Bionicle MOC: Zeyek's Starship

Alright!  This should be it, my very last ever Bionicle MOC video!  Check out all of Zeyek's historical posts, including the recent (but first) video showing Zeyek himself.

• Video - Bionicle MOC:  Zeyek's Starship

Bionicle / Hero Factory MOC: Zeyek

Now here's a subject you don't see me covering much anymore -- Bionicle!  Though I crossed the character to the Hero Factory universe, good old Zeyek will always be most fondly remembered from his days as a Bionicle chronicler.  This here is the first time I've really highlighted the simple figure on video, including highlighting his transforming feature that nobody noticed before1

• Video - Bionicle / Hero Factory MOC: Zeyek

The Crystals of Zemai-4, part 7

Just when doom seemed absolute and inescapable, the very most unlikely allies emerged from the shadows...

The in rapid succession, the members of the Brotherhood met their violent ends before the glowing energy swords of the Dark Order.  Soon even Lecius himself was disarmed and facing his demise. One Rokkun miner, cowering behind a lifter, overheard some sort of final offer being extended to the fallen villain, but the offer was evidently refused, as quickly thereafter, Lecius was relieved of his head.


The same member of the Dark Order who had delivered the ominous warning so long ago now summoned the Rokkun out of hiding, for yet another proclamation.
 
"The sacred crystals beneath your feet, shall bring you pain and despair for so long as you covet them. When you depart this time, remove this system from your navigational databases. Spread word to your people that swift death will greet any who set foot upon this planet. We MAINTAIN protection of this land. DO NOT return."

Nothing further was said.  The seven warriors stood their ground silently as the weakened Rokkun liberated their transports and departed Zemai-4 for the very last time.

Members of the Dark Order number in the hundreds, but they tend to matters covering many galaxies, ensuring their own rarity.  These seven, however, took a sacred vow to remain upon the desolate surface of the planet for the remainder of their existence, to protect Zemai-4 and its crystals from all invaders, at any cost...
 
Or, should I say, to protect all invaders, from Zemai-4, and its crystals...
 

So ends this cautionary tale from the master chronicler himself, Zeyekti-Iiloptinous Mazzourel, a.k.a. Zeyek.

The Crystals of Zemai-4, part 6

It was a dark time for the Rokkun miners of Zemai-4.  Their leaders had been murdered and their former esteemed guardian had become their slave master.  All hope was lost, as Zeyek picked up where he left off in this now-tragic story...

With nothing further to hide, Lecius allowed his grotesque minions to walk about Zemai-4 freely to intimidate the miners and enforce the conditions of his oppressive rule.  Morale among the Rokkun workers had hit rock bottom; pardon the reference.  Sustenance was provided in only the quantity required to maintain operation of the mining equipment.  Shifts were long, and breaks were not tolerated. 
Crystal masses were separated by hand for temporary storage while a refinery was hastily constructed using materials captured from neutral freighters passing through nearby systems.  The Brotherhood controlled the land and the skies as far as the eye could see.  The Rokkun were doomed to spend the remainder of their existence serving a murderer and his monsters.
How ironic, it was, that the saviors of Rokkun would become their worst enemies.  How ironic, it was, that the once worst enemies of the Rokkun, would become their saviors.  Ah yes, the Dark Order seven returned, and oh, how ready they were, for battle.

(to be continued...)

The Crystals of Zemai-4, part 5

All good things eventually come to an end, and such was certainly the case on Zemai-4.  Zeyek continues his account...

Angry Rokkun miners of all ranks and duties slowly and intimidatingly encircled Lecius.  Lecius broke the silence:
 
"Consider this, a negotiation..."
 
A miner interrupted,
 
"No!  No negotiation, we want you g..."
 
Lecius drew his spear-like energy staff weapon with his left hand and pointed it at the two mine managers who were standing together on the opposite side of the circle.  Slowly closing upon them, he continued...

"This, is a negotiation. I will give you two chances to increase my share to fifty percent of all material drawn from the mines."
 
The crowd gasped in unison.  The Rokkun who had interrupted earlier, did so again:
 
"To Xhin with you, ruffian!"
 
