In the Bionicle storyline, Metru Nui is a huge island city-state located far beneath the surface of the island of Mata Nui; its name literally means "Great City" in the Matoran language. It's measured to be 47.6 by 24 kio (a unit of measurement in the Bionicle universe roughly equal to .85 miles or 1.37 kilometers); or in Earth measurements, 40.46 by 20.4 miles or 65.21 by 32.88 kilometers.
Metru Nui is among the most important sites in the Bionicle world. Whoever controls the city, receives immense influence. Before being damaged in the Great Cataclysm, it served as a vital trading hub where goods were sent to where they were sorely needed; and the power plant produced enough energy to power other cities for free. Its prosperity also seems to have a direct connection to the health of the universe's guardian, the Great Spirit Mata Nui, as Metru Nui must be restored before Mata Nui can awaken from his centuries-long sleep.
Metru Nui is the home of about a thousand Matoran. The city is divided into six districts, or "Metru": Ta-Metru, Ga-Metru, Onu-Metru, Po-Metru, Le-Metru, and Ko-Metru. Each Metru's Matoran play a different role in the smooth running of the city. Metru Nui is ruled by , and was once protected by robotic order enforcement squads called Vahki. Each Metru had a different type of Vahki, but all were highly efficient and relentless enforcers of the laws of the city.
Environment
The city of Metru Nui is actually underground, far below the island that came to be known as Mata Nui. The Matoran living there are generally unaware of this, however; mists obscure the cavern walls (called "the Great Barrier") and give the appearance of a normal sky. Metru Nui's "suns" are actually holes in the planet's surface (specifically one under a glacier near Mt. Ihu, and one in or near Lake Naho). The nature of the "stars" is unknown, but the Great Spirit Mata Nui can direct their movement to deliver prophesies. The city also stands in the center of a vast "Silver Sea" of liquid protodermis.
History
The city of Metru Nui was founded and built roughly a hundred thousand years ago, around the same time that the Brotherhood of Makuta and Order of Mata Nui were founded. Metru Nui's foundations were laid by the Great Beings, and the rest was built by Matoran; the very first Toa was also known to have some involvement. Legend states that Ta-Metru was the first district built, followed by Ga-Metru.
Around eighty thousand years ago, there was a civil war; the fighting took place of all the work normally carried out and this interruption was called the "Great Disruption". Little is known about the four-hundred-year conflict, but it was the Brotherhood of Makuta who ended the fighting. The Order of Mata Nui banished the war leaders to a place known as "the Pit" and placed an agent in the city to ward off further conflicts.
Fifteen thousand years ago, was appointed as the city's leader.
Four thousand years ago, Metru Nui came under siege from a beast unleashed by the Dark Hunters called the Kanohi Dragon. A team of eleven Toa, including Lhikan and Nidhiki, came to the city and drove it off. They chose to stay in the city as the city's resident guardians. The beast was then dumped to the island of Xia.
Three thousand years ago, the Shadowed One wanted to build a Dark Hunter base in Metru Nui, but Turaga Dume refused to work with the Dark Hunters. Frustrated after many several attempts to force Dume's cooperation, the Shadowed One declared war on the city, pitting the Dark Hunters against hundreds of Toa, led by Lhikan, who fought in Metru Nui's defense, led by Lhikan. The battles raged for months as the two sides struggled in urban combat, fighting for every city block. It was during this time that Metru Nui gained its nickname, when the Shadowed One stated "Metru Nui will well and truly be a city of legends since, as is well known, most legends are about the dead." The war eventually ended when Nidhiki attempted to betray the Toa, only for Lhikan to find out and lay a counter-trap that defeated the Hunters, who were expelled from the city.
One thousand years ago, Makuta secretly captured Turaga Dume and took his place. He began sending the city's Toa on missions from which they never returned, and hired a few Dark Hunters to help with his plans: Nidhiki (who had joined the Hunters and been mutated into an insectoid monster) and his partner Krekka would do dirty work inside the city while the Hunter codenamed "Eliminator" was the one to take out the Toa sent on missions. Eventually, only Lhikan was left.
As Makuta released a plant creature called the Morbuzakh on the city's outskirts, Lhikan became suspicious of "Dume". Finding Nidhiki and Krekka in the city worried Lhikan enough to take drastic measures, and he gave Toa Stones to six Matoran so they could become Toa. He was captured by the Dark Hunters just as he finished delivering the Toa Stones, but the six Matoran took them to the Great Temple where they were transformed into Toa Metru.
The new Toa Metru were able to eliminate the threat of the Morbuzakh, but when they tried to gain recognition from "Turaga Dume" he called for their arrest. While the Toa were on the run from the Dark Hunters and the Vahki enforcers, Makuta went forward with his plans and, as Dume, ordered the city's population into Matoran Spheres.
Eventually, the Toa found now-Turaga Lhikan and they realized that "Dume" had indeed betrayed the Matoran. They raced to confront the imposter, only to find that it was too late and the Matoran had all been rendered unconscious in the spheres. While Makuta (who had revealed his identity to the Toa) used his power to put the Great Spirit Mata Nui to sleep, the Toa took some of the spheres and tried to flee the city, intending to come back for the rest. Makuta gave chase but was defeated and imprisoned by the Toa, though not before Lhikan sacrificed himself to save Toa Vakama.
When the Toa Metru returned to Metru Nui after discovering the island of Mata Nui, they found a very different place than the one they left. An earthquake had freed countless beasts from their imprisonment in the Archives, and hordes of Visorak spiders had invaded. The Toa vowed to rescue the Matoran and evacuate them to Mata Nui, but the task was made much more difficult when the Visorak's mutating venom turned them into feral Toa Hordika. In time, though, and with the help of the Rahaga and , the Toa were able to reverse their mutations and evacuate all of the Matoran to Mata Nui.
Over the next thousand years, while the Matoran were living on Mata Nui, Turaga Dume and the Rahaga did what they could to restore and repair the city (though the Rahaga were often away helping other Visorak-conquered lands). Before too long, the Shadowed One stationed the Dark Hunter codenamed "Dweller" in the city permanently, in order to observe and report any news.
In the present day, the path between Mata Nui and Metru Nui has been reopened, and the Matoran have returned to the city along with their new protectors, the Toa Nuva and Toa Takanuva. The Toa Metru are now Turaga themselves, and upon returning have become advisers under Dume's leadership. The Matoran have been busy rebuilding everything. However, the Toa Nuva have recently disappeared from the city, being sent on a mission by the Turaga, leaving Takanuva the city's only guardian. Noticing their disappearance, Jaller of the Ta-Metru guard demanded the Matoran know where the Toa Nuva have gone or else the reconstruction will stop. Turaga Nokama decided to tell him the truth, compelling Jaller to gather five of his friends to make the journey to Voya Nui.
Near the waters of the city, a lone Makuta named Icarax discovers the missing Mask of Shadows thrown into the sea by the Piraka.
The damage caused by the Great Cataclysm was reversed by the Staff of Artahka.
Districts
The Coliseum
The Coliseum is at the center of the city of Metru Nui, where the borders of the six districts meet. It is where sporting events such as Akilini take place, as well as being the main power station for the city. It also serves as 's home. When the Visorak invaded the city, they made the Coliseum their main nesting grounds. In the present day, the ground around the Coliseum has become severely unstable; the Order of Mata Nui agrees with the Turaga's assessment that it is connected to the Great Spirit's failing health. In a possible future where Mata Nui died, the Coliseum sank beneath the ground.
Ta-Metru
Ta-Metru is the place where protodermis is molded and manufactured after it is rid of its impurities in Ga-Metru. Because of all the smoke and heat from the foundries and forges, Matoran from other districts do not like to stay here long. Ta-Metru's landmarks include the Great Furnace, where the Matoran worked to build items for other Metru. The Great Furnace was largely destroyed by the Morbuzakh's King Root, as it was home to the final battle between it and Toa Metru. Other landmarks include the Protodermis Reclamation Yard and Furnace, where unusable items are sent, then later melted down, and the Fire Pits, home to flame geysers which provide the source of fire in the Metru. The Matoran here work as mask-makers, monitors of Protodermis flows, and proto-smiths.
