The Drifts

MatoroMatoroA quiet Ko-Matoran translator who became a Toa Inika and then a Toa Mahri, Matoro gave his life with the Mask of Life to restore Mata Nui. knew the Drifts would kill him if he got lost. Every Ko-MatoranKo-MatoranIce Matoran who were quiet scholars and star-watchers, built to survive the frozen peaks of Ko-Wahi. knew this, even if they wouldn't say it out loud. The Drifts, sometimes called the Wastes, sprawled across the peaks of Mount IhuMount IhuA snow-capped peak in Ko-Wahi where Kopaka sought his first mask and Nuju honored his mentor.. They held everything harsh about Ko-WahiKo-WahiKo-Wahi is a region situated directly above Ko-Metru, inhabited by Matoran, Turaga, Toa, and Rahi. It was formerly under the control of Teridax.: blizzards that never stopped, wind that obscured everything, cold that was absolute and relentless. A MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. unprepared or unlucky enough to become disoriented there would freeze. That was the deal.

The Frozen Wastes#

The Drifts spread across the peaks of Mount IhuMount IhuA snow-capped peak in Ko-Wahi where Kopaka sought his first mask and Nuju honored his mentor., a vast plain locked in endless winter. Blizzards were permanent fixtures here, sweeping the terrain with force that never truly ceased. The wind and snow didn't just make travel unpleasant, they made it potentially lethal. Without clear landmarks or path-markers, even experienced travelers could become completely disoriented. For non-Ko-MatoranKo-MatoranIce Matoran who were quiet scholars and star-watchers, built to survive the frozen peaks of Ko-Wahi., survival was nearly impossible. Ko-MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. fared better, but survival still required preparation and respect for the environment. MatoroMatoroA quiet Ko-Matoran translator who became a Toa Inika and then a Toa Mahri, Matoro gave his life with the Mask of Life to restore Mata Nui., a Ko-MatoranKo-MatoranIce Matoran who were quiet scholars and star-watchers, built to survive the frozen peaks of Ko-Wahi. hunter, would venture into the Drifts to hunt 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., but only when conditions permitted and never without respecting the danger. Any MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. who got lost would succumb to the cold, pass out, and die. It was simple and final.

Kantai's Hermitage#

In the heart of the Drifts, near an ice flow, lived a hermit named Kantai. He possessed a mastery of will and mind that set him far apart from other MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body.. How Kantai sustained himself in that isolation remains unknown. The fact that he endured there at all, that the Drifts held him rather than killed him, suggested something fundamental about his character. The wastes could kill MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body., but they didn't kill Kantai.

Destruction#

The Drifts couldn't last forever. When the Toa NuvaToa 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. broke the seal holding the BahragBahragCahdok and Gahdok were the twin queens of the Bohrok, sealed in a Protodermis cage by the Toa Mata and later released to finish their cleansing of Mata Nui., they set loose a catastrophe: BohrokBohrokHive-minded mechanical creatures designed to reshape worlds, the Bohrok represent a threat the Toa Mata never expected. swarms swept across 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 surface. These creatures cleared everything in their path, including the Drifts themselves. But that erasure was only temporary. The final blow came when 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., the Great Spirit itself, awakened. The entire island collapsed and was destroyed in that moment. The frozen wastes that had endured for so long vanished along with every other region.

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Compiled from primary sources by Lore Fortress editorial. Reviewed by Joe Garratt, Editor-in-Chief.