Voya Nui
"The stars call it Voya Nui. But they have another name for it as well: 'the daggers of Death.' I fear the second name may be more accurate."
— Turaga Dume, Island of Doom
| Voya Nui | |
| |
| Island | |
| Status | Dismantled |
| Inhabitants | Matoran of Voya Nui (formerly) Turaga Jovan (formerly) Axonn (formerly) Brutaka (formerly) |
| Population | Several hundred Matoran[1] (formerly) 1 Turaga (formerly) Various Rahi (formerly) |
| Assigned Makuta | Makuta Mutran (while part of the Southern Continent) |
| Position | Aqua Magna (formerly) Southern Continent |
| Pronunciation | VOE-yah NOO-ee |
Voya Nui was once the central northern part of the Southern Continent of the Matoran Universe, but broke off and became a floating island. It has since returned to its original position on the Southern Continent. It was also referred to as the "Daggers of Death" and the "Island of Doom" in the Matoran Language.
History
During the final completion stages of the Matoran Universe, the area of Voya Nui was chosen by the Great Beings as the hiding place of the Kanohi Ignika. A population of Matoran improperly rebuilt by Karzahni was shipped from his realm to the Southern Continent as to not remind the ruler of his failure, and there they established a village they named Voya Nui, or Great Voyage, as a reminder of the great journey they had taken. The Order of Mata Nui stationed Axonn and Brutaka in this region to protect its local Matoran population and guard the secret of the Mask of Life's location. After the Matoran Civil War of Metru Nui, Voya Nui was part of the region overseen by Makuta Mutran.
During the Great Cataclysm, owing to the unusual geological conditions surrounding the region,[2] it was dislodged from the Great Spirit's body and was sent flying through the wall of the dome which contained the continent. In doing so, it created a hole in the continent's dome and the dome of Karda Nui, of which it rested on top of. Voya Nui eventually came to rest on the surface of Aqua Magna, and seawater from the planet began to flow through into the Matoran Universe. This action created the Giant Waterfall which flooded Karda Nui, resulting in the creation of the Swamp of Secrets. Due to the sturdy construction of the island,[3] and because it happened so fast,[4] both Voya Nui and the Matoran managed to survive the ascent, and the villagers continued their lives on the new island in the village they named Voya Nui.
Soon after the Great Cataclysm, the volcano in the island's center, Mount Valmai, erupted, creating a new part of the island covering the Voya Nui Bay. Voya Nui continued to drift as a floating island, and finally stopped when the coastal city of Mahri Nui built onto the new part of the island sank into the sea. The Cord, a stone tunnel filled with labyrinthine passageways, was created between Voya Nui and Mahri Nui and acted as an anchor, stationing Voya Nui in place above the Pit.
After this disaster, a new tradition was made on Voya Nui. As a tribute to commemorate their lost brothers and sisters, the Matoran would gather twice a year on the coast and throw various objects into the sea, such as carvings of Voya Nui, Matoran figurines, or handcrafted masks. The relics ended up in Mahri Nui, where they fueled many legends about the past of the city's inhabitants, their future, and their role in the greater universe.[5]
Five hundred years after the Great Cataclysm occurred, a hurricane swept over the island, causing great damage to the Matoran settlement. The Matoran population were able to escape harm by evacuating to caves to the east of the village during the storm.
The seven rogue Skakdi Dark Hunters known as the Piraka learned of Voya Nui through a telepathic message sent by Makuta Teridax. Vezon abandoned the others and used a Toa Canister to arrive on the island, where he traveled to the Chamber of Life and was cursed by the Mask of Life and fused to the enlarged Fenrakk Spawn, Fenrakk. The other six Piraka arrived soon afterward and posed as Toa to gain the trust of the local Matoran and use their labor to find the mask and construct the Piraka Stronghold, later using Zamor Spheres filled with Antidermis to enslave the Matoran, except the Matoran Resistance who escaped.
