Mahri Nui

"This is Mahri Nui. Once it was part of a larger island, until it broke off and sunk beneath the sea. Its inhabitants were lucky to survive. Now the Mask of Life has come to Mahri Nui--and their luck has just run out."

- Narration, Comic 6: Web Comic

Mahri Nui was once a coastal village on the island of Voya Nui, before it broke off from the land and sank beneath the waves, landing near the fields of Airweed. It was later crushed by Voya Nui, after the Stone Cord which connected the two locations was destroyed.

History
Shortly after the Great Cataclysm occurred a thousand years ago, the lava flow of Voya Nui's Mount Valmai built up and cooled in the Voya Nui Bay and formed a new landmass. On this new land the Matoran on Voya Nui built a second city called Mahri Nui 900 years ago. Life in Mahri Nui remained uneventful until disaster struck 300 years ago. The fragment of land on which Mahri Nui sat broke free of the floating Voya Nui landmass and sank below the surface of the ocean. The matoran on Voya Nui grieved and tossed food and tools into the ocean to commemorate the lost settlement. Unknown to the inhabitants of Voya Nui, the settlement survived, and the Matoran that sank beneath the sea received these offerings as gifts from Mata Nui. Though the Matoran that sank along with their city were in immediate danger of drowning, a mutagenic substance in the waters surrounding Voya Nui started to mutate the Matoran immersed in it. Before the mutations became too severe, however, the sinking Mahri Nui came to rest on fields of Airweed, where it became lodged between two arches of stone. The force of the impact released a myriad of air bubbles. The Matoran were able to collect these air bubbles together to form larger dome-shaped bubbles that protected them from the ocean waters outside. Their mutations ceased. Although these Matoran were the same Matoran weakened by Karzahni, the mutagen made them bigger and stronger. They soon found that a native kind of Rahi called Hydruka could easily harvest air from Airweed, so they tamed the beasts to do so. Forgetting most of their life on the surface, save for a few fragments, the Matoran named their new home "Mahri Nui." They also formed a Council to help everyone work together, Matoran took turns at leadership, and meetings were held monthly to make plans for the future. Every month, Mahri Nui would get fallen gifts from above, the Voya Nui Matoran still throwing tools into the water in remembrance. Unfortunately, Mahri Nui had become dangerously close to the Pit, where the Order of Mata Nui condemned the world's most vile beings. Some of those beings, a group of warlords called the Barraki, began to terrorize the Matoran. Ehlek, especially, wanted retribution for the Barraki fortress that Mahri Nui crushed when it sank. He later attacked the Matoran in the Battle of Mahri Nui, but the Matoran knew little of their attackers, as they never saw more of them than a passing claw or tentacle, only aware that people kept mysteriously disappearing.

When the Ignika arrived from Voya Nui, things began to change. The Barraki made their presence known to the Matoran, particularly Pridak, who captured a scouting expedition. The Ignika enlarged a Venom Eel to defend itself, and the giant beast threatened Mahri Nui until Defilak shattered its Lightstones, hiding the city in shadows. The Barraki then claimed the Mask of Life, causing it to glow so brightly that all of Mahri Nui was blinded by its light.

The Toa Mahri, mutated by the Ignika, finally arrived. They were believed to be enemies by the Matoran, but eventually made peace. Matoro was recaptured by Hydraxon, mutated by the Ignika from Dekar, and Maxilos was possessed by Makuta Teridax. The Toa Mahri's exploits eventually turned the Barraki against each other, threatening the city and almost destroying it. Eventually, the Toa regained the Mask of Life, and managed to begin the process of saving Mata Nui's life. In the process, they shattered the Cord, and Voya Nui plunged beneath the waves, destroying Mahri Nui.

Geography

 * Fields of Airweed: All around Mahri Nui were large fields of Airweed. It was on these which Mahri Nui crashed into, resulting in many air bubbles raising and encasing around the Matoran, saving them from mutation and drowning. These fields of Airweed were harvested by the Hydruka for air, and were watched over by an assigned Matoran. However, the fields of Airweed were often exposed to danger, so the Matoran kept a safe distance.
 * The Stone Cord: A narrow stone cord that linked Mahri Nui with Voya Nui. This cord had a tunnel to enter Voya Nui.
 * Matoran Council Chamber: A massive room located in the Mahri Nui Fortress. This room was where the Matoran held their council meetings to decide on the city's progress and to store the gifts which came from above.

Quotes
"Help us...city beneath the sea...help us, or we're lost...I...ohhhhh..."

- A Mahri Nui Ta-Matoran, Comic 6: Web Comic