Exsidian

Exsidian was a dense black metal mined out of the White Quartz MountainsWhite Quartz MountainsA jagged mountain range in the northern reaches of Bara Magna, once ruled by the Element Lord of Rock and later home to Surel and the Iron Wolves. by the Ice TribeIce TribeOne of Bara Magna's six major tribes, the Ice Tribe produced legendary Glatorian like Strakk and survived the Shattering intact. of Bara MagnaBara MagnaA desert world of tribal warfare and scarce resources, one of three landmasses that formed Spherus Magna., and it sat at the centre of the desert economy that followed the ShatteringThe Core WarThe generations-long war on Spherus Magna over Energized Protodermis that produced the Shattering, the exodus of Mata Nui, and the long Glatorian peace on Bara Magna.. The metal was hard enough to outlast tools cut from the local stone, scarce enough to function as currency between the surviving villages, and abundant enough around IconoxIconoxIconox is a village of the Ice Tribe, situated in the White Quartz Mountains. to make the Ice village the wealthiest of the six tribes. A small exsidian coin discovered in a Great Being's secret lab was the object that revealed the map Mata NuiMata NuiBuilt by the Great Beings to restore Spherus Magna, Mata Nui sustained an entire civilisation inside his body, was deposed by Teridax, and reclaimed his purpose as a mortal on Bara Magna. would follow at the close of the Bara MagnaBara MagnaA desert world of tribal warfare and scarce resources, one of three landmasses that formed Spherus Magna. campaign, and an exsidian shipment was the cargo at the heart of the serial The CrossingThe CrossingThe Bara Magna serial in which Strakk, Gresh, Kirbold, and Tarduk carried an exsidian shipment from Iconox to Vulcanus along the dangerous northern route and uncovered the first Skrall and Vorox confrontations of the empire era..

Source and extraction at the White Quartz MountainsWhite Quartz MountainsA jagged mountain range in the northern reaches of Bara Magna, once ruled by the Element Lord of Rock and later home to Surel and the Iron Wolves.#

Exsidian was most commonly found in the White Quartz MountainsWhite Quartz MountainsA jagged mountain range in the northern reaches of Bara Magna, once ruled by the Element Lord of Rock and later home to Surel and the Iron Wolves., the range that bordered IconoxIconoxIconox is a village of the Ice Tribe, situated in the White Quartz Mountains. on the south. The range was the only known concentrated deposit on Bara MagnaBara MagnaA desert world of tribal warfare and scarce resources, one of three landmasses that formed Spherus Magna., which gave the Ice TribeIce TribeOne of Bara Magna's six major tribes, the Ice Tribe produced legendary Glatorian like Strakk and survived the Shattering intact. a structural monopoly on the supply. Northern rumour in VulcanusVulcanusThe Fire Tribe's settlement on Bara Magna, caught between resources and threats., TajunTajunTajun was a village of the Water Tribe, situated on the banks of the Skrall River., and TesaraTesaraTesara is a location belonging to the Jungle Tribe, situated to the south of the White Quartz Mountains and to the north of the Dunes of Treason. held that the mountains farther north were also blanketed with the metal, but no expedition before TardukTardukTarduk is an Agori of the Jungle Tribe, distinguished by his dark green and lime coloration. A treasure hunter by trade, he wields claws and spikes and makes his home on the reformed Spherus Magna.'s northern journey in Riddle of the Great BeingsTarduk's Expedition into the White Quartz MountainsThe Agori expedition north from Atero in pursuit of the red star, the recovery of Surel from the wreckage of the Core War, and the first confirmation that the Element Lords had broken free. had confirmed it.

