The War Beasts

In this time it came to pass that a small group of the Men of Valor were encircled in what is now called Alkynia. They were all noble and powerful fighters, but even the best of the Men of Valor can only hope to die honorably when faced by a hundred times their own numbers. As they prepared for the battle, it was made known to them that their enemy, a barbarian clan from the southeast, mixed of the blood of Valor but dominated by the blood of the Touched, were not going to give them an honorable death. They intended to capture the True Men of Valor and hold them up for public ridicule as an example of the humiliation to be brought to those who oppose them. Whether these intentions were true, or just the addled threats of a particularly Touched barbarian, is not known. But the Followers of the Red Lady were blinded by rage at the threats. They called upon the Mistress of Slaughter to preserve them from this fate. They were indeed favored of Shagras, for She heard their pleas and chose to respond. Suddenly on the shore of the Sea of Storms there arose a mighty sound. The Ladysblood river suddenly turned a deep shade of red. The air trembled and the land shook. When the shaking stopped, there, on the shore of the sea of storms, stood a hundred of the most powerful beasts ever to walk the land. More powerful and deadly than any creation of Shagras had ever been, carved of muscle, with razor teeth and sharpened horns, their initial howl was said to be heard across the land. From that howl, the Men of Valor knew their prayers were answered.

The War-Beasts set off across the land, for they knew their purpose. As they headed due west from the site of their creation, the land beneath them seemed to blaze at the impacts of their mighty hooves. Moving with the speed of the wind they crossed the land, drawn to the smell of the army of the Touched for whose death they were called into being.

The Men of Valor were not the only men to hear the call of the Red Lady's War-Beasts. Those Touched men who heard the call knew their end was coming. Many decided this was a fine time to party, some decided to ignore it, but a few chose action. They called upon their Lord, the Render of Reason, to preserve them.

As was said, in these times the Lords of the Land often fought openly in support of their favored. Geskekulud, the Trickster, was no different. He reached out into the Land and caused a great wind to blow from West to East, from Sea to Sea. Upon this wind he placed a bit of His Essence, the Essence of the Touched.

The War Beasts approached the sight of the battle and slaughter for which they were destined, but were caught by the scent upon that divine wind and passed the battle by as they continued to the West that they might find it's source.

They continued for four days and four nights crossing the whole of the Land leaving a path of destruction in their wake. On the fifth day, the beasts began to change. As they ran across the Pastoral Fields, their horns became a little less sharp, their teeth a little less deadly, their strength a little less great. The Shaper of Madness, caused the wind to cease. The War Beasts stopped. Hungry from their run of days they looked about for something to hunt down and devour. But as far as they ran into the Pastoral Lands, there was nothing to hunt. Again the Seethe of Madness reached out and touched their minds with an idea. They bent and chewed the grass where they stood. As they ate that grass, they further changed. Gone was their love of battle, gone were their hunting instinct, gone was their fierce form.

Thus were the first cows created.

It is said that Nirian sent word to her Red Sister, thanking her for the creation of such gentle and useful creatures. It is also said that Shagras raged upon her throne for years at the humiliation until she finally got her revenge with the Lovers' War, but that is another story...