Xa-Kuta is the power of the Great Spirit Mata Nui, which he made available for the use of the people of the Matoran Universe. It is widely thought of and referred to as "magic" on Mata Nui.
Nature
The art of Xa-Kuta lies in the manipulation of the energies of Mata Nui. In order to become a practitioner, a being must give up his or her elemental powers, which are replaced by Xa-Kuta abilities. However, elemental energy is also required to use magic.
All Xa-Kuta spells seen so far must be activated by uttering a word of power; it is not clear whether the user must also concentrate, or whether all that is needed is the word.
Variants
Xa-Kuta is divided into four "colours":
Black
Black Magic focuses mostly on spells that deal direct damage to a target, although some strategic magic is included in this genus as well. There are very few, if any, protection spells, making the black mage very vulnerable to counterattacks, especially physically-dealt ones.
Black Mages must be weak physically, have little endurance in this area, and be unimposing in stature. They cannot have skill in any weapon other than staff-, pole-, or wand-like weapons. They cannot be skilled in hand-to-hand combat other than staff self-defense. Black Mages cannot control any element via magic, and can only use spells as basic, though more powerful, attacks. Beings who become mages give up their natural elemental abilities in order to use magic. These restrictions trump species' natural features and abilities. They gain natural resistance to energy / magical attacks, but are extremely vulnerable to physical attacks.
Spells are as follows:
Elemental Black Attack Spells
Toa can learn three of these spells, Turaga can learn two, and all other species one.
- Aero: Wind attack; shoots a blast of wind at opponent.
- Fire: Fire attack; shoots fireballs at opponent.
- Blizzard: Ice attack; shoots ice at opponent.
- Thunder: Sonic attack; shoots sonic blasts at opponent.
- Quake: Earth / stone attack; causes cracks in the ground or stone to shift against or hit opponent.
- Shock: Lightning attack; shoots lightning bolts at opponent.
- Flood: Water attack; shoots water-balls at opponent.
Other Black Attack Spells
All characters can learn one.
- Drain: Steals health / life from your opponent, replenishing yours. If under the influence long enough, target becomes comatose, eventually dying (death staff / player approval only). Can be area spell, but then drain effects take much longer on individuals. Elemental energy is untouched.
- Osmose: Steals elemental energy from opponent, replenishing the caster's magic reserves, leaving opponent powerless until he can recharge. Health / life is untouched.
- Bio: Poison attack that compounds over time, slowly destroying organic tissue, slowing subject, then hindering, crippling, and eventually killing opponent (death staff / player approval only). Time-delay spell with initial harming effects. If not healed will eventually cripple subject, leaving them almost immobile, until death; the length of time under spell is proportional to the amount of time needed to heal.
Strategic Black Spells
Toa can learn two, whereas all other species can only learn one.
- Blind: Flash-bang ability, temporarily blinding and stunning opponents with bright light and loud sound; caster is unaffected.
- Curse: Temporarily weakens opponent’s physical and elemental attacks, making them less effective.
- Temper: Temporarily increases caster’s physical attacks and speed, for a short while an effective melee combatant; effect covers caster in non-heat-producing magical flames.
- Hold: Can telekinetically paralyze/suspend one opponent, only eye movement unaffected. Caster has to be facing opponent and concentrate for duration of spell, unable to move, cast, or do anything himself other than talk. Caster however can spin in that spot, moving subject with him in circular direction.
- Meteor: Summons a meteor from space to slam into target after a small amount of time; Zealots only.
Red
Red Xa-Kuta is the most combat-oriented variant. The user keeps their physical abilities, but their elemental spells must be channelled through a special weapon, without which their power is almost useless. Not all Red Mages are aligned with evil. All elemental Red spells begin with the prefix "En-".
Elemental Red Spells
Toa can learn four elemental red spells, while all other species can learn two.
- Enaero – Shoots a blast of wind at opponent via weapon
- Enblizzard – Shoots ice at opponent via weapon/freezes on contact
- Enearth – Causes rifts in the ground to form/creates small fissures, uneven ground when weapon is slammed against it
- Enfire – Shoots fireballs at opponent via weapon/weapon bursts into non-consuming flames
- Enstone – Causes fingers of stone to shoot up from the ground where-ever weapon points
- Enthunder – Shoots lightning via weapon/electrocutes on touch
- Enwater – Shoots waterballs at opponent via weapon
Strategic Red Spells
Toa can learn two strategic red spells, while all other species can learn one; however, they cannot learn both Saber and Aura.
- Flare –Same as Blind, except against only one opponent
- Rasp – Magical EMP. Within short-range blast radius all creatures, including caster, lose all magical and elemental reserves until powers can be recharged. If Target(s) are not hit, no penalty is issued and caster may try again.
- Saber – Caster is protected from one direct hit of any physical attack (melee or elemental) no matter how strong the blow or if seen. Once hit, there is a several-second delay before spell runs out to prevent chain-hitting. Afterwards can be cast again.
- Aura – Caster is protected from one direct hit of any energy attack (elemental or magical) no matter how strong the blow or if seen. Once hit, there is a several-second delay before spell runs out to prevent chain-hitting. Afterwards can be cast again.
Blue
Not yet revealed
White
Not yet revealed
Notable Users
- Joske Nimil
- Caiaphas
- Kita
- Echelon
- Jan
- Hope
- Cipher
- Kynaera
Trivia
- A common misconception is that Xa-Kuta is the power of Makuta, and requires his grace
- Most, but not all mages are aligned with Xa-Koro
- All Priests of Makuta are Black Mages, but not all Black Mages are Priests