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Brayden doesn't know what to make of the prank back in the museum. He'd thought only Frankie would be the type to do such a thing. Was he to approve of it or not? Or why would it even matter?
I thought you were as lawful as always. You know, save the innocent, bring criminals in to the proper authorities, blah blah blah. Or at least, that's what you were back then. Remember?
"No. I don't," Brayden mumbles as he steps up the gangplank onto the ship. And then he gets louder, speaking in the general direction of the seas. "And I don't care anyway. When we spend too much time ruminating our past, we forget to feel what's here now. What it means to be alive. To live, to love, and to laugh." He raises a hand up, spreading it and feeling the light sea breeze hugging each of his fingers. "Feel it, guys, and feel it well, because some day, you won't be able to."
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Frankie gives Dalen a sideways look, then snickers to Denair as he heads out "Hehe she's playing dress up with them!"
"That could help. She doesn't have fur or bark like me. Will that keep her warm? I guess." Denair is curious, as all of this fashion talk bewilders her. "The Boss told me to wear this cloth, but it chafes my fur."
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With Iluvia and her men's makeovers complete, the group of you hurry away from the museum and down to the docks - stopping by the Wicked Fork long enough to grab a sleepy Cassian. While understandably put out at being dragged out of bed in the middle of the night, he quickly perks up when you mention that the authorities will not be long in searching for you or him.
"Awright, awright, say no more, I'll be ready in two shakes," he whispers as he hops around the room, hurriedly pulling on his clothes. "Had to get used to it anyway since ol' Drandle Dreng decided he liked my style!"
A very short time later you find yourselves aboard another ship, bound for the safety of Absalom. As you watch Corentyn and the coast of Cheliax slowly disappear over the horizon under the light of the moon, each of you wonder about what might come next. What will Venture-Captain Farabellus think of all you have to report? Will the Pathfinder Society be able to save your new ally Zefiro? What of the parting shot left by Dalen and Lazarus? Only time will tell. But though the future remains uncertain, there is one thing that you do know - that Pathfinders can accomplish the impossible as long as they remember the way: Explore, Report, and Cooperate.
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"On behalf of the team, Jan, I'd like to thank you for your contribution to the mission and invite you to remain with us as we pursue these leads to their ultimate conclusion." Lazarus offers a slight bow, hands pressed together, palms touching and fingers pointing upwards, thumbs close to the chest.
The white rabbit squirms beneath the samsaran's robes. *That Ulfen m**!$~@&$$$~ better not even think about quitting now! We need the muscle, boss.*
Denair spends some time growing leaves on her back. Some of them are getting quite large. She asks Meredith to evaluate them. Are they too long, too short? To thick, to skinny? Should she shed her back fur and replace it with more bark? Maybe she could wave it around, like a tiny branch?
Meredith's responses are curt. Denair knows why. She feels guilty for getting Zefiro in trouble. I gotta cheer her up. I hate when the boss withdraws herself like this!
Tomorrow is another day.
You can't quite remember where you heard that saying. Maybe from one of the Dawnflower's flock? It certainly sounds like something one of hers would say. Or perhaps you read it in a book once, about love gained and lost. But no matter where you heard it, those words have been at the forefront of your mind for the past several days.
Upon your return to Absalom and to the Grand Lodge, Venture-Captain Marcos Farabellus was unsurprisingly outraged at Cheliax's duplicity. What many had hoped to be the beginning of a new era of trust and cooperation between the Pathfinder Society and Cheliax turned out to be nothing more than a sham; Pathfinder agents used as pawns in a quest to further distort history to suit Cheliax's own twisted narrative. And of course the new liaison Ianareth Alazario was nowhere to be found when Farabellus sent for her; something about 'attending to pressing business abroad'. Right. Of course.
Still, Farabellus was quick to assure you all that while Cheliax might be more powerful the Pathfinder Society wouldn't suffer such an indignity with a smile. Rather cryptically, he advised all of you to remain within the city and await further instructions. You were certain that some sort of plan was already in the works to strike back at Cheliax but how? For several days all you had to go on were theories and guesswork...until now.
Having received a missive from Farabellus to meet with Venture-Captain Dennel Hamshanks aboard his ship the Hornet's Nest, all of you rise early and make your way down to Absalom's busy docks. The crew of the ship seems to be expecting you and welcomes you aboard, directing you to the captain's quarters. When you arrive you are surprised to see not only the normally composed Zarta Dralneen, awkwardly shifting in a nearby chair, but a very familiar-looking halfling gentleman!
