"Er...I'm not supposed to let any of you out of my sight," Galvar begins to protest, awkwardly scratching at the back of his neck.
Usul snorts. "Look, you've got those four out in the halls, Straven at the front door and I think Krima's off in the archives like usual. And there's what, five of us right here not to mention Falzin, Jurvik, and Yenae are bunked down over the in the barracks. It'll be fine, alright?"
"Are you sure, Usul?" Inetra asks, looking a little concerned. "The boss is usually pretty specific about these sorts of things..."
Galvar nods, folding his arms across his chest. "That's right. He specifically said that I had to make sure and keep an eye on our guests." He throws you all a quick, apologetic glance. "Nothing personal you know, but orders are orders."
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Galvar looks from Frank to the rest of you and then to his fellow guards and then sighs. "Well...alright. Usul's got a point, it's not like we're just giving you free run of the place. Okay, the three of you come with me; we'll make a quick lap and be back by the time the stew's ready."
And with that, he turns and heads back out the door, beckoning for Frank, Lazarus, and Dalen to follow.
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The other guards at the table look at each other and shrug as Brayden changes his mind about the cards and rises to follow Galvar and the others. "Hey, suit yourself," Usul remarks as he looks over his cards and then suddenly grins. "Get it? 'Suit'? 'Cause we're playin'-"
"Hell's Bells Usul, just play a card and shut up," Inetra groans as the others roll their eyes. She turns to Meredith, still sitting at the table. "Looking to climb the ladder, you said? I can't blame you; you can only get so far without having to give it some elbow grease and get your hands dirty."
"And for right now, yeah, we just play cards since there's nothing much going on," Inetra continues. "The prisoners aren't going anywhere. I think the main prison’s got some kind of fancy trap set up to keep prisoners from escaping. They bring someone in to check the gears every once in a while."
From over his shoulder, Thrick adds, "Not to mention most of the ones we have right now don't have much longer left on their sentences anyway."
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For those wishing to continue the guided tour, Galvar leads you back out of the break room and into the hallway. You continue north and pass through an iron-barred gate into the northern section of the prison, coming to a stop at a set of iron double doors leading to the east.
"Actual prison's in here," Galvar says as he opens the door and leads you inside. The stink of unwashed bodies permeates this narrow corridor, illuminated by violet prisms set into sconces on the inner corners. Iron bars isolate the hall’s outer perimeter, where the walls are lined with manacles set into the stone. Dozens of filthy prisoners lie behind the bars, each one wearing a sign around his or her neck bearing an identification number, a crime, a red "X" next to the word "Interrogation," and a release date. Two sets of iron double doors lead deeper into the building.
"That one's restricted access," your guide remarks, nodding at the iron double doors leading further in. "Interrogation room, you know..."
A quick glance at the identification cards on some of the prisoners nearest to you shows that, as Thrick mentioned, most of them are serving time for minor infractions and are only a few days away from being released.
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"A trap, eh? Pretty crafty." Frankie- er, Frank will have to handle that. I could also ask Denair to take a look if worse comes to worse.
"Good to hear their sentences are almost up. They can return to being productive members of society. A shame they're missing the Loyalty Day celebration, eh?" Meredith places the Ace of Spades down. "Heh, maybe we're the real prisoners, stuck here playing cards."
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Frank marches inside with Galvar and the others, eager to see what challenges await them and their rescue plans. He sees the walls lined with prisoners and forces himself to maintain his persona. Nodding along as he sees and hears they are soon to be released. "Maybe next time they'll learn not to get caught." He shakes his head Tisk tisk. We'll have to leave them for now.
"Ya those lights ARE interesting..." As Lazarus tries to distract Galvar, Frank takes the opportunity to check on the door to the 'restricted' area if he can do it stealthily.
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Brayden notices Frankie attempting to peek into the restricted area, and so he tries to distract Galvar. "Ugh, those turnips. My stomach is not doing well. I really must be visiting the rest room! Quick, where is it?!" He holds onto his belly, running in place. "I mean it. If I don't go soon, this place will soon become the Brown Nail!"
