Your group finds out quite a bit of history on Zarta, the Pathfinder Society, and their interactions with Cheliax.
10+: Until approximately three years ago, Paracountess Zarta Dralneen served as the Chelish liaison to the Pathfinder Society—the role that Ianareth Alazario now fills.
15+: Zarta’s tenure ended abruptly after she disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Society agents tracked her down and rescued her, after which she severed her ties to Cheliax and founded the Dark Archive.
Delvehaven, a prestigious Pathfinder Lodge in Westcrown, has been sealed since 4676 AR, when a terrible tragedy in its halls threatened the stability of the city.
20+: Certain Chelish officials “disappeared” Zarta based on fictitious evidence submitted by one of Zarta’s political rivals. Despite the Pathfinder Society’s providing evidence to disprove these false accusations and exonerate her, Cheliax has provided neither any acknowledgement of or apology for imprisoning and punishing her for crimes she did not commit.
25+: Only Thrune-sanctioned Pathfinders were allowed to operate in the region prior to Delvehaven’s closure. Reports from Delvehaven were heavily redacted, contained little information of value, and worse, artifacts began to disappear. Tensions between Cheliax and legitimate Pathfinders were ruinous for years even before Thrune closed Delvehaven; even with Zarta’s influence, the Society managed only a handful of expeditions in Cheliax over the past decade.
None of you knows anything of House Devian.
Your group manages to find out a little bit about Chelish laws.
11+: Cheliax’s state religion reveres Asmodeus. Though other faiths are not forbidden, none may flout the nation’s laws, challenge the mandates of Asmodeus, or defy House Thrune. Those who revere chaotic deities in particular often find themselves under especially close scrutiny.
16+: It’s an open secret that several clandestine and very illegal organizations operate throughout Cheliax. This includes the Bellflower run group that liberates the halfling slaves so common in the country. Even discussing the organization openly might be considered a criminal act, if done so under the wrong circumstances.
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"So, erm... what's everyone doing for the next two days?"
Absent any more attractive offers, Korgaar pores over maps and tomes in the Grand Lodge hoping to learn more about geography, devils and Cheliax, in between lectures with the Master of Spells.
Before heading to the ship Korgaar spends his last few gold coins on a flask of acid, then sharpens his axe and pick with his whetstone.
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Nala makes a few notes about devils and shares with the group what she learned from Colleen's source, "Alright, let's HOPE we don't run across any devils. But if we do I think we have as much prep as possible without knowing anything specific. It's also just as likely that we could run across non-devils in this abandoned location, so we'll just have to go prepared."
The sea-helf has no additional plans or purchases to make. The next couple days are generally routine for her. Combat practice, tactical training, studying for her classes, that kind of thing. She meets the group at the ship, ready to go.
On the morning of the second day, Marcos sends an aide to the docks with a message for your group.
Zarta Dralneen is sending an agent of her own to Corentyn with directions to deliver a message to one of her contacts there. The agent, Cassian Redwold tends to the gear supplied by the Pathfinder Society, readying it for the journey in the hold of the Sea Sylph. He knows nothing about the contents of Zarta’s message and is content to remain within Corentyn while your group undertake your mission.
The supplies are mostly mundane archeological equipment including shovels, mattocks, brushes of different sizes, rope, sieves, and numerous crates and packing straw with which to safely store artifacts during the return trip. There’s also a small amount of gold for import and export fees, as well as to buy riding horses in Corentyn.
The journey from Absalom to Corentyn is uneventful, with favorable winds and only one stop at the port of Merab. Captain Zaerim of the Sea Sylph states that the short waylay is an excuse to hug the southern shores of the Inner Sea and avoid Chelish naval patrols. You catch your first glimpse of the red Chelish flag days later, and arrive in Corentyn at dusk a few days after that.
The last fiery golden rays of daylight silhouette the towering monument known as Aroden’s Arch, which reaches out from Corentyn’s southern wall to divide the Arcadian Ocean and the Inner Sea. Corentyn’s numerous fortifications rise behind mighty gray and brown limestone walls. Masts of ships both in port and at sea rise in the hundreds, like a legion pointing their spears toward the heavens.
