Metru

In the MatoranMatoran LanguageThe written and spoken language of the Matoran Universe, with its own alphabet, measurements, and regional dialects. language a metru was a single district of a city, and the term referred in practice to one of the six districts that made up Metru NuiMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive.. The word also translated, in some constructions, as "city," which is why each of the six districts carried the full sense of "city" within the larger metropolis and why the island itself was rendered as 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 city or city of legends. A metru, in everyday MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. usage, was therefore not a neighbourhood in the modern administrative sense but a self-contained elemental quarter, with its own MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. population, its own VahkiVahkiMetru Nui's mechanical law enforcement squads, designed to maintain rigid order but ultimately undermined by chaos beyond their programming. order squad, and its own civic identity, all assembled under the wider authority of Turaga DumeDumeDume is a Turaga of Fire and the former ruler of Metru Nui, distinguished by his red and black coloring and the Noble Kanohi Kiril, the Mask of Regeneration. As a member of the Turaga of Metru Nui, he wields a Staff of Office and commands a weakened mastery of Fire. He later resides on the reformed Spherus Magna. and 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..

The word and what it meant#

The MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. word metru sat at the intersection of two related meanings. In one register it was the word for "city," which is why the island the MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. inhabited was Metru NuiMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive., the City of Legends, with "Nui" the modifier and "metru" the noun. In another register it was the word for a single district within that city, and this was the sense in which the term combined with the elemental prefixes Ta, Ga, Le, Po, Onu, and Ko to produce the names of the six districts. The two senses did not contradict each other. A metru was understood to be substantial enough to be a city in its own right, and the city of Metru NuiMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive. was understood to be six cities arranged into one.

The same prefixes operated across the MatoranMatoran LanguageThe written and spoken language of the Matoran Universe, with its own alphabet, measurements, and regional dialects. vocabulary. 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., Ga-WahiWahiThe Matoran word for region. The six Wahi of Mata Nui were the six elemental territories that made up the island before the Bohrok cleared its surface., Ga-SuvaGa-SuvaGali's shrine in Ga-Koro, the floating village's repository of her Kanohi and the Nuva Symbol whose light broke the Pahrak siege., and Ga-MetruGa-MetruGa-Metru is a district of Metru Nui, home to the Ga-Matoran and the Bordakh. all meant something water-related, the prefix carrying the elemental association and the noun specifying scale and function. Ga-MetruGa-MetruGa-Metru is a district of Metru Nui, home to the Ga-Matoran and the Bordakh. therefore meant the Water District (or Water City) of Metru NuiMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive., and the equivalent applied across the other five elements. The prefix-plus-noun construction was consistent, and a MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. reader encountering the word "Ko-MetruKo-MetruKo-Metru was Metru Nui's frozen intellectual quarter, home to the scholarly Ko-Matoran race." recognised both the element (Ice) and the noun class (district of Metru NuiMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive.) without further explanation.

The six districts#

The six metru of Metru NuiMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive. were Ta-MetruTa-MetruThe fire district where Ta-Matoran perfected their craft and powered Metru Nui's industry for thousands of years., Ga-MetruGa-MetruGa-Metru is a district of Metru Nui, home to the Ga-Matoran and the Bordakh., Le-MetruLe-MetruThe teal district where Le-Matoran managed everything that moved through Metru Nui, from chutes to airships., Po-MetruPo-MetruMetru Nui's Stone District, home to carvers whose work defined the city and site of an ancient conflict that threatened to divide it., Onu-MetruOnu-MetruThe deep archive-city that made mining and historical records preservation the beating heart of Metru Nui., and Ko-MetruKo-MetruKo-Metru was Metru Nui's frozen intellectual quarter, home to the scholarly Ko-Matoran race.. Each was assigned to one of the six MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. elements and occupied by the MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. of that element, and each carried a function appropriate to its element.

