Much as Urs-Haala, the War Bear, derives her power from Haala’s sun, so does Horndal, the Moon Rhino, draw his power from Theras’s moon. Horndal roams the open Therastrian plains on moonlit nights, its legendary bright blue snow offering him cover. He hunts those that dare cross these plains, vigorously defending it against beasts even larger than himself. Legend has it that Horndal had not always derived his powers from the moon. Across the plains, people speak of a time when he threatened the edges of their lands whilst in a different form, enveloped in a light that was brighter and hotter. His luminous horn was his pride, they say. The source from which all his powers originated. Haala would bless him, energizing his horn. The story goes that the plains people, terrorized for centuries by Horndal, hatched a plan to trap him. One hot summer day, they succeeded and through it all, Horndal lost his horn. Humbled, he roamed the plains, eternally in search of his missing horn. Theras took pity upon him and completed his horn with the light of her moon. This returned his confidence, and in repayment he pledged an oath, not only to no longer terrorize the plains people, but to instead protect them. Those that have been lucky to catch a glimpse of him in his nightly patrols swear that his motivation is not entirely selfless, but that he still searches for his long lost horn.
Horndal
