Addrannis, Child of Nightmares

**Background**

In an effort to end the corruption and plague that haunted Waypoint Rolig Snowmane sent a group of adventurers to the dead town of Calder. One of these adventurers was the half elven druid Dancer. In the final moments of the battle against the giant Molydeus which had already taken Shia and Arete's life and had Mucktooth and Shards lying in pools of blood, it transported itself behind Dancer and impaled him upon it's golden sword. It was at this moment, as Dancer's soul was separated from his body and dragged down to some dark realm a creature attached itself to him. As his soul drowned in darkness Arete brought his soul back from death. It brought the creature along with him.

Over time the creature slowly grew it's power, feeding off Dancer's fears, his nightmares, even his personality. It grew to have it's own personality that mirrored Dancer's in some ways, in others it was a recreation of his fears. It became all the cruelty, the hatred and pain that stained Dancer's soul. It took on the name of Addrannis, Dancer's first name that he has only ever shared with one person. However it still was forced to share a body with Dancer's soul stopping it from spreading it's darkness to the rest of the world.

During All-Bright's attempted invasion of Waypoint and the subsequent duel that Dancer and other adventurers fought against him Dancer bitten into and run through by the dragon god's tail. His second death provided Addrannis the chance to start to take over the body. However, when Arete brought Dancer back from death once more he shoved Dancer's soul into the body that Addrannis was close to controlling. It left Dancer's body in a pseudo coma while Addrannis hunted the remnants of Dancer's soul through his dreams.

During the coma several people tried to telepathically talk to who they, at least at first, believed to be Dancer. Instead it was Addrannis who was, at this stage, almost completely in control.

**The Call**

Six adventurers received a shard of glass that glimmered faintly with moonlight. Some of them, Mucktooth, Bel, Aethel and Arete were on holidays, the shard of glass calling them back. Each had the words "Her child is broken. Fix him" written in celestial though it changed to a language that they could understand. As they neared Waypoint, and Rolig Snowmane's temple in particular, the glass began to glow more brightly. Once placed together a burst of silver light burned away the six adventurer's bodies.

**A Dream of Nightmares**

The adventurers found themselves trapped within a nightmare. They were each stuck within Dancer's body as the golden sword of the Molydeus impales them. Their souls were sucked down by inky black tendrils until a tar like substance covered their eyes, ears, mouth. They dropped down into a cramped metal room only 5 foot tall. They were once more with all their comrades unfortunately all squeezed together which was really uncomfortable for giants such as Arete and Bel. They heard a voice that sounded a lot like Dancer's though it was soon followed by Dancer's cry of pain and a clue engraves itself upon the wall even as the walls began to close. Shards is the first to figure out the clue and after closing her eyes walks through the walls as if they were never there. The rest followed except for Aethel who waited to get crushed before they walked through.

Continuing on through Dancer's nightmares the adventurers found themselves in a lavish common room that seems as though it is part of a palace. They are set upon by some shadow wreathed creatures that are revealed to be nobles only after their deaths. As alarms ring through the castle Mucktooth figures out how to exit to the next part of the dream even as royal guards rush in.

They find themselves on the darkened streets of Waypoint as Dancer walks through them. After following him to the town centre they realise that they are in the dream that eventually lead to his attempt to kill Arete. They see Shards (in the dream) crying before she is pierced from behind by an onyx longsword, lifted high above Arete's (in the dream) head and tossed to one side. They all see Dancer scream and charge only for the scene to change once more, Arete pushing a prone Dancer into the ground as he pummelled him. A crowd formed around the beating as the adventurers watched, each whispering accusations at him. Before they can attempt to stop it a figure that looked very much like Dancer walked toward them. Though instead of silver eyes and scruffy silver hair it had long black hair and black eyes. It introduced himself as Addrannis.

After talking for a while with Addrannis the adventurers figure out that he is not Dancer. Or at least not fully him. As Shards tried to take the Dancer's hand as he lay upon the ground only for the scene to change once more. They all found themselves in a clearing in a dark forest standing next to Addrannis. They all see an elven women run into the clearing an leave a baby upon a stone altar. It strode forward as it remarked "Not even his own mother cared for him… how could anyone else? I doubt even She will save him this time”. It smiled, a ugly scarlet blade appearing in his hand, "I suppose it is hitting that the hunt ends here." Shards stood before him, stopping it from reaching the child causing a fight to erupt.

**Abilities**

During the fight Addrannis was able to take multiple forms, disappearing into darkness and reappearing in a different form. The forms that it took were All-Bright, Shards, the Molydeus and Aethel. Each had different abilities; Pax breathed radiant light, Shards turned invisible, the Molydeus was immune to cold and Aethel had the powers of the sword that the real Aethel was given by Risen to name a few. While the adventurers did not see Addrannis change into Arete they might have figured it out after they realised that it could take the forms of creatures that Dancer was afraid of in some manner.

**Death**

During the fight Flynn protected baby Dancer while quickening Mucktooth's speed who recklessly attacked it while later on Aethel teleported Arete right next to it smiting it though it still stayed up. As it tried to run away from Arete it teleported and transformed into Aethel just before Shards put a psychic dagger between it's eyes, killing it instantly. It expanded into a dark orb for a moment before a silver light burned it away leaving nothing but a few obsidian remnants.