For untold hundreds of years–maybe even thousands, or tens of thousands–The Murkhlings of Shandapidoor lived in secret, far from the hustle and bustle of civilization on the surface of the planet.

If not for one young man who found them, they would have kept living on in anonymity. And darkness.

Who was this young man, the one who set his eyes on the secret race of The Murkhlings of Shandapidoor?

His name was Bun, of Challville, son of Chay, and her husband, Bun the elder.

Bun had sandy hair and seafoam eyes.

Bun was not especially smart. Bun the elder was an engineer, and Bun’s ten brothers and sisters were all accountants and builders.

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Bun was the youngest and least talented of his siblings. He was the smallest. He received the least attention from his parents and tutors.

Bun often felt like a shadow.

Bun was not skilled in bear trapping like his brother Born. Bun was clumsy with his hands, so his sisters refused to let him help with the weaving of baskets, ponchos, and ceremonial hats.

Sometimes, when he couldn’t figure out what to do with himself, he would walk to the beach. There he would admire and select stones which interested him.

Some of the stones had imprints. It seemed to Bun that these imprints had some sort of ancient, mystical meaning.

On more than one occasion, Bun brought some of his imprinted beach stones to Choggo, the village mystic and storyweaver. Choggo was the only one who seemed to take Bun seriously. Unfortunately, neither Chay, his mother, nor Bun the Elder, his father, very much liked Bun’s habits of wandering off, only to reappear and start chit-chatting with that stinky shaman.