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Meredith has been anxious since she returned to Absalom. Walking through the outskirts and the farmlands has helped, but once she's at the Grand Lodge her foot is tapping again. "Do you have any leads on Zefiro? When are we going to rescue him? He stuck his neck out for us, he doesn't deserve this kind of treatment." Meredith demanded action and the Venture Captain had to calm her down. Denair pulled her away to help distract her with quizzes about plant life and horse handling.
But when she is told about the Hornet's Nest, she is eager and excited. She quickly gathers her gear, summons Denair, tells her where they are going and heads out to the ship immediately.
"Zarta Dralneen. Good to see you. Your suspicions were correct, as always." She turns to the the halfling and almost reaches for her longspear before Denair nudges her. "You. Aspis." She glares at him. "Were they in on this deception, too? Defecting to save your own hide?"
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"Venture-Captain Dralneen, a pleasure to meet you again," Lazarus says with a slight bow and hands pressed together, palms touching and fingers pointing upwards, thumbs close to his chest.
With cool, all-white eyes, the Samsaran regards the halfling with her. "'Harbormaster' Tamrin Credence, how honorable of you to seek us out in order to return the gold you extorted from some of us, when last we met aboard the Sea Sylph in Corentyn's harbor."
Rather than appear intimidated by the rather chilly welcome you give him, Tamrin only offers a shake of his head and a wry chuckle. "Apparently I've began collecting quite the group of 'admirers'. Why, it's probably a good thing that you arrived early Zarta or you might've found me swinging from the rafters!"
At this, Zarta rolls her eyes. "Spare me," she remarks with none of her typical lascivious demeanor. "Never have I heard of someone complaining of an adopted guise working too well." Turning to the group, she adds, "Sit. Dear Captain Hamshanks should be along any minute and then we c-oh, speak of the devil!"
Almost as if on cue, the sound of approaching footfalls can be heard and then a tall, barrel-chested man strides into the room. He pauses just a moment to take a look around at the assembled group and nods, satisfied. "Welcome, agents," the man who can only be Dennel Hamshanks announces. "My other guests have already skipped the social niceties, so I don’t see why we need to start now. As you already know, Zefiro Balinger, a Corentyn museum curator and ally of the Society, has been abducted by agents of House Thrune on charges of ‘treasonous misinformation’ — which is to say the heretical preservation of unedited Chelish histories. The Decemvirate cannot afford to lose such a valuable asset, nor can it allow these documents to be thrown onto a ‘clarity pyre,’ but Cheliax would love nothing more than to do exactly that."
Hamshanks pauses as if waiting for someone else to pick up the conversation, then clears his throat at the distracted Zarta. Zarta snaps to attention. "Pathfinders discovered that Zefiro has been taken to Ostenso. His prison is called the Bloody Nail, a facility where political enemies disappear for interrogation and punishment. Trying to spring a captive from a high-profile prison in the heart of a major Chelish city would normally be suicide, yet that is our only remaining option." Zarta’s expression sours slightly, and she glances at the halfling again before muttering, "Fortunately, I know someone who specializes in such suicide missions, yet curiously always seems to come back alive."
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Tamrin smirks at Zarta, hopping to his feet. "Please, Zarta, the pleasure is all mine. The name’s Tamrin Credence, longtime Bellflower and master of coming back alive," he introduces himself with a bow. "I hope you'll understand the importance of 'keeping up appearances' when in glorious Cheliax," he adds, looking specifically at Lazarus and Dalen, to show their earlier words were not ignored. "The lovely paracountess laid out your situation for me. Luckily enough, liberating Chelish prisoners is a favorite hobby of mine, so it looks like we’ll be working together on this project."
