Anthys' longsword utterly crushes the spider with no hope of it getting up again. As your team breaks the sticky webbing off Anthys Ezren looks in the only door available. He calls back to you, "Gentlemen it seems we have a problem, this interior stairwell is full of rubble and we are unable to ascend or descend. Only one solution comes to mind, that we climb the tower outside to reach the second floor."
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Vindlér grumbles under his breath at Ezren's report, "Ruddy tower can't keep together after one small earthquake? Needed some dwarves on the job t' build it properly." He sighs and turns to head outside. "Right then, let's get to it. I've got some rope and a grappling hook if we can manage t' toss it up high enough to get in. Anybody have any cleverer ideas?"
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"I don't like going unarmored here, but I also don't think I can easily make the climb in mail."
Anthys begins removing his scale armor.
"Once I'm up, I'll attach the rope, and you all can start climbing. Hopefully I'll have time to get my armor back on before anything attacks us."
He can take 10 for a 17 Climb check once his armor is off.
The climb is not particularly hard, just dangerous if one were to grab a loose brick or some mortar collapses. Anthys is able to make it into the second floor and could potentially climb higher, but this is unnecessary for now. Finding a stable point he anchors the rope for everyone else to climb up as well. Ezren stows his cane on his back and begins the climb, "Would have been easier in my youth," the only thing he says as he ascends. As everyone else is climbing the rope he pulls out a scroll and his cane, saying some arcane words and shimmering slightly before the scroll burns to ash.
This portion of the second floor does not have much space, but it does have a door leading to the north and a door leading to the south.
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Vindlér pants heavily when he reaches the second floor and clambers in through the hole. "Hmph...never much of a climber in my younger days. Much less o' one now." Once he catches his breath, he helps Anthys get his armor back on, then stows the rope and grappling hook he had lent to him.
With their gear all sorted, Vindlér looks around at the second floor to see what he might notice.
The room you are in holds nothing interesting, but there is some sounds of static discharge from the door to the north.
Judging from the shelves lining the walls, this darkened room might once have been a storeroom, though its contents have long since succumbed to the passage of time. A crack in the northern wall has apparently let in some rainwater, which has collected in a large puddle on the floor.
A three foot long lizard covered in green scales turns to look as you open the door. It scratches its head behind two large prongs and freezes as you look at it.
Ezren shrugs, "If you say so. Let's move along, try to find our guy."
Anthys leads the party to the next door. It is unlocked and opens on silent hinges leading to what appears to be an armory. Racks for weapons line the walls of this chamber; above the racks hang various shields, pieces of armor, weapons, and standards on display. Most of the racks are empty, but a few weapons remain in place. A horrible stench fills the room as well, akin to the smell of rotten eggs mixed with the reek of an open sewer. The source of the stench is two very confused troglodytes who quickly move to attack!
Qioté seems to be especially affected by the smell and feels a little queasy in the room.
[/dice]
[spoiler=Kn. (Local) DC 5]These are troglodytes, best known for their awful stench, causing those around them to be physically sickened.
Ezren takes big gulping breaths through his mouth trying to avoid the stench, "Ugh! This is worse than the time Valeros ate the spoiled cabbage that had mistakenly been pickled!"
Anthys' blow catches one of the troglodytes across the chest, wounding it fiercely, but not quite killing it.
Quioté's attack brings the troglodyte bleeding to the ground. Ezren takes this opportunity to rush beside Anthys and Quioté, before throwing his cane at the final opponent.
The cane only barely taps the troglodyte atop its head before returning to Ezren's hand. The troglodyte realizes how outnumbered it is and plays it safe by only moving to attack Quioté.
The troglodyte's inexperience shows as Quioté deftly avoids every strike.
Ezren pulls back his arm to throw his cane again, but it is unnecessary as Anthys and Qioté finish the foe. Looking around the room it is easy to see that the trogs have set up a Javelin trap aiming at the person standing just outside the southern door.
Ezren mutters a few arcane syllables and spreads a light blue paste over his eyes which glow briefly. He shakes his head, "Nothing here is giving off an aura."
Ezren looks around at the weapons, "I don't see anything of value here, let's move on once the stench has passed."
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"Aye, sounds like as good a plan as any," Vindlér replies with a look at the retching halfling. [i]Poor lad hasn't got the constitution for such a powerful stink. Hopefully it clears out soon.[/ooc] Vindlér looks around to see if there's a window he can open to help disperse the smell and, failing that, checks to see what the origin of the smell might be.
After about a minute Qioté stops retching and is good to go. Unlike the stairwell on the first floor this one is complete and allows you to ascend without trouble. The door to the next floor is locked and the stairs continue onward.
This octagonal room is covered in a fine layer of dust. It’s clearly been abandoned for a long time.
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Anthys actually can do Disable Device untrained (Improvisation feat) but with the ACP and no tools it's not going to work.
"Should we try to break down this door, or ignore it and keep moving up?"
Considering that Anthys has a +3 STR bonus, does he think this door possible to force open?
If it helps:
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Vindlér follows along through the southern door, then up the stairs as they check the doors leading to each floor. Anthys sizes up the door to the third floor, but, while Vindlér is all for making sure the tower is cleared of any threats, he reminds his old friend in arms of their main objective. "Lad, it doesn't seem too likely that Forsend locked the door behind 'im on 'is way through the tower. We'd best be moving on to the upper floors to find 'im. Perhaps we can crack this nut once we make sure he's safe."
The door opens easily to a touch.Crude bunks line the walls of this room, which is filled with the nauseating stench of troglodytes. Three are lounging about, but quickly pick up their weapons to fight.
Ezren is the one who cannot stand the stench this time and starts coughing as his eyes water.
"I like your style boys" says Ezren, "now if you'll allow me..." He steps just to the side of the door and prepares to cast a spell.
The troglodytes see apparent fear in their enemies as your group does not move and rush forward to slay.
They jostle before the door for position allowing a cone of fire to spread from Ezren's hand consuming two of them.
The first takes the full force of the flames, the other uses his buddy as a shield to only minorly burn.
This allows Anthys and Qioté to step up and swing at their enemies, though the thick skins of the troglodytes stops their weapons flat.
Again the tough skin of the troglodytes prevents their injury.