Without breaking his slow and deliberate stride, without breaking his gaze upon the mangers, Lecius drew his second weapon with his right hand, aimed at the boisterous Rokkun, and shot him through one of his shins, collapsing him to the ground.
 
"You now have, one, final chance, to increase my share, to fifty percent."
 
By now he had reached the edge of the circle and the point of his glowing, activated spear was nearly brushing the chins of the mine managers as it was slowly swung from side to side.  Defiantly, the site leaders stood their ground.
 
"You are a filthy, greedy criminal! We will make no further deals with you!"

Lecius raised his eyebrows with a bit of contrived surprise.

"Very well, then."

Quickly, he spun to face the center of the circle, but not before extending his spear ever so slightly further.  He sliced the throats of both mine managers, and they immediately fell dead.  Lecius looked around at the rocky terrain and the tallest mining machinery about the site as he retraced his previous steps. The living circle of Rokkun widened and parted before him.
 
"This mine, and all of its Sangrys, its Quaza, its Imbolan, its Khlorydar, its Leptul, and its Cymbis, is now property of the Brotherhood of the Light. You all work for me. You will no longer transport a single crystal off this planet.  You will no longer leave, this planet, for any reason. You will no longer make contact with any one or any thing, off this planet.  You will assist in the construction of a refinery in the valley, there [pointing]. You will follow my instructions to the letter and without complaint, or I and my brethren... will relieve you of your breath."
 
The morning Zemai sun had just begun to peek over the far ridge, and on that ridge, dozens of menacing silhouettes appeared.

The Crystals of Zemai-4, part 4

Finally, the tide of fortune turns in favor of the Rokkun miners with the emergence of a powerful savior...

For months, mining on Zemai-4 proceeded without incident. Members of the Dark Order did attempt to return, but Lecius consistently intercepted and dispatched them a safe distance from the mine. I say Lecius, and not "Lecius and company," as the miners only ever saw this one, lone warrior. He became quite the celebrity to the Rokkun, a super-hero of sorts. Whether he was truly acting alone or simply keeping his aides well hidden was neither here nor there.  The results spoke for themselves, and the crystalline riches flowed forth freely.
As time passed, more equipment was brought in, the mining site grew, and production gradually expanded. With this progress came an increasing haul of raw crystals for Lecius, but the seeds of greed to grow within him. He became dissatisfied with the agreed-upon share, and requested that it be doubled. Mine managers feigned shock and dismay, but eventually gave in, quietly happy to reward their soul savior & protector whose original take had been quite inconsequential.
All things continued along smoothly until one warm night, there was a sucessful attack upon the site.  A conveyance was slashed apart and several containers of freshly-mined material, awaiting transport off the planet, were destroyed.  The monetary damage was modest, but the psychological impact was severe.  Once again, the Rokkun and their mine were vulnerable and unsafe.  Lecius was most regretful for failing to prevent the incident, but he submitted that the expanse of the mining site had become so great that his resources were stretched too thin, and he needed to bring in more help. More help would require more supplies and more pay, which meant a larger profit share.  The mine managers rejected the notion, this time with absolute sincerity, countering that Lecius was simply... slacking off... and needed to re-focus and do his job properly.

The very following night, there was another attack, and more equipment was disabled.  This time, suspicion ran rampant through the site. The Rokkun did not believe for a moment that the timing was a coincidence. They believed the "attack" was staged, the equipment destroyed by Lecius himself as part of a greedy, treacherous scheme of extortion.
 

(to be continued...) 

The Crystals of Zemai-4, part 3

The Zemai-4 saga continues after the second devastating attack on the crystal mining site by members of the mysterious Dark Order.

The Rokkun miners were dazed and terrified, all of them. None had heard of this Dark Order, and all feared that the next attack could bring even greater losses, possibly involving loss of life.  Evacuation began immediately. Most of the expensive mining equipment was abandoned where it lay. For the time being, all was considered lost.

