Escudor Territorial Prison

The Prison

The prison is depicted on the next page. Read or paraphrase the following when the PCs first come within sight of the structure:

The Escudor Territorial Prison seems to rise up from the baked earth like the last remains of a long-dead civilization. Surrounded by a dull gray curtain wall, the prison compound is comprised of several blockhouses, only the flat roofs of which are visible over the summit of the wall. A watchtower stands at each comer, and the top of the wall itself seems to be crawling with a tangled, wire-thin vine of some sort. Mounds of dust creep up the base of the wall, and the stones are scarred by years of erosion from wind and blowing sand. The only entrance to this dreary place is a broad iron door in the center of the north wall. The door is wide enough to accommodate a wagon and appears to be hinged at the top.

As you approach, the hot breeze changes direction, and you frown as the smell of age and human waste washes over you.

Unless precautions have been taken to the contrary, the PCs are spotted by spyglass long before they reach the prison. Two guards man the wall just above the door, their crossbows at hand. The wall itself is strung with Razorvine, a rare form of plant life native to certain Outer Planes, imported long ago to provide additional security at the prison. As its name implies, Razorvine is extremely sharp; any PCs attempting to surmount the wall sustain 2d3 points of damage when they come into contact with this deadly vegetation, and 3d6 points if they actually crawl through it. The wall is 20 feet tall.

If the PCs approach the outer gate and state that they wish to see a prisoner named Rodrigo y Portillos, the guards simply yawn and tell them to go lose themselves in the desert, waving their crossbows to emphasize the point. If the PCs are persistent, or if they toss a purse of gold to the guards on the wall, they're informed that a man by that name was indeed a prisoner here, but he's been dead for 2 years. Portillos was executed two summers ago after he attempted to escape. Furthermore, his cell is said to be haunted and is now used for solitary confinement when an inmate needs a little additional punishment.

The guards then reiterate their demand that the PCs leave the area. No visitors are allowed in the prison. No exceptions.

This leaves the PCs with several unanswered questions. If the Robber of Redrocks died in this wretched place, did he take his knowledge of Salamanca's map to the grave? The only way to know for sure is to have a look at his former cell, and that means getting inside the prison. Again, there are two ways to achieve this. The PCs can either intentionally get themselves arrested, or they can attempt to sneak in at night.

The DM should take special care to present the players with an atmosphere of hopelessness, confinement, and decay during their foray into the prison. Nothing comes easily for those who dwell here. The guards are alert and ruthless. Unless otherwise noted, all doors throughout the compound are locked, some more securely than others.