The Great Sundial

The Great SundialSundial: The Codrex Pointer of Onu-WahiThe Sundial was a large organic structure buried in the rock of Onu-Wahi that served as a hidden entrance to the Mangaia and, once shrunk and given to Takanuva, as a means of pointing the way to the Codrex. of Onu-WahiOnu-WahiThe underground kingdom of Mata Nui, home to the Onu-Matoran and Toa Onua. was a large organic structure buried beneath the Great MineGreat MineOnu-Koro's most important mining complex, and home to an unexpected gateway to the island's darkest secrets. of 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. on Mata NuiMata Nui (Location)An island created by accident on the Great Spirit's face, home to the Matoran for a thousand years.. It served two distinct purposes across the events of the Toa MataWho are the Toa Mata?Six warriors built to order by Artakha, stored in canisters, dropped into the ocean. This is the origin story of Bionicle's heroes and why their first week of work was entirely amnesiac. era and the Battle of Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui.: as a concealed entrance to the MangaiaMangaiaThe hidden stronghold of Teridax beneath the island of Mata Nui, containing Energized Protodermis and connected to the Bohrok Nest., MakutaMakuta (Species)Shadowy Antidermis beings and the Brotherhood's elite, Makuta commanded darkness and shaped the Matoran Universe's fate. TeridaxTeridaxTeridax orchestrated a thousand-year scheme that ended with him occupying the Great Spirit Robot itself before his death on Bara Magna.'s underground lair, and, in a later shrunken form gifted to TakanuvaTakanuvaHidden among the Ta-Matoran as Takua, the disguised Av-Matoran who became Takanuva was the sole Toa of Light produced in the Matoran Universe's full history., as a directional locator for the CodrexThe CodrexA spherical vault built by the Great Beings beneath Karda Nui to house the Toa Mata in stasis and control the final phase of Mata Nui's reawakening. at the heart of Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui.. Its face carried eighteen sections, representing the thirty-six hour day of Spherus MagnaSpherus MagnaA desert world of ancient conflict that became the merger point of the Matoran Universe and Bionicle's true endpoint., and it operated through a combination of a fitted gnomon and applied light from a LightstoneLightstoneGlowing crystals that powered Onu-Koro's mines and revealed secrets beneath Mata Nui.. The SundialSundial: The Codrex Pointer of Onu-WahiThe Sundial was a large organic structure buried in the rock of Onu-Wahi that served as a hidden entrance to the Mangaia and, once shrunk and given to Takanuva, as a means of pointing the way to the Codrex.'s location in Onu-WahiOnu-WahiThe underground kingdom of Mata Nui, home to the Onu-Matoran and Toa Onua., rather than in Po-WahiPo-WahiPo-Wahi is a region of the island of Mata Nui, inhabited by Po-Matoran and Rahi. The territory formerly fell under the control of Teridax. or Metru NuiMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive., is fixed in primary sources.

Discovery in the Great Mine#

The Sundial first came to MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. attention during the Toa MataWho are the Toa Mata?Six warriors built to order by Artakha, stored in canisters, dropped into the ocean. This is the origin story of Bionicle's heroes and why their first week of work was entirely amnesiac. era. Onu-MatoranOnu-MatoranEarth-wielding Matoran of the deep who adapted to darkness and built the Matoran Universe's defensive cavalry. miners working the Great MineGreat MineOnu-Koro's most important mining complex, and home to an unexpected gateway to the island's darkest secrets., the principal excavation of Onu-WahiOnu-WahiThe underground kingdom of Mata Nui, home to the Onu-Matoran and Toa Onua., encountered a seemingly impenetrable rock layer covered by an unusual disk inscribed with strange markings. The miners could not penetrate the layer or move the disk, and work in that section of the mine halted. AziboAziboAzibo was an Onu-Matoran prospector of Onu-Koro whose discovery of the Great Sundial at the bottom of Mine Shaft B opened a concealed passage into Mangaia., an Onu-MatoranOnu-MatoranEarth-wielding Matoran of the deep who adapted to darkness and built the Matoran Universe's defensive cavalry. prospector wearing a 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. and presumed to be the archivist who first identified the disk, was responsible for the find and asked 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. to relay a message about it to the astrologer NixieNixieNixie was a Ga-Matoran Astronomer of Ga-Koro who tracked the Red Star, recorded prophecies, and supplied Takua with the Gnomon that opened the Onu-Wahi Sundial. of Ga-KoroGa-KoroGa-Koro is a village on the island of Mata Nui, inhabited by the Ga-Matoran and associated with both Nokama and Gali. The settlement was formerly under the power of Teridax..

