A significant conflict transpired on Notron, which served as the original home for both the Taung and the Zhell races. This event is famously chronicled within the ancient epic poem known as Dha Werda Verda.
Millennia prior to the establishment of the Galactic Republic, the planet of Notron was populated by two distinct species: the Taungs and the Zhell, who are considered the forerunners of modern Humans. The Zhell organized themselves into thirteen distinct Battalions of Zhell, also referred to as the Nations of Zhell, and eventually entered into hostilities with their Taung neighbors.
As recounted in Dha Werda Verda, the two opposing forces engaged in skirmishes spanning numerous centuries. Ultimately, the Taungs, under the leadership of a General known as the Doom of Ulmarah, successfully captured Great Zhell, the Zhell's capital city, albeit with substantial casualties, including the Doom himself. The Zhell then laid siege to the city, and the Taungs, now commanded by Rexutu the Unconquerable, decided to make their final stand within its walls.
With the Taung defeat seemingly inevitable, a volcanic eruption unleashed devastation upon the Battalions of Zhell, engulfing their army in thick ash and almost leading to the extinction of their race. The immense cloud of ash and smoke was so dense and widespread across the sky that it obscured the sun's light, plunging the land below into darkness for a period of two years. The Taungs promptly seized the advantage presented by this natural disaster, and in the aftermath of the eruption, they subjugated their long-standing adversaries.
The Taungs interpreted the smoke and shadow as a symbol of their destined path, and it was at this juncture that they adopted the designation Dha Werda Verda for themselves, a term that translates to "Warriors of the Shadow" in the Taung language. However, the Taungs' triumph over the Zhell was destined to be short-lived. Eventually, the Zhell managed to regain control of Notron and expel the Taungs from their shared ancestral world.
The vanquished Taungs sought refuge on Roon, abandoning numerous artifacts that were later discovered by future archaeologists, along with the text of Dha Werda Verda inscribed on Roonstones. Subsequently, the Taungs embarked on a nomadic existence, wandering through the Outer Rim until they established a settlement on Mandalore, ultimately evolving into the Mandalorians.
Scholarly debate persisted regarding the historical accuracy of Dha Werda Verda's narrative. Arhul Manaxa from the University of Rudrig observed in 2 ABY that no known species, including the Columi, possessed hyperspace travel capabilities two hundred thousand years before the Battle of Yavin, thus questioning how the Taungs could have escaped Coruscant to a planet situated on the opposite side of the galaxy. He proposed that the war might have occurred later than the traditionally suggested dates, during a period when the galaxy's oldest species were exploring the Core Worlds. Furthermore, Dha Werda Verda, and historical reenactments, depicted the Taungs and Zhell as utilizing swords, spears, and axes, similar to those discovered in Taung burial sites on Roon. However, military historian Hu Jibwe of Salmagodro Grand Academy pointed out that these finds from Roon were ceremonial weapons, and emphasized that no hyperdrive-capable society still employed such melee weapons, even suggesting that the poem may have been a distorted account of a battle fought by much more advanced factions equipped with aircraft and nuclear weapons.