Long before the Celestine Empire, and during the Vernal Wars, when many gods were being raised, there came about a nameless Loboshigaru Goddess. This Goddess was different than other gods of Her race, for She was compassionate where They were wild; She was timid where They were violent.

While D’Varsha taught, and Vestera wove such sweet dreams, but before Shanth yet leapt the stars, this Loboshigaru deity stumbled upon something amazing; She found a Great Nature Spirit. When Kiakoda was dancing with Moon and Night, and splashing with Lake upon the Ethereal, this Goddess hid deep within the forests of Lusternia. Within these wooden strongholds, She learned and practiced of Life Itself. Were She an Elder God, She would have been labeled Awakener.

But let us return; She found a Great Nature Spirit. Or perhaps—It found Her? One stygian night when the howls of the Soulless could be heard, the Goddess fled deep into a forest of mighty trees. In a darkened glade, She met an enormous Wolf. Perplexed by its size, and the way it watched Her, the Goddess probed its mind, only to realize that it probed Hers in return. Surprised, and not a little shocked, they began to hurriedly communicate. He spoke of things She didn’t understand. Of betrayal, and terror, of a splintering undertaken to persevere. When he spoke of a Volkh, Her heart tore, though She knew not why.

Years they spent, running through the woods, playing and living a life that was much the exception. For Crazen was now trapped, and the departure of both Vernal and Soulless drew nigh. It was then that the Goddess felt the eyes of the Almighty One upon Her. For you see, aside from Her, there were but nine Vernal Gods left. Never had She met Them, but long had She heard of Their great deeds. But while They fought together, protecting each other, She hid alone. Thus was Her weakness, thus was Her downfall. She begged Brother Wolf to flee with Her, but was horrified to find that he was as bound to this forest as the trees themselves.

Many might wonder why such a meek creature was chosen to become a Vernal and fight against the Soulless. She surely did not know why, but perhaps Her people saw something She did not. Now it was as a part of Her hidden deep inside Her core, and dormant, awoke. The shift was jarring. Sibilant whispers echoed through Her head, speaking of blood and violence, of Retribution. Even as the Warrior inside of Her seethed, the intellectual plotted.

Long had the Goddess sought the path to splintering Herself, for after Wolf had explained the end of the Elder Wars, She grew obsessed. Perhaps Vernal lacked something, or perhaps it was because They, Themselves, originated as a splintered form to begin with. Either way, Her unfinished studies would come to be Her salvation. As Kethuru reached the edge of the forest, Brother Wolf shuddered, and She knew it was time.

Rising above the forest, She was as a pinnacle of light. Spreading Her arms in a wide arc, She faced Kethuru alone, fire in Her eyes. She reached out across the world, touching everything. Brother Wolf had long ago imparted the secrets of the Awakeners, that Volkh had bestowed upon him. With Her intelligence and innate ability, and Volk’s lore, She was able to form a link to everything. Whereas Kethuru was without any soul, She was brimming with many. Power poured from Her fingertips, and She and Kethuru met above the now glowing forest, the entire wood, Her nexus of power. Glowing crystalline birds, and ghostly wolves converged on Kethuru. Her power was great, but Kethuru’s greater. Still, She fought. She began to emit strong vibrations, drawn from the very soul of Lusternia and echoed by the howls of the wolves, reflected by the crystalline birds. Kethuru wailed in agony, and it seemed as if She might come out victorious.

As Her power grew, images began to filter through Her mind’s eye. A muscled woman dancing with a slight figure, His entire form blurry, and yet crystal clear. Names and thoughts began to filter into Her head. Amberle…dead..Heralds..betrayal..Fain..no! Volkh! Images of heart wrenching beauty and indescribable pain rushed past in a flurry. A thought of Her own filtered through Her ever expanding mind. Was She unsplintering? Could the process be reversed? Kethuru was weakening, She could do it. It was then that She felt the other Loboshigaru, the mortal ones. They were dying. Because of Her. No, She could not do that, it would be genocide in its own way. The cost too high to live with, in any form. She saw only one option. Closing Her eyes, She immolated Herself in the potentiality that was Loboshi's reformed Soul. Power flooded the world, and She did two final things. She broke the bindings that shackled Wolf to the forest, and She sent a simple message to the Vernal God who She felt would most easily understand.

Even as Her essence exploded, something altogether unintentional happened. The core of Herself, friendly, compassionate, protecting, Her soul essence melded with the Forest that protected Her and Wolf all this time, and with it, the small piece of Brother Wolf’s essence still tethered to it. As Kethuru’s raging maw descended upon the now defenseless forest, it disappeared in a flash of ethereal motes.

All across the world, wolf pups were born just a little less tempestuous, more friendly, more docile. On the other side of the world, the Vernal God Shanth was startled out of His meditation with thoughts of a previously unheard of Merging.

With little fanfare, the end of the Vernal Wars were witness to the birth of a new Great Nature Spirit, born not of a God’s imagination and power of creativity, but of a God Themselves. Within a year after the battle above the forest, a new species had formed. The very day Kethuru was sealed away, a new collective soul arose. Deep in the Ethereal Lake still splashed, and Moon and Night still danced, but now Brother Wolf ran through the woods, and beside him, Daughter Dog.