Session B20 — With Parole

Summary

A direct continuation of B19's morning breakfast service. The food poisoning from Haldak's Chronurgy egg operation surpassed all expectations: the prison's own warden, Marta Marthannis, crawled to the infirmary incapacitated by severe food illness, alongside multiple guards. With the warden bedridden and her office unoccupied, Othorion secured legitimate permission to enter her quarters for tea supplies — and he and Kavu proceeded to spend the better part of an hour conducting a meticulous intelligence raid of her locked filing cabinets. Key discoveries included Prisoner 13's true identity (Korda Glintstone, embezzler and killer of Clan Axebreaker agents), Lireal's full charges and life-without-parole sentence, and — unexpectedly — two prisoners named Gruntier and Snortle Fairlight, whose surname the party will recognize as belonging to Kelvin. Kavu, improvising with the Mend cantrip and a knife, physically cut and spliced the phrase "with parole" from an older record into Lireal's sentence documentation, replacing "without parole." The party regrouped in the courtyard to share intelligence, during which Othorion glimpsed a figure he believes was Valera Vandree — gone the moment he turned to look. The session closed with Othorion making his first direct contact with Lireal in her cell, conducted as a physician's house call: she revealed that her true crime was helping Manan child refugees after their nation's destruction, making powerful people look "cruel and foolish," and being sent to Revel's End for publicly embarrassing her enemies. She is not picking up Thieves' Cant. The approach to Prisoner 13 remains pending as B20 closes.

Key Events

Morning — The Warden Goes Down

The food poisoning from Haldak's Chronurgy egg-expiration operation spread wider than anticipated. Among those affected: Gabriel Zephyrwind (severe immediate onset), four guards, and — most significantly — Warden Marta Marthannis, who crawled to the infirmary herself. Roland expended all six of his Lay on Hands uses treating the sick (Gabriel, the guards, the warden, himself, and Selene). Haldak cast Purify Food and Drink (ritual, 10 minutes) on the remaining egg stock and coerced the kitchen cooks into silence about the egg quality.

The warden and at least four guards were bedridden for an estimated 24–48 hours. The infirmary became too full for prisoner examinations — which, as it turned out, was not the outcome the party had planned but opened a different door entirely.

Warden's Office — Intelligence Raid

With the warden confined to the infirmary and incapable of returning to her office, Othorion approached her for a legitimate pretext: she had mentioned a tea satchel and dwarven scotch in her right-hand desk drawer, and offered him use of her office to collect them. She granted permission and sent them off — unaware that Othorion and Kavu intended to spend the next forty minutes reading her locked filing cabinets.

Othorion picked two locks on the filing cabinet wall: Crimes and Sentences (Nat 20, DC 20) and Commutations (roll of 22, DC 20). The remaining cabinets — Cargo Manifests, Prisoner Transfer Orders, and Death Certificates — were not breached for want of time.

Prisoner records found:

The Fairlight surname — Kelvin's name — did not pass without comment. The party now knows two people bearing that name are imprisoned at Revel's End for cannibalism. This was not discussed further this session.

The Commutations file contained recent releases for Holga, Kilgore, and Egan Darvis (the party recognizes Darvis from Luskan). The format of commutation documents was observed: name, years served, original sentence, list of crimes, a green stamp, and signatures from the Absolution Council members who voted in favor.

Kavu's Forgery — The Mend Operation

While reviewing the Commutations file, Kavu conceived and executed a document forgery using the Mend cantrip.

Process: He located an older commutation record for a prisoner named Barabas the Grey (imprisoned for multiple proposed assassinations; paroled due to insufficient proof). Barabas the Grey's document contained the phrase "with parole" in the appropriate location. Kavu used a knife to cut the relevant words free from the old document and physically splice them into Lireal's sentence record, replacing the phrase "without parole." Two castings of Mend sealed the cuts cleanly. A Sleight of Hand roll confirmed the result was convincing.

The commutation files are a legislative reference archive — scheduling information for parole hearings is held elsewhere. Lireal's modified record will not automatically trigger a hearing but changes what the record states if consulted. Kavu buried the old Barabas document back deep in the files where it was unlikely to be immediately noticed.

"We are the Forge Wardens." — DM, after Kavu successfully mended the document

Absolution Council — Voting Pattern Analysis

While examining the commutations file, Kavu asked Othorion to help identify patterns in how the Absolution Council members vote. Investigation check succeeded.

The four regular counselors over the past 40 years:

Jil Torbo and absent Jarnathan are the most favorable votes. Kriv Norixius is a near-certain no. Voss Anderton would require substantive argumentation.

Warden's Office — Other Findings

The warden's desk contained a tea satchel (right-hand drawer, as promised), many bottles of dwarven scotch (occupying nearly an entire side of the desk), writing supplies, tobacco, and three pipes (corncob, wood, meerschaum). No personal effects beyond the pipes. No sentencing papers or files on the desk surface.

A door off the warden's office had no keyhole and was magically sealed. Roland knocked; nothing happened. The warden later confirmed it is her personal quarters, protected by an arcane lock accessible only to her. She directed them to use the kitchen for making tea.

