They were as relentless as Javert

With the fears the prisoners were starting something, the group headed off north towards the shore line. Upon arrival, they found several boats beached up against the surf, the misty rain washing over them. No people where inside.

Investigating them, the party found that lying in the bottom of the boats were oars for rowing, as well as arms and armor! Someone was attempting to free the prisoners and provide them with enough weapons to start a bloodbath!

No sooner had the group found this out than a wave of humanity broke onto the beach from the south. About twenty prisoners rushed the shoreline and the three boats there. The party was all that lay between the desperate men and the weapons and transport they needed to go on a rampage back in High Castle.

Using lightning and mauls, axes and magic, the party tore into the unarmed men. Bodies were broken and thrown to the sandy ground, but still they came on. A wall of brambles was called forth from the very earth beneath them, and one of the boats was cut off by the thorny runners. Still, despite all the party’s valiant efforts, four of the driven men were able to arm themselves, and the party then battled those on a more even keel.

Still, the prisoners were unable to break the spirit of the adventurers, and the criminals were cast down. The party shattered the boats and dumped the weapons into the water. Seeing movement towards the south, the group headed that way along the beach.

Moving along the shoreline, the party came across more examples of boats washed up on Prison Island. And more prisoners that were attempting to make use of them and escape their incarceration. But the party put steel, magic, and some really hard boots to the prisoners, breaking the boats and crushing their attempts to flee.

Reaching the end of the sandy coast, the party found one final set of boats, but these were not for use by simple prisoners; no these boats carried the ones who had navigated the empty rowboats in past the rocky shoreline. These were the people responsible for undertaking the escape attempt… a detachment of mercenaries from the Opal Black Blades!

Outnumbered, but filled with furious anger (and for one, a desire to claim more distinctive daggers for himself), the party rushed the enemy force. There was much violence perpetrated there, and many fell in battle. But in the end, the Opal Black Blades were defeated, their shattered force either dead or surrendered to the forces of the party.

The question now is, why would the mercenaries do such a thing? And being mercenaries, who paid them to do it?