The dwarf is in dire shape. Wounds, old and new, cover him. His eyes open, and he shields them from the light that pours in, "Nundro" he says as he starts to cough up blood.
You recognize the name as that of one of the Rockseeker brothers.
He hears Chandan's call and immediately heads over to hand out to him a healing potion, "Here take this."
Davroar still has a couple of spells left in him, but wants to keep them just in case when they catch up to the Black Spider. Turning to the rest he asks, "I could shape change into a wolf, track him down if you want me to?"
"Hi Nundro, Gundren send us to rescue you. Drink the healing potion and see if you can stand."
She smiles at him reassuringly. It must have been awful. She cannot imagine the treatment he had received but can see from the results that it must have been bad.
She glances at Davroar and smiles.
"The wolf idea sounds good. That drow looks like he is good at illusion as he seemed to conjure both a dwarf and Chandan but his scent might not be covered by his magic."
Even before Chandan can take the potion from Davroar, the prisoner suddenly looks spooked. He glares with abject fear from Davroar. Then, weakly, under his breath, the beaten-down dwarf utters... "Shapeshifter!" He raises his arm and shields his head, as if he was about to get beaten again.
"Are you? Are you?" he says, shying away, eyes still on the druid. He looks physically healed now, weak from hunger and needing a drink of water, but wounds have healed. Emotionally, he appears battered and healing potions can't cure that.
The dwarf is alive, if a little rattled. Their rescue mission nears completion, but what can be done about the Black Spider?
Davroar has the capital idea of turning into a wolf and tracking him by scent. The nose of a wolf is not easily fooled, though the drow undoubtedly has tricks, and shapechanging allies of his own by the look and sound of it.
"Hello Nundro. I am Chandan, also friend of your brother.
"We fear there is a shapechanger around, yes. But one shapechanger cannot turn into all seven of us at once.
"For now you must find energy deep within. Escape is only a short walk away!"
The monk picks up his spear and stands. He can sympathise with the dwarf needing a drink. All will be well in time.
Chandan nods to Davroar.
"Wolf tracker. Bern, Jaliera, we should follow him. Kriv and Luminmorn stay back to protect Ryssa, while she helps Nundro to his feet."
"You might want to give him food and water Ryssa, give him some energy."
She smiles at the dwarf.
"You are in good company now Nundro. Let's see if we can get you back to your brother. And if you have any information about the drow, the shape-changer or this place that might help, please tell us."
Then she grins at chandan.
"Sounds like a plan and Whisper can scout ahead too. If you find yourself entering any area which is new to us, remember that I can check it out first. After you Davroar."
She winks at the druid. She knows that he will support her just as she will support him. It will be good working together. She readies her bow and calls Whisper to scout ahead of them.
He tries to give a friendly smile to reassure the dwarf. "Nundro, I'm a druid, not a true shape shifter. I can only take forms of animals that I know of, so please you have nothing to fear from me."
To Jaliera, he will quickly add, "While as a wolf, I'll bark once for yes, twice for no if you need to ask me questions."
Heading back to the larger room he will shape change and head over to the spot where the drow was standing behind the captive dwarf at the desk to pick up his scent, following to the door exiting to the south.
[[ Well based on what I see ... Bern is where he needs to be to guard the 'wayward' trip and still protect the rest of the party from any ... 'incoming' threat. Of course, depending on who, what and where ... I may not be able to protect both groups <weg> It is echoing in the back of =MY= mind ... 'split the party and die' <sigh> ]]
He changes his mind at the last minute to change back into a large brown bear and returns to the larger room where Luminmorn said he saw the Drow standing. Not only does his bear form have obvious advantage in combat, it also has a greater sense of smell than that of a wolf. He will start sniffing around to catch the Drow's scent.
Davroar Perception checks for smelling the drow Dugan rolled 1d20+3,1d20+3 and got 6, 16
Letting out a happy growl, or at least he tries to make his growl less menacing than usual for a large bear, he will amble over to the south exit of this room with his nose held high. He will stop though to look over his shoulder to see if everyone is ready to proceed before exiting the room.
DM Davroar moves to the south entrance and smells about. Yep, this is where he went. But the others are not ready. Luminmorn is looking at papers left on a table where the drow had been. He's on the opposite end of the chamber. Bern, Kriv and now Chandan stand guard in this room but Jaliera, Whisper, and Ryssa are with the Nundro in the cell which he was being kept. They really haven't even begun to question him. But he questions them "Who are you?"
He might have sounded rude, but the women can tell that he's just scared.
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