Most Makuta were known to have their own teams of Toa Hagah; Dybbuk was no exception. Shortly after the deposition of the former leader Miserix, Dybbuk–being one of the few Makuta to openly and publicly interact with the Matoran Universe’s inhabitants–made his way around the world, looking for potential recruits to his cause. To go along with each recruit, Dybbuk recorded his experiences in his diaries, which weren’t released until after his death. The Brotherhood of Makuta expresses their gratitude for Dybbuk’s services and hope that his Toa Hagah, The Demon Battalion, continues to faithfully serve.
Vyrduno, Toa of Ice
From the diaries of Makuta Dybbuk:
When Lord Teridax proposed the idea of the Brotherhood recruiting Toa protectors, I at first dismissed the idea as ridiculous—the universe will one day be ours for the taking, why do we need protecting?—before realizing that our goals are exactly why we need them, and what better than to pull from the ranks of our greatest adversaries to join our cause?
When deciding who my protectors were to be, Vyrduno was undoubtedly my first choice. I had first encountered him when visiting Polnoc and Osara, the Dikuta in their city of Eitri (on Keetongu’s island). The Matoran residents were forced indoors because some creatures were causing havoc. Against both my better judgment and the advice of the Dikuta, I carefully went to investigate the source of the commotion. About 10 kilometers outside the city borders, I saw a lone Toa of Ice fighting three massive dragons. This was a surprise, firstly because the dragons didn’t look like anything that I or my brothers created. What’s more, the Toa was injured, missing an arm, but didn’t even slow down. The desire to protect his people was well beyond what I could expect from any reasonable man, but this man did not appear to be reasonable, which appeared to make him the perfect candidate.
I revealed myself to aid the Toa in his fight against the dragons—which I later learned are called “abaasies”—using any trick at my disposal to drive them away. We couldn’t kill them, but they fled away from the direction of the city, which would have to do. After rushing the Toa back to Eitri for medical attention, I spoke to him, asking what drove him to fight well past the point of madness. To paraphrase, he responded along the lines of: “When someone needs you that much, you’ll do anything for them, to hell with sanity.” This was exactly what I was looking for in a protector, so after he completed his physical therapy, I offered Vyrduno an invitation to found my Toa Hagah team. Although hesitant at first, he agreed after learning that Polnoc and Osara had already given their blessing.
Vyrduno now leads my team of Toa Hagah. He is incredibly stern and something of a perfectionist, but not to the point that his team holds any grudges or calls his methodologies unfair. No matter how hard he pushes them, they know he’ll be leading the charge when the need arises.
Vyrduno wears a Great Kanohi Pakari, the Mask of Strength, which was reforged into the shape of a Zatth after a comrade who had fallen to the abaasy attacks. His Icicle Spear enables him to channel his cryokinetic powers and to walk through solid ice as if it weren’t even there. His Rhokuta spinner, upon making contact, releases a blast of cold air with temperatures as close to absolute zero as possible. Given the nature of the spinner, Vyrduno only uses it as a last resort.
Koreyta, Toa of Earth
From the diaries of Makuta Dybbuk:
As fierce as Vyrduno is, he is still just one Toa. No matter how far he pushes himself, he cannot do everything alone. For that reason, I set my sights on a Toa of Earth next. I believe those born of earth are the physically strongest of their brothers, and I am not shy about the fact that they are able to use the battlefield itself as a tool for their disposal. This time, I traveled to Metru Nui, in search of one of the Toa who had put a stop to the Kanohi Dragon. After requesting an audience with Turaga Dume, he introduced me to the Toa of Earth who was part of that team and told me all about how he was essential in luring the dragon away from the City before the others threw it into the sea and left it to drown. For some reason, the Toa of Earth seemed to flinch at the sound of his name and at, what I thought at the time, random moments in Dume’s testimony, but I thought little of it beyond making a mental footnote. If what Dume said was true, then this Toa of Earth was perfect for my team. I asked the Turaga to let the Toa join me and he gave me his blessing.
Not long after the whole team was assembled, I was writing notes, brainstorming ideas for what would become my magnum opus, the plan that would save the Brotherhood of Makuta; then I heard a knock at the door. It was the Toa of Earth. What could he want at this hour? Turns out, that was just it: to talk about my use of the masculine. The Toa told me that her name is Koreyta and that the use of the masculine to refer to her made her quite…uncomfortable. Suddenly the squirming during Dume’s testimony made sense; it seems that she had made her wishes known but Dume ignored them, using her old name and identity. I told her that she would be accepted among the Brotherhood–what good is a warrior who cannot feel safe in her own body?–and reintroduced the team to their Number One, who welcomed her with open arms. From then on, I made it a point to expel anyone who did not refer to Koreyta properly from my operations. If you defy one of my team, you defy me, and that will not stand.
As the Number One, Koreyta serves as the deputy leader of the team. Before telling me who she really was, she tended to cover the rear, which I now believe was a means to hide her self-loathing. Now that she is open about the truth of herself, she’s far more enthusiastic in her role, and the records show a significant improvement in results.
