Saga Guides/History of Metru Nui
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The beginning of the history of Metru Nui could be considered the beginning of the recorded history of the Matoran race, and marks the shift from ancient myth and legend to a reliable and chronological account of events.
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The League of the Six Kingdoms
Almost ninety-five millennia before the present time, the Great Spirit Mata Nui saw fit to create six new species of intelligent life, each with their own unique traits and abilities. And from amongst these newly formed races he eventually chose six individual beings to lead and rule, and whose task it was to keep and uphold peace and order throughout the Matoran Universe. These new leaders, named Pridak, Kalmah, Mantax, Ehlek, Carapar, and Takadox, gathered together six great armies and began a massive military campaign, conquering all before them, that would eventually form an empire spanning most of the known universe. They were called the Barraki, meaning "warlords" in the Matoran Language.
The campaign of the Barraki lasted for nearly a thousand years, and after that the six Barraki formed an alliance with one another called The League of Six Kingdoms. Led overall by Pridak, this league lasted for more than fourteen millennia before it was dissolved. Unfortunately, as the Barraki exercised their power as some of the most prominent political and military figures in the universe, it became apparent that the methods they used to accomplish their goals were far from peaceful, and arose instead from a desire for the acquisition of wealth, tyrannical domination, and, yet more sinister, the overthrow of the Great Spirit himself. Their power ultimately corrupted them.
So it was that the supremacy and rule of the Barraki turned from the preservation of order to the domination of life. The Warlords spread their control across the universe, seizing all within their grasp, and ruling with cruel, iron fists. During this time, approximately the mid-point of the reign of the Warlords, the rulers of Metru Nui forged a trade agreement with the Barraki in exchange for sovereignty and freedom from the direct rule of the League.
This totalitarian state of affairs continued for another seven millennia, until the organization called the Brotherhood of Makuta, under the leadership of the Makuta Miserix, took matters into its own hands. The Brotherhood had cooperated with the League since its formation by Pridak, supplying Rahi to the kingdoms of the Barraki, but now the Warlords had gone too far. The limitless armies of the Brotherhood poured from their strongholds. Accompanied by the forces of the Toa and led by the powerful Makuta Teridax, the might of the Brotherhood overwhelmed the Barraki in a final surprise attack. Their armies defeated and driven away, the six Warlords were brought bound before Teridax. It was at this moment that the Barraki, pleading for their lives, revealed to the Makuta their ultimate desire to overthrow the Great Spirit. Teridax rejected their treasonous offers, and sentenced them to execution for their crimes against Mata Nui. But before this could take place, a strange being calling himself Botar appeared suddenly before the Makuta, wrapped the Barraki in bonds of energy, and vanished, taking the defeated Warlords with him to serve an unknown, eternal punishment. Teridax only later discovered the nature of this mysterious being: a member of the Order of Mata Nui, the secret servants of the Great Spirit's will. Botar had taken the Barraki to serve an eternal sentence in The Pit, a prison to hold those judged unredeemable. Thus the Barraki faded from history, for a time. And although they were now forgotten, their ideas remained in the mind of Teridax, the first seeds of what was to one day become the darkest and most destructive plot in the history of BIONICLE.
The Great Disruption
A time of subdued chaos followed these momentous events. With the fall of the League of Six Kingdoms, one of the most powerful and influential forces in the universe, a vacuum of leadership was created. Strife, malcontent, and disorder spread across the lands, reaching into the very heart of Matoran civilization: Metru Nui itself. Thus, five hundred years after the defeat of the Barraki, the period known as the Great Disruption began. Heralded by the Matoran Civil War, the Great Disruption marked a dark time for the universe. The Matoran ceased their labors in Metru Nui, the city descended into violence, and the Great Spirit Mata Nui was greatly weakened. For four hundred years this war raged, until, once again, the Brotherhood of Makuta intervened to remedy the situation. The forces of the Brotherhood--led yet again by the Makuta Teridax--quickly subdued the opposing sides in a violent conflict called the Archives Massacre, and captured the Matoran War Leaders, who then secretly vanished: sent away to the depths of the Pit for all eternity. The bloody methods employed by the Makuta, lacking any thought for the preservation of life, sparked enduring distrust between the Matoran and the Brotherhood.