In the Great Cataclysm, much of the molten protodermis spilled and melted most of the metru, but it was the first Metru repaired as rebuilding on other Metru cannot be started until the forges and factories are once again producing materials. The Metru is now home to the Ta-Matoran again, as well as Turaga Vakama.
Ga-Metru
Ga-Metru is the center of educational and spiritual learning in the city; where the schools and research labs are located. The landmarks of the Metru are the Protodermis Purification center, as this district is where liquid protodermis is taken from the Silver Sea and purified so that it could be used elsewhere, and the Fountains of Wisdom, where jets of liquid protodermis emerge from decorative statues. Ga-Metru is very peaceful, and canals of the liquid protodermis span across over the Metru. Ga-Metru is also said to be the second region built in the city, and the most favored by Mata Nui. The Matoran work here as teachers and students.
Just offshore from Ga-Metru is the Great Temple, home to the Toa Suva shrine and other objects of power. The Great Temple survived the Cataclysm intact, but was later damaged by Toa Hordika Vakama. When the Matoran returned to Metru Nui, the residents of the damaged Metru, Turaga Nokama and the Ga-Matoran, soon enough restored the Great Temple. However, the Toa Nuva broke in to find a scroll with a list of instructions that can awaken Mata Nui.
Le-Metru
Le-Metru is the transport hub of the city. Le-Matoran are in charge of the entire city's transport network, particularly the system of chutes that move people and things between Metru. The flurry of activity and the number of wires strung about give the district the feeling of an urban jungle and of (barely) controlled chaos. Le-Metru's Moto-Hub is the largest chute station in Metru Nui, as well as the administration building for chutes, where the main controls are located. There is also a Test Track, where new vehicle designs are made and tested by volunteer Matoran. Given the importance of the transport system, Le-Metru has been given top priority in repairs and the work is almost done.
Po-Metru
Po-Metru is the most natural of all the city districts, as it is made up mainly of rocky mountains and canyons. Po-Matoran like to work outside, assembling goods and carving statues. Rahi attacks and stampedes are somewhat common in this district. Po-Metru's claim to fame is the Sculpture Fields; a large expanse where Po-Matoran work to carve giant statues much too large for any building. Po-Metru suffered the least damage in the Cataclysm, and currently serves as home for most of the population until the other Metrus can be restored.
Onu-Metru
Onu-Metru is home to the Archives, an underground museum complex where Onu-Matoran archivists work hard to preserve artifacts of Metru Nui's history. The archives have actually expanded again and again, to the point where they stretch underneath the whole city (in fact, on the map of Metru Nui the light gray blob constituting most of Onu-Metru is actually the aboveground section of the Archives). Besides just artifacts, Rahi are also kept in the Archives; in stasis, if possible. This Metru is also home to lightstone and protodermis mines, where lightstones to illuminate the city and protodermis to be sent to Ga-Metru for refining. The Cataclysm caused all of the Archives stasis containers to shatter, releasing untold numbers of beasts into the city.
Ko-Metru
Ko-Metru is known best for its Knowledge Towers, which are crystalline structures that can reach so high that their rooftops are often covered with ice. Ko-Matoran are scholars and seers who study and analyze, trying to predict the future. The district is kept incredibly cold, in order to better preserve written documents. Ko-Metru is the quietest district in the city, as Ko-Matoran hate to have their work interrupted. The mythical also made his home in a Ko-Metru cave.
Metru Nui is among the most important sites in the Bionicle world. Whoever controls the city, receives immense influence. Before being damaged in the Great Cataclysm, it served as a vital trading hub where goods were sent to where they were sorely needed; and the power plant produced enough energy to power other cities for free. Its prosperity also seems to have a direct connection to the health of the universe's guardian, the Great Spirit Mata Nui, as Metru Nui must be restored before Mata Nui can awaken from his centuries-long sleep.
Metru Nui is the home of about a thousand Matoran. The city is divided into six districts, or "Metru": Ta-Metru, Ga-Metru, Onu-Metru, Po-Metru, Le-Metru, and Ko-Metru. Each Metru's Matoran play a different role in the smooth running of the city. Metru Nui is ruled by , and was once protected by robotic order enforcement squads called Vahki. Each Metru had a different type of Vahki, but all were highly efficient and relentless enforcers of the laws of the city.
Environment
The city of Metru Nui is actually underground, far below the island that came to be known as Mata Nui. The Matoran living there are generally unaware of this, however; mists obscure the cavern walls (called "the Great Barrier") and give the appearance of a normal sky. Metru Nui's "suns" are actually holes in the planet's surface (specifically one under a glacier near Mt. Ihu, and one in or near Lake Naho). The nature of the "stars" is unknown, but the Great Spirit Mata Nui can direct their movement to deliver prophesies. The city also stands in the center of a vast "Silver Sea" of liquid protodermis.
History
The city of Metru Nui was founded and built roughly a hundred thousand years ago, around the same time that the Brotherhood of Makuta and Order of Mata Nui were founded. Metru Nui's foundations were laid by the Great Beings, and the rest was built by Matoran; the very first Toa was also known to have some involvement. Legend states that Ta-Metru was the first district built, followed by Ga-Metru.
Around eighty thousand years ago, there was a civil war; the fighting took place of all the work normally carried out and this interruption was called the "Great Disruption". Little is known about the four-hundred-year conflict, but it was the Brotherhood of Makuta who ended the fighting. The Order of Mata Nui banished the war leaders to a place known as "the Pit" and placed an agent in the city to ward off further conflicts.
Fifteen thousand years ago, was appointed as the city's leader.
Four thousand years ago, Metru Nui came under siege from a beast unleashed by the Dark Hunters called the Kanohi Dragon. A team of eleven Toa, including Lhikan and Nidhiki, came to the city and drove it off. They chose to stay in the city as the city's resident guardians. The beast was then dumped to the island of Xia.
Three thousand years ago, the Shadowed One wanted to build a Dark Hunter base in Metru Nui, but Turaga Dume refused to work with the Dark Hunters. Frustrated after many several attempts to force Dume's cooperation, the Shadowed One declared war on the city, pitting the Dark Hunters against hundreds of Toa, led by Lhikan, who fought in Metru Nui's defense, led by Lhikan. The battles raged for months as the two sides struggled in urban combat, fighting for every city block. It was during this time that Metru Nui gained its nickname, when the Shadowed One stated "Metru Nui will well and truly be a city of legends since, as is well known, most legends are about the dead." The war eventually ended when Nidhiki attempted to betray the Toa, only for Lhikan to find out and lay a counter-trap that defeated the Hunters, who were expelled from the city.
One thousand years ago, Makuta secretly captured Turaga Dume and took his place. He began sending the city's Toa on missions from which they never returned, and hired a few Dark Hunters to help with his plans: Nidhiki (who had joined the Hunters and been mutated into an insectoid monster) and his partner Krekka would do dirty work inside the city while the Hunter codenamed "Eliminator" was the one to take out the Toa sent on missions. Eventually, only Lhikan was left.
As Makuta released a plant creature called the Morbuzakh on the city's outskirts, Lhikan became suspicious of "Dume". Finding Nidhiki and Krekka in the city worried Lhikan enough to take drastic measures, and he gave Toa Stones to six Matoran so they could become Toa. He was captured by the Dark Hunters just as he finished delivering the Toa Stones, but the six Matoran took them to the Great Temple where they were transformed into Toa Metru.
The new Toa Metru were able to eliminate the threat of the Morbuzakh, but when they tried to gain recognition from "Turaga Dume" he called for their arrest. While the Toa were on the run from the Dark Hunters and the Vahki enforcers, Makuta went forward with his plans and, as Dume, ordered the city's population into Matoran Spheres.
Eventually, the Toa found now-Turaga Lhikan and they realized that "Dume" had indeed betrayed the Matoran. They raced to confront the imposter, only to find that it was too late and the Matoran had all been rendered unconscious in the spheres. While Makuta (who had revealed his identity to the Toa) used his power to put the Great Spirit Mata Nui to sleep, the Toa took some of the spheres and tried to flee the city, intending to come back for the rest. Makuta gave chase but was defeated and imprisoned by the Toa, though not before Lhikan sacrificed himself to save Toa Vakama.
