User blog:Toa Roden/Early Fall 2013 Update

Well.

Greetings, those of you who might still remember the name of ‘Toa Roden’. As many of you know, I’ve been essentially inactive for the last few months, and now, although I have at last returned, it is with grimness, weariness, and a few announcement(s) that are rather painful to write. Namely, the permanent discontinuation of my primary storyline.

I’ll start with a little story. Think about all those old-timers who used to be around, and now... aren’t, at least in an actively-contributing way. You know the names. Many of them had BIONICLE fan fiction stories they were working on, but now? They’ve vanished, leaving their works of youth unfinished. Life happens. You know the drill.

And I... well, over the last months, I’ve been forced to grit my teeth and look the truth in the face. Between my studies (I take college preparatory high school by correspondence/online), my work (I dwell in an extremely rural area of the Western United States, on a cattle/sheep ranch, and there’s always things that need to be done), and the decision to pursue at least a part-time career as a fantasy/sci-fi writer... To put it bluntly, I've come to the point where I realize that, now and in future, I’m not going to able to put anything else into my BIONICLE fan fiction storyline. For one thing, I simply don’t have the motivation. If I’m going to be putting time and creative energy into writing, I may as well write about something that I could potentially market as my own, something that doesn’t involve a copyrighted toyline.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m still proud to call myself a TFOL, I’m still proud to say I think BIONICLE is the coolest thing since J.R.R. Tolkien, and I hope I never lose that pride. LEGO and BIONICLE are two essential aspects of my physiological existence, as is Wiki Metru. It was ToaAuserv, former chieftain of Bioniclepedia, whose stories first sparked the fires in my mind, fires that have become my career of choice, the career I one day hope to call my own. It was BIONICLE, it was LEGO, and it was Custom BIONICLE Wiki, that allowed me to stretch my wings as a weaver of tales. I owe all of them more than I can say, and as long as a remnant of the BIONICLE fan community still stands, I’ll be there with it. I’m growing up, but the youth within yet thrives. And trust me, I hope it always does. There’s nothing more tedious and boring than an adult with no imagination, no creativity, and no understanding of a youngster’s mind. If I’m ever fortunate enough to have a family of my own, the kind of father I want to be is the one who can go to work, function splendidly in an environment of maturity, and yet still come home to my kids and be a guy who understands that the concept of mysterious tropical islands populated by mask-wearing robotic entities is just plain awesome. I want to be the guy who understands one can never really ‘outgrow’ LEGOs.

Blah. I wax philosophical. The important thing is that I’m not leaving you guys here at CBW. I’m shutting down the Riptide Alternate Universe permanently, yes, due to the inevitable course of life, but I’m not leaving. I still hope to finish Shadowfell, and of course I can always read and review other’s stories, can I not? I can still write a few chapters here and there for other’s stories, can I not?

Of course I can. It’s just that I didn’t want to be one of those people who just vanish without a trace, without explanation. I’m a careful, organized person, or at least I think I am, and I hate leaving loose strings in my wake...

RAU
So, yeah. The Riptide Alternate Universe storyline is, as of this moment, declared discontinued. I’m dropping everything as it is, brushing off my hands, and closing the door on it. I’ll always remember it with a painful twinge of nostalgia, but the time has come to let it go.

But what about you, the readers? Yes, of course I thought about you, few though you may be. Of course, I thought, they’ll at least want to know what I had planned.

Thus, as follows:


 * Priduk, as you may have already guessed, was kidnapped by hired agents of Makuta Keelara, with the Dark Hunter Torak supervising the operation. Priduk was transported to Keelara’s island headquarters, and there imprisoned. Keelara’s HQ is a blend of natural and technological, set deep in the rugged jungle wilderness yet equipped with all the cutting-edge laboratory equipment, weaponry, and machines she can get her hands on. The island is prowled by numerous Rahi of her own creation, including several... shall we say, uncontrollable accidents. Priduk was kidnapped for use as a bait for an expected OoMN rescue attempt, but of course no one knows this but Keelara herself. Keelara had suspected the existence of a shadowy, unknown faction for some time, and had been working out its details for decades, but only the events detailed in Law of the Jungle, relayed through the remnants of the Visorak swarm, finally cinched the mystery. Keelara now has many important members of the OoMN under constant surveillance by her Rahi forces. Black-feathered falcons, anyone? ;-)


