He steps out of the way of the piercing green eyes so he just staring at a wall. When Ash starts her inspection,

"Just strip him, no need to be nice."

Then to Sanbalet,

"No, I don't think we will be turning on the lights and Willard is fine for now."

At the mention of the lizards he guesses that Sanbalet means the lizardfolk and looks to Ess and shrugs.

"We are here for a reason. A competitor sent us, we're here to shut you down. Permanently."

He moves and taps the wizard on the back of the head to emphasis the point,

"Though, we are all business men," he glances to Ash and winks, "so we could be persuaded to let certain smugglers to...escape? Though for that to happen we'd need to know all the details. You know how it is, being paid by the head and all, but information is also valuable."

Deception (min. 17): 17

Ash, you startle Sanbalet, but he doesn't seem any more afraid of you and the current situation he finds himself in. You find on his person a long wooden pipe and a set of gaming dice.

Ess would also be helping this and taking off any clothing if necessary and also roughing him up a bit. Intimidation 17

Korrik, you sneak down the south passageway without Sanbalet realizing. The incline of the passage is perceptibly greater in this area. Coarse matting has been laid in places on the floor, negating some of the slope’s slipperiness. The passage widens to the south at this point to form a small cavern. There are three bolts of cloth and five small casks in the middle of the floor, resting on a piece of coarse matting. The passage leads 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. 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. 

Billard, Sanbalet responds "A competitor? Which one could it... you know what, I guess it doesn't even matter at this point. Damn we had a good run here though."

"Alright. Screw it. You let me go, I'll tell you what's up."

Sanbalet will explain that his gang has been operating quite a successful smuggling operation out of this house, specifically the cellar and caverns.

It all started about 3 years ago. There were said to be lost alchemic riches from the old man alchemist who used to live here. The gang came to try and find the loot, but they didn't find squat. Although he'd mention that it seems you all found the jackpot with that hat skeleton and would ask if you found anything when you let the skeletons out.

Anyways, instead, they found a badass home base for what was eventually a well run smuggling operation. Goods are stolen from Marshswamp, stored in this home base, and then distributed easily by sea up and down the coast and into northwestern Faerun using the access to the sea from the sea cave. The gang has a larger ship that hauls most of the larger lots. It is currently out at sea. The rumors of this house being haunted from the old man that used to live here were kept up by the gang using Sanbalet's magic. 

"And I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling kids!"

(scooby-doo reference for anyone? LOL)

He would explain that his gang also does weapon runs for the Lizardfolk (steals weapons for them, and then by ship sends them to the Lizardfolk Lair) who live at that spot on the Marshswamp Region tab. "Pays REAL well."

Lastly, he would ask that while he would be ok with you all just letting him go, ultimately he would love if you all would join the gang. He explains that he wants to expand his operation and eventually inhabit a more secure location to better pursue his magical studies.

Map is updated

Korrik pads back up the passageway to rejoin the others.

"I'm not a kid, I'm a halfling! You seen any children with muttonchops like these? What do the lizardfolk need weapons so  badly for? What kind of weapons?"

With Korrik coming back (and maybe taking over from Ash for a bit, keeping an eye on the wizard, alongside Ess), Ash will step a little closer to Ben and whisper (loud enough for only the party to hear), “Hmm... Just a few ‘fine goods’ knocking around here it seems. Booze and cloth. Hard to transport though... But it sounds like they never properly searched the skeleton rooms. After we’ve got what we can out of the boss here, maybe we knock him out and take a better look in there ourselves?..... ... And if we properly clear it out, we can bundle the survivors in there and then at least we can bar the door in case they come to!”

”And don’t forget the plate armour, that may be our best haul from here in the end! But it might take some careful handling. Those maggots are really really bad news”.

After any responses from Ben or the party, Ash will head back into the cavern a little way. ((I assume we’ll properly search bodies etc later, but for now, does Ash see any weapons or armour? She specifically needs studded leather and a light crossbow)).

"Sanbalet, you said your name was? Sanbalet, do you happen to be acquainted with the Wave Widow? She's captained by a fellow named Tresten, think their home port is Waterdeep?"

"Who cares. Killing things for all I care. They pay real well, so I don't ask. Swords, shields, clubs, spears... weapons. These primitive tools I see no use for, although the lizards think differently."

Ash, with respect to your specific weapon and armor desires, you'd see 2 light crossbows.

