Molten Protodermis

Molten protodermis was the heated, liquid state of 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., the universal substance from which most of the Matoran UniverseMatoran UniverseA civilization of biomechanical beings living inside a colossal robot, destroyed when Teridax seized control. was constructed. Distinct from the 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. that filled the universe's seas and from the volatile energized protodermisEnergized ProtodermisA sentient substance that could remake or annihilate any being that touched it. One of the Matoran Universe's most lethal hazards. that transformed or destroyed all it touched, molten protodermis was the working form, the substance the 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. of Ta-MetruTa-MetruThe fire district where Ta-Matoran perfected their craft and powered Metru Nui's industry for thousands of years. heated, channelled, and poured into the moulds that produced KanohiKanohiMasks that grant powers and sustain life, they're the most vital artifact in the Matoran Universe. masks, KanokaKanoka DisksMetru Nui's most versatile artifact: flying disks equally at home in sport, combat, and crafting. disks, tools, and the weapons that armed the universe.

Substance and State#

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. occurred throughout the Matoran UniverseMatoran UniverseA civilization of biomechanical beings living inside a colossal robot, destroyed when Teridax seized control. in three principal forms. The first was solid 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., the basic constructive material of the universe, used in armour, tools, and the bodies of the inhabitants. The second was 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., which filled the surrounding seas and circulated through the universe's plumbing. The third, energized protodermisEnergized ProtodermisA sentient substance that could remake or annihilate any being that touched it. One of the Matoran Universe's most lethal hazards., was a separate and unstable variant whose contact transformed or destroyed whatever it touched, the substance that had triggered the breakdown of the Element LordsElement LordsSeven elemental warriors transformed by the Great Beings who refused to end their war even after the world broke.' rule on the old Spherus MagnaSpherus MagnaA desert world of ancient conflict that became the merger point of the Matoran Universe and Bionicle's true endpoint..

Molten protodermis sat between the first two states. It was 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. heated to a working temperature, raised to the point where it flowed under controlled conditions and could be cast or pressed into moulds. The substance was used because, on cooling, it returned to the solid form with whatever shape its mould imposed on it. The 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.'s mastery of these heat cycles was the foundation 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 manufacturing economy.

The molten state was lethal to organic and biomechanical beings on contact. Records repeatedly describe drops, splashes, or full immersion as immediately fatal, and the substance was treated throughout Metru NuiMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive. as a permanent hazard requiring full enclosure during transit.

Source: The Sea of Liquid Protodermis#

The molten substance worked in Ta-MetruTa-MetruThe fire district where Ta-Matoran perfected their craft and powered Metru Nui's industry for thousands of years. and in the lava farms of Ta-WahiTa-WahiTa-Wahi was the volcanic region of Mata Nui surrounding the Mangai Volcano, encompassing Ta-Koro, the Lake of Fire, the Charred Forest, and the Ta-Wahi Beach. was drawn from the Sea of 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. surrounding the Matoran UniverseMatoran UniverseA civilization of biomechanical beings living inside a colossal robot, destroyed when Teridax seized control.'s core. The deepest of these waters flowed around 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., the central cavern that housed the systems controlling the Great Spirit Mata NuiMata NuiBuilt by the Great Beings to restore Spherus Magna, Mata Nui sustained an entire civilisation inside his body, was deposed by Teridax, and reclaimed his purpose as a mortal on Bara Magna.'s body. Molten protodermis from this region rose to the surface in various locations 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., in one case forming the unstable shoreline shelf on which 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. was built when 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. rocketed out of the body.

