Uma shrieked and fled backwards through the water. Behind her, the gigantic Skordyre Rhinabug plowed through the river, roaring, stabbing the riverbed with its legs. Its massive teeth chomped down, snapping at her tentacles. Uma’s head struck a tree root and for a moment she was dazed. Her tentacles went slack and the water shoved her back downstream towards the Rhinabug’s jaw. Her den had been broken by the Skordyre hoard, and the other Cecaelia were nowhere in sight. They had been waiting for a Dryan to arrive, to fight back the horde. No Dryan had come.

The Rhinabug snarled and opened its jaws wide to cleave her in half. She reached out quickly with a tentacle, snagging a piece of driftwood and bringing it into the Rhinabug’s maw. Would it be enough to stop its teeth from closing upon her? She was not sure, but she could hope.

After a moment, she was still alive, her piece of driftwood still caught in its jaws. On closer inspection, she realized its teeth did not even touch the bark. It was as if the water itself was holding the grunting beast’s maw open. And then, with a crack, the Rhinabug’s jaws splayed wide, its body thrown downstream by a sudden torrent that passed on either side of Uma, leaving her floating tranquilly as the river’s temper returned to a gentle murmur. Uma looked around, and was shocked to see a creature standing on the shore of the river, waiting for her.

The figure was taller than Uma by a magnitude, and a deeper blue, but with just as many tentacles and frills. Uma realized that she was looking at a Dryan, but she had never seen a Dryan that looked like her before.

Uma screeched, drifting a little closer across the river’s surface towards the magnificent creature. The Dryan chuckled in response, lowering down on her nest of tentacles to touch the surface of the water with one long claw.

“Who am I?” said the Dryan. “I have been given the name Ewashia. And I am here to help.”

Uma the Cecaelia is available in the Fury of the Verdant Pact army expansion. Pre-order now for a February 2027 release!