Ta-MetruTa-MetruThe fire district where Ta-Matoran perfected their craft and powered Metru Nui's industry for thousands of years. was the Fire District, the foundry quarter of Metru NuiMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive. and the centre of KanokaKanoka DisksMetru Nui's most versatile artifact: flying disks equally at home in sport, combat, and crafting. disk forging and the manufacture of KanohiKanohiMasks that grant powers and sustain life, they're the most vital artifact in the Matoran Universe. masks. Ga-MetruGa-MetruGa-Metru is a district of Metru Nui, home to the Ga-Matoran and the Bordakh. was the Water District, home to the schools and to the Great TempleGreat TempleThe Great Temple is a structure situated in Ga-Metru, Metru Nui, associated with the Ga-Matoran and the Bordakh. It formerly fell under the influence of Teridax, though it currently holds no such power., and one of the most peaceful of the six. Le-MetruLe-MetruThe teal district where Le-Matoran managed everything that moved through Metru Nui, from chutes to airships. was the Air District, dominated by the chute system that carried MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. across the rest of the city. Po-MetruPo-MetruMetru Nui's Stone District, home to carvers whose work defined the city and site of an ancient conflict that threatened to divide it. was the Stone District, the carving quarter, with the Sculpture FieldsSculpture FieldsThe Sculpture Fields were the open Po-Metru courtyards where Po-Matoran carvers worked statues too large for any building, hid one of the Great Disks, and gave Onewa his first confrontation with Ahkmou's betrayal. as its most recognisable feature and the VahkiVahkiMetru Nui's mechanical law enforcement squads, designed to maintain rigid order but ultimately undermined by chaos beyond their programming. production sites within its bounds. Onu-MetruOnu-MetruThe deep archive-city that made mining and historical records preservation the beating heart of Metru Nui. was the Earth District, the location of 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 of the underground storage that radiated from them. Ko-MetruKo-MetruKo-Metru was Metru Nui's frozen intellectual quarter, home to the scholarly Ko-Matoran race. was the Ice District, the Quiet Metru, dominated by the Knowledge Towers in which the seers and scholars worked.

The civic order of each metru was held by the VahkiVahkiMetru Nui's mechanical law enforcement squads, designed to maintain rigid order but ultimately undermined by chaos beyond their programming. squad assigned to that district. The NuurakhNuurakhThe Vahki model assigned to Ta-Metru, the Nuurakh were the fastest of the order-force lines and used Staffs of Command to push a single overriding directive into the mind of any Matoran they struck. patrolled Ta-MetruTa-MetruThe fire district where Ta-Matoran perfected their craft and powered Metru Nui's industry for thousands of years., the BordakhBordakhThe Vahki model assigned to Ga-Metru, the Bordakh patrolled the canals and schools of the academic district and carried Staffs of Loyalty that turned any Matoran they struck into a willing informant against their own friends. patrolled Ga-MetruGa-MetruGa-Metru is a district of Metru Nui, home to the Ga-Matoran and the Bordakh., the VorzakhVorzakhThe Vahki model assigned to Le-Metru, the Vorzakh patrolled the chute network and transportation hubs of the air district and carried Staffs of Erasing that wiped a Matoran's higher cognitive functions and left the victim a walking shambler. patrolled Le-MetruLe-MetruThe teal district where Le-Matoran managed everything that moved through Metru Nui, from chutes to airships., the ZadakhZadakhThe Vahki model assigned to Po-Metru, the Zadakh were the strongest of the order-force lines and carried Staffs of Suggestion that left any Matoran they struck willing to follow orders from almost anyone. patrolled Po-MetruPo-MetruMetru Nui's Stone District, home to carvers whose work defined the city and site of an ancient conflict that threatened to divide it., the RorzakhRorzakhThe Vahki model assigned to Onu-Metru, the Rorzakh were utterly relentless and carried Staffs of Presence that turned the affected Matoran into an involuntary audio and visual transmitter for their squad. patrolled Onu-MetruOnu-MetruThe deep archive-city that made mining and historical records preservation the beating heart of Metru Nui., and the KeerakhKeerakhThe Vahki model assigned to Ko-Metru, the Keerakh enforced silence in the Knowledge Towers and subdued lawbreakers with staffs that scrambled a Matoran's sense of time and place. patrolled Ko-MetruKo-MetruKo-Metru was Metru Nui's frozen intellectual quarter, home to the scholarly Ko-Matoran race.. The VahkiVahkiMetru Nui's mechanical law enforcement squads, designed to maintain rigid order but ultimately undermined by chaos beyond their programming. varied in temperament and method according to the district they served, but all six squads answered ultimately to Turaga DumeDumeDume is a Turaga of Fire and the former ruler of Metru Nui, distinguished by his red and black coloring and the Noble Kanohi Kiril, the Mask of Regeneration. As a member of the Turaga of Metru Nui, he wields a Staff of Office and commands a weakened mastery of Fire. He later resides on the reformed Spherus Magna. at 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..

