The Gathering of the Protectors

The Gathering of the ProtectorsProtectorsThe six elders of Okoto's villages, each wielding elemental powers and guarding their regions before the Toa arrived. was the formal rite at which the six village elders of OkotoOkotoOkoto is a world whose known inhabitants include the Toa, the Mask makers, and the Protectors. convened at the Temple of TimeThe Temple of TimeThe Protectors' most sacred site on Okoto, built to house the Mask of Time and the place at which Ekimu received the vision that prepared the island for the coming of the Toa., recited the Prophecy of HeroesThe Prophecy of HeroesThe dying instruction that the Mask Maker Ekimu pressed into the Protectors of Okoto, foretelling the coming of six Toa and the sign of the aligned stars that would let them be summoned. around the Mask of TimeMask of TimeThe Kanohi Vahi is the Matoran Universe's deadliest mask, capable of stopping or accelerating time, and its creation nearly tore Metru Nui apart., and summoned the six prophesied 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. from the sky onto their respective regions. It was the act through which the long preparation begun by 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. before the Battle of the Mask MakersThe Battle of the Mask MakersThe unveiling of the Mask of Ultimate Power at Capital City, the strike of the Hammer of Power, and the cataclysm that drew a metropolis into the Shadow Realm and left Okoto without its Mask Makers. was finally answered, and the event from which the entire OkotanOkotoOkoto is a world whose known inhabitants include the Toa, the Mask makers, and the Protectors. campaign against the Skull SpidersSkull SpidersThe arachnid swarm that raided the villages of Okoto, clamped infection masks onto its captives, guarded the City of the Mask Makers under the Lord of Skull Spiders, and broke against the arrival of the Toa., the Skull ArmyThe Skull ArmyThe undead host raised by Kulta beneath the City of the Mask Makers, drawn from the corpses of fallen Okotans, organised into tiers of Skull Basher, Skull Slicer, Skull Warriors, and Skull Scorpios, and aimed at the destruction of the Mask of Creation., and ultimately 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. himself proceeded.

The prophecy carried across centuries#

The conditions for the Gathering had been set before any of the ProtectorsProtectorsThe six elders of Okoto's villages, each wielding elemental powers and guarding their regions before the Toa arrived. who would conduct it were born. After the Battle of the Mask MakersThe Battle of the Mask MakersThe unveiling of the Mask of Ultimate Power at Capital City, the strike of the Hammer of Power, and the cataclysm that drew a metropolis into the Shadow Realm and left Okoto without its Mask Makers., with 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. drawn 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 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. struck down by the shock wave from the destruction of 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., the surviving ProtectorsProtectorsThe six elders of Okoto's villages, each wielding elemental powers and guarding their regions before the Toa arrived. of that generation had carried the comatose Mask Maker back to the City of the Mask MakersCapital 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.. Before losing consciousness, 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. had whispered the Prophecy of HeroesThe Prophecy of HeroesThe dying instruction that the Mask Maker Ekimu pressed into the Protectors of Okoto, foretelling the coming of six Toa and the sign of the aligned stars that would let them be summoned. to the ProtectorsProtectorsThe six elders of Okoto's villages, each wielding elemental powers and guarding their regions before the Toa arrived.. The prophecy was the warning he had received through the Mask of TimeMask of TimeThe Kanohi Vahi is the Matoran Universe's deadliest mask, capable of stopping or accelerating time, and its creation nearly tore Metru Nui apart. at the temple before the cataclysm, distilled into the verses that the ProtectorsProtectorsThe six elders of Okoto's villages, each wielding elemental powers and guarding their regions before the Toa arrived. were charged to recite in times of peril.

