1. "I was lying amongst the bushes at the foot of an oak tree, basking in the cooling shade of leafy foliage whilst ruminating on the mysteries of the universe, and replenishing the strength expended by these erudite cogitations with the aid of a skin filled with the most sweet and delectable wine. This deep contemplation acted as something of a soporific, and I must have fallen asleep. For when I next opened my eyes, I perceived the sound of growling jaws from near at hand." -- Renfru, mage and scholar
2. "I initially assumed that these growls emanated from wolves or bears, which had strayed into my vicinity as I rested from my intellectual labors, and perhaps had been alerted by the scent of a human. However, when the creatures began to chatter in tones which were no less bestial but possessed the distinct cadence of language, I understood that my predicament was rather worse than I had previously imagined." -- Renfru, mage and scholar
3. "Fortunately, either my philosophical musings, my oenological repast, or my impromptu period of somnolence, had sharpened my wits. I reacted with laudable mental swiftness, and hit upon the most appropriate form of spellcraft for the difficulty at hand. I was reluctant to resort to violence. Not due to any moral or ethical qualms, of course -- for like most mages I possess little of either. Why had I spent years mastering the arcane arts if not to hurl destructive magics against individuals whom I found particularly disagreeable? But rather more practical matters stayed my hand. If I emerged from the bushes flinging magic here and there, and failed to destroy all of my adversaries, the results might have proven less than satisfactory." -- Renfru, mage and scholar
4. "Having thus renounced violence, at least for the present moment, I instead elected for subterfuge. As the beastmen approached, drawing uncomfortably close to my present hiding place, I employed my not inconsiderable proficiency as an illusionist. With the uttering of an incantation and a series of undignified gestures, I covered myself in the likeness of a lupine beastman -- a disguise calculated and conceived to deceive the nose and ear as well as the eye." -- Renfru, mage and scholar
5. "Those before whom I'd previously demonstrated the illusion had always expressed approval or even wonderment, and showered me with a quantity of flattery appropriate to my genius, creativity, and arcane excellence. However, I must declare that no amount of commendation received before or hence can be said to equal that paid me by the beastmen. By taking me for a member of their own species, and refraining from slaughtering me as they would otherwise have done, they unknowingly bestowed great praise on my skill in the art of illusion." -- Renfru, mage and scholar
6. "You may wonder how I maintained my deception once face to face with the beastmen. For though I had to all appearances become a perfect simulacrum of their kind, I had no understanding of their bestial language. However, fortune was my ally - for they had a number of kobolds in their midst. And as some among you may be aware, beastmen and kobolds each have their own quite distict languages. Thus they communicate with one another, and indeed their draconic masters, in the common tongue -- which it's believed they were taught by the dragons themselves. So I was able to reply to their inquiries, in a voice made suitably bestial by the sorcery in which I was enshrouded. Furthermore, I peppered my statements with murderous invectives directed at humankind, to render my speech all the more convincing." -- Renfru, mage and scholar
7. "Having carried through my dissimulation to a most satisfactory conclusion, namely my continued survival rather than gruesome demise, I was prepared to depart and place myself as far away from my newfound companions as legs and lung capacity could bear me. However, the beastmen were most insistent that I return with them to 'our' camp. It would have been difficult to refuse, since I suspected that such social impropriety may have been answered with steel. Moreover, it occurred to me that I was here presented with an opportunity hitherto afforded to no other. If I had the nerve and sorcerous skills to maintain the charade, and masquerade as a beastman within the very heart of their warband, I might be able to learn all matter of information about their species and, if fate so favored me, perhaps even their battle plans..." -- Renfru, mage and scholar