Ainur
From t2twiki
[edit] MUD Definition
(from "help Valinor":)
In Tolkien's world (see especially the Silmarillion), immortal beings - gods, if you will - are called "Ainur". A single god is an Ainu.
Tolkien's Ainur were divided into two broad groupings based on their relative power and rank: Valar (the most powerful) and Maiar (less powerful). A single god of each rank is called a Vala or a Maia.
In The Two Towers, those who 'run' the MUD are Ainur... the symbolism is fitting. Just as Tolkien's Ainur created Middle Earth through the singing of Eru's Great Song (the Ainulindale), so our Ainur create Middle Earth through coding and descriptions of new areas, as well by maintaining existing areas.
