The Cendox V1

The Cendox was a type of single-rider combat vehicle used by the Fire TribeFire TribeThe master smiths of Bara Magna who forged tools for all tribes before the Shattering scattered them into conflict. during the Core WarThe Core War: the war that shattered a planetThe Core War was fought on Spherus Magna over Energized Protodermis. It ended in the Shattering, which tore the planet into three planetary fragments. on Spherus MagnaSpherus MagnaA desert world of ancient conflict that became the merger point of the Matoran Universe and Bionicle's true endpoint., and used again, in one restored example, on Bara MagnaBara MagnaA desert world of tribal warfare and scarce resources, one of three landmasses that formed Spherus Magna. in the GlatorianGlatorianTribal warriors of Spherus Magna who settled disputes through arena combat, until the Skrall conquest enslaved most of them. era. That vehicle was the Cendox V1, dug out of the sand by the AgoriAgoriThe villager species of Bara Magna, organised by tribe and settlement, who governed their villages and lived by the Glatorian arena system. CrotesiusCrotesiusA Vulcanus pilot who went from dismissing legends to answering one in Riddle of the Great Beings. with the help of the Water TribeWater TribeA trading-focused desert tribe vulnerable to Bone Hunter raids and arena warfare on Bara Magna. Agori BerixBerixBerix is an Agori of the Water Tribe who lived on Spherus Magna. A scavenger by trade, he is recognized by his blue and dark blue coloration and carries a Water Sword and shield., and later driven to victory in the vehicle division of the Great TournamentThe Great TournamentThe yearly Glatorian championship held in the Arena Magna at Atero, the central institution of the post-Core War village system, ended forever by the Skrall attack on its opening day.. Crotesius named it after the Agori word for "serpent strike". (BIONICLE: Mata Nui's Guide to Bara Magna; BIONICLE: The Legend Reborn Official Movie Guide)

Origin in the Core War#

The Cendox predated Bara MagnaBara MagnaA desert world of tribal warfare and scarce resources, one of three landmasses that formed Spherus Magna.. The Fire TribeFire TribeThe master smiths of Bara Magna who forged tools for all tribes before the Shattering scattered them into conflict. of Spherus MagnaSpherus MagnaA desert world of ancient conflict that became the merger point of the Matoran Universe and Bionicle's true endpoint. used these vehicles in the Core WarThe Core War: the war that shattered a planetThe Core War was fought on Spherus Magna over Energized Protodermis. It ended in the Shattering, which tore the planet into three planetary fragments., the conflict that broke out after the Element Lord of IceElement Lord of IceThe Element Lord of Ice is a member of the Element Lords and a former Glatorian who once served as the leader of the Ice Tribe on Spherus Magna. Wielding the element of ice and bearing white coloration, the Element Lord of Ice resides on the reformed Spherus Magna, the homeland from which the species originated. refused to share the newly discovered Energized ProtodermisEnergized ProtodermisA sentient substance that could remake or annihilate any being that touched it. One of the Matoran Universe's most lethal hazards., but most of them were lost in battle. No story gives a number or says where they were built. (BIONICLE: Mata Nui's Guide to Bara Magna; All Our Sins Remembered)

The ShatteringThe Core War: the war that shattered a planetThe Core War was fought on Spherus Magna over Energized Protodermis. It ended in the Shattering, which tore the planet into three planetary fragments. that ended the war split the planet apart. The Fire TribeFire TribeThe master smiths of Bara Magna who forged tools for all tribes before the Shattering scattered them into conflict. survivors on the Bara MagnaBara MagnaA desert world of tribal warfare and scarce resources, one of three landmasses that formed Spherus Magna. fragment settled at VulcanusVulcanusThe Fire Tribe's settlement on Bara Magna, caught between resources and threats. and built their lives around the arena matches of the Glatorian era, while whatever was left of their old war machines lay buried in the desert. (BIONICLE: Mata Nui's Guide to Bara Magna)

Excavation and Restoration#

Long after the Shattering, CrotesiusCrotesiusA Vulcanus pilot who went from dismissing legends to answering one in Riddle of the Great Beings., a Fire Tribe AgoriAgoriThe villager species of Bara Magna, organised by tribe and settlement, who governed their villages and lived by the Glatorian arena system., found a buried vehicle in the desert. He hired BerixBerixBerix is an Agori of the Water Tribe who lived on Spherus Magna. A scavenger by trade, he is recognized by his blue and dark blue coloration and carries a Water Sword and shield., an Agori of the Water TribeWater TribeA trading-focused desert tribe vulnerable to Bone Hunter raids and arena warfare on Bara Magna., to help him dig it out. (BIONICLE: The Legend Reborn Official Movie Guide)