Koreyta wears the Great Kanohi Nydak, the Mask of Trust, which was reforged into the shape of a Komau. Her Magma Spear enables her to channel her terrakinetic powers and can manipulate magma to melt the earth beneath a foe. Her Rhotuka spinner shatters on making contact, creating blasts comparable to those created by Panrahk.
Buru, Toa of Stone
From the diaries of Makuta Dybbuk:
What better way is there to represent the Matoran ideal of unity than Stone? After all, what is sand but a bunch of microscopic rocks? Alone, they are all but invisible, but together they can be forged into continents. With that in mind, it was a no-brainer that the next Toa to recruit for my Toa Hagah would be one of Stone. I traveled to the eastern state in the Northern Continent and was introduced to a rambunctious Toa named Buru by the Matoran he was performing tricks for. Evidently, the Matoran had figured out why I was there, because they were making a point to sell Buru to me. To be frank, I was not all that impressed with Buru at first; he seemed to be more fit for a circus than an armed guard. As I was taking my leave, I was knocked down and attacked by a couple of Dark Hunters who appeared to have lost their way–they had to be, not just anyone can sneak up on a Makuta.
I distinctly remember some Matoran trying to help me–some were smart enough to run for backup or cover, some were stupid enough to get caught in the crossfire–but I could feel my world going dark…that is, until Buru arrived on the scene and made quick work of the Hunters. When I was well enough to comprehend my surroundings again, I asked Buru how he was able to do that so easily. As it happens, he’s not just a showman, he’s the marshal for this region, and an infamous one at that. The Dark Hunters didn’t recognize me because, at the time, Makuta were believed to have little reason to leave their lair or assigned region(s), but Buru carried a reputation around here. His people love him, criminals fear him, and that’s the way he likes it. Finally realizing his potential, I extended an invitation for Buru to join my Toa Hagah, in return for the potential to spread his name far and wide. To make a long story short, Buru accepted.
Buru is the team’s heart and soul, the one who keeps everybody’s spirits up, the resident jokester. I suppose every team has at least one. It does get on my nerves at times, but Buru has been in this game long enough that he knows when to be funny and when to be serious. He has an especially semi-vitriolic relationship with Koreyta, which only intensified after she revealed her true self. What word is there to most accurately describe it, I wonder?
Buru wears a Great Kanohi Faxon, Mask of Kindred, which has been reforged into the shape of a noble Miru. In addition to the standard full range of geokinetic powers normally afforded to a Toa of Stone, his Sandstorm Spear additionally gives him full control over sand. His Rhotuka spinner causes the target to temporarily lose all sense of physical coordination on contact.
Koore, Toa of Plasma
From the diaries of Makuta Dybbuk:
It wouldn’t be wise to assume that Toa are reasonable, but they are at least usually pleasurable. Koore was a counterexample, a Toa of Plasma from Su-Koro with a hot temper to match. As a being of shadow, I thrive off of other people’s dark emotions, and so I believed one such as Koore would be a good addition to the team, if only to serve as a balance to Buru’s tomfoolery. Unfortunately, when I extended him an invitation to join my Toa Hagah, he initially refused. As honored as he would be to serve as a guardian for an emissary of the Great Spirit, he told me, his duties to his people and his current team superseded it and that I would have to look elsewhere.
How foolish of this Toa to believe the Makuta still follow the will of Mata Nui! We decided long ago that we will be moving on to bigger and better things; but first, this Toa would need to pay the price for his resistance. I infected a few spare Kanohi the Brotherhood had collected from battlefields from wars past, forced some rahi to wear them, and set them loose in Su-Koro. By the time Koore had learned of the disaster, it was far too late. All in the region had been killed and most of the homes and land had been destroyed. Koore had nothing left…
…
except…
…
…an opportunity to join me.
With little other option than to stay as the guardian of a graveyard, Koore, at last, accepted my offer to join my Toa Hagah.
Koore now fights with a rage I did not previously know a Toa was capable of. I do not know if he ever figured out that I was the one who destroyed his village, but I have no doubt that he would absolutely kill me if he could, even going so far as to fight the hardest for my safety to ensure that he is the one who does the deed. I like that. I like that a lot. I almost regret that Koore was not born a Makuta. He would’ve fit right in alongside us.
Koore wears the Great Kanohi Sanok, Mask of Accuracy. His Supernova Spear enables him to channel his ionikinetic powers and can fire small comets, but not without cost–the greater the comets’ size and number, the more physically weakened Koore becomes. His Rhotuka spinner increases in density as it flies, meaning the farther the target is when struck, the harder the impact is. At 100 meters, the impact is fatal.
Nimbix, Toa of Lightning
From the diaries of Makuta Dybbuk:
Out of all of my Toa Hagah, you would think that Nimbix was by far the easiest to train. As a Makuta, I have a sizable control over electricity, so it wasn’t difficult to zero in on this Lightning Toa’s strengths and weaknesses. However, as stellar of a warrior as she is now, getting to this point wasn’t a trivial matter. As I was returning to Destral following my recruitment of Toa Koore, I discovered a Vo-Matoran on the shore, face down, unconscious, in danger of drowning. I ran to her, aiming to turn her right side up–she’s worth more alive than dead, but I can still find use for a dead Matoran–but it seems the Great Beings had other plans. A bolt of lightning came down and struck the Matoran, but when the flash stopped, the Matoran was no more, having transformed into a Toa.
