The Forbidden Mask

The Forbidden Mask was an alternate name for the heretical KanohiKanohiMasks that grant powers and sustain life, they're the most vital artifact in the Matoran Universe. forged by MakutaMakuta (2015)Ekimu's brother and rival Mask Maker, who forged the forbidden Mask of Ultimate Power and was sealed in the Shadow Realm with Capital City. of OkotoOkotoOkoto is a world whose known inhabitants include the Toa, the Mask makers, and the Protectors., the mask whose construction broke the single sacred law of OkotanOkotanThe Okotans were the villager population of Okoto, six regional groups corresponding to the island's six elemental regions, who lived through the Battle of the Mask Makers, the long retreat into the lesser villages, and the recovery of the Ancient City after the defeat of Kulta and the revival of Ekimu. mask craft and whose destruction reshaped the island for a thousand years. It is the same artifact recorded in some sources as the Mask of Ultimate PowerMask of Ultimate PowerA heretical Kanohi forged by Makuta of Okoto that contained the powers of all six elements and ruined the Mask Makers' civilization the moment it was worn., and the Forbidden Mask designation reflects the religious-grade transgression that its very existence represented in the eyes of the Mask MakersThe Mask MakersThe two legendary craftsmen of Okoto, Ekimu and Makuta, who forged the island's Kanohi and whose rivalry ended in the cataclysm at Capital City. and the OkotanOkotanThe Okotans were the villager population of Okoto, six regional groups corresponding to the island's six elemental regions, who lived through the Battle of the Mask Makers, the long retreat into the lesser villages, and the recovery of the Ancient City after the defeat of Kulta and the revival of Ekimu. civilization that recognized their authority.

Why it was forbidden#

The OkotanOkotanThe Okotans were the villager population of Okoto, six regional groups corresponding to the island's six elemental regions, who lived through the Battle of the Mask Makers, the long retreat into the lesser villages, and the recovery of the Ancient City after the defeat of Kulta and the revival of Ekimu. mask craft was bound by a single sacred law. No KanohiKanohiMasks that grant powers and sustain life, they're the most vital artifact in the Matoran Universe. could contain the power of more than one element. Each Mask MakerThe Mask MakersThe two legendary craftsmen of Okoto, Ekimu and Makuta, who forged the island's Kanohi and whose rivalry ended in the cataclysm at Capital City. drew on one of the six Elemental Crystals (Fire, Ice, Jungle, Water, Stone, Earth) and worked it into a single mask, and power was capped at one element per face. The law was not an arbitrary craft convention. It was the foundational rule of the discipline, treated with the gravity of religious doctrine across OkotoOkotoOkoto is a world whose known inhabitants include the Toa, the Mask makers, and the Protectors., and the Mask MakersThe Mask MakersThe two legendary craftsmen of Okoto, Ekimu and Makuta, who forged the island's Kanohi and whose rivalry ended in the cataclysm at Capital City. themselves were its principal guardians.

MakutaMakuta (2015)Ekimu's brother and rival Mask Maker, who forged the forbidden Mask of Ultimate Power and was sealed in the Shadow Realm with Capital City. and his brother EkimuEkimu the Mask MakerEkimu was the legendary Mask Maker of Okoto, brother of Makuta, and bearer of the Mask of Creation who struck down his brother's tyranny at the cost of his own consciousness. were the two legendary Mask MakersThe Mask MakersThe two legendary craftsmen of Okoto, Ekimu and Makuta, who forged the island's Kanohi and whose rivalry ended in the cataclysm at Capital City. of OkotoOkotoOkoto is a world whose known inhabitants include the Toa, the Mask makers, and the Protectors.. EkimuEkimu the Mask MakerEkimu was the legendary Mask Maker of Okoto, brother of Makuta, and bearer of the Mask of Creation who struck down his brother's tyranny at the cost of his own consciousness.'s masks were favored by the islanders, and the imbalance bred jealousy in his brother. MakutaMakuta (2015)Ekimu's brother and rival Mask Maker, who forged the forbidden Mask of Ultimate Power and was sealed in the Shadow Realm with Capital City. attempted to redress the gap by handing out Masks of Power to the islanders, but the plan backfired and his jealousy reached the breaking point. In secret, he resolved to break the foundational rule itself, and he forged a mask that contained the powers of all six elements at once. The mask was not forbidden because it failed. It was forbidden because, as a deliberate violation of the central tenet of the craft, its very existence was the transgression. The name attached to the act, not to the artifact's effect.

