Ignika



The Ignika, Great Kanohi Mask of Life, can create and mutate life but is unable to return life to the dead. It has the ability to 'curse' anyone who touches it if it is not their destiny to touch it. It is sentient, though it has sort of a naive personality, thinking that its 'curses' are helpful to those they affect.

History
One hundred thousand years ago, near the creation of the universe, the Ignika, Mask of Life was forged by the Great Beings so that the Great Spirit Mata Nui's life energies could be restored if needed. The Great Beings hid the mask under a volcano named Mount Valmai. Since then, the Order of Mata Nui has 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.

One thousand 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.

Last year, several groups have come 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. 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 will 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, Matoro could not keep his grip on 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 hold their breath long enough.

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 Pridak. The Mask was slowly destroyed by 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, transforming the Toa Inika into Toa Mahri. 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 launched his Cordak Blaster at the mask. The Mask was not destroyed but was pushed by a riptide by Hahli Mahri. When Mata Nui died, the mask went dark as it was symbolic. It is still functioning.

Forms
The Kanohi Ignika is capable of changing its shape, and has at least five times, though only three different forms have been seen.


 * Original - The original form of the Kanohi Ignika was never seen by anyone except the Great Beings, when they placed it in the Chamber of Life. A hazy image of the Kanohi Ignika was shown in BIONICLE Ignition 1: If a Universe Ends, it is possible that this is the original form, though it is unknown.


 * Vezon - A silver Kanohi attached to the top of the Piraka Vezon's head. This was also Vezon's curse.


 * VNOG/BIONICLE Heroes - A golden Kanohi, with two horns. This version is only seen in the Voya Nui Online Game and BIONICLE Heroes, and was not included in a set.


 * Mahri Nui - A slightly darker golden Kanohi, with rounded edges. This version is only seen in the Barraki and Toa Mahri mini-movies, and was not included in a set. Interestingly, the front of the mask has a humanoid figure on it, possibly foreshadowing a Toa using it.


 * 2008 - The Ignika will take another form next year, though what this form is, is unknown; most likely the Mahri Nui version. This version will be released with a set.