#vuata maca

[outofgloom]

VUATA

"The…the ship," the Vo-Matoran gasped, dragging herself up onto the rocks.

She collapsed, mask down. Waves crashed against the jagged shoreline. A few remnants of shattered debris drifted in and out with the foam.

"Are you injured?" a voice called. The Vo-Matoran looked up to see one of the Ga-Matoran standing over her. She stooped and pulled seaweed from the Vo-Matoran's mask.

"I am whole," the Vo replied slowly. "But the ship…"

"The ship is gone," the Ga said, helping the Vo to her feet. "Come further up, away from the water. The sea is still dangerous."

The other Matoran were gathered in a low flat place in the center of the island. Low thunder carried on the breeze.

"I have found another," the Ga called out as they approached.

"This is good," the Fe replied. "We are six now."

"A good number," said the Ko. "More fortunate, given our plight."

"We must make another search, on the next cycle," the other Ga said. "But now that we are six…"

"We must take council," said the Onu. "Yes, it is time."

They drew the Amaja Circle in the gravel, and each Matoran took up their place on its margin.

The Ko cast a pale stone into the center of the circle. "We must devise a plan to escape," he said. "We will be needed at our destination."

"How?" the Fe ventured, pushing forward his ruddy stone. "The ship is destroyed, and we cannot rebuild it now. We have no materials…"

"I believe," the Onu said, "that we must stay put, for now."

"Survive here?" the Ko asked. "For how long?"

"Until we are rescued," the Vo said, setting down a quartz stone.

"No–until we can create a new vessel," the Fe countered.

"It would be a great undertaking," the Onu said, musing. "The seas here are treacherous."

"Too great an undertaking for us," the Vo said. "Surely--we are only six, and we have no Turaga."

"Not too great," one of the Ga chimed in. "We are builders, after all–each of us, in our own way."

"But how--"

"--We must rely on the Rule in Absence," the Ga finished.

"It is true," said the second Ga, the one who had found the Vo by the shore. "We have all that we need here."

"Agreed," said the Onu.

"The island is desolate," said the Ko, "barely a mound of rocks. And see how the smoke of the eruption obscures the sky? The stars are closed to me."

"For now," the first Ga replied. "Until then, the Rule in Absence shall guide us."

The Ko did not reply. He removed his stone from the circle.

They cast the sixfold lot, as the Rule required. The first Ga who had spoken was chosen as Elder. Now she was no longer Ga, but Raga.

A light snow of ash began to fall.

======

They scavenged the margins of the island for the first few days, gathering the remnants of their wrecked ship. The Ga and Raga attempted to swim out to the reef, but found that the ocean was still too heated to endure. The horizon was a mass of steam, and the ash fell steadily, coating both land and sea in gray.

Three masks washed ashore--those of the two Ta and the Po. The Fe examined them and found them to be undamaged.

"It is likely," the Ko said, "that the bodies have gone unto Mata already. They have no need of these anymore."

The masks were stored in the makeshift Suva that the Onu had piled up--they were precious. A hut of driftwood was soon erected nearby, and the Matoran rested there in shifts, out of the wind and the falling ash.

One evening, they drew out the Amaja once more and assembled around it:

"The next task is for you," said the Elder, pointing to the Vo. "We have made shelter, and the Suva is finished for now. What remains is…the Vuata."

"I…I have not studied the formation of Vuata, Elder," the Vo said. "Only tended to it and its power-flow."

"You are Vo, are you not?"

"I am."

"And we are without Bo-Matoran here, who might be capable of the cultivation by proxy. So, the Duty falls to you."

"I see, yes. But…it is…I am--"

"--I have studied this knowledge, Elder," the other Ga said, putting her stone into the Amaja, alongside the Vo's quartz. "I have also studied much of the knowledge of flora. Perhaps I can--"

The Elder raised a hand, shaking her head.

"No, according to the Rule in Absence, each Matoran shall perform the Duty of their building and design. No other."

The Ga nodded slowly, removing her stone from the circle.

"You shall begin tomorrow."

The Vo stared off at the murky horizon.

"I will."

In the morning, the Vo, Ga, and Fe went down to the shoreline. The Fe carried a special vessel he had shaped from scrap metal. The upper portion of the vessel was filled with a layer of protodermic ash, and below that was a small opening covered in fine mesh.

