Lightstone Rifle

The Lightstone Rifle was a ranged weapon created on XiaXiaA hostile island southeast of Metru Nui, home to the Vortixx and their brutal mercenary culture. that fired electrically charged LightstonesLightstoneGlowing crystals that powered Onu-Koro's mines and revealed secrets beneath Mata Nui. to blind and disorient opponents. Its charged ammunition was particularly effective against the forces of the Brotherhood of MakutaThe Brotherhood of MakutaAn organization of Makuta created by Mata Nui to build Rahi and keep order in his universe, later seized by Teridax and turned into the instrument of the Plan that overthrew the Great Spirit., weakening MakutaMakuta (Species)Shadowy Antidermis beings and the Brotherhood's elite, Makuta commanded darkness and shaped the Matoran Universe's fate., RahkshiBionicle Rahkshi: the Sons of Makuta from Mask of LightRahkshi are armoured hunters made from kraata, the slug-like creatures of the Makuta. Six of them chased the Mask of Light across Mata Nui in 2003. Here's what they are, the different kinds and where they turn up in the films, books and comics., and other beings of ShadowShadowShadow was the elemental absence of Light in the Matoran Universe, wielded natively by the Makuta and weaponized through the Shadow Leeches.. (BIONICLE Storyline & Theories Contest #4: Xian Weapons)

Function#

The Lightstone Rifle worked by storing high-voltage electricity in a battery crystal at the back of the weapon and channeling that charge along a crystal track and a set of tubes into the LightstonesLightstoneGlowing crystals that powered Onu-Koro's mines and revealed secrets beneath Mata Nui. loaded inside it. A Lightstone in the barrel took about five minutes to charge fully, while those held in the detachable ammunition pack, which carried four additional stones, took roughly twenty minutes. The firing hammer was made from a KanokaKanoka DisksMetru Nui's most versatile artifact: flying disks equally at home in sport, combat, and crafting. disk of Speed. The rifle also carried a Lightstone focused by a crystal that acted as a sighting laser, which the user could cover with a small switch at the front. (BIONICLE Storyline & Theories Contest #4: Xian Weapons)

To fire, the user waited until the Lightstone in the barrel was crackling with energy, uncovered the laser, and took aim. Pulling the trigger rapidly drove the firing hammer into the charged Lightstone, launching it from the barrel. The electricity made the stone brittle, so it shattered on impact and released both the light stored inside it and the electrical charge in a single bright flash. (BIONICLE Storyline & Theories Contest #4: Xian Weapons)

Effects and purpose#

The flash produced by a shattering Lightstone stunned and blinded targets and could destabilize nearby structures. Its particular value lay in its effect on creatures of darkness: the burst of released light weakened MakutaMakuta (Species)Shadowy Antidermis beings and the Brotherhood's elite, Makuta commanded darkness and shaped the Matoran Universe's fate., RahkshiBionicle Rahkshi: the Sons of Makuta from Mask of LightRahkshi are armoured hunters made from kraata, the slug-like creatures of the Makuta. Six of them chased the Mask of Light across Mata Nui in 2003. Here's what they are, the different kinds and where they turn up in the films, books and comics., and other ShadowShadowShadow was the elemental absence of Light in the Matoran Universe, wielded natively by the Makuta and weaponized through the Shadow Leeches. beings, the natural enemies of light. That made the weapon especially effective against the forces of the Brotherhood of MakutaThe Brotherhood of MakutaAn organization of Makuta created by Mata Nui to build Rahi and keep order in his universe, later seized by Teridax and turned into the instrument of the Plan that overthrew the Great Spirit., Rahkshi above all. It worked well at medium and sniper range, and its metal front could serve as a clumsy block against melee attacks. Its limits were real, though: it was far weaker than the light of the Avohkii or of TakanuvaTakanuvaHidden among the Ta-Matoran as Takua, the disguised Av-Matoran who became Takanuva was the sole Toa of Light produced in the Matoran Universe's full history., so to a Makuta it was more of a nuisance than a threat, and a careless user could be blinded or stunned by the rifle's own battery. (BIONICLE Storyline & Theories Contest #4: Xian Weapons)