[h1]The Lifeblood[/h1]

	For some amount of time now-- and also no time at all, since the passage of time during the ages of bountiful creation was quite hard to measure-- the Lifeblood had stilled. Though not content with all it had made, its endless bubbling and surging had settled down to a simmer as it contemplated what else could be made. It rebelled against itself, it hated itself. It loved itself, it pitied itself. Only when the swirling feelings had settled down the slightest bit did the Hot One choose the perfect occasion to establish itself as a new goddess. Now, there were two Warm Things, and it seemed that one of them was a lot more dangerous than the other. A lot more volatile.
	Many parts of the Lifeblood were indifferent. Many were ecstatic. But many more were unnerved, and wary, suspicious of this "Evandra" and her fire. It wondered how the Cold would react. It wondered how Gibbou would react! And most importantly, it wondered how life would react. Could fire pose so great a threat that it wiped out all it had shaped?
	Unacceptable. The Lifeblood drew itself together, unable to emote yet still feeling rather haughty and determined, and whisked away to the west, passing over the Prairie of Sol, where it saw Oraelia's leons on the prowl. When it alighted on the barren wastes adjacent to where Evandra had landed, it knew what it had to do.
	Trees, trees everywhere. The giant trunks sprouted from the stone in droves, bark thick and red to absorb any potential fires, needles so thick that they already formed wet and humid canopies, hundreds of feet above. Drought tolerant grasses and ferns colonized the rock left beneath their hefty roots. Sap leaked from their bases in vast quantities, forming rivers of green that snaked their way to the ocean, enriching whatever it touched. The Lifeblood focused once more, and the branches burst open with animals of all kinds-- scurrying rodents, noble birds of prey, clawed wolverines, sleepy oppossums, and even deer with ruby antlers. They proceeded to munch and burrow, seeking refuge in the great trees without damaging their interiors. Each animal grew deeper and redder fur, blending in with the sequoias and redwoods to better avoid predators. 
	A curious salamander approached the edge of the newborn Torchless Wood, sniffing at a hazel frond that bobbed to and fro. With trepidation, the Lifeblood sat by to see what would happen. The reptile bit the frond, then recoiled, scampering back to its rocky wilderness to warn its fellow lizards of the terrible red and green things encroaching on their territory. As the Lifeblood watched it run, it felt worried. The salamanders might still find a way to destroy the wood. It needed something powerful, something like the leons, to ensure its safety. 
	The Lifeblood floated back through its temperate rainforest, probing for a spot where it might work its magic. Soon, it contented itself with a large cave, partially hidden by winding roots and hanging lichens. From the mouth-like darkness, it pulled, pouring in its hope and worry for all of Galbar into one, concentrated creature. Needles blew back and forth as wind issued from the cave. Clouds roiled through the canopy, and all nearby creatures cowered. Even the behemoth trees, modeled after the Tree of Genesis on the mainland, seemed afraid
	From the mouth of the cave stepped a beast. At first glance, it might resemble one of Oraelia's lovely guardians, with wide feline paws and a glorious, rippling mane, a body supple and powerful enough to fell any foe. But the similarities stopped there. Clawed, sinewy wings sprouted from its back, striated in shades of red, brown, and purple. Potent stardust swirled in its fur, concentrated in its cosmic fur, setting it glittering with dark energies. Twin fangs half the length of its legs jutted from its upper lip, forcing a perpetual sneer onto its face. Its lithe lion body had lovely lilac forelegs, but a ghastly back that glistened with dripping blood and gore. A knotted tail, roped together by exposed muscles that creaked whenever they moved, ended in a brilliant flame that not only sucked light from its surroundings, and presumably heat as well. The beast was truly something else. It had not done much more than step forward, but the Lifeblood could feel the power coursing through it; it was fast enough to tear across the continent and back, as tireless as the Boar, with claws and teeth sharper than anything previously defined. It could soar higher and farther than any other creature. It could go anywhere, do anything, with no need for air or food. But it would kill anyway-- the Lifeblood could tell that much already. Cleverness glinted behind those malicious eyes, and it was not a reassuring intelligence.
	It was anti-fire. It was anti-warmth. And when its eyes bore into the non-corporeal, wavering essence of the Lifeblood, it felt something it had never truly felt before- fear. This, this right here, was its worst creation, far beyond any Hell holes or tentacled monsters. When it looked at the dark lion, the lion looked back, intelligent and thirsty for destruction. The Lifeblood was frozen. It had no idea what to do next.
	Salvation came in the form of a songbird, an insignificant force in the face of The Stryija. Its melody entranced the great cat, and a few refrains later, it was swaying on its wide feet. The Stryija blinked once, pupil-less eyes full of loathing for its creator, then slunk back into its cave. The Torchless Wood, along with the Lifeblood, breathed a sigh of relief.
	Hell hath no fury as that monstrosity, should it ever be awoken again.

[hider=Stryija][img]https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/f31d89fd-042e-4ecd-b1b3-0c88642481c5/ddrp44p-72b7bf44-bb32-4525-ad24-a0b22086fed7.png/v1/fill/w_1280,h_1088,q_80,strp/death_kitty_by_dewfrost97_ddrp44p-fullview.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9MTA4OCIsInBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcL2YzMWQ4OWZkLTA0MmUtNGVjZC1iMWIzLTBjODg2NDI0ODFjNVwvZGRycDQ0cC03MmI3YmY0NC1iYjMyLTQ1MjUtYWQyNC1hMGIyMjA4NmZlZDcucG5nIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTEyODAifV1dLCJhdWQiOlsidXJuOnNlcnZpY2U6aW1hZ2Uub3BlcmF0aW9ucyJdfQ.Z7_-AdssFSDjomU-qF6raWOFeu7bE0Pg_3FvVE_2Cec[/img][/hider]


[hider=Summary]
Perturbed by Evandra's existence, the Lifeblood grows fearful of fire and creates a fire-resistant temperate rainforest with sequoias and redwoods. Still paranoid, it creates something to counteract fire- a terrible, sapient lion known as the Stryija that can fly and extinguish any nearby flame. Afraid of what it's made, the Lifeblood watches it fall into a long slumber, unaware of when it might wake and gravely hoping it never does. 
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[hider=MP Usage]
Fe'ris: 5MP/0DP

Free- create a large ecosystem
1 Might- create a legendary beast of phenomenal power.

4MP/0DP

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