Mining was carried out by AgoriAgoriThe villager species of Bara Magna, organised by tribe and settlement, who governed their villages and arranged the Glatorian arena system. of the Ice TribeIce TribeOne of Bara Magna's six major tribes, the Ice Tribe produced legendary Glatorian like Strakk and survived the Shattering intact. and was prestigious enough to feature in the tribe's reputation across the desert. The Ice TribeIce TribeOne of Bara Magna's six major tribes, the Ice Tribe produced legendary Glatorian like Strakk and survived the Shattering intact. had developed a particular proficiency at the work, and the value of the metal underwrote the village's wider trading culture. Ice AgoriAgoriThe villager species of Bara Magna, organised by tribe and settlement, who governed their villages and arranged the Glatorian arena system. were known as confident traders, advertisers of arena matches, breeders of Sand StalkersSand StalkerDesert creatures that made Bara Magna's vast distances traversable, though their animal instincts made them unreliable in genuine danger., and recruiters of GlatorianGlatorianTribal warriors of Spherus Magna who settled disputes through arena combat, until the Skrall conquest enslaved most of them.; the underlying capital that supported those roles came out of the exsidian seams.

KirboldKirboldKirbold is an Agori of the Ice Tribe, distinguished by white and grey coloring, who serves as a maintenance worker on the reformed Spherus Magna. He carries a blade as his primary tool., one of the named IconoxIconoxIconox is a village of the Ice Tribe, situated in the White Quartz Mountains. miners, personally extracted the shipment that drove the events of The CrossingThe CrossingThe Bara Magna serial in which Strakk, Gresh, Kirbold, and Tarduk carried an exsidian shipment from Iconox to Vulcanus along the dangerous northern route and uncovered the first Skrall and Vorox confrontations of the empire era. and rode with the carriage on the principle that responsibility for the cargo carried as far as its destination.

Function as currency#

Exsidian served as the standard unit of value for inter-village payments after the ShatteringThe Core WarThe generations-long war on Spherus Magna over Energized Protodermis that produced the Shattering, the exodus of Mata Nui, and the long Glatorian peace on Bara Magna.. When a GlatorianGlatorianTribal warriors of Spherus Magna who settled disputes through arena combat, until the Skrall conquest enslaved most of them. lost an arena match, the losing village owed the winning village a measured shipment of the metal, and the entire arena system that prevented full war between the tribes depended on those payments being delivered. The IconoxIconoxIconox is a village of the Ice Tribe, situated in the White Quartz Mountains.-to-VulcanusVulcanusThe Fire Tribe's settlement on Bara Magna, caught between resources and threats. shipment that opened The CrossingThe CrossingThe Bara Magna serial in which Strakk, Gresh, Kirbold, and Tarduk carried an exsidian shipment from Iconox to Vulcanus along the dangerous northern route and uncovered the first Skrall and Vorox confrontations of the empire era. was the settlement of an arena debt incurred by the GlatorianGlatorianTribal warriors of Spherus Magna who settled disputes through arena combat, until the Skrall conquest enslaved most of them. GeluGeluGelu is a Glatorian of the Ice Tribe, native to Bota Magna, who formerly served as a secondary Glatorian for the city of Iconox. White and dark blue in color, he wields an Ice Slicer and a Thornax Launcher and resides on the reformed Spherus Magna., and the consequences of non-payment were explicit. Refusal to pay would have removed IconoxIconoxIconox is a village of the Ice Tribe, situated in the White Quartz Mountains. fighters from the arena circuits of Bara MagnaBara MagnaA desert world of tribal warfare and scarce resources, one of three landmasses that formed Spherus Magna. and broken the system by which inter-village disputes were settled.

