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This article was written by BIONICLEToa. Please do not add to it without the writer's permission.
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| Insurgence: The Chronicles of Fa | |
|---|---|
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| Story | |
| Series |
BIONICLE: Insurgence
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| Setting |
Various Locations in the Matoran Universe
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| Date Set |
Before the Great Cataclysm
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| Media Information | |
| Released |
December 31st, 2018
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| Runtime |
December 31st, 2018 -June 12th, 2019
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| Written by |
BIONICLEToa
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| Timeline | |
| Concurrent |
BIONICLE: Insurgence
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| Next | |
The Chronicles of Fa is a supplementary accounting of legends and mythical events for the BIONICLE: Insurgence storyline, compiled and written by the Po-Matoran Fatorak. It adds clarification to some of the legends told about in the story.
The Chronicles of Fa[]
Universe[]
Universe. Author unknown.
Signs uncertain, days not remembered.
The darkness overcame, blindness won.
The days of flesh were wiped once and all.
Formless, void. Empty.
Yet it lived. It saw purpose.
In the night life once again was ignited.
Chill was it’s breath, and fog was it’s bod.
Yet it was incomplete,
For shadow needs more.
The day now was certain! Everyone rejoiced!
For the light was born, and all could see!
The pinnacle of life was created!
Fortified, virtuous. Meaningful.
It lived and it knew not its purpose.
Under Mata Nui’s glow, life was guided.
They spoke warmly and their bodies were certain.
It was built with care,
And with care they built to fulfill.
Observation: This is a commonly known poem to most Matoran, but I felt it was fitting to put it in here. From the looks of it, this was a creation poem, focusing on the contrast between the Makuta and Matoran species, respectively. What fascinates me is the lack of the rhyme scheme, instead the author presumably contrasting themes in these stanzas.
I have noticed how the Makuta aspect of this poem seems to note "flesh were wiped once and all", in which the meaning eludes me. As far as I know from historical records in Onu-Metru, this universe was the only place were life began. What does the writer intend with this message of life coming before Matoran and Makuta? And the mention of flesh... Do they mean the legend of Tren Krom? Or is there something missing?
The Battle of Tall Towers[]
The Battle of Tall Towers - Compiled by Lehku
When the Great Spirit first moved, the southern islands came into existence. There, some of the universe’s most horrible creatures came to form, the Dracons. They were made from the evils of the universe itself. They were a species of immense power, resembling Fenrakk for their heads but their bodies as strong as dragons! Their armor was all white, and their features were rigid and plated. They walked the earth like conquerors, coming and going to different islands and proclaiming their victory.
They were known to sing a song as they chanted and pillaged for their own glory, entitled “Druv! Druv! Druv!”
Druv! Druv! Druv! The land will be set ablaze!
We pillage and plunder and graze!
“Milo ktaca gruv!
Joro ktaca druv!”
That shall be our conquering phrase!
Druv! Druv! Druv! Our destiny is to win!
We shall eat their food, make them thin!
Back to the icy land!
Back to Mata Nui’s hand!
When we return, we question when?
Druv! Druv! Druv! Tonight we conquer and dine!
We shall rip apart their cattle and spine!
We shall prepare their Mukau!
Never forgotten how!
Prepare it before the hour is nine!
Druv! Druv! Druv! No Toa shall stand in our way!
If they try to bring their sword, we shall slay!
Crush their turaga!
Treat them as Naga!
The Dracons shall prevail! It is our day!
These monsters hungered for blood and gold, showing no mercy to whoever they had decided to harass. They first pillaged through the southern islands, decimating everything, until eventually they had made their way up to the Southern Continent’s smallest island, Tall Towers. They pillaged that land, wiped it nearly clean, and ate nearly every Rahi they could find there. These monsters consumed and consumed recklessly. Nothing would stop them and their massive armies. They decided to chain up the Matoran as their workers eventually, realizing they needed laborers to sustain their lifestyles.
Their leader was a beast named Braka-Quarix, who stood out amongst the rest. He breathed the element of ice and towered over his enemies. Under his lips protruded two hideous tusks, while his head sprouted nine horns. His eyes were as red as flame and his armor shined under the watchful sun. He was ornamented in silver jewelry, and around his neck was a glorious necklace.
They ruled the land for a total of thirty thousand years, while constant champions tried to take it from them. The Dracons crushed their enemies into dust, laughing in their horrific, dark, otherworldly voices. Toa and Makuta alike would not be able to conquer them. The Matoran and Turaga of the island were desperate and thus looked for a hero!
Thus came Aranu! He took his Rod of Light, some chains in his hands, and his Kanohi Hau and came to the Draxtians, braver than ever. He demanded to see their leader, but the Dracons refused. Thus, Aranu was led to ask a question:
“You fear for your leaders life, cowards?
You have quashed Toa in the past.
Perhaps your tales of conquest and towers,
Were just tall tales at long last!”
This angered the Dracons yet the challenge intrigued them. They brought their chief, Braka-Quarix, and had him face the Toa in his valor. Aranu, though stunned by the size of the beast, did not quiver or quake. Instead, he raised his rod and gave a mighty cry.
“Mata Nui is with me, tyrannical chief!
When I am finished with you,
Your people shall be stricken with grief!”
The chief laughed and raised his leg, singing his infamous song.
“Druv! Druv! Druv! To dust you shall be!
Now you have nowhere to flee!
Face me in battle,
See how you rattle!
Victory for me is what I forsee.”
