Keras

The Keras was a large coral crab 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. that lived in the ocean of Ga-MetruGa-MetruGa-Metru is a district of Metru Nui, home to the Ga-Matoran and the Bordakh. and in the reefs near Ga-WahiGa-WahiGa-Wahi was a region situated to the east on the island of Mata Nui, inhabited by Ga-Matoran and various Rahi. The region once fell under the domain of Teridax, though that connection did not endure. Ga-Wahi no longer existed in later records.. The species was ferocious in defense of its home and very hostile in general, considered untameable under ordinary conditions. During the Bohrok WarBohrok WarThe 2002 swarm that nearly destroyed Mata Nui when Teridax triggered the Bohrok's awakening ahead of schedule., a small number of displaced Keras were tamed by 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. and used as mounts in defense 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.. Centuries later, a mutated population under 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. CaraparCaraparOne of six Barraki warlords imprisoned for 80,000 years, Carapar sought the Mask of Life and became expendable muscle for a final, fatal mission. served as infantry in the underwater fields 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..

Habitat and behavior#

The Keras was a large coral crab 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. with a specific habitat: the ocean of Ga-MetruGa-MetruGa-Metru is a district of Metru Nui, home to the Ga-Matoran and the Bordakh. and the reefs of Ga-WahiGa-WahiGa-Wahi was a region situated to the east on the island of Mata Nui, inhabited by Ga-Matoran and various Rahi. The region once fell under the domain of Teridax, though that connection did not endure. Ga-Wahi no longer existed in later records.. The seas below 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. were home to a wider roster of aquatic 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. that included TakeaTakeaEngineered by the Makuta from viruses and protodermis, the Takea served as Pridak's shock troops in the Pit and as one of the deep ocean's most feared Rahi species. sharks, Ruki FishRuki FishCommon aquatic Rahi caught in Ga-Koro and traded across Mata Nui as food and commerce., TarakavaTarakavaHuge lizard-like Rahi with powerful forelegs, hunted in pairs across Mata Nui and Metru Nui., and Keras. Among these, the Keras was one of the more dangerous neighbours.

Keras were ferocious in defense of their home and very hostile in general, considered too hostile to train under ordinary circumstances. Wild Keras attacked on contact, and 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. avoided going anywhere near reef-dwelling specimens whenever possible. The species sat firmly within the Mata NuiMata Nui (Location)An island created by accident on the Great Spirit's face, home to the Matoran for a thousand years.-era 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. catalogue alongside the Archives BeastThe Archives BeastAn unidentified shapeshifting Rahi confined in the lower levels of the Great Archives, capable of mimicking empty rooms and driven off only by extreme cold., Ash BearAsh BearA heavily built bear-form Rahi engineered by the Makuta and seeded throughout the Matoran Universe, two to three times the size of a Matoran, usually peaceful and ruinous when its territory was crossed., Bog SnakeBog SnakeIrritable serpentine Rahi that inhabited various regions of the Matoran Universe, documented primarily in Rahi compendiums., BrakasBrakasBrakas is a Rahi whose members appear in black, brown, and orange coloration and remain extant., Cave FishCave FishObscure aquatic Rahi with minimal story presence, documented mostly in BIONICLE creature reference materials., DikapiDikapiDikapi were flightless desert birds native to Po-Wahi whose great stamina made them favored mounts for Po-Matoran scouts and messengers., and FikouFikouSmall arachnid Rahi associated with Metru Nui's Maintenance Tunnels, the reason the tunnel network earned the nickname Fikou Web..

The Bohrok War mounted-crab program#

The single window in which Keras crossed from hostile fauna to battle asset came during the Bohrok WarBohrok WarThe 2002 swarm that nearly destroyed Mata Nui when Teridax triggered the Bohrok's awakening ahead of schedule.. The GahlokGahlokWater-element Bohrok swarms that flooded Mata Nui's aquatic zones with relentless purpose. drove Keras out of the ocean and onto beaches, creating a coastal 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. crisis at precisely the moment 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. needed defenders. Onu-MatoranOnu-MatoranEarth-wielding Matoran of the deep who adapted to darkness and built the Matoran Universe's defensive cavalry. 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. members volunteered to help the Ga-Koro Defense ForceGa-Koro Defense ForceThe Ga-Matoran militia that patrolled Ga-Wahi with bamboo poles, motorized boats, and tamed Keras, and held the village during the Bohrok War. tame a few of the displaced Keras for use against the BohrokBohrokHive-minded mechanical creatures designed to reshape worlds, the Bohrok represent a threat the Toa Mata never expected..

The 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.'s involvement was decisive. Onu-MatoranOnu-MatoranEarth-wielding Matoran of the deep who adapted to darkness and built the Matoran Universe's defensive cavalry. ran the UssalUssalSix-legged crustacean Rahi domesticated across Metru Nui and Mata Nui for cargo, mining, and sport. Backbone of Matoran labor. crab cavalry on Mata NuiMata Nui (Location)An island created by accident on the Great Spirit's face, home to the Matoran for a thousand years. as a standing practice, and brought transferable expertise to the new mounts. UssalUssalSix-legged crustacean Rahi domesticated across Metru Nui and Mata Nui for cargo, mining, and sport. Backbone of Matoran labor. crabs were land-going pack haulers and Keras were aggressive marine predators, but the basic discipline of riding an armored crustacean carried across.