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., who had earlier passed through 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. during the events of the Mata Nui Online GameTakua's Journey Across Mata Nui: The Chronicler's Path to Kini-NuiA wandering Ta-Matoran with no memory of how he reached the beach walked the six villages of Mata Nui, witnessed the Toa Mata's awakening, and organized the defense that held Kini-Nui., had previously diverted a magma flow to restore mining access to the Cavern of LightCavern of LightThe Cavern of Light was the principal Lightstone source on Mata Nui, sealed behind a single Onu-Matoran key and central to the island's illumination infrastructure. and the lightstone supply. The Sundial discovery followed in the same chain of work-resuming events in Onu-WahiOnu-WahiThe underground kingdom of Mata Nui, home to the Onu-Matoran and Toa Onua..

NixieNixieNixie was a Ga-Matoran Astronomer of Ga-Koro who tracked the Red Star, recorded prophecies, and supplied Takua with the Gnomon that opened the Onu-Wahi Sundial., the Ga-MatoranGa-MatoranThe Water-element Matoran of Ga-Metru and Ga-Koro, exclusively female, who taught the schools of Metru Nui and crewed the boats and bridges of the Mata Nui coast. astrologer of Ga-KoroGa-KoroGa-Koro is a village on the island of Mata Nui, inhabited by the Ga-Matoran and associated with both Nokama and Gali. The settlement was formerly under the power of Teridax., recognised 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.'s description at once. She had spent her career studying the Red StarRed StarThe Red Star was an orbiting facility that revived the dead and enabled the Great Spirit Robot's cosmic travels. and recording prophecies, and she had long ago found in the foothills of Mount IhuMount IhuA snow-capped peak in Ko-Wahi where Kopaka sought his first mask and Nuju honored his mentor. a small object she had not been able to identify. She theorised that the disk had fallen into the ground many years before and that the object she held was its missing gnomon. She gave the gnomon to 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. and explained that the shadow of the gnomon would have to fall on the four o'clock mark for anything to happen.

Opening the chamber#

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. returned to the Great MineGreat MineOnu-Koro's most important mining complex, and home to an unexpected gateway to the island's darkest secrets. site, fitted the gnomon into the centre of the disk, and shone his LightstoneLightstoneGlowing crystals that powered Onu-Koro's mines and revealed secrets beneath Mata Nui. on it until the gnomon's shadow touched the four o'clock position. The Sundial responded. The disk opened, revealing a small staircase that led down through the rock layer into a crystalline chamber. The chamber contained a hovering holographic gold Hau on a pedestal at its centre, and nothing else.

The image of the gold Hau lay at the intersection of in-universe events and the BIONICLE: Search for the Gold Mask contest that ran on BIONICLE.com in 2001. In-universe, the chamber's purpose at this stage remained obscure to the MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. who entered it, and the miners eventually withdrew from the site in confusion. The hologram itself bore the word RAHI above it, a marker the contest's external organisers used as part of the puzzle structure rather than an in-universe inscription.

The entrance to MangaiaMangaiaThe hidden stronghold of Teridax beneath the island of Mata Nui, containing Energized Protodermis and connected to the Bohrok Nest.#

The deeper significance of the Sundial emerged after the Battle of Kini-NuiKini-NuiThe most sacred temple on Mata Nui, ironically built directly above Teridax's fortress.. Following 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.'s defence of the Kini-NuiKini-NuiThe most sacred temple on Mata Nui, ironically built directly above Teridax's fortress. with the Chronicler's CompanyChroniclerThe Matoran role of recording history and Toa deeds through word and carving, held by figures like Takua and Hahli., the 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. UssalryUssalryOnu-Koro's branch of the Mata Nui Military, made up of Onu-Matoran riders mounted on tamed Ussal crabs and led by High Commander Onepu. commander OnepuOnepuOnepu is an Onu-Matoran and the High Commander of the Ussalry, bearing a Pakari and wearing the purple and black colors of his kind. Connected to the element of Earth, he resides on Spherus Magna. sent word that the Sundial site had changed. The holographic gold Hau had disappeared. A new passageway had opened in the chamber below the Sundial. The Onu-MatoranOnu-MatoranEarth-wielding Matoran of the deep who adapted to darkness and built the Matoran Universe's defensive cavalry. miners had abandoned the site, having concluded, correctly, that the passage led into TeridaxTeridaxTeridax orchestrated a thousand-year scheme that ended with him occupying the Great Spirit Robot itself before his death on Bara Magna.'s lair.

