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This article was written by Eureka Enderborn. Please do not add to it without the writer's permission.
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History[]
Please note: Grimlech exists in a sort of alternate reality, where the only thing that really changed is the fact that he exists.
Dark Hunters[]
Grimlech first made himself known to the world during the Toa-Dark Hunter war, where he joined up with the Dark Hunters. Due to his general speed and acrobatic capabilities, as well as a rather high knack for stealth, he was sent mostly on reconnaissance missions and the occasional sabotage run. His hot streak was ended shortly later when Lhikan caught him and promptly beat him down. Grimlech was heavily wounded by the duel with the Toa, and spent the last few days of the war in a full body splint.
He stayed active in the Hunters for a long while afterwards, until something happened one day. He had been sent to scout out a very old temple for any potential threats before the main looting party arrived. There, he noticed an odd crystal, and figured he'd keep it for himself. As he went deeper into the temple, he noticed something very strange. It was a very worn out shrine. No markings, covered in dust, and the only thing of note was the hole in the top, the hole that matched his new stone perfectly. Believing it to be some sort of key, he placed the stone into the shrine.
What happened next was a blur. When Grimlech got a good look at himself, he realized that he had changed. He was no longer a Dark Hunter. No, somehow he had become a Toa. This was, of course, a disaster. No one in the Dark Hunters would ever trust him again! They would probably even send Lariska to hunt him down. That was a meeting he would not look forward to. After a while of deliberation, he decided to explain himself and hope that they would understand how useful he could be.
It wasn't easy convincing the Shadowed One, and it's rather difficult to negotiate when you're shaking in your armour. Eventually Grimlech got him to understand how useful having the form of a Toa would be, as Matoran explicitly trust them. So the Shadowed One decided to give him one chance, just one, to prove that this was a transformation for the better. He was sent to a village on a small island, one that had apparently dug up some sort of ancient mask. Grimlech was to go there and befriend the Matoran so that they would let their guard down and two other Dark Hunters would arrive, take the mask, and burn the village.
Grimlech was confused the moment he stepped on the island. The Matoran treated him like none ever had. For the first time, there was something other than fear or disdain in the eyes that looked upon him. These Matoran, they trusted him. And that's something he never thought would happen.
So that fateful day when those two other Dark Hunters arrived, and the Matoran around him begged for his help, his Toa instincts took over.
A few days later, a package for the Shadowed One arrived. A package which contained the mangled remains of two Dark Hunters, and a note reading:
- "Sorry Shadowed One. I thought I could remain loyal to you, but it turns out that I can't evade destiny. Do us both a favour, and don't come looking for me. It will take your best operatives a long time, and I don't think you can afford that. Just know that from now on, I'll be protecting the Matoran like my Brothers and Sisters before me."
- ―Toa Grimlech.
And so the new Toa of Darkness fled, using his unique skills and brand new abilities to evade the agents of the Dark Hunters, always staying a step or two ahead of them. He tried linking up with other Toa, but they didn't get along. Mainly because Grimlech still had quite a mean streak, and many times went against the Toa Code and killed an opponent. Eventually, the Dark Hunters got so close that the Toa was forced to head into an underground tunnel network. Down there, he met an odd team of six other Toa, on a mass rescue mission.
Toa Metru[]
These Toa Metru were suspicious of him at first, and he of them. However, upon hearing of their noble mission, he agreed to help them. During their travels through the underground labyrinth, he was very secretive and quiet. The only Toa he really got along with was Nuju, as they were both quiet and reserved and logical. He aided them in battles, and his abilities of stealth and shadow manipulation proved invaluable in the dark tunnels. Upon the destruction of the Karzahni plant, he journeyed with them to the surface.
Just as they were clearing the cave mouth, however, Lariska launched a surprise attack. He had long feared this day, and remembered what a dangerous foe Lariska could be. He demanded that his fellow Toa stay well back and not interfere, lest they get into harm's way. The duel was heated, and while Grimlech knew Lariska's moves and had his Toa powers and physical abilities, he was still no match for the elite assassin. As Lariska fought him, she admitted that she did not want to end his life. She offered to help him instead, and said that they could work together again. Grimlech found the offer very tempting, and admitted to wanting to work with Lariska very much. But he could not deny his gut feeling that he belonged with the Toa Metru, at least for a time.
