"Good riddance," Arvastan comments, watching the head land in the corner. They might have been able to question him, but as likely he'd have crammed up and they wouldn't have gotten anything. "I agree with Tul, as happens; think this is quite a bit bigger than us. I also think we were being used to fix a loose end - if we died, we'd just be more victims of the ghost in the manor, but if we didn't," he gestures around. "We take care of a problem and word doesn't get around and cause more trouble." 

He grimaces and starts to help Tul look around for any papers or evidence that they might use. 

Investigation: 15

Once they're sure there's nothing coming to help, Dimma lowers her warhammer and shield with a heavy sigh, a strange mixture of relief and regret as she looks around the room, "His death was well-deserved... nothing we can do now."

She wants to search the dwarf's headless body for anything of value as well as anything that might indicate this dwarf's clan status, in case she needs to contact someone about a funeral. She looks down at the gory pile and places a hand to her chest while muttering a prayer of guidance before setting about the grim task.

Investigation: 19

Afterwards she would go about ritual casting detect magic with the wizard dead, some of the magic in this place must have changed.

Gibson takes his bag o' bottles and sits, feet on the table, eating the cooked ham, and waits for everyone to finish what they're doing. He'll assist if anyone asks for a hand with anything.

As Hugh calms down, the party begins their investigation of the room. Tul and Arvastan in particular are able to find quite a few items of interest.

Arvastan - In Sanbalet's foot locker you find the following:

*A long oilskin jacket (worth 5 gp) -- it looks like it might be floor length for a dwarf, but a comfortable fit for a taller humanoid. There are many pockets inside (which are empty), and it is trimmed at the sleeves with beautiful green silk.

*A bullseye lantern -- as you look at the lantern, you can tell it is probably only used occasionally.

*A piece of parchment with written instructions on how to use the lantern for signalling purposes (I will pop the text to you in a PM soon.)

*A few candles, flint and steel

Tul, searching the rest of the room, you find the following:

*Three books -- a collection of erotic poetry that is fully illustrated (10 gp), a tidal map of Saltmarsh with some old notations (10 gp), and a work written by Sanbalet himself that seems to be a treatise on the demigod Iuz and its minions (5 gp).

*You also find in the latter book a piece of paper (written by the same hand) that includes a few simple words in the Common tongue (like "stop," "come," "fight,") and their equivalent in a language you do not understand.

*On the body of Sanbalet, you find a small dagger (2 gp), a mirror (2gp), and a pouch containing an additional 5 gold.

Dimma -- as you reactivate your Detect Magic, the only source in the room is the faintest glimmer coming from Sanbalet's headless corpse.

That is all you are able to find in the room.

Tul shows the others what she has found.

"If I was to guess, given what these two were talking about earlier," she says gesturing at the two corpses. "These words might be in LizardFolk. But I don't know the language."

Gibson perks up. "Uh-huh. Sure, sure, sure. I'm certain you're absolutely right. So, 'poetry' you say? I do love to read verse. Would you mind if I hang on to that one for now? I wouldn't mind giving it a good... read... when we get back tonight. Oh, and I can lend my learned mind to take a closer look at those other books when we have a chance to sit down and dig in later as well."

Hugh will take this time to sit down across from or next to Gib and take a short rest.

Hit Die: 8

Gibson slides some ham over wordlessly.

"Well now," Arvastan comments, reading over the parchment, "this is interesting." He waves the others over, offering the letter. "Looks like I was right - 'ole Sanbalet was hardly a Master at wizarding, much less piracy." He sneers a bit at the head. "Fortunate for us that he seems chronically unable to follow instructions, though I wish the damn thing had been signed," he huffs, a little frustrated. He also holds up the oilskin jacket after rifling through the pockets. "Anyone want this?" 

The letter: 

 (Would Arvastan recognize the ship the Sea Ghost?)

Gibson jumps at fashionable, new duds and would happily don the jacket to help hide the stains on his shirt.

Tul looks over Arvastan's shoulder and reads the letter. Then she looks down at the dead pirate in the room and back at the letter.

