A weird in the shell @ashilean - Tumblr Blog

Part of the ancient Roman road to Gaul near the Italian town of Donnas in Aosta Valley has been carved into the rock, bearing a testament to the Roman engineering capabilities. It was constructed during the time of Augustus.

It's the chain!!!

#I don't really know why I've made this I just need to scream about it #I have always been incredibly charmed about the witcher opening cinematic chain #Honestly seeing it in the witcher IV trailer has made me probably 100% more interested in the witcher IV #Not that I guess I need a lot of convincing #I have very positive opinions of all of CD Projekt's games #I hope they actually let you use it in game #Witcher chain my beloved #Witcher #Witcher IV

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.

HAEKA, toa Mangai of ice (9/11)

Searching the snow-blind outskirts, many a matoran has been pulled from their icy doom by the strong hands of toa Haeka. Preferring actions over words, she happily busies herself keeping the most remote shrines and patrolling the least walked paths.

Haeka wears the great Rode, it's truth-telling powers giving her unparalleled insight into the motives of strangers and the embarrassment of rescued matoran. She carries a Brumal Diskhammer and a collection of magical disks, their powers working in tandem with her tool.

Haeka has a habit of disappearing for days on end--on her own if she can't convince any of her siblings to tag along. So far, though, she has always come marching back home...

#It happened a couple times over the #Oh gods several years since I started this project #But Haeka was one of those big pain points that took me a long time to get over and get the designs right #I like her a lot though #She has a lot of shapes and elements of her silhouette that I haven't used anywhere else #And that kind of stuff is always what I want to reinforce when I make toa #Bionicle #LEGO #Toa Mangai #Toa #Mangai #Haeka #Metru Nui #MNOG #Mata nui online game #MOC #Art #My art

Speed

Bonus piece I did for Marn a little while back.

#As mask powers go #Finding cool ways to depict super speed will forever be really fun #Gotta get better at animation so I can do a version of that Volt scene from the warframe trailer at some point #PEAK super speed #Bionicle #Toa #Toa Mangai #Mangai #Marn #Metru Nui #MNOG #Mata nui online game #Art #My art

MARN, toa Mangai of earth (8/11)

Adventurous toa of earth, Marn delves deep into the uncharted tunnels beneath Metru Nui in search of strange rahi, natural resources, and new paths between the city's districts. Leaving behind distinctive marks chiseled into the stone, finding one of her trail blazes is said to be good luck amongst matoran spelunkers.

Marn wears the great Kakama and wields a Folding Pick--it's sharp point helping to climb through the winding caves while the blunt head is used to put chisel to stone.

After the dragon was defeated, Marn developed a love of helping the people of Onu-Metru, but was never able to build up her social skills. She took to exploring and mapping the subterranean city so she could provide guidance to her people despite her discomforts.

HUKANARA, toa Mangai of ice (7/11)

Standing proud in Ko-Metru's monument square, Hukanara is a steadfast protector and idol to matoran across the city of legends. A cunning leader in his prime, he spends his days presiding over the mighty rahi the Mangai were first called to defeat--now imprisoned in a glacier.

Hukanara wears the great Tataupo, mask of conjuring, and wields a Boreal Banner. The red-coloured cloth is a tradition from his southern homeland, but has been adopted as a symbol among the local Ko-matoran now that he is hailed as a hero.

While the old toa has remained a pillar of the community, he has taken a step back from leading his siblings in their heroic affairs, and many wonder if he might find his destiny in becoming turaga of their great city.

#Love when I get to use the upside down torso #Though I must admit #If any of my Mangai designs get little tweaks or redesigns I expect Hukanara will be one of them #Not anything dramatic #But probably a couple of little changes and refinements #His torso construction is especially unusual even among the rest of my Pohatu-like toa #Bionicle #LEGO #MOC #Toa #Toa Mangai #Mangai #Metru Nui #MNOG #Mata nui online game #Hukanara

MOTARA, toa Mangai of stone (6/11)

A stubborn and proud hero, Motara busies herself on the edges of the city, much preferring simple, challenging tasks. Often absent from ceremonies and public gatherings, Motara is most comfortable on the warpath, braving the dusty outskirts to locate missing matoran or track down shadowy neerdowells.

Motara wears the great Garai, mask of gravity, and wields a Granite Hook which she uses as a walking stick on her long walks beneath Metru Nui's twin suns.