 * The OoMN war games come to head, with Team Black kicking down the doors of the warehouse and engaging Team Red in a running battle through the streets of Xia. Roden appears just as Zora is beginning to lose her duel with Tobduk; the two Agori-Kal proceed to systematically kick the Sanok-wearing assassin’s butt. Eventually, Black puts Red to bay, but right in the middle of the final standoff, Team Blue warriors encircle the entire melee under cover of darkness and get the drop on everybody. Team Blue, led by Helryx, wins.


 * Priduk’s disappearance is discovered. An angry argument follows between Roden and Tobduk, with the former accusing the latter of carelessness. Helryx intervenes, and orders everyone home to Daxia.


 * On Daxia, the three remaining Agori-Kal try to get clearance for a rescue operation. They intend to pick up Priduk’s trail in Xia and, with aid of certain OoMN affiliates, follow it to the source. Helryx flatly refuses, explaining that Priduk’s disappearance means someone individual and/or faction may be aware of the OoMN’s existence, and that sending a rescue party would only confirm it. The secrecy of the OoMN, naturally, means much more to her than the life of a mere trainee agent. A dramatic argument follows, with Roden himself nearly coming to blows with the Toa of Water. Helryx will not be persuaded, and eventually the three give up and leave her office in despair. Helryx logs Priduk’s status as ‘MIA; fate unknown’; hence the story’s title.


 * The three Agori-Kal decide to go ahead with their operation anyway. They desert the OoMN HQ, and use one of the organization’s own airships to travel to Xia.


 * A ‘who dunnit’ mystery now commences, with the Agori-Kal trying to keep one step ahead of their infuriated commander’s pursuing agents and simultaneously track their missing comrade. Possibly (this was just an idea), they pick up a few old friends along the way, including a rebuilt Turaga of Stone?


 * Eventually, they lose their pursuers and make it to Keelara’s island. In some order or another (the finer details of this part of the plot were still under development at the time of the storyline’s discontinuation) Keelara notes their arrival, and sends Torak to eliminate them. Her ultimate purpose is to have OoMN agents slay the Dark Hunter, thus provoking the Shadow One’s wrath and sparking a Dark Hunter/OoMN war. Keelara fears both factions, but knows both will have to be eliminated if her plots of world conquest are to be realized. So, she wishes to set both at each other’s throats and use the situation to her own advantage. Additionally, she wishes to slay the OoMN rescue team and pin the blame on the Dark Hunters, increasing the chances of all-out war.


 * Much action, drama, and violence ensues. The Agori-Kal encounter numerous traps and Rahi. Their transport vehicle is sabotaged by Torak, leaving them with no way of escape unless they overcome the rogue Makuta and her forces.


 * The Agori-Kal battle Torak. Torak falls off a cliff into the darkness into an inaccessible, maze-like ravine and is presumed dead. Keelara is pleased, and redoubles her efforts to eliminate the Agori-Kal. Canjar, one of her most trusted lackeys, is sent to stalk the trio.


 * The Agori-Kal encounter a mysterious entity, who claims to be a failed experiment of Keelara’s. This entity (whose MOC form is the winning entry in the Keelara MOC Contest I ran a while back) refers to herself as a ‘guardian of the wilds’, and seems to be on a self-appointed quest to counter Keelara’s machinations, working from the shadows and attempting to preserve the ‘natural’ wildlife of the region. She does not join forces with the Agori-Kal, but does reveal the location of the rogue Makuta’s HQ.


 * The Agori-Kal are ambushed by Canjar. All survive; Canjar retreats after a brief skirmish. Jallar becomes separated from Zora and Roden, and sets off to infiltrate the HQ independently, as is his style.


