In the hollowed-out remains of this tree, I am surrounded by degrading walls of bark that barely stand taller than myself. These walls are nothing more than a mockery. They stand in place of something grand, with a history spanning as far back as the forest itself. How such grandeur can be lost in so short a time is, to put it simply, harrowing.

This carcass once held the honourable title of “The Great Tree''. Piercing the heavens, it broke through the clouds and bathed in rays of gold. The great tree held absolute sovereignty over the southern part of the forest, serving as the guardian deity. Everything existed under the canopy and above its roots.

The great tree was warm and kind in nature. Across Nu’Arbor, the land where the great tree presides, special crystals grew from its roots. They were larger and shined brighter than any other crystal seen before, and were not limited to only that. The effects of merely being in their presence were innumerable. Benevolence and prosperity was brought to the inhabitants of the area; wounds healed faster, status ailments and illnesses were negated, stats showed major improvements… and the great tree asked for nothing in return.

It didn’t take long for the great tree to be accepted and heralded as the guardian deity of this land. From its existence a miracle occurred; something that had almost never been seen before was created, a religion benefacted by monsters. More specifically, the first monster race to discover the great tree and worship it were the canisfangs.

I was a mere dreg among the masses. I was a creature of simple instinct, and nothing more. My thoughts never exceeded anything more complicated than “I want to eat” or “I must go hunt.” There was not a single thing that set myself apart from the other canisfangs. No reason to be chosen. However, for some inexplicable reason, the blessing of the great tree stood stronger with myself than the others. As I fought against the invaders which had come to pillage the land, who mercilessly and indiscriminately killed monsters as they pleased, I grew stronger and eventually achieved a nobler form of which had been shaped by numerous battles and the great tree’s influence. I was given the name: “Rakshas”.

Although I would never come to understand why I had been chosen by the great tree, I understood my purpose clearly. I was one of the ‘greater canisfang’, and it was my duty to protect the land upon which our guardian deity stood. The humans showed no signs of slowing in their assault and seemed hell-bent on killing our kind. I would be one to take a role of leadership among the canisfangs and ensure we did not fall back.

I was not the only one among my brethren to evolve into a greater canisfang, nor was I the first. Although at varying degrees, every canisfang had the ability to receive the great tree’s blessing. What that meant was that I was not the only one of my kind to ascend from our lesser forms. Like myself, many other canisfangs evolved into the greater canisfang and received their names.

The strength of the greater canisfangs differed by a large margin; no greater canisfang took the same form, and all were specialised into certain roles. Each had strong blessings which allowed them to grow to what they were. However, there was one among us who was notably different. This outlier evolved after I did but grew at an incredible and monstrous rate, quickly surpassing the majority of us. That wasn’t what made him different, however. Unlike the rest, he was not loyal to the great tree; neither did he receive a blessing on par with the other greater canisfangs. In fact, his blessing was less than the average canisfang – almost null. His strength was gained purely through his own struggles. He was the complete opposite of myself who, as one of the oldest, could argue to be the most faithful and loyal. His name was Karshak; an enigma and an anomaly, and who would ironically be the last surviving greater canisfang other than myself.

In the crusades against those who would step upon our homeland, our holyland, we as the greater canisfangs and the canisfangs as a whole proved our strength and dominance over and over again. So the humans responded in kind. As time progressed, the invaders who challenged us appeared to be stronger than their predecessors. They were stubborn. A showing of strength didn’t discourage the humans, but rather caused them to come back in greater quantity and quality. The reason why they were so dead set on ravaging our land and killing our kind was uncertain. Not that it mattered. In the end, purpose was irrelevant. We wouldn’t lie down and present our heads.

As what could only be described as war escalated, we arrived at an unusual and frightening opponent. It was clear their race was not human. The aura given off was divine, much like that of our own great tree. The distinct difference of its influence and backing compared to our deity’s was that it appeared not to be backing the humans as a whole, but one singular human.

An unknown non-human challenged the invading god and warded them away, but the damages created by the holy flames would prove to be irreparable. Half of our land was lost, incinerated and scorched. The greater canisfangs all died in battle except for Karshak and myself. The great tree suffered in a way it could never recover from.

