The Never Ending Story / Groraman

Grograman, also known as The Many Colored Death, is the guardian of Goab, the Desert of Colors, which exists in a symbiosis with Perilin the Night Forest. He appears in the form of a huge lion, who changes colors to suit the color of sand under his feet and changes all life around him into sand. Grograman turns into an obsidian statue at night to allow the growth of Perilin. Grograman is the first creature Bastian meets upon his arrival in Fantastica. Bastian is protected from the effect of Grograman's death aura by Auryn and is thus the first living being ever to make friends with him. Grograman is the first one who teaches Bastian something of the nature of Fantastica and he gives Bastian his magic sword Sikander. One night, Bastian is called away. He promises to return, but is ultimately unable to keep his promise.