#Fun fact this was the first of the non-canon Mangai I ever made #I originally wrote her for an RPG that had a multiverse theme back years ago #And so this is much more a refinement of that OC than the rest of the team #Still have a bit of a soft spot for her because of that #You know I never really considered it much but both Bionicle OCs I've made have been stone-aligned #Bionicle #Toa #Toa mangai #Toa Motara #Metru Nui #MOC #LEGO #MNOG #Mata nui online game

KAMUT, toa Mangai of ice (5/11)

Standing in the inscribed halls of the great temple, Kamut considers the histories of the world to best serve the matoran they have sworn to protect. Quiet and contemplative, they work almost exclusively in a group, serving as a confidant for many of their siblings.

Kamut wears the great Calix, and channels their elemental powers through their Gelid Censer. Unlike other toa heroes, they use the Calix's foreknowing powers to try and predict little, infinite, possible futures instead of pushing their instincts to unnatural limits.

#It was pretty fun to try and get all kinds of different vibes for the toa mangai of ice #And while I think they all kind of fit into that stereotypical bionicle ice character role #I am pretty happy with the variation they do have #Also I named this character while completely forgetting about the grain of the same name #And while I don't remember the exact etymology I used to get here #I think that kind of unintentional double entendre feels authentic to bionicle #Bionicle #LEGO #Toa #Toa Mangai #Toa of ice #Toa Kamut #Metru Nui #MNOG #Mata nui online game #Art #My art

NAHO, toa Mangai of water (4/11)

Running along the cliffside waterways of Ga-Metru, toa Naho's work is never done, no matter how many matoran she saves. A distant--if watchful--hero, Naho has become a bit of a folk legend in the waning years of the Mangai's vigil. Striking at the opportune time, she is a surprise to allies and enemies alike, disappearing back into the mist once her job is done.

She wears the great Huna and wields a High-Pressure Launcher, concentrated blasts of water aiding in her acrobatic traversal of the city.

#I think back at the time I did the three previous Mangai in like. Less than a week then got stuck on Naho for a month #And while I still feel a little shmeep shmorp about the yellow #I am sold at this point #All headcannon characters from here on out #So that will be fun #Bionicle #Toa #Toa Naho #Naho #Toa Mangai #Mangai #LEGO #Metru-nui #MNOG #Mata nui online game #Art #My art

TUYET, toa Mangai of water (3/11)

Keeping an unwavering eye on Ga-Metru, Tuyet is a strong and heavy-handed protector. One of the most direct members of the toa Mangai, she is prepared to do whatever it takes to keep the city safe--however steep the cost, however radical the means.

Tuyet wears the great Sekhua, mask of intangibility, and wields her Vicious Harpoon with exacting precision, using it to pull her swiftly through the water and bring her opponents swiftly to their knees. While some of her siblings find her overbearing, it is difficult to argue with her results.

#I think writing this character would be a lot of fun #Something I intend to do at some point #Maybe need to grind some of the edge off but I sort of expect my feel for that will only really come with feeling it out #But with how many lurkers and loners have ended up on the team it pays to have someone who will just deal with problems immediately #Without a second thought #Anyway maybe I will do something with all of this at some point #Bionicle #LEGO #Tuyet #Toa Tuyet #Toa #MNOG #mata nui online game #Metru nui #Art #My art

NIDHIKI, toa Mangai of air (2/11)

Perched high on the terraces of Le-Metru, Nidhiki watches matoran toil by day and keeps a keen eye for trouble at night. They wear the great Volitak and wield their air scythe with ease and efficiency--their time in the city having shaped them into a more cunning toa than they ever were in their homeland. As the years go on, though, they can't help but feel this work is starting to get a bit dull...

Nidhiki is one of my favourites. While I tend to favour the brighter colours in the LEGO palette--especially when it comes to toa--the dark green is so attractive.

#I was tempted to say this was the only one with a 'metru' colour in their palette #But if you can believe it #There is a lot of white and black present #Though maybe that doesn't count #Not exactly exclusive to the toa metru #Bionicle #LEGO #Toa #Mangai #Toa mangai #Nidhiki #MNOG #Mata nui online game #Art #My art

LHIKAN, toa Mangai of fire (1/11)

Astride his lava board, Lhikan patrols the towers of Ta-Metru as the last of the city's toa heroes. While matoran from every corner of the city stare reverently as he passes overhead, he casts a long shadow, and one hero can only be so many places at once...

When setting out to make the Mangai, I wanted them to stand out and use some of the less-common elemental colour schemes--taking heavy inspiration from the matoran in the Legend of Mata Nui and MNOG. In Lhikan's case, a toa of fire that is all smoke and golden sparks is both unique and a good fit for the pre-existing elements of his character I am keen to retain.

More to come soon!