The prophecy did not pass into general circulation among the Okotans. It was held by the ProtectorsProtectorsThe six elders of Okoto's villages, each wielding elemental powers and guarding their regions before the Toa arrived. as their distinct inheritance, transmitted from each generation to the next as the principal sacred teaching of the office. NarmotoNarmoto, Protector of Fire of OkotoNarmoto was the village elder and Protector of Fire in the second age of Okoto, wielder of the Elemental Fire Blaster and the Flame Swords, descendant of Mamuk, and guide who led Tahu across the volcanic region to the Golden Mask of Fire. of Fire learned the prophecy from his father along with the duty of defending the Region of FireRegion of FireThe volcanic region of Okoto, home of the Fire Tribe and the Protector of Fire, Narmoto, and the country in which Tahu landed and was guided across lava streams and erupting mountains to claim the Golden Mask of Fire.. KivodaKivoda, Protector of Water of OkotoKivoda was the village elder and Protector of Water in the second age of Okoto, wielder of the Elemental Torpedo Blaster, descendant of Owaki, and guide who led Gali through the underwater region to the Golden Mask of Water. of Water received the same teaching from his father in the underwater village of the Region of WaterRegion of WaterThe eastern water province of Okoto, home of the Water Tribe and the Protector of Water, Kivoda, and the region through which Gali was guided across rivers, lakes, and deltas to claim the Golden Mask of Water.. KorgotKorgot, Protector of Earth of OkotoKorgot was the village elder and Protector of Earth in the second age of Okoto, the only female Protector, descendant of Etoku, and guide who led Onua through the tunnels and caverns beneath the island to the Golden Mask of Earth. of Earth inherited it as the sole female Protector of her line. The other three ProtectorsProtectorsThe six elders of Okoto's villages, each wielding elemental powers and guarding their regions before the Toa arrived. of the current generation, IzotorIzotor, Protector of Ice of OkotoIzotor was the village chief and Protector of Ice in the second age of Okoto, wielder of the Elemental Ice Blaster and the Ice Saw, descendant of Uganu, and guide who led Kopaka for weeks through the snowbound tundra to the Golden Mask of Ice. of Ice, VizunaVizuna, Protector of Jungle of OkotoVizuna was the village elder and Protector of Jungle in the second age of Okoto, wielder of the Air Elemental Flame Bow, descendant of Agarak, and guide who led Lewa through the rainforests to the Golden Mask of Jungle. of Jungle, and NilkuuNilkuu, Protector of Stone of OkotoNilkuu was the village elder and Protector of Stone in the second age of Okoto, wielder of the Elemental Sandstone Blaster, rescuer of Bingzak, and guide who led Pohatu across the desert to the Golden Mask of Stone. of Stone, each received the same words through the corresponding chain of office.

The prophecy specified two conditions for its invocation. It could only be answered when the stars over OkotoOkotoOkoto is a world whose known inhabitants include the Toa, the Mask makers, and the Protectors. reached an alignment that the verses themselves identified, and the recitation could only be performed at the Temple of TimeThe Temple of TimeThe Protectors' most sacred site on Okoto, built to house the Mask of Time and the place at which Ekimu received the vision that prepared the island for the coming of the Toa., where the Mask of TimeMask of TimeThe Kanohi Vahi is the Matoran Universe's deadliest mask, capable of stopping or accelerating time, and its creation nearly tore Metru Nui apart. was kept in its vault. The combination of the two conditions meant that the rite could not be improvised, anticipated, or attempted out of season. The ProtectorsProtectorsThe six elders of Okoto's villages, each wielding elemental powers and guarding their regions before the Toa arrived. who had carried the prophecy across the centuries had transmitted it as a teaching to be recited only when the moment described in the verses arrived, and not before.

