Change of Pace: The Meanderings of the Warrior-Poet Daniel Obrove; Or, The Shape of Things; Or, Form with Function; Or, Leaving the Nest; Or, Rolling Out
Daniel Obrove knew who he was.
He was the party’s healer, providing a rejuvenating word when the warriors injured themselves during battle. They had met in the usual way, a chance rendezvous at the old inn on the outskirts of town. A team of fighters with no one providing support? Daniel could help with that. It sounded like fun to him. It wasn’t as exhausting as he had first thought it would be, being a human triage; there was never a need for him to become
too involved with the fighting. Daniel held back toward the rear of the formation, throwing wards and cures out when they were needed, and practicing his written verse in the moments when spells didn’t require weaving. The group’s leader at first held disdain for her healer behaving so nonchalantly in the heat of combat. Still, she couldn’t argue with the results. Daniel’s magic was effective. No one died or ever suffered too grievous an injury. If the man wanted to focus on his poetic output at the same time, that was fine by her.
Daniel Obrove knew who he was.
He was the trusted right hand of the king, friend and advisor for decades now. He gave advice on matters both diplomatic and domestic. When the kingdom lay on the cusp of war, Daniel always seemed to be able to diffuse the situation. Alliances were forged and treaties drawn up, all at the advisor’s suggestion. When the king’s son sought to abandon the royal courts to seek a life of adventure, rather than discourage it, Daniel insisted the boy be allowed to go. The king reluctantly agreed, and years after the prince’s wanderlust was exhausted, he returned strong and ready to rule when his father passed. Daniel Obrove was an invaluable source of wisdom and a trusted friend, always making the right call.
Daniel Obrove knew who he was.
He was a bird. A solitary robin sitting on a branch and heralding spring’s return to the valley.
The month before, he had been a squirrel, and may have in fact been guilty of toppling the nests of more than a few bird parents. Becoming a bird now was, in his mind, penance for this.
The month before
that was spent in a rabbit warren, after spending some time as an owl even earlier. He was getting a good point of view for all aspects of forest ecology.
Maybe next month Daniel would become a bear.
Daniel Obrove knew who he was.
After all, when your body can change on a whim, it’s always important to keep a strong sense of self.
The son of a former farmer and an archmage, he was granted an uncanny capacity for shapeshifting due to his mother’s exposure to chaotic magic. His parents instilled in him an appreciation for the natural world while also making sure his magical abilities were honed to a more than appreciable level. Yet with an indefinite form came a restlessness, a call to explore the far-flung wilderness. When Daniel was 18 years old, he insisted that he be granted his inheritance early in order to chase a life of adventure. The request was granted, and with the money the young man was able to spend the better part of a lifetime wandering the countryside, eventually borrowing his talents to gangs of mercenary heroes, or acting as adviser to the king, or spending periods of time in the form of different animals.
Daniel Obrove has been shifting shapes for 300 years now, using his magic to travel to new worlds in order to wander about new locales. The wealth gained from his parents, and from subsequent adventures, assures that he can live a leisurely life rambling among field and forest for as long as he desires. He still aids young adventurers where he can by offering advice or healing, but for the most part Daniel avoids plundering tombs and abandoned oubliettes. Cobwebbed recesses were never to his liking, the magician was always most in his element in the open air.
Draggin’ On; Or, Lonely as a Cloud; Or, Prodigal Dragson; Or, Additional Information
Both of Daniel Obrove’s parents were varieties of half-dragon, though because of bizarre circumstances surrounding his wizard mother, she was in the shape of a feline beastfolk at the time of his conception and birth. Not that the genetics matter that much, given Daniel was born a changeling, though he does attempt to reflect his draconic heritage whenever he assumes a humanoid form.
Daniel Obrove aged rapidly and appeared fully matured by three years old, possessing an anomalous degree of higher thought to match the rapid change in physiology. He only stayed with his parents for as long as he did because it was important that he understand spellcasting before departing.
Daniel Obrove was taught many forms of combat magic in addition to a repertoire of support spells, but he rarely uses them even now. He is not against others slaying monsters, but if he encounters one on his own, he would rather talk his way to a mutual understanding than drop a meteor on it. Daniel is
descended from monsters, and counts kobolds and grindylows as much a cousin as he does his human acquaintances. Add to that the fact that he can take the shape of any creature he desires, and it’s no wonder he possesses a certain empathy towards other living things.
The dragon pictured is in fact a favored form Daniel Obrove adopts quite often, in part to honor his lineage, but also because it is able to achieve flight unaided and that is crazy-fun.
Whether a flea or a caribou, Daniel Obrove is capable of breathing fire.
Though Daniel Obrove’s shapeshifting ability is incredibly versatile, there are several limiting factors to what transformations he can take. With some leeway, he can only shrink as small as 0.3 micrometers and only grow as large as three metric tonnes. Where his extra mass disappears to, and where it comes from, even he is not certain. It could be that any excess is sent to a pocket dimension to be called upon later, or maybe his body is just extremely compact. The former is more likely, considering that Daniel Obrove doesn’t
seem to become any denser when adopting smaller forms. In fact, his draconic body is incredibly lightweight for its size. Better it seems to attribute the cause of the man’s conservation of mass to magic.
The mark on his forehead is the only thing Daniel Obrove is unable to alter when transforming.
As a result of his abilities, Daniel Obrove possesses a remarkable natural healing factor. However, if a piece of him is broken off, it does not transform into a new, smaller Daniel. Only the greater whole possesses consciousness and personality, not each individual cell. The only way the scene pictured above would be possible would be if the dragon were still
attached to Daniel’s body, and even then it would be rather disorienting for him.
For all his age and skill, Daniel Obrove prefers to assume terrestrial and aerial shapes over aquatic ones. He can become a fish if the situation demands it, but an affinity for earth, wind, and fire leaves him uncomfortable when submerged.
The Hither and Thither Expanded; Or, Drawing Back the Curtain!
The magician Daniel Obrove is an extraplanar analogue of...the magician Daniel Obrove. He is not the latter's past self, his blood relative, or a close acquaintance. He's Obrove if Obrove were a powerful half-dragon changeling, whereas
the "giant" has been cursed to view the multiverse in miniature by a petty demonic Earl.
Other shapes and forms that Obroves might assume can be found on their alt list,
here.
There are more "Danalogues" to come, eventually, so we kindly ask that you...
STAY TUNED!