What a strange phenomenon that was. The Toa was able to stand and breathe just fine, but she had trouble walking. What’s more, she could only remember her name, Nimbix, and nothing else. I sought out my brothers-in-arms for counsel on what my next move should be. Makuta Halumu suggested that I raise Nimbix as my own, the same way she raises her “children.” Hm, even thinking the word “child” puts a weird taste in my mouth, and I doubt I will ever truly fully understand the relationship Halumu and her “children” enjoy, but with time I came to agree with her that taking Nimbix in as an apprentice would be the best course of action. With that, I officially appointed her to my Toa Hagah and began teaching her everything I knew.
I am proud of all the Toa Hagah I have amassed and the accomplishments they have achieved in my name, and that is especially true with my young padawan. To put it elegantly, Nimbix flies like an acid fly and stings like a Nui-Kopen; always moving with grace and striking viciously. She has all the ideal aspects of a Toa but is not bound to the Toa Code that handicaps so many of her brothers and sisters. I have faith in all of my Hagah, but, if I were a praying man, I’d especially pray for Nimbix’s safety and success going forward.
Nimbix wears the Great Kanohi Arthron, Mask of Sonar. Her Circuit Spear enables her to channel her electrokinetic powers and she can use it to coat herself in lightning, creating a barrier of sorts; however, the longer she wears the coat, the longer it must recharge before she can wear it again. Her Rhotuka spinner temporarily clings to the target on contact, sending minute residual shocks.
Joule, Toa of Magnetism
From the diaries of Makuta Dybbuk:
One would be forgiven for thinking it is unwise for a Makuta to enlist a Toa of Magnetism to their Toa Hagah, seeing as they pose just as much of a threat to us as their iron-bending brothers. However, keeping my enemies closer is exactly why I sought out Joule for my cause. If I can take one of his kind under my wing, I can observe what they are truly capable of. Though the Toa Code is supposed to prevent them from taking lives, even ours, one can never be too sure. In any case, I discovered Joule during another trip to Metru Nui, having gone there to request to borrow some equipment to be used for surveillance, explaining that the Brotherhood is searching for those who can manipulate metal in the event that our bodies get damaged (of course, we were actually searching for sites to carry out what would be the Iron Genocide, but Dume didn’t need to know that). Instead, the Turaga pointed me in the direction of the Faraday Peninsula, on the northernmost island of the Western Chain, where a community of Fa-Matoran lived.
When I arrived on the Peninsula, I was greeted by two Toa of Magnetism: Joule and his brother Pascal. They seemed friendly enough, but I couldn’t help but stay on my guard. Nevertheless, I tried to hide my worry as I repeated the fabricated story I told Turaga Dume, explaining that I would like one of them to come with me to protect me from potentially volatile forces. Both brothers were eager to volunteer their service, but Joule convinced Pascal to stay behind to watch over the Peninsula, for Toa teams are stronger when their elemental coverage is diverse–a team of six can only do so much when one-third covers the same powers. After a long and hard debate, Pascal ultimately agreed and I took Joule to join my Toa Hagah.
Although my instinctual fears of Toa of Iron and Magnetism will probably never go away, logically I know I can trust Joule with my life. He’s covered my six more times than I can count and has even patched up a few holes in my armor. Assuming he keeps up his track record and how well I can hide the trend, I believe that I will spare him from the Genocide. Of course, his brother will not be afforded that same luxury.
Joule wears the Great Kanohi Kaora, Mask of Healing, which has been reforged into the shape of a Syros. His Polarity Spear, which was taken from a prisoner of war and reforged to Joule’s liking, enables him to channel his magnokinetic powers as well as affecting the magnetic polarity of whatever it touches. His Rhotuka spinners, one blue and one red, cling to their targets and pull them together until they collide.
Trivia
- The obvious exception of their masks aside, I allowed myself a little more leniency than normal regarding purism; since most of the Hagah contest winners cannot be made purist, I figured it was ok to bend my rule with regards to their metallic armor. As such: Vyrduno’s shield, Koore’s chestplate and shield, all of Nimbix’s armor and tools (ie: shield and spear tip), Joule’s shield, and all of the Rhotuka spinners are non-purist.
- Their names are pronounced:
- Vyrduno (veer-DOO-no)
- Koreyta (ko-RAY-tah)
- Buru (BOO-ROO)
- Koore (KOR-ruh)
- Nimbix (nim-bix)
- Joule (JOO-luh)
- I don’t usually ship my OCs together, but KoreytaXBuru are an exception.
- Since Dybbuk was killed by Zaria, the Battalion is divided on what to do about him. Vyrduno, who was Dybbuk’s most loyal supporter, desires to bring Zaria to justice and try him for his crimes. Koore, who wanted nothing more than to kill the Makuta himself, seeks to summarily exterminate Zaria for robbing him of his revenge.