Construction and powers#

The Forbidden Mask held the powers of all six OkotanOkotanThe Okotans were the villager population of Okoto, six regional groups corresponding to the island's six elemental regions, who lived through the Battle of the Mask Makers, the long retreat into the lesser villages, and the recovery of the Ancient City after the defeat of Kulta and the revival of Ekimu. elements simultaneously: Fire, Ice, Jungle, Water, Stone, and Earth. The combination meant that any single wearer would, on activation, have outranked every ProtectorProtectorsThe six elders of Okoto's villages, each wielding elemental powers and guarding their regions before the Toa arrived., every Elemental Creature, and every later ToaThe Toa of Okoto: The Six Heroes Summoned to Save the IslandThe six elemental heroes summoned by the Protectors of Okoto, who recovered the Golden Masks, woke Ekimu, fought the Skull Army, and twice banished Makuta to the Shadow Realm., each of whose authority drew from one element only. The architecture of OkotoOkotoOkoto is a world whose known inhabitants include the Toa, the Mask makers, and the Protectors.'s elemental order assumed a one-per-wielder distribution. The Forbidden Mask collapsed the entire elemental table into a single object.

The mask was never successfully channeled. When MakutaMakuta (2015)Ekimu's brother and rival Mask Maker, who forged the forbidden Mask of Ultimate Power and was sealed in the Shadow Realm with Capital City. donned it at Capital CityCapital CityThe former main city of Okoto, drawn into the Shadow Realm by the destruction of the Mask of Ultimate Power, leaving the Black Crater on the surface and a ruined court for Makuta in the dark below., its power proved too much for him. He was overwhelmed before he could demonstrate a single ability, and no recorded use of the mask's elemental capacity exists. The destruction that followed came not from the mask being used but from the manner of its removal. The combined six-element signature it carried was released in a single moment when EkimuEkimu the Mask MakerEkimu was the legendary Mask Maker of Okoto, brother of Makuta, and bearer of the Mask of Creation who struck down his brother's tyranny at the cost of his own consciousness.'s Hammer of PowerHammer of PowerThe Hammer of Power is a weapon wielded by Ekimu, capable of creating as well as melee and ranged combat. In its powered-up form, the hammer manifests as light, its colors intact. struck it from his brother's face, and that release reshaped the island.

The Battle of the Mask Makers#

The unveiling took place at Capital CityCapital CityThe former main city of Okoto, drawn into the Shadow Realm by the destruction of the Mask of Ultimate Power, leaving the Black Crater on the surface and a ruined court for Makuta in the dark below., the former main city of OkotoOkotoOkoto is a world whose known inhabitants include the Toa, the Mask makers, and the Protectors., which at the time was hosting an exhibition of ancient Masks of Power at its museum. MakutaMakuta (2015)Ekimu's brother and rival Mask Maker, who forged the forbidden Mask of Ultimate Power and was sealed in the Shadow Realm with Capital City. attended at the invitation of the city's chief and chose the exhibition as the moment to don his new mask before the assembled crowd. EkimuEkimu the Mask MakerEkimu was the legendary Mask Maker of Okoto, brother of Makuta, and bearer of the Mask of Creation who struck down his brother's tyranny at the cost of his own consciousness. arrived at the same moment. Recognizing what his brother had done, EkimuEkimu the Mask MakerEkimu was the legendary Mask Maker of Okoto, brother of Makuta, and bearer of the Mask of Creation who struck down his brother's tyranny at the cost of his own consciousness. used the Hammer of PowerHammer of PowerThe Hammer of Power is a weapon wielded by Ekimu, capable of creating as well as melee and ranged combat. In its powered-up form, the hammer manifests as light, its colors intact. to knock the mask from MakutaMakuta (2015)Ekimu's brother and rival Mask Maker, who forged the forbidden Mask of Ultimate Power and was sealed in the Shadow Realm with Capital City.'s face. The Hammer was a Mask MakerThe Mask MakersThe two legendary craftsmen of Okoto, Ekimu and Makuta, who forged the island's Kanohi and whose rivalry ended in the cataclysm at Capital City. tool forged for shaping KanohiKanohiMasks that grant powers and sustain life, they're the most vital artifact in the Matoran Universe., and it was the only weapon on OkotoOkotoOkoto is a world whose known inhabitants include the Toa, the Mask makers, and the Protectors. capable of striking the heretical mask cleanly.