Angered and disappointed, Lariska defeated Grimlech swiftly and prepared to deal the killing blow. She was thwarted, however, as she was swamped by a wave and frozen to the floor. Nokama and Nuju had rushed to protect their fallen comrade, with the other four close behind. Lariska freed herself and was forced to retreat, with Grimlech feeling quite grateful towards his brothers and sister.
Together with the Toa Metru, Grimlech continued on to Metru Nui, where he actually approved of Vakama's increasingly aggressive streak. He was, unfortunately, separated from the other Toa at the Le Metru Hub, and went full stealth mode until he could locate his friends. He eventually located them, but arrived too late to stop the transformation into Hordika. He prepared to catch his friends, but the Rahaga got to them before him. He followed the group to the Temple of Mata Nui, where he rejoined them.
He aided them on their journeys, mostly travelling with Onewa. Here, he met two new beings. The first, a Rahi with the ability to shapeshift named Krahka. He found the Rahi quite delightful, and the two quickly developed a rapport, and exchanged a sizeable amount of witty dialogue, much of which mocked Onewa. The other was a rather curious Boggarak, who seemed rather displeased with the way Roodaka was treating the Horde. The two could not directly understand one another, but it was surprisingly easy to get a sense of what the other was trying to communicate. And thanks to his Kanohi mask, he could tell that she was being honest. Realizing the benefits of having a potentially sympathetic Visorak in the horde, he named the Boggarak Pukka, and helped her get past Onewa and Pouks.
Though saddened by the loss of Krahka, he weathered it well, having been jaded by previous losses. Upon discovering Vakama's treachery, however, he was enraged. He vowed to track down and bring Vakama back by force, but was dissuaded by Norik, and Nokama and Nuju to a lesser extent. He instead accompanied them to locate Keetongu. Upon encountering the ancient Rahi, he was at first angered with him for his inaction and apparent apathy, but he warmed to the creature when he agreed to help.
Toa Grimlech went with the Hordika to the final battle at the Coliseum. Here, his anger at Vakama was rekindled, but as he had neither a Rotuka launcher nor any other means of quickly scaling the walls, he was forced to allow Matau to face Vakama alone. Within the arena, Grimlech fought with every ounce of skill and elemental power he possessed. Even so, he and the Hordika were overwhelmed by the superior numbers of the Visorak. Then Roodaka approached on her massive spider. Though she got hit with five spinners at once, she didn't fall. He was immensely proud of Vakama when he switched sides, but didn't want Roodaka blathering anymore.
Picking Pukka out of the crowd, he called out to her, and they attacked together. This sparked another, much shorter battle. Grimlech and Pukka managed to take down Roodaka's mount, but not Roodaka herself. She fired one of her mutation spinners at Nokama, and Grimlech knew he needed to act fast to save her. He picked up a piece of rubble and hurled it, striking the spinner in mid-air. The spinner flung off its course and, unfortunately, ricocheted and hit Grimlech square in the face.
The sight of Toa Grimlech lying on the ground covered in a crackling green corona of energy, writhing and twisting in agony, and attended to by a very concerned looking Boggarak, caused the fight to cease. At this point, Vakama freed the Visorak and blasted Roodaka with his spinner. After their moment of victory and realization of what happened to Makuta, they were interrupted by the distraught cry of Pukka the Boggarak.
Grimlech had become still, still and changed. He was certainly no longer a Toa, and his armour had become primarily dark green and secondarily light green, instead of mostly black. As Nokama attempted to shoo away Pukka, Grimlech's arm shot up and grabbed Nokama's to stop her. This caused her quite a bit of pain, as his fingers were now bladed.
It took a while, and much wise counselling from the Rahaga, Vakama, Nokama and Nuju, and the companionship of Pukka, but eventually Grimlech escaped from the depression that this change brought on. It would take even longer to become used to his hands which could now become very long blades, and the fact that he could suddenly sprout extra arms and legs at will, even wings.