Aranu dodges the stop that the chief makes. Then, with the light of his staff, he struck a ray at the eyes of the chief. The chief recoiled back and covered his eyes with his hands. Then, Aranu sharpened his rod and cut the chief’s legs! The chief came to the ground, huffing and puffing. Aranu jumped on his back, his chain trailing behind.
“You have burdened Matoran with chain!
Now you shall pay with your life,
As you labor for me in constant strain!”
The chains came around the Dracon’s neck, who tried to remove it. But Aranu tightened the chains, choking the chief. The other Dracons looked in horror at their master, now on four legs: subservient to Aranu, his master. Fearing their necks, the creatures take a step back and they flee! Then, Aranu stood on top of the defeated chief and exclaimed:
“The land of Tall Towers is free once more!
My duty has been done, yet their unity still exists.
I must cut off those Dracons, my last little chore.”
Aranu turned to the chief, burdened with chains of light around his neck.
“Do not force me to fight my own kin, I beg!
Do you not see? I am humbled enough in chain.
You have defeated me, I’m on my last leg!”
Aranu tightened the chains, ignoring the beast.
“You shall do what I ask of you, monster!
Your people must also pay for their sins!
So I command you to go and conquer!”
Braka-Quarix blew smoke through his nose, but obeys. Still connected by chain, he and Aranu gave chase to the remaining Dracons. Braka-Quarix reluctantly massacred his brethren, one by one, while Aranu scared them with the power of his light! Then, in the field now empty, the chief broke down and whimpered.
“See what you have done, Toa of Light?
Is the blood of my people what is right?
I am a disgrace,
Now justice I face,
For causing this terror on my people, this blight!”
Aranu loosened the chain of Braka-Quarix and sighed. He cut it from his hand and threw the remains aside. Then, he looked up to the beast and frowns.
“That was the payment for freedom, Dracon.
The blood of your brethren brought justice.
Now your kind will no longer blacken.”
Braka-Quarix feelt the chain, still tied on his neck. He backed away from Aranu, who did not move. The creature fled from the sight of the Toa of Light, shamed by the hero’s idea of “freedom”. The chief changed his name to just Quarix, for the “Braka” part of his name meant “chief”. He was chief no longer, now the only of his kind.
The Dracon never came back to haunt the universe again, Aranu made sure of that. And the Island of Two Towers was renamed Draxia, in remembrance of the creatures who were slaughtered and defeated in the name of Mata Nui.
~~
Observation: This surprisingly has a lot more history in it than one would realize. The Dracons were real creatures, anyone can tell you that. However, how they were defeated and slaughtered was often a rather contested tale. This was the one surrounding Aranu, since that is who I am focusing on in these legends.
The words that the Dracons sing, like "Druv", have been lost in translation. Their tongue is no longer understood or really spoken. My best guess is that it's a rally cry for the Dracons. “Milo ktaca gruv! Joro ktaca druv!” meanwhile is just not understood anymore. I'm guessing "ktaca" is a word they use to bind actions, but the words surrounding are just not present.
One thing here is showing Aranu's cruelty as a Toa of Light. It's intriguing how he forced the chief to slaughter his people and did so by chaining him. Though he did no killing himself as a Toa, inadvertently making someone kill feels wrong even for the Toa code. Then again, Aranu wasn't known for sticking by the rules. He was a Toa after his own glory, at least in these legends.
The Legend of Two Towers[]
Note: Both the names Two Towers and Tall Towers are correct. Depending on the region of Matoran you ask. Most Draxian Matoran call it Two Towers, while Metru Nui Matoran named it Tall Towers. Either one works.
~~
The Two Towers. Observe them today and you find that they are two large green yet metallic structures that poke into the heavens themselves. The structures brought the attention of many travellers, which then made their homes. The Island of Two Towers it became, bringing many scholars and entrepreneurs to make it their home. This got to the point where Matoran had begun to live there, so Toa teams were made to protect them, as well as a Makuta, whose name was Tagah.
But one wonders: where did the structures come from? They do not resemble the knowledge towers found in Ko-Metru today, nor the Great Archives of Onu-Metru. They were alien, unique to their kind. Their structure containing gaping holes and crevices that squiggled around it showed it was beyond Matoran understanding. There are a few stories involving it’s haunting genesis.
~~
The Great Spirit, in all of his glory, was not nearly as protected in his early days as he was now. Shortly after Mata Nui had descended from the heavens and brought life to the Matoran, he was challenged by a bizarre creature. The beast, though smaller than him, held pillars across all of his body. Mata Nui ignored the beast. Due to being rejected, the beast took two of it’s pillars and stabbed Mata Nui in the side. This caused Mata Nui to fight back, throwing the creature off. He decided to stomp on the Beast of Pillars.
The Beast of Pillars, however, did not go out without a final blow. As Mata Nui stomped on him, he shot more pillars into the Great Spirit, leaving a hole. It is said from the chasm that the Dracons first arrived in our world. They were an infection to the universe, spreading through the southern regions, destroying everything in sight. At the very least, however, their god was destroyed.
Meanwhile, the remaining pillars remained on the island of Draxia (as it is now known), stabbing into the deserted wasteland it once was. The soil of the land turned from grey to a rich green color. Overnight, it seemed that the island began to get transformed! Flora never seen before came upon the island, animals sprung into life!
