Page 46 - ghosts-of-saltmarsh

THE CELLAR 21. CELLAR
If the party makes a lot of noise while exploring area
The following locations are identified on map 2.2.
20, the smuggler here has already vanished through the
secret door.
20. WINE CELLAR
T
This torchlit chamber was once a large cellar, but it has
Shoulder-height wooden bottle racks line the north and
since been converted into living quarters. Ten crude beds
west walls here. There appear to be no intact bottles left
stand along the south wall, each with a wooden locker
in the racks and shattered bottles cover the Aoor.
at its foot.
Against the east wall, at the foot of the stairs, rest two
A long wooden trestle table ringed by rickety stools
large metal storage bins that appear to be empty.
dominates the center of the room. Metal cutlery, cups,
In the center of the room lies a human corpse clad in
and dirty plates sit atop the table.
plate mail; a longsword lies by the corpse's right side,
A cookstove is installed near the table, and evidence
and a large shield covers its legs.
of recently cooked meals sits in pots atop it. A large ham
hangs from a loop of twine near the stove.
If the characters are following the tracks that lead from
A sturdy set of stairs leads to a trapdoor in the ceiling
area 1, through area 10. and down the stairs into this
above. There are two wooden doors in the east side of
room, they discover that the tracks continue to the south
wall of this chamber and stop abruptly at the secret the room.
door. If they failed to find the tracks earlier, they can
pick up the trail here with a successful DC 10 Intelli-
If the characters avoided making undue noise in area
gence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Survival) check.
20. a single smuggler (bandit) is scrubbing pots in a
The secret door can be discovered by someone who
washbasin near the stove. He tries to flee through these-
makes a successful DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation)
cret door as soon as the characters appear. Otherwise. if
check. This check is made with advantage if the charac-
the smugglers have been alerted to the party's presence,
ters followed the tracks that lead to the door.
two bandits and a scout are here and ready to fight.
Bottle Racks. The smugglers emptied the wine cellar
Without a smuggler to point the way, someone must
a long time ago, though one full bottle remains, having
make a successful DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation)
rolled under a rack after it was jostled loose. Someone
check to find the secret door. The door is hidden behind
who examines the tloor around the racks and succeeds
some shelves that slide away to reveal the opening,
on a DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check can spot
which leads to the caverns.
the bottle, its label bearing the image of a jauntily
When the party approaches the doors in the east end
dressed unicorn. The contents are drinkable, and a
of the room, read:
character who makes a successful DC 10 Intelligence
(Investigation) check ascertains that it is a rare vintage
worth 50 gp to the proper buyer. Anyone who samples The door to your left appears normal, but the one ahead
the wine, though, finds it cloyingly sweet, the vintage's
has a wooden bar across it, held in brackets on the frame
value clearly owing more to rarity than actual quality.
and the door itself. The word "DANGER" is scrawled on
Corpse. The remains are those of an adventurer who
that door in the Common tongue using chalk.
set out to explore the house several weeks ago. The
smugglers slew the heavily armored intruder and left
the remains in place to scare off other visitors.
The left door. leading to area 22. is unlocked.
The corpse is infested with two swarms of rot grubs
Barred Door. Characters who examine the bar can
(see appendix C). Any creature that touches the body
see that it is damaged and bent, as if something has
comes under attack by the swarms as they spill out
tried to push the door open from the other side.
of gaps in the armor. At a glance. the grubs' appear·
Treasure. The ten wooden footlockers are locked.
ance looks unnervingly similar to curdled milk being
One can be opened by a character who succeeds on a
squeezed from a bladder. DC 12 Dexterity check using thieves' tools. A locker can
Treasure. The plate mail is banged up- the result of also be pried open by a character who uses a crowbar
brutal clubbing and kicking but serviceable and fits a
and makes a successful DC 12 Strength check. The
Medium creature. The longsword and the shield are in
lockers contain personal effects: each also has a coin
good condition. An explorer's pack, lacking the rations
purse that holds 7 gp and J 5 sp.
and water, is under the corpse.
Development. The smuggler in area 21 is Likely to
hear the characters if they engage in combat in this
area or are otherwise noisy. Unless the characters are
purposefully quiet and stealthy. the single smuggler be-
yond the northern secret door hears them and retreats
through the southern secret door. which connects area
21 with the caverns.
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