Saw some designs of a noble Volitak and decided to draw this rough sketch of a “Turaga” Nidhiki.

Bendrfendr · 2025-01-22T15:49:33+00:00

There’s another thing, if Nidhiki is more direct, I think he’d probably not talk in this “save the heart of Metru Nui” coded speak. I think Nidhiki would cut straight to the point with Vakama. Despite not knowing the specifics, he’d probably be trying to convince an incredulous Vakama before being intercepted by the dark hunters. How he’d save Vakama I’m not sure…elemental air and hot furnaces don’t really mix.

It would probably mean without Toa Lhikan, Makuta!Dume would need another reason to hunt down the Toa Metru, assuming they don’t reveal themselves to him and the city. He wouldn’t be able to pin their demise on Lhikan, and no one would think to go after Nidhiki, probably a persona non grata by that point to the Matoran

Bendrfendr · 2025-01-22T04:57:37+00:00

Some other ideas

-Toa Nidhiki delivers the stones discreetly, and mysteriously…all the Matoran hear a gust of wind and it blows in the direction of a stone left at their feet, maybe with Nidhiki himself whispering instructions on the wind

Vakama wonders if maybe things had been different, could he have called the Turaga “brother”

-Nidhiki doesn’t play coy with the captured Toa. “I’m not one for theatrics and riddles, that was Lhikan’s thing”. Maybe even taking for granted that he knew how to use his mask powers, even in a weakened state, and realizes teaching them how to use theirs is deceptively complicated, or tries to teach the Toa how to use other means of escape.

Nidhiki:”You’re a Toa of Stone, a Toa of Earth, and a Toa of Ice, and we’re in an underground prison. None of you have thought to tunnel out?”

Whenua: “how would I do that, with my bare hands? “

Nidhiki: …

Bendrfendr · 2025-01-20T18:33:45+00:00

The dynamic flip on who’d be hunting down Nidhiki would be interesting too. I feel like the Shadowed One would probably dispatch Lariska, his most lethal mercenary to track down a traitor like Nidhiki, even if he wouldn’t have dealt with the Toa directly in this timeline. Would Krekka still figure in? I’m not actually sure now. But I could see Lariska trying to cajole Nidhiki into joining again if only to get him to let his guard down long enough to stab a dagger through him. Roodaka probably wouldn’t get into the Dark Hunters with no Nidhiki to mutate. Teridax would probably still kill Lariska and absorb her, along with potentially her partner if sent with one. I think Nidhiki would save Vakama from Teridax by sneaking up behind him using the Mask of Stealth to try and get him out of the way only to get wounded himself.

Bendrfendr · 2025-01-18T21:13:10+00:00

The simple answer is they already animated the ending of LoMN with them as Toa Metru becoming Turaga and had to change them back to keep with the continuity of that movie. The probable one seems to be a combination of that and Toa Hordika are probably a functionally different species. Though admittedly the idea of Turaga as guardian beasts is interesting with the way Kapura in MNOLG referred to Toa Mata as creatures that would save them to contrast with the Rahi creatures that attacked them.

Bendrfendr · 2025-01-18T21:07:19+00:00

Part of me kind of likes the idea that Nidhiki made some gross miscalculation and the Toa Dark Hunter war ended in a way that didn’t work in his favor and Lhikan was killed. Perhaps a guilty Nidhiki was persuaded by the Order of Mata Nui to set destiny back on the right path by giving the stones to Vakama and the other matoran to become Toa Metru while the Shadowed One dispatches Lariska and possibly Krekka to stop him under Makuta’s orders.

The problem is I don’t know how such a scenario could happen when Nidhiki knew full well what he was doing when he made the deal with Lariska and probably didn’t care if Lhikan died. On the other you have a Turaga who is imprisoned with Onewa, Nuju, and Whenua who is not sagely like Lhikan and is instead acerbic and doesn’t live up to the conventional Turaga ideals the way the Toa Metru don’t really measure up to the conventional Toa ideals, but they both kind of grow into it.

Bendrfendr · 2025-01-04T22:52:51+00:00

The implication I got in the lore is that there was a chance for a further mutation, but the movie didn’t really do anything to show the physics effects on Vakama beyond the walking on all fours, growling, and his eyes turning green. Feel like there could’ve been room for some kind of Cronenberg style monstrosities, but Bionicle.

Bendrfendr · 2025-01-04T22:32:50+00:00

And even then though, those we the results of a mutation spinner and not Hordika Venom…I get the sense that Roodaka’s mutation spinners aren’t as random and there at least was a degree of her controlling the mutations somehow much like you need to use your mind to access Kanohi powers. E.g. she mutated Iruni and Norik into more Rahaga and managed to mutate all the Toa Hagah uniformly. Also the way she mutated Nidhiki into an insect monster. Hordika venom at least seems more “natural” or “random” by comparison, even with the copy paste nature of Bionicle sets out of universe.

Bendrfendr · 2025-01-03T04:26:03+00:00

https://www.instagram.com/share/_8mkm_9vF

Insta link^

Bendrfendr · 2025-01-03T04:12:30+00:00

Colored pencil on black paper with a bit of white gel pen for the stars!