"Infiltrating the Bloody Nail won’t be a picnic, but it seems my luck hasn’t deserted me yet. Turns out Loyalty Day is just a few days away, a national holiday celebrating House Thrune’s oppressive regime and those who willingly agree to be oppressed by it. Citizens are required to attend the festivities, and since Ostensons aren’t exactly known for their docility, that means lots of guards in the streets keeping order," Tamrin grins. "Those extra guards have to come from somewhere, meaning we’re looking at a short-staffed prison detail stuck working a holiday. So here’s the plan: we march up to the Bloody Nail looking all intimidating. I’ve still got some clout with Ostenso’s guards from back when I worked for the Consortium, so I’ll convince the lead interrogator to bring some of his guards with me to deal with a Loyalty Day ‘emergency.’ Fortunately for him, I’ve brought some of my own agents — that’s you — to cover for him and his soldiers while we’re away. Knowing Chelish prison administration, he’ll agree as long as one of his lackeys can supervise you. I’ll keep the interrogator distracted long enough for you to get the lay of the land, ditch your babysitter, break in, get what we came for, and get out before anyone smells a rat. We’ll meet back at the southernmost docks of the Custodisce Break and sail for Andoran."
Tamrin looks at each of you. "Sound easy enough?"
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Brayden peels his gaze away from Zarta's chest when the briefing is finished. Hopefully, no one noticed. "Sounds like we're actually going to break into a prison. It is unfortunate the Sovereign Court does not recognize that as a goal contributing towards our faction. My bet is only a small percentage of Pathfinders have taken on and succeeded at such a daring task." He checks his blade and eyes Tamrin down.
"Okay, fair enough - as Zarta said, I shouldn't complain about having done a job well," Tamrin replies with another wry smile. "To address the elephant in the room, yes, I did work for the Aspis Consortium. Key word being 'did'."
"That was in a relatively recent past life, before I learned they were funding the slave trade as rigorously as they were my Bellflower activities," the halfling snorts. "The Consortium loves to have its cake and eat it too, so looking back I really shouldn't have been surprised." He sighs. "As for the 'why' of why I worked for them? Pay’s good, and their boss has a reputation in Cheliax so we could get into places we aren’t normally allowed - which proved a boon on more than one occasion."
Tamrin rises from his seat and begins to pace back and forth across the room, his mind clearly at work as he considers the spoken and unspoken concerns you have. "Let's see, what else? Oh! You're probably wondering, 'Oh no, what if the interrogator just tells you to use us to handle the emergency?' Right?" He pauses for a moment and nods. "It's a fair question. Since you aren’t local law enforcement, you wouldn’t carry as much authority as Ostenson guards. I'm counting on being able to simply say I trust him and his staff to handle the situation more effectively."
"I’ll keep him occupied for as long as I can, but no promises for a timeframe, I'm afraid," Tamrin continues. "If he comes back early, get to the docks as fast as possible. My advice? When the guards are spread this thin, it’s tricky for them to pursue fugitives while also doing damage control. It’s a holiday. I'm sure you folks can teach the Chelish a thing or two about how to party, right?"
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Frankie heads on board with the others, lagging behind a bit, distracted by his nice new cloak. It was real nice for those guys at the Lodge to trade me this cloak for some of my extra gold! That stuff gets heavy if you let it pile up too much in your back pack!
As he walks in and sees Zarta and Tamrin he kind of double takes a bit "Hey I know you!" He points to Tamrin and smiles "Did you ever find that poor escaped slave? You know, the one that jumped in the harbor?" He asks, seemly letting some of the other stuff roll into the background at the moment.
As the discussion continues though he gets a bit more interested. "Oooo breaking into a prison to save Zefiro, that sounds fun. Can we save anyone else while we're there? Maybe we can bring a big bag and sneak them out in that..." He taps his chin, trying to figure out exactly how large a bag that'd be!
Tamrin stops his pacing to smile rather warmly at Frankie. "After all the things you've been up to and you haven't forgotten. Yes, he was eventually found - a little ways further up the coast from the harbor. Don't worry," he adds quickly, "he wasn't recaptured. It took some doing since it's a lot easier to smuggle halflings than 6' tall Ulfen brickhouses but some of my contacts were able to get him out of the country."
"And if I understand you right, you're asking what else I can do for you to make this easier," he continues, smile dropping as he turns to address Dalen. "Or rather, if I'm intending you folks to do all the heavy lifting. Look, I'll be blunt - it'll not be easy even with the light guard detail. Luring the interrogator and his men away and keeping them away is about the limit of what I can do once we're in the city."
