Bionicle Trilogy/Settings

Mata Nui
The main home of the Matoran and the sole setting of The Tales of the Toa, Mata Nui, named after the Great Spirit, is a large tropical island located on the surface of the planet of the Endless Ocean. When Mata Nui fell into a coma due to Makuta, the island was created as a last-resort place for the Matoran to be safe from the evils of Makuta. Following the Great Cataclysm, the Toa Metru landed on the shore of the island, which they named in honour of the Great Spirit. They scouted out the land to find areas where they could build villages for the Matoran of Metru Nui to live, and named several landmarks. When the Matoran were awakened on Mata Nui followed the Great Rescue, they constructed the six Koros from the pieces of the Airships in the designated spots on Mata Nui, under the direction of the Toa Metru, who had become Turaga.

For one thousand years afterwards, the island was plagued by attacks from Rahi controlled by Makuta and his Infected Kanohi. Once the Toa Mata arrived, they put an end to the attacks by confronting and defeating Makuta, only for him to manage to release the Bohrok, with the island being ravaged by their attempts to level it of everything. However, after the defeat of the Bahrag, the Bohrok were reprogrammed and made to begin rebuilding the island. When Takua found the Avohkii, the island was once again badly damaged by the Rahkshi while they were searching for it. After Takanuva defeated Teridax and rediscovered Metru Nui, the Matoran constructed a system to allow them to work on repairs to both Mata Nui and Metru Nui while continuing to live on Mata Nui.

Ta-Wahi
The volcanic region of Fire located at the east of the island, Ta-Wahi is the home of the Ta-Matoran. Directly connected to the Mangaia Volcano at the centre of the island, magma floods from the volcano form a continuous river of molten lava that eventually empties out into the sea. The region has a very hot climate, and is filled with reddish deserts and forests of trees that grow already charred.

Ta-Koro
The castle-like village of the Ta-Matoran, built from stone, cooled lava, and parts from the destroyed Airship used to transport the Ta-Matoran from Metru Nui to Mata Nui. Located in the middle of the Lake of Fire in the shadow of the Mangai Volcano, the exterior of Ta-Koro was designed like a fortress so that its people could better defend themselves, featuring high, fortified walls and a retractable stone bridge connecting to the rest of Ta-Wahi - in the event of an attack, this bridge can be lowered into the surrounding lava with a lever's pull. There is also a emergency cave system to Le-Wahi and a cable car system used to transport Ta-Matoran and others across the region. The village also houses the Wall of History, one of the six sacred walls across the island, which chronicles the history of the Matoran and their hopes for the future.

When the Toa Metru first came to the island, Vakama personally chose Ta-Koro's location with defence in mind. After the Toa returned with the rescued Matoran, Vakama, now a Turaga, led the construction of Ta-Koro using Airship parts, melted-down Matoran Spheres, and cooled lava. He also influenced the design of the individual huts of the Matoran, the majority of which were built into the walls of Ta-Koro. These homes were designed after the Matoran homes of Ta-Metru, albeit less luxurious and with a emphasis upon survival and utility, featuring similar desks, carvings of Kanohi, and hammocks. Each Ta-Matoran possesses his own personal touch to each hut, such as specific Kanohi carvings, candles, tool racks and paintings. Jaller and Takua shared a hut which has a miniature model of Ta-Wahi in its centre, which Jaller used to make plans for the Ta-Koro Guard. During both the Bohrok-Kal strikes and Rahkshi rampages, Ta-Koro was damaged both times, especially during the latter. Following the Bohrok-Kal's defeat, the village was upgraded, with the huts changed into individual towers for each Matoran, providing them with more living space and a higher vantage point for defensive purposes.

Ta-Kini
The temple of Fire,

Ga-Wahi
The partially aquatic region of Water located at the southeast of the island, Ga-Wahi is the home of the Ga-Matoran. While most of what is considered part of Ga-Wahi is underwater, there are also grasslands, cliffs and beaches covering it, directly connected to Naho Falls. Due to its mixture of aquatic and terrestrial area, Ga-Wahi's landscape is very diverse, and is filled with various organic and biomechanical Rahi.

