Yoroku, The Endless is a legendary and fearsome hydra whose name resonates across the Y’azi Peninsula as a symbol of endless devastation. Tainted by Khaos before even hatching, Yoroku’s destiny seemed entwined with destruction. His jet-black and purple-scaled form, glowing pale blue eyes, and acid-spewing maws mark him as a monstrous aberration of nature. Yet through the cautious guidance of Solandir, an inquisitor of the Talons, Yoroku seems to defy the chaotic influence of his origins and has carved out a life of relative peace within the Tani Mountains.
Easily the size of a mountain when fully upright, Yoroku is a being of immense strength and appetite, capable of leveling landscapes when provoked. Despite his fearsome appearance, he has become an unlikely guardian of the Tani Mountains, where his symbiotic relationship with a hive of phase spiders helps sate his endless hunger and keep his khaotic urges at bay.
Yoroku’s legacy is a tale of contrasts—destruction and salvation, chaos and peace. Though he inadvertently aided both the Y’azi Empire and the Talons of the Timeless Tome against the Tides of Chaos, his power remains a volatile and unpredictable force that must be carefully navigated.
Origins and Khaotic Taint
Yoroku’s story begins in a shadowed cave deep in the Norskan wilderness, where Solandir discovered an unhatched hydra egg during a mission to recover an ancient Runestone of Skoll, the ravenous khaos god of savagery and hunger. The proximity of the runestone had tainted the egg, imbuing the unborn hydra with khaotic energy.
When Yoroku hatched, it was immediately evident that he was no ordinary hydra. His many heads, glowing pale blue eyes, and unnaturally acidic blue bile hinted at the corruption of his form. Despite the overwhelming influence of Skoll’s energy, Solandir chose not to destroy him. Instead, he raised the creature in an effort to steer him away from his destructive nature.
Appearance
Yoroku is a towering hydra whose form embodies both terror and majesty. His black and purple scales shimmer with a faint iridescence, giving him the appearance of a living shadow. His many heads—often numbering ten or more—are adorned with pale blue, glowing eyes that pierce the darkness. From his frothing maws spills highly acidic, neon blue bile, capable of melting through almost any material.
When slumbering, Yoroku’s immense form blends into the rocky terrain, often mistaken for a cluster of mountains. When roused, his sheer size and power shake the earth, making him a force of nature as much as a creature.
Personality and Behavior
Yoroku is an anomaly—a creature of Khaos who seeks tranquility. While his hunger is insatiable, his years in the Tani Mountains have tempered his instincts, allowing him to form bonds with the phase spider hive and tolerate the Talons’ presence in his territory. However, his patience has limits, and those who provoke him often face devastating consequences.
Yoroku is indifferent to mortal politics and struggles, acting solely to preserve his own peace. Yet, his actions often align with the Talons’ cause, earning him a grudging respect as both a dangerous force and an unlikely ally.
Symbiosis with the Phase Spider Hive
As Yoroku grew, his endless hunger became a defining trait. It was not long before he formed a unique relationship with the phase spider hive of the Tani Mountains. The spiders, capable of shifting between dimensions, brought Yoroku prey from across the planes in exchange for his protection. This symbiotic bond helped keep Yoroku’s ravenous appetite under control while anchoring him to a life of relative tranquility within the mountains.
Stemming the Tides of Chaos
Despite his volatile nature, Yoroku inadvertently aided the Y’azi Empire and the Talons of the Timeless Tome during the Tides of Chaos, a catastrophic incursion led by the Warrior-King Valkur. As Valkur’s Khaos giants and abominations marched through the Tani Mountains, they provoked Yoroku, who unleashed his full wrath upon them. His sheer strength and acidic breath annihilated entire legions of Khaos forces, turning the tide in the region’s favor.
While Yoroku’s actions were not motivated by loyalty, his intervention proved instrumental in halting the advance of chaos in the north.
The Fall Through Hell
Yoroku’s most catastrophic moment came during an encounter with Chance, an adventurer from The Sunsations, whose magic transported Yoroku through the layers of hell in a bid to save himself from the creatures maw. The dimensional turmoil took its toll on Yoroku, and when his colossal body finally fell back to the Tani Mountains, the impact destroyed two peaks, triggering avalanches, earthquakes, and landslides. The resulting chaos nearly killed the Sunsations, who were saved at the last moment by Solandir, who stabilized the collapsing terrain and created a rift to safety.