A couple weeks ago we featured a MOC by Lemony Lepid, titled Makuta Vonteka. This villain plays a part in a much larger story, particularly the lore of the Vtuber persona “Lemony”. Although I wanted to include details of Lemony back in Vonteka’s MOC feature, I believed Lemony deserved her own article.

Note: There is some profanity in Lemony’s streams.

If anyone isn’t aware of what Vtubing is, I would describe it as “producing video content and live-streams while acting out the character who their avatar depicts, and who acts as the video’s host”. Some Vtubers’ avatars are as simple as an image that lights up or moves slightly when the streamer talks, often called PNGTubers. Others employ complex software to create and animate CG and 2D avatars while a camera tracks and matches the avatar’s motions and facial expressions with that of it’s user. Lemony primarily uses a combination of a CG motion capture model and an animated scribbly version of herself.

Lemony’s back story is still a work in progress, none the less I find it fascinating. Lemony may appear to be a Toa, but she is actually a brakagi. These creatures are Rahi, created by Makuta Vonteka’s power and used to infiltrate matoran societies. Brakagi are entirely unaware of this fact, however they will loyally carry out Vonteka’s plan once she activates the suggestion implanted upon them at the time of their creation.

Under the right conditions, a brakagi matoran can transform much like a matoran can. However, the brakagi are only lookalikes, and as such lack the actual matoran biology to become a true toa. The most notable difference is that a Toa Brakagi lacks an elemental power. Instead, they mutate into a creature that resembles a hybrid of a toa and the Rahi that Vonteka molded them from. In Lemony’s case, this was the hoto.

Lemony’s transformation resulted in a beetle-like form, giving her four arms, wings, antennae, and some other insectile details. Lemony can fly, has bioluminescence, and her antennae grant her acute sensory abilities.

Her transformation apparently tipped her off to her true nature, and the matoran are aware of brakagi in her universe. Although Lemony has no ill-will toward the matoran, this presents a moral challenge to her and her society. Presumably, Vonteka will eventually activate her implanted suggestion, and she will become a threat to the matoran.

Although formally banished to a secluded island, she accepts this as a necessity to protect the matoran. Having the stigma of a Makuta time bomb associated to her, she doesn’t want anyone getting too attached nor sees any sense in being particularly heroic. She has become somewhat mischievous to deter friendly relationships, although won’t sit idly by when someone is in serious danger.

You can find Lemony Lepid streaming on youtube, and see her past videos in her channel. She’s also active on Twitter. If you like her streams and want to give her some support for future streams, you can also check out her Ko-Fi account.