Garaan
From StormNexus
The Gaaran: Can not breed outside their own race. In a time when man fell prey to all beings, there lived a tribe led by elders, the Vindu, oldest and wisest of the men of the endless jungle. The Vindu had grown strong over many years, learning the ways of the beasts and passing it down to their offspring, for they discovered their advantage over those that stalked them day and night, the ability to think and create tools from the resources the endless jungle provided.
The task of becoming a Vindu among the other warriors was to kill the most feared creatures of the jungle, the Gaar, the mighty forest tiger. Although feared, the Gaar were sacred amongst the Vindu, and worshipped as creatures of the gods. Many ways of the warriors had been taught by mimicing the Gaar, and over time, the Vindu became more and more like the fearsome beasts they worshipped, wearing their furs, sharpening their teeth, painting their skin.
One day, the leader of the Vindu prayed to the gods, and asked to be made one with the Gaar, for they'd reached their peak of knowledge. The God of the Jungle, Folan, who was as fierce a warrior as the Vindu's strongest warrior, answered the elder's prayer, and appeared before him. "I will grant what you seek, but you must first prove that you are fierce like the Gaar." The Elder was shocked that the god would appear before him like this, but he agreed, and asked "What will you have me do, oh great Folan?" to which the god replied "Hunt and kill all the Gaar of the Jungle, and bring me their hides, you must do this before the next cradle moon, or I will see to it that you and your people will perish for disturbing me."
Out of fear that all his kind would be killed for his deeds, the elder went back to his tribe, and spoke of what had happened. He sent out hunting parties to all corners of the Endless Jungle, and the last of the mighty Gaar fell to the spears the night before the Cradle Moon. Having finished the task given, the proud Leader went back to pray to Folan, the many hides of the fallen Gaar laid out before him in offering. Folan appeared to the leader, pleased at what he saw, and stretched out his hand and spoke, his booming voice echoeing throughout the land, "Your people are truly as fierce as the Gaar, and are worthy to become one with them. Sew these hides to the skin of your people, leave no skin untouched, and those who bare the pain without crying out shall be transformed."
This is how the Gaaran came to be, and why they are so rare, for although a fierce and strong people, few could bare the pain of what Folan asked.
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