Battle Against the Kanohi Dragon

"I should have guessed. The Kanohi Dragon is the weapon, but the hand that wields it belongs to the Shadowed One."
— Dume to Vezok, Avak, and Reidak, Legacy of Evil

Battle Against the Kanohi Dragon
Battle/Conflict
Conflict	Dark Hunters unleash the Kanohi Dragon upon Metru Nui, resulting in the summoning of the Toa Mangai
Combatants	Dark Hunters Toa Mangai
Location	Metru Nui
Result	Toa Mangai are summoned to defend Metru Nui

The Battle Against the Kanohi Dragon was a bid by The Shadowed One to secure a base on Metru Nui by demonstrating the Dark Hunter capacity to defend the city. This backfired when the Toa Mangai were summoned by Turaga Dume.

Goals

Dark Hunters

• Unleash the Kanohi Dragon to wreak havoc in Metru Nui and place Turaga Dume in an impossible situation.
• Swoop in to defend the city and secure a base for the Dark Hunters.

Kanohi Dragon

• Secure and defend the Great Furnace from the Matoran.

Dume

• Refuse the Dark Hunters a base.
• Ensure the wellbeing of the city.

Toa Mangai

• Save the city from the Dark Hunters and the Kanohi Dragon.

Summary

Years after having his request of a Dark Hunter base in the city rejected by Turaga Dume, the Shadowed One deploys three of his Dark Hunters, Vezok, Avak, and Reidak, to unleash the Kanohi Dragon upon the city. Dume had already recognized that the Dark Hunters' intention to overthrow him and secure control of the city. However, to date there had been no attempt to conquer or destroy the city due to its importance in supplying energy to the rest of the universe. Because of this, the city had never required a standing team of Toa.

Upon arriving, the three Dark Hunters shattered open a frozen seal on an underwater cave containing the Kanohi Dragon. Once unleashed, the Rahi smashed through some Underwater Chutes and made its way underground through the Archives in the direction of the Great Furnace. Mavrah took an interest and attempted to follow, but he was stopped by Whenua and the Chief Archivist. Smashing past Vahki, the dragon arrived beneath Ta-Metru where it emerged upon the surface into the Great Furnace. Matoran from across the city attempted to drive it off unsuccessfully, although many more hid underground. In a desperate bid, Dume deployed a dozen Vahki and sent them flying to the south to find Toa. The Dark Hunters, who were waiting while the dragon wreaked some havoc, noticed these Vahki flying south but disregarded them.

After nightfall, the Dark Hunters approached Dume, offering their help in subduing the Kanohi Dragon in return for a Dark Hunter base in the city. Unfortunately for them, they had scarcely proposed the idea before Dume rejected it, vowing to never let them take root. Enraged, Vezok attacked Dume, only to be stopped by Lhikan. The Toa of Fire had arrived with his team and various other Toa that Lhikan had summoned to answer the call of Dume. With no other option, the Dark Hunters left the city, bringing word of the event to the Shadowed One.

The Toa then turned their attention to defeating the Kanohi Dragon, and after doing battle with it many times with it over the course of a month, and after leveling Ta-Metru in the fighting, they were finally successful in subduing it. While they were attempting to determine what to do with it, Nidhiki attempted to kill the Rahi but couldn't due to its armored scales. Because the Archives weren't safe enough to contain the Dragon, it was kept frozen and carried by barge to Xia where it was left in the hands of Roodaka.

Aftermath

Far from rebuffing the Dark Hunters, the defeat of the Kanohi Dragon would only further whet the Shadowed One's appetite for a base in the city. In the millennium to come, he would launch further attempts at achieving his goal, always unsuccessfully. Following their return from Xia, the Toa Mangai would take up residence in Metru Nui, defending it against subsequent Dark Hunter attacks and Rahi rampages. Dark Hunter and Toa clashes would gradually escalate, culminating in the Toa-Dark Hunter War.

Trivia

• The Kanohi Dragon conflict did not stop work on Metru Nui long enough for Mata Nui to be weakened.
• The Skakdi would later employ a similar strategy on Voya Nui. Avak, now joined by Hakann, would bring forth a beast of fire and stone from Mount Valmai to defeat it, ultimately earning the respect and admiration of the local Matoran.

Appearances

Books
Novels BIONICLE Legends 4: Legacy of Evil (F) Guides BIONICLE: Rahi Beasts (M) (FA) BIONICLE: Encyclopedia (M) Birth of a Dark Hunter (M) BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated (M) BIONICLE: Makuta's Guide to the Universe (M)