Vatuka

The Vatuka was a stone-bodied beast that inhabited the deeper tunnels beneath Onu-WahiOnu-WahiThe underground kingdom of Mata Nui, home to the Onu-Matoran and Toa Onua., one of a small set of dark-dwelling 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 Onu-MatoranOnu-MatoranEarth-wielding Matoran of the deep who adapted to darkness and built the Matoran Universe's defensive cavalry. miners learned early to avoid. It is best remembered for a single recorded incident: the abduction of TuragaTuragaFormer Toa who fulfilled their destiny and transformed into leaders. Turaga wield Noble Kanohi masks and weakened elemental powers, guiding their communities. 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. from Onu-KoroOnu-KoroOnu-Koro was the earth engineers' city, where underground isolation created one of Mata Nui's most self-sufficient settlements, until the Bohrok came. and the theft of two Vuata Maca crystalsVuata Maca CrystalThe Vuata Maca Crystals were the energy-bearing crystals that powered the Vuata Maca Trees in each Koro of Mata Nui, and the items Takua recovered to cleanse the poisoned trees during the Dark Time. and the 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. of Earth, an event that drew the wandering ChroniclerChroniclerThe Matoran role of recording history and Toa deeds through word and carving, held by figures like Takua and Hahli. TakuaTakuaAn Av-Matoran hidden on Mata Nui as a Ta-Matoran, who gathered the Toa Stones, served as Chronicler, and ultimately accepted the Avohkii to become Takanuva, the Toa of Light. underground and started the round of village rescues that returned the six Toa StonesToa 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. to the surface of Mata NuiMata Nui (Location)An island created by accident on the Great Spirit's face, home to the Matoran for a thousand years..

Habitat and behaviour#

The Vatuka belonged to the same broad ecological class as the Kofo-JagaKofo-JagaVenomous scorpion Rahi that posed a relentless threat to Onu-Wahi's miners and forced the Toa Nuva to use creative tactics during their search for Kanohi Nuva. and the TunnelerTunnelerA Rahi that absorbs any power directed at it, but becomes fragile when turned to glass., the deep 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 the Onu-MatoranOnu-MatoranEarth-wielding Matoran of the deep who adapted to darkness and built the Matoran Universe's defensive cavalry. miners encountered only at the limit of their working levels. The tunnels beneath Onu-KoroOnu-KoroOnu-Koro was the earth engineers' city, where underground isolation created one of Mata Nui's most self-sufficient settlements, until the Bohrok came. were extensive enough that significant lengths remained unmapped at any given time, and the Vatuka was one of several creatures that occupied the unworked galleries. The Onu-WahiOnu-WahiThe underground kingdom of Mata Nui, home to the Onu-Matoran and Toa Onua. region entry catalogued by the Onu-MatoranOnu-MatoranEarth-wielding Matoran of the deep who adapted to darkness and built the Matoran Universe's defensive cavalry. miners and later compiled into 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. library names the Vatuka explicitly among the vicious dark-dwellers a digger might break through into without warning. A miner who struck the wrong vein could open a Kofo-JagaKofo-JagaVenomous scorpion Rahi that posed a relentless threat to Onu-Wahi's miners and forced the Toa Nuva to use creative tactics during their search for Kanohi Nuva. nest as readily as he could surface a Vuata Maca crystal; the Vatuka belonged to the same risk class.

A secondary range existed on 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., where the field guide BIONICLE: Rahi BeastsRahiThe Rahi were the biomechanical wildlife of the Matoran Universe, built largely by the Brotherhood of Makuta, ranging from background fauna to engineered war beasts. recorded the species alongside the Hikaki, the MahiMahiHorned Rahi of Mata Nui, kept by the Po-Matoran as livestock and magnetised to Pohatu Nuva by the Gahlok-Kal., the HusiHusiHusi is a Rahi bearing orange and red coloring and a beak., and the VakoVakoHorned, rhinoceros-like Rahi created by the Brotherhood of Makuta. Roamed Ta-Wahi and Ko-Wahi. Every Po-Matoran taming attempt failed.. The 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. population was smaller and less documented; the Onu-WahiOnu-WahiThe underground kingdom of Mata Nui, home to the Onu-Matoran and Toa Onua. tunnels were the species' principal home, and almost every MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. sighting on record came from the underground.