“It was truly alien,” Tagah, the Makuta of the Island, had noted. “These beasts were clearly outsiders when I first laid my eyes upon them. Us Makuta had considered creatures like Tren Krom to be only falsehoods, myths, tales to astonish at. When the Two Towers had crashed through the heavens? There was some validity to it all. I knew these things did not belong here, yet knowledge seekers now gather from across the universe to see this place. It was a weakness the Great Spirit endured, and we all flock to see it.”
“Something is wrong with the island. Half of it gets covered in shadow in the day due to the pillars blocking the light. I have seen many beasts and rahi attack Matoran in the dark of day while they worked. There is something wonderful about it. The everlasting shadow…”
According to the earliest histories, Matoran who arrived on the island early began to carve out the pillars to make towers for knowledge and work. Those who arrived later were forced to work on the ground, in the shadow. They saw nothing of Mata Nui’s light.
That is why Aranu was created.
In the deep shadows of the day that Matoran worked, they began to not see their purpose. They began to slack off while nobody had looked. They lost sight of the virtues constantly while the Makuta of the island. Though Tagah tried to govern them, he was a being of shadow himself and was not suitable to help them. Thus, the Great Spirit, out of spite to the Makuta, created the one thing they dread most: a Toa of Light.
Taking an Av-Matoran named Aranu, the Great Spirit came to him in sleep:
“Aranu, arise from your sleep.
You must go to dungeon deep.
Find a great Kanohi Hau hung
Around the stones it is among.”
Aranu did as Mata Nui had commanded. At this point in time, he was an eager Matoran, curious of what was in store for him!
“Finally, is this my destiny realized?
Is finding a Great Kanohi devised?
I shall fulfill what Mata Nui plans!
Find the mask, within my hands!”
Along with him, he brought a friend, a Po-Matoran. The Matoran tagged along, helping him through his fantastic journey. They cut through the dark of the woods and eventually found a wondrous cave. There, the Po-Matoran spotted the Hau for Aranu.
“There, my friend! The mask!
We have fulfilled this task!
Now take it so we can leave this cave!
For the structure here looks grave!”
Aranu carefully came to the mask, which was a beautiful red Great Hau. He looked upon it and grew a bit confused. He turned to his Po-Matoran friend and noted something.
“But I bear a Hau myself, yes?
What was the point of this stress?
What good would it do?
The results would not be new!”
“Just do it my friend!” his ally said.
“Get those doubts outta your head!
Put the mask on your face,
And feel the Great Spirit’s embrace!”
Aranu obeyed his friend. He placed the mask on his face, with a bit of dread and fear on his face. A bright light emitted from his body, filling the cave with beams of energy. When Aranu looks back, he saw no Po-Matoran there anymore! His friend was gone; where he disappeared to was beyond himself. However, what he did realize was that the cave was crumbling from his change!
Aranu, now as a brilliant Toa of Light, dashed out of the cave and looked back. The history of the place would be lost forever. To this day, it remains unmarked. Aranu looked toward the shaded island, where he saw Matoran not laboring, being instead attacked by the Dracons before!
“I see this is the path you lead me,
To face these enemies that I see!
To protect the Matoran from their power,
I shall fight in this starting hour!”
And thus began Toa Aranu, a hero of light for the island of Two Towers. He defeated the Dracons and freed the Matoran from bondage. He later would guide them toward the virtues in another adventure. But for now, that is the history of the island of Two Towers, and the legend of Aranu!
Unity, Duty, Destiny[]
Unity, Duty, Destiny - Recovered by Turaga Komatri of Cartrax
Turaga of Stone: Look upon Draxia, gathered friends.
Do you not see? The Matoran do fight! Amongst themselves, of all things!
Brother against brother, brother against sister!
Do you not see? They have abandoned the will of Mata Nui!
Their fortification, which was their unity, is now broken!
Turaga of Water: It was long ago, my brother. During the wars of the Barraki.
The days when the Makuta governed with little guidance.
Without virtue, only with their own foresight.
They are ferocious with their violence! Like the waves of the protodermis sea!
Now there is no peace.
Turaga of Air: Friends, is this not the way the world runs?
Coming and going where the wind shall blow?
This is the natural way of doing things.
Assuredly, they shall find resolution, but first let them conflict.
That is the only way to find peace.
Turaga of Fire: You say to find peace through the terror of war!
That their soul shall pass to the Red Star?
It burns within me to hear such vice.
The virtues are to be upheld, stamped into their heartlights by fire!
Follow them, and your heart shall be blazed in righteousness!
Turaga of Ice: No matter what they say, brothers,
They shall remain forever rigid.
I feel even following the virtues will not melt their cold heartlights.
Perhaps they are to be shattered,
For they have proven not to learn their lesson.
Turaga of Earth: I fear we are casting judgement too early.
Look to the past: the Matoran overcome.
Against odds far too great, Mata Nui’s will still is restored.
So sit back, my brethren, do not cast lots! Watch!
Look upon the Toa who arrives!
Aranu: Yes, it is true. I have heard the cries of Matoran.
Kanoka against kanoka disk, the air here is grey and cloudy!
If I knew not better, I would say the core of a Makuta lay upon them!
But it is not so; no, they must be guided once more.
Turaga of Water: Hail, Toa! Have you come to restore the virtues?
Even now, I feel Mata Nui weeping at this injustice!
Aranu: In truth, turaga, I came due to a bitter defeat!
I had failed to conquer the warlord Kalmah!
I escaped with my life, but not with my pride.
I am a failure of a Toa! So I sniffed out the war here.
To perhaps prove that there is some use to me still!
Turaga of Fire: Then burn with rage, Toa!
Like the fires of Ta-Metru!
For they forge the greatest masks! The greatest weapons!
Let the fires of war forge a hero great to these Matoran!
Aranu: As endearing as that sounds, elder,
I seem to lack any guidance.
If I am to burn with rage, who shall I fight?
Which Matoran do I side with?
Are they all not Mata Nui’s workers?
Turaga of Stone: Head my brother’s words, Toa,
But you shall do them my way!
Unite these Matoran instead. Find a common enemy!
Show them that they are stronger together!
Then perhaps they shall understand unity!
Aranu: Where shall I find such an enemy, then?
After all, I have failed to even conquer the lowliest.
The shame of defeat still rests on my shoulders!
Yet you expect me to find a creature and lead it?
You still give me nothing!
Turaga of Air: Let the wind guide you, Toa!
Wander the world and find something!
Aranu: You expect random chance to resolve this?
Turaga of Earth: Perhaps let the past guide you.
The earth is old, filled with enemies that were once conquered!
Search there. Seek their defeat! And then show your victory!
Aranu: You expect me to be fraudulent, Turaga?
Am I that much of a failure to you?
No. I shall not be disgraced once more if the truth came out.
Turaga of Ice: Then let go of this feeling of failure, coward!
You shall never amount to anything great!
The chains of defeat bind you to the ground.
The past, as my brother had said!
Do you belong with the dead and the forgotten?
Aranu: No! I shall make a name for myself once more!
I shall look for an ancient enemy, but one undefeated!
Wandering the world, searching for clues!
Then, with rage I shall defeat such a beast!
I shall bind him in chains, bring him here, and lead these Matoran to victory!
Then Mata Nui’s will shall be restored! I shall be off!
Turaga of Ice: See now that he travels, brothers.
Into the southern isles, unexplored.
I cannot foresee what he will face.
Turaga of Earth: Things buried and hidden, I am sure!
Perhaps unearth an ancient evil,
To conquer it for us once and for all!
Aranu: Yes, I planned to do those things.
I traversed south, into the standings of Mata Nui itself.
Here, the dirt and grime of the universe was said to hide.
What, then, would I find?
Vahlkii: What do you seek to find, coward?
Aranu: Coward? You judge me, yet do not know me?
Vahlkii: Wrong! I am a guardian of time itself.
I have seen what you have done.
You are a failure, Aranu.
You have come to the right place, to be forgotten forever.
At least there will be no shame.
Aranu: No! You are wrong! I will not be shamed!
I have come for victory!
Vahlkii: Victory amongst what does not exist?
You are cross-wired, Toa.
You seek to challenge the impossible!
Aranu: Yes! That is true! Which is why it shall bring me glory!
To fight what cannot be fought!
Legends of me shall persist forever!
Vahlkii: You words remind me of a Matoran stuck in the depths of the Great Pit!
Aranu: No, I am not lost yet!
I am, however, insulted by your words!
That hammer in your hands, what does it do?
Vahlkii: You wish to take this?
Aranu: If you are worth your word,
Then you would challenge me in a duel!
Vahlkii: You really are a fool!
Aranu: Face me, guardian!
I only wish for a duel, for glory!
Vahlkii: So this is what you mean by seeking the impossible?
Facing the foundation of passage to the forgotten?
Very well, I shall send you quickly!
Aranu: Not with my rod, you will not!
The power of my Hau shields me!
Vahlkii: My Hammer of Time itself disagrees!
It shatters your shield,
It snaps your rod!
Aranu: Yet I am not defeated yet!
The will of Mata Nui is with me, you see!
It is my duty to conquer you, I see it now!
Vahlkii: You do not know the Great Spirit as I do!
Now die, Toa. You mock the Great Beings,
And the holdings of the universe itself!
Aranu: And while I distract you, you forget a Toa’s power!
You're blinded by my light!
Vahlkii: It is true! I had forgotten a Toa’s power!
It was not your weapons or mask!
It was how you were created by Mata Nui itself!
Now I do not see. You have conquered me.
Aranu: Then come with me, Vahlkii.
Perhaps you can make up for your failure.
Matoran are warring, and they need an enemy!
Vahlkii: The virtue of unity, yes I see it!
You wish to unite them once again!
If only I had known your noble cause from the beginning!
Aranu: Take my word, Vahlkii, there is no nobility in this.
I still seek to make a name for myself.
Vahlkii: Yet you do so with acts of righteousness!
You earned my respect, Toa.
Now we shall go and guide these Matoran.
Aranu: Turaga, I have returned. Do you see what I have dug up?
A guardian himself! Fierce and noble!
Yet he is now blind! He shall harm no Matoran!
Turaga of Stone: Then you have done well!
Show him to the Matoran. Unleash him.
Then fight him with them!
Turaga of Earth: And unleashed him they did!
Pretending to be a monster, Vahlkii carefully chased the Matoran.
The fled, protecting each other from attacks,
Though such attacks were not lethal.
Turaga of Air: And then the hero, Aranu, came to the Matoran!
Raising his rod, he charged the creature Vahlkii!
The Matoran, now becoming brave, faced him.
Vahlkii fell, but falsely.
Turaga of Water: The Matoran looked to Aranu, their hero!
Noticing their scars and their wounds,
They found they were brothers and sisters.
Aranu then stood in the midst of them with a speech most proud.