In blood-soaked mud, we stood surrounded by the corpses of our kin. The putrid smell of death lingered in the air. It was dizzying, discouraging, and enraging. It was then, at what we viewed to be the lowest point for both our faith and our kind, that it happened. The great tree started to rot.

As I laid in the centre of the great tree’s remains, I grimaced and allowed hot air to exit from my nostrils. How many times must I endure this, of which can only be described as torture far greater than any kind of pain? I recite my memories over and over as if chanting, encompassing the likeness of a mantra even. Clinging on to these painful memories in sheer desperation is the only way. I let go for a moment, and all is lost; the mind slipping into insanity and succumbing to a terrible dullness.

The mind is a fragile and fleeting thing. That is a common trait shared between all, regardless of one’s race. It can be strengthened. But, it can be shattered just as easily. Even the strongest of minds reach their limit eventually. When the great tree started rotting, that was when I realised the price I paid for power.

Through a mysterious cause, the great tree would suffer from rot and decay. The origin was unknown. If only I knew more, then perhaps there would be hope to restore the great tree to its former glory. What is evident is that when the flame god ravaged our land, something took advantage of that and inflicted our guardian deity with this curse.

The effects of this rot were innumerable. The crystals of Nu’Arbor, which once were a blessing of the great tree, have now gone rogue. They make us irrationally angry and incite madness. The canisfangs were a proud race boasting supremacy in the southern part of this forest, but have now been reduced to mere savagery. Bearing their fangs, they now mercilessly slaughter any but their own. When the crystals’ light didn’t reach them, the withdrawal symptoms were arguably worse; the average canisfang is not able to handle such stress.

For those such as myself having a close bond with the great tree would prove to have its benefits and disadvantages. As the great tree held considerable power, so was I delegated some of that power in return for servitude. However, when the great tree went into its state of decline, so did I. I was also afflicted with the rot. It gnaws away at my mind even now, constantly wearing me down.

As my mind divulged further and further into this insanity, I tirelessly searched for some way to reinvigorate the great tree. My desire slowly grew and harboured within me until it manifested into a deep dark voice. In the beginning it only ever spoke a single word to me, but each time I heard it repeat that one word my whole being would shake in a nauseating delirium. Eat. Eat. Eat! The voice spoke to me relentlessly. This voice no doubt was the origin of this accursed ability.

The degradation of my mind and my desires combined into this abhorrent gluttony. Forsake all else. Embody this greed, for the means is irrelevant in pursuit of the end! As the voice grew louder, closer, and more verbal, I realised these thoughts that festered in my mind were none other than my own. It was my repressed subconscious speaking to me.

From then, my consciousness was dreary to the point of dissociation. I quickly lost myself as I tore through flesh and ate indiscriminately. The very act of hunting, which I viewed as sacred, quickly turned into mindless indulgence. I remember vividly how it felt to wet my fangs in their blood, shred them to pieces, devour them whole–!!! My form became distorted and twisted beyond belief; to which I'd never return to my former self.

It is in an ironic cruelty that my greatest salvation and the main reason for not having fully gone mad is thanks to the remains of the great tree that surrounds me. Its merciful nature still holds true after all these years of rot and decay. It still wishes to protect and save the inhabitants of this land, even if its reach has been cut so short. This faint power mocks its foregone glory, yet I can only accept it in this pitiable circumstance.

Over the years I have resigned myself to this fate. In contrast to my resolutions, Karshak long since left the great tree to rot. I do not blame him, or his decision. He does not owe anything to the great tree. There is no reason for him to be plagued with insanity. In actuality, that is likely what the great tree desires; of him and myself. Karshak may not have been one of faith, but the massacre and corruption of his kin left him distraught. It was a long time coming that he broke free from the chains of the past binding him.

The great tree surely wishes I’d do the same. That I’d abandon it, casting it away along with this dreaded rot. However, I am not quite ready to be unshackled yet. I still have a duty to fulfil. Even if I must bring disgrace upon the gift bestowed unto me, even if I must tarnish my own name and honour, I will restore the great tree by any means necessary. Karshak may call me a fool, but that is simply the difference between him and myself.