The Skull Spider plague#

The trigger for the rite was the rise of the Skull SpidersSkull SpidersThe arachnid swarm that raided the villages of Okoto, clamped infection masks onto its captives, guarded the City of the Mask Makers under the Lord of Skull Spiders, and broke against the arrival of the Toa. under the Lord of Skull SpidersLord of Skull SpidersAn oversized Skull Spider that guarded the ancient City of the Mask Makers and commanded the rest of its species through the Golden Mask of the Skull Spiders.. The infestation began as a regional menace and grew into an island-wide crisis as the Lord consolidated its hold on the territory abandoned around 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. and extended its reach into the six regions. The Skull SpidersSkull SpidersThe arachnid swarm that raided the villages of Okoto, clamped infection masks onto its captives, guarded the City of the Mask Makers under the Lord of Skull Spiders, and broke against the arrival of the Toa. attacked villages, drove villagers from their homes, and rendered roads between regions impassable. NarmotoNarmoto, Protector of Fire of OkotoNarmoto was the village elder and Protector of Fire in the second age of Okoto, wielder of the Elemental Fire Blaster and the Flame Swords, descendant of Mamuk, and guide who led Tahu across the volcanic region to the Golden Mask of Fire.'s village was struck by Skull Spider attacks in the Region of FireRegion of FireThe volcanic region of Okoto, home of the Fire Tribe and the Protector of Fire, Narmoto, and the country in which Tahu landed and was guided across lava streams and erupting mountains to claim the Golden Mask of Fire., the same pattern repeating in each of the other regions.

The ProtectorsProtectorsThe six elders of Okoto's villages, each wielding elemental powers and guarding their regions before the Toa arrived. had been raised to defend their respective territories from local threats, and each was equipped with an Elemental Blaster and a hereditary Protector Mask for that purpose. The Skull Spider crisis was beyond their capacity. The infestation was coordinated, sustained, and present in every region simultaneously, and no single Protector could contain it within his or her own boundaries. The teaching the ProtectorsProtectorsThe six elders of Okoto's villages, each wielding elemental powers and guarding their regions before the Toa arrived. had received from their predecessors was specific: when peril of this scale arrived, the prophecy was to be recited.

The stars duly aligned. The Protectors recognised the configuration as the one their forebears had described and prepared for the journey to the temple. Each travelled from a region under active Skull Spider pressure, leaving their villages without their elder for the duration of the rite. The decision to leave the villages exposed was an acknowledgement that the Skull Spider crisis could no longer be addressed by regional means and that the rescue the prophecy described was now the only available course.

The journey to the temple#

The roads to the Temple of TimeThe Temple of TimeThe Protectors' most sacred site on Okoto, built to house the Mask of Time and the place at which Ekimu received the vision that prepared the island for the coming of the Toa. crossed terrain that the Skull SpidersSkull SpidersThe arachnid swarm that raided the villages of Okoto, clamped infection masks onto its captives, guarded the City of the Mask Makers under the Lord of Skull Spiders, and broke against the arrival of the Toa. had made hostile. The Protectors moved through their own and neighbouring regions on foot or by region-appropriate transport, and each encountered the consequences of the infestation on the way. NilkuuNilkuu, Protector of Stone of OkotoNilkuu was the village elder and Protector of Stone in the second age of Okoto, wielder of the Elemental Sandstone Blaster, rescuer of Bingzak, and guide who led Pohatu across the desert to the Golden Mask of Stone. of Stone became lost in the Region of JungleRegion of JungleThe rainforest region of Okoto, home of the Jungle Tribe and the Protector of Jungle, ground over which Lewa sought the Golden Mask of Jungle and bonded with Uxar, and the coast from which the Labyrinth of Control rose offshore. during his crossing, and was guided to the temple by a young 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. named BingzakBingzakBingzak was a young villager from the Region of Jungle on Okoto, sole apparent survivor of a Skull Spider raid that destroyed his village, rescued by Nilkuu in the forest and the guide who led the Protector of Stone to the Temple of Time., who had been driven from his village by Skull SpidersSkull SpidersThe arachnid swarm that raided the villages of Okoto, clamped infection masks onto its captives, guarded the City of the Mask Makers under the Lord of Skull Spiders, and broke against the arrival of the Toa. and had attached himself to the Protector on the road. The encounter was characteristic of the conditions under which all six Protectors travelled: villages emptying, refugees on the paths, and Skull SpidersSkull SpidersThe arachnid swarm that raided the villages of Okoto, clamped infection masks onto its captives, guarded the City of the Mask Makers under the Lord of Skull Spiders, and broke against the arrival of the Toa. pressing on the territory the Protectors had been raised to defend.