They filled the vessel with seawater, letting the liquid protodermis filter through the ash into the lower container. After repeating the process many times over, the Ga judged that the water was sufficiently purified. She turned to the Vo, who sat a short distance away, meditating.

"It's ready," the Ga said. "Have you meditated on the process?"

"I…I have," said the Vo, opening her eyes. "I believe I am centered."

"Good, you most only remember: sharp and deep is the action. Once should be enough."

"And it will…will it…hurt?"

"I don't know. I'm sorry."

"I've heard that the mechanisms are quite complex, and, um, fascinating," the Fe said, fidgeting.

He offered the vessel, to which he had affixed a spigot.

"Thank you."

"It is time," said the Ga. "We will be right here with you."

The Vo took the vessel and exhaled slowly. Then, she raised it to the aperture of her mask, and inhaled.

Sharp and deep, she inhaled the purified liquid protodermis--did not swallow it, but aspirated it sharply into her Vo-Matoran lungs, which were made differently from other Matoran.

It hurt. She dropped the vessel, doubled over. The Ga moved to steady her. The pain burned deep in her chest, but she held on, did not exhale. It was her Duty. She focused, as the Ga had told her, and the burning centered itself down, down into her core. Her heartlight beat rapidly, more rapidly each minute. At last, she looked up. The Ga and Fe helped her to stand, and they made their way back to the encampment.

The Onu had cleared a space, turning up the rocky ground and plowing gray ash into it. The Elder came out of the hut, followed by the Ko, as the three Matoran approached. The Vo stepped forward, arms spread. Her heartlight glowed bright in her chest, and the Elder nodded approvingly.

"Come. Here is the place."

The Vo stepped forward into the empty space, and the Onu patted the tilled ground. She knelt in the earth.

A whining, whirring noise began to rise on the air--a mechanical sound, like that of an engine powering up. It hurt.

The Vo looked back over her shoulder, eyes wandering, until they fell on the Ga.

"I-I..." she stammered, jaw clenched, "I am...afraid."

"It is almost done," said the Elder.

The whining noise increased.

"We will be here with you," said the Ga, quietly.

"You will not be alone."

The noise reached a crescendo. The Vo doubled over once more, and heaved. A bright spark of something issued from her mouth and went down, down into the ground.

Her eyes and heartlight winked out. The body fell heavily to the earth.

=====

It was a red evening, as the stars burned into night over the sea. The fog and smoke on the horizon had cleared in recent months--enough now to glimpse the husk of the volcanic island which had been the cause of their shipwreck, a low smudge against the sky.

They could not reach it, of course. The waves broke sharply against submerged reefs all around, and the ocean still boiled angrily in some places. Somewhere out there was the wreck of the Fe's skiff, and the Fe along with it. Only his mask had returned to them, as with the others. That was how they had decided that long-term survival was their only option--even the Ko had agreed.

The Ga had descended to ground-level less than an hour ago, as was her habit before the night set in. She passed the Onu on her way down to the ladder; he was always more comfortable closer to the earth.

She made a brief search of the shoreline. Sometimes debris still washed in, although collecting driftwood was much less vital to them now. She checked for erosion on the eastern point of the shore, and made a note to tell the Onu that it had progressed a small amount. He probably already knew.

After that, she waded into the surf and hauled in one of the cage-traps, retrieving its catch of small Rahi crabs, endemic to the area and useful for their shells and sharp claws. She hung the catch upon a rack further up the rocky shore, noting also that the trap would needed to be mended. Good practice for the Ko, maybe, now that the stars had become visible consistently and he had calmed himself. She verified the tideline again, judging that the tide was near its lowest point by now, and replaced the marker stones. The tidal range was of the variable kind in this region of the world, and had to be monitored carefully. So many things to monitor, to keep track of. But they all did their part: it was a matter of survival.

Next, she turned her attention to the Tree.

The Tree rose from the center of the island, straight as a pillar. Its roots covered much of the ground now, burrowing deep into the earth, and its canopy now shaded nearly the entirety of the island's landmass. It had grown quickly in its early days, and its roots were mature enough now even to drink the unpurified seawater.

She made her way along the narrow pathway that ringed the Tree's base. The path was a natural formation, allowing access to the various apertures and ports that issued from the trunk. There were even natural handholds in the metalwood of the tree's surface where the roots emerged and one was obliged to climb over. This was the nature of Vuata. Like many other forms of plantlife across the world, it was made to serve a particular purpose. The Tree was their livelihood--the producer of all the things needed for the continuing of their labors.