The kidnapping of TuragaTuragaFormer Toa who fulfilled their destiny and transformed into leaders. Turaga wield Noble Kanohi masks and weakened elemental powers, guiding their communities. 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.#

The defining incident in the Vatuka record was the abduction of TuragaTuragaFormer Toa who fulfilled their destiny and transformed into leaders. Turaga wield Noble Kanohi masks and weakened elemental powers, guiding their communities. 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. from the village of Onu-KoroOnu-KoroOnu-Koro was the earth engineers' city, where underground isolation created one of Mata Nui's most self-sufficient settlements, until the Bohrok came.. The creature struck while the village's protective Vuata Maca crystals were unguarded and removed both the TuragaTuragaFormer Toa who fulfilled their destiny and transformed into leaders. Turaga wield Noble Kanohi masks and weakened elemental powers, guiding their communities. and the two crystals into the tunnel network, taking with them the village's 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. of Earth. Each of the six villages of Mata NuiMata Nui (Location)An island created by accident on the Great Spirit's face, home to the Matoran for a thousand years. held one of these stones, and the loss of any single one threatened the assembly the TuragaTuragaFormer Toa who fulfilled their destiny and transformed into leaders. Turaga wield Noble Kanohi masks and weakened elemental powers, guiding their communities. had been quietly preparing for. The theft at Onu-KoroOnu-KoroOnu-Koro was the earth engineers' city, where underground isolation created one of Mata Nui's most self-sufficient settlements, until the Bohrok came. was the first in a sequence that would ultimately affect every village on the island.

The ChroniclerChroniclerThe Matoran role of recording history and Toa deeds through word and carving, held by figures like Takua and Hahli. TakuaTakuaAn Av-Matoran hidden on Mata Nui as a Ta-Matoran, who gathered the Toa Stones, served as Chronicler, and ultimately accepted the Avohkii to become Takanuva, the Toa of Light. was summoned to Onu-KoroOnu-KoroOnu-Koro was the earth engineers' city, where underground isolation created one of Mata Nui's most self-sufficient settlements, until the Bohrok came. shortly afterwards. TakuaTakuaAn Av-Matoran hidden on Mata Nui as a Ta-Matoran, who gathered the Toa Stones, served as Chronicler, and ultimately accepted the Avohkii to become Takanuva, the Toa of Light. had been wandering the beaches 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. after being banished by TuragaTuragaFormer Toa who fulfilled their destiny and transformed into leaders. Turaga wield Noble Kanohi masks and weakened elemental powers, guiding their communities. 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. for one of his more disruptive escapades, and the call from 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.'s deputies reached him by way of an UssalUssalSix-legged crustacean Rahi domesticated across Metru Nui and Mata Nui for cargo, mining, and sport. Backbone of Matoran labor. courier. He arrived to find the TuragaTuragaFormer Toa who fulfilled their destiny and transformed into leaders. Turaga wield Noble Kanohi masks and weakened elemental powers, guiding their communities. gone, the crystal alcoves empty, and the 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. missing from its place of honour. He descended into the tunnels alone.