Aranu: Brothers, now do you see the will of Mata Nui?
We are to be united, for we are strong!
We are to duty, for we will have purpose!
We are to have destiny, so we can be remembered!
The rewards of following him are great!
Look upon me, I took such a journey myself!
Applause greats me again, something I strove!
My dignity is restored, thanks to all of you!
Turaga of Fire: You have fulfilled your destiny, Aranu!
Now that you are free, what shall you seek?
Will you stay here and guide these Matoran?
Aranu: I fear not, Turaga. That was your job to do!
You all failed to guide these Matoran, and still bicker amongst yourselves!
Perhaps you all ought to learn a thing or two,
From the virtues you always preach!
Farewell, friends. I have more destinies to take!
Turaga of Stone: And with that, the Toa disappeared.
His words rang true to us Turaga!
We were the misguided ones all along!
Now that the Matoran were unified, perhaps we should do the same!
Observation: This is perhaps the most famous epic for Aranu compiled. It is also the most complete. There is a lot to love here, with the irony of the Turaga not agreeing, Aranu's quest to redeem himself after bitter defeat, and the nobility of Vahlkii (whose existence is still debated). One should note, however, that this is most likely a fictional piece based on real events. The Turaga are purposefully not named, instead filling the stereotypical roles of elders for each of the main six tribes. The only named characters are our hero and his antagonist, in which he brilliantly defeats.
Turaga Komatri, the one who compiled the complete manuscript of this, has often emphasized how this tale shows more or less the three virtues in several actions, sometimes concurrently. Hence why it is named such; that was not the name of the original story. It was left unnamed for centuries. Overall, a personal favorite of mine as well!
The Pit of Riddles[]
Though the written version of this legend was lost ages ago, it was still been told verbally by Ga-Matoran students over the years. They eventually recorded it. Here it is in written form:
In time uncertain there was a Toa of Water.
Her name was Paranu, and she was a plotter!
The Mask of Wisdom was clad to her face,
And she showed it off with all of her grace.
Now an intelligent rahi who spoke with a slur,
Grew most envious of the mask and her.
So he himself thought of a game!
A trap of riddles to put the Toa to shame.
Disguised as an injured beast, he waited.
Paranu’s eyes had caught him, she was baited!
As she ran near to the Rahi, he groped.
With her leg in her hand, he coapt.
The Rahi dragged her into a pit!
He told her the only escape was her wit.
Paranu agreed to a riddling battle,
And if she won, she would tattle.
The Rahi agreed and gave the first query.
“Though da depths of this place are eerie,
It is a home to fountains and knowledge!
Rivaling Ga-Matoran college.”
Paranu laughed at the Rahi and smiled.
“Do you take me for a fool or a child?
The answer is easy, it’s Onu-Metru!
The archives, I bet you!”
“Now it is my turn to give an easy question.
Though they claim to clean and freshen,
They leave their garbage everywhere!
From the chutes to the square.”
The Rahi puzzles a bit, and then said,
“This is somewhere ye commonly tread.
My answer is a Le-Matoran, I’m content.
I can tell that ye abhor their scent.”
Paranu nods and determines the answer correct.
“Yes, Le-Matoran always leave things wrecked!
Now give me your question, my Rahi rival.
For I do seek to escape this place, for my survival.”
“Alright, Paranu, here is me question,” the beast growls.
“Yes I stand on two legs, yet I slither and prowl.
Many do not defeat me, in fact they dread!
In their shadow and hatred ye find yerself dead.”
“It is a Rahkshi,” Paranu quickly notes.
“Please, come up with something harder!” she gloats.
The Rahi becomes annoyed by her snide,
So the next one he takes time to bide.
“Alright, here is one you will never guess!
Though it runs by work, it never gets stress.
It is no landscape or building, it is more!
It is something even that I would adore!”
Paranu puzzles and thinks, and her mask glows.
“No! Do not use your mask! It must be what you know,”
The Rahi says to the Toa of Water, who removes her mask.
She knew she could do it, it was an easy task.
Then she went into meditation to think.
Then after a while, she opened her eyes and blinked.
“It is the Great Spirit!” she proclaimed.
“He is the only one you’d know who is famed!”
Now defeated, the Rahi attacks with a shriek.
For with her mask off, she was weak!
Yet Paranu was wise and dove for her mask,
Then with a blast of her power she finished the task.
The creature was now dead, wasted away.
Paranu grew remorseful, “All he wanted was to play!
But he wanted to kill me, I heard it in his voice!
So I had to be quick on my feet and make a choice!”
As Paranu climbed out of the cave, she stated,
“Perhaps that was the final riddle slated!
Whether to give up my pride and let him win,
Or kill the beast and live with sin!”
Observation: This is a favorite little tale to Ga-Matoran due to it's riddling schemes and the heroics of a Toa of Water. Through my observation with the similarities with the names, I would not be surprised if Paranu is a version of Aranu as a Toa of Water, since these legends have been around for ages. Though, most Ga-Matoran remark how the name similarities are solely coincidence.
Considering his future as a Toa without destiny, the gender of this Toa can be disputed. What cannot be disputed is Aranu's clear elemental difference. As well as the fact this is a work of fiction. So I fully admit Paranu being a different element version of Aranu is shaky. However, their characters feel similar to me, so does the storytelling. Stories also do change over time.
To Have No Destiny[]
To Have No Destiny - By Inferno
Chorus: Gathered friends, look above yourself at night,
And what shall you see?
