The Piraka are on the loose. Pretending to be Toa, six gangsters terrorize the desolate floating island of Voya Nui and force the Matoran to help them acquire the Kanohi Ignika. But the destiny of six Matoran from Mata Nui will interfere with the Piraka’s evil plans, as they all search for the Mask of Life.
“The Great Spirit Mata Nui is not only asleep, he is dying.”
These words from newly-awakened Turaga Dume shocked the gathered Matoran, Toa Nuva, and Turaga. They had just arrived at the city of Metru Nui after abandoning the ruins of the island of Mata Nui, and there was much work to do. The city was in the state it had been in a thousand years before, when the Visorak horde had spun webs of shadows throughout the ruins. Several large quakes had not done the city any kindness, and news of another quest was not the most welcome. But the Toa Nuva knew they had no choice, and set off to search for the Ignika, Mask of Life, on the desolate island of Voya Nui.
The Toa Nuva were not the first to seek the mask. Six gangsters, self-styled Piraka, had already invaded the island and begun to use the Matoran who scratched a living on the rocky floating island.
Each Piraka was out for itself. The others were merely there to help find the Mask. Whoever ended up with the Mask of Life, they each figured in their devious minds, would end up ruling everything. Their allegiances were fragile at best, but that didn’t stop them from working together when needed.
The Matoran of Voya Nui greeted the new arrivals with wonder. Were these the mystical, legendary Toa who would save them from ruin? Seizing the opportunity, the Piraka claimed to be Toa heroes and were welcomed by the villagers. But soon, the Piraka put the villagers to work digging trenches and constructing fortresses near the volcano at the center of the island. They never explained to the Matoran, and only a conversation overheard by Garan, a Matoran in the right place at the wrong time, alerted the villagers to their peril.
Swiftly, the Matoran formed a resistance movement. They found out too late what the Piraka were up to when the gangsters transformed the rest of the Matoran population into mindless zombie slaves. The now-vacant Matoran were instructed to empty Mt. Valmai, laboring day and night. The resistance struggled to fight back, but they were few and the Piraka were strong.
The Toa Nuva arrived at Voya Nui and were swiftly captured by the Piraka. Luck and skill enabled them to escape, but their tools and masks were taken from them.
In Metru Nui, Matoran Jaller received word from one of the Turaga that the Toa Nuva had gone on a journey, and he resolved to follow. Along with several friends and Takanuva, the group journeyed toward the island. Takanuva was turned back, and the Matoran found canisters that would get them to the island. On the way, the canisters were struck by lightning from the Red Star which turned the Matoran into Toa Inika!
The six new heroes found an island in chaos. Helping the Toa Nuva, who had a different destiny, the Inika battled not only the Piraka but the guardians of the mask itself, Axonn and Brutaka. Those two titans had fallen out and now battled one another. But the two were steadfast that no one else should lay hands on the Mask of Life.
The many-sided battles brought each to the Chamber of Life where the mask was hidden by the Great Beings long ago. There, they face one last guardian: the mad Piraka Vezon and his spidery companion/keeper Fenrakk. The Ignika, which had a consciousness of its own, evaded capture by one and all, fleeing the chamber and plunging into the island’s large bay. Toa Inika Hahli dove after the mask, but even her skills were not enough to retrieve it. She was brought back to the surface by a gasping Matoran, who begged for help for his underwater village before expiring.
The two sets of heroes split up: Toa Nuva on a mysterious mission to legendary Artakha, the Toa Inika to retrieve the Mask of Life from the black, watery depths of The Pit. Neither group has any idea what the Ignika has in store for them…