The influential Ireni family lives here, in an austere manor house rising four stories into the gloomy air above Palin's Cove.
When you ask around, you learn that the family's layabout youngest son, Astanof lreni can be found here and that he is rarely seen at the ballista factory.
You are so charming that the servants explain to you that to talk to Astranof, you have to visit the Bank of Abadar as he’s there all day.
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While Palin's Cove has a small temple to Torag in Bright Hearth Fortress, the primary religious institution in the town is the Bank of Abadar, which serves as a bank, hospital, and city hall.
But while you are here, you also note that a man is trying to convince Ilina Bodral, a high ranking cleric of Abadar, of an argument.
“Listen Henrim, I’m offering you whatever help I can, though I know little of cults operating in hiding. Nevertheless, one hears things when one my position and there’s nothing. I just don’t want you to talk like one of the crazies in the sanatarium. There's no secret cults or strange happenings in Palin's Cove. We're hard workers who mind our own business and don't get mixed up with that sort of big city stuff!“ the cleric says concerned.
Henrim is frustrated and angry! “You are blind then!! In the last month, there've been more disappearances than normal. All started when that Varisian woman vanished. Since then, we've lost nearly a dozen folk, and the watch doesn't seem to have any suspects. I've heard that a number of them now work at the foundry, and just never leave the place, but every time I've visited they haven't been there!!“
Ilaria wants to comfort him but Henrim steps back. “You know that I lost my wife and two sons to disease a few years ago. Since then my life has followed a downward spiral into alcohol and debt. I’m numb, desperate to feel something, anything, even if it's painful. It is so sad!! It obviously easier to find answers with a cult than here!“ he says and storms out.
Ilaria shakes her head and retreats as well.
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You talk to the clerks and really find Astranof over some old books.
You quickly realize that he’s blase about most things and doesn't seem to know much of what goes on outside his home.
“Yes, yes, it is so great to live in a large city like Korvosa Mr Dimitrov where lots of things are happening! I personally hate this small town! I stay in my mansion most of the time and read about the big adventures that others have lived ... “ Astranof says.
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Mutters to the group, One of you please try to follow that Henrim. I think he might have some more information we could use.
To Astranof, Yes, the pressures on the upper class are mostly unacknowledged. However, I have a thought, if you spend most of your time in your mansion reading... why then you must have honest and skilled factors to run your family's business interests for you. Therefore, you really don't need to stay. You could do something adventurous yourself! Like, oh I don't know, join the Pathfinder Society. Travel the world, learn new things, and make the world better. With your wealth, you could get some really high quality gear and have a much better start then most inductees. Just a thought you might want to consider.
I can certainly hook you up with the right contacts for someone of you stature. But first I need to find out more about the troubles here. We have learned there is a secretive group of troublemakers trying to destabilize the city and possibly the entire nation. They 'claim' to be followers of some forgotten deity, but they may just be some of the have-nots trying to steal from the haves. What can you tell me about them.
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Kit has absolutely no intention of spending her day tailing Henrim. So she sends Harris.
Be a good fellow and see whether that fools gets in contact with the cult, will you Harris?"
Then she latches onto Malaika and supplements his stories and arguments with eyelash flutters, husky "Umm hmms", and even a purr or two. Well, more like a sexy growl. She is a Kitsune and not a cat after all.
Astranof stands up after Malaika’s inspirational speech.
“I .. I think the life of a Pathfinder might be wonderful!! But also dangerous!! There was a Pathfinder in town!“ he whispers.
He then sits down again and looks at Kitoro with some desire in his eyes and seems to think.
“But you know. That Varisian Pathfinder woman asked the same sorts of things, and where is she now? Gone! No! I won’t risk my life!“ he says and stands up trying to leave.
Kit has absolutely no intention of spending her day tailing Henrim. So she sends Harris.
Be a good fellow and see whether that fools gets in contact with the cult, will you Harris?"
Then she latches onto Malaika and supplements his stories and arguments with eyelash flutters, husky "Umm hmms", and even a purr or two. Well, more like a sexy growl. She is a Kitsune and not a cat after all.
Harris follows Henrim and eventually meets up with a young man. Based on the conversations that Harris overhears the man is Sali Rom, a minor aristocrat from an impoverished family. Sali faces the prospect of an arranged marriage to a woman he detests. Sali had a somewhat wild youth, and before he's forced to settle down for good, he wants to indulge in depravity with the notorious rakes ofthe cult he's heard called the Feasters ofthe Heart. Henrim is a very different man but both seek the same thing. Harris can witness that they both visit a location that you haven’t been to yet. The foundry. After longer discussions that Harris could not really listen to, they both go inside.
Harris then returns to you after 2 hours.
It is now evening.
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Harris appears after the two hours and pops up out of nowhere. Harris look like hte melding of a sprightly girl and a black rabbit. She gives the others a sly smile and reports what she found out.
"Well done Harris! It does sound like we've located at least one front for our cult and the obvious place to look next."
You gather yourselves and decide to visit the Talich Foundry next... it already getting dark.
While individual factories in Palin's Cove have their own means of smelting ore in a pinch, the vast majority of the raw metal used in manufacture in Palin's Cove comes from the Talich Foundry, where ore from Janderhoff arrives weekly via barge for processing.