When the Toa Metru returned to Metru Nui after discovering the island of Mata Nui, they found a very different place than the one they left. An earthquake had freed countless beasts from their imprisonment in the Archives, and hordes of Visorak spiders had invaded. The Toa vowed to rescue the Matoran and evacuate them to Mata Nui, but the task was made much more difficult when the Visorak's mutating venom turned them into feral Toa Hordika. In time, though, and with the help of the Rahaga and , the Toa were able to reverse their mutations and evacuate all of the Matoran to Mata Nui.
Over the next thousand years, while the Matoran were living on Mata Nui, Turaga Dume and the Rahaga did what they could to restore and repair the city (though the Rahaga were often away helping other Visorak-conquered lands). Before too long, the Shadowed One stationed the Dark Hunter codenamed "Dweller" in the city permanently, in order to observe and report any news.
In the present day, the path between Mata Nui and Metru Nui has been reopened, and the Matoran have returned to the city along with their new protectors, the Toa Nuva and Toa Takanuva. The Toa Metru are now Turaga themselves, and upon returning have become advisers under Dume's leadership. The Matoran have been busy rebuilding everything. However, the Toa Nuva have recently disappeared from the city, being sent on a mission by the Turaga, leaving Takanuva the city's only guardian. Noticing their disappearance, Jaller of the Ta-Metru guard demanded the Matoran know where the Toa Nuva have gone or else the reconstruction will stop. Turaga Nokama decided to tell him the truth, compelling Jaller to gather five of his friends to make the journey to Voya Nui.
Near the waters of the city, a lone Makuta named Icarax discovers the missing Mask of Shadows thrown into the sea by the Piraka.
The damage caused by the Great Cataclysm was reversed by the Staff of Artahka.
Districts
The Coliseum
The Coliseum is at the center of the city of Metru Nui, where the borders of the six districts meet. It is where sporting events such as Akilini take place, as well as being the main power station for the city. It also serves as 's home. When the Visorak invaded the city, they made the Coliseum their main nesting grounds. In the present day, the ground around the Coliseum has become severely unstable; the Order of Mata Nui agrees with the Turaga's assessment that it is connected to the Great Spirit's failing health. In a possible future where Mata Nui died, the Coliseum sank beneath the ground.
Ta-Metru
Ta-Metru is the place where protodermis is molded and manufactured after it is rid of its impurities in Ga-Metru. Because of all the smoke and heat from the foundries and forges, Matoran from other districts do not like to stay here long. Ta-Metru's landmarks include the Great Furnace, where the Matoran worked to build items for other Metru. The Great Furnace was largely destroyed by the Morbuzakh's King Root, as it was home to the final battle between it and Toa Metru. Other landmarks include the Protodermis Reclamation Yard and Furnace, where unusable items are sent, then later melted down, and the Fire Pits, home to flame geysers which provide the source of fire in the Metru. The Matoran here work as mask-makers, monitors of Protodermis flows, and proto-smiths.
In the Great Cataclysm, much of the molten protodermis spilled and melted most of the metru, but it was the first Metru repaired as rebuilding on other Metru cannot be started until the forges and factories are once again producing materials. The Metru is now home to the Ta-Matoran again, as well as Turaga Vakama.
Ga-Metru
Ga-Metru is the center of educational and spiritual learning in the city; where the schools and research labs are located. The landmarks of the Metru are the Protodermis Purification center, as this district is where liquid protodermis is taken from the Silver Sea and purified so that it could be used elsewhere, and the Fountains of Wisdom, where jets of liquid protodermis emerge from decorative statues. Ga-Metru is very peaceful, and canals of the liquid protodermis span across over the Metru. Ga-Metru is also said to be the second region built in the city, and the most favored by Mata Nui. The Matoran work here as teachers and students.
Just offshore from Ga-Metru is the Great Temple, home to the Toa Suva shrine and other objects of power. The Great Temple survived the Cataclysm intact, but was later damaged by Toa Hordika Vakama. When the Matoran returned to Metru Nui, the residents of the damaged Metru, Turaga Nokama and the Ga-Matoran, soon enough restored the Great Temple. However, the Toa Nuva broke in to find a scroll with a list of instructions that can awaken Mata Nui.
Le-Metru
Le-Metru is the transport hub of the city. Le-Matoran are in charge of the entire city's transport network, particularly the system of chutes that move people and things between Metru. The flurry of activity and the number of wires strung about give the district the feeling of an urban jungle and of (barely) controlled chaos. Le-Metru's Moto-Hub is the largest chute station in Metru Nui, as well as the administration building for chutes, where the main controls are located. There is also a Test Track, where new vehicle designs are made and tested by volunteer Matoran. Given the importance of the transport system, Le-Metru has been given top priority in repairs and the work is almost done.
Po-Metru
Po-Metru is the most natural of all the city districts, as it is made up mainly of rocky mountains and canyons. Po-Matoran like to work outside, assembling goods and carving statues. Rahi attacks and stampedes are somewhat common in this district. Po-Metru's claim to fame is the Sculpture Fields; a large expanse where Po-Matoran work to carve giant statues much too large for any building. Po-Metru suffered the least damage in the Cataclysm, and currently serves as home for most of the population until the other Metrus can be restored.
Onu-Metru
Onu-Metru is home to the Archives, an underground museum complex where Onu-Matoran archivists work hard to preserve artifacts of Metru Nui's history. The archives have actually expanded again and again, to the point where they stretch underneath the whole city (in fact, on the map of Metru Nui the light gray blob constituting most of Onu-Metru is actually the aboveground section of the Archives). Besides just artifacts, Rahi are also kept in the Archives; in stasis, if possible. This Metru is also home to lightstone and protodermis mines, where lightstones to illuminate the city and protodermis to be sent to Ga-Metru for refining. The Cataclysm caused all of the Archives stasis containers to shatter, releasing untold numbers of beasts into the city.
Ko-Metru
Ko-Metru is known best for its Knowledge Towers, which are crystalline structures that can reach so high that their rooftops are often covered with ice. Ko-Matoran are scholars and seers who study and analyze, trying to predict the future. The district is kept incredibly cold, in order to better preserve written documents. Ko-Metru is the quietest district in the city, as Ko-Matoran hate to have their work interrupted. The mythical also made his home in a Ko-Metru cave.
Voya Nui is a fictional island in Lego Bionicle storyline; and the first main setting of the Legends story arc. It is south of the island of Mata Nui; and had come into being when it violently broke off from the mainland a thousand years ago, during the Great Cataclysm. "Voya Nui" means "Great Journey" in the Matoran language (a reference to its abrupt trip from the mainland to its current location), though the island has also been called "The Island of Doom" and "The Daggers of Death" for its harsh landscape.
History
Over a hundred thousand years ago, the ruler Karzahni was sent broken Matoran for repair, but he didn't do a very good job. Wanting the "repaired" Matoran somewhere out of his sight, he sent them to a faraway volcano that came to be known as Mount Valmai.
Soon afterward, the Great Beings forged the Ignika Mask of Life and hid it away underneath Mount Valmai, crafting its chamber and a staircase leading down to it. They soon sent an agent called "Umbra" to protect it.
Possibly around the same time, the Order of Mata Nui sent two more guardians, Axonn and Brutaka, to live in the region and keep an eye on the mask. They also took on the responsibility of secretly watching over the Matoran as well.
Around eighty thousand years ago, a civil war called the Great Disruption was raging in the city of Metru Nui. As this was damaging to the health of the Great Spirit Mata Nui, a team of Toa led by Toa Jovan entered the region around Mount Valmai and made their way to the Mask of Life; facing and defeating all the obstacles and guardians in their path. They used the mask to restore Mata Nui's life energies, but not all of the Toa survived its use. Jovan later became a Turaga and became a leader to the Matoran of the region.
One thousand years ago, the Great Cataclysm struck due to Mata Nui falling asleep. It caused Mount Valmai and the surrounding region to break from the mainland and be launched up to the planet's surface, where it came to rest floating on the water. Many died that day, including Turaga Jovan; and the region was from then on known as the island of Voya Nui.
Daily life for the Matoran was a struggle for survival; constantly fighting droughts, Rahi attacks, harsh terrain and the occasional natural disaster. At some point one of the coastline settlements sank into the sea, and the remaining Matoran still throw food and gifts into the sea in memory of those lost, unaware that those living in the sunken settlement are still alive (see "Mahri Nui" below).