Though Vakama and the other Toa Metru graciously offered to take him to Mata Nui and build a new life there, Grimlech declined. He knew that the Matoran would see him as a monster, and furthermore he had no more Toa powers or instincts. It would be best, he decided, if he'd just stay with Pukka and the Rahaga on Metru Nui.
Life as a Mutant[]
It was very hard for Grimlech to come to terms with his new appearance and abilities. His new and strange form was hard enough to deal with, plus having to deal with bladed fingers that could link and extend into full on sword hands. Even worse, however, was his absurd new mutagenic powers. He suddenly found himself occasionally sprouting then retracting outlandish limbs.
Grimlech's new body. blade arms extended
These transformations were very painful to begin with, and he had no control over them. Believing that this was the beginning of a new, even more horrible transformation, he fled down into the Archives so as not to put anyone else in harm's way if he lost control of himself. Despite his insistence that Pukka stay behind, she came with him no matter what he said.
As it happens, Pukka was invaluable in helping him learn to manipulate his new appendages. It was in a rather heated encounter with a Nui Jaga that Grimlech learned that his new limbs could be called at will. With Pukka's help, he was able to learn precisely how to do it. He discovered that he had 4 different forms. The standard one, which is more or less normal, besides the strange appearance and bladed hands. The second, he sprouts a pair of wings which he can use for flying and gliding. The third, he sprouts an extra set of bladed arms. The fourth, he sprouts two extra sets of bladed arms and two extra sets of bladed legs, becoming a multi-limbed spider creature. The fourth form in particular became quite useful, as Pukka trained him in the art of fighting with multiple appendages, fighting on webs, fighting upside down, etc.
Pukka turned out to be useful in other ways as well. For example, she crafted a webbed nest in a cave in the Archives for the two of them, which Grimlech was able to traverse without much difficulty, especially in his 12-limbed form. She also helped him locate and root out sources of Visorak resistance, and they frequently aided the Rahaga, though several Rahaga felt some amount of apprehension about working alongside a Visorak.
The two of them watched over Metru Nui until eventually the Matoran, the Turaga he once knew as Toa Metru, and the new Toa team arrived back at Metru Nui. He wanted to greet them, but felt that he couldn't. He ran back to his cave, where the Turaga came to speak with him. They convinced him that he wasn't as much a monster as he thought he was, and he decided to occasionally head up to the Coliseum and spend a little time outdoors. They also introduced him to the Toa Nuva.
He spent much of his time afterwards hidden in Metru Nui, until Makuta Teridax took over the Matoran Universe, at which point he vanished to parts unknown. He later told Nokama in confidence that he was recruited temporarily by the Order of Mata Nui to aid a new and strange Toa on some obscure island.
He and Pukka travelled to Spherus Magna, disappearing while there. At one point, a mysterious female Toa in silvery armour asked the Turaga if they knew of Grimlech's location, and when they said they did not, she set off to locate him. It is suspected he is scouring Spherus Magna looking for Lariska.
Abilities and Personality[]
Abilities[]
During his time with the Dark Hunters, Grimlech was a skilled reconnaissance agent and infiltrator. His acrobatic capabilities were impressive, and his ability to sneak about was also frequently useful. He was mainly used to track enemy movements, keep an eye on the coliseum, and even occasionally sabotage something of the Toa's. He would even occasionally work with Lariska as she snuck about the city. However, during his time as a Dark Hunter, his actual combat capabilities were rather lacking. When he went to kill something, he either killed it in one shot from the shadows or not at all. This is perhaps best emphasized when Lhikan catches him watching the Coliseum and squashes him like a bug.
Upon his discovery of the Toa Stone and transformation into Toa Grimlech, he became substantially tougher and more muscled. He learned to work with his shadow sickles in close combat with foes, and utilize his control of shadow in combat. Acrobatics and stealth still remained in heavy use, and he could now use his shadowy powers to ensure that he remained undetected.
With his mutation he lost his powers over shadow, but still retained the extra toughness and martial skill of a Toa. Moreover, his agility and acrobatic talent was boosted with the addition of extra limbs (though not the spider legs, those actually reduce his acrobatic capabilities). He still retains the belief that it's much better to simply not get hit at all, rather than block or parry.