Alliances and the Great Disruption#

The metru did not always cooperate. Nearly eighty thousand years before the death 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., a dispute between Ta-MatoranTa-MatoranThe Fire-element Matoran of Ta-Metru and Ta-Koro, forgers of masks and Kanoka, lava farmers, and the standing core of the Ta-Koro Guard during the war for Mata Nui. and 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. over boundaries and trade escalated into open civil war, and the six metru formed alliances in the fighting. 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., Onu-MatoranOnu-MatoranEarth-wielding Matoran of the deep who adapted to darkness and built the Matoran Universe's defensive cavalry., and Ta-MatoranTa-MatoranThe Fire-element Matoran of Ta-Metru and Ta-Koro, forgers of masks and Kanoka, lava farmers, and the standing core of the Ta-Koro Guard during the war for Mata Nui. sided against Le-MatoranLe-MatoranGreen-powered Matoran obsessed with thrills and transport. They're basically Bionicle's daredevils., Ko-MatoranKo-MatoranIce Matoran who were quiet scholars and star-watchers, built to survive the frozen peaks of Ko-Wahi., and 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.. The conflict lasted roughly four hundred years and weakened the Great SpiritMata 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. in the disturbance that became known as the Great Disruption. 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. eventually intervened, ended the fighting, and banished the war leaders to the place known as the PitThe PitThe deep-water prison of the Matoran Universe, built by the Order of Mata Nui to hold the Barraki and other beings too dangerous to execute.. 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. afterwards placed an agent within the city to ward against further conflicts of the same kind.

The episode established that the metru were durable enough to fight one another for centuries without dissolving and integrated enough that the fighting threatened the Great SpiritMata 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.. Both features remained part of the city's character. The metru retained their elemental identities and a degree of local rivalry through the rest of Metru NuiMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive.'s history, but the cooperation that 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. administration required generally held.

The metru in the Toa Metru era#

The six metru reached their most documented period during the events of the Toa MetruToa Metru and Toa HordikaSix Matoran elevated by Lhikan to save their city, mutated by Visorak venom, and restored in time to deliver the population to safety. era. Toa LhikanLhikanToa of Fire, leader of the Toa Mangai, and the last Toa of Metru Nui, who surrendered his Toa Power to create the Toa Metru and died defending Vakama. selected one MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. from each district to receive a Toa StoneToa StonesSmall stones charged with a portion of a Toa's power, used to awaken the dormant Toa Power within a destined Matoran and elevate them into a Toa., and the six who answered the call became the Toa MetruToa Metru and Toa HordikaSix Matoran elevated by Lhikan to save their city, mutated by Visorak venom, and restored in time to deliver the population to safety.. The team carried the elemental affiliations of the districts they came from: VakamaVakamaA Ta-Metru maskmaker transformed into the Toa Metru of Fire, leader of his team through the Visorak war, and Turaga of Ta-Koro for a thousand years. of Ta-MetruTa-MetruThe fire district where Ta-Matoran perfected their craft and powered Metru Nui's industry for thousands of years., NokamaNokamaNokama served as Toa Metru of Water, endured the Hordika mutation, and led Ga-Koro and later Ga-Metru as Turaga through three eras. of Ga-MetruGa-MetruGa-Metru is a district of Metru Nui, home to the Ga-Matoran and the Bordakh., MatauMatauA former Le-Metru test driver who became a Toa Metru, Matau wielded air, illusion, and shape-shifting before sacrificing his Toa power to wake the sleeping Matoran. of Le-MetruLe-MetruThe teal district where Le-Matoran managed everything that moved through Metru Nui, from chutes to airships., OnewaOnewaOnewa served as Toa Metru of Stone, led Po-Koro through the Dark Time, and constructed the Metru Nui statue honoring the fallen Toa Mahri Matoro. of Po-MetruPo-MetruMetru Nui's Stone District, home to carvers whose work defined the city and site of an ancient conflict that threatened to divide it., 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. of Onu-MetruOnu-MetruThe deep archive-city that made mining and historical records preservation the beating heart of Metru Nui., and NujuNujuNuju served as a Ko-Metru seer, Toa Metru of Ice, and Turaga of Ko-Koro who spoke only in bird calls translated by Matoro. of Ko-MetruKo-MetruKo-Metru was Metru Nui's frozen intellectual quarter, home to the scholarly Ko-Matoran race.. Their first mission, the recovery of the six Great Disks from across the city, was organised around the six metru as the natural units of search. Each metru held a Great DiskThe Great DisksThe six legendary Kanoka of Metru Nui, one hidden in each district, recovered by the Toa Metru during the Morbuzakh crisis and later fused into the Kanohi Vahi. belonging to its element, and each was located in a place characteristic of that district.

After the Great CataclysmThe Great CataclysmThe day Makuta Teridax put the Great Spirit to sleep, the Great Spirit Robot fell from the sky, Metru Nui flooded, and Voya Nui tore loose from the Southern Continent., all six metru were damaged. Po-MetruPo-MetruMetru Nui's Stone District, home to carvers whose work defined the city and site of an ancient conflict that threatened to divide it. was the least damaged and served as the MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. shelter during the long period of reconstruction. Onu-MetruOnu-MetruThe deep archive-city that made mining and historical records preservation the beating heart of Metru Nui. sustained heavy losses through the flooding of 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. sublevels and the release of preserved exhibits. The VisorakVisorak (Rahi)Spider-like Rahi employed by the Brotherhood of Makuta whose name meant 'Stealers of Life' and whose swarms threatened the Matoran Universe. horde that occupied the city during the Toa MetruToa Metru and Toa HordikaSix Matoran elevated by Lhikan to save their city, mutated by Visorak venom, and restored in time to deliver the population to safety. absence drew webs across all six districts, with each metru taken by a VisorakVisorak (Rahi)Spider-like Rahi employed by the Brotherhood of Makuta whose name meant 'Stealers of Life' and whose swarms threatened the Matoran Universe. breed roughly matched to the local terrain. The city was restored to its six-metru configuration after the Staff of ArtakhaThe Staff of ArtakhaA restoration artifact forged by Artakha himself, used by Helryx to reverse the environmental damage of the Great Cataclysm. repair, and the metru framework remained in use until Metru NuiMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive. itself was abandoned after the reformation of Spherus MagnaSpherus MagnaA desert world of ancient conflict that became the merger point of the Matoran Universe and Bionicle's true endpoint..

Note on usage#

In encyclopedic writing the word metru is most often encountered as a suffix in district names (Ta-MetruTa-MetruThe fire district where Ta-Matoran perfected their craft and powered Metru Nui's industry for thousands of years., Ga-MetruGa-MetruGa-Metru is a district of Metru Nui, home to the Ga-Matoran and the Bordakh., and so on) or as a plural ("the six metru") when the districts are being discussed as a group. The bare word metru, used as a common noun, generally indicates a single such district whose identity is not at issue. The closely related compound Toa MetruToa Metru and Toa HordikaSix Matoran elevated by Lhikan to save their city, mutated by Visorak venom, and restored in time to deliver the population to safety., by contrast, refers not to a place but to the six ToaToa (2001)Biomechanical heroes bonded to elemental powers and masks. Not born, but chosen and transformed. raised from the MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. of those districts, and the two terms should not be confused. For the city those districts assembled into, the principal entry is Metru NuiMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive..