Not sure if Eron is about to head down the water, Fane will do a quick scan of the room, focus mostly on the Great Sanbalet.

Investigation: 17

Leo will keep an eye and ear out, watching down the southern corridor.

Leo's Perception: 17

The blue-haired half-elf steps out of cover with a victorious smile. "That'll teach you." She says with a scoff as she looks over the carnage. "The tentacle? To be honest I barely know how to summon it but suffice to say it is my wand making it possible." She answers the blade-wielding warrior, giving the tentacle-shaped wand a twist with her slender hand. "If we want to make good use of it we should press on, it will soon be gone again." Arlynn points out and is ready to follow Eron down towards the sound of waves lapping on stone.

Stealth: 19
Perception: 5

Fane will forgo the search for now, "I only have a few moments left on my bladesong, if we want to press quickly let's do so."

The party hurries onward toward the sound of waves.  The tunnel slopes sharply downward.  Along the way, they pass a nook in the passageway containing another three bolts of cloth and five small casks in the middle of the floor, resting on a piece of coarse matting.

Coming around a corner, they step into a cave that opens directly to the sea.  The tide is out at present, and there is little water in the cave, but there is an obvious high-water mark three feet above the floor.  Were the tide in, the opening to this cavern would hardly be above the waterline if viewed from outside.  Pulled up onto the sloping cave floor is a small boat, perhaps large enough for eight people, with oars, a step-down mast, and a neatly furled sail.  A rope tied to the bow is being held down by a large boulder that serves as an anchor.

Other than two more unlit and empty caverns, the tunnels are empty.  It seems this band of smugglers has moved their last load of contraband.

Speaking of which, the casks and barrels are all branded with the mark 'Ekkard & Juno' and are full of liquid.  [History check if anyone would like, DC 14]

The bolts of cloth all look to be colorful, sheer fabrics, suitable for shirt and dressmaking.  

On the dead smugglers, a search turns up the following salvageable items, weapons and armor...

• a longbow
• a peculiar looking set of scale mail on the Hobgoblin, decorated with a nautical theme
• 2 shortswords 
• 29gp and 58sp

In addition, the wizard carried a long, slender and expensive-looking smoking pipe with a riverstone bowl.

Eron looks at the peculiar looking set of scale mail on the Hobgoblin, decorated with a nautical theme, & the casks and barrels are all branded with the mark 'Ekkard & Juno'.

Arcana 22 (If it is more than normal scale)
history 15 (awesome)

Eron has the strong feeling that this particular set of armor carries an enchantment.  More than that, it would require study by a mage [Identify spell] or spending more time with the armor and testing it out to see what it can do through trial and error [spending a short rest examining the armor].

As for the barrels and casks, Eron recognizes the name 'Ekkard & Juno'.  That brand sells alcohol.  Particularly, they sell cooking wines and brandies.  Not suitable for drinking (unless you were desperate), their product was nevertheless popular in the kitchens of upscale urban restaurants and in the homes of nobles who employ professional chefs.

“We can use this boat to haul these stolen goods back to Saltmarsh.  If the weather cooperates we can take a breather on the way.  I’d like to bring the plate mail with too.  Maybe I can hold onto the nautical scale for now?”  Eron looks like he wants to say something more to Tillman but he keeps silent for now.

If everyone is agreeable

"I think using the boat to take back the items, including the plate male, is a great idea Eron. As far as useful items and treasure, I'm good with anyone who can use it taking it. If multiple people can use it then we can figure that out. Whatever we all don't use, we sell!" 

"Did we want to go check out the door marked danger? We were hired to clear the place, I feel like we should, but if you all disagree, I'm good with that. We can rest first, either way."

While we figure out our next steps, Fane will cast Detect magic as a ritual, then check over everything we found in the caves, the armor, the pipe, the casks, weapons, etc.

She'll have Leo fly out a bit into the water as a scout / guard, so not too far away, just making sure no boats come.

[I updated the loot doc with the obvious loot from the caves, but did not add the barrels, casks, smuggled goods, etc]

"I too would feel better if we checked the danger room, we're all in good shape still right?" The blue-haired half-elf says with a friendly smile. "That said, taking the boat back Saltmarsh sounds like a good idea. I suppose we didn't take down the whole operation though right, these cretins must have had accomplices at sea."

"I am good to continue. We can check the danger door and grab the plate armor and anything else we missed. I can leave Leo here by the boat if we like as a look out. She can alert me if anyone/thing shows up?"

“It seems to me that they avoided that area.  Maybe for a reason.  I believe we will be back here, like you say there’s more smugglers and we need to cash in on what loot we’ve gathered let the council know what we’ve found and come back check the ‘danger zone’, before we deal with the other retched smugglers.  If you’re all in agreement then I’ll stay and help explore otherwise my vote is to report back then return.”  
   Eron is a team player, but this may have a big impact on local economics and maybe ties to some folks back in Saltmarsh, which is why he is wanting to return first.

OOC as a player I’m all for finishing here, Eron will let Tillman sway him…

As Eron speaks reasonably about returning to the town, Tilliman isn't paying the least bit of attention, he's too busy scrutinizing the haul, eyeing the plate mail greedily, curious about every inch of this place...  When Eron finishes, the gnome finally looks to the man and responds with, "Yes, well, that's all probably good and wise, but... aren't you dying to find out what's behind that door?" He asks this final bit with a puckish grin.

“Okay Tillman if you’re up for it.  Do you have a couple more flasks of oil?  Who knows what’s in the danger zone.”  Eron holds out another flask of oil.  Then heads quickly up to open the danger door.

The blue-haired half-elf hurries after, eager to find out what the danger behind the door is, standing back in cover an peeking out as Eron opens the portal of peril.

Returning to the main cellar room, passing the corpses of the first batch of smugglers they defeated, the party finds themselves once again in front of the final, unopened door.  "Danger" is scrawled on the door in white chalk, and a wooden beam has been secured across the door frame with large nails, as if it was barricaded against anything escaping.  Indeed, the beam and the door behind it is cracked and one of the nails is pulled slightly out of the wall, as if something had been straining against it from the other side.  Now, however, as before, there is no sound from beyond the door, and there is no indication anything on the other side has reacted to your investigation of the threshold.

With no more smugglers around to menace them, the party could remove the beam with a few minutes of work.  

Do they wish to remove the barricade and open the door?

“This is it, as junior squires used to say ‘be prepared, and never stop cleaning…’ well the be prepared part applies here anyway.”  Eron grunts with effort trying to lever the beam free.  Using his light hammer and a hefty amount of effort.

Athletics  19

Tilliman takes a hidden position with his shortbow strung, nearly giggling with enthusiasm.

[DM failed to mention... when Fane ritually casts Detect Magic, she sees signs of illusion enchantment on the wizard's pipe as well as transmutation enchantment on the scale armor from the hobgoblin.]

[Oh, I almost forgot that Tilliman wanted to take a closer look at that wizard's pipe anyway. Could he have learned anything with a 24 Arcana roll?]

[Fane has no interest in the pipe, it feels like a Tilliman item to her. Nor the scale mail as she cannot wear it.]

Fane will stand next to or right beside Eron when he opens the door, ready do enter her bladesong if necessary, Leo will be close by, up near the ceiling.