"Your friend doesn't fancy the climb ?" the Sheriff asks as he ambles up. His gaze flicking to Tesseryn in the distance where he converses with Aurion, before travelling up the stone edifice and back down to those who remain gathered about the base.  "Sensible man.  The old tower has seen better days, I'll admit."

Wrukaog lifts his chain shirt up over his head and undoes his belt with its various oddities hanging from it, then proceeds to drop both onto the ground rather unceremoniously. He continues by removing and dropping his spiked gauntlet, backpack, javelins, massive longbow, and quivers. Finally, he takes his axe in hand and turns to everyone.

Speaking flatly, "If a person touches my axe, I will be very angry." He then drops it, and it lands on the ground with an disproportionately large thud.

Pointing a tooth and fang-laden smile at Brindle, "Yes, catch me if I fall, magic or not."


And with that, he begins to climb up.


Taking 10 yields 18, should that be sufficient. If someone has some climber's gear or a climber's kit they'd like to offer, that bumps it up by 2 more.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:58, Wed 06 Jan 2016.

Tesseryn indeed continues to converse with Aurion.

OOC: If anyone else has some rope Brindle will suggest Wrukaog takes it with him so he can bring others up