Name: Ristaang
(“riss-STAHNG”)
Aliases: The Beastmother, The Great Beast, The Aspect of Beast, The Red Aurora
Height: 300 meters in physical form
Weight: 3,000,000 tons in physical form
Description: Of twisted antlers, cruel claws and vicious tusks, Ristaang is a monstrous creature draped in dense, dark brown fur, an embodiment of Bestial might in her physical form. Stony plates cover her front paws and some of her forearms, representing her dominion over the earth, while dark stripes and spots mark her fur. Her eyes, of a profound, blood red, glow with her rage. In her true, ethereal form, she appears as a great, blazing red aurora.
Personality: For all the intense savagery she can muster, Ristaang is, at her heart, a kind, loving mother, wanting nothing more than to protect the children that spawned from her Blood. To that end, she employs frightening brutality to tear apart those who would dare threaten her progeny, just as she would any danger to her home. Although the infighting among her own bestial brood brings her much heartbreak, she restrains herself from interfering much, for her great strength, were it to be fully unleashed, could easily break the very world she seeks to preserve. Progenitor to all Beastkind, she harbors a particular dislike for Dragons, for they threaten her spawn, yet she also recognizes their use in balancing the world and holds a grudging respect for Bromdaahl the Dragonfather, who in turn bestows an affectionate eye upon the Beastmother.
Powers and Abilities:
- Bestial Might: Enormous boulders hurled with ease, bodies broken without effort; Ristaang’s strength is simply unmatched, knowing no equal in all of the Varldstrad. Her immense might allows her to handily tear down her foes regardless of their own size and strength.
- Enduring Brawn: Ristaang’s mighty frame dampens harm from even the most powerful blows. Heedless of any and all wounds dealt to her, she powers through barrages of violence without so much of a flinch to her thundering stride - in her furious glare the image of whatever foe she is squarely focused on.
- Beast Blood: In Ristaang’s veins flows the famed Blood of the Beast, from which those ferocious namesakes roaming the wilds of Bjornskar first emerged. Its power derived from the Varldstrad’s own sacred sap, this “Beast Blood” possesses within itself the ability to either grant life, or to twist it. In naught but a moment, be it spilled upon the living or otherwise, gruesome transformation takes hold; a grotesque mass of fur, flesh, and fang rises from deep crimson, until a Beast has fully grown from its essence. Although it may be tempting to destroy these nascent Beasts on sight, such intent cannot be discouraged enough, for it will incite terrible wrath from the Beastmother; her unholy retribution far worse than whatever her foes would imagine. Though its mutations cannot be controlled, the Blood itself can; Ristaang can wield it much like a waterbender would their own element.
- Shape-Shifter: Ristaang possesses the ability to twist her body into different shapes. It also allows her to alter her size so that she may interact with smaller creatures, however rare that happenstance is. On a broader scale, she can shed her physical body entirely, appearing instead as a ghostly red shape.
- Rapid Regeneration: In order to stem her Blood from spawning an endless tide of monstrosities, Ristaang’s wounds rapidly seal themselves, which also allows her to survive gruesome injuries on herself so comfortably.
- Aspect: Fully destroying Ristaang is a feat steeped in complete impossibility, for she can harness her Blood’s power to rebirth herself from even a single spilled droplet of her essence - her spirit, intrinsically linked with that of the Varlstrad, will simply reform should it be dispersed somehow. Beyond time's ravaging grasp, she does not age either.
- Indomitable Will: Ristaang’s stubbornness goes beyond even the sheer resilience of her kind. No amount of wicked magic or vile corruption can break it - her notoriously tenacious will, on the other hand, defies existence itself, for it can go as far as to bend the reality around it, forcing certain laws to suit its desires. As such, Ristaang can use her equally impossible strength to downright tear rifts through the realms, allowing her to rapidly appear to wherever she is needed - simply because she wishes for it to happen. This, however, seems to be the most she can accomplish with such whims, for a safeguard from the Varldstrad stops her from utterly destabilizing reality; for instance, she cannot influence other creatures’ minds.
- Earthshaker: Born from a great tree, Ristaang shares a particular bond with the earthen element. She can manipulate it to her whim, wielding it as her weapon.
- Beastmother: Mother to all of Beastkind, Ristaang shares a special bond with her children. Those whose bodies course with her Blood see it resonate to her emotions, and, in turn, she feels theirs in her heart. As such, when the Bloodrage boils her Blood, her children in turn see themselves bestowed with increased strength and ferocity as well.
- Bloodrage: Quick to anger and slow to forgive, Ristaang is notorious for her fierce temperament. When her fury reaches its peak, perhaps caused by the sight of her spawn being threatened, she enters a terrifying state known as Bloodrage. Drastically increasing in size and power, fur bristled in aggravation and rippling with crimson flames, eyes alight with blood red, the ferocious Beastmother becomes then truly unstoppable until her anger somehow subsides.
- Red Aurora: In her true form, Ristaang is a being of ethereal, red light; an aurora of sorts, in the shape of a great, antlered Beast. This wispy, flame-like substance often accompanies her furred form’s claw swipes and crackles around her antlers. While it does no harm to those of the Blood, it burns and sears foes utterly, ripping apart the very building blocks of their being. It is so powerful as to tear into the fabric of the world itself, momentarily creating rips in reality that shortly heal themselves; another intervention of the Varldstrad to restrain Ristaang’s destructive power.
Weakness:
- Ristaang’s fierce temperament may lead to her disregarding logical thought, at times led only by her angered heart.
Additional Notes:
- The red portions of Bjornskar’s famous auroras are caused by Ristaang’s presence - they are wisps of energy drifting from her ethereal body. Were she to approach different realms, these crimson flames would manifest in their firmament as well.
Trivia:
- Ristaang’s name comes from the terms
“Ristaag” and
"Hirstaang".
Theme Song:
I went and read some advice and my writing suddenly started absorbing my mind. 22,000 words into a rewrite of my flagship book and don't know how much else I'll change.
