3: The PC's kick fishy butt

[burke]

Even though the sea is now calm, the air around the tower is quite damp. The tar might well be a means to slow the ravages of clime.

The tower is approximately 60 feet in diameter at the base and there is no other entrance at the ground level. The windows of the second floor lie 20 feet above the ground and they are quite narrow, so anyone trying to enter through them has to be slim (CON 9 or less).

[danhem]

"Can one of you wizards force open the door? I've seen it done by the king's tax collectors before."

Charles keeps watch on the area surrounding the tower, wary of another gill man ambush.

[apeloverage]

Alwyn casts The Key of Mellon.

[Hogscape]

Quinlan: "Right! Well done Alwyn. I'm in!"

[burke]

There is a thud and the door answers to Quinlan's push and swings open. The thick piece of timber, that previously barred the door, now lies on the stone floor.

It is dark inside, but Drugan's light reveals a multitude of shelves and barrels arranged around the walls of the round room. Many of them are open or lie toppled on the floor. Off to the side there is a large metal trap door in the floor and along one side of the wall a spiraling, stone stairway leads upward. A copper lantern dangles from the high ceiling on a chain, but it is unlit.

No sounds are heard from inside the tower.

[apeloverage]

Alwyn looks to see if there are any footprints or tracks, and if so where they go.

[danhem]

Charles checks the lantern to see if it holds any oil. He also checks the barrels and shelves for any other items of interest.

"Perhaps we should secure the door to keep out any wandering gill men?"

OOC: Does Drugans magical light provide enough light to see clearly in the tower or do we need more?

[Porkbelly]

Poncho: "Hmm... the place seems ransacked and then sealed from the inside. Either this wizard is a mussy fellow or he's met with an ill-end..."

"What say we check the upper floors first for signs of habitation? We can bar the front door and roll some heavy barrels over that trap. Or is it bolted from this side? And, if it's primed, I'd be more comfortable if we light this here lantern rather than skulk like thieves in the dark."

[Hogscape]

Quinlan nods and fits the wooden bar into place across the door.
"Upstairs it is then."

[burke]

The lantern seems to have burned out. But Charles discovers four clay flasks with oil on the bottom of a shelf and uses one to fill it up. The lantern gives a stronger and much warmer light than Drugan's ethereal wisp.

The floor is laid with stones, so usually there would not be any tracks. But Alwyn notices a sack of flour that has been sliced open and beside it the track of a large webbed foot is visible in the spilled flour.

The shelves and barrels contain an assortment of mundane things, some of the food stuffs have been destroyed, but otherwise everything seems to be in usable condition:

• 9 days worth of unperishable provisions, 20 wu/each
  
• 28 days woth of perishable food, 20 wu/each
  
• 3 clay flasks of oil, 25 wu/each
  
• 24 large candles, 10 wu/each
  
• 23 torches, 10 wu/each
  
• A small barrel of tar, 500 wu
  
• 2 barrels of wine, 1000 wu/each
  
• An assortment of carpenters tools (hammer, ax, saw, knife, drill, etc), 300 wu
  
• 44 large iron spikes (could be used as primitive pitons), 5 wu each
  
• A large stack of firewood
  

The trapdoor has once born a strong, iron sliding bolt, but it has been wrenched off. Charles helps Poncho block the trapdoor with the two barrels of wine, while Quinlan bars the door.

[apeloverage]

Alwyn checks whether the trapdoor is locked.

[danhem]

As Charles looks through the supplies the grin on his face gets bigger and bigger.

"No more half rations for us gentlemen. If the wizard is truly dead and we clear this tower of whatever fiends lie in wait in the dark we could claim it for ourselves and be sitting pretty for a while."

Then Alwyn points out the webbed footprint in the floor and his smile disappears. "Gill men," he says and spits on the floor.

"Yes Poncho. Let's start with the upper floors and clear out these vermin, then check below."

OOC: Are we using the DX penalty from 1e for carrying too many weapons?

[burke]

(danhem, we are indeed using all the peculiar rules from the 1st ed. But remember that I've house ruled that you may usually throw a spear or other missile weapon before engaging in melee, thus ridding yourself of the burden.)

The trapdoor is unlocked, the sliding bolt is broken, but now barred by the two heavy barrels. You mount the steps of the stairs in the marching order specified earlier: Quinlan, Charles, The M-U's and Poncho holding up the rear.

(If you want to take any of the stuff from the first floor, please announce it and record it on your character sheet. On a side note I would like to see all of you be a little more diligent with the character sheets, some of you have not even recorded all your EP or loot. Please go through the game threads so far and record all the changes, it would make my job a lot easier. )

The second floor is veiled in darkness and those in the front have to stifle some cries of alarm as a damp spectre suddenly flies out in front of you. The spectre is however soon discovered to be a loose leather drape flapping in the breeze from the window.

The round room in front of you seems to be the living quarters and study of a single man, equipped with a soft bed and ornate desk. The place is in the same kind of disarray as the first floor and many of the valuables lie strewn and broken on the plush rugs. A few things have however escaped complete destruction: A small bottle, with a miniature boat inside, lies unbroken on the desk and a slightly torn journal of some sort is half hidden under the bed, at the foot of the bed is also a small chest that has been forced open, spilling its bounty of coins on the floor (62 gp, 516 sp, 1140 cp).

As you rummage around, you hear what sounds like the cawing of birds from the floor above.

[danhem]

OOC: Charles takes the lantern, the 2 extra flasks of oil, and 2 days worth of unperishable provisions (just in case).

As the light from the lantern shines upon the scattered coins, Charles let out a low whistle.

"It's about time. Real currency. I'll be sure to hide my share more securely this time," Charles says as he scratches said secure location.

"Let's get these coins packed up." Charles opens his pack and starts to scoop in the loose coins.

[Porkbelly]

Poncho: "Hee, hee, hee! Treasure! Ho, ho, ho! Wine!"

OOC: From downstairs, besides a quick splash of wine, I'll snag a c-ration, the last pot of oil (there were 4 originally), 4 torches, ten pitons and a hammer.

Upstairs, Poncho ferrets the book out from under the bed and takes a quick look to see if anything else under there. Unless the journal is all words and no pictures (a centrefold maybe?) he hands it over to Alwyn.

"Hmm, it sounds like we have some creatures above!" Poncho lights one of the torches and creeps cautiously up for a look. Torch thrust forward in one hand, trident held ready in t'other.