(017) A closer look at the Gatehouse

Post by **waysoftheearth** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 7:41 pm

Professor P wrote:
KOCH responds to Olaf's question, "Ho Olaf, I'm KOCH, and until recently I was held in the cellar of this gatehouse. Nidhogg was escorted to the cellar as a 'guest' of Copernicus, Saxxon's advisor, and helped to free me. We escaped the gatehouse this morning through a cavern that attaches to the cellar. I have a bone to pick with Saxxon, so I've come with Nidhogg and Wibert to extract some revenge and coin."

KOCH looks up at the gatehouse, "Strange, it seems no one is left here. This just doesn't feel right. Ho, Nidhogg, maybe it would be best to re-enter through the cavern to surprise anyone left inside."

Post by **waysoftheearth** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 8:40 pm

eris wrote:

Professor P wrote:KOCH responds to Olaf's question, "Ho Olaf, I'm KOCH, and until recently I was held in the cellar of this gatehouse. Nidhogg was escorted to the cellar as a 'guest' of Copernicus, Saxxon's advisor, and helped to free me. We escaped the gatehouse this morning through a cavern that attaches to the cellar. I have a bone to pick with Saxxon, so I've come with Nidhogg and Wibert to extract some revenge and coin."

"Well met, Koch!" Olaf says with a nod to the newcomer, "And welcome you are to join us in our venture."

"Copernicus?" Olaf frowns at the name, "I don't think I've heard that name before. Is he one of Saxxon's men? A mighty warrior, perhaps?"

KOCH looks up at the gatehouse, "Strange, it seems no one is left here. This just doesn't feel right.

"Nor to me either." Olaf looks around, "I know we bloodied them good yesterday, but I didn't expect them to cut and run."

The tall thin warrior looks around again and adds, "I still don't think they've cut and run. They are around here somewhere with their confounded bows!"

"Ho, Nidhogg, maybe it would be best to re-enter through the cavern to surprise anyone left inside."

"Where is this cavern of which you speak?" Olaf asks, "And Nidhogg how did you go when you were in this place yesterday? Into what buildings and then where to, so that you came to this cellar from which you and Koch escaped?"

Post by **waysoftheearth** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 8:45 pm

Professor P wrote:

eris wrote: "Well met, Koch!" Olaf says with a nod to the newcomer, "And welcome you are to join us in our venture."

"Copernicus?" Olaf frowns at the name, "I don't think I've heard that name before. Is he one of Saxxon's men? A mighty warrior, perhaps?"

"I don't know if Copernicus is a warrior or not. All I know is that he is an adviser to Saxxon."

eris wrote: "Nor to me either." Olaf looks around, "I know we bloodied them good yesterday, but I didn't expect them to cut and run."

The tall thin warrior looks around again and adds, "I still don't think they've cut and run. They are around here somewhere with their confounded bows!"

"Where is this cavern of which you speak?" Olaf asks

"Unfortunately, I couldn't tell you. I was very weak and disoriented when we made the climb. Nidhogg lead the way from the cavern and through the fog until we met up with Wibert. Wibert then lead us through the fog from the gatehouse to your camp."

Post by **waysoftheearth** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 4:34 am

tombowings wrote:
Pelenwin points down the stairs he came from and says, "These stairs go down at least another couple stories, Ulric. But let's check out the other tower first."

Post by **waysoftheearth** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 10:42 am

waysoftheearth wrote:

ehiker133 wrote:"Well, hell, Wibur... I could have done THAT!" Desmond says as he shakes his head. He mumbles, "I thought there was a bit more to being a thief than that..."

(Wibert calls himself a Cook, not a thief. Why ever would Desmond think him a larcenist? Besides, there's nothin' much any good fer nuthin' sneak can do that a hard Fighting-Man can't accomplish.)

Post by **waysoftheearth** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 10:50 am

waysoftheearth wrote:
Desmond and Wibert gather the spilled coins and hurry into the dormitory to pile the coins up into little towers of ten, divided into silver and gold and others coins so that they can tote up the loot.

"It's gold! Real gold!" cackle the pair of Halflings enthusiastically, biting a few coins here and there to confirm their authenticity as the others continue the investigation of the gatehouse.

Ten minutes or so later they have tallied their find at 46 gold coins, 73 silver coins, and 13 odd foreign looking coins with holes in the middle. Of these, 5 appear to be of nickel and 8 of brass. It is a happy find indeed.

Post by **waysoftheearth** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 11:07 am

waysoftheearth wrote:

eris wrote:Olaf turns to the newly arrived Wibert, Nidhogg and Koch and says, "Say! You should know something about this place because you've been here before."

Wibert and Nidhogg are both familiar with the mess hall and kitchen (across the courtyard) -- and know of the dormitories, where the main body of Saxxon's Men took their rest in shifts. A few of the bigger bullies (including Sigmund and Wulfric) had bunks reserved for them only, but the Dwarf and Halfling were confined to ruder accommodations -- Nidhogg slept in a corner in the mess hall, and Wibert under the bench in the kitchen (adjacent to the mess hall).

Both know that there is a large gambling den below the north-east tower, and a few smaller private rooms accessed from there, and that Saxxon had his rooms somewhere deeper in the complex. But that was off limits to all but Saxxon's favoured henchmen. No sane Man would actually choose to go down there to face Saxxon in any case -- for being summoned to his presence was said to be a fearful experience, even by the coarse standards of the brigands.

Now Copernicus, he was a strange one. Somehow apart from the rest, and yet close with Saxxon to be sure. He would come and go, seemingly at will -- seemingly a law unto himself. None of the brigands seemed comfortable around him, but nor would any cross him. Wibert never had aught to do with him, but Nidhogg found him appreciable on the few occassions they exchanged a word or two...

Post by **waysoftheearth** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 11:14 am

waysoftheearth wrote:
On the Roof Top

Ulric, Highbough, Pelewin, Dieter and Mads now troop around from the north-east roof top, over the front gate arch, to the north-west tower. This too has a wooden hatch, which is easily opened, and descends into the keep below.

The last of the four tower tops (the south-west) does not have a trapdoor. Instead is has a very grimy chimney stack which is blacked with ages of soot and rain -- but for now is cold and still. Below here must be the kitchen...

In summary, three of the four towers are accessible from below -- the SW tower instead has a chimney. Pelenwin, Dieter and Mads climbed up to the roof via the stair in the SE tower.

Post by **waysoftheearth** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 11:18 am

waysoftheearth wrote:
'Tis thus:

```````````````Bridge``````````````
````````````````Gate```````````````
````############===############````
````#()..#...............#..II#````
````#....#---------------#....#````
````######.#####===#####.######````
````#..|...#......Junk%#...|..#````
````#..|...#.........%%#...|..#````
````#..|...#...........#...|..#````
````#..|...|...........|...|..#````
````#..|...#...........#...|..#````
````#..|...#.Courtyard.#...|..#````
````#..|...#...........#...|..#````
````######.#####===#####.######````
````#....#---------------#....#````
````#()..#...............#..()#````
````############===############````
```````````````````````````````````
`S`````````````Front```````````````
E+W`````````````Gate```````````````
`N`````````````````````````````````

II Chimney Stack
() Trapdoor

Post by **waysoftheearth** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 12:02 pm

tonneau wrote:
Gustave lobs in with the halflings, hearing the happy sounds of laughter and coin.
He finds himself a comfortable corner and pokes and prods at himselfs, bandaging bits and padding others, in an effort to redress some of his many new injuries.