Calling location is Korvosa’ Shoreline Drinkhall, from Sir Canayven Heidmarch, if you guys want to make your way there IC.
Each of you receive a summons to Korvosa's Shoreline Drinkhall, from the male counterpart of Varisia's own Heidmarch Venture Captain duo, Sir Canayven Heidmarch. The invitation notes to ask the bartender to admit attendance to a very specific private booth, entirely enclosed barring for one door and a curtained window. The Venture-Captain is currently peering through the curtain something intently with a smirk on his face.
Sir Canayven ceases his spy game as the first of you enter. He greets each of you by name as you enter (and does exceptionally so for Erin, for whom he gets up to give a curt bow with a offering for a kiss on the hand as he simultaneously pulls a chair out for her.) He informs all that "Drinks and the like are on Shiela's personal tab tonight; we'll start business once the whole company's here." Every so often, he'll leave the meeting room to place any orders from you all and returns with the requests, along with the "Unsealed Tar-Baphon, a double" he quite audibly ordered for himself in the outside bar. (A drink comprised entirely of Andoran potato vodka and liqueur flavored with a bean from one of the the warmer areas of the Mwangi, served on ice.)
Once everyone arrives, however, he gets serious. "We have a serious problem. One month ago, Paracountess Zarta Dralneen disappeared," the Venture-Captain states as he stirs his newly-purchased drink. "The Chelish diplomat was vital to the Pathfinder Society’s operations within Cheliax, where members of our order are strictly forbidden. Without her political connections opening doors for us and distracting watchful eyes while we operate within Cheliax’s borders, we will be set back a hundred years in terms of our exploration of this nation, a region of great interest to the Ten. We must therefore reinstate the paracountess in Absalom."
He finishes his drink in a quick motion and waves towards Kulik with his glass. "My briefing tells me Kulik can enlighten you all on the situation that acquired the evidence, which I've got here in this nice bundle for you. It's sealed and stamped by numerous clergy from both Abadar and Cheliax, so they know it's legit and hadn't been tampered with." He goes to order another, giving Kulik a change to tell his story of his time in the Chelish Embassy.
When he returns, he sits again at the round table and matches gaze with each Pathfinder. "Now, I understand a number of you may have some kind of issue with the Order of the Nail. Be it your great-grandfather's or your own blood, now is not the time to air those grievances. You're walking into the kitchen of over 400 fully-armed Hellknights. Getting Dralneen out is your sole priority, and since the law is on our side, you should run into no problems doing so provided you behave with reasonable caution and restraint. Do not take this warning lightly; You cannot take on the entire citadel in combat. Appeal to their sense of law and leave them to their business."
The Venture-Captain finishes his drink and and speech with a small flourish of his glass. "While the Order of the Nail has earned its reputation as a cadre of ruthless mercenaries, its Hellknights are still bound to uphold the law. I’d wager my dear wife's corset that the order’s leaders would release the paracountess if they can be convinced they’re holding her unlawfully. You, Pathfinders, must do just that. Get custody of the paracountess and escort her here. I’ll make sure she gets back to Absalom safely."
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Erin takes a seat, quite pleased at the prospect of free drinks in a city known for good alcohol. Sitting quietly and listening to the briefing, she looks highly amused at the mention of Zarta's disappearance. However, the mention of rescuing said woman from a fortress of hundreds of Hellknights immediately kills her good mood. Leaving her wine totally untouched she looks around to gauge the responses of her companions.
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While they had ultimately uncovered the truth, it was after battling devils and room contents and a "puzzle" — that was what Shiny Tim person had called it — that had made his head hurt.
It all had hardly seemed worthwhile, really. But if someone, even Zarta person, was held against her will, it was part of KULIK's duty to free them and make Desna proud.
KULIK remember time in building. Much hiding and looking, a little fighting. We find paper that say Zarta person in Citadel Vraid. KULIK not like chairsh much anymore.
KULIK alsho got this. Might be helpful.
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Tanrov listens, both to the Venture Captain and then Kulik, and drinks. As the details come out, the young shoanti looks alarmed and drinks with increasing fervor. By the time Kulik finishes, he's pretty well inebriated.
