J-H
Reserved for future use.
J-H
 Monday, May 7, 11am 
It has been a boring day or two since the transportation you arranged picked you up - an exclusively-booked coach with a padded interior, springs, and four fast horses.  Had remounts been available, you would have paid for around-the-clock transport, but unfortunately that option was not available.  You spent two nights in roadside inns, having the opportunity to get used to their beds - strange, soft rectangular things that you were expected to lie on in a straight line instead of curled up.  It was good practice.

The coachman calls down to you.  "Your ladyship, we're approaching Escudo if you wish to look."  If you draw the curtain in the right-hand door's window open, you'll see the walls of the city ahead of you.  Standing some 50' high, they are carved out of some sort of weathered light-grey stone.  They'd hardly be a barrier to you in your normal form.

 Reference link 

The coach goes slightly downhill, approaching Great Valley.  This settlement, outside the walls, is a mixture of houses, taverns, inns, various other establishments, and fruit orchards.

With what you've spent, you can have the coachman take you anywhere a coach can go.
 To what district did Chryseis direct the coachman to go? 
 and 
 To what type of place within that district is she going? 
 (possibilities include, but are not limited to, a real estate agent, an inn, a boarding house, a temple, a merchant district, the college of magic, or a restaurant) 
TaiLiu
“Thank you, Coachman. It’s a lovely city.”

Chryseis wasn’t really sure if this was a lie. Yes, the city itself was grand by humanoid standards. But could a city that celebrates Mama’s killer really be considered lovely?

She reminded herself to keep her emotions in check whilst in Escudo. Chry was here to retrieve Mama’s hoard. Getting angry would not be worth the risk. Integrate, discover, abscond. Maybe a few months if lucky. Probably more like a year.

“Coachman? Could you direct me to an inn or apartment? I’ve business in the city and I may stay for a while.”


Chryseis is setting up in Escudo. Here’s everything she wants to do before looking into Aurum’s missing hoard. We can go into as much detail or as far abstracted as you want.

 
 Find a private room or small home to rent whilst staying here. 
 Advertise her services as a violin tutor in high society. 
 Learn about how high society works here &amp; try to get invited to parties. 
 Learn about auction houses and other places where Mama’s items might be sold. 
 
J-H
At Chryseis' direction, the coach passes through the gates and into Escudo. There's a brief inspection, but apparently the coachman is known to the guards.  The coach first passes through Old Escudo,  passing a variety of commercial and residential structures in wood, stone, and brick.  A few are three or four floors tall, but most are only two stories.  Some of the buildings appear to be very old.

The streets are wide enough for two coaches to pass abreast, but no more than that.  After several twists and turns, the coach rumbles downhill on the cobblestone roads, and you smell the salty air of the sea.  To your left, you get a glimpse of a moderate-sized fortification, likely the one overlooking the Gate Nexus area, before reaching one of the five bridges across the Rimac.  After crossing the bridge, the horses pull the coach uphill, and soon you reach the Clear District.

The roads are wider here, and cleaner.  Instead of small houses, there are well-kept apartment buildings, large homes, and mansions set back from the streets with walled gardens about them.  After a little while, you reach an inn whose sign proclaims it "The Wizard's Repose," accompanied by a sign of a female wizard reclining on a chaise lounge while books float around her.  The Wizard's Repose is in the northern part of the Clear District, not far from the Paramount Institute.  It's comfortably upscale and well-ordered, and appears to have good service and good quality food, without being outright luxurious.  The proprieter, a grey-haired man named Arnden, welcomes you and your coin, and doesn't blink at your strange appearance.   "We've had a few dragonborn students come through here in the past.  One of them ordered his steak extra-rare the first night, then tried to show off by cooking it at the table with his breath.  Please don't do anything like that." 

Your items get unloaded and carried up to your room, which is on the third floor with a southwest-facing window that looks towards the ocean.  It's a large single room with bed, wardrobe, chest of drawers, an adjustable-height desk with chair, a sofa, and a small basin with running water.

 Monday, May 7, 2pm 
TaiLiu
Chryseis fills the wardrobe and drawers with her vests, dresses, and jewelry. The violin she places under the bed, still in its case. Unpacking doesn't take terribly long. She traveled light.

She washes her face in the basin. At one point she gets too close to the water sprout and her breath freezes the water in place. She crushes the ice with her hands and finishes up. She would have to avoid that.

Then she heads down and orders a drink and meal. Lots of meat, please. Who knew riding in would leave her so hungry? At one point she waves the proprietor over.

"I'm sure those dragonborn students needed coin now and again. Any work for those of us musically-inclined?"
J-H
 "If you want to sing for your supper, you might want to try one of the drinking-houses.  Most of the patrons here prefer it quiet."   You can see someone studying by the fire right now...

 "If you're looking for admission to the Paramount, I know there's some music-magic types there."   He shrugs.   "There's always tutoring someone, but you usually need to have a good reputation for that, or luck into the right person at the right time.  Only so many people can afford expensive lessons." 
TaiLiu
"The Paramount? Is that the college of magic I've heard about?"
J-H
 "Yes it is!  Finest for a thousand miles around, and its graduates go on to great things, and help keep us safe.  Most students are from around here, but we get plenty from out of Escudo as well... partly for the real-world experience late every summer."   His eyes grow distant at this for a moment.  Maybe he has participated in fighting the ratlings.   "Even for those whose families are here in town, sometimes the young folks don't want to go home every night." 
TaiLiu
"Right. The ratlings. I've heard of them. Anything us outsiders should know? Are they just overgrown swamp mice?"
J-H
 "Ah, you really are new to the area, aren't you?  They look a bit rat-like, that's all.  Or maybe it's a way of pokin' fun at them.  Easier to say we're recruiting to fight the ratlings than to say we're recruiting to fight the never-ending doomspawn of hunger, right?

Individually they're nothing - except for the Horned Lords, may we never see one - but they aren't about individual fighting." 
TaiLiu
Chryseis briefly wonders why Escudo didn't simply solve the problem magically. Perhaps a barrier or a powerful evocation spell could do the job. She drops the thought. Not her business. Shouldn't be her business.

"How about homes here? I'm looking for a quiet place to rent or buy. Not to say the Wizard's Repose isn't nice, of course, but I'm hoping for a bit more space and privacy."
J-H
 "Sorry, can't help you with that, miss.  I know there are folks that keep track of those things, but that's about it.  Inherited this place from my grandpa, never really lived anywhere else." 

Chryseis can think of three options immediately, although there may be others:
You could walk around and look
You could find a messenger service - every city has one - and use them as a directory
You could seek out a government office (perhaps in the Espada district) to see if they can help
TaiLiu
"That's all right. I appreciate the conversation."

She pays for her meal and stretches, and turns towards the door. A walk would do her good. She'd be spending a lot of time in Clear District and even more time walking around in her humanoid form. Better get some practice. Maybe she'd come across a house for sale or an unlikely ad for a music tutor.
J-H
As you walk about the city, you pass by the following.  Pick 2 to try to engage with:

1. A brown-skinned halfling with black hair is walking along the street, looking very happy about something.  He's richly dressed, including wearing a gold chain about his neck and a golden emblem on his broach.

2. A group of young people, probably students, ambling along in no hurry to get anywhere. Two wear the clothes of wizards, while three others appear more martial in nature despite also having satchels of books.  They are currently discussing the use of teleportation-type magic for battle, escape, and pranks.