At last, the Ga stood before the great aperture which led down into the Tree's Karda, the core which produced energy for the Tree's growth, and which provided vital sustenance to the Matoran, when needed, as well as power for whatever mechanisms they built.

The Karda was the heart of their island now. It glowed blue-green, pulsing gently. She made sure to keep the area free of debris, clean and orderly, as much as she could.

It was not technically her Duty, but it was right.

They had buried the body of the Vo there, in the same earth, after...afterward. The body would not go unto Mata, the Raga had said, for there was no fatal malfunction, only a...transferal. A change in life-functions. That was what the Raga had called it. Even so, she liked to come to this place when she could. She had made a promise, after all, that the Vo would not be alone.

Night had fallen. The Ga returned to the sturdy rope ladder which hung down the trunk of the Tree. Her tasks were done, and they would all be turning in the for the night soon. All except the Ko, who usually rested during the daylight so that he could star-gaze at night...

The great ripple that moved through the world almost didn't register to her senses as she climbed, except for a subtle pause in the movement of the waves below. It was accompanied by a noise: a slow distant rushing.

The Onu--sensitive to the slightest of world-movements--was already calling out a loud warning from the branches of the Tree above by the time she realized what was happening, and that the dull roar that had sprung up in her ears was not wind, but water.

The tsunami struck the island and washed over it with fury. Liquid fire sprouted along the horizon as the distant volcanic island was ripped apart by a second eruption. Flaming rock hissed into the sea, and the stars were once again blotted out by smoke.

Somehow, her grip on the rope-ladder did not fail. She twisted and whipped round in the surging water, and the heat made her cry out involuntarily. Then she struck hard and felt the yielding wood of the Tree against her body.

She heaved upward with a wrenched arm and grabbed another handhold on the ladder, then realized that she was moving upward. Her eyes cleared for a moment, and she saw the other Matoran hauling frantically on the ladder, dragging her up out of the raging maelstrom. The Tree swayed, and the Ko nearly fell from his perch. She was out of the water.

She looked down, and with a shock she realized that the island was gone, completely submerged.

"We almost have you!" the Raga said, heaving on the rope.

She bounced off the trunk again, and heard the Tree groan with the strain of the waters. Then hands were on her, dragging her up and into the safety of the lowest branches, which grew in the shape of a platform.

"Are you injured?" asked the Ko, "I see...Your shoulder is damaged. I shall endeavor to--"

"It is not finished!" said the Raga, pointing into the distance.

"Hold fast," said the Onu, gripping them both with his large hands.

Another vast wave bulged up from the horizon and smashed against the Tree. They all heard it, felt the pain of it. The world was all red and black now, as the volcano flared up.

The Ga struggled to her feet with an effort and looked downward toward the base of the Tree. The Karda. Through the rising steam she could see it: the core was still submerged. Its light flickered beneath the waves. The Karda shall drown, she thought.

If it died, so would they, soon enough, and it would all be for nothing.

"The Vuata!" the Ga cried, pointing. "It is in danger!"

The Tree shuddered again.

"Its roots are deep," said the Onu. "But I am unsure."

"I did not foresee this," said the Ko miserably. His precious stars had been wiped away once more.

The Raga stared for a moment, down at the heart of the Tree, which she had commanded to be planted.

"I shall do it," she said slowly. "It falls to me. The Rule in Absence states that--"

The Ga had already dived from the branches, straight down into the crashing waves, where the Karda glowed blue-green and beat, beat like a heartlight, down into the place where vast energies pulsed against the onslaught of the elements, down amongst the roots of the Tree, where the Vo had been buried with her mask. The Ga fell into that place, and swam strongly, despite her injury, and pushed through...

And in those final moments, before her own core reinforced the Karda of the Tree with new energy, there was a little fear, but not much.

===

A Nui-Kahu flew through the high atmosphere, wheeling above the ocean. Below, a mess of islands spread across the surface of the silver sea, and the Toa of Earth that clung nauseously to the bird's back noted that they were clearly the result of past volcanic activity.

At the center of the ragged archipelago, a low cone was still visible above the waves. According to the Toa's briefing, this volcano had been disrupting the marginal sea-routes for many years, but only now had the Lord of the Continent seen fit to dispatch someone. Unfortunately, that someone was him.

The Rahi bird descended mercifully to the blackened shoreline, and the Toa slid off with relief. He stamped his feet a few times in the dirt to reassure himself and calm his motion-sickness. The Kahu squawked and looked at him disdainfully, flicking mud from its wings.