The resulting explosion sent MakutaMakuta (2015)Ekimu's brother and rival Mask Maker, who forged the forbidden Mask of Ultimate Power and was sealed in the Shadow Realm with Capital City. and Capital CityCapital CityThe former main city of Okoto, drawn into the Shadow Realm by the destruction of the Mask of Ultimate Power, leaving the Black Crater on the surface and a ruined court for Makuta in the dark below. into the Shadow RealmShadow DimensionAn alternate dimension sealed forever after Makuta was pulled in by the Mask of Ultimate Power's destruction, then trapped by the Toa's combined elemental assault., and the Mask of CreationThe Mask of CreationThe signature Kanohi of Ekimu the Mask Maker, capable of bringing into being whatever its wearer envisioned. Stolen by Kulta the Skull Grinder, reclaimed at the Mask Makers' forge, and worn again in the final defence of Okoto., Mask of ControlThe Mask of ControlThe Kanohi of mind control once worn by Makuta of Okoto, hidden by the Elemental Creatures, sought by the Toa, and lost with Umarak the Destroyer at the Black Crater., the Golden MasksThe Six Golden Masks of Power of OkotoThe ultimate elemental Kanohi of Okoto, forged by Ekimu from sacred Elemental Crystals, hidden in shrines across the island, and worn by the Toa as the proof and the instrument of the Prophecy of Heroes. of the Toa, and the fragments of the Forbidden Mask were scattered across OkotoOkotoOkoto is a world whose known inhabitants include the Toa, the Mask makers, and the Protectors.. EkimuEkimu the Mask MakerEkimu was the legendary Mask Maker of Okoto, brother of Makuta, and bearer of the Mask of Creation who struck down his brother's tyranny at the cost of his own consciousness. was left in a coma that lasted a thousand years. The OkotanOkotanThe Okotans were the villager population of Okoto, six regional groups corresponding to the island's six elemental regions, who lived through the Battle of the Mask Makers, the long retreat into the lesser villages, and the recovery of the Ancient City after the defeat of Kulta and the revival of Ekimu. villages were left without their Mask MakersThe Mask MakersThe two legendary craftsmen of Okoto, Ekimu and Makuta, who forged the island's Kanohi and whose rivalry ended in the cataclysm at Capital City., and the ProtectorsProtectorsThe six elders of Okoto's villages, each wielding elemental powers and guarding their regions before the Toa arrived. retreated to the lesser settlements to guide the surviving islanders. The pre-Toa civilization of OkotoOkotoOkoto is a world whose known inhabitants include the Toa, the Mask makers, and the Protectors. effectively ended in a single morning, and the site of Capital CityCapital CityThe former main city of Okoto, drawn into the Shadow Realm by the destruction of the Mask of Ultimate Power, leaving the Black Crater on the surface and a ruined court for Makuta in the dark below. became the crater later known as the Black VolcanoBlack VolcanoThe volcano that Umarak raised from the Black Crater on the former site of Capital City, atop which the second portal to the Shadow Realm formed and the Okoto campaign was decided..