3. A pair of City Watch patrols paused on a street corner to talk to each other.

4. A pair of dwarfs, one older and one younger. One is carrying a large pack with many pockets and tools strapped to it.  The other has a bundle of long metal tubes balanced across his shoulder.
TaiLiu
Let's go 1 and 2. The halfling and the students.
TaiLiu
"Oh, hello sir. Might you know of any houses for sale?"
J-H
Chryseis walks up to the halfling, opening with a question about real estate.  He stops and looks up at you.   "Eh?  What, is this how the Dragon Bank is trying to find new mortgage customers now?" 
TaiLiu
"Not at all, sir. You seem well-to-do and like a man who knows a lot about housing in this area. Or does your wealth-making specialty lie elsewhere? Are you a goldsmith, perhaps?"
J-H
He blinks, surprised.   "My apologies, I had thought you an agent of the Dragon Bank... for obvious reasons.  I am Davinder Singh, newly promoted to junior manager at the Singh bank.  You must be new to Escudo.  Did you say you were shopping for a residence?  We can facilitate a loan if such is needed, if you have gold to deposit." 
TaiLiu
Chryseis congratulates him on his promotion and thanks him for the offer, telling him that she may take him up on that—but she needs to find a home first. Does he have recommendations or know of any estate agents?
J-H
He lists off three and gives the locations where they can be found, along with a request to mention his name, and a short recap of banking services (deposits, safety deposit boxes, mortgages, loans, and financial advisory services).  He still seems a bit puzzled that you're not just working with the Dragon Bank, though.

1. An older halfling woman who lives in the Clear District and specializes in manors and expensive housing.
2. A wizened old man who lives in Old Escudo but is the best at finding out or facilitating deals for those who want something out of the ordinary.
3. A cousin of his who helps find properties and design them for security.
TaiLiu
Chryseis makes a mental note to look up the Dragon's Bank later. For now, she goes off to Mr. Singh's cousin for secure housing.
J-H
Following Davinder's directions, you go to an area near the wall in the south-eastern Clear district.  Arnalinder Singh's place of business is in a sturdy stone building.  Several steps lead up to an imposingly sturdy door, while narrow windows near ground level reveal the presence of a lower level.

A small glass window near the door holds a wooden frame containing a set of five rectangular wooden blocks with neat, legible carvings on them.  They look like they're designed to be rotated, perhaps for different messages.

From top to bottom, the five blocks read:

Singh Estate Consulting
Is Currently Closed
Expected Opening Time
Tomorrow
Morning

There is a slit beneath the window where you could place a calling card or message on paper, if you'd like.
TaiLiu
Chryseis turns away. Inconvenient, but nothing to be done about it. She scribbles a short note, asking Mr. Singh to visit her at the Wizard’s Repose at his earliest convenience, and then drops it folded into the windowsill slit.

She ambles away, headed toward the old halfling woman the banker pointed her to. Along the way, she runs across a group of students chattering about teleportation. At last: something familiar. She eavesdrops and at the right moment makes a pertinent comment on the verbal component of  misty step .
J-H
 "Yes, but the big thing about it is that it's fast!"   The most animated talker is a human woman.  Another woman about 6 inches taller and with a greatsword slung on her back, looms behind her and glances at you suspiciously.

The other members of the group are a dwarf with a pair of daggers, a man wearing traditional robes and a bright green pointy hat, and a woman whose clothes are all in shades of brown, tan, and green, and whose moccasinned feet make no noise.   "It's still noisy,"  she says.
TaiLiu
Chryseis continues chatting away till there's a lull in the conversation. Then she finally asks: "Are you all students at the Paramount? I'm a recent arrival to Escudo, and I've been thinking about taking a class there."

Not for the spellcasting—she was pretty sure the blood that ran in her veins rivaled the learnèd magic most of its magisters had to teach. But she was curious about humanoid wizardry.

And more importantly: There might be some well-to-do wizard in training there she could befriend and use to enter high society.
J-H
They all respond in the affirmative.  Two are studying wizardry, the one with the greatsword is a bodyguard learning a few tricks and how to fight against wizards, the dwarf is combining wizardry with bladework, and the other is focused more on stealth and weapon enhancements.  They ask your name and where you're from.
TaiLiu
"It's nice to meet you all. My name is Chryseis. I'm from the south islands. What are your names? Are you all from Escudo?"
J-H
The group reciprocates, sharing their names:

The Peppy talker is Thuy Nguyen. Apparently the Nguyens tend to have green hair.  She's studying wizardry.  She introduces her large bodyguard as Hong Bach.  She doesn't talk much.

The dwarf is Lomug Flintfury, the woodswoman is Tiffany, and the wizard with the pointy green hat is Kelvin.

Lomug came from one of the dwarf-holds to the east, but the rest are native to Escudo.  Tiffany and Hong have seen battle against the Ratlings a few times, while Kelvin and Thuy are still in training.

Thuy asks what brought you to Escudo.
TaiLiu
"I'm kind of on a working holiday," Chryseis says. "Enjoying Escudo's sights whilst searching for rare artifacts to bring back south.

"You're wizards. Would you have any recommendations? Perhaps you know of collectors looking to sell or auction houses that specialize in magic items."
J-H
You learn that there aren't any auction houses, but the various smiths and enchanters generally hear if anything particularly new or interesting is being made unless it's a secret - after all, referrals are a great way to advertise.

Most magic items are pre-ordered unless they're something common.  If you're looking for something specific to buy that's  already  made, that's substantially harder.  These students aren't taking any classes on making things, but Thuy says that it's a lucrative career for those who need money due to extraplanar trade and the regular battles.
TaiLiu
Chryseis thanks the group before departing for the old halfling woman. "Perhaps I'll see you around at the Paramount," she says.
J-H
Chryseis arrives at what appears to be a small manor - both in that it's not a huge, looming edifice, and that it's sized primarily for Small folk - although taller humanoids still fit, the proportions are slightly off.  The manor is set back from the street, and has a fenced garden area around it on all sides, save for the front walkway, where the fence bends back to flank the walkway all the way to the house.

Knocking on the door, Chryseis waits, feeling a slight static crackle before the door sharply dressed halfling butler in a black suit.

 
 Spoiler: Perception DC 15 

Some of the stones on the walkway have tiny runes worked into them, likely for some sort of spell effect.
The fence has tastefully hidden spikes atop it.
 
 Spoiler: DC 20 

There are minute seams where it appears some of the walkway can raise or lower.
 

 

 
 Spoiler: Arcana DC 15 

That crackle was some type of dispelling or anti-illusion magic.
 
TaiLiu
Abjuration magic. Chryseis briefly wonder why a real estate agent would need defenses against illusions before the butler opens the door.

"Hello, sir. I'm looking for housing and was told come here. Have I the right address?"
J-H
He looks you up and down for a moment.   "Ah, a prospective client!  Please come in, and Ms. Mariano will be informed of your presence." 
 
 Spoiler: Insight DC 13 

He's trying to make sure you someone who actually has money to spend and isn't wasting his employer's time
 


You're ushered in to a sitting room near the door.  It's tastefully decorated with furniture upholstered in green, and plaster walls hand-painted with a variety of nature scenes.  A bookshelf in the corner contains several books, and numerous items hang on the walls.  One frame contains a remarkably clear mirror; there are a dozen and a half paintings of different homes, ranging from traditional manors to some that look almost fortresslike.  There are also a few pieces that are either abstract art or diagrams.

After a few minutes, the butler returns with a plate of refreshments (cheese, meats, and crackers) as well as a pot of tea, offering you what you'd like before disappearing.  It appears you will have to wait a little while.
Do you...
...sit and wait patiently?
...snoop about the house?
...examine the decorations in more detail?
...do something else?
TaiLiu
Chryseis thanks the butler, taking a few meats and cheeses along with a cup of tea. The surface of the tea nearly freezes over as she puts the cup to her mouth, but she gulps it down before it has time to wholly solidify.

