Qhonzhak

Qhonzhak Dwells in Xainoqan Pronunciation: KON-jhak

Biography
Qhonzhak was an early attempt by the Hand of Artahka to create a living being, in the hope that it might join the organisation. Qhonzhak did not and, hating his creators, fled to a desert in the south of the Matoran Universe, and built a fortress called Xainoqan.

The Kanohi he had been given originally as an Avato, and he quickly discovered that he could drain a mask’s power and keep it within himself. A group of Toa soon came to the desert, following the legend of a mystical gemstone, but Qhonzhak imprisoned them all and took their masks, adding their power to his own. The Toa remained trapped in his fortress in various, imaginative prisons until Qhonzhak decided to test the powers of a Mask of Aging on them.

At some point, the Brotherhood of Makuta sent two Makuta to assassinate Qhonzhak, but he killed them and added their masks - a Jutlin, a Crast and a Havza - to his collection of abilities. The Order of Mata Nui also tried to eliminate Qhonzhak, providing him with a Kualsi and a Mask of Atomic Vision. The latter greatly aided Qhonzhak when he came to expanding his fortress and strengthening its defences.

For thousands of years, Qhonzhak collected the masks of any foolish beings who entered Xainoqan or the land around it, imprisoning many of them in his fortress with the power of his Avato, which never even began to fade.

After acquiring a Mask of Mutation, Qhonzhak briefly left his desert for an island many days to the north, where he kidnapped a group of Matoran and their Toa protectors. Back in Xainoqan, he first took their Kanohi and then began experimenting with his new mutation powers, transforming all of his new prisoners into hideous beasts and unleashing those that survived his experiments into the desert.

When the Matoran Universe was destroyed, Qhonzhak was seen on the surface of Spherus Magna collecting the masks of any fallen warriors from the Battle of Bara Magna, before heading north in the direction of the Black Spike Mountains. Here he began to build a new fortress, also dubbed Zainoqan though much smaller and hidden in the side of one of the mountains. He then began to study the Kanohi he had collected, deciding which ones to drain first.

Abilities and Traits
Believing that he was intentionally created to be ‘imperfect’, Qhonzhak resents his creators and any being who represents his idea of a perfect or near-perfect form, namely Matoran and Toa. Over the milennia, his psyche has become warped by this resentment to the point where he has become unknowingly sadistic in the use of his powers, which he does to entertain himself.

He has never met another being with whom he truly identifies. It is possible that if he did, he might slowly lose his cruel edge. All attempts by various parties at rehabilitating Qhonzhak have failed, and as such he presents a great threat to Spherus Magna.

Ghonzhak possesses the unique ability to drain a Kanohi mask of its power and retain it. For instance, draining a Kanohi Rau would give him knowledge of all languages. He can drain an infinite number of Kanohi, though after tens of thousands of years they may start to fade, especially if the Kanohi was Noble, and he will have to find a similar mask or a copy to drain that and maintain its power.

To date, he is known to have drained a Mask of Aging, a Mask of Atomic Vision, an Avato, an Avsa, a Calix, a Crast, an Eliki, a Faxon, a Garai, a Mask of Growth, a Hau, a Havza, an Iden, an Ilyla, a Mask of Incomprehension, a Jutlin, a Kadin, a Kakama, a Komau, a Kualsi, a Mask of Laser Vision, a Mahiki, a Matatu, a Mohtrek, a Mask of Mutation, a Pakari, a Pekhui, a Mask of Psychometry, a Rode, a Sanok, a Shelek, a Mask of Stasis, a Tryna, a Vehlt and a Zatth.

Even without absorbing the power of a Kanohi Pakari, Qhonzhak is very strong, able to lift many times his own weight.