Tales from Turaga Ventax: Volume 1

The Departed Toa

Written by Minirigby

While traveling through the islands near Artidax on my journey, I came across many legends and accounts of an undead Toa who once traveled the area in pursuit of the sorcerer who destroyed its village. Although I could find no single account that told the whole story, or was without major gaps of information, I’ve tried my best to combine the most reliable retellings collected.

Bear in mind that this story occurred many thousands of years before I finally put together this somewhat complete recording, so although some of those I spoke to were witness to what they told me, their memories may not have been reliable after such a long time, and an unfortunately large amount of information had to be extracted from second hand sources.

Nonetheless, the following is the tale of the Departed Toa of Artidax, as best as I could piece together...

As far as I can tell, the story begins on Artidax itself, where a small village now lost to time once stood. At some point in the distant past, the Departed Toa was the protector of this village, until it was murdered, along with the rest of its village, by a sorcerer known as Makuae.

The exact origins of Makuae the sorcerer are unknown, however accounts are quite clear that he and his undead army once wreaked havoc across local islands in the area. What was known however, is that in addition to his Kanohi, he also had control over the element of shadow to some degree. Makuae was said to have worn a Kanohi Tryna, and was therefore able to use the victims of his campaign to bolster his army’s numbers.

Some time after the village on Artidax was destroyed, rumors began to spread among locals on neighboring islands about sightings of the Departed Toa. Many claim to have witnessed it wandering around first hand, searching aimlessly for the sorcerer who took its life...

It was during one of these encounters that we get our first good description of the Departed Toa itself. A Su-Matoran I met on an island just North of Artidax, named Kailu, described to me his encounter with the Toa.

“I was surprised by how short he stood” Kailu said, “his armor was pretty well black, with some purple on his lower half, and a Kanohi I couldn’t make out”.

My first instinct, as a Metru Nui native myself, was to assume it was a Toa of Earth, but later accounts suggests Gravity is more likely. As for the Kanohi, it seems only logical to have been wearing a Great Mask of Undeath, given its revenant status and Kailu’s lack of familiarity with the design.

“He was walking when I saw him, not stopping, not noticing me or anyone else. He didn’t even move to avoid rocks and stuff in the path, just kept walking straight” Kailu further explained, “It’s like he was in a trance, focused on his target, and nothing else. Pretty spooky if I’m being honest.”

Kailu was noticeably bothered, even just retelling his encounter. Unfortunately I had to press him for more information, as reliable sources were quite difficult to come by.

“What got to me most, if I’m being honest, were his limbs” Kailu said. “His right arm and left leg weren’t just without armor, they looked almost.. unnatural? No, too natural, like he was something wild that crawled out of the dirt, with no regard for the Great Spirit’s plan.”

Unfortunately that was all Kailu was able to tell me, but to this day it’s still the best description I have of the Departed Toa, so it would have to do...

It wasn’t long after Kailu’s encounter with the Departed Toa that another nearby village was attacked by the sorcerer Makuae, just like the Toa’s own village before. A survivor of the attack, Turaga Grefan, explained to me what happened.

“The sorcerer and his horde of the undead arrived at our gates during the night.” The Turaga said, “We heard rumors about other villages they had destroyed, but assumed our brave Toa would be enough to protect us, Mata Nui rest their souls...”

The Turaga explained that his village’s Toa tried to stop the undead army, but the force was too much for them to handle. One by one, they were defeated and added to Makuae’s army.

“To see your protectors fall before your eyes is a sight few are rarely prepared for. But to see them rise again, devoid of any life or identity, as your enemy, is something none should have to experience” the Turaga spoke solemnly.

“In truth, we had no hope of salvation after that, until the Departed Toa appeared that is” Turaga Grefan said, “at first I assumed he was a part of the sorcerer’s army, but when the undead began to grab at his feet and he swiped them away with his axe, I knew this was something else.”

The Turaga and other survivors of the massacre explained to me that the Departed Toa entered their village during the height of the attack, but unlike the village’s former protectors, it did not attack the other undead. Instead, the Departed Toa’s attention was focused solely and entirely on the sorcerer himself.

The Departed Toa knocked away any and all undead in its path until finally reaching Makuae, to fulfill what I can only assume its mask raised it to achieve in the first place; vengeance...

Immediately, Makuae recognized the Departed Toa. As an onlooker explained to me, the sorcerer could be heard speaking to his undead foe...

“I’ve heard rumors of you, friend” the sorcerer shouted over the sounds of battle, “I wasn’t sure you’d ever catch up with me, but now that you’re here, I suppose I can sort this problem out myself.”

The Departed Toa, unmoved by the sorcerer’s words, proceeded to lunge forward with axe in hand, toward Makuae. The advantage the Departed Toa had over its living foe however, was the fact that it could not be killed. Makuae was not immediately aware of this when he tried blasting his enemy away with shadow strikes.

Attack after attack, the Departed Toa was unmoved. Panicked, Makuae backed away from the enemy he now suspected could not be killed, and called upon his undead army to slow down the Toa.

With barely a hint of intelligent thought behind it, the Departed Toa lashed out with its control over gravity and launched the surrounding undead in all directions away from its path. The Departed Toa continued using its powers instinctively, this time lifting Makuae into the air and beginning to crush the life out of his chest.

Before the Departed Toa could finish off its foe however, a being witnesses described as both towering and hideous appeared before them both.

Through its massive and terrifying teeth, the being spoke to the Departed Toa. “Your job is done here, friend. This one belongs to the Pit now” it said, before grabbing hold of the sorcerer Makuae and vanishing out of sight as the sorcerer’s undead army collapsed without his will to animate them.

With its foe defeated and its mission complete, the Departed Toa’s mask of undeath ceased its hold over the lifeless body, and both returned to the ground, where they belong...