You arrive at the front entrance, knock at the door there, an attractive dark-haired young woman opens the door and steps outside, closing the door behind her.
"Greetings, visitors. Welcome to the Talich Foundry...my name is Nora Tirlea. I'm sorry, but we are very busy today so my time is limited. What is your business here?"
She smiles pleasantly at Kitoro, but shakes her head.
"I'm afraid that they are not here. And visiting... that's impossible today...perhaps I can schedule for next week?"
Her eyes open wide and she looks at Kitoro.
“Personally, I really like you! And I really want you to have what you deserve! But because you are so important to me, I really want you to not press the issue to come inside! It is dangerous here! And I am not allowed to let anybody in! I cannot let anybody in!“ she says with some desperation.
The woman looks at Kitoro and is obvious that she is struggling.
"I ... I cannot tell you my dear friend! I ... I am so glad that you will not come in!" she says relieved.
Malaika gets a brief and limited look into the foundry ... he sees
a large area and several other normal looking workers before the door closes.
The exterior is quite normal for a foundry.
"Is it because we don't have protective equipment?" Vordrek asks, feigning ignorance. "I wouldn't mind borrowing some. Or perhaps you can tell us where we can get our own."
When Kitoro makes clear that it would be kind to answer Vordrek, she looks at him.
"No, no, not because of that. Ehh ... no, I cannot tell more." she says clearly torn.
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"Well it is obvious that you would like to tell me but cannot. I wish you well."
When she gets away from the woman, Kit informs the other that the girl is under a control spell.
"I think one of those protection spells might shake her loose, but it might also shake her loose from the charm spell I have on her. Probably more likely since a domination spell like that is far more powerful than my simple charm spell."
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That would certainly alert whoever is performing the domination. Perhaps we should go discussing things with those other two fellows or anyone else we can find. It would be most circumspect to get ourselves invited into the place. After all, we only have a couple of rumors. That doesn't really justify a frontal assault. The Society's reputation would be destroyed if we were wrong.
You get a good meal and a good night's rest at Gerhart's. In the morning you go to scout out the Foundry. From a safe distance, you observe a lot of workers entering through the main doors...and it's also the only clear and viable entrance you see from your concealed position.
Through Harris' scouting, you see a dock on the riverside (where ships load and unload)...cargo is brought into the massive warehouse portion of the foundry that the front entrance leads to. From peering through the doors you can see what appears to be an office in the back and in the south of the large room you see the glow and heat waves of a furnace in the middle of the building.
Kitoro detects most, if not all, of the workers are under some sort of domination, albeit probably innocents aside from that...getting by or through them, especially without harming them, would be an issue to be addressed if trying to enter during the day...
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"Nothing so... obvious as that. I was talking about exploring, not starting a fight. But, uh, considering the chances that we might get into an unavoidable fight," and the distinct impression I am getting that for some a good fight would always be unavoidable, "perhaps we should hunt down this Henrim or Sali and get some information before we try the whole infiltration thing."
You start to ask around more and concentrate on the connections that Henrim and Sali had to be able to find them. Unfortunately, nobody has seen them since yesterday.
But your investigation shows that Henrim had a lot of contact to Eliza Tarus, the Calistrian prostitute that you had heard about earlier.
You are able to find her address and seek her out.
When you knock, a very attractive woman with dark hair and blue eyes opens the door. She is wearing a revealing red dress and looks slightly surprised to see so many of you.
“How can I serve you ... or do you want to serve me!?“ she says seductively.
She looks a little concerned but seems to trust you so far.
“Why exactly are you asking? Who are you?“
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Mun begins with an introduction. Motioning to Malaika, he begins "Mr. Dimitrov is asking; we are but his humble servants," he says, then glances off-handedly at Kitoro, "and hangers-ons."
"When Mr. Dimitrov wants something, it is our charge not to question him about it, but to get it for him, post-haste. Mr. Dimitrov wants an audience with this Hernim, and so that is what we are here for." He gives the woman an obvious head-to-toe inspection. "I could be inclined to explore Calistria's rites with you while they meet, if you like."
She steps back and asks you to come inside.
Suddenly she turns around with a stern look on her face.
“No! Forget Calistria! I am disappointed, frustrated, and laden with doubt!“ she shouts.
“I wish to serve something else!! I want to serve the rumored goddess of the Feasters of the Heart instead! And Henrim wanted that too!“ she says and looks at Mun with desire.
“Henrim heard things! Like something like 20 years ago, Milena Talich had an illegitimate child I heard was half monster. The boy I guess died in childbirth, cause no one's ever seen it, and Milena's whole personality changed as a result. Now she rarely leaves the factory, and when she does she doesn't talk to anyone. I've heard that the patients at the asylum claim she visits there often, but I can’t recall ever seeing her got other part of town!“
She then looks at Mun and it seems like there is trust in her eyes.
“I ... I received an invitation to ... to join them!! I received an invitation from the cult itself!! I have to robe in black in the shadow of a lone menhir overlooking Conqueror's Bay under the dark sky on the night of new moon tonight! If your are friends of Henrim then you should join me!“ she says excited.