Alchemist

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"Alchemist"
Information
Other Names	Dehka (former name), Bio-Mechanical Fusion Enhancement Experiment 44-R (experiment designation), Kazengo (pseudonym)
Species	Toa (modified heavily)
Affiliation	Nynrah Ghosts, Dark Hunters (both formerly)
Occupation	Toa (formerly)
Element	Iron (formerly)
Kanohi	Great Mask of Water (formerly)
Equipment	Akselum I-9, various chemicals
Status	Deceased
Location	Powai Nui
Homeland	Nynrah
Pronunciation	deh-kə (formerly)

"Alchemist", formerly known as Dehka, was a transmuted Toa of Iron, a former member of the Nynrah Ghosts, and a Dark Hunter. Working for the Wraith Syndicate for much of his career, he became stranded on Powai Nui after their invasion of the island, where he went rogue and began serving Makuta Hysterix.

History

Early History

"Alchemist" began his life as a Fe-Matoran named Dehka. Like many of his species, assisted in the creation of the Matoran Universe the moment he was created by the Great Beings. He was placed on an unknown location in the Matoran Universe but eventually immigrated to Nynrah, with a group of Fe-Matoran engineers who would soon give rise to the famed weapons manufacturers, the Nynrah Ghosts. Dehka pursued a career in advanced chemistry; while working with the Ghosts, he specialized in working with chemicals and eventually discovered a method of changing the chemical structures of weapons to allow special powers to be given to them.

Following a group of Nynrah Ghosts' sabotage of a commission for the Brotherhood of Makuta, they were attacked by the organization. During this attack, Dehka escaped the island with a Po-Matoran named Omakah, informally abandoning the Nynrah Ghosts. Although Omakah was headed to Powai Nui, Dehka decided to be dropped off on the nearby island of Leskya Nui, where he integrated into the island's Matoran populace. There, he began a new career.

War of Pestilence

Due to the high incidence of Fa-Matoran on Leskya Nui, however, the island became a target of the Brotherhood of Makuta, who wanted to reduce the change of Toa of Magnetism being created. Brotherhood member Makuta Antharahk was tasked with eliminating the Fa-Matoran and enlisted the help of a fellow Makuta scientist Drakah to create an army of automatons and a myriad of weaponry. The two then waged war against the island, inciting its Toa team, headed by Vandir, to fight back.

With three Toa of Magnetism on the team, the Toa won many battles, as they were easily able to dispose of the metal-composed robotic armies that invaded the island. They kept this advantage until their opponents developed a technology capable of nullifying their Elemental powers. In order to counteract this, Dehka was transformed into a Toa of Iron and proved useful in bringing back the team’s advantage. Immediately, Dehka became a large target of Antharahk, who coordinated an attack to subdue and kidnap him. While enacting this task, an Incendiary developed by Drakah was also detonated in the island’s capital, unexpectedly destroying the island and killing most of its inhabitants.

After he was taken back to Antharahk and Drakah’s domain, the two began to experiment on him, replacing a large portion of his organic components with mechanical replacements and severely weakening his Elemental powers to the point where they provided little use. They also fused his brain with a series of computers, allowing him to process information at a faster rate and modified his face with scopes and sensory apparatuses.

Over the course of the various tests he was put through (which ranged from simple diagnostic exams to having to kill a monstrous creature name Lotus, who was gifted to Dehka’s captors by Mutran), Dehka’s mind was gradually overtaken by an immensely rational mindset. He lost almost all capacity for subjectivity and no longer thought of his previous island home or friends with any emotion. Considered a success by Antharahk and Drakah, he was released on the island of Nynrah by his choice, wishing to resume his career in chemistry.

Soon, Dehka would be found by the Dark Hunters and would choose to undergo training to join their ranks. Displaying profound intellect and proficiency in weaponizing chemicals, he was accepted into the organization, choosing "Alchemist" as his codename to reference his fame on Nynrah. He completed several missions before he was hired by a group named the Wraith Syndicate, who wished to seize control of several powerful artifacts owned by the exiled Great being, Jayniss.

Powai Nui

For his first mission for the Wraith Syndicate, "Alchemist" was placed on Powai Nui along with Phi and was tasked with finding the Staff of Vortices. He and Phi came across the former War General of Antharahk's army, Ruthos, who decided to join them for the sake of his own survival. In order to find out where the Staff of Vortices was, "Alchemist" kidnapped Le-Matoran Lewok and interrogated him about the location of the staff. When Toa of Lightning Maroona encountered him, he retreated at the mention of her lightning powers.