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. travelled to 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. on an UssalUssal CrabUssal crabs were the riding and cargo Rahi of the Onu-Matoran, used as transport in Onu-Metru and as the mainstay of the Onu-Koro Ussalry. named Puku, conferred with TuragaTuragaFormer Toa who fulfilled their destiny and transformed into leaders. Turaga wield Noble Kanohi masks and weakened elemental powers, guiding their communities. WhenuaWhenuaToa Metru of Earth and later Turaga of Onu-Koro, formerly an Onu-Metru archivist whose career in the Archives shaped his role across the rescue of Metru Nui and the long residency on Mata Nui., and descended into the passage to find the Toa MataWho are the Toa Mata?Six warriors built to order by Artakha, stored in canisters, dropped into the ocean. This is the origin story of Bionicle's heroes and why their first week of work was entirely amnesiac.. The route was the second of the two known entrances to the MangaiaMangaiaThe hidden stronghold of Teridax beneath the island of Mata Nui, containing Energized Protodermis and connected to the Bohrok Nest.. The first, beneath the Kini-NuiKini-NuiThe most sacred temple on Mata Nui, ironically built directly above Teridax's fortress., could be opened only after the Toa MataWho are the Toa Mata?Six warriors built to order by Artakha, stored in canisters, dropped into the ocean. This is the origin story of Bionicle's heroes and why their first week of work was entirely amnesiac. collected all their golden KanohiKanohiMasks that grant powers and sustain life, they're the most vital artifact in the Matoran Universe.; the Sundial route bypassed that condition. 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. traversed the MangaiaMangaiaThe hidden stronghold of Teridax beneath the island of Mata Nui, containing Energized Protodermis and connected to the Bohrok Nest.'s shadowy depths and reached the ToaToa (2001)Biomechanical heroes bonded to elemental powers and masks. Not born, but chosen and transformed. in time to witness the final stages of their first confrontation with TeridaxTeridaxTeridax orchestrated a thousand-year scheme that ended with him occupying the Great Spirit Robot itself before his death on Bara Magna..

The dual function of the Sundial as MangaiaMangaiaThe hidden stronghold of Teridax beneath the island of Mata Nui, containing Energized Protodermis and connected to the Bohrok Nest. entrance and ceremonial puzzle reconciled into a single design intent: the structure had been positioned by the Great BeingsThe Great BeingsScholar-inventors of Spherus Magna whose creations shaped the Matoran Universe and whose absence defined the conflicts that followed. or their successors as a controlled access point into the lair, with the four o'clock activation condition serving as a deliberate threshold against accidental discovery. The miners' instincts that the passage led somewhere they should not follow proved accurate. The Great MineGreat MineOnu-Koro's most important mining complex, and home to an unexpected gateway to the island's darkest secrets. was later evacuated and the Sundial site abandoned, then flooded by the GahlokGahlokWater-element Bohrok swarms that flooded Mata Nui's aquatic zones with relentless purpose. during the BohrokBohrokHive-minded mechanical creatures designed to reshape worlds, the Bohrok represent a threat the Toa Mata never expected. invasion of 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., and finally destroyed when the BohrokBohrokHive-minded mechanical creatures designed to reshape worlds, the Bohrok represent a threat the Toa Mata never expected. cleansed the island in preparation for the MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. departure.

Retrieval by the Toa Nuva#

The Sundial reappeared in active service during the post-island period when the Toa NuvaToa Mata and Toa NuvaSix biomechanical heroes created by the Great Beings to awaken Mata Nui and defeat the Brotherhood, transformed once and tested across an entire age. followed the list of tasks the Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui. prophecy required to restore the universe to working order. A strange voice instructed Lewa NuvaLewaToa of Air, member of the Toa Mata and Toa Nuva, whose career was marked by repeated possession, body theft, and aerial campaigns from Le-Wahi to Karda Nui. to return to the abandoned island of Mata NuiMata Nui (Location)An island created by accident on the Great Spirit's face, home to the Matoran for a thousand years., retrieve the Sundial from the 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. mines, and bring it to Metru NuiMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive. for storage in the ArchivesThe Archives of Metru NuiThe Archives of Onu-Metru were the central repository of Matoran knowledge and Rahi specimens, maintained by the Archivist Corps beneath the city's surface..