Tamrin's smile slowly returns; a sharp one this, with little humor. "But that doesn't mean I don't want you to succeed. And there's other ways I can help before we ever set foot in Ostenso." He holds up a finger. "For starters, I can tell you that if you need help - like ditching the babysitter you'll be left with - you should find and speak to a woman named Krima. She's a Bellflower plant at the Nail; if you can drop her a hint you can probably get her to switch jobs with whoever will be supervising you. That'd be the easiest thing but you could also charm him, drug him, knock him on the head - whatever works."
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Frankie runs ups and gives Tamrin a big hug after he gives the news "That's great! Thanks!" Frankie then takes a seat and listens on, never being much for making plans. If we can't get sacks big enough maybe we can at least bring them in a big bag of candy? Some of that taffy stuff, you can chew that for days! Frankie sits deep in important thought.
"Ah. That's also a good question," Tamrin replies after a moment's pause, actually having the good grace to look a bit sheepish - as well as startled as he's practically tackle-hugged by Frankie. "I'm sorry I misunderstood you. Even if you all manage to get in and out of the Nail without raising a ruckus I'm expecting the alarm is going to go up pretty quick once the interrogator makes it back; once that happens I'll give them the slip before they can really start to mobilize and begin searching the city and meet with you at the docks."
The halfling flashes Meredith a quick grin. "And she's got a point - this isn't my first time doing this sort of work. Don't worry too much about me, just focus on finding your friend and getting back out in one piece, okay?"
Once it looks as if there'll be no more questions, Tamrin moves over to a nearby table upon which sits a small bag. He picks it up and offers it to the group, for whoever wishes to take it for the time being. "Some equipment that might help you bypass some of the other guards," he explains. "Hopefully it'll come in handy."
"I suspect it will," Zarta remarks dryly from her chair, still fidgeting a bit with impatience...or perhaps it's distraction? She clearly seems to have been thrown off-kilter slightly by Tamrin's presence. "That is usually how these matters seem to go."
"Yes, well, hope for the best and prepare for the worst," Tamrin replies. "It's served me well many a time - and I'd say the same is true for some of your agents; perhaps even these fine folks here."
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With the meeting having drawn to a close, you're informed that it'll take a few days to make the ship journey to Ostenso and you'll be setting sail tomorrow on a different ship - the Queen Gale.
"She's a merchant vessel that sometimes assists in Bellflower matters," Tamrin explains. "She'll smuggle us into the harbor once we reach the city."
As you rise to depart and make your preparations for tomorrow's voyage, Tamrin clears his throat and nods at Meredith and Frankie. "Ah, would you two mind staying behind for just a moment? There's something else I'd like to discuss with you."
Once the three of you are alone in the captain's quarters, Tamrin shuts the door and turns to you with an expression of utmost seriousness.
"You two, I heard a little about you from Zarta and Captain Hamshanks before you and your friends arrived," he begins. "Turns out our interests are largely aligned; both of you work in service to freedom just like I do. Liberty's Edge, right? I've worked with your leader, Colson Maldris, before."
He glances out the small porthole, towards the horizon. "I won't lie, I've got some personal stake in this rescue mission of yours. Krima, the woman I mentioned earlier, believes that several human sympathizers of the Bellflower Network are also trapped in the Bloody Nail."
Tamrin turns his gaze back to the pair of you. "This little break-in would be the perfect opportunity to try and free them in addition to your friend Zefiro and I'd like your help in doing it."
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Meredith laughs. "Oh, you want me to free more people? I thought you were going to tell me to restrain myself and stick to Zefiro, or something stupid like that." She ruffles Frankie's hair. "I'll flip that entire prison upside down if I get the chance. Consider them freed."
She looks down at Frankie. "That Ulfen man is just the start, Frankie- we're going to liberate a whole bunch of people!"
Denair grins from the corner- it's good to see the Boss is back in good spirits!
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Frankie eagerly grabs up the small bag when offered. His lightening quick hands and reassuring smile lets everyone know its in good hands. He doesn't stand on ceremony either and immediately sticks his head inside to assess the goods. "This isn't anywhere's near big enough to fit Zefiro!" He says in all seriousness as he waits behind with Meredith and Tamrin.
Frankie looks a bit torn with the others of his group leaving, but is reassured that both Meredith and Denair are here as well. He does his best to focus as Tamrin lays things out. It doesn't take long before his interest is peaked and he's all in, almost like he just ate a whole sack of pixy stix. "Oooo this sounds great! We're going to free the whole dang place! You just wait n see, we're unstoppable! I need to do some shopping too..." He proceeds to give high fives to everyone in the room, with gusto.
