Introduction

A formless wisp of greenish-black smoke slipped silently through a tunnel made of stone. To anyone watching, it might have seemed like a cloud of oddly colored dust, and no more. But if they could have sensed the malevolent intelligence that drove its seemingly random movements, they would have fled in horror.

The Matoran villagers of the island of Voya Nui had known this hated substance by the name “antidermis.” The evil Piraka who had seized control of their island had used it to enslave most of the population, before finally being defeated by a team of heroic Toa. The crystal vat that contained the antidermis was smashed in battle, and the substance was scattered into the air.

But this was not the end. The tremendous willpower behind the antidermis forced its molecules to come back together. Now it was again whole — yet far from complete.

Once, in another place and time, the antidermis had been known by another name. Then it was housed inside black armor, its essence concealed by an infamous mask of power. Just as now, it was the intellect, the memories, the twisted ambitions, and the very life force of a legendary being.

He was called Makuta.

Hungry for power and worship, he had led his Brotherhood in a rebellion against the Great Spirit Mata Nui and actually defeated that mighty entity. But his plans extended far beyond just one victory. His continued pursuit of his goals led to an encounter with a Toa of Light, during which his armor was shattered. The armor was no longer able to contain his energies, causing them to leak out into the atmosphere.

Frustrated, but not defeated, Makuta had influenced the Piraka to seek out the object of power he needed: the Mask of Life. For a time, it looked like his pawns would succeed, until Toa once again interfered.

First the Rahi beasts of Mata Nui, then the Bohrok swarms, Makuta thought as his essence drifted through the tunnels. Now the Piraka. When will I learn to stop working my will through others? All other beings are weak and pathetic fools who cannot begin to comprehend my plans. I, and I alone, must take matters in hand if my grand design is to succeed. There are obstacles, of course — there always are. The Mask of Life is not a prize easily won. But this game I play now is different from all others… and this time I cannot lose, for my longtime enemies will be my unwitting champions.

A soft sound touched the minds of those who fought in the tunnels, so gently that they dismissed it as a trick of the senses. It was the sound of Makuta’s laughter.

The Toa will get the Mask of Life for me… and doom their own kind in the process, thought the master of shadows. And what a perfect revenge that will be.