Greg believes the Vorox always had their stinger tails.
Malum did not kill the former pack leader of the Vorox.
Greg would say most if not all the known Agori were alive before the Shattering.
All of the known Glatorian were alive before the Shattering. Gresh is indeed a younger Glatorian, but he does remember the Shattering. He was simply too young to have fought in the war.
Greg: "Bone hunters generally don't use vehicles, because vehicles make noise. When you are doing midnight raids on villages, you don't want engine noises alerting everyone you are coming."
Greg, on why Surel does not live in a village: "Because there are no villages up there, and he felt he had been abandoned by his comrades, so why would he want to go live with them? He had a home, with the Iron Wolves."
Neither the baterra nor the Iron Wolves are made of protodermis.
The Iron Wolves were created prior to the EP war.
Usually, the #1 or #2 Glatorian helps train the trainee Glatorian.
Greg, on the system of two Glatorian per village: "[I]t's not a rule. It's more a custom born from the fact that most villages cannot afford to pay more than two main Glatorian in the style to which Glatorian have become accustomed."
Gresh's shield is called the "jungle shield."
Greg is sure that Vastus has won the Great Tournament before.
Strakk has never won the Tournament.
Of living Glatorian, Tarix has ranked up the most Tournament wins.
Iconox has not yet hired a #2 replacement for Gelu, since his retirement just happened.
Gelu's new job -- escorting traders through deserts filled with bone hunters and Vorox -- is MORE dangerous than being a Glatorian. He retired because there is more profit to be made as an armed guard than as a Glatorian.
Despite having two heads, the Spikit shares one mind.
Naming does not mean that a Skrall is of higher rank, only that he did something heroic once.
Branar will appear in the story again.
Ackar teaches Mata Nui melee fighting skills, out of good will.
Mata Nui will need to eat and sleep.
The Ignika cannot be used to heal.
Mata Nui will not be fighting as a Glatorian.
There is a special reason why the sword that Mata Nui finds on Bara Magna is reserved for him which will be explained in the movie.
BATERRA
The baterra are a doomsday weapon. The GBs knew the war was going to lead to cataclysm, and their "gentler" attempts to stop it had failed. So they went for a doomsday weapon, something that would wipe out the armies unless they laid down their weapons and stopped fighting. Unable to stop the war by any other means, the GBs unleashed them to kill any armed combatant. The baterra continue to follow their original programming, which is to destroy anyone taking part in the war - that is, anyone considered an armed combatant. They were an attempt to stop the war, not vengeance post-war.
Greg, on the GB's involvement with the baterra: "[I]f you wanted to stop a war, and you wanted to do it by force, would you restrict yourself to only going after, say, the top 10% of combatants? Wouldn't that leave the other 90% still fighting?"
Baterra have a default, un-shapeshifted form.
Baterra are mechanical.
There is actually a very easy way to stop a baterra from attacking you, but no one other than their creators knows what it is. This is done by surrendering one's weapons and armor, although it is always too late to do so once a baterra has seen them.
The Great Beings have already tried to deactivate the baterra using a failsafe, which was unsuccessful.
Baterra are sophisticated strategic thinkers, which is core to how they operate.
Greg: "I would say the things Mata Nui created would have to have come from programming given him by the GBs. But the baterra, in terms of physical appearance, are actualy much closer to looking like Bohrok than looking like Makuta. And the Makuta shapeshifting didn't happen until they evolved into antidermis, which the GBs did not know would happen."
SPHERUS MAGNA
The Great Beings were not a faction in the EP war.
Malum, Gelu, and Kiina fought in the EP war.
MATORAN UNIVERSE
Midak befriended the Toa while on Mata Nui.
The Ignika shares the Mata Nui robot's energy signature, so the robot can sense it. Mata Nui would be able to sense and locate any portion of his form which still contained that energy.
Greg, on the Mata Nui robot's destructive power: "He could certainly do a lot of damage to [a planet], but he wasn't designed for attack. His weaponry was for defense."
Mata Nui is only about 100,001 years old.
Greg: "I think Lariska has a conscience, and not all DH do."
Nocturn is dead, presumably killed by Hydraxon in an escape attempt.
