The Skull Army

The Skull Army was the undead host that KultaSkull 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. raised beneath 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. on OkotoSkull 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. after the cataclysm at 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. buried his pirate band and 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. emptied the city above. Drawing on the dark power that flowed through him from his pact with 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., he reanimated the corpses of fallen Okotans, organised them into tiers, and held them in the depths until the surface campaign called for them. When 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. returned to OkotoSkull 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., the Skull Army was the first organised resistance they met inside the abandoned capital.

Origin in the dark power of Kulta#

The Skull Army was not a faction in the political sense that 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 been. It was an extension of one being's command. The dark power that 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. had channelled into KultaSkull 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 time of their pact gave 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. the capacity to raise the dead from the corpses still scattered through the buried capital, and the same power allowed him to control the resulting host with his mind. The army existed because 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. existed. It moved because he ordered it to move. When he was struck down at the Mask Makers'The 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. forge, the host fell silent in the same instant.

The raw material of the army was the dead of OkotoSkull 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. itself. The discharge 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. at 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. had drawn 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. into the Shadow RealmSkull 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. and left bodies in the streets. 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. raised those bodies. The result was an army that bore 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. armour, walked through 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. streets, and answered to the same commander that the surviving pirates of 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. now obeyed in their underground city. Two forces moved under one will from two different burial sites.

The order of battle#

Under 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., the host resolved into a recognisable structure. Skull BasherSkull BasherA Skull Creature guardian of Okoto's Temple of Creation, armed with mask-draining powers and hook axes. stood at the top of the field hierarchy as the strongest of the army's elite, wielding twin Hook AxesSkull 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. and serving as the guardian of the Temple of CreationTemple of CreationThe Temple of Creation lay buried in the dunes of Po-Wahi, dedicated to the Principle of Creation and gated behind four charms and a Kolhii skill check.. Skull SlicerSkull SlicerA former arena victor who drains masks of their power as Kulta's lieutenant., the reanimated body of a former gladiatorial champion of the OkotoSkull 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. arenas, served as a lieutenant and carried Hook BladesSkull 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. of his own. The Skull WarriorsSkull WarriorsThe undead ice-armed footsoldiers raised from the giant skeletons buried beneath the City of the Mask Makers, deployed by Kulta the Skull Grinder as the numerical backbone of his assault on the abandoned capital of Okoto. made up the infantry: ice-aspect troops armed with Freeze Bows that could strike at long distances and Ice Spears for melee work. The Skull ScorpiosSkull ScorpioThe scorpion-form units created by Kulta the Skull Grinder, sent in packs to ambush the Toa in a Skull Graveyard and strip Pohatu of his Golden Mask of Stone., arachnid-like creatures 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. had forged with his dark power some time before, served as hunting packs that operated outside the main columns.

Every tier of the host shared one capacity: elemental drain. The same dark power that had raised the troops had also given them the ability to strip the elemental energy out of Golden Masks. The warriors drained it through contact with their Freeze Bows. Skull BasherSkull BasherA Skull Creature guardian of Okoto's Temple of Creation, armed with mask-draining powers and hook axes. drained it through the Hook AxesHook AxesSkull Basher's paired axes capture the 2015 reboot's approach to weapon design: visually distinctive but narratively sparse, where function speaks louder than lore.. Skull SlicerSkull SlicerA former arena victor who drains masks of their power as Kulta's lieutenant. drained it through the Hook BladesHook BladesCurved, hooked weapons wielded by Skull Slicer for slashing and catching, with a variant also carried by Kulta.. 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. himself drained it through the Mask Stealer StaffSkull 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., the weapon designed to pry masks from the faces of their wearers. The entire chain of arms converged on the same outcome. The army was a single instrument aimed at the same target 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. was aimed at, namely the masks 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. had forged.

The first engagement at the capital#

The Skull Army entered the war the moment 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. 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.. The six elemental Toa had assembled on the southern shore after washing up in their canisters, found the abandoned villages, and brought down 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. at the lair that the spider had built atop one of the city's outer approaches. Entry into the capital itself put them in front of the Skull Army for the first time. The infantry contingent of Skull WarriorsSkull WarriorsThe undead ice-armed footsoldiers raised from the giant skeletons buried beneath the City of the Mask Makers, deployed by Kulta the Skull Grinder as the numerical backbone of his assault on the abandoned capital of Okoto. blocked their passage and tried to halt them inside the streets.

