Kanohi (Chalkaverse-1)

Kanohi are masks worn by inhabitants of the Matoran Universe. For beings who can muster enough mental power, the mask can also great powers. Masks are magnetically attached to a beings face, and can be willingly moved around the head in order to give the eyes or mouth more freedom.

Forging
Though there were numerous ways to forge masks, only a few were employed by Matoran Universe inhabitants.

The most common method of forging Kanohi was through Kanoka. Kanoka of certain powers were melted down and then forged and carved into the resulting Kanohi. Mask forgers generally followed a shape rule for the Kanohi they made, assigning certain shapes to certain powers. Over time, some Kanohi became forgotten and their shapes were instead used for Noble Kanohi. Shapes would occasionally vary by region, and some were carved into specific shapes for the intended bearer, the most notable examples being members of Toa Hagah teams.

Some crafters were able to give Kanohi power through means other than Kanoka, and accordingly started the process with protodermis. These crafters are few and far between, and the art is mainly lost.

Additional parts can be added to masks after the forging process, such as telescopic lenses and extra armor plating.

Types
There are five known power levels of Kanohi: Powerless, Noble, Great, Nuva, and Legendary.

Powerless
Powerless Kanohi are masks which did contain enough power during forging to retain power for usage. However, they still function in other ways, such as allowing Matoran to function properly. These Kanohi must be painted to have their proper coloration.

If a Matoran is transformed whilst wearing a powerless mask, the mask will still become a Great Kanohi.

Noble
Noble Kanohi are masks with a minimal amount of power. Turaga and Malishta are known to commonly wear Noble Kanohi, as both can access their powers.

Noble Kanohi are commonly forged into the shape of uncommon Great Kanohi, whether due to the Great Kanohi's rarity or ignorance of the Great Kanohi's existence.

Great
Great Kanohi are masks with greater powers. Toa and Makuta are commonly seen wearing and using Great Kanohi, as well as a number of other species.

Nuva
Kanohi Nuva are rare masks which have powers above even their Great counterparts. The only known method of crafting Kanohi Nuva is by submerging a Great Kanohi in liquid protodermis. However, the mask will only change if it is destined to, making the endeavor generally pointless. Additionally, few beings can access the power, the only known ones being Toa Nuva, Artahk, and Karzahn.

Legendary
Legendary Kanohi are unique masks with extreme power levels. These masks can typically only be worn by specific individuals, or otherwise have powers that cannot be accessed normally. Though only three such masks are known to exist, there could be others.

Other
Additionally, there are some types of Kanohi which are not relevant to power levels, and thus can be one of the other types as well.


 * Metallic Kanohi: Metallic Kanohi are masks which are created when a being inserts at least six masks into a Suva. So long as the user had knowledge of the function, a Metallic Kanohi could be generated which possessed up to six powers. The shape of the mask was up to the user, and the mask was always metallic in color.
 * Infected Kanohi: Infected Kanohi are masks which have been infected by Makuta or Kraata. Wearing the mask would set the wearer under the will of the Makuta or the Makuta who created the Kraata.
 * Fused Kanohi: Kanohi can sometimes be fused together. This often results in Kanohi with multiple powers. In situations where multiple beings who wear Kanohi fuse together, the Kanohi can have a completely different power.
 * Mutated Kanohi: Mutated Kanohi are masks which have been mutated. Wearers often lose access to the powers of the mask when mutated, as is the case with beings mutated by Hordika Venom.

Function
Kanohi are attached to a bearers face magnetically. This allows the wearer to move the mask around their face at will, giving outside access to their facial features. The magnetic connection is strong enough to not move around a wearer's head upon movement.

Most types of Kanohi contain powers which some being can access. These powers vary in strength and type, and are depended on Kanoka type and power used in forging. The powers are most often activated through concentration. Some masks, however, are always on at low levels or activate themselves randomly if the user has not received proper training. Powered masks change color when worn to fit the wearer. Unworn and powerless masks remain grey.

Matoran, Toa, and Turaga require Kanohi in order to function properly, with each one having different afflictions when not wearing a mask. Toa are known to suffer from dizziness, Turaga become weak, and Matoran slowly begin to fall into a comatose state.

Users

 * Aquavians
 * Arbiters
 * Aurosians
 * Hypnovians
 * Imbibers
 * Kestora - Cannot access Kanohi powers
 * Kromivians
 * Malishta - Can only access Noble Kanohi
 * Matoran - Cannot access Kanohi powers
 * Rekridor
 * Savagers
 * Shasalvians
 * Selavians
 * Toa - Can only access Great and Noble Kanohi
 * Trinuma's species
 * Turaga - Can only access Noble Kanohi
 * Varim
 * Virakan
 * Vortixx