About a year and a half ago, TheLegendReborn hosted a collaboration to create a massive Toa Hagah team for the original leader of the Brotherhood, a collab I participated in and was finished with a fantastic book by him, KDNX, and Nattarthetimedragon, chronicling each participants’ entries from the perspective of Miserix similar to the official Dark Hunters book as told by The Shadowed One. This collab had a major impact on me as both a fan worldbuilding my own canon and a moccist in modern day, inspiring me to create far more characters and concepts than I would ever have done otherwise when I first got into Stud.io. And so I’ve always considered this Hagah team canon to my lore, and just a few days ago I finished recreating and slightly revising every single member in my build style to culminate into a massive gallery.
Today, I will be presenting them publicly here, as once again I have thought out each one’s story after the Hagah Rebellion and Purge in FAR too much detail for some members and will likely surpass Instagram’s pathetic text limit. I will also of course be crediting each Toa to their original makers and linking to their profiles wherever possible.
To kick things off, here is my pre-exile Miserix himself, appearing how I imagined he would have looked closer to his original creation before shapeshifting into a full-on dragon
The idea behind this collab was that, following the Matoran Civil War, Miserix saw that the world was growing too unsafe for the Brotherhood to sit idly by as the reclusive scientists they once were. And while Teridax was eventually sent to end the conflict as the immediate, short-term solution, Miserix had plans for a more effective long-term way to govern the universe justly, aided by a team of elite and noble Toa from each Matoran element- the best of the best. Handpicked by Miserix himself, they were the first, original Toa Hagah, primarily answering to the leader of the Makuta but serving the Brotherhood and thus the Matoran Universe as a whole.
Each member’s depictions are mostly 1-to-1 with the original collab book itself, though there are some minor tweaks and additional details here and there that I’ve expanded upon myself (both from the creators’ own post-Hagah descriptions and my own ideas). I highly encourage you check out that original book all the same, and it is linked just up above if you scroll back a bit. I have also included their Matoran forms where applicable, most of which were also designed by the original creators themselves.
Now to get things underway here, we first have the Toa chosen to lead the team on the field: Cuurini, Toa of Iron (made by CurseStation, formerly Sandcrab)
As with all the others, much of Cuurini’s lore as highlighted in the collab book remains the same in my own canon, with the only difference being that she was not born a Toa, but rather was the first female Fe-Matoran to become a Toa. This happened early on in the Matoran Universe’s history, making her the oldest Toa among the original Toa Hagah, and she is described as level-headed, stalwart, and decisive. Cuurini formerly acted as a traveling adventurer from one island to the next, stopping a threat in its tracks before venturing elsewhere, until she eventually crossed paths with the Brotherhood on Destral and caught their attention. Most Makuta feared Toa of Iron even before their evolution, but Miserix saw the value of making her a powerful ally.
Following her recruitment, Cuurini’s equipment consisted of a Kanohi Cetuha - Mask of Mental Shielding - reforged in the shape of a Mask of Stasis, the Adamant Spear which reinforces whatever it touches to become harder/stronger than Protosteel, and a Rhotuka-Launching Shield that let her fire both her Elemental Rhotuka (as I headcanon all Toa can alongside their unique Rhotuka power) and her Perennial Rhotuka, which set a target in unstoppable motion in any direction she chose.
Next in line as Deputy Team Leader, we have Verbatis, Toa of Sonics (created by yours truly, and no I did NOT ask him to be deputy leader that privilege was bestowed upon him by the book writers)
Verbatis was the second Toa of Sonics created by the Great Beings. The first De-Toa, Shaodan, was accidentally made deaf by his own power, and so the Great Beings still overseeing the developing Matoran Universe ensured the properties of all following De-Matoran audio receptors were properly adjusted and added more protective insulation to correct their oversight. As such, Verbatis and all De-Matoran and Toa created after him were protected from hearing damage or loss as a result of excessive volumes, such as that which his element created.
Initially, Verbatis wore a Miru and wielded dual Kanoka Gauntlets to fire elemental disks of Sonics, and served as a top commander in Pridak’s army during the reign of the League of Six Kingdoms. When the League fell and Verbatis was allowed to live and serve Makuta Miserix, he was given a reforged Weha - Mask of Division - in the shape of a Mask of Growth alongside a Rhotuka-Launching Shield and the Frequency Spear. His Rhotuka locked targets in Stasis until being hit by the spinner again, and his spear could create any type of wave through any medium it touched. His experience in Pridak’s army meant Verbatis knew how to keep troops in line and marching, and keep his team motivated and respecting of Cuurini and Miserix’s orders. Well, most of the time anyway.
