Rau

	Rau contains canon BIONICLE info. This article contains canon information but has fanon info added to it. Therefore, this article shouldn't be deleted, since this article also contains fanon info. The canon version of this page can be viewed here.

Mask of Translation
Kanohi
Powers	Omnitranslation
Component Kanoka	Remove Poison, Enlarge
Pronunciation	RAOW

The Kanohi Rau was the Mask of Translation, a Kanohi that enables its bearer to understand any written or spoken language known to the Great Beings. While the Rau is most-often used to establish communication between Rahi and Matoran, it is also capable of translating Skakdi and Agori. The mask, however, proved limited due to its impracticality.

History

The Kanohi Rau traces its origins back back to some of the earliest mask-making techniques adopted on Spherus Magna, where an unclear number of Rau masks were created for the Matoran populace. At this point in the history of the Matoran Universe, the Rau became heavily associated with the Mersion species, who held the mask up as a symbol of their academic principles.

Over the 100,000 year span of the Matoran Universe's functionality, the Rau became a particularly wide-spread Kanohi. Favored in particular by Toa of Water, the Rau was also know to be sought after by Toa of Earth and Turaga for the purpose of translating ancient texts or communicating with Rahi.

In Metru Nui, a Rau could crafted with relative efficiency using Remove Poison and Enlarge Kanoka disks. Given the ease with which Rau could be created, however, the Kanohi became somewhat common in wider Matoran society, often sold for cheaper prices.

Quite notably, a Ga-Matoran named Nokama was known to have sported a Rau during her time as a Toa Metru, one of the Matoran Universe's final and most prominent Toa Teams, marking a decisive footnote in the mask's history.

Bearers

Harnika's Rau variant in The Misplaced Alternate Universe.

Great

• Toa Nokama - Transformed into Noble
  • Nokama (Kuurk's Empire)
• Sumina
• Toa Jismal
• Toa Harnika - Variant
• Toa Bomonga -Formerly

Noble

• Turaga Aph
• Turaga Nokama

Powerless

• Ahkmou
• Dalu
• Dephal
• Tluie

Forms

Picture	Form
	A traditional great Rau, as forged on Metru Nui.
	A great Rau in Hordika form.
	A noble Rau.

Trivia

• In the hands of an experienced academic, the Great Rau could be used to translate partially decayed writings with considerable accuracy.
• The Great Rau was intended in part as a counterpoint to the immoral effects of the Mask of Incomprehension, a Kanohi that allows the user to scramble both spoken and written languages.
• The enhanced Nuva version of this mask allows the wearer to decipher body language and sign language, as well as any encrypted code or symbolic, non-subjective messages within images.
• A less savory application of the Rau Nuva's powers would be to translate a speaker's voice into gibberish to nearby listeners of that entity by "sharing" the power of the Rau. This mimics the immoral Mask of Incomprehension. While using the Rau to do this is technically not immoral as the mask itself is not, Toa avoid this malicious practice purely out of principle.