Ga-Koro
The floating village of the Ga-Matoran, built atop gigantic lilypads and plants and constructed from bamboo, durable sea plants and parts from the destroyed Airship used to transport the Ga-Matoran from Metru Nui to Mata Nui. Located off the coast of Naho Bay, Ga-Koro is located off the land for isolation and protective purposes, surrounded by whirlpools and strong currents that deter most hostile Rahi. The village is loosely connected to the mainland via a retractable stone bridge, which was destroyed by the Bohrok but later rebuilt, and which connects to a foyer pad that then leads north to the village square. The village square features eight paths, which lead to various streets of huts, the underwater gardens, and several shipyards. The village also houses the Wall of Stars, one of the six sacred walls across the island, which is used by the Ga-Matoran to divine the stars.

When the Toa Metru first arrived on Mata Nui, they arrived where Ga-Koro would later be built, and Nokama chose the landing site as the site of the new village. After the Toa returned with the rescued Matoran, Nokama, now a Turaga, led the construction of Ga-Koro using Airship parts, melted-down Matoran Spheres, and various sea plants. She also influenced the designs of the huts of the Matoran, basing their layout upon the Ga-Metru homes. These huts have similarly placed beds, water purification machines similar to the computers used in Metru Nui, and lighting systems made via vials containing small glowing fishes, although these homes are based upon survival rather than comfort. Each hut also contains a Ga-Matoran's personal touch to her home and a hatch that allows the user quick access to the nearest Underwater Garden. During the Bohrok invasion and the Bohrok-Kal attacks, Ga-Koro was damaged both times, and following the defeat of the Bohrok-Kal, the village was upgraded, with the huts becoming multi-tiered and larger.

Ga-Kini
The temple of water,

Le-Wahi
The forested region of Air located at the south of the island, Le-Wahi is the home of the Le-Matoran. Consisting mainly of marshes, clearings and flora, the region is covered with lush forests and gigantic vegetation, with trees that reach incredible heights and beautiful plantlife unseen anywhere else on the island, as well as several islets located off the coast of the island. It is also home to all sorts of Rahi, from birds to large quadrupeds.

Le-Koro
The treetop village of the Le-Matoran, built in the canopy of Le-Wahi and constructed from wood, bamboo, and parts from the destroyed Airship used to transport the Le-Matoran from Metru Nui to Mata Nui. Located atop the highest trees in the region, Le-Koro was built inside the treetops for protection against dangerous Rahi and other threats, with the houses being designed similar to dangling beehives and camouflaged to appear as regular jungle vegetation. At the very top of the canopy, accessed through elevators hidden in the highest trees, is the village centre, made of wood on a straight platform, with ladders connecting to the streets of huts, the racing tracks, the various warehouses used to store objects, and the vine transport systems.

When the Toa Metru selected the locations of the villages, Matau, after witnessing the various Rahi around the island, selected the treetops as the location of the future village, using some parts from the transport vessel to build a basic foundation and cutting down several large trees to level with the foundation. After the Toa returned with the rescued Matoran, Matau, now a Turaga, led the construction of Le-Koro using Airship parts, melted-down Matoran Spheres, and tree bark. He designed the huts of Le-Koro after the apartments of Le-Metru, with similar placements of maps, musical instrument racks, and sculptures. Each hut also contains personal touches for each Le-Matoran and emergency escape routes into the lower canopy of Le-Wahi. During the Bohrok invasion and the Bohrok-Kal attacks, Le-Koro was damaged both times, and following the defeat of the Bohrok-Kal, the village was upgraded, with the huts now possessing multiple tiers down into the upper canopy of Le-Wahi, and new elevators installed into trees.

Le-Kini
The temple of air,

Ko-Wahi
The frozen region of Ice located at the west of the island, Ko-Wahi is the home of the Ko-Matoran. A chilling expanse of snowfields, glaciers and icy rivers, the region is under near-constant snowfall, with little plantlife and only the strongest Rahi species able to survive there. Despite this, there are small forests of trees that are naturally made of ice, and a desert-like field that is immune to the cold.

Ko-Koro
The frozen village of the Ko-Matoran, built atop Mount Ihu and built from wood, stone and parts from the destroyed Airship used to transport the Ko-Matoran from Metru Nui to Mata Nui. Built upon a glacier and surrounded by huge crevices, Ko-Koro's setting was built for the purposes of isolation and protection, connected to the mainland by a bridge that in times of danger can be retracted. The village has a single massive gate, guarded at all times by the Sanctum Guard, with the only other way to the village being a hidden tunnel network that connects the Drifts to Ko-Koro. The huts in the village are either built of wood and stone on the ground or carved into the walls of the glacier from hardened ice and stone.

