Iruini

Iruini was a Le-Matoran, who became a Toa Hagah of Air charged with protecting Makuta Teridax.

Early Life
Similarly to most other Toa of Air, Iruini began his life as a Ko-Matoran on Spherus Magna, where he aided in the construction of the Matoran Universe. Upon its completion, Iruini was placed inside the Matoran Universe, which then departed Spherus Magna. The island of his original residence remains unclear. However, it is known that he was chosen to became part of a Toa team at some point in the later history of the Matoran Universe. After his transformation, the Le-Matoran abandoned his original Kanohi in favor of a Kualsi, unwilling to use his previous Kanohi.

Life as a Toa
Some time after Iruini's transformation, the Makuta species evolved. Subsequently, the Brotherhood of Makuta decided that the Makuta needed Toa bodyguards. Iruini was selected as a representative Toa of Ice. As such, he was endowed with metallic armor to indicate his status as an Elite Toa. Additionally, he was presented with a new Kanohi Kualsi which was sculpted to mimic an unknown Kanohi and served as a badge of honor.

Over the course of his career as a Toa Hagah, Iruini became affiliated with Norik, Gaaki, Bomonga, Pouks, and Kualus. Chiefly, this Toa unit was charged with guarding Makuta Teridax from Rahi attacks.

During the Great Disruption, Iruini and his teammates accompanied Teridax to Metru Nui, where they aided in peace negotiations, all the while unaware of the Archives Massacre.

Roughly 1300 years ago, however, and his cohorts became aware of the Brotherhood of Makuta's ulterior motives and came to recognize Makuta Teridax as an oppressive figure, who had become disenfranchised from the will of the Great Spirit. In an act of rebellion, the Toa Hagah attempted to smuggle the Kanohi Avohkii off of Destral and transfer it into the hands of their fellow Toa. However, only Norik and Iruini were able to escape the initial assault, leaving Gaaki, Bomonga, Pouks, and Kualus behind. Taken prisoner by a Vortixx named Roodaka, the four captive Toa were mutated by the effects of her Rhotuka spinner, transforming into haggard and twisted Rahkshi-Turaga crossbreeds nicknamed Rahaga. Following a failed rescue attempt by Norik and Iruini, all six Toa Hagah were mutated by Roodaka. At the cost of their dignity and with their elemental capabilities severely diminished as a result of their mutation, the Rahaga were able to escape Destral, ultimately successful in their original mission to smuggle the Kanohi Avohkii off the island.

Rahaga
Traveling across the Matoran Universe, the Rahaga used their knowledge of the Brotherhood's inner workings to sabotage a number of minor components in Teridax's grand scheme, notably trailing the Visorak Horde. Determining that Teridax's endgame hinged upon the occupation of Metru Nui, Iruini accompanied his cohorts to the City of Legends, where they witnessed the events of the Great Cataclysm and the imprisonment of Teridax in a Protodermis Seal. With the local Toa Team away investigating the appearance of a new island above Metru Nui's dome in the wake of the Matoran Universe's debilitation, the Rahaga also witnessed the Visorak Inquisition of Metru Nui, with the Horde notably being directed by an ambitious upper-class Steltian named Sidorak, and his Viceroy, Roodaka.

Following the return, subsequent capture, and eventual mutation of Metru Nui's resident Toa Team, the Rahaga were known to have intervened in Sidorak's attempted murder of his adversaries, using their Rhotuku spinners to catch the falling Toa in mid-air whilst free-falling from their damaged cocoons at the top of the Coliseum. Escorting the Toa Hordika to the ground, the six Rahaga explained the nature of their mutation and the hands of the Visorak to the novice Toa, offering them tutelage in the use of their diminished Elemental Powers and unclear Rhotuku capabilities.

Acting as a mentor to Toa Matau, Iruini escorted the Toa of Ice through the ruins of Le-Metru, searching for supplies that could be used to fashion an Airship from. With the full might of the Visorak Horde descending on Le-Metru, however, the pair became trapped in the ruins of a hangar bay. With Matau falling victim to the lure of a Visorak Oohnorak, however, Iruini and his companion were nearly captured. With the Toa Hordika and Rahaga converging on the hangar bay, the pair found reinforcements in their teammates, allowing them to fend off the Visorak and secure a nearby watchtower in the region, which would come to be repurposed as a base of operations, named the Tower of Toa.

However, growing confrontational and impulsive on account of his mutation, Toa Hordika Vakama's relationship with the Rahaga became increasingly strenuous. Venturing off on his own, the Toa of Fire was captured by Visorak and brought before Roodaka, who swayed him to use his abilities in the service of her cause. Ambushing the Rahaga during a sweep of the Great Temple for inscriptions relating to Keetongu, Vakama assaulted all six of the former Toa, leaving Norik buried beneath a pile of rubble and abducting the others. Brought before Sidorak at his residence in the Coliseum, Gaaki, Bomonga, Pouks, Iruini, and Iruini all became prisoners of war.