The substance reached Ta-MetruTa-MetruThe fire district where Ta-Matoran perfected their craft and powered Metru Nui's industry for thousands of years. through a piped network. Protodermis Farmers, almost without exception 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., harvested the raw material and routed it to the Protodermis Reclamation YardProtodermis Reclamation YardThe Ta-Metru lot where broken Kanohi were held before being melted down at the adjacent Protodermis Reclamation Furnace, watched over by the Ta-Matoran Kalama. and other processing facilities. Pipes carried heated protodermis to the Great FurnaceThe Great FurnaceThe largest furnace in Ta-Metru, site of the Morbuzakh King Root's nest and the recovery of the fused Great Disks that became the Kanohi Vahi., to the mask foundries, and through the Fikou WebFikou WebThe maintenance tunnel system beneath Metru Nui's Archives, named for how its paths twist like spider silk. of maintenance tunnels beneath the city, where it provided the heat that warmed Metru NuiMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive.'s districts.

Working the Substance in Ta-MetruTa-MetruThe fire district where Ta-Matoran perfected their craft and powered Metru Nui's industry for thousands of years.#

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. heat tolerance made them the only population in Metru NuiMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive. capable of sustained work in the foundries. The standard occupations of the district reflected this: mask makers, disk makers, tool forgers, lava farmers, and the Protodermis ReclamationProtodermis Reclamation YardThe Ta-Metru lot where broken Kanohi were held before being melted down at the adjacent Protodermis Reclamation Furnace, watched over by the Ta-Matoran Kalama. crews that recovered usable material from damaged or expended products. Each role centred on the controlled handling of the molten substance.

The vats in which the protodermis was held before casting were the most dangerous element of the Ta-MetruTa-MetruThe fire district where Ta-Matoran perfected their craft and powered Metru Nui's industry for thousands of years. workplace. They were vulnerable in obvious ways: a tipped vat could spill hundreds of litres of lethal liquid across the foundry floor. During the MorbuzakhMorbuzakhA sentient plant monster created by Teridax to terrorize Metru Nui and control its population through fear. crisis, 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. was nearly killed when MorbuzakhMorbuzakhA sentient plant monster created by Teridax to terrorize Metru Nui and control its population through fear. vines tipped a vat after a four-legged saboteur had slowed the controls. The incident, recorded in BIONICLE Adventures 1: Mystery of Metru NuiThe Awakening of the Toa Metru and the Search for the Great DisksThe formation of the Toa Metru in the Great Temple, the recovery of the six Great Kanoka Disks, and the destruction of the King Root that ended the Morbuzakh crisis in Metru Nui., demonstrated how easily the city's manufacturing infrastructure could be turned against its workers.

A persistent secondary problem was the RanamaRanamaThe Ranama were fire-resistant amphibian Rahi native to the molten Protodermis vats of Ta-Metru that later thrived in the lava flows of Ta-Wahi., giant frog-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. that thrived in the molten substance and bred in the vats. The 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. regarded them as pests and were required to filter the protodermis to remove them before casting, an operation conducted with care to avoid being eaten by the 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. during extraction. The RanamaRanamaThe Ranama were fire-resistant amphibian Rahi native to the molten Protodermis vats of Ta-Metru that later thrived in the lava flows of Ta-Wahi. later migrated to the Mata NuiMata Nui (Location)An island created by accident on the Great Spirit's face, home to the Matoran for a thousand years. lava flows after the great migration, surviving on heat from the natural lava deposits there.

Weaponised Use#

The lethality of molten protodermis made it a weapon in the hands of those willing to use the manufacturing infrastructure for that purpose. The most prominent recorded instance was NidhikiNidhikiOnce a guardian of Metru Nui, Nidhiki traded his Toa honor for Dark Hunter gold and paid the price.'s attempt to coerce 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. by suspending 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. over a pit of the substance. 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. surrendered to save the MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body., but NidhikiNidhikiOnce a guardian of Metru Nui, Nidhiki traded his Toa honor for Dark Hunter gold and paid the price. still attempted to drop him; 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.'s fire greatswords, thrown in surfboard configuration, allowed him to rescue 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. before he hit the surface. BIONICLE Adventures 4: Legends of Metru NuiLegends of Metru NuiLhikan's capture by Nidhiki and Krekka, the awakening of the six Toa Metru, the discovery that Turaga Dume had been replaced by Teridax, the Coliseum betrayal, and the duel above the Silver Sea that ended with the city sealed and the Matoran asleep. recorded a related episode in which KrekkaKrekkaA brutish but ineffective Dark Hunter with no powers or masks, Krekka was outmatched from his first moments in Metru Nui. lowered both 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. and 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. into the same pit using a crane.

