The Age of Awakening

I, Dune Celeborn, wrote this and bore witness to these events.

In the Beginning was Ethuiri, she called the One by men, the Lady Hair by the Udun, the Great Mother by the Kalzov. The One was the beginning and is the end, She was the first and will be the last She is the All of time and the end of time. She being of love desired others to bestow her love upon and so came into being the Ulvatar, The First Eight, called the Angi by Men. The One loved them and they She, and the Eight spent many aeons singing her fair songs and making offerings of praise.

The The One Ethu gave to each of them several sheets of paper and said unto them, "Write me each a composition from your own heart, one that can meld with your siblings, and I will show you a great marvel." Each of them did ash was bade them and each wrote a section of composition that, when one left off and the next began would become a mighty symphony. When the symphony was crafted did each of the Ulvatar come to the Throne of Glory.

Dari Alur sang his part and with his music did the One separate the Timeless Void and the Materia, and came to the Great Hall many numberless singing voices, spirits of fire and earth and water and air, the Orloi were they; servants of the Ulvatar.From Dari Alur's part came Men, the first two Men, male and female were they created. Ethu loved them and gave them two blessings but they slept still, for their time was not yet come.

When the Ulvatar saw what had been wrought they rejoiced and marveled, each eager to sing their part. But one of them, P'Tah, desired to sing his part next, and prepared to step before The One.The One kindly spoke to him, saying that his turn would come soon enough, and she beckoned to Mar to sing her part. P'Tah was ashamed and sat down in his small seat, and his heart developed a black spot.

Then Mar sang her part and danced it as well, and it was a song of joy and triumph, happiness and hope. The One was delighted, and as her siblings clapped their hands in time with Mar's tune the earth came forth with all green growing fields, meadows and flowers of many shapes and kinds, and from these came a multitude of butterflies and all birds of the air. And Mar's love and humor took shape as four: the first four Udun, two males and two females were they. But as with the Men, Ethu loved them and blessed them, but they slept still for their time had not yet come.

Then came forth K'Tith for his part and it was frightening, with crashing tempos and thunderous beats. Etu captured his music and woven it, and from it came all thigh high mountains, the caves with their deep tunnels, and thundering storms that breathed lightning and watered the world. From that music came the six, the first six of the Kalzov; 3 males and three females. Ethu looked upon them and loved them, blessing them with many blessings, but still they, too, stay asleep for their time was not yet come.

Loria's music was soft and gentle, with subtle tones and unobtrusive differences in octaves. So beautiful and so timeless was Loria's piece that The One was moved to tears. Etu peopled the skies with all of the stars to bring forth beautiful light, and did she also create the moons so that all the darkness would be suffused and soft. From the music came eight: Eight Shining Host for Eight Ulvatar, four males and four females. The One loved them and blessed them with many good things. Then she bade the music stop for now, so that She and the Ulvatar could rest. She set the Olori to their tasks and dismissed the Ulvatar each to their own homes, biding them to rest until She called from them again. When the Ulvatar had left the Golden Hall Etu smiled to herself, and awoke the Shining Host. They are The Firstborn, and explored their area in wonder and joy.

Long did the Ulvatar rest, so that The Shining Host built Amelost, and taught a certain number of the animals to talk. There were no trees in those days, and so the elves danced under the stars unrestricted. Long, too, did P'Tah rest but ever did his eyes turn to the world, and he was curious of it and wanted to know what manner of Firstborns would come from his music. After a little time of these thoughts he defied the instructions of the One and snuck silently out of Heaven and went to the world.

But Etu is not mocked, for she knows all things that were and are and what will come.

P'Tah moved across the earth and across it's deserts. He explored its mountains and loved over all things the deep caves with their dark chambers when the light of moon and star could not reach. In time he explored the forests, and discovered the elves. Long he watched them from afar and loved their grace and beautiful voices, and grew desirous that they should show him obescience. So he took fair shape and came among them, bringing great gifts of jewels and sweet food stuffs. Some of the elves tremebled and his coming and hid themselves, a great many were awed by him and accepted the gifts her brought, but the Shining Host were not deceived. They heard the deceit in his voice. The Eight of the Shining Host are Anrion and Maeglin, Falyenar and Maedros, Miander and Faeglin, Hithlari and Nuada.

When P'Tah told the elves that he was the creator of the entire world and all they saw in it, indeed, the very elves themselves, The Shining Host intervened. The Shining Host told P'Tah that they knew of the deceit on his tongue and the black spot on his heart and told the elves likewise. The elves knew themselves deceived and gave back his gifts. P'Tah was enraged and grew to mountainous size as if to smite them but the Shining Host drove at him with weapons and bows of silver. Each of the Shining Host struck him once and made unto him great pain, and he fled from them. He hated themn from that moment, and his hate poisoned him.

When once again the Ulvatar gathered into the Hall of Glory to continue the symphony, several of them and the Olori saw P'Tah limping and asked the nature of his wounds. But he would say nothing, and many of the Ulvatar and Olori were troubled in their hearts. But The One knew the cause and the effect for she is all knowledge, but She said nothing choosing to call Yur to perform instead.

Yur seated herself on a golden stool and played her golden harp, and some of the Olori played with her. Her music was sweet and at some times breathy and other times deep. The One delighted in Yur's piece and with it caused to spring up all waters great and small and the animals that populate them. From her music Etu formed the first of the Yolanni. Ten were they in number, six males and six females of great beauty, but they were doomed. The One knew this but blessed them anyway, kissing each one and keeping them yet asleep, for their time had not yet come.

Came then Burik and the Olori whom played with him, and his music was fast and burning, with deep chords and minimul notes, it was as a fire coming into the Great Hall. From this music did Etu shape the sun and hang it in the sky, she seperated day from night and gave an equal measure of hours to both. The earth greeted the bright new light with volcanoes and fire and heat. Then She shaped his music into the Firety Two: Male and female created she them, but she knew that they were doomed. She left them slumbering in the deep places of the earth, knowing they would never see the sun.

Then Teoza stepped forward with his minstrels and his lyre, he the only one to tell Etu that his composition dealt with the animals of forest and field, which he loved. He played a magnificent piece that glorified the One, the moon and sun, and all of the animals of the world. Of his music The One shaped the Second Four: Two males and two females were made, and they were doomed. But Etu blessed them and loved them, and left them sleeping in a deep wood.

P'Tah stepped up with his great black viola and his many Olori minstrels. His did not mesh, for he had wrote it anew. It was discord, sharp scales and thundering chords that strove with the music already made, for he attempted to bend the world to his own will. His fellow Ulvatar were dismayed and discomfited, and even his own minstrels were confused and could not keep up. They laid their harps and violas down.

The One smiled and with kind and gentle words asked P'Tah to stop and begin again, to play his original composition. P'Tah's minstrels took up their instruments again. But P'Tah disobeyed and played his rewrought composition again. This time some of his minstrels attuned their works to his, and the earth trembled in great fear.

Once more did Etu make the request that he stop and play his original composition, and this time she did not smile. Again did P'Tah disobey, and this time all of his minstrels played his piece, filling the Golden Hall with ferocity and the desire to control. The earth did tremble and cry out in fear. Volcanoes thundered and the earrth shook violently. The earth cried out in pain.

Now did The One stand from her throne, and her countenance was terrible to behold. She silenced P'Tah and all of his minstrels. The minstrels fled and hid themselves, afraid of Etu's wrath but P'Tah did not fall away. From nothing did The One bring forth P'Tah's first composition and from the proper music did she bring forth all creeping things: the insect after his kind, the spider after his kind, and the lizard after his kind. But no Second did She create. P'tah took offense at this and perceoved it as a personal slight. He stormed from the Hall and flung himself to the world. The elves saw him come down in the mountains as a huge fire wreathed in shadows. When he landed he immediately brought forth his vile fortress of Dar-gorlia, chained the doors, and hid himself within.

In the Golden Hall there was great dissent and heated debate among the Ulvatar and the Olori. Those minstrels that had played with P'Tah argued on his behalf, and boldly demanded of Etu to know why only She was allowed to create. Their arguments set Yur, Burik, and Teoza to thinking. The others condemned P'Tah for his pride and arrogance except for Loria, whom weept at the loss of her brother. When no answer was forthcoming from The One the minstrels of P'Tah followed him to his fortress and dwelt with him and they took fearsome shapes.

At this Ethuiri only looked sad and said to those with her, "It has begun."

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