[center][h1][b][color=0054a6]K̸͔̃a̶̛̪a̵̻͌ŗ̶̈n̸̛̲ȩ̸̂s̷̖̐x̶͕̊a̷̫͂t̸̖̂u̵̧͝r̶͈̍l̷̬̑ ̶͖̊[/color][/b][/h1][/center]

Six eyes glowered through the waters, peering voraciously through the murky night at the hulking form of the owner’s hated foe. 

Blood, arterial and thick, billowed out from beneath the mass of the monumental predator gorging itself upon its prey. Eight powerful limbs held tightly to the corpse of the fallen creature while four more tore chunks free for gnashing beak to rip into. All the while as this frightful beast feasted, Kaarn glared. 

Kaarnesxaturl, as the great blue Vo had named him at his birth, looked on spitefully at the banquet his enemy so enjoyed. He was Vrool, and a large one at that; though his memories before his enlightenment were foggy, he knew he had satiated his youthful pangs of hunger with no less than a dozen of his clutchmates. Despite this advantage of birth, Kaarn knew full well that this rival now haunting his territory was, in terms of size, his better. A rare case indeed for Kaarn, to find another Vrool that dwarfed him, but not one he was entirely unfamiliar with. Nevertheless, this invasion posed more than a little threat to Kaarn’s health in more ways than one.

He would need to act, of course, Kaarn recognized that fully. To sit back and allow this invasion to succeed and go unhindered was to beget further shoring of his territory to the other powerful rivals just adjacent to his own lair. The whale serving as his rival’s dinner was hardly the first that would fall into that corpulent mass’ gullet if he did nothing. With the pop soon to travel on, every whale lost was an intense loss; surely, he would not thrive and grow on the bony fish that resided in his neck of the reefs. Kaarn rumbled internally, organs vibrating against one another to make a cacophony of noise muffled by his thick, muscled hide. Kaarn had kept his beak shut throughout, knowing such a vocalized challenge would surely catch the rival’s attention. As far as the bull Vrool could tell, his enemy had yet to become aware of him; spilled blood made for a powerful ally when the hunt was on, after all. 

Adjacent to the hunched form’s right several sharks hung in the waters just outside of reach. One, a younger tiger clearly feeling like testing its luck, swam in closer for a morsel. One tentacle, acting on its own, snapped at the tiger shark and grasped down, hard. After a brief but violent attempt to escape the tentacle squeezed down, breaking the shark’s spinal column in its crushing coils before slowly dragging the corpse back to be deposited nearest to the mouth. This would not be as easy as the last would-be usurper Kaarnesxaturl had slain, that much was certain. 

Rage and indignation plucked at the edges of Kaarn’s mind. No more waiting; action had to be taken. Kaarn relented and rose from his hiding place.

The large Vrool bull let his muscular body unrope itself, untightening his form as he had when he was attempting to remain hidden. At his full size he was a sight to behold, roughly eight meters from head to tip of his longest tentacle. A blood curdling screech followed by a rumbling vocalization shook the waters around the small clearing in the reef where the corpse of the whale lay. The challenge echoed across the craggy shapes of the reef, the sonorous warcry of a very angry vrool.

“Your hide is soft and sallow, easily squeezed; you should feed worms, not feast on whales,” came the deeply stinging rise of Kaarn, “Your flesh will sustain my spawn once I tear your eggs from your innards and clutch-hatch my own young from your brood!”

The retort, unsurprisingly, was swift; “Weak and withered but fat and corpulent, I see; you shall fill my gullet more than any whale!”

The other bull vrool left the corpse of the whale behind, one tentacle quickly snagging up the shark as an after-thought of the decentralized mind attempting to protect the resources it had earned. The vrool had let out its response to the challenge of Kaarn even before it had turned, the high pitched and warbling roar more of a natural, Vroolish response to such verbal abuse. In fact, most vrool meetings began with such provocations; it was wise to set the precedence of dominance early, even if violent confrontation was not the goal. Now, as it turned to perceive its foe, Kaarn could see the scarred front of the enemy vrool in all its gnarled glory. No doubt this particular specimen had fought many battles and had grown fat and powerful off the spoils of such victories. And, as always, soon followed the names.

“I am Xuxusragruxs! Your scent speaks of your softness, foe! Lend me the tides of your name so that I might thank your corpse properly as I feast!”

