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The captain's quarters aboard the Hornet's Nest sits in uncomfortable silence. The normally composed Zarta Dralneen awkwardly shifts in her chair, repeatedly glancing across the room at a stocky halfling with short salt-and-pepper hair and practical black clothing. Between them stands Venture-Captain Dennel Hamshanks, the ship's captain, who seems relieved to have other visitors.
"Welcome, agents," Hamshanks announces. "My other guests have already skipped the social niceties, so I don't see why we need to start now. 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, not can it allow these documents to be thrown into 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 You 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."
The halfling 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. 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 tomorrow is Loyalty Day, 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. 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 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. Easy enough?"
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Bahram listens to the mission with his right eyebrow raised for it's entirety. Bahram had a breastplate of wooden armor, a great axe on his back, curled tipped boots, and a pretty sash wrapped around his waist. waist. After Tamrin finishes laying out his, Bahram's face shifts to a thoughtful frown.
"Tamrin Credence, your reputation precedes you. I trust your assessment of the mission.".
"I assume we will have uniforms, aliases, a map with a nice big red X to mark where we can find our friend Zefiro?". Bahram throws a wink, accompanied by a sideways smile, Cassiopeia's way as he finishes.
"No undead or necromancers. It's a prison, so expect guards. But you may see traps, locks, and anything else that doesn't require steady pay."
Tamrin then perks up. "Ah, thanks for reminding me. Before I forget, here is some stuff that will help.". Tamrin hands over a few items to help bypass the Nail's guards.
-Two doses of oil of taggit
-Two elixirs of hiding
-One elixir of love
-One scroll of silence
-One potion of eagle's splendor
-A lesser circlet of persuasion (which functions like a circlet of persuasion but only provides a +2 bonus on Charisma=based skill checks)
He also provides a bronze badge of the Aspis Consortium, but no aliases or uniforms. Tamrin then asks, "Are any among you paladins? Or truth-bound? I can coach you in some half-truths or canned responses you can use to dodge common questions."
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Bahram looks over the items with a glitter in his eyes. "Looks like it's time to get creative and have some fun!". His eyes stop on the circlet of lesser persuasion. . Pointing to the circlet, he says "Right there is plan A, ladies and gentlemen." patting his great axe "and as always, this is a reliable plan B" giving Erhun his trademark wink.
. "Ugh. We had a sand blasted, oath bound paladin for a leg of the mission. Luckily, he has moved on to a sunnier oasis."
Tamrin laughs. "Oh paladins and their righteousness."
Then he turns to Wymarc. "Yes, well this would normally be a suicide mission. But Zefiro is one of the only authorities on Chelish history - real Chelish history, none of this psudeo-history brewed up by House Thrune. Plus, as you say, he's a friend, not only to you but the Pathfinder Society at large."
He winces. "If you believe violence is an option, do what you have to do. But if the interrogator returns to to a charnel house, he'll mobilize the guards faster than you can wipe the blood off your sword. If that happens, better hope you can beat feet to the docks faster than all of Ostenso's law enforcement on high alert."
"Oh, and there is one last thing." Tamrin holds up a hand. "Try dropping a hint to Krima. She's a Bellflower plant in the Nail, so if you can tip her off and get her to switch jobs with your supervisor, you'll have free run of the joint. If that doesn't work, fly, charm him, drug him, knock him on the head - whatever works."
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I don't consider myself an holy warrior, but I do prefer to speak the truth everytime it is possible. I understand that Pathfinder missions require some amount of deception, and I'm not oath bound, as you said, to the truth. I speak the truth to friends, family and allies. Foes don't deserve my honesty and sincerity. Especially if they are tied to the scourge of undeath.
He pauses, and adds, without humor
Coming to the gates of the Fortress of the Nail and say "we are here to free one of your prisoners" can only be counter productive, after all.
"Well," Tamrin pauses as he pulls Erhun aside, "you may be asked a question such as 'How's working for the Apsis Consortium?' A good response could be, 'pay's good, and our boss has a reputation in Cheliax so we can get into places we weren't normally allowed.'"
Tamrin continues, "They may also ask you how you are celebrating Loyalty Day. You can skirt around the truth with a response such as 'we planned to see some parades and hear some of the speeches before moving on to our next assignment. You have to love how House Thrune takes care of the people on a day like today.'"
The halfling follows up, "Lastly, they may ask about your worship and if you worship Asmodeus. I always respond with something like, 'it's not hard to in this country; plus you have to admire how the Archfiend runs such a tight ship.'"
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Bahram pretends not to eavesdrop on the conversation between Tamrin and Erhun, but commits Tamrin's advice to memory.
Bahram looks from the circlet to Cassiopia and lets our a sigh. He knows that it will be more potent in her hands. He also knows that they will only have this item for a short time, it's not like he's losing out on it permanently. "I think that the circlet would look much better on you, Lady of the Amber Rose.". To console himself, Bahram collects some of the other items, and imagines himself as some sort of assassin/spy.
"Ah! An inside contact! That could prove to be invaluable! This is seeming easier and easier!"
After the Pathfinders are done questioning Tamrin, he outfits them with bronze Aspis Consortium badges and leads them aboard the Queen Gale, a merchant vessel that sometimes assists the Bellflower Network in transporting both people and goods. The Queen Gale smuggles the PCs into Ostenso Harbor the net day, where Tamrin hastily leads you through Dockside's winding streets. Dozens of guards oversee the construction of stages, the hanging of banners, and the steering of extravagantly decorated floats in preparation for the upcoming Loyalty Day events.
Despite the spectacle, Tamrin wastes no time bringing the Pathfinders 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. Occasional symbols of a red-crowned spike piercing a golden ring poke out from easily moved wall hangings and plaques.