The three stormed the tunnel system of the Kakkan Containment Organization, and after a short confrontation with its guards, they succeeded in stealing the Staff of Vortices. After tampering with it, "Alchemist" was able to use it to transport Tetradon and Makuta Pretadix to Powai Nui from an unknown location. From here, “Alchemist” remained mostly inactive, staying at the Syndicate’s temporary base to further modify the staff. After a run-in with the Toa Powai, Phi was captured, and Ruthos was later shut down while being aggressively lambasted by Tetradon. “Alchemist” remained impartial to these events until, during a disagreement over the fundamental purpose of their organization, Tetradon and Pretadix engaged in a violent battle which ended when the former was killed. Pretadix renamed himself to Hysterix asserted control over "Alchemist", bringing him to Vo-Powai to stay out of the sight of the Toa Powai, who had returned to Le-Powai after exiting the region.

Hysterix had "Alchemist" use the modified portion of the Staff to enter the tunnels of the KCO and steal the Mask Maker's Tool, another coveted artifact brought by Jayniss, from it. The Toa Powai found Hysterix, however, and Corduk, Navahko, Lewok, and Wreshi were sent into the KCO to stop the Dark Hunter. After a brief confrontation with all of them, he managed to trap Navahko and Wreshi between a dead end tunnel and a wall of fire created by one of his incendiary potions. Lewok, escaped from him, carrying the Mask Maker’s Tool with him, while Corduk proved a resilient force against the Dark Hunter despite being weaker than him.

Eventually, Hysterix ordered "Alchemist" to return to Vo-Powai, decided to grab the Mask Maker’s Tool himself by extending his arm through the portal created by the modified Staff. While doing this, however, Maroona was able to strike the device with electricity, causing it to malfunction and closing the portal on the Makuta’s arm, severing it. The Makuta’s body was then pulled into the device’s own pocket dimension, although unbeknownst to everyone else, he used his Great Althi to eject his spirit from his body before he could become trapped. "Alchemist" deserted after this, and went into hiding.

Hysterix’s spirit later entered his mind and began to communicate with him, soon finding that he was able to assert influence over the Dark Hunter. With this control, he used "Alchemist" as a vector for his plans and schemes throughout the rise of the Toa Powai and the Great Regression.

Siding With the Colonists

When aggressive "colonist" Toa and Matoran from Leskya Nui arrived on Powai Nui, "Alchemist" remained hidden from sight until some time. He then bargained an alliance between him and Toa Vandir, who reluctantly accepted, having been promised that the Dark Hunter had no relations with the Makuta.

Vandir first sent "Alchemist" on a mission to kidnap one of the "native" Toa, Turaga or Matoran. He ultimately failed and was knocked unconscious by Toa Salvina and held captive. However, he later escaped back to Vandir's colony.

In return for the mission, he sent Vandir with a Mask of Disguise to trick Maroona, now a Turaga, into performing a ritual with the Shrine of Salvation. This ultimately led to the resurrection of Makuta Hysterix's body, which the Makuta repossessed.

At the same time, a group of native Toa traveled down to the colonist camp to try and negotiate one last time. The arrival of five armed and supposedly hostile Toa did not sit well with the colonists, and a battle broke out. "Alchemist" battled for Vandir's colony and fought against Lewok until the Toa of Air was knocked away by Hatar. After this, "Alchemist" went missing from the battlefield, and later was found to have deserted the battle.

Ruination

Later, after Keelo was mutated into a powerful Toa and conquered much of Powai Nui, the Emperor beat and exiled "Alchemist" for deserting the battle, and the mechanical being fell into power-down mode outside near some large bushes.

Around a month later, Omakah found his body sitting in the rain, covered in mud and plant material. The Po-Matoran accidentally reactivated the machine, however "Alchemist" had lost memory of his history, apparently suffering from amnesia caused by his brutal beating. Omakah convinced him that he was a Toa, and the two temporarily became allies.

Omakah and "Alchemist" found Navahko and Wreshi in a forest and began talking. "Alchemist" found out that he indeed had elemental Iron powers, as he was able to pull Wreshi's hand from his face by tugging on his armor. However, his powers were very weak. Hysterix then entered his mind and managed to cure him of amnesia, and a fight broke out between the Dark Hunter and the two Toa. After the fight, "Alchemist" had sustained further injuries, and after abandoning his weapon, he left the forest.

"Alchemist" later came across Keelo again, who revealed the Mask Maker's Tool to him. During a monologue, Keelo revealed "Alchemist"'s true identity as the former Toa of Iron Dehka. He then used the device in conjunction with Lewok's Kanohi Vehere, sending malicious and damaging thoughts at "Alchemist".

