500 kYA to 8000YA
The lower sea levels of the late Pleistocene revealed the fertile hills of a great peninsula stretching from south-east Asia, across what is now called Oceanea, and nearly to Australia. Across these muddy hills, a large and aggressive strain of Homo Erectus concocted a civilization of sorts that we now call Mu.
Beginning as Paleolithic hunters like their mainland brethren (settling the area as early as 1.5 MYA) the Muan culture began accelerating dramatically about 500k YA through apparently supernatural means. According to their own creation myth, Elders from the Sky (not clearly identified or described) came down, gathered their tribes together and offered them a path to eternal life. The price was that they could never have children. The Muans took the deal.
Muans grew to great size (averaging .2.5 meters tall and 500 kg) and rapidly developed their technology at a pace not equaled until the modern era. By 300k YA Muans had transportation and logistical capacity to rival the cyber age. They never developed gunpowder or computers, but they did seem to possess psionic disciplines and gravitics.
Each Muan was the master of his own estate, with a strictly defined territory. Within, he was free to pursue whatever he desired.
Muans themselves lived by a strict moral code. They worshipped no gods, and indeed spat upon all supernatural notions. They fought one another, but never to the death, and serious disputes were always arbitrated by other Muans. They had an ascetic philosophy of continually improving oneself – for what else is the point of eternal life?
They clashed on occasion with the Titans, but neither side possessed anything the other side wanted badly enough to risk death over. At the time, the planet was, literally, big enough for both parties (party being in the literal sense on the part of the Titans), so after a few loud battles, they both studiously ignored each other.
Muans constructed the system of ley lines and gates that forms a loose network around the planet.
While they respected the Titans’ strength (if not their philosophy) the Muans regarded all other human variants as little more than animals, suitable only as slaves, and occasionally food.
Muans were fierce of appearance with long hair and beards, pronounced canine teeth and their large size. Eventually, they found ways around their inability to breed, but their progeny, the Ogre and Jotun races were riddled with mutations.
As the Ice Age came to an end, Muan estates began to pass beneath the waves, forcing some to flee further inland, and some to even go to war with one another – unheard of to that point. By 15kYA the Muan civilization was effectively destroyed. By 8000 YA volcanic eruptions and flooding had reduced the subcontinent to a chain of islands, and the mighty Muans has fled off into mythology.
Many of the Asuras and Rakshasha and Djinn of myth may be Muan refugees.