Known in the most ancient texts as Xeltharix, the Verdant Blight was not always a figure of terror. For over a millennium, it served as the serene and watchful guardian of the Great Forest, a vast woodland predating most of Coia's current kingdoms. With precise control, it utilized its acidic abilities to clear decay, fostering new growth and defending its territory from encroaching poachers.

Its inherent tranquility shattered during the Draconic Awakening in Year 97. The vengeful red dragon, Zarithar the Crimson Shadow, unleashed a devastating inferno that incinerated a massive swath of the Great Forest, an event now known to locals as The Burning. Consumed by profound grief and a burning hatred, Xeltharix's very purpose twisted into something horrifying.

It now perceives all civilization as a potential threat, a spark that could ignite another catastrophic inferno. What was once a benevolent desire to restore the forest has become a terrifying crusade of accelerated and corrosive terraforming. Xeltharix melts away farms, villages, and ancient ruins it deems unnatural, making way for the corrupted new growth it seeds from its own form.

Currently, Xeltharix vigilantly patrols the blighted remains of the Great Forest. It relentlessly seeks relics of natural power and hunts for any sign of its ancient rival, Zarithar.