Kaede: Toa of Shadow

 

History

Spoiler ahead. Highlight the text to read, if you wish.

Kaede has a very brief history as she was created as a Toa, not as a Matoran. However, due to Infernum's "keyboard smash" during Madness: Genesis, Kaede and her teammates all have falsified memories. Below are all of her false memories.

 

Kaede was originally a happy-go-lucky Av-Matoran residing on Karda Nui.

When the Makuta Phantoka struck, she was one of the few to escape the Shadow Leeches, the others being Tanma, Solek, and Photok.

However, Kaede, being the idiot she is, wandered a bit too far away from the village one day while the Toa Nuva and the Makuta fought. While exploring stalactite-pillars of Karda Nui, she chanced upon a shattered Shadow Leech vat. Kirop had accidentally led Kopaka, Lewa, and Pohatu to the Shadow Leech Hive, whereupon they had destroyed a number of Shadow Leech tanks. Perhaps one of the Toa had been a little too enthusiastic and threw one of the vats right out of the Leech Hive where it land on a pillar far below.

In the wreckage, Kaede heard a quiet meep. It was a Shadow Leech. And an injured one, at that.

One thing led to another, and Kaede ended up presenting the 'lil Leech to the other three Av-Matoran. At first scared out of their wits, then highly skeptical, and at last exasperated, Kaede was allowed to keep the Leech but she had to keep it a secret.

It soon became impossible to hide it, however. Kaede's eyes shone with a scarlet radiance, and her limbs and armor were now black and silver. She was a Shadow Matoran.

Yes, she was a Shadow Matoran. But she also decided to bake a batch of muffins the day she woke up as one. In short, she was still an Av-Matoran in all but looks. Photok was the only one who knew of Kaede's situation at that point. He advised her to leave and hide before the others found out as they may not have been accepting as he had. He also took one of the muffins. They were scrumptous.

Kaede then wandered around Karda Nui along with the Leech she nursed back to health. She had named it "Mr. Wiggles".

Unfortunately, Kaede was then caught in the energy storm that filled Karda Nui when the Toa Ignika sacrificed himself to wake Mata Nui. It was at this point Infernum managed to snatch her away to someplace a little bit less deadly.

Severely damaged by the storm, Kaede was given a choice. Die of her wounds, or become a Toa and take part in the Great Deathmatch.

That was a no-brainer. Kaede become the only person in history to voluntarily become a Toa of Shadow. She was also the only Toa of Shadow to not have any bloodthirsty intentions or any of that nasty stuff.

She, along with Mr. Wiggles, were than placed in stasis for nearly two decades.

Kaede's story, along with the rest of her team's, continues in the Madness Series.

 

Equipment

• Blackened protosteel crucifix: A huge, rather morbid, polearm. Really, there's nothing scarier than someone charging at you with a six-foot tall metal cross. Kaede uses her crucifix in a fashion similar to a scythe-wielder, focusing mainly on wide sweeps and slashes. The crucifix itself is made of a rare black variant of protosteel. An one-of-a-kind weapon.

• Kanohi Aeterna: The Kanohi Aeterna is the Great Mask of Desire. Considered highly immoral by other Toa as it is extremely deadly in the wrong hands. In some aspects, the Kanohi Aeterna can be on par with the Legendary Kanohi of Life, Time, and Creation. The powers of the Great Mask of Desire are simple. Upon death, the user's truest, most heartfelt desire is instantly granted. No buts, no ifs. That is, if the user was a nihlist, and wanted the world ground to a dust, then it would be so. Let's hope that Toa Kaede is not a nihlist. The Kanohi Aeterna will also give the occasionally "nudge" towards fulfilling the user's greatest desire. There is no way to control when these "nudges" occur.

• Mr. Wiggles: Kaede's pet Shadow Leech. Possibly the only docile Shadow Leech in all of Spherus Magna. Mr. Wiggles likes to hide underneath Kaede's armor, coming out only for food, a quick pat on the head, or to sleep. Mr. Wiggles feeds off of Kaede like a little parasite, and a cute one at that. Somehow, Kaede doesn't seem to be affected by this. Well, other than being a Toa of Shadow, that is. Normally, a Shadow Leech infection would cause an entire host of negative behaviourisms, but Kaede seems to actually enjoy Mr. Wiggles' company. It is unknown if Mr. Wiggles is a guy or girl. Mr. Wiggles enjoys eating light, strawberries, watermelon (much to Amea's dismay), all sorts of fish, and dried bits of jerky. Mr. Wiggles is potty-trained.

• The Tragedy Chronicle: See this page for more info.

 

Personality

Kaede... is a massive idiot.

She actually is. She's even been forced to attend a class in Haven's schools to improve her counting abilities.

This Toa of Shadows is inherently clumsy, often making silly mistakes and stumbling around. Though she has the outward air of a simpleton, deep down, beneath all of Kaede's foolishness, lies a huge heart. She's extremely carefree and forgiving, nearly to the point of ignorance, though not quite there. Kaede rarely takes her head out of the clouds and shows her serious side, but she will do so without a moment's hesitiation to protect her friends. Of course, such as naive attitude has landed Kaede in some tight situations.