THE RED STAR
The Red Star is involved in Mata Nui's transit. There is machinery inside the Red Star which facilitates this.
The Mata Nui robot could travel through space without the Red Star.
The Red Star has a solid hull. Greg doubts the Star is spherical.
The Great Beings put the inhabitants of the Red Star in it.
The energy which transformed the Matoran in to the Toa Inika originated from the Red Star itself, not its occupants.
GENERAL
GN #7 will collect the 2008 comics. GN #8 will feature three stories set on Bara Magna, featuring the set characters, that will be all new. Then GN #9 will collect the 2009 comics. Hydraxon's story will be set after Matoro's death.
Vastus is a little younger than Tarix, Kiina is quite a bit younger than Tarix, but older than Gresh.
The Book of Certavus is currently in Berix's possession.
EMPIRE OF THE SKRALL
Greg, on the baterra's ability to vanish: "Works like this. You and a friend are walking through a forest. One of the trees is actually a shapeshifted baterra. It turns back into a baterra, attacks your friend. When you turn to see what's happening, it's a tree again, so it seems to have vanished."
The baterra did not exist before the EP war. EP was not involved in their creation, and they might not even be biological beings at all. There is a reason they are so hostile, and they do not necessarily target only Skrall.
Branar looks like a standard Skrall soldier.
Surel is younger than Tarix and Certavus.
Surel's biomechanical wolves are very old.
During the war Element Lords were commanders of Glatorian.
Element-based tribes existed prior to the Element Lords.
Most special forces Skrall have names, but not all.
The baterra's weapons shapeshift with them, as appendages of their body.
GENERAL
The inhabitants of the Red Star have always resided there, and the Great Beings are aware of them. They are not baterra, Element Lords, or Great Beings.
Mata Nui's creation was indirectly related to the EP war.
The movie does not at all explore events prior to the Shattering.
The implants used by the inhabitants of Bara Magna are so efficient that they can be passed on to new individuals without use of sophisiticated technology, which they lack.
Glatorian death is extremely rare -- Glatorian matches are not to the death, and killing an opponent in the arena is treated the same way as a boxer killing another one in a match. Injuries, of course, can and do happen all the time.
Hundreds of Agori live in each village.
Gelu lost his match with Vulcanus to Ackar.
Gelu retired after the attack on Atero.
The name of the Glatorian in Riddle of the Great Beings, spelled out, is Surel.
Glatorian matches often have specifications for which weapons can or cannot be used, or other special rules.
Surel is probably around the same age as characters like Tarix and Strakk.
Special forces Skrall are put in charge of squads.
Mata Nui's new body is biologically identifiable as that of a Glatorian.
Greg, on summer characters in the movie: "Kiina, Ackar, Vastus, Mata Nui all have speaking roles, and the inspiration for Skopio appears."
Greg does not believe Ackar helped found the Glatorian system since Ackar was not in Vulcanus yet when the system was founded.
Vorox dislike Bone Hunters.
When Certavus was Iconox's #1 Glatorian, Strakk was #2.
Greg: "[The shapeshifters] were more a reaction to the war than active participants in it."
Greg: "The ELs [Element Lords] were originally planned to be part of later storyline, but due to some changes, I was able to move their arc to this year."
Changes in the story plan for 2010 have bumped up the introduction of the shapeshifters and Element Lords into the story. Greg says we are definitely going to see more of the Element Lords this year.
MATORAN UNIVERSE
Greg would define Vezon as a "violent sociopath."
The Nui Caves used by Axonn and the Matoran of Voya Nui when it sank are an upper region of the original homeland of the Av-Matoran.
The seven Turaga on Metru Nui have been imprisoned.
Greg approves of the name "tidal spear" for Gaaki's tool and "avalanche spear" for Pouks's tool.
Terminator: SCC is getting really intense; they built up a lot of plot this season that makes for great drama now. I'm proud of that show.
BARA MAGNA
Mata Nui has a mask, which he does not know well how to use, since he has never worn a mask before. And while the mask's powers COULD be used to kill all the Skrall, Mata Nui would not do that anymore than a Toa would. Mata Nui is a champion of life and light and does not kill his enemies.