The scattered fragments#

The Forbidden Mask was the only object on OkotoOkotoOkoto is a world whose known inhabitants include the Toa, the Mask makers, and the Protectors. that had ever carried the combined six-element signature, and the fragments that survived its destruction were the only matter on the island that still carried it. The signature was therefore unique. It could not be reproduced from any single Elemental Crystal or any pairing or triplet of them, because the act of combining all six into one KanohiKanohiMasks that grant powers and sustain life, they're the most vital artifact in the Matoran Universe. had been a Mask MakerThe Mask MakersThe two legendary craftsmen of Okoto, Ekimu and Makuta, who forged the island's Kanohi and whose rivalry ended in the cataclysm at Capital City. act and the Mask MakersThe Mask MakersThe two legendary craftsmen of Okoto, Ekimu and Makuta, who forged the island's Kanohi and whose rivalry ended in the cataclysm at Capital City. were not in the business of repeating it.

That uniqueness made the fragments themselves into objects of consequence. Trapped within the Shadow RealmShadow DimensionAn alternate dimension sealed forever after Makuta was pulled in by the Mask of Ultimate Power's destruction, then trapped by the Toa's combined elemental assault., MakutaMakuta (2015)Ekimu's brother and rival Mask Maker, who forged the forbidden Mask of Ultimate Power and was sealed in the Shadow Realm with Capital City. could not escape on his own. The portal that had drawn him in had been opened by the release of the combined six-element signature at the moment of the mask's destruction, and only the same signature could open the door again. The fragments were that signature, in scattered form, distributed across the island after the cataclysm.

Umarak's recovery#

MakutaMakuta (2015)Ekimu's brother and rival Mask Maker, who forged the forbidden Mask of Ultimate Power and was sealed in the Shadow Realm with Capital City. routed the recovery through UmarakUmarakUmarak hunted the Elemental Creatures of Okoto until the Mask of Control bound him to Makuta's will and remade him as the Destroyer. the Hunter. UmarakUmarakUmarak hunted the Elemental Creatures of Okoto until the Mask of Control bound him to Makuta's will and remade him as the Destroyer. was already operating in MakutaMakuta (2015)Ekimu's brother and rival Mask Maker, who forged the forbidden Mask of Ultimate Power and was sealed in the Shadow Realm with Capital City.'s service, and after he was tricked into donning the Mask of ControlThe Mask of ControlThe Kanohi of mind control once worn by Makuta of Okoto, hidden by the Elemental Creatures, sought by the Toa, and lost with Umarak the Destroyer at the Black Crater. MakutaMakuta (2015)Ekimu's brother and rival Mask Maker, who forged the forbidden Mask of Ultimate Power and was sealed in the Shadow Realm with Capital City. gained complete control over him and transformed him into UmarakUmarakUmarak hunted the Elemental Creatures of Okoto until the Mask of Control bound him to Makuta's will and remade him as the Destroyer. the Destroyer. The Hunter was directed to locate the scattered fragments of the Forbidden Mask, in order to free his master from the Shadow RealmShadow DimensionAn alternate dimension sealed forever after Makuta was pulled in by the Mask of Ultimate Power's destruction, then trapped by the Toa's combined elemental assault..

