A direct assault on the high-profile prisoners believed to be kept in Castle Kintargo is not advisable this early in the rebellion (this is a mission the PCs will undertake in the fourth adventure, “A Song of Silver”), but making a move to liberate some who have been recently imprisoned by Thrune would be an excellent way to start building the Silver Ravens’ reputation in Kintargo. Indeed, Laria’s initial suggestion to the PCs is to rescue a group of mercenaries who are being held in Sallix Salt Works in Old Kintargo. These mercenaries are led by a man named Forvian Crowe—a rogue Laria’s worked with before who she believes would be a valuable addition to the Silver Ravens. Perhaps more importantly, the guards stationed at Sallix Salt Works are not official members of the Church of Asmodeus or the government; they are contracted mercenaries, and as such, their deaths wouldn’t draw the degree of retribution that similar acts against government officials would. A raid on Sallix Salt Works, in other words, is the perfect opening gambit for the Silver Ravens to begin building their reputation in Kintargo as defenders of the people without incurring the full wrath of House Thrune.
Sallix Salt Works is located just outside Salt Gate in Old Kintargo. Here, heavy loads of wet salt from the brine springs to the south are delivered daily. These loads are dumped into the Salt Works’ wide, clay-lined pit, where furnaces burn night and day to dry the salt. Thrune agents appropriated the Salt Works the day after the Night of Ashes, arresting its previous owner under (rightful) charges of unpaid back taxes—the man resisted arrest and was killed in the resulting fight. Eager to use the Salt Works as an additional source of government income, Barzillai Thrune placed a mercenary group in charge of the building until an official new manager could be appointed. This group is led by a cantankerous dwarf named Kossrani, and he’s already earned a reputation as a sadist among those who know him.
Creatures: In all, nine mercenaries are stationed here—eight Chelish Citizens’ Group thugs and their leader, a bitter dwarven mercenary named Kossrani who once hoped to become a member of the clergy of Asmodeus. When it became obvious early on that he lacked the mental aptitude and will to become a full-fledged cleric, Kossrani opted instead to serve the Prince of Darkness as a thug and bully, offering his services as a mercenary to the church or House Thrune. He was quick to volunteer for additional duties after Thrune’s takeover of the city, and though Kossrani’s appointment as an interim manager at the Salt Works was meant as a veiled insult, the dwarf has taken to the assignment with delight. The fact that he’s been augmenting his income on the sly by selling salt on the black market hasn’t been missed by Barzillai—this, more than any other reason, prevents the government from taking much action if the man is defeated and his charges rescued.
During the day, Kossrani and four of the Chelish Citizens’ Group thugs patrol the main structure (although they spend most of their time in the front office playing cards). At night, the other four thugs who work the evening shift stand guard in the room, mostly to ensure the prisoners don’t attempt an escape. If combat breaks out, the thugs flee in a panic as soon as Kossrani is defeated, but otherwise fight to the death at the dwarf’s side. Guards not on duty are generally asleep in the barracks (area D7), and are unlikely to join a battle in the main building, although if the PCs attack at night, the guards on duty attempt to flee to the barracks to wake Kossrani at the earliest opportunity.