What followed was less a hunt than a long traverse. TakuaTakuaAn Av-Matoran hidden on Mata Nui as a Ta-Matoran, who gathered the Toa Stones, served as Chronicler, and ultimately accepted the Avohkii to become Takanuva, the Toa of Light. made his way through the deep galleries, recovered the Vuata Maca crystalsVuata Maca CrystalThe Vuata Maca Crystals were the energy-bearing crystals that powered the Vuata Maca Trees in each Koro of Mata Nui, and the items Takua recovered to cleanse the poisoned trees during the Dark Time. where the Vatuka had stashed them, and reached the chamber where the creature had taken its prisoner. The duel itself was brief: TakuaTakuaAn Av-Matoran hidden on Mata Nui as a Ta-Matoran, who gathered the Toa Stones, served as Chronicler, and ultimately accepted the Avohkii to become Takanuva, the Toa of Light. was not a warrior, but the Vatuka was alone, the chamber confined, and the ChroniclerChroniclerThe Matoran role of recording history and Toa deeds through word and carving, held by figures like Takua and Hahli. had carried both his wits and his understanding of the village's tunnels with him. The beast was put down. 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. was freed. The 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. of Earth was recovered, and the rescue completed the first leg of the chain.

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., in gratitude, presented TakuaTakuaAn Av-Matoran hidden on Mata Nui as a Ta-Matoran, who gathered the Toa Stones, served as Chronicler, and ultimately accepted the Avohkii to become Takanuva, the Toa of Light. with a Volo Lutu LauncherVolo Lutu LauncherA Matoran grappling tool that fired a tethered bead, used by Takua during the Quest for the Toa across the regions of Mata Nui., the Onu-MatoranOnu-MatoranEarth-wielding Matoran of the deep who adapted to darkness and built the Matoran Universe's defensive cavalry. grappling tool that fired an adhesive sphere capable either of drawing its user to an object or of drawing an object to its user. The launcher would serve as TakuaTakuaAn Av-Matoran hidden on Mata Nui as a Ta-Matoran, who gathered the Toa Stones, served as Chronicler, and ultimately accepted the Avohkii to become Takanuva, the Toa of Light.'s principal piece of equipment for the rest of the quest. He carried it into 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., Po-KoroPo-KoroPo-Koro was the Po-Matoran village in Po-Wahi, led by Turaga Onewa and guarded by Toa Pohatu, reached through a single statue-lined road called the Path of Prophecies., Le-KoroLe-KoroLe-Koro is a village situated within Le-Wahi, inhabited by the Le-Matoran and home to Turaga Matau and Toa Lewa. The settlement was once held under the control of Teridax., Ko-KoroKo-KoroKo-Koro is a location in Ko-Wahi, home to the Ko-Matoran and associated with both Nuju and Kopaka. Its exact size is unknown., and finally back to Ta-KoroTa-KoroTa-Koro was a settlement located in Ta-Wahi, home to the Ta-Matoran, Tahu, and Vakama, and formerly connected to Teridax. The settlement was ultimately destroyed., gathering the remaining five Toa StonesToa 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. from villages facing problems of their own, before losing the launcher with the rest of his possessions when he was eventually flung onto Ta-Wahi BeachTa-Wahi BeachThe volcanic black-sand shore of Mata Nui where Tahu's Toa Canister washed ashore, where Vakama came to think, and where the carved face of the Great Spirit concealed the entrance to the Bohrok Nest. by the events that followed.

Place in the Rahi record#

Rahaga NorikToa Hagah and RahagaThe Toa Hagah were appointed to guard Makuta Teridax, mutated into hybrid warriors, and mysteriously restored., in compiling BIONICLE: Rahi BeastsRahiThe Rahi were the biomechanical wildlife of the Matoran Universe, built largely by the Brotherhood of Makuta, ranging from background fauna to engineered war beasts. for 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.'s reference library, listed the Vatuka among the catalogued 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. between the TunnelerTunnelerA Rahi that absorbs any power directed at it, but becomes fragile when turned to glass. and the WaikiruWaikiruThe Waikiru were a species of walrus-like Rahi that dwelled along the shores of Ga-Metru and Ga-Wahi, quick in the water and clumsy on land, catalogued by Rahaga Norik in the Great Rescue's bestiary of Mata Nui's wildlife.. The volume was the standard field reference for the species native to Mata NuiMata Nui (Location)An island created by accident on the Great Spirit's face, home to the Matoran for a thousand years. and its archipelago, and a 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.'s inclusion in it was effectively the threshold at which a creature became part of the formal canon of the island's wildlife rather than a piece of Onu-MatoranOnu-MatoranEarth-wielding Matoran of the deep who adapted to darkness and built the Matoran Universe's defensive cavalry. miner rumour.