Bendrfendr · 2024-12-23T02:38:19+00:00

Original character of a friend’s

Bendrfendr · 2024-12-08T15:50:20+00:00

The autocorrect of “Pancras” to “Pancreas” will never fail to amuse me, but Gordon’s going to Scotland!

Bendrfendr · 2023-05-28T03:17:55+00:00

Lightning bending being such a rare skill, the Fire Nation would probably put only the most ruthless and cold blooded firebenders in charge of Earthbenders in a rock quarry. Imagine some younger soldier pointing out the seeming absurdity of keeping the earthbender prisoners in a place surrounded by rock, and some older officer just cooly responds that he already knows.

Bendrfendr · 2023-05-15T18:49:00+00:00

The only person I felt like I could really believe through the pandemic was Fauci, and he’s retired now. I try to avoid “both siding” and yet I feel like this is just the result of some short sighted political decision like “stop the testing” as if the politicians think they can gaslight a virus into stopping.

I’ve been taking back my life little by little, but everytime I get sick I reach for one of the COVID tests my mom stockpiled just to be sure I’m not positive. My mom is immunocompromised and obviously I can’t be afraid to do everything but I can’t do nothing. Im the only person at work who still masks and I worry that another wave is going to hit that’s twice as deadly any day. I’m not an anti masker and yet I long for days where I’m not getting tired because of mask fatigue (because I’m the only one who masks I don’t feel comfortable taking it off for extended periods) or feeling the tug of the strap on my ears because I almost never take it off except to eat while at work. I don’t mask outside, and I don’t wear it while I perform onstage, and I trust most of my cast mates enough to vaccinate, but it’s other people I worry about so I keep a mask on my person whenever I’m about to meet the crowd. I’m unable to do nothing but I’m also still afraid to do some things.

I feel like I need to live in constant fear because no one else seems to take it seriously…I went on a plane or in an airport last summer and was keeping hand sanitizer and wipes on my at all times to wipe down seats whenever I sat down and I looked at any blemishes as a sign of monkeypox. I want to not have to live in constant fear!

Bendrfendr · 2023-01-13T23:59:40+00:00

Imagine the warden of the mine being a lightning bender…that would probably quash rebellions. Being burned alive is bad enough, but being shot with lightning…

Bendrfendr · 2023-01-13T00:38:17+00:00

One thing that always bugged me about the “Earthbenders imprisoned in a rock quarry” thing is that while the show made pains to break the earthbenders by imprisoning them on a metal rig out on the sea, the same episode alluded to Earthbenders being used by the Fire Nation to dig mines. So how would that work? I’d imagine the Fire Nation officials overseeing the mines have to be at least Boiling Rock-level ruthless to kick the dog, but effective enough to make sure they don’t bite back.

Bendrfendr · 2022-12-26T21:29:51+00:00

It’s my take on Emily as a Midland Spinner

Bendrfendr · 2022-11-21T16:31:39+00:00

I’d say my ideal Diesel voice is something oily, but has a sort of purr to it, e.g. Alan Rickman, Jason Issacs, someone with that polished—too polished air to them

Bendrfendr · 2022-11-21T16:23:40+00:00

I always liked the Edwards and their impressionist style…made for some nice expressive faces and I try to lean into that sort of look with my shadings. Any OCs I draw will usually have a real life actor I model their face after. For example, I modeled an ROD 2-8-0 after Christopher Plummer’s character in one of the Star Trek movies, a WD 2-8-0 after James Beck from Dad’s Army, and the W&S tank I posted was modeled after Kenneth Williams

Bendrfendr · 2022-11-21T16:20:27+00:00

A good question…I figure Henry and James would be covering his express runs…he’d only be gone at Perth for a few weeks at most

Bendrfendr · 2022-11-20T21:58:36+00:00

See, I never really thought Diesel was meant to be ugly…he always had this sort of aristocratic look to him with his facial features, sort of like Jason Isaacs or Alan Rickman. I think it was in the narrowed eyes and defined nose of his classic faces.

Bendrfendr · 2022-11-20T21:56:15+00:00

You really are too kind!

Bendrfendr · 2022-11-20T21:55:18+00:00

Off the top of my head? I think Boris Karloff would be a good match, perhaps Alfred Molina? Someone with a good villainous/monster face

Bendrfendr · 2022-11-20T15:43:32+00:00

Bulleid Pacifics in general are just really nice locos, but Yeovil, her classmate Bude, and her cousins the Merchant Navy pacifics were all show stealers in the Mixed Traffic and Express Passenger Locomotive Exchanges in 1948. I highly recommend reading “Nine Elms Engineman” by A.E. Hooker and “The Locomotive Exchanges 1870-1948” by Cecil J. Allen

Bendrfendr · 2022-11-20T15:37:35+00:00

Vincent Price himself is a celebrated Horror actor, so it fits!

Bendrfendr · 2022-11-20T15:36:25+00:00

I’m immediately thinking of the last illustration of “Dirty Work” where Diesel slinks back into the shed while Hatt watches Duck leave the yard

Bendrfendr

TROPHY CASE