"Stay put, please," he clicked in the bird's language. "This shouldn't take too long."

The crater itself was only a short hike and a scramble up the irregular slope, but even before he had reached the scorched rim and looked down, he'd begun to suspect that his intel was a bit outdated. Although it had clearly been a very lively firespout in the past, the volcano was now quite dead. Not even a wisp of smoke rose from the blasted core below. The wind was dry and ashy in his mouth. He scratched his mask. Had this trip been for nothing, after all?

Reaching out with his elemental powers, he scried downwards into the depths, feeling out the placement of the earth, its layers stacked one atop the other, sensing out the places where it was cold and hard...and where it was hot, made pliable by the magmatic flows that crisscrossed the underside of the world.

There was nothing here. No heat. No pressure. Strange.

He shrugged and turned to go back down the slope. It would be a short mission report for his superiors in Metru Prynak after all...

Something caught his eye, off to the right, where the distant shoreline curved into a small bay. A shape stood out against the gray stone. In his Matoran days, the Toa had been a historian of sorts, although nothing so grand as the Archivists of the City of Legends. It wasn't really on his list of directives, but surely it wouldn't hurt to investigate this place thoroughly...

Another short hike brought him to the remains of a camp, likely Matoran in origin based on its size. The firepit and remains of a small shelter were all covered in a healthy layer of ashen dust, just like everything else on the island. More notable, however, was the standing stone that had been erected just up the slope from the encampment. This is what he had seen from above.

It was a rounded pillar carved from the volcanic rock of the island itself, clearly having been shaped with some skill--probably by a Po- or Onu-Matoran. On the surface of the pillar, many words were carved. He stooped and gently blew away the accumulated ash from the surface, then began to read:

"Omokulo the Earth-Tiller carved the words on this stone. Tykto divined by the stars that it would be read in this place, one day, and Raga Peyra commissioned its writing to complete the cycle."

The signature was a practice of the northern chroniclers and record-keepers, although phrased a bit archaically. He read on:

"This is the bio-chronicle of our cell, isolated from the Great Whole by the wrath of nature. Nevertheless, we have kept to our Duty, and followed the Rule in Absence."

The Rule in Absence...How long ago had this been written? There was only the Rule of Order now, after the Barraki and their Wars of Order. He scuffed his fingers along the stone, tasted the dust. Perhaps a century old, maybe more...

"We were six at first, and by the sixfold lot we chose an Elder, as the Rule in Absence requires. We raised the Suva for safekeeping, and the Vewa for shelter. Then we made provision for continued survival and labor, as the Rule in Absence requires. Therefore, Ka'o the Channeler initiated the making of Vuata."

He paused for a moment, amused at the word. These Matoran must have been from the central environs--or even from Metru Nui itself--to call it that. On the continent, they still preferred the archaic form, Vo-Ata, the Source of Energy...

"In the time that was to come, Vuata grew and became the body of our world, which sheltered and protected us. By Ka'o we offer this memory, and by Idda who went unto the Karda when it was threatened, though it broke the Rule in Absence. We offer this memory unto the Great Spirit. West from this pillar it can be seen. It will be with us always. It shall not be forgotten."

There was so much written here. Interesting to be sure, but too much to sift through. He focused and scanned the stone with his Mask of Memory instead, storing the visuals so that they could be more closely examined back home.

West from this pillar it can be seen. The line stuck in his mind. He turned and squinted toward the horizon. The sky was still bright at midday, and he cursed that he'd forgotten to bring the tinted lenses for his mask. Earth Toa weren't exactly known for their keen eyesight.

He walked back into the encampment. There seemed to be nothing else of interest for him here, and the day was getting on. Putting a finger to his mouth, he let out a shrill whistle and soon after the Nui-Kahu landed by the water nearby. He was preparing to mount up and begin the long, unpleasantly high-altitude journey back, when he stopped again.

Something was nagging at him. Something down there...beneath his feet. Deep in the earth, he could feel it now, or was it just his imagination?

Closing his eyes, he searched deeper. Not here...not there...no. Wait--there! A small source of heat in the bedrock, very deep. He traced it like a thread. Westward, out to sea.

