Rift is a large, forest-green cougar With all the facial markings of a typical specimen of his species, although tinted green - a dark outline around his muzzle filled with a lighter shade. Although most of it is covered by a large, tough plate of dark brown. It is similar to head armor, although it is neither elegant nor decorated. A simple shape that covers his face and the top of his head, two holes for his eyes to see through, and leaving his ears. From the back of the plate stretches a couple of antlers, similar to that of a red deer.

His fur is very similar to the color that it had been before his mutation - a forest green with a lighter belly and darker back. Places on his fur that had been burned or torn away are now replaced with warm brown patches, giving him a vague camouflage pattern look. On the curve of his back are three large spines, similar in material to the antlers and the plate covering his face, with a texture similar to the bark of a tree, although much more firm. His tail is longer than it was before, tipped with dark green, and his paws, which are lighter, can now stick to surfaces, in the same way a gecko may stick to surfaces. It does not give him the ability to climb perfectly, not hang upside down, but it does greatly improve his climbing ability and makes it much more difficult for him to fall or or be pushed off of surfaces.

His eyes reflect the color of his gem, which is a large green crystal growing out of the side of his head, where his right ear would be. Miraculously, and most likely through magic, Rift can still hear out of this ear. In fact, the sound going into this ear is considerably louder than that of the other ear. While this was debilitating at the beginning of his life, he has since grown much more used to it and no longer covers it with plants to muffle the noise. His voice is deep, almost a rumble in his chest, and usually soft-spoken but anger brings a snarl to his tone and it rises in both pitch and volume.

Rift is a guardian. A stoic protector of the forest, although gentle and kind to those that mean it no harm. To strangers, he may come off distant and harsh, but he puts the safety of both the forest, himself, and others before people he doesn't know. Because of the damage that Eridanus has suffered, he will challenge anyone he sees within the woods to discover their intentions. He can seem quite mean but he simply doesn't have the patience to be patient with everyone. And scaring others seems to work marvels.

Even though the confrontations usually end with peace, Rift can very often be taken by his narrow mindedness. If he believes something to be true, it will be difficult to convince him otherwise. Once he realizes, though, that he is wrong, he is prone to fall into a great deal of guilt. He doesn't like hurting anyone or anything. He has suffered enough pain in his life, both himself and through the pain of the forest to create anymore violence in the world, both with claws and with words. He will do anything he can to make it up to those that he has wronged or insulted, as long as they deserve it. If they don't...he'll just ignore them. No need to seek out any unnecessary trouble.

Above all things, Rift is nurturing. To the youth and to nature, he is always kind and soft-spoken. He is a protective, caring, and loving father both to his subjects in the Kingdom, the gembounds that he calls his family, and, of course, to nature itself. His love for plants and for life will drive him through his life. It is his very soul to care for things. And so the destruction of such things, life and nature, is the only thing that will ever drive him to violence. He will protect anything and everything he sees is under his care. And since he calls himself a guardian of life, all things are under his care. No wrongdoer will ever harm anyone so long as he is there.

The Rift remembered and returned has been given back the spark of innocent wonder that he had as a child. He is curious and open, friendly and talkative. Without the memories of the life he'd lived, without suspicion ever clouding his mind, he has come to be a warmer, more caring version of the Rift before.

Long ago, Rift lived in Eridanus with his brother, Sebastian. They were opposites in magic, but so alike in spirit. Though Rift's paranoia and fear for the forest's well-being sometimes drove his brother away, he always came back. They always forgave each other.

Long ago, he was the ruler of a Kingdom. A Kingdom devoted to peace and the nurturing of life. A Kingdom that had once experienced violence, but now hoped to build a better future. Yet they were hunted, for defying the Masters. Driven from their home. Still, they stayed together and stuck to their peace.

And then, when at last they returned home, tragedy struck. A lone being driven by Chaos destroyed the tree where the Kingdom called home. Rift and Sebastian were lost in the ensuing calamity. They died together, buried under splintered wood and dying leaves.

Their stones were whisked away by a friend, kept somewhere safe. But the memory of Rift and his Kingdom lived on. Loved, remembered. And now he is reborn by a Wish, given another chance to return his Kingdom to its former glory.




"As the trees started to grow closer together, there was a sudden halt in the line, opening to a clearing blooming with flowers, ferns, and fungus, with a path leading through the well-kept garden. In the middle was a great oak, ancient and twisted with a large opening in its roots. There was a soft glow coming from the darkness under the tree and that was where Rift was headed. When he went inside, it was actually moderately lit, thanks to glowing moss that was growing from the roots. There was a bed of soft ferns laid out in the corner and the rest of the cave was pretty open, except for a small stash of herbs stuffed in a gap between two roots."

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