Rusalka

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Rusalka

Toa
♫ — Freiya's Cage
Status	Alive
Location	Adytum, Vayu Peninsula
Element	Water
Kanohi	Great Freya (formerly), Great Weha
Tools	Energy falchion

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Rusalka (Pron. roo-səl-kuh) is a Toa of Water and a member of the Toa Vayu.

History[]

Early Life[]

Rusalka was once a Ga-Matoran sailor and fishmonger on the small island of Nynrah. Her main duty, as appointed by the island's Turaga, was to deliver fresh seafood to the Nynrah Ghosts, though this job eventually evolved into giving them their meals. The Ghosts were very secretive and rarely even talked to Rusalka, making her walk to and from their headquarters a lonely one. Indeed, Rusalka detested her assigned task and wished she could join her friends out in the open sea to fish or to sell her wares in her village's central marketplace.

This daily routine carried on for about two thousand years until Rusalka damaged her arm one day during an accident out at sea when she accidentally reeled in what would eventually be named a Makuta Fish. Those who rushed to her side when she arrived back at home urged Rusalka to get a replacement or she would be in big trouble. The Ga-Matoran had heard of the terrible legends of Karzahni and she desperately tried to avoid this fate by asking every single Ta- and Onu-Matoran she could for help. Finally, an old Ta-Matoran blacksmith directed her to the Nynrah Ghosts, seeing as they were by far the most skilled craftsman not only on the island, but perhaps for thousands of kio around. At first, she dismissed this idea, claiming that they haven't communicated once, so why would they now? Rusalka was running out of both time and options, however, and had to give the smith's advice a try.

To her great surprise, the dread of being turned away by the Ghosts' obstinate silence was all of naught. As the Matoran of Water made her way to their base, she found the door open with a Fe-Matoran frantically gesturing her to come inside. It seems as though the Ghosts has been monitoring her the entire time she served them and leapt into action at the sight of her mangled arm. They promised they would work as quickly as possible to get her back in tip-top shape once more.

Unfortunately, they were not able to complete their project in time and the Turaga of Nynrah summoned Karzahni the next night to spirit her away.

Karzahni[]

Rusalka spent a short time on the island of Karzahni as the island's then-sane ruler tried to mend her limb. He was only partially successful and gave her a new Kanohi, the Mask of Conjuring, so she would not be recognized, as well as a longsword to make up for her shrunken stature. Following her "repair", she was sent to the Southern Continent, far away from her village, to live out the rest of her days.

Southern Continent[]

A New Home[]

Rusalka was met with welcoming arms as she awoke on the northern shores of the Southern Continent. The Ga-Matoran was simply the latest among many to have been teleported to the large island, and the denizens had already accustomed themselves to be on the lookout for "drifters", as they were called. It was not long before she was a part of one of many small towns that dotted the central area of the Southern Continent, all populated by Karzahni's failures. Life was not easy, but the Matoran banded together, regardless of element, to survive. She soon befriended two other Ga-Matoran living in the settlement, Dalu and ❄︎⬧︎◆︎&︎◆︎❍︎♓︎. Though they all had different occupations, they managed to forge close ties with each other. As there were no large bodies of water on the Continent to sail, Rusalka instead put her sailing skills to good use a different way. She chose to escort other Matoran who washed up along the Continent's shores to a village along the Trem Krom River. The flow of Matoran eventually slowed and soon stopped altogether, so Rusalka was reassigned to fishing duties along the shore.

Great Disruption[]

Following the disastrous Matoran Civil War, the Great Spirit's health declined at an alarming rate. As such, a team led by the Toa of Magnetism Jovan travelled to the Voya Nui, then still part of the Southern Continent. Rusalka was chosen by her fellow Matoran, after strong recommendations by Dalu and ❄︎⬧︎◆︎&︎◆︎❍︎♓︎, to act as a guide for the Toa team. Jovan's team would eventually save Mata Nui, and Jovan decided to stay behind on the Southern Continent and become its Turaga.

The Turaga of Magnetism eventually appointed Rusalka as his scribe as he had many tales to tell the people of the Southern Continent. Unfortunately, most of her records were lost during the Cataclysm though a fair amount of the island's history has been preserved in the Metru Nui archives.

The Ga-Matoran would go on to become the island's Chronicler, a duty Rusalka did not ever see herself having, but welcomed all the same.

Great Cataclysm[]

The disastrous Cataclysm caused by Teridax's soporific virus wreaked havok throughout the Matoran Universe, though perhaps the greatest catasrophe befell the Southern Continent. The central part of the island was rocketed up and through its dome onto the surface of Aqua Magna, taking all of Karzahni's semi-repaired Matoran with it. Many lost their lives and Rusalka counted herself lucky to escape with both her life and her closest friends.

Turaga Jovan was killed during the violent tsunamis that razed villages along the edge of the new Voya Nui. As such, many of the surviving, displaced Matoran fled to the inner villages, such as the one Rusalka lived in. Over time, the Matoran banded together under one large village for safety, as Voya Nui was an unforgiving place.

Voya Nui[]

Rusalka would spend a thousand years on the island, working hard simply just to survive another day. With no Turaga and any other landmass in sight, the Matoran of Voya Nui resigned themselves to a grim fate. Many Matoran abandoned their jobs to become guards or warriors, and Dalu was perhaps the most well-known example of this, transforming herself from a patient, reserved Ga-Matoran into a fierce fighter. ❄︎⬧︎◆︎&︎◆︎❍︎♓︎, too, chose to become a guard, eventually becoming the unofficial captain. Despite looking up to her friends, Rusalka decided a life of fighting was not for her, though her temperament, like so many others, also took a turn for the worse.

When the Piraka eventually landed on the shores of Voya Nui and claimed to be Toa, Rusalka was among the many optimistic Matoran, believing that their salvation had finally arrived. However, after Dalu had spoken to Vezok, she immediately informed Rusalka and ❄︎⬧︎◆︎&︎◆︎❍︎♓︎ that the newcomers were not real Toa. The Piraka caught wind of their discussion and accelerated their plans to enslave the Voya Njui population. The trio of Ga-Matoran were among their first targets, but Dalu and ❄︎⬧︎◆︎&︎◆︎❍︎♓︎, having years of combat experience, were able to hide away. Though ❄︎⬧︎◆︎&︎◆︎❍︎♓︎ would eventually be enslaved much later, Rusalka, unfortunately, was one of the first struck by the antidermis-filled Zamor spheres. Like everyone but the six Resistance Matoran, she was sent to drain Mount Valmai under the Piraka's orders.

She was eventually freed by the Toa Inika's Energized Protodermis Zamor Spheres. The Inika would then best the Piraka and retrieve the legendary Mask of Life, only to retrieve it once more as the Toa Mahri. Hearing how her two friends had managed to resist the Piraka for so long galvanized her to begin training herself so she would no longer be a helpless bystander.

Sea of Darkness[]

Rusalka and the other Matoran continued with their daily lives on Voya Nui. Axonn remained with them, making their life somewhat less hazardous. At last, the Toa Mahri completed their quest and destroyed the Cord linking the sunken Mahri Nui with Voya Nui. At the orders of the Order member, Rusalka helped gather the Matoran into the Nui Caves for protection as the island descended. After the Southern Continent become whole once more, the Ga-Matoran emerged from the Caves and settled on the reformed island.

Spherus Magna[]

During Teridax's short reign, Rusalka and many of the former Voya Nui Matoran managed to escape the brunt of the conflict by hiding away in caves or in the forests of the Southern Continent. The death of Makuta Teridax rendered the Great Spirit Robot uninhabitable and as such, Rusalka emigrated to Spherus Magna.

The Navigation[]

After migrating to Spherus Magna, Rusalka, like all the Matoran, settled in or around the Mega-Village. This would do for a short-term solution to the sudden influx in population, but as more and more of the Matoran Universe denizens flowed out, this problem would soon be a population crisis. As such, Tahu, Ackar, and Kiina hastily convened and consulted with Artakha and Helryx to solve this matter. It was decided that the entire planet needed to be remapped, and a large contingent of Magnetism and Water Toa would be assigned this vitally important duty.

Twenty Fe-Matoran would be made into new Toa, alleviating the marked lack of Toa of Magnetism, and they were joined by a few Ga-Matoran that would also be transformed into Toa. One of these was Rusalka; Axonn recommended her to Helryx above Dalu, who he had deemed to hot-headed. Axonn and Helryx would then personally train the new recruits. Time was of the essence, however, and the two former Order members could only spare a few days to show the Navigators, as they were now called, how to use their newfound powers just for transportation.

Rusalka, now a Toa, was randomly assigned to a far north-east. Taking into account her lack of experience and long journey, a guard, Jotun, was assigned to her. The Toa of Earth and Water eventually reached their target location, the future Vayu Peninsula. There, the two stumbled upon a grizzled Toa of Plantlife who had oddly managed to get there first. Their journeys all coming to an end, these three Toa then began laying out the plans for the town of Adytum.

Equipment[]

Energy falchion, "Excalibur": An incredible sword of masterful craftsmanship. The Excalibur is a single-edged longsword with a laser blade running alongside the cutting edge. This laser technology was originally intended for cutting and shaping metal but was repurposed for combat by a Fe-Matoran engineer living in Adytum. As it is wielded by a Toa of Water, numerous modifications were made to the base design of Excalibur, mostly for waterproofing the laser generator. However, this weapon's laser will not function underwater and can only be used as a regular blade in that situation. The laser battery is directly fueled by trace amounts of the wielding Toa's energy.
Kanohi Freya: The Mask of Conjuring is a Kanohi that allows its bearer to program a limited power into the mask for a brief period of time. The user must describe in detail the power desired and at least one weakness. If a mistake is made during the process, it causes intense headaches, often incapacitating. The user can use the programmed power for fifteen minutes with thirty second cooldowns between each programming. The Noble version will only work for five minutes. However, the most glaring issue with this mask is the fact that enemies can often hear the programmed weakness. What is counters this is Rusalka's brilliant tactical mind and outstanding calm in battle. She is able to analyse her opponent so she can use her mask power by inputting a weakness that simply cannot be exploited. The Freya is crafted from a Freeze, and two high-powered Teleport Kanoka.
Kanohi Weha: The Mask of Division is a Kanohi that allows its bearer split themselves, much like a cell might undergo mitosis, into clones. Each clone has approximately half the Toa Power reserves of the source it was cloned from. There is no limit to how many clones the Great version of the Weha can produce, but there is a point at which the clones will have no Toa Power at all and can only fight using conventional means. If the original user of the Mask has their concentration disrupted, all clones will instantly merge back into their origin. The Noble version is able to split its user only once. Rusalka changed her primary mask to the Weha to better suit the Toa Vayu's directive of completing the Scroll of Reclamations. The team often had to venture into distant lands with little outside aid so this mask was perfect for assisting with manual labour, scouting, or fighting large numbers of weak foes. The Weha is an especially perfect fit for this Toa of Water due to her expertise over various forms of martial arts and her large elemental power reserves, honed from years of training. As such, upon the first usage of the Weha, her elemental might is still comparable to a novice Toa's. The Weha is crafted from two Reconstitute at Random and two Shrink Kanoka. Toa considered the Weha to be the moral version of the Mohtrek as this Kanohi relied on the user's own martial strength and discipline in order to reach its full potential.

Personality[]

Like all Ga-Matoran, Rusalka was known for her generally kind attitude as well as her perseverance and loyalty to Mata Nui, as was expected of her. Her selfishness was her major flaw, however, as she hated her occupation but out of a sense of duty she continued to serve the Nynrah Ghosts. Her blind faith wavered, however, when the Turaga of her island immediately sent her to Karzahni at the slightest sign of weakness, something she has not been able to get over, even as a Toa. To this day, she continues to become ever stronger, so no one will be able to judge her.

After Voya Nui was shot up to the surface of Aqua Magna, she was convinced that Mata Nui had left Matoran to their own devices and eventually lost all faith in him. Furthermore, the tough life on Voya Nui caused Rusalka to be more rough around the edges. Rusalka became far more cynical and trusted only her two close friends, Dalu and ❄︎⬧︎◆︎&︎◆︎❍︎♓︎. However, the premature rejoice she showed when the Piraka declared themselves as Toa demonstrates a certain sense of naivety and a continued hope in the Great Spirit, one that had not been totally lost but rather had been lying dormant.

Following her freedom from the antidermis, Rusalka vowed again that she would become strong enough to protect herself. With this attitude came discipline and a very strong sense of duty. The Ga-Matoran turned out to be a very hard worker as she strove to become like Dalu and ❄︎⬧︎◆︎&︎◆︎❍︎♓︎. When ❄︎⬧︎◆︎&︎◆︎❍︎♓︎ become a Toa, she did not let this faze her and continued aiming to be every inch her equal.

Known Moveset[]

Water Ball

	Like her inspiration, ❄︎⬧︎◆︎&︎◆︎❍︎♓︎, Rusalka bases most of her attacks on the simple Water Ball. Any competent Toa of Water can fling this sphere at high speeds to send a target reeling, or even compress the water to create a deadly projectile.

Salt the Wound

	Rusalka launches a high-pressure wave of seawater at her opponent. This attack is particularly effective against organic flesh, as salt and open wounds do not make for a good combination.

Maelstrom

	Another staple of any respectable Toa of Water's arsenal. Though not as powerful as ❄︎⬧︎◆︎&︎◆︎❍︎♓︎'s Kanohi Maion-fuelled attacks, Rusalka can still level a small village with this churning whirlpool.

Nova Blast: High Tide

	Rusalka's Nova Blast takes the form of an enormous tsunami, which is one of two common forms of a Toa of Water's Nova Blasts, the other being a flash flood. However, this particular Toa of Water's sheer power is enough to send multiple 23-bio (100 feet) tall waves crashing forth, earning her Nova Blast's nickname.

Trivia[]

A rusalka, rusalki being the plural form, is an ancient water nymph from Slavic legends and folklore.
"Freiya's Cage" was composed by Dale North.
The Excalibur is based on a dual-bladed weapon with the same nickname wielded by the Mobile Suit β Sword Impulse Gundam.
BS01 was used as a reference for the Kanohi Freya.
'Freya' is derived from 'Freyja', the ancient Norse goddess of sorcery, among other things.