The temple itself had been the ProtectorsProtectorsThe six elders of Okoto's villages, each wielding elemental powers and guarding their regions before the Toa arrived.' common sanctuary for as long as the office had existed. It stood outside the regional system, accessible to all six tribes, and the only site at which all six Protectors customarily acted as one body. The Protectors of the day arrived in succession, gathered within the sanctuary, and prepared the Mask of TimeMask of TimeThe Kanohi Vahi is the Matoran Universe's deadliest mask, capable of stopping or accelerating time, and its creation nearly tore Metru Nui apart. for the recitation according to the form their predecessors had transmitted. The temple's 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. had no role in the rite; the Mask MakerEkimu 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. who had originated the prophecy lay in his tomb beneath the 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., and the responsibility for the recitation lay with the Protectors alone.

The recitation and the falling of the Toa#

The recitation was a formal act performed around the Mask of TimeMask of TimeThe Kanohi Vahi is the Matoran Universe's deadliest mask, capable of stopping or accelerating time, and its creation nearly tore Metru Nui apart.. Each ProtectorProtectorsThe six elders of Okoto's villages, each wielding elemental powers and guarding their regions before the Toa arrived. spoke in the role assigned to the office of their region. The verses were the ones 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. had whispered to the ancient Protectors after the Battle of the Mask MakersThe Battle of the Mask MakersThe unveiling of the Mask of Ultimate Power at Capital City, the strike of the Hammer of Power, and the cataclysm that drew a metropolis into the Shadow Realm and left Okoto without its Mask Makers., preserved without alteration through the chain of inheritance. The combination of the prophecy, the mask, the temple, and the aligned stars produced the effect the verses had described.

