Ignika

"They call it the Mask of Life, but it might as well be a Mask of Death. Ask anyone who has tried to get their hands on it."

- Vezon, referring to the Ignika

The Kanohi Ignika is the Legendary Mask of Life.

History
100,000 years ago, near the creation of the universe, the Mask of Life was forged by the Great Beings so that Mata Nui's life energies could be restored if needed. The Great Beings hid the mask under a volcano named Valmai. Since then, the Order of Mata Nui sent agents to protect it: first Umbra, and later Axonn and Brutaka.

Around eighty thousand years ago, the Great Disruption was caused by a civil war in Metru Nui. Toa Jovan led his team to Mount Valmai, and they reached and used the Mask of Life to heal Mata Nui, but they were made into Turaga.

1,001 years ago, Mata Nui fell unconscious from an attack by the Brotherhood of Makuta, causing the Great Cataclysm. Mount Valmai and the surrounding area broke off from the Mainland, stranding all who lived there (many died in that incident, including Turaga Jovan). This region became known as the island of Voya Nui.

Voya Nui
A few months after the Takanuva v.s. Teridax battle, several groups came to Voya Nui to claim the Ignika. Former Dark Hunters calling themselves "Piraka" wanted to claim the Mask in order to ransom it for wealth and power. The Toa Nuva hoped to use the Mask to heal Mata Nui, and six Matoran who came to help them became the Toa Inika.

While the Toa Nuva were quickly taken out of action, the Piraka and Toa Inika had to face several guardians. The Piraka entered a kind of nightmare zone that brought their worst fear, the monster Irnakk, to life. The Inika also entered this zone and fought enemies they had faced as Matoran, only to have their worst fears happen as their powers spiral out of control and kill their foes, who turned out to be their friends. The Inika also faced some Protodax (Protodites enlarged by the mask), but Umbra wiped them out to claim the honor of slaying the Inika for himself. Eventually, both groups reached the Chamber of Life, where the Mask was kept, only to find one more guardian: the mad Piraka, Vezon. He had reached the mask, only to become cursed, he was fused with a giant Fenrakk spider, and worse, the mask itself had fused to the back of Vezon's head, making him believe that its removal would kill him. While the Piraka were defeated, the Inika made some headway in fighting the two - only for the mask to evolve Fenrakk into a Kardas Dragon. Toa Kongu was able to read the mask's mind and find out that it wanted to dispose of Vezon as a guardian in favor of Toa Matoro, as Matoro was a kind, self-sacrificing person, he had volunteered to give his life earlier and, on the way to the island, had offered to help someone that seemed to be in need -never realizing that the "someone" was a manifestation of the mask's power. Vezon became enraged by this news, allowing the Toa to use a Zamor Sphere that froze him in space and time so that Matoro could safely take the mask.

However, Kardas didn't stay out for long and blasted Matoro with his energy, which made Matoro lose control of the mask and it flew away to lead the Toa Inika to where it needed to be used. It went underwater, and the Toa Inika could not follow due to not being able to breath water.

Mahri Nui
The Mask was then found by Kyrehx, a Ga-Matoran of the undersea city of Mahri Nui. She gave it to the Po-Matoran Dekar, and it was seized from him by the Barraki. The Mask started cracking due to the mutagen in the Pit that Mahri Nui rested on.

When Pridak grabbed the mask, it called out for help by emitting a powerful flash of light and energy, transforming the Toa Inika into the Toa Mahri,while also turning Pridak insane,this problem was solved by Takadox and his hypnotic power. It also recreated Dekar as Hydraxon, the long-dead jailer of the Pit. The Barraki then gave the Mask to Nocturn for safe-keeping. While he had it, a gadunka crawled under it for shelter, becoming wildly enlarged. However, Nocturn had already left by then, fascinated with the Mask's curse for him: the ability to kill anything he touched while in contact with the Mask. He met up with Hydraxon. Hydraxon, by some fleeting remnant of Dekar's conscious, remembered that the Ignika was dangerous and fired his Cordak Blasters at the mask. The Mask was not destroyed but was pushed by a riptide by Hahli Mahri. When Mata Nui died, the mask turned silver, symbolizing his death. However, Mata Nui was revived by Matoro using the Ignika in the Universe Core.

Karda Nui
When the Toa Nuva travelled to Karda Nui, after the Ignika fell in the swamp, it created a body for itself and then joined the Toa Nuva. During a recent battle, Makuta Icarax tried to take the mask from its body. The Ignika became angry and used its power to devolve Icarax back into a biomechanical form, which, because his armor wasn't designed to hold organs and flesh, was extremely painful.

Teridax has said that if the universe was ever struck by famine, plauge, and terror, the mask would go black and drain life from all living things, ending all the pain and suffering. In other words, draining all life from the universe, in essence becoming a mask of death (hence the black coloring).

Possessers

 * A Great Being
 * Jovan
 * Vezon
 * Kyrehx
 * Dekar
 * Pridak
 * Nocturn
 * Gadunka
 * Hydraxon
 * Mantax

Actual Wearers
Only two beings have ever been wearers of the Ignika. Both are now dead. They were:
 * A Member of Jovan's team
 * Matoro

Personality
The Toa Ignika is said to have the personalty of a sheltered child, is very naive, and often lets his innocence get the best of him. He is courageous to the point of recklessness, and even though he is very intellegent he is immature at times. The Ignika considers himself male in honor of Matoro who saved him.

Powers
The Toa Ignika can evolve and devolve creatures and objects at will as long as the target has some molecules, he can curse anyone who touchs him, he can also shapeshift, absorb life energy or release it in an enormous blast called a Nova Blast and can use telepathy.

Forms
Like life itself, the Ignika can shapeshift itself into many different forms for many different reasons.

Curses
The following beings have been cursed by the Mask of Life:
 * Unnamed Great Being - Inanimate objects around him came to life and cried out their needs to him, resulting in his being locked up for insanity.
 * Vezon - Forced to become a guardian of the mask.
 * Kyrehx - Plant life she approached grew tremendously and sought to entangle her.
 * Pridak - Enhanced his characteristics. (i.e. insanity, anger etc.)
 * Nocturn - Whenever he came into contact with a living being, they were killed instantaneously.
 * Mantax - Made enemies nearby much weaker.
 * Gadunka - Could devolve beings back into their original state, including itself.

Weapons
The Ignika wields a Life Blade, which he can channel his life energy though and a Midak Skyblaster that can fire devastating blasts of light.

Trivia

 * If the Kanohi Ignika is removed from Toa Ignika's body, the body will disintegrate.
 * The Kanohi Ignika has to use some of his concentration to keep his body and vehicle in existence.
 * It is possible for Toa Ignika to perform a Nova Blast.
 * As he has little experience with Matoran language, Toa Ignika does not speak.
 * It is impossible to create a Noble or powerless version of the Ignika.
 * The Ignika isn't aware of its countdown.
 * If Toa Ignika "dies" while in use of his body, it will be as if the mask was destroyed, and the countdown will stop and release life energy bringing everything to life.
 * In Bionicle Legends, Toa Ignika will begin to talk.