KalThresh

K A L ' T H R E S H THE LAST SCREAM Legends speak of a horned beast that stalks the dark and dense forests of Sornieth. Some maintain she is real. Those that believe will tell you that she looks like a dragon from far away, but it is in your best interest that she remains far away. Whatever Kal'Thresh was at the start of her life is not what she is now; something saw to that. Something old. Something that's angry it was forgotten.

If one digs deep enough into the scriptures of the Nature Flight, they may find mentions here and there of a demi-god that, if the legends are true, sprouted from the magic of the Gladekeeper. Her excess power imbued a seed with a wild growth of life, and - again, if the legends are true - it lives in the shadows of her oldest territories. The few that have this knowledge may say, quietly albeit, that this was the being that made Kal'Thresh what she is.

For the longest time, she was nothing more than a legend that would scare young Wildclaws into staying close to home come nightfall. Walking through a long-forgotten jungle often led to a case of the willies for even the most hardened explorer, but as time went on, so many dragons were reporting sensations of being watched. Being followed. Perhaps even...stalked. Something swiftly darting through the trees at the edge of one's vision was enough to send most daring wanderers back from whence they came.

Moving shadows, strange clicks, and the unmistakable sound of claws rending wood often rang out from the echoing depths of those dense trees. The village at the edge of the wilderness grew uneasier by the day. Written off as wild familiars scrapping over territory by the elders, many of the younger dragons somehow felt they knew better. Perhaps old age dulled the senses of their superiors, but there was definitely something about the jungle that made their scales shiver. And it hadn't always been there, either. What was once a bright, emerald paradise now loomed over their humble shelters with ominous darkness.

Something had moved in.

Whatever it was, all anyone could agree on was that it was large. The crashing through the brush and trees was a testament to that, and eventually, even the elders grew uneasy. There were a few familiar species that could grow fairly large, but there was something about this mysterious creature that put everyone on edge. It was decided after many arguments that an expedition venture into the jungle to scout and identify whether or not their new neighbor was friendly.

The farther into the jungle they went, the stranger the flora became. Odd, twisted trees bearing putrid-smelling fruit loomed over unidentifiable fleshy flowers. The ground seemed alive; warm and clammy. Strange, rhythmic clicking echoed above them, signaling that they were not alone. Branches and leaves shook with the force of how fast she moved, and her only further warning was a long, low growl that quickly rose into a feral shriek.

Of the five that went in, only two came back.