As the dust settled in the wake of the Battle of Bara Magna, an era of unity emerged, bringing the people of Spherus Magna and the Matoran Universe together, just as the shattered planet itself had been reunited. This initially challenging transition fostered peace as both societies learned to coexist, and with stability came new priorities beyond mere survival. For a millennium, vast corners of the planet had been lost to time and memory, separated by dune seas impossible to traverse. Now, with the planet's natural order restored, it was finally time to reclaim those lost lands. The era of expansion had begun.

The endeavour was a resounding success. Almost daily, new islands, continents, and archipelagos with their own rich histories were rediscovered. Volkerra was one of these lands, a place steeped in mystery, rich in unique fauna and extinct sapient species. Much could be learned from continued research, yet further exploration was quickly curtailed by the unusually aggressive behaviour of local wildlife, which went far beyond mere territoriality. Most dismissed Volkerra, with only a handful of researchers daring to stay, convinced there was more to this place. 

Mana was soon discovered, an elusive and seemingly invasive substance taking the form of crystalline deposits. It was only within its vicinity that wildlife took on their infamous hostile behaviour, manipulating even docile herbivores into savage beasts. It had evidently been a blight on the land for centuries given how much had built up across the land. Further research found that Matoran were uniquely suited to seeking out these deposits, the elemental energies contained within it 'calling out' to those of dormant corresponding elements, and those energies formed the basis of a potent fuel once processed. Finally, Volkerra's potential was in sight.

An action plan was formed. Matoran would seek out the mana and contain it, curing the wildlife of their belligerence and restoring the natural order, while its processed form would be sold to other continents to help fund these efforts. It all relied on Matoran willingly travelling to such a place to face this danger. As expected from a species who had endured years of relentless attacks from the Makuta, his minions, and survived their entire universe being hijacked and plunged into shadow; many were more than up to the challenge.

Volka Nui was established as a base of operations and hub of mana processing, quickly growing into a sprawling city as more joined the efforts to cure Volkerra; an expansion fuelled by the successful trade of processed mana. While still seen as a fringe effort by most, a diverse populus (though primarily made up of Matoran) came to call this place home, collectively known as the Volkari. Already their endeavour was beginning to show positive results, but the path to fully curing Volkerra would be a long one.