IV. The Witch Tower

[AleBelly]

Sylvan will continue to keep watch over Ciar, but won't interfere with his explorations.

[Alethan]

Ciar heads back down the ramp and gathers the others around.

"The ramp is a little unsteady. It was easy enough for me to climb, but it might be a little more challenging for others." He glances over at the heavily armoured dwarf.

"Pretty much nothing remains of the second level except... there is a trap door in the floor that I suspect leads to the first level. So it seems like it would be a way in without having to clear a bunch of rubble away from the front door. Only problem is there is a heavy beam laying across it that I don't think I can move on my own. I think we can solve both problems with one solution, though. If someone has a length of rope, I can take it up and fasten it around the beam. Then you lot can pull the beam off of the trap door. I'll be up there and I'll try and direct the beam to lodge against something solid, like the walls or the doorway, and then the rope can double as a climbing aid for anyone who might need it."

[onlyme]

Fulp apologizes,
A rope. I knew I should have brought that coil just hanging by the shed door as I left home before my journey here.
He looks around somewhat embarrassed by his lack of preparedness, hoping someone else might come to the rescue.

[Storm11]

Kass shrugs and shakes his head. "I am a wizard. I wiz, not climb"

[Alethan]

Ciar rubs his chin as he thinks a bit, "We'll need a light source or two, as well. Likely to be quite dark down below..."

[OGRE MAGE]

Sparrow pulls out his rope and begins to spin it around lasso style.

Ive got some skills with the old hemp. He spins his his silk rope around into an odd formation and ends up with a noose style knot in it in just a matter of seconds.

You sure you won't need any help up there shorty? he playfully says to Ciar.

[Alethan]

Ciar shrugs, "Come on up. Floor feel solid. The ramp itself is where you'll want to be careful. I'd suggest one person at a time. Maybe after we figure out who has some light, though..."

[Alethan]

As Ciar turns to take another look at the ramp, his eyes are drawn to Fulp's waist.

"Forgot yer rope at home, did ya?" He raises an eyebrow.

[AleBelly]

"I've got a lantern, but no rope" replies Sylvan. He removes his lantern pours a pint of sharp-smelling lamp oil into it, wincing at the effect on his nostrils. The young leather clad man does not yet light it. He shoulders his pack again, lantern in hand, awaiting his turn to ascend the ramp, rope-assisted.

[dmw71]

Ciar reports finding a trapped door leading down to the first floor of the tower, but that it is currently blocked by a heavy beam. The halfling suggests that someone toss up a rope; which Sparrow does in dramatic fashion. Sylvan also readies a lantern. Ciar securely fastens one end of the rope around the beam and tosses the other half down to his awaiting companions. As weight is brought upon the rope, the beam is pulled away from the trap door and the halfling is able to position it in such a way that it will securely -- he hopes! -- support the weight of those that still need to make the ascent.

The plan pays off as everyone is able to use the rope to safely climb the makeshift ramp of shifting debris and join the halfling on the second level as the locals look on from below.


Open to the sky above, this exposed upper floor contains only some smashed furniture and a sprinkling of rubble. The now uncovered trap door is set in the floor against the northwest wall.


Actions?

Basically, I just need to know:
1) Who (if anyone) will open the trapdoor,
2) If anyone has any other plans now that everyone finds themselves on this second floor.

[AleBelly]

If there is a handle on the trap door for pulling up, Sylvan whispers to the others "I suggest we tie the rope around the handle and lift it from some distance."

If there's no handle with good enough purchase, he whispers "should we listen to determine what's on the other side? My ears aren't the best, but I can give it a try."

[hedgeknight]

Festus arrives last, having spent a lot of time checking out the iron door. He sizes up the beam on the trap door, unshoulders his pack, and then squats and attempts to lift one end of the beam just enough to move it to one side.

[dmw71]

Sylvan fastens an end of the rope to the metal ring latch and, while everyone stands back as best they can, pulls open the iron trap door. He ignites the oil in his lantern and, when nothing immediately springs out once the door is opened, he cautiously moves towards the portal. Bringing his lantern to the opening, he peers in and relays his findings to the others.

Tower Exterior.png (135.12 KiB) Viewed 397 times

The trap door does, in fact, lead to the first level of the tower. If there was a ladder between floors, there isn't any longer. The tower’s large ground floor has mostly collapsed under the rubble, but along the western portion of the room a section remains clear of debris. A second iron trap door is set in the floor directly beneath the trap door in the ceiling you're peering through. Presumably, this second trap door leads to the tower's basement.

Shattered wooden furniture lies scattered around the corpses of two small, green-scaled creatures resembling the pair discovered in the debris in the rubble outside.

Tower Main Floor.png (35.92 KiB) Viewed 397 times

Actions?


In the first attached map, the area marked A1 is the area of rubble outside, and A2 marks the second floor you're all currently standing on.

In the second map, the area marked A3 is the first floor you're looking down into.

[Storm11]

"I wonder how the little vermin got in here! Who did this place belong to again originally? The baron? It's been empty a while maybe. If the villagers hadn't seen any strange comings and goings it is entirely possible there is a tunnel leading within this place from out of the village. We should be wary!" says the gnome waiting for the others to secure him a way to climb down.

[onlyme]

Fulp will follow along, holding his walking stick as leverage where stability becomes critical.

[AleBelly]

"How about we tie the end of the rope to the lantern and lower that down first?" suggests Sylvan. "And I don't think sending a poorly armored mage down there first is a good idea. Maybe Festus does. Anyway, who wants to slide down the rope first? I'll go if the others have bows ready."

[OGRE MAGE]

Sparrow rigs the rope up to use for dropping down to the first floor.

He lets Sylvan drop the lantern, and if the coast looks clear, he climbs down.

He looks around through the rubble and smashed furniture, looking for anything of interest or value while the others climb down.

[Alethan]

Ciar will nimbly climb down the rope second and kneel down by the trap door.

[dmw71]

Sylvan slowly lowers his lantern into the room below and Sparrow is the first to descend after it, followed by Ciar.

The halfling kneels down by the trap door while Sparrow rummages through the rubble and smashed furniture. "There's nothing here but a couple more dead kolbolds," he says, indicating it's safe for the rest of the party members to join them below.

Aside from the two deceased kolbolds, the only other interesting feature of the room is a similar trap door in the floor of this level as well.



Actions?

I'll just need to know how the last person down will actually lower themselves. If fastening the rope to something on the second level and lowering themselves, the rope will need to be left behind (barring some other solution).

I'll also mention that, unless the depth of the basement is significantly lower than the main ground level you're on, the rope should be long enough to reach from the second level down through the main level and into the basement if your plan is to continue in that direction.

[OGRE MAGE]

Sparrow has rope skills so I was thinking that he could rig up his 50' rope with it doubled up around the beam. That way he could just untie it at the bottom and pull it down with us.

Does he need to roll for that or wouldn't that be considered a "rope skill"?