Smuggler's Cove

Within a natural inlet masked by wave-battered rocks and the ocean itself lies the entrance to a cave that hosts all manner of stolen goods. Works of art sit wrapped among sacks of grain and crates of c.ontraband within the confines of this well-protected space. Those who venture here without an invitation or a clear idea of where they're headed might never have a chance to leave.

Entering the Grotto

There are two points of entry to the natural foyer abutting the hidden corridor leading to the cove's main storage facilities. From the sea, an inlet along the sheer, 400-ft. cliff wall leads to a tunnel that's only visible (and accessible) by boat during low tide. This cave leads to an open cathedral-like grotto with a soaring, stalactite-pocked ceiling and a short span of sand-covered shore. A secondary entrance can be found atop the cliffs, where a hidden door covered in earth and visible with a successful DC 18 Wisdom(Perception) check lifts to reveal a spiral staircase that descends to a series of interior cliffs, ladders and landings.

Description

Grotto

Jagged rock outcroppings worn by the tides are the dominating feature in this dark cave. When the tide is low, roughly half the interior space is navigable by foot, but once the water begins to creep in, the dry shoreline begins to disappear fairly quickly. Smugglers use this quirk to their advantage, loading or unloading their goods as the ride recedes, as the boats can still float but the goods can rest on solid, relatively dry ground. Signs of this activity are visible during low tide, revealed bu a DC 15 Wisdom(perception) check. Astute observers (DC 18) will notice some foot traffic leads toward the inset spot about the size of a half-orc along the cave wall. Stepping fully into this space reveals nothing, but examining the cave wall within the inlet by touch gives away its mask - an effect of the hallucinatory terrain spell. This illusion can also be perceived with a DC 18 Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence (Investigation) check. Through this narrow corridor is the cove's storage facility - and the spoils of weeks' worth of illegal activity.

To determine whether it's high, low or mid tide, roll on the table below.

1d6	The water level is currently...
1	Low tide
2-3	Mid tide, rising
4	High tide
4	Mod tide, receding

Storage Area

Dim torchlight from the walls offers a view of boxes, crates and sacks of goods - so many that it might take someone quite a bit of time to separate run-of(the-mill goods from the truly spectacular. There is a pit trap along the walkway to the second chamber that can be discerned with a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check. The first creature that triggers the trap and any creature within 5 ft. of them at the time the trap is triggered pummets 60 ft. and is subject to 3d6 bludgeoning damage, as well as 2d6 piercing damage on the spikes below if they hit the bottom of the pit.

Hidden Entrance

Behind a stack of boxes, revealed as fakes with a DC 19 Intelligence (Investigation) check, is a bolthole and a long, narrow ladder that leads nearly 400 ft. down to the sea-soaked caverns below.