Skull Raiders
Originating from a distant, harsh land, their leader Kulta was forced to take leadership at a concerningly young age following his parents’ deaths. After hearing tales of a mythical island that everyone supposedly came from, an inspired Kulta, seeking to move his tribe away from their wartorn home, led a great emigration in search of this fabled land.
Although massive storms and terrifying sea beasts sunk many ships, the Skull Raiders’ hopes and prayers worked out in the end. Sighting the shoreline of Okoto, the pirates quickly landed, and sent several scouts who kidnapped local Okotans, interrogating them furiously about the culture and lifestyle of the island. After assessing the situation, Kulta chose to attack.
The Skull Raiders are by no means inherently evil or violent, and they’re clearly the same type of being as the Okotans. However, generations of backstabbing, bloodshed, massacres, and other atrocities in the wars of his homeland scarred Kulta. For the Skull Raiders, attacking the peaceful Okotans under the assumption that they would inevitably seek to kill them was a rational move; They thought the natives unable to be trusted after their trauma.
Thus, while peace WAS an option, it was one left unchosen in favor of war. And once the Skull Raiders led their first series of massacres, conflict became the only option for either side; Either the Okotans would be conquered, or the Skull Raiders would be rounded up and/or slaughtered.
Despite Okoto initially having the advantage of greater numbers and technology, the Skull Raiders were able to adapt by utilizing a series of cunning guerilla tactics from their homeland. Led by the brilliant Kulta, they made good use of an indestructible metal called Bohrok, utilizing secret smelting techniques passed down from generations to hone the ore into powerful armor and weapons.
Likewise, the Skull Raiders were able to overwhelm the Okotans with the ferocity of their attacks. Okoto, up until then, had never faced an actual threat or war, as it had been unified underneath the Emperor. Thus, its royal army had no experience facing a threat like this, whereas the Skull Raiders were intimately familiar with war and brutal tactics. To make things worse, Okotan culture dictated some actions in war as unfavorable and immoral, no matter the ends; The Skull Raiders, unsurprisingly, found many ‘war crimes’ to be commonplace tactics, and had few qualms, if any, taking hostages, among many other under-handed tactics.
The Skull Raider wars commenced for several months, with the Protectors and the Mask Makers leading the Okotan defense. Ekimu and Makuta’s godlike powers were able to conquer any Skull Raider opponent they faced, their Hammers of Power easily shattering Bohrok, but the Skull Raiders were fast, spread-out, and many, and quickly adapted to the presence of the brothers, making sure to keep note of their locations as much as possible.
The Skull Raiders soon changed the war in their favor once more once they began using stolen Masks of Power to their advantage, helping them level the playfield against Okoto. As they began to pillage cities for many Life Automatons, even hijacking a few Airships, the Skull Raiders eventually got their hands on some of Makuta’s hidden, Forbidden Masks. They gleefully used the questionable weapons to their worst extent, and with the Forbidden Masks revealed, the Emperor eventually had to commission Makuta for more of them.
Despite the skill and tactics of the seasoned Skull Raiders, they were ultimately no match for the Mask Makers. The twins constructed bigger, stronger weapons, and the Okotans quickly grew to adapt to war after enough time. The Skull Raiders had a poor understanding of Life Automatons, and were thus unprepared for some of Makuta’s more devious traps; One infamous example was a Mask of Power that when ‘dropped’ by an Okotan for a Skull Raider to use and activate, would unleash bladed limbs from its sides that would tear into their victim’s head.
The final battle of the Skull Raider wars eventually ended with Kulta, his top commanders, and his army of his finest warriors, the Kal, being rounded up and imprisoned. To their surprise, Kulta and his fellow Raiders weren’t immediately executed, but soon found out it was because the Okotans were busy devising the worst possible punishment.
With their leaders taken out, the remaining Skull Raiders went into hiding, splitting into smaller groups. Although some of these stragglers attempted to continue the war, it was discovered to be a futile effort, and save for the occasional banditry and theft, the Skull Raiders ceased their war entirely in favor of just surviving, growing accustomed to the lush Okoto.