Six 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. fell from the sky onto OkotoOkotoOkoto is a world whose known inhabitants include the Toa, the Mask makers, and the Protectors.. Each landed in the region corresponding to the element borne by the ProtectorProtectorsThe six elders of Okoto's villages, each wielding elemental powers and guarding their regions before the Toa arrived. who had recited that part of the rite. TahuTahu, Master of Fire: Leader of the Toa of OkotoTahu of Okoto was the Master of Fire summoned by the Protectors, the hot-tempered would-be leader of the Toa who opened the Labyrinth of Control and held the line at the Black Volcano. of Fire landed in the Region of FireRegion of FireThe volcanic region of Okoto, home of the Fire Tribe and the Protector of Fire, Narmoto, and the country in which Tahu landed and was guided across lava streams and erupting mountains to claim the Golden Mask of Fire. near NarmotoNarmoto, Protector of Fire of OkotoNarmoto was the village elder and Protector of Fire in the second age of Okoto, wielder of the Elemental Fire Blaster and the Flame Swords, descendant of Mamuk, and guide who led Tahu across the volcanic region to the Golden Mask of Fire.'s village. KopakaKopaka, Master of Ice: The Chivalrous Toa of OkotoKopaka of Okoto was the Master of Ice summoned by the Protectors, the cold perfectionist who shielded the Protector of Ice from the Skull Spiders and disputed leadership of the team with Tahu at the Ancient City. of Ice landed in the Region of IceRegion of IceThe northern frozen region of Okoto, home of the Ice Tribe and the Protector Izotor, a country of glaciers, tundra, and flash-freezing blizzards, and the territory through which Kopaka hunted for the Golden Mask of Ice.. GaliGali, Master of Water: The Toa Who Closed the RiftGali of Okoto was the Master of Water of the Toa, the team's mediator at the Ancient City, and the Toa drawn into the Shadow Realm at the Black Volcano who returned with the means of the second banishment. of Water arrived in the Region of WaterRegion of WaterThe eastern water province of Okoto, home of the Water Tribe and the Protector of Water, Kivoda, and the region through which Gali was guided across rivers, lakes, and deltas to claim the Golden Mask of Water. under KivodaKivoda, Protector of Water of OkotoKivoda was the village elder and Protector of Water in the second age of Okoto, wielder of the Elemental Torpedo Blaster, descendant of Owaki, and guide who led Gali through the underwater region to the Golden Mask of Water.'s protection. LewaLewa, Master of Jungle: The Daredevil Toa of OkotoLewa of Okoto was the Master of Jungle summoned by the Protectors, the rebellious flier who quested for the Mask of Jungle in the Region of Jungle and bonded with Uxar in the second wave. of Jungle came down in VizunaVizuna, Protector of Jungle of OkotoVizuna was the village elder and Protector of Jungle in the second age of Okoto, wielder of the Air Elemental Flame Bow, descendant of Agarak, and guide who led Lewa through the rainforests to the Golden Mask of Jungle.'s territory. PohatuPohatu, Master of Stone: The Stubborn Toa of OkotoPohatu of Okoto was the Master of Stone summoned by the Protectors, the stubborn sandstorm-rider guided by Nilkuu through the Region of Stone whose hesitation at the Labyrinth cost the team the Mask of Control. of Stone arrived in NilkuuNilkuu, Protector of Stone of OkotoNilkuu was the village elder and Protector of Stone in the second age of Okoto, wielder of the Elemental Sandstone Blaster, rescuer of Bingzak, and guide who led Pohatu across the desert to the Golden Mask of Stone.'s region. OnuaOnua, Master of Earth: The Sage Toa of OkotoOnua of Okoto was the Master of Earth summoned by the Protectors, the quiet sage who separated Tahu and Kopaka at the Ancient City and felled the Lord of Skull Spiders with his Earthquake Hammer. of Earth landed in KorgotKorgot, Protector of Earth of OkotoKorgot was the village elder and Protector of Earth in the second age of Okoto, the only female Protector, descendant of Etoku, and guide who led Onua through the tunnels and caverns beneath the island to the Golden Mask of Earth.'s underground territory.

The landings were observed by the local populations as well as by the Protectors. NarmotoNarmoto, Protector of Fire of OkotoNarmoto was the village elder and Protector of Fire in the second age of Okoto, wielder of the Elemental Fire Blaster and the Flame Swords, descendant of Mamuk, and guide who led Tahu across the volcanic region to the Golden Mask of Fire. heard a loud crash in the Region of FireRegion of FireThe volcanic region of Okoto, home of the Fire Tribe and the Protector of Fire, Narmoto, and the country in which Tahu landed and was guided across lava streams and erupting mountains to claim the Golden Mask of Fire. on his return from the temple and led his villagers to its source, where he met TahuTahu, Master of Fire: Leader of the Toa of OkotoTahu of Okoto was the Master of Fire summoned by the Protectors, the hot-tempered would-be leader of the Toa who opened the Labyrinth of Control and held the line at the Black Volcano. for the first time. The same pattern of arrival, recognition, and first contact between Protector and Toa repeated across the six regions. None of the Toa retained any clear understanding of who they were or what they had been sent for. The prophecy had specified their arrival; it had not equipped them with their own memories or purpose. That work fell to the Protectors who met them on the ground.

Each Protector to their Toa#

After the recitation, the ProtectorsProtectorsThe six elders of Okoto's villages, each wielding elemental powers and guarding their regions before the Toa arrived. returned to their respective regions and sought out 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. who had landed in their territory. Each Protector then conducted that Toa across weeks of Skull SpiderSkull SpidersThe arachnid swarm that raided the villages of Okoto, clamped infection masks onto its captives, guarded the City of the Mask Makers under the Lord of Skull Spiders, and broke against the arrival of the Toa.-controlled terrain toward the shrine in which the corresponding Golden Mask of Power had been hidden by an earlier generation of Protectors. The Protector served as guide, escort, and instructor in the prophecy that the Toa was, without remembering it, fulfilling.