As she finishes her midday snack, it becomes clear that the wait for Ms. Mariano will be longer than Chryseis expects. She stands and  begins looking at the waiting room decorations . Chryseis finds the mirror most enticing, but when boredom threatens to set in she begins glancing at the artwork as well.
J-H
The mirror appears to be just that- a mirror.  You can see the front entry area behind you when you look in it.

The paintings appear to be only slightly stylized.  One of them looks like a house you walked past earlier today, so they seem to be of real buildings.  Perhaps ones that she has worked with or on?

The abstract art pieces are a bit more interesting.  Some of them resemble spell circles, or..
 
 Spoiler: Arcana DC 15 

...warding arrays for permanent defenses.
You start looking at the most intricate one, and find that it bends back on itself.
Make a DC 14 Intelligence save.  On a failed save, you're stuck following a recursive loop in the diagram for the next 5 minutes or until disturbed by anyone or anything.
 
TaiLiu
Chryseis fails the save. What a well-done magic circle! Oh, this one loops back to itself. Oh, this one loops back to itself. Oh, this one loops back to itself...
J-H
You snap back to awareness just a moment later - was it just a moment? - when you hear the swishing of fabric.  A halfling woman with iron gray hair and dark tan skin walks into the room clad in a purple dress that ends just above the floor.   "Good afternoon to you.  I am Rebecca Mariano, and I understand that you are looking for my particular expertise." 
This is clearly a leading statement; she's looking for you to introduce yourself and explain what you're looking for.
TaiLiu
Chryseis introduces herself and tells Ms. Mariano why she's there: to look for a home to buy or rent.

"Perhaps with some of the magical defenses that your home has. They're very impressive. How much would a small one- or two-person home cost, with and without abjurations?"
J-H
The first step is finding a home.  Securing it with wards, as well as potentially alarms and traps, would come afterwards.

She asks some questions to discover more about what you're looking for, and says she can think of a couple of options, but may have others that will become apparent after some research.  In order to proceed, you will need to sign a contract establishing her as your exclusive real estate agent, in exchange for a commission in the amount of 5% of the sales price.  In return, she takes on the risk of making sure whatever you purchase is inspected and any major defects noted, verifying the validity of the deed to the property, etc.

It will take a few days to establish options, and then arrange for tours.  The actual sale after that could take anywhere from 2 days to 2 months, depending on the seller.
TaiLiu
"I'll think about it and return. There's another real estate agent I want to talk to before I make any exclusive agreements like that."

If there's nothing else to discuss, Chryseis will leave and find somewhere to eat.
J-H
You find a good-quality dining establishment and enjoy a meal of your choosing.  What does Chryseis like to eat?  I would assume dragons are primarily carnivores, and that dragonborn would be so as well?

What do you do after supper?
TaiLiu
Yeah, Chryseis is gonna enjoy a meal full of meat. She likes venison because she likes the chase. But given she's in a seaside city, she's gonna go for seafood.

After supper, Chryseis heads back to the Wizard's Repose and spends time in the common room. She chats with the people there, trying to get more information on the city and maybe make connections with someone better-connected.
J-H
What are the top 3-5 topics she's trying to learn about the city?  Also roll what you feel is an appropriate skill check for how she's gathering the information please.
TaiLiu
Chryseis gets a 30 on her Charisma (Persuasion) check. Think a Charisma (Investigation) would’ve made more sense, but I don’t think we’re using that rule.

Topics she wants to know more about  :

 
 Who are the best high-quality magic item brokers &amp; craftspeople, and where could she find them? 
 Who amongst the Paramount students &amp; staff are part of high society? 
 How do outsiders usually get invited to high society parties? 
 Do any of them know the owner of the invisible ring of invisibility? 
 Where are they keeping Perseus’s gold dragon armor? 
 
J-H
Chryseis proves to be very creative and ingratiating in her questioning, and learns much!

There are two pretty skilled alchemists in Old Escudo, as well as an Adventurer's Guild headquarters and an enchanter who is a bit reclusive.  There's another alchemist near the Gate Nexus, but he doesn't sell to the public and only works on the most powerful of potions (VR &amp; Legendary only).

There are a couple of enchanters in Nueva Estela, and then of course the Espada has most of the craftsmen.  There's one there named Aisha Black who is apparently working on something special.  The Clear District of course has a couple of enchanters, plus the Paramount Institute and the wizard tower of Thunior.

Liu Chen (F) is the Dean of the school, in charge of administration.  Victorino Silva has publicly broken with the Silva family, and teaches there.  Two of the Hernandez family are also on faculty there, but under much less dramatic circumstances.

(Speculation from those not in the nobility) is that outsiders usually get invited if they are visiting nobility, are sufficiently interesting (and well-mannered), or if they've done some sort of service for the city.

No word on the ring or armor from this crowd.

Chryseis rests undisturbed that night.
TaiLiu
Chryseis goes to bed with much newfound knowledge. She had hoped the armor made from Mama's corpse would be easy to find: in a museum, perhaps, or some other public place. This would be harder than she hoped for.

In the morning, she breaks fast at the Repose and tells Arnden that she expects a message from a Mr. Singh either today or tomorrow. "If you could hold onto his letter till I return from errands, I'd be much obliged."

She then calls for a carriage ride to the Paramount, chatting with the carriage driver on the way there about Escudo high society. Surely they drive around a noble every now and again. What are they like? Which families are the most and least approachable?
J-H
The nobles typically have their own staff for most transportation, and the driver only gets hired by them for special events.  In those circumstances, she doesn't typically spend much time talking to anyone... and it would be impolite to speculate or share information on clients anyway.

The Paramount Institute is very close to the city walls, and is surrounded by a perimeter wall of its own; the multi-colored stones appear to form wards of their own, reflecting the morning sunlight in reds, greens, pinks, and purples.  The arched gateway Chryseis is dropped off in front of has a deep groove inside it.  A circular slab of metal protrudes slightly into the gate tunnel, giving away the presence of a gate that be simply rolled into place, locking itself into grooves in the floor and the far wall.

Two guards stand in the tunnel in front of the door, while two more are positioned behind it, all wearing breastplates and bearing staves.  One has a pair of goggles or glasses on.  You are pretty sure that anyone looking at you with  True Sight  might be able to determine your true shape, although you can't tell by looking if the glasses are anything more than vision correction.
TaiLiu
Chryseis puts that paranoid thought out of her mind immediately. Glasses with  true seeing  would be expensive and powerful indeed. If the glasses were enchanted, they were plenty of lower-level divination spells to attach to them.

She straights her vest and walks up to the bespectacled guard. "Hello. I'm hoping to meet with one of the administrators today."
J-H
 "Go right on in."   He gives you directions to the administration building, barely seeming to glance at you beyond taking in the obvious details of you being a dragonborn spellcaster of some sort.

As you walk around the campus you notice dozens of students hurrying to different places, ranging in age from early teens to middle-aged adults.  A group of ten in light armor seem to be jogging around the perimeter of the wall while reciting the draconic alphabet and its different pronunciations in a chant and sweating under the light of the summer sun.

The administration building is large and grand, made of red stone and marble.  You walk up a half-dozen steps to a broad covered porch supported by white columns before approaching a pair of large double doors, which open automatically at your approach.  Inside is a large, grand rotunda space, with circular staircases wrapped around it.  Going into the middle, you look up at the balconies running around it on upper floors.  The buildng splits off into four hallways at ground floor, four on the second floor, and - looking up - apparently seven on the third floor, somehow.  You're not sure how that fits in with how the building appears from the outside.
TaiLiu
Extra-dimensional space or clever architecture? If the former, pretty impressive for a bunch of short-lived humanoids.

