The Womanizing, Jail-Breaking, Cheating, Lying, Half-Demon Shape-Shifter

[LyleDraconis]

The true title of this story is simply Shape-Shifter, I just didn't expect that to catch your attention.

FOREWORD​

This story is based on a spin-off campaign involving a 5th level half-rakshasa, half-elf Duskblade, Arcadias (my DM balanced it out, really!). He was foolishly killed off by a Nightmare Beast, as you will see in the preface of the story (arrogant bastard). He was reincarnated in some crazy, reality exploding event my DM set off shortly after, resulting in a new character, Thomas, inside a new reality/world. Thomas very closely resembles Arcadias, and is really just a better version (arguably) of my incredibly arrogant, shape-shifting a-hole. Where as Arcadias was a 5th level, half-blah, blah, blah Duskblade, with long red hair and an affinity to most things female and sentient, Thomas is a 5th level half-incubus, half-elf Hexblade (now 8th level, but not in this point of the story) with long red hair and an affinity to pretty, female, sentient things. He even has all of Arcadias' old gear, minus a dark wood shield. There are a few more similarities, but it gets into character sheet details, and I don't want to type it all.

Anyway, the setting of Arcadias' is a world which takes a few traits from Ebberon, but is otherwise original. The most notable trait is the reversal of dominance in the drow society. Men are the superior gender, and the women are the lesser beings. This would be part of the explanation to Arcadias' harem of female drow shown in the preface, but the rest is simply explained by his parties involvement in an inter-house skirmish between two enemy drow families. Arcadias' party was with the attacking house, which won in the end. The reward was to take whomever desired as prisoners, as long as the older men were left for interrogation, torture, etc., etc. Naturally, Arcadias took as many females as his leader, Nonan, would allow (I believe the number was still pretty close to ten).

That explains that.

Now, the Nightmare Beast takes a bunch of explaining which would only create another huge wall of text, so let's save it for after the preface, eh? (Only if you want to know, that is).

Preface in next post!

 

[LyleDraconis]

Messy Preface.

Preface​

"Um...Excuse me?"

"Yes?"

"I, uh, I think your friend is dying..."

"Really? What of?"

"I think she's having a nightmare...Nonan says that it's the Nightmare Beast again."

"It can do that?"

"Yes. He says it knows what the intended target fears most and can send them dreams."

"This thing's annoying...Think I can take it?"

"Nonan says we'd have better luck taking on a Red Dragon..."

"I'm sure I could. Alright ladies, we'll finish this later, I promise", Arcadias says with a seductive smile. The drow around him smile similarly, as Bree blushes, still sticking her head through the wagon flap. Arcadias gets up and quickly dawns his armor and weapons. Mithril chain mail, a Celestial breast plate, a small dark wood buckler, and simple leather grieves. His weapons consisting of 3 swords: a cold iron sword; a beautiful, but deadly looking long blade; and an equally nasty looking black blade full of blood lust. Arcadias' long, deep-red hair sways as he dresses, his nakedness a shameful site for the Bree.

"Who wants to come?", Arcadias asks the drow in elfish. They all seem eager to join.

"Well, who thinks they can track this thing?", he asks. All five assure him they can.

"Let's go.", he finally states. The drow rise to there feet, naked and excited from the previous activities and the thoughts of more to come, a thin layer of sweat and saliva on most of them. They have no armor or clothes. Instead they grab their scimitars and await direction. Arcadias walks past Bree - young and small, with oddly green hair yet the defining features of a budding young woman- out of the wagon he occupied, which is one of six in a whole caravan. He walks 'round to the fourth wagon, ahead of his, and swiftly enters to see Nonan and Feather; another odd haired, yet much older humanoid, and a beautiful Angel sent to aid them through their journey. He then glances on the floor and sees the lady in question. She wriggles and writhes on the floor, as if feeling tremendous terror and pain. Small moans escape from her gurgling mouth.

"Bree says it's the Nightmare Beast?", Arcadias questions Nonan.

"Indeed it is...", confirms Nonan. "It is somewhere nearby, it can't be more than a half a mile or so from its victim when it uses it's dreadful ability."

"Is it vulnerable?", asks Arcadias.

"As vulnerable as it will be to creatures like us. It's very vicious and very tough. The eight of us together would be lucky to get away with our heads!", Nonan warns.

"Psst, I'll take care of it. I have a plan.", Arcadias boldly states.

"Do what you must, but try not to get yourself impaled upon its tusks.", Nonan states, realizing Arcadias' personality won't permit him to back down now.

"Thanks for the warning.", Arcadias snidely responds. "But I think I'll make it through the night. I shall not linger, Mi' lady", Arcadias finishes in Celestial, giving Feather a charming and sincere look of admiration.

"Let us hope not.", Feather responds with a captivating, radiant, and equally sincere smile of her own.

Arcadias bows to Feather, then turns to leave, the drow following close behind. The drow quickly take lead of the hunt; running in unison, driving toward the same location, tracking a beast which leaves nary a footprint. Soon the beast is found, still yet savage and hulking in the dark woods surrounding Arcadias and his female slaves. Arcadias smiles and tells the drow to stay behind unless called for. He rushes in, drawing Nine Live Stealer and casting spells to strengthen his blows and lengthen his endurance. He gets to the beast and drives his sword strait into its eye. The beast screams in pain, surprise and rage, throwing Arcadias back ten feet, sending him into a short tumble. He quickly gets to his feet, only to suddenly see the Beast's tusks pierce his breast plate and drive into his shoulder. Arcadias let's out his own scream of pain and anger. The beast rips his tusk from Arcadias' flesh and swings its head, slashing with its other jagged tusk. It buries deep within Arcadias' leg as he moves to dodge, reacting a second too slow. Feeling faint and finally realizing his arrogance, he manages to shout behind his shoulder toward the drow.

"Go get Nonan!", he says before a final attack sends a lethal tusk through his neck.





Second Chapter coming soon...