Kanohi

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For several species in the Matoran universe, Kanohi - specially-designed masks made from purified metallic protodermis - are an integral part of day-to-day life. Matoran, for example, must wear a Kanohi mask at all times; without one, they will grow weak and eventually fall comatose within a matter of hours. When forged using rare and sufficiently-purified materials, Kanohi masks can grant their wearers all sorts of powers and abilities if the user is capable of accessing them. If a powered Kanohi is cracked or broken, its power will leak out, causing it to stop working entirely; a few particularly powerful masks may malfunction if damaged. Kanohi are attached to the faces of their wearers via a magnetic connection.

Kanohi masks come in several different types: powerless, Noble, Great, and Nuva. While powerless masks only provide the wearer the small amount of energy needed to prevent the adverse effects of masklessness, all other types of masks grant a specific power to their wearers if they are able to use them. Mask powers can only be accessed by certain species, and even then, require significant amounts of focus, mental discipline, and willpower to activate, often necessitating special training in order to do so. Noble masks provide minor powers, and are sometimes more limited than their Great counterparts. Great masks offer substantial power, and some beings may choose to predicate their main strategies for battle off of a single Great mask. Nuva masks are special, powerful forms of Noble or Great masks, only usable by beings who have been transformed into Nuva; the abilities these masks provide often have additional advantages and benefits, and can be shared with beings near the user. Three unique masks sit at a power level above all others: Legendary. These masks control fundamental aspects of the universe - Life, Creation, and Time - and will have devastating to catastrophic results if misused, or worse, broken.

Each Kanohi power has a standard "shape" associated with it and its power level (other than powerless). Conventionally, most masks are forged in the shape that matches their power and power level for the sake of quick identification, but a mask can technically be made in a different shape for any number of reasons (for example, to honor an old hero or lost friend, or more nefariously, to hide the mask's true power). Powerless masks are generally forged in one of the standard shapes for their associated power. Masks may vary from their standard shape in a variety of ways. Some are modified to be better-suited for specific environments, and a number of enhancements (such as scopes or visors) or cosmetic attachments can be added to a mask by a sufficiently-skilled mask maker. Most masks (unless modified, painted, etc.) are a dull gray when they are not being worn. When worn, a Kanohi mask will take on the colors of its user.

Over time, Kanohi take on an inactive "imprint" of their wearer's consciousness, which then gradually dissipates when removed. A relatively recently-deceased being can be revived by infusing an imprinted mask with sufficient amounts of energy, although this process is almost unheard of and is considered by most to be no more than a legend.

List of Kanohi

Legendary Masks

Eclectic Masks

Elemental Masks

Mental Masks

Physical Masks

Pseudo-Elemental Masks

Pseudo-Legendary Masks

  • Olmak, Mask of Dimensional Gates

Sensory Masks

  • Akaku, Mask of Piercing Vision
  • Arthron, Mask of Sonar
  • Elda, Mask of Detection
  • Rode, Mask of Truth
  • Ruru, Mask of Night Vision
  • Sanok, Mask of Accuracy
  • Waheldu, Mask of Sensory Aptitude

Support Masks

Transient Masks

Uncategorized