"So Zarta, what are they holding her for?" he asks while squinting at the Venture Captain.
He holds up a scrap of leather, marked with the insignia of House Thrune.
"Which of those crimes did the Hellknights figure were important enough to finally bring her in?"
"House Thrune believes Zarta was selling Chelish secrets to the Society, so someone in their favor greased the skids and pre-paid the rent on her new apartment in Citadel Vraid." Sir Heidmarch points at the sealed scroll tube. "That tube's got evidence out the wazoo that states otherwise. Or at least that's what Sheila tells me."
"If we are going to recount the crimes of Zarta Dralneen you are going to want to drink that slowly. We could very well end up being here all day."
He then gets a mild grin on his face. "Zarta is good at covering her ass; I hear the only real crime anyone's ever successfully convicted her of was 'fitting into that Phase Silk dress' about 20 years back.
"I always thought they were on the same side. They both hated me and mine all the same."
"No better place to keep one's most likely dagger-in-the-back than in both one's favour and line-of-sight, eh?" he says with a shade of humour and another smirk. "Just wait for them to slip on their defense and and let their weaknesses be known."
"Ah, right..." he adds, as if he had an afterthought. He pulls out small bag, which jingles a little. "I've set up your standard Society-grade travel with a caravan that's heading past the citadel on their pilgrimage tomorrow morning. Give the coins in here to caravan master outside the east gate and you'll be right on your way up to Vraid." He feels his beard stubble and adds, "Quite a sight from that high there. Too bad that fortress got such good property."
He stands and finishes his current drink. "If you've got any questions, better ask me now. I've got to get going on looking busy somewhere. I've got the strangest feeling my wife is going to be giving her regular diviner a couple more gold after seeing her coin-purse a bit emptier than usual and Sheila's not one to be to keen on finding her husband is giving his mission briefing in his favourite bar. Barkeep's been paid for your lodging and the tab'll be open until close, by the way."
"Heh, that's not what I heard growing up."
"Indeed. You should have seen this dress; it was practically not even there! Have you ever seen the stuff that comes from Phase Spiders?"
Why send us?
"I was a Pathfinder. If there's one thing I know, it's this; Something will either try to bite us or blow us up, and we'll need someone to handle those situations. Yeah, it makes the Society sound like some kind of Gnomish engineer guild, but it's unfortunately true. This situation won't need our greatest diplomats; we've got evidence to back up even the most brash of words. If we sent a smaller, less combat-capable team, the wolves that'll likely jump out of the woods would shred'em to pieces. That's why we're sending all of you."
"I've seen what she normally wears. I doubt it was that much worse. So you want us to be prepared for the inevitable ambush by whoever set her up?"
"Whatever you've seen her wear, imagine about half of that; She's gotten pretty tame since she got her position. But, yes. Be ready to stab whatever is trying to stab you back, be it some errant Hellknight or a demon trying to steal your face."
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KULIK recalls dealing with the Paracountess during his first steps into the Society. Those memories are not pleasant, despite her obvious appeal to his baser instincts, before he knew he was blessed by Lady Luck.
If Zarta person locked up and not guilty, KULIK duty-bound to free her, he states emphatically. Desna not care how Zarta person keep her pet donkey warm.
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Satisfied that his peers could be trusted, Marduk dismisses the magical disguise hiding his form and reveals himself.
"Zarta's a conniving whore that deserves whatever the Hellknights have planned for her but she's whore. We'll get her out of there. The citadel may even still be standing when we're done", the massive beastly orc says in a hoarse croak.
"Are there any of the worthless Hellknights we can trust on the inside?"
Sir Canayven squints his eyes at Marduk, but responds as if he were talking to the same individual as before. "You can trust any Hellknight you can prove the law to, otherwise they're a pretty awful Hellknight. But remember what I already told you: Fighting them directly is a death sentence. Leave their bricks and mortar where they're at, show them the evidence, present your case with as few curses as possible, and you'll have your and the Society's whore back right where we need her."
"But remember; face-stealing demons and errant Hellknights." he says as he steps out the door. "Face-stealing demons." He then leaves you to your with your two inn rooms, tab-allowance, and caravan passage.