Metru Nui

Thousands of years before the Toa Nuva, the Matoran lived in the island city of Metru Nui, located in a sea of liquid protodermis far below Mata Nui's surface. The city was divided into six districts, or metru, one for each element. Metru Nui was protected by Vahki squads and led by Turaga Dume.

History

The construction of Metru Nui took place in the distant past. Since that time, there have been a few important events. The city was attacked by the Kanohi Dragon, a terrifying Rahi. A team of Toa, including the legendary Toa Lhikan, came to Metru Nui to drive it away. Some time later, the Dark Hunters wanted to use the city as a base. When Turaga Dume refused, they attacked. After several hundred Toa came to the city's defense, the Dark Hunters were forced to leave.

A thousand years before the time of the Toa Nuva, a new threat emerged. Giant vines called Morbuzakh appeared on the outskirts of the city, destroying buildings and sending Matoran fleeing. When Matoran tried to stop the Morbuzakh, they rarely returned. Toa Lhikan suspected there was something more behind the Morbuzakh attack, and prepared to call more Toa into existance. But just as he completed this task, he was captured by Dark Hunters. With Lhikan gone, Matoran disappearing, and large sections of the city laid waste by the Morbuzakh, the new Toa Metru had their work cut out for them.

Geography

Metru Nui is divided into six districts, similar to the Wahi on Mata Nui. Each district is inhabited by one type of Matoran and plays a unique role in the operation of the city as a whole.

Ta-Metru

Ta-Metru was the beginning of the manufacturing process for most items in Metru Nui. This process began with purified protodermis from Ga-Metru, which was heated until white-hot in the Great Furnace, an immense building at the heart of the metru. From there, it traveled through pipelines and vats to the many foundries and factories in the district. There, the protodermis was cast into tools, machine components, and Kanoka disks. Though Kanoka were made throughout Metru Nui, Ta-Metru was the only place where mask-makers turned them into Kanohi masks.

Ga-Metru

Ga-Metru was a peaceful center of learning. The main industrial operation was the extraction of liquid protodermis from the Silver Sea and its purification for use in Ta-Metru. Many Ga-Matoran were students who researched purification techniques and other scientific matters. In addition, Ga-Metru was home to the Temple of Mata Nui. This structure contained the Toa Suva, a shrine sacred to Toa, as well as a collection of ancient tablets and a storeroom of Great Masks.

Onu-Metru

Most activity in Onu-Metru took place underground. Protodermis and lightstones were mined here, but the main attraction was the vast museum known as the Onu-Metru Archives. This underground storehouse contained a specimen of every Rahi ever found in Metru Nui, most of them kept in stasis tubes with their life processes suspended. The Archives also contained a collection of artifacts and tablets. In order to fit all this material, the levels and sublevels were expanded underneath all the island of Metru Nui.

Po-Metru

Po-Metru was also a center of crafting, but one that dealt entirely with solid protodermis. Crafters carved protodermis blocks mined in Onu-Metru or added details to items made in Ta-Metru. Most of the crafters lived in assemblers' villages, small groups of huts where they lived and worked in isolation from the rest of the city. Sculptors filled fields with their creations. This was the only part of Metru Nui that contained large sections of natural open space.

Le-Metru

The district of Le-Metru was a center of transportation. Ussal crabs, used to pull carts, were kept here and driven by Le-Matoran. But the most popular mode of traveling was the chute system. Tubular sheathes of magnetized protodermis, elevated high above the city, contained liquid protodermis which was pumped rapidly through the system. Any objects in the chute, such as shipping containers or Matoran transports, were quickly and efficiently carried to their destinations. Though all the districts contained chutes, Le-Metru was the center of the system. An important Le-Metru building was the Moto-Hub, which housed the pumps for the chutes and a test track for self-propelled vehicles. Finally, airships powered by levitation disks were based in Le-Metru and carried the city's cargo through the skies.

Ko-Metru

This frigid district was a place of quiet and contemplation. The most respected Ko-Matoran were the scholars, who studied and meditated in the tall crystal buildings called Knowledge Towers. Many of them studied the stars above Metru Nui in hopes of learning something of the future. Access to Knowledge Towers was strictly controlled, as the scholars did not like to be disturbed. Most of Ko-Metru was covered with ice, and some places were rarely or never visited by Matoran.

The Coliseum

In the center of the six districts was a smaller landmass. Here, at the center of Metru Nui, the Matoran built the towering structure known as the Coliseum. It contained an arena large enough for the entire population of the city, used for sports events or assemblies. The arena was covered by a conical canopy, which included chambers for Turaga Dume near the top. Under the arena were large storage rooms. Beneath the Coliseum, currents in the channels of liquid protodermis drove turbines which supplied power for Metru Nui.