But that wasn't all. There was something else down there too--something not made of earth. He could sense it by the absence it created, coiling around, following along the vein of magmatic pressure. The Kahu gave an unhappy screech as he abruptly waded into the surf to get a better read. Up to his waist, the waves buffeted him as he pushed his seismic senses to their limit. At last, he got a glimpse, saw the bigger picture. Yes, it was familiar.

Clouds covered the brightness of the sky for a moment, and his eyes snapped open. He could see a shape on the horizon. From above, he had thought it was just another island, maybe another volcano. But now he knew he was mistaken.

He returned to his flying mount and coaxed it back into the air. The scattered islands around the area were a wreck, washed clean by the violence of nature more than once...but never again, it would seem.

Vuata grew and became the body of our world

which sheltered and protected us.

Deep beneath the earth he had felt the stirring of roots, tangled in the veins and rivers of underground heat and drawing from their energy.

By Ka'o we offer this memory, and by Idda

who went unto the Karda when it was threatened

though it broke the Rule in Absence.

Mighty roots, choking the errant volcano into extinction and returning peace to the islands and the sea.

We offer this memory unto the Great Spirit.

West from this pillar it can be seen.

On the edge of the horizon it loomed, huge and unshakable. Dark branches lifted upward and outward across the ocean.

It will be with us always.

It shall not be forgotten.

[that1cactus]

Vuata Maca Tree

The food and power of every Koro

[Ko-Fi]

[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!"

[ashilean]

VUHIA, toa Mangai of the green (10/11)

Tending to the gardens that surround the great temple, Vuhia finds her position joyful and effortless. After fighting alongside her newfound siblings, she marked their victory by planting a vuata maca tree from her homeland on the mountain--a tree which grew so potent and full of life through her nurturing that the garden has long overgrown its original bounds.

Vuhia's quiet focus fits in well with the rest of her team, but she does what she can to make up for their distance and standoffishness. Any matoran eager enough to track her down in the vast temple garden is welcomed warmly, and the most dedicated few have become skilled foresters in their own right, helping Vuhia tend to the trees.

She wears the great Ouha, mask of healing, and wields a pair of Old Growth Trowels which see most of their use digging through the tough mountain soil. One day Vuhia and Tokat took a walk through the gardens, and what was thought to be them taking their time has turned into a mystery even their toa siblings haven't solved.

[0m3g45n1p3r4lph4]

Why did no one tell me there was evidence that there were supposed to be 12 Mctoran at launch

Representing the left and right hands of the Turaga, and with much more unique designs than MNOG would later give us?

Including a Sand Purple Taipu and Tamaru being the Vuata Maca wizard???

Please read through this entire thread, it literally kept me up all night with revalations

[crystaltoa]

If I may ask. Your headcanons what kind of food and dishes the turaga like best? (Remembered the post discussing and being silly about the turaga realizing that they and the matoran have to eat food on Mata Nui. It was probably also an adventure when they figured out how to prepare it to make it taste better / able to be eaten at all.)

Hmm...

A lot of this depends on whether you assume Matoran's nutritional needs are at all similar to humans, or quite different, or whether they consume food for energy and nothing else. I'm kind of going with the latter but assuming they still can taste their food.

I've kind of made it a bit about the villages in general since what the Matoran have access to is going to influence what the Turaga eats and vice versa, hope that's okay.

Some general notes first:

Crops and orchards do not appear to be a thing on the island of Mata Nui. Each village has a single Vuata Maca tree, and some villages also had access to Bula berries, both of which are high energy fruits. Other foraged fruit and vegetables are on the menu, but grain-based foods are likely out.

Some of the foods I mention here would typically be made with a flour in our world. but since grains aren't really a thing, you can imagine it would be made from something like ground up nuts, tubers, or maybe even something like tree bark.

That said, despite not exactly farming the land, the Matoran on the island did try to maintain the health of the "natural" environment, for example, volcanic soil from the lava farms was used to improve the health of Le-Wahi's forests.

Two real life plants with edible parts are confirmed to be found on the island: Bamboo, which has edible shoots, and the harakeke, which has nectar used for flavouring. I'm also going to include seaweed in this category.

Matoran don't seem to eat meat apart from fish. In fact, the Skakdi mostly eat meat just to intimidate people from other cultures and they don't require it from a nutritional standpoint. Kualus was also alarmed and disgusted by the existence of predatory bird Rahi, so... Matoran seem to have a different view of what is or is not food than most human cultures. If you want to give them a bit more variety, perhaps there are shellfish, molluscs, or arthropods that they might also eat.

