This is a synopsis of the long song myth of how an uruk warrior became Shum the Great, a dghu of the uruk.

In the days following the Dark One’s mysterious disappearance, there was a brood of uruk warriors who were known all across the wastes for their strength, teamwork, and savagery. Their names were; Ukhgûr “Quakewalker,” a huge uruk who shook the ground with every step; Grishosh “Bloody Entrails,” a brutal and savage uruk; Nazdufu “Spinning Blades,” an uruk who sent ribbons of blood around him on the battlefield with his swords; Gashnmuz “Speaks Fire,” who was cunning beyond measure; and Bolg.

In uruk society, there are some names that are given to uruk who do not stand out in any particular way, but are nevertheless good warriors on the battlefield and thus deserving of respect. Bolg is one of these names. Bolg “The Bloodthirsty” is an extremely common name among the uruk—like John (or Sarah, because uruk names are usually gender neutral)—and thus, Bolg is seen mostly as placeholder name until one earns a name one can be proud of being called.

One night, these brood-siblings stumbled upon a sinkhole in the middle of the wastelands. A sign was written in blood that signified it to be an entrance to the Dark Master’s lair, a legendary fortress of dread and terror far beneath the volcanoes.

Now, while the Dark Master is long gone, his towers and fortresses pock mark the Garmadh region, and they still hold great and terrible things: curses, beasts, vengeful spirits, death traps, and madness. However, these spires and passages also hold great riches and glory. Understanding the potential risks and rewards, the brood-siblings descended.

Down, down, down they crept, killing beasts and avoiding deadly traps. The deeper they went, the more dangerous things became. Eventually, it got to be too much. The mighty Ukhgûr was too slow, and could not make the leap across a chasm. The savage Grishosh was cursed and went mad, killing the agile Nazdufu, who was not cold-hearted enough to stop his brood-sibling. The cunning Gashnmuz was crushed by a giant-centipede that Gashnmuz was not strong enough to kill.

The lone survivor was Bolg, who was not special in any one way, but strong in all.

In the grim underbelly of the fortress, Bolg finally found a massive, ornate door to a throne room. Inside, he found riches beyond belief and a mysterious shadow. The shadow spoke to Bolg, and said that it was the shadow of the dark master, trapped in this tomb in the middle of the desert. The desert was a span’s journey in any direction, and would be devoured by the sun if it was caught in the barren waste with nothing to hide under when the sun rose.

The shadow wanted nothing more than to leave this place so that it could find its master, and struck a deal with Bolg: if Bolg took the shadow out of the desert, giving the shadow a place to hide during the midday sun, it would teach Bolg the secret of all shadows– how to change size. Bolg agreed, and they set out that very night.

Every night, they practiced. By the last night, Bolg could could stretch all the way out, like a shadow does in the evening sun.

Now here is where the story differs, depending on who tells it. According to the Ash Tribe, on the final day of traveling, Bolg stepped to the side and let the sun tear the Master’s shadow into pieces, never to be heard from again.

However, Agon Ashtu tells me that the Master’s Tribe tells a different version of the story. In their version, Bolg made good on his promise, and carried the shadow to the ocean, where it may wander the world wherever it pleases through the murky depths for eternity, in search of its lost master.

Regardless, when Bolg returned to his tribe and showed them how he could grow to a giant’s height, they renamed him Shum the Great, and he became a legendary hero of the uruk.