Both the BIONICLE EncyclopediaBIONICLE Reference BooksSeven Scholastic and AMEET reference titles published between 2003 and 2009 back up the printed story of the Matoran Universe. This page catalogs what each book contains and where the editions diverge. and its later revised edition retained the Vatuka in the V section of 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. roster, placing it between VakoVakoHorned, rhinoceros-like Rahi created by the Brotherhood of Makuta. Roamed Ta-Wahi and Ko-Wahi. Every Po-Matoran taming attempt failed. and VelikaVelikaVelika is a Great Being who disguised himself as a Po-Matoran on Mata Nui, wearing a powerless Komau and bearing an affinity for Stone. Colored in golden brown, grey, and orange, he worked as an inventor and carried Power Carvers as his tools. He was last known to be located on Bota Magna. in the alphabetised entries. The Encyclopedia is the most complete reference compiled for the surface population of the Matoran UniverseMatoran UniverseA civilization of biomechanical beings living inside a colossal robot, destroyed when Teridax seized control., and its inclusion of the Vatuka in both editions confirms the creature as a recognised, if rarely seen, member of the Onu-WahiOnu-WahiThe underground kingdom of Mata Nui, home to the Onu-Matoran and Toa Onua. fauna rather than a local legend.

Aftermath#

The defeat at the hands of the ChroniclerChroniclerThe Matoran role of recording history and Toa deeds through word and carving, held by figures like Takua and Hahli. appears to have been the last significant Vatuka incident recorded before the events that ended life on the surface of Mata NuiMata Nui (Location)An island created by accident on the Great Spirit's face, home to the Matoran for a thousand years.. Subsequent Vatuka populations beneath the island were not separately catalogued. The Onu-WahiOnu-WahiThe underground kingdom of Mata Nui, home to the Onu-Matoran and Toa Onua. tunnels themselves were extensively reworked over the years that followed by Onu-MatoranOnu-MatoranEarth-wielding Matoran of the deep who adapted to darkness and built the Matoran Universe's defensive cavalry. expansion and by the deeper diggings of the Onu-KoroOnu-KoroOnu-Koro was the earth engineers' city, where underground isolation created one of Mata Nui's most self-sufficient settlements, until the Bohrok came. miners, and what was left of the deep galleries was destroyed along with the rest of the island when the 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. robot finally awakened and rose from the southern sea.

The Vatuka therefore survives as a brief but well-attested entry in 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.'s reference works, a creature whose principal claim on the canon is the single occasion on which it stole 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. from a TuragaTuragaFormer Toa who fulfilled their destiny and transformed into leaders. Turaga wield Noble Kanohi masks and weakened elemental powers, guiding their communities. and forced the ChroniclerChroniclerThe Matoran role of recording history and Toa deeds through word and carving, held by figures like Takua and Hahli. underground to retrieve it. The chain of 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. recoveries that followed brought the six Toa StonesToa 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. back into Ta-KoroTa-KoroTa-Koro was a settlement located in Ta-Wahi, home to the Ta-Matoran, Tahu, and Vakama, and formerly connected to Teridax. The settlement was ultimately destroyed. and made possible the summoning that would deliver the Toa MataWho are the Toa Mata?Six warriors built to order by Artakha, stored in canisters, dropped into the ocean. This is the origin story of Bionicle's heroes and why their first week of work was entirely amnesiac. to the island. The Vatuka's kidnapping of 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. was, by the unintended accounting of its own actions, the first event in the sequence that ended with the Toa arriving on the shore of Mata NuiMata Nui (Location)An island created by accident on the Great Spirit's face, home to the Matoran for a thousand years..