(Full gallery here).
Pronunciation: Kee-KAI-[h]a
Bio:
One of thousands of new Matoran born into the Post-Reformation, Kikaiha would live most of her life within the sprawling urban center of New Atero, where most Matoran and Toa were now concentrated. In the second century Kikaiha achieved her Destined transformation into a Toa and, like many new Toa, operated within the sovereign structure of the Octerran League’s Guard.
By the end of the second century, Kikaiha had been assigned sole guardianship over the Garal Islands, a shallow water coral reef atoll whose settlement was founded by several former inhabitants of the Mata Nui island. It had since continued to grow into an important stop along the southern sea trade route and a sophisticated coral farming site cultivating exotic minerals and rare sea creatures unique to the reefs. Situated at the very end of the Water Tribe’s southern archipelago, the islands were formally under the authority of the Water Tribe and thus the Octerran League, but in practice the League mainly left them to govern themselves. As such they would constitute one of the only mixed Protoderman/Magnan settlements within Octerra under a traditionally Protoderman leadership, in this case Matoran.
After the Garali had formally requested the Guard for Toa protection from increased raiding activity, Kikaiha volunteered to be sent as several of her own friends, both Matoran and among the Agori and Glatorian, had since joined the burgeoning settlement. Kikaiha would serve as the sole Toa protector for the Garal islands for the next several decades. And for the time being, her presence seemed enough to overmatch most threats to the Garal Islands.
Mask and Weapons:
Kikaiha wears the Kanohi Tehapu, the Mask of Vertigo, which allows her to disorient an opponent’s perception of balance and movement so long as they remain in sight.
Her Toa tools, the Twin Strider Blades, were used normally as bladed tonfas but could also attach to her feet. In the latter form, the blades perfectly repelled water allowing her to “skate” on top of any surface of liquid water. While in environments with enough atmospheric humidity or close to sources of water, Kikaiha could summon thin films of water directly underneath her Strider Blades to let her effectively glide through the air for short distances, though doing so required immense concentration.
In addition, Kikaiha would develop a secondary fighting style with her tools acting as bladed prosthetic extensions of her legs, engaging in highly acrobatic maneuvers folded into water-controlled attacks.
——
**The mask used is an awesome custom mask on Shapeways: [G2] Eltanin’s Kanohi Pakari