Crossbow Gallery – A corridor wraps around the cliff giving access to four crossbow loops. The two center loops look directly forward, but can only see people who are at least 10 feet away from the base of the cliff. The side loopholes can see the base of the cliff in front of the door, providing a deadly crossfire to rake attackers. Each loop is covered with a pseudo-stone shutter fixed with hinges and a bolt; the shutters are in perfect condition, but all of the fittings are completely rusted through. They are only held in place by their own weight and inertia.
Algrim thinks this place must have been abandoned shortly after the Battle of Sorrows, around 1400 years ago. It looks like no one has visited here other then small vermin. You note some small drain holes in the floor towards the cliff face and you think there is a very slight slope to the floor towards the cliff face.
Algrim"Aye. Let's not tarry too long if we're gonna run outta light."
“All men did have darkness. Some wore it in the form of horns. Some bore it invisibly as rot in their souls.”
― Paul S. Kemp, Shadowbred "If good people won’t do the hard things, evil people will always win, because evil people will do anything."
― Paul S. Kemp, Twilight Falling
Algrim agrees "Sure, Turnip or I could take another torch if you want Arngeir."
“All men did have darkness. Some wore it in the form of horns. Some bore it invisibly as rot in their souls.”
― Paul S. Kemp, Shadowbred "If good people won’t do the hard things, evil people will always win, because evil people will do anything."
― Paul S. Kemp, Twilight Falling
I think one of Arngeir's torches was lowered to Turnip when she went down first, so she's already carrying one, I presume.
Turnip
"Okay, sure, that'll be faster I guess. Algrim, do the stairs look safe to you? Everything here except the stone seems withered. Hey, what are these rocks for? Do you throw them down the holes? She kicks the pile of rocks in the corner, trying to discern if there's something underneath.
Turnip notices something catches the light as she kicks the rocks around. Bending over and looking it looks like a shiny new dagger blade, but the handle has rusted/rotted into a useless mess where the hilt should be.
“All men did have darkness. Some wore it in the form of horns. Some bore it invisibly as rot in their souls.”
― Paul S. Kemp, Shadowbred "If good people won’t do the hard things, evil people will always win, because evil people will do anything."
― Paul S. Kemp, Twilight Falling
Algrim examines the stairs, they are cut from the stone itself and very solid. The treads are cut for a Khuzdul's shorter legs but the height is plenty for even a tall man to use comfortably.
Algrim leads the way to the bottom of the stair and finds the remains of a door, now little more than a bronze shell over the remnants of an oak core, the door looks like it will collapse with the slightest push.
Note that as you drop down into the lower level it will be impossible to hear Idril from outside (it would have been difficult in some places on the upper level but not impossible.
"Okay, maybe we just give it a good push and it will fall down by itself. I mean from what it looks anyway? Algrim maybe you hit it with a weapon to be sure?"
Algrim"Yeah, let's give 'er a go then yeah?" the dwarf readies to give shoving it over a shot.
“All men did have darkness. Some wore it in the form of horns. Some bore it invisibly as rot in their souls.”
― Paul S. Kemp, Shadowbred "If good people won’t do the hard things, evil people will always win, because evil people will do anything."
― Paul S. Kemp, Twilight Falling
There really isn't enough room for 2 to work on the door, maybe Arngeir over the top of Algrim. But the door is in terrible shape and just collapses when Algrim touches it.
You step out into a room, approximately 13x19 feet. This was the central hall, with 7 doors off it and a large fireplace. The map shows a large table and benches but the Khuzdul removed them when they left so the hall is now empty. If facing the fireplace you came through the door to the left of it. All the doors are in similar condition to the one you just came through.
The room is the same shape and size as the stairwell but holds a well. It has no other exits. Well – A shaft cut into the living rock drops forty feet to water level. The original chain rusted through and fell into the well long ago. The winch is rusted solid and is useless.
Algrim moves to the opposite side and looks into the area/passage (10)
“All men did have darkness. Some wore it in the form of horns. Some bore it invisibly as rot in their souls.”
― Paul S. Kemp, Shadowbred "If good people won’t do the hard things, evil people will always win, because evil people will do anything."
― Paul S. Kemp, Twilight Falling