Tamrin instructs the Pathfinders to wait outside the Nail as he disappears into the building.
Tamrin disappears into the building for nearly half an hour. He returns accompanied by a retinue of soldiers, led by a lanky interrogator with manacles at his belt. Tamrin gestures to the Pathfinders Aspis agents prompting the interrogator to size them up. The interrogator beckons to one of his guards and then asserts that the group are to help watch the facility while he tends to Tamrin's emergency, and that Galvar - the guard he summoned - is in charge during his absence. The Pathfinders are not to go anywhere or touch anything without Galvar's permission and supervision. Tamrin flashes them a subtle wink before leading the interrogator and his soldiers into the city.
Once the interrogator departs, Galvar () visibly relaxes and welcomes the PCs inside. "Well, I do have to supervise you during your stay, but I'm confident that you are just as unhappy about having to 'play security guard' on a holiday as I am about needing to chaperone you. I must admit that today the guards are just keeping their heads down until they can go enjoy the festivities in town."
Entering the building, they see four statues of snarling hounds that 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.
A male guard stands watch here. He's cordial, but otherwise seems quiet. "Hello Galvar, who are these folks?"
The guard in the entryway seems cordial, but impatient. Anyone looking at him can see he's eager for his shift to end soon so he can join in the festivities. Galvar, their guard, is similar, he'd much rather be out celebrating than working.
Galvar leads the group into the next set of doors. Iron bars separate the Nail's southern hallways from the northern ones. Basic lanterns hang from the ceiling in each corner surrounding the central prison, lighting the halls.
Four guards stand watch here. They eye you as you walk in, but continue their conversations once the novelty fades. "My wife is making her special sweet potato pie for the festivities. Can't wait to try some. It's my favorite.". The conversation continues with topics along those lines.
Galvar suggests going to the left. "Staff lounge is up ahead. You can place your heavy things down in there."
"Just some storage and records of the prison. Nothing really of note though. Boring as Heaven. Cold too."
Galvar rolls his eyes. "Why do you want to see the prisoners? They're locked up tight. No chance of seeing them.". He continues. "We don't ask what they did to get here, management's pretty strict about that stuff anyway. They even have a way to soundproof the main prison when they're interrogating important prisoners so nothing leaks out. Fine by me, I hate hearing them scream.".
The other guards chat with Cassiopia. "It's almost our lunch time. Maybe another 15 minutes or so. I think Thrick is making a strew," one of the guards starts chatting with her. "Rabbit stew, I believe" another guard chimes in.
Galvar nods and waves goodbye to the guards. "The rabbit stew will be ready soon, so don't take your time in there!" one of the guards yells after them.
The Pathfinders 'totally authentic' Aspis agents make their way east towards the storage facility and library. Opening up the door, they see that the 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 to another room.
There are no guards in this room. By closing the door, the conversation of the guards outside turns to an inaudible mumble.
"What are you doing? Why are you trying to look through the records? Those are private! Stop it!"
Galvar calls out to Bahram.
Bahram does detect magic in one of the nearby crates.
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Miffed that he won’t get to ply his roguish skills to perhaps purloin some of these records, at least not at this time, Wymarc tries to cover for his friend.. ”Excuse Bahram, my friend, he’s an archaeologist and is fascinated by books and records of all sorts, his curiosity gets the best of him at times…come, the rabbit stew smells like it’s done now, let’s go eat before it’s gone…”
Galvar nods slowly, not sure if he believes you fully. "Yes, yes, of course. The life of the guard is pretty dull though. We just talk, eat, and sleep. Not much more. I rarely get to see the prisoners. If you want excitement, why are you here?"
Cassiopia finds a similar aura as Bahram - somewhere in the crates, she detects some faint magic.
Wymarc leads the group to the staff lounge in the western wing of the building. The guards (in red) nod as the group pass, then returning to talking about the holiday.
The cozy chamber in front of Wymarc 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 and other diversions litter the table. A gamey smell wafts through the room.
Four guards are sitting around the table playing a game of dice. They're laughing and chatting. When they see the Pathfinders come in, they cheer, "join us for a game, Galvar!"
Then there is another guard (pink) who is busy making a stew in the southern end of the room. He's quiet and not as talkative, focusing more on making the food.
Anyone can approach the cook, who introduces himself as Thrick, and help him chop up some herbs or rabbit (with a DC 17 Diplomacy, Intimidate, or Profession (cook) check). It's also possible to slip something in to the cooking pot unobserved with a DC 17 Sleight of Hand check. "Dinner will be ready in about 15 minutes!" he calls out.
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Erhun, wordlessly, start to chop the rabbit and some herbs. The way he's cutting the poor rabbit is quite frightening, as if he had a revenge to take.
So, tell me, what kind of prisoners do you have here? Necromancers? Practionners of the dark arts? Cultists of undeath?
The tall, lanky man can be quite obsessive, it seems, and there is an edge in his voice. You have a feeling anyone tied with undead would spend an even worse time than the rabbit...
Erhun joins with Thrick, who is immediately intimidated by the man. Erhun gets a sense that Thrick isn't as talkative as the others - while the other guards are laughing and having a good time, he's barely said a few words.
Thrick hands over the rabbit to Erhun as he watches in horror. So much blood!
Cassiopia takes a quick glance at the stew - Thrick just tossed the rabbit in and it's smelling delicious. She knows that two of the herbs he's using would make a good natural catalyst for the oil of taggit. And with Erhun distracting the cook, someone (Wyrmac?) can easily move in and add some oil of taggit (with a DC 17 Sleight of Hand check with a +2 Aid Another from Erhun).
Cassiopia uses her charm to entertain the guards. "Join us in the next game!" One of them calls out. There is one woman among the guards (just so you know).
But they start talking! ()