Miserix’s Toa Hagah was headed by a trio of leading Toa, and that trio was completed by Kilaoi, Toa of Fire (made by ToaTrayax90)
As outlined in the collab book, Kilaoi is an old soul hardened by his years of Toaship and past experience. His strict temperament in contrast to the average Ta-Toa’s brash, hardheaded, and impulsive nature made him best suited for the role of Chief Strategist on the team. Having dealt with past in-fighting in his old Toa Team that he blames himself for, and seeing his village destroyed because of their lack of cohesion, Kilaoi worked hard to ensure the Toa Hagah’s success through precisely executed maneuvers and mutual respect between his brothers and sisters, even if he does come across as grumpy at times. He provided support to the team with his Peak Performance Rhotuka, which granted targeted allies the physical capabilities of a Calix-wearer.
Kilaoi wears one of the only 3 Kanohi Olmak forged in the universe, crafted at Miserix’s own request for him and forged in the shape of the Ignika, which at the time was only spoken of through myths and legends too fearsome to record in detail. He also retained his Kanohi Kualsi and possessed a Kanohi Crast as secondary masks, stored and accessible from the Suva once kept for the Toa Hagah on Destral. Kilaoi’s toolset is completed with a standard Rhotuka-Launching Shield and the Inferno Spear, which can amplify his own Fire element similarly to Takanuva’s Power Lance and vastly increase the temperature of the area around him.
The Toa of Air on the team was the high-flying Sorin (made by SilverShade54)
Sorin was among the younger members of the team and is especially close with his sister Toa, Kadishni and Nia. An overall team player with youthful energy, he was well familiar with navigating the skies of the Matoran Universe from his time as a Matoran and Toa prior to serving Miserix, dealing with threats to equipment and supplies shipments.
Sorin wears a Matatu reforged like a Kakama variant belonging to one of his former peers, and is equipped with Protosteel Gukko Wings which enable him to fly without relying on a Kanohi Kadin. Given a Rhotuka Launching Shield and the Strato Spear upon becoming a Toa Hagah, Sorin’s Sight-Sharing Rhotuka allows him to view the world through the eyes of whomever he struck, and his Spear amplifies his Air powers to affect the concentration of air in an area, making it harder for enemies to breathe. He was well-relied upon for relaying information to and from the team and on the battlefield.
Up next, there was the enigmatic Thewn, Toa of Water (made by Minirigby)
Thewn was always an oddity among the team, a loner not quick to open up about her past or personality. The Brotherhood had of course been aware of and studying her already, as she spent many years training on the shores of the Southern Continent near Destral. From what Miserix could gather without overprying into her life and mind out of respect, Thewn was once a sea-faring trader as a Matoran, an occupation that has given her unparalleled navigational skills throughout the entirety of the Matoran universe. Per Miserix’s own report, she has never been shown an island she could not lead her team to, with the exception of the most hidden of lands such as Artakha, the entrance to Karda Nui, and the mythical Nongu. Only Miserix himself knew the locations of the prior two lands, and he guarded this knowledge untrusted to him very strictly.
What remained unknown to him, and the rest of the Toa Hagah and Brotherhood, was where exactly Thewn came from, and where, when, and how she became a Toa. Her brothers and sisters respected her right to privacy, agreeing to let Thewn share these details of her life in her own time and of her own volition. As for the Brotherhood, Miserix went as far as to arrange for Thewn to have training for Mental Shielding, both as a tactical advantage to help keep the team’s sensitive info and to prevent his more nosy brothers and sisters from invading Thewn’s mind.
Thewn was given a Rhotuka-Launching Shield to fire her Discombobulate spinners, which in contrast to her supreme navigational ability robbed targets of their own sense of direction and balance. Supplied to her as well was the Abyssal Spear, which could affect the pressure a being was under and make them feel lighter or heavier with each strike. Lastly, Thewn’s Miru was reforged in the shape of the second known Olmak prior to the one Miserix ordered for Kilaoi, which once belonged to an agent of the Brotherhood who disappeared in the line of duty long ago. It is speculated this agent gave his Olmak to the Toa belonging to Jovan’s team before passing.
The tough and elusive Muru served as Miserix’s Toa Hagah of Stone (made by - Ewic -, formerly known as both - Hot Cheeto- and - Not Velika -)
Muru has always been different from other Po-Matoran and even most Toa of Stone. Tall and thin as a Matoran, he possesses natural speed and nimbleness uncommon to most of his kin, all wrapped inside a tougher emotional hide hardened from past experiences. Muru came into Toa-ship when the first Toa of Lightning, Zynnia, barely escaped a war between Guardian’s people of Augafi tribes on Odina. Coming across the startled Po-Matoran, she gave him a Toa Stone in her last breaths, and Muru took up the mantle of Hero to try and finish the life-saving work she started on the warring island. Miserix personally witnessed the horrors Muru endured, and knew before the Toa Hagah concept was finalized that Muru would be his pick for a Toa of Stone. And as part of a larger team, Muru’s nature prevented him from forming too close of bonds with his brothers and sisters out of fear of losing them and being pained even more so emotionally, though he does still care quite a bit for them all and would defend them to his last breath if necessary.
Muru was given a lighter-weight Rhotuka Launching Shield and the Megalithic Spear, his Healing spinner aiding his allies and his Spear reshaping the very terrain around him to his will with ease. His nimble movements also paired well with his Huna, reforged in the shape of a Hau Nuva which was revealed as a “monstrous Kanohi Hau” to the clairvoyant Makuta Kazulk in a vision.