Terms that originate in cooking (baked, boiled, friedetc) are often thrown around in other contexts, but it implies that Matoran are familiar with them as cooking practices

Ga-Koro: Fish is going to be a big part of the diet. Nokama may have developed a taste and skill for hunting them as a Toa Hordika. I doubt that food poisoning is an issue for Matoran given how energy absorbtion works for them, so fish doesn't technically need to be cooked. However, cooking them for improved flavour or texture may have developed over time, though Nokama herself still prefers sashimi. I imagine Ga-Matoran have also experimented with sauces and marinades (including the harakeke nectar), and have derived a number of spices from aquatic and waterside plants. In the absence of refrigerators, they have probably developed a number of preservation techniques (pickling, drying, etc) that are largely used for trading fish to other villages, especially during spring-summer when the fish spoils more quickly (they may not get food poisoning but nobody wants fish that smells and tastes rotten!).

Ta-Koro: I headcanon that Vakama loves spicy food, and prefers meals that most people would consider slightly overcooked. Ta-Matoran in general probably like stews, curries and soups as well, even in summer, as they love the heat and aren't bothered by having a cooking pot going all day in their hut. I think they would also have invented various types of tea, some of which may have slight medicinal properties.

Po-Koro: Pie is mentioned in MNOG in Po-Koro, so I'm going to take that as canon. These could be made with fruit, root vegetables, or even fish when they can get it. I also think Po-Matoran, and especially Onewa, like a lot of salt on their food (interpret that any way you want) Maybe they even add other ground up minerals for flavour as well in lieu of herbs and spices. I think it's fair to say Onewa's favourite pie recipe wouldn't be considered tasty or edible by human standards.

Onu-Koro: Headcanon territory here, but I'm going to make this the one exception to the no farming rule. I like to think they grow a lot of root vegetables on the surface but mostly harvest them from below the ground, meaning the plants are almost never uprooted for harvesting, and some of the tuber root systems grow absolutely enormous. Cooking below ground has the obvious problem of smoke, which could be dangerous without good ventilation, so I like to think that quite often high-power heatstones are used to fry, boil and perhaps bake their food instead. Like Ta-Koro, they like their stews and curries all year round since the underground village is less vulnerable to the summer heat. I also think of the Turaga, Whenua is one of the most adventurous in terms of figuring out what is and is not edible. Some varieties of organic beetle grubs have made it into the Onu-Matoran diet as a result, though most of his culinary experiments don't really catch on. He does not trust mushrooms, and refuses to say why.

Le-Koro: Fruit is the big one here, with a lot of foraged fruit, berries and nuts making up a large part of the diet. Being the most energetic of the island's Matoran, most Le-Matoran love sugar, and anything they can use to make food sweeter is highly sought after. Marinating fruit in nectar, honey or juice is common. They even sweeten traditionally savoury foods like fish. If sugarcane exists on the island, they would be coating absolutely everything in raw sugar. Matau, while not as adventurous as Whenua, has tried a few interesting food experiments in his time, though most meals he eats are a fruit or berry salad with some kind of sweet flavour enhancer. He will not comment on the mushrooms.

Ko-Koro: Ko-Matoran tend to eat a lot less than other Matoran as their lifestyle is all about conserving their energy for things that really matter. Many of them live off the odd Vuata Maca fruit from the village's tree and don't feel the need for anything more exciting. A lot of their other food comes from trade, and they keep the traded goods in large storehouses as Ko-Koro often becomes inaccessible to other villages for weeks at a time in the winter. Cooking is not terribly popular, but smoked fish and marinated fruit obtained from other villages are well liked by many Ko-Matoran. Traders visiting Ko-Koro often have the problem of their wares, such as fruit juices, freezing solid during the trek up the mountain. Turns out many Ko-Matoran like their food frozen, however, so vessels similar to popsicle molds are used by some traders to take advantage of this. Nuju is a little different and has been known to try things that the local bird rahi recommend and bring him. So far the seeds are his favourite, and the fish was okay, but it was a hard pass on the mice and the worms.

[lemonylepid]

There's a root in Metru Nui they use for large scale wiring, it grows from one port to another and reinforces itself over time. It leeches a little electricity and needs to be trimmed occasionally but it's a perfect conductor. There are abandoned centers in lower Le-Metru that have completely overgrown due to neglect, and any trimming comes at a risk of electrical shock. Illegal modified disk launchers and anti-vahki tech is usually sold in these depths by matoran just as forgotten as the centers. If you harvest the overgrowth right, you can recharge yourself with it. This root was cultivated later into the Vuata Maca tree.

