Overview

Highbridge Prison is located in the area between The Docks and Baron's Grounds (on the Baron's Grounds map, it is located to the right of the Dockmaster's Office, left of the Courthouse, and below the last of the barracks).

The Knot has previously cased the prison and provides the party with a packet of information about the prison to help any rescue attempt.

Information Available from The Knot

Map

A sketch of the map from the outside and as much information about the various levels as The Knot has been able to acquire.

Prison Layout

Five levels:

• Personal Quarters and Guard Tower (3rd floor)
  • Etienne's residence. No personnel ever go up there.
  • The Guard Tower is patrolled by the guard on duty.  The tower is approximately five stories tall and there is a trap door to a roof.
• Office Floor (2nd floor)
  • Etienne's office and the Strategy Room.
• Main Floor (1st floor)
  • Public area
  • Public questions, general paperwork and other stuff is handled by the Guard behind the counter.
  • The Sergeant and on-duty Corporal often occupy Main Floor offices and deal with administration and larger issues.
• Cells (1st basement)
  • The Guard Area is in a corner of this level and contains a table and lockers.  Guards often congregate here before and after shifts.
  • Ten cells, all with barred windows about one-foot high at the top of the cell (ground level outside).
• Black Cells (2nd basement)
  • At the bottom of stairs leading down from the Cell Level is a locked iron door.
  • No other info.

There are stairs cases:

• A set of staircases between level roughly in the middle of the building.
  
  • When heading down the stairs you're travelling from to front to the back of the building.
  • When heading up the stairs, you circle around behind and travel from the back to the front.
• A circular iron staircase, leads upward from the 2nd floor into the tower.
  • There are no floors in the tower, but small platforms on the stairs where a guard could look or shoot a bow out a window.
  • At the top of the iron staircase is a trap door leading to the roof.

Personnel

The following personnel are employed at the prison.

• Etienne
  • The Prison Master, he's a Lieutenant in the Polonian Legions.
  • Mid-40s. Tall, blond, blue-eyed, athletic, and handsome. He fits the profile of an ideal Polonian. 
  • He has a mistress that he frequently meets at The Swirling Bathhouse and follows to a small apartment he has rented her immediately behind the bathhouse.
  • He has personal quarters on the third floor of the prison.
  • He always has on his person one of the two keys providing access to the Black Cells.
  • He does not have official hours, but frequently is available during daytime hours for business and frequently interacts with Sebastian.
• Sebastian
  • The Overworked Sergeant.
  • Overweight and slovenly in appearance, but fastidious about details concerning the operations of the prison.
  • Officially he works 8am to 8pm from Monday to Saturday. However, he frequently comes in early, stays late, and works on Sundays.
  • During official work hours, he has the second key to the Black Cells. He makes a special effort to formalize the transfer of the key with the corporal in charge at the beginning and end of his official shift.
  • Off hours, he sits largely alone at Sally's Breach in the Docks and eats and drinks before retiring to a bunk in the Legionnaire Barracks.
• Alexandre
  • Corporal. Commands guards when Sebastian isn't there. 
  • Young and aggressively seeking promotion.
  • Reckless, arrogant, and convinced of his own brilliance, but charismatic and popular with the guards.
  • Frequent visitor to the Maiden's Forecastle. He also participates in illegal card games there and owes the owner and some of the other regulars large sums of money.
• Rachelle
  • Corporal. Commands guards when Sebastian isn't there. 
  • An older veteran of Polonian wars elsewhere. 40-plus years old. She appears overqualified for this job.
  • She is brusque and dismissive in regards to most of her dealings and is not popular with the guards.
• Gaspard
  • Guard (Male)
  • Young, tall.
  • He has a Riding girlfriend that is a clerk in the Greenmouth Partners Bank and works at both branches: in the Docks and in Old City
• Maxime
  • Guard (Male)
  • Big scar on right side of face. Missing an ear.
  • Trying to get into security for the Southern Mercantile Company.
• "Young Hugo"
  • Guard (Male)
  • Huge, hawk like nose. Looks like a younger version of "Old Hugo". Related?
  • Both he and "Old Hugo" are trying to get him out of prison duty and into the Elite Infantry Guard.
• Nadeen
  • Guard (Female)
  • Exceptionally sturdy build.
  • Arm wrestles guys for drinks at Sally's Breach.
• Quentrell
  • Guard (Female)
  • Tall, slender, almost regal.
  • Why is she a guard?
• Simon
  • Guard (Male)
  • Obese. He's the butt of jokes of the other guards.
  • Appears good-natured but seems to resent his treatment.
• Adrien
  • Guard (Male)
  • Found multiple times passed out off-duty at Sally's Breach.
  • Reprimanded multiple times recently for showing up to duty while "under the influence".  Most recently he received ten lashes as punishment.
• "Old Hugo"
  • Guard (Male)
  • Huge, hawk like nose. Looks like an older version of "Young Hugo". Related?
• Fabienne
  • Guard (Female)
  • All business. Appears to be the guard most trusted - but not most liked - by the Sergeant and Corporals.

