The Night Wraith is one of the Rahkshi, the dreaded Sons of Makuta. Having been apparently absent during the Okotan-Brotherhood Wars, he has suddenly resurfaced in the recovery period following Makuta’s death.
Constantly simmering with vengeance and with a loose temper, Yagavo has vowed to avenge his father and take vengeance upon the Okotans by completing Makuta’s original work, whatever that may be at this point; It is unknown if Yagavo plans to harvest Okotans en-masse, take over the Great Forge, etc. The best bet for his intentions is total domination, but even that can’t be totally assumed.
Unknown to the Okotans initially, Yagavo was actually operating during the Skull Spider Wars as a spy for Makuta, starting off in his smaller true form and using his ability to travel to the mysterious Para-Realm in order to infiltrate the Mega-Villages and other desired locations, watching from the shadows. It was his work that helped his brother Fenrakk swiftly and decisively take down multiple Okotan efforts to stop the Skull Spiders, allowing the swarm to force the Okotans into just their six primary Mega-Villages. He continued his operations as Makuta’s most effective scout, and until apparently only recently, gained his exoskeleton that advanced and completed his form.
His current body is larger than the average Okotan, but smaller than the rest of the known Rahkshi, comparable to Fenrakk’s in size. He has a spindly, lanky frame, somewhat humanoid in appearance from the upper half; His arms are draped in long, cloak-like bat wings than enable him to fly and swiftly guide through the air. Each hand is draped with long, wicked claws, and his face/mask resembles that of a bat, frilled with long, thin ears, narrow eyes, and protruding fangs. Like the other Rahkshi, his colors are mostly dark, consisting of black and glowing red-orange like his brother Fenrakk. Yagavo’s lower half consists of a long, trailing tail that he can slither about on like a serpent. Lining the edges of this tail, getting smaller before eventually ceasing, are several spindly, insectoid legs, like those of a centipede.
Yagavo has potent, dangerous abilities. He was granted the power of Elasticity by his late father Makuta, enabling him to stretch his form and limbs and shape them into wicked, sharp shapes to slash opponents with. Said elasticity enables Yagavo to squeeze into and through tight spaces, assisting his hiding abilities, especially in darkness. When activating his elastic abilities, Yagavo also becomes more durable and is able to more easily repel physical damage, although he does have a noted weakness to the element of Ice, as well as Fire to a lesser extent. Ice can freeze the very structure of his body, turning it fragile and allowing others (Such as Kopaka or Izotor) to shatter Yagavo. In combat, Yagavo prefers to use his elastic abilities to maneuver around enemy attacks and elongate his claws to piece opponents.
[His shape-shifting is basically like that of Aku from Samurai Jack, or Bismuth from Steven Universe]
His most dangerous skill, however, lies in his ability to access the Para-Realm; A darkened, alternate version of Okoto, a dimensional plane mostly identical to the island but devoid entirely of people and animals, with most flora represented by dark and twisted constructs. The nature of this unusual plane of existence is mostly unknown to the Okotans, but Yagavo uses it to his full advantage; For reconnaissance, he can merely access the Para-Realm, travel into the darkened counterpart of an area without any guards in his way, and then warp back to the same location but in Okoto, entirely unseen and unfelt. To outsiders, Yagavo’s abilities are like a delayed form of teleportation, but in practice they are far deadlier.
Yagavo can and has used his abilities to infiltrate the most key and heavily-guarded locations, completely unfaltered and unhindered without anyone in the Para-Realm to resist him. As a scout and a spy, he has used this ability to sabotage, as well as spy on others from the shadows, gathering precious intel to later report back to Makuta. This means Yagavo can target civilians deep within the Mega-Villages and even the City of the Mask Makers, making no place safe from him and his elusive reach.
In combat, Yagavo’s abilities make him nearly untouchable and thus invincible as a result; If he senses an attack incoming or plans to ambush someone, he can warp to the Para-Realm. From there, he can activate a secondary facet to his abilities that allows him to see in both the Para-Realm AND Okoto, tracking the exact movements, actions, and location of his enemies (though thankfully he can only seethings, not hear, smell, nor feel them). Not only that, but Yagavo can also activate his ability of Perception, causing his perception of time to slow down; While everything around him, himself included seems slowed down, Yagavo’s mind and reaction-time remains active, allowing him to react to sudden attacks and plan on the fly.
Combined with his ability to observe others from the Para-Realm, and he can anticipate actions based on obscure facets of body language and other small movements; If a person begins to very slowly move forward, Yagavo can guess the rest of their trajectory and adapt accordingly. From there, he can warp back to Okoto as he pleases in a desired, advantageous location and strike at his enemies. Most of his opponents are quickly taken aback and unable to make the same mistake ever again, either because they were forced to adapt, or they died- Yagavo is incredibly vicious with each strike, making sure to wind up and deal a fatal blow with extreme prejudice.
Due to being physically weaker than the other Rahkshi, he has to rely on sudden ambushes and hit-and-run tactics, operating best as a rapid assassin. Yagavo can activate his elasticity to better bear the brunt of damage, but otherwise he is comparatively the most fragile of the Rahkshi and knows this, a fact that frustrates him. Likewise, it takes up a lot of energy and effort to not only warp between dimensions, but also see into Okoto as well, meaning he can’t just casually abuse his abilities non-stop.
Finally, Yagavo possesses an unusual ability to access the dreams of others who are asleep, enabling him to take the form of a nightmare. As a nightmare, his shape-shifting abilities expand immensely, enabling him to even alter his physical properties, as well as his colors. As a nightmare, he can better disguise himself, or change shape to something along the fears of his victims. His power in dreams is thankfully not limitless, and those with enough mental will and control cannot only take advantage of the realm of dreams’ flexible nature to alter reality to their advantage, but can also choose to wake up completely. Once awake, Yagavo is expelled from the dream.
Wounds that Yagavo inflicts upon others in their dreams translates to the real world as well, making him a terrifying and unstoppable assassin. Paranoia of his attacks has led to many Okotans staying up as much as possible, which only exhausts them and makes it more difficult to fight back against Yagavo himself in real life, as well as remaining Brotherhood forces such as the Skull Spiders or Warriors, or Energy Leeches. Thankfully, collaboration amongst Okotans has taught them that Yagavo is not too fast; Thus, if he is spotted in one part of the island, just about every other location, the farther the better, is safe.
Yagavo is capable of infiltrating dreams from the Para-Realm; If he does this while in Okoto, his physical form is left open and entirely vulnerable to attack. Thus, unless someone is completely alone, it can often be more advantageous and safer to attack in the form of a nightmare. It should be noted that while his strength as a nightmare is greater, like his victims he is not invincible; If Yagavo receives damage in the dreams, it too will reflect back to the real world, with the shock of enough pain even disrupting his ability to remain within the dream.
Yagavo is fiercely loyal to his father Makuta, to the point where he continues to operate in his name even after the Mask Hoarder’s demise. The remaining Rahkshi, if they exist, have yet to show their faces and express similar support; In particular, Jumala, Lord of Energy Leeches, has yet to return since his latest defeat in Destral. Whether or not this means Jumala is no longer affiliated with the Brotherhood of Makuta or not is unknown.
Likewise, it is unknown if Yagavo is aware of the situation with the Dark Hunters on Xia, as well as their search for the fragments of the Mask of Life, his late father’s Magnum Opus. One might shudder to see what would happen if he became involved in thatconflict- Thankfully, all of his attention and operations is on the island of Okoto. However, due to his potent spying capabilities, it is best for everyone to keep their discussions of Xia few and far-between; Although Yagavo can’t listen to Okoto from the Para-Realm and most Okotans wear masks that obscure their lips, one cannot be too careful.
But life continues to exist even after the death of so many, and thus many continue to live... Many allies, as well as many enemies.
A new threat emerges from the shadows, when Okotans fall asleep and never wake up. Their bodies are found slashed with wounds despite having been in their beds the entire night.
There are those who survive; Those who recall horrific nightmares where terrifying visions chased them, dreams where the senses felt real and present and very much tangible. One Okotan who woke up had a creature claw their arm in their dreams, and woke up to find the same wounds still there.
This mysterious Phantom of Fear finally reveals himself as Yagavo the Night Wraith, one of the Rahkshi; The Sons of Makuta. He has appeared to avenge his fallen father and the rest of his brothers following the battle that almost razed Okoto.
While the island still heals from acidic wounds and the destruction of the Elemental Horde, Yagavo gathers up the remains of the Brotherhood of Makuta and attacks through dreams, nearly unstoppable. Even worse, he possesses an uncanny ability to access an alternate, shadow-world identical to Okoto, but devoid of people; A world called the Para-Realm. This hollow mimic of Okoto allows Yagavo to traverse past any defense and enemy, escape at will, and even see the movements of those still in the world of light.
But Yagavo is not the true threat- A new player in the scene emerges, a pale and diminutive being with powerful psionic abilities, named Dweller. Dweller seems to know Narmoto personally and alludes to a shared past together, and escapes into the ocean beyond Okoto. But according to Narmoto, Dweller has not stranded himself- He has a destination in mind.
For beyond Okoto, beyond the storms and hurricanes, and massive waves... There lies another land. A cursed land;
The island of Xia.
The home of the Skull Raiders who invaded Okoto back during the Creation Age, this war-torn island, with its cursed, blood-soaked foundations, has developed into a mechanical monstrosity. Every spot of nature has gone cold and lifeless, and the air is choked with poison and smoke, the water contaminated with even worse things. It is a land of criminals, of corruption, of greed and soulless corporations, and of tyrants and dictatorships. And among this foul lot of Xia, there exists a group of mercenaries and contract killers who will do anything for the right price.
This group’s name? The Dark Hunters... They have operated for centuries on Xia, and Narmoto was once one of them, albeit under another name. These Dark Hunters are led by an ancient, terrible threat, a warlord from Xia’s past who has continued to operate into the present and has aims for the future; The Shadowed One.
The Shadowed One is a ruthless, cunning, and charismatic businessman, warlord, and crime boss. With a wicked sense of humor and an amassed experience in combat, he seeks to spread his influence across Xia until one day he may conquer the island... And from there, he no doubt aims to go after Okoto, which Dweller has no doubt told him about.
Narmoto urges that while Yagavo and the remnants of the Brotherhood of Makuta are a threat, they can still be handled. But the Dark Hunters? The Shadowed One? They are an entirely different league, a new threat of various, unique enemies, unlike any the Toa or Okotans have ever challenged. And whatever the Shadowed One has planned, it must be stopped before Xia’s scourge can spread to the still-healing Okoto.
A team is formed, consisting of the Toa, the Protectors, as well as a few select, trusted warriors from each Mega-Village. Boarding a ship dubbed the Lhikan II, the Okotans set sail for the cursed land of Xia. There, they encounter both new faces, as well as the occasional old one.
But one face is older than the rest, etched deeply into the memories and trauma of every Okotan. This face has scarred and reformed Okoto for centuries, and now the Shadowed One seeks to recreate it;
The Mask of Life... When Ekimu shattered it, it broke into six fragments. These fragments are devoid of Life energy, now... But somehow they’ve made their way to Xia. And now the Shadowed One plans to gather them all, no doubt intending to recreate the cursed face that caused the Great Cataclysm.
The Toa must race against time to stop the Dark Hunters and find the Mask of Life’s fragments, all while grappling with a hostile environment and even more new enemies. Meanwhile, Yagavo plots to avenge Makuta back on Okoto, with his own hidden endgame. The past has returned to haunt many, and for the Toa, they will come closer to theirs than they ever have before...
They will challenge the Dark Hunters, in Part 3: Life
Comprised of a tenuous balance between Light and Shadow, these glowing, light-blue energy orbs are the latest, quickly-growing addition to the Brotherhood of Makuta. As beings of Twilight, they can readily access the Light and Dark Worlds at will, and with additional experimentation, Night Wraiths are also capable of accessing the dreams of their victims to torment and even kill them in their sleep.
Having heard legends of the split between Light and Dark, and the presence of the Para-Realm, Makuta desired to create a being that could access both realms with ease. Knowing that a fusion between the seemingly-contradictory forces of Light and Shadow were possible, Makuta set to work; Gathering Light was simply a matter of extracting the energy from whatever was around, as Makuta was operating within the World of Light. Shadow as a far more elusive substance; Regular shadows could not be interacted with and would be far too weak in essence.
Makuta eventually found a definitive supply of Darkness through Shadow Traps, the creations of Umarak the Hunter utilized to pin down the Elemental Deities. Ordering Fenrakk to capture a few, Makuta experimented on the Shadow Traps in his possession and succeeded in isolating the power of Darkness within them. Initial attempts to combine Light and Shadow were disastrous failures, resulting in powerful explosions; Makuta learned from his mistakes and made sure to disaster-proof the next few rooms for such experiments.
Through trial and error, Makuta succeeded in creating a tenuous balance between Light and Shadow amidst a few of his prototypes, although it was not perfect; The Proto-Night Wraiths were incorporeal, made of energy and lacking physical substance. Exposure to more Light or Shadow could threaten to jeopardize the careful ratio that Makuta had created, resulting in the destruction of his prototypes.
Nevertheless, it was good progress; Makuta rejoiced in his own brilliance and continued. He succeeded in transporting a few of his prototypes to the Para-Realm, although they lacked the will and intelligence to return to him. Additionally, Makuta researched into the subject and matter of dreams, noting from his studies that they could apparently be accessed from both the Light and Dark Worlds… His initial prototypes, while successful, were impractical; They could kill victims by entering their dreams while they were asleep, but at that point, why bother entering the nightmare when a creation could just kill their target physically? Especially since accessing the dream would leave a creation’s physical form similarly vulnerable…
But if dreams COULD be accessed from the Para-Realm, then the ability of nightmare-assassination might prove useful just yet; Makuta’s minions could enter dreams from the Dark World, their normally-vulnerable bodies unable to be accessed by enemies from the Light World. As a result, entering the dreams of those with awake guards nearby was now viable thanks to the Para-Realm… And if Makuta was going to rely on the Para-Realm for his planned dream assassins, then he may as well merge two projects into one, and combine his prototypes with those designed for accessing the Dark World at will.
By sacrificing a portion of a Mask of Fear’s energy, Makuta combined it with his current prototypes, merging two experiments in one. He finally succeeded with the first, ‘finalized model’ of these Twilight Will-O-the-wisps; The original Night Wraith, Yagavo. Testing Yagavo’s abilities, Makuta granted the Night Wraith a mind, personality, and will by fusing a portion of his soul into it. Yagavo immediately proved loyal, obedient, and desperate for approval.
Tests were a success, as Yagavo was able to readily, easily warp between the Light and Dark Worlds at will. Subjecting a few victims to his experiments, Makuta was pleased to see Yagavo not only infiltrate their dreams, but even harm the subjects by transforming into nightmares and attacking them from there. Further test runs yielded the same results from the Dark World as well; And with the Dark World more practical for ambushing unsuspecting opponents, Makuta celebrated his success.
Makuta sent Yagavo out on his first missions, using the Night Wraith to spy on the Okotans as they tried to defend themselves from the Skull Spiders. Yagavo’s intel proved vital in curbing Okotan efforts to fight back, and enabled Fenrakk to capture and harvest many more souls. Yagavo himself was disgruntled at playing second-fiddle to Fenrakk, and desired to prove himself in combat, but Makuta forbade him. The Lord of Skull Spiders was already doing a brilliant job at his task; Yagavo would remain content with his current assignments.
Like with his other Rahkshi, Makuta eventually granted Yagavo a larger, exo-skeleton body that granted him additional abilities. Yagavo continued to function as a spy, liason, and occasional assassin for his father, even operating on Xia. Since the Para-Realm lacked the Light World’s hurricanes, this meant that it was easy to travel between Xia and Okoto’s shadows, before emerging onto the Light counterparts of either island.
Despite being a brilliant success, Makuta only succeeded in creating a few more Night Wraiths before production stopped. The reason for this was a lack of Shadow; Umarak was noticing the Skull Spiders’ capture of his Shadow Traps, and incensed, made maneuvers to better avoid the Brotherhood, even destroying several Skull Spiders. Although Makuta was insulted by the challenge, he could not risk making an enemy out of the Deity of Shadow; And with his plans already going smoothly, he saw little reason to mass-produce the Night Wraiths if doing so would make a powerful enemy.
Centuries passed, with Yagavo and his small team of Night Wraiths continuing to operate. However, Makuta would eventually be contacted by his ties within the Nynrah Ghosts, and learn of the Kraahl; Mysterious, Twilight beings from the Para-Realm. Fascinated, Makuta succeeded in bartering a Kraahl into his possession, and after analysis, realized that his captive was the perfect, corporeal balance between Light and Shadow!
Recognizing the Kraahl as the perfect package of Light and Darkness, Makuta converted his captive, harvesting their body to create a few Night Wraiths. The Mask Hoarder immediately offered to buy more of the Kraahl that the Nynrah Ghosts had captured, but the organization refused, valuing their unusual prisoners.
A frustrated Makuta would later learn of the presence of Kraahl on Okoto through Fenrakk’s observations, who had witnessed the beings briefly warping into existence on the island. Makuta sent Yagavo to hunt down these Kraahl, but thanks to Umarak’s warnings, they chose to head back to Dark Xia before the Rahkshi could capture any of them.
Even as Makuta made plans to one day harvest the Kraahl and make an army of Night Wraiths from their bodies, he also busied himself with other matters, projects, and experiments. His broods of Energy Leeches ended up taking priority, and eventually he almost forgot about the Kraahl…
But when the island of Xia was transported next to Okoto, Makuta was elated. The Kraahl were now easily accessible, and with his alliance with the Barraki, the Brotherhood could use Kahgarak to open portals to the Para-Realm! Likewise, the emergence of Kralta as the Toa of Shadow led to a more aggressive campaign by the Kraahl, who began to appear in the Light World more frequently, thus making it easier for the Brotherhood to capture more of them.
With each captured Kraahl, Makuta has converted their bodies into more Night Wraiths. With a rapidly-growing army of these energy-orbs, Makuta is now sending them into the Para-Realm en masse to attack the Kraahl, capturing their bodies and sending them back to his lair of Mangaia. Yagavo is fervently leading such efforts, seeing parallels between his campaign and Fenrakk’s harvesting of the Okotans; He hopes to prove himself better than the Lord of Skull Spiders.
Now being mass-produced thanks to easy access to the Kraahl, Night Wraiths are being used to not only harvest the Twilight beings, but also assist Makuta in his war against the Okotan Alliance. Night Wraiths’ appearance on the battlefield of the Xian-Okotan War is turning the tide, with their ability to warp between worlds and access dreams turning them into efficient assassins.
Although Kraltarak is now targeting the Brotherhood in retaliation for these harvests, Makuta has calculated that the costs of mass-producing Night Wraiths no longer outweigh the benefits. He now hopes to expand his conquest not just across the World of Light, but the Para-Realm as well, and use the Dark World in his plans to take his rightful place among the gods.
Night Wraiths can slightly vary between the size of a watermelon, or a bowling ball; They have beady eyes, jagged mouths, and jutting fins to attack with. In combat, their mouths open to shoot forth bolts of energy, and they can spin around as their fins stretch out to slash enemies. When moving, Night Wraiths constantly emit a gas-like aura of Twilight energy from their forms.
