"I guess I'd vote for tackling them one at a time."  Saralyssa speaks up.  "Who knows what might come up, and it would be better to have all of us there if things go south."

Morph nods agreement,

"I agree with Saralyssa, while talking to this Bronx, is unlikely to be to much trouble, with him being imprisoned right now, we don't know enough about Helsin to be sure trouble wont be waiting for us."

"So the follow up question is, who do we talk to first?"

"If we talk to Bronx first, we may have useful information when going to see Helsin."

"But if Krennic's...faction?, has anyone watching Bronx, we may tip Helsin off before we get there, giving him time to prepare or even go in to hiding."

"What does everyone think, should we start with Bronx or Helsin?"

Rethan agrees as well.

"Seems smarter to stick together just in case.  I say start with Bronx."

The five adventurers head to the prison. As they approach the entrance, they pass people in stockades and reaching through barred windows. A line of shackled prisoners files out of the prison gates before they are able to enter, whereupon they are greeted by a gruff dwarf in city watch attire.

"What's yer business?" he says.

The dwarf scrutinizes their writ from Lady Blackstaff but eventually points them towards a door leading into the prison. The dark, dank hallway beyond the door reeks of urine, sweat, and moldy bread. As their eyes adjust, they begin to see a long hallway of cell doors. A guard seated on a stool between two of the cells stands and marches over to them, demanding their business as well. He too scrutinizes their writ from the leader of Force Grey. He takes a little more convincing but eventually he relents and leads them down the long hallway and around the corner before coming to a stop at a door that looks the same as the dozens of others.

The guard clangs on the door with the butt of his sword. "Bronx," he says with authority. "Visitors!"

Then the guard unlocks the door to reveal a large half-orc dressed in a burlap tunic that is slightly too small for him. He is barefooted and wears a torn burlap pair of trousers. It is too small of a cell for the five of them and the guard to fit inside, in addition to the half-orc, so they adventurers form a half-circle outside of the cell door looking in.

The half-orc frowns. "Who are you?" he says in a rumbling voice.

Saralyssa looks up at the half-orc and then glances to the others.  "Someone want to take charge of this discussion?" She asks.  "Not really my specialty after all..."  She would let someone else do the talking, though, if it looks like intimidation would be useful she would bring fire to her fingertips in a help for whomever is doing the intimidating.

As she waits she runs a hand over her red hair, which is tied back in a braid down her back.

Morph turns and casts Guidance on himself before turning back to the prisoner.

Morph considers the half-orc for a moment before settling on an idea.

Stepping forward, Morph becomes a little bashful,

"Well, ah, actually, I'm kind of a fan of the Black Blades and I heard you were here and I had to come and see you."

Morph looks around at his friends,

"These are my friends, they don't believe me that the Blake Blades are so awesome, but they said they would come to see for themselves."

Morph turns back to Bronx,

"I was, um, kind of starting to write a book about you all, but, well, you all disappeared, so I wasn't able to approach you to ask you for more details for the book."

"I found out later that you had gone in to Undermountain, which is very exciting. It's so dangerous down there, only the bravest ever enter it and only the strongest return."

"But then I found out you had all returned, but you had been arrested."

Morph gives the guard a timid glance,

"I don't think its right that you are in here, but hopefully the court will find you innocent and you can return to the others."

"Um, could I ask you what happened in Undermountain? What horrors and dangers you faced, what heroic and mighty deeds you preformed?"

Morph gives Bronx a hopeful and star-struck look, waiting to see if his ruse will bare fruit.

DM shield:

Bronx snorts, causing the guard to reach for his sword, stopping himself at the hilt. "Nuh uh," he says. He maintains a hard stare at Morph, challenging him to amend his story.

Seeing the way Morph has chosen to play the "interview", Rethan contents himself to stand back and keep a neutral expression for the time being.

Titus’s voice boomed from behind Morph. ”You should listen to him Bronx... not all of us think quite so highly of you and your ilk. Just answer the man’s questions, and we will be on our way.”

Morph bites his lower lip before coming close to the guard.

Standing so his back is to Bronx and his lips are close to the guards ear, Morph whispers,

"Are we permitted to cast spells on the prisoner? Nothing dangerous, just a little magic to try and loosen his lips."