As Makuta worked on ways to the better of his brother and one-up him, he became intrigued by Bohrok. His curiosity getting the better of him, he stealthily snuck into Kulta and his warriors’ prison beneath Destral, inquiring the nature of the metal and the best ways to smelt with it.
Seeking an opportunity, Kulta seized it and struck a deal with Makuta; in exchange for extending the date of the commanders’ execution (Kulta knew Makuta was in charge of this), he would teach Makuta about Bohrok. Makuta, feeling the Skull Raiders’ deaths were inevitable, agreed, and began to collaborate with the commanders.
More deals were struck as Makuta began to see the Skull Raiders as useful allies who understood the concept of harsh means for a greater end, unlike the Okotans. The Skull Raiders themselves were wary, especially since they could tell how Makuta looked down on them; But beggars couldn’t be choosers. Kulta, through Makuta, would send messages certified through ways only possible through himself to the remaining Skull Raiders scattered across Okoto. Underneath his directions, they would instruct Makuta on Bohrok, and even provide him with ample amounts of the metal, which they had plenty of.
These deals led to a strange, secret symbiosis between Makuta and the Skull Raiders. Makuta would often rely on the tribe for some of his more hidden, controversial actions and projects, and in return he would provide favors, including better prison conditions, hidden homes for the Skull Raiders to hide in, etc. Of course, Makuta never let the commanders be free from their prison, as he still needed leverage over them- The feeling was mutual.
The dealings culminated when Makuta, desperate to create a Mask of Life, hired the Skull Raiders scattered across Okoto for a horrific series of harvests, requiring hundreds, if not thousands of Okotan souls. In exchange for such a bold undertaking that would easily risk many Skull Raider lives, Kulta finally negotiated the freedom he desired from Makuta, who at that point was more concerned about the Mask of Life and the glory it’d give him than anything else.
With Makuta’s intimate knowledge of army rotations and procedures, the scattered Skull Raiders reunited under Kulta’s guidance and led a series of massacres, slaughtering many minor villages and harvesting their victims for their Life energy. With the help of Makuta’s brotherhood, the harvested energy was secretly sent to Makuta’s workshop in the Great Forge, even as the tribe celebrated and anticipated their leaders’ freedom.
Unsurprisingly, Okoto noticed the Skull Raiders’ sudden increase in seemingly senseless massacres, and the Protectors and Ekimu began to investigate. Fearing being outed, Makuta struck one final deal; During the Festival of Masks, Makuta would give his servants a cue to release the Skull Raider commanders from their prison beneath Destral. Armed with their Bohwork weapons and armor, Kulta would lead his warriors in escaping to the surface and storming the area, providing backup and protection for Makuta.
Kulta, who was considering killing Makuta during said plan, readily agreed. On the day of the Festival of Masks, Makuta convinced many guards to take breaks, even as his servants provided Kulta and his warriors with their old tools. Meanwhile, the Protectors’ investigations led Ekimu towards the remaining Skull Raiders, where he engaged in a civil duel and avoided casualties entirely. Earning the respect of the pirates, Ekimu learned of Makuta’s crimes, with the Skull Raiders figuring out that their leaders would be freed by the time Makuta realized they had betrayed him.
When Ekimu arrived at Destral and revealed Makuta’s crimes to the Okotans, Kulta and the Skull Commanders armed themselves and began to break free upon a cue from Makuta. As they marched towards the surface, however, Makuta donned the Mask of Life, starting off the Great Cataclysm and causing a series of earthquakes that blocked Kulta and his warriors off from the surface.
Trapped, Kulta and his group were helpless as Ekimu shattered the Mask of Life. Makuta’s creation unleashed a powerful wave of pure life energy upon breaking, one that engulfed Destral and pertrified anyone who wasn’t protected like Ekimu.