Back on the miners' home planet, news of the attacks & attackers spread fast.  Most of the population agreed that permanent abandonment of the Zemai-4 dig was the only option. Most. The mine managers were a bit too proud to give up so quickly, and investors were eager to collect more of the tremendous profits of refining and selling the six valuable minerals.
Pleas to the government for military support fell on deaf ears.  Rokkun political leaders wanted nothing further to do with what had turned into a heavily publicized diaster. With the most exhalted potential source of help off the table, some lower elements of society were sought out.  Word was sent out through back channels that the assistance of mercenaries would be entertained. To the dismay of the mining magnates, even these unsavory groups knew better than to challenge the Dark Order, and the call for help went unanswered for weeks on end.
Near the end of the Rokkun solar year, a meeting was called to discuss whether to finally give up hope of reclaiming the Zemai-4 site.  As the meeting commenced, an uninvited guest made an appearance.

Shod in brilliant white armor, this tall, proud character almost appeared to emit an angelic glow.  He introduced himself as Lecius ("lee-see-us") Olujean ("oh-loo-zyawn"), a high lieutenant of the secretive Brotherhood of the Light.  He was prepared to accept the task of retaking Zemai-4 from the Dark Order and providng long-term protection for the mine.  He would require no monetary payment up front, merely sustenance & supplies for himself and a company of compatriots, plus an infinitesemally small, fixed percentage of whatever crystals were pulled from the ground. 

Well, one thing lead to to another, background checks, planning, paperwork, collection of supplies, etcetera. Soon enough, Lecius was off to collect some of his "brethren" and liberate the Rokkun mine.  Two days after landing on Zemai-4, the Brotherhood encountered two members of the Dark Order and drove them off after a fierce, but brief battle.  After completing a comprehensive sweep of the entire planet, Lecius sent word to the Rokkun that the mine had been liberated, and it was safe to return.

(to be continued...)

The Crystals of Zemai-4, Part 2

We pick up Zeyek's Zemai-4 chronicle with the mining site fully repaired and back in operation.  As night fell, so did misfortune...

Without warning, not one, but both of the dig site's large and well-secured battery banks shorted out, dramatic showers of sparks & all. Backup generators failed to start -- they had been, sliced, open. Four security guards lay unconscious, though apparently uninjured. Atop a ridge that lined the back edge of the site, seven figures appeared, with the night sky behind them.
 

They wielded what appeared to be melee weapons, with blades made of pure energy. The individual in the middle, spoke in a grand, menacing, projected voice for all to hear:

"You may know of us as the Dark Order. We claim protection of this land. You know not the power of these 'crystals' you seek, nor the danger they bring to the uninitiated."

The miners stirred and whispered to each other. A squad of security personnel had drawn their weapons and snuck up the ridge in a flanking maneuver. As they emerged from cover to demand surrender, the nearest and only the nearest of the intruders snapped his head in their direction, relaxed, and slowly raised both hands above his head. Suddenly, he lowered his free hand and extended it towards the guards. He made a motion as if grabbing a handful of air, then quickly bringing it to his chest. The guards began to tremble where they stood. Their weapon hands were outstretched, though now empty, their former contents coming to rest at the intruder's feet as if yanked across the way by an invisible force.

The proclamation resumed.

"Leave this place. Quickly. And do not return. This is not a request."

With that, the "Dark Order" seven deactivated their swords and retreated into the rocky landscape.

Then things got... interesting...
 

(to be continued...)

The Crystals of Zemai-4, Part 1

Master chronicler Zeyek today brings us the beginning of a historical tale of dark and light in an alternate universe.

Imbolan, Cymbis, Leptul, Quaza, Sangrys, Khlorydar. All incredibly powerful, energy-rich, and rare substances. All found in abundance on the dusty, rocky planet called Zemai-4. Rokkun explorers landed on Zemai-4 roughly 7,200 of your Earth years ago, and it took but four months for a vigorous mining operation to begin. A single month later, came the first attack.

In the middle of a shift, someone sabotaged an important piece of equipment. A pump, it was, if I recall correctly.  Yes, it is coming back to me, a cooling fluid pump, used to prevent a particularly large drill from... melting... itself.   

