Definition
At the time of 80,000 years ago, Barraki was an archaic Matoran word roughly meaning “warlord.”

History
Ninety-five thousand years ago, as a potential means of maintaining order in the world more efficiently, Mata Nui created six beings of power – Pridak, Kalmah, Carapar, Mantax, Ehlek, and Takadox – each of a different race – and made them dictatorial rulers of small territories. Naturally, each of these six became dissatisfied with the amount of power given to them and built up armies of conquest to expand their realms. It was the subjects of their lands who ascribed the title Barraki to these six warlords. Each of the six Barraki became a veteran fighter and raider, coming to believe that they were preordained to rule over others by right of the superior strength and intellect they possessed that made even Toa seem inferior.

Ninety-four thousand years ago, the Barraki teamed together under the leadership of Pridak and formed a union known as the League of Six Kingdoms. Following this act, the Barraki formed an alliance with the island of Xia, placing all of their industrial needs for weapons and other materials for war on the island. Eighty-seven thousand years ago, the League of Six Nations was able to forge a trade pact with Metru Nui. At the height of their power, the Barraki’s rule extended all the way from Xia in the north to the southern islands. No one – not the Brotherhood of Makuta, not the Dark Hunters – could reckon with their might.

Eighty-thousand years ago, the Barraki secretly gathered together at Pridak’s island fortress to enact their ultimate ambition: to amass a grand army to conquer the entire known world in one swift blow, subsequently overthrowing Mata Nui and becoming undisputed rulers of the universe. When they thought that their plans had been entirely unknown, however, a massive army of Toa, Exo-Toa, Rahkshi, and Rahi sent by the Brotherhood of Makuta numbering tens of thousands strong suddenly appeared from the north and slammed into the Barraki’s armies. Although the Barraki fought to the last against this invasion, many of their clearly outmatched troops surrendered or fled. By nightfall, the Barraki were brought bound before their defeater, the Makuta of Metru Nui, displaying no cowardice in his presence. Just as Makuta was about to order the Exo-Toa to destroy the Barraki, a figure named Botar arrived on the scene, claiming the Barraki as his own prisoners. Despite Makuta’s protests, Botar vanished with the six Barraki before his eyes.

While the rest of the world did not feel compelled to wonder about the Barraki’s fate, Botar, a member of the Order of Mata Nui, at that moment had teleported the Barraki to a place of confinement called the Pit. In the months following the Barraki’s mysterious disappearance, their armies and empires were dissolved, and trade was disrupted in many parts of the world. Some of their troops were sent back to their homelands for imprisonment; others were taken in by the Brotherhood of Makuta to serve as slave laborers. The Barraki’s fortresses were destroyed, and their names were effaced from all historical records save that of the Brotherhood’s success. All the while, the Barraki brooded in the Order of Mata Nui’s dungeon, bitterly hating Mata Nui, the Brotherhood of Makuta, and anyone else who still possessed the freedom that they had lost.

The Barraki were held captive in their new prison for tens of thousands of years until, when the Great Cataclysm occurred one thousand years ago, a great quake shattered the dome of the Pit, its barrier against the ocean of the surface world above. The mutagenic ocean waters entirely submerged the Pit, and every one of its prisoners began to change. Immediately the Barraki mutated so that they could breathe water. By the time their mutation became complete, they had become hideous creatures resembling monsters of the deep sea.

The Barraki were free of the Pit’s confines but at the same time could not leave their new underwater environment, for they could no longer breathe air. Surrounded by other monsters of the deep, the Barraki quickly learned the rules of their harsh new surroundings of eating or otherwise being eaten. While other prisoners of the Pit freely scattered throughout the ocean, the Barraki established their own territory not far from their old home. This, they thought, was where they take a first step to rebuilding the mighty empire they had lost.

Soon after the Barraki’s escape from the pit, Ehlek built a fortress for the Barraki. Kalmah also discovered the Octo Cave, an undersea cavern in which life-sucking sea squid dwelled. The Barraki constructed special launchers that could hurl these voracious squid at an enemy. Each of the Barraki also learned how to command armies of sea creatures similar to themselves by becoming the “alpha males.” In this new way of life, the Barraki ruled the sea.

Three-hundred years ago, however, Ehlek’s Barraki fortress was crushed and destroyed by Mahri Nui when the Matoran city sank beneath the surface of the ocean and landed on top of it. Though the Matoran of Mahri Nui were able to maintain a fragile existence underwater, the Barraki always held some resentment toward them, sporadically picking off the Matoran for sport over the years.

In recent days, Kalmah received a report of a strange Kanohi mask coming into possession of the Matoran of Mahri Nui. Kalmah quickly spread the news to the other Barraki, and the six met together at the Razor Whale’s Teeth about this mask’s appearance in the Pit, suspecting it to be the Mask of Life. While Carapar and Takadox abducted the Ga-Matoran who was seen retrieving the mask (Kyrehx), Pridak and his legion of Takea sharks attacked the Matoran’s first exploratory undersea vehicle to interrogate the Matoran inside. Ehlek simply used the mask’s appearance as an excuse to unleash his army of Venom Eels on Mahri Nui to revenge himself on the Matoran. No one got any leads as to where the Mask of Life was until Kalmah and Mantax spotted a Po-Matoran (Dekar) swimming with it toward an undersea cave. Kalmah and Mantax followed Dekar into the cave just as he brought a blow down to the mask in an attempt to destroy it. In defense, the Ignika sent a beam of energy deep into the cavern. A giant Venom Eel, roughly 300 feet long, emerged and swam out of the cave, going on a destructive rampage on everything in sight. While each Barraki reacted differently in the confusion, the Venom Eel eventually wrapped itself around the stone cord leading from Mahri Rock to an unknown location on the surface after hearing sounds of battle coming from the inside. Eventually, all the Barraki except Takadox, who was knocked unconscious in an attempt to hypnotize the giant Venom Eel, cornered Dekar with the Ignika in the cave. When Pridak grabbed the mask, however, a searing flash of light and energy suddenly exploded out of the Ignika that illuminated all of Mahri Rock.

Personalities
Each of the Barraki held the belief that they were superior to others given the fact that they were stronger, more intelligent, and more apt to rule over their lives. Although none of the Barraki would have hesitated to betray another for personal survival or gain, they never harmed one another unless it was absolutely practical to do so. Barraki respected one another as leaders and commanders, but none truly cared for the well-being of another. Given the fact that they were trapped together in the same prison for almost 80,000 years, they forged a close camaraderie; but also given the chance to return to their former power through the Kanohi Ignika, it suited them just fine to push and shove one another out of their way to freedom.

Physical Traits
After their escape from the original Pit, each Barraki carried a squid launcher. Each was also in command of a vast army of undersea creatures. Most of the Barraki also relied entirely on physical melee combat rather than on special abilities. The Barraki also devised special clips on their armor that carried sea squid for them.