Tiger Tiger Burning Bright

Chapter 1: Tormak Tunnelcat[]

Phoenix’ Finest[]

Tormak Tunnelcat is the trusted leader of the Royal Tiger Guard of the Phoenix and a very close advisor to Fluminox. He runs security in the Phoenix City, and whenever there is a mission outside the city perimeter, he comes along as tactical leader and security. He is a veteran of the first hunter tribe wars. He is a very skilled fighter, both with and without weapons, but when he is armed, he is almost undefeatable.

Claws of the Tiger: Tygafyre[]

Tygafyre is Tormak’s bow. It can fire both conventional and exploding arrows. Tormak developed the exploding arrows during the first Hunter tribe war. Most of the fighting took place in the tunnels under Chima. This was the war that earned Tormak the nickname ‘Tunnelcat’ and cost him most of his Tiger friends. The arrows have a special kind of explosion that is designed to collapse the entrances to tunnels or caves. The explosion becomes so hot, it melts the rock and just leaves a smooth and completely solid surface.

Tormak Defeated[]

After the first hunter tribe war, Tormak was the last cat standing. He continued to perform his duty in the dark, dangerous and lonely tunnels under Chima. It was then he heard the cry of a little Lion cub, that had wandered out onto a ledge. Tormak caught it at the last second. His initial plan was to just take the cub back to other the Lions and be done with it, but to his own enormous surprise, he was unable to let the cub go.

Hold on my Heart[]

Tormak stood there, just a few hundred meters from the Lions. All he had to do was to give her to somebody, but he simply could not open his arms holding her warm, tiny, sleeping figure against his chest. Against his heart. At that moment, Tormak felt all the loneliness that he had endured during the long war, in one blazing instance. It burned inside him, driving him to tears and he knew, that he could never go back to that feeling ever again.

Liger, Liger Burning Bright[]

Tormak kept the little lioness cub and named her Li’Ella. Li’Ella returned his love as unconditionally as only a child can and Tormak lost his heart to her. As Li’Ella grew, Tormak taught her all that he knew about fighting and defending oneself. How to be true and how to be brave. Li’Ella also taught Tormak something: How to feel happy again. How to smile and have fun. This beautiful Lioness saved his soul from sorrow and Tormak knows it. There is nothing he would not do for her.

Li’Ella[]

Li’Ella is a young Lioness. Brave of heart and strong of body. She is a very capable combatant, as she has been trained by the finest fighter in Chima. She is good-hearted, fun-loving and simply a very kind person. She is noble, valiant and will protect those who need it, even if it means jeopardizing her own safety. She is skilled in the wielding of many weapons, but her personal favorite is the double-headed axe. Li’Ella has grown up among cats in Phoenix City, but only Tigers and Leopards. So when she meets Laval, she is swept off her feet by the discovery of the existence of other Lions. Especially one so cute.

Chapter 2: Queen Of Ice[]

Taken[]

Sir Fangar uses the tunnels under Chima to launch a surprise attack on Lion City. Most of the guards are caught, well, off guard, and Sir Fangar storms the castle. His mission is to capture the Phoenix child Flinx for his trophy room. Tormak and Li’Ella arrive to assist in the defense of Lion City, but when Sir Fangar lays his eyes on Li’Ella, something melts inside the old ice warrior. So when he gets the chance to kidnap Flinx, he goes for the grand prize and grabs Li’Ella too. Laval cannot stop him, but Li’Ella shows her bravery by biting Sir Fangar to protect Flinx, while she herself is flown away by the Ice Hunter.

Coldhearted[]

For the first time ever, the desire for revenge is not the only thing burning in Sir Fangar’s heart. It is his love for Li’Ella. He takes her home to his castle, but he does not freeze her. She will be more than a trophy in his room. She is to be his trophy wife. When he becomes supreme ruler of Chima, she is to be his Ice Queen. He tells the Vultures to prepare the wedding right away. A task they are surprisingly good at. Much better than they are at fighting.

The Price of Love[]

As if the kidnapping of Li’Ella wasn’t enough, the news of the wedding plans drives both Laval and Tormak crazy. Is Sir Fangar really in love or is this just a clever scheme? Maybe even a bit of both? Sir Fangar contacts Tormak and tells him that if he ever wants to see Li’Ella again, Tormak is to bring Sir Fangar the Phoenix artifact. This ancient relic is the only existing map of where the eight Fire Harnesses are hidden. So Tormak has a choice to make. Either he gives Sir Fangar the one thing that can lead to a new Great Illumination or he never sees his beloved Li’Ella again. Tough choice...

Between a Rock and a Hard Place[]

Tormak steals the artifact and as if having to do that was not humiliating enough for the loyal cat, he has to knock out some of his best soldiers in the process. Even his age-old friend Lundor the Leopard. It is the worst thing he has ever had to do. Tormak runs out of the temple and meets with Sir Fangar. Tormak demands to get Li’Ella, but Sir Fangar wants the artifact first. Tormak refuses, so Sir Fangar rides off, but Tormak’s love for Li’Ella is too great. He runs after Sir Fangar, not hearing Fluminox’ warning that the artifact will self-destruct. When Tormak leaves Phoenix territory, the artifact blows up in a giant Fire CHI explosion. Tormak is charred and becomes the black Panthar. He runs off, shamed and lost.