“I am Kaarnesxaturl,” bellowed Kaarn as he rapidly closed the distance, fore-tentacles rising up to meet his enemy’s own, “and you will die screaming, Xuxusragruxs!”

The roaring Deepspeak sent ripples and twisting cyclones out in all directions, twisting the sand of the clearing into intricate, almost artistically flowing geometric patterns. Tentacles immediately locked, sub-minds fighting their own, personal battles with their counterparts as suckers fought for grip so that the tearing and pulling could begin. The two fell upon each other in a vast pile of rippling, muscular flesh while beaks gnashed wildly at one another, clashing occasionally like the blades of fencers. Though their tentacles freely and deeply dug deep, powerful beaks were kept back like knives as both of the dueling cephalopods were well aware the damage they could incur in return if they went for a premature bite. 

First blood came to Xuxus as a tear was formed in Kaarn’s bottom-right second-down tentacle, blood pouring into the wound and forming a cloud. Kaarn snarled at the injury just as he was able to tug the tentacle free and reassert control, knowing the rip in his hide raised the likelihood of his arm being torn free considerably. The battle rapidly became a fight for Kaarn keeping that wounded tentacle out of Xuxus’ grip while simultaneously attempting to gain leverage of his own. As they fought both vrool spat hateful rhetoric at the other, curses and words of spite rippling and setting the water between their maws to bubbling, boiling flows. Their howls reached a crescendo as Kaarn was finally able to return the playing field to a level one, the bull vrool slashing an arm that floated a little too close to his beak. 

“You have fight in you, Kaarnesxaturl,” howled Xuxus, snapping his beak back with Kaarn pulling the offending tentacle away just in time, “It will make you taste all the better!”

Kaarn’s minds recoiled at the awareness of Xuxus unleashing considerable force on his upper body. Unlike pathetic vertebrates like those species often preyed on by vrool, the cephapoidal race could easily sustain such twists of the body. Nevertheless, to allow himself to be pulled out of such a position was a fast and easy way to lose posture in the fight and be subsequently punished for such a failure. Multiple sub-minds flared up with responses, warning of the impending loss if nothing was done. Kaarn’s thoughts flowed rapidly, considering every possible alternative to being devoured by the truly massive Xuxus. 

Bottom-Right Down-Two had found the answer.

The tentacle, in its bid to remain well outside the grasping limbs of the enemy, had wrapped around a large, pointed, spear-like growth of coral. Tightening down hard and severing the shard at the base, the limb surged upwards once the idea was made evident to the Kaarn overmind. Risking his pretty visage be thrusting forward for a bite as a distraction, Kaarn swung his tentacle at the maximum extent of its reach before bringing down the impromptu-dagger directly on the top of Xuxus’ bell. The huge vrool screeched in pain, hissing violently and cursing his foe for the deceptive attack. Kaarn was not finished. Again and again, in complete and utter silence, Kaarn stabbed the rival vrool with all of his might. As Xuxus weakened, Kaarn’s tentacles began to rip and rend and tear, tugging at limbs until flesh gave way and limbs were pulled free of Xuxus’ massive bulk. 

Xuxusragruxs died in a cloud of gore, five of his limbs torn from his body and the musculature of his head caved in, coral shard jammed deep into the grey-matter of the once-powerful cephalopod.

A roar of triumph echoed from Kaarn’s beak, altering the artistic design of the sand below as the sounds of crashing waves breaking rocks, smashing reefs, and blood gushing into water spoke his feelings more truthfully than any surface words. He voraciously dug into the flesh of his enemy before stopping, looking down at his foe with surprising awareness. This was not some simple whelpling vrool slain in a petty act of carnivorism. Oh no, here lay the single greatest rival to the greatness of Kaarn that so far graced his presence. That elation was like nothing Kaarn had ever felt before. His minds were flush with the drug-like intoxication of such a grizzly success and to simply dig into his foe like an animal seemed to insult his own victory. Thoughts roiled in his head before the closest thing to a horrifyingly evil smile crossed the muscles of what amounted to Kaarn’s face. His tentacles ripped into one of the gaping wounds placed on the body of his foe, finding the thumping heart of his enemy, and tearing it free.

“Thank you most graciously, Xuxusragruxs,” taunted Kaarn, mocking his enemy with the same insult Xuxus had offered him, “For this most generous of offerings. You strengthen me with your pitiful failure.”