For the better part of a whole day, and his teammates were then bound in cocoons and dangled from the spires of the Coliseum while Norik led the Toa Hordika on their mission to find Keetongu. Witnessing the Battle of Metru Nui taking place in the Coliseum below, the Rahaga were eventually freed by Norik and eagerly joined the battle alongside the remaining Toa Hordika. Fending off Visorak, the Toa and Rahaga were soon overwhelmed following the arrival of Roodaka atop a Kahgarak. However, Vakama swiftly came to betray the Viceroy by disbanding the Visorak Horde and joining his fellow Toa in defeating Roodaka. With Keetongu appearing once more, witnessed the restoration of the Toa Metru and the closure of the battle.

Choosing to reside in Metru Nui and repair the damage of the Great Cataclysm and Visorak occupation, and his teammates helped the Toa Metru to load Matoran Spheres aboard six Airships. With the Toa intent on settling on a newly-discovered island beyond the Great Barrier, bid his farewell to Nuju and shared custody of Metru Nui with his allies. Shortly after the departure of the Toa Metru, Turaga Dume was also located when his Matoran Sphere beneath Po-Metru malfunctioned.

Around this time, a Dark Hunter named "Dweller" traveled to Metru Nui on a permanent placement to monitor any regional developments, as the city was a key tactical location to both the Dark Hunters and the Brotherhood of Makuta. During this time, the Dark Hunter spied on them throughout their residence on the island, reporting on their movements. However, after an incident five-hundred years ago involving an isolated group of Visorak, the Rahaga grew privy to the Dark Hunter's presence and began feeding him misinformation. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Pouks, Iruini, and Iruini endeavored to feed the Dark Hunter bluffs about the Toa Metru perishing during the Visorak Invasion and the Matoran being disseminated among the Brotherhood's network, the Rahaga managed to conceal the existence of the island of Mata Nui, ultimately warding off any further Dark Hunter investigation. Taking advantage of the unique opportunity presented by their situation, Iruini repeatedly inferred that the Kanohi Avohkii had been smuggled off the island to a stronghold in the Southern Island Chain whenever he suspected "Dweller" was listening. Acting off of this information, The Shadowed One sent three Dark Hunters to their deaths trying to reclaim the Mask of Light to use against the Brotherhood of Makuta.

Scroll of Preparation
Roughly 1000 years after the defeat of Makuta Teridax and the appearance of Toa Takanuva on Mata Nui, Turaga Vakama returned to Metru Nui with the Matoran populace, intent on settling the villagers back into their original homeland. In the weeks prior to their arrival, however, the Rahaga and Turaga Dume began studying unusual constellations appearing in the Wall of Stars, coming to the horrifying conclusion that Mata Nui's health was continuing to degrade despite the defeat of Makuta and presence of a Toa of Light in the Matoran Universe. With the Toa Metru now transformed into Turaga, the Rahaga left Metru Nui in the custody of their former students and departed for Xia.

Following the re-ignition of the Matoran Universe, the Rahaga were summoned by the Toa Nuva and tasked with aiding the Order of Mata Nui in restoring the Matoran Universe to the state it had previously been in prior to the Great Cataclysm. Having captured Roodaka, the Toa Nuva forced the Vortixx to reverse the mutation she had subjected and his cohorts to, transforming them back into Toa Hagah. Eternally grateful, the newly-restored Toa pledged their allegiance to the Order of Mata Nui where possible and wished the Toa Nuva luck on the next stage of their quest.

Several days later, the Toa Hagah intervened to contain a battle between a Tahtorak and the Kanohi Dragon off the Xian coast, keeping the damage to a minimum and ensuring as few civilian casualties as possible. Enjoying considerable success, was within earshot when Gaaki's Mask of Clairvoyance revealed a Dark Hunter fleet converging around Xian waters, intent on raiding the island in this moment of weakness. With Iruini scouting ahead to confront The Shadowed One directly, the Toa of Air stood witness as the Dark Hunter fleet was bombarded by Toa Helryx, who also teleported the rest of his team aboard. Pulling rank and ordering The Shadowed One to cease his attack if he wished to continue upholding an alliance between the Order of Mata Nui and the Dark Hunters, Helryx negotiated a ceasefire and secured the island, tasking the Toa Hagah with hunting down Teridax with the help of a severely mutated Skakdi named Zaktan. With a vague vision manifesting in her mind, Gaaki's Mask of Clairvoyance predicted that one member of their party would die on the quest, prompting the Toa Hagah to undertake their latest mission solemnly.

Acting on Zaktan's instruction, the Toa Hagah then traveled to Metru Nui, where they encountered the Toa Mahri and declared their intention to destroy the Coliseum and access the Core Processor hidden in the tunnels beneath, believing this to be Teridax's hiding place. Unwilling to cooperate, the Toa Mahri engaged the newcomers in a brief skirmish, which escalated considerably when Iruini lost concentration over his Mask of Rahi Control and accidentally summoned a dangerous Rahi into a residential district. Putting their differences aside, the two Toa teams worked together to subdue the beast before finding another entrance beneath the Coliseum. Parting ways, the Toa Hagah continued on their journey beneath the island, noting the irony that they had once again returned to the island they had spent the last 1000 years are the custodians of.