Unfortunately, the consequences of the Great Disruption were far more widespread than anyone realized: the Great Spirit had been so greatly weakened by the events of the Civil War that he now neared death. So it was that a Toa of Magnetism called Jovan was charged with leading a group of his fellow Toa to the heart of the Southern Continent, to the raging volcano called Mount Valmai. Beneath the fiery mountain, Jovan and his team discovered a maze of passageways filled with a host of trials, and were tested time and again by the guardians of the mountain's secret. They proved themselves worthy, and at last came to the Chamber of Life, in which waited the Kanohi Ignika, the Mask of Life. Placed there by the Great Beings long ages ago, the Ignika had waited for one destined to take and use it, and its bearer had come. The group of Toa took the Ignika from its chamber--those who were not destined to bear the mask suffering the consequences of touching it--and traveled even farther down beneath the surface of the Continent, eventually arriving in Karda Nui: the Core of the Universe. The Toa who was destined to wear the Ignika did so, fearfully and with regret in his heart, and was consumed by the energies of the Mask. His life energy was channeled through the mask and was used to replenish the life of the dying Great Spirit. The death of their fellow Toa and the fearful power of the Ignika shocked and terrified the remaining members of the group, who hurriedly returned the mask to its chamber and left in fear and awe. Only Jovan chose to stay. Giving up his power for the greater good and becoming a Turaga, he settled amongst the Matoran who lived near Mount Valmai -- his destiny fulfilled and the utter destruction of the universe averted.
Time Slip
Millenia later, the Order of Mata Nui hid several Av-Matoran all across the Matoran Universe. It was during this time that Takua was placed in Metru Nui, disguised as a Ta-Matoran. Mata Nui himself then erased the memories of the approximate six month period that it took the Order of Mata Nui to complete this task.
Turaga Dume
Over forty millennia passed uneventfully on Metru Nui, until a lone Turaga named Dume was named leader of the City of Legends. An experienced elder who had served as a Toa for more than two thousand years, Dume ruled Metru Nui justly and wisely.
Under the leadership of Turaga Dume, Metru Nui became a center of innovation and invention. The Archives of Onu-Metru, a massive museum and catalogue of all known species and objects in the universe, were expanded and improved. New technologies, such as the Kanoka disks, were invented, along with improved methods for forging Kanohi. Security and peace were maintained with the invention of robotic order enforcement squads. The Matoran Nuparu was responsible for designing these police forces, first inventing the Kralhi, who were later replaced by the more efficient Vahki.
The Attack of the Kanohi Dragon
The Dark Hunters, led by the mysterious being called The Shadowed One and formed more than three thousand years prior, had grown in power and influence. Acting as mercenaries, thieves, and assassins, the Hunters were driven by their own greed, ambition, and thirst for power. And thus the thoughts of The Shadowed One were bent upon Metru Nui, the city of wealth and the seat of Matoran civilization. With this goal in mind, the first of the Dark Hunters' many attempts to rule the City of Legends came about. Three Hunters, Reidak, Vezok, and Avak, were sent to free a monstrous creature, known only as the Kanohi Dragon, from a prison of ice far beneath the waters of the Silver Sea. Trapped there long ago after it had attacked the City of Legends for the first time, the beast had remained dormant for countless millennia.
But now, awakened from its ageless slumber, the enraged Dragon emerged from the depths in a blast of heat and flame. And sensing the energy radiating from the power sources of Metru Nui, it swam secretly toward the city, eventually burrowing its way up through the underground Archives. Wreathed in fire and smoke, the Kanohi Dragon emerged onto the surface in an explosion of flame and destruction to renew its long-delayed attack upon the city, wreaking havoc amongst the tall towers and buildings. Eventually the beast made its way into the Great Furnace of Ta-Metru, where it settled to rest and absorb the immense heat. Turaga Dume immediately sent out messages calling for help and summoned the Toa Mangai to confront the terrible monster. The Toa arrived just in time to save Turaga Dume from the three Dark Hunters, who where attempting to blackmail the Turaga into securing a base for them in the city. The Hunters escaped, leaving the Toa to confront the Kanohi Dragon alone.
And after a long and tiring battle, they succeeded. The four Toa of Ice froze the Kanohi Dragon in an immense block of ice, putting a final end to its destruction. The subdued dragon was taken to the island of Xia, where it was given to the Vortixx for imprisonment. The eleven Toa then decided to remain in the city to defend against the growing threat of the Dark Hunters.
Tuyet's Betrayal
During this time, nearly three thousand years before the creation of the Toa Inika, a rash of inexplicable Matoran murders occurred in Metru Nui. At this time, the Toa Lhikan, Nidhiki and Tuyet were the only Toa remaining in the city. All the victims were found with a tablet inscribed with the name Toa Tuyet. Tuyet, the Toa of Water, responded to Lhikan's investigation by revealing that the Dark Hunters were after her, believing that she possessed an artifact of great power - the Nui Stone. Tuyet denied having it, and also told Lhikan that they had blackmailed her into turning over the Nui Stone in a number of days or more Matoran would die. Each murder was a part of the countdown. The next day Lhikan and Nidhiki encountered and captured three Hunters. But despite their success, another Matoran was killed. Nidhiki realized that Tuyet was the murderer, and Lhikan immediately went to confront her. Tuyet then revealed that she did, in fact, possess the Nui Stone, and used its powers of Toa Energy absorption to enhance her elemental abilities. She attacked Lhikan, intending to use her powers to set herself up as sole ruler of Metru Nui. Fortunately, Nidhiki and Lhikan were able to defeat her and destroy the Stone. Tuyet was imprisoned, and, during her captivity, it is said that she was visited by the being called Botar, for she vanished from history--sent to a more eternal imprisonment in the Pit.