In the present day, a group of Dark Hunters began investigating rumors of the death of Makuta, and when they found his armor they mysteriously gained knowledge of the island and the Mask of Life. Abandoning the Hunters completely, they began calling themselves "Piraka" and started scheming to claim the mask for themselves. A few weeks later, informed the Toa Nuva that Mata Nui was not only asleep, but dying; and that they would need the mask to heal him.
The first of these to arrive on Voya Nui was Vezon, a mad Piraka who betrayed his team and tried to reach the mask first. The rest of the Piraka followed soon after, thinking Vezon to be dead. They pretended to be Toa in order to gain the trust of the Matoran, but they could not hide their sadistic and cruel natures and some of the Matoran became suspicious. The Piraka soon dropped the act, using a virus called antidermis to enslave almost all of the Matoran and ordering them to drain the lava from Mount Valmai. Only six escaped, as they weren't in the settlement when the Piraka attacked; these six began to actively rebel against the Piraka's tyranny.
By this time Brutaka, who had long been losing faith in Mata Nui, chose to abandon the Order and ally himself with the Piraka in order to get the Mask of Life for his own benefit. Axonn stayed by his vow to protect the Ignika, and began fighting the Piraka whenever he encountered them.
The Toa Nuva soon arrived and quickly found themselves in battle with the Piraka. Though they were defeated, they were able to escape with their lives and meet the Matoran rebels. But a second battle ended even worse; as the Toa were defeated and taken captive by Brutaka.
That same night, the Red Star caused a thunderstorm over the island, and six lightning bolts struck Toa canisters carrying Matoran who wished to aid the Toa Nuva. As a result, the Matoran emerged as Toa Inika, who quickly met and teamed up with the rebel Matoran.
In the first fight between the Inika and the Piraka, Hakann ignited an underground gas pocket, causing a massive explosion that blew away part of the island's forest and exposed the staircase leading to the Ignika's resting place. While both teams braved the guardians the mask created, Axonn defeated Brutaka and the Matoran rebels freed their friends and the Toa Nuva; they also learned of the survival of those in the sunken region. Ultimately, it was the Inika who were able to claim the Mask of Life - briefly; it flew away from them and dove into the ocean.
Currently, the Piraka have gone into hiding, waiting for the right time to strike. Axonn has stepped forward as the Matoran's protector, no longer hiding his presence from them. And the Toa Inika are preparing to enter the underwater world of Mahri Nui.
The stone cord anchoring Voya Nui in place has recently been severed, causing Voya Nui to sink and begin traveling back to its original location. The Matoran and Axonn are riding safely inside the landmass.
Regions
While Voya Nui does not seem to have regions as distinctly separated as Mata Nui's or Metru Nui's, there do seem to be different "rings" based on the six major elements. From outermost to innermost:
Water: Voya Nui Bay - This is the area of water that Voya Nui surrounds (the island is a crescent shape). The area is filled with dangerous waters and extremely strong currents. Some land sank into the bay a few hundred years ago, including another Matoran village, and it was recently discovered that the Matoran there are still alive. For more details on this region, see "Mahri Nui" below.
Ice: Ice Ring - Voya Nui's outermost coastline is lined with a treacherous ring of sharp, extremely hard ice, making any sea landings especially dangerous.
Air: Green Belt - This is a thin stretch of forest that is strangely thriving with energy. Avak and Thok incorrectly suspected that the Mask of Life was hidden here, providing the region with life; but the green belt does hide the entrance to a stairway that leads to the Chamber of Life that holds the mask. There is also a protodermis lake that provides drinkable "water", and judging by the Voya Nui Online Game, the Matoran village is also in this region. In the center of the village, a buried white stone covers a secret passage to Mahri Nui.
Stone: Voya Nui Desert - Beyond the green belt, much of Voya Nui is rocky wasteland. The Matoran have a fortress here that they retreat to when village defenses aren't enough, and the Piraka have had their stronghold built in another part of this region.
Earth: Nui Caves - Voya Nui has a network of underground tunnels, but these were mostly unexplored by both Piraka and Toa Inika. However, both groups have traveled through the underground passage leading to the Mask of Life, reaching from the green belt to Mount Valmai.
Fire: Mount Valmai - In the center of Voya Nui's landmass is Mount Valmai, an active volcano. Directly beneath it is the Chamber of Life, where the Mask of Life is kept. Before discovering the secret passage, the Piraka tried to get the mask by having the Matoran drain the lava from the volcano.
Mahri Nui
Centuries ago, a large fragment of Voya Nui's land, including the small city of Mahri Nui, sank into the sea. Something in the water quickly began mutating the Matoran, but thankfully the village's impact freed many small air bubbles that they quickly fashioned into protective fields, saving them not only from further mutation, but from drowning in the sea. They soon found that a native kind of Rahi called Hydruka could easily harvest air from a certain kind of seaweed, so they tamed the beasts to do so. Forgetting most of their life on the surface, save for a few fragments, the Matoran began to make a living in their new surroundings. They formed a Council to help everyone work together; Matoran took turns at leadership, and meetings were held monthly to make plans for the future. Every month, Mahri Nui would get fallen gifts from above, but it was really the Voya Nui Matoran throwing objects into the water in remembrance of their brothers, not realizing that the inhabitants of Mahri Nui still lived.
Unfortunately, the land sank dangerously close to the Pit, where the Order of Mata Nui condemns the world's most vile beings. Some of those beings, a group of warlords called the Barraki, are now terrorizing the Matoran. Ehlek, especially, wants retribution for the Barraki fortress that Mahri Nui crushed when it sank. However, the Matoran knew little of their attackers, as they never saw more of them than a passing claw or tentacle; they only knew that people kept mysteriously disappearing. At one point there was a "safe hour", the time when Rahi don't roam the sea. Some tried to flee for the surface but died because of the pressure. Eventually, tired of isolation, a Le-Matoran named Defilak proposed to go out into the black waters to find out what was going on.
Shortly afterward, the Ignika Mask of Life arrived from Voya Nui and things began to change. The Barraki made their presence known to the Matoran; particularly Pridak, who captured Defilak's scouting expedition. The group manages to get back. The Ignika enlarged a venom eel to defend itself, and the giant beast threatened Mahri Nui until Defilak shattered its lightstones, hiding the city in shadows. The Barraki then claimed the Mask of Life, causing it to glow so brightly that all of Mahri Nui was blinded by its light.
After the light dissipates, Mahri Nui comes in contact with the Toa Inika, who were changed by the mask to survive in the Pit. At first they thought the Toa were of the Pit but Defilak chose to trust them. While Matoro stayed at the city, the others went to free the Fields of Air. However, they were captured by the Barraki, thinking they were prisoners like them. Though the fields were cleared, Mahri Nui, believing the Toa were in league with the Barraki, opened fire on Matoro, forcing him to flee where he was captured by Hydraxon. When the other Toa escaped and returned to the city, they convinced the Matoran they are here to protect them. Matoro then returned with a new robotic ally known as Maxilos (in reality the Makuta of Metru Nui in disguise). The Matoran then honoured them by calling them the Toa Mahri.
In order to search for the mask, the Toa decided to cause a civil war between the Barraki by making their armies fight each other. As a result, the "safe hour" was no more and a few Matoran and Hydruka got caught in between. The Matoran then noticed that an army of mantas were being lead by the Barraki Mantax and Toa Mahri Hahli. Meanwhile, an ancient Toa named Lesovikk arrived in the Pit to investigate rumors of an army of Zyglak being gathered by the tyrant Karzahni, who had followed the Toa Inika to Voya Nui and then to Mahri Nui. Lesovikk ended up facing Karzahni in a brief battle, but Karzahni left in search of other prey after attacking a Matoran friend of Lesovikk's.
Karzahni would them come across Makuta and Matoro, who had been into the ruins of the Pit and found the body of Toa Tuyet, which Makuta intended to use to recreate the Nui Stone using the Staff of Artakha. Hearing the name of Artakha, Karzahni attacked the two first physically and then with his army of Manas, only to be defeated. Employing his Kanohi Olisi, he struck Makuta but in return had his mind shattered and was flung away, fleeing wounded to a nearby cave. He was then pursued by Lesovikk and the Toa's new Matoran companions, who planned to destroy him, and trapped Lesovikk in a vision of an alternate timeline to neutralize him as a threat.
