The smell of salt and smoke lingers faintly in the air. This room feels unexpectedly tidy compared to the chaos below.

A small fire crackles in a stone hearth, casting a warm glow over a table, a few chairs, and a simple bed tucked neatly against the far wall.

An old bookshelf stands nearby, its shelves now stocked not with books but with bottles, dusty wines, aged rums, and spirits of every color. The labels are faded, some so old the ink has bled into the paper.

Kreb’s quarters reflect his personality; disciplined and orderly. Every item is in its place, and the space feels more like a captain’s cabin than a tavern room.

A careful search or Investigation DC 10 reveals:

• Rare Bottles: The shelf holds a small collection of aged rum, wine, and fortified spirits, some nearly a century old. Their combined value is 150 gp.

Secret Compartment – Gellan’s Ledgers (Investigation DC 17)

Careful inspection of the desk or bookshelf reveals faint scratch marks along the back panel.

• Pressing a concealed latch behind the lowest shelf releases a hidden compartment. Inside is a leather-bound ledger wrapped in oilcloth.

• Gellan Primewater’s private shipping records. It includes dates, ship names, cargoes, and coded annotations showing which shipments were diverted, taxed, or smuggled.

• One entry near the end references “Ballast Transfer – Abbey Isle / Zenopus Route,” linking Primewater’s operation to the smuggling network beneath Saltmarsh.

• Among the papers are ship manifests and trade ledgers from Seaton and Gradsul, listing cargoes, ships, captains, and crew rosters.

  • Many entries are marked with subtle notations coded references to meeting times, smuggled goods, or profitable “accidents.”

  • The pattern suggests Kreb uses this information to pass intelligence to Gellan Primewater and the Sea Princes alike, playing both sides for profit.

  • A History or Insight check (DC 12) reveals some of the ships listed were reported lost at sea or captured by pirates yet appear here as active or redirected vessels.

Value and Consequences:

• These ledgers are incriminating evidence of Gellan Primewater’s involvement in smuggling.

• Possessing them gives the players significant leverage but if Gellan learns of their theft, he will do whatever it takes to recover them (sending agents or even Sea Prince bounty crews).

The air here smells of salt, tar, and old wood. This cramped room resembles a small warehouse, stacked with crates, barrels, and boxes, many marked with merchant seals and trade emblems from far-off ports. A few have been pried open, their contents half-sorted and scattered across the floor.

A rough table with two chairs sits near the center, a candle burning low beside scattered papers and a half-empty bottle of rum.

To the north, a set of double doors stands ajar, opening onto a small balcony overlooking the harbor. A block-and-tackle rig hangs above it, clearly used to hoist cargo from the boats that tie up below the Empty Net.

A single wooden door leads southwest, deeper into the upper floor.

The Smuggler’s Loft serves as a storage and repacking room for the Empty Net’s smuggling operations.

Crates and Markings

Many crates bear merchant and shipping emblems from across the southern coast, Keoland, the Yeomanry, and the Principality of Ulek among them.

• Contents include swords, bolts of fine cloth, bottles of liquor, and trade goods worth 50–100 gp per crate.

• The markings make them difficult to sell openly without arousing suspicion.

Repacking Evidence (Investigation DC 12)

A careful search reveals that the goods are being repacked into old, filthy barrels, the type used as ballast aboard ships.

• The barrels are filled with sand, gravel, and bits of stone, but underneath the false layer lie wrapped bundles of smuggled goods.

• This is how contraband is transported: hidden deep in a ship’s hull, disguised as worthless ballast, and quietly unloaded by night.

Documents and Clues (Investigation DC 10)

The papers on the table list shipping notes in shorthand, crate counts, initials, and simple marks.

• A few are stamped with the words “Abbey Island pickup” and “Torvin transfer”, linking the operation to the Sea Princes and Port Torvin (the Styes).

• A Perception DC 13 check notes scrape marks on the balcony floor from frequent hoisting.

Secret Door (Investigation DC 18)

Close examination of the south wall reveals faint scratches on the floorboards and a few flakes of loose plaster.

• With careful inspection, a player discovers the outline of a hidden door, cleverly concealed beneath a layer of warped paneling.

• The latch is disguised as a knot in the wooden beam; pressing it releases a narrow door that swings inward.

• The secret door reveals The Hold, Kreb's private treasure room.

If Discovered or Interrupted

• Noise: Searching or opening crates without stealth (Stealth DC 12) draws attention from below. Within 1–2 rounds, Cyrus or another smuggler will quietly ascend to investigate.

• Caught: If discovered, Kreb claims the room is “private stock” and orders them out. Persistent questions or discovery of the secret door will immediately turn him hostile.

• Evidence: If the party reports this to the Mariner’s Guild or Town Council, it becomes key evidence of Sea Prince smuggling.

