Tol-Saroth

If given the chance to be a genius, few people would say no. Outstanding talent is a key component of great success, after all. What form this ‘great success’ takes is largely up to the individual, but it is often associated with money, fame, and power. Selfish pursuits, yes, but it is only natural to look out for number one first and foremost. This is true even of the altruistic. For instance, if some wonder-child figures out a foolproof way to achieve lasting world peace they would still need an immense amount of influence and resources to turn that idea into reality. And then, the more they struggle to achieve their vision, the more the harshness of the world frays away at their moral fiber until they become jaded, disillusioned, and unwilling to sacrifice their own gains for the benefit of the unwashed masses. It is a tale as old as time.

A tale that Boxxy never cared for. The prodigal shapeshifter skipped all that sappy stuff and jumped straight to the ‘selfish asshole’ part, as befitting a true-blooded monster. The only good that thing’s ever done was either coincidental or with ulterior motives in mind. Dismantling conspiracies, taking down crime lords, culling dangerous beasts – every move it makes is done with the purpose of increasing its bottom line or extending its life expectancy, usually both. Its latest scheme is no different. It just has to dump those troublesome triplets on someone else and find a cure for its demonic affliction that doesn’t involve the one-time divine favor it fought so hard to get. The first half is more or less settled and just needs time. That second bit will prove far more challenging. Though the monster is a genius in various fields, tainted souls don’t fall within its area of expertise. On the upside, some other prodigy with the appropriate talents will have surely figured this out already. All the shapeshifter had to do is find them, capture them, and then torture the information out of them.

A bold and logical plan, except for one minor issue – the man in question has been dead for about four hundred years.