Icarax, another member of the Brotherhood of Makuta fresh from a battle with the Toa Nuva, delivered the Staff of Artakha to Makuta before departing. Makuta's attempt to recreate the Nui Stone was thwarted by Brutaka, who stole back the Staff and delivered it to Botar, who transported it away. He and Maktua faced each other in battle, with Matoro fleeign to rejoin the other Toa Mahri, but broke it off as Makuta left to secure the Kanohi Ignika and promising to finish it later.
Hahli was not defecting, but rather trying to keep the Kanohi Ignika away from Hydraxon. The Mahri Nui Matoran were sent into the Voya Nui underground caverns to safety with their former friends, and the Cord was shattered between the two island cities, while the Matoran were kept safe. Mahri Nui was destroyed as the island drifted downward and then to its former location.
Locations
Mahri Nui is located on top of a slab of land called Mahri Rock. The following places are landmarks on Mahri Rock and the surrounding Pit:
*Fields of Air - Just outside of the city are fields of the airweed that collect the vital air bubbles needed for the Matoran to survive. Carapar attempted to ransom the Mask of Life from the Matoran by having his Keras crab armies occupy these fields, but the giant venom eel drove them away and ate several hundred of them.
*Stone cord - A long stretch of rock leading up towards the surface that was formed when Mount Valmai's lava went down into the waters. It connects Mahri Nui to Voya Nui, and contains a secret passage between the two.
*Pillars of Salt - An area at the northern edge of Mahri Nui, formed from the accumulation of the salt in the waters slowly building up over the years. Serves as Pridak's favorite hunting grounds.
*Razor Whale's Teeth - An underwater rock formation in the exact center of Barraki territory. Nocturn likes to hang out there when not serving under Ehlek.
*Octo Cave - The cave where Kalmah breeds the Sea Squid used as ammunition by the Barraki.
History
Over a hundred thousand years ago, the ruler Karzahni was sent broken Matoran for repair, but he didn't do a very good job. Wanting the "repaired" Matoran somewhere out of his sight, he sent them to a faraway volcano that came to be known as Mount Valmai.
Soon afterward, the Great Beings forged the Ignika Mask of Life and hid it away underneath Mount Valmai, crafting its chamber and a staircase leading down to it. They soon sent an agent called "Umbra" to protect it.
Possibly around the same time, the Order of Mata Nui sent two more guardians, Axonn and Brutaka, to live in the region and keep an eye on the mask. They also took on the responsibility of secretly watching over the Matoran as well.
Around eighty thousand years ago, a civil war called the Great Disruption was raging in the city of Metru Nui. As this was damaging to the health of the Great Spirit Mata Nui, a team of Toa led by Toa Jovan entered the region around Mount Valmai and made their way to the Mask of Life; facing and defeating all the obstacles and guardians in their path. They used the mask to restore Mata Nui's life energies, but not all of the Toa survived its use. Jovan later became a Turaga and became a leader to the Matoran of the region.
One thousand years ago, the Great Cataclysm struck due to Mata Nui falling asleep. It caused Mount Valmai and the surrounding region to break from the mainland and be launched up to the planet's surface, where it came to rest floating on the water. Many died that day, including Turaga Jovan; and the region was from then on known as the island of Voya Nui.
Daily life for the Matoran was a struggle for survival; constantly fighting droughts, Rahi attacks, harsh terrain and the occasional natural disaster. At some point one of the coastline settlements sank into the sea, and the remaining Matoran still throw food and gifts into the sea in memory of those lost, unaware that those living in the sunken settlement are still alive (see "Mahri Nui" below).
In the present day, a group of Dark Hunters began investigating rumors of the death of Makuta, and when they found his armor they mysteriously gained knowledge of the island and the Mask of Life. Abandoning the Hunters completely, they began calling themselves "Piraka" and started scheming to claim the mask for themselves. A few weeks later, informed the Toa Nuva that Mata Nui was not only asleep, but dying; and that they would need the mask to heal him.
The first of these to arrive on Voya Nui was Vezon, a mad Piraka who betrayed his team and tried to reach the mask first. The rest of the Piraka followed soon after, thinking Vezon to be dead. They pretended to be Toa in order to gain the trust of the Matoran, but they could not hide their sadistic and cruel natures and some of the Matoran became suspicious. The Piraka soon dropped the act, using a virus called antidermis to enslave almost all of the Matoran and ordering them to drain the lava from Mount Valmai. Only six escaped, as they weren't in the settlement when the Piraka attacked; these six began to actively rebel against the Piraka's tyranny.
By this time Brutaka, who had long been losing faith in Mata Nui, chose to abandon the Order and ally himself with the Piraka in order to get the Mask of Life for his own benefit. Axonn stayed by his vow to protect the Ignika, and began fighting the Piraka whenever he encountered them.
The Toa Nuva soon arrived and quickly found themselves in battle with the Piraka. Though they were defeated, they were able to escape with their lives and meet the Matoran rebels. But a second battle ended even worse; as the Toa were defeated and taken captive by Brutaka.
That same night, the Red Star caused a thunderstorm over the island, and six lightning bolts struck Toa canisters carrying Matoran who wished to aid the Toa Nuva. As a result, the Matoran emerged as Toa Inika, who quickly met and teamed up with the rebel Matoran.
In the first fight between the Inika and the Piraka, Hakann ignited an underground gas pocket, causing a massive explosion that blew away part of the island's forest and exposed the staircase leading to the Ignika's resting place. While both teams braved the guardians the mask created, Axonn defeated Brutaka and the Matoran rebels freed their friends and the Toa Nuva; they also learned of the survival of those in the sunken region. Ultimately, it was the Inika who were able to claim the Mask of Life - briefly; it flew away from them and dove into the ocean.
Currently, the Piraka have gone into hiding, waiting for the right time to strike. Axonn has stepped forward as the Matoran's protector, no longer hiding his presence from them. And the Toa Inika are preparing to enter the underwater world of Mahri Nui.
The stone cord anchoring Voya Nui in place has recently been severed, causing Voya Nui to sink and begin traveling back to its original location. The Matoran and Axonn are riding safely inside the landmass.
Regions
While Voya Nui does not seem to have regions as distinctly separated as Mata Nui's or Metru Nui's, there do seem to be different "rings" based on the six major elements. From outermost to innermost:
Water: Voya Nui Bay - This is the area of water that Voya Nui surrounds (the island is a crescent shape). The area is filled with dangerous waters and extremely strong currents. Some land sank into the bay a few hundred years ago, including another Matoran village, and it was recently discovered that the Matoran there are still alive. For more details on this region, see "Mahri Nui" below.
Ice: Ice Ring - Voya Nui's outermost coastline is lined with a treacherous ring of sharp, extremely hard ice, making any sea landings especially dangerous.
Air: Green Belt - This is a thin stretch of forest that is strangely thriving with energy. Avak and Thok incorrectly suspected that the Mask of Life was hidden here, providing the region with life; but the green belt does hide the entrance to a stairway that leads to the Chamber of Life that holds the mask. There is also a protodermis lake that provides drinkable "water", and judging by the Voya Nui Online Game, the Matoran village is also in this region. In the center of the village, a buried white stone covers a secret passage to Mahri Nui.
Stone: Voya Nui Desert - Beyond the green belt, much of Voya Nui is rocky wasteland. The Matoran have a fortress here that they retreat to when village defenses aren't enough, and the Piraka have had their stronghold built in another part of this region.
Earth: Nui Caves - Voya Nui has a network of underground tunnels, but these were mostly unexplored by both Piraka and Toa Inika. However, both groups have traveled through the underground passage leading to the Mask of Life, reaching from the green belt to Mount Valmai.
Fire: Mount Valmai - In the center of Voya Nui's landmass is Mount Valmai, an active volcano. Directly beneath it is the Chamber of Life, where the Mask of Life is kept. Before discovering the secret passage, the Piraka tried to get the mask by having the Matoran drain the lava from the volcano.
