A primer to Bionicle

The bionicle fandom is a rather large fandom that began in the year 1 with the release of the LEGO characters. For all those who just are getting in the fandom with the beginning of the new Bara Magna line here is a bare bones primer for the back story of the line...

2001-2003
This is the first era of Bionicle. We were introduced to the six main characters, the six Toa "mata", beings the that controlled the elements. These toa were named: Tahu (fire), Gali (water), Kopaka (ice), Pohatu (stone), Lewa (air), Onua (earth). Six heros, one destiny was the little tag line.

These six ended up on an island by the name of Mata Nui. They came out of these cnaisters had amnesia and the such but were informed by the leaders of the island's villagers, called turaga, that they were protectors of the tohunga (now matoran) and awake the Spirit Mata Nui.

The first saga began with the toa defending their villages and fighting beasts called "rahi". Also included they each had to find six certain masks that would give them abilities. Next they go on a big fight with the "makuta" who put Mata Nui to sleep. (Told you this would be bare bones)

After our heroes believe they defeat this guy they emerge from his lair on to find out these creatures called "bohrok" have been awakened. This insect like things were destroying everything on the island in an attempt to return it to the "Before Time." Now see, these little dudes wouldn't attack you unless you actually got in their way...but it turned out they were more like vechiles for these things called "krana" (and then there are like...a bunch of these...) The toa have to collect these and they discover the nest.

Inside the nest they face down the queens, now as they are fighting the queens they end up trapping them inside a protodermis (the main energy source matoran use but some how it keeps popping up all over the place) prison. The toa are then some how dropped into tubes filled with a substance called "energized protodermis" which transforms them into Toa Nuva.

Then they fight the Bohrak Kal...which steal the toa's power. Which leads them back to the queens...the toa use their smarts and the Kal's power turn against themselves. The toa get their powers back...everyone is happy.

After this...something called the Mask of Light is discovered. Turns out the Makuta isn't killed. He sends these creatures called Rahkshi, or his "sons" to defeat the toa and to find the seventh toa to which the MoL belongs.

All this fails epically on Makuta's part.

The Seventh Toa, Takanuva Toa of Light, is revealed and he pretty much pwns all. And then a "new" island is revealed called Metru Nui. The turaga inform the toa that they all, turaga, toa, and matoran must travel there. Then the turaga reveal they used to be toa as well.


2004-2005

Okay this I'm not gonna spend too much time on this part.

So the turaga reveal that they were once toa and all the matoran had once lived on this island called Metru Nui.

This island was being attack by vicious vines called, Morbuzakh. The turaga, who were matoran then transformed into toa by the final toa of Metru Nui called Lhikan. The new toa, Vakama (fire), Nokama (water), Nuju (ice), Matau (air), Onewa (stone), and Whenua (earth...and meh biffle ^^) Now Vakama was having these funny visions which told them to find something called the "Great Disks" And questing they went!


To tell you all the truth...there is so much stuff in this fandom I do believe I will go insane typing it all, besides, I have another Bionicle article write anyways but I wanted to give you newbies a background. Here's a link to go farther in the fandom! Welcome NEWBIES! http://biosector01.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

In defense of the metal genre

Greetings everyone. It was a toss up today to either whine about the economy or talk about metal music...look which one won out!

This a trivial thing, metal music. But it has come to my attention that the genre of music I love so much is misunderstood.

I want to clear a few things up. I DO NOT...I repeat, I DO NOT consider Linkin Park metal. Their style is more akin to alternative. Heck even Itunes lists them as alternative. Nu metal I do not even think of metal. (Slipknot...eh, they have potential. Korn, fugettaboutit...okay...maybe I just to listen to them more...I'm rambling darn it!) To me, they are more like plain old rock. Don't get me wrong, there are some nu metal bands that are really good. Linkin Park is good, Godsmack, etc.

The metal I'm talking about is Metallica, Motley Crue, Led Zepplin, Black Sabbath, you know, the good stuff. *looks at playlist* Okay, I know I don't have any of those bands on the playlist, except Metallica. I don't know those bands as well.

My section of the world is not overly welcoming the to genre. Heck, I don't think I've met another Metallica fan in my town! (I have in my school, even there metal isn't popular and is frowned upon)

Let us now define metal music. Metal is strong, heavy and emotional. It isn't all "I'm out to kill" or "death" Metal is a diverse little group, Thrash, Gothic, Black, are all types of metal.

People don't really understand its complexity. I've looked at a sheet of music for a metal song. Its a complicated piece of work. The vocals can be varied. True, I'm not going to deny there are bands that scream. Listen to some of the others like Nightwish for example. The vocals are complex operatic sounds in their older works. Others combine the two, i.e. Epica. And then there is the plan out singing, i.e. Black Sabbath.

Metal music is like an ongoing experiment.

This genre truly takes dedication if you want to do well. It isn't something to be shunned, but embraced. One of the top selling American bands is a metal band (Metallica).


Special thanks to my Deviantart friend Thisita in the writing of this post!


Signing off!

-T3h Gothic Nerd