Chryseis searches for a secretary or information panel. Would Ms. Chen or any of the other administrators have any open appointments today? She wants to either partake in or audit a class, but first she would need to enroll.
J-H
You find a secretary, or at least a junior one - an earth genasi with brown skin clad in an eye-searingly orange tunic that clashes with his red hair, which has been gelled to a sharp point six inches above his head.  Maybe it's in fashion?

The genasi, Chester, explains that classes run on regular schedules, and the summer term is already in progress.  Enrollment involves submitting written documentation, paying a fee, and undergoing an aptitude test to ensure that the candidate for enrollment possesses the necessary talents for whatever course of study is desired.  A letter of recommendation or other background check is also typically required.   "Get used to paperwork if you want to study here.  Tests, documentation, spell copying..." 

If you explain that you're already an advanced mage, there's paperwork for that and a larger application fee, assuming you don't already have a connection to someone directly on staff.
TaiLiu
Chryseis was no stranger to bureaucracy. Paperwork, however, is a form of suffering unique to humanoid cultures. She takes the form for advanced spellcasters and begins filling it out. Not bad for a first-timer, though she writes too large in places and has to get a new page from Chester a couple of times.

Ever now and then she looks up from her paperwork and peppers Chester with questions:

"Perhaps I could audit a class in-progress this term and properly enroll in a class the next. Would that be possible?"

"Do you have a course catalog? I'm especially interested in classes on magical antiquities and artifacts. So many magic items flow through Escudo, you know?"

"I've been hearing good things about Victorino Silva. What classes is he teaching this term and the next? And I've heard a bit about the Hernandez professors. What about them?"

"All right, here's the paperwork. How much do I owe you again?"
J-H
 "Perhaps I could audit a class in-progress this term and properly enroll in a class the next. Would that be possible?" 
"Classes are generally practical, not lectures where you just sit and learn without interacting and practicing -  at least once you're past the basics, which you say you are."

 "Do you have a course catalog? I'm especially interested in classes on magical antiquities and artifacts. So many magic items flow through Escudo, you know?" 
The current summer term started last week, and runs through mid-July.  From then until about mid-September, all that's available are practical seminars where you get to apply your winter, spring, and summer courses against the Ratlings on the battle lines.  There's a place for every type of magic and every skill level there.
The fall term starts at the end of September.

There are typically some higher-level seminars on enchanting magical items, sometimes offered in conjunction with smiths and other artisans.

 "I've been hearing good things about Victorino Silva. What classes is he teaching this term and the next? And I've heard a bit about the Hernandez professors. What about them?" 
Victorino Silva teaches advanced seminars on evocation and conjuration.  The Hernandez professors focus on conjuration, abjuration, and the enchantment of magical items.

 "All right, here's the paperwork. How much do I owe you again? 
25 gold pieces to apply, plus an additional 50gp as a testing fee.  You'll have to meet with one of the professors in a week or two to verify your claimed skills.  If you can do what you say, half the testing fee will be applied to your first term's tuition.
TaiLiu
Chryseis thanks the man for the information on item enchantment, but clarifies that she's specifically interested in antiquities.

"Is there no one here who works in the history of magic or antiquities? I would've thought at least one of the professors would be a historian. Given his importance to Escudo, maybe someone who's familiar with High Magister Lore's work, you know? Is there another university for historical studies?"

Nonetheless, the classes taught by Professors Silva and the Hernandezes sounded interested. She hands over 75 gold pieces and makes a test appointment.

"The earliest appointment, please. If I pass, I'll be back to register for fall classes."

If she isn't needed for anything else, she asks for the location of the university library and gets up to go. Perhaps she would read something informative about Mama's hoard this morning.
J-H
You'll be contacted when someone is available to administer the test.  It may be a week or two.
Unfortunately, Chester says the University library is only for admitted students or faculty.  The Museum of Curiousities and Antiquities in Old Baraja is worth a visit if you're looking for interesting or old things.  In addition to a collection of some items, they also have a history library.
TaiLiu
The Museum! Perfect. Chyseis thanks Chester and departs for Old Baraja immediately. She will take a look at the exhibits first before visiting the library.
J-H
The Museum of Curiousities and Antiquities charges a 2gp admission, which Chryseis can easily pay.  It's a heavy stone building with few windows, and a thick wooden door.  The entry area has two guards who appear to be reasonably alert, paying as much attention to those who leave as they do to those who enter.  A map on the wall gives you the basic layout of the museum.  The library is on the ground floor not far from the entry, and the collection is spread across the three floors.

Much of the museum is devoted to mundane things which are beneath you, like a taxidermied calf which was born with two heads, examples of dwarven burial masks, and strange mirrors that distort the viewer to be taller and narrower, or short and fat.  The eye-watering paintings purporting to be painted in inks from the Far Realm draw your attention, but any magic they possess is innate.

There's also a section devoted to arms and armor, including an explanatory plaque that bemoans the way historically significant magical items are often kept and used in battle until lost, rather than being preserved for future generations.  Most of the items in this hall are well-made, but ultimately non-magical - captured weapons, commemorative items, and the like.  One piece catches your eye - an ornately-decorated set of plate armor gilded with silver leaf and purple enamel.  It's mounted on a stand, arms propped up to display several holes in the side caused by arrows.  You recognize this one.  You haven't seen it in over a hundred years, but the armor worn by an ancient king of Fazenda is a unique piece.

It's in an interior room, so you can't go through a window to reach it easily.  If there were magical defenses, you didn't notice them when you came in...
TaiLiu
Chryseis stares at the armor for a moment too long. That's Mama's armor! And the king of Fazenda before that, but that was unimportant. She could pop in and take it, couldn't she? Either break the glass or teleport in and out of the interior room. But she holds off for now. That would be a project for tonight. Or maybe the night next week, to throw people off her trail.

She continues walking through the museum, but this time she focuses on spotting traps, protections, and trackers with her keen senses and draconic blindsight. When she's done, she heads to the history library to look up where Mama's other treasures could be found.
J-H
 checks I rolled: Arcana, Perception, History, Deception; Guards opposed Insight; Insight 

Chryseis spends some time walking around the museum and looking at traps or entrances.  The exterior door has some sophisticated locks on it, but if there are wards, she can't spot them.  A couple of discreet doors lead to back rooms that could be storage areas.  One is slightly colder, suggesting that it could lead down to a basement.  Some items, including the armor, have nearly-invisible strings attached that lead down into the ground, likely as some type of alarm system.

There are quite a few guards.  After about an hour of study, it seems like there's one almost in every room.

Eventually, she goes to the library, where she spends the remainder of the day studying books, and through diligent study and attention to detail, gains two new leads:

A weapon that she knows as Errol's Blade is owned by the Kumar family of nobility.  Every year, they sponsor the Flashing of the Sun sword-dancing competition in mid-winter.  The winner may choose to carry the blade and use it until the next competition, or in lieu of that to accept a cash prize.

A book about dragon-scale items mentions the Gold Dragon scale as belonging to a high-level adventurer in Escudo.  The exact owner isn't named, although if the owner were a noble, the book would likely say so.  There is an adventurer's guild in town, which would be a more likely place to look than someone's mansion.

