Forest of Blades

The Forest of Blades was a forest north 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. on Bara MagnaBara MagnaA desert world of tribal warfare and scarce resources, one of three landmasses that formed Spherus Magna., between SurelSurelSurel is a Glatorian and the Element Lord of Ice, native to Spherus Magna. Clad in white and light blue, he wanders the reformed Spherus Magna armed with a spear.'s den in the mountains and the River DormusThe River DormusThe placid northern river that carried travellers toward the last vault of the Great Beings, contested by the surviving Element Lords and turned to a single block of ice during the Agori expedition led by Tarduk.. The Element Lord of JungleElement Lord of JungleThe Element Lord of Jungle was a being native to Spherus Magna who was formerly of the Glatorian species, wielded power over the jungle element, and carried a sword. A member of the Element Lords, the individual once led the Jungle Tribe and bore green coloration. had fused warriors from 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. into its trees, leaving many of them jutting halfway out of the trunks with their swords still in hand, and the place was named after those blades. (Riddle of the Great Beings)

A forest grown from soldiers#

The forest wasn't natural. The Element Lord of JungleElement Lord of JungleThe Element Lord of Jungle was a being native to Spherus Magna who was formerly of the Glatorian species, wielded power over the jungle element, and carried a sword. A member of the Element Lords, the individual once led the Jungle Tribe and bore green coloration. had used his power over plant life to merge many of the warriors who fought 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. with the trees. Some were left jutting halfway out of the trunks, still holding their weapons, and the swords gave the forest its name. When Crotesius first saw it, he judged that the warriors might have been there since the war. (Riddle of the Great Beings)

The country between mountain and river#

The old Agori Surel, who lived among iron wolves in the mountains, warned the expedition that beyond his path lay the Forest of Blades, where all who travelled through became one with nature, and beyond that the River DormusThe River DormusThe placid northern river that carried travellers toward the last vault of the Great Beings, contested by the surviving Element Lords and turned to a single block of ice during the Agori expedition led by Tarduk.. (Riddle of the Great Beings)

Travellers heard the forest before they saw it: the wind through it made a harsh, keening sound like a chorus of the dead. From a distance the blades glittering in the sunlight looked like strange branches. Inside, it was silent, with no birds and no small animals, a kind of garden with no life in it. (Riddle of the Great Beings)

The Tarduk expedition#

The 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. AgoriAgoriThe villager species of Bara Magna, organised by tribe and settlement, who governed their villages and lived by the Glatorian arena system. 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. had found a metal fragment near 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. with a map showing a red star in the far north. With CrotesiusCrotesiusA Vulcanus pilot who went from dismissing legends to answering one in Riddle of the Great Beings. of VulcanusVulcanusThe Fire Tribe's settlement on Bara Magna, caught between resources and threats. and 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. of IconoxIconoxIconox is a village of the Ice Tribe, situated in the White Quartz Mountains., he rode past the White Quartz Mountains, escaped a pack of iron wolves and met Surel before reaching the forest. (Riddle of the Great Beings)

Kirbold was the one who saw what the "branches" really were: swords held by warriors trapped in the trees. He'd already wanted to turn back, and this settled it. Tarduk climbed onto Crotesius' mount, Kirbold rode for home promising to tell everyone they had gone in to help others, and the two remaining Agori rode into the forest. (Riddle of the Great Beings)

The Element Lord of Jungle#

Deep in the forest, branches and vines suddenly grabbed Tarduk and Crotesius and tied them to trees. The Element Lord of JungleElement Lord of JungleThe Element Lord of Jungle was a being native to Spherus Magna who was formerly of the Glatorian species, wielded power over the jungle element, and carried a sword. A member of the Element Lords, the individual once led the Jungle Tribe and bore green coloration. emerged from a whirl of leaves and told them they didn't know the way, so they were of no use to him. He dismissed Crotesius as Fire, which only knew how to destroy, but released Tarduk because he was of the Green, the Lord's own tribe. (Riddle of the Great Beings)

While Tarduk kept him talking, 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. reappeared with a torch, burned through the vines holding Crotesius and, at Tarduk's shout, threw the torch at the Element Lord's feet. The leaves caught and the fire spread. The three Agori ran, and when Tarduk looked back the Element Lord had vanished, probably to stop the fire before it consumed his wood. (Riddle of the Great Beings)

The forest after the expedition#

The expedition rode on to the River Dormus without being followed. Tarduk never asked Kirbold why he had come back. (Riddle of the Great Beings)

When Bara Magna and its two moons were merged back together, the Forest of Blades became part of Spherus MagnaSpherus MagnaA desert world of ancient conflict that became the merger point of the Matoran Universe and Bionicle's true endpoint. once more. (BIONICLE: Journey's End)