Shadow Ambush

The Shadow Ambush was the encounter on the slopes 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. in which a Shadow TrapShadow TrapsUmarak's bite-sized servants, each engineered for a specific Okoto environment. sent by 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 caught 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. at the moment of his contest with the Elemental CreatureThe Elemental Creatures of OkotoThe six elemental animals of Okoto, partnered with the Toa to recover the Mask of Control, joined by Agil the Creature of Light as Ekimu's seventh. IkirIkirIkir is an Elemental Creature of fire from Okoto, distinguished by its orange and gold coloring. It serves as protector of the Region of Fire and as an ally to the Toa, wielding claws and crystal blades in fulfillment of those duties., forcing 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 great fire-bird to set aside their quarrel for the Golden Uniter Mask of FireThe 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 turn instead on the shared enemy that had stalked them both onto the volcano. The fight ended with IkirIkirIkir is an Elemental Creature of fire from Okoto, distinguished by its orange and gold coloring. It serves as protector of the Region of Fire and as an ally to the Toa, wielding claws and crystal blades in fulfillment of those duties. leading 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. the rest of the way to the mask, 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. donning it, the two of them uniting in the bond 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. had designed for the Uniter campaign, and an open challenge issued back to 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 contest before the ambush#

The fight between 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. and IkirIkirIkir is an Elemental Creature of fire from Okoto, distinguished by its orange and gold coloring. It serves as protector of the Region of Fire and as an ally to the Toa, wielding claws and crystal blades in fulfillment of those duties. had been running for hours by the time the Shadow TrapShadow TrapsUmarak's bite-sized servants, each engineered for a specific Okoto environment. reached the volcano. 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. had arrived on 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. under the prophecy that 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. of each element would have to find, prove themselves to, and bond with the Elemental CreatureThe Elemental Creatures of OkotoThe six elemental animals of Okoto, partnered with the Toa to recover the Mask of Control, joined by Agil the Creature of Light as Ekimu's seventh. of their own element before they could claim the corresponding Golden Uniter MaskThe 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. hidden in that region. The proving was not negotiable. 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., 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. restored to the world by 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. of the first campaign, had been clear on the design: the Uniter masks would only function for a Toa already in unity with the corresponding Creature, and the Creature would only accept the Toa it had judged worthy.

IkirIkirIkir is an Elemental Creature of fire from Okoto, distinguished by its orange and gold coloring. It serves as protector of the Region of Fire and as an ally to the Toa, wielding claws and crystal blades in fulfillment of those duties. had judged with talons and flame. The Elemental Creature of Fire was the great fire-bird of the region, ancient by 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. reckoning, and its method of testing was simple: it attacked the candidate at full strength and held nothing back until the candidate either fell or earned the right to be released. 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., Toa Master of Fire and the senior of the second-age Toa, had matched the bird strike for strike across the burning slopes without managing to bring the contest to a decision. The trial had become a war of attrition. Neither combatant was prepared to be the first to give ground.

The arrival of the Shadow Trap#

The Shadow TrapShadow TrapsUmarak's bite-sized servants, each engineered for a specific Okoto environment. had been dispatched from UmarakUmarakUmarak hunted the Elemental Creatures of Okoto until the Mask of Control bound him to Makuta's will and remade him as the Destroyer.'s camp some time earlier. 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, a half-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. creature of the Region of ShadowShadow 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. who had become the principal field agent of 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. inside 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., had been deploying Shadow TrapsShadow TrapsUmarak's bite-sized servants, each engineered for a specific Okoto environment. across the regions throughout the Uniter campaign as expendable hunters. The creatures were unintelligent in any conventional sense, dispatched in ones and twos, and used as the opening move against any 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. or Elemental CreatureThe Elemental Creatures of OkotoThe six elemental animals of Okoto, partnered with the Toa to recover the Mask of Control, joined by Agil the Creature of Light as Ekimu's seventh. the Hunter intended to neutralise. The Trap sent after 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. had tracked him up the volcano and waited for the moment at which his attention was wholly fixed on the bird.

That moment came after several hours of fighting. As 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. pressed IkirIkirIkir is an Elemental Creature of fire from Okoto, distinguished by its orange and gold coloring. It serves as protector of the Region of Fire and as an ally to the Toa, wielding claws and crystal blades in fulfillment of those duties. for an opening, the Shadow TrapShadow TrapsUmarak's bite-sized servants, each engineered for a specific Okoto environment. emerged from the rock behind him and struck. 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. was caught between two enemies in the same instant: the bird in front of him and the Shadow TrapShadow TrapsUmarak's bite-sized servants, each engineered for a specific Okoto environment. at his back.

