Anyone who inspects the cask can tell from the staining
on its interior that it was used to boil water.
If the characters found the tracks in area 9 that lead
here. they discover that they descend the stairs inro area
20 below. lf they failed to find the tracks earlier. they can
pick up the trail here with a successful DC lO Intelli-
gence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Survival) check.
Magic Mouth. Sanbalet has cast a magic mouth spell
on the stairs, which is triggered when anyone treads on
the top step. If the spell is set off, hideous screams-as if
of a soul in torment- rise from the cellar below.
Each creature that hears the screams must make a
DC 12 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save. a crea-
ture has disadvantage on all ability checks for^1 hour
unless it is immune to the frightened condition. The
creature can repeat the saving throw every 15 minutes.
UPPE R FLOOR
The following locations are identified on map 2.1. Re-
view the information regarding the ba lcony in area^1
before the characters ascend to this floor.
- MOLDERING BEDROOM
What was once a fine master bedroom now stands de-
cayed. Some of the floorboards are missing, and there is
rubbish scatte red around. A tall wooden wardrobe stands
against the wall opposite the fireplace, its door closed.The ward robe contains two items: a pair of old, c racked
leather boots with no value or special properties. and
a ragged, stained cloak hanging on a peg. The cloak is
tooled with a design of coiling ivy leaves and appears
harmless but the inner folds are covered in yellow mold
(see "Dungeon Hazards'" in chapter S of the Dungeon
A1aster's Guide).- DECREPIT BEDROOM
' Rubbish is scattered around what was once a fine guest
bedroom; t here is evidence of rodent infestation, and
webs hang in the corners. A four-poster bed s tands
against the wall opposite the fireplace. Its woodwork is
worm-ridden, and the curtains that once screened the
bed are torn and stained. There is no bed linen, but the
bed is mostly intact.While some smugglers have slipped away to nap here in
recent months, there is nothing of particular note here.- GUEST BEDROOM
This bedroom has no furniture, but rubbish is scattered
everywhere, and webs cover the walls and ceiling. From
the doorway, you can see a glint of light in the fireplace
from a small, highly reflective object.Two swarms of insects (spide rs) infest this room. One
swarm descends on anyone who approaches the fire-
place. and the other descends from the webs above the
door a moment later. Both wash down the walls with the
muffled clatter of thousands of tiny legs.
Fireplace. The glint inside the fireplace comes from
a small crystal bauble (5 sp) that once belonged to the
alchemist. The flat-bottomed crystal orb is pleasant to
look at and tactilely satisfying to hold. but ultimately
neithe r particularly valuable nor useful. A cha racter who
succeeds on a DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) check
while examining the bauble realizes it might be a part
of a set of similar crystals used as counterweights in
alchemicaJ work.- CRUMBLING BEDROOM
- This room appe ars to be another dirty, decaying bed-
room without furnit ure. Even viewed from the doorway,
it's evident that the floor in here does not look s afe;
some of the floorboards are missing, and others a re par-
tially dislodged.
Anyone who enters the room with reasonable care can
avoid moving into the part of the floor that is sagging
and damaged, looking perhaps not strong enough to
support significant weight. A successful DC 10 Intelli-
gence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Survival) check en-
ables a character to detect recent tracks that lead from
the door to the window, and back again, a long the west
edge of the room.
Clues at the Window. A combination of the position of
the house and the topography of the cliff results in this
room providing the best view of the sea from any part of
the house. and it is from here that the smugglers signal
to their colleagues out at sea. A character who carefully
examines the window area and makes a successful DC
12 Intelligence (Investigation) check discovers small
clues to this fact: fresh scratches on the sill where the
signaling lantern has been placed, scuffing of the floor
dust immediately near the window, and so forth. These
signs cannot be seen from the door; they require up-
close observation to be discovered.
Falling Through the Floor. The tracks left on the
floor by the smugglers represent the only safe places to
walk in the room. Each time a Medium or larger crea-
ture moves off this safe trail into the shaded area on the
map. it must succeed on a DC J 2 Dexterity saving throw
or fall 10 feet through the floor, landing in area 6.- NED'S BEDROOM
The door to t his room is locked. The key to t he room
has been left rather obviously in the hallway outside the
room and can be spotted by someone who makes a suc-
cessful DC^10 Wisdom (Perception) check. Alternatively,
the door can be opened by a character who succeeds
on a DC^12 Dexterity check using thieves' tools. Any
character who opens the lock discovers that it was re-
cently oiled.
Once the door is opened. read the following text:
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