The Skull Raiders beneath Destral were an interesting case, however. The life energy struck them, travelling through the ground and searing their flesh away. Their Bohrok armor reacted strangely to it, warping as it melted and fused with the Skull Raiders’ bones, trapping their souls in their bodies and keeping them from truly dying.
As the Great Cataclysm ended, Kulta and his commanders were left smelted and immolated, their souls trapped in their metallic corpses as the catacombs collapsed upon them. Kulta and his warriors quickly went dormant, entering an unconscious state of hibernation.
Across Okoto, the other Skull Raiders in hiding were devastated by the Great Cataclysm. Luckily, having always been somewhat nomadic and not having been in a city at the time, they weren’t hit as badly as their Okotan enemies.
Regrouping, their scouts attempted to enter Destral, and after multiple attempts braving the hazardous terrain, finally came across the Capital City, strewn with the petrified corpses of those caught in the explosion. Terrified and feeling a horrific chill down their spines, the scouts retreated, relaying the news.
The Skull Raiders mourned the loss of their leaders, lamenting their mistakes and blaming Ekimu. A new leader was elected, and while some initially broke off to exact revenge against the weakened, scattered Okotans, the tribe as a whole ultimately chose to retreat to the newly-created mountain borders separating the Elemental Regions. There, they carved an intricate series of tunnels and caverns, creating an underground city that they lived in.
In the aftermath of the Great Cataclysm, subsequent generations of Skull Raiders dealt with vengeful Okotans who remembered their ancestors’ crimes. The Skull Raiders were disinterested by then with conquering Okoto, and chose to remain in their new home as they developed a new lifestyle, trying to avoid Okotans who deliberately sought them out to lynch them.
Attempts were made by Raiders in establishing peace and co-existing with the Okotans, but the Okotans still viewed the tribe with hostility and refused to let them participate in trade in other interactions, with some considering hunting down the Skull Raiders. Consequently, feelings of war and vengeance came into the hearts of many, and war advocates called for a take-over of the vulnerable Okoto, or at the very least the use of violence to get what they wanted.
These efforts wouldn’t come into fruition until Makuta’s reawakening. As Makuta formulated his ultimate plan and began reassembling a new Brotherhood in his name, he immediately sought out the Skull Raiders. While he had suspicions that they’d outed him to Ekimu, he figured that the original traitors were long dead and their descendants more subsceptible towards him. Besides, they were the group most likely to ally with him, and beggars couldn’t be choosers.
Using his influence, Makuta discovered the immolated bodies of Kulta and his commanders beneath Destral and revived them with Life Energy. Reawakened, Kulta and his commanders clawed their way from the dirt, taking in their new forms in horror; They were now metallic skeletons of Bohrok, their armor and masks fused to their faces, some parts of themselves blazing with the energy of their souls. Worst of all, they had lost their sense of smell and taste, with their sense of touch likewise dulled, and could not feel the comforts that a living being enjoyed.
Pained and wracked by their cursed new bodies and fate, Kulta and his commanders initially despaired, but when reminded of the other Skull Raiders, focused on a new agenda. Assessing the situation, Kulta decided that the best course of action was to ally with Makuta –who wasn’t planning to give them much of a choice, anyway- and swore subservience to the Mask Hoarder as a member of his new Brotherhood of Makuta.
Kulta and his commanders reunited with their descendants, who were horrified, but ultimately amazed and overjoyed, to see their heroes of legend return in powerful, immortal forms. Makuta won over the hearts of many Skull Raiders, as he was the one who resurrected Kulta and his commanders in the first place, and readily agreed to become part of his Brotherhood of Makuta.
Acting on Makuta’s orders, the Skull Raiders helped him amass the resources he needed, eventually assisting in the production of Skull Spiders. To further cement his alliance with the Brotherhood, Kulta even accepted part of Makuta’s soul, fusing it with his own and symbolically becoming a Rahkshi, a Son of Makuta. He was likewise entrusted with new, powerful abilities, and a Vampire Trident that could drain Life from objects.
