpose.

           As Okoto scrambled to defend itself against this inexplicable threat, some key locations managed to fend off the Skull Spiders, at least for a while. What survivors that were able to regrouped in these lasting bastions, and together the Okotans collaborated on ways to deal with the Skull Spiders.

           Years passed with the Okotans holed up, and more locations fell as the Skull Spiders continued their tactics, sometimes even changing or revolutionizing them in ways the Okotans assumed impossible. Throughout the approximately eight hundred-year time period known as the Skull Spider wars, the Okotans managed to adapt to the swarm, recognizing its strengths and weaknesses and working from there to exploit them.

           Their work culminated in the Mega-Villages, the central bastions of Okoto’s last remaining survivors, and the cores of the fight against the Skull Spiders. These were the last homes of Okoto, and the final line of defense for Okotan society as it grouped and clustered into approximately six major locations, one for each Elemental Region. Some Mega-Villages were built from scratch, while others are merely modified remnants of cities from the Creation Age. Within these remaining bastions, the civilization of Okoto survived for centuries, with only the occasional journey beyond to restock on supplies.

           Following the arrival of the Toa, the miners of the Marn Caverns succeeded in establishing an underground tunnel linking the Mega-Villages of Marn and Kokoro. This tunnel network was quickly expanded upon, eventually connecting all of the Mega-Villages together and allowing for quick, easy travel without the need for Gukko. Travel between these Mega-Villages became unprecedentedly frequent.

           With the help of the Toa, the Okotans later managed to slay Fenrakk, Lord of the Skull Spiders and the swarm’s ultimate controller. With his death, all active Skull Spiders went inert, practically decimating Makuta’s armies. In the brief time period before Makuta’s counter-attack, the Okotans took the opportunity to expand beyond their Mega-Villages, establishing new forts and locations.

Despite the yearning of many to flee the confines of their prison-homes, many Okotans still insisted on remaining within the Mega-Villages, not only due to their proven defense against the Skull Spiders, but also due to a sense of nostalgia and homeliness connected to them. These locations did keep the people of Okoto safe from the Skull Spiders for about eight hundred years, after all.

           The Mega-Villages are, as follows;

           Region of Fire- Tawahi, a walled-off village built between two diverted lava flows. The heat from the lava is too intense for the Skull Spiders, with even the Armored variants quickly falling apart when attempting to cross over. Stores of Bitterbite fuel rudimentary AC systems that keep the residents from overheating.

           Region of Ice- Kokoro, an ancient city from the Creation Age that was repurposed as a secure location against the Skull Spiders due to its slippery slopes and high peak, accessible only through retractable bridges operated from Kokoro’s walls.

           Region of Stone- Levato, the shattered remnants of the titular Levato mountain, which was destroyed in the Great Cataclysm. The mountain fragments are partially submerged in the Maw of Ketar, a lake of quicksand that Skull Spiders quickly sink into.

           Region of Earth- The Marn Caverns, a sprawling tunnel network accessible from the surface by a heavily-guarded Lighthouse above. Skull Spiders are poor diggers, but the villagers frequently guard the tunnels and make sure the local fauna don’t breach the passages, accidentally allowing Skull Spiders inside.

           Region of Jungle- Vuata Maca, the largest tree in all of Okoto and said to be the oldest. Its branches nest the homes of many Okotans, high above the jungle below. Skull Spider attempts to scale the Vuata Maca’s trunk are quickly shot down by the Gukko Airforce.

           Region of Water- Kiniga [I still haven’t figured this one out yet. I’ve got a lot of ideas for Kiniga, but I ultimately want a Mega-Village that makes the most advantage of the Region of Water and how Skull Spiders can neither swim nor float. Perhaps there will be at least two Mega-Villages in the Region of Water due to this environmental advantage. Some ideas I have in mind are a floating fortress, a fleet of ships, a coral reef, etc.]

