Ogres embarrass HSE

The colony of Adler An Zee had been prospering in the Aranur valley for years by 448PC, and trade with the dwarfs was brisk and friendly. The Ogres had arrived some years before, and their presence was welcomed by the populace, as their military might made the population feel safe.

The Ogres also enjoyed the posting, as the Beer from the dwarf kingdom far exceeded in quality, and strength, the beer of the Empire. The Ogre mercenaries' fondness for dwarf ale ensured that a thriving business of dwarf drinking taverns sprung up in the west of the Empire colony, but in 449PC, a serious problem occurred.

The Ogres were still paid by the Imperial coffers to protect the citizens of Adler An Zee, but in 449PC the caravan shipping the money from Sigmarheim mysteriously went missing, along with several high ranking members of the Imperial Treasury. While Louis II attempted to sort out the mess caused by the largest fraudulent embezelment of Imperial funds in Palurin history, the Ogres went without pay.

Eventually this meant the Ogres couldn't pay their debts, and while the population of Adler An Zee accepted this grudgingly, not paying your bar tab was a high crime in the dwarf kingdom. The dwarfs demanded recompense, but the lord of the colony was in no mind to pay the ogres' debts, even if he could have. The Ogre bill racked up while their pay was going missing was staggering, and lord Moritz didn't have access to this kind of wealth. He summoned the Ogre general.

Lord Moritz informed the Ogres that it was their bill, and the dwarf army now marching on Ulricshafen to collect was their fault. He washed his hands of the whole affair and sent the Ogres to "negotiate a settlement" with the dwarfs. This of course was a ruse. The Ogres knew nothing of diplomacy, or even how to spell it, and in 449PC the Ogres drew up their forces against a stoic dwarf host intent on collecting their money.

The battle itself was a brutal affair with both sides fighting particularly hard over what was in the end a dispute about money. After a long fight the dwarfs crumbled first, retreating off the lowlands and back to their hold at Karak Grimnil. Adler An Zee's coffers had been saved, but now a larger dispute was looming. To keep the peace, Louis II paid off the debt by raising taxes at home, while putting in place measures to ensure the Ogres were paid on time. One measure was to make Adler An Zee pay the lions share directly, something which did not please lord Moritz in the slightest.