 * In some manner or another (again, the finer plot details were still under development, and as I haven’t thought about them for months, what I did have planned is now rather foggy in my mind), all the Agori-Kal turn up alive and free in the top-security inner laboratory of the lair. Here, Makuta Keelara and the four Agori-Kal battle to a stalemate. Keelara, confident of eventual victory, reveals her plot.


 * Torak walks into the lab, battered and weary, but very much alive. Much drama ensues.


 * Eventually, Keelara manages to win a bit of good feeling from the other five beings, despite her plans to kill them all. She’s really not an evil individual at heart, she says, and she speaks the truth. Torak enjoys the discussion, teasing and irritating the Makuta at every turn. She forks over an extravagant sum in order to keep his mouth shut about the failed plot, and arranges for a boat to transport him to the nearest civilized area. The Agori-Kal decide to give her ‘a second chance’, which is somewhat ironic, considering as how she could feasibly kill them all in mere hours using her armies of Rahi. Keelara, however, arranges a boat for them as well, on condition that they do their best to keep the OoMN from sending forces against her. In effect, she requests a makeshift alliance with the Order. The Agori-Kal, relieved at being granted escape for so little a cost, immediately agree. Everyone departs the island on relatively good terms.


 * Keelara immediately relocates, satisfied at having pulled off a narrow escape. She has not sparked the OoMN/DH war, but has learned much about the Order, and at least has arranged a treaty with them, allowing her greater freedom of operation in the future. Naturally, she still intends to crush all other factions save her own.


 * Fate Unknown ends.


 * Many vague and only half-planned adventures were to ensue, centering on the lives of Torak, Keelara, and the Agori-Kal up to, and during, the Reformation of Spherus Magna, after which the Order disbanded and all began new lifestyles of their choosing. Again, these plans were all very vague and only half-formed in my mind. There is no point in further description.

...and that’s all about that. I had a great time with it, and I sincerely thank all of you for your kind advice, feedback, and support. Yet, as I said, it’s time to let it go. I’m at peace with this decision, and am not reversing it under any circumstances.

Any comments and/or questions concerning what I had planned for the future of the saga? You know where to put ‘em.

BZPower
Oh, and just a quick notice, while I’m at it... Some time ago, I joined BZPower, the undisputed central hub of the entire BIONICLE fan community, and a key website of the LEGO fan community in general. My username there is ‘Shadowhawk’; my reason for making an account there is blunt and simple.

‘Quality online BIONICLE/LEGO text-based roleplaying.’

As I state on my BZP account profile, that’s why I joined. BZPower has a dedicated subforum just for RPing, and longer I’m involved in it, the more I wonder why I used to settle for the LEGO Messageboards. :P

So, if anyone here is interested in the above, I heartily suggest you join. If you already have joined at some point back in the misty ages, well, send me a PM! Us Wiki Metru types gotta stick together, don’t we? ;-)

Polls/Writing Career?
Now, just a quick survey... as I mentioned, I’m seriously considering attempting a career as a professional fantasy/sci-fi writer. Or novelist. Or whatever they’re called. The folks who write books and make money off ‘em. ;-)

I’ve written quite a bit (you guys have only seen the BIONICLE stuff) and have gotten extremely positive feedback and encouragement from family members and friends. These individuals, I must mention, don’t even ‘’like’’ fantasy/sci-fi, but yet they’re the one who were reading my stuff and complimenting it! So I was, needless to say, quite pleased. But still, this is a life-changing decision I’m considering, and I’d like to get opinions from pretty much everyone who’s seen my work. Thus:

In your opinion, based on what scattered and incomplete portions you’ve read of my written work, do you feel I have the necessary WRITING POTENTIAL? That is, the necessary TALENT for wordcraft? Definitely Probably Not sure/don’t know Eh... Maybe not Nope

And of course, I’d highly appreciate any comments and opinions.

Thanks in advance, Toa  Roden   17:16, September 16, 2013 (UTC)