After the Matoran of Mata Nui returned to Metru Nui, the Toa Nuva traveled to Voya Nui to claim the Kanohi Ignika and save the life of the Great Spirit. However, they were defeated by the Piraka and nearly killed before a volcanic eruption from Mount Valmai inadvertently saved them. Joining forces with the Matoran Resistance, the Toa Nuva confronted the Piraka again but were swiftly defeated. The newly-transformed Toa Inika soon joined the conflict, battling both Piraka and fallen Order of Mata Nui member Brutaka before both the Piraka and Toa confronted Vezon, guardian of the mask, the then Inika managed to momentarily claim the mask. The Kanohi Ignika escaped the possession of the Toa and traveled to Mahri Nui, with the Toa in hot pursuit.
When the Toa Mahri destroyed the Cord, Voya Nui was returned to its former position in the Southern Continent. Much of its landscape was destroyed. Despite this, the Matoran, having taken refuge in the Nui Caves, successfully returned to the Matoran Universe in safety and began rebuilding their settlements.
After the defeat of Makuta Teridax, the continent's inhabitants, along with the rest of the universe's inhabitants, emigrated from the Matoran Universe onto Spherus Magna and Voya Nui, along with all other locations, was dismantled.[6][7]
Alternate Universes
Toa Empire Alternate Universe
In this alternate universe, the Toa Gaaki, Bomonga, and Pouks, operating at the behest of the oppressive dictatorship of the Toa Empire, killed Brutaka in order to proceed with an inspection of Voya Nui.
Landscape
Voya Nui is a central area of the Southern Continent. Home to the Kanohi Ignika, many of the island's geographic features reflect this, including the Green Belt, a perpetual area of forestation. It was home to a large population of Matoran, who were poorly repaired and sent there by Karzahni.[8] The Matoran created a variety of locations, including a Cavern of Historical Records and a Canyon Fortress. The area also lay on top of the Nui Caves, an extensive network of caverns originally home to Av-Matoran. Other geographical features include the Cape of No Hope and the Desert of Sorrows.
It became an entire island when a volcanic eruption[9][10] triggered by the Great Cataclysm ripped it from the Southern Continent, sending it straight through the shell of the Matoran Universe and coming to rest floating in the waters of Aqua Magna. A Ring of Ice eventually accumulated around the island, barring almost any sea access to it, with the only reason for the island's inland remaining unfrozen being the heat of its burning core.[11]. The strong sea currents of the Sea of Blackness formed the island into a streamlined crescent shape.[12][13][14] After becoming a separate island, Voya Nui faced many hardships, including diminishing liquid protodermis reserves, droughts and low water supply,[15][16][17] and famine.[18] The island was extremely dangerous, as it was often beset by unexpected earthquakes, lightning storms,[19] volcanic eruptions and other dangers such as Rahi. Because of this, the Matoran of Voya Nui all united together in a single village for unity and security, which later became the Matoran Fortress.[16][20] Resources such as water and food were often scarce on the island, forcing the Matoran to scavenge for what they could find. When the Piraka arrived on Voya Nui, they built a massive fortress, as well as several outposts and tampered with the lava reserves on the island by attempting to drain the lake, believing the Ignika to be at the bottom.
Mount Valmai
At the center of Voya Nui was the active volcano Mount Valmai, named after an ancient Matoran term for "cursed place", with a Lake of Lava in its center. It served as the island's only source of energy, being the sole reason for its inhabitants' survival.[16][9][11] However, it was running out of energy and was due to explode.[16][21][11]
Needle Rock
Needle Rock was a needle-shaped rock formation on the far south-west of the island that overlooked a valley in the Green Belt. Standing atop the 'eye of the needle', one could view the entire valley, with the exception of a small invisible corner, which marks the passage leading to the Chamber of Life, hence the riddle: "What the eye cannot see is where the mask bearer flees". The 'eye of the needle' was carved out by one of the Matoran who sunk beneath the waves along with Mahri Nui.[16][22][23][24][11]
Path to the Ignika
The Great Beings designated Voya Nui as the hiding spot for the Ignika, and created a pathway to underneath the island hidden in a valley inside the Green Belt. Along the pathway are several traps and chambers, all designed to keep the unworthy from possessing the mask. Beginning at the 777 Stairs carved into the volcano, the path goes through the Zone of Nightmares, the Chamber of Death, past the Lava Chamber Gate and ending in the Chamber of Life, where the Ignika is intended to be housed.