Sir Fangar’s Evil Plot[]

Not only did Tormak Tunnelcat betray his friend Fluminox and knock out some of his most trusted soldiers and closest friends. Not only did he destroy the only way to start the only thing that could stop Sir Fangar. He did not get Li’Ella back either. When he catches up with Sir Fangar’s prison Mammoth mech, the figure that was passed off as Li’Ella, was a Saber-tooth Tiger in disguise. Oh, poor Tormak. Now what, you brave and most unfortunate cat?

Chapter 3: Furious Feline Freedom Fighter[]

Panther Vision[]

Eris has been seeing him for a while, but now everybody can see the black panther that roams the land of Chima. Having been charred by the explosion of the artifact, Tormak is really fired up. His soul burns with anger towards Sir Fangar and it literally burns with the CHI energy of the destroyed Phoenix artifact. Tormak, or Panthar, is constantly CHI’ed up, which makes the already capable cat quite a ferocious foe. At least he knows what to do now. He must make right what he has done wrong. Free Li’Ella and then defeat Sir Fangar.

Left in the Shadows[]

Do you want to know how Tormak finds his Shadow Blazer vehicle and saves some very unfortunate and cold Beavers? Then watch this!

Blaze of Shadow[]

Tormak’s Shadow Blazer is one of the fastest vehicles in Chima. Since he himself is such a skilled fighter, he needs speed to get around more than he needs big guns or brute force. The Shadow Blazer is built with big wheels, wide apart, so it can cross even the most unwelcoming terrains in Chima. But it is not only a speedy kitty; it also knows how to scratch. When it CHIs into Panther mode, bearing its claws and launching fire missiles, enemies bow down to the might of the Shadow Blazer.

Essential Burning[]

Tormak is burning from the inside with the CHI energy of the artifact. It was fused into his body at the explosion. It is so strong, that Laval, Eris, Cragger and Li’Ella can see the light of its awesome power from Lion City and decide to go investigate. But there is more burned into Tormak. There is also a spark of hope that could become a flame of victory. Burned into his very essence, Tormak now bears the map of the eight Fire Harnesses.

Chapter 4: Making Things Right[]

A Race Against Time[]

Laval, Cragger, Eris and Li’Ella are joined by Lavertus and together they find the charred Tormak. He has been trying to keep the energy of the artifact inside, but now he lets it out, roars with power and the CHI inside him projects the map of the Fire Harnesses onto the sky itself. Lavertus quickly draws a copy of it on paper and hope for Chima is restored. Now they only need to find the eight Fire Harnesses and set off the Great Illumination before Sir Fangar gets to the Fire Temple and freezes it. Well, that should be easy enough, right?

Power Rock[]

Wrong! Even though the map shows where the Fire Harnesses are placed, that does not mean you can just go and pick them up. No way. The group arrives at the site of the first Fire Harness and it is nowhere to be seen. There is only an odd crescent shaped rock, but Tormak knows how the Phoenix think. He knows that they must channel their inner Phoenix. He touches the crescent rock and lets the energy of the artifact flow. The effect is immediate. Across the whole field in front of them crescent shaped rocks start jumping in and out of the ground. The Fire Harness keeps shifting from rock to rock and no matter how fast the friends give chase, it stays just out of reach.

Channeling the Phoenix[]

Eris has the soul of a Phoenix. Fluminox said so himself. So naturally, she is the one who figures out how to catch the Fire Harness. She realizes that to get the harness, she needs to let go of her fear and do what the instinct of her inner Phoenix tells her. So she dives, head first into the ground and the crash of the impact sends a giant dust cloud into the air. Her friends are shocked, scared that she has finally lost it and seriously injured herself. Like a Phoenix from the ashes, Eris rises from the dust cloud, now with flaming wings of fire.

The Rhino Rock[]

In the same manner, both Cragger and Laval have to cross the boundaries of their fear to reach the Fire Harnesses. Cragger must let himself be swallowed by the ground. Laval must dare a fall that would mean almost certain death. Not all the challenges are like this. In the Rhino Quarry they find a rock at the very bottom of the deepest pit that no Rhino could ever break. Tormak lays his hands on the rock and lets the energy of the Artifact shoot into the stone. The stone breaks and they get another Fire Harness.

Black Cat, Flaming Fortress[]

After all the Fire Harnesses have been found, only one thing remains: The eight friends - Laval, Cragger, Eris, Worriz, Gorzan, Rogon, Bladvic and Razar, all now with fire wings, must fly to Mount Cavora and set off the Great Illumination. Easy, right? Wrong. Because Sir Fangar sends his Vultures and Mammoths out to block the eight friends and they successfully do so. Right until Tormak and Li’Ella save the day. Tormak has retrieved and repaired the crashed Flying Phoenix Fire Temple and now he clears the skies of opposition, so the Great Illumination can take place.

Chapter 5: Earning Your Stripes[]

A star in stripes[]

Tormak’s reward is both simple and great. With his own eyes he sees the Great Illumination heal Chima and all of its inhabitants. He sees the gratitude in the eyes of his old friend Fluminox, who can relieve himself of the guilt of having failed in the Not-so-great Illumination. Most important, Tormak now knows that his daughter can live in a peaceful Chima and then suddenly, he himself is set free. His charred Panther exterior is washed off and he looks like his old self. He has truly earned his stripes.

References[]