Session Fifty Seven

The fifty seventh session of the Adventures of the Dragon Crag was on 10th October 2023.

The Professor was a goon.

## Party Members Present

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

## Synopsis

### 'Ello 'Ello 'Ello

We found ourselves in Our House, with the Professor looking worse for wear after having been assaulted by Flame-Head's goons. The Professor drank a potion and took a sip from the Alewarden's Tankard. Just as the Professor's head started to spin, there came a knock at the door. It turned out to be none other than Brokk Svenson, our contact in the Lawbringers. We invited him into the Mess and chatted about the baddies of the day: the Meanest Dwarf, Dmitri, and Flame-Head. Meanwhile, the Professor had unfortunately gotten so drunk from the Alewarden's Tankard that he collapsed under the table. Brokk said that we shouldn't "Romp around the Rock" and that Harlok (the meanest dwarf) was an unsavoury character, but one that was tolerated - no one had him bang to rights. When Snorri asked him about Dmitri, however, he visibly tensed up. This was most noticable to the Professor who had an excellent view of Brokk's wee dwarfen lower-half from under the table. He said that there were also no concerns about Dmitri. He was obviously lying. After pressing him a bit more about secret entrances, (he seemed to lie about Harlok having access to one), he said he could point us in a few directions to investigate Dmitri, although he looked very uncomfortable. When the Professor poked his head above the table and asked if he owed Dmitri anything, he lied and said 'no'. He said Dmitri had a warehouse near Deadgate Deed Merchants and that there was a small cellar in Skalf's Hold used by Harlok. Brokk had much less to say on Rel's questions about Flame-Head. The Professor then asked about feuding shopkeepers (he had remembered them from the tattered journal). Brokk said that the only thing he could think of was the Tobaro Supply Shop - it had mysteriously burned from the inside. It seemed that the shopkeepers had done it themselves and that they were both dead. Brokk was not happy. We had pushed him hard on difficult subjects and he was clearly embroiled with thecriminal underworld of Karak Azgal. We ended the conversation before it became too heated and Snorri ushered Brokk out of the door.

### Deadgate Deed Merchants

We hatched a plan to immediately go and check out Dmitri's Northern Warehouse by Deadgate Deed Merchants. We were to scope it out from the top floor of the Deed Merchants. We came to the front door of the Deed Merchants and a doorman answered. The Professor threw a gilder on the floor and the doorman scabbled about on the floor for it. Snorri and Brandr took this opportunity to shuffle past. The doorman, now upright and in some distress tried to tell the dwarfs they couldn't just walk in. The Professor then tried to cast a spell on him, but the spell failed, sending the doorman into a great fright. He ran upstairs to Kaldor Drae's office, with us close at his heels. He started blabbering about magic and wizards and evil, but we utterly gaslighted him and convinced Kaldor Drae he was a blabbering madman. Kaldor Drae told us that the warehouse in question was bought by a Kislevian by the name of Arnulf three years previously. He gave us access to window facing the warehouse and left us to it. It was getting dark outside, but we surveyed the building. There were no lights on, but there did seems to be recent wagon tracks leading from the warehouse.

### Empty

With the dwarfs keeping watch from the Deed Merchant, the Professor, ALeksiand Rel went to explore further. They started by doing a lap of the place, but it all seemed to be shut up. The Professor took on the image of a random man and knocked on the door, but no answer came from within. Rel tried the door, but it was caught on a latch. While Aleksi checked for traps, Rel fiddled with the latch and opened the door. The warehouse was completely empty. The Professor then cast marsh lights to signal the dwarfs to join them. The marsh lights, however, also caught the attention of the denizens of Deadgate. They came out into the street and observed the magic lights with awe. Not wanting to draw attention to us, the Professor sent the lights off down the street, to the delight of the crowd who rapturously followed, thinking it some sort of sign. The area quickly emptied of people. In the warehouse, Snorri lit his lantern, illuminating the place. It was indeed utterly deserted. The floor was covered in scuff marks of boots and wheels. It was cleaned out in a hurry and very recently. There was an office, but that had been cleaned out too. All that the Professor could find was a scrap of paper stuffed into a hole in the wall that read 'Bobbns and Bttns'. Unfortunately the stampede of people following the magic lights had destroyed any trails we might follow.

### Bobbins and Buttons

The words on the scrap of paper clearly meant Bobbins and Buttons. We returned to the Deed Merchants where Kaldor told us that Bobbins and Buttons was a taylor's in Deadgate owned by a man by the name of Jaufre of Tharravil. He had bought the premises five years ago. With haste, we set off towards the taylor shop as night fell. As we approached Bobbins and Buttons, we saw that the top floor was lit up. We also saw that the marsh lights had begun to be chased up the stairs to Skalf's Hold. The sign above the shop showed a crude image of a man holding a needle and thread and a coat that was being made for a smiling halfling. Very quickly, we came up with a cunning plan. The Professor went invisible while Snorri and Brandr rapped on the door. Jaufre answered. Stumbling over his words, Snorri explained how we were in desperate need of a dress. You see, Aleksi was getting married in the morning and he didn't have a stitch to wear. After a bit of cajoling, Jaufre let us in, allowing space for the Professor to also sneak in unseen. Inside, we began planning the design of the dress. Jaufre got out a notebook and began sketching the garment: a forest green in colour with slits down the legs allowing for a peak of flesh; fishnets beneath while the main material would be the fine Kislevian green felt that Jaufre had procured from a trader. He said it would take all night. We said that was okay, so long as it was ready for the wedding in the morning. Jaufre then began to measure Aleksi: his calfs, thighs, shoulders, and skinny little waist. Then, he started to sew. Snorri slapped down two gilders on the table and Jaufre's eyes lit up and his hands moved with great speed. Meanwhile, the Professor managed to invisibly make his way upstairs. There was a small corridor with a couple of rooms coming off it. In one room, he saw a light and heard the sounds of a mother putting a child to bed - presumably Jaufre's wife and child. Feeling his invisibilty starting to wear off, the Professor slipped into the other bedroom and searched aroud a bit, finding nothing. He then recast his invisibility and came back down the stairs, slapping Snorri's bottom on the way. Snorri then pointed to the entrance of a cellar and the Professor silently slipped down. As in the bedroom, he found nothing of note in the cellar. Therefore, he came back up, slipped out the front door, shed his invisibility, and returned inside, introducing himself to Jaufre as the brother of the second groom. The Professor then slipped Dmitri's name in the middle of conversation and Jaufre winced in fright. At that, Snorri dropped the facade. He told Jaufre that we'd still take the dress but that he had to tell us everything he knew about Dmitri. The lights in the rooms flickered and the shadows about the Professor grew and drew in close. Jaufre yelped in fright and spilt every single bean he had. He told us that he didn't work for Dmitri, but that he does the odd job for him to make sure his family remains safe. As he talked, his accent slipped and a thick Bretonnian accent revealed itself. He told us how he had escaped from lord after lord in Bretonnia and had finally set up shop, here, in Deadgate. He said that Dmitri's men come by occasionally, but hadn't for a while. He showed us the location of another warehouse: Dmitri's North East Warehouse. Having gained some excellent information from Jaufre, we waited until he had finished the dress. It took all night and, as the first rays of light peaked over the mountain tops in the east, spilling into the nooks and crannies of Deadgate and warming even those who sat with their backs to the sun, Jaufre held up the finished piece. A smooth felted green dress that shimmered in the sun. Aleksi tried it on: a perfect fit! He looked radiant, the sweat on his brow glistening like dew on forest grass. Together as friends, we left Bobbins and Buttons in high spirits, and we really felt like it was Aleksi's wedding day.