There is no studded leather. Just normal leather. Grax has chain mail, and Grix has an interesting looking suit of scale mail

"Yeah. Sanbalet. With an Ess." (haha)

"Wave Widow? Tresten? Beats the hell outta me. That another operation? Maybe the ship hands might know more. They're gonna shit when they find out what happened. Probably blame me. Dumb forks."

"So, you guys want in on this, or what?"

Map is updated.

Ash is very particular about her weapons... she picks up the best looking light crossbow and scrutinises it, checking the sights and the mechanism...

Does she like it check: 13 

Hmmm... better than your average crossbow. She keeps hold of that one for now. But she’s not forgotten the even 4 way split. She’ll factor it in when they each take a cut, but can get some use out of it in the meantime.

She lets the others know about the strange armour and everything else she saw, in her first cursory look around.

"What's the name of your crew's ship?"

((If you want a History check?: 16))

Ben just waits for the questions to end then will gesture to Ash and Ess to knock the wizard out so they can talk.

Ash has nothing more to ask the wizard. But she will politely wait for others to ask more if they want to...

((Sorry all! I am going to be a bit slower for the next little while, but will try my best to keep it rolling! You know... we are almost done the first bit! I've had a blast in this house/cavern with you guys.))

Ess looks at Ash and raises an interested eyebrow at the strange armor. He whispers "dibs if that platemail from earlier doesn't fit me!"

Korrik, Sanbalet responds "Ah. Yes. I like that you're interested. Keep the questions coming. You can all be part of this. Our ships name is the 'Sea Ghost'. She's a true beauty."

He would describe a vessel similar to a sailing ship of nearly 90 feet. Without the weapons.

He would explain that the last consignment was offloaded only a short while ago, and another one is not expected for some time. Meaning the ship isn't planned to return to this secret sea cave/port for a week or two. 

Korrik, of the top of your head you do not remember hearing the name 'Sea Ghost', although the ship that Sanbalet described sounds like its craftsmanship could be similar to the Wave Widow. If that means anything. 

What's next?

Korrik looks at the others and gestures a closed fist towards his temple, rolling his eyes up and sticking his tongue out. 

If no one objects to him doing so, he'll swing to knock out Sanbalet so they can discuss what to do with him.

If Korrik needs help subduing the wizard, Ash will help. Once he’s out cold, she’ll suggest searching the caverns and the fallen properly...

((rolls if you need them))...

Perception: 19 

Investigation: 11 

Once Sanbalet is out,

"So. What are our thoughts? I'm not inclined to join someone else's play but I'm open to persuasion? Oh and what did you find? Magical? I'll give everything a check after we've talked this out. I agree that we can toss them in the skeleton room - after I've checked it."

He looks thoughtful,

"What do you think our chances of taking that boat would be?"

Ash replies, “It seems like we’ll have a week or two, to think about what we might want to do with the big-smuggling-boat... I’m tempted, but there aren’t a lot of options if things go south on a boat!... “.

”I say we keep an eye out for it... prepare as best we can in the meantime just in case. And if we don’t have a better.. erm... ‘job’ before then, then I say we seriously think about it!... Maybe we can lure it over and get the crew to come in here a few at a time? I think we have boat signalling instructions now”. She looks around the group for thoughts.

If anyone has more rope Ash is keen to tie the boss up and search the place, and check out the skeleton rooms.

((Probably some rope around?))

"Maybe if I get us onboard as him? Pretty sure I do that. Question is if we can manage once we're there. How many usually crew a boat that size Kay?"

Looking at Sanbalet,

"We should gag and blind him too. Can't be too safe with wizards."

Ash binds and gags the boss with found rope (or scraps of leather and cloth sliced from the clothes of the dead if need be). Then asks, “What should we do with all the contraband goods here? Could fetch a pretty penny! But it’ll be hard to move. Literally I mean. It’s big and heavy... And hard to sell in Marshswamp, if it came from there in the first place!.... ...”.

”When we get back to town, and after I’ve had a chance to clean up properly, I should be able to get word to a few underground contacts... they might have ways to convert these goods into profit.... Might even have a job or two, or some leads!.....”.

((Criminal/spy ‘background feature’... ))

"We have a carriage. Probably load it up. It's bad form to try to sell something where it was stolen! So probably up at Helm's Hold? I can work up some documents for most of it so we don't have to pay a middle man to fence it."

"Might be worth asking a few quiet questions in town. If they were stealing this stuff from Marshswamp, someone's gotta be looking for them, they might have spread word as far as Helm's Hold or beyond to be on the lookout for people moving this sort of stuff... Ship lets them take it farther away than anyone's likely to be looking."