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Protectors

           A tradition that dates back long before even the Creation Age, the Protectors are a generational task-force of Okoto’s greatest heroes, designated with keeping peace, defending against threats, appeasing Okotan deities, and generally leading everyone towards a greater future.

           The exact story of how the Protectors came to be is garbled, and there are many interpretations. The most popular claims that the first Protectors were descended from the favored hosts, or Kaita, of the Elemental Spirits. Others claim the first Protectors WERE these Kaita, just no longer hosting their patron deities.

           Regardless of the exact origin, the meaning behind them and their purpose has stayed the same. There are six Protectors at a time, at maximum, with one corresponding with each of the primordial elements that make up Life. The role is typically for a lifetime, or at least until one is too elderly or weakened to continue their duties; That being said, there have been cases of Protectors who chose to forsake their duties even when still able-bodied. These stories are looked upon warily, and seen as bit of a scandal and disgrace in Okoto’s history.

           The line of succession for a Protector is as follows; Every Protector has a designated heir to take their mantle in the case of a sudden death or forced retirement. The reasoning is that if the original Protectors were worthy heroes of good judgment, then their choices for the next generation would have worthy judgment… and so on, and so forth. Obviously this system isn’t perfect, but the tradition is generally there.

           Once a successor is chosen, temporary or otherwise, it is then expected of this successor to consider THEIR own successor; This practice only came about during the Skull Spider wars, when the constant danger of the swarms meant that a Protector and their chosen successor were liable to die, one after the other. Choices for successors are by no means permanent, but the current choice MUST be recorded physically, sometimes privately. A candidate can refuse the mantle of Protector, but this is usually seen as disgraceful, an event that has sadly led to many Okotans being forced to half-heartedly adopt a role not meant for them- This, too, places pressure on a Protector to be careful in their decision.

           Originally a ragtag band of warriors who would travel across Okoto, offering aid, the Protectors were eventually granted a more solidified, political status following the development of an Okotan Emperor. Protectors were thus to have political and military authority, and were personally knighted by the current Emperor upon attaining their status. Protectors had their own group of personal guards and even a small palace of their own, courtesy of the throne, and all were given the same type of specialized mask design exclusive to their group.

           From there, the Protectors began to operate as a more legitimate, government force, often sent by the Emperor to assist in threats, or else consulted for advice on political matters. This led to a normalization of Protectors as an authority in Okotan life, which would later become important years later.

           In the Creation Age, the Mask Makers Ekimu and Makuta chose to personally honor the current Protectors with elemental gifts meant to signify and affirm their status as Elemental saviors. Each Protector was given a new, crystalline Elemental Mask shaped in the appearance of the typical Protector mask. These Elemental masks granted a control over their corresponding elements typically greater than that of a regular Mask of Power.

           Likewise, Ekimu and Makuta granted each Protector a pair of crystalline, Elemental Blades from which they could focus their newly-granted Mask Powers with, and a powerful gatling blaster. Now more attuned to their sacred elements than ever before, the Protectors swore fealty to the Mask Makers, an action that would be additionally affirmed with the Emperor’s recognition of the twins.

           The Protectors would continue to operate, with the additional assistance of Ekimu and Makuta, as well as a new arsenal of Masks of Power to utilize. Contact with the Elemental Deities became more frequent, and the Protectors began to act as liasons for their respective patrons.

           During the Skull Raider wars, the Protectors led the defense against the foreign tribe of pirates, though not without losses. With the help of Ekimu and Makuta, the Protectors succeeded in defeating the Skull Raiders, imprisoning their chief Kulta and his top commanders in the Capital City of Destral.

           Following the Great Cataclysm, the surviving Okotans immediately looked to the Protectors as their remaining authority, thanks to the deaths of the Emperor and the Mask Makers. With the Elemental Deities having gone silent, the Protectors had no choice but to take total lead and help direct the survivors. Many rebuilding efforts and rescue attempts were done, and slowly, Okoto began to recover over the generations.