Personality[]
While in the Dark Hunters, he outwardly appeared much like all the rest. Quick to anger, conniving and scheming, greedy, and ruthless. However, deep inside he did sort of hate the other Dark Hunters, and he feared the Shadowed One. See, even though he felt that it was within the Hunters that he would enjoy himself most and his skills would best be utilized, he still valued kindness, and kindness was something very rare amongst the Dark Hunters. Lariska, however, was kind to him on occasion, so he was kind in return. He was also rather logical, and always tried to maintain a cool head. He also had a bit more of a conscience than his comrades. Not much, but every bit counts.
Upon becoming a Toa, he was very conflicted, and tried desperately to repress these urges of nobility he felt inside. And it didn't help that the Matoran he was sent to betray treated him very kindly, and as though he were a real hero. As such, when he was finally put in the spotlight, he made the right choice and saved the village from his former brethren. While he continued to fight the good fight, he fought it in a rather nasty way. He still carried quite the mean streak, and frequently killed opponents despite the code he was supposed to follow. He also often urged his brothers and sisters down the more violent path of action, or the more sneaky and underhanded one.
- "If you Toa could just drop honour and ethics for a moment, you'd become the most unstoppable army in history.""
- ―Toa Grimlech.
Once he met up with the Toa Metru, he found himself getting on particularly well with Nuju, who was quiet and logical and had little time for nonsense, and Nokama, who was very friendly and kind and always treated him well. He didn't get on so well with Matau, who he felt was far too silly, or Onewa, who was always suspicious of Grimlech.
When he became a mutant, he was seized by a severe bout of depression. It took a long time for his friends to help him through it, and he was never really the same after that. He became a recluse, and developed an exceptionally pessimistic outlook on life. That changed when he was sent by the Order of Mata Nui to aid that mysterious and unknown Toa. He came back to Metru Nui with a much more positive and helpful outlook, almost back to his old self.
Nokama and Nuju are the only ones whom he told about his quest on Bara Magna to find Lariska.
Powers and Equipment[]
Powers[]
Initially, Grimlech had no powers to speak of. His talents were not really a power so much as a natural ability. It wasn't until he became a Toa that he got proper powers. His powers were the ability to manipulate darkness to his will, and while this could function much like the powers of the other Toa, he preferred to use them to augment his own natural physical abilities.
His most frequent use of his power was to aid in stealth. He would often surround either himself or his foes in a corona of darkness, thus making him much harder to detect. The other most frequent use of his power was to imbue his Shadow Sickles with crackling shadow energies, which could be discharged upon a physical blow, allowing for greater armour penetration. He could also use them in other ways, such as firing bolts of shadow energy capable of tearing through matter. He could also charge and then release a ball of shadow energy, which would release a wave of doom over an area.
His Kanohi mask, the Kanohi Rode, allows him to immediately tell whether or not somebody is lying. This mask is always on at a low level, and as such, Toa Grimlech could always tell if somebody was telling the truth or not.
After his mutation, he lost all of the above powers, but gained a rather odd new one. This new ability was to grow and retract certain sets of limbs. He could either have his normal hands and feet, grow a set of wings, grow an extra set of arms, or grow two extra sets of arms and two extra sets of legs. The wings grant him the power to fly, and the extra legs allow him better balance and the ability to walk on walls and ceilings, and he won't even get stuck on Visorak webbing while in that form.
Equipment[]
During his time as a Dark Hunter, he mainly utilized a protosteel dagger built rather similarly to a katar. This aided in penetrating toughened structures, which was great help for sabotage.
Upon his transformation into a Toa, he received a pair of Shadow Sickles, which he could channel his shadow energy through. These sickles were often used to commit deeds that others would regard unethical. His favored method of execution with the sickles was to lodge the tip into the base of the back of the enemy's skull.
Upon his mutation, he gained three-fingered clawed hands, which could link together and extend into long sword hands. All of his growable arms ended in non-retractable blades. His growable legs also were bladed.