Good thing I've been practicing lately! He grabs Meredith and Denair and races after the others. VROOOOM!
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"Oh, and a scroll of Disguise Other. Lazarus, you should hold onto this. When we find Zefiro, use this on him."
Tamrin grins, clearly pleased by your enthusiasm and returns Frankie's high-five. "I like your eagerness. I'm sure that most other people would warn you that it'll get you killed one of these days but if I've got you two pegged right, I don't think either of you'd listen to such a warning anyway. I know I usually don't."
"But don't think that this has to be a secret from the rest of your team," he adds, his expression growing serious once more. "Quite the opposite actually; you'll need their help to get the Bellflower agents out just as much as to get your man Zefiro out. And judging from what I've heard, they'll likely be just as eager to get as many people out as you two are - especially your spitfire friend from the Crusade. Still, I needed to make sure that at the very least you two would be willing to give it a try. I'm glad you're willing to help."
After Meredith & Frankie's short meeting with Tamrin, you all troop off into Absalom and begin making preparations for the trip and task ahead...such as disguises and the like. A quick perusal of the bag given to you by Tamrin also reveals several items that may come in handy: two doses of oil of taggit, two Elixirs of Hiding, an Elixir of Love, a Scroll of Silence, a potion of Eagle's Splendor and a Lesser Circlet of Persuasion*.
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After spending the rest of the day procuring disguise kits and anything else that you can think of that you might need for this little escapade, you call it an early night - your ride to Ostenso leaves bright and early the next morning and you certainly don't want to oversleep and miss it.
When dawn comes you all pack your gear and make your way back down to Absalom's busy docks and aboard the Queen Gale. It isn't long at all before you're underway and the busy city slips out of view over the horizon. Much like your first voyage to Corentyn a week or two prior, your trip to Ostenso is thankfully uneventful and you arrive at the Ostenso docks without any fuss. If Corentyn seemed large, then Ostenso is enormous - not as big as Absalom but plenty big enough. Home port of the Chelish Royal Navy, the docks are grand and spacious and the navalworks themselves are the largest on the continent and make up a quarter of the city on their own. You can see that another quarter of the city appears to stand upon a long line of stones, stretching a full half mile into the sea and forming a natural harbor.
"The Custodisce Break," Tamrin informs you as the ship's crew busy themselves tying up to the docks. "Easy enough to spot. Once you make it out of the Nail, you'll want to make for it - it's the easiest way for you to find your way back here."
As you prepare to depart the ship, Tamrin beckons you all below deck and gives each of you bronze badges of the Aspis Consortium. "Remember, you're Aspis agents with me. Add whatever else you'd like to your own disguises but be sure you keep these on at all times," he advises. Once you're all prepared and ready to go, Tamrin leads you off the ship and through the winding streets of the city. Everywhere you look you see guards overseeing the construction of stages, the hanging of banners, and the steering of extravagantly decorated floats in preparation for Loyalty Day.
In spite of all the spectacle, Tamrin wastes little time in bringing you to a rectangular stone building capped with an octagonal pyramid. Each side of the pyramid bears the painted image of a red nail, though rain has made the paint run, so rivulets of red stain the roof and make the image appear to be bleeding. As with many of the buildings in the city, the symbol of Asmodeus is proudly emblazoned on each side of the prison as well with a small symbol depicting a red-crowned spike piercing a golden ring placed below it.
This smaller symbol is the symbol of Dispater, Hell's greatest jailer.
"Okay, this is it," Tamrin whispers. "Wait here while I go inside and speak with the interrogator. Do *not* wander off while I'm gone."
With that, he disappears into the prison is gone for what seems like ages - surely a good half hour for certain. Just when you're beginning to wonder if something's gone awry with the plan, the doors swing open and Tamrin comes striding out. With him are a retinue of soliders led by a tall, lanky man with manacles at his belt who you assume must be the interrogator.
"These are my people," Tamrin says, indicating you with a sweep of his hand. "I assure you that they are more than capable of keeping an eye on things here while you and your men are away."
