Session 02: Haunted Mansion Report

 

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    Recap     The party explored the room. The middle was not sturdy and also noticed tracks going to the left wall. The dust around the window was scattered, appeared recent activity and window sill has scratches on wood. Like something placed and/or taken off.   Third room - the door is well oiled, and I disabled the lock easily enough.     15. Ned's Bedroom The door to this room is locked. I picked it and the lock appears to have been recently oiled.   In the southeast corner of this decayed bedroom liee a man; he was alive, though bound and gagged. He was clad only in undergarments and appears to have no weapons or equipment.   The center of the floor seemed to be sagging and damaged.   Ned, Bound and Gagged. The man on the floor is Ned Shakeshaft who did a convincing job of wanting to be rescued. He has a pretty good idea where his clothes are, and will ask to be escorted to area 17 to retrieve them. Ned has no other possessions.   Snake in the Grass Ned tells the characters he is a traveler from Seaton who entered the house the previous night to find a place to sleep during his journey to Saltmarsh where he hoped to find work as an adventurer. He entered through the back door and had only reached the kitchen when he was attacked from behind and knocked unconscious. He awoke some hours ago—bound, gagged, and stripped of his possessions—in this room. He did not see his attackers nor has he heard any sounds in the house. Now he would like to be released and to join the characters in their mission.   The room is empty and dark. In the South East corner is a man, bound & gagged in his underwear. He is sleeping.   Ned (human who seems to be telling the truth about being knocked unconscious and bound, but he's not being entirely truthful about why he is there. He doesn't seem to be an innocent traveler as he claims).   Claim: On the way to town and cut through a pass. From Port Damali, looking to work at the mine in town. Looking for work, but stopped in the house for a rest. He is here because of the newly discovered mines at north of town. Had a backpack and sword, not now.   We untied him and let him leave, he slowly walks away and leaves.   Checking the north room:     16. Alchemist's Bedroom Damp mold covers portions of the walls and ceiling in this large bedroom, and rubbish is strewn liberally around the floor. In the center is a single mattress that has been badly torn, from which stuffing protrudes. Under the window sits a large wooden chest, the timbers split and its lid closed.   Bedroom. Mold & rubbish with a single mattress. The window had a chest it was closed and cracking. Papers and potion glasses as an alchemist would use. Moldy robes and a bundle of documents that crumble.     17. Box Room This room appears to have been used for storage. A large, ill-made oak chest stands under the window, its lid closed. Elsewhere in the room lie three broken wooden chairs, two splintered wooden buckets, and a mildewed sack. Just inside the door is a heap of clothing; these garments have collected little dust, appearing to have been placed here only recently.   Bigger room. Another chest under the window. Broken chairs, wooden barrels and a pile of clothes to the south. Pile in southeast is … looks newer. Under the pile of clothing is a short sword, cloak, boots, backpack, spare cloths and meats.   Sace took them and put them in his back of holding.     19. Attic A gaping hole in the floor shows where the top of the staircase used to lead before it collapsed. There are grimy cobwebs on the walls and ceiling, and the floor is covered with broken furniture and other rubbish.   Several holes in the roof allow dim light to enter this large room that extends the length of the house. Two large sacks lie heaped in the northwest corner.   There is a gaping hole on the east side to attic and stairwell going down. In the attic is furniture and cobwebs.     11. Moldering Bedroom What was once a fine master bedroom now stands decayed. Some of the floorboards are missing, and there is rubbish scattered around. A tall wooden wardrobe stands against the wall opposite the fireplace, its door closed.   West south room - Master room with a fireplace. The wardrobe is missing floorboards, lots of rubbage.     Decrepit Bedroom Rubbish is scattered around what was once a fine guest bedroom; there is evidence of rodent infestation, and webs hang in the corners. A four-poster bed stands 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.   More western room: Recently used bedroom.         Went back downstairs. Towards the kitchen.     8. Withdrawing Room Two stuffed armchairs stand near the fireplace of this room. The covers of both have been torn and the stuffing has been pulled out, but the wooden frames are intact. A broken table lies on the floor near the north wall.   