The hidden panel swings inward to a low-ceilinged storeroom crammed with contraband.

Two red eyes stare out from the darkness, catching the lantern light, startling at first, until you realize they belong to a jade statue of a coiled serpent, its scales carved in perfect detail and its eyes set with blood-red gems.

Several crates and barrels line the floor, and a large decorative green chest rests beside an open treasure chest overflowing with coins and jewels. Brightly colored rugs are rolled in one corner, and along the far wall stands a towering tribal idol, carved from driftwood and coral, glaring down with painted eyes.

This is Kreb’s private stash, his personal hoard, hidden from the smugglers and his partners alike. Over the years, he’s skimmed from nearly every deal, building this secret cache of gold, spirits, and relics.

Trap

The jade snake is not a statue but a construct guardian that animates when an unauthorized creature enters the room.

• When the door opens, its gem eyes flare red and it springs to life (see Jade Serpent, CR 1).

• The door automatically swings shut and locks behind intruders (DC 12 Thieves’ Tools or DC 14 Strength to break).

• The serpent attacks until the intruders retreat or are slain.

Light & Noise

The room is dimly lit by the faint glow of lantern light from the Smuggler’s Loft beyond. Any loud noises or combat:

• Draw Cyrus within 2 rounds.

• Bring Kreb + 2 bandits within 3–4 rounds if the noise continues.

Contents

Treasure Chest

• Coins: 2d100 + 100 gp

• Silver: 4d100 + 100 sp

Bottles & Amphorae (West Wall)

• 6 × Torvin Dark Rum (10 gp each)

• 4 × Cape Rhon Gold (25 gp each)

• 3 × Vintage Wines (25 gp each)

• 2 × Olive-Oil Amphorae (10 gp each)

Rolled Carpets (Corner)

• 2 × brightly woven rugs, 25 gp each.

Ornate Sea-Green Chest (Good Lock, DC 15 Thieves’ Tools or DC 18 Strength)

• 50 gp in mixed coin.

• 2 gemstones: bloodstone (50 gp) and aquamarine (100 gp).

• Gold-inlaid coral idol (75 gp).

• Packet of forged seals and stencils (grants advantage on checks to forge shipping marks or falsify manifests).

Other Items

• Several crates stamped with Keoland, Yeomanry, and Ulek trade seals, clearly stolen shipments.

• A few marked for “Torvin Transfer” and “Abbey Isle Pickup.”

Fencing Note

Goods bearing royal or guild seals are dangerous to sell in Saltmarsh.

• They require a smuggler contact (Kedge or Long John) or a distant fence (The Styes).

• Reduce realized value to 50–75% unless moved via Sea Prince channels.

Small construct, unaligned

Description (Read Aloud):
A coiled jade snake rests motionless atop a crate, its eyes twin rubies that glimmer faintly in the candlelight. Dust clings to its carved scales, giving it the look of an old ornament or idol. But as you draw closer, the eyes flare to life — and the serpent uncoils with a hiss like grinding stone.

Lore

The Jade Serpent was crafted in the distant jungles of the Hook Peninsula. Carved from pure green jade and bound with arcane sigils. Kreb claims it came “from the jungles past the Hook,” though even he doesn’t fully understand its magic. He uses it to guard his treasure room.

Stat Block

Armor Class: 15 (jade body)
Hit Points: 27 (6d6 + 6)
Speed: 30 ft., climb 20 ft.

Saving Throws: DEX +4
Damage Immunities: poison, psychic
Condition Immunities: charmed, exhaustion, poisoned
Senses: darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages: —
Challenge: 1 (200 XP)

Traits

Construct Nature. The serpent doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.

Still as Stone. While motionless, the serpent is indistinguishable from an inanimate jade carving. A DC 15 Investigation or Arcana check reveals faint runes etched along its scales.

Guardian’s Command. The serpent activates when the secret door to the Hold opens, or if anyone touches the green chest. It remains dormant for anyone who speaks the command phrase (known only to Kreb, Cyrus, and Kedge). "Fang of the Tide."

Actions

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 7 (2d4 + 2) piercing damage plus 5 (2d10) poison damage (DC 12 Con Save).

Constrict (Recharge 5–6). Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 12). Until this grapple ends, the serpent can’t constrict another target.

Tactics

• The Jade Serpent strikes at the first intruder and defends the room until destroyed.

• It prioritizes anyone holding stolen goods or touching the green chest.

• Once reduced below 10 HP, it coils defensively and hisses, it cannot flee, but may appear to “deactivate,” luring intruders closer.

Treasure / Discovery

A DC 15 Arcana or Investigation check after combat reveals the serpent’s magical nature.

• The rubies in its eyes (25 gp each) can be removed with Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) DC 13.

• A skilled enchanter could repair or rebind the construct for future use (cost: 200 gp, 10 days’ work).