The recovery operation was covered by a distraction. MakutaMakuta (2015)Ekimu's brother and rival Mask Maker, who forged the forbidden Mask of Ultimate Power and was sealed in the Shadow Realm with Capital City. raised three variants of Elemental BeastElemental BeastsThree variants of humanoid beast, each grown from a single mutated Shadow Trap by Umarak the Destroyer to occupy the Toa of Okoto., each mutated from the Shadow TrapsShadow TrapsUmarak's bite-sized servants, each engineered for a specific Okoto environment. of a different element, and sent the Lava, Storm, and Quake Beasts against the ToaThe Toa of Okoto: The Six Heroes Summoned to Save the IslandThe six elemental heroes summoned by the Protectors of Okoto, who recovered the Golden Masks, woke Ekimu, fought the Skull Army, and twice banished Makuta to the Shadow Realm. while UmarakUmarakUmarak hunted the Elemental Creatures of Okoto until the Mask of Control bound him to Makuta's will and remade him as the Destroyer. sought the pieces. The cover held long enough for UmarakUmarakUmarak hunted the Elemental Creatures of Okoto until the Mask of Control bound him to Makuta's will and remade him as the Destroyer. to collect the fragments and travel to the Black CraterBlack CraterThe vast depression in Okoto's Region of Stone, left when the Mask of Ultimate Power drew Capital City into the Shadow Realm, and the site from which Umarak later raised the Black Volcano. that stood on the former site of Capital CityCapital CityThe former main city of Okoto, drawn into the Shadow Realm by the destruction of the Mask of Ultimate Power, leaving the Black Crater on the surface and a ruined court for Makuta in the dark below.. There he performed a ritual that began to reopen the portal, using the scattered fragments, the stolen weapons of the ToaThe Toa of Okoto: The Six Heroes Summoned to Save the IslandThe six elemental heroes summoned by the Protectors of Okoto, who recovered the Golden Masks, woke Ekimu, fought the Skull Army, and twice banished Makuta to the Shadow Realm., and the gathered elemental energies to recreate the conditions of the original cataclysm.

The closing of the portal#

The portal nearly reopened. When MakutaMakuta (2015)Ekimu's brother and rival Mask Maker, who forged the forbidden Mask of Ultimate Power and was sealed in the Shadow Realm with Capital City. was about to be freed, the ToaThe Toa of Okoto: The Six Heroes Summoned to Save the IslandThe six elemental heroes summoned by the Protectors of Okoto, who recovered the Golden Masks, woke Ekimu, fought the Skull Army, and twice banished Makuta to the Shadow Realm. stopped him by combining their elemental powers into a single counter-effect. The same recipe that had originally created the portal, six elements concentrated into one act, was used to close it. The light energies of EkimuEkimu the Mask MakerEkimu was the legendary Mask Maker of Okoto, brother of Makuta, and bearer of the Mask of Creation who struck down his brother's tyranny at the cost of his own consciousness. and the Elemental Creature AgilAgilAgil was an Elemental Creature of Light native to Okoto, gold and silver in coloring and armed with talons, who served as the partner of Ekimu. were unleashed against UmarakUmarakUmarak hunted the Elemental Creatures of Okoto until the Mask of Control bound him to Makuta's will and remade him as the Destroyer. at the same moment.

The Forbidden Mask was not reforged. Its fragments were neutralized, the portal collapsed, and MakutaMakuta (2015)Ekimu's brother and rival Mask Maker, who forged the forbidden Mask of Ultimate Power and was sealed in the Shadow Realm with Capital City. remained trapped in the Shadow RealmShadow DimensionAn alternate dimension sealed forever after Makuta was pulled in by the Mask of Ultimate Power's destruction, then trapped by the Toa's combined elemental assault.. The Mask MakersThe Mask MakersThe two legendary craftsmen of Okoto, Ekimu and Makuta, who forged the island's Kanohi and whose rivalry ended in the cataclysm at Capital City.' single-element rule was preserved as the operating principle of OkotanOkotanThe Okotans were the villager population of Okoto, six regional groups corresponding to the island's six elemental regions, who lived through the Battle of the Mask Makers, the long retreat into the lesser villages, and the recovery of the Ancient City after the defeat of Kulta and the revival of Ekimu. craft, and the Forbidden Mask passed from the category of active artifact into the category of cautionary record. Of the three legendary masks scattered after the Battle, the Mask of CreationThe Mask of CreationThe signature Kanohi of Ekimu the Mask Maker, capable of bringing into being whatever its wearer envisioned. Stolen by Kulta the Skull Grinder, reclaimed at the Mask Makers' forge, and worn again in the final defence of Okoto. and the Mask of ControlThe Mask of ControlThe Kanohi of mind control once worn by Makuta of Okoto, hidden by the Elemental Creatures, sought by the Toa, and lost with Umarak the Destroyer at the Black Crater. were eventually recovered as functional objects. The Forbidden Mask was recovered only as evidence that the law against it had been correct.