The interrogator turns to look at you, eyeing each of you in turn as if sizing you up. At last, he grunts and gives a nod of assent before turning and pointing at one of the soliders. "Galvar - you will be in charge while I am away. These men and women will help assist you in the meantime but they are not to go anywhere or touch anything within without your permission and supervision. Is that clear?"
"Yes sir!" Galvar barks. "This place will be just like you left it when you return."
"Mmm, see that it is," the interrogator murmurs before turning back to Tamrin. "Very well, let us go take care of your little emergency."
"Right! This way, please," Tamrin beckons as he begins to lead the large group away from the prison. As he strides by you, you'd almost swear that he flashes you the subtlest of winks. And in the blink of an eye Tamrin and the group of soldiers are gone, leaving you standing in front of the Bloody Nail with your new best friend, Galvar.
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Meredith frowns as she feels the Aspis badge. She knows it's necessary, but these are the people who tried to smash Frankie.
Meredith keeps her other gear intact, but she feels the flowers in her hair. Denair springs right up to her. And Meredith has another heavy sigh.
"At least until we get inside Denair... I can't have you running about. Besides it will be obvious with the flowers." After petting Denair, she dismisses the eidolon before they disembark.
"Well met, Galvar." Meredith goes for a handshake. "Happy Loyalty Day. What's our duties for today? What's the general layout."
Meredith tries to get on Galvar's good side. Even if she hates his guts.
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"I'm in, Meredith," Brayden looks down at his katana as he answers. He was hoping for a break. Some sparring time, perhaps a new blade with which to defend himself. He wasn't one to complain, but he'd had enough of all of this trekking through Cheliax, delving into ruins and now, posing as an agent of the Aspis Consortium.
Yeah, you're gonna wear that badge, and you're gonna like it.
Arriving at the Bloody Nail, definitely a fitting name given its hopefully-not-foreboding appearance, Brayden slaps on the badge and greets Galvar casually. "Happy to help, Mr. Galvar. What are we looking at here? Any notorious criminals been brought in lately? We should have some idea of what to be wary of."
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The grin Dalen gives is positively predatory when asked about freeing the Belltower members.
"Of course I'll help."
It wasn't hard for Dalen to fake a surly disposition. She returns interrogator's glare with a glower of her own, and gives Galvar a look that makes it abundantly clear what will happen if he so much as looks like he's trying to take advantage of her. All the while, the badge of the Apsis Consortium gleams where it is pinned to her cloak.
"Hey, Happy Loyalty Day," Galvar responds, visibly relaxing once the interrogator and the other soldiers are out of sight. "Duty's fairly light today actually; we've got a few prisoners but nothing that we can't handle even with a skeleton crew," he remarks as he heads towards the doors, beckoning you to follow. "And sure, I'll show you around what parts you're cleared to see - that's kind of my job right now anyway," he chuckles, obviously feeling much more at ease with his boss out of sight and the relatively friendly greeting he's received from most of you.
The front doors of the prison open into a small entrance hall. Four statues of snarling hounds stand in the corners of the Nail’s entrance hall. A red rug covers much of the floor, although stone peeks through the holes worn in the severely trodden carpet. Another guard, tall and thin, stands watch, casually leaning against the nearby wall.
"Howdy Straven," Galvar nods at the man. "Just showing our temps around a little bit, letting them see the lay of the land, you know."
"Ahh, right, right, I thought I heard that halfling saying something about giving us some backup while the others are gone," Straven replies, then gives the group of you a short, quick flick of his hand in greeting. "Welcome to the Bloody Nail, enjoy your stay," he chuckles as Galvar leads you further on, through the opposite set of double doors into a hallway. Basic lanterns hang from the ceiling in each corner, lighting the halls. Two pairs of guards are loitering around out here, chatting amongst themselves. Both sets of conversations pause however as they look at you, clearly curious.
"Asma, Brai, Tesante, and Zir," Galvar says by way of introduction. "Don't mind us, just showing the temporary help around a bit."
"Huh...Aspis, eh?" the dark-haired Asma remarks, squinting at the badge on Brayden's chest before her eyes trail up to look at his face. "Aspis hires all kinds but you're the strangest-looking bunch I've seen yet."
"Wanna post for a portrait with 'im Asma?" calls Zir from the other corner. "It'll last longer!" He hoots with laughter, as do Brai and Tesante. Asma's cheeks color a little bit and she quickly puts a little space between herself and Brayden. "Hey! He's blue, can you blame me for looking just a little? Geeze..."