You return to the inn, and spend the night resting unless there's anything else you wanted to squeeze in at/after dinnertime?
TaiLiu
Chryseis checks with the proprietor about any messages received today but otherwise goes to bed.
J-H
 Day 3:  Weds, May 9 
What do you do the next day?
TaiLiu
Chryseis is disappointed by the lack of letters—she was hoping to have options when it came to housing. She'd give it a few more days, and if Mr. Singh hasn't responded then, she would head off to Rebecca Mariano. She looked like she knew what she was doing.

Today, she would look for Mama's remains. As far as she knew, the only thing left of Mama were her skin and scales which made up that terribly disgusting armor.

She breaks fast and then calls for a carriage to the Adventurer's Guild. Time to learn all about the armor's owner.
J-H
The Adventurer's Guild is located in a two-story stone building in Old Escudo.  It's a rather large building, and the multiple colors of stone used in its outer wall indicate that it was probably built by combining two or three pre-existing structures.
The front door leads into a large common room with some tables and chairs, a notice board, a half-fenced training area complete with wooden weapons and some wall-mounted targets, and a desk with a human woman behind it.  There's a staircase leading up, as well as a heavy and locked iron grating covering stairs down.

Aside from the woman behind the desk, there are only a couple of dwarves at one of the tables.  They glance up at you and resume talking, their heads close together and their beards hiding their mouths.  You realize that it may be a bit early for most adventurers.
TaiLiu
Chryseis walks up to the woman and introduces herself. "I'm looking for information on the Adventurer's Guild," she says. "Perks for joining, how much it costs to hire someone here... Famous adventurers and their trophies."

During this conversation, she's going to subtly steer the conversation towards the gold scale armor she's heard about. If the information is sensitive or secret, she'll try to persuade the woman to trust her and reveal it.
J-H
 Rolled:  Persuasion, History, Insight (recep) 
The receptionist is reasonably forthcoming.  Joining requires some proven skills, and typically completion of a couple of jobs with an experienced adventurer working with you and vouching for you at the end.   "Can't have someone who's a great spellcaster but hasn't ever seen the business end of a spear freeze up the first time a bulette jumps out of the ground at them!" 

Prospective pay depends on the difficulty of the request and the amount of information provided, and can run from a few tens of gold up to the thousands for large, complex, or risky jobs.  There are only a couple of dozen adventurers in town, but more are expected as ratling season draws near - it's steady fighting work, even if the prospect of treasure or magic items is pretty slim.

You learn that many of the best adventurers have one or two signature items of particular power.  The guildmaster, Hedwugith Runebreaker, is a dwarf and (mostly) retired, and took on the job as a hobby, and it gives him a place to hang out with several other mostly-retired senior adventurers.  His greatsword is strongly enchanted but nothing too special, but his armor is made of a set of golden scales and glitters  so  brightly in the daylight.  You're pretty sure you know what that armor is...
TaiLiu
Chryseis continues the conversation with questions: "Does the guildmaster still work with and vouch for new adventurers? He sounds like a fellow I'd like to meet."

And: "Do people pay for protection against ratling attacks? From what I heard, it sounded like a bit of a free-for-all."
J-H
The guildmaster apparently doesn't actively adventure much any more.  This is more of a retirement and social hobby than anything else, after decades cracking skulls.

The border with the Chain of Hunger is always guarded... during the late summer, when the ratling numbers swell from spring growth, they swarm and everyone contributes.  Those who fight are paid by the city, and paid reasonably well.  It's not really a matter of private action.
TaiLiu
How would someone go about meeting Hedwugith Runebreaker? He sounds like such an interesting figure. He must have so many stories to tell!

Would the fighters need to register directly with the city, or does the adventurers’ guild act as a intermediary between Escudo and the ratling fighters?
J-H
You learn that the head of the Adventurer's Guild visits several days a week, usually in the afternoons and evenings when there's alcohol on tap.

The ratling defense is coordinated by the city government.  Volunteers, mercenaries, and soldiers are organized into shifts on a set schedule based on their individual capabilities or unit capabilities for groups, so nobody fights for too long or - hopefully - gets put someplace they can't handle.  Organization for that is a fine-tuned machine, and each year all they have to do is identify who's new, who's not there from last year, and who has had major changes.
TaiLiu
Good to know. Chryseis asks if she can sign up now. She can come back in the evening to sign up for a supervised job. Maybe she could even meet the guildmaster then.
J-H
You'd sign up near the castle, over in the Espada District, and are welcome to return in the evening.
TaiLiu
Perfect! After everything is squared away, Chryseis heads over to the two dwarves at the nearby table and introduces herself. Her goal here is to learn about them (if they’re important), learn about the guildmaster, and learn about what working as an adventurer is like. She’s focused on figuring out how she can separate him from his gold scaled armor.
J-H
The two dwarves, Thorvin Kelpsson and Tonio Stermuen, are willing to offer a few pieces of advice to a newbie.  They're both melee fighters, although Thorvin proudly boasts about downing most of his enemies with a returning axe before they get too close.  They spend a lot of downtime at the guild drinking, talking, and playing card and dice games.  They usually only get called in when there's some kind of problem the City Watch can't handle, and they spend a lot of time on the lines during Ratling season  "Because we don't get tired!" 
They've taken a number of jobs guarding merchants traveling to extraplanar environments, but got tired of the planes of earth and fire, and have you ever tried to get salt water out of a two foot long beard?

Work isn't too steady, which is why there aren't a lot of adventurers... but when it comes, it's usually worth the wait.  If something big and spectacular goes on like a dragon attack (hasn't happened) or an extraplanar incursion (has happened repeatedly), they just head to the sound of the fighting and figure out pay or rewards after the fact.

You get the feeling that they don't really feel like they need the work or have much to prove.

Hedwugith Runebreaker actually lives "down below" somewhere, but doesn't come up and through the guildhouse every day.  They demur speculating about how he gets in or out, but if you take them at their words and gestures, "down below" is literally below the guildhouse.  Maybe he's dug out or found someplace below to make a home?
TaiLiu
Down below, huh? Chryseis's mind flashes back to the historical texts she read about the city: The ruins of at least fifteen cities lay beneath Escudo, and daring archeologists still bring back artifacts and threats. That someone could live underground? Not something she knew about.

Chryseis thanks Thorvin and Tonio. She offers to buy a round for the conversation when she returns in the evening. But for now, she has business elsewhere in the city.

That business being to track down Hedwugith Runebreaker's living space, of course. And the remains of Mama.

The stairs down are locked, and Chryseis suspects that the guild wouldn't let her down there. She leaves to find a quiet obfuscated spot nearby, most likely an alleyway of some sort. Then she subtly casts   etherealness  , spending a sorcery point to prevent anyone from seeing or hearing the spell, and disappears from the material to the Border Ethereal.

She moves towards the Adventurer's Guild. When it's in sight, she'll drop a few feet below the street and moves towards those gated stairs in the common area. Let's see what the Escudo underground looks like.
J-H
Chryseis finds open spaces almost immediately - apparently the area under the guild stretches out beyond the building.  The first room she finds herself is an oval about 30'x15', with three doors.  The room's floor is entirely covered in something dark and liquid-appearing.  A pair of four inch wide beams are elevated just above it, cris-crossing the room to give a viable, but quite narrow, path between each of the three doors.
TaiLiu
Was this liquid some sort of defense system? Chryseis submerges herself through the liquid, trying to use her sight and hearing to discern what it is. Whatever her investigation reveals, she then pulls herself out and enters the rightmost door.
J-H
The liquid is dark and only moderately viscous.  Chryseis finds that it's also only about an inch deep.

