Shardra starting to raise her voice when she proceeds her argument, almost starting to shout, doesn't quite help, the Paravicar's eyes hardening.
"Watch your tone, madam.
Every society has putrid elements hidden within, or are you so naive?"
Mylvwara's scholarly argument catches his professional snare, him recognizing someone disciplined in texts and writing.
Now adressing Mylvwara,
"Madam elf, it seems you have some knowledge of handwritings.
Tell me, how would one distinguish a professional forgery from the actual real one?"
The Paravicar seems intolerant of someone of lower station, let alone outsiders, yell at him like that. He is keeping his cool at the moment, but disrespect is very likely not the way to do it.
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Awww, I do dabble in linguistics myself, and it's an interesting question. Someone who try to copy a document occasionnaly tries too hard, tracing the letters one by one, without.. how could I put it? Without the flow and easyness of the original writer. Sometimes too, rarely, the copy isn't up to par to the original, looks clumsy. Besides, it's easy to copy the style of a document, but harder to copy the conditions in which the document was created. If you write on a sandy beach, and use the sand to dry your ink, it's harder to fake, for example.
The Paravicar nods, his chin supported in a thumb and index finger.
His attention also shifts to Brallenera, who suddenly chimes in on writings, though mainly Mylvwara at that point.
"Indeed, i have heard of such practices before. Self centered behavior.
It would be good to drop those academics on the site they eagerly send their agents to, and -then- they will get to write data crediting their endeavors."
The polite and civil conversation about work related topics of interest, has the Paravicar scratch his chin.
"Hmm. Say it is indeed a forgery at work, what does your organization do with those who forged the documents of a high profile individual?"
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"For what it's worth, the Society is not exactly known for going out of its way to rescue members from their own foolish decisions; quite the contrary, in fact. As a rule, the Society's tendency toward cutting its losses is so well-known that...well, I imagine you have heard of the Shadow Lodge and the grievances that kindled it? It would be contrary to the Decemvirate's tendencies to not let a lost Pathfinder lie in her own bed having made it - especially when her actions, were she truly guilty, would so jeopardize the Society's own interests with, for example, Cheliax."
The paravicar hears these points with reason.
If they are found out, they are punished by the common laws and policies of the pathfinders. But if you are asking if all are punished the same, then regretably the answer is no. But you know this already or you would not be asking the question."
"It sounds like an internal review of policies would do the justidical system well, but at least there is punishment."
As a rule, the Society's tendency toward cutting its losses is so well-known that...well, I imagine you have heard of the Shadow Lodge and the grievances that kindled it?
"Indeed. That event had no way of not coming to our attention.
It's a pity for your organization, that such a wound was able to fester for so long. It really urges one to look to cleanse the own ranks, before going forward again."The Paravicar seems content, and sees extra logic in Nemm's latter part of her comment.
He motions for the missive to be handed to him, and he places his signature and a stamp of his office.
"The Lictor is a serious man and sharp minded man. It would be in your own best interest to be respectful, and he will be a reasonable man.", and he hands it back to you.
With both signatures on your letter, Makorios leads you directly to the Hall of Edicts, the domain of the Lictor himself.
The ominously furnished room contains a lowhanging chandelier made of smoky glass and bookshelves filled with leather-bound tomes. A wide stack of yellowed, black-bound volumes sits atop a raised dais—the ebonycolored judge’s bench—in the center of the room.
Makorios shows the document to the hellknights guarding the door to the Lictor's office, and they nod and step aside.
Once inside, the field-maralictor hands one of you, , the affidavit, gives you a serious, stoic glare, then turns and exists to await your return.
Hard at work on reviewing an upcoming docket and past sentences yet to be carried out, Lictor Severs DiViri sits behind the imposing bench.
The lictor’s right hand is fully engulfed in a prominent, black steel gauntlet; shadows from the candlelight chandelier make the scars on his face seem even more ghoulish.
Everything seems in order. It's the document to request an 'audience of importance' with the Lictor. Nothing looks weird to you.
Likewise, Nemesis finds nothing odd about the document.
When you walk into the room, the lictor looks up at you, seemingly annoyed at the interruption—until he realizes you are Pathfinders.
With an air of authority, he extends his good arm to receive the affidavit, and makes a tight-lipped demand: "Tell me what you know."
Shardra waited until the Lictor allowed them to speak.
She steps forward and gives the Lictor the signed letters that approve to see him to get Zarta out and also hands over the proof that she is innocent.
”Lictor, the opportunity to speak to you allows us to present you evidence that we hope will convince you of the innocence of Zarta Dralneen!“
She pauses a moment to present the deatails which are evidence in the the dossier.
”We have brought with us all the documents that you need to be able to discern for yourself that you have an innocent person imprisoned: Zarta Dralneen. You see here that we discovered proof that the evidence you received earlier are forged letters apparently written in Dralneen’s hand. These fictitious letters hinted at a rebellious alliance between the paracountess and the house’s political enemies. But we discovered the paracountess’s personal travel logs, which prove she was away from Absalom at the time when the letters claim she met with her conspirators in the Petal District!“
The lictor takes the documents and reads them.
When done reading your piece of evidence, he compares the handwriting carefully to that of a document he has nearby.