Gelu did not retire because of age. He retired because, after the Skrall attack on Atero, there is a lot more profit to be made escorting caravans across the desert than there is fighting in the arena.
"The Crossing" takes place before and after the fall of Atero.
Gresh, the Skrall, the Vorox, Raanu, Metus, Berix, Tarix and Strakk all have speaking (or growling) roles in the movie.
Tuma sees no need for more leader class Skrall at this point. Why would he want to share leadership with someone else? The other leaders who died had their own troops of Skrall, this one's his.
Way up to the north, there is some water in the Skrall river, run-off from the snows on top of the mountains. But because of the extreme heat, it evaporates quickly, so that most of the river is dried-up river bed.
A village's #1 Glatorian is used for its most important matches, whereas its #2 is used for less important ones. A village uses trainee Glatorian for minor disputes.
Tesara: #1 is Vastus, #2 is Gresh.
Iconox: #1 is Strakk, #2 was Gelu (before retirement). Strakk is older than Gelu and has been fighting for longer, and he is therefore more experienced. Gelu is just younger than Strakk and older than Gresh.
Tajun: #1 is Tarix, #2 is Kiina.
Neither Gelu, Vastus, Ackar, nor Kiina were part of the founding of the Glatorian arena system.
Glatorian arena matches are reserved solely for disputes and not held for competition, except for those in the tournament.
Stronius has a brutal personality.
If a Skrall kills someone else for personal gain, he is executed.
Skrall value duty and obedience to their leader even at the cost of their own lives.
Gresh fought for Tesara in Vulcanus because Vastus had just finished three strenuous matches and needed a rest.
Tuma's title is "Leader."
Agori who fight in vehicles in the Arena fight for the same reason Glatorian fight -- they don't do fighting as entertainment, it wastes energy. You don't waste energy when you live in a desert. All villages employ such Agori, but they fight only for one village. They don't have the option of switching that Glatorian do.
The V# after Bara Magna vehicles designates model number. It is possible that more than one of each vehicle exists on the planet.
Both Strakk and Gelu knew Certavus personally. Strakk was active when Certavus fought, and Gelu was a trainee.
There are female Vorox and Zesk.
Ackar is the oldest active Glatorian.
Inhabitants of Bara Magna are older than those of the Matoran universe. No MN inhabitant is much older than 100,000 years plus a few months. We know there are Glatorian who were active in the war that preceded Mata Nui's creation, which puts them over 100,000 years old.
GENERAL
Teridax has not yet left the endless ocean planet.
The Great Beings would most likely speak Agori or some language related to it, but would also be able to speak and understand Matoran.
Protosteel is stronger than Exsidian.
Greg, on whether the Matoran were the first beings created by the Great Beings: "I would say no, because we know they experimented with organic life prior to ever making Matoran."
Greg would say it was a matter of months from when the Great Beings started to build the Matoran universe until Mata Nui's awakening.
Had Teridax's original plans had all worked, he would have seized Metru Nui 1000 years ago and never felt the need to become Mata Nui himself.
Greg: "I see Malum as very protective of the Vorox, especially the ones in his tribe. Let's face it, they took him in when his own people cast him out. As a result, he sees more "civilized values" in them than in Agori and Glatorian. Vorox don't lie; they kill only to protect themselves or to get things they need to survive; and they judge others based on something Malum respects, namely strength. So I would compare it to someone who has spent a lot of time with a pack of wild animals, and sees more honesty and nobility in them than he does in people."
Malum was banished after the arrival of the Skrall. He fought a Skrall in an arena match and lost.
The purported movie scene of Mata Nui's construction referred to the scene when Mata Nui forms his own body with the Ignika's power.
There are no electronics in use on Bara Magna.
Although Tuma is the last of his kind, more leader class Skrall may come into being.
Female Skrall serve as support staff for the army and do not resemble soldier or spec ops classes.
Mata Nui's new body is more organic than mechanical, since there are more organics for the Ignika to use on Bara Magna.
Malum's claws are removable.
The identity of the traitor to Tajun is involved in the movie plot.