When the Toa Metru first scouted the island of Mata Nui to built the future villages of the Matoran, Nuju climbed atop Mount Ihu, which he named in honour of his deceased mentor, and chose the mountain range to be the site of Ko-Koro. After the Toa returned with the rescued Matoran, Nuju, now a Turaga, led the construction of Ko-Koro using Airship parts, melted-down Matoran Spheres, and various rocks and wood. The huts of Ko-Koro were based on the apartments of Ko-Metru, with similar ice-based walls, basins used for chemistry experiments, and star maps placed in a similar way to the wall-mounted computers of Ko-Metru. Each Ko-Matoran gave a personal touch to his home, such as specially placed wind chimes and tables. During the Bohrok invasion and the Bohrok-Kal attacks, Ko-Koro was damaged both times, and following the defeat of the Bohrok-Kal, the village was upgraded, with the homes now being multi-tiered and larger.

Ko-Kini
The temple of ice,

Onu-Wahi
The cavernous region of Earth located at the northwest of the island, Onu-Wahi is the home of the Onu-Matoran. Primarily underground and filled with immense cavern systems, the region is connected to almost every other location via the tunnels that spread across the island, with the majority of flora and fauna being adapted to low-light locations. The relatively small aboveground area of Onu-Wahi primarily consists of sharp obsidian fields, spotted with ravines and riffs.

Onu-Koro
The underground village of the Onu-Matoran, built inside a massive cavern and built from hardened earth, stone and parts from the destroyed Airship used to transport the Onu-Matoran from Metru Nui to Mata Nui. Located underground to accommodate with the Onu-Matoran's sensitivity to bright light and night vision, Onu-Koro is connected to the other five regions of the island and to the nearby Papu Nihu Reef via a series of intricate tunnels. Many of these serve as highways, allowing traders from other villages to sell their wares at Onu-Koro's famous bazaar, which led to the earth village becoming a major centre of commerce on Mata Nui. Other tunnels connect to massive mines extending deep into the earth, which are abundant with valuable resources like metal ore, Protodermis and the Lightstones that illuminated the Onu-Matoran's subterranean home. The homes in the village are built from hardened earth and stone into the walls, floor and ceiling of the main cavern, each possessing Lightstones for illumination.

When the Toa Metru first arrived on Mata Nui seeking a new home for the Matoran, Whenua stumbled upon the main cavern where Onu-Koro would be built and chose it as the site of the new village. After the Toa returned with the rescued Matoran, Whenua, now a Turaga, led the construction of Onu-Koro using Airship parts, melted-down Matoran Spheres, and various stones and blocks of hardened earth. Under his influence, the homes of Onu-Koro were built similar to the cave homes in Onu-Metru, with similar tables, filing cabinets, and storage units similar to the display cases of the Onu-Metru homes. Each Onu-Matoran also added his personal touch to his home, with specific carvings on the doors and gemstones mounted on the walls or on display. During both the Bohrok invasion and Rahkshi rampages, Onu-Koro was damaged both times, especially during the latter. Following the Bohrok-Kal's defeat, the village was upgraded, with the homes extended to possess multiple rooms dug into the earth and emergency chutes that lead to the surface or to emergency hiding places within the tunnels.

Onu-Kini
The temple of earth,

Po-Wahi
The arid region of stone located at the northeast of the island, Po-Wahi is the home of the Po-Matoran. A large, rocky expanse consisting primarily of desert, canyons and beaches, it is covered with immense cliffs, craters and other natural landforms. Most flora in the region is adapted to grow in sand rather than soil, and Rahi tend to be adapted to camouflage themselves among the rocks.

Po-Koro
The desert village of the Po-Matoran, built around the sands and rock formations of the Motara Desert and built from stone and parts from the destroyed Airship used to transport the Po-Matoran from Metru Nui to Mata Nui. Located in a position where the shade of the mountains would partially cover the village while also providing multiple paths in and out of the village, Po-Koro possesses specially designed roads that lead to and from the village bazaar, with the main gate to the village being flanked on either side by six large statues of maskless Matoran heads. Behind the high walls of the village, the Po-Matoran live in domed houses made of stone, all of which are connected to the bazaar and to the Kolhii fields located in the back of the village, which are seldom unused by the athletic Matoran.