The truce#

The choice fell to IkirIkirIkir is an Elemental Creature of fire from Okoto, distinguished by its orange and gold coloring. It serves as protector of the Region of Fire and as an ally to the Toa, wielding claws and crystal blades in fulfillment of those duties.. The Elemental Creature, whatever its quarrel with the Toa, had not been sent for the purpose of helping 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's compulsion to gather the Toa and the masks 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. was a separate war from the Creature's testing of its candidate, and the Shadow TrapsShadow TrapsUmarak's bite-sized servants, each engineered for a specific Okoto environment. were as much a threat to the Elemental Creatures as to 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. themselves. IkirIkirIkir is an Elemental Creature of fire from Okoto, distinguished by its orange and gold coloring. It serves as protector of the Region of Fire and as an ally to the Toa, wielding claws and crystal blades in fulfillment of those duties. broke off the contest and turned on the Trap. 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., recovering his footing, fought beside the bird. The Trap was outmatched the moment the truce held. It was put down inside the same exchange.

The truce was the test. IkirIkirIkir is an Elemental Creature of fire from Okoto, distinguished by its orange and gold coloring. It serves as protector of the Region of Fire and as an ally to the Toa, wielding claws and crystal blades in fulfillment of those duties. had seen 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. make the choice to fight beside a Creature he had been struggling to defeat, against an enemy of both, and the choice answered the question that the hours of combat on the slope had not. The bird led the Toa the remaining distance to the Golden Uniter Mask of FireThe 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. without further fighting.

The mask and the unity#

The Golden Uniter Mask of FireThe 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. lay where 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 set it during the days before 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. fell 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., held at the place on the volcano that IkirIkirIkir is an Elemental Creature of fire from Okoto, distinguished by its orange and gold coloring. It serves as protector of the Region of Fire and as an ally to the Toa, wielding claws and crystal blades in fulfillment of those duties. had guarded since the founding of the office of the Mask Maker. 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. removed his current KanohiKanohiMasks that grant powers and sustain life, they're the most vital artifact in the Matoran Universe. and donned the Golden Mask. The unity that followed was the bond between Toa and Creature for which the mask had been forged. IkirIkirIkir is an Elemental Creature of fire from Okoto, distinguished by its orange and gold coloring. It serves as protector of the Region of Fire and as an ally to the Toa, wielding claws and crystal blades in fulfillment of those duties. and 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. became, in the sense that the Uniter masks made possible, a single combined fighting unit: the Toa retained his own form and identity, the Creature retained its own, and the bond between them allowed the bird to fuse with the Toa's armour when called upon for direct combat against a heavier enemy.

The unity of 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. and IkirIkirIkir is an Elemental Creature of fire from Okoto, distinguished by its orange and gold coloring. It serves as protector of the Region of Fire and as an ally to the Toa, wielding claws and crystal blades in fulfillment of those duties. was the first of the six Uniter bonds that 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. of the second campaign would form across the island. Each of the other five Toa was at that moment on the slopes of his or her own region, conducting the same kind of trial against the Elemental Creature of the corresponding element. The pattern of the Shadow Ambush, in which a Shadow TrapShadow TrapsUmarak's bite-sized servants, each engineered for a specific Okoto environment. attack forced an early reconciliation between Toa and Creature, would repeat across several of those arcs, though the particulars varied with the region.

The challenge to Umarak#

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. closed the encounter by turning back toward the slopes below and issuing an open challenge to 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. The challenge was a declaration of intent rather than a duel proposal: the Toa Master of Fire announced, from the summit 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. and in unity with its Elemental Creature, that the Hunter's compulsion against the regions would be answered. The next move was UmarakUmarakUmarak hunted the Elemental Creatures of Okoto until the Mask of Control bound him to Makuta's will and remade him as the Destroyer.'s.

The Hunter, watching from his own ground in the Region of ShadowShadow 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., received the challenge as confirmation of what the failed Shadow TrapShadow TrapsUmarak's bite-sized servants, each engineered for a specific Okoto environment. had already implied. The 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. phase of the Uniter campaign had completed. The other five Toa would soon do the same with their own Elemental Creatures, and the Hunter's window in which to pick off individual Toa before they bonded with their Creatures was closing fast. The shift in UmarakUmarakUmarak hunted the Elemental Creatures of Okoto until the Mask of Control bound him to Makuta's will and remade him as the Destroyer.'s strategy that followed, from individual hunting to the gathering of mask fragments 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 broader plan, traces in part to the moment on 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. at which a Toa and a fire-bird stood together over the body of a failed Trap and answered him back.

Place in the Uniter arc#

The Shadow Ambush stands in the OkotanOkotoOkoto is a world whose known inhabitants include the Toa, the Mask makers, and the Protectors. record as the encounter at which the Uniter framework was first proven in the field. The mask design, the bond mechanic, the prophecy that had foretold the second age, and the Hunter's campaign against the regions all came together inside a single exchange on a single volcano, and the result settled in 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.'s favour. The trial on the slope was the smallest in scale of the Uniter-era encounters and one of the most decisive in effect: it confirmed that the system 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. had designed would work, that the Elemental Creatures would honour the bond, and that the Shadow TrapsShadow TrapsUmarak's bite-sized servants, each engineered for a specific Okoto environment. could be defeated by the very alliance they had been deployed to prevent. The Uniter campaign carried that confirmation through to its conclusion in the events that ended with UmarakUmarakUmarak hunted the Elemental Creatures of Okoto until the Mask of Control bound him to Makuta's will and remade him as the Destroyer.'s defeat and the closing of the rift at 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..