text: The Taon people were born of the elements at the beginning of the world. Their likeness and appearance was the model for all other sentient and civilized beings that followed. When the Trees of Creation grew and gave life to this once desolate planet, the taon people were forged from dirt and wood and leaves. They were then blessed with a communion that bound them to the natural world forever, and as they evolved their bodies became more similar in appearance to the other races. They were allowed to use this power and all that nature had to offer in carrying out their divine task, to be the caretakers of the natural world, protecting it and nurturing it for all time. Their power is unlike that of any other race to ever exist, but there is one who is more worthy of mention than the rest. The one true guardian of the wilds. Elae was said to be one of the first of the Taon race and is regarded, undoubtedly, as the most powerful. Although Elae's power was quite subtle, as was her beauty. So much so that you would not become aware of it until it was absent, for it lingered in your mind long after she was gone. Her eyes were green as the deepest parts of the forest. Her skin, the tone of changing leaves kissed by the fading light of day, her hair was as dark and deep as the most ancient of soil, and she was adorned, always, by a flowing white robe embellished with all varieties of flora. Her voice was said to calm even the wildest of creatures, for not only did Elae command charm and grace, she inspired a tranquility in every living thing she encountered. She was eloquent in spirit and in speech, as liberated a being as you could ever be, and all who came into her presence desired to understand her. Elae would use her power for creation, and with it she would conjure up flowers of differing kinds for all those she knew. Learning which flower they were most fond of and gifting them to each individual accordingly. All were commonly found within the forest, but to watch her recreate their beauty from thin air was quite a spectacle, even for the Taon people. Though there was one flower that was more extraordinary than the rest. It was a lily, Elders Blessing it is now called, it does not grow naturally, nor will it ever grow again. It was born solely of her mind with her power to manifest anything she could feel. The smell of Elders Blessing was said to induce euphoria and a deep state of understanding, and to the less immune creatures and races, the allure of its colors alone was entrancing. This flower she would give to Teylid, the only person to have her heart. She would leave them outside of Teylids hut on her way into the forest some mornings before he woke, and if he saw the flower outside his door, he knew to meet her there. They would sit by the rivers and in the trees, discussing all manner of things, sad or hopeful, profound or beautiful, and often the words they spoke aloud paled to those they did not; for the comforting silence of one another's company is what they cherished most. This flower was a gesture of her gratitude to him, for when Teylid gazed upon her in wonder he saw only her uncompromising spirit, and he wished not to tame it, only to experience it. It was the embodiment of a love only she could understand. As time carried on, and the world began to change, the threat of war from the neighboring tribes sent Elae and her people into a state of unrest, for they were not an aggressive people. They sent out a group of the strongest and most capable members of the community, Teylid being one of them. He agreed without hesitation if only to ensure that he kept Elae safe in whatever way he could. From a group of several dozens that were sent out to scout the enemies advance, only 3 returned, but Teylid was not among them. Elae asked the 3 survivors what had happened to him. They said that they were ambushed, separated from one another, and in the confusion many were killed. They did not know if Teylid was among the dead, and this restored some hope in Elae's heart, no matter how false. She hurried out of the village, following the same course as the party before, in search of Teylid. After what seemed like an eternity, lost in a forest that she once knew so well, she found him. His body lay lifeless on the forest floor, pierced by several arrows. As she knelt there beside her beloved, weeping in sorrow of her loss, the enemy force discovered her and it was their intention to enslave her. Though as they drew closer, in a state of great anguish, surrounded by those who took everything from her, she invoked a terrible power. As it filled her being to capacity, it began to change her. Her skin turned to hardened bark, her hair turned to leaves and vines, and as her spirit became one with the wilderness, it's fury erupted. Thick vines and roots burst suddenly from the ground surrounding her, twisting up and wrapping around her enemies, constricting them and tearing them in half, dismembering them as they attempted to escape, to no avail, for none survived that day. After all had been slaughtered she collapsed, weakened by her wrath, her heart no longer able to beat. She fell to the ground next to Teylid and gazed upon him once more as she faded from consciousness, and as the spirit of her immense power left her body it sank into the soil, and from that soil, a tree began to grow. The roots tore into the ground, branches forming and creating a tomb around Elae and her lover as the trunk grew rapidly, stretching upward, high above the forest. Its branches reaching far out into the surrounding sky, casting a shadow upon the crowns of all the other trees, and from the remnants of her spirit at the base of that towering giant, flowers began to grow. Elders Blessing, covering the forest floor. The only place it would ever grow. The final resting place of a spirit that could never be tamed, the last truly wild thing to ever live.