As they did, subsequent generations of Protectors acted to undo their total political authority, generally leaning society towards at least a separate ruler, or chief, for individual tribes and cities. This was due to a disillusionment towards monarchy and absolute governments, which some saw as the cause of the Great Cataclysm. Not all Protectors necessarily agreed to lessening their roles, however, and some advocated for even solidifying the group into the new rulers of Okoto.

These ideas came into being, and for the most part the Protectors returned to the original roles they had, albeit still with plenty of sponsorship from local rulers and chiefs. Efforts were made to recover technology from the Creation Age and to relearn the art of Mask-Making, made further complicated by the apparent deactivation of the Great Forge.

The Protectors’ arguably greatest trial would soon come with the emergence of the Skull Spiders. Most were killed in the sudden onslaught of the swarms, and Protectors and successors were quickly cycled through, leading to imperfect decisions and hasty choices. Leading the main line of defense, the Protectors helped the Okotans develop new cities and defenses geared towards the Skull Spiders, until the Mega Villages were eventually developed and populated.

As six Mega Villages emerged from the fallen rest, one for each Elemental Region almost coincidentally, the once-scattered Protectors agreed to assign themselves to their respective elements. The Protector of Water would remain in the Region of Water, living in Kiniga, while the Protector of Jungle would fight from the Vuata Maca in the Region of Jungle, etc. The reasoning was that a Protector was strongest when surrounded by their corresponding element, and thus most capable of fighting the Skull Spiders.

Despite being perfectly-equipped for their new territories, some of the Protectors lost their sacred tools even with these new advantages. The Protectors of Water and Earth lost their Elemental Blades. The Protector of Ice, thankfully, held onto at least one after losing the other. Meanwhile, one of the Protectors of Fire would lose their gatling blaster in combat.

Within their new Mega Villages, some of the Protectors’ roles changed, with a few having to assume a more proactive, direct control as once suggested by previous generations. Others had the luxury of allowing the villagers to direct themselves.

When the stars aligned according to the layout detailed in the Prophecy of Heroes, the current Protectors gathered their finest warriors and led an expedition to an ancient construct known as the Inika, located in the Region of Fire. Many warriors were slain by the Skull Spiders, but the Protectors succeeded in using the Mask of Time and the Inika to summon the Toa from the heavens above.

Upon the arrival of the Toa, the local Protectors immediately worked to guide their new heroes in directing and controlling the elements. A major counter-attack was led against the Skull Spiders, and with the Toa and Protectors working in tandem, the Okotans succeeded in taking back their island from Makuta. From there, the Protectors would continue to operate, helping defend against Makuta’s repeated assaults.

The current Protectors are;

Water- Kivoda

Earth- Korgot

Fire- Narmoto

Ice- Izotor

Jungle- Vizuna

Stone- Nilkuu

Korgot and Narmoto act as the leaders of their villages’ military-industrial complexes, respectively, with Korgot in particular having plenty of pressure to act strict and harsh, but also fair, due to her sudden promotion to Protector following her predecessor’s demise and loss of the Elemental Blades. Izotor is a member of Kokoro’s Council of Elders, while Vizuna, Nilkuu, and Kivoda generally keep their roles separate from village authority, to varying degrees.

The Protectors at the time of the Great Cataclysm were, as follows;

Water- Owaki

Earth- Etoku

Fire- Mamuk

Ice- Uganu

Jungle- Agarak

Stone- Kerato

Other notable Protectors include, in roughly chronological order for each category;

Water- Bumonda

Water- Nokama, predecessor to Owa. Most of her duties are now towards directing Kiniga and keeping the village safe and functioning.

Water- Owa, named after a previous Protector of Water named Owaki. She died in the trip returning home after using the Mask of Time to summon the Toa. As a result, Kivoda was forced to inherit the position very close to the arrival of the Toa.

Earth- Jovan, who once fought alongside the lone warrior Lesovikk. Stories vary on his demise, with some claiming he was killed by a sudden earthquake.