The same currency function was visible in VulcanusVulcanusThe Fire Tribe's settlement on Bara Magna, caught between resources and threats.' contracting of AckarAckarVeteran Glatorian of the Fire Tribe and prime fighter for Vulcanus, Ackar served from the Core War through the defence of Spherus Magna. against GeluGeluGelu is a Glatorian of the Ice Tribe, native to Bota Magna, who formerly served as a secondary Glatorian for the city of Iconox. White and dark blue in color, he wields an Ice Slicer and a Thornax Launcher and resides on the reformed Spherus Magna. in the period after AckarAckarVeteran Glatorian of the Fire Tribe and prime fighter for Vulcanus, Ackar served from the Core War through the defence of Spherus Magna.'s discovery of Bone HunterBone HunterDesert nomads of Bara Magna who raided for survival until their alliance with the Skrall nearly conquered the continent. involvement in earlier raids. AckarAckarVeteran Glatorian of the Fire Tribe and prime fighter for Vulcanus, Ackar served from the Core War through the defence of Spherus Magna.'s arena victory over GeluGeluGelu is a Glatorian of the Ice Tribe, native to Bota Magna, who formerly served as a secondary Glatorian for the city of Iconox. White and dark blue in color, he wields an Ice Slicer and a Thornax Launcher and resides on the reformed Spherus Magna. earned VulcanusVulcanusThe Fire Tribe's settlement on Bara Magna, caught between resources and threats. a large supply of exsidian, recorded in the wider GlatorianGlatorianTribal warriors of Spherus Magna who settled disputes through arena combat, until the Skrall conquest enslaved most of them. tradition as one of his major paydays.

The White Quartz MountainsWhite Quartz MountainsA jagged mountain range in the northern reaches of Bara Magna, once ruled by the Element Lord of Rock and later home to Surel and the Iron Wolves. and the SkrallSkrallA black-armored warrior species from Spherus Magna that dominated northern Bara Magna under Tuma's rule.#

Exsidian deposits were not confined to the seams the Ice TribeIce TribeOne of Bara Magna's six major tribes, the Ice Tribe produced legendary Glatorian like Strakk and survived the Shattering intact. had developed, and the SkrallSkrallA black-armored warrior species from Spherus Magna that dominated northern Bara Magna under Tuma's rule. operating out of the Black Spike MountainsBlack Spike MountainsThe mountain range north of the Bara Magna desert that served as the Skrall homeland after the Shattering, became Baterra hunting ground, and was destroyed when the Mata Nui robot fell upon it. had launched their own surveys for the metal in the period before TumaTumaTuma rose from the survivors of the Baterra massacre to rule the Skrall Empire from Roxtus until Mata Nui defeated him in single combat. led the southern conquest. The elite warrior StroniusStroniusAn Elite Skrall who earned his name by proving he was worth remembering. led one of those expeditions into the foothills, and on that search his thorned club became stuck in the trunk of 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. tree. When StroniusStroniusAn Elite Skrall who earned his name by proving he was worth remembering. pulled the club free, it accidentally destroyed a BaterraBaterraMechanical shapeshifters built by the Great Beings to end the Core War by killing every armed combatant on Spherus Magna, and the failsafe that never shut them down.. That contact triggered the BaterraBaterraMechanical shapeshifters built by the Great Beings to end the Core War by killing every armed combatant on Spherus Magna, and the failsafe that never shut them down. attacks that drove the SkrallSkrallA black-armored warrior species from Spherus Magna that dominated northern Bara Magna under Tuma's rule. out of the Black Spike MountainsBlack Spike MountainsThe mountain range north of the Bara Magna desert that served as the Skrall homeland after the Shattering, became Baterra hunting ground, and was destroyed when the Mata Nui robot fell upon it. entirely and forced their retreat south to RoxtusRoxtusThe largest Agori village on Bara Magna and the seat of Tuma's Skrall, Roxtus was the centre of the Empire of the Skrall until Mata Nui defeated Tuma in single combat., which in turn produced the SkrallSkrallA black-armored warrior species from Spherus Magna that dominated northern Bara Magna under Tuma's rule. pressure on the southern villages that defined the final phase of the desert era. The exsidian seam in the north was the proximate cause of the displacement that put the southern villages at risk.

