Hydruka

The Hydruka was an aquatic scorpion-like RahiRahiThe Rahi were the biomechanical wildlife of the Matoran Universe, built largely by the Brotherhood of Makuta, ranging from background fauna to engineered war beasts. species native to the PitThe PitThe Order of Mata Nui's maximum-security underwater prison where the Barraki warlords were held until catastrophe broke their chains., engineered by the Brotherhood of MakutaThe Brotherhood of MakutaAn organization of Makuta created by Mata Nui to police his universe and build Rahi, later seized by Teridax and turned into the instrument of the Plan that overthrew the Great Spirit. and later domesticated by the MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. of Mahri NuiMahri NuiA matoran settlement that sank, survived, and was ultimately crushed beneath Voya Nui, leaving behind one of Bionicle's most poignant lost civilizations. as harvesters of AirweedAirweedThe underwater plant of the Fields of Air whose trapped bubbles let the Matoran of Mahri Nui breathe beneath the southern ocean.. The species was the natural source of the Solidified Air Bubbles later replicated by the MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body.-built Air LauncherAir LauncherThe Air Launcher is a defense weapon used by the Matoran of Mahri Nui that shoots air bubbles. The device is no longer in use. weapon.

Origin and natural traits#

The Hydruka was created by the Brotherhood of MakutaThe Brotherhood of MakutaAn organization of Makuta created by Mata Nui to police his universe and build Rahi, later seized by Teridax and turned into the instrument of the Plan that overthrew the Great Spirit. through the application of various viruses to liquid ProtodermisProtodermisThe engineered substance building the Matoran Universe, protodermis exists in countless refined states from mundane metal to diamond-hard crystal to the destruction-or-transformation force of energized form., placing the species within the broad category of engineered RahiRahiThe Rahi were the biomechanical wildlife of the Matoran Universe, built largely by the Brotherhood of Makuta, ranging from background fauna to engineered war beasts. rather than naturally evolved fauna. The completed species took the form of an aquatic scorpion-like creature native to the PitThe PitThe Order of Mata Nui's maximum-security underwater prison where the Barraki warlords were held until catastrophe broke their chains., and was characterised by an ill-tempered disposition that complicated direct handling.

Two natural traits distinguished the Hydruka from most other PitThe PitThe Order of Mata Nui's maximum-security underwater prison where the Barraki warlords were held until catastrophe broke their chains. fauna. The species could generate and launch Solidified Air Bubbles, projectiles of compressed air that could be directed at sea creatures and that posed a particular threat to water-breathing species when the bubble dispersed on impact. The species was further unaffected by the mutagenic properties of the water surrounding Mahri NuiMahri NuiA matoran settlement that sank, survived, and was ultimately crushed beneath Voya Nui, leaving behind one of Bionicle's most poignant lost civilizations., a resistance shared with NocturnNocturnNocturn was an amphibious prisoner of the Pit who served as Ehlek's lieutenant and briefly held the Mask of Life before its recovery. but absent in most other beings inhabiting the same waters.

The combination of natural weaponry and mutagen resistance was the basis of the species' viability as a working animal for the Mahri NuiMahri NuiA matoran settlement that sank, survived, and was ultimately crushed beneath Voya Nui, leaving behind one of Bionicle's most poignant lost civilizations. MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body.. Two named individuals are recorded in the surviving accounts: MorakMorakMorak was a Hydruka of Mahri Nui, one of two named members of the air-harvesting species that kept the underwater Matoran colony alive. and ThuloxThuloxThulox was a Hydruka assigned to the Fields of Air beneath Mahri Nui, harvesting airweed and wielding an Air Launcher for defense..

The Airweed harvest#

AirweedAirweedThe underwater plant of the Fields of Air whose trapped bubbles let the Matoran of Mahri Nui breathe beneath the southern ocean. was a plant native to the Fields of AirThe Fields of AirThe cultivated airweed beds on the seabed beside the sunken town of Mahri Nui, harvested by Hydruka under Matoran supervision to sustain the air dome that kept the settlement alive., characterised by trapped pockets of breathable air within its structure. When Mahri NuiMahri NuiA matoran settlement that sank, survived, and was ultimately crushed beneath Voya Nui, leaving behind one of Bionicle's most poignant lost civilizations. broke loose from Voya NuiVoya NuiAn island born from catastrophe and hiding the universe's most powerful artifact, Voya Nui was everything Bionicle 2006 promised: danger, mystery, and a race against time. and descended to the ocean floor, the city came to rest near the Fields of Air. The impact disturbed sufficient AirweedAirweedThe underwater plant of the Fields of Air whose trapped bubbles let the Matoran of Mahri Nui breathe beneath the southern ocean. to release the air pocket that formed the bubble around the settlement, allowing the MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. population to survive on the seafloor.