Mahri Nui
Centuries ago, a large fragment of Voya Nui's land, including the small city of Mahri Nui, sank into the sea. Something in the water quickly began mutating the Matoran, but thankfully the village's impact freed many small air bubbles that they quickly fashioned into protective fields, saving them not only from further mutation, but from drowning in the sea. They soon found that a native kind of Rahi called Hydruka could easily harvest air from a certain kind of seaweed, so they tamed the beasts to do so. Forgetting most of their life on the surface, save for a few fragments, the Matoran began to make a living in their new surroundings. They formed a Council to help everyone work together; Matoran took turns at leadership, and meetings were held monthly to make plans for the future. Every month, Mahri Nui would get fallen gifts from above, but it was really the Voya Nui Matoran throwing objects into the water in remembrance of their brothers, not realizing that the inhabitants of Mahri Nui still lived.
Unfortunately, the land sank dangerously close to the Pit, where the Order of Mata Nui condemns the world's most vile beings. Some of those beings, a group of warlords called the Barraki, are now terrorizing the Matoran. Ehlek, especially, wants retribution for the Barraki fortress that Mahri Nui crushed when it sank. However, the Matoran knew little of their attackers, as they never saw more of them than a passing claw or tentacle; they only knew that people kept mysteriously disappearing. At one point there was a "safe hour", the time when Rahi don't roam the sea. Some tried to flee for the surface but died because of the pressure. Eventually, tired of isolation, a Le-Matoran named Defilak proposed to go out into the black waters to find out what was going on.
Shortly afterward, the Ignika Mask of Life arrived from Voya Nui and things began to change. The Barraki made their presence known to the Matoran; particularly Pridak, who captured Defilak's scouting expedition. The group manages to get back. The Ignika enlarged a venom eel to defend itself, and the giant beast threatened Mahri Nui until Defilak shattered its lightstones, hiding the city in shadows. The Barraki then claimed the Mask of Life, causing it to glow so brightly that all of Mahri Nui was blinded by its light.
After the light dissipates, Mahri Nui comes in contact with the Toa Inika, who were changed by the mask to survive in the Pit. At first they thought the Toa were of the Pit but Defilak chose to trust them. While Matoro stayed at the city, the others went to free the Fields of Air. However, they were captured by the Barraki, thinking they were prisoners like them. Though the fields were cleared, Mahri Nui, believing the Toa were in league with the Barraki, opened fire on Matoro, forcing him to flee where he was captured by Hydraxon. When the other Toa escaped and returned to the city, they convinced the Matoran they are here to protect them. Matoro then returned with a new robotic ally known as Maxilos (in reality the Makuta of Metru Nui in disguise). The Matoran then honoured them by calling them the Toa Mahri.
In order to search for the mask, the Toa decided to cause a civil war between the Barraki by making their armies fight each other. As a result, the "safe hour" was no more and a few Matoran and Hydruka got caught in between. The Matoran then noticed that an army of mantas were being lead by the Barraki Mantax and Toa Mahri Hahli. Meanwhile, an ancient Toa named Lesovikk arrived in the Pit to investigate rumors of an army of Zyglak being gathered by the tyrant Karzahni, who had followed the Toa Inika to Voya Nui and then to Mahri Nui. Lesovikk ended up facing Karzahni in a brief battle, but Karzahni left in search of other prey after attacking a Matoran friend of Lesovikk's.
Karzahni would them come across Makuta and Matoro, who had been into the ruins of the Pit and found the body of Toa Tuyet, which Makuta intended to use to recreate the Nui Stone using the Staff of Artakha. Hearing the name of Artakha, Karzahni attacked the two first physically and then with his army of Manas, only to be defeated. Employing his Kanohi Olisi, he struck Makuta but in return had his mind shattered and was flung away, fleeing wounded to a nearby cave. He was then pursued by Lesovikk and the Toa's new Matoran companions, who planned to destroy him, and trapped Lesovikk in a vision of an alternate timeline to neutralize him as a threat.
Icarax, another member of the Brotherhood of Makuta fresh from a battle with the Toa Nuva, delivered the Staff of Artakha to Makuta before departing. Makuta's attempt to recreate the Nui Stone was thwarted by Brutaka, who stole back the Staff and delivered it to Botar, who transported it away. He and Maktua faced each other in battle, with Matoro fleeign to rejoin the other Toa Mahri, but broke it off as Makuta left to secure the Kanohi Ignika and promising to finish it later.
Hahli was not defecting, but rather trying to keep the Kanohi Ignika away from Hydraxon. The Mahri Nui Matoran were sent into the Voya Nui underground caverns to safety with their former friends, and the Cord was shattered between the two island cities, while the Matoran were kept safe. Mahri Nui was destroyed as the island drifted downward and then to its former location.
Locations
Mahri Nui is located on top of a slab of land called Mahri Rock. The following places are landmarks on Mahri Rock and the surrounding Pit:
*Fields of Air - Just outside of the city are fields of the airweed that collect the vital air bubbles needed for the Matoran to survive. Carapar attempted to ransom the Mask of Life from the Matoran by having his Keras crab armies occupy these fields, but the giant venom eel drove them away and ate several hundred of them.
*Stone cord - A long stretch of rock leading up towards the surface that was formed when Mount Valmai's lava went down into the waters. It connects Mahri Nui to Voya Nui, and contains a secret passage between the two.
*Pillars of Salt - An area at the northern edge of Mahri Nui, formed from the accumulation of the salt in the waters slowly building up over the years. Serves as Pridak's favorite hunting grounds.
*Razor Whale's Teeth - An underwater rock formation in the exact center of Barraki territory. Nocturn likes to hang out there when not serving under Ehlek.
*Octo Cave - The cave where Kalmah breeds the Sea Squid used as ammunition by the Barraki.
Rammstein is currently writing songs for their new studio album. The working title is "Punk" and the album is going to be released sometime in 2008. Some rumours says that background singing will be lot bigger on this album, with part sung eternally by Richard. The orchestra will be bigger and Till will be singing much more than he usually does. Even some screaming/growling is rumoured to appear on the album and that is maybe one of the reasons why it's going to be their heaviest album yet.
Confirmed songs
*"Vergiss uns Nicht" (feat. Bushido)
Confirmed songs
*"Vergiss uns Nicht" (feat. Bushido)
SVASE, the Silicon Valley Association of Startup Entrepreneurs, is a membership based non-profit organization, for technology and life science entrepreneurs.
SVASE was founded in 1995 by a group of entrepreneurs including Ed Ipser, Ed Van Deman, and Mark Addison, to provide insights into the business aspects of entrepreneurship, which they had identified as usually being more of an influence on the success of a startup, that the underlying technology.
Membership in SVASE grew significantly during the dot-com boom of the late 90’s, when anyone with an idea wanted to learn how to draw up a business plan on a napkin, so they could raise million of dollars in venture funding, and go public within 18 months, by running this past venture capitalists over breakfast at Buck’s Restaurant in Woodside, CA. This all came to a grinding halt in early 2001, but SVASE continues to provide support for cash strapped entrepreneurs, with programs providing insights from the concept through to product launch and the B round of funding.
Successful entrepreneurs and VCs regularly speak at and attended SVASE events, including Jonathan Abrams (Friendster, Socializr), Guy Kawasaki (Apple, Garage Technology Ventures, Truemors), Eric Benhamou (Palm, Cypress Semiconductors), James Hong (Hot or Not), Seth Sternberg (Meebo), Ray Lane (Oracle, Sequoia Ventures), Jeff Fairman (Juvaris Bio Therapeutics), and many, many more.
SVASE is supported by contributions from over 60 sponsors, including many well known companies in fields ranging from computer operating systems and applications, semiconductors, internet services, venture capital, and legal and financial advice.
History
Originally organized by Edward A. Ipser, Jr., PhD (www.ipser.com) as the Bay Area Association of Entrepreneurial Software Engineers, the first meeting was held at Chevy’s Fresh Mex restaurant in 1995 attended by 12 local entrepreneurs. Ed Ipser was soon joined by Sandra Allison (then Sandra Huie) and together they recruited Ginny Nile, Edward Van Deman (www.finnav.com), Mark Addison (www.rocketscience.com), Bob Jacobson, and Paul O’Rourke to form the original executive team and board of the organization. The organization was quickly renamed the Silicon Valley Association of Software Entrepreneurs (SVASE) and early meetings featured Silicon Valley luminaries such as venture capitalist Ann Winblad of Hummer Winblad Ventures (www.humwin.com) and Peter Ziebelman of Palo Alto Venture Partners (www.pavp.com). The first corporate sponsor was Microsoft Corporation (www.microsoft.com).
