(067) Back Passages

[Merctime]

"An excellent suggestion." Says Dhren. He looks around, at the big wash-cauldrons. Do they appear heavy at all? Could one man-sized individual lift them, or would it take a few?

If they are heavy enough it might take a few people to lift one, Dhren will say, "Perhaps we can get a few of us to work at muscling one of those things upside down, and shove it in place here. The weight might prove to block the pathway to some diminutive foe."

If they don't appear heavy enough to be of much use as a blockage, He won't speak the above but will instead look around and see if there is anything that could be stuffed into the cavity that might be hard to work back out of it in here.

[waysoftheearth]

The wash cauldrons are very large drums, about 6ft tall and almost 8ft diameter. Even half-filled with water they are much to heavy for a man--or even several men--to lift. It's not clear whether they could be moved at all...

[waysoftheearth]

[pp Man,leather,short-sword,hand,12,7/7]Armando[/pp] and [p Maiden,leather+helm,sword,torch,12,9/9]Josiane[/p] now arrive in the laundry to see a long, broad wash-hall begin rifled through by a veritable pack of adventurers.

The hall is about 20ft broad, with three deep cavities set back into the left-hand wall to house three super-sized wash cauldrons. It is about 80ft long.

There is a small (5ft square) elevator at the far end, and a ventilation shaft has been discovered; it runs along the right-hand wall with an opening about half way down the room.

What next?

[Merctime]

A new-to-the-party elf speaks to those already there as Armando and Josaine return. He says, "Gentlemen, it appears to me that these items might not be movable to block the vent-shaft. Do any of you wish to try?" As the two mentioned above enter, he turns to them and offers a smile. "I'm Dhren, pleased to meet you both."

The new elf is dressed in common outdoors clothing of nice elfin make, and carries a backpack. He's got a sword sheathed at his waistbelt.

"Do we attempt the dumbwaiter, or move above and seek other exits?"

[ehiker133]

Desmond eyes the dumbwaiter closely, then finally nods in agreement.

"Personally, I'd like to see where this goes."

If nobody immediately objects, Desmond/Mondes climbs into the dumbwaiter and waits for one or two of the stronger party members to hoist him up. "Oh, ummm... if I knock on the bottom of the lift here twice and then twice again, that's the OK to bring me down. If it's anything but that, then... it isn't me."

[sully]

Dorgan would like to help but he's still recovering his strength.

[Merctime]

Dhren will assist, but he is not overly-strong. If there is another, more powerful friend that will assist in lifting up Desmond to the dumbwaiter, Dhren will step aside for that person.

"A good call, Desmond, establishing a 'code'. I can see you fellows are experienced adventurers, it will be good to work alongside you."

[Condorcet]

"I will aid you hobbit, err...hobbits," says Helmut, and hunts for the control mechanism.

[flightcommander]

Armando, torch in hand, enters the hallway and observes the scene, nonplussed. He approaches Wen after a moment and they discuss the goings on in the laundry room.

"Well, all is quiet down in the Ring Room. Curious, that one panel with the ring, and the wolf-men holding the rods before them. What do you make of it? It suggests the wolf-men are exiting the ring, and perhaps the rods are ... What, do you suppose? Magical talismans? Religious symbols? Flails of some sort? Or mechanical keys, perhaps, to unlock the power of the gate?

"And funny about the smell ..."

[waysoftheearth]

Desmond/Mondes climbs into the wooden box-car--which is just about large enough for a Hobbit--and then waits and Dhren and Helmut hoist the rope, arm over arm, to raise the tray up the shaft.

It takes about a minute to raise the lift all the way to the top of the shaft, where a two-part hatch bounces open as the left reaches the top, and emerges into the courtyard above.

Desmond/Mondes sees now that the elevator comes up at the eastern end of the courtyard, half-way along the back of the library wall. This end of the yard must have sported washlines for drying the laundry, but these have all been razed to the ground...