This psychic attack overloaded the cybernetic part of his brain, resulting in his body functions being unable to operate. This included the mechanical and technological systems which kept his organic brain alive, leaving the organ to die and ending his life entirely.

Legacy

It is assumed that Keelo had "Alchemist"'s body buried before his banishment in the Shrine of Salvation Dimension.

During a spy mission, Leskya Nui Ko-Matoran Jeko was spotted and captured by Omakah and Shensii. Using her Noble Mask of Psychometry on Jeko's mask, Maroona witnessed "Alchemist"'s final moments during a flashback.

Description

Forms

Picture	Form	Description
	Fe-Matoran	Dehka's form as a Fe-Matoran
	Toa of Iron	Dehka's form after being transformed into a Toa of Iron
	Post-Experiment	The tall, hunch-backed, digitigrade-legged form of Dehka following experimentation by Antharahk
	Regression-Era	"Alchemist"'s form he took after adapting himself to the environment of Powai Nui
	Derelict	"Alchemist"'s damaged form after being tortured by Keelo for deserting a battle

Powers and Equipment

As a Fe-Matoran, "Alchemist" had dormant powers over the element of Iron, which manifested in a higher level of physical endurance than most Matoran. When he became a Toa of Iron, he gained full access to these powers, allowing him to create, manipulate, and absorb metals. When he was experimented on, he lost much of his access to these abilities, however, rendering him only capable of slightly bending metals of moving them weakly. He was shown to have had incredible strength and stamina which exceeded that of a Toa. When he fought Salvina, he was able to throw sticks and tree limbs with such force that they were embedded in the hillside. Later, during his brawl with Navahko and Wreshi in the forest, he managed to lift a large tree branch with ease and use it as a viable weapon.

"Alchemist" wielded an Akselum I-9, a laser-based armament comparable in function to a rifle. It originally had a sight, however, it was lost during the Great Regression. He also used a variety of chemical-based "potions" of various types; so far Invisibility, Incendiary, Blinding, Confusion, and Knock-out potions have been seen used, although it is implied that he had more types at his disposal. As a Toa, he wore a Great Mask of Water, which allowed him limited control over the Element of Water such that he could generate and manipulate water nearby him. After experimentation, he lost his Mask of Water and the ability to use Kanohi, which likely contributed to the diminishment of his Elemental powers.

Strength:	12
Agility:	8
Resilience:	10
Mind:	12
Prowess:	11
Offense:	11
Defense:	8

Personality and Traits

"Alchemist" was cunning, cold-hearted, and logical, using his intelligence in battle first and his strength only as a last resort. He felt little emotion, and would only work toward a goal if it was beneficial to him in some way, and even then he may be skeptical, making him hard to fool or deceive. The only being he seemed to respect and/or care for was Makuta Hysterix, even using a "favor" from Vandir to resurrect his body. This seemed to be the only motivation for his actions, even after Keelo beat him and caused his older self to surface.

After he suffered from amnesia and thought about his past as a Toa, he seemed to adopt another personality, likely the personality of Dehka. This personality was still logical and phlegmatic, but took serious effort into protecting Matoran and put doing what was right before doing what was the most beneficial. However, he was still able to be coerced by Hysterix and remained an enemy of the Toa Powai after the Makuta entered his head.

Appearances

• Dirge - First appearance
• The Feral Plains - Volumes III, IV, V, & VI
• Against the Storm - Volumes II, III, V, & VI
• Renascence

Quotes

"I detected exactly 78 individual fluctuations in the pitch, tone, and volume of your voice which indicated that the information you gave me was false."

―"Alchemist" to Lewok, Against the Storm/Volume I

Trivia

• Unlike most Dark Hunters, "Alchemist" adopted his codename as his true name, regarding Dehka to be his former name and immediately correcting those who called him by it.
• Alchemy was a medieval practice similar to chemistry, which involved combining materials in an attempt to create magical elixirs. Alchemy was also performed in an attempt to create gold, which inspired him being a Toa of Iron. This was referenced by his briefly-used pseudonym Kazengo, which Chondrya derived from Katzengold, the German word for pyrite/fool's gold.
• Dehka was the name of several unused characters before it was assigned to "Alchemist" as his former name. It began as the name of a Toa of Magnetism who was transported to Bara Magna with no recollection of his past
• Akselum, part of his weapon's name, was a name Chondrya had previously considered giving to the Gorgoh. Chondrya remembers that the name is derived from a Latin word, likely axelum, a word meaning "axel".

Wraith Syndicate (v|e)
Founders	Tetradon† • Pretadix
Servants and Hirees	"Alchemist"† • Phi • Ruthos