The legend of Bionicle, a combined word from 'biological' and 'chronicle' takes place on a mysterious island called Mata Nui.  In the time before time, the great spirit called Mata Nui brought villagers, called matoran, and their six wise elders, the Turaga, to an island paradise.  Mata Nui also gave them three virtues by which to live.  The Matoran were grateful and they named their island Mata Nui after the Great Spirit.  However, Mata Nui's spirit brother, Makuta, was jealous and wanted the matoran to worship him, so he cast a dark spell over the Great Spirit Mata Nui that made him fall into an endless slumber.  Then makuta put an evil spell over much of the native rahi, the matoran word for island animals, that made them attack villages and wreck the island.  The Matoran and their Turaga kept faith in a legend through these hard times, the legend of the Bionicle.  It told of six mighty heroes, called Toa, that would protect the villages and defeat Makuta, and their faith was true- once a matoran nnamed takua gathered 6 mysterious toa stones, strange canisters arrived on Mata Nui's shores. . .the Toa had arrived.

The matoran are the  inhabitants of the six villages.  They are very small in stature, but when they work together they can make things happen.  Matoran carry disks for self defense against Rahi.

Kongu lives in le-koro, village of air-

The Turaga are the wise leaders of the six villages of Mata Nui.  They share stories and legends with the Toa to help them on their quests, and serve as tribe leaders for the Matoran of each village.