Margrave Fairhorn,
While I was not present for any planning sessions Friday night, by my arrival Saturday morning, rational for the assault on Fivebridges Prison, or The Cage as it is known, was two fold: strategic necessity borne from gaining allies against impending Armageddon; spiritual compassion.
Specific members of the community, who can identify themselves if they wish, were contacted by the otherworld entity calling itself Moonfather. Moonfather patrons werefolk within Rathfall and promised aide to the adventurers in averting disaster, however they needed their "children" released from the Cage in order to better coordinate attacks and obtain intelligence. Several "alpha" werefolk had been recently rounded up in hysterical raids and were incarcerated. Werefolk are considered a sub-citizen class within Rathfall, if they hold any civil protection whatsoever, and had little if any recourse to appeal sentencing.
I believe brief talks with the Warden of the prison were broached to release these prisoners, but they proved fruitless. It was heavily suggested the Warden profited from his position through slave-labour, political reprisal, sentencing distortion, kickbacks, and related malfeasance. In addition to abuse of his office's finances, many adventurers learned of the Cage's reputation for unspeakable acts of cruelty and abuse. I will not speak to their particulars here, Guilldmaster DeSylvia made some reference, but suffice it to say that it reinforces my philosophy that a sadist in a position of power is more destructive than a legion of undead.
With time short and deliberations stalled, a group determined a clandestine manner to breach the walls and led the adventuring population into the compound itself.
Once within The Cage, the truth of the Warden's cruelty was revealed in a myriad of ways. Many of the inmates we encountered were starving, broken, beaten, and insensible. Others were kept in a state of perpetual delirium through drugs and isolation and attacked the adventurers as if they were feral beasts. A concerted effort was made by compassionate adventurers to save these lost spirits, but many of their minds were so tortured and deformed that death seemed, by far, the greatest mercy. Once the "alpha" werefolk were identified and rescued (though that in itself was a different challenge), the adventurers left the Cage largely open. I expect a majority of the inmates in the upper levels fled and those in the bowels either succumbed to their condition or were re-captured in short order once Rathfall authorities returned.
That the Cage was a civil prison and likely held any number of lawbreakers is certain. From historical context, it has been the largest penal facility in Rathfall for generations and served a purpose in maintaining the city's order. I hold that many within had perhaps earned -A Punishment- through breach of public trust and laws, though I expect many were victims of political retaliation or simple greed on the part of the Warden. However, the conditions within the Cage were such that no rational state actor, and certainly no humane individual, would ever condone -That Punishment- as appropriate or commensurate with any misdeeds, let alone petty theft and indentured debt, which are often the majority of crimes in metropolitan courts.
That being said, there is no doubt that adventurers were acting outside any local or delegated authority when breaching the prison and the political fallout will be overt. As foreigners in this land, protected by neither treaty nor embassy, I would caution you and Lady Bunchberry from attending this summons without proper escort in addition to plenary protection from King Grimlocke. I do not know on what authority you and Lady Bunchberry are being summoned, but the politics within Rathfall are convoluted and treacherous. I feel that Duke Rumil and his house may be a conscientious state actor and possibly even an ally assuming we can align with his House's needs, but many with power in that city are not nearly as stable or forthright.
Dramthin Hartsboon
Prademar University
Keeper of the Tainted Grove