"It has been a while since I've seen one, but if there are goblins here, we do not appear to have found them yet."

She looks over at the lantern and back to the instructions.

"If they were better at keeping time than remembering signalling instructions, this Sea Ghost will be here in two days," Tul says. "We need to explore the rest of what's down here to find out where Sanbalet was supposed to signal from and if there are still goblins here."

(Arvastan, you know the flagship ship of the Hold of the Sea Princes is called The Night Shade, which is a legendary ship among all sailors. You are not that familiar with the Sea Ghost, but its not that surprising as the Princes try to keep most of their activities under wraps.)

"This is perfect!" Gibson says after reading the letter, arms flailing in excitement. He stops to slowly windmill one arm around while feeling the new jacket move. He's momentarily distracted by the comfortable range of motion afforded by such a garment. "What was I saying? Oh yes! This letter proves that the house isn't haunted, that there was a connection with the pirates, and that there is a perfect opportunity for the city guard to organize what we in the underground apiary world call 'a sting.'" His bushy eyebrows bob up and down as he says the last words. Mistaking everyone's looks of frustration for confusion he explains, "It's when a local guardsman pretend to be an amateur beekeeper to gain access and pretends to get stung so that they can shout a signal for the rest of the guard to storm in." He looks around for signs of comprehension. He sighs and continues, "I'm just saying that I don't think there's anything else for us to do here. Why don't we just put the rest of this in the capable hands of the local authorities?"

“Perhaps you are right, Gibson. But why have the town guard not already investigated this place?” Tul says. “If the royal councillor or some other senior person is linked to this place you may only be adding your name to the list of who is to hang from the gallows next.”

She shakes her head and starts towards the main room and the next door.

“i, for one, am going to continue.”

Dimma takes her turn with the letter and strokes her beard. "I agree," she says while holding out the letter to anyone who wants to give it a read, "this note and proof of the wizard's death are all we need to fulfill our contract. At least this letter confirms that the pirates consider the royal councilor an interloper; I was beginning to worry he might've sent us to tie up loose ends."

She turns her head towards the source of the necrotic magic next door and frowns, "However, I think we would do well to search the rest of the manor. Whatever valuables are still inside are ours by right and once the town learns that this place isn't truly haunted scavengers will make off with everything that isn't nailed to the floorboards. Besides, there is still some dangerous magic lurking in this place; it would be best if we cleared it out so people don't get hurt."

(My 555th post...)

"I'll join ya in cleanin' the rest of the place out," Arvastan offers, tucking the parchment back in his coat pocket once everyone has had a chance to read it. "If there are goblins, we should convince 'em to leave, and if there's more evidence, we ought to find it."

@LavenderDame

"Are you sailor-folk able to make heads or tails of those notations on the map?" Gibson asks. "Seems like it could be pertinent to the clandestine comings and goings of pirates." Then he notices the religious pamphlet and looks to Arvastan. "Would you mind terribly if I have a go at that while you lot are poking around at dead rats or whatever you have planned?"

As the group moves out of the wizard's chambers, there is still the door immediately to the right. As you noticed before, the word Danger is written in white paint in Common, Dwarvish, and what looks to be the same language from the letter Tul found. Dimma -- you are able to sense multiple sources of necrotic energy through the door, but you can't quite pinpoint how many since they seem to be heaped together.

There is a wooden beam blocking the door that would need to be moved to open it (STR Check DC 10.). At the other end of the chamber leads to a passageway that connects to caverns that have been carved through the cliff to provide access to the Azure Sea.

"Now why in the wide world of Greyhawk would you even pause to momentarily consider opening that door?!?" Gibson exclaims as he sees Dimma's eyes rest on the giant Danger sign.

Tul moves to the barred door and looks at the danger sign.

"It may either be something the wizard was scared of and if so we should deal with it," Tul says. "As Dimma said, if others are to come here we do not want them walking into danger."

Then she turns and looks at Gib.

"Or it is something the wizard didn't want anyone prying into."

She looks around the group.

"I think we should open it."