Great Mine

The Great Mine wasn't just another hole in the ground. It was Onu-KoroOnu-KoroOnu-Koro was the earth engineers' city, where underground isolation created one of Mata Nui's most self-sufficient settlements, until the Bohrok came.'s economic lifeblood, the largest mining complex on Mata NuiMata Nui (Location)An island created by accident on the Great Spirit's face, home to the Matoran for a thousand years. and the workplace for countless Onu-MatoranOnu-MatoranEarth-wielding Matoran of the deep who adapted to darkness and built the Matoran Universe's defensive cavalry. diggers and prospectors. When TakuaTakuaAn Av-Matoran hidden on Mata Nui as a Ta-Matoran, who gathered the Toa Stones, served as Chronicler, and ultimately accepted the Avohkii to become Takanuva, the Toa of Light. ventured into its depths during his quest for the Toa masks, he stumbled on something impossible: a sundial hidden beneath tons of rock, and beyond it, a golden mask that turned out to be an entrance to MangaiaMangaiaThe hidden stronghold of Teridax beneath the island of Mata Nui, containing Energized Protodermis and connected to the Bohrok Nest. itself. That discovery changed everything the MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. thought they understood about their island.

The Island's Richest Deposit#

Onu-KoroOnu-KoroOnu-Koro was the earth engineers' city, where underground isolation created one of Mata Nui's most self-sufficient settlements, until the Bohrok came. depended on the Great Mine for survival. It wasn't just one of many pits scattered across Onu-WahiOnu-WahiThe underground kingdom of Mata Nui, home to the Onu-Matoran and Toa Onua.. It was the mine, the greatest operation on Mata NuiMata Nui (Location)An island created by accident on the Great Spirit's face, home to the Matoran for a thousand years., where teams of Onu-MatoranOnu-MatoranEarth-wielding Matoran of the deep who adapted to darkness and built the Matoran Universe's defensive cavalry. worked the stone and extracted the Lightstones and minerals that kept their village functioning. Workers like Mamru and TaipuTaipuTaipu is a black and tan Onu-Matoran of the element of Earth who resides on Spherus Magna. A miner by trade, he wields a pickaxe and wears the Kanohi Pakari. knew the mine's layout better than anyone. Even more specialized prospectors, like the one wearing the noble MatatuMatatuWorn by Toa Metru Nuju and his later Turaga form, the Matatu let its bearer move and strike at any target within line of sight by force of will alone. mask, spent their days scanning the cavern walls for valuable deposits. In the Mata NuiMata Nui (Location)An island created by accident on the Great Spirit's face, home to the Matoran for a thousand years. Online Game, when TakuaTakuaAn Av-Matoran hidden on Mata Nui as a Ta-Matoran, who gathered the Toa Stones, served as Chronicler, and ultimately accepted the Avohkii to become Takanuva, the Toa of Light. arrives in Onu-KoroOnu-KoroOnu-Koro was the earth engineers' city, where underground isolation created one of Mata Nui's most self-sufficient settlements, until the Bohrok came., a mining accident has created a LightstoneLightstoneGlowing crystals that powered Onu-Koro's mines and revealed secrets beneath Mata Nui. shortage, underscoring just how critical this single complex was to the region's survival.

The Gateway Below#

What made the Great Mine truly strange wasn't its mineral wealth. It was what someone had hidden there. TakuaTakuaAn Av-Matoran hidden on Mata Nui as a Ta-Matoran, who gathered the Toa Stones, served as Chronicler, and ultimately accepted the Avohkii to become Takanuva, the Toa of Light. discovered a golden mask resting in a sealed chamber, guarded by an intricate sundial mechanism. The mask itself served as a physical key: it opened a passage down to MangaiaMangaiaThe hidden stronghold of Teridax beneath the island of Mata Nui, containing Energized Protodermis and connected to the Bohrok Nest.. The connection suggests the Great Mine's location and design weren't accidental. Something had been placed there deliberately, waiting.

Collapse and Cleansing#

When the GahlokGahlokWater-element Bohrok swarms that flooded Mata Nui's aquatic zones with relentless purpose. invaded Onu-KoroOnu-KoroOnu-Koro was the earth engineers' city, where underground isolation created one of Mata Nui's most self-sufficient settlements, until the Bohrok came., they flooded the mine, transforming it from an asset into a liability overnight. The economic damage was catastrophic. Onu-KoroOnu-KoroOnu-Koro was the earth engineers' city, where underground isolation created one of Mata Nui's most self-sufficient settlements, until the Bohrok came. lost its primary source of income, and the MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. there faced genuine hardship until they could return to Metru NuiMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive.. But the Great Mine's suffering didn't end with the GahlokGahlokWater-element Bohrok swarms that flooded Mata Nui's aquatic zones with relentless purpose. invasion. Once the MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. exodus began, the mine sat abandoned. The BohrokBohrokHive-minded mechanical creatures designed to reshape worlds, the Bohrok represent a threat the Toa Mata never expected.'s cleansing waves eventually reached it, and the BohrokBohrokHive-minded mechanical creatures designed to reshape worlds, the Bohrok represent a threat the Toa Mata never expected. destroyed what remained, obliterating one of 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.'s most significant landmarks.

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Compiled from primary sources by Lore Fortress editorial. Reviewed by Joe Garratt, Editor-in-Chief.