"An ace! You're up Cormyn - four chances," hoots Valtym as Meredith's ace goes onto the card pile. "Feeling lucky today?"
Cormyn begins flipping through cards in succession, drawing each one and flipping it in such a way that the rest of the table see the result before he himself does. First, the four of clubs, then the ten of diamonds, followed by the two of spades and finally the five of hearts - much to his chagrin.
"Guess not," Inetra chuckles. "The pile goes to...er, I don't think we actually got your name, did we?" she asks as she nudges the center pile of cards towards Meredith.
"An' heck yeah, you ain't kidding," Usul agrees. "Most've us are just tryin' t' keep our heads down until we can go enjoy th' festivities. Sure it ain't no better for you an' your friends, being stuck here with us when there's partyin' t' do!"
From your position at the table you're able to get a pretty decent view of Thrick as he putters about, working on his stew. You notice that of the herbs he occasionally sprinkles into the mix, two of them would act as natural catalysts for oil of taggit that would enhance its potency and potentially affect anyone who tastes it.
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Out of a desire to distract Galvar from what he knows 'Frank' is surely to get up to, Lazarus beckons him closer to the prism sitting in its sconce on the northwestern corner. Though he's easily able to determine that both the prism and the sconce are magical in nature, he's unable to determine just what function they might serve beyond illumination.
"Uh...to be honest, I don't rightly know," Galvar admits, looking a little embarrassed. "I mean, I think I heard the boss say something about 'soundproofing' but beyond that I'm not sure how they work. Usually it's just the boss and a couple of his top men that come in and out of there."
He pauses for a moment and stares at the interior wall and then shivers slightly. "Maybe it's a good thing, too. All the screaming...I think it would wear a lot of us down if we had to listen to it all the time."
Meanwhile, Frank casually slides around the southern corner and makes his way to the set of iron double doors that leads into the interrogation room. A quick check of the doors reveals no traps but it is rather securely locked.
Also wishing to cover for Frank's casing of the joint, Brayden suddenly feigns illness, declaring that Turnipzuma's Revenge will soon be visited upon the entire prison if he doesn't get to a latrine in a hurry. Galvar simply looks at the dancing man with a raised eyebrow.
"That's...a really bad lie, man. If you'd said broccoli or something it might've been more believable," he finally says. "Look, if you're feeling squeamish just say it, okay? Come on, we'll go finish the patrol and then have a good meal; that'll perk you right up!"
As he speaks, Galvar begins heading back towards the doors you entered from, motioning for the rest of you to follow.
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Seeing the doors locked Frankie quickly returns to the group and raises an eyebrow and smooths his false 'mustachio' at Brayden's 'potty dance'. "He's such a kidder. He uses that line all the time tryin' to get outta his turn on watch." Frankie snickers before giving him a light kick in the pants before following closely behind Galvar, trying to see if he's got any obvious keys on him.
"This place sure is heavy security. I'm used to seeing one room jails at the local sheriff's." He says in awe as they pass more and more heavy iron doors and bars. "From the outside looking in of course!" He quickly adds. That sheriff guy sure was nice though. His pie wasn't half bad either!
Galvar actually grins a little and shakes his head as everyone follows him out of the prison proper and back into the hallway. "Yeah, I kinda figured. It's not my first time around the block, you know. To be honest though - and you didn't hear this from me - if you wanna fake being sick, try a puking pustule. It...well, the name says it all."
As Galvar continues to chatter away, you round the corner and see two doors set into the northwestern wall. "Boss's office," is all the explanation he gives as he keeps walking. The group of you round another corner and come to another door, this one set into the northeastern wall. "And that's the vault. Nothing you folks need to worry about though; we usually don't need to go inside very often and we can't let outsiders see the combination to get in - no offense."