When the Toa Metru searched Mata Nui in search of a new home for the Matoran, Onewa, while wandering Po-Wahi, found the shade provided by the mountains pleasant and decided to build the village there, creating a crude village centre using his own powers. After the Toa returned with the rescued Matoran, Onewa, now a Turaga, led the construction of Po-Koro using Airship parts, melted-down Matoran Spheres, and boulders and rocks found around the premises. He also designed the huts of Po-Koro similar to the homes of Po-Metru, with similar work tables, pedestals for placing statues, and various pots similar to the blocks of unsculpted stone in the Po-Metru huts. Each Po-Matoran provided personal touches to his home, such as Kolhii trophies and carved plaques. During the Bohrok invasion, almost all of Po-Koro was destroyed, with the Matoran evacuated to Ga-Koro until the defeat of the Bohrok, with the attempt at rebuilding the village being halted by the Bohrok-Kal strikes. Following the Bohrok-Kal's defeat, the village was rebuilt larger and stronger than before, with the huts replaced by towers to provide both more living space and facilities to the Po-Matoran, as well as granting them a higher vantage point for spotting oncoming threats.

Po-Kini
The temple of stone,

Kini-Nui
The most sacred place on the island of Mata Nui, Kini-Nui is a massive city-like temple located in a valley at the centre of the island, typically only accessed through special routes. It is used as a meeting point for the Turaga and a place of worship and hope for the Matoran. Ironically, the sacred grounds of Kini-Nui were located directly above Makuta's lair, Mangaia. The Kini-Nui was discovered by the Toa Metru when they first arrived on Mata Nui and was decided to be used as the replacement for the Great Temple.

Metru Nui
The original home of the Matoran and the main setting of City of Legends, Metru Nui is a massive metropolitan city located within a dome. Receiving light from two mysterious "suns" and possessing a grey sky with stars that are said to be reflections of Mata Nui's thoughts, Metru Nui was for the longest time the centre of trade and commerce among the universe. Said to have been built by the Great Beings who provided the foundations of the city, it was home to thousands of Matoran, multiple Turaga, several teams of Toa and Dark Hunters, and millions of Rahi. Centuries ago, when the Kanohi Dragon arrived and began terrorising the city, a team of Toa known as the Toa Mangaia arrived and defeated it before settling as guardians of the city.

The Coliseum
Located at the centre of Metru Nui, the Coliseum is a massive building that towers over all of the six districts of the city. Stated to be the first building of Metru Nui built, it was Turaga Dume's residence and where he controlled the technology of the city, as well as a power plant that supplied most of the power to Metru Nui and a storage facility for items critical to the city. The arena around it, mainly used as the site of the tri-monthly Alkini tournaments, contains enough seating for every single Matoran in Metru Nui, and was used by Dume to make major announcements, overlooking the arena in a specially made box that could be raised or lowered by his will. The arena floor was made up of hundreds of Protodermis columns which could be raised or lowered at will, producing "waves" for the players to ride. A complex system of retractable Chutes was also stationed in the arena, and would be extended or retracted randomly for the players to go through. When not involved in Alkini tournaments, the Vahki would also train here.

During Makuta's impersonation of Turaga Dume, he installed a sundial in the throne room and began storing Matoran Spheres in the basement, first testing the devices on Jaller, the only Matoran who learnt the truth about the false Turaga. Later, the Toa Metru attempted to present themselves to the city, only for Makuta to use the arena's manipulative fields to humiliate them before capturing Onewa, Whenua and Nuju, although Vakama, Nokama and Matau were able to escape. During Makuta's successful incapacitation of Mata Nui, he had the Vahki order all Matoran to the Coliseum and force them into the Matoran Spheres. The Toa Metru managed to save seven spheres containing Jaller, Hahli, Kongu, Hewkii, Ahkmou, Kopeke and Nuparu, although Ahkmou's sphere was lost after their transport was attacked by Makuta and the Po-Matoran was ultimately saved by Makuta himself. Makuta then drained the energy from the Coliseum's power plant to restore his energy, in the process emitting a energy pulse feedback that destroyed much of Metru Nui.