He comes to the conclusion that you are correct.
*sigh*... he suddenly slams it down upon his desk.
"..by Asmodeus'
=========================================
[curtain with flowers to hide the harsh verbal content he spouts in a few seconds]
=========================================
As his red-hot rant dies down as quickly as it exploded, he turns to you with a most stern look.
"That my order would accept a falsely accused prisoner, and one who is a Chelish paracountess, no less? Completely unacceptable! No payment assuages that fact! Pathfinders, I know now that what you say is true: Paracountess Zarta Dralneen is innocent. And thus, she must be freed. I assume you wish to escort her from our custody? Yes, good. This
embarrassing error must righted."
"Travel to the southernmost end of the keep; there, beneath a tower called the Forgetful Spire, you’ll find an entrance to our oubliette—a place we call Caina. Pay no mind to what or who you find there, for they are meant to be forgotten.
Just give this certified affidavit to Maralictor Ganden Heriphis, the
oubliette’s keeper. He’ll know what to do. Now, quickly, be on your way—this blunder will be rectified promptly or not at all!"
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Gur'Gar raises his eyebrow at what has transpired.
"Lictor, should we not have an escort to retrieve The Paracountess? An escort would be most useful if we could have one with us to the border of Cheliax, at least."
When the group leaves the the office.
"Something about this is wrong. We should be escorted to get the prisoner. Lets go and talk with Field-Maralictor Elixia Makorios and see what he says about where we are going."
The lictor shifts his gaze towards Gru'Gar.
"For visits of any outsiders, someone always takes on that responsibility. That should fall to miss Makorios, i recall."
”Thank you very much! We are on our way!“ Shardra says and thanks the spirits for guiding their path.
Makorios escorts you to the tower you need to be at.
This slender tower rises from the northeastern tower of the citadel, with barren walls and barren floors given credence to its name: the Forgetful Spire. Aside from the door to Bastion Ferox’s bailey and the stairs climbing the cylinder’s inner wall, the tower appears to be a hollow, empty shell.
She takes a key from her belt and, where you least expected something to be, opens a hatch, which leads down a spiral stairs.
"My job is done."
Makorios keeps a serious stare.
"I believe you've received a document to be handed to the warden below.
Surely i need not tell you what a warden's job entices. When you get back, i will see you out, but my duties keep me up here."
Just give this certified affidavit to Maralictor Ganden Heriphis, the oubliette’s keeper.
”Then let us proceed!“ she says in her deep voice and then sends a prayer to her ancestors.
Shardra moves on to the Maralictor.
The musty staircase hidden below Forgetful Spire leads to an oubliette containing a dark, dreadful grouping of prison cells that the Hellknights call Caina, after the infernal realm of torture and pain.
Prison cells dominate both the room’s north and south walls; the largest
of these serves as a torture chamber for prisoners whose sentence also includes correction with devices such as racks and bottomless chairs.
A thick column lined with bloody stains stands in the center of the main room; the torches mounted on it throw grim light upon all the oubliette’s horrors. A desk sits along the east wall; from there a single guard can keep an eye on all of the cells.
Two of the three southern prison cells are occupied by figures who lie prostrate on hard, stained wooden benches.
Behind the desk sits a man with green eyes and shoulder length black hair.
As you walk through the area, he calls out to you.
"You over there, approach. What brings you here?"
Shardra walks forward with the group and bows.
”Hello, we have a certified affidavit signed by the Lictor to release Zarta Dralneen. Please hand her over to us so that we can leave with her! Thanks a lot.“
"I am."
Shardra takes the affidavit from her pack, and Mylvwara steps closer to hand it over.
It is upon coming closer, that you notice the hellknight has a pair of guard dogs, of the peculiar kind. They look like wolves with reddish brown fur, and observe everything.
A hellhound.
The hellknight warden stands up to take the document, and reads it.
He mutters something to himself, as an ominous look shows on his face.
"Knew this could turn messy eventually."
Without looking up, he speaks an otherworldly language in a flat tone.
"Krug, Kyn, attack."
=======================================
The cellblock, round 1
Mylvwara
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Guard dogs
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Nemesis
Gru'Gar
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Ganden Herephis
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Brallenera & Sharda
”Be careful! These are hellhounds!“ Shardra shouts in her deep voice.
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Mylvwara calls out, ”The Matalictor prepares for violence, commanding the hellhounds in the infernal tongue of damnation.”
”Beware the hellhounds, they are creatures of hellfire: unharmed by fire, they breath fire themselves. The cold harms them severely.”
Mylvwara casts glitterdust over the hellknight and his pets, then withdraws slightly.
All three foes are suddenly finding themselves blinded by sparkling dust particles.
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Hellhounds
Cyan moves 2 squares west, before breathing fire in the general direction the pathfinders are at.
Green moves 5ft west, and likewise exhales a cone of hellfire.
From the firy breath of the hounds, Brallenera's the one regular most burnt, but not as much as Shardra has, whose skin is blistered painfully from the flames.
Nemesis' aasimar blood protects her from any harm, however.
The hounds remain blinded.
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Nemesis
Gru'Gar (actions posted)
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Ganden Herephis
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Brallenera & Sharda