A peculiarly small hole was made in the housing of the primary filter, but through this hole the attacker was able to inflict a massive amount of internal damage; just to the filter, though, nothing else.  After another hour of continued use, increasingly dense particulate matter decimated the pump from the inside, ruined the main cooling lines, oh, and clogged the mine's largest drill, causing it to seize up quite irreparably. Forgive the obvious reference, but the entire operation ground to a halt. Hmph. Not a single soul caught a glimpse of the culprit.  

It was two weeks before mining could resume, as a significant amount of equipment required replacement, and new shipments came from the far-away industrial Santrell system.  Along with a new drill, countless hoses & fittings, several new cooling pumps and quite a complement of spare filters, a civilian security team was brought to the site.  A state-of-the-art network of surveillance cameras was erected, too. Mine operators were absolutely determined to prevent another shutdown incident.

The new equipment was installed, checked, and re-checked. The security team went on high alert. Drilling resumed. All was well -- until night settled in. 

(to be continued...)

Hero Factory chronicle by Zeyek: The Remainder

On the planet Quatros in the Hero Factory universe, an act of planetary revival has had an unexpected consequence. Zeyek explains...

• Video - Hero Factory chronicle by Zeyek: The Remainder

Hero Factory story by Zeyek: The Sho'i mission, Part 2

The conclusion of the Sho'i account introduces a never-before-seen experimental type of Hero Factory hero to attempt to address the mounting Reeka problem.

• Video -- Hero Factory story by Zeyek: The Sho'i mission, Part 2

Hero Factory story by Zeyek: The Sho'i mission, Part 1

Zeyek's first published chronicle since making the move to the Hero Factory universe recalls a most curious mission regarding what we Earthly beings would most closely relate to robotic... cats.

• Video -- Hero Factory story by Zeyek: The Sho'i mission, Part 1

Zeyek leaves Bionicle, joins the Hero Factory universe!

My transition to the world of Lego Hero Factory becomes still more complete today with the bold move of the Zeyek chronicler character into the HF universe.  In this video you get to hear Zeyek's voice for the very first time, and see my very first elementary (i.e. terrible) attempt at stop motion...



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A new chapter...



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The Ptah, part 3

The devolution of the Ptah has occurred far, far more slowly than expected.  In fact, the blast of electromagnetic energy released during the Shattering slowed the process nearly to a halt.  Nearly.

The Vorox and the Zesk, are today's remnants of partly-devoled Ptah.  The Zesk are made up of the Guardians, the Brawlers, and the Assassains.  The Vorox are what have become of the Elites and Royals.  These vile, repulsive creatures are the result of the betrayal of their creators, the Great Beings.  The Great Beings devised a life-form on a whim, they encountered an unexpected problem with them, they devised a solution, and then they decided the solution was too costly, and abandoned an entire civilized population in the process.

Today, what are left of the Ptah, the Vorox and Zesk on re-united Spherus Magnus, remain unwanted outcasts of society, a tormented in-between form of what was once great and proud, and will one day be merely mindless pests again, if the survivors aren't all hunted and destroyed by another of the Great Beings' creations.

There is much beauty and wonder in existance thanks directly and indirectly to the actions of the Great Beings, and yet, there is also so much evil, and so much pain.  One can only hope that in their new homeworld they will reflect upon the grave mistakes of their storied pasts, learn from them, and not repeat them!  Let it be understood, that life is not an object to be played with like a toy or experimented with like a selection of chemical compounds!

The Ptah, part 2

The Ptah were a most fascinating species!  So, so dramatically different from their original form.  Every single Ptah was a warrior, though they never, ever warred.  They retained the stoic, fearless nature of the Sa, as well as the silence.  It was silence to others, at least -- the Ptah communicated amongst themselves telepathically.  They developed a social class system that directly correlated to their various martial disciplines.  There was a Guardian class:

A Brawler class:

My favorite were the Assassin class, who would sometimes ride Rahi mounts:

Then there were the larger, even more serious and dedicated Elite class:

And finally, among the Elites there were the most shining (literally and figuratively) examples of Ptah culture, honor, and values, the Royals:

Make no mistake, though.  The Royals were not kings or leaders of any sort.  They served no higher purpose in Ptah society than any other class.  They simply had to take their lives quite a bit more seriously (as if that were possible).