During 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. occupation of 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's molten protodermis infrastructure was deliberately overflowed in Ta-MetruTa-MetruThe fire district where Ta-Matoran perfected their craft and powered Metru Nui's industry for thousands of years., reducing the district to ruins. RoodakaRoodakaShe spent the entire Visorak arc letting everyone think they were using her, then walked away having beaten the Brotherhood and the Toa at their own game.'s offer to 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. Hordika used the prospect of restoring the destroyed district as part of the bait for his defection. The damage required centuries of rebuilding work after 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. drove 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. from the city.

Earlier in the city's history, 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. had destroyed 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. warehouse with molten protodermis during the dispute over trade between Ta-MetruTa-MetruThe fire district where Ta-Matoran perfected their craft and powered Metru Nui's industry for thousands of years. and 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 escalation drew in the other districts and demonstrated how the substance could be turned from a manufacturing resource into a tool of inter-district warfare.

In the Wider Universe#

Outside Metru NuiMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive. and Ta-WahiTa-WahiTa-Wahi was the volcanic region of Mata Nui surrounding the Mangai Volcano, encompassing Ta-Koro, the Lake of Fire, the Charred Forest, and the Ta-Wahi Beach., molten protodermis figured in several major events. The Toa HagahToa HagahElite Toa teams appointed by the Brotherhood of Makuta to serve as personal guardians, later rebelling against their creators., pursuing TeridaxTeridaxTeridax orchestrated a thousand-year scheme that ended with him occupying the Great Spirit Robot itself before his death on Bara Magna. into the chambers beneath the Coliseum, were magnetically pinned to the ceiling while molten protodermis rushed in from above; Makuta MiserixMiserixThe deposed Makuta leader clawed back from exile to hunt the brother who stole his throne. intervened in time to teleport them clear. KrahkaKrahkaKrahka is a Rahi affiliated with various groups and known to have worn various Kanohi; only one of her kind remains., defeated in her opening confrontation with 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., retreated into a flow of the substance and survived through her shape-shifting ability.

The substance also figured in the most lethal use of KarzahniKarzahniBionicle reused one cursed name three times, and every instance earns it, this is the article that finally untangles all three.'s execution by 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., and in the construction of the unstable shoreline shelf that grew into 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. after 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. rocketed from the Southern ContinentThe Southern ContinentThe Southern Continent was a vast landmass beneath the Matoran Universe, scarred by Voya Nui's separation and held under Makuta Mutran's nominal dominion.. In both cases the molten state of the substance was the operative property: the heat that made it lethal, and the cooling that allowed it to solidify into new structures, were two faces of the same process.

Place in the Record#

Molten protodermis was the substance of MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. production. Every KanohiKanohiMasks that grant powers and sustain life, they're the most vital artifact in the Matoran Universe. worn in the Matoran UniverseMatoran UniverseA civilization of biomechanical beings living inside a colossal robot, destroyed when Teridax seized control., every KanokaKanoka DisksMetru Nui's most versatile artifact: flying disks equally at home in sport, combat, and crafting. disk, and every tool wielded by a MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. or ToaToa (2001)Biomechanical heroes bonded to elemental powers and masks. Not born, but chosen and transformed. had at some point passed through a vat of it. Its capacity to kill on contact made it inseparable from the Ta-MetruTa-MetruThe fire district where Ta-Matoran perfected their craft and powered Metru Nui's industry for thousands of years. workplace culture, and its position as the worked form of 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. placed it at the centre of the universe's economy and infrastructure. It was the medium through which the MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. shaped their world, the substance into which their enemies tried to drop them, and one of the most consistently present elements in the recorded history of Metru NuiMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive..