The Barraki Revealed Options

[GregF]

As promised, I am going to start revealing some info on the Barraki -- probably one a day, this week, if time allows (so I will just edit this post)

TAKADOX
The great manipulator ... physically the least powerful of the Barraki, mentally one of the sharpest. Can sit motionless for days on end waiting for prey to make a wrong move, and then attack. Uses his power of hypnosis to make others do his bidding (and so rarely has to run the risk of executing his own plans). Prior to the coming of the Mask of Life, rarely left his cave -- simply mesmerized Carapar into getting whatever he needed. Controls an army made up of underwater insect life.

Weapons: Twin knives, squid launcher

Power: Hypnosis

QUOTE:

“Actually, we thought perhaps you, Carapar and those Toa might have persuaded him, and then … eased him out of this life,” said Takadox. “But don’t worry, Kalmah. I told them you would never do such a thing.”
“Of course not,” said Kalmah.
“For one thing, you’re not that smart,” Takadox finished.

KALMAH
The silent killer ... stronger than he is fast, but able to glide silently through the water and seize and squeeze prey to death in his tentacle. Five smaller tentacles on the back of his head let him sense motion behind him. Three eyes, but blind in one due to a disastrous past encounter with Pridak. Highly intellgent. Breeds the sea squid the Barraki use in their launchers, making sure they are kept half-starved and vicious so they are ready for prey. Leads an army of giant squid.

Weapons: Squid Launcher
Natural Tools: Tentacle, sensory tentacles
Powers: None

QUOTE:

"We shared our victories ... and we shared our punishment," said Kalmah. "So we will share this mask as well, until we see if it can do all that you claim."

PRIDAK

Undisputed ruler of the Barraki dating back 80,000+ years. Mind as sharp as his teeth. Extremely fast underwater and a perfect killing machine. More than willing to use violence to enforce discipline -- in addition to blinding Kalmah in one eye, once bit Nocturn's arm off. Learns from his mistakes. Expert at holding a grudge. Feels entitled to power, and is willing to defy even Makuta to his face. Feels no guilt or regret over anything he does. Hot-tempered, but also practical -- sees no reason to kill Matoran if there is nothing to be gained by it (hence the survival of Mahri Nui all this time). If there IS something to be gained by it, would calmly order destruction of entire village and sleep peacefully that night. Commands an army of Takea sharks.

Weapons: Shark tooth blade, squid launcher
Natural Tools: Teeth capable of tearing open even BOM armor
Powers: None

QUOTE:

“Do you know who I am?” asked Pridak.
Nocturn nodded. “Pridak. The shark.”
“Then you know what will happen if you don’t do what I ask?”
Nocturn winced. He still bore the scars of an earlier run-in with Pridak, which had cost him one of his arms. Fortunately, it had grown back, though minus its tentacle. “Rip, slash,” he said. “Pain. Hiding.”
“And next time, I won’t stop with your arm,” Pridak said darkly.

MANTAX

Dweller in darkness ... the most secretive and mysterious of the Barraki. Spends most of his time buried in the sea floor, with only his eyes and head spikes visible, waiting for prey to swim by. When he's not there, he is down in the flooded remains of the original Pit, for reasons unknown. Traditionally keeps silent and in the shadows, preferring not to share information with the other Barraki unless he has to (knowledge is power, after all). Commands an army of rays.

Natural Tools: Pincer; head spikes which produce paralyzing venom; tentacle on back of his head which acts as a lightning conductor; thick, armored shoulder plates
Weapon: Squid launcher
Powers: None

QUOTE

“I want the Mask of Life,” said Mantax. “I thought you had it.”
“And I thought you did,” said the Toa of Water. “While we’re fighting, whoever does will be escaping with it.”
“Your friends?”
“No,” the Toa said, shaking her head. “Yours.”
Mantax regarded her coldly. As a rule, he had no use for Toa -- too conscience-bound to be ruthless, and always so quick to oppose the plans of their betters. But one thing about them he believed to be true: Toa were not liars. And if this water Toa was telling the truth …
“I have no friends,” said Mantax. “Only enemies I haven’t killed yet.”

CARAPAR
The ravager of the seas ... the physical powerhouse of the Barraki ... virtually invulnerable to everything but electrical attack ... uses his powerful embrace and giant claw to chop up and cut down anything in his path. Prior to exile in the Pit, was known as the most ferocious of the Barraki -- the slightest sign of disrespect from one villager would mean destruction and death for an entire village. Once ended a siege by withdrawing and leaving the enemy city a gift of foodstuffs, which turned out to be poisoned. Although his intellect has been dulled somewhat by centuries of Takadox's hypnosis, you underestimate him at your peril. As Takadox has noted, Carapar is not as stupid as he looks, for no one could be.
Carapar commands an army of keras crabs and pit war tortoises.

Weapons: Squid launcher
Natural Tools: Pincer, thick armor
Powers: None

“Takadox says stop,” Carapar shouted.
Ehlek’s response was to give off an electric shock – generally, his response to everything. Carapar was already braced for the pain, but it still stung. He grabbed Ehlek in one of his pincers and squeezed until his fellow Barraki screamed.
“If I so much as see a spark, I’ll cut you in half,” Carapar snarled.
“What do you want?” Ehlek screeched. “I’ve done nothing to you!”
“It’s what you’re doing to them that matters,” Carapar answered, gesturing with his free pincer to Mahri Nui. “Takadox says stop. He doesn’t want them slaughtered … yet. Says they have something we want.”
“Yes,” Ehlek responded. “Lives. Breath. Futures. All of which I am going to take from --”
Carapar squeezed harder until he heard something crack. “What did I say? Did I say, ‘Ehlek, go ahead?’ I didn’t hear myself say that.”

EHLEK

Ehlek was the only member of the original Barraki alliance who was a native water-breather, from the liquid protodermis sea around the island of Zakaz. After the Great Cataclysm and escape from the Pit, he built a fortress for the Barraki, which was destroyed when Mahri Nui landed on top of it. Ehlek is angry, bitter, and hungry for revenge, almost willing to sacrifice the Mask of Life if it would mean exterminating all Matoran. Although slim and poorly armored, the spines on his back give off electric bolts that can stun or kill. He commands an army of venom eels. An interesting sidenote is that the Dark Hunter Amphibax was originally a member of Ehlek's army prior to Ehlek's exile to the Pit. Another interesting note is that Ehlek's species was tampered with by the Order of Mata Nui in an attempt to engineer a race specially designed to combat the Brotherhood of Makuta.

Weapons: Squid launcher, tri-talons that can tear through protosteel
Powers: Ability to emit electric bolts from his spines

QUOTE

“Ah, Barraki,” Brutaka replied. “You were important once, weren’t you, a long time back? No matter – you’ll answer to me now.”
“As long as the question is ‘Who’s that killing me?’” Carapar shot back. “Then we should get along fine.”
“I came from the island of Voya Nui,” Brutaka continued, ignoring Carapar. “I was there to guard the Mask of Life, but I decided it would be better put to use in my service. My fellow guardian, Axonn, disagreed – and he had the stronger argument. When I woke up, I was underwater. I swam until I found a hole and eventually wound up here.”
“The Mask of Life,” said Ehlek. He went on to describe the mask that Carapar claimed was in the possession of the Matoran.
Brutaka’s eyes brightened. “That’s it. It’s here! Amazing … fate must want me to have it, there’s no other explanation. And once I do … Axonn and I will resume our discussion. Take me to the mask – now!”
Carapar started to object, but Ehlek cut him off. “Of course, of course. Only we have a little problem reaching it at the moment – actually, a 300-foot long problem. But maybe you can help with that?”
“You may have a bigger problem than that,” Brutaka answered. “If I am here … and more importantly, the Mask of Life is here … then Toa are not far behind.”

SPECIAL ADDED BONUS
As promised, a sneak peek at a Toa-Barraki encounter from 2007 ...

Pridak smiled. The sharks moved in closer, restless for the hunt. “Do you know where you are, Toa? This is a Takea shark hunting ground. The sea floor underneath you is littered with the bodies of creatures that weren’t fast enough to get away. Do you think you’re fast enough?”
“I don’t have to be,” the Toa of Ice answered. “Not as long as I’m strong enough to fight back.”
Triggering his elemental power, he froze the water around Pridak and Takadox into a solid block. It sank like a stone out of sight. He was just about to congratulate himself on an easy victory when he heard an explosion from down below and saw shards of ice flying through the water. They were followed by Pridak and Takadox, still scraping super-cold ice fragments off their limbs.
“Is that the best you can do, Toa?” said Pridak.
“I don’t know. Are you worthy of my best?”
The Toa of Ice called upon his Kanohi mask power, throwing more willpower into the act than he ever had before. Far below, long-dead sea creatures began to stir as artificial life flooded their bodies. Heavy-lidded eyes snapped open as limbs shook off the sleep of ages. One by one, the vanquished rose, vengeance in their hearts. Scattered groups began to swim toward the Toa, gathering behind him in an undead legion. Some looked almost as powerful and formidable as they had the day they died. Others had obviously suffered the tender mercies of the Takea shark. Together, they were enough to make even a Barraki hesitate.
Across the span of black water, two armies stared into each other’s cold eyes – one living, one an imitation of life. Pridak’s gaze was fixed on the Toa, searching for some sign of weakness. He saw none.
“We appear to be evenly matched,” said the Barraki finally.
“Not so,” the Toa of Ice replied, flashing a cold smile as he gestured to his reanimated army. “My side has nothing left to lose.”


This post has been edited by GregF: Dec 3 2006, 09:59 AM