Once the considerable morsel of Xuxus’ heart was in his gullet, warm and filling, Kaarn left the corpse and set about butchering the whale for the rest of his meal. Though a portion of his brain felt that leaving the corpse was a waste, Kaarn knew better; such a foe deserved to rot and feed the fish. His battle with Xuxus was not one of survival or necessity, but one of strength and dominion. If he wished to eat Xuxus like a common predator, he would have; that battle had been personal. Instead, the whale flesh would be his prize and Xuxusragruxs would be remembered for far more. One tentacle plucking the thickly built beak from Xuxus’ face, Kaarn swam back into the darkness towards his lair with his prizes.

In the deep pockets of coral just outside of his senses, something stirred.
[hr]
Kaarn rumbled pleasantly as he snuggled into the soft bed of sand he had gathered for the sea-cave that served as his lair, each grand tentacle-selected for smoothness and swallowed up to be regurgitated later. The soft cooing noises, reminiscent of gentle gurgling of water flowing out of a tide-pool, amounted to sweet-nothings sung by Kaarn to himself. It had been nearly a day since he had won his battle with his enemy, so-named Xuxusragruxs, and still Kaarn felt elated for the accomplishment. What remained of the whale carcass Kaarn had dragged back lay spread about his lair as morbid trophies, bones and bits of interesting grissle that he simply couldn’t part with. For hours Kaarn had simply basked in the feelings that filled his many minds, wriggling enticingly as one tentacle absently played with the beak he had torn from his foe. Xuxusragruxs, Kaarn assured the disembodied beak, would be a name remembered.

Movement at the mouth of his cave caught Kaarn’s attention and the predatory mass of the vrool rapidly filled up the space, unfortunately pushing aside sand in all directions; work for later, one sub-mind let out as the rest prepared for battle. Much to Kaarn’s surprise, a small vrool wormed its way into his view like a fool. How could such a tiny and pathetic whelpling spawn, likely unfed on his own clutch, challenge him in his own home? Just as Kaarn was about to dash forward to consume the little thing like the morsel it was, its words brought him to a standstill.

“Oh! Oh! Mighty Kaarnesxaturl! Ooh, I fall weakly before thee! You are vast and I am small and weak; I know you to be my better!”

Kaarn looked on in an odd mix of horror, surprise, and even a little shame at the prostration of the other vrool. It was true, of course; Kaarn WAS mighty, vast, and this vrool’s better. Nevertheless, the entire thing was practically embarrassing and that was an emotion Kaarn had never experienced before. Tentacle-minds prepped for combat moments ago plinked back thoughts of confusion, some even moving forward to test and see if this really was a vrool. They thought better, noticing the sizeable beak even on the smaller form of this new interloper; a bite was still a bite, after all. Kaarn simply stared, all eyes on the little one, as the silence of the cave became deafening.

“I am Lurzoolsxagrun, powerful Kaarnesxaturl, and I watched your titanic battle with the pretender-weakling Xuxusragruxs! Your victory was most gratifying; I knew from the beginning it would be yours. He was weak and you were stron-”

Lurz was interrupted by a crack to the head as Kaarn set about beating the little thing vigorously. His tentacles were balled into tight bludgeons as the considerably larger vrool bashed away at the little sycophant. For the moment Lurz took it, simply bundling himself up in his own tentacles and allow the beating to continue. Finally, as Kaarn’s desire to keep beating the pathetic thing waned, Lurz simply opened himself up for the last strike in supplication. It was even worse than before.

“He was strong and you were weak, Lurzoolsxagrun,” came Kaarn’s surprised, nearly melancholic response, “Do not speak of Xuxus poorly again.” 

The awareness struck Kaarn in that moment of what, exactly, that sentence implied. [i]Again[/i]. Again implied that Kaarn had full intention to spare the little cretin in his lair and the thought confused multiple minds. For a long moment Kaarn ruminated on the thought, falling into his own mind while Lurz babbled away, unaware of the larger vrool ignoring him. One single tentacle pinged a thought that brought realization to Kaarn’s mind.

A vrool was not one tentacle, but many, beneath one mind.