The journeys were arduous and the lessons sometimes difficult. TahuTahu, Master of Fire: Leader of the Toa of OkotoTahu of Okoto was the Master of Fire summoned by the Protectors, the hot-tempered would-be leader of the Toa who opened the Labyrinth of Control and held the line at the Black Volcano. decided during his crossing of the Region of FireRegion of FireThe volcanic region of Okoto, home of the Fire Tribe and the Protector of Fire, Narmoto, and the country in which Tahu landed and was guided across lava streams and erupting mountains to claim the Golden Mask of Fire. with NarmotoNarmoto, Protector of Fire of OkotoNarmoto was the village elder and Protector of Fire in the second age of Okoto, wielder of the Elemental Fire Blaster and the Flame Swords, descendant of Mamuk, and guide who led Tahu across the volcanic region to the Golden Mask of Fire. that he intended to lead the team of Toa once they united. Narmoto attempted to correct the assumption, reminding him that the legends spoke of the Toa as a force guided by unity rather than by any single leader. TahuTahu, Master of Fire: Leader of the Toa of OkotoTahu of Okoto was the Master of Fire summoned by the Protectors, the hot-tempered would-be leader of the Toa who opened the Labyrinth of Control and held the line at the Black Volcano. accepted the Protector's greater knowledge in formal matters but retained his ambition. The same pattern of correction and accommodation played out, in different forms, in each of the other regions: each Toa entered their shrine on foot, alone, with their Protector holding the entrance against Skull SpidersSkull SpidersThe arachnid swarm that raided the villages of Okoto, clamped infection masks onto its captives, guarded the City of the Mask Makers under the Lord of Skull Spiders, and broke against the arrival of the Toa., donned the Golden Mask of PowerThe 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., and emerged equipped with the full elemental capacity the prophecy had reserved for the wearer.

Aftermath#

The Gathering was the only convocation of all six current ProtectorsProtectorsThe six elders of Okoto's villages, each wielding elemental powers and guarding their regions before the Toa arrived. recorded in the office's history. Once 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. had collected their Golden Masks of PowerThe 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. and made their way to the Ancient CityThe Ancient CityThe former capital of Okoto, also known as the City of the Mask Makers, where Ekimu and Makuta forged the Masks of Power, where Ekimu was laid to rest after the Battle of the Mask Makers, and where the Toa of the second age awakened him to lead the campaign against Makuta., the Protectors parted from them and resumed their regional duties under the new conditions the Toa's arrival had created. They later reunited near the AncientAncientAncient is a dark blue and gold operative who served as both an agent of the Order of Mata Nui and a member of the Dark Hunters, armed with Kanoka and a Rhotuka. City, entered it by an alternate route, brought down the lair of the Lord of Skull SpidersLord of Skull SpidersAn oversized Skull Spider that guarded the ancient City of the Mask Makers and commanded the rest of its species through the Golden Mask of the Skull Spiders. atop many of its minions, and made their way to the Mask Makers' forge, where they met the revived 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 were honoured by him.

The Gathering's principal legacy was its successor act. The prophecy had been answered. 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. had arrived. The Mask of TimeMask of TimeThe Kanohi Vahi is the Matoran Universe's deadliest mask, capable of stopping or accelerating time, and its creation nearly tore Metru Nui apart. had performed its second great recorded function, after 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 vision generations earlier. The rite the ProtectorsProtectorsThe six elders of Okoto's villages, each wielding elemental powers and guarding their regions before the Toa arrived. had carried across the centuries was discharged in a single sitting, and the office's role in the defence of OkotoOkotoOkoto is a world whose known inhabitants include the Toa, the Mask makers, and the Protectors. shifted from preparation to participation in the campaign the rite had set in motion.