Stumbling off of the road during an intense thunderstorm, you see the entrance to a cavern, and make your way towards it. Upon arriving at the entrance, you find torches guttering in sconces along the walls; you are not the first to find refuge in this cave. Not seeing anyone about, you begin to explore the area, noting piles of shiny trinkets in the corners. You hear a squeak behind you, and turn in time to see some rats scurrying away, further into the dark recesses of the cave. You consider leaving, but a bright bolt of lightning hits just outside the entrance, and you pause. Once your eyes readjust to the darkness inside the cave, you see a dim light further in, down a long tunnel, and your curiosity gets the better of you.

The tunnel bends toward the left as you walk, and it seems to descend as well. You finally reach the lighted area. It is a small room in the rock, and the air is stuffy. A figure bundled in a cloak sits near the wall, in a shadow, at first not moving, but then gradually relaxing a bit. You notice that there are rats sitting in her lap, and see small pairs of eyes glittering at you from the shadowy edges of the room.

"Please, sit down," she says. "My friends and I will not harm you." As you sit down across from her, you notice her face has an elven appearance: long, pointed ears, large eyes and otherwise delicate features. She smiles at you, but rather than relaxing, you find that her smile is a bit unnerving. "Welcome to my home. My name is, well, unimportant." she sighs, brushing her dark hair out of her eyes with a slender hand. You sense her need to talk, and allow her to continue.

"I resolved to tell my story to the first person brave enough to visit my lair." she says, rubbing her bejeweled hands together nervously. One of the rats in her lap crawls up her arm to her shoulder, and nuzzles her ear. "I keep to myself, now, but that was not always so. A few years ago, I was treasure hunting in the caves around here, and was attacked by a wild animal. I later found myself here in this cave, healed of my wounds, yet covered in blood. I foolishly thought nothing of it, and continued in my quest for treasure. A few nights later, I found myself wandering through the local town's sewers, though I had no recollection of that entire evening."

She gets up, and begins to pace, and the rats hop off of her and follow her as she moves. "I felt a need to return to this cave, to get away from people. I began having strange dreams of hunting in the night, graphic and frightening dreams in which I would metamorph into another creature. My hearing and sense of smell would intensify, and I could feel my mouth contort as my teeth grew. I would sneak though strange houses, stealing, and occasionally, defending myself. Sometimes, I would awake in unusual places, and sometimes there would be blood on my hands.

"When awake, I began to feel more kinship with rats than people. I eventually discovered that I have much more in common with the rodents than humanity." She smiles at you again, and you notice how sharp her teeth look. Quite suddenly, she disappears into the shadows, saying, "Feel free to stay a while, and look around. Just be sure to leave by dusk; the trail down the mountain gets treacherous at night."