Root

Variation
 Level
 Gender
 Makuta
 Gear

Root was a quixotic and bookish Rahkshi of Plant Control.

## Appearance

Root has picked up the habit of keeping various plant samples in odd places, including all around his room and inside his armor. As such, his spines, which are plain in design, are overgrown with vines, and mosses and roots cover the rest of his armor. It forms a rough shield that wouldn't be able to withstand much and gives him easy access to a variety of tools. Beneath his odd coat, his armor is dark green and brown, though much of it is rusting away.

## Personality

Root strives to be the perfect example of a hero, the definition of which was taken from the many novels he has poured over in the Library. He has a passage memorized for nearly every situation detailing exactly what a hero would do, though at times this means his viewpoint can be a little extreme. He maintains a fierce code of ethics including such rules such as protect fair maidens and books, though he is not above killing if he sees no other way.

Though his courage is great, his social skills are a little underdeveloped, and his archaic, flowery words are in sharp contrast to his constant stutter.

## Skills and Abilities

As a Rahkshi of Plant Control, Root possessed the ability to grow plants by touching them. His suit, which was covered by plants, served as his "arsenal" whenever he was in need. His room contains replacements for any plants he loses, and is just as overgrown as his suit. Though Root spent much of his time reading (and had a near photographic memory of all he's read for future reference), his skills in combat were well-developed for when he needed them.

## Relationships

Shield had always been Root's sidekick, standing by his side through thick and thin, and grieving at his loss. The pair had known many villains during their travels, including Torch, Deadeye, and Kat.

Melody had served as Root's "damsel in distress" for a time, though she needed little rescuing.

## Bio

### Pre-Corpus

Root was never fond of the other Rahkshi, mostly because they made fun of his messy habits, and tended to find solace in books. The first few weeks of his existence were spent finding all he could about plants to be able to use his powers most effectively. Shortly afterwards, he read his first epic, the story of a Toa who lost his entire team to Zyglak, and his later adventures. Root has been looking over adventures like that ever since, resolving to try to be as heroic as that.

### Torch and Deadeye

Though he participated in the third assignment, the first notable incident of Root's involvement in the school was his unyielding opinion that Torch should be put to death for burning a few books. Exxan had put the pyro on trial, but fortunately decided on less drastic means, and Root remained silent, entranced by the beauty of Melody. His view on the trial shifted to make Torch out to be a great villain with Melody, his new "parole officer," as his "damsel in distress," though he lacked the opportunity to begin a confrontation.

Instead, he met with Deadeye, who decided to have a little fun with the heroic Rahkshi and play the villain. Root managed to barely defeat him, leaving him tied up in the Library. Afterward, he turned to the Gym, realizing he would need to practice before confronting Torch, where he fought Vlad. The Vorahk managed to defeat him using the special light-emitting dagger, and Root returned to his dorm to recover. Disappointed by the loss, Root trained in the Gym until the fourth assignment was announced. Root wandered through Malebranche unsuccessfully before returning to the school, where he helped Jayar find Sidonas to punish him for the thefts.

After the trial, a young and excitable Rahkshi named Shield approached him and begged for an opportunity to fight by his side. Root acknowledged the request and took his new companion through a trial of all that would be needed. They read in the Library, and sparred in the Gym, and then prepared to search for Torch and Melody for the final encounter. Instead, they found a tired and confused Vir who happened to look a little similar to their quarry.

Deciding to put off their search for a time, they returned to the Library, where they were confronted by Deadeye. Root still believed the Rahkshi to be reformed, but that was proved erroneous when he took Shield captive. Root was far too distracted by Lucid’s antics to notice, though he arrived in time to save his companion, and they defeated and bound Deadeye again.

### The Fifth Assignment and Death

They soon left for the fifth assignment and Root was delighted to discover Shield was on his team. The pair left on an intrepid adventure to scout the forest, and managed to stumble upon the Backstab base. Upon entering the lighthouse, they found the apparently alone Exxan and wandered straight into his ambush. Though Root succeeded in holding his foes off for a time, they overcame him and he and Shield were captured.

In an attempt to gain information, Kat wounded him but was unable to extract anything. Instead, she returned to Shield and declared she had killed his companion. Shield gave them all they asked for, only to be returned to Root, who was injured, but still living. The two planned their escape, but each attempt was met with failure. At last, the Backstab members left their base, and Root approached the door to offer his last sacrifice. His sapling brought down the door, but he was caught in the rubble. Though Punch attempted to bring him to safety, Root was too grievously injured, and he offered his last words to Shield before passing on into a hero’s death. His parting gift to his companion was a small plant called Shudderleaf, but its colors and appearance closely resembled that of a Kraata of Plant Control, and thus Root had always called it Hero’s Blade.