Mask of Ultimate Power

The Mask of Ultimate Power was a heretical KanohiKanohiMasks that grant powers and sustain life, they're the most vital artifact in the Matoran Universe. forged in secret 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. in violation of the Mask Makers' single most sacred law. It contained 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 at once, a feat no other mask in the island's history had achieved. 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. unveiled the mask at an exhibition of ancient Masks of Power held in 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 donned it before the assembled crowd. 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. crossed the floor and struck him with 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. before any element could be channeled. The mask shattered, and the resulting blast tore the first known portal 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., pulling 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. through it. Ekimu fell into a coma that lasted a thousand years.

Origin#

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 Maker drew on one of the six Elemental Crystals (Fire, Ice, Jungle, Water, Stone, Earth) and worked it into a single mask. Power was capped at one element per face.

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 Makers of OkotoOkotoOkoto is a world whose known inhabitants include the Toa, the Mask makers, and the Protectors.. Ekimu's masks were favored by the islanders, and the imbalance bred jealousy in his brother. Rather than try to surpass Ekimu within the bounds of the craft, 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. resolved to break the foundational rule itself. In secret, he forged a mask that held all six elements at once. 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. record describes the act as heretical: a religious-grade transgression against the foundation of the craft, committed by the one craftsman alive who understood exactly why such a mask had never been attempted.

Powers and Limitations#

The Mask of Ultimate Power 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. With access to the entire elemental table, its wearer would 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 Toa, whose own authority drew from a single element each.

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. The cataclysm that followed came not from the mask being used but from it being removed.

The Battle of the Mask Makers#

The unveiling took place in 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. on the Region of StoneRegion of StoneThe northwestern desert region of Okoto, home of the Stone Tribe and the Protector of Stone, site of the Battle of the Mask Makers and the Black Crater, and the territory through which Pohatu hunted for the Golden Mask of Stone.. 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. was the former main city of OkotoOkotoOkoto is a world whose known inhabitants include the Toa, the Mask makers, and the Protectors., and at the time of the Battle of the Mask Makers its museum was hosting an exhibition of ancient Masks of Power. 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. visited at the invitation of the city's chief and chose the exhibition as the moment to don his new mask before the assembled crowd.

Ekimu arrived at the same moment. Recognizing what his brother had done, he 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 Maker 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 shock wave drove both brothers into deep slumber.

The blast tore open a rift that drew 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., 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 many of the city's inhabitants 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.. The shock wave reshaped the surrounding terrain, leaving a crater that would become 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 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 Makers, 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 MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body.. 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.

The Shadow Realm Portal#

Portals to the Shadow Realm could only be created from the combined energies of all six ElementsElementsThe full elemental system of the Matoran Universe, covering the six primary elements, the secondary group, the opposed pair of Light and Shadow, and the apex Element Lord tier of Spherus Magna. of OkotoOkotoOkoto is a world whose known inhabitants include the Toa, the Mask makers, and the Protectors.. The first such portal known to have existed was produced by the destruction of the Mask of Ultimate Power, which caused 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. to be drawn into the Shadow Realm.

Every later Shadow Realm portal known on OkotoOkotoOkoto is a world whose known inhabitants include the Toa, the Mask makers, and the Protectors. followed the same recipe. The Mask of Ultimate Power had concentrated all six elements into a single object, and its violent destruction released those energies in their most condensed form. The mask was therefore the source of the Shadow Realm being reachable from OkotoOkotoOkoto is a world whose known inhabitants include the Toa, the Mask makers, and the Protectors. at all.

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. site was later reopened. The scattered fragments of the original mask were the only matter on the island that still carried the combined six-element signature, and that signature was what unlocked the door between OkotoOkotoOkoto is a world whose known inhabitants include the Toa, the Mask makers, and the Protectors. and the Shadow Realm. As a worn artifact the mask had overwhelmed its user. As scattered debris it became the key to releasing the entity its destruction had banished.

The Fragments and the Recovery#

Trapped within the Shadow Realm, 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. He required the only objects on OkotoOkotoOkoto is a world whose known inhabitants include the Toa, the Mask makers, and the Protectors. that still carried the combined six-element signature: the scattered fragments of his own destroyed mask. He 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, ordering him to raise an army of beasts to distract 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 he searched for the pieces.

UmarakUmarakUmarak hunted the Elemental Creatures of Okoto until the Mask of Control bound him to Makuta's will and remade him as the Destroyer. recovered the fragments and traveled 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.. There he performed a ritual to summon 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 the portal began to reopen. 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 nearly free, the Toa 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 Mask of Ultimate Power was never 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. was returned to the Shadow Realm. 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.

Legacy#

The destruction of the Mask of Ultimate Power reshaped the Region of StoneRegion of StoneThe northwestern desert region of Okoto, home of the Stone Tribe and the Protector of Stone, site of the Battle of the Mask Makers and the Black Crater, and the territory through which Pohatu hunted for the Golden Mask of Stone. permanently. 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. (formerly 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. or Great Crater) stands 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. and remains the largest geographic landmark on OkotoOkotoOkoto is a world whose known inhabitants include the Toa, the Mask makers, and the Protectors.. 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. is remembered across the island as the defining catastrophe of the pre-Toa era, and the law against multi-element masks is preserved as the central tenet of the craft.

Of the three legendary masks scattered after the Battle, the Mask of CreationMask of Creation: the Legendary Kanohi of ArtakhaOne of the three most powerful Kanohi in the Matoran Universe, the Mask of Creation let its wearer envision and build any object from raw materials. Won by Artakha and worn for over a hundred thousand years. and the Mask of Control were eventually recovered as functional artifacts. The Mask of Ultimate Power was recovered only as evidence that the law against it had been correct.