Faerun's Heroes and The Lost Wave Echo Caves

DAY 13: Dain

Strength regained, it was imperative to me to continue searching this goblinoid infestation, sorry excuse of a castle. I managed to convince the others with ease, surprisingly even the elven bastard Erevan. I had a storm of emotions brewing inside of me at cost of my good cousin, but in times of potential conflict, as I knew all too well, the storm must be suppressed as to not effect my performance. I took a swig of some ale from my water pouch, and silently lead ahead. 

We carried on down the corridor and entered the room at its very end after Lilly's thieves' tools broke into the rusty lock. This was the most in-tact space of the whole building. In its centre, a stone brazier with coal underneath and an in-expertly hidden statue of a sun elf wrapped in a crimson cloth - which only added to Erevan's smugness, of course. Behind that, draped luxurious curtains drawn across the width of the room. The humans stealthily examined behind it, after identifying no threat, we all proceeded to investigate our surroundings for any potential clues and signs. 

On an oak desk, a golden chalice and knife were presented neatly on a table cloth. I did not want near whatever dark magic those items were to be involved with. If anything were to be cursed, that would be it. I may be a dwarf but I am not stupid. Inside the wooden chest beside the table, 90 pieces of copper, 120 pieces of gold and another healing potion was found and gladly received by my questmates. Interestingly, inside were also scrolls of Silence and Revivify. I mused over why the chest was not locked or trapped, containing items of importance, while carefully storing the scrolls amongst my other backpack items including spellbook and components. 

I so was angered that we were no step closer to finding Gundren, that I almost missed the obvious cracks in the stone wall outlining a secret door. It was not much effort to shove open between us. There was no dust or signs of rust or aging - which suggested to me this passageway must have been used recently or frequently; a hopeful sign. The short hallway was lined with alight lamps and a faint murmur of growling conversation could be heard echoing down from the compartment hidden around to the left up ahead, as though the flickering flames had voices.

I was leading the convoy so I was first to peer around carefully and inspect the situation. It was a roomy study space doubled up as sleeping quarters. And directly in the middle of the room a Bugbear was conversing with a dire wolf. Dire wolves were nasty pieces of work, with double the intelligence, size, strength and aggressive nature of the common wolf hound.

"Is that wolf talking Common?" whispered Ella, who had crept up behind me and peered her head into the room above me. I hastily pushed her back and hushed the stupid girl. Far too keen to get herself into danger that one. 

"Yes, which can only mean one thing," I replied quietly. 

"A polymorph. Someone with the magical ability of changing one's self into another form, or several depending on their power and practice. It's quite rare." Informed Erevan with his usual proud and pompous posture, as if nobody else had that knowledge already. 

On that note, I charged in. Hammer waving, I ploughed straight towards the Bugbear. Honestly, the sight of it filled me with rage remembering the caves that came with the information of a kidnapped cousin and the failure of a bodyguard. I leapt up onto the low-lying table, to give me at least some extra height against the towering ugly beast. By the time I swung upwards with my warhammer and clobbered the Bugbear under the chin, the others had filed in behind me to join the action. Though, I hope they keep in mind that we need information and cannot needlessly kill anyone or anything. 

The dire wolf stood on its two back legs, and while letting out a howl, its body pieces grotesquely morphed in unnatural ways, hair retracting back into the skin which faded back into its original pale colour. Claws turned into hands and feet as the snout retracted back to an elven face. None other than the fact that the humans had probably never seen anything like that before, I think they were more taken aback at the large, plump and naked breasts now in their faces. The part that changed the least was probably the hairy in-between legs. For an elf, she was quite handsome I suppose.