Galvar chuckles a little and shakes his head. "We don't get new faces here much so you're probably going to get a few stares while we're walking around; don't pay it no mind."
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Leaving Brai, Zir, and Tesante to continue teasing their fellow guard Asma, Galvar leads you through a door in the western section of the hallway. This cozy chamber features wooden chairs arranged casually around two tables. Two blazing fireplaces warm the room — a western one facing in toward an open door and a southern one furnished with kitchen utensils and cook pots. Playing cards, dice, and other diversions litter the tables. A gamey smell wafts through the room.
Four more guards sit around one of the tables, talking shop and playing cards, while a fifth seems busy preparing a meal over the southern fireplace, occasionally stirring the contents of the large iron pot that hangs over the fire. All of them turn to look as the door opens and one of the guards sitting at the table waves jovially to Galvar.
"'Ey, was wonderin' where you went," he calls out. "Fancy a game of cards while Thrick works on th' stew?"
"Nah, got to show these folks around; they're filling in while the boss and the others are out," Galvar remarks, sighing a little wistfully.
"Oh! Hey, let 'em come on in then, maybe they'll wanna play," the man laughs, beckoning everyone to step inside. "All work an' no play makes us all dull children, don't it?"
The lone woman at the table sighs and rolls her eyes. "You just want to play against people who aren't wise to your cheating shenanigans, Usul!"
"Don't mind them, Usul and Inetra bicker like an old married couple," Thrick calls cheerfully over his shoulder. "Come on in, have a seat, stew'll be ready pretty soon if you fancy a bite!"
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On the ship Frankie smiles and nods enthusiastically as the others sign up for helping extract even more prisoners. "Thanks guys! We're going to leave this prison like a ghost town! But without even any ghosts! Just... empty beds!" He pauses to figure out why that didn't come out as smoothly as he'd hoped.
As they near port he watches the others disguise themselves and plucks a small blonde mustache from a kit, sticking it to his face. "Good afternoon gentlemen and ladies... it is I... Frank. Aspis Agent extraordinaire!" He affixes the badge to his chest before snickering.
As the group heads towards the prison, and it comes into view, 'Frank' gulps a bit at the sight. Large, imposing, and scary. "That's... awful." He mutters. A look of resolve quickly crossing his face. Its on!
He smiles and nods as introductions are made, doing his best to preserve the illusion he's an adult and should act in a more serious manner. He does keep his eyes peeled though for things of interest as they move through the rooms.
As they enter the kitchen area his face lights up at the scene. "Cards... games.. dice... dinner? I may need to take you all up on that offer later. Once we've had the grand tour and everything of course." He says, standing up a bit straighter and petting his mustachio. "Name's Frank. Great to meet you all." He nods to everyone in the room before taking a swig of cocoa from his water skin, careful to not leave behind his usual cocoa-stache.
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"A card game?!" Brayden leaps into a chair and holds his palms out. "If only the guards of Corentyn were as welcoming as yourselves. Come on, deal me in! Let's do this! Aces high?"
While he's chatting about rules, he glances around the area for anything untoward or potentially shady.
Adopting a surprisingly more 'adult' persona, Frankie makes sure to give the entryway a good once-over as the group passes through but doesn't spot anything out of the ordinary.
Now in what must be a break room of sorts, Frankie gives Brayden an earful when he accepts the invitation to sit down and play some cards. The other guards chuckle at this.
"You sound just like Falzin," a grizzled-looking man says, eyeing 'Frank' up and down. "It's a wonder he can walk what with the giant stick up his a#%! Don't be like him kid; there's nothing wrong with having a little fun on the job long as the work gets done."
As Brayden pulls up a chair, Usul begins shuffling the cards and dealing them out. "Listen t' Valtym kid, he knows what he's talkin' 'bout," he remarks in a conversational tone. "'Sides, not like there's much to do here right now what with th' holiday comin' up an' all."
"Sure the rest of you don't want to have a seat?" Inetra asks, gesturing to the other empty table. "Even if you don't fancy a game, you'd probably be more comfortable sitting than standing there in the doorway."
"Yeah, at least take a load off for a few minutes," a rather young, clean-cut guard adds. "What brings you folks here anyway? It's been awhile since we've had any Aspis here in the prison."