The Malevolent

The Malevolent is the name given to a strange faction that has invaded the Southern Islands.

History
The Malevolent is believed to have existed long before its appearance in the Southern Islands a few thousand years ago. When it first arrived, it remained contained in the Southernmost islands. However, in recent centuries it began to rapidly expand through the islands, establishing footholds on most of them. Erkelon was one of the few islands to not contain a Malevolent presence. On many islands, the Matoran and Protectors became subservient to The Malevolent, some resistance groups continued fighting, and some Matoran willingly allied with The Malevolent. In recent years, a coalition of resistance groups has begun to counterattack several Malevolent strongholds, including the island of Talis.

Composition
The Malevolent is identified, not as a group of people, but chiefly as a collective essence. The head of this essence is a figure called the "Dark Mask" that lives in a far off stronghold. From this stronghold are spread "Malevolent Cores" that serve as bases for the Malevolent. The Malevolent cores generate a steady stream of black energy, which is compressed into humanoid forms that are controlled by the Dark Mask. These humanoid forms are fragile, and have relatively short lifespans, but these can be extended if they "subsume" a physical body, destroying the host's spirit, and feed off of it. There are different subtypes of Malevolent beings, differentiated by the amount of time and Malevolent energy required to create them.
 * Spiri, the weakest and cheapest kind of Malevolent creature. Spiri are wormlike beings with little to no locomotion, and can only feed off of enemies for a short while. Spiri have a lifespan of 30 minutes, which can be extended to almost 2 hours.
 * Sapin, the base foot soldiers of the Malevolent army. These have a short lifespan of 9 hours, and are only seen close to existing Malevolent Cores. Sapin can subsume Matoran bodies to extend their lives for several months.
 * Spiri Bows, living legged bows that form the basis of Malevolent artillery. Sapin can conceal several Spiri within it and launch them at a distance. Spiri Bows are extremely temporary, with a usual lifespan of 7 hours and typically less, depending on how many Spiri they hold. Spiri Bows cannot subsume enemies but can attach themselves to Armored Sapin, creating a more durable archer.
 * Senti, the commanders of the Malevolent army. Senti, once they have subsumed the body of a Toa or another large and powerful individual, possess a degree of autonomy, based on the personality of the individual they have subsumed. Senti also have access to a wider variety of powers than normal Malevolent abilities. Senti have a normal lifespan of two weeks, but in armor will live for up to 30 years.
 * Malevolent Cores can be considered a being in themselves. It is rumored that a Malevolent Core can manifest appendages and move itself from his birthing point into the location where the Dark Mask places it. Once placed in position, it will generate Malevolent beings at a quick rate.

Known Individuals

 * Sapin
 * Senti
 * Netrux
 * Galek

Gallery
Sapin1.JPG|An example of a "Naked Sapin", or a Sapin with no host body. Sapin2.JPG|An example of an "Armored Sapin", halfway through the lifespan of the body it is subsuming. Netrux.JPG|Netrux, an example of a Senti. Unlike the Sapin, he has a personality and a particular skillset, in his case, revolving around the use of arcane magic.