He begins to fish in his pouches while speaking "Sken is an agent of the Kryn Dynasty. She was captured a few weeks back here in Hupperdook. She was supposed to be turned over to the scourgers, sorry Volstrucker, tomorrow. Shes a goliath, approx 6'7. Kinda small for a goliath, but it probably helped her fit in a bit better. other than that we don't know much. She was caught down in the Assembly Yard waiting to meet with someone, she wasn't very forthcoming on who that was." He finally pulls out a copper and gold badge and hands it to the party. "This will show that you are working under my authority, should help loosen lips and open doors easier for you." He also hands over a pouch containing the upfront payment of 250gp. "I would suggest you head to the prison and start checking out what happened there. Best of luck to you all. Bring her back, preferably alive so we can find out what she was upto." 

He then turns and begins giving orders to his guards to search the area thoroughly. Seeing a small group of citizens he tells them to head on back home or to the party uptown and everything is under control. 

Its now pushing close to 10pm the party still seems to be raging in the upper area of town. What happens next?

Well, I am use to working alone in these situations so this is a first. Usually I would be heading to inspect the prison as evidence and clues would be fresh. Up to the rest of you, how would we like to proceed? 

To DM: is there contacts I can reach out to in order to get more information on the target? 

Loran takes the badge and the gold pouch from Bran, while he carefully tucks the badge in his cloak, he will hand out the gold for the party to split. "Yes," he softly agrees with Zin, "the prison sounds like a promising place to start."

If no one else has an objection or another idea you all tKe the job from the watchmaster and head across Lower Hupperdook to the Gearhole Prison.

After about 10-15 min of walking you turn a corner and it’s easy to see the metallic sheen of many tall steel plates affixed to the mountainside—the outer walls of Gearhole Prison. Moonlight and still-smoldering fires frame the billowing smoke that pours from a gaping cavity in the rock and metal, marking the violent escape route taken by the goliath and her accomplices.

You can see several crownsguard standing outside the prison weapons drawn and ready. As you approach they block your way and immediately call out "Hold, this area is off limits right now. Go about your business!"

In the cool night, the cold wind blows across Loran's cheeks, blowing up the fine hair by his face, the dark locks blending with the black night, revealing the bright blue celestial patterns that run upward from the corners of his eyes.

Getting closer to Gearhole Prison, he frowns at the grim metal cage, while the smoke rising high in the darkness of the destroyed doorway, reminds him of the bloodied kobold that had just exploded with a blast, leaving no doubt about the brutal atrocity, with only the moonlight of the night still giving him some familiar comfort.

He steps forward and takes out the bagde in his cloak, holding it in his pale, lean hand to show it to the crownsguard who stopped them. "I'm sorry to disturb you," he said, his soft voice apologetic in the night, "we've been asked by Watchmaster Bram to investigate the escape of Sken and her plan. It'd be big help if you could let us in. Do you know what happened?"

"Ah, sorry bout that, didn't know you was working for the watchmaster. Someone blew a bloody big hole in the wall to break that one out. Oi' Gefe, show these people to the giant hole in the wall." 

A young skinny human comes over to the group. "Y'all can follow me. The other investigator is already inside" and he begins to lead you towards the smoking hole in the wall. 

"So you're saying someone from the outside did it?" Nikolas asks while they're walking. "Anyone you suspect might want to do it?"

"They certainly had a hand in it. I heard she escaped with some kobolds, they weren't in prison here. As far as who hired them I don't have a clue. Ive only been in the crownsguard for a few months so they don't really tell me a whole lot."

"Huh, I thought the Kobolds were escapees too." He turns to the party. "That's a lot of trouble for just one spy. What do you think she found out?"

"The watch did say the kobolds were hired to break Sken out of the prison," Loran says, remembering the interrogation, "but they won't give up the name of who hired them. 'My master will bring this city to its knees', that was all they said. And apparently someone wants them to keep quiet as well." He refers to the attack on the escaped kobold, and the rest of them who went up in explosion with the bomb.

Do we have any information of where these kobolds might have come from? Could give us some idea of where our target might have headed, or even information how they got into the prison as well. 

"We didn't see them coming, bloody bastards were quiet. Well here you are." he says as he stops.

 You can see a ten-foot-wide hole edged with twisted steel and jagged rock opens up above a pile of rubble. Beyond the hole is a badly damaged stone prison cell, little more than soot-stained walls and an overturned bed charred on one side. A thin skylight above the hole matches others alongside it in the steel wall, and was apparently the cell’s window. A mangled chamber pot is embedded in the right wall, where a elf in a long leather coat is pulling it from the stone. She pockets three charred pieces of paper from the brass pot before turning and acknowledging your presence.

"Ah hello there." Quickly scanning the group she continues, "You all seem a quite capable group, might I ask what you're doing here?"

"We happened to encounter the escapees and they dragged us to a bloody fight. We managed to capture one of the Kobolds alive and handed them over to the watchmaster. He asked us to aid in the investigation." Nikolas looks around the cell. "I can understand why someone wouldn't want to live here though." He remarks.

"If the imformation I've learned in my travels are correct," Sila says, "most prisons look this way."

Loran nods silently. "Hi," he greets the elf, "we are investigating the escape of Sken. We know that a group of kobolds broke her out, and apparently someone hired them to do the job." He looks around the rubbles and charred walls, sighs quietly, "do you have any idea who might want Sken to go free?"

The elf smiles cooly at you all "I have my suspicions on who might have wanted to, but I think Ill keep that to myself. I am Yinra Emberwind, I hunt bounties for the empire. I heard the commotion and thought Id come by and see if my help was needed. Lucky for me I got here first, I wish you all the best of luck trying to beat me to finding her."

' Under whos charge put you in this city Yinra? ' I am here on my own will and have also agreed to assist in collecting Sken, if you have information would be wise to share it.

"I am my own charge, Ive caught quite a few of the guests here." and she waves her hand back toward the prison. "And I work alone."

She moves to walk back out of the hole in the wall. 

You all are left in the disheveled cell the bed sitting against the wall at an odd angle, rubble is piled everywhere.

What would you all like to do?

Would like to look around for any clues of communication to the prisoner and see how Sken protected themself from the blast.

go ahead and make a investigation check