The CrossingThe CrossingThe Bara Magna serial in which Strakk, Gresh, Kirbold, and Tarduk carried an exsidian shipment from Iconox to Vulcanus along the dangerous northern route and uncovered the first Skrall and Vorox confrontations of the empire era. and the routes of supply#

The standard southeast trade route from IconoxIconoxIconox is a village of the Ice Tribe, situated in the White Quartz Mountains. to VulcanusVulcanusThe Fire Tribe's settlement on Bara Magna, caught between resources and threats. ran through the Dunes of Treason and was the shortest and best-known approach. When the Bone HuntersBone HunterDesert nomads of Bara Magna who raided for survival until their alliance with the Skrall nearly conquered the continent. began severing trade connections between villages, killing coachmen and seizing cargo, the route became impassable for routine shipments. The northern route through the Black Spike MountainsBlack Spike MountainsThe mountain range north of the Bara Magna desert that served as the Skrall homeland after the Shattering, became Baterra hunting ground, and was destroyed when the Mata Nui robot fell upon it. was longer, less travelled, and never previously used for a full caravan, but it was the only alternative available to MetusMetusMetus was a transformed Agori from Spherus Magna who worked as a Glatorian recruiter. Originally a member of the Ice Tribe, he later joined the Rock Tribe. White and ice blue in coloration, Metus wielded an Ice Axe and an Ice Shield. and the IconoxIconoxIconox is a village of the Ice Tribe, situated in the White Quartz Mountains. council when the VulcanusVulcanusThe Fire Tribe's settlement on Bara Magna, caught between resources and threats. debt came due.

The escort party of StrakkStrakkA profit-driven Glatorian mercenary from the Ice Tribe who fought in Bara Magna's arenas before joining Mata Nui's cause., GreshGreshA young Glatorian of the Jungle Tribe who served Tesara and later joined the alliance that defended Bara Magna during its final crisis., KirboldKirboldKirbold is an Agori of the Ice Tribe, distinguished by white and grey coloring, who serves as a maintenance worker on the reformed Spherus Magna. He carries a blade as his primary tool., and TardukTardukTarduk is an Agori of the Jungle Tribe, distinguished by his dark green and lime coloration. A treasure hunter by trade, he wields claws and spikes and makes his home on the reformed Spherus Magna. carried the exsidian shipment east into the foothills, survived dune snakeDune SnakeSwarm predators that nest in hypnotic wave patterns beneath Bara Magna's desert sand. swarms, an avalanche in Creep Canyon, a VoroxVoroxThe warrior caste of the Sand Tribe, reduced to feral pack hunters in the wastes of Bara Magna after the collapse of their civilisation in the Core War. ambush led by the exiled MalumMalumFire Tribe Glatorian exiled from Vulcanus for arena killings, who became the warlord of a Vorox pack in the wastelands of Bara Magna., and capture at a SkrallSkrallA black-armored warrior species from Spherus Magna that dominated northern Bara Magna under Tuma's rule. forward camp commanded by StroniusStroniusAn Elite Skrall who earned his name by proving he was worth remembering.. The exsidian itself supplied the defence of the final encounter. When TellurisTellurisAn Iron Tribe scavenger and one of the few immune to the Dreaming Plague, reduced to solitary vengeance. attacked the caravan in his Skopio XV-1Skopio XV-1Telluris's weaponized mechanical Skopio, a patchwork war machine built to dominate post-Shattering Bara Magna., GreshGreshA young Glatorian of the Jungle Tribe who served Tesara and later joined the alliance that defended Bara Magna during its final crisis. and AckarAckarVeteran Glatorian of the Fire Tribe and prime fighter for Vulcanus, Ackar served from the Core War through the defence of Spherus Magna. drove blocks of the metal between the vehicle's treads, jamming the inner workings with a substance harder than the vehicle's own armour. The shipment reached VulcanusVulcanusThe Fire Tribe's settlement on Bara Magna, caught between resources and threats. intact, IconoxIconoxIconox is a village of the Ice Tribe, situated in the White Quartz Mountains.' debt was discharged, and the arena system held.

The party's verdict on the northern route was negative. Direct experience confirmed that the path through the Black Spike MountainsBlack Spike MountainsThe mountain range north of the Bara Magna desert that served as the Skrall homeland after the Shattering, became Baterra hunting ground, and was destroyed when the Mata Nui robot fell upon it. remained too dangerous for regular trade, removing one of the alternatives that might have saved the southern villages once the central corridors closed.

