Kanohi Mask of Rahi Control

The KanohiKanohiMasks that grant powers and sustain life, they're the most vital artifact in the Matoran Universe. Mask of RahiRahiThe Rahi were the biomechanical wildlife of the Matoran Universe, built largely by the Brotherhood of Makuta, ranging from background fauna to engineered war beasts. Control is a Great KanohiGreat KanohiThe most common mask type worn by Toa and other powerful beings, forged from the highest-grade Kanoka discs. that lets its wearer take mental control of RahiRahiThe Rahi were the biomechanical wildlife of the Matoran Universe, built largely by the Brotherhood of Makuta, ranging from background fauna to engineered war beasts.. Its only wearer in the story is KualusKualusKualus is a Toa of Ice and member of the Toa Hagah, formerly serving as one of the elite bodyguards of Makuta Teridax before dedicating himself to the protection of the Matoran. White and metallic blue in color, he wields a Sub-Zero Spear and a Rhotuka Launching Shield, and wears the Great Mask of Rahi Control, granting him the power to direct the minds of animal life. He resides on Spherus Magna., the Toa of IceToa of IceThe warrior role for guardians of the Ice element, typically drawn from Ko-Matoran, with the option to ascend to Turaga status. of the Toa HagahToa HagahElite Toa teams appointed by the Brotherhood of Makuta to serve as personal guardians, later rebelling against their creators., who uses it under the streets of Metru NuiMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive. in the serial Dwellers In DarknessDwellers In Darkness, the Toa Hagah Online SerialDwellers In Darkness was the 2008 online serial in which the Order of Mata Nui drafted the Toa Hagah to hunt Teridax beneath Metru Nui, only for them to find him already in control of the Great Spirit's mind.. (Dwellers In Darkness)

Power#

In the story, the wearer reaches out and touches the mind of a Rahi, then directs it. When Kualus used it, he woke a massive Rahi in the ArchivesThe Archives of Metru NuiThe Archives of Onu-Metru were the central repository of Matoran knowledge and Rahi specimens, maintained by the Archivist Corps beneath the city's surface. below Metru Nui and made it attack. The control depended on his concentration: as soon as he was hit, the creature was free. (Dwellers In Darkness)

Writer Greg Farshtey filled in more detail in later online answers. Per Farshtey, the mask can control one or more Rahi at the same time, works less well on insects such as the VisorakVisorak (Rahi)Spider-like Rahi employed by the Brotherhood of Makuta whose name meant 'Stealers of Life' and whose swarms threatened the Matoran Universe., has a weaker effect on intelligent Rahi like KrahkaKrahkaKrahka is a Rahi affiliated with various groups and known to have worn various Kanohi; only one of her kind remains. and KeetonguKeetonguThe legendary Rahi who broke the Visorak siege and lived to prove he was worth the legend., and does nothing to the wildlife of Spherus Magna. (Writer's later comment, not a published story)

Kualus and the Toa Hagah loadout#

KualusKualusKualus is a Toa of Ice and member of the Toa Hagah, formerly serving as one of the elite bodyguards of Makuta Teridax before dedicating himself to the protection of the Matoran. White and metallic blue in color, he wields a Sub-Zero Spear and a Rhotuka Launching Shield, and wears the Great Mask of Rahi Control, granting him the power to direct the minds of animal life. He resides on Spherus Magna. served as the Toa of IceToa of IceThe warrior role for guardians of the Ice element, typically drawn from Ko-Matoran, with the option to ascend to Turaga status. on the Toa HagahToa HagahElite Toa teams appointed by the Brotherhood of Makuta to serve as personal guardians, later rebelling against their creators., the team of Toa chosen to guard Teridax before they turned against the Brotherhood. His Mask of Rahi Control was forged from precious metal in the shape of a different mask, in honour of a past hero. (Dwellers In Darkness)

Long before the Hagah were restored, Kualus spent ages as a Rahaga after RoodakaRoodakaShe spent the entire Visorak arc letting everyone think they were using her, then walked away having beaten the Brotherhood and the Toa at their own game. mutated the team. In that form he became devoted to flying Rahi such as Ice Bats and Gukko, learned their language, and could send high-pitched signals with his staff to summon or warn them. That rapport worked by persuasion, not by mask power. (BIONICLE: Encyclopedia; BIONICLE Adventures 8: Challenge of the Hordika)