[arzeron]

Vuata Maca Crystal

[nattarthetimedragon]

Kokauho Snow Walrus This playful Rahi spends it's day swimming through the vast fields of snow of Ko-Wahi, as if the snow was liquid water. When not playing in the snow, it can be found lounging in small herds on rocks jutting from the snow. The Kokaho love to prank Matoran lost in blizzards by popping out of the snow in front of them. If the startled Matoran has a Vuata Maca fruit on them, the Kokaho are known to lead the Matoran to safety, away from the storm in exchange for the fruit. (made only with parts from the Bionicle Master Builder Set)

[tiredspacedragon]

Also, I think that's the Vuata Maca tree wizard from Quest for the Toa piloting a Boxor. This issue is full of surprises

BREAKING NEWS: Two of the Three Virtues spotted in the wild pre-2003!

[necromastersdomainstuff]

A bunch of Bonkles fanart I whipped up some time based on background characters from the games, mainly the (officially) unreleased Legend of Mata Nui game but also the GBA game that actually did get released, Quest for the Toa. Barring Podu and Nobua, none of these guys were provided with names, so I took it upon myself to come up with some for them. I should note that I’m operating with the idea that there’s a more even sex distribution throughout the tribes (even if the Ga-Matoran are still predominantly women) and as always, credit goes to @agatharights for coming up with the Matoran baseline that I’ve come to work off of.

Podu: Among the toughest of the Po-Matoran, Podu is an active member of the Po-Koro guard, protecting his people from whatever threat may emerge from the sea of sand. Though not as renowned an athelete as Hewkii, Podu is still quite accomplished as a Kohli player, possessing a powerful kick that can plow through any opposing team’s defense. Loyal and stubborn in equal measure, Podu will insistently plug away at a task until it’s done, though this does give him considerable tunnel vision, leaving him oblivious to very real threats to his own safety until they’re right on top of him.

Harena: Harena is something of an oddity. A traveling Matoran, he spends his time attending to the Vuata Maca trees in each village, ensuring they’re all healthy and producing enough fruit to sustain the Matoran there. Though by all accounts friendly and outgoing, he never seems to stay in one place for too long, constantly hopping around to keep an eye on each village’s tree. The other Matoran are typically glad to provide him with hospitality whenever he arrives, but when asked where his home is, his response is a vague “I go where the winds of fate take me.”

Nobua: The youngest child of Turaga Whenua, Nobua has great dreams and aspirations, no doubt inspired by the adventures of the wandering Ta-Matoran Takua. He’s particularly fascinated by the legends of the Toa and hopes that one day he’ll get the chance to meet one of them in person. Still too young to help out in the mines directly, he often helps his father out with administrative work.

Ombak: A rare non-hybrid Ga-Matoran born biologically male, Ombak is an accomplished surfer... and under an immense amount of pressure to pick a spouse so as to potentially keep the genetic strain going. Problem is, he doesn't really click with any of his suitresses and seems to have eyes elsewhere.

Tauraki: Very few Po-Matoran would earnestly profess to prefer the floating village of Ga-Koro to their desert home, but Tauraki has never been comfortable in the arid Po-Wahi and has made no secret of his desire to move to a more temperate climate. Unlike most of his kin, he's readily thrown himself at swimming lessons courtesy of regular visitor Macku, which she provides in exchange for sneaking her into the village to see Hewkii.

Phiri: An artist at heart dreaming of following in the footsteps of Kopeke, the only thing holding Phiri back... is her own crippling lack of self-confidence. Believing herself to be no good at the craft of ice sculpting, she instead resigns herself to sentry duty at the village's borders, where she's clearly bored out of her mind.

Iskra: The resident gossip of Ta-Koro, Iskra is on top of the rumors going around the village, regardless of their basis in the truth. She's excellent at spinning a yarn, however, and is incredibly charismatic. Vakama wishes she would stop and check her sources every once in a while.

Sekhala: A Po-Matoran athlete, Sekhala is an accomplished goalie who aspires to one day outclass Hewkii himself. Her boisterous nature is endearing to many of her compatriots, though annoying to others.

Beku: An oddly-colored Ko-Matoran, Beku isn't quite as well adjusted to the cold as his fellow tribesmen. Like Tauraki of Po-Koro, he's considered moving out to another village, one with a warmer climate and a more open and welcoming atmosphere.