Standard equipment for on-duty guards is:

• The standard, red and gold uniform of a rank-and-file Polonian Legionnaire.
• Guards are given long swords, breastplates and helmets. However:
  • guards on the cell level typically remove their breastplate
  • guards on the public level might remove their sword and place it close by
  • no one wears a helmet except during inspection when most of the guards carry it in the crook of their arm.
• Long bows, pikes and shields are available in the lockers and storage room on the Cell Level.

Prison Routine

• Staffing
  • One of Sebastian, Alexandre and Antoine is always there and holds the Black Cell key. Sebastian has it between 8am and 8pm on Monday to Saturday. One of the Corporals otherwise.
    • The schedules of Alexandre and Antoine never overlap. The combine to cover nights (8pm to 8am) and Sundays. Occasionally they overlap with Sebastian.
  • The guards:
    • Work on a day 9 day rotation.  Three days of 8am-8pm, Three days of 8pm-8am. Three days off.
    • Their schedules are each staggered so that the groups of guards mix.
    • There are always three guards on duty.
    • Each guard has a set of keys to all of the cells on the Cell Level but not to the Black Cells door.
  • At any given time, in the prison, there are:
    • three guards scheduled to be on duty
    • at least one of and perhaps two of Sebastian and the two corporals.
    • maybe Etienne, either at work or in the residence.
• Guard Alignment
  • The standard alignment is:
    • one guard on the prison level
    • one guard and one corporal/sergeant on the main level
    • one guard patrolling the various floors (but not the residence).
  • However, during the overnight, especially when Sebastian is gone and Fabienne is not on duty, all but one on-duty Legionnaire will congregate in the Guard Area in the Cell level and play cards
    • Sebastian does not know, but the Corporals believe that this helps keep morale up.
    • Fabienne does know and it appears that she will not say anything to Sebastian if they do not abandon their official duties in her presence.
• Arrivals and Deliveries
  • Daily, at 10am and 7pm, pails of food and water and brought from the Mess Hall for the prisoners.
  • Prisoners are typically led from the Prison to the Courthouse (when applicable) by the night staff at 8am as their last duty after the day staff shows up to take their place.
  • Prisoners arrive and return at various hours, brought by Legionnaires.
  • Two female Riding folk typically arrive once per week - late afternoon on Wednesday - to clean the residence.
• Inspection
  • Warrane du Houndstrail shows up for prison inspection every Tuesday at 1pm.  
    
    • Etienne and Sebastian are always there to greet him.
    • They do a quick tour of the Cell Level and then head up for a 30-minute meeting on the 2nd floor. 
  • Etienne does his own inspection on Monday morning in preparation for Warrane's visit.
    • He inspects only the Cell Level and the Main Floor.
    • He is a stickler for cleanliness and organization. Sebastian is his perfect sergeant.
    • The overnight shift from Sunday to Monday is forced to sweep, clean and polish in preparation.