Sanbalet: The Great and Powerful

Throgen, Murgen, Shaw, and Alvok, having just returned from the haunted house discussed their findings with Olhana (half-elf mercenary), **Imara** (Maggie), **Orwin** (Michael), **Louisa** (Sarah), and **Kukana** (high elf cleric). Olhana took the returning group over to to Wolfgang to get them patched up while the four looked over the clues at a table, coming to a conclusion that there might be more still in this house worth uncovering.

When they arrived at the haunted house, Kukana, Louisa, and Orwin explored the upstairs as the creaking, sagging floorboards did not seem they would be able to hold the weight of a fully armored paladin. Orwin and Louisa found tracks in an upstairs room with scuff marks that looked like they came from the **hooded lantern**. The room had an excellent view of the sea and they deduced that it was here the pirates signaled for their ship *The Sea Ghost*. Meanwhile, Imara kept watch downstairs but was caught by surprise as a crossbow bolt slammed into the kink, turning around in time to see a grimy looking man dash away. As Imara cornered the man in a back room the rest of the group rushed downstairs. Imara, grabbing the man by the collar, slammed him into the wall, while Orwin placed a charm spell on the pirate.

Through the charm, and some very impassioned persuasion checks, the crook, **Ned**, agreed to flip on his former colleagues, he didn’t like them that much anyways he mostly did his own thing. He explained that the land based operations of the smuggling ring was led by a wizard who referred to himself in third person as the “great and powerful **Sanbalet**”, a ruthless narcissist who is not above immolating a crew member to ensure obedience. The party tried to persuade Ned to see if he could convince some of the smugglers into a mutiny but his fear got the better of him as he ashamedly admitted that he was not well liked among the crew. Ned was shocked as the party allowed him to run free, they told him to run to Willowbank where perhaps they could grab a drink when all was said and done.

Having saved this grimy, slimy bandit’s life they hurried into the basement where Ned had told them about yet another secret door in the “not so haunted” house. They proceeded into a natural cove under the house where the pirates were ready and waiting. An intense battle erupted as Sanbalet taunted the party relentlessly, throwing out scorching rays and laughing as they were knocked unconscious. However his arrogance would be short lived. Through a clever illusion spell from Orwin, martial arts from Kukana, mighty hammer-falls from Imara, and finally a thunderwave from Louisa, Sanbalet was laid low. As Imara shifted her gaze to the remaining bandit, she offered a final chance to surrender, which was readily accepted. The party gathered a **palm pistol**, a **musket**, a **pipe of remembrance**, and a set of magical **scale mail** with shell and fish motifs.

The four turned over the bandit to the town **jailor** who thanked them for taking care of the house, and that they should inform **Eliander Fireborn** (human, mid-late 30s) personally, as he would be delighted. The jailor said that the bandit was looking at several years of hard labor when the party was concerned over the state of capital punishment in the city. When they reached the house of Councilman Eliander, the esteemed former officer of the Wharanese Navy and the defacto leader of the ***Loyalist*** party in town, he thanked them profusely. He told them to stop by at any time if they ever needed anything from him or wanted to pursue his library, he is especially skilled with languages and can help with tricky translations should the need arise. He said the council would deliver them their promised reward as soon as possible. He also said that since the matter of *The Sea Ghost* was still ongoing he would talk to **Eda Oweland** (human, late 50s/ early 60s), the leader of the ***Traditionalist*** party in town, and see what the council would do about this problem. However he suspected they would be calling upon your services shortly.

Louisa and Orwin found Ned at the dive bar the *Empty Net*. While he recognized that he was charmed he appreciated that the party was willing to give him a second chance like that and that he would love to take that drink. Back at the Ravenraptor he got acquainted with Olhana who was delighted by this development to take Ned in. While drinking at the inn Orwin handed Ned the pipe of remembrance which would create a lingering smoke effect displaying the user's most heroic deed. For Ned it showed him stealing a loaf of bread and an apple, and when he was about to dig in he looked up seeing an urchin child looking on. He handed them the food, electing to go the day hungry.