One of the most active early advisors to SVASE was Joe Becker, a highly respected Silicon Valley executive and angel investor and a past member of Joint Venture Silicon Valley. He recognized the potential of the organization and served as Chairman of the Board of Directors until 2002.
In 1997 the Board sought to obtain the support of recognized leaders in the entrepreneurial community and formed an Advisory Board. Members of the first Advisory Board included: Joe Becker, Dolphin Ventures (www.dolphinventures.com); Tom Byers, Professor, Stanford University; (www.stanford.edu); Mark Gorenberg, Hummer Winblad Venture Partners (www.humwin.com); Sandy Herz, SD Forum (www.sdforum.org) then called the Center for Software Development; Frederick M. Hoar, Miller Shandwick Technologies West and Co-Founder of the Band of Angels; Michael J. McCabe, CPA, McCabe & Totah (www.mccabetotah.com); and Nicholas P. Petredis, Attorney at Law.
Membership in SVASE grew significantly during the dot-com boom of the late 90’s, when anyone with an idea wanted to learn how to draw up a business plan on a napkin, so they could raise millions of dollars in venture funding, and go public within 18 months, by meeting with venture capitalists over breakfast at Buck’s Restaurant in Woodside, CA. This all came to a grinding halt in early 2001, but SVASE continues to provide support for cash strapped entrepreneurs, with programs providing insights from the concept through to product launch and the B round of funding. In 1998 Ed Ipser turned over the presidency to Dave McClure (www.500hats.com) who was in turn was succeeded by Nick Hall in 2000.
In May of 1999 the Board held a strategic planning retreat at the Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove. Dr. Linda Ford (www.fordbusinessconsulting.com), served as a facilitator at this event. One of many issues discussed was the type of entrepreneur the organization would address. Many members made the argument that while software had been driving force of entrepreneurship in the past, it was quickly becoming only a part of where new entrepreneurs were looking for new ideas. It as important to look beyond software. Soon thereafter, the organization was renamed Silicon Valley Association of Start-Up Entrepreneurs.
Early corporate sponsors were: Microsoft Developers Program (http://msdn.microsoft.com/svdevcenter/); Woodside Fund (http://www.woodsidefund.com); HiTech Law (http://www.hitech-law.com/); Onset Ventures (http://www.onset.com); and Silicon Valley Bank (http://www.svb.com/).
In 2001 the Board of Directors included Mark Addison of Rocket Science (www.rocketscience.com), Joe Becker (Chairman) of Dolphin Ventures (www.dolphinventures.com); John Gale of Taligo, LLC (www.taligo.com), and others. This Board hired Laura Roden (www.vcprive.com) as Executive Director and President of the organization. As the first full-time professional manager for SVASE, Laura brought a tremendous amount of energy and enthusiasm of the mission of the organization. She pursued a strategy summarized by the tagline: Expand Your Circle of Influence and was responsible for amazing growth in the number of members and visibility of SVASE. The organization could easily claim to be the fastest growing organization focused on entrepreneurs and probably the fastest growing professional organization in Silicon Valley.
In 2005 was named President and changed the direction of the organization as summarized by a new tagline: Empowering Entrepreneurs to Realize Their Visions. With his extensive experience as an entrepreneur and director of an incubator, Chris brought a renewed commitment to assist individuals who are starting new high tech companies. The quality of the programs and the reputation of the organization have continued to grow.
SVASE Management
The Silicon Valley Association of Startup Entrepreneurs (SVASE) is managed almost entirely by a large group of dedicated volunteers organized by program under volunteer managers. We always welcome new volunteers to help us serve our community's goals
Staff
President & CEO, Chris Gill
Marketing & Finance Manager, Laura Weigant
Event Manager & Membership Coordinator , Liz Caldwell
Executive Management Team
Affiliates, Laura Weigant
BIGs (Business Interface Groups), Dan Sharoni
East Bay Serie, Dana Shultz, Kevin Matsushita, Christina Ellwood
First Impressions, Chad Salinas
Forum, Jim Connor, Mark Addison, Ram Sriram
International, Esther Nguyen
Main Event, Laura Weigant, Liz Caldwell
Marketing & PR, Laura Weigant
Membership, Chris Gill
Online Marketing, OuterJoin Inc.
Startup-U, Anne Donker, Lowry Fenton
VC Breakfast Club, Jai Kumar
Volunteers at Events, Mike Harris
Board of Directors
Steve Bengston, PricewaterhouseCoopers (www.pwc.com)
Jim Chapman, Chairman, Nixon Peabody
Stephane DuPont, National Venture Capital Association (www.nvca.org)
Chris Gill, SVASE
Jeff Grabow, Ernst & Young (www.ey.com)
Michele Klein, Applied Materials (www.amat.com)
Ed Lambert, Bridge Bank (www.bridgebank.com)
Laura Pickering, Network Appliance, Inc. (www.netapp.com)
Philip Wickham, Copan Venture Capital
Directors Emeritus
Mark Addison, Rocket Science(www.rocketscience.com)
Joe Becker. Dolphin Ventures (www.dolphinventures.com)
Ken Brenner, Bridge Bank (www.bridgebank.com)
Richard J. Elkus, Jr., KLA-Tencor
Rick Fezell, Ernst & Young LLP (www.ey.com)
John Gale, Taligo LLC (www.taligo.com)
Kelly Hudson, Rich’s Business Guides
Mark Jensen, Deloitt & Touche
Bill Keating, Executive Consultant
Alfred Kenrick, Silicon Valley Bank (www.siliconvalleybank.com)
Casey McGlynn, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
John Metz, Credit Suisse First Boston
Sally Pera, Peraconnect
Anand Ramanathan, WebEx Communications
Laura Roden, VC Prive (www.vcprive.com)
Denise Ryan, Blumarble
Steve Stephenson, Sand Hill Angels
Ben Templin, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Francisco Terrizzano, Bank of Walnut Creek
Rosemary Remacle, Sevin Rosen Funds
Ed Van Deman, Financial Navigator (www.finnav.com)
Sun Jen Yung, DB Alex Brown
Advisory Board
Jonathan Abrams, Socializr
Joe Davison, Technalysis
Murali Devarakonda, Ridestation
Larisa Genin, PuppyFinder.com
Nat Goldhaber, Claremont Creek Ventures
Charles Hsu, Pappas Ventures
Guy Kawasaki, Garage Technology Ventures
Robert LoPresto, Ruscher Loscavio LoPresto
Sachin Maheshwari, Opus Capital
Larry Marcus, Walden VC
Susan Mason, Onset Ventures
John Occhipinti, Woodside Fund
Bill Reichert, Garage Technology Ventures
Andrew Roberts, Ephox
Heidi Roizen, Mobius Ventures
Carol Sands, The Angels Forum LLC
John Steuart, Claremont Creek Ventures
Pankaj Sukla, Trex Global
Blair Swedeen, Partenza
Sriram Viswanathan, Intel Capital
Ron Weissman, Apax Partners
Membership
As of November, 2007 SVASE numbers over 10,000 Associate Members, over 4,000 Corporate Members, and almost 800 Individual Members (798 to be exact).
SVASE was founded in 1995 by a group of entrepreneurs including Ed Ipser, Ed Van Deman, and Mark Addison, to provide insights into the business aspects of entrepreneurship, which they had identified as usually being more of an influence on the success of a startup, that the underlying technology.
Membership in SVASE grew significantly during the dot-com boom of the late 90’s, when anyone with an idea wanted to learn how to draw up a business plan on a napkin, so they could raise million of dollars in venture funding, and go public within 18 months, by running this past venture capitalists over breakfast at Buck’s Restaurant in Woodside, CA. This all came to a grinding halt in early 2001, but SVASE continues to provide support for cash strapped entrepreneurs, with programs providing insights from the concept through to product launch and the B round of funding.
Successful entrepreneurs and VCs regularly speak at and attended SVASE events, including Jonathan Abrams (Friendster, Socializr), Guy Kawasaki (Apple, Garage Technology Ventures, Truemors), Eric Benhamou (Palm, Cypress Semiconductors), James Hong (Hot or Not), Seth Sternberg (Meebo), Ray Lane (Oracle, Sequoia Ventures), Jeff Fairman (Juvaris Bio Therapeutics), and many, many more.