Continuing south down the hallway you pass through another door set into iron bars, returning to the southern half of the prison. You all see Brai and Zir further down the hallway, still standing watch. The pair nod at you in acknowledgement as Galvar leads you all through a door and into another chamber. This chamber stores crates containing various odds and ends necessary for running a prison: food, manacles, parchment, ink, and other supplies. Two cages for minor offenders, animals, or valuables stand against the east wall, and an interior door leads into another room.
"And this room's what you'd think - storage for all sorts of things we need to operate day to day," Galvar explains, gesturing around. He points to the interior door and adds, "Archives are that way; I'm sure Krima's in there puttering around like usual. We'll pop in and say hello here in a second and then head back to the break room."
A cursory look around the room doesn't reveal anything in particular that stands out, though Frankie does catch a glint of something shiny through a crack in one of the stacked crates.
As best as you can tell, Galvar doesn't seem to be carrying any keys on his person. It's possible that someone else might have one, though!
When Meredith mentions herself a summoner, everyone stops what they're doing to look at her with amazement, even Thrick.
"No kiddin'??" Usul asks. "Heard 'bout folks that can do that but ain't met any person'ly before!"
Thrick coughs timidly. "Um...what sort of things do you summon?"
"Oooh, can we see one? Maybe something small and cute, nothing too dangerous?" Inetra chimes in.
"Yeah, we won't tell the boss and I'm sure Galvar wouldn't say anything either," Cormyn eagerly adds.
Seems that this bunch is hungry for any sort of entertainment or break in routine....
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All eyes are fixed on her. Lots of focused attention. Meredith is a bit apprehensive at first - she remembers her time in the slave pen involved lots of people staring at her. Or was that the circus?
Is it time for Denair? No, I'd better keep it simple. Save her for the big finale.
"Well, let's see..." "Ulmari" leans back. "Well, who doesn't like dogs?" Meredith calls upon the forces of nature, tapping into the world of canines. Using her Nature's Call ability, she casts Summon Nature's Ally 1 to call forth a celestial dog for 4 minutes.
"Her name is... uh... Isa." Meredith thinks on the spot. "She has a nice coat of fur, don't you think? I can call some animals forth to help me when I need it." She scratches Isa's head. "Down girl!"
"Good girl. Don't be shy, let's play with these good folks for a bit."
We'll play, then Zefiro and the Bellflowers will have some real fun!
Meredith downplays her abilities, as she doesn't want to reveal Denair unless absolutely necessary.
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Dalen keeps her face as impassive as she can as the tour continues. It seemed like Galvar is just a guy working for a living, but part of her can't forgive him and the others for tacitly supporting a regime like the one lead by the Thrunes.
"Guess that's where you keep who did what," she asks, nodding to the door that lead to the archive room.
As Meredith summons forth the cute celestial canine Isa, both Inetra and Thrick clap their hands delightedly like small children. Cormyn and Valtym stare in amazement and Usul just shakes his head, remarking, "Hells, that's th' damnedest thin' I've seen in months!"
"Ooh, she's so cute," Inetra smiles, cautiously reaching out a hand to pet Isa. "Um...is it okay if I...?"
Spinning around in his seat, Usul calls out, "HEY! Y' gotta come out here an' see this!" towards a closed door to the northwest. After a few moments, the door opens and three more guards come stumbling out, yawning and blinking peevishly.
"Damn it Usul, I was sleeping great," grumbles a young woman, pushing her dark brown hair out of her eyes. "What's all the screaming about?"
Thrick rapidly beckons the three newest arrivals over, gleefully pointing at the dog, "Look! Our new friend Ulmari conjured her, right out of thin air! It's amazing!"
The next few minutes consist of 'Ulmari' and the other guards explaining her presence to the three that had been catching up on their sleep as well as much oohing and ahhing over Isa. All of the noise and chatter attracts the attention of the four guards standing out in the hallways as well as Straven and they too come to see what's going on, filling the small break room near to bursting as they all pile inside.