Quote from Paradox42 >>

Morph bites his lower lip before coming close to the guard.

Standing so his back is to Bronx and his lips are close to the guards ear, Morph whispers,

"Are we permitted to cast spells on the prisoner? Nothing dangerous, just a little magic to try and loosen his lips."

 

The guard shakes his head. "Please do not."

“Nonsense.“ States Titus flatly to the guard as he asks them to refrain from casting on the prisoner. “This man is has been detained under the righteous decree of the state. We will know what he knows and the divine authority will compel him to testify.” Titus uses Zone of Truth.

He aggressively steps towards the prisoner and bellows “BRONX! Tell us how to find the BlackBlades!”.

DM shield:

The guard attempts to shove Titus as he begins casting his spell. "I said no magic!" the guard yells in frustration.

But Titus holds his position, absorbing the shove with a twist of his body. The spell envelops the area, including Bronx and the guard.

Bronx snorts. "Nah," he says. "I don't owe you anything."

Saralyssa frowns when the guard tries to stop the casting of a spell.  Weren't they suppose to be here trying to get answers.  "Are you working with the black blades then?" She asks the guard with a raised eyebrow, hoping the zone of truth will force a truthful answer from him. She can think of little other reason he would stop them from using unharmful magic to get answers.

"Who are the Black Blades?" the guard says. "We just don't permit magic against the prisoners!"

Titus continues to ignore the guard, and presses ahead with his interrogation.

”Damn you Bronx...” he growls, “why protect them? Would they do the same for you? Just tell us how to find them.” He glares at him for a long moment before barking out to him “ANSWER!” As he spoke the room was briefly illuminated with a flash of radiant light.

Command

The guard draws his sword, terror in his eyes. "Stop doing that!" he says as he lifts the sword to Titus' neck level.

DM shield:

Bronx scrunches up his face. "No," he says. "I am done with you."

Saralyssa sighs.  "Well, the Blackstaff sent us here, and you expect us not to be going to use magic..."  She shakes her head at the guard.  "The most powerful wizard in town sends people to question the prisoner, and you are about to attack us for using magic.  What did you think we were sent here to do?  Have tea with the prisoner?"  She turns to the others.  "we are not going to get anything here, the guards do not wish answers to be gotten, and nothing we have done is likely to have gained us any leverage over him." She looks over the hulking half-orc.  "You do know you are going to be here for some time, and likely never see the light of day again.  You might have had some sort of a chance if you worked with us, but, without that, you are doomed for a cell until you die." She glances to the guard.  "I believe we are ready to leave."

Morph smirks and shakes his head as Titus barrels forward, casting Zone of Truth.

But as the guard starts to get disparate and draws his sword, Morph becomes vary serious.

Holding his hands out in a non-threatening manner, and trying to placate the guard, Morph says,

"Lets not do anything we will regret. We aren't here to harm anyone, we have been sent by the Blackstaff, as Saralyssa says."

"We are on a mission that could have potentially catastrophic consequences to Waterdeep if we fail."

"We wont cast any more magic..."

Morph gives Titus a look,

"...right Titus?"

Morph turns back to the guard,

"I do suggest you lower your blade though. We are all highly trained and I wont let harm to come to my friends."

"If you deem it necessary, we wont resist arrest, but we wont stand by and let you harm us either."

"However, if you do try to arrest us, know that we will be out and back at our mission before the day is over."

"The trouble we are chasing is too dangerous to let it go, and those in power in Waterdeep wont let us sit wasting time."

"I suggest we go our separate ways, you go back to guarding your prisoner, no harm done, and we continue on with our mission."

"I wouldn't like to think what might happen to a guard who got in the way of such an important mission, but I imagine you have good ideas about what kind of punishment duty might await such a guard."

The guard does not lower his sword, still pointed at Titus, but nor does he make an aggressive move. "We have rules for these things. Coming in here and casting spells is how you lose me my job!" he says.

Laniel, off to the side, steps forward into the doorway, nearly face-to-face with Bronx.

"I don't care about the Black Blades," he says in a quiet voice. "But Martus Krennic was my master at the monastery. And I am pretty sure he hired you to help him. There's nothing wrong with taking a job like that. But we need to find Krennic before he does something that even you would regret. Where did you last see Krennic?"

Persuasion: 4 vs. 22