Oda

Oda was a young villager from 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. on the island of OkotoOkotoOkoto is a world whose known inhabitants include the Toa, the Mask makers, and the Protectors., one of the two Stone Tribe children abducted by the Skull RaidersSkull RaidersThe ancient pirate band that plagued Okoto before the Mask Makers, was driven into the mountains, allied itself with Makuta, was trapped beneath the island by the cataclysm at Capital City, and dug its way back as the Skull Creatures under Kulta. during the great relocation toward 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. and recovered from the buried city 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. and 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.. His name appears in the second-age record paired in every reference with AkoAkoAko was a young villager from the Region of Stone on Okoto who, separated from his elders during the great relocation, was abducted by the Skull Raiders alongside Oda and rescued from the buried city by Ekimu and the Toa.: the two children moved together, were separated together, were taken together, were held under AxatoAxatoAxato is a Skull Creature from the island of Okoto who served as the leader of the Skull Creatures in the City of the Mask Makers. Armed with a spear, Axato possessed the ability to drain masks of their Elemental Powers and formerly wore a powerless Skull Mask. together, and were rescued together. The captivity they shared was the leverage that drew the surface heroes into the underground city and produced the engagement that ended the Skull RaidersSkull RaidersThe ancient pirate band that plagued Okoto before the Mask Makers, was driven into the mountains, allied itself with Makuta, was trapped beneath the island by the cataclysm at Capital City, and dug its way back as the Skull Creatures under Kulta. as a faction.

A child of the Region of Stone#

Oda came from a Stone Tribe family of 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., the desert country of southern OkotoOkotoOkoto is a world whose known inhabitants include the Toa, the Mask makers, and the Protectors.. The region had been one of the most pressured of the six during the 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. infestation of the post-cataclysm centuries, and the families of the outer settlements lived under continual low-level threat from the spider population.

The family unit included his aunt MeleaMelea, Stone Villager of OkotoMelea was a villager from the Region of Stone whose nephews Ako and Oda vanished during her family's relocation to the City of the Mask Makers, forcing Ekimu and the Toa into a rescue against the Skull Raiders., the only relative the record names. The household was a multi-generational one, with elders accompanying the children on the journey north and other relatives present at 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. when the rescue party finally returned. Oda travelled within it as a child of the convoy.

The relocation and the separation#

The relocation toward 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. was the wider movement 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. villagers toward the central capital that followed the awakening 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 consolidation 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.'s restored authority. The capital was the only fortified settlement on the island capable of sheltering large numbers of civilians from the Skull faction's incursions, and the Stone Tribe families with vulnerable members joined the movement under the protection of the ProtectorsProtectorsThe six elders of Okoto's villages, each wielding elemental powers and guarding their regions before the Toa arrived. and the assembled Toa command.

The route from 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. 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. brought the convoy across mixed country, including the boundary zones between the desert and 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.. The boundary country was the most dangerous stretch of the journey: it was the part of the island in which 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. patrols and the bonded hawks that the spiders deployed at altitude were most active. Oda and AkoAkoAko was a young villager from the Region of Stone on Okoto who, separated from his elders during the great relocation, was abducted by the Skull Raiders alongside Oda and rescued from the buried city by Ekimu and the Toa. became separated from their elders during the movement through this country. The mechanism of separation is not preserved in the record; what is preserved is the outcome, that two children of the Stone Tribe were on the road without protection at the moment a hawk-borne abduction became possible.

The hawk and the buried city#

The agent of the abduction was a hawk under the control of a 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.. The use of hawks as long-range delivery instruments was a development of the spider faction's later operational period, and the bond between the spider and the bird gave the underground raiders a reach they had not previously possessed. The hawk carried Oda and AkoAkoAko was a young villager from the Region of Stone on Okoto who, separated from his elders during the great relocation, was abducted by the Skull Raiders alongside Oda and rescued from the buried city by Ekimu and the Toa. from the relocation route into the buried metropolis the Skull RaidersSkull RaidersThe ancient pirate band that plagued Okoto before the Mask Makers, was driven into the mountains, allied itself with Makuta, was trapped beneath the island by the cataclysm at Capital City, and dug its way back as the Skull Creatures under Kulta. had built beneath the mountains.