I found a stone out of place on the chimney above the fireplace. Removing the stone reveals a hidden compartment. Additionally, characters who approach the fireplace notice a collection of mouse bones spilling out from the hearth.   A swarm of insects (spiders) lurks in the crevices of the fireplace and chimney. The spiders flood forth with obvious irritation if any creatures move to within 5 feet of the fireplace.         A stone above the chimney, pushed it and pulled it -- found a box and unleashed a spider swarm.         9. Kitchen This kitchen is dirty and damp, with patches of gray mold and cobwebs on the floor, walls, and ceiling. In the southwest corner is some iron cooking equipment with a chimney above. Next to it, under the window, is a cracked and discolored stone sink.   To the right of the sink, a small, closed wooden cupboard is fixed to the wall about five feet above floor level.   Against the far wall, a flight of wooden stairs leads upward from west to east; the woodwork of the staircase is decayed, and a few of the treads are missing.     10. Scullery This room displays the effects of damp and decay more than most. Mold grows in patches on the floor, walls, and ceiling. A large copper cask, split, discolored and empty, stands under the window, with a small heap of crockery shards on the floor beside it. Stairs lead down into what is presumably a cellar.   There appeared to be tracks leading to the stairs. As we descended the stairs we heard hideous screams—as if of a soul in torment—rise from the cellar below. Seems there was a trap with a magic mouth spell on the stairs.   stairs, footprints, back door, dirty sink, nasty table.   More damp/decay.     20. Wine Cellar Shoulder-height wooden bottle racks line the north and west walls here. There appear to be no intact bottles left in the racks and shattered bottles cover the floor.   Against the east wall, at the foot of the stairs, rest two large metal storage bins that appear to be empty.   In the center of the room lies a human corpse clad in plate mail; a longsword lies by the corpse's right side, and a large shield covers its legs.   There was a secret door here to the South. The bottle racks were empty, but we did find one that had rolled under a rack. Its label bearing the image of a jauntily dressed Unicorn.     Basement: the walls have wine racks, bottles on the floor and at the foot of the stairs are storage bins. In the center of the room is a corpse in plate with longsword and shield.         There was. Secret door to the south. In the cellar there.   21. Cellar This torchlit chamber was once a large cellar, but it has since been converted into living quarters. Ten crude beds stand along the south wall, each with a wooden locker at its foot.   A long wooden trestle table ringed by rickety stools dominates the center of the room. Metal cutlery, cups, and dirty plates sit atop the table.   A cookstove is installed near the table, and evidence of recently cooked meals sits in pots atop it. A large ham hangs from a loop of twine near the stove.   A sturdy set of stairs leads to a trapdoor in the ceiling above. There are two wooden doors in the east side of the room.   As we approached the doors in the east end of the room:   The door to your left appears normal, but the one ahead has a wooden bar across it, held in brackets on the frame and the door itself. The word "DANGER" is scrawled on that door in the Common tongue using chalk.   The left door, leading to area 22, is unlocked.   Barred Door. Characters who examine the bar can see that it is damaged and bent, as if something has tried to push the door open from the other side.   Treasure. The ten wooden footlockers are locked. One can be opened by a character who succeeds on a DC 12 Dexterity check using thieves' tools. A locker can also be pried open by a character who uses a crowbar and makes a successful DC 12 Strength check. The lockers contain personal effects; each also has a coin purse that holds 7 gp and 15 sp.     Cellar, 10 crude beds and food stuff with stairs leading up. There were tracks to the Southwest, scrapping.   Doors to the East. The North was normal, clean and comfy. Well lit. There was a wood locker at the foot of the bed and the table had a candlestick. A box under the table and 3 books over the shelf.   22. Sanbalet's Private Quarters Unlike the barracks, this small room holds comfortable furnishings and appears to be well cared for.   A comfortable-looking bed in the northwest corner has a wooden locker at its foot.   A small wooden table stands against the east wall, with a padded leather chair beside it. On the table, a brass three-branch candlestick with three burning candles provides the room with bright light. The candles, though not fresh, are far from spent.   Under the table is a small wooden box and an unlit bullseye lantern with a movable shutter over the lens.   On a shelf above the table sit three books. In the northeast corner is a closed wooden wardrobe.   This room was vacant.   Sanbalet's books consists of the following volumes:

• A volume of erotic poetry, fully illustrated
• A naval almanac listing tide times for the area of coast around Saltmarsh (a total of one hundred miles of coastline is covered)
• A treatise concerning the demigod Iuz and its minions

  Inside the third book is a sheet of parchment featuring a few simple words and phrases in the Common tongue and their equivalents in Goblin. The words include "stop," "fight," "lift," "come," and so forth—key words used by Sanbalet to instruct his hobgoblin mercenaries.   Bullseye Lantern. The lantern is used to signal the Sea Ghost. Someone who makes a successful DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) check realizes that the lantern is used only infrequently.   Treasure. The three books are worth 10 gp each. A fancy floor-length oilskin coat (5 gp) hangs in the wardrobe. Its sleeves contain numerous pockets (empty), and it is trimmed in iridescent green silk.   And a hidden compartment under the table that holds Sanbalet's spellbook. The book contains all the spells Sanbalet has prepared.    

• A volume of erotic poetry, fully illustrated
• A naval almanac listing tide times for the area of coast around Saltmarsh (a total of one hundred miles of coastline is covered)
• A treatise concerning the demigod Iuz and its minions
• Parchment with common and goblin phrases. "Stop Fight Come Lift" Books 10gp each.
 
• Spellbook. Box & Lantern, 12 candles, flint & steel, parchment details how to communicate with a ship.
• Fancy oilskin coat (wroxi)
• Footlocker at the bed with small clothes.
• Cursed Luckstone

 

Cursed Luckstone Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement) This flat, gray-and-black river stone is inscribed with an unknown arcane symbol and feels cool to the touch. While carrying the stone, you can gain advantage on one ability check of your choice. The stone can't be used this way again until the next dawn.   Curse. This item is cursed. Attuning to it curses you until you are targeted by a remove curse spell or similar magic. As long as you remain cursed, you cannot discard the stone, which immediately teleports back into your pocket or pack. After you use the stone's magic, your next two ability checks are made with disadvantage.  

— Source: GoS, page 229

    A hidden compartment with Sanbelth's spellbook.

• Dancing Lights
• Minor Illusions
• Ray of frost
• Charm Person
• Color Spray
• Magic Missile
• Silent Image
• Magic Mouth
• Scorching Ray

  East is a wooden bar over the door and "DANGER", the door is bent out.   We went South.   The boxes had some coins   $$ 7 gp 15 sp in each- 9 boxes $$   And then a cave.   The Caverns The passages and caverns beyond the secret door have all declined perceptibly this way and it would seem it may go all the way to the sea. Some of these passages are well-lit by torches set in crude brackets on the wall, but some are dark and we later see it opens to the daylight outside.   The walls are slimy and the floors are moist, though the smugglers have laid matting in places to make them more easily passable.   All these passages and caverns are natural, though there are signs of worked stone here and there; such evidence is found on the stairs leading from the secret door and in places where narrow passages were widened.     The light goes East and we went West. We started putting out the lights as we went.   25. Slimy Cavern This uneven, naturally formed cavern is about twenty feet in diameter.   (I don't recall fighting the green slimes mentioned in the module).   26. Natural Cavern This roughly circular, naturally formed cavern is about twenty-five feet in diameter.       Took a short rest and we were no longer scared.   27. Storage Cavern This cavern, like the passage leading to it, is well lit by torches held in simple iron brackets around the walls. You can see five small bolts of cloth stacked against the wall to your left, and to your right are eight small casks in a neat row.   Treasure. The five bolts of silk are worth 50 gp each, and the eight casks of brandy are worth 10 gp apiece at market, though the merchants of Saltmarsh recognize the goods as stolen if the characters try to sell them there.   Sanbalet carries a pipe of remembrance (see appendix B) and a set of masterfully crafted loaded gaming dice (20 gp). The hobgoblin wears a suit of mariner's armor (scale mail).   Sanbalet A tall man with a shaved head and piercing green eyes, the leader of the smugglers is as charismatic as he is cunning. Sanbalet is a plotting nemesis who prefers manipulation to direct action. It is no accident that his gang occupies the old house, since the promise of hidden knowledge initially drew him here.        

Pipe of Remembrance Wondrous item, common   This long, delicate wooden pipe features a bowl made from smooth river stone. When the pipe is lit, smoke exhaled from it does not dissipate, instead lingering around the bearer. After 10 minutes, the smoke forms moving shapes that reenact the bearer's most impressive and heroic achievements for 5 minutes. When this realistic performance is complete, the smoke dissipates. The pipe can't be used this way again until the next dawn.  

— Source: GoS, page 229

    Long rest after the huge fight