The Great Being's coin#

The most consequential single piece of exsidian recorded in the desert period was a small coin recovered by 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. from a Great BeingThe Great BeingsScholar-inventors of Spherus Magna whose creations shaped the Matoran Universe and whose absence defined the conflicts that followed.' secret laboratory in the closing sequence of the Bara MagnaBara MagnaA desert world of tribal warfare and scarce resources, one of three landmasses that formed Spherus Magna. campaign. The coin carried the image of the Great SpiritMata Nui: Great Spirit of the Matoran UniverseBuilt by the Great Beings as a biomechanical guardian, betrayed by Teridax, and returned in a smaller form to reshape Spherus Magna. on one face and, on its reverse, a symbol that also appeared on the saw blade shields of the SkrallSkrallA black-armored warrior species from Spherus Magna that dominated northern Bara Magna under Tuma's rule.. Mata NuiMata NuiBuilt by the Great Beings to restore Spherus Magna, Mata Nui sustained an entire civilisation inside his body, was deposed by Teridax, and reclaimed his purpose as a mortal on Bara Magna. recognised the second image as a map, the route it indicated would resolve the riddle of the Great BeingsThe Great BeingsScholar-inventors of Spherus Magna whose creations shaped the Matoran Universe and whose absence defined the conflicts that followed.' departure, and the coin became the artifact that pointed him north for the next stage of his work with KiinaKiinaKiina is a Glatorian of the Water Tribe who served as the secondary Glatorian for the village of Tajun on Spherus Magna. Colored in shades of dark and light blue, she wielded a Vapor Trident and a Thornax Launcher in combat. Following the reformation of Spherus Magna, she continued to reside on the restored world., 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 AckarAckarVeteran Glatorian of the Fire Tribe and prime fighter for Vulcanus, Ackar served from the Core War through the defence of Spherus Magna.. The fact that the medium of the message was a piece of struck exsidian fit the metal's status as the common currency of the desert and as the substance that survived the ShatteringThe Core WarThe generations-long war on Spherus Magna over Energized Protodermis that produced the Shattering, the exodus of Mata Nui, and the long Glatorian peace on Bara Magna. most intact.

After the Battle of RoxtusThe Battle of RoxtusThe climactic engagement at the Skrall stronghold of Roxtus on Bara Magna, where Mata Nui defeated Tuma in single combat, Metus was exposed and transformed, and the united tribes broke the Skrall and Bone Hunter army. and the unification of IconoxIconoxIconox is a village of the Ice Tribe, situated in the White Quartz Mountains., VulcanusVulcanusThe Fire Tribe's settlement on Bara Magna, caught between resources and threats., TesaraTesaraTesara is a location belonging to the Jungle Tribe, situated to the south of the White Quartz Mountains and to the north of the Dunes of Treason., and TajunTajunTajun was a village of the Water Tribe, situated on the banks of the Skrall River. under AckarAckarVeteran Glatorian of the Fire Tribe and prime fighter for Vulcanus, Ackar served from the Core War through the defence of Spherus Magna.'s leadership, the Ice TribeIce TribeOne of Bara Magna's six major tribes, the Ice Tribe produced legendary Glatorian like Strakk and survived the Shattering intact. moved into the mega-village built by the four allied tribes, and the original IconoxIconoxIconox is a village of the Ice Tribe, situated in the White Quartz Mountains. workings in the White Quartz MountainsWhite Quartz MountainsA jagged mountain range in the northern reaches of Bara Magna, once ruled by the Element Lord of Rock and later home to Surel and the Iron Wolves. passed out of daily use. The exsidian that had been the engine of the desert economy remained in circulation as the currency of record until the reformation of Spherus MagnaSpherus MagnaA desert world of ancient conflict that became the merger point of the Matoran Universe and Bionicle's true endpoint. ended the conditions that had given it its value.