The stars of Toa, who continue their quest for destiny.
Yet one existed who had no star,
Not constrained by the bindings of destiny.
He was a wanderer.
Do you not see? It is Aranu, famed Toa of Light.
Savior of Draxia, now searching for challengers.
For he desired to make his story his own.
Chorus: Above Aranu one night, a star shot across the sky.
He grew angry about it’s presence, how it followed him.
Aranu: Is there any way to escape from Mata Nui?
His plans are unclear. He leads me to failure.
I wish to make my own destiny.
Is that too much to ask for?
Turaga: Aranu, you do not know what you ask for!
Destiny is a beautiful thing. It keeps us from harm.
It gives us a purpose in this chaotic world.
Aranu: Then my purpose is to be a failure!
That’s all I see in my destiny before me.
Even when upholding his virtues, I gain nothing!
Turaga: You look at it wrong then, Toa.
You look to the now, but the wise see the future!
And in the future, I am certain there is reward!
Aranu: You cannot be certain, Turaga!
You have not seen the future, Mata Nui never shows!
Away with your slippery words,
I wish to find my own ground to stand upon.
Chorus: Desperate to make destiny his own,
Aranu travelled to his friend Vahlkii,
Wishing to know how to escape Mata Nui.
Vahlkii: You still wish to find the impossible?
To escape the will of Mata Nui?
Friend, you do not know what lies before you.
Why leave it to yourself?
Aranu: I feel more secure with myself in charge.
Than the Great Spirit who wrongs me still.
I wish to have power over what I do.
This desire is noble and right.
Vahlkii: Ponder, my friend, this very thing:
If you controlled your destiny, what about others?
They are still forced to live under certain paths.
What benefit will you have?
Aranu: At least a chance to make things my own!
Explore what I would never will explore!
Have things I never will have!
To think things I never would have!
Vahlkii: Very well, I cannot stop you.
I have warned you enough,
Go ahead and seek this path.
First, go the island of Destral.
There your first clue shall be found.
Aranu: I thank you, good guardian, and goodbye.
Chorus: And thus, Aranu took a trip to Destral,
Where the war waged on with the League of Six Kingdoms.
Into the lair of the great Makuta himself.
Aranu: This place is truly the house of a great tyrant!
Laden with traps that would take my life!
Push on I must, regardless of Rahi and sword!
Chorus: In the chamber he made it,
And on a pedestal he found a scroll, all alone.
He approached the pedestal, eager for knowledge.
Then Makuta appeared, intrigued by his guest.
Makuta: I do wonder what a Toa of Light is doing here?
And why you would wish to have a scroll so useless?
It is as if you want a death sentence.
Aranu: You and I know the importance of this scroll.
You shroud the truth in shadow, but I see past it!
This scroll leads to a path with no destiny,
Something you and I seem to both desire!
Makuta: Ah. Why do you think I would want that?
I foresee a future very much beneficial to me.
One that destiny leads on it’s own.
Yet you desire no destiny? No certainty?
Aranu: I wish to make the future my own.
Which is why I desire this scroll!
Makuta: Then you are my enemy, Toa!
Prepare yourself, I will not let you leave.
You endanger everything I have planned.
Chorus: Thus, Aranu prepared his rod and Makuta his staff.
Light against darkness, it seemed Aranu overcame!
Makuta sent his shadow hand to grab him,
But the power of light itself prevailed!
Makuta was weakened and fell to his knee.
Aranu was once again victorious.
Aranu: I shall leave with this scroll, Makuta,
But I ask one thing:
What is it you are secretly planning?
Chorus: Makuta remained silent and laughed.
Aranu, satisfied with his scroll, fled the fortress.
He read the scroll, which brought him to a land
Filled with nightmares and screams.
Karzahni!
Aranu: A terrible place, grey and bleak!
I could not believe Mata Nui would send Matoran here!
Is that his idea of destiny? Being bound to chains?
Karzahni: A nightmare to you, yes, Toa?
A world where a malevolent god is truly in charge!
That is what you fear, and wish to escape.
Haha! You can’t! Even now, the chains surround you!
A shame. A disgrace to a title such as Toa.
Your destiny will not be changed,
With or without the Mask of Destiny.
Aranu: So it does exist, and you know it!
It is a mask you say? Tell me where it is!
So that I may end this quest early!
Karzahni: That would be too easy, little Toa.
Besides, this is my domain.
I wish to look into your mind, take your mask!
Perhaps see if I can scare a Toa of Light!
Aranu: You will not have that pleasure, then!
Show me the piece of this scroll,
Or I shall have to defeat you like I did with Makuta!
Karzahni: You would lose in a fight, Toa.
But your quest does intrigue me.
How about this: I give you a game!
If you can survive the future I can create,
The scroll is yours!
Aranu: I shall take that challenge!
Bring me your worst nightmare,
For I have survived worst!
Karzahni: Very well, Toa. The challenge begins.
For my own sake, I hope you lose!
Chorus: The nightmare began as Karzahni used his mask!
What appeared in his eyes was a mysterious mask.
Aranu grabs it, holds it with glee!
And as he places it on his face,
There comes a wave of emotion over him.
Chorus: But for him, he saw what he was wishing for.
The future of him wearing the Mask of Destinies.
Before him, Matoran were in slumber.
Overlooking them was a shadowy evil.
Aranu tried to stop him, no matter the cost.
He used his rod and his mask, even the power of light.