Sustaining the bubble required continuous harvest. The MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. of Mahri NuiMahri NuiA matoran settlement that sank, survived, and was ultimately crushed beneath Voya Nui, leaving behind one of Bionicle's most poignant lost civilizations. domesticated Hydruka to perform the work, exploiting the species' natural ability to distinguish AirweedAirweedThe underwater plant of the Fields of Air whose trapped bubbles let the Matoran of Mahri Nui breathe beneath the southern ocean. from ordinary seaweed within the Fields of Air. Without that capacity for selection, the MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. would have been required to identify the correct plants themselves under hostile conditions and during the limited windows when the Fields were safe to enter.

The Hydruka were maintained in controlled enclosures known as the hydruka Pens, situated near the Fields of Air. BIONICLEBIONICLE: Matoran AdventuresA 2002 GBA platformer where you play as one of six Matoran fighting Bohrok across Mata Nui's islands. Legends 6: City of the LostCity of the LostThe first appearance of Mahri Nui in the Quest for the Mask of Life, the airweed harvest that kept the underwater city alive, Defilak's submarine expedition into the Black Water, and the arrival of the Barraki on the doorstep of the Matoran settlement. records KyrehxKyrehxKyrehx is a blue Ga-Matoran of the water element, though that power remains inaccessible to her. She serves as a Hydruka Guard and carries claws and blades. She resides on Spherus Magna. being attacked by animated air weeds at the Fields of Air close to these pens, and being rescued by DekarDekarDekar is a former Po-Matoran who serves as an Aqua Hunter on Spherus Magna. Colored yellow, black, and silver, he once wore a powerless Kiril and retains an inactive Stone element; his tools are Electro-Blades and an Air Launcher., a Po-MatoranPo-MatoranThe Stone-element Matoran of Po-Metru and Po-Koro, carvers and quarry workers, the most athletic of the Matoran types and the population behind the Kohlii and Akilini circuits. hunter. The Pens served as both holding facility and staging point for harvest operations during each safe hour.

Air Launchers#

The Air LauncherAir LauncherThe Air Launcher is a defense weapon used by the Matoran of Mahri Nui that shoots air bubbles. The device is no longer in use. was a ranged weapon constructed by the MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. of Mahri NuiMahri NuiA matoran settlement that sank, survived, and was ultimately crushed beneath Voya Nui, leaving behind one of Bionicle's most poignant lost civilizations., modelled on the natural Solidified Air BubbleAir BubbleVital underwater survival items that kept Mahri Nui Matoran alive in the ocean depths. weaponry of the Hydruka. The weapon fired MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body.-scale versions of the same projectile and exploited the same lethality against water-breathing species, with the bubble's air content dispersing on impact and disrupting the local breathing medium of the target.

The weapon's original design was attributed to a Le-MatoranLe-MatoranGreen-powered Matoran obsessed with thrills and transport. They're basically Bionicle's daredevils. scientist of Mahri NuiMahri NuiA matoran settlement that sank, survived, and was ultimately crushed beneath Voya Nui, leaving behind one of Bionicle's most poignant lost civilizations., who built the first units as a transport application on the principle that a MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. riding a bubble could move faster than one swimming. The initial test concluded fatally when the MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. pilot collided with a TarakavaTarakavaHuge lizard-like Rahi with powerful forelegs, hunted in pairs across Mata Nui and Metru Nui. and was killed. The design was thereafter repurposed as a shoulder-mounted offensive weapon.

Known users of the Air LauncherAir LauncherThe Air Launcher is a defense weapon used by the Matoran of Mahri Nui that shoots air bubbles. The device is no longer in use. included the Hydruka themselves, with MorakMorakMorak was a Hydruka of Mahri Nui, one of two named members of the air-harvesting species that kept the underwater Matoran colony alive. and ThuloxThuloxThulox was a Hydruka assigned to the Fields of Air beneath Mahri Nui, harvesting airweed and wielding an Air Launcher for defense. named as bearers, and the Mahri NuiMahri NuiA matoran settlement that sank, survived, and was ultimately crushed beneath Voya Nui, leaving behind one of Bionicle's most poignant lost civilizations. MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body., with DekarDekarDekar is a former Po-Matoran who serves as an Aqua Hunter on Spherus Magna. Colored yellow, black, and silver, he once wore a powerless Kiril and retains an inactive Stone element; his tools are Electro-Blades and an Air Launcher. and DefilakDefilakDefilak is a dark green and silver Le-Matoran who serves as leader of the Mahri Nui Council and as an inventor. He wears a powerless Kualsi and wields Electro-Blades alongside an Air Launcher. As a Le-Matoran, he carries an inactive affinity for the element of Air and resides on Spherus Magna. among the documented operators. Following the MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. evacuation back to Voya NuiVoya NuiAn island born from catastrophe and hiding the universe's most powerful artifact, Voya Nui was everything Bionicle 2006 promised: danger, mystery, and a race against time., the Air LauncherAir LauncherThe Air Launcher is a defense weapon used by the Matoran of Mahri Nui that shoots air bubbles. The device is no longer in use. passed out of active use.

