Session Thirty Six

The thirty sixth session of the Adventures of the Dragon Crag was on the 30th November 2022.

## Party Members Present

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

## Synopsis

### Discussing tactics in Reimar

We had killed one manticore. It was time to finish the job and kill the second. We knew the first had been the injured male. This one would be the full strength mummy manticore and she may have kids. In the Headman's House, we discussed the best way to kill the beast, given our experience with the first. We decided that we ought to find its lair and fight it in there, as there would probably be a cave ceiling to stop it flying away, Of course, gunpowder would help, but unfortunately Balrik didn't have any. We decided to get a good night's sleep and head out at first light. The Headman gave us some nice food and a comfortable place to lay our head.

### Finding the Manticore Lair

We set off at first light with a goat for good measure. We headed eastwards to where the manticores had destroyed a cart, and where we knew that there was a path smashed through the forest. We followed this path westwards. It ran uphill for a couple of miles and soon ended. However, a blood trail continued. We followed this trail further uphill into the foothills of the mountains where the forest became thinner and grassy meadows and rocky outcrops were hereabout. Up ahead, a cliff came into view with a small gouged trail leading to an opening to a cave. We approached the cave from the right, rather than head on, and saw drag marks and blood trails going into the cave. Surely this was the Manticore Lair.

### Exploring the Lair

We decided to send out quietest kislevian in first. Aleksi crept into the cave whilst the rest of us remained at the entrance, setting a bear trap to block off the manitcore's escape. Quiet as a mouse with kislevian steel-capped snow boots on , Aleksi moved into the cave. He saw that there was a raised outcrop of rock and some bones. He decided to climb up the rocks, with Rel coming close behind for support. The rest of us moved further into the cave, but remained a little way back just in case things went tits-up. Just as Aleksi reached the top of the rocks, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and his sneaky glands tingled. He looked up and saw two orb-like eyes staring down at him from a small cliff above him. It was the manticore!

### Boss Fight

The Manticore jumped down upon Aleksi and Rel, attempting to knock them off the cliff on which they stood into the cave below. However, they dug in with their heels and kept their balance. The manticore then jumped down onto the cave floor, but not before Aleksi managed to swing his mace and pierce its thick hide. THe manticore rammed into Brandr, but Brandr managed to hold his ground using his shield. Rel then threw a spear from her vantage point, which stuck into the beast's leg. Angered, the beast turned and sprayed Rel with a horrid liquid. Snorri then shot it with his Azthrund, earning the beast's attention. The beast charged at him but, like the others, he held his ground. The beast then wrapped its massive tail around Snorri, lifting him off the ground and pinning him to the wall. Aleksi shot a couple of arrows at the manticore, which responded by throwing Snorri at him. The snorri-projectile missed ALeksi, and Snorri ended up face-first on the floor, on top of the cliff with Rel and Aleksi. Brandr then charged at the beast, while Snorri shot his pistol from a prone position. Brandr got knocked to the ground and the beast started to open its wings. At that moment, Rel made a running leap from the cliff and speared the manticore with a great blow. Injured, the beast made for a gap in the cliff above Aleksi and Snorri's position and went out of sight.

### Phase Two

Snorri climbed up after the manitcore and lowered a rope for the rest of the party. We ran into another cave, above the first and then out onto a large plateau in the open air. With uncharacteristic bravery, the Professor charged out onto the plateau, sword in hand, and brought his blade down on the head of the manticore, cutting its ear off. Inspired by the strange turn of events, the rest of the party charged out of the cave and engaged in what is known in the business as a 'beat down'. We all stood about the stricken creature and took turns to hit it in time to 'Please Stop Me Now' by Freidrich Merkur. As the Professor became sawing the beast's leg up, it finally gave up and died of blood loss. We chopped its head off to take back to Reimar as a trophy.

### Looting the Lair

After killing the manticore, we went to explore its now empty lair. First, we came across an enormous skull that Rel recognised from an obscure journal article that she had read. It was the skull of a Rhinox. We decided it was interesting enough to take with us and tied it, along with the manticore's head, to the unfortunate goat. Further into the cave we came across a strange rock that had metallic, glowing veins running through it. Below it was a bejeweled artifact. The Professor sensed it was magical and was soon on all fours, groping the thing with his filthy hands. As brave as he had been, he just couldn't shake his simpish and nerdy nature. Snorri picked up the bejeweled artifact and examined it. It turned out to be a magnificent beard ornament for the most magnificent of dwarfen beards, made of gold and sparkling jewels. It was engraved with the runes of the Skalfson clan. This, we thought, would be our key to the king's favour. Snorri then took a look at the strangew rock that the professor was caressing. He saw that it was a lump of magical metal. It looked, to him, weak and flimsy, no stronger perhaps than Aleksi's alloy nipple clamps. It was Ilthilmar, a magical elven metal that could only be smithed by elven smiths.

### Returning to Reimar

With the burdened goat in tow, we returned to Reimar in time for tea. The Headman paid us for the killing of the manticore as agreed and he told us that Lina would be back tomorrow. Thus, we would be rolling out westwards in the morning, and hopefully come closer to finding Nikolai. The professor then handed him a business card for Mainstreet Pest Control, addressed for Our House. Although it was written on the back of an old tissue in crayon, it marked a momentous moment: the foundation of a company that operated out of Our House and may one day be somewhat official. Rel then went to go and see Balrik and gave him one of the Rhinox horns. In return, Balrik gave her a shield. After that the day's business was done and we all retired to the Headman's House for a well-deserved drink.