A vast desert blanketed the landscape with a sea of sand that was occasionally interrupted by large rock formations jutting out of the dunes like coral reefs peaking above the surf of the ocean. But the waves of this sea were frozen, at least to the naked eye. The winds in this desert were strong, and over time, ridges of sand were pushed across the landscape just like ripples in a pond, forming a vast, hostile landscape where little could survive. But one of the largest stones emerging from the sand did house life, and on the top of this rock was a palace that even the greatest monarchs would envy.
The massive fortress was constructed from limestone that was tinted red from the presence of iron. The entire structure was made with rounded edges to combat erosion from relentless sandstorms, giving the palace an almost futuristic appearance. Several narrow roads were cut into the sides of the rock formation, and their paths moved in zigzags up the sides of the stone, giving the entire plateau a pattern that looked like lightning traveling down the steep cliffs. But the main entryway was much more direct. A single, massive ramp had been cut through the entire rock, and it extended all the way from the sand below up to the palace's main entrance, hundreds of feet of elevation above the dunes.
The ramp was divided into thirds along its length; the outer two-thirds were kept smooth, allowing cargo to be easily hauled to and from the palace. The inner third was a seemingly endless set of stairs that allowed one to travel on foot from the desert up to the fortress. The ramp was lined with dozens of guards outfitted in full plate armor and carrying high-quality weapons. All three lanes were almost always bustling with traffic, and as each guard was passed, an enchanted rune engraved on their shields would glow if there was anything suspicious about the visitor or their cargo.
What was the reason for all these precautions? The owner of the palace was a notorious crime lord dealing in any illicit cargo you can think of. Drugs, weapons, slaves, and even exotic animals were traded in this fortress.
Inside, there were dozens of rooms, but the main chamber was a combination of a strip club, an amphitheater, and a throne room. Shaped like a semi-circle, the seating in the hall was arranged in tiered levels that formed concentric half-rings. The seats were around circular, stone tables where the patrons could enjoy meals and plenty of drugs and booze. Several of these tables were slightly larger and taller; these became smaller stages for the palace's various dancers. Naked or nearly naked women of many races, ranging from humans to elves to tieflings, danced seductively on the tables where eager patrons tossed coins at the women to cheer them on. The outermost ring was a giant bar manned by over ten bartenders. At the center, there was the main stage for various performances, and just it on a raised platform was the throne itself.
The lavish seat was more of a couch than a chair, and sitting across the throne was the crime lord himself, Kludu the Vile. Much of his nickname came from his ruthless tactics in dealing with the authorities and his competition, but a good deal of that title also came from his appearance. Kludu was from an unknown race of creatures that slithered across the ground like a snake or a slug. He had no hind legs, so when he needed to move, he undulated his grotesque body to crawl across the floor. His belly was large and had rolls of fat both from years of indulgence and the traits of his race. His skin was a sickly pink with a scale-like pattern of wrinkles across his body. Instead of arms, Kludu had six tentacle appendages on each side of his belly. He also had similar short tentacle limbs that lined the top of his head as well as his back. They were spaced out several inches apart, and these smaller limbs formed the closest thing the creature had to hair. His head was massive, taking up nearly half his height as he crawled across the ground. His nose was flat and flared like some sort of disgusting cat constantly sniffing its environment. His eyes were small compared to the rest of his head, but they were still large enough to give him good eyesight. The irises were a sickly yellow color, and there were large bags and wrinkles under both sockets.
But the most prominent feature on his body was his mouth. Kludu's appetite was legendary, and he had a maw to match. His lips were the same color as the rest of his skin, but other than that, his mouth looked like that of a human with one key difference. His maw was so wide that his lips actually protruded from the sides of his face, and it was tall enough that when he smiled, his mouth took up over half the height of his head. Inside that massive orifice, Kludu had very human-like teeth that had gold grills placed over each one to show off his riches. Similarly, most of the tentacle "hairs" on his head had small golden rings at the base where they connected to his body. It was an incredibly tacky display of wealth, and to make matters worse, when viewed from a distance, the gold grills on his teeth made it look like each tooth was yellow and rotten rather than gilded and shiny.
Curled up next to the belly of the grotesque man was a much more appealing creature. From a distance, one might think that a human female was lounging next to Kludu, but on closer inspection, she was something else entirely. The woman was completely naked, and her torso, face, and arms were that of a slender beauty. But instead of human feet, her legs ended in paws covered with soft hair the color of sand. The hair on her head was the same color, and rather than having two ears on the side of her head, two furry ears poked out from the top of her head. In addition, she had a fluffy tail nearly as long as one of her legs. Most of the fur on her tail was the same color as her hair except a white tuft at the tip. She was a rare member of a race of desert fox kitsune, perfectly adapted for the climate that surrounded Kludu's palace.
Her build was very slender, and she had small but defined breasts to match. Her hair was short, only reaching down to her chin in a playful bob. The woman's makeup consisted of eyeliner styled in the manner of the pharaohs of Egypt and a lipstick colored solid gold. The only ornament or clothing on her body was a gold collar connected to a long chain that ended in the grip of one of Kludu's tentacles. But this leash was more of an accessory than an actual shackle. Like much of the lavish décor in the crime lord's palace, the collar and chain were golden, and the collar itself had jewels studded around the outside as well as padding on the inside to minimize the discomfort of the wearer. This was the sort of leash used for a loyal pet rather than a slave or prisoner.
The naked kitsune smiled and nuzzled against her master affectionately, her hand descending between her legs as she watched the performance on stage, "Wow, he's really giving it to her, master! It turns me on so much!"
Kludu looked away from the performance for a moment and reached down to pet the girl on the head while flashing his golden smile, "You're such a horny creature, Kiyoko. I'm glad you were able to find the right master to satisfy you," Turning back to the stage, he extended one of his tentacles down towards Kiyoko. Eagerly, she got onto all fours before reaching out to take the tendril in her hand. The fox woman quickly guided the tentacle into her vagina, and Kludu began penetrating her as casually as if he were petting a cat. With her tongue hanging out, Kiyoko panted lustfully as her master pleasured her as she looked back to enjoy the show on stage.
