Matoran-Rahi War

The Matoran-Rahi War was a conflict between the matoran of Mata Nui and the local rahi, enslaved by Makuta Teridax to do his will. It took place prior to and during the quest for the masks. Teridax was attempting to exert his control over the matoran, and thus turned the island's rahi against the villagers. However, guided by the wisdom and courage of the Turaga, the matoran refused to cower to the threat. Defense forces sprung up in Ta-Koro, Le-Koro, and Onu-Koro in the forms of the Ta-Koro Guard, Gukko Force, and Ussalry, respectively.

It ended when the Toa Mata defeated Teridax and ended the Rahi threat.

Conflicts

As the threat of rahi increased, several of the bravest matoran organized resistance. Jaller organized the Guard, Kongu created the Gukko Force, and Onepu formed the Ussalry.


 * In Le-Koro, Nui-Rama battled the Le-Matoran, carrying away villagers and taking them to their nests, where they were put to work. The Force fought back, shooting the rahi out of the sky with Gukko Birds manned by two matoran. Turaga Matau and many of the matoran from the village were captured duringthe fighting. They remained until Toa Lewa rescued them, with help from Toa Onua.


 * In Onu-Koro, the matoran encountered tunneling rahi who threatened the matoran's mining work. Onepu's  Ussalry rode Ussal Crabs into battle to combat the forces of Teridax.  Although the city itself wasat ease, the tunnels and mines were filled with danger.  The Ussalry fought vailiantly against the threat, but were outnumbered greatly.  At the climax of the war Onepu was unable to send even a single regiment to help Ta-Koro.

Jaller appears to have been the central commander of the Matoran forces during the war, althought the Koro were independent and free to do what they pleased. He sent out help to other Koro as needed, and requested help from other villages as well. He is known to have sent some of the Ta-Koro guard to Ko-Koro to assist in the defence, but it is thought that they were slain by rahi.
 * Jaller faced massive opposition from all kinds of rahi in Ta-Koro. Teridax poured more rahi into Ta-Koro than any other place in all of Mata Nui.  The Ta-Koro Guard maintained outposts all over thecity, and battled the rahi everywhere they appeared.  Fighting was fircest here, with massive battlesstaged between the matoran and Teridax's minions.  The Charred Forest, once a peacful jungle, wasreduced to its present state due to the fighting.  As Teridax infected more rahi than ever beforeto attack the matoran, Jaller saw that the matoran could not win the war by force alone.  He, alongwith Turaga Vakama, feared that the rahi would overwhelm the cities soon; the matoran couldnot hold much longer.  The Toa Mata decided to journey to Teridax's lair to defeat the Masterof Shadows and end the war, while the Chronicler's Company volunteered to make sure that rahidid not take the Kini-Nui.  Eventually, Jaller was forced to abandon most ofthe outer defences (Such as the Tren Krom Break), and fall back behind the city.  Teridax orderedhis rahi to pull from the rest of Mata Nui to destroy Takua and his friends.  Jaller, Kongu,and Onepu quickly organized their forces and counterattacked the rahi at the Battle of Kini-Nui.The Matoran forces were victorious, and the Toa Mata banished Teridax temporarily, ending the war.

Leaders

Matoran
 * Jaller
 * Onepu
 * Kongu

Rahi
 * Teridax