Session Eleven

The eleventh session of the Adventures of the Dragon Crag was on the 7th November 2021.

Robin was a cock.

## Party Members Present

* Brandr Sigurdson
* Snorri Morgrimson
* Relnwe Adiath
* Professor Meino Osterhaus (Late)
* Aleksi Lehtonen

## Synopsis

### In and Around Our House

#### Taking Inventory

After the events at Ludwig's Hovel, we brought Ludwig back to Our House along with significant amounts of loot. Brandr went up to Grundi's Blacksmithing to get his armour fixed after he took a bashing from a statue. Grundi was so pleased that he got to work on some runic armour that he offered to do it for free. Brandr also found writing on the armour of the magical statues we fought at Ludwig's Hovel. The alphabet was Reikspiel, but the language was not. The armour and weapons seemed in excellent condition when we were fighting, but after we brought them home they had somehow degraded. We also had Ludwig in our inventory.

#### Confronting the Professor

The game was up - it was clear the Professor was hiding magical ability. We had all seen it with our own eyes as he strangled Ludwig from afar. What was more, Brandr remembered how the Professor had used magic on him at Dotri's Secret Cave to make him forget Book Boy's Book. When we confronted the Professor, he lost his stutter and began speaking in a thick Averland accent. He told us that his real name of Adal von Sol and that he was a Shadowmancer. We told him we liked the new Professor with cool abilities better than the old simp. He asked if his true identity could remain hidden in public. We agreed on the condition that he would never use magic on us without consent. The Professor then stepped outside for a puff of Fogmaker Red and missed the important interaction that was to come.

#### Questioning Ludwig

Our attentions now turned to Ludwig. We asked him who his teacher was but he could not answer as magic markings on his tongue prevented him from mentioning her. Rel and the Professor saw that the tongue markings said things like 'bind' and 'speak'. We asked what he had done to deserve imprisonment in his hovel. He said that he had taught Betran but not properly and that Betran and his sister, Denise, had begun doing dangerous things. Ludwig admitted that he had gotten Betran involved with Theo Diethard as he wanted to buy special items from Theo. Ludwig had wanted a specific item from a specific person in the caravan - a magical item held by some elf (probably Callisri). Ludwig knew nothing about Ala-Arrms. We asked him about Denise and he said that his teacher took her away to be taught properly along with a woman called Almerta Soto. His tongue binding prevented him from telling us where the teaching happens.

#### Ring Ring Ring - it's the Discophone!

As we were talking to Ludwig a low tone come from his pocket. He brought out a small metallic disc and said "oh no". Brandr took the disc from him and writing appeared on it in Reikspiel. It said 'I know you've taken Ludwig,' Ludwig told us the disc was a discophone and that to use it you had to rub your thumb over it and speak your message. A new message arrived on the discophone - it said 'I know not why you have taken him, but know that he is dangerous.' Brandr replied 'How so?'. The mysterious messenger said 'he is capable of magic'. Brandr asked if the messenger was a college mage - they said that they weren't. They then exchanged names. The messenger turned out to be a woman called Blair MacWendell - Ludwig's mysterious teacher. Brandr told her that he had been asked to bring Ludwig in by the Lawbringers. She said Ludwig's fate should be in their hands. In the end, we got on quite well with Blair. Brandr gave the discophone to Rel to keep and we decided to finally make our to the Ruins, dropping Ludwig off with the Lawbrigners on the way.

### The Darkness Dwells in Izril Hall

#### Entering the Ruins

The day had finally come (16th of Pflugzeit) on which we were to enter the Ruins and seek our fortune. Aleksi was really really really scared. We took Ludwig with us on our way to hand him over to the Lawbringers. We went to Zambor's Well where there were many Lawbringers patting down adventurers and taking inventory of their items. We were met by a particularly large Lawbringer who turned out to be none other than Thane Furagrim Kazorson. We gave Ludwig to him (Ludwig seemed resigned to his fate and didn't struggle). As we brought in Ludwig we were charged a discount price for entering the Ruins. We were searched and our items recorded - the records are made by a scribe who then gives them to a runner who takes a copy west. We headed down the great stair into the deeps.

#### Exploring the Ruins

At the bottom of the stair was a small complex of offices with wide passages. The walls here were of Dwarfen construction. We then came to the Road of Many Carts and headed west along it. After a short time we came to a cross roads were the Road of Many Carts stopped as it had been purposefully caved in. We took the southerly path at the cross roads and after a while, the proper walls gave way to cave walls. We came to another junction. One path went back east, whilst another headed south west into natural caverns. We headed into the caverns and eventually came across another dwarf-made passage that went west to east. We explored the caverns a bit more, where Rel found a fresh trail of several people and signs of damage on the cave wall. Rel followed the tracks back to the dwarf passage. We followed them eastwards and we came back to the area around Zambor's Well. We followed the trail eastwards through the office area and down a narrow passage with a guard station. We came to a huge hall with many warehouses and a door to the Road of Many Carts which was blocked by an intentional cave in. The was also a collapsed lift with a damaged mechanism and collapsed stairs leading down in the hall. The trail did not lead into the hall. but led south down a decently sized passage with doorways on each side. Behind the doors were old workshops and dwarf dwellings. The trail led into one of these rooms. On the floor was a broken statue that Snorri recognized to be Skor Skorrun. We continued on and saw a light and some defenses.

#### An Encounter

Rel heard shuffling and crackling of a fire so we decided to go and investigate. Aleksi snuck forward (he was very scared) and saw a person through a wee window. There was a five foot deep trench with spikes over it, defending a small camp. He saw more guys and a sergeant. Aleksi then 'ranger tongued Rel with his big, furry, stinky ranger tongue' to say that he was moving forward. We all moved forward and were heard by the sergeant. The sergeant was a dwarf who challenged us, saying 'who goes there'. Brandr answered, politely declaring his name. The dwarf said he was called Thori. Snorri then asked if they had seen Gorek, Thori said they hadn't and rudely told us to clear off. We then heard shuffling a wee little whimper. Brandr then said that we were coming into the camp to look for Gorek whether they liked it or not.

Weapons were drawn.

## Previous Session

In game chronology: Session Nine

IRL chronology: Session Ten