Here was Lurz, bowing before him, supplicating himself before his betters, for a reason. Kaarn had never needed to consider such a position himself, for he had always been large. His victories came easily, except for the most recent one, and he could now very proudly state he had not met a vrool he could not slay. For Lurz, this simply was not the case. He likely fed himself on small fish he could snatch easily or shellfish plucked from rocks. To him, Kaarn was practically a different species. A bellowed order stopped Lurz’ incessant chattering in an instant.

“Explain yourself, Lurzoolsxagrun. What do you want?”

Lurz seemed to practically grin, fatty little face pulling inwards as his beak puckered in excitement; this was no doubt farther than he had expected to get. Although nearly three meters in length, his was unquestionably a small vrool and it certainly wasn’t common for vrool to interact anywhere near amicably. Lurz flattened himself on the ground of Kaarn’s lair, head pushing upwards to speak towards the huge beast that had allowed him entry. Before him one tentacle pushed a fleshy-pod, one of the nutrient rich sacs that grew from certain species of sea-cucumber; a delicacy, to be sure. The gift was shoved through the sand with one tentacle before Kaarn, clearly a bribe.

“I would live in your shadow, mighty Kaarnesxaturl. I would be your eyes and ears and tongue, o’ vast one, and mind your territory in your absence. I would ward away those I can and come to you with warning of their presence when I cannot. All I ask in return is freedom to feast on a share of your territory, decided by you, and a lair to call my own close to yours. For safety, of course.”

One of Kaarn’s free tentacles grasped up the pop and lifted it to his beak, tearing into it hungrily as another stroked lazily at his bell in thought. A fascinating proposal and one Kaarn would’ve never considered. Though he knew Lurz would grow fat on what Kaarn could offer, there was something to be said for having an extra three pairs of eyes. For instance, Xuxus would never have escaped his awareness if another vrool was patrolling for him. He could sacrifice a few measly portions of his meals to Lurz or otherwise allow the weaker vrool to gorge himself on those creatures Kaarn was less inclined to hunt due to their size. It seemed, as his minds each popped back with approval, like quite a deal. Particularly when Kaarn knew he could simply kill Lurz with little effort, if ever the creature so much as looked at him the wrong way.

“Then you will serve as my chosen-vrool, Lurzoolsxagrun. You may select one cave for yourself, Lurz, and call my crops and territories as your climbs; for now. You will give me your fealty, this you will swear on your life, on pain of death. We shall make this pact . . . on Klaarungraxus, in the proper tongue. Do you swear it?”

“I do, mighty Kaarnesxaturl, I do swear it upon Him who spawned us all.”

The words rippled and shook the cave, the power behind those words something to be said. Kaarn pulled up his shard of coral, another prize taken to remind him of his victory, and dragged the sharp edge against an out thrust tentacle of the supplicant vrool. With that the blood flowed like a river, remaining together rather than spreading free, and sank into the soil before disappearing. It would be the first of many. From that one action, many more would follow; a droplet that would form a tidal wave.

In that moment, the first Vrool Tyrant was forged.

[hider=Post Summary]
Deep beneath the ocean, the conflicts between the growing sapience of numerous Vrool play out. In this case, between two bull Vrool over a patch of territory just east of Ku. 

Kaarnesxaturl, a notably large bull Vrool, picks a fight with an interloper Vrool of even larger, more notable size. The other Vrool, so named Xuxusragruxs, has invaded Kaarn’s territory and feasted upon Kaarn’s pod of whales.

The challenge results in victory for Kaarn, partially out of the usage of an improvised weapon in the form of a shard of long, pointed coral. With that, Kaarn devours the heart of Xuxus out of both respect and disdain; battles between Vrool of similar strength and power likely result in similar feelings across the ocean. Kaarn takes several trophies from this victory and retires to the relative calm of his lair.

Another interloper, a smaller Vrool called Lurzoolsxagrun, intrudes on Kaarn while he’s enjoying himself. Supplicating himself like a pathetic weirdo, Lurz successfully keeps himself from being horribly murdered by Kaarn. Kaarn, in turn, beats Lurz soundly but listens to what he has to say.

Offering himself as a retainer to Kaarn, Lurz brings about the realization in the larger Vrool that such sycophants and servants can be very helpful. Accepting Lurz fealty in the form of a blood pact, Kaarn becomes the first Vrool Tyrant on Galbar.

Shit’s about to get real.
[/hider]