Yet the more he tried to attack, nothing changed!
It was true what Karzahni said: though he was free,
He could change nothing!
Aranu: These are lies you feed me!
Nothing is that set in stone!
People are not statues, they move on their own!
What controls them is chaos,
With tyrants in charge!
If we realized our freedom, we’d understand
That destiny is what we make it to be!
Karzahni: You survived the future I had shown you.
Still denying the truth, but I digress!
Here is your scroll, Toa of Light.
Leave, before I make you fight for it!
Aranu: Farewell, lord of terror!
Let me see where this next piece leads me!
Chorus: The second piece led him to an island called Xia,
The home of a mountain that hungered and roared.
Aranu, brave to face this monster, set foot at the base.
Staring to the top, he climbed with all of his might.
He avoided traps along the way, until finally he made it to the top!
There, a lonely book was left.
Aranu picked it up, reading the script.
It was a map! To lead him through the Southern Islands safely!
It’s destination? The Mask of Destiny.
Chorus: Back to the southern islands the Toa went.
Bypassing Vahlkii, and travelling west.
The lands here truly were forgotten;
Creatures were found that Aranu never saw before!
Until at last, he came upon a tribe,
Of creatures known as Te-Tes,
Indigenous to these lands.
Aranu: Welcome, strange rahi!
I look for the one called Viluu.
Does he live among you?
Te-Te Chief: Viluu? Yes he is here.
He is in our temple, come and see!
Aranu: Viluu, I hear from these people
That you are truly great and powerful!
And the Guardian of Time, Vahlkii,
Tells me you are his master?
Viluu: Yes, I made him, and heard about you.
You blinded my guardian, bested him!
And now I read that you desire no destiny?
Aranu: I seek a legendary mask,
The Mask of Destinies! And from these scrolls,
I read that you know where it is?
Viluu: I do. In fact, I created the mask long ago.
It is here on my face, staring at you now.
It bids me nothing but for fashion and looks,
For I am already above Mata Nui’s influence.
Aranu: Then what exactly are you, may I ask?
Viluu: I am a greater being, your true creator.
Your quest for volition intrigues me,
As we did not intend for Matoran and Toa
To have such ambitious desires.
Aranu: May I have the Mask of Destiny, then?
I have impressed you with my quest.
This is the last thing I need to be complete!
Viluu: This mask will not bring completion, Aranu.
It is a curse to those who wear it.
No longer shall destiny protect you.
You shall persist in a terrible world,
One that shall tear you limb from limb!
So yes, you shall have this mask.
I will watch your progress, to see how you fare.
Then, when you fail, I shall take that mask back.
Aranu: Thank you. I assure you, with the help of this mask,
I shall do many mighty things!
Nothing will read me, and none will expect me!
Aranu will be remembered forever!
Viluu: Aranu, no more. Karhi you will be.
Aranu: A wanderer?
Viluu: THE Wanderer. The one who does not belong.
Farewell, Karhi. Now you shall guide yourself.
Chorus: Just then, when Karhi looked unto the heavens,
A star that shot across the sky flickered, then died.
The price to pay for freedom, it seemed.
Karhi, however, did not seem to care. He got his mask.
He now was a creator of his own destinies.
Observation: Where do I begin with this piece? It's stunning how Aranu would want to search for a way to escape his own destiny, yet in the earlier piece he was enforcing the idea of the three virtues to the Matoran. His sudden bout of depression hit him again and seemed to make him discover that he wished to be free of his Toa heroics. He shows no remorse losing his mark as a Toa.
I debate often that this piece is canon to the story of the Aranu, since further ones contain him using a powerful legendary mask, though he do not explain which one. Other stories fail to mention how he found such a mask. Yet many scholars of these legends claim that this story is simply apocryphal, considering how these events would only be known to Aranu, not witnesses. I think that is short sighted and assumes he was just myth. If Aranu truly existed, then he could have told people this tale and they repeated it to others. Aranu, after all, seemed to enjoy bragging. Therefore I add this to this recording on the tale of his legend.
The author of this tale is very interesting. He goes under the pseudonym of "Inferno". My theory is that he was someone who knew Karhi personally and wished not to disclose himself, and thus not disclose Karhi.
The Winged Messenger[]
The Winged Messenger. Surprisingly, attributed to the Order of Mata Nui as the author.
When a star flickers out of the sky in the night
Often a wish is the habit Matoran have.
When a star splits and crackles in the expanse
The Toa is fulfilled, and a Turaga joyous.
Yet this star burnt out within the light of the sun
The soul was a hallowed glacier.
The fool Toa, mistaken by his quest for glory
Had erased his labors and travels.
Was this the Toa of Light whose light brought victory?
Now it was covered in a dry cloak.
His armor, stained with scratches and glimmers
Were now rusted with scars and ashes.
How disgraced are the feet of the wanderer!
Aimlessly cut and bloodied from the earth.
The earth curses the wanderer with it’s toils.
The Great Spirit mocks him who walks from him.
An exile into the South, ventures of the unknown.
His spirit beside him as he walked forward.
A messenger was sent to him on his first day.
She descended to him with a spirit-filled heart.
With a sword of truth and the scythe of labor,
The winged creature pierced his soul.
His armor sickened with new rust and scars,
His clothe reminded of his toils.
Reality of the world entered his mind at once,
It’s barren meaning, and it’s bitter taste.
The truth was a sensation of withering,
His mistakes uprooted and cast to the side.