She drifts through the wooden door into a very short hallway.  The door at the far end of the hall opens into an upper corner of a room.  The room is about 30' square, and hung with numerous nets made from rope, with squares about six inches across.  They look vaguely like something you might find in the rigging of a ship, and criss-cross the room at different heights and angles.  Each net dangles from the ceiling, supported by a thin silk rope that would offer little grip.  There's only one exit, on the opposite corner of the room.  Six stone ravens sit on a small perch next to the door.  The room is only dimly lit by a couple of floating mage-lights, but it appears that their eyes glitter as though made of some sort of glass or gem.  The only way to reach the other door, aside from flight or walking on the walls, would be to climb down a net from the entry door, then travel across to other nets, moving up and down to navigate across the room.
TaiLiu
Fascinating. These might be the training rooms of the Adventurer’s Guild. Did the guildmaster live down here? In perpetual adventurer training? She moves on through the door, floating through the nets and bypassing the challenge.
J-H
Chryseis drifts silently through a sequence of rooms, growing more and more certain this is a training area for guild members or prospective members.  There are rooms with obvious traps, a room that appears to require swimming, and several rooms featuring constructs or animated armors equipped with various weapons.

Eventually, she passes a stairway going up, and finds a side door that leads into an apartment or dwelling area.  The door appears to have several locks and wards on the inside, although since vision from the Ethereal plane is monochromatic, it's hard to make out color differentials.  Doors lead to the right, straight back from the entry, and to the left.  You can probably float through any of them, but there's no telling what's on the other side until you try.  You also can't hear anything on the Prime while on the Ethereal plane...
TaiLiu
She first heads up, straight through the ceiling and into Escudo proper.

Her goal is to orient herself: to figure out where exactly these underground apartments are in relation to the rest of the city, as well as where those underground stairs are connected topside. She'll also try to figure out exactly how far underground they are. If she finds the armor, she'll have to enter the material plane and grab it. If they're not too deep, she would prefer to teleport out instead of struggling with the formidable-looking magical door.

Afterward, she dives back down through the ceiling of the rightmost door, keeping herself close to the ceiling just in case these high-level adventurers had any traps in store for an ethereal creature like her.
J-H
Chryseis is able to figure out that the dwarf's apartment area is about 30' down, and is below the rear of the adventuring guild.  The training area must extend out beyond the guild's above-ground footprint by a substantial amount.  Presumably there are rules around that, and you'd assume the guild would have followed them.  The right-most door leads to a well-lit area that may be used for... hobbies?  She sees magnifying lenses and tiny tools for working on things the size of jewelry, a desk with several books and a pile of papers, a shelf with several complex geometric shapes that look like puzzles, and a display cabinet with a number of claws or teeth mounted in it in sets.

 
 Spoiler: Nature/Arcana DC 18 

You recognize:
Werewolf claws
Needle-like hydra teeth
Vampire (?) teeth
A pinkish claw, likely from a large red dragon.
 
TaiLiu
Chryseis pays special attention to what she assumes are the dwarf's prizes from his past battles. Were they all won in Escudo itself, or did the guildmaster travel? She also looks at the book titles and at the foremost of the papers, just in case they revealed information about Mama's other possessions.

Then she leaves and heads for the leftmost door, leaving the central door for last.
J-H
Chryseis is pretty sure hydras aren't native to the area, and werewolves usually don't last long near a big city; he's probably traveled.  She doesn't see any other clues, but any guild records would likely be upstairs.

The left room is a kitchen.  It's functional and convenient, but not particularly fancy beyond being of high quality.
TaiLiu
All right. Then that just leaves the central room. Chryseis leaps out through the ceiling and dives into the central room from the surface, just in case there were any abjurations on that door. What have we here?
J-H
Chryseis' has found the dwarf's bedroom!  A broad but short bed is along one wall, with a table next to the head of the bed.  The covers are in disarray.  A bin in a corner half-overflows with discarded clothing in the southeastern corner, and a pair of sturdy, well-made boots sit in front of a chair in the southwestern corner.  The room appears to be lit by magical lights.

There are two doors on opposite sides of the room (east and west).  They aren't marked, and are of equal size.
TaiLiu
Excellent. Chryseis heads to the eastern room, once again performing a diving maneuver to avoid possible extradimensional traps on the door.
J-H
Chryseis finds herself in a bathroom.  The dwarf occupying it is sitting with his pants literally down.  His shirt isn't buttoned, but his beard covers his chest, which (knowing dwarves) is probably hairy anyway.

His shoulders are incredibly broad, and his hands thick and meaty.  A moment after she enters the room, he blinks and starts looking around, apparently sensing something.
TaiLiu
Hedwugith Runebreaker! Who, apparently, had some limited sense of ethereal creatures. Like a balloon, she floats out through the ceiling as quickly and still as she can. Then she heads for the westmost room. She didn't have much time. With no idea what magic items or spells he has access to, she had to hurry. Mama's skin must be in there.
J-H
Chryseis descends into the other room, finding it to be a mixture of closet and armory.  It's unlit, so your vision is limited to monochrome, making it hard to see some details.  A greatsword with writing on the blade rests on a rack near a set of scale mail, which is fastened onto a stand.  The scale mail appears to be made out of real scales instead of armor.  There is also a backpack, a pair of gloves, and a variety of sets of clothing, including one cape adorned with what appear to be stones or gems.
TaiLiu
How difficult does it look to unfasten the armor?
J-H
It'll take 1d3+1 rounds of time to remove it from the stand, unless you just want to knock the whole thing over and yank it off the top.  That'd be fast but definitely noisy.
TaiLiu
Chryseis enters the closet full of magic items. Nothing interests her, however, except for Mama. She examines the rack. It would take a few moments for her to unfasten the armor and place it into her bag of holding. Was the dwarf sill busy on the toilet? Or did her presence alert him? She would prefer not to get into a fight. This was an experienced adventurer and it was perfectly possible that he could kill her. Or, almost as bad: that he would notice her and she would have to kill him to keep her secret.

The whole situation made her feel sick to her stomach. Like eating a humanoid that's been rotting for a while. She should've invested in a hat of disguise or something.

She emerges from the ethereal plane and lands next to the gold scaled armor. She works as quickly and quietly as she can to unfasten the armor. If she manages to do so without being found out, she'll throw it into her bag of holding and cast a subtle   dimension door   to transport herself up and out onto the surface.
J-H
Seconds after Chryseis starts working, the armor vanishes from the stand, along with the gloves, cape, and greatsword.  She hears the sound of movement and armor clanking in the bedroom, along with a muttered curse.
 
 Spoiler: Dwarven 

He's complaining about his chest hair getting caught in the scales of his armor.
 

It's reasonable to assume that Hedwugith has activated an amulet or ring to summon his equipment to him.  They're not that uncommon for those who rely on heavily enchanted equipment.
TaiLiu
Chryseis cusses, too. Damn these paranoid adventurers! The dragon briefly considers leaving before dismissing the idea out of mind. Chryseis is willing to abandon most of Mama’s hoard—but this was Mama herself. She couldn’t risk losing track of her scales. It’s here. She needs to take it. And that means the dwarf has to die.

Chryseis grabs the closet doorknob, takes a deep magical breath, and breathes out a thick icy   fog cloud  . Then she swings the door open, letting the fog envelope her, the bedroom, and the dwarf. No reason to risk  Hedwugith Runebreaker seeing her.

"You have something of mine, Mister Runebreaker, that I do not think you are willing to give me. Which means that violence between us is inevitable." She pauses. "I am sorry."

She unslings her staff and prepares to fight.
J-H
Fog fills the room.
 
