First Epoch

Creation
 ''This is the cosmology of the Thuddim of the world of Thudd. Thudd is really a cosmic tree, and a physical one, unlike the Nordic world-tree, Yggdrasil, which is an ethereal circuit that connects to a multitude of worlds. In Thudd, there is only two worlds; the waking world and the dreaming world. The waking world is understood as the physical plane, but the dreaming world to the Thuddim is equally real. It is in the dreaming world the Thuddim go into the center of Thudd to tend to the Great Spirit at the time of Darkening (cosmic winter of Thudd), when the entire people go into the Long Sleep. The nature of both worlds will be discussed extensively in the following chapters.'' 

This is an ancient tale, and it is a tale being retold every day by every tree in this sacred grove. But here it is retold in words. So there it was, a seed. A curious little thing that sprang out of nothingness. How did it come to being, no one can tell, for who was there to witness the coming of it and give us the account of its being? But it was there nonetheless, for a tree could only sprang out of a seed. The First Tree was sprang from the First Seed. And it must be a beautiful thing to behold to see Thudd the Great Tree at its greenest and most fragile days. But lucky for it there was no foot or paw to trample it for it was the first and only thing to come to being in the youth of existence. And in due time, Thudd grew from a small little sapling it was to a tall, tall tree. But it was yet to be old, and its branches still green, and its leaves were fresh and fragrant. What did it grow on, I cannot tell, for as the First Seed had come to being at its own accord, out of nothingness, the First Tree must be feeding itself itsself. Or that it digs deep into the emptiness of void, a useless thing indeed, and turned it into its feed, sap, nectar and fruit. And there was light in its young leaves, of which now only grows at its heights. Yes! It must be so. For when it was young, all its leaves gave light, and it could be a terrible thing if all its leaves are still green and gave light, for our eyes would be sore and blinded. But it was a long time before we came, for by the time it grew its first bud, the young leaves were only sprouting at its tallest height. It was then, the first bud, that innocent, white thing, had grew out of Thudd’s older boughs, from a curious, young branch that sprang from there. Young branches don’t grow out of older boughs, now, do they? Young branches only grow on the tops, at its heights, unless the older boughs were broken, or as an omen it came. But really it was an omen, an auspicious omen of birth, for that white bud had blossomed, and spilling out with nectar and pollens, a girl came! Ai her name was. She was the first creature of all Thudd. And she was very lovely to behold, for she was first of our people, and was such an innocent thing. She was a girl, and was alone and afraid. She stayed at that very same place of her birth, and fed on the nectar of that first blossom, which she was born of. She dared not go far, but stayed, and loved the flower as her own mother. And she was nourished and grew, and became most beautiful to behold. But the Flower drooped, as all flower must. One by one, its petal fell, and she was become very sad and she wept. It was her mother dying. But from the death of the Flower, there grew a curious green ball in the heart of the dead flower. And she now realized she wasn’t the only growing thing. Or maybe that she loved it as a memorial to her dead mother. But the green ball, which was the first fruit of Thudd, was loved, and it was nourished by both woman and Tree. For a time it was good, for she tended the Fruit that grew from day to day, with tender love and care. But Ai was denied of the nourishment that the flower provided, and she grew hungry and thirsty. For a while she could stay her hunger and thirst, but for the temptation of the fruit that grew bigger and redder day after day. And there was come a day, when her hunger and thirst was very great. And the fragrance and size of the Fruit had become so sweet and lovely. So she seized the Fruit from its branch, and dug greedily into its flesh. O, it must be sweet, very, very sweet to taste the first fruit of Thudd! For she had dug deep into the flesh of the fruit, and came upon a very curious seed. She saw the seed had a skin like hers. And she bit it, thinking that it is good like the flesh of the Fruit. The seed moved, when she bit it, and wept in pain and tears, for her greedy bite had dug deep into its flesh. There was blood. And that was how the first man come. Kin his name was. First Man, second creature of all Thudd. That was how Man was birthed, in tears and blood, but firstly not of woman’s but of man’s. Strange but it was so. The woman realizing there was the man, a creature so much like her yet so different, immediately soothed him, and gave him her apologies in such a way before there was spoken words. Ai embraced Kin into her bossoms, and that had stopped his weeping. He was then soothed, and he behold her in his eyes. And he thought she was a lovely thing. And she thought the same. For Kin had found her already familiar even before he had arisen from the Fruit, for she had loved the fruit. And so they were in love, Kin having forgiven Ai.