"Yep - some of them, anyway. There's others in the vault," Galvar replies to Dalen as he offers a courtesy knock on the door to the archives before heading inside. Following close behind, you all enter into a small room filled with floor to ceiling shelves. Hundreds of manuscripts and prison records fill this room’s shelves, many bearing labels such as "Accounting," "Calendars," and "Discharge Logs".
As you enter, a woman with dark black hair and piercing blue eyes pauses, in the middle of shelving some books. She raises an eyebrow at the sight of all of you following behind Galvar. "What's this? Playing Mama Duck today, Galvar?"
"Ah, nah, nothing like that Krima," Galvar responds, blushing a little as he rubs the back of his neck. "Just showing these folks around; boss had to go help their boss with something so they're here to help us out on watch until the boss gets back."
Krima nods, studying each of you with mild curiosity. "Aspis? It's been awhile since I've seen any of your folks here inside the Nail."
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"Oh, Krima," Brayden beams. "I thought you'd never arrive. Legend describes your beauty in only half as much detail as it appears." He smirks. "I'm kidding, of course, but perhaps you could escort us around while we share details about the Consortium's latest racketeering efforts. You should have seen the coffee beans we were able to secure."
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Frank heads on inside with the others, his curiosity thrumming in his brain to tear this room apart to find something cool, fun, and helpful to their mission. He however holds it together for now and just lets his eyes wander around for anything that looks helpful. Papers on the desk or perhaps a set of keys in easy reach..
As he causally looks around he chuckles at Brayden's pickup line. "I'm not sure if that's a pickup attempt or what, but ya, not sure if Tamrin was dropping us off here so we wouldn't get bored or what." Frankie stands on his tip toes trying to check on a poster on the wall. In case of fire... this is your exit route...
"Uh...I'm supposed to be the one keeping an eye on you," Galvar points out, giving Brayden a rather strange look. Krima also seems initially confused...but then her face quirks oddly when Frank lets slip mention of Tamrin.
"Ahh...well, that might be true Galvar but surely you're ready for a break no?" she asks, clearing her throat. "Besides, my eyes are crossing from looking at numbers all day! A little break to walk around and stretch my legs would do me good."
Galvar frowns, crossing his arms over his chest. "Look, I already left one of them back in the break room and I probably shouldn't have even done that. The boss told me to keep an eye on them and that's what I need to do."
"Besides...you've all been awfully quick to suggest splitting up anyway," he continues, eyes narrowing slightly with suspicion. "Makes it seem like you're up to something."
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"Galvar, you've got your own folks at every guard post in this prison. Surely, one woman playing cards with your people and one of us supporting the cook doesn't violate your boss's intent."
"Besides, we're here to augment your guard detail, right? Can't do that if you stick us in one room and keep an eye on us the whole time. How could your boss expect you to perform all your other duties?"
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Frank shrugs his shoulders at the questions. "Sounds to me like your Boss gave you an impossible job. Keep the prison running as is but do it with both hands tied behind yer back and ours too! Take a break and go check back on the break room maybe if your worried, we're good little Aspis's." Frank shakes the man's hand, smiling. That's what adults do right? Shake hands on important stuff?
All of the resistance seems to drain away from Galvar as Lazarus and Frank point out that his boss seems to have left him holding the ball in a big way. "You know, you're right...I don't know why he put me in charge and then decided I needed to play babysitter to you guys too," he agrees with a frustrated sigh. "It doesn't make sense; he could've just told me to keep an eye on things and to have one of the others show you around or something. But hey, that's par for the course around here. He can't even remember anything without having to write it down so why would he actually know how to delegate in a way that makes sense!?"
Galvar turns to Krima. "You know what? Yeah, if you want to take over for a little bit for me that'd be great - I'll owe you one, Krima."
"Oh, it's not a problem at all," Krima smiles, waving him off. "Sounds like we could both use a break from our usual duties. Go take a break; I'll take over from here for a little bit."