Malum has no speaking lines in the movie and may not appear at all.
The Great Beings are mentioned in the movie.
Most villages have a #1 and #2 Glatorian, and trainees. Vulcanus only has a #1, since they exiled their #2. But Tajun has Tarix and Kiina, Tesara has Gresh and Vastus, and Iconox has Strakk and had Gelu, until he retired.
A Glatorian who does not fight for a village in some fashion normally doesn't get to live there, unless he is providing some other service (for example, Gelu no longer fights in the arena, but does provide armed escort for Iconox caravans). Glatorian who can't get hired by a village will normally live in the wastelands and become bandits, get killed by bone hunters, or wind up prisoners of the Skrall. Agori who were kicked out of their village would most likely die in the desert fairly quickly.
MATORAN UNIVERSE
The three arms on the Axalara T9 can be called "tri-cyclone stingers," and the blasters on the Rockoh T3 called "Rockslide Cannons."
Bomonga is in fact deputy leader of the Toa Hagah.
There are more Turaga in the Matoran universe than Toa.
Teridax destroyed Daxia's fortress but not the island.
Mata Nui does not get his shield until some time after he forms his body.
The Sand Tribe was a very populous force even before the disaster.
Tarduk borrowed the sand stalkers from Metus.
The Vorox and Zesk's regression had more to do with their psychology than anything else.
Certavus was one of the founders of the Glatorian system. Tarix got along with him.
Whether or not Bara Magna was once part of Spherus Magna and whether or not Skrall lived on Spherus Magna relates to future story.
The three known Skrall classes (leader, soldier, spec ops) are all that will be introduced this year; more may be introduced in future story if required.
Tarduk returns to Atero for the Great Tournament just after his northern expedition.
Female Skrall are not included in the army.
There were no female leader class Skrall.
The coloration of leader Skrall does not vary.
Scarabax beetles will appear in the movie, and there will also be a BrickMaster exclusive model of one.
In his new form Mata Nui is not stronger than non-Skrall Glatorian.
MATORAN UNIVERSE
Bomonga would most likely be the deputy leader of the Toa Hagah.
The OoMN destroyed the EP pool in Mangaia.
Hydraxon, Lesovikk, and Sarda are no longer in the Pit, having left to assist in the Destiny War.
SPIRIT: "When exactly did the Skrall move south? In the new comic, Strakk mentions that they were at the tournament last year, but I thought they left after that tournament, especially since Tarix won it (which he couldn't have done if there were Skrall in attendance)." Greg: "No, he doesn't. He says "just like they did last year," not "in last year's tournament." Think of it like this -- we have a tournament in January of 2008. You win. Binkmeister shows up in February and beats us both all year long. January of 2009 comes around, we have another tournament, and you can honestly say that Bink stomped us last year, since he did, from Feb. to December. So the answer is within the last year."
Ackar was the Glatorian champion several years back.
The Glatorian Legends characters (Ackar, Vastus, Gelu, Kiina) were also present at Atero to fight against the Skrall.
It's fairly common for Glatorian to wear armor that matches their affiliation, but not necessary. Gresh could decide to leave Tesara and work for Iconox and keep his green armor.
The chronological order is as follows: Secret of Certavus, Comic 1, MLN/Empire of the Skrall/Riddle of the Great Beings, Comic 2, Novel 1, Comic 3, Desert of Danger, Movie.
Mata Nui always had the ability to speak, but never did, for there was no one to talk to.
Tarix knew Certavus, as did many of the more veteran Glatorian.
Malum would help fight the Skrall in order to protect the Vorox.
The Zesk and Vorox would die for Malum's sake.
Tuma himself will be involved in combat at some point this year.
Although there are no established plans to do so, Greg assumes that the species of the Great Beings and of the shape shifters will be resolved sometime within the next 18 months.
The EP war is not something the Great Beings would have remembered fondly.
MATORAN UNIVERSE
The Great Beings secured the EP stored in Mata Nui's body when they knew where it was and sent someone to collect it for them while the war was going on.
Brutaka's changes are long-lasting but not permanent.