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., Master of Earth, ended the encounter. He drove a large earthquake attack into the ground beneath the Skull WarriorsSkull WarriorsThe undead ice-armed footsoldiers raised from the giant skeletons buried beneath the City of the Mask Makers, deployed by Kulta the Skull Grinder as the numerical backbone of his assault on the abandoned capital of Okoto. and shattered the contingent, an act that also brought down the team's escape route as a side effect. The capital was now closed to them in one direction and the army of its undead garrison had been broken in the other. 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. pressed inward, found their way to the Tomb of the Mask Maker, and woke 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. with their combined elemental powers. Behind them, the Skull Army reformed around its surviving elite and prepared for the second engagement at the forge.

The mission against the Mask of Creation#

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.'s 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. committed the entire host to a single objective: the destruction of the Mask of CreationThe Mask of CreationThe signature Kanohi of Ekimu the Mask Maker, capable of bringing into being whatever its wearer envisioned. Stolen by Kulta the Skull Grinder, reclaimed at the Mask Makers' forge, and worn again in the final defence of Okoto.. The mask had rested on the bridge into the capital since the day 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. lost it, and 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. seized it and carried it to the Mask Makers' own forge with the intention of melting it down. The host's role in the operation was to delay and weaken any rescuers who reached him before the work was done. Skull BasherSkull BasherA Skull Creature guardian of Okoto's Temple of Creation, armed with mask-draining powers and hook axes. intercepted 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. on the approach to the forge and stripped 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 his Golden Mask of Earth before the combined Toa drove him off; the act demonstrated that the army's drain mechanism worked on the most senior Toa as readily as on the rank and file.

When the Toa reached the forge, 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. was wearing the Mask of CreationThe Mask of CreationThe signature Kanohi of Ekimu the Mask Maker, capable of bringing into being whatever its wearer envisioned. Stolen by Kulta the Skull Grinder, reclaimed at the Mask Makers' forge, and worn again in the final defence of Okoto. himself. The mask amplified him beyond what the team could match, his existing drain ability gave him a second edge, and he felled all six Toa in a single engagement and damaged their Golden Masks in the process. The defeat was the first 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 suffered as a unit on OkotoSkull 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.. The army that had delayed them in the streets and at the temple had done its work. 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. was unopposed at the forge until 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. reforged the Hammer of PowerSkull 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. and struck the Mask of CreationThe Mask of CreationThe signature Kanohi of Ekimu the Mask Maker, capable of bringing into being whatever its wearer envisioned. Stolen by Kulta the Skull Grinder, reclaimed at the Mask Makers' forge, and worn again in the final defence of Okoto. from his face.

Collapse and the end of the host#

The host did not survive its commander. 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.'s defeat at the forge left the army leaderless for the duration of his imprisonment beneath the Temple of CreationTemple of CreationThe Temple of Creation lay buried in the dunes of Po-Wahi, dedicated to the Principle of Creation and gated behind four charms and a Kolhii skill check., and even when 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. acting on 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 order freed him for the final engagement at 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.' underground city, the campaign now belonged to the surviving raiders rather than to the undead. 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. defeated 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. in single combat at the buried city, with the borrowed Earthquake Hammer of 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., and the city collapsed atop the raiders in the same engagement. The mind that had animated the Skull Army went silent.

The structural lesson 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 OkotansThe 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. took from the host was a lesson about 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 preferred tools. The army that had blocked the streets of the capital, drained 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.'s Golden Mask at the temple, and felled the entire team at the forge had been built out of the dead of the same 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. settlements the Toa had come to defend. The same dark power that had enabled 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. had also enabled an undead garrison to occupy the capital its discharge had emptied. When the campaign ended, the Skull Army ended with it: no second commander inherited the host, no surviving cell carried on the campaign, and the corpses 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. had raised lay in the streets of the recovered capital as the dead of the original cataclysm once more.