As the Sea Sylph approaches port, Captain Zaerim orders his crew to ensure goods are neatly arranged and presentable. He’s collecting papers and seeing to the accuracy of his logs when he tells the PCs they should do the same. He expects the harbormaster’s deputies to search the ship and ask questions of the crew. He also warns that Corentyn impounds undeclared goods and that contraband worth more than a gold piece can earn the offending captain 20 lashes.
The harbormaster and his deputies keep an attentive eye on their port and meet any incoming ships before those aboard have a chance to disembark.
The following are currently considered contraband in Corentyn:
∙ Holy symbols and holy texts dedicated to chaotic gods— visitors are free to worship whomever so long as this doesn’t challenge Thrune’s or Asmodeus’s authority, but a recent court decision has identified such holy symbols as a medium for proselytization.
∙ Scrolls and potions of spells with the chaotic descriptor
∙ Poisons whose combined cost exceeds 150 gp
∙ Drugs whose combined cost exceeds 50 gp
∙ Large weapons—an uncharacteristic string of attacks has resulted in a crackdown on citizen weaponry that most assume will end in the next month or two. Until this resolution ends, only light weapons are permitted in the city limits. You could declare and leave larger weapons on the ship at no cost and retrieve them when you depart for Emberhold.
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Nala sees everyone disarming and looks through her items with a tongue clicking *tsk* on each one.
"You couldn't have told us about this before we left Theron?"
She keeps her sap and mithral dagger as well as her shield.
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Looking over at Desynthia she frowns, "No, that is definitely a large weapon. It's almost twice as tall as you, Des. We should, in theory, be able to pick up a couple light weapons in town. I expect there is a thriving business selling them to out-of-towners."
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"No axes? NO AXES?!!!" Korgaar froths. "Preposterous! Damned Chelish deliberately keeping their citizens defenceless! And my pick too?"
Korgaar shakes his shaggy mane of hair. "Absolutely preposterous!"
"It's a display piece, I'm delivering it to Lady Klaatu Varada N-koff koff. Excuse me. The harbor air."
"Also, what's the quickest way to the Museum of History. We have an appointment the curator, Zefiro Balinger, to have the object certified."
As your ship docks, there seems to be some sort of disturbance on shore. There are a lot of guards out watching a thick crowd. A few of the guards also seem to be watching the harbor waters.
A halfling customs agent comes aboard with four human deputies. "Tamrin Credence, here to inspect your manifest."
They immediately take the Sea Sylph's manifest and being a through search, making notations in their ledgers as they go.
You overheard Tamrin question Captain Zaerim, who refers to you only as "passengers from Absalom." Shortly after that the halfling comes over to your group.
"What is your business in Corentyn?"
The search seems frantic and the deputies seem distracted. Something has them on edge and it doesn't appear to be anything to do with your group or this ship.
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Given no reason at any point to believe that they should hide their identity, Nala adds, "We work with the Pathfinder Organization and have been invited by the Chelaxian government to investigate a site of interest nearby. We were planning a short stop at a museum of history in your lovely city to see if there is any information available about the location we are being sent."
“Pathfinders?” he jots a note. “So you will only be here a short time before going to your site?”
“Anything to declare?”
The halfling seems impressed. “Seems you know about our latest weapons crackdown, good!”
He still goes through your equipment and gives Theron and Korgaar a list of their declared goods.
In reply to Korgaan, he says “Don’t worry, your items are completely safe.” He gestures towards on of the patrols of Hellknights on the docks. “We are a very orderly city.”
“If you are worried about not having weapons in the city, bring your enemies to the Wicked Fork in the West Drenches. If the food doesn’t kill them, the proprietor’s endless babbling probably will.”
He then moves on to the next of your group.
"No prothesizing." the halfling says, pointing to the holy symbol hanging from The Red Reverend's neck. "Put that away. Wearing that openly has been judged to be prothesizing."