The Ptah formed orderly societal communes -- towns, if you will.  Still Sa at heart, they continued to scavenge, though with much more pride.  However, instead of multiplying so readily after reaching a certain physical size, a Ptah would continue to grow for many years, and then he (she? it?) would suddenly stop injesting raw materials, except as needed for fuel and bodily repairs.  The Ptah would never create offspring, and thus, their numbers no longer increased.

The Great Beings had successfully transformed an uncapped population of nuisances into a proud, honorable, respectful and respectable, planet-wide peacekeeping force.  Oh, but there was a catch.  Always a catch, there, is.  The electromagnetic "treatments" the Great Beings had employed, somewhat of a digital genetic therapy, had to be continually re-administered, else the Ptah would slowly begin to devolve back into Sa.  To lessen the burden, the Great Beings had treatment transmitters created at regular distances in a grid around the entire planet.  Each had a fixed range of effectiveness, and they were arranged such that there wasn't a footprint worth of land where a Ptah could stand and not receive the treatment.  Each transmitter required only a modest amount of energy to power it, but with an enormous global network of them in operation, the cost in resources was prohibitive.  The Great Beings together decided the experiment was no longer worth their effort, and they took the transmitters offline, vowing to figure out some other way to deal with the Sa population problem, whenever it became a problem again.

The Ptah, part 1

Untold generations ago, the Great Beings thrived in their desert oasis on Spherus Magnus.  In vast, sprawling laboratory complexes, they experimented -- no, played -- with life itself.  Played with it like children do simple toys.  Their imaginations ran wild as they sought out new ways to use their powers of creation, and simultaneously learned of new powers that they possessed. Most of their experiments were what you and I would call, simply, "failures."  In this age of wonder and possibilities, the Great Beings showed no remorse for the disfigured creatures and faulty digital intelligences they spawned.  All that they made, could simply be unmade and converted back into raw materials.  For that which could not so easily be recycled, a new creation could be formed to do the task.

After countless years this "playing," the Great Beings found themselves surrounded by life.  Their backyard was all of Spherus Magnus and about it roamed hundreds of thousands of robotic and organic things -- things that had escaped being recycled after millions of individual experiments.  Among these things, was a species of small, semi-robotic, scorpion-like creatures called simply, "Sa."

Legend has it, this name is nothing more than a sound uttered by a Great Being upon first seeing the creature completed.  The Sa were scavengers, much like what you would know as "ants," and they generally helped keep the planet clean by collecting and devouring waste and scraps and shavings of unused materials cast out from the Great Beings' labs.  The one problem with the Sa, was that they were able to multiply quite readily.  Upon collecting sufficient raw material, a Sa would simply spawn a clone of itself.  Soon, they were everywhere.  They were not harmful, but nor were they shy.  They knew no fear, and would never scatter and flee, not even when a Great Being approached.  As such, they became quite a physical nuisance, as they would always get in the way.

A few of the Great Beings decided that to counter this nuisance, rather than developing a natural predator (that would be too simple, and sensible), they would attempt to evolve the Sa population into something more intelligent and deliberate, a species that would, perhaps, form social groups, and well-defined dwellings, instead of randomly roaming everywhere with little purpose other than to feed and multiply.  A treatment was devised that could be delivered through electromagnetic pulses to the Sa.  It would slowly alter their metabolism and cause them to evolve over time into higher-level beings that could think for themselves, communicate, and eventually form societies.  The creatures they would become, would be known as the Ptah.

The final piece of the puzzle

At last, I have been in contact with Milethi once more.  The price was exhorbitant, but the information she has presented has priceless, though intangible value.  Milethi, a highly skilled scientist in the highly controversial field of Bionicle evolution, first determined the anatomical design of the ancestors of the Vorox, based on evidence in the recent fossil record.  She then did the same for the Zesk, with peculiarly identical results. 