One day, many strange sea creatures suddenly arrived on Metru Nui. The Vahki led them to a cave below the Archives, where they were studied in secret by the archivists Whenua, Onepu, and Mavrah. But the sea creatures grew restless, and damaged much of the Archives. Turaga Dume ordered them to be driven away, but the creatures fled the city, led by Mavrah, who had a great passion for the creatures.
The Toa-Dark Hunter War
After that, The Shadowed One, ruler of the Dark Hunters, wished to establish a base for his mercenary organization in Metru Nui. But, Dume refused, knowing that the Dark Hunters were a sinister group.
This refusal led to a great war between the Toa and the Dark hunters, with Toa Lhikan leading the forces of the Toa. The war was fought valiantly with many Toa giving their lives for Metru Nui. But eventually the overwhelming numbers of the Dark Hunters wore against them. During this volatile time, a Dark Huntress named Lariska convinced Toa Nidhiki to betray his brothers and join the Dark Hunters. Nidhiki eventually gave in and struck a deal with Lariska, thinking he would soon be able to rule the city he had once protected. The traitorous Nidhiki now brought word to the remaining Toa that the Dark Hunters had established a base in a canyon in the region of Po-Metru. One quick, hard strike, he said, and the war would be over. Led by Lhikan, the Toa entered this canyon, only to have the Dark Hunters ambush them. Fortunately, Lhikan had learned of Nidhiki's betrayal by now and at his signal, hundreds of Toa rose from the tops of the canyon walls, surrounding the Dark Hunters. Lhikan honorably let his enemies go, on the terms that they never return to Metru Nui and also that they take Nidhiki with them. As a Dark Hunter, Nidhiki trained Dark Hunters on the Dark Hunter's island base. It was here that he met Krekka, a great hulking brutish Hunter. The Shadowed One soon partnered Krekka with Nidhiki, confident that Krekka would follow The Shadowed One's commands, whereas Nidhiki might betray him just as he had betrayed the Toa.
This partnership continued for a long while, both Hunters tolerating each other's company, until one day a stranger named Roodaka appeared on the Dark Hunter's island, seeking training from the Hunters. Nidhiki approached her, offering his talent in exchange for her help in freeing himself from the Hunters' grasp, for he had become weary of his life in the organization. Roodaka, being a dishonest and traitorous being, secretly used the report of Nidhiki's discontent to buy her training from The Shadowed One. But the leader of the Dark Hunters demanded more, telling her that Nidhiki had to be stripped of his dreams as a "Toa" once and for all. Roodaka then used her Rhotuka abilities on Nidhiki, mutating him into a hideous four-legged creature, bereft of his elemental powers and with no choice but to submit to the Dark Hunters' will.
Corruption of the Makuta
In the time that the Brotherhood of Makuta were still to be a noble and honest organization, the six Toa Hagah lived as guardians of the Makuta Teridax. They soon learned that the Brotherhood in fact planned to enslave the Matoran and gain control of the Matoran Universe. The six Toa confronted Teridax and succeeded in defeating him, severely weakening the Makuta. At this time, Iruini left the Toa Hagah, believing that they spent too much time combating large enemies instead of the smaller ones that plagued the Matoran. Soon after his departure, four of the five Toa were taken by Roodaka, with Norik barely eluding capture. He sought out Iruini, and together the two set out to liberate their fellow Toa Hagah and steal the Kanohi Avohkii from the Brotherhood. Arriving in Destral, they fought through to its fortress, where they discovered their teammates mutated into "Rahaga" by Roodaka. Roodaka then appeared and mutated the remaining Toa into Rahaga as well, but managed to steal the Avohkii from the fortress and flee to Metru Nui.
Soon after, Teridax struck Mata Nui, infecting him with a virus that would eventually render the Great Spirit comatose.
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| BIONICLE Prehistory: Matoran Prehistory | History of Metru Nui
Metru Nui: The Many Deaths of Toa Tuyet | Birth of a Dark Hunter | Legends of Metru Nui | The Great Rescue Mata Nui: The Dark Time | Coming of the Toa | The Bohrok War | The Bohrok-Kal Saga | The Mask of Light Quest for the Ignika: Voya Nui | Mahri Nui | Dreams of Destruction | Into the Darkness Quest to Reawaken Mata Nui: Brothers In Arms | Toa Nuva Blog | The Mutran Chronicles | The Kingdom | Dark Mirror | Federation of Fear | Destiny War | Dwellers In Darkness | Karda Nui | Takanuva's Blog Teridax's Reign: Reign of Shadows The Arena: Bara Magna Official Fan Story Winners: Protection | The Dweller Report | Tentacles | Hope |
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