Venturing into the underbelly of the city, the Toa Hagah soon happened upon an inscription written in the Agori language, which they were unable to translate. Walking into an ancient trap, however, and his teammates were suddenly magnetized to one of the cavern's walls with molten Protodermis gradually creeping towards them. Rescued by the timely arrival of Makuta Miserix, the Toa Hagah and their Skakdi companion were teleported to a conjoining chamber and allowed to continue on their quest, eventually reaching the Core Processor deep beneath Metru Nui. Happening upon the bodies of two Glatorian pilots, the Toa surmised that they were deep within the complex machinery that composed of Mata Nui and sustained the Matoran Universe. With Toa Helryx, Axonn, Brutaka, and Keetongu emerging from a dimensional gate, Teridax then revealed himself to be within the machinery of the Core Processor, damaging Brutaka's Kanohi Olmak and preventing their escape. Using his vast array of Rahkshi Powers, the Makuta of Metru Nui dispatched each of the combatants, transforming Miserix into a decorative painting to adorn the chamber, shattering Zaktan's container and appearing to kill the mutated Skakdi, and teleporting Keetongu, Axonn, and Brutaka into the hardier regions of the Southern Island Chain. Rallying behind Norik, the Toa Hagah prepared themselves to battle Teridax, having defeated him once before and intent on seeking retribution on the Makuta they had formerly been charged with protecting. Cautious of the threat that any united Toa team posed, Teridax struck all six of the Toa Hagah with a hypnotic mental wave, convincing the warriors that they had successfully bested him in combat and encouraging them to go about their business in an augmented reality of his design. Returning to the surface, the Toa Hagah celebrated their victory.

Reign of Shadows
For some time after the Toa Nuva's reactivation of the Great Spirit Robot and Teridax's usurpation of Mata Nui within the mechanics of the Core Processor, the Toa Hagah remained under the same vision of a distorted reality. Mistaking the Rahkshi squadrons occupying the island for reactivated Vahki and unable to perceive the enslaved Matoran around him, continued his business optimistically patrolling Le-Metru for several weeks.

Entranced by Teridax's illusion for almost his entire usurpation of the Matoran Universe, Toa sparingly patrolled the southern districts of Metru Nui and continued to take inventory of the various Rahi species residing in the area, oblivious to the Rahkshi squadrons and labors of captured Matoran.

Towards the end of Teridax's Reign of Shadows, and his fellow Toa Hagah were collectively broken from their trances by Tren Krom. Joining the resistance forces, the Toa Hagah would later regroup with the Toa Nuva and journeyed south of Metru Nui, where they united with the disgruntled masses to fend off the Rahkshi army amassing in the Southern Island Chain.

Once the Matoran Universe successfully landed on Bara Magna, and his Toa compatriots emerged onto the surface of the planet, where they allied with the Glatorian and Agori to fend off Makuta's Rahkshi, Skakdi, and Skrall forces. Fighting alongside her fellow Toa Hagah for the duration of the conflict, was relieved from battle with the Rahkshi with aid from Toa Tahu, who used the Golden Armor to vaporize the Rahkshi army. Mata Nui was then able to complete his mission of reforming Spherus Magna from Bara Magna, Bota Magna and Aqua Magna.

Spherus Magna
Following The Reformation, Mata Nui used his final vestiges of energy to revitalize the Spherus Magna ecosystem, enabling the planet to accommodate the denizens of both Bara Magna and the destroyed Matoran Universe.

With Spherus Magna restored, accompanied several of his Toa Hagah compatriots back inside the Great Spirit Robot to rescue any stranded Matoran. During this expedition, Norik was reunited once more with Toa Varian, who had escaped her stasis tube on Odina during the destruction of the Matoran Universe. Norik was deeply moved by the reunion and, with so few Toa left in the universe, he notably offered the Toa of Psionics a position as an honorary member of the Toa Hagah.

When and his cohorts returned to Spherus Magna with the final cluster of refugees, he was approached by Gaaki, who had led several Toa of Water on a similar mission to safely transfer the remaining aquatic Rahi to the oceans of Aqua Magna. Relaying a message from Toa Kopaka, Gaaki reported that the Toa Mahri were under the sway of a mysterious Skakdi Fusion. Having spent months in a similar trance at the whim of Makuta Teridax, the Toa Hagah prepared themselves for one final recovery mission. Led by Norik and accompanied by Varian, the Toa Hagah set off to free their allies from the mental sway of the Skakdi Fusion. It is assumed that and his compatriots were successful in this endeavor, though details of the encounter remain scarce.

However, once peace had been secured and a stable system of government had been established, and his teammates were widely believed to have retired, transferring their Toa Power to create a new generation of Toa. As Turaga, went on to continue studying the new creatures of Spherus Magna.

Abilities and Traits
As a Toa of Air, Iruini could create, control, and absorb Air. This also gave him the ability to manipulate wind currents to glide on, absorbing air to create a Vacuum, and producing solid air constructs. Furthermore, Iruini possessed increased natural agility.

Mask and Tools
Iruini wore a Great Kualsi

Trivia

 * The digitally rendered image of Toa Iruini used in this article was produced by User:Takatahu for the canceled BIONICLE: Next Generation Project.

Appearances
To Be Added