He put it to use alongside Toa Hordika NujuNujuNuju served as a Ko-Metru seer, Toa Metru of Ice, and Turaga of Ko-Koro who spoke only in bird calls translated by Matoro., summoning a swarm of Ice Bats to distract the Visorak and calling in a pair of Gukko birds. He also teased Nuju that there was something to be said for speaking to Rahi rather than just at them. (BIONICLE Adventures 8: Challenge of the Hordika)

Confrontation at the Coliseum#

The fullest use of the Mask of Rahi Control came in Metru NuiMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive.. The Toa HagahToa HagahElite Toa teams appointed by the Brotherhood of Makuta to serve as personal guardians, later rebelling against their creators. had been told to destroy the ColiseumThe ColiseumCentral tower of Metru Nui, serving as government seat, akilini arena and, during Teridax's masquerade, the place from which the city's Matoran were rounded up into spheres., hoping to find the missing TeridaxTeridaxTeridax orchestrated a thousand-year scheme that ended with him occupying the Great Spirit Robot itself before his death on Bara Magna. beneath it, and the Toa MahriToa Inika and Toa MahriSix ordinary Matoran transformed by lightning from the Red Star into heroes who ultimately revived the Great Spirit itself. moved to defend the building. The two teams came to blows. (Dwellers In Darkness)

KualusKualusKualus is a Toa of Ice and member of the Toa Hagah, formerly serving as one of the elite bodyguards of Makuta Teridax before dedicating himself to the protection of the Matoran. White and metallic blue in color, he wields a Sub-Zero Spear and a Rhotuka Launching Shield, and wears the Great Mask of Rahi Control, granting him the power to direct the minds of animal life. He resides on Spherus Magna. moved to help BomongaBomongaBomonga was the Toa Hagah of Earth, mutated by Roodaka into a Rahaga, later restored to Toa form and resettled on Spherus Magna. against NuparuNuparuAn Onu-Matoran engineer from Metru Nui who built the Boxor and rose to become a Toa of Earth despite no warrior destiny.. Summoning the power of his mask, he touched the mind of a massive Rahi in the ArchivesThe Archives of Metru NuiThe Archives of Onu-Metru were the central repository of Matoran knowledge and Rahi specimens, maintained by the Archivist Corps beneath the city's surface. not far below, and a huge claw smashed up through the pavement and grabbed Nuparu. HahliHahliA Ga-Matoran scholar who rose to become Chronicler of Mata Nui, then Toa Inika, then Toa Mahri of Water during the final crises of the Matoran Universe. then attacked Kualus, breaking his concentration, and he lost control of the beast. With a freed monster loose in the city, both Toa teams had to work together to protect Metru Nui. (Dwellers In Darkness)

The lesson of the fight#

The pattern is clear from that one engagement. The mask's strength lay in reaching powerful creatures that were already nearby, and its weakness lay in any interruption of the wearer's focus. Once the link snapped, the Rahi did not go quietly back to sleep. (Dwellers In Darkness)

Position within the Toa Hagah arsenal#

Within the Toa HagahToa HagahElite Toa teams appointed by the Brotherhood of Makuta to serve as personal guardians, later rebelling against their creators., the Mask of Rahi Control was an environmental tool: wherever there were Rahi, Kualus had potential allies. At the Coliseum it worked alongside Bomonga's Mask of GrowthMask of GrowthA Kanohi forged from Enlarge Kanoka on Metru Nui that allowed its wearer to grow to a maximum of sixty feet. Worn by Toa Hagah Bomonga against the Tahtorak. until HahliHahliA Ga-Matoran scholar who rose to become Chronicler of Mata Nui, then Toa Inika, then Toa Mahri of Water during the final crises of the Matoran Universe.'s strike broke the link. (Dwellers In Darkness)

No second wearer of the mask is recorded. (Dwellers In Darkness)