6.0 The Tower

You stand before two giant crystal doors leading into the tower. Through the doors you see two guards sitting behind an enormous onyx desk. Noticing your approach, one of the guards stands and walks over to the door.

"Hello!" he says, "I regret to inform you that the tower is closed tonight for a private function. If you return tomorrow, however, we're conducting tours of the museum at noon. Please return then. Thank you!"

The guard turns back to his companion, who is now laughing at your expressions. The laughing desk guard then pulls a loaded heavy crossbow from underneath the desk, laying it atop, and patting it to emphasize his threat.

Beyond the guard desk is a tremendous spiraling staircase leading upwards. Suspended from the great heights are chandeliers hanging for each level. The giant staircase looks to end at the sixth floor, though of course the tower itself continues to climb from there.

This first floor seemed mostly dedicated to maintenance functions and the receiving of supplies. The tower, abandoned for decades, sits mostly empty.

You also find a staircase to the basement behind one heavy door.

You are in an unusual underground area - it appears to be a parking area and stable. There are several carriages - two in good order, and three that look to have been abandoned decades ago. There are 5 horses in stalls contentedly enjoying their oats.

You stand among a necromantic laboratory. There are no experiments currently in progress, but the various sized cages, tables, and smashed flasks and alembics reveal this was once a center or terrible research.

A smaller staircase, simple stone, leads up to the next level - in addition, of course, to the grand staircase.

You have found an unusual vertical passage. A metal ladder, free of corrosion, is set in one wall leading upwards into the darkness. The air is musty and there is a thick layer of dust on the floor.

This level appears to be the living quarters for apprentices and lower level mages. The rooms were ransacked decades ago; even the bloodstains from that time have mostly dried and vanished.

Besides the grand staircase there is a stairway down, and another simple stone stairway to the next level.

As you reach this level you hear snuffling crying and low conversation. The level appears to be one of classrooms, and locked in one such classroom are a dozen and a half children. Some appear to be perhaps 6 or 7, and oldest certainly no older than 13.

"Are you here to rescue us?" sniffles one of the children.

This level seems dedicated as a meeting hall. The giant staircase winds through the center, surrounded by a ring of small changing rooms. The outside ring is dominated by giant angled floor-to-ceiling windows revealing the majestic mountain on which the tower stands.

The ruined divans, chairs, and tables speak of the great battle fought decades ago. A torn tapestry still hangs on one wall; the torn visage of the necromancer Nakatomi looking down at you. Below his stern visage is embroidered "Naktomi. For Evil. Forever."

The grand staircase ends at this level, which appears devoted to individual research offices and a library. Regrettably, the books that remain are burned beyond recognition, or horribly water logged, or chewed most thoroughly by rats and mice.

The start of a smaller (but still large) spiral stair can be seen. There is a weird and high pitched noise coming from the floor above.

You step off the stair onto what was probably the treasury floor. The floor and walls are practically vibrating from a loud, stange, and very annoying high pitched buzz.

Cautiously rounding a corner, you spot a crazy contraption. A gnome stands next to a device that seems to hold several wands all firing beams of energy at a large vault door - the only vault door that isn't already busted open.

Beside the gnome is an unarmored human in simple clothing. He looks up at the ceiling, then at the gnome and makes a slashing motion across his neck. The gnome adjusts some levers and the wands - and cacophony - cease.

"Yeah, boss?" says the gnome, holding one hand to his ear.

"No, it;s only on the fifth seal. pause No, that would ... no that would ... NO! Listen, if I wasn't here for that fourth seal we'd STILL be falling out of the sky in a million pieces. It's working ... it's working ... it's working FINE. pause Okay, I will."

The gnome looks at his companion. "We're going to need to hit the sixth seal soon. Go get the box labeled C4." The gnome adjusts his goggles and starts resetting the device.

The human nodes, then turns ... and walks directly to you!

The spiral staircase from level 6 ends here, but a straight stairway leads up two levels (with a landing at level 9 above). AThis floor seems as if it was some grand visitors' hall. Some of the tapestries, torn in various spots, still spout the "Nakatom. For Evil. Forever." motiff. Many other tapestries have been torn down and scattered across the floor.

This level is ... unusual. It puts you in mind of a visitors' bureau for some reason - long desks for clerks, racks holding pamphelts (some of which are still there, with the same "For Evil. Forever" slogan). There is even a spot for what could have been a guest sign-in book.

Two large doors stand closed at the top of the staircase to level 10.