Session Thirty Nine

The thirty ninth session of the Adventures of the Dragon Crag was on the 9th January 2023.

## Party Members Present

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

## Synopsis

### Heading West

#### Through The Swamp

We found ourselves in the destroyed orc camp and prepared to leave to continue our journey west. Snorri saw to the Hrukidron-Barag, allowing the Professor to ride it. From his high mount, the Professor whipped Snorri who yelled like a goat. Prompted by Snorri's yell, the party of rangers moved off towards our western destination, ever closer to Nikolai and the beastman horde. We followed the trail of destruction left by the fight with the orcs and greenskin bodies lay hereabout. We came across the corpse of another huge orc boss, although it wasn't quite as large as the one that Snorri killed. He was like a pin cushion of arrows. The remainder of the swamp was quiet and soon we made it back onto solid ground.

#### Towards Umkar

On firmer ground, we sped up and by the time dusk fell we were amid the foothills of the Flatland Peaks. Lina declared that we should push on to Umkar by night - and so we did. We crossed a ford and came to an enclosed valley at the end of which were hidden doors of dwarfen craft. We passed through the doors that had interesting but broken ancient mechanisms and came into Umkar proper.

### Umkar

#### The Old Fortress

The halls of Umkar, an abandoned dwarfen fortress, looked in good nick as we entered. There were a few tunnels dug by evil creatures of the past that had broken into the fortress, but those tunnels had been blocked off. Now, the old fortress served as an outpost for the Badlands Rangers. Around the walls and tunnels were many sleeping spots filled with rangers, many of them wounded. Lina showed us a spot we could bunk down for the night. Of course, we were far too interested by our surroundings to go straight to sleep, so we went off to explore.

#### Exploring Umkar

Brandr and Snorri examined the architecture. It was very old, similar to the oldest, deepest most halls of Karaz-a-Karak or Karak Izril. It had been built in the dwarfen golden days of old. There was a defendable room with spikes in the ground, although we were told that the spike system was broken. THere were also many broken pipes and engineering gear. Upstairs, there was another area filled with supplies and rangers with holes that looked onto the spike room below. Anders told us that they had never been attacked here. Back down stairs there were two large dwarfen statues on which Brandr recognised the markings of Clan Dragonback. Rel then went to fondle one of the dwarf statues but one of the rangers cat-called her from behind. Rel then whipped her spear out and pointed it at his throat saying: "What's this, a Ranger caught of his guard?"

#### The Crystal Focus

A little later, the Professor set about studying one of his magic gems - the one that he found in the orc camp. It felt a little magic to him and he called over Snorri and Brandr to help him with their knowledge of rocks. Brandr remembered his grandfather telling him about golems: crystal gems were put into them, but the abitlity has been long forgotten. The Professor remembered that, in his college, gems were sometimes used to adorn the cloaks and staffs of the magisters. Rel said she knew exactly what it is, but that she wouldn't tell him unless he gave her the lump of ithilmar from the manticore's lair. The Professor wnated more in return and after a long and boring evening of bartering (during which the rangers got annoyed and told us to shut up and go to sleep), a price was agreed upon. Rel said that it was a Crystal Focus used for magical weaponry and staffs. After that, we finally went to sleep.

### The Council of Rangers

#### A Familiar Face

The next morning, we were awakened by a friendly face. It was Agnarr! He looked worse for wear and said that he had had an encounter on his way from Sandswept. We found out that there were three main groups of rangers: those from Valleyview, led by Lina; those from Sandswept, led by Merric after the previous leader died; and those from Umkar, led by a man named Varnil. Unfortunately, Agnarr told us that he had not seen Nikolai yet, and that he was further west, on the other side of the Flatland Peaks. He told us that there was going to be a council to decide what the rangers should do next.

#### Ordah! Ordahh!

Agnarr led us to the upper floor of the fortress, to a large room where the council was to be held. At the centre of the room was a table with three seats: one for each Outpost Chief: Lina, Merric, and Varnil. The rest of the rangers, and our party, stood around the outside of the room. Agnarr instructed us not to talk. The council discussed how the rangers were to approach the west where the main beastman threat was. Varnil argued we should wait for a clear path, whilst Lina pushed for an immediate response and said that we should take the risk. At that point (to Agnarr's dismay) Snorri piped up and said: "We'll find a way through the tunnels under the Flatland Peaks. Although I do not know the way." He was quickly told to shut up, but Lina said that his point was a good one. A plan was drafted: the tunnels would be explored in the hope that there would be a clear way through that wasn't guarded by beastmen. Then the Professor spoke up, asking for payment. He was shouted down. Not used to be silenced by mere rangers, the Professor whispered something under his breath and Varnil dropped the pen he was using to annotate Lina's plans, spilling ink everywhere. Lina was very cross indeed.

### Underground Once Again

#### Down the Ladders

Three tunnels left Umkar and headed westwards, and so three exploration parties were organised to explore them. Our party headed into the northern most tunnel that headed directly west and seemed the most promising. After some brief preparation, we set off. These tunnels were excavation tunnels made by the dwarfs many ages ago. The path sloped down quickly and Snorri led the way, nearly falling down a ledge. There hung the remains of an ancient ladder. After sending the Professor down and hearing the ladder strain, the heavy dwarfs decided that it would be better to use a rope. After we made it safely down we soon came to another small cliff where there was a ladder in better nick. We used it to scrabble down. A the bottom of the cliff was a cave with huge mushrooms in it. Aleksi inspected them with his mouth, hinging at the hip to take a delicate little nibble. After holding our breath, ALeksi seemed OK, so we continued. Soon we came to a junction. One path went northwest whilst the other went southwest.

#### The Cravasse

We went northwest and then soon regretted our choice. We had arrived at a large cave with a deep cravasse. At the bottom of the cravasse was lava. It was thirty yards wide and countless yards deep. After much deliberation about rope length, Aleksi took charge of the situation. He snatched Brandr's grappling hook and tied all of our rope to it. He then swung it across to the other side and, after a few attempts, managed to hook it on the opposite cliff. He then prayed to some petty Kislevian deity and swung. He swung into the Cravasse like a hero, before quickly noticing that the cliff face was rushing up to meet him. He slammed into the wall and nearly slipped off, but just managed to cling on with all his might. The rest of us looked down in horror. He looked back. We looked on. He looked back. We looked on. He let go of the rope. We gasped. He fell. After a long moment in which we all silently considered leaving the wretch and his bastard cousin Nikolai, Rel shouted down into the abyss to see if he was okay. Miraculously, we heard a faint reply. We heard something about a large mushroom and a soft landing. We threw a torch down to him and we saw a faint pinprick of light below. There was no way the rest of us were going down the same way as Aleksi, so we turned back to find an alternative way down. We returned to the junction and took the other passage, coming into an area with many stalagtites and mites. Here there was a small hole we could slip down, bringing us to a cave of many brittle crystals. We called for Aleksi, but there was no answer.