LewaLewaToa of Air, member of the Toa Mata and Toa Nuva, whose career was marked by repeated possession, body theft, and aerial campaigns from Le-Wahi to Karda Nui.'s account, preserved in the Toa Nuva BlogToa NuvaThe form the Toa Mata took after stepping into the Energized Protodermis beneath the Bahrag, with new masks, new tools, and the elemental scale to fight Karda Nui., recorded the assignment in characteristically dry terms: he had been sent up to the abandoned island of Mata NuiMata Nui (Location)An island created by accident on the Great Spirit's face, home to the Matoran for a thousand years., with no explanation provided at the time, to dig up a sundial and carry it back to Metru NuiMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive.. He left the structure in the ArchivesThe Archives of Metru NuiThe Archives of Onu-Metru were the central repository of Matoran knowledge and Rahi specimens, maintained by the Archivist Corps beneath the city's surface. as instructed. He did not learn the purpose of the assignment until later, when the Toa NuvaToa Mata and Toa NuvaSix biomechanical heroes created by the Great Beings to awaken Mata Nui and defeat the Brotherhood, transformed once and tested across an entire age. reconvened and compared notes after their separation.

The Sundial was then inexplicably shrunken to a portable size between LewaLewaToa of Air, member of the Toa Mata and Toa Nuva, whose career was marked by repeated possession, body theft, and aerial campaigns from Le-Wahi to Karda Nui.'s deposit in the ArchivesThe Archives of Metru NuiThe Archives of Onu-Metru were the central repository of Matoran knowledge and Rahi specimens, maintained by the Archivist Corps beneath the city's surface. and its delivery to TakanuvaTakanuvaHidden among the Ta-Matoran as Takua, the disguised Av-Matoran who became Takanuva was the sole Toa of Light produced in the Matoran Universe's full history.. The agent of the shrinking was not specified in the surviving sources. ToaToa (2001)Biomechanical heroes bonded to elemental powers and masks. Not born, but chosen and transformed. KrakuaKrakuaA Toa of Sonics from De-Koro who served the Order of Mata Nui and delivered a devastating prophecy to Vakama., accompanied by HelryxHelryxHelryx was the first Toa created by the Great Beings, founder of the Order of Mata Nui, and commander of its covert war against the Brotherhood of Makuta. and the reformed BrutakaBrutakaBrutaka guarded the Kanohi Ignika on Voya Nui, betrayed the Order during the Piraka incursion, served time in the Pit, and later led the Federation of Fear strike team., received the shrunken artifact and delivered it to TakanuvaTakanuvaHidden among the Ta-Matoran as Takua, the disguised Av-Matoran who became Takanuva was the sole Toa of Light produced in the Matoran Universe's full history. along with the mission briefing to travel to Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui. and relay a message to the Toa NuvaToa Mata and Toa NuvaSix biomechanical heroes created by the Great Beings to awaken Mata Nui and defeat the Brotherhood, transformed once and tested across an entire age..

The locator function#

The shrunken Sundial's purpose in Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui. was directional. When TakanuvaTakanuvaHidden among the Ta-Matoran as Takua, the disguised Av-Matoran who became Takanuva was the sole Toa of Light produced in the Matoran Universe's full history. shone light on it, the shadow cast by its gnomon pointed toward the CodrexThe CodrexA spherical vault built by the Great Beings beneath Karda Nui to house the Toa Mata in stasis and control the final phase of Mata Nui's reawakening., the sealed chamber at the centre of Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui. where the Toa NuvaToa Mata and Toa NuvaSix biomechanical heroes created by the Great Beings to awaken Mata Nui and defeat the Brotherhood, transformed once and tested across an entire age. had taken refuge. The mechanism reused the same shadow-casting principle that had originally opened the MangaiaMangaiaThe hidden stronghold of Teridax beneath the island of Mata Nui, containing Energized Protodermis and connected to the Bohrok Nest. passage, repurposed as a compass rather than as a key.

