Matoran Civil War

"There is nothing quite so... amusing... as Matoran at war with each other. There they are, with their powerless masks and their little weapons, trying to look formidable as they march into battle."
— Makuta Mutran, The Mutran Chronicles

Matoran Civil War
← Energy StormsGreat Disruption →
Event
Witnesses	Matoran on Metru Nui Brotherhood of Makuta
Time	79,500 years to 79,100 years ago
Actions	Matoran war against each other Mata Nui falls ill
Significance	Major

The Matoran Civil War was a 400-year-long conflict in Metru Nui prompted by a dispute between Ta-Metru and Po-Metru regarding boundaries and trade.

History

Minor disputes between the Po-Matoran and the Ta-Matoran evolved into a full-scale war after the Po-Matoran sank multiple transport barges and the Ta-Matoran melted a Po-Metru warehouse using Molten Protodermis. The Onu-Matoran then allied with the Ta-Matoran, while the Le-Matoran allied with the Po-Matoran. The Ko-Matoran attempted to intervene, but when they were ignored, they joined the Po-Matoran. The Ga-Matoran attempted to stay neutral, but they failed and allied with the Ta-Matoran.

Warfare

Arguments between Matoran escalated into combat, and the denizens of Metru Nui began fighting in the streets. Most Matoran stopped working, and large sections of the city were destroyed during the war. The Turaga at the time was ineffective and could not prevent the fighting.

Makuta Mutran unleashed several destructive Rahi into the city under the cover of the mayhem.

Archives Massacre

Miserix, the leader of the Brotherhood of Makuta, eventually ordered his trusted lieutenant Teridax to halt the fighting. Teridax took a large number of the Matoran fighters and locked them in the Archives. He then released the various Rahi exhibits on the Matoran, killing a large number of them. The slaughter, which came to be known as the Archives Massacre, put an end to the fighting. However, it gave the Makuta a very bad reputation in Metru Nui.

Aftermath

In order to prevent similar problems in the future, the Makuta were each assigned various regions of the Matoran Universe to watch over. Teridax was assigned Metru Nui as a prize for stopping the war. The Matoran of Metru Nui came to view the Makuta with distrust and fearful respect. The Order of Mata Nui banished the war leaders to the Pit and also placed an agent in the city to head off future problems, as there were no Toa based in Metru Nui at the time.

Because the Matoran of Metru Nui halted their work during the war, Mata Nui grew weak, and the Matoran Universe experienced a period known as the Great Disruption. Mata Nui's condition became so grave that a team of Toa led by Jovan traveled to Karda Nui to revive the Great Spirit. There, one of the team's members donned the Kanohi Ignika, the Mask of Life, and sacrificed himself to restore Mata Nui.

Appearances

Books	Online
Novels BIONICLE Legends 8: Downfall (M) BIONICLE Legends 11: The Final Battle (M) Guides BIONICLE: World (FA) (M) BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated (M) BIONICLE: Makuta's Guide to the Universe (M)	Story Serials The Mutran Chronicles (M)