The unforgiving island of Voya Nui was a wasteland. This island of doom, as its Matoran inhabitants named it, held secrets that forced the island to become the center of battles between powerful foes.
Once, the crescent-shaped island had been whole, until part of the island dropped away to become Mahri Nui. The two – floating Voya Nui and sunken Mahri Nui – were connected by a stone cord that prevented the island from toppling back into the sea.
Before even Mahri Nui broke off, the island had been part of the World that Feeds the World, Karda Nui. Long before, it had broken free of that enormous cave, and shot to the surface of the ocean.
Deep beneath the surface of Voya Nui, the Chamber of Life held a special Kanohi mask: the Mask of Life. It had been hidden by the Great Beings long, long ago, in case its power was needed. Powerful guardians kept others from claiming the mask, but it truly was needed and so Toa Matoro eventually received the mask. After evacuating the Matoran, he and his fellow Toa destroyed the stone cord supporting the island, which then plummeted to fill the hole it had created in Voya Nui. Mahri Nui was also destroyed by Voya Nui’s fall.