Far away in time and space there was a world with Three Suns. Once this world was inhabited by the urSkeks, the Gelflings, and the Pod People, three different races. All were happy and free, living in the aura of a great, glowing Crystal that glittered from its many surfaces as brightly as a diamond. One day while Jen was playing his flute by his favorite pond, the sky became very dark, the wind started to howl, and the air grew sharply cold. Jen looked around and saw one of the urRu coming toward him. At dawn, urSu was honored in a sacred urRu ceremony of song. Jen was there, mourning. One of the urRu then turned to Jen and told him that it was time to leave the valley.
Every thousand years the Three Suns would come together in a Great Conjunction. All that lived in the world would be renewed by the light that flooded down on them. but many years ago a terrible thing happened as the moment of the Great Conjuction. The urSkeks were split into two separate beings: the good and wise urRu, and the evil and cruel Skeksis. The Skeksis gained control of the Crystal and turned all that was good in their world into evil.
At the same time, the beautiful Crystal cracked and darkened. And dark it would remain until a piece that broke off-the crystal shard-was restored. According to an ancient Gelfling prophecy, the shard could be replaced only during the next Great Conjunction and only by the hand of a Gelfling. If the prophecy were not fulfilled, the power of the Skeksis would grow even stronger and their reign would be renewed forever.
The Skeksis did all they could to prevent the prophecy from coming true. They killed every Gelfling on the planet-or so they believed. The urRu had managed to save one Gelfling boy. They called him Jen, and they raised him secretly in a hidden valley, far away form the Skeksis. In all the years he was growing up, Jen knew no other place and spoke with no other beings but the urRu and the woodland creatures that also lived in the valley.
"In your cave there is one who has need," the urRu said.
Wondering why urSu his Master needed him and frightened by the growing darkness, Jen hurried to his Master's side. He found urSu ready to go into the next world.
As urSu lay dying, he wanted to tell Jen about a special task that Jen, the last of the Gelflings, had to do.
"You are in danger, Gelfling....The rule of the Skeksis has brought forth pain," urSu gasped. He held his hand over the magic bowl and the liquid in the bowl formed itself into the shape of a piece of cyrstal.
"Mark well this crystal shard," urSu said. "On the Wall of Destiny is it written: A Gelfling must restore the shard to its rightful place. You are that Gelfling, Jen. You must heal the wound at the world's core. It is your only hope...of ending the rule of the Dark Crystal. Your journey must begin soon...for the Three Suns will not wait."
With those words, the shard disappeared. Jen heard it give off a musical sound as it vanished.
Jen did not understand what his Master was trying to tell him. But before he could ask urSu any questions, the Master's eyes closed, and his great head sank to rest. UrSu was dead.
Jen's heart was breaking. Alone and bewildered by urSu's last words, Jen left the cave.
"Very soon the Three Suns will become one. Unless by then you have found the future you must seek, and made what was broken whole, what was dark light, then darkness will be the fate of all creatures."
"But what am I to do? Where am I to go?" Jen asked.
"You must go to the high hill, to the dome of Aughra, Keeper of Secrets. In the end Aughra sees all."
Reluctantly, with fear and sadness in his heart, Jen did as the urRu said. He did not want to go, but he had been told he must. He looked back as he made his way up the path that wound out of the valley. The urRu, in their circle of stones, still sang at the funeral of urSu. They raised their heads and stared at Jen for a long time. It was their silent farewell. Jen stared back, then walked on toward the distant mountains.