Night Wraiths are incorporeal; They are mostly comprised of energy, and thus largely resistant to physical damage. Sufficient amounts of physical force can still disrupt the form of a Night Wraith enough to unravel and destroy it, however. Although they are beings of Light and Shadow, their balance between such forces is tenuous, compared to the Kraahl they are usually born from; Adequate amounts of Light, or Shadow, can disrupt the precious ratio that Night Wraiths consist of, leading to an imbalance, conflict, and destruction.
As a result of this weakness, the Okotan Alliance has taken to using Lightvines provided by Morbuzakh, with the sacred plants emitting powerful Light that is able to access the Para-Realm as well. These Lightvines and their radiance serves as a deterrant for Night Wraiths, keeping them from accessing locations in neither the Light nor Dark Worlds.
Like their progenitor, Night Wraiths can warp between the Light World and Para-Realm at will, and access the dreams of victims, transforming into lethal nightmares. As they lack an exo-skeleton like Yagavo does, the typical Night Wraith doesn’t have access to his abilities of elasticity, or slowed-down perception of time; Similarly, their powers of Twilight and Dream Assassination are weaker and less efficient than the Rahkshi’s, and their sight into the Dark World and vice-versa is more limited. When utilized en masse however, the Night Wraiths more than make up for their individual deficiencies.
Night Wraiths are ideal assassins, able to approach targets from the Para-Realm. From there, they can either warp into the World of Light and ambush enemies, or wait for them to fall asleep and then access their dreams from the Dark World. Their Dream Assassination relies on the connection between the mind and soul, with the former as a manifestation of the latter. As Fear affects the mind, it can affect the soul by consequence, and through trial and error Makuta has created beings who can damage the soul by infiltrating nightmares and attacking the mind within.
As a result of their ambushing abilities and stealthy tactics, Night Wraiths are the ultimate agents in paranoia. Enemies have a difficult time sleeping, for fear of a Night Wraith infiltrating their dreams and killing them; At least one guard has to be kept awake and watching not just the area but their allies as well, in case they need to be woken up.
Similarly, Night Wraiths can’t be detected from across the veil between worlds, being totally obscured to those in the opposite realm. They can infiltrate nearly any fortress, and have the ability to levitate, making height a total non-issue for them. Night Wraiths are most often utilized in missions of reconnaissance, sabotage, disruption, assassination, etc. Even outside the realm of dreams, they manage to instill a fear into their enemies that other Brotherhood creations don’t. To both their Okotan enemies and Xian allies, Night Wraiths are ghosts and specters that have come to life from myth.
Their intelligence is similar to that of the Kraata; They are sentient, able to understand and carry out orders, and strategize to an extent. They can adapt to sudden changes in situations, but otherwise the Night Wraiths seem to lack individual self-awareness. They are entirely obedient to Makuta, and lack emotions; They have no fear and cannot be persuaded into betraying their cause, nor do they prioritize their own self-preservation. It seems that amidst their abilities, the Night Wraiths have also inherited their progenitor’s unyielding obedience for Makuta.
Fun fact- If an Energy Leech were to drain a Night Wraith, it would begin to glow with a light-blue coloration, to reflect the Twilight energy inside! Similarly, an Energy Leech can then use the absorbed Night Wraith’s power to warp between the Light and Dark Worlds, but this can only work once; After that, the energy is used up. Energy Leeches weren’t designed to utilize Twilight energy, and are thus far more inefficient with it.
Night Wraiths can also be used as a means of torture, as well as interrogation; Captured prisoners can be forced to fall asleep by a Kraata of Sleep. From there, Night Wraiths will access their dreams, exploring the labyrinthine psyche of a subject in the hopes of accessing elusive information. Alternatively, they can simply be used to repeatedly terrify and torment a subject with nightmares, either to force them to divulge information and/or as a form of sadistic torture.
[To put it bluntly, Night Wraiths are based off of the Shadow Leeches from G1, particularly in appearance.]