Greg, on whether Mata Nui is now more powerful than Toa Ignika: "I would say no, simply because Mata Nui does not have a handle on how to use the mask -- he's never had to use a mask before. Ignika, on the other hand, knew all its powers and how to use them."
The scarabax beetle is the stag beetle seen on the Bara Magna teaser on the November 08 comic.
Although the Great Beings did have something to with the Arena Magna's design, it was physically constructed by Agori.
"Ataku's Mark" in the My Lego Network campaign, obviously, is meant to say "Atakus's Mark."
Greg: "[The summer line is] being called legends because we had to call them "Glatorian something" to keep Glatorian in the name, and Legends tied in nicely with the name of the movie."
Mata Nui's new body will not be made of protodermis, since it is made of materials of Bara Magna.
The Ignika cannot share its thoughts or memories with Mata Nui.
A larger-scale version of the Mata Nui model will be released as a store exclusive.
Kiina is female and is older than Gresh.
Stronius is a Skrall.
Greg: "Stronius is part of a Skrall class that would be the equivalent of "special forces" who showed great heroism in battle, hence his having a name."
Ackar was the Glatorian champion in past years.
GLATORIAN
Greg: "[M]ost Glatorian are more like Strakk than like Gresh -- Gresh is young and idealistic. Most Glatorian are military veterans and for them this is a job -- it's how they get their food and shelter and equipment. It's not being done for noble and heroic reasons. They are basically like boxers, they fight because they get paid to do so."
Greg: "Certavus was a Glatorian from Iconox, who perished some time ago from natural causes after thousands of victories in the arena. He is the Glatorian equivalent of Babe Ruth or Muhammad Ali, basically."
Certavus was a champion of the Glatorian tournament.
All Glatorian are allowed to participate in the tournament, and most of them do.
GENERAL
Crotesius and Scodonius will be included in sets, but Kyry and Kirbold will not.
Greg: "Spherus Magna did not "turn into" anything and the Agori on Bara Magna always lived there."
Greg: "Matoran name themselves. Countless Matoran have come into being since the Great Beings created Mata Nui, and the GBs are not around to name anyone."
Greg: "Sandbat is a creature, looks like of like a python with bat wings. Lives under the sand, mostly, springs out, attacks you, then dives back under." Greg would say sand bats are a good 7-8 feet long.
The water tribe is probably the most economically powerful village, due to its water resources.
Greg, on the Rock tribe's access to advanced technology: "Has nothing to do with where they live. Has to do with where they LIVED." "Like the Skrall, the rock tribe was cut off from its homeland after the global disaster."
GLATORIAN
Not all the Glatorian were on the same side in the EP war. The Skrall, however, were all on the same side.
The annual tournament at the Arena Magna is called the Great Tournament.
AGORI
Metus's shield probably belonged to one of the Glatorian he trained and was given to him as payment.
Agori who remember life before the Shattering, if they were alive at the time, mostly don't like to talk about it and will often pretend ignorance if dealing with a complete stranger.
Physical characteristics such as strength do not vary among the Agori tribes; they vary with the individual, as in humans.
The Arena Magna was built by the Agori.
The sand tribe was always nomadic.
The Agori once lived on Spherus Magna.
BONE HUNTERS
Rock steeds are omnivores and are easily trained after subdued in battle.
Bone hunters capture rock steeds in the wild.
Fero and Skirmix are prominent in the first novel.
SERIALS
Vezon's Olmak is fused onto his face.
Scodonius is from Tajun.
GENERAL
Story
The Red Star was created before the Shattering.
Greg: "The timeline is, roughly, January comic -- Empire of the Skrall/Raid on Vulcanus/Riddle of the Great Beings -- The Crossing, Parts 1-4 -- March comic -- July comic/Crossing Parts 5-6 -- movie. Not sure where Sept. and Nov. comics will fall yet."
The characters in the movie will more closely resemble their set forms than in previous movies.
Matoran Universe
The Great Beings are the ones who tampered with the Blade Burrowers.
The two bodies near Mata Nui's consciousness under Metru Nui are not Great Beings.
Greg, on Mata Nui's knowledge of his mission: "There was obviously a lot of damage done to his memory by the virus, since he also does not remember why he was created."
