There is a legend we tell our nymphs. In this legend our world, Vur-Xacca (Mother who gives us shelter), was once much warmer. There were more trees and moss, many more and larger animals, and Vur-Vur (Father of the hateful light) was benevolent and gentle.
On the surface walked another species, and here the legend varies. Some claim great winged reptiles, others say Chimm not much difference from you or I, while still others claim bipedal mammals almost as large as we, if such could be believed. Whoever they were, they covered the face of Vur-Xacca.
They did not understand our Mother however and did not care for her. Worse, they absolutely hated each other in a way we Chimm cannot fathom. They fought incessantly for land, for resources, for power and sometimes pride for year after year, century after century, eon after eon, until they developed a super weapon of pure fire and hate. They unleashed it and destroyed themselves leaving Vur-Xacca savagely wounded, Vur-Vur furious, and our ancestors to pick up the pieces.
Thus ended the Age of Fire and began the Age of Earth, where we lived however we could in the caverns and cracks beneath our savaged world. Over the years a strange thing happened: The energy from their superweapon filtered into the ground and so into us. Generation after generation we grew wiser, smarter, stronger and larger. Soon the cracks were not enough and we dug deeper and larger caves. As we dug, we met others of our kind and created the first nests. The nests linked into a web of tunnels. Some grew into towns and cities. Sometimes the cities competed, but we Chimm understand cooperation much better than our predecessors did. Then, 2200 years or so ago, our universe expanded.
Now we call him Tal-Qasim (Wanderer). He claimed to have heard the words of Vur-Xacca, though most believe he was just the rare malcontent. Heroic regardless, for he burrowed to the surface and was the first to cast his compound eyes on the pale, angry face of Vur-Vur. The air, as you know, is bitter on the surface. Scientists now belief the legendary superweapon caused the world to freeze, and by the time it wore off the albedo from snow and ice was such that Vur-Xacca couldn't warm up again. We didn't know that at the time of course, just that our Father was angry. And bright, which is just as bad.
Still, our father tired and for some half the day we could venture forth in relative safety. We'd never stopped growing in size and wouldn't for 500 more years, so even the vast caverns we'd dug were growing a bit close. Finding the surface meant we could start building our caverns above ground without as much digging. It also let us find more stable food sources It wasn't long before the lichen and plants of our underworld gave rise to a dozen civilizations. Where others might have fought, we had no reason. Life was hard, no doubt, but resources weren't the problem so competition yielded to cooperation. The network of tunnels below became a network of paths above. We learned to protect our bodies from Vur-Vur's anger and revel in the night sky. We learned Vur-Vur might be angry (and bright), but his real goal was to scare other nests from coming to us, not to keep us imprisoned.
This was the Age of Ice where we mastered fire then steel, steam then fossil fuels. We formed the Collective under the Queen of our largest brood.
We made light our ally and not our enemy by creating lasers. We studied the stars and other wandering objects in the sky, then began launching our own. In time we learned of tunnels leading to other systems. Perhaps we will find people like us?
We are a curious people, we Chimm. It's time to take our first steps into the black.
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On the surface walked another species, and here the legend varies. Some claim great winged reptiles, others say Chimm not much difference from you or I, while still others claim bipedal mammals almost as large as we, if such could be believed. Whoever they were, they covered the face of Vur-Xacca.
They did not understand our Mother however and did not care for her. Worse, they absolutely hated each other in a way we Chimm cannot fathom. They fought incessantly for land, for resources, for power and sometimes pride for year after year, century after century, eon after eon, until they developed a super weapon of pure fire and hate. They unleashed it and destroyed themselves leaving Vur-Xacca savagely wounded, Vur-Vur furious, and our ancestors to pick up the pieces.
Thus ended the Age of Fire and began the Age of Earth, where we lived however we could in the caverns and cracks beneath our savaged world. Over the years a strange thing happened: The energy from their superweapon filtered into the ground and so into us. Generation after generation we grew wiser, smarter, stronger and larger. Soon the cracks were not enough and we dug deeper and larger caves. As we dug, we met others of our kind and created the first nests. The nests linked into a web of tunnels. Some grew into towns and cities. Sometimes the cities competed, but we Chimm understand cooperation much better than our predecessors did. Then, 2200 years or so ago, our universe expanded.
Now we call him Tal-Qasim (Wanderer). He claimed to have heard the words of Vur-Xacca, though most believe he was just the rare malcontent. Heroic regardless, for he burrowed to the surface and was the first to cast his compound eyes on the pale, angry face of Vur-Vur. The air, as you know, is bitter on the surface. Scientists now belief the legendary superweapon caused the world to freeze, and by the time it wore off the albedo from snow and ice was such that Vur-Xacca couldn't warm up again. We didn't know that at the time of course, just that our Father was angry. And bright, which is just as bad.
Still, our father tired and for some half the day we could venture forth in relative safety. We'd never stopped growing in size and wouldn't for 500 more years, so even the vast caverns we'd dug were growing a bit close. Finding the surface meant we could start building our caverns above ground without as much digging. It also let us find more stable food sources It wasn't long before the lichen and plants of our underworld gave rise to a dozen civilizations. Where others might have fought, we had no reason. Life was hard, no doubt, but resources weren't the problem so competition yielded to cooperation. The network of tunnels below became a network of paths above. We learned to protect our bodies from Vur-Vur's anger and revel in the night sky. We learned Vur-Vur might be angry (and bright), but his real goal was to scare other nests from coming to us, not to keep us imprisoned.
This was the Age of Ice where we mastered fire then steel, steam then fossil fuels. We formed the Collective under the Queen of our largest brood.
We made light our ally and not our enemy by creating lasers. We studied the stars and other wandering objects in the sky, then began launching our own. In time we learned of tunnels leading to other systems. Perhaps we will find people like us?
We are a curious people, we Chimm. It's time to take our first steps into the black.
I like the way you left it ambigious whether Vur Xacca is the Earth we know... Or just another planet, in a very (very) similar system... Will surely follow 