Later, during the Visorak occupation of Metru Nui, the Coliseum was used as the main base of operation for the horde, as well as Roodaka and Sidorak's residence. It was modified for defence, with new gates and Rhotuka launchers mounted into the walls. The Coliseum also became covered in webbing that connected to every other district of the city, the webs being so thick that Sidorak and Roodaka were able to walk across it and use the Destral Cycle to quickly transport themselves across the city. The Toa Metru were mutated into the Toa Hordika here, and later, Vakama, giving into his Hordika side, brought five of the captured Rahaga here to present to Sidorak. During the final battle for Metru Nui, the Toa Hordika, after redeeming Vakama, were able to defeat the Visorak horde with the aid of the Rahagah, Keetongu and the true Turaga Dume. Following the departure of the Toa Metru to Mata Nui, Dume, Keetongu and the Rahagah lived in the Coliseum for a millennium, slowly repairing Metru Nui. Following Makuta's defeat by Takanuva, the Matoran rediscovered Metru Nui and began working to repair the Coliseum, although they continued to live on the island of Mata Nui.

Ta-Metru
The industrial region of Fire located to the east of the city, Ta-Metru is a primarily desert area with a single volcano of molten raw Protodermis in its centre, covered with hundred of volcano-shaped factories and forges. Ta-Metru's main industry was forging and smelting, and, thus, most of the tools in the city were made from Ta-Metru. Of its main exports, Ta-Metru was famous for the Kanohi created there, worn by almost all the Matoran citizens of Metru Nui. To create Kanohi, mask forgers took a combination of Kanoka Disks and melted them together. As Ta-Metru primarily worked with molten Protodermis, large vats of it were transported throughout the Metru via cable cords.

When Mata Nui was struck down by Makuta, the resulting earthquake and energy pulse from Makuta's absorption of the Coliseum's power plant's energy caused many vats of molten Protodermis to be tipped over or knocked off their transport lines, melting many buildings and destroying much of Ta-Metru. The district sustained further damage and was covered with webbing during the Visorak occupation of the city, and Roodaka used the sight of the ruined Ta-Metru to help crush Vakama's spirit while he was in her captivity. A millennium later, after the rediscovery of Metru Nui, the Ta-Matoran began slowly working on repairing Ta-Metru, although they continued to live in their village of Ta-Koro.

Ga-Metru
The spiritual region of Water located at the northeast of the city, Ga-Metru is a forest and marshland area with waterfalls, rivers and lakes of pure liquid Protodermis travelling up and down the mountains that the temples and spires of the Ga-Matoran are built around. The main spiritual and educational centre of the city, the district was home to many schools and universities, as well as laboratories that worked on purifying and finding better uses for Protodermis, often working alongside Ko-Metru in this field.

The Great Temple
The most sacred place in Metru Nui, the Great Temple is the spiritual centre of the city, located on a miniature island off the coast of Ga-Metru. Stated to be the second building in Metru Nui constructed after the Coliseum, the Great Temple was a popular tourist destination for Matoran, used as a haven for those who were troubled and a symbol of hope for all citizens. Toa Stones were also stored here, and after Toa Lhikan stole the six stones, the Vahki, believing it to have been a robbery, blocked off the Great Temple.

Tower of Toa
The main headquarters of the Toa Hordika and Rahagah, the Tower of Toa was one of several massive towers constructed by the Visorak during their occupation of Metru Nui. Armed with turrets and catapults, the Tower of Toa was used by the Visorak to store various airship scraps they had found, and as such Matau and Iruini raided the tower to complete Matau's airship for the Le-Matoran. When Whenua and Bomonga were captured outside, the duo arrived to help, soon being joined by the other Toa Hordika and Rahagah, Turaga Dume, Matoro, Krahka and the Tahtorak as they fought the Visorak, Sidorak and the Zivon. Eventually, they were able to defeat the Visorak and Zivon and claim what remained of the tower, which they then modified to be used as a place for the group to fall back and a place to store whatever they found, such as airship parts. During the rest of the Toa Hordika's acts, Matoro spent most of his time within the safety of the tower.

The Tower of Toa is roughly the same size as the Moto-Hub, possessing enough space to hide all six airships that the Toa Hordika built, and also possesses a living quarters that Matoro used. It is equipped with multiple turrets, cannons, catapults, and spikes in-built into the walls.