The tamed Keras were fitted with plates on their backs to make them easier to ride. They could carry their riders across both sea and land, a tactical capability no UssalUssalSix-legged crustacean Rahi domesticated across Metru Nui and Mata Nui for cargo, mining, and sport. Backbone of Matoran labor. crab could match. As long as they were provided with shelter from the sun and fish to eat, they were content to defend 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..

After the war#

The mounted-crab program did not survive the peace. During the Bohrok WarBohrok WarThe 2002 swarm that nearly destroyed Mata Nui when Teridax triggered the Bohrok's awakening ahead of schedule., the Ga-Koro Defense ForceGa-Koro Defense ForceThe Ga-Matoran militia that patrolled Ga-Wahi with bamboo poles, motorized boats, and tamed Keras, and held the village during the Bohrok War. employed several Keras crabs that the 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. had managed to tame, and after the war the crabs were released and continued to receive Ruki FishRuki FishCommon aquatic Rahi caught in Ga-Koro and traded across Mata Nui as food and commerce. as part of the standing agreement. The deal had a clean post-war exit: tamed Keras returned to the ocean, and the Defense Force kept feeding them.

The species effectively vanished from the Mata NuiMata Nui (Location)An island created by accident on the Great Spirit's face, home to the Matoran for a thousand years.-era narrative thereafter. There were no further Keras appearances in the post-BohrokBohrokHive-minded mechanical creatures designed to reshape worlds, the Bohrok represent a threat the Toa Mata never expected. storyline on the island and no role in 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. era. The feeding arrangement maintained by the Defense Force was sufficient to keep the population at peace with the village.

Carapar's army in the Pit#

The Keras returned to the record in a very different setting. 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. CaraparCaraparOne of six Barraki warlords imprisoned for 80,000 years, Carapar sought the Mask of Life and became expendable muscle for a final, fatal mission. possessed great strength, thick armor, and an undersea army that included Keras crabs and Pit War Tortoises. CaraparCaraparOne of six Barraki warlords imprisoned for 80,000 years, Carapar sought the Mask of Life and became expendable muscle for a final, fatal mission. mounted his Pit War Tortoises with SquidSquidSquid is a being belonging to either the Yellow/Orange group or the Blue/Green group, and is equipped with tools of a golden amber hue. Launchers, using the Keras as infantry and the tortoises as artillery platforms.

The Keras in CaraparCaraparOne of six Barraki warlords imprisoned for 80,000 years, Carapar sought the Mask of Life and became expendable muscle for a final, fatal mission.'s army were slightly mutated by the PitThe PitThe Order of Mata Nui's maximum-security underwater prison where the Barraki warlords were held until catastrophe broke their chains.'s mutagenMutagenPit Mutagen was a power-source energy that leaked into the waters of The Pit during the Great Cataclysm and mutated almost every being exposed to it. and had become even fiercer than the wild population. The mutagen exposure tracked with the broader Pit pattern, in which 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 most of the Pit's wildlife were physically warped by the same substance. The mutated Keras remained recognisably Keras, only tougher and more aggressive.

The on-record encounter came when the Toa MahriToa Inika and Toa MahriSix ordinary Matoran transformed by lightning from the Red Star into heroes who ultimately revived the Great Spirit itself. reached 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 were told by 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. that to prove themselves as Toa they had to free the Air Fields from CaraparCaraparOne of six Barraki warlords imprisoned for 80,000 years, Carapar sought the Mask of Life and became expendable muscle for a final, fatal mission.'s Keras crabs. The ToaThe Toa: Heroes of the Matoran UniverseThe Toa were biomechanical guardians sworn to protect the Matoran, bound by a strict code and defined by sacrifice across every age of the universe. Mahri proceeded to the Fields of Air, where CaraparCaraparOne of six Barraki warlords imprisoned for 80,000 years, Carapar sought the Mask of Life and became expendable muscle for a final, fatal mission.'s Keras army occupied the airweed fields used by 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. to rescue IdrisIdrisIdris was a Ga-Matoran of Mahri Nui, the volunteer who helmed Defilak's Submarine into the Black Water, was captured by Pridak alongside Sarda and Gar, and carried the air-breathing device repaired by Lesovikk back to the underwater city after Karzahni was finally trapped. and GarGarGar was an Onu-Matoran of Mahri Nui and Defilak's best friend, one of the four submariners captured by Pridak in the Black Water and the volunteer who offered to sacrifice himself so that Idris could carry the warning back to the underwater city..

When the Toa MahriToa Inika and Toa MahriSix ordinary Matoran transformed by lightning from the Red Star into heroes who ultimately revived the Great Spirit itself. arrived to clear the fields, the crabs drew aside without a fight. The Keras under CaraparCaraparOne of six Barraki warlords imprisoned for 80,000 years, Carapar sought the Mask of Life and became expendable muscle for a final, fatal mission.'s command behaved less as loyal subordinates and more as displaced animals that declined to engage five armed Toa.

Range and ecology#

The Keras occupied an unusual niche among the Matoran UniverseMatoran UniverseA civilization of biomechanical beings living inside a colossal robot, destroyed when Teridax seized control.'s 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.. The species first appeared 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.-era reef ecology, with sustained later relevance through the deep-sea engagements at the PitThe PitThe Order of Mata Nui's maximum-security underwater prison where the Barraki warlords were held until catastrophe broke their chains. and around 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..

It was one of the few 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. to appear meaningfully in both the topside Mata NuiMata Nui (Location)An island created by accident on the Great Spirit's face, home to the Matoran for a thousand years. ecology and the deep-sea 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. ecology. Most 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. belonged to one environment or the other. The Keras lived in both, was conscripted by both sides at different points, and walked away from both engagements.