Session Ten

The tenth session of the Adventures of the Dragon Crag was on the 2nd November 2021.

## Party Members Present

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

## Synopsis

Note: The events of this session took place before the Tournament of Myrmidia in Session 9, which happened on the 15th of Pflugzeit.

### A Survey of Our House

#### Inspecting the Property

As was stipulated in the letting contract of Our House, Snorri and Brandr did a survey of the building. As everybody knows, the most important part of a building is underground. Thus, they started in the basement. The basement was made of stone, not carved but placed. Tapping on the walls and floor, Snorri found that an area about 10-20 meters below the basement was hollow. He surmised that this hollow area was perhaps the first level of the Ruins. The rest of the house was wooden and therefore uninteresting, but it was clearly a dwarf-made structure.

#### A Plan to Dig

As dwarfs are want to do, Snorri and Brandr wanted to dig down to the Ruins - something that Rel and the Professor supported. However, this posed a few problems. For starters, it was illegal and we didn't own the building. Together, we came up with a cunning plan: the Dwarfs would report back to the Deadgate Deed Merchant that the building was in dire need of foundational repairs. Snorri and Brandr would then offer to complete the work for a rent reduction so long as the building costs were paid.. This, of course, would involve digging a new basement. The Professor would quickly draw up a contract and everything would be right and dandy.

### To the Deed Merchant!

#### A Visit from the Pigs

As we stepped out of Our House to go to the Deed Merchant to enact our plan, three Lawbringers walked up to us. One of them introduced himself as Brokk Svenson and said that he needed a word with us. He told us that something shameful had happened regarding Theo Diethard. A bomb had destroyed the area around his cell in the Holdfast of Skalf's Hold and someone had reduced his mind to mush. Before this, they had managed to get some information out of Theo - they learned all about the plans surrounding the raids on Dotri's Caravan, but he also mentioned one Ludwig who lives in the north end of Deadgate. Brokk asked us to investigate Ludwig and perhaps bring him in. In return, we asked our fee to be waived upon entrance to the Ruins.

Snorri also told Brokk of our plans to dig so don't mind the cartloads of dirt. He did not look happy, but Snorri convinced him that would be completely legitimate digging as the house was about to fall down. He seemed placated.

#### At the Deed Merchant

After talking to the Lawbringers, we went to the Deed Merchant and the receptionist fetched Kaldor Drae. We enacted our cunning plan. Snorri convinced him that the house was in dire need of new foundations and that it was currently dangerous to live him. Snorri was supported in this knavery by the Professor who cited Section 23, Sub-Section C of Dwarfen Common Law.

We completely convinced Kaldor who allowed us to go ahead with any necessary building work. Thus, a new contract was in order. This contract would be for three months with the possibility of extension upon review. The rent would be lowered to 2gc per month and all building materials would be covered by the Deed Merchant. The Professor drafted the contract, but added an extra 0 in white ink to the clause that said we would only dig 10 meters down. He added this 0 to our copy and to the Deed Merchant's copy.

We then asked Kaldor if he knew where Ludwig lived. He said that they had no records. However, we then ask if he knew where Betran Cadieux lived, Kaldor searched his files and found the Betran had lived with his sister Denise Cadieux at the Cadieux Hovel in North West Deadgate.

At the request of Rel, Kaldor would look into the previous owner of Our House, who was known to be a Dwarf.

### Searching for Ludwig

The Professor and Rel would take the lead in this job as the Dwarfs were less subtle. The Professor would take the disguise of Adam van Song, a rogue wizard from the Order of Shadows, whilst Rel would be Alathanne, his sidekick who he met on the road out of Altdorf.

#### The Cadieux Hovel

The first stop was Book Boy's house. It was a normal house on the outskirts of the city, but it looked completely abandoned. The Professor felt a distinct feeling of horrific, awful dread wash over him and he saw black sludge hanging in the air, but they decided to go in anyway. Snorri was called over to be back up as they entered the house. (Brandr had fucked off somewhere and would meet up with the gang later). There was nothing in the house except as week and a half worth of dust. There was, however, a faint trail that Rel picked up with her elf eyes.

We followed the trail, one just faded into mysterious nothingness, whilst the other continued into Deadgate. We followe this trail eastwards towards the area the Lawbringers said that Ludwig lived.

#### Ludwig's Hovel

We came to a new neighborhood that was even more of a shanty town than the last. The trail went cold here, but one of the smallest, most dilapidated houses struck the Professor's attention. Rel saw the footprints of the people who came to this house two weeks ago (31st of Jahrdrung). At this point, Brandr rejoined us, having had to ask at the last place where the Elf, the Man and the Dwarf had gone.

Rel and the Professor knocked on the door, but nobody answered. Beckoning Snorri and Brandr to join them, they entered. The door swung open to reveal a 'pretty shitty' house. It was completely bare inside and covered in dust - there was nowhere to eat or sleep. It was completely unused apart from a path in the dust that led form the door to a wall. The Professor sensed deception around the wall and he found a rod on the wall. Snorri confirmed the rod was a mechanical device that shifted the wall. Snorri pulled the rod and the wall opened, revealing a small dark passage made of wood.

#### Into the Hidden Basement

Rel and the Professor would go down first, whilst the Dwarfs would follow after three minutes or they heard the safe word. The safe word would be 'Help!'. The passage led to a spiral staircase that went down into an open area. They found some shoes and flour-filled sacks. There were two doors. Rel heard someone shuffling about behind one of them. First they went through the door with no one behind it. It was a small room filled with buckets and a grate over a drop. Rel looked down the grate and retched because it was full of poo.

Before the other door was opened, Brandr and Snorri joined. The next door led to a kitchen and another door beyond. The Professor went forth into the next room. Inside was Ludwig, who fell of the chair he was sitting on as the Prof entered. There were also four armoured statues and a bearskin - this room was a lot nicer than the rest of the building. The Professor threw Book Boy's book down before Ludwig who said "Oh no!" with wide eyes. The Professor introduces himself and Rel as Adam and Alathanne. The Professor asked Ludwig about the book and dark magic. Ludwig said that he was just teaching the boy. Talk of the Book jolts Brandr's memory. Ludwig kept glancing at the suits of armour. Ludwig said that he wasn't taught at any school of magic and that he couldn't leave this room and that we didn't want to know why. Rel offers to help him, but Ludwig said "She's too strong". We asked if 'she' was Denise, but Ludwig said that Denise had gone - 'she' was Ludwig's teacher and had found out that he was teaching Book Boy and was therefore not a happy bunny.

#### A Fight in the Basement

Suddenly, the statues came to life. The Professor began to choke Ludwig with his powers, but his hand got frozen in a throttling position out in front of him for all to see. Brandr charged in to the room and attacked a statue; Rel threw the bearskin over a statue; and Snorri's gunshot ricocheted around the room. The Professor advanced on Ludwig with threats of the Witch Hunters. Rel then ran into the next room and saw a pile of books and scrolls as well as a runic circle. The Professor stopped choking Ludwig and Ludwig began to run away, but Snorri yelled that we could help him if he stays. Ludwig then stayed in the kitchen room. Snorri then battered a statue and it collapsed. The Professor left the Dwarfs to fight and joined Rel in the room with a magic circle and he got all excited - he hadn't seen a circle like it before and he thought it related to the ability to channel magic. Brandr then got munted by a statue and threw his hammer across the room after he failed to parry. Snorri cleared up with a series of powerful blows and the last staute fell to his pick-axe.

We took all the damn loot.

## Next Session

In game chronology: Session Nine

IRL chronology: Session Eleven

## Previous Session

In game chronology: Session Eight

IRL chronology: Session Nine