Voya Nui Bay
When Voya Nui was an island, the inner area of the crescent became known as Voya Nui Bay. It was known for its incredibly strong currents, and lava flowed to here from the volcano, eventually forming enough land to colonize.[16] The Matoran built another settlement there, which they called Mahri Nui. However, the unstable ground eventually gave way, causing Mahri Nui to sink. Due to the surrounding ring of ice, the Lagoon Entrance and its lighthouse[22][25][26] were the only safe way to enter the bay.
Former Inhabitants
Matoran
The island was inhabited by several hundred Matoran,[1] all belonging to the six major tribes of Matoran.[8][27] The Matoran here also were all rebuilt by Karzahni prior to being relocated to the Southern Continent. There were once multiple villages on the island. However, due to the constant dangers, the Matoran eventually moved together into one single village.[28] The Matoran of Mahri Nui were originally part of this population, before the city of Mahri Nui sunk into the sea. In order for the Toa Mahri to destroy the Cord, the Matoran of Mahri Nui migrated to Voya Nui. After the island was returned to its place, they all lived together on the Southern Continent. However, due to the critical damage sustained by the Mata Nui Robot in the Battle of Bara Magna, they have since immigrated to Spherus Magna.
- Balta
- Dalu
- Dezalk
- Garan
- Kazi
- Piruk
- Velika
- A Ta-Matoran who predicted the approach of a hurricane approximately 500 years into the Dark Time[29]
- A Ko-Matoran who was the second victim of the Piraka's Antidermis Zamor Spheres.[30]
- Many Matoran in Voya Nui who died during the Great Cataclysm along with Jovan.[31][32]
- All of the Matoran of Mahri Nui
Rahi
Voya Nui was home to many Rahi species. Below is a list of Rahi which were known to reside on Voya Nui.
- Burnak[26]
- Dagger Spider[33]
- Doom Viper[34]
- Fenrakk Spawn[35]
- Fikou[26]
- Gafna[26]
- Hikaki[26]
- Kikanalo[36]
- Kofo-Jaga[26]
- Lava Ape[26]
- Lava Crawler[37]
- Lava Eel[38]
- Lava Hawk[39]
- Manutri[40]
- Pit War Tortoise[41]
- Protodite[42]
- Sand Screamer[44]
- Shore Turtle[26]
- Ussal[26]
- Visorak[45]
Other Beings
The Great Beings, and later the Order of Mata Nui, posted these beings on Voya Nui as guardians of the Kanohi Ignika.
Trivia
- The Matoran Alphabet of Voya Nui is written inside hexagons, as opposed to the circles the Matoran of Metru Nui use.
- Early in the development of the 2006 storyline, Voya Nui was called Moku Nui, Moko Nui, and Lana Nui.
- According to early story documents, Voya Nui was originally planned to be inhabited by beings known as Rana.
Appearances
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|---|---|---|---|
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Online Games
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References
See also
| Locations | ||
| Solis Magna | Spherus Magna (Aqua Magna | Bara Magna | Bota Magna) | Red Star | |
| Matoran Universe (Mata Nui) |
Metru Nui (Maze of Shadows) | Karzahni | Zakaz | Xia (The Mountain) | Northern Continent (Tren Krom Peninsula) | Artakha | Stelt | Odina | Southern Continent (Voya Nui, Mahri Nui) | Karda Nui | The Pit | Destral | Nynrah | Tren Krom's Island | Visorak | Daxia | Southern Islands (Artidax) | |
| Alternate Locations |
Pocket Dimensions |
Zone of Darkness | City of Silver |
| Alternate Universes |
The Melding | Spherus Magna | Toa Empire | The Kingdom | |
| Other Locations | ||
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