The halfling goes through The Red Reverend's things and provides him with a list of declared goods.
"I was led to believe that only the symbols of chaotic gods were banned," the Reverend replies. "I have no intention of trying to convert anyone, and doubt I could if I wanted to." If pressed, he will remove it and return it to his cabin.
He references his clipboard. You can see him comparing a page at the back of the board against your religious symbol. "My mistake, you are correct. It is only those of chaotic gods and that symbol does appear on the allowed list. "
Nala replies when asked for declarations, ”I left my weapons onboard as well. I was wondering about these javelins though. Are they considered too big to carry? I use them for spear fishing and hunting and self defense in a pinch. I’ll leave them if you wish.”
"Only light weapons in the city, miss. I doubt you will be doing any fishing in the city. You can leave them onboard and take them with you when you leave on your expedition."
"It's a display piece, I'm delivering it to Lady Klaatu Varada N-koff koff. Excuse me. The harbor air."
"Also, what's the quickest way to the Museum of History. We have an appointment the curator, Zefiro Balinger, to have the object certified."
"You will not be allowed to unload it until tomorrow morning. Once we complete our search and brief you on certain laws of Corentyn, personal will be allowed to leave the ship. All cargo must stay on board until the morning."
"I'm with Customs miss, not a tourist guide. Get directions from someone else."
*SLAP!* "Don't touch it you fool! The Lady would sell your immortal soul to the devils for abrading its finish with your callused fingers."
One of the human deputies begins loosening the whip at her belt but Tamrin holds up a hand. "Complete the search of the ship. We have more pressing matters to attend to than corporal punishment." The officer backs down and moves to search more of the ship.
Tamrin looks at Colleen and says "I suggest you learn more respect for lawful authority miss. I could have you flogged for that."
Tamrin looks at Colleen and says "I suggest you learn more respect for lawful authority miss. I could have you flogged for that.""Oh? For what exactly?" Colleen says knowing the shape of law, but hoping the officer would oblige her by spelling it out.
“Laying hands on a lawful representative of Her Infernal Majestrix performing their duty to start with. Have you anything more to declare?”
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"Besides that you are a buffoon whose actions this day will be reported? Not at this time. But your edification, such as it will be, on the laws pertaining to what is and is not allowed ashore in your city, and how one may be exempt from such trifles might be helpful in their own narrow way considering of course the source of such information. What law do you stand behind that inconveniences my Lady's commerce?"
“A valuable Ulfen slave escaped the open slave market just recently. It is worth far more than this weapon. The patrols are looking to recover it.”
“Until it is recovered no one is loading or unloading any cargo, nor will any ships be leaving port.”
Getting his pen ready, he says “Now if your lady is so impatient, I could arrange for a Helllknight patrol to visit her at her residence. That should resolve the issue.”
“I would rather not waste the patrol nor the time, but if you think it is important I’m sure there is a patrol willing to take you to her — without the cargo — and resolve any difficulties either of you have to the satisfaction of the Hellknight commander.”
It is clear there is an implied threat here.
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“A valuable Ulfen slave escaped the open slave market just recently. It is worth far more than this weapon. The patrols are looking to recover it.”
“Until it is recovered no one is loading or unloading any cargo, nor will any ships be leaving port.”
"How tedious."
Getting his pen ready, he says “Now if your lady is so impatient, I could arrange for a Helllknight patrol to visit her at her residence. That should resolve the issue.”
“I would rather not waste the patrol nor the time, but if you think it is important I’m sure there is a patrol willing to take you to her — without the cargo — and resolve any difficulties either of you have to the satisfaction of the Hellknight commander.”
It is clear there is an implied threat here.
"No It will only delay us more.... Ulfen are not a small people, I suspect you could spot one in the central square even if every other person in town where gathered their. How is it you have not found them yet?"
Turning for a moment to Desynthia, he quickly checks if she has anything to declare. Once that is confirmed, he gives her a receipt.
“Right now, one of the things delaying the search is you. Now, do you have anything to declare miss?”