The 25th of Yearsend Month, 4:10 AM
The City Patrolmen have taken away the group's weapons, shields, wands, and staves then marched them to the Docks where Captain Schenk orders a boat under the command of the City Watch to take himself, three of his Watchmen, and the captured party members along the outskirts of the city of Ptolus, around a bend against the Cliffs of Lost Wishes, and to a small platform that is the only way in and out of Ptolus Prison. A fat, dirty-looking man takes down the names of the new prisoners, and then leaves to bring the warden. Warden Odsen Rom follows this man back out to the platform after only a few minutes, and you can see that he is a tall, thin man wearing a set of dark plate mail armor and carrying a rapier with the confidence of a man that knows what he is about. "Ah, Captain Schenk, what a surprise," he says in a way that implies that it isn't. And I see that you've brought our next round of guests. What are they wanted for? Larceny? Arson? Murder, perhaps?"
The Watch Captain shifts uncomfortably, and you doubt that he likes the warden. "Murder, warden. They are responsible for the murders of the Knights of the Golden Cross."
"Oh? How absolutely delightful," Odsem answers. "Leave your men here while we process these prisoners." Several men in prison guard uniforms come to help escort you, as the warden leads you past the guard house near the platform, then through some barracks of several shady-looking men. The tunnels twist from there, first north, then east, and then to the north again where there is a large vacant chamber. At this point the human guards leave, to be replaced by a handful of bugbears that proceed to remove other items from you, including your backpacks, jewelry, cloaks, and so on, eventually leaving you with only your shirts, pants, and boots. The bugbears act in a similar fashion to Schenk's men, examining some of your items with greed in their eyes, which causes Odsem to roll his own and sigh as if a parent accepting the obnoxious, yet cute actions of children. Throughout the entire ordeal Odsem asks questions of the party's crimes, smiling and asking for details when they explain the slaughter of the Knights of the Golden Cross while at the same time looking bored through their pleas of innocence and their explanations of mind control. He seems to take particular interest whenever Luna talks, although he seems to pay little attention to her words and instead takes the opportunity to leer at her. That's when you notice something that probably doesn't help put the Watch Captain at ease when he comes here: his eyes blink the wrong way; vertically.
Finally, when the bugbears have collected the party's remaining equipment as evidence (the City Watch still has the rest), Odsem says with a chuckle, "Well now, I think we've chatted enough. Let's show our little group to their guest rooms." The party is herded once more into a deeper part of the prison, and this time they travel over a small drawbridge over a flowing stream of water. The bridge leads north and is opened and closed by several goblins that snicker as the group passes. The bugbears wait south of the bridge, while seven ogres in grimy uniforms come to lead you by your chains once you cross. A large banquet hall, some corridors, and another drawbridge later and you arrive in a huge circular room with a winch and platform that can be lowered to the north hanging over a pit that takes up the center of the chamber. Cell doors line the interior circumfrence of the chamber, and an ogre leads Tagret into the first one, then locks it by using a keyring attached to his hip.
As the ogre moves to take Percival into his cell Odsem asks, "Tell me, Captain? Where is the sixth Tarsisian? Don't tell me that I had a cell emptied and one of my favorites tossed away for no reason?" Percival is placed in his cell and his door locked as a frigid silence forms between the Watchman and the warden.
Schenk turns suddenly on Odsem and demands, "How in the Hells did you know there were six, Rom?"
The warden's face turns a shade of crimson as he rages at the Captain's outburst, but then relaxes into a sneer once more. "Oh, Erda, you forget yourself and where you are. And who you are talking to most of all. Now, do you want to answer my question or do you want to suddenly grow a backbone with such an amazing sense of unfortunate timing?"
The Watch captain backs down and answers quietly, "One escaped, warden."
Odsen sighs at the answer and shakes his head in disappointment. "Ah well, I'm sure he'll turn up. Maybe I can complete this collection afterall." The thought seems to please him as Morty is placed in his cell and secured. As the warden examines Kaseo's stong physique as the fighter is placed in his cell he says, "I expected them to be half-delirious when they arrived, and yet I see them conscious and in their full capacities. And of all the places they could have willingly come, they came here. Fate is a twisted thing, indeed, Captain. Tell me, do you think that perhaps they surrendered out of a fear of pain?" This last possibility seems to have brought a spark of noteable pleasure in the warden's tone of voice.
"I'm... I'm not sure, Warden Rom."
The warden focuses on Luna's body as she is pushed into the fifth cell by an ogre guard and she is also secured. "Captain, you almost ruin the mood. You may go." Warden Odsem leans against the window of Luna's cell and says in an excited whisper loud enough to be heard by those around him, "You broke the mental bonds that had enslaved you and were free, and yet out of all the places that you could have run you run to me. We are going to have so much fun together."
The warden leaves Luna's cell in order to escort the lingering Watchman out, and as they leave you with the ogre guards Captain Schenk looks back upon you once more, pity on his face. But he straightens his shoulders, looks away, and allows himself to be walked out.
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