SVASE is supported by contributions from over 60 sponsors, including many well known companies in fields ranging from computer operating systems and applications, semiconductors, internet services, venture capital, and legal and financial advice.
History
Originally organized by Edward A. Ipser, Jr., PhD (www.ipser.com) as the Bay Area Association of Entrepreneurial Software Engineers, the first meeting was held at Chevy’s Fresh Mex restaurant in 1995 attended by 12 local entrepreneurs. Ed Ipser was soon joined by Sandra Allison (then Sandra Huie) and together they recruited Ginny Nile, Edward Van Deman (www.finnav.com), Mark Addison (www.rocketscience.com), Bob Jacobson, and Paul O’Rourke to form the original executive team and board of the organization. The organization was quickly renamed the Silicon Valley Association of Software Entrepreneurs (SVASE) and early meetings featured Silicon Valley luminaries such as venture capitalist Ann Winblad of Hummer Winblad Ventures (www.humwin.com) and Peter Ziebelman of Palo Alto Venture Partners (www.pavp.com). The first corporate sponsor was Microsoft Corporation (www.microsoft.com).
One of the most active early advisors to SVASE was Joe Becker, a highly respected Silicon Valley executive and angel investor and a past member of Joint Venture Silicon Valley. He recognized the potential of the organization and served as Chairman of the Board of Directors until 2002.
In 1997 the Board sought to obtain the support of recognized leaders in the entrepreneurial community and formed an Advisory Board. Members of the first Advisory Board included: Joe Becker, Dolphin Ventures (www.dolphinventures.com); Tom Byers, Professor, Stanford University; (www.stanford.edu); Mark Gorenberg, Hummer Winblad Venture Partners (www.humwin.com); Sandy Herz, SD Forum (www.sdforum.org) then called the Center for Software Development; Frederick M. Hoar, Miller Shandwick Technologies West and Co-Founder of the Band of Angels; Michael J. McCabe, CPA, McCabe & Totah (www.mccabetotah.com); and Nicholas P. Petredis, Attorney at Law.
Membership in SVASE grew significantly during the dot-com boom of the late 90’s, when anyone with an idea wanted to learn how to draw up a business plan on a napkin, so they could raise millions of dollars in venture funding, and go public within 18 months, by meeting with venture capitalists over breakfast at Buck’s Restaurant in Woodside, CA. This all came to a grinding halt in early 2001, but SVASE continues to provide support for cash strapped entrepreneurs, with programs providing insights from the concept through to product launch and the B round of funding. In 1998 Ed Ipser turned over the presidency to Dave McClure (www.500hats.com) who was in turn was succeeded by Nick Hall in 2000.
In May of 1999 the Board held a strategic planning retreat at the Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove. Dr. Linda Ford (www.fordbusinessconsulting.com), served as a facilitator at this event. One of many issues discussed was the type of entrepreneur the organization would address. Many members made the argument that while software had been driving force of entrepreneurship in the past, it was quickly becoming only a part of where new entrepreneurs were looking for new ideas. It as important to look beyond software. Soon thereafter, the organization was renamed Silicon Valley Association of Start-Up Entrepreneurs.
Early corporate sponsors were: Microsoft Developers Program (http://msdn.microsoft.com/svdevcenter/); Woodside Fund (http://www.woodsidefund.com); HiTech Law (http://www.hitech-law.com/); Onset Ventures (http://www.onset.com); and Silicon Valley Bank (http://www.svb.com/).
In 2001 the Board of Directors included Mark Addison of Rocket Science (www.rocketscience.com), Joe Becker (Chairman) of Dolphin Ventures (www.dolphinventures.com); John Gale of Taligo, LLC (www.taligo.com), and others. This Board hired Laura Roden (www.vcprive.com) as Executive Director and President of the organization. As the first full-time professional manager for SVASE, Laura brought a tremendous amount of energy and enthusiasm of the mission of the organization. She pursued a strategy summarized by the tagline: Expand Your Circle of Influence and was responsible for amazing growth in the number of members and visibility of SVASE. The organization could easily claim to be the fastest growing organization focused on entrepreneurs and probably the fastest growing professional organization in Silicon Valley.
In 2005 was named President and changed the direction of the organization as summarized by a new tagline: Empowering Entrepreneurs to Realize Their Visions. With his extensive experience as an entrepreneur and director of an incubator, Chris brought a renewed commitment to assist individuals who are starting new high tech companies. The quality of the programs and the reputation of the organization have continued to grow.
SVASE Management
The Silicon Valley Association of Startup Entrepreneurs (SVASE) is managed almost entirely by a large group of dedicated volunteers organized by program under volunteer managers. We always welcome new volunteers to help us serve our community's goals
Staff
President & CEO, Chris Gill
Marketing & Finance Manager, Laura Weigant
Event Manager & Membership Coordinator , Liz Caldwell
Executive Management Team
Affiliates, Laura Weigant
BIGs (Business Interface Groups), Dan Sharoni
East Bay Serie, Dana Shultz, Kevin Matsushita, Christina Ellwood
First Impressions, Chad Salinas
Forum, Jim Connor, Mark Addison, Ram Sriram
International, Esther Nguyen
Main Event, Laura Weigant, Liz Caldwell
Marketing & PR, Laura Weigant
Membership, Chris Gill
Online Marketing, OuterJoin Inc.
Startup-U, Anne Donker, Lowry Fenton
VC Breakfast Club, Jai Kumar
Volunteers at Events, Mike Harris
Board of Directors
Steve Bengston, PricewaterhouseCoopers (www.pwc.com)
Jim Chapman, Chairman, Nixon Peabody
Stephane DuPont, National Venture Capital Association (www.nvca.org)
Chris Gill, SVASE
Jeff Grabow, Ernst & Young (www.ey.com)
Michele Klein, Applied Materials (www.amat.com)
Ed Lambert, Bridge Bank (www.bridgebank.com)
Laura Pickering, Network Appliance, Inc. (www.netapp.com)
Philip Wickham, Copan Venture Capital
Directors Emeritus
Mark Addison, Rocket Science(www.rocketscience.com)
Joe Becker. Dolphin Ventures (www.dolphinventures.com)
Ken Brenner, Bridge Bank (www.bridgebank.com)
Richard J. Elkus, Jr., KLA-Tencor
Rick Fezell, Ernst & Young LLP (www.ey.com)
John Gale, Taligo LLC (www.taligo.com)
Kelly Hudson, Rich’s Business Guides
Mark Jensen, Deloitt & Touche
Bill Keating, Executive Consultant
Alfred Kenrick, Silicon Valley Bank (www.siliconvalleybank.com)
Casey McGlynn, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
John Metz, Credit Suisse First Boston
Sally Pera, Peraconnect
Anand Ramanathan, WebEx Communications
Laura Roden, VC Prive (www.vcprive.com)
Denise Ryan, Blumarble
Steve Stephenson, Sand Hill Angels
Ben Templin, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Francisco Terrizzano, Bank of Walnut Creek
Rosemary Remacle, Sevin Rosen Funds
Ed Van Deman, Financial Navigator (www.finnav.com)
Sun Jen Yung, DB Alex Brown
Advisory Board
Jonathan Abrams, Socializr
Joe Davison, Technalysis
Murali Devarakonda, Ridestation
Larisa Genin, PuppyFinder.com
Nat Goldhaber, Claremont Creek Ventures
Charles Hsu, Pappas Ventures
Guy Kawasaki, Garage Technology Ventures
Robert LoPresto, Ruscher Loscavio LoPresto
Sachin Maheshwari, Opus Capital
Larry Marcus, Walden VC
Susan Mason, Onset Ventures
John Occhipinti, Woodside Fund
Bill Reichert, Garage Technology Ventures
Andrew Roberts, Ephox
Heidi Roizen, Mobius Ventures
Carol Sands, The Angels Forum LLC
John Steuart, Claremont Creek Ventures
Pankaj Sukla, Trex Global
Blair Swedeen, Partenza
Sriram Viswanathan, Intel Capital
Ron Weissman, Apax Partners
Membership
As of November, 2007 SVASE numbers over 10,000 Associate Members, over 4,000 Corporate Members, and almost 800 Individual Members (798 to be exact).