Taki the Rift Colossus, A Friend Who Weighs in the Balance!

This week, we are excited to introduce the Taki, the second Rift Season 3 Special Rare Airdrop. This impressive and majestic creature, once known as the Takosaur, is more than just a mount for the Rift clans that own them. They are integral members of those clans, essential allies.

A true pillar and precious daily help for nomads, the Taki accompanies the Sigils and some Fort-gotens across the hostile lands of the Rift. His strength, his endurance and even his simple reassuring presence are appreciable assets.

Let’s analyze Taki together through these two captivating illustrations.

In the Standard Version of this SR, we discover the Taki, standing proudly on his legs immersed in what seems to be the waters of a lake, or a river. The landscape that surrounds him is so mysterious. Behind him, clouds form on land before flying away into the skies, and rocks float in the air, seeming so light. The sky tinged with orange and purple, evokes a twilight that seems eternal above the Rift lands.

Everything around the Taki is strange. The many gravitational anomalies known as the phenomenon ofHapesanteur and which were caused by the Blast that created the Rift, are the most visible example of this. This phenomenon gives the impression that reality itself is bending to laws that defy normality.

The Taki, imposing and majestic, is calmly parked in calm water that reflects the reddish sky. Nothing disturbs this water, except the powerful legs of the Taki moving there. They are the source of slight vibrations or eddies that are visible on the surface. The Taki is concentrated, it sniffs with its impressive nostrils the ambient air and soaks it up to ensure that no unwanted creatures are lurking nearby.

Its long tail, raised back like an antenna, helps it maintain its balance.

His massive, square head is adorned with long, wavy horns similar to those of a high-born Ram. They are a crown to him. Curved and pointed, they descend behind his ears. Another horn grows like an elephant's trunk between his two eyes.

Its thick, armored skin, marked here and there with dark spots, allows it to blend into the background. It is the perfect camouflage for this place.

Under his curious and deep eyes, one can sense an ancestral wisdom, a pledge of years spent exploring these hostile lands, a sort of silent experience. How old could this Taki be? What is the life expectancy of a Taki?

On his back, a nomadic rider tightly grips reins that are connected to the Taki's horns. This allows him to steer him. It would be crazy to believe that he is directing him. Is the rider a Sigil or a Fort-goten? The only inhabitants of the Rift to possess Takis.

The face, mainly the forehead covered by what looks like a scarf as a head covering, wedged in a protective armor… The rider, whose intriguing mask that covers his mouth and nose, only lets his eyes scan the horizon. Behind him, firmly secured, luggage packed in makeshift bags, provisions and all types of equipment necessary for this journey bear witness to the long and difficult crossing that awaits this improbable duo.

The nomad's posture and the silent complicity between man and creature suggest a rare harmony, the fruit of many years spent surviving together.

To add more charm to this already very evocative picture, pretty birds in the colors of Paradise are placed without any stress on the colossus and also seem to be part of the journey.

What secrets do these extreme travelers carry? And what encounters await them on this perilous road?

The Taki, as if to prove its resistance, has this unique characteristic of feeding on stones and water. This makes it a mount particularly adapted to the arid and inhospitable lands of the Rift. Unlike many other creatures, it requires few resources to survive, and acclimatizes particularly quickly to the most complex situations. Do you have any idea how many kilos of stones a Taki can swallow in a day?

In the Alternative Version From this SR card, we can clearly see the calm of the Taki, letting go and giving way to panic. The tension of the scene is visible. The Taki, standing on its hind legs, sends everything flying. Rider, birds, luggage, all this in a fraction of a second. It dominates the space with all its height. 

But why is he rearing up like this? His posture leaves us astonished, without understanding whether this gesture is useful to him in showing his power, perhaps even his fear, or Is this a form of defiance? What did he see? What did he feel? Are they in danger? Or is he simply seeking his freedom?

The nomad, still on the Taki's back, clings as best he can to the reins of the beast. His muscles are tense in an exceptional effort to control the Taki. The luggage has partly disappeared. The birds have flown away, going in all directions. Around him, splashes of water mingle with the ambient mist, as if to increase the already quite dramatic atmosphere and freeze time.

Mainly domesticated by the Sigils, the Taki plays a central role in the survival of these nomads. It serves as their mount, beast of burden and protector. With its massive build and the power of its horns, the Taki reassures them. They feel protected during their travels.

We imagine in him, at the same time, the strength of a gigantic ram with extraordinary power, capable of pulverizing any obstacle with a single blow of the head, and at the same time, the gentleness and loyalty of a helpful companion. What story could possibly link these creatures to clans that are nevertheless rivals in the Rift?

THE Taki, this fearsome and peaceful creature, who alone embodies all the enigmas of the Rift.

It is the perfect blend of brute force and absolute calm. Through these two illustrations, we discover a creature capable in a fraction of a second of deploying its power and devastating everything, and suddenly a fraction of a second later, of regaining that Olympian calm that characterizes it. But behind each Taki, hides the forgotten story of a brute creature that seems hard, but is deep down so tender. A rock with a melting heart…