Courtyard — Party Debrief

With the warden's office visit concluded, the party regrouped in the courtyard at approximately 9am (prisoners' own courtyard time was at noon). Robert Hidswell/Kefkas, Selene, Roland, and eventually Othorion and Kavu assembled in the shade of the outer wall as a storm worsened outside.

The debrief established several points:

• The mission's core objective was restated for Kefkas's benefit: get information from Prisoner 13 (specifically, a key or its location), and bring it to Axebreaker contacts in Bryn Shander.
• The infirmary being occupied by the warden ruled out bringing P13 there for examination. The revised plan: Othorion conducts house calls to individual cells.
• Selene provided prisoner intelligence gathered over years in the prison: Prisoner 13 routinely separates from other prisoners in the courtyard, enters with a look of determination, and leaves with visible satisfaction — never in the same spot twice, and no evidence of what she accomplished.
• The anti-magic field in Revel's End affects cells only, not the courtyard.

"My confidence is precipitously dropping into the negative numbers, much like the temperature here in the Dale." — Kefkas (Robert Hidswell)

Courtyard — Roland Sees Valera Vandree

As Othorion entered the courtyard for the first time that morning, at the far end — silhouetted in the snow — he glimpsed a figure he believed he recognized as Valera Vandree. The moment he turned to look directly, she was not there.

"I think I'm seeing things again."

No other party member saw her. The DM did not address the vision further.

Othorion's Cell Visit — Lireal (Prisoner 218)

The warden, from her infirmary bed, granted Othorion permission to conduct individual cell checkups given the infirmary was occupied and his prisoner checkup schedule still needed executing. She assigned Kingsley, a guard, to accompany him and ensure proper protocol.

Kingsley hung a sheet over the cell bars for privacy, instructed Roland and Kefkas to listen without interfering or peeking (under threat of reporting), then called to the Panopticon to open Cell 218. Lireal was standing naked facing the rear wall per protocol.

"I thought it was going to be a little more time than this before, you know, you saw me beer-assed in a cell." — Lireal

Othorion threaded in Thieves' Cant to test for rogue levels. Lireal did not pick it up — she has no rogue training.

The conversation proceeded quietly enough that the guards outside could hear voices but not content:

• Othorion revealed he knew her charges: smuggling, harboring an enemy of Manan, treason.
• Lireal's explanation: The "enemy" she harbored were Manan child refugees with no food, shelter, or medical care following their nation's destruction. Her acts of charity made powerful people "look cruel and foolish." Those people, unable to tolerate her public acclaim, had her sent to Revel's End.
• Othorion's Nat 20 Insight while she faced away: her back muscles and physical tension confirmed deep, controlled anger. She is likely telling the truth, or at least believes her account completely.
• She turned to face him — a significant gesture — and spoke directly:

"I've been put in this damned place because I made people far higher than my station. Powerful people. Look cruel and foolish by my acts of charity. I helped those who were in need. And in doing so, I made enemies. And those enemies could not stand to have me be in a place of public acclaim while they were made to look like the terrible people that they are. And so I was simply sent here to this Arctic Oubliette that is the bottom."

"So you ask what I want. I want my life back, but we can't always have what we want, now can we?"

Othorion offered a carefully vague hint about paperwork going missing. Lireal said she had learned not to get her hopes up, but acknowledged that few people could see through her as well as he had.

"No matter how untranslatable the company of the messenger is, it is usually bad news." — Lireal

The session closed with Othorion transitioning to routine medical questions as cover while the rest of the party — in a group text — was urging each other to just ask her what she wants.

NPCs Encountered

Loot / Discoveries

Threads Opened / Advanced

• Prisoner 13 — First Contact Pending: Korda Glintstone's identity and charges now known. Her tattoos and courtyard behavior noted. Cell house call not yet conducted — this is next.
• Lireal — First Cell Contact Made: Othorion visited her cell; she revealed her true story (sheltering Manan refugees); confirmed no rogue levels; tentative rapport established; Kavu has already modified her sentence record.
• Lireal's Sentence — Modified: The commutations archive now reads "with parole" for Lireal. This is a forgery by Kavu using Mend. Whether this will trigger an actual parole hearing and whether it survives inspection are open questions.
• Absolution Council: Voting patterns now known. Jarnathan (absent Aarakocra, bleeds for prisoners) and Jil Torbo (halfling, votes yes habitually) are the most favorable votes. Kriv Norixius is the strongest no. A parole hearing for Lireal would need at least three votes.
• Fairlight Prisoners: Gruntier (P272) and Snortle Fairlight (P278) are imprisoned at Revel's End for eating sentient humanoids. They bear Kelvin's family name. The party has not yet processed this or spoken to them.
• Valera Vandree — Vision: Othorion glimpsed Valera Vandree silhouetted in the courtyard snow; she was gone when he looked directly. No one else saw her. Significance unexplained.
• Warden's Personal Quarters: Locked door in her office — no keyhole, arcane lock accessible only to her. The tea press is in there. Not entered.
• Kefkas's Equipment: His weapons were confiscated on entry. The question of a backup plan if things go wrong (without his gear) remains unresolved.
• Axebreaker Contacts: Two red-banded Axebreaker clan guards are on Panopticon duty during daylight. Not yet approached.