 Spoiler: Initiative 

Chry  (1d20)[ 16 ] 
Hedwugith  (1d20+3)[ 21 ]  or   (1d20+3)[ 9 ]  barbarians get advantage on init
 
J-H
The dwarf yells back angrily as he charges.   "A thief you are then, a sneak-thief come to kill me?  Die!"   He charges for Chryseis' position, swinging his sword twice in broad, powerful sweeps.
 
 Spoiler 

Disadvantage for not being able to see, countered by reckless attack to make it a straight roll.
Greatsword +3  (1d20+16)[ 20 ]  for  (2d6+14)[ 16 ] 
Greatsword +3  (1d20+16)[ 23 ]  for  (2d6+14)[ 16 ] 
 

 =&gt;Chryseis 
TaiLiu
Chryseis wills the cold fog around her to become an icy  shield  and deflects the dwarf’s brutal sword swings. Then she takes a breath and engulfs him and the room in a torrent of ice, slush, and frigid air. Hedwugith takes 59 cold damage—or half if he succeeds on a DC 21 Constitution save. He has advantage to this save because of his gold scale armor.

She uses his momentary disorientation and the thick fog to move away from him without triggering an opportunity attack before slowing him with a quickened  mind whip . The dwarf takes 6 psychic damage and must choose between an action, bonus action, or move. A successful DC 20 Intelligence save will halve the damage and spare him the mental effects.

"Where did you get the armor from, Mister Runebreaker? Did someone sell it to you? Did you steal it like a sneak-thief? It’s mine. And if you left it on the rack instead of summoning it to you, neither of us would be here."
J-H
 
 Spoiler: Saves 

Con save vs breath  (1d20+14)[ 28 ] , advantage   (1d20+14)[ 25 ] 
Int save vs Mind Whip  (1d20+3)[ 19 ] 
 
J-H
(Hedwugith:  35 damage)
He withstands the worst of the breath, but the mind whip leaves him disoriented and unable to answer.  He growls and does something, but Chryseis is too far away to see what.  She just doesn't hear him move or swing a sword.
TaiLiu
With her draconic senses, Chryseis notices the dwarf make arcane gestures before placing his hand on himself. A spell? Calling for help? Activating a magic item? She wasn't sure, but Hedwugith was clearly no brute.

She charges, coating her weapon in thunderous energy via   booming blade   before slamming it into Hedwugith. Attack roll is 23. If she hits, she does 15 bludgeoning damage and 10 thunder damage. 25 total.

She dodges past him again, preferring to stay 15 feet away from that big sword of his. Sonic shackles surround him: If he willingly moves more than 5 feet, he'll take 11 thunder damage.
J-H
As Chryseis charges towards the swordsman, she emerges suddenly into open area - there's a sphere around Hegwudith where her Fog Cloud simply does not exist.  Changing her mind, she retreats into the fog and attempts to conceal her position (Stealth 16).  Unfortunately, she brushes against some bedding in the process.  Apparently that's enough for Hegwudith to figure out where she's gone, and charge after her.

The area around her goes fog-less as he catches up.  Her glasses of Minute Seeing seem to become less effective, although it's a minor detail and hard to pick up.  He closes in with a rising slash, then grabs at Chryseis to keep her within the field.  She notes a complex scar/tattoo upon his chest that seems to be glowing faintly.  Another tattoo with raised scarring is wrapped around the wrist of the meaty, hairy hand reaching for her.
 
 Spoiler 

Reckless Greatsword  (1d20+13)[ 19 ]  or   (1d20+13)[ 19 ]  for  (2d6+11)[ 18 ]  damage
Athletics check to grapple  (1d20+13)[ 20 ]  or   (1d20+13)[ 14 ]  (minimum 24)
 
TaiLiu
Chryseis has only a brief moment to notice her magic glasses grow dim before she ducks beneath a brutal greatsword swing. Dammit! He saw her. And he had some sort of antimagic tattoo.

With all spellcraft cut off, the dragon and the dwarf are reduced to fighting like brutes. As he reaches towards her, she resists with her native nonmagical might (Athletics 27) and rakes him hard across his face. Claw attacks: 29 &amp; 32, for a total of 21 slashing damage.
J-H
(Hedwugith damage 45)
The dwarf shrugs off her claw-blows, but appears quite surprised to suddenly be confronting a dragon, as his anti-magic field undoes Chryseis' shapeshifting.   "What the - you're here over the armor?  Bought it fair and square decades ago.  If it was stolen from your hoard or somethin', I know nothing about it."    He grunts, swinging his sword twice more.
 
 Spoiler 

Reckless attack is not needed for advantage due to Chryseis squeezing against the roof.
Greatsword  (1d20+13)[ 14 ]  or   (1d20+13)[ 23 ]  for  (2d6+11)[ 16 ] 
Greatsword  (1d20+13)[ 28 ]  or   (1d20+13)[ 31 ]   for  (2d6+11)[ 15 ] 
 
TaiLiu
Chryseis roars in frustration and slams her tail into the dwarf, knocking him against the stone wall of the now-too-small bedroom and scoring 14 points of bludgeoning damage against him.

She looms over Hegwudith. He can see her gleaming teeth and feel her icy breath. Her face, contorted in rage, is discomfortingly close to his. He is confronted with the dragon’s Frightening Presence: He must succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. He has advantage on this save.

"Bought her? This city sold Mama's skin and scales like a gaudy foreign bauble? You people disgust me!"

Those gleaming teeth snap shut. And then she proceeds to maim him.

I’m not sure what his AC is.
 
 If it’s 16 or below: 25 piercing damage from the bite and then 16 &amp; 15 (31 total) slashing damage from the claws. 
 If it’s 17 or 18: 16 slashing damage from the one claw. 
 If it’s 19 or higher: she misses with Multiattack. 
 
J-H
(Hedwugeth damage: 54)
Save vs fear  (1d20+8)[ 24 ]  or  (1d20+8)[ 24 ] 
Chryseis hits with her tail, but the rest of her attacks are deflected by his armor and the floors, wall, and ceiling.

 "What, like you dragons don't sit on tons o' dwarf gold?  I know even that bank of yours is built on centuries of dwarf blood!"   He retaliates with word and blade.

 
 Spoiler 

Advantage from squeezing.  If he's afraid, advantage is cancelled out by disadvantage.
 (1d20+13)[ 31 ]  for  (2d6+11)[ 17 ] 
Adv  (1d20+13)[ 18 ] 
 (1d20+13)[ 28 ]  for  (2d6+11)[ 15 ] 
Adv  (1d20+13)[ 26 ] 
 
TaiLiu
Chryseis beats her wings and buffets Hedwugeth with cold air before going at him again with her natural weapons.

Hedwugeth needs to make a DC 22 Dexterity save (with advantage) or take 17 points of bludgeoning damage. He takes 14 slashing damage from her Multiattack.
J-H
(Hedwugeth damage: 54+8+7=69 after resist B/P/S)
 "Har!  You're style is cramped, eh?"   He slashes with his long metal tooth.  You've drawn some blood, but he still has plenty of fight in him!
 
 Spoiler 

Greatsword  (1d20+13)[ 30 ]  for   (1d20+11)[ 22 ]    Corrected roll from Discord: 17 
Advantage from squeezing  (1d20+13)[ 14 ] 

Greatsword  (1d20+13)[ 17 ]  for   (1d20+11)[ 14 ]   Corrected roll from Discord: 22 
Advantage from squeezing  (1d20+13)[ 21 ] 
 
TaiLiu
"Unless you're going to surrender Mama's scales to me," the dragon growls, "shut up and fight!"