Alavai: A Ga-Ko Hybrid, Alavai prefers cooler waters and can often be found near the base of Ko-Wahi swimming in its streams. Turaga Nokama can't help but see aspects of the late Toa Mangai Kanae in her, though she can't bring herself to say anything on the matter.

Handaki: An Onu-Matoran miner, Handaki's arms double as pistons that allow him to pound his way through solid rock. A serious, focused sort, Handaki is a dedicated worker and, off shift, a quiet, contemplative sort who puts his hands towards more delicate tasks like painting.

Moli: One of the Takara dancers of Ta-Koro, Moli prides herself on her mastery of expressing concepts through movement. She keeps close contact with the other dancers of the village and will often collaborate with them for mutual benefit.

[sepublic]

          In some parts of the Matoran Universe, there are fields of massive Vuata Maca trees, towering structures upon otherwise flat plains. These biomechanical trees absorb the lightning bolts from the constant storms overhead, acting as lightning rods that feed on the energy from electricity, and safely diffuse it. Not only that, but this consumption of electricity allows the Vuata Maca to store it surplus energy in the form of its fruit, which Matoran and other biomechanical beings can use to replenish their own power. Vuata Maca fruit has an incredibly high yield of energy compared to other sources of nourishment.

          Those who live near these Vuata Maca plains work to look after these trees, helping water and provide necessary care to ensure their health. Little do these Vuata Maca caretakers realize, the roots of the biomechanical trees extend far deeper than they could imagine- Directly connecting to power conduits within the Great Spirit Robot. Most of the energy absorbed from the lightning bolts is transferred to Mata Nui’s involuntary functions, with the surplus fruits used as an incentive to encourage Matoran and other beings to look after these trees. This ensures that the Vuata Maca receptors undergo regular maintenance to stay in full working condition.

          There were also Vuata Maca trees on the island of Mata Nui as well. Because these Vuata Maca were outside of the Great Spirit Robot, there were no underground power conduits to receive energy through their roots; Thus, all of the lightning absorbed by a Vuata Maca was kept to nourish itself and yield even more fruit. When the Vuata Maca were poisoned during the Great War, Takua gathered ‘Vuata Maca crystals’, crystals from mountaintops that had acted as natural lightning rods. These charged crystals were used to energize the weakened Vuata Maca, invigorating their immune systems and allowing them to fight off the poison.

[thok-best-piraka]

A small exerpt

After almost half an hour more of Jaller’s rambling, he finally got to his point.“And Matoro said to Karzahni’s ugly face,” Jaller tries his best Matoro impression, “Then Do It. So Karzahni does and we see Mata Nui dying which strikes fear into Fucking Karzahni!”

Thok coughs to break the moment, “Pardon the interruption but what is a Karzahni?”

“Think Irnakk, but real and worse,” Avak chimed in.

Thok turned to nuju. “Real shit?” Thok tilted his head.

Nuju nodded, “Real shit.” his face turned deadpan as his gaze turned into a thousand-yard stare and took a deep sip of his drink.

Meanwhile no one seemed to notice the subtle blush on Dalu’s mask. What am I supposed to do when he’s so damn cute!?

Jaller then chugged another Vuata Maca wine and fell over.

Chapter coming soon or already

https://archiveofourown.org/works/27385075/

[tenosit]

It is the Vuata Maca Wizard!

Headcanon - he is actually a Bo-Matoran that was in Metru Nui during The Worst Day and got swept up thinking world is about to end. On Mata Nui he does not feel like he belongs with any tribe, so he decided to peddle his herbalism and forestry skills. "Wizard" is his name.

Current favorite obscure Bionicle character: the green and purple Vuata Maca tree guy who appears in both Quest for the Toa and Legend of Mata Nui, and who is inexplicably in every village.

[boxturret]

Quest for the Toa-Matoran

I made Takua's early design, aka George.

Really what kicked off my building spree was seeing these super weird Vuata Maca crystals. I mean it's an arm with a foot shoved on it, it's so odd. I just felt the need to build it.

I also finally got around to making the lava board as there's much better references for it in QFTT than in MNOG

[rebuiltbionicle]

I’m probably late to the party here but I’m sure I few more of you won’t know this yet: in MNOG that little thing Matoro is holding when Takua wakes up is a Vuata Maca fruit. He’s giving it to Takua to replenish energy.