Earth- Epolim

Earth- Droton, Korgot’s predecessor. Rather intense, many remarked that he looked almost like a villain of sorts; Despite this, Droton was a true hero who fought to the bitter end, dying against the Skull Spiders. His Elemental Blades were lost, and his legacy places plenty of pressure upon Korgot.

Fire- Flammik, a noble Knight active during the Fallout of the Great Cataclysm. According to legend, she fought the great beast Kardas in the Dragons’ Den and emerged victoriously with one of his teeth, which was later enshrined in Tawahi.

Ice- Buzkayo

Jungle- Jagiri, who helped Lein establish the Gukko Airforce shortly after the emergence of the Skull Spiders.

Stone- Rokreng

Stone- Bitil, a Protector during the Skull Spider wars who was known for a fascination with the Creation Age. His harshness when it came to directing Levato and defending against the Skull Spiders made him unpopular, even if he was truly well-meaning. Bitil was eventually captured by Skull Spiders and inducted into the Brotherhood of Makuta, where he willingly swore allegiance and was transformed into the Skull Defender.

Stone- Onewa, predecessor to Nilkuu, and now current Chief of Levato. Once a hot-headed youth, he has since matured, although is still somewhat difficult to deal with. A combination of old age and injuries forced Onewa to begrudgingly relinquish his duties.

The current chosen successors are, as follows;

Fire- Jaller, Captain of the Tawahan Military.

Ice- Toudo, Sanctum Guard and expert hunter and survivalist.

Stone- Hewkii, Leader of the Levatan Patrol

           The remaining successors are currently undisclosed. Vizuna had previously chosen a successor, but then they died shortly before the Arrival of the Toa.

           Once a new Protector is enstated, it is their decision to combine their Elemental Blades and gatling blaster however they choose. Some wield them separately, while others can combine them all into one tool, and so forth. Some tools are incorporated into new weapons, while others are kept alone and separate.

Flammik combined both of her blades into a single broadsword, and incorporated her blaster into her shield. Bitil wielded a gatling blaster tied to his left wrist, while dual-wielding his blades upside-down, fused with his longswords. Droton wielded two blades on one arm as a pair of claws, while Onewa had two flails with a blade incorporated at the end of each.

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Above is a link to an overview of Bionicle RaE: Part 1′s plotline. It’s an adaptation of G2′s 2015 storyline, meant to expand on the original ideas and concept and go on from there, well past the 2016 story. The summary itself covers the event of Bionicle: RaE from the Arrival of the Toa, up to the defeat of Kulta the Skull Grinder. It’s by no means complete, but for now it’ll work as a story bible to explain what’s happening in RaE.

Below is an excerpt for those curious;

           The Okotans have been menaced for approximately eight hundred years by swarms of blade-legged automatons with the ability to possess victims, known as Skull Spiders. Despite generations’ efforts against these Skull Spiders, led by the heroic Protectors, hope more or less seemed to dwindle. Okotan efforts to scavenge and reverse-engineer ancient technology from the Creation Era have been continuously hindered by the chokehold the mysterious Skull Spiders, their origins, motives, and nature unknown.

           However, a Prophecy of Heroes divined by the scholars of Kokoro became known. According to legend, when the stars aligned, the Okotans would travel to the Inika, a desolate automaton from a time before time. There, the Inika would activate, and its power would cause six stars to fall from the skies, each bearing a hero known as a Toa.

           Each Toa would have the power to control one of the six, fundamental elements that comprised Life itself. And from there, the Okotans hoped that the Toa would help them defeat the Skull Spider swarms.

           An expedition was planned as Kokoran star-gazers calculated the date in which the stars aligned. All six Protectors gathered their finest warriors from each Mega-Village, and when the time was ready, departed to the Inika. The Skull Spiders naturally sensed the Okotans’ movements and went in to intercept them, and many noble lives were lost. Thankfully, the Okotan expedition succeeded in finding the Inika within the Region of Fire.