Chryseis tries to slap him to the ground with her wings again—Hedwugeth needs to make a DC 22 Dexterity save with adv or take 17 (8) bludgeoning damage. Then she returns his sword slashes with a claw slash of her own: 14 (7) slashing damage.
J-H
(saved vs. wing slap; 69 + 7 = 76 damage)

 "Coming into my home and demanding anything from me is the wrong way to do it!  Even Moradin himself wouldn't act such and expect a hearing  despite being a god!" 
The dwarf withstands your blows like a rock, counter-striking with his blade.
 
 Spoiler 

Greatsword  (1d20+13)[ 32 ]  for  (1d20+11)[ 20 ]   correct damage 19; have adjusted my template to fix the earlier error 
Advantage from squeezing  (1d20+13)[ 31 ] 
 Greatsword  (1d20+13)[ 16 ]  for  (1d20+11)[ 12 ] 
Advantage from squeezing  (1d20+13)[ 16 ]    miss 
 
TaiLiu
"Let’s see how concerned you are with niceties when it’s your mama that’s been skinned and sold!"

Agitated, Chryseis’s wings kick up an icy windstorm: 17 (8) bludgeoning damage if the dwarf fails a DC 22 Dexterity save. Her claw tears into him and her teeth find purchase. 21 (10) and 14 (7) points of piercing and slashing damage, respectively.
J-H
(Hedwugith damage 101)

 "Nice story!  Murdered anyone else in their bedrooms with it?"   He circles around Chryseis, blocking the doorway out to the rest of the apartments.
 
 Spoiler 

Greatsword  (1d20+13)[ 16 ]  for  (2d6+11)[ 20 ] 
Advantage from squeezing  (1d20+13)[ 29 ] 

Greatsword  (1d20+13)[ 20 ]  for  (2d6+11)[ 16 ] 
Advantage from squeezing  (1d20+13)[ 22 ] 
 
TaiLiu
"What story?" Chryseis's anger and icy breath, coupled with the brutal battle, is turning the underground room into a bit of a sauna. "You're literally wearing her golden scales!"

Chryseis beats her wings again: He needs to make a DC 22 Dexterity save with advantage or take 16 (8) bludgeoning damage. Then she turns, takes a deep breath, and buries the dwarf beneath a cone of slush.

69 cold damage (and then must make a DC 34 Concentration save) unless he makes a DC 21 Constitution save, in which case he takes 34 cold damage (and then must make a DC 17 Concentration save). He has advantage on the save against the breath attack.
J-H
 
 Spoiler: Saves 

Save vs dragon breath, with advantage due to armor
 (1d20+14)[ 33 ]  or  (1d20+14)[ 27 ] 

Concentration check  (1d20+14)[ 25 ] 
 
J-H
(Hegwudith damage sustained: 143)
The dwarf closes his eyes for a moment and bulls through the cold breath, retaliating immediately with yet more sword blows.  The anti-magic field around him continues to function, dulling his blade but also preventing your spellcasting unless you withdraw.
 
 Spoiler 

Greatsword  (1d20+13)[ 18 ]  for  (2d6+11)[ 20 ] 
Advantage from squeezing  (1d20+13)[ 16 ] 

Greatsword  (1d20+13)[ 32 ]  for  (2d6+11)[ 20 ] 
Advantage from squeezing  (1d20+13)[ 21 ] 
 
TaiLiu
"This isn't going anywhere," Chryseis grumbles as she attempts to pummel Hedwugeth with her wings again. He needs to make a DC 22 Dexterity save with advantage or take 17 (8) bludgeoning damage. "Are you gonna surrender Mama's scales or not? I attacked before I knew you bought her—which means you should be willing to sell her."

She disengages and takes a step back back, transforming into her dragonborn form again. A couple dozen more feet back into the mist and she can no longer be seen (though she is not hiding &amp; can therefore be found).
J-H
He growls, his angry voice dropping an octave.   "Get out of my home." 
TaiLiu
"You'll need to kill me, chop my body up, and carry me out piece by piece. I won't abandon Mama. We'll fight to the death if we need to."
J-H
(Hegwudith damage sustained: 143)
 "Fine.  Invade my home and try to steal my stuff and kill me?  You can die then.  Not my first dragon!"   He follows Chryseis, putting her back in range of his anti-magic field and causing her to switch back to her real form - although he briefly gets a glimpse of her dragonborn shape, but at least only in the dark.  She's in a corner now, and moving away will likely provoke an Opportunity Attack.

Each of you has offended some core value of the other.  It appears this will be a fight to the death unless you are willing to change something.  Both of you are bleeding from numerous injuries are are below half health.
 
 Spoiler 

Greatsword  (1d20+13)[ 16 ]  for  (2d6+11)[ 20 ] 
Advantage from squeezing  (1d20+13)[ 29 ] 

Greatsword  (1d20+13)[ 31 ]  for  (2d6+11)[ 15 ] 
Advantage from squeezing  (1d20+13)[ 19 ] 
 
TaiLiu
Chryseis slaps him with her wings again before showering him in fragments of snow and ice. DC 22 Dexterity save with advantage or take 14 (7) bludgeoning damage. DC 21 Constitution save with advantage or take 60 cold damage. Half if he saves.

She dives back into the fog cloud, triggering an opportunity attack, and circles around to block the doorway out to the apartment. Hedwugeth's move just moments prior. But this time, blocking the doorway would serve her purposes.

Earth magic wasn't her strong suit, and the spell she was about to cast was flashier than she would like. It wouldn't take too long for the arcanists of Escudo to figure out this was no natural seismic wave. But with his antimagic and the tiny size of the apartment, she couldn't retrieve Mama without it. She had to collapse Hedwugeth apartment—and Hedwugeth along with it.

In a heartbeat, the earth shudders as a quickened   earthquake   roils through the underground in a massive 100 foot radius. Both Hedwugeth and Chryseis need to make DC 20 Dexterity saves or fall prone &amp; DC 20 Constitution saves or lose concentration.
J-H
Chryseis connects with her wings, then showers him with freezing cold.  Rimefrost covers his hair and beard.  He counter-strikes as she moves away, hitting for 17 damage.

(Hegwudith is at 172 damage)

The apartment begins to shake and rattle.  Chunks of rock fall out of the ceiling.
 
 Spoiler: Collapse rolls 

A creature within half the distance of a structure's height must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 5d6 bludgeoning damage, is knocked prone, and is buried in the rubble, requiring a DC 20 Strength (Athletics) check as an action to escape.
Damage  (5d6)[ 16 ] 
Hegwudith Dex save  (1d20+3)[ 17 ]  or   (1d20+3)[ 23 ] 
Chryseis also needs to make a save.
 

Hegwudith dodges one and charges across the room at Chryseis.   "You're barmy!" 
 
 Spoiler 

If not collapsed,
Greatsword  (1d20+13)[ 30 ]  for  (2d6+11)[ 19 ] 
Advantage from squeezing  (1d20+13)[ 19 ] 
Greatsword  (1d20+13)[ 32 ]  for  (2d6+11)[ 15 ] 
Advantage from squeezing  (1d20+13)[ 25 ] 
 
J-H
Chryseis collapses to the ground, unconscious, as the dwarf strikes her with two more mighty blows.
The ground continues to shake, great gaps opening up above and below - the stress of natural movement being relayed even into the antimagic field.

Chryseis falls into one such hole, and Hegwudith into another.
The impact is too much for Chryseis, and her mighty heart gives out, beating its last.

Hegwudith hits the ground far below, but the impact still isn't enough to kill him.

Portions of the adventuring guild's training rooms also collapse into his apartments, doing major damage.  Unless a high-level druid or earth mage comes along, it may be a day or more before he is rescued.