Our story resumes in the quarters of Sanbalet, where The Morgrave Three uncover Sanbalet’s Journal, revealing smugglers’ dealings with relics and ruins deep in the swamp, hints of an ominous prophecy, and House Tharashk’s likely involvement in something far bigger than mere contraband.

The Skeleton Horde & A Hero’s Stand

Delving deeper into the Haunted House, the party finds a door marked ‘Danger’ in Hobgoblin—which of course means they immediately open it. They are greeted by six skeletons fused together with alchemical cement. Caught off guard, Vargan and Overhaul retreat, leaving Happy alone to heroically battle the horde. Though she fights valiantly, the sheer number of undead overwhelms her, and she collapses beneath a tide of skeletal limbs.

With Happy’s life on the line, Vargan finds his courage, hurling himself back into the fray, shielding her with his own body, and channeling the raw power of nature—a thunderous explosion tears through the skeletons, shattering all but one. As the dust settles, Overhaul raises a small, bell-like contraption, mutters a few words, and sends the last undead back to whatever hell it came from.

The Ghost of the Past

As they catch their breath, a blue glow seeps from a hidden doorway. Overhaul inspects the seam, and as he reaches out to open it, he comes face to face with the skeletal remains of Archimedes—the former owner of the house, now undead and vengeful.

In a rare moment of wisdom, Overhaul immediately retreats, leaving Happy to once again stand as the party’s protector. But it is Vargan—perhaps seeking redemption for his earlier cowardice—who takes the decisive action, launching a magic stone that strikes true, reducing Archimedes to dust.

Looting the remains, the party uncovers a cursed Luckstone, a golden skull, apple, rose, and five golden weights, and a tattered book about the Philosopher’s Stone, containing scrawled notes on ruins in the swamp and ominous references to Prophecy and black dragons.

Meanwhile, Overhaul, ever practical, strips the robe from Archimedes’ bones, repairs it, and proudly wears it—despite it being sized for someone nearly twice his height.

A Rat in the Kitchen

While Vargan and Overhaul sort through their finds, Happy spots two smugglers entering the barracks. With a quiet nod, she shuts the door and goes to inform her allies.

Vargan seizes the moment—transforming into a rat and slipping under the door to scout. He finds the smugglers returning for dinner, drawn to a bubbling stew pot on the stove. Inspired by nothing but his own bizarre sense of humor, Rat-Vargan hurls himself into the pot, swimming around like a deranged noodle.

The reaction is immediate: one smuggler vomits on the spot, while the other chases the “demonic stew rat” in a furious rampage.

In the midst of the chaos:

• Happy dispatches the vomiting smuggler with a single, decisive strike.

• Overhaul delivers a surprisingly tender yet electrifying ‘goodnight’ with shocking grasp.

• Rat-Vargan shifts back into his orcish form mid-chase, startling the last smuggler long enough for them to finish him off.

Realizing more smugglers may return soon, the team devises a cunning trap—poisoning the stew, ensuring anyone else who arrives will meet a most unfortunate fate.

Sanbalet’s “Rescue?” & The Loincloth Man Mystery

Before they can celebrate, they return to retrieve their prisoners—Sanbalet and the captured hobgoblin—only to find that Sanbalet is missing. Following the drag marks on the floor, Vargan shifts back into rat form and sneaks ahead into the kitchen, where he finds a half-naked man dragging Sanbalet away.

Instead of alerting his allies, Rat-Vargan chooses diplomacy—scurrying under the table, he asks, “Are you going to eat Sanbalet?”

This is, apparently, too much for the man, who drops Sanbalet, panics, and flees into the night—leaving behind only his unconscious captive and his soiled loincloth.

The Dinner Guests Arrive

The party resets their ambush, hiding as three more smugglers arrive for dinner the tension becomes unbearable and the Morgrave Three lose patience and burst into the room finding the smugglers with their bowls and spoons poised above the poisoned stew,

A chaotic battle ensues. One smuggler escapes while the others are slaughtered and added to the ever-growing meat locker.

The Smuggler’s Cove & A Final Battle

Needing to ensure no further threats remain, Vargan scouts the caverns below. He finds:

✔ A hidden smuggler’s cove—a perfect landing point for illicit trade.

✔ Piles of smuggled goods – including stolen weapons, brandy and supplies from Saltmarsh.

✔ Three remaining smugglers guarding a small boat on a sandy beach.

With night falling, the party decides on a final push—charging down the treacherously slippery slope to the beach.

Unfortunately, Happy is not as sure-footed as she is brave. The weight of her plate armor turns her into a metal toboggan, sending her sliding uncontrollably into the smugglers below.

What follows is swift and brutal. The surprised smugglers are cut down where they stand, their bodies unceremoniously added to the now overcrowded meat locker.

Escape to Saltmarsh

Victorious but exhausted, the Morgrave Three haul their prisoners onto the smuggler’s boat and set sail across the open waters, returning to Saltmarsh.

The moment they arrive, a young boy runs up to them, telegram in hand.

What new dangers await them in the swamp? Only time will tell…