Once the racer was free of the sand, Crotesius claimed it for use in arena matches and christened it the Cendox V1, after the Agori word for serpent strike. He fitted it with spare parts his tribe had won in matches against the Water TribeWater TribeA trading-focused desert tribe vulnerable to Bone Hunter raids and arena warfare on Bara Magna. and Jungle TribeJungle TribeThe Jungle Tribe of Tesara originated in Bota Magna, weathered the Shattering, and sent Gresh and Vastus into the Bara Magna arena system.. (BIONICLE: Mata Nui's Guide to Bara Magna)

Crotesius grew very attached to the vehicle and treated it as if it were a living being. (BIONICLE: Mata Nui's Guide to Bara Magna)

Configuration and Armament#

The Cendox was driven by powerful boosters and rear tracks, with large blades on the front. Crotesius had the blades of the V1 plated with exsidian for extra power. (BIONICLE: Mata Nui's Guide to Bara Magna)

Its main weapon was a Thornax LauncherThornaxThornax was a hardy desert fruit native to Bara Magna, eaten unripe as stew and fired ripe from launchers across Glatorian and Skrall ranks., used both to attack and to defend. Because of the way Crotesius liked to fight, he usually loaded it with non-explosive ThornaxThornaxThornax was a hardy desert fruit native to Bara Magna, eaten unripe as stew and fired ripe from launchers across Glatorian and Skrall ranks.. (BIONICLE: Mata Nui's Guide to Bara Magna)

Thornax launchers were common weapons on Bara Magna, carried by Glatorian, SkrallSkrallA black-armored warrior species from Spherus Magna that dominated northern Bara Magna under Tuma's rule. and bone hunters alike and fitted to other vehicles such as the Kaxium V3Kaxium V3A Bara Magna dual-vehicle that split in combat, piloted by Glatorian Scodonius and Kirbraz in 2009.. (BIONICLE: Mata Nui's Guide to Bara Magna; BIONICLE: The Legend Reborn)

The Great Tournament Victory#

The Cendox V1's biggest success came the year Crotesius drove it to victory in the vehicle division of the Great TournamentThe Great TournamentThe yearly Glatorian championship held in the Arena Magna at Atero, the central institution of the post-Core War village system, ended forever by the Skrall attack on its opening day., held at Arena MagnaArena MagnaThe oldest and largest Glatorian combat arena on Bara Magna, where champions tested their skills and settlements resolved conflicts. in AteroAteroThe free city at the heart of Bara Magna, home to the Arena Magna and the Great Tournament, destroyed by Tuma and the Skrall during the opening match.. The stories don't give the year or the opponents. (BIONICLE: Mata Nui's Guide to Bara Magna)

The win showed that a war machine buried since the Core War, patched up with parts won from other tribes, could still beat the best vehicles in the arena. (BIONICLE: Mata Nui's Guide to Bara Magna)

The Practice Match with the Kaxium V3Kaxium V3A Bara Magna dual-vehicle that split in combat, piloted by Glatorian Scodonius and Kirbraz in 2009.#

The Cendox V1's other recorded fight came during the Skrall War, in a practice match against the Kaxium V3Kaxium V3A Bara Magna dual-vehicle that split in combat, piloted by Glatorian Scodonius and Kirbraz in 2009. of the Water TribeWater TribeA trading-focused desert tribe vulnerable to Bone Hunter raids and arena warfare on Bara Magna. pilots KirbrazKirbrazKirbraz was the Water Tribe Agori from Tajun who piloted the primary cycle of the Kaxium V3 alongside his partner Scodonius, winning many vehicle division matches in the arena before the Skrall conquest of Bara Magna. and ScodoniusScodoniusAn Agori pilot who prepared Arena Magna for the tournament and refused a wild hunt for the Red Star.. The Kaxium could split into two separate bikes, and the two pilots tried to surprise Crotesius by splitting apart just before a collision. (BIONICLE Glatorian 4: Before the Storm)

The trick failed. Crotesius overturned Kirbraz's bike with a ThornaxThornaxThornax was a hardy desert fruit native to Bara Magna, eaten unripe as stew and fired ripe from launchers across Glatorian and Skrall ranks. from the Cendox's launcher, ending the match. (BIONICLE Glatorian 4: Before the Storm)

The Cendox in the Later Record#

The Cendox V1 doesn't appear again after that practice match. No story says whether it survived the Skrall War, the battle of Bara Magna or the restoration of Spherus MagnaSpherus MagnaA desert world of ancient conflict that became the merger point of the Matoran Universe and Bionicle's true endpoint.. (BIONICLE Glatorian 4: Before the Storm)