One of the more friendly members of the team was Aiyesaac, Toa of Gravity (made by Tai-Wind)
Described as the most enigmatic of the team, even more so than Thewn, Aiyesaac hails from the most inhospitable lands south of the Southern Continent, originally maintaining a colony of Ba-Matoran before he was recruited by the Brotherhood. What makes him so puzzling is not what is not known about him, but rather what is, having lived in a region said to be so dangerous that none who venture there ever return, and yet able to stay so positive and calm despite the many threats he himself is very open to recounting dealing with.
Before leaving his successfully defended home, he left his Matoran with a Toa Stone as protective insurance, and then joined the ranks of his fellow Toa whom he was quite friendly towards. This amiable nature of his is partially contrasted by Aiyesaac’s practical and stoic mindset on the battlefield, saving the speaking for when it was necessary and entering a sort of meditative state to ensure his maneuvers were without flaw.
Aiyesaac wears a reforged Kadin (made in the shape of a Mask of Intangibility) to go along with his own personal manipulation of zero-gravity, and was equipped with a stylized Rhotuka Launching Shield resembling the symbol of the Three Virtues. He additionally wore two Rhotuka Launching Shoulder Plates for firing several Teleport spinners at once, making him an effective, non-lethal room-clearer.
As a last result, the powerful Horizon Spear Aiyesaac wielded could channel enough gravitational distortion to tear open portals to the realm the Brotherhood came to call the Zone of Darkness, otherwise known as the Field of Shadows in modern day.
The secret weapon, among a few other candidates, within the team was Ashla, Toa of Light (made by InChandyWeTrust)
One of the biggest changes to the canon in the “Kardan Universe” is the comparatively abundant existence of Toa Light preceding Takanuva. And rather than being prophesied as the first Toa of Light, Takanuva was merely a special Toa destined to don the Avohkii and prove to “light the darkest hour” in the universe, which is why the Brotherhood feared more Toa of Light coming into existence after the predecessors were either retired as Turaga, corrupted, or sent into hiding or killed.
Ashla herself, then, existed as an Av-Matoran from essentially the beginning of the universe, later becoming the second existing Toa of Light and the first female Av-Matoran to do so. She wasn’t sure why at the time, but this also gave her an innate sense of caution as to her true nature, and so she almost instinctively began changing her armor color to disguise as Toa of other elements.
Miserix, one of the more observant Makuta, easily distinguished her true nature the first time she crossed paths with the newly founded Brotherhood, Destiny drawing them together time and time again. Teridax ironically was the one to invite her to the Brotherhood’s ranks after working together to take down the League of Six Kingdoms, and Ashla soon became one of Miserix’s most valuable surprise assets while the more publicly known first Toa of Light, Paldra, remained more as a general ally and was close to retiring from his lengthy years of service.
Ashla was given the Prismatic Spear and a lighter-weight Rhotuka Launching Shield, both able to cast fearsome realistic Illusions of her imagination. Her Spear could also create other projections of light in midair, such as holograms and strategic maps. Her Kakama was reforged in the shape of a Brotherhood-Shapeshifted Mask of Fear at her own choosing, hinting at her sense of humor as she would occasionally sneak up on her fellow Toa and spook them suddenly.
Next, there was the maverick of the team: Kadishni, Toa of Lightning (made by Kosmos)
Kadishni was always rebellious at heart, stemming from successfully leading an actual rebellion against the mad Turaga of her homeland as a Matoran and becoming its new leader. Miserix saw how she thrived in this environment and the great potential she held, but hoped that her position in the team as a follower instead would teach her some humility. Kadishni, though, continued to openly disobey direct orders in favor of her own plans she felt were more viable. Her brothers and sisters, thankfully, recognized that this came from a place not of disdain for their authority, but genuine love and care for the team, just wanting them all to be safe and make it out of a mission okay and erroneously believing her judgement at times was more sound than her seniors. Nevertheless, Kadishni was a valued member as the times her rogue actions did pay off proved that she had a least some idea of what she was doing. This did not exempt her from much needed counseling and even scolding every so often of course.
Even Kadishni’s equipment breaks from the standard, carrying instead a Kanoka Launching Shield she almost immediately discarded her supplied Rhotuka Shield for and having her reforged mask instead be a new Kanohi Matatu - a mask she shares with her close companion Sorin - made to look like her old Akaku. Her Shield is able to teleport Kanoka from a storehouse in Metru Nui, a technology that would later be replicated and implemented into the Vahki, or channel her element to fire elemental disks of Lightning. The versatility of her Kanoka usage coupled with her powerful Thunderclap Spear - a weapon which could generate blindingly bright flashes of electrical light and deafening booms of thunder - made her a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.
Somehow I still ended up surpassing the message boards’ apparent text limit, so I guess this ends Part 1 of this post. Part 2 will be linked here