           Even as a wave of Skull Spiders tried to stop them, the Protectors gathered within the Inika, even as a brilliant light filled the temple. Before them was a golden mask –A Mask of Time, according to legends- and its powers caused time to reverse within the Inika. Time sped back to a point when the automaton was functional, and from there the Protectors took control of the automaton and directed its power towards the heavens. A beam shot upwards, and just as quickly the Mask of Time disappeared and the Inika reverted back to its present-day form.

           Their work apparently done, the Protectors regrouped with the remaining Okotan defenders and called for a retreat. Many more lives were lost in the trip back home, including the Protector of Water’s.

           As the Okotans waited back home, some wondered if the Toa really would arrive. Others even doubted the Toa, with some feeling insulted at the idea that the Okotans would have to rely on outsiders to save them from someone else. Still, beggars couldn’t be choosers, and surely enough, six bright stars began to seemingly grow larger at an increasingly exponential rate…

           Commence the Arrival of the Toa. The stars weren’t growing larger- They were getting closer, many Kokoran stargazers realize. And the speed of their descent exponentially multiplies until one night, six comets, each blazing with one of the elements, crash into their respective Elemental Regions.

           Both Okotans and Skull Spiders converge on each Toa’s position. Kopaka, Toa of Ice is stumbled upon by the Sanctum Guard Matoro. After a brief misunderstanding is brought by Kopaka’s brash, ready-to-fight nature, the two reunite with Izotor and the Sanctum Guard and after being chased by Skull Spiders return to Kokoro.

           Onua, Toa of Earth is retrieved without any particular Skull Spider incident by Korgot and her team, and the same happens with Lewa, Toa of Jungle, and Vizuna and the Gukko Airforce. Tahu, Toa of Fire stumbles from his landing point and gets ensnared by a trap, but is thankfully rescued by Narmoto and the Tawahan Military. Skull Spiders chase them as well, but they too survive.

           Gali, Toa of Water plunges into the depths of the Region of Water, and after coming to terms with her sudden consciousness, swims along with Kivoda and his team back to Kiniga. As for Pohatu, Toa of Stone…

           He lands in the Motara Desert, only to be confronted by a lone Skull Spider. Unaware of his circumstances or the swarms he’s meant to fight, Pohatu is nevertheless wary of the being as it seemingly approaches him in peace. To his surprise, a voice rings from its hollow shell- A cackling rasp that invites him to join the swarms, even as other Skull Spiders begin to emerge from the shadows…

           Pohatu is rescued just in time by a masked stranger, who shatters the Skull Spiders and leads the Toa of Stone back to her isolated tower-home in the desert. She reveals herself as Melea, explaining to Pohatu how the Skull Spiders have been ravaging Okoto. Nearby is the village of Levato, where the other residents of Motara are gathered. Despite questions from Pohatu, Melea keeps the answers short and simple –perhaps too much- and invites him to live with her in their tower. In the days that follow, Melea hones Pohatu’s fighting skills, teaching him to survive, and passing onto him a steely resolve to survive found in the Region of Stone.

           Meanwhile, the other Toa become acclimated to their new homes, purposes, and destinies. Many take it differently, and are welcomed differently by their fellow Okotans. Kopaka strives to be a proud, dutiful defender, although the Kokorans find his clumsiness and simple-mindedness to be surprising, and aren’t entirely sure what to make of him.

           Korgot is one of many who are critical of the Toa, and she makes sure to carefully analyze Onua as she introduces her to the subterranean city of Marn. The Brains of Okoto, led by Nuparu, frequently study Onua, fascinated. Onua herself is a bit taken aback, but learns to go along with the flow, and recognizing the resentment of others, tries to ease Korgot as the Protector figures out her thoughts on the powerful stranger.