In this newest exploration, Milethi has calculated the eventual evolutionary destiny of the Vorox.  The first image she showed me was this:

I was, unamused, to say the least.  Aside from some slightly altered proportions and colors -- colors, how useless -- this might as well have been an image of a modern-day Vorox!  I had delivered the heads of eight nearly-extinct giant, predatory insects for Milethi's bizarre alchemic experiments, and this was my reward??

Thankfully, for her sake, Milethi quickly explained in more detail how her methods could only determine the likely anatomical details of a past or future creature, not its habits, and certainly not its specific posture.  She then offered the following alternate rendering of the same creature:

Now this, this was the result I had expected.  Ah, yes.  Walking on four legs, prone.  Head forward.  Stinger up.  Like the Zesk!  With the passage of further millenia, I have no doubt whatsoever, that the Zesk and Vorox will one day be but one species again, just as they were countless generations ago, before...

Hrmm.  It is time, I see.  I must... visit an old friend.  He is holding onto some... pictures... for me.  Very valuable pictures.  Pictures, that the Great Beings would very much like to see destroyed, forever.

LEGO Bionicle Proto-Toa, the TRUE "first Toa"

Toa Helryx.  Celebrated, and rightly so.  But the first Toa, she was not!  How readily history can be distorted in the minds of the many, when the Great Beings want it to be so.  The Great ones are not quite so pure and faultless as they would have you believe.

Like the first Makuta, the first, Proto-Toa, was created in one of the great experimental energized protodermis pools by a number of Great Beings working together -- I believe there were four.  Like the first Makuta, the first, Proto-Toa, did not... behave... as designed.

Genderless, a perfect prototypical physical specimen, the Proto-Toa was the perfect starting point, if you will, for the creation of any and all Toa to follow.  It was aligned to no specific element, but it could adapt to work with any.  It had no Toa tools, but it could learn to use any.  Its motivation was incredibly strong, seeking to adopt any cause to serve, and to work towards any purpose.  This motivation was exactly what deeply disturbed and worried several of the Great ones. 

The Proto-Toa's level of independent emotion was entirely unexpected.  What if it could not be controlled?  What if it was given a task, and it completed that task, only to then choose another for itself?  What if its choices did not agree with those of the very Great Beings who created it?  How large would this risk be with a full team of Toa?  What of multiple teams?  What if they chose to unite against the Great Beings?

Debates over these concerns consumed the entire order of the Great Beings for weeks.  Some of them believed it was time for a more independant class of new beings, while others believed the Toa needed to be purely loyal servants.  The debates grew into increasingly heated arguments, eventually splitting the Great ones into two opposing factions, until...

Hrmm.  This is where, even my information, loses clarity.  I have heard that it was caused by one of the Great Beings who feared the growing division amongst their ranks, who saw only one way to restore peace.  I have heard that it was one of those who opposed the creation of a mentally independent Toa race, filled with spite and rage.  I have heard that it was an accident.  I have even heard that it was the object of all of this in-fighting, itself, feeling solely responsible for the dissention, and just wanting it to stop, for the greater good.  How ever it happened, the Proto-Toa was returned to liquid oneness with the protodermis pool from whence it was created.

The Great Beings eventually returned to constructive discussion, and reached an agreement.  The rest, hmm, was history...

Bionicle Dark Mirror: Toa Gali & Nokama

In the Bionicle alternate universe you refer to as "The Dark Mirror," you know of Toa Gali and Toa Nokama as teachers, in the Re-Education Center.  Indeed, this was fact.  By day, they tought.  By night, they stalked, and they killed.  A particularly close-knit team, they were -- truly elite assassains, masters of their craft. 

Nokama, short in stature, spoke few words, slowly stalking a target with her peripheral vision, never looking directly until the final moment she struck.

Gali, in contrast, was taller than most male Toa, hot-headed, impatient, and enjoyed a fight.  She would even toy with her opponent, to prolong the encounter.  While Nokama approached from water or low shadows, Gali preferred to cling to shaded nooks and corners and pounce from above.

The two had acquired personal sheild units, and the help of Karzahni, these were repurposed and connected to their Toa of Water powers.  Using the refractive powers of their medium, the shields became cloaks -- bubbles of invisibility.  How do you run, from something you do not see?!