TakanuvaTakanuvaHidden among the Ta-Matoran as Takua, the disguised Av-Matoran who became Takanuva was the sole Toa of Light produced in the Matoran Universe's full history.'s arrival in Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui. was complicated by the partial damage to his AvohkiiAvohkiiThe Avohkii is the Mask of Light, a golden mask that granted its wearer the power of Light and the ability to spread understanding. It was worn by Toa Takanuva.. BrutakaBrutakaBrutaka guarded the Kanohi Ignika on Voya Nui, betrayed the Order during the Piraka incursion, served time in the Pit, and later led the Federation of Fear strike team.'s OlmakThe Kanohi OlmakThe Kanohi Olmak was the Great Mask of Dimensional Gates, a portal-opening Kanohi forged by Artakha. Only two ever existed in the Matoran Universe, and both passed through the hands of figures who reshaped the late storyline. had transported him as planned, but the damaged mask deposited him in a dying body partway into the journey. He recovered after meeting Gali NuvaGali, Toa of WaterThe Toa Nuva of Water and conscience of the Toa Mata, whose attunement to her element anchored the team across every campaign from Mata Nui to Karda Nui. in the swamp at the bottom of Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui.. After GaliGali, Toa of WaterThe Toa Nuva of Water and conscience of the Toa Mata, whose attunement to her element anchored the team across every campaign from Mata Nui to Karda Nui. confirmed that Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui. was under MakutaMakuta (Species)Shadowy Antidermis beings and the Brotherhood's elite, Makuta commanded darkness and shaped the Matoran Universe's fate. attack, TakanuvaTakanuvaHidden among the Ta-Matoran as Takua, the disguised Av-Matoran who became Takanuva was the sole Toa of Light produced in the Matoran Universe's full history. placed the shrunken Sundial on the ground and shot a beam of light at it. The shadow it cast pointed in the direction of the CodrexThe CodrexA spherical vault built by the Great Beings beneath Karda Nui to house the Toa Mata in stasis and control the final phase of Mata Nui's reawakening.. The two ToaToa (2001)Biomechanical heroes bonded to elemental powers and masks. Not born, but chosen and transformed. united with Pohatu NuvaPohatuPohatu was the Toa Mata and Toa Nuva of Stone, guardian of Po-Wahi, whose speed and steady humour anchored the team through every era of the Matoran Universe. along the indicated route and continued toward the others.

The directional reading was reliable for the duration of the Battle of Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui., and the Sundial served its function in coordinating the ToaToa (2001)Biomechanical heroes bonded to elemental powers and masks. Not born, but chosen and transformed. of Light's movement with the reassembling Toa NuvaToa Mata and Toa NuvaSix biomechanical heroes created by the Great Beings to awaken Mata Nui and defeat the Brotherhood, transformed once and tested across an entire age. force inside the chamber.

Design, origins, and significance#

The eighteen sections of the Sundial's face represented the thirty-six hour day of Spherus MagnaSpherus MagnaA desert world of ancient conflict that became the merger point of the Matoran Universe and Bionicle's true endpoint., the planet from which the MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. civilisation had originated and to which it would eventually return after the Reformation. The same day-length divisor is reflected in the standard reckoning of Spherus MagnaSpherus MagnaA desert world of ancient conflict that became the merger point of the Matoran Universe and Bionicle's true endpoint. timekeeping used by the AgoriAgoriThe villager species of Bara Magna, organised by tribe and settlement, who governed their villages and arranged the Glatorian arena system. of Bara MagnaBara MagnaA desert world of tribal warfare and scarce resources, one of three landmasses that formed Spherus Magna.. Each Sundial section therefore corresponded to two hours of Spherus MagnaSpherus MagnaA desert world of ancient conflict that became the merger point of the Matoran Universe and Bionicle's true endpoint. time, with the four o'clock activation mark falling on the third section from the upper reference.

