Salt and smoke linger faintly in the air. Unlike the chaos below, this room is orderly and restrained.

A small fire warms a stone hearth. A table, two chairs, and a neatly made bed fill the space. An old bookshelf stands against the wall, now lined not with books but with dusty wines, aged rums, and fading labels from distant ports.

The room feels more like a captain’s cabin than a tavern chamber.

Kreb is disciplined; everything here has its place.

Valuables (Investigation DC 10)

• Rare Spirits: A modest collection of aged rum and wine, some nearly a century old.
  Total value: 150 gp.

Secret Compartment — Gellan’s Ledgers

(Investigation DC 17)

Faint scratches mark the back of the bookshelf.

A concealed latch behind the lowest shelf opens a hidden compartment containing a leather-bound ledger wrapped in oilcloth.

Inside:

• Private shipping records tied to Gellan Primewater

• Dates, ships, cargoes, and coded notes marking diverted or smuggled goods

• An entry labeled: “Ballast Transfer – Abbey Isle / Zenopus Route”

• Manifests from Seaton and Gradsul with subtle annotations indicating secret meetings, illicit cargo, or staged “losses”

A History or Insight DC 12 check reveals several listed ships were officially reported lost or captured—yet appear here as redirected vessels.

The pattern suggests Kreb feeds intelligence to both Gellan and the Sea Princes, profiting from each.

Value & Consequences

The ledgers are damning proof of Gellan’s smuggling network.

Possession grants powerful leverage. If Gellan learns they’ve been taken, he will act swiftly—through agents, bribery, or Sea Prince bounty crews—to reclaim them.

The air reeks of salt, tar, and old timber. The cramped room feels more warehouse than living space—crates and barrels stacked high, many stamped with merchant seals from distant ports. Several have been pried open, their contents half-sorted across the floor.

A rough table and two chairs sit at the center. A candle burns low beside scattered notes and a half-empty bottle of rum.

To the north, double doors open onto a narrow balcony overlooking the harbor. A block-and-tackle rig hangs above, used to hoist cargo directly from boats below.

A single door to the southwest leads deeper into the upper floor.

Purpose

The loft serves as storage and repacking space for the Empty Net’s smuggling ring.

Crates & Cargo

Marked with emblems from Keoland, the Yeomanry, and the Principality of Ulek.

Contents: swords, fine cloth, liquor, and trade goods worth 50–100 gp per crate.

The visible markings make open resale risky.

Repacking Evidence (Investigation DC 12)

Goods are concealed inside filthy ballast barrels. Sand and gravel fill the top layer; wrapped contraband lies beneath.

Smugglers hide these barrels deep in a ship’s hull, unload them quietly at night, and pass them off as worthless ballast.

Documents & Clues (Investigation DC 10)

Shipping notes list crate counts, initials, and coded marks.

Some are stamped:

• “Abbey Island pickup”

• “Torvin transfer”

These connect the operation to the Sea Princes and Port Torvin (the Styes).

Perception DC 13: Scrape marks on the balcony floor from frequent hoisting.

Secret Door (Investigation DC 18)

Faint scratches and loose plaster mark the south wall.

A concealed latch—shaped like a wood knot—releases a narrow hidden door.

Beyond lies The Hold, Kreb’s private treasure room.

If Discovered

• Noise: Searching openly (Stealth DC 12) draws attention. Within 1–2 rounds, Cyrus or another smuggler arrives.

• Caught: Kreb claims it’s “private stock” and orders the party out. Discovery of the secret door turns him openly hostile.

• Evidence: Reporting the loft to the Mariner’s Guild or Town Council provides damning proof of Sea Prince smuggling.

A hidden panel opens into a low, cramped storeroom packed with contraband.

Two red eyes gleam in the dark—at first alarming, until revealed as a jade serpent statue, coiled and detailed, its gem eyes blood-bright.

Crates and barrels crowd the floor. A decorative sea-green chest sits beside an open coffer spilling coins and jewels. Rolled rugs rest in one corner. Along the far wall looms a driftwood-and-coral tribal idol, painted eyes glaring.

Kreb’s private hoard. Skimmed from years of smuggling. Hidden from partners and crew alike.

Trap — Jade Serpent

The “statue” is a construct guardian.

When an unauthorized creature enters, its eyes flare and it animates (Jade Serpent, CR 1).

• Door slams and locks behind intruders

  • DC 12 Thieves’ Tools

  • DC 14 Strength to break

• Fights until intruders flee or die

Noise Consequences

Combat or loud disturbance:

• Cyrus arrives in 2 rounds

• Kreb + 2 bandits arrive in 3–4 rounds if noise continues

Treasure

Open Chest

• 2d100+100 gp

• 4d100+100 sp

West Wall — Bottles & Amphorae

• 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

• 2 woven rugs (25 gp each)

Ornate Sea-Green Chest

(Good Lock — DC 15 Thieves’ Tools / DC 18 Strength)

• 50 gp mixed coin

• Bloodstone (50 gp)

• Aquamarine (100 gp)

• Gold-inlaid coral idol (75 gp)

• Forged seals & stencils (advantage to falsify shipping marks/manifests)

Other Crates

Marked with Keoland, Yeomanry, and Ulek trade seals — clearly stolen.

Some stamped:

• “Torvin Transfer”

• “Abbey Isle Pickup”

Fencing

Royal or guild-marked goods are dangerous to sell locally.

Require a smuggler contact (Kedge or Long John) or distant fence (the Styes).

Reduce sale value to 50–75% unless moved through 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).