           Tahu sucks up the glory and praise quickly, but just as rapidly finds himself being monitored, disciplined, and trained by Narmoto and Jaller, who aren’t as eager to revere him as a demigod as everyone else is. He’s brought down to earth quite a bit in the following days, but he quickly grows to form a bond with the Tawahans and understand Narmoto’s wisdom. Amongst the villagers, he’s definitely a bit of a riot who loves to show off, and great with kids- Including Narmoto’s son, Lhii.

           Gali has reservations. She isn’t sure where she came from and it’s bothering her, and she doesn’t know how to feel about being told that she now has to fight for a bunch of people. In all honesty, Gali wonders if she even has a choice in what’s happening, and the situation is only more complex with Kivoda, the new Protector of Water, still adapting to his role and the loss of his mentor. The worship and constant gifts of the Okotans definitely give Gali anxiety as the burdens of her role begin to weigh on her. Meanwhile, the Kinigans happily wait for Gali’s heroics, not realizing her troubles.

           Lewa happily joins the community of the Vuata Maca. He becomes a quick friend to everyone, doing his best to know each Macan and their names, and providing fun and entertainment. The Macans in turn love and idolize Lewa, quickly growing to enjoy him, although thankfully Vizuna and Kongu keep both in check and remind them of the graveness of their situation.

           Almost immediately after her arrival, Onua quickly learns of a hidden monster supposedly lurking in one of the subsections of the mining tunnels. This faceless creature has never been seen, but many miners have disappeared from those tunnels, and some have been found dead, skinned, dismembered, and drained entirely of their blood. This creature had once been a secret, but eventually the miners pressured Korgot into revealing the truth to the public. The supposedly haunted subsection was walled off, but Onua vows to defeat the beast. Venturing into the tunnels alone in order to lure out the killer, Onua, after a few attempts, succeeds in revealing the monster to be a giant, spindly spider with burrowing capabilities, later dubbed the Fikou Nui. The Fikou Nui is slain, with one of its legs torn out by Onua’s great strength, to be proudly displayed in Marn for all to see.

           News of Onua’s achievement quickly spreads, pressuring the other Toa to live up to their expectations and do something worthwhile for the Okotans. Pohatu, meanwhile, continues to live with Melea, wondering why he came to Okoto in the first place. He doesn’t bring up how a Skull Spider had talked to him, as he hasn’t realized such a thing is unusual to begin with. Still, the secret can’t be hidden forever, and Pohatu begins to realize the truth of his arrival, as well as a past issue Melea had with her former home village.

           Pohatu eventually confronts Melea after learning the truth. Melea has reservations, explaining how she was once the wife of the Protector of Stone, Nilkuu. The two had fought valiantly against Skull Spiders, but one day their daughter asked to join in the effort. Melea was more than happy to let her in, but Nilkuu had his concerns. The two fought at first, but then their daughter joined the effort against the Skull Spiders anyway at a young age, and it was out of their hands.

           Nilkuu couldn’t quite bring himself to encourage his daughter’s choice by training her. One day, their daughter died in combat to the Skull Spiders, and in their retreat the couple couldn’t even bring her body back home. Back at Levato, the couple was grieving, and each responded to the death in a different way.

           Now, it was Nilkuu who felt it was his fault. If he’d been more supportive of their daughter and trained her, she wouldn’t have died. In contrast, Melea felt it was Nilkuu who had been right all along, and regretted encouraging their child to fight. The two fought over things yet again, and unable to bear with Nilkuu’s new direction of recruitment, which she blamed herself for, Melea left Levato.

           Pohatu is unsure of how to react, but ultimately, he acknowledges Melea’s pain while still standing for himself. And despite his seemingly surly, hostile personality, Melea’s love has warmed him and taught him that others need help. He could never forget what Melea did for him for so unconditionally, and he understands how important that kind of compassion was as a result. Thus, he makes his decision to leave the tower and find Levato.