The buried city was the underground refuge the raiders had dug out after the cataclysm 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. had sealed their original mountain cave. It had served as the home of the surviving pirate band for tens of thousands of years, governed first by KultaKultaKulta was the leader of the Skull Creatures, a group native to the island of Okoto, and operated from the City of the Mask Makers. Armed with a Mask Stealer Staff and Hook Blade, he possessed the ability to drain masks of their Elemental Powers and once held both the powerless Skull Mask and the Mask of Creation. and later, when KultaKultaKulta was the leader of the Skull Creatures, a group native to the island of Okoto, and operated from the City of the Mask Makers. Armed with a Mask Stealer Staff and Hook Blade, he possessed the ability to drain masks of their Elemental Powers and once held both the powerless Skull Mask and the Mask of Creation. moved to the surface as the Skull GrinderSkull GrinderThe title borne by Kulta after his alliance with Makuta, marking his role as the wielder of the Mask Stealer Staff, the mask-burner at the Mask Makers' forge, and the first foe to defeat the Toa in single combat on Okoto., by AxatoAxatoAxato is a Skull Creature from the island of Okoto who served as the leader of the Skull Creatures in the City of the Mask Makers. Armed with a spear, Axato possessed the ability to drain masks of their Elemental Powers and formerly wore a powerless Skull Mask.. Oda was carried into it and held there with AkoAkoAko was a young villager from the Region of Stone on Okoto who, separated from his elders during the great relocation, was abducted by the Skull Raiders alongside Oda and rescued from the buried city by Ekimu and the Toa..

The captivity under AxatoAxatoAxato is a Skull Creature from the island of Okoto who served as the leader of the Skull Creatures in the City of the Mask Makers. Armed with a spear, Axato possessed the ability to drain masks of their Elemental Powers and formerly wore a powerless Skull Mask.#

AxatoAxatoAxato is a Skull Creature from the island of Okoto who served as the leader of the Skull Creatures in the City of the Mask Makers. Armed with a spear, Axato possessed the ability to drain masks of their Elemental Powers and formerly wore a powerless Skull Mask. was the commander into whose custody Oda was delivered. The raiders' political situation at the time of the abduction was passive; they were waiting for orders 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., whose spirit had reached them telepathically 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. during the long centuries of his confinement, but the orders to mobilise had not arrived. The arrival of the two Stone Tribe children gave AxatoAxatoAxato is a Skull Creature from the island of Okoto who served as the leader of the Skull Creatures in the City of the Mask Makers. Armed with a spear, Axato possessed the ability to drain masks of their Elemental Powers and formerly wore a powerless Skull Mask. an instrument of leverage he had not previously possessed, and the captivity converted the underground city from a passive holding post into the focus of the surface command's next operation.

The duration of the captivity is not specified in detail. What the record confirms is that during it the captive cohort grew. 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., the Toa of Jungle, was captured in the course of the rescue attempt that followed and brought into the same holding area where Oda and AkoAkoAko was a young villager from the Region of Stone on Okoto who, separated from his elders during the great relocation, was abducted by the Skull Raiders alongside Oda and rescued from the buried city by Ekimu and the Toa. were already held. The three captives, two Stone Tribe children and one Toa, were the bait that drew the full weight 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.'s response into the city.

On the surface, the alarm had been raised when MeleaMelea, Stone Villager of OkotoMelea was a villager from the Region of Stone whose nephews Ako and Oda vanished during her family's relocation to the City of the Mask Makers, forcing Ekimu and the Toa into a rescue against the Skull Raiders. reached 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. with the remainder of the family and discovered that the two boys were not in the convoy. She alerted 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 the ProtectorsProtectorsThe six elders of Okoto's villages, each wielding elemental powers and guarding their regions before the Toa arrived., who brought the matter to 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 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.. The Mask Maker and the assembled heroes committed to the rescue.

The rescue and the collapse#

The rescue operation entered the underground city under 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 direct command. The combined Toa force, reinforced and re-equipped after the defeat of the Skull GrinderSkull GrinderThe title borne by Kulta after his alliance with Makuta, marking his role as the wielder of the Mask Stealer Staff, the mask-burner at the Mask Makers' forge, and the first foe to defeat the Toa in single combat on Okoto. at the Mask Makers' forge in the preceding engagement, moved against the city in strength. 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., the Toa of WaterToa of WaterToa of Water were rare heroes who commanded water power, typically selected from the Ga-Matoran people., took on the central tactical role: she challenged AxatoAxatoAxato is a Skull Creature from the island of Okoto who served as the leader of the Skull Creatures in the City of the Mask Makers. Armed with a spear, Axato possessed the ability to drain masks of their Elemental Powers and formerly wore a powerless Skull Mask. to single combat in the open, occupying the commander of the holding force in a duel he could not refuse. The challenge fixed AxatoAxatoAxato is a Skull Creature from the island of Okoto who served as the leader of the Skull Creatures in the City of the Mask Makers. Armed with a spear, Axato possessed the ability to drain masks of their Elemental Powers and formerly wore a powerless Skull Mask. in place and froze the chain of command around him, freeing the remaining Toa and the Mask Maker to move directly against the chamber where Oda, AkoAkoAko was a young villager from the Region of Stone on Okoto who, separated from his elders during the great relocation, was abducted by the Skull Raiders alongside Oda and rescued from the buried city by Ekimu and the Toa., and 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. were held.

