Archives (Metru Nui)

"Any more surprises down here I should know about?" "That's what this place is all about, Nuju. Welcome to the Archives."

- Toa Metru Nuju and Whenua, Disks of Danger

The Archives, sometimes referred to as the Great Archives, is a large museum complex based in Onu-Metru and extending under all of the city of Metru Nui.

History
The Archives began aboveground, but continually expanded underground until they included the current span of the Archives, which extends beyond the coast of the city. The Archives housed at least one of every Rahi that the Matoran encountered on Metru Nui, which were kept in Stasis Tubes. Whenever a Rahi died, it would be taken to a Dissection Lab. There were also various artifacts kept there, including samples of ancient Matoran tools and carvings, as well as exhibits of Matoran art. It housed several inactive Bohrok, Krana, and Rahkshi that had been unearthed by Onu-Matoran miners, but it's main purpose was to preserve and study all of the known Rahi species.

Guided tours of the Archives were available and recommended, not only for their informative value on the different species of Rahi, but also because a visitor without an Onu-Matoran guide ran a great risk of getting lost. Visitors were allowed and welcomed in the Archives from one hour after suns' rise until exactly sunset. Some of the less dangerous exhibits were kept on public display, but the others were kept in the sub-levels that extended deep beneath Metru Nui. These contain the most dangerous exhibits in the archives. Access for any level below level five where the sublevels were contained was permitted for Archives personnel only, due to the number of dangerous creatures housed down below; some levels are so restricted that even Vahki were not permitted to enter. Many of the sub-levels are so deep that they descend below the Liquid Protodermis seas. Onu-Matoran sometimes played Kanoka Toss in these sub-levels in the deep darkness. The most dangerous of the sub-levels is the area known as the Fikou Web, where many Archivists have gotten lost and never found a way out. This level is also the former home of Krahka and many wild Rahkshi.

Each entrance to the different levels of the Archives was guarded by one guard and the entrance doors had locks consisting of three levers that changed their position every day. Only the guard on duty knew the combination and position of the levers.

Whenua, Mavrah, Tehutti, Onepu, and Nuparu all worked in the Archives as Archivists. These Matoran had to study Rahi that were in the sub-levels, which were not always kept in Stasis Tubes. Archivists often used Archives Transport Carts to move exhibits from one area of the Archives to another. An Onu-Matoran known as the Chief Archivist made major decisions concerning the Archives along with Turaga Dume.

Over 1,000 years ago, an event know as the Archives Massacre took place in the sub-levels of the Archives. After four centuries of the Metru Nui Civil War in Metru Nui, Makuta Miserix ordered his lieutenant Teridax to put a stop to the conflict. Teridax responded by sealing large portions of the opposing armies in the Archives and unleashing the Rahi exhibits on them. The aftermath of the Massacre was described as being "quite a mess to clean up later". When Teridax overloaded the city's power grid, the resulting reaction caused an earthquake that shattered the Archives. This destroyed many of the stasis tubes that housed the Rahi, setting them loose into the city. The Archives were also heavily patrolled by the Visorak during their occupation of the city. This patrol granted them easier access to Rahi that had not yet left the Archives and needed to be mutated. Their occupation in the Archives damaged it further and greatly threatened the Rahi population.

After 1,000 years of vacancy, the Archives were slowly reconstructed by the Matoran who returned to the city, and they were repaired completely as a result of the Staff of Artakha's usage. However, many of the Rahi that escaped were still loose.

After Teridax was defeated at the hands of Mata Nui, the Archives were damaged.

Toa Empire Alternate Universe
In a different reality, the Archives were used as a trophy section of Metru Nui. Included inside it are such things as the Spear of Fusion, the Shadowed One's Staff of Protodermis, the Kraahkan, and the mutated Toa Naho. Turaga Dume was also captured and placed inside a Stasis Tube but was later freed by Takanuva.

Appearances

 * The Mutran Chronicles (Mentioned Only)
 * BIONICLE Adventures 1: Mystery of Metru Nui (First Appearance)
 * Comic 16: Toa Metru!
 * BIONICLE Adventures 2: Trial by Fire
 * Lunchable Comic 1
 * Comic 17: Disks of Danger
 * Comic 19: Enemies of Metru Nui
 * BIONICLE Adventures 3: The Darkness Below
 * Comic 20: Struggle in the Sky (Mentioned Only)
 * BIONICLE Adventures 5: Voyage of Fear (Mentioned Only)
 * Comic 21: Dreams of Darkness
 * Comic 22: Monsters in the Dark (Mentioned Only)
 * Comic 24: Shadow Play
 * Comic 25: Birth of the Rahaga
 * Comic 26: Hanging by a Thread
 * The Dweller Report
 * BIONICLE Legends 7: Prisoners of the Pit (Mentioned Only)
 * Toa Nuva Blog (Mentioned Only)
 * BIONICLE Legends 10: Swamp of Secrets
 * Dark Mirror (In a Alternate Universe)
 * Destiny War (Mentioned Only)
 * Dwellers in Darkness
 * Takanuva's Blog
 * Reign of Shadows
 * BIONICLE: Metru Nui - City of Legends
 * BIONICLE: Rahi Beasts (Mentioned Only)
 * BIONICLE: Dark Hunters (Mentioned Only)
 * BIONICLE: Encyclopedia (Mentioned Only)
 * BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated (Mentioned Only)
 * Whenua's Toa Metru Mini Promo CD
 * Nokama's Toa Metru Mini Promo CD (Mentioned Only)
 * Toa Metru Promo Animations
 * Vahki Online Animations
 * Vahki Promo Animation (Non-canonical Appearance)
 * The Search for the Mask of Light
 * BIONICLE: Quest for Keetongu (Non-canonical Appearance)