"Thanks Krima, you're a peach! I'll head back to the break room; Thrick should have the stew ready about anytime now so come on over if you all want a bite to eat."
And with that, Galvar turns and heads out of the archives.
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Once she's assured that Galvar is safely out of earshot, Krima quickly closes the door to the archives and turns to face you.
"Okay, you have my attention - and my aid, as best as I can give it," she says tersely, letting her smile drop. "Our mutual acquaintance sent you to find me, that much I know. Tell me, what are you doing here and how can I help?"
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As soon as Krima makes it clear it's safe to drop the act, Dalen returns to normal and massages her jaw.
"Ow, that expression hurts after a while," she mutters before turning to Krima, her expression worried, but more like she was normally.
"We're here for Zefiro and some Belltower people that got caught. You're probably either gonna have to come with us or get the same treatment the other guards get, so sorry in advance if it comes to that," she quickly explains.
Krima frowns but once she's given a description of Zefiro she nods, her expression grim. "I think there was a prisoner matching that description in the middle of a torture session when the interrogator was called away - and I daresay that's where they left him, strapped into whatever contraptions they have in the interrogation room. Him, and the other Bellflower agents."
"Look, I can't help you with the traps because I don't know what they are, exactly. But Galvar wasn't kidding when he said that the boss here has a mind like a sieve," she continues. "I bet he's got more information on the traps and whatever their disarming mechanisms are in his office. Maybe the means to get into the vault too. Anything your man might've had on him when he was arrested, the vault is where it would've ended up."
She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a small, crudely cast key and offers it to one of you. "Had a feeling it'd come in handy so I made a cast of the boss's office key," Krima smiles grimly. "It's not a perfect copy but it should be good enough to help get you inside."
When Frank pulls out the poison vials and shows them off, Krima's smile broadens into a grin. "Ahhh, now that's more like it! I knew that little bugger Tamrin wouldn't have sent you lot in here without a few goodies to help you out. Think you can slip it into Thrick's stew?"
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You finally arrive, huffing and puffing, at the entrance to the Bloody Nail, 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.
As you prepare to knock on the door, another cramp grips your stomach, though it's much less intense than it was just an hour or two earlier. You don't know what the cook aboard the Queen Gale did to those turnips at dinner last night but you know you'll never look at the squat little vegetables the same way ever again. But at least the worst seems to have finally passed and you were able to make your way out to the Bloody Nail to catch up with your companions. Hopefully they've not started all the fun without you!
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Thoroughly amused by your summoning of Isa, the guards prove a rapt audience and several of them sigh sadly when the little doggo's time is up and she returns from whence she came.
"That was so cool!" Thrick exclaims. "What else can you do? Ooh, can you summon an elephant!? Do an elephant next!"
Straven rolls his eyes. "Are you stupid or what? If she conjured an elephant the damn thing'd crush us all!"
About this time, Galvar comes strolling back into the break room - alone. Having just missed the show he looks around, a bit gobsmacked at seeing practically every remaining guard in the prison all crammed into the break room.
"Hell's Bells! What'd I miss??" he gapes.
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What in the Nine Hells?
(Approaching the Guards, while looking somewhat lost...not really a stretch.)
"Yes, perhaps you can inform me of the whereabouts of my friend and colleague Krima? She was accompanied by several others people, including a small street urchin.
"I was really hoping to rejoin her. If not, I am sure I could spend the afternoon and evening telling you of the greatness of Gozreh and of his wonders and blessings while I wait for them to return."
"Of course, I do understand that you would need to be COMPENSATED for your time and trouble...disrupting the schedule of important men such as yourselves."
(Jan offers the Guard(s) a 20gp bribe).
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"Galvar, you missed one of my tricks. I'm called Ulmari the Summoner for a reason." She grins and goes to shake his hand.
A bit overconfident, she is. "Let's see... I could summon a different dog. Or maybe an eagle. If we had some room, I could call forth a pony."
I don't know where everyone else went, but I have to stall for time...