Predation and the Pit ecosystem#

Hydruka were a preferred prey of the venom eels controlled by EhlekEhlekA Barraki warlord with electrical powers who led aquatic forces against the Brotherhood of Makuta., one of the BarrakiThe BarrakiSix warlords who built an empire spanning most of the Matoran Universe, fell in a single Brotherhood ambush, and spent millennia mutated in the Pit. warlords of the PitThe PitThe Order of Mata Nui's maximum-security underwater prison where the Barraki warlords were held until catastrophe broke their chains.. The eels treated the species as primary forage, placing the Mahri NuiMahri NuiA matoran settlement that sank, survived, and was ultimately crushed beneath Voya Nui, leaving behind one of Bionicle's most poignant lost civilizations. working herd under continuous pressure from another faction's hunting animals. Whether the predation was a natural relationship or an actively encouraged campaign by EhlekEhlekA Barraki warlord with electrical powers who led aquatic forces against the Brotherhood of Makuta. was not preserved in the surviving accounts.

BIONICLEBIONICLE: Matoran AdventuresA 2002 GBA platformer where you play as one of six Matoran fighting Bohrok across Mata Nui's islands. Legends 7: Prisoners of the Pit confirms the operational cost of this predation. Following a Toa MahriToa Inika and Toa MahriSix ordinary Matoran transformed by lightning from the Red Star into heroes who ultimately revived the Great Spirit itself. operation in Mahri NuiMahri NuiA matoran settlement that sank, survived, and was ultimately crushed beneath Voya Nui, leaving behind one of Bionicle's most poignant lost civilizations., DefilakDefilakDefilak is a dark green and silver Le-Matoran who serves as leader of the Mahri Nui Council and as an inventor. He wears a powerless Kualsi and wields Electro-Blades alongside an Air Launcher. As a Le-Matoran, he carries an inactive affinity for the element of Air and resides on Spherus Magna. was recorded as distressed at the deaths of several Hydruka and MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body., and at the consequent loss of the safe hour the city's residents had depended on for harvest. The reaction indicated the value the MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. placed on individual members of their working herd, and the extent to which the loss of even small numbers disrupted the city's air supply.

Aftermath of Mahri Nui#

The destruction of Mahri NuiMahri NuiA matoran settlement that sank, survived, and was ultimately crushed beneath Voya Nui, leaving behind one of Bionicle's most poignant lost civilizations. and the subsequent return of its MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. population to Voya NuiVoya NuiAn island born from catastrophe and hiding the universe's most powerful artifact, Voya Nui was everything Bionicle 2006 promised: danger, mystery, and a race against time. ended the working relationship between Hydruka and the MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body.. The surviving Hydruka population remained in the sea. The species did not follow the MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. back to the surface, was not absorbed into Toa MahriToa Inika and Toa MahriSix ordinary Matoran transformed by lightning from the Red Star into heroes who ultimately revived the Great Spirit itself. operations, and is not recorded further in surviving accounts of the Matoran UniverseMatoran UniverseA civilization of biomechanical beings living inside a colossal robot, destroyed when Teridax seized control.'s remaining period.

The end of the relationship was a function of changed conditions rather than abandonment. The Hydruka's particular value to the Mahri NuiMahri NuiA matoran settlement that sank, survived, and was ultimately crushed beneath Voya Nui, leaving behind one of Bionicle's most poignant lost civilizations. MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. had rested on their natural ability to identify AirweedAirweedThe underwater plant of the Fields of Air whose trapped bubbles let the Matoran of Mahri Nui breathe beneath the southern ocean. in mutagenic water. Once the MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. had returned to a setting where that capability was no longer required, the working herd reverted to its wild status as PitThe PitThe Order of Mata Nui's maximum-security underwater prison where the Barraki warlords were held until catastrophe broke their chains. fauna.

Significance#

The Hydruka was a load-bearing species in the Mahri NuiMahri NuiA matoran settlement that sank, survived, and was ultimately crushed beneath Voya Nui, leaving behind one of Bionicle's most poignant lost civilizations. period, responsible for the harvesting work that maintained the settlement's air bubble and the natural prototype for the principal ranged weapon used by its MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. population against the BarrakiThe BarrakiSix warlords who built an empire spanning most of the Matoran Universe, fell in a single Brotherhood ambush, and spent millennia mutated in the Pit. and their forces. The species' mutagen resistance was one of the few stable biological points in the PitThe PitThe Order of Mata Nui's maximum-security underwater prison where the Barraki warlords were held until catastrophe broke their chains.'s ecosystem, and that resistance was the structural basis of the harvesting relationship.

Following the destruction of Mahri NuiMahri NuiA matoran settlement that sank, survived, and was ultimately crushed beneath Voya Nui, leaving behind one of Bionicle's most poignant lost civilizations., the species reverted to wild PitThe PitThe Order of Mata Nui's maximum-security underwater prison where the Barraki warlords were held until catastrophe broke their chains. fauna and passed out of MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. management.