Blade Burrower

"When I lived in the Archives, I tried mapping the Blade Burrower tunnels. They don't seem to be random at all. It seems like they are building something. What it might be, and why, I don't know."

- Rahaga Bomonga, Rahi Beasts

Blade Burrowers were powerful, mysterious, and dangerous Rahi.

History
The Great Beings tampered with the makeup of the Blade Burrowers, which caused the Rahi to begin digging a series of tunnels as a result.

It was told to beginner Metru Nui workers that if they wandered off while on the job a Blade Burrower would snatch them with its long tail.

The Blade Burrowers' form was created by Makuta Mutran, and used by the Barraki warlord Kalmah during his reign in the League of Six Kingdoms. Mutran programmed the Blade Burrowers he sent to Kalmah to die after a period of several days.

Whilst searching through the remains of Kalmah's fortress after the defeat of the League of Six Kingdoms, Mutran noticed the Burrowers, who had mysteriously survived their programmed expiration date. He was intrigued by the series of tunnels they were creating, although he was unable to decipher the meaning. He later forced a captured Toa with a Kanohi Rau to attempt to speak to the Rahi, but the Rahi were unable to convey the meaning behind their behavior.

Rahaga Bomonga attempted to follow a population of Blade Burrowers in Metru Nui, in an attempt to map out their tunnel patterns, but was also unsuccessful in the task.

After the Battle of Bara Magna, the Blade Burrowers traveled to Spherus Magna.

Abilities and Traits
Using their strong claws, Blade Burrowers dug tunnels endlessly in a specific pattern when they gathered in sufficient numbers. In the Archives, Archivists would occasionally mistake these passageways to be parts of the Archives, wandered down them, and would never be seen again.

Blade Burrowers possessed very poor eyesight; instead of using sight to hunt down prey, they used their sense of smell. When food in the Archives began to run low, they often ventured to the surface and caused massive destruction in their search for food. When the Vahki were still active, they used to put these raging Blade Burrowers into holding containers as quickly as possible, for the Rahi had long club-like tails that they could swing around, knocking others over and causing them to run, thus causing even more trouble.

Trivia

 * The Blade Burrower model was designed by Daniel Settle.
 * The pattern of tunnels that the Blade Burrowers often dug was in the shape of the symbol that represented the Three Virtues; Unity, Duty, and Destiny. It was meant to remind the Great Spirit of his mission.