Page 50 - ghosts-of-saltmarsh

27. STORAGE CAVERN 28. SLOPING PASSAGE
•
This cavern, like the passage leading to it, is well lit by The incline of the passage is perceptibly greater in this
torches held in simple iron brackets around the walls. area. Coarse matting has been laid in places on the Aoor,
You can see five small bolts of cloth stacked against the negating some of the slope's slipperiness.
wall to your left, and to your right are eight small casks in • •
a neat row. Smugglers who fled from earlier encounters with the
• characters wait at the end of this passage. firing ranged
weapons at the intruders as they attempt to navigate the
This is the primary storage chamber for Sanbalet's
smuggling operation, and the likely place from which he narrow spots.
and his gang mount a defense.
If an alarm has nor been raised, two bandits and a SAN BA LET
scout are here, stealing drinks from the store of brandy. A tall man with a shaved head and piercing green eyes, the
If the smugglers have been alerted, Sanbalet (see ap- leader of the smugglers is as charismatic as he is cunning.
pendix C and the following sidebar), one hobgoblin. one Sanbalet is a plotting nemesis who prefers manipulation
scout. and one bandit defend this room. Sanbalet stays to direct action. It is no accident that his gang occupies
the old house, since the promise of hidden knowledge ini·
clear of the me lee, raking cover behind the casks in the tially drew him here.
southeast corner. The hobgoblin and the bandit try to Despite the disappointment of never finding the alche-
prevent the characters from entering the room. while mist's secret chamber or other legendary arcane discov-
the scout hangs back to fire its ranged weapon. eries, the clever wizard saw opportunity in the house's
Treasure. The five bolts of silk are worth 50 gp each, ruined walls and shattered windows.
and the eight casks of brandy are worth 10 gp apiece What He Wants. The smuggler wants to expand his op·
at market. though the merchants of Saltmarsh rec- eration and eventually inhabit a more secure location to
better pursue his magical studies. He'd sacrifice every one
ognize the goods as stolen if the characters try to sell of his companions to achive these ends.
them there. Confidence Aplenty. Sanbalet's success stems from con-
Sanbalet carries a pipe of remembrance (see appendix fidence in his abilities. He delights in criminal behavior
B) and a set of masterfully crafted loaded gaming dice and considers himself a great villain. He speaks of himself
(20 gp). The hobgoblin wears a suit of mariner's armor in the third person and exhibits narcissistic tendencies.
(scale mail).

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