"May our horns stand as firm as Varuun's.
May our hearts remain as steadfast.
May we keep the Horde, as he once kept us."
Few relics are held in greater reverence among the beastfolk than the battle standard of Varuun Earthshaker, Keeper of the Horde.
Long before the clans stood as one, the beastfolk of the Elderwilds lived divided. Ancient rivalries over hunting grounds, sacred groves, and forgotten paths kept them locked in endless conflict. Every season claimed more lives than the last, and many believed the horned peoples would one day destroy themselves.
Then came Varuun.
Towering above most of his kin, he bore sweeping horns that arched proudly toward the heavens, a frame built for war, and a heart built for his people. Though unmatched upon the battlefield, those closest to him remembered something greater than his strength. They remembered the warmth of his laughter echoing through the great hall after the hunt. They remembered the gentle giant who knelt to embrace his children, who cherished his mate above all treasures, and who believed a chieftain's first duty was not to rule his people, but to protect them.
Varuun did not unite the clans through fear.
He united them through trust.
By courage, wisdom, and unwavering resolve, he forged the scattered tribes into a single Horde. Under one banner, old grudges were laid to rest, and beastfolk who had once drawn blades against one another stood shoulder to shoulder as brothers and sisters.
When the Great War reached the Elderwilds, Varuun was the first to answer its call.
As Warchieftain, he refused the safety of the rear ranks. He carried the Horde's banner at the head of every charge, believing no warrior should be asked to walk a path their leader feared to tread. It was said that wherever Varuun's banner still flew, hope endured, and no beastfolk yielded an inch of ground.
Then came the battle that would become legend.
For three days and three nights, the Horde held against an overwhelming enemy. At dawn on the fourth day, the lines broke, and the invaders surged toward the valley where the children, elders, and families had taken refuge.
Among them...were Varuun's own.
Without hesitation, the Earthshaker gathered those willing to make one final stand.
His great weapon rose and fell like thunder. The earth trembled beneath his charge, and his mighty horns shattered shields and scattered foes. Though every step carried him farther from his family, he never once looked back.
He did not fight for glory.
He fought so that his children might see another sunrise.
So that his beloved mate would never know the chains of the invaders.
So that every child of the Horde could inherit a tomorrow purchased by his courage.
One by one, his warriors fell beside him until only Varuun remained.
Still he stood.
Only when the last of the Horde had escaped beyond the valley did the Keeper of the Horde finally yield his final breath.
His body never returned home.
Only his banner did.
Though weathered by rain, darkened by smoke, and stained by the blood of that final charge, the standard was raised within the Great Hall, where it remains to this day. It is not displayed as a symbol of conquest, but as a reminder that the greatest leaders are remembered not for the battles they win, but for the lives they willingly lay down to protect.
Before every great hunt, every council, and every march to war, the beastfolk gather beneath Varuun's banner. Each places a hand upon its worn cloth and speaks the ancient oath:
"stand as one. Protect the hoarde. Fear no end worthy of those you love."
