"I concede this ordering. How'd Halaster get got and what's going to stop him from getting got again?"

She shrugs. "That's something we don't know. It might have been some kind of trap that preyed upon his madness. Or maybe she used his notorious arrogance to ensnare him. She's keeping him alive, that much we know. She's probably afraid of what will happen to Undermountain if he dies. But she's been very careful to make sure he can't get out, as well. If the wizard breaks free, there's no way the Valsharess will be able to maintain control over Undermountain; in his own realm, Halaster is a match for anyone, and he won't let himself get tricked again."

"Is freeing him safe for those in proximity?"

"Not for the Valsharess's minions, but he's got enough of a grip on his faculties to recognize who's on whose side if they've just been fighting in front of him."

"What sort of mad is he, can you be more specific?"

"He's erratic in his behavior from one moment to the next; sometimes he rewards bravery, for instance, and other times he punishes it, and no one can predict what kind of mood he'll be in. He's also, well, the kind of person who would create Undermountain: he's delighted by suffering, and he doesn't mind spending his resources to cause it. And, though this is probably more of a symptom than a madness in itself, he speaks exclusively in rhyme."

"Does he scan, too? - that one's not really an important question. Not reassuring me that he'll greet us as liberators though. Were the wizard and guards minding the door here yours or hers?"

Nathyrra grins. "By all accounts he doesn't scan. But as I said, while he might not reward you appropriately for rescuing him, I doubt very much that he'll attack you. And I'm staking my life on that too - I plan to join you for that particular assault. The guards were the Valsharess's servants."

"Mm-hm. Doesn't anyone else have any questions about our prospective Halaster-springing backup here?"

Deekin raises his hand. "How Nathyrra spell name?"

Nathyrra spells it for him.

"I mean, my question is 'how do we know you won't stab us in the back', but I'm aware that's kind of hard to answer. So I guess, 'do you have any proof whatsoever that you're not leading us into a trap'?"

Nathyrra nods. "Good question. As I’m sure you know, anything I tell you could be leading you into peril. But I think you might appreciate the knowledge that there is a secret passage past the upcoming camp of the Valsharess’s drow.”

She details the secret passage and how to go through it. “You could just fight your way through, of course,” she says, “but I’ve always preferred to avoid any fight I didn’t have to take.”

"I mean, sure, that's good intel, unless you have just described what is actually a secret passage into some trap or ambush, so it doesn't address Garrus's question very effectively."

Nathyrra sighs. "Well, I'd hoped to save this for a later date, but..." She slowly, obviously removes a scroll from her belt pouch and underhand-tosses it to Jojo. "Tyr's Truthtelling," she says. "You can cast it on me, I won't resist, and you can ask me to verify that everything I've said to you has been truthful and I don't intend to lie to you. And any other questions you care to verify, though I reserve the right to hold my answer."

"Where did you get a copy of this spell?" Jojo asks. "Drow aren't known for their Tyr-worship, even drow rebels."

"It's a first-level cleric spell," Nathyrra says. "Even on the blackest of black markets, a first-level spell scroll can't command that high a price."

"I was just thinking I wish I had a way to cast the Abadar version from home."

Jojo uses the scroll. For a moment, Nathyrra has marble-black skin and wings, but the illusion fades, leaving only the scales of Tyr floating above her head.

"Have you lied to us?" Jojo asks.

"No," Nathyrra says immediately.

"Do you intend to lie to us at any point?

"Not only do I not intend to, I do not know of any circumstances under which I would lie to you."

"Do you intend to cause us harm?"

"I have no intention of harming you unless you harm me first, in which case I will do everything in my power to get away."

Jojo considers. "Do we have other questions?"

"Do you believe you'd know about it if you were a patsy?"

"Yes. There's only one person I could reasonably be a patsy to, and I trust her implicitly; she's sacrificed a great deal for me."

"Why do you think I'm so important?"

"The person who I trust implicitly has sources more reliable than my own, and she says you could mean the difference between the Valsharess conquering Toril and being defeated."

"What do you plan to do while we continue through the dungeon until the encounter you want in on?"

"Scout out the Valsharess's minions and see if there's something we can do about the small army of drow surrounding Halaster. I wanted to reveal myself as soon as you got here, so that we could be on the same page, but I only arrived relatively recently myself, and my scouting is not yet complete."

"Arrived from where?"

"The Underdark. The rebel base, specifically, the location of which I hope you'll forgive me if I don't immediately reveal."

"Wasn't gonna ask."

"Thank you. Sorry. Truth magic always makes me slightly defensive."