The time came to strike, and the Skull Spider wars commenced with Fenrakk, the lord of Skull Spiders and another Rahkshi, seizing multiple key locations, including the City of the Mask Makers. Kulta and his Skull Warriors helped secure the location and assisted in setting up a foundry and catacombs meant to harvest the energy of kidnapped Okotans.
As Kulta began to supervise the reawakening of the Great Forge, stationed at the City of the Mask Makers alongside Fenrakk, his commanders set out to find Masks of Power and other potent tools and sources of Life energy. With the path paved for them by the Skull Spiders, Kulta’s commanders were easily able to find many helpful items, not having to deal with the Okotans who were holed up in their Mega-Villages, although they occasionally came across complications and more ambitious orders from Makuta.
Although Kulta insisted that his tribe stay within their city in the mountains, hoping they would never have to be haunted by war, many young war hawks arose. These hot-headed generations were influenced by the dominance of their leaders over Okoto, and felt emboldened by the Brotherhood of Makuta’s control, which they considered themselves to be a part of. The fact that Makuta subtly influenced many of these youths definitely didn’t help, and many saw the dark spirit as a hero in his own right, much to his enjoyment.
Nevertheless, Kulta kept the terms of his alliance firm to Makuta, and thus had his tribe stay within the confines of their city, forbidden from venturing out too far, and definitely kept from participating in any battles. When Makuta began inducting Okotans into his Brotherhood, many were turned into Skull Puppets, and hearing of this, many Skull Raiders volunteered.
Despite Kulta’s protests, at least a few tribe members were converted into Puppets. In the years of the Skull Spider wars, Kulta found himself frequently interacting with Fenrakk, the two forming a strange friendship of sorts. When the Toa arrived on Okoto and led a counterattack against the Brotherhood, Kulta and his commanders led efforts to sabotage and contain the Okotans, and especially harvest the Toa, if not outright killing them on the spot.
Their attempts ultimately failed, and the Okotans managed to unite into a stronger fighting force and stormed the City of the Mask Makers. The Skull Commanders and Puppets led a final defense against the Okotans, even as the Toa infiltrated the city and fought with the Skull Warriors.
When the situation became dire, Kulta ordered his forces to retreat, even as he donned the Mask of Creation in a last-ditch effort to stop the Okotans. He failed, and was captured alongside the Skull Basher Kodo. Back in their mountain city, the Skull Raiders called for a more active support of Makuta in Kulta’s absence, desiring to rescue their leader. Led by a youth named Axato, this group got their wish at a cost;
After forming an alliance with Umarak, Spirit of Shadow, Makuta had his new ally rescue Kulta from the City of the Mask Makers, even as the Skull Raiders assisted the Brotherhood in capturing Lewa and Uxar, Spirit of Jungle. As Kulta reunited with his tribe, the Okotans, Toa, and other Elemental Spirits stormed the Skull Raiders’ home. In the ensuing battle, Kulta was finally killed, the Toa succeeded in becoming Kaita fusions with the Elemental Deities, and the Skull Raiders’ home was destroyed.
In the wake of his death, Kulta was made a martyr against his will by Makuta, he seized control of the Skull Raiders as he always dreamed of. The tribe mourned the loss of their leader and home, and thus began openly fighting alongside the Brotherhood. As some fought as flesh and bone, others submitted themselves to the painful process of becoming Skull Puppets, all while their commanders, old comrades of Kulta, helplessly watched.
When Makuta seized control of Umarak and his Elemental Beasts, the Skull Raiders fought alongside their new allies in Makuta’s attempts to raze Okoto. The Elemental Beasts proved themselves berserk and hard to control, with some even attacking the Raiders and other Brotherhood members. After Ekimu defeated Makuta, seizing the Mask of Control and apparently killing his brother, the Elemental Spirits regained their full power, stolen to create the Elemental Beasts, and struck down a weakened Umarak. With their leader and a huge portion of their army destroyed, and the Okotans having gained a huge boost in power, the Skull Raiders retreated with the rest of the Brotherhood.
