The Crater of Nuhen

Long ago in the Before Times, the world was empty of life. The gods and goddesses of the Upper Realm desired creatures to rule over. Pizu, the Creator and Mother of the Divine, created tall, pale beings with green eyes and long, white hair. She called them the Mumari, and gave them supreme knowledge and long life. The other Divine were impressed with Pizu's creation, and happy. Neru, goddess of knowledge and learning, desired to give companions to the Mumari, and thus she created the elves. The elves, under the guidance of Neru, learned from the Mumari and came to honour and revere them, as they honoured and revered the Divine. Orzu, god of stone and metals, created the dwarves to also learn from the Mumari and to help him tend to the mountains and the deep places.

One among the Divine grew jealous, however. Zuzu, god of conflict and war, created Men with qualities from the three Elder races. Strength from the dwarves, knowledge from the Mumari, and fair appearance from the elves. He desired that his race would prove the superior and rule the others, but his creation rebelled against him and befriended the Elders. One Man alone continued to follow Zuzu, and cursed his kind for turning away. His name was Morhen, dark priest of Zuzu. Zuzu became drunk on the power and service he gained from his loyal servant, and a darkness grew in his heart until it overcame him, and he himself rebelled against the Divine. He commanded Morhen to wage war on the creatures of the other Divine, and corrupted the hearts of many Men to serve this purpose. Morhen formed a mighty nation of corrupted Men and made war on the creatures of the Divine as Zuzu made war on the Divine themselves. The beings of the earth met on the Plains of Gergyr, and far into the battle Morhen met with his brother Nuhen, king of the good Men. The two fought long, with sword and with magic. Their battle was so intense that their armies fled to a safe distance and watched as the powers of good and evil wrestled for control.

Finally, Nuhen realized that he could not prevail against the combined power of Zuzu and Morhen. He cried out to the Divine to use him as a sacrifice to defeat Morhen and Zuzu, and save the peoples of the world. The Divine granted his request and sent down their power in the form of a giant, glowing orb. The orb descended on the still-fighting forms of Morhen and Nuhen, and when it struck the ground, it exploded with such force as to leave nothing but a giant crater big enough for three of the largest cities to rest within. When the smoke cleared, the brothers were gone, and nothing but the crater remained. The armies of Morhen fled the battle in fear, and the Free Ones named the crater after their great hero, who saved them from the malice of Zuzu.

For now.