The structure's classification as an organic object, rather than a manufactured artifact, places it among the long list of Matoran UniverseMatoran UniverseA civilization of biomechanical beings living inside a colossal robot, destroyed when Teridax seized control. constructions that combined biological and mechanical elements. Its provenance was not specified in the available records, but its function as a controlled entrance into the MangaiaMangaiaThe hidden stronghold of Teridax beneath the island of Mata Nui, containing Energized Protodermis and connected to the Bohrok Nest. and its later utility as a CodrexThe CodrexA spherical vault built by the Great Beings beneath Karda Nui to house the Toa Mata in stasis and control the final phase of Mata Nui's reawakening. locator both imply origin in the Great BeingsThe Great BeingsScholar-inventors of Spherus Magna whose creations shaped the Matoran Universe and whose absence defined the conflicts that followed.' broader programme of designed infrastructure built into the Matoran UniverseMatoran UniverseA civilization of biomechanical beings living inside a colossal robot, destroyed when Teridax seized control.. TeridaxTeridaxTeridax orchestrated a thousand-year scheme that ended with him occupying the Great Spirit Robot itself before his death on Bara Magna. made use of the MangaiaMangaiaThe hidden stronghold of Teridax beneath the island of Mata Nui, containing Energized Protodermis and connected to the Bohrok Nest. entrance but did not appear to have constructed the Sundial itself; his own GnomonThe Great SundialThe Great Sundial of Onu-Wahi was a large organic disk buried beneath the Great Mine of Onu-Koro that opened a passage into Mangaia and later, in shrunken form, guided Takanuva to the Codrex during the Battle of Karda Nui. beneath the ColiseumThe ColiseumCentral tower of Metru Nui, serving as government seat, sporting arena, and, during Teridax's masquerade, a prison for the city's Matoran population., seen in BIONICLEBIONICLE: Matoran AdventuresA 2002 GBA platformer where you play as one of six Matoran fighting Bohrok across Mata Nui's islands. 2: Legends of Metru NuiLegends of Metru NuiThe chronicle of how Toa Mangai Lhikan passed his power to six Matoran, how Metru Nui fell to Teridax, and how Toa Vakama forged the Kanohi Vahi., suggests a related but distinct piece of architecture in Metru NuiMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive..

The Great Sundial occupied an unusual position in the history of Mata NuiMata Nui (Location)An island created by accident on the Great Spirit's face, home to the Matoran for a thousand years.. It was the first artifact to give the MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. of 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. direct contact with the prophetic infrastructure of the Great BeingsThe Great BeingsScholar-inventors of Spherus Magna whose creations shaped the Matoran Universe and whose absence defined the conflicts that followed., and it supplied 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. with the route by which he first reached the Toa MataWho are the Toa Mata?Six warriors built to order by Artakha, stored in canisters, dropped into the ocean. This is the origin story of Bionicle's heroes and why their first week of work was entirely amnesiac. in the MangaiaMangaiaThe hidden stronghold of Teridax beneath the island of Mata Nui, containing Energized Protodermis and connected to the Bohrok Nest.. The encounter set the pattern of his later role as ChroniclerChroniclerThe Matoran role of recording history and Toa deeds through word and carving, held by figures like Takua and Hahli. and prefigured his eventual transformation into TakanuvaTakanuvaHidden among the Ta-Matoran as Takua, the disguised Av-Matoran who became Takanuva was the sole Toa of Light produced in the Matoran Universe's full history., who would carry the same Sundial, now shrunken and repurposed, into the Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui. battlefield years later.

The dual function, entrance and locator, made the Sundial one of the few Matoran UniverseMatoran UniverseA civilization of biomechanical beings living inside a colossal robot, destroyed when Teridax seized control. artifacts whose operational role spanned the entire arc from the early Mata NuiMata Nui (Location)An island created by accident on the Great Spirit's face, home to the Matoran for a thousand years. period through the Toa NuvaToa Mata and Toa NuvaSix biomechanical heroes created by the Great Beings to awaken Mata Nui and defeat the Brotherhood, transformed once and tested across an entire age.' final missions. Its preserved location in the ArchivesThe Archives of Metru NuiThe Archives of Onu-Metru were the central repository of Matoran knowledge and Rahi specimens, maintained by the Archivist Corps beneath the city's surface. during the interval between LewaLewaToa of Air, member of the Toa Mata and Toa Nuva, whose career was marked by repeated possession, body theft, and aerial campaigns from Le-Wahi to Karda Nui.'s retrieval and the Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui. mission marked the structure as one of the consciously curated relics the Order of Mata NuiThe Order of Mata NuiThe covert organization founded by Helryx to serve the Great Spirit directly, operating in concealment from a fortress on Daxia and waging the open war against the Brotherhood of Makuta that decided the fate of the universe. and the TuragaTuragaFormer Toa who fulfilled their destiny and transformed into leaders. Turaga wield Noble Kanohi masks and weakened elemental powers, guiding their communities. judged worth holding for future use. Whether the Sundial survived the events of the Reformation and the MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. migration to Spherus MagnaSpherus MagnaA desert world of ancient conflict that became the merger point of the Matoran Universe and Bionicle's true endpoint. is not recorded.