Artakha (Location)

	Artakha (Location) contains canon BIONICLE info. This article contains canon information but has fanon info added to it. Therefore, this article shouldn't be deleted, since this article also contains fanon info. The canon version of this page can be viewed (Location) here.

"Artakha can go from beautiful and idyllic one moment to dark and forbidding the next, depending on what impression its ruler seeks to make."

―Toa Helryx, World

Artakha (Location)
Location
Position	West of the Northern Continent
Size	Unknown
Population	None
Status	Destroyed
Pronunciation	arr-TOCK-ah

Artakha was an island in the Matoran Universe, upon which was situated the domain of Artakha. Widely regarded as a safe haven for the most elite Matoran crafters, the realm was presided over by Makuta Kojol prior to its isolation.

History

Early History

Artakha was originally created by the Great Beings and intended to be part of the Matoran Universe. During the island's formation, Artakha was known to have battled Karzahni for possession of the Mask of Creation and the right to govern over the land. As a result, Artakha emerged victorious and claimed the Mask of Creation, vowing that the realm would serve as a sanctuary for the most gifted Matoran crafters, naming the island after himself. Notably, Artakha was known to have constructed a fortress in the central reaches of the island, leaving the coastal portion largely untouched.

With its position unknown to the rest of the Matoran Universe, the island was devoid of wildlife for some time, until Artakha saw fit to try his luck at Rahi creation, forming the highly volatile Crystal Serpents.

Shortly before the activation of the Great Spirit Robot, the Great Beings commissioned a dedicated Toa team that would later come to be known as the Toa Mata. Charging Artahka with the creation of these Toa and contracting Toa Helryx to discretely train them; Toa Tahu, Gali, Onua, Pohatu, Kopaka, and Lewa thus came into existence on Artakha. These six Toa would later go down in Matoran legend as the principle Toa-guardians of the universe, to be summoned only in the direst of global emergencies, their destiny tied to the continued maintenance of the Great Spirit Mata Nui.

For many centuries, the Matoran residents of the island labored on a number of projects at Artakha's instruction, playing minor roles in the construction of the Rockoh T3 and Jetrax T6 in the months after the Toa Mata were created. During this time, Artakha and his disciples were known to have crafted a number of remarkable creations, including the Adaptive Armor, Kanohi Nuva, Nuva Cube, Great Disks, Toa Canisters, two copies of the Kanohi Olmak, the Spear of Fusion and the Staff of Artakha. Matoran crafters also came to be tasked with large-scale assembly of the Maxilos Robots, which were to be commissioned as the guardians of the Pit and automaton footsoldiers of the Hand of Artakha. Most notably, however, Artakha concerned himself with the creation of Toa Tools, crafting instruments to equip the universe's Toa population.

Raid of Artakha

Two Matoran crafters laboring on Artakha

In the aftermath of the Great Disruption, Makuta Kojol was assigned to patrol Artakha, keeping a watchful eye on the inhabitants for several years until he settled into his own affairs, creating flying and marine Rahi to populate the realm. Some time after Kojol's arrival on the island, however, Artakha would forge the Kanohi Avohkii, a Kanohi that granted its bearer Toa-level range and strength of Elemental Light powers. Shortly before the acceleration of the Brotherhood of Makuta's Grand Plan, Kojol would raid Artakha to retrieve the mask. Kojol's strike force sustained damage from the local Crystal Serpents and the island's defensive fortifications. However, the Rahkshi distracted the defenses long enough for the Exo-Toa to deploy, leaving the island's Matoran inhabitants unable to stop the theft of the Kanohi.

After Kojol's raid, Artakha demanded that the Order of Mata Nui remove all traces of his realm's existence. The Order complied, commissioning Tobduk to eliminate everyone who knew where the realm was located, including Order members and Kojol himself. The Order also destroyed all existing maps showing Artakha. Meanwhile, the residents of Artakha destroyed a larger, uninhabited island nearby, along with the land bridge that had connected them at one point.

Following the universal shockwave caused by the Great Cataclysm, vast regions of the island were damaged, prompting the Matoran to act quickly to repair the damage.

Weathering the Dark Times in isolation from the rest of the Matoran Universe, Artakha would eventually summon the Toa Nuva once they had liberated the island of Mata Nui and completed the Scroll of Preparation. Sending a Ga-Matoran envoy to guide the Toa from Daxia, Artakha then teleported the Toa to his realm, taking the opportunity to dramatically alter the landscape once they arrived. Once satisfied that the Toa had completed the tasks detailed in the Scroll of Preparation, Artakha equipped the Toa Nuva with the Adaptive Armor and dispatched them to the Universe Core, where they were tasked with completing their destiny and awakening Mata Nui.

Reign of Shadows

After Makuta Teridax took control of the Matoran Universe and announced the success of his plan, Eritraa was forced to find shelter from the Brotherhood of Makuta armies that razed the Matoran Universe, endeavoring to fortify Artakha from invasion. Assaulted by legions of Rahkshi, however, Artakha eventually fell to the Brotherhood of Makuta and the Matoran denizens were captured.

Toa Lewa was known to have witnessed the fall of the island and attempted to intervene, only for Artakha himself to teleport him to the island of Tren Krom to entreat the ancient entity to ally with the Toa against Teridax. Artakha himself would notably be forced to flee the island as a result of the siege, teleporting to the Core Processor. The Matoran occupants of the realm were enslaved for some time as a result.

Artakha was heavily damaged when a fragment of Aqua Magna collided with Teridax's head during his battle with Mata Nui. The surviving Matoran evacuated the Matoran Universe for the surface of Spherus Magna.

Landscape

The urban landscape of Artakha Fortress.

Synonymous with innovation and the Matoran principle of Creation, the realm of Artakha existed in a constant state of restructure, with the city infrastructure changing frequently. Notably, a metallic statue of a Kanohi Hau was known to mark the center of the Matoran residential district, symbolizing the protective nature of Mata Nui.

Largely untouched, the Fortress of Artakha's operations took up only a small portion of the island's central region. As such, the landmass had the outward appearance of an island untouched by civilization, with an abundance of tropical woodland and local plant specimens unique to the blistering heat and harsh climate of Artakha. In leaving the southern outlands unexplored, the denizens of Artakha were able to keep the atmospheric dome of their homeland balanced, with moisture creating frequent cloud-cover that often obscured the coastal features and warded off travelers.

Artakha Fortress

Located to the center of the island, the Artakha Fortress was a highly-secured facility, known to house many of the treasures of the Matoran Universe. As Artakha's primary workstation, the Fortress also boasted an impressive series of laboratories, armories, and data archives.

Inhabitants

• Artakha - Formerly
• Elite Matoran crafters - All Formerly
  • Eritraa
• Makuta Kojol - Formerly; Deceased
• Crystal Serpent population - Formerly
• Cre-Matoran - Formerly

Appearances

• BIONICLE Adventures 6: Maze of Shadows - Mentioned
• BIONICLE Legends 8: Downfall
• BIONICLE Legends 9: Shadows in the Sky - Mentioned
• Into the Darkness - Mentioned
• Toa Nuva Blog
• The Mutran Chronicles - Mentioned
• Dark Mirror - Alternate Universe; Mentioned
• Brothers In Arms - Mentioned
• Reign of Shadows