The extraction succeeded. The rescue party reached the three captives, broke them out of the raiders' grip, and withdrew toward the surface. The withdrawal coincided with the collapse of the underground city atop the surviving raiders. The buried metropolis that had sheltered the pirate band for tens of thousands of years, the holding force that had guarded the captives, and AxatoAxatoAxato is a Skull Creature from the island of Okoto who served as the leader of the Skull Creatures in the City of the Mask Makers. Armed with a spear, Axato possessed the ability to drain masks of their Elemental Powers and formerly wore a powerless Skull Mask.'s entire command structure were buried inside the city in the same operation that recovered Oda. The captives reached the surface alive; the raiders did not.

The return and the reunion#

The party brought Oda 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. and delivered him to his aunt MeleaMelea, Stone Villager of OkotoMelea was a villager from the Region of Stone whose nephews Ako and Oda vanished during her family's relocation to the City of the Mask Makers, forcing Ekimu and the Toa into a rescue against the Skull Raiders. and the rest of his relatives. The reunion closed the convoy gap that the abduction had opened. The Stone TribeThe Stone TribeThe Bara Magna tribe of the Black Spike Mountains, organised under Skrall warriors and Rock Tribe Agori, that Tuma forged into the continental army fielded from Roxtus. family that had set out from the desert reached the capital intact except for the gap AkoAkoAko was a young villager from the Region of Stone on Okoto who, separated from his elders during the great relocation, was abducted by the Skull Raiders alongside Oda and rescued from the buried city by Ekimu and the Toa. and Oda had left in it during the boundary-country stretch, and the gap was filled by the return.

The wider campaign benefit ran through the same chain. The captives had drawn the surface response into the only engagement that ever penetrated the buried metropolis; the engagement had ended the Skull RaidersSkull RaidersThe ancient pirate band that plagued Okoto before the Mask Makers, was driven into the mountains, allied itself with Makuta, was trapped beneath the island by the cataclysm at Capital City, and dug its way back as the Skull Creatures under Kulta. as an operational faction; and the dismantling of the underground city had removed the last reserve the Skull faction had held in waiting for 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 orders. Oda's recovery was the recovery for which the rescue had been undertaken, and the rescue was the operation that closed the long history of the buried pirate band.

Standing in the record#

Oda's role in the second-age narrative is the role of a child who was acted upon. The record does not assign him any combat or strategic decision. What it does assign him is the place in the convoy, the separation, the abduction by hawk, the captivity under AxatoAxatoAxato is a Skull Creature from the island of Okoto who served as the leader of the Skull Creatures in the City of the Mask Makers. Armed with a spear, Axato possessed the ability to drain masks of their Elemental Powers and formerly wore a powerless Skull Mask., the joining of 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., the rescue under 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.'s diversion, the collapse of the city, and the reunion with MeleaMelea, Stone Villager of OkotoMelea was a villager from the Region of Stone whose nephews Ako and Oda vanished during her family's relocation to the City of the Mask Makers, forcing Ekimu and the Toa into a rescue against the Skull Raiders..

His pairing with AkoAkoAko was a young villager from the Region of Stone on Okoto who, separated from his elders during the great relocation, was abducted by the Skull Raiders alongside Oda and rescued from the buried city by Ekimu and the Toa. is the defining structural feature of his entry. The two boys appear together in every notice they receive: taken together, held together, rescued together, returned together. The captivity that produced the only direct surface engagement with the underground city was a captivity of two children, and the rescue that ended the Skull RaidersSkull RaidersThe ancient pirate band that plagued Okoto before the Mask Makers, was driven into the mountains, allied itself with Makuta, was trapped beneath the island by the cataclysm at Capital City, and dug its way back as the Skull Creatures under Kulta. was undertaken for both. Oda came through it alive and lived out the remainder of the campaign in the household his aunt MeleaMelea, Stone Villager of OkotoMelea was a villager from the Region of Stone whose nephews Ako and Oda vanished during her family's relocation to the City of the Mask Makers, forcing Ekimu and the Toa into a rescue against the Skull Raiders. had brought to the capital under 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.'s protection.