Brinkley’s began generations back as a ransom broker for adventurers, and still makes much profit from that business. A mercenary or delver who fears capture or defeat can deposit his own ransom with Brinkley’s. The institution takes a small payment and provides a bronze pin, engraved with a picture of a bee and a unique, three-digit number. Together, the clerk and the customer pick two passwords: one to indicate that the bearer of the pin is entitled to the ransom, another to indicate that ransom should not be paid, perhaps because the captive customer is being maltreated. To users of the no-pay password, however, clerks reveal the existence and size of the ransom.
In the Ruins of Mor, most intelligent denizens recognize the pins and may prefer to capture someone wearing one instead of killing him. To ransom a prisoner, the captors send a representative to Brinkley’s with the pin and its matching password. Generally, they then release the prisoner, but keep his gear. The Brinkley’s customer can specify more guarantees than just his life: for example, promising a reward of 100 gp, or 150 gp if he’s allowed to keep his arms. Brinkley’s records all such details with the customer’s file.
[...] http://fastermonkeycage.wordpress.com/2011/01/20/excerpt-from-the-referees-guide-to-lesserton-brinkl… Brinkley’s began generations back as a ransom broker for adventurers, and still makes much profit from that business. A mercenary or delver who fears capture or defeat can deposit his own ransom with Brinkley’s. The institution takes a small payment and provides a bronze pin, engraved with a picture of a bee and a unique, three-digit number. Together, the clerk and the customer pick two passwords: one to indicate that the bearer of the pin is entitled to the ransom, another to indicate that ransom should not be paid, perhaps because the captive customer is being maltreated. To users of the no-pay password, however, clerks reveal the existence and size of the ransom. [...]