While his muscles, tired and stinging,
Were shambled in an imprisoning rest.
The messenger pulled on the chains
While she watched her foe give in.
“Why do you not fight?” she voiced.
“Are the chains too heavy for you?”
The Toa, disdained and defeated, gave in.
He raised his hands and weighed his words.
But the lies felt better than the crushing truth,
A relief of the yolk of Mata Nui’s labor.
Then, with deception as his strength,
He stole the chains from his messenger.
The Toa found pleasant labor in this betrayal,
His vile heart laughed in his rejection.
“My prisoner,” the one without destiny surveyed,
“I shall take these chains as my own
But you shall flee from me and tell of my victory,
Without the bolts of the Great Spirit!”
Yet the message of the Toa was lost to her
As she was freed of her stir.
The stones of Po-Metru dropped in her chest,
As the carvings of reality were a pedestal in her mind.
This world went against her very nature,
An alien felt the craftsmanship of the Great Spirit.
“Have you no destiny, like I?
Then we are both lost, though you remain home.”
“I am not lost,” the Toa growled.
“My destiny was useless and vile.
It has found its place in the world:
Casted far away from me!”
The Toa found his Rod of Light,
Dampened by the mud of his wanderings.
“I look for purpose,” the winged messenger said.
“What valleys and mountains must I climb to find it?
Are the secrets of this world in the clouds?
Or are they deep beneath the earth itself?
I am willing to wander as much as you do,
Though your wanderings are void.”
“There is no purpose here,” the Toa uttered.
“There is only servitude to the Great Spirit.”
Yet these words appealed to the messenger,
Helpful in their discouraging ways.
“Then to work is my purpose,” she said in reply.
“To serve shall be my strength, my mark.”
Thus the two parted ways in the thicket South.
One tailored with feet, the other of wings.
The Toa fell to the earth in his journey,
A Rahi desperate for sustenance.
The messenger flew to the new heavens,
And found her purpose to be fulfilled.
Observation: The Order of Mata Nui has claimed to have recorded this poem, since they were the ones who I got this source from. Though I am not familiar with any of the members being poets. The reason they claim authorship is because the winged member in the story happens to be their mysterious winged messenger, who they dubbed "Flagra".
I was not allowed to speak with Flagra, thus I cannot confirm if it is really her in this story. What I can confirm is that this is a story talking about Aranu after his acquisition of the Mask of Destinies. If Flagra is the winged messenger of this tale, then that means she had to have run into him. If only I could get an interview with her in the future to know more!
A Conversation[]
A Conversation, recorded by Inferno.
Karhi: This is insufferable and cruel!
My only need was destiny forsaken.
You punish me with a stinging throat,
And eyes that swell at distances so short.
Why is it wrong to take what I want?
Is it murder to just want my own pursuits?
You steal from my body,
churning the crawl of my knees.
Mata Nui: Was it not you who wanted this freedom?
I blessed you with virtues and duty, purpose.
Yet now you crawl to me in desperation?
Your words are empty to me.
Will you go out and curse me, O Karhi?
When your world lacks purpose,
As your throat runs dry,
When your world has no beauty?
Karhi: Your mercy goes in vain!
Clearly I was right to abandon you.
The pity displayed seems fitting!
How can I expect you to understand our toils?
Great and powerful Mata Nui!
Leaving us with virtues to live by!
To be united together yet not understand!
To work yet not know it’s ultimate purpose!
Mata Nui: Virtue and truth are words to live by.
The tongue you speak is not of one of my sons.
It sounds of my brothers who scheme and squander,
Wishing my place yet not understanding their own.
Even now your own legacy shall fade,
A fitting end to one who betrays his own great spirit!
Forgotten in time and life for the nothingness you gave!
Wasted in the shadows of the past.
Observation: I consider this the end of the story for Karhi. Nothing else seems to have been written, despite this ending being a little open ended. His fade into absolute obscurity seems to be his ultimate fate, a tragic end to his tale. Which makes me need to address why this seemingly arrogant character is revered as a hero in the culture of Karhi Nui.
Simply put, Aranu is a myth that warns us about the complications of destiny in our struggle to toil for the Great Spirit. Though starting off as a hero who saved his people, Aranu began to desire his own glory and self-interest. He upheld the virtues thinly. So why do we uphold him? Because we uphold what he once was. We uphold his heroics as a sample of what we could aspire to be, but in his image we also remind ourselves what we could be doomed to be.
Destiny was embodied by him, as it looked for ultimate purpose. I suppose that is what truly intrigues Chroniclers such as myself, and historians such as Turaga Guto and philosophers like Turaga Komatri. Whatever the case, may Mata Nui continue to guide us in his wisdom, gathered friends.
Characters[]
Continuity Notes[]
- This is the prologue episode of Insurgence, in a sort of way, though it is also a chapter in of itself.
- These chronicles would have been compiled over a short period of around 10 years for Fatorak's time, in the middle of the Great Cataclysm. He evidently came to Xia around the end of this compilation, where the first chapter of this series began.
Trivia[]
- One of BT's goals here was to try out some more abstract poetry styles to display a sense of culture, such as rhyming thematically in The Winged Messenger and Universe respectively. Though, they probably aren't that good...
- Classical Greek epics, like The Odyssey and Antigone, were inspirations for Unity, Duty, Destiny
- The scene with Gollum and Bilbo riddling in the Misty Mountains in The Hobbit was the inspiration for The Pit of Riddles.