           Melea is hurt, but finally comes to terms with Pohatu’s departure. She fights him in order to see if he’s ready, and of course, Pohatu wins. Tearfully they make their goodbyes as she helps Pohatu pack his belongings, and supplying him with the equipment he needs to survive the sandstorms, as well as a map, Melea directs him towards Levato. Traveling through the harsh sandstorms, Pohatu is soon confronted by the Levatan Patrol, who are unsure of his identity. After quickly explaining his situation and demonstrating his powers, Pohatu is rapidly introduced and welcomed to Levato.

           There, he’s treated immediately not as some higher, greater hero, but as an equal- Or most of the time, a rookie who needs to be taught a lot. The local tribe leader Onewa makes sure to keep Pohatu in check, and while his teachings are less than orthodox (being VERY sink or swim, with emphasis on sink), Pohatu nevertheless feels treated like a person and forms a deep kinship with the Levatans.

           Each of the Toa learn to fight the Skull Spiders, at first assisting in mere defensive measures. Gali manages to come to terms with her anxiety over being a worshipped hero with the help of Kivoda, whom she relates to and vice-versa, as well as Hahli, Macku, and Kotu. When Skull Spiders escape confinement in a Kinigan laboratory, Gali and her allies succeed in rescuing the researchers trapped inside.

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Additional Trivia

Below are a couple of brief, small bits of info for Bionicle: RaE that I wanted to include but either didn’t have the place for, or forgot;

-From a young age, Frostelus children are constantly taught and encouraged to practice their throwing skills, manifesting ice boulders to hurl at targets. As a result the Frostelus are reputed for having incredibly good aim and accuracy. Unsurprisingly, the Frostelus like to play with this throwing ability of theirs and even have a few sports revolving around aiming. In battle their typical, first tactic is to launch volleys of ice boulders from far away at opponents, and many of their enemies have reported losing soldiers underneath a ‘sky-borne avalanche’. By the time the enemy makes their way to the Frostelus, they’re already battered and no match for up-close combat.

-When one uses a Mask of Power, its energy connects to the user’s soul, utilizing them as an anchor to ground its powers and manipulate the rest of reality with. Because of this connection to one’s soul, if one has their Mask of Power suddenly ripped from their face, the Mask will tear out a portion of the user’s life energy with it. This in turn will leave the user incredibly exhausted and weak, although reapplying the Mask before the lost energy dissipates can restore them. Otherwise, the weakened user will have to wait a while for their energy to rebuild and accumulate. As long as one removes their Mask willingly, they have nothing to fear of losing part of their soul, and it takes a good amount of strength and effort to tear a Mask of Power away.

-Scattered throughout the Region of Stone are massive deposits of various metals buried in the sand, often-times jutting out from the surface. Due to the magnetic property of many of these deposits, compasses are virtually useless when it comes to navigating the Region of Stone as a result of interference. On the plus side, scavengers are always finding stuff with metal detectors.

-Levatans refer to Rain as Sky Water, and amongst the community there’s a myth that Sky Water (which some claim to be the drool, tears, or even sweat of Phantoka above) is infected with germs. The reasoning for this comes from Levatans typically getting sick after the few instances of rain that occur in the Region of Stone. As most Levatans lack easy access to other sources of knowledge that would disprove them otherwise, this belief is somewhat wide-spread. Thankfully, increased travel between the Mega-Villages (in particular Kiniga) would dispel this myth.

-During the Skull Raider Wars, Kulta attempted to appeal to the Frostelus’ dislike of the Okotans in order to win allies. Alas, the fact that the Skull Raiders were clearly the same species as the Okotans made them suspicious in the eyes of the Frostelus, who in turn declined an alliance.

-The Gukko Airforce, despite its name, also includes lone Nui-Rama steeds. These are usually Nui-Rama who have been exiled from their hives, and with no place left to go, found themselves forming a new symbiotic relationship with the Macans.

-The Levatan Patrol usually cruises through the desert on skiffs powered from scavenged Creation Era tech, such as jet engines. Sails are a common feature on these skiffs, and many are treated the same way sailors treat ships.