Euskaldunak
The Basque People
In the beginning, the Earth was barren, inhabited only by the Gods. One of these Gods, known as Pirinioak, knew that there could be more, that the world had potential. He toiled in secret to create an inhabitant worthy of the land. Pirinioak made many creatures, but none of them he felt was worthy. He went to the other Gods for help. One God, a devious one who's name was never to be spoken, offered to help. Pirinioak and the Other came closer and closer to achieving their goal, until one day, Man was made upon the Earth. Pirinioak was proud, and felt he had finally made something worthy of the Earth. But the Other stole Man, made Man a shell, and used him as a puppet. The Other had betrayed Pirinioak, and used Man as a source of slave labor.
Pirinioak was outraged, but the other Gods supported the Other. In the night, he crept into the Other's domain and took back the reins of Man. But he was discovered by the Other. The Other attacked Pirinioak, and in self defense, Pirinioak wounded the Other. Pirinioak fled the Land of the Gods, taking with him most of Man. The Other went to the rest of the Gods, and convinced them to go after Pirinioak. Pirinioak fled far, but he could not flee forever. The Other had managed to make more of Man, but these were dark and twisted by the Other's influence. Before long, these dark Men outnumbered Pirinioak and his Men.
Pirinioak knew he could not stand against this large coalition against him, and decided there was only one thing to do. He cut Man from the strings of Destiny, leaving him free to determine his own fate, a power reserved only for the Gods. Pirinioak called these Men "Euskaldunak". Pirinioak knew that the dark forces would never leave them alone, so he took them to a place past a narrow strip of land. Pirinioak then sacrificed himself, forming a chain of great mountains, mountains that evil could not pass, called the Auñamendiak. The Euskaldunak, with the help of Pirinioak's mountains, defeated the massed forces of evil. The holy mountains of Pirinioak, and the lands beyond, became the new homeland of the Euskaldunak.
The Euskaldunak have lived here ever since, waiting and watching. Evil will come again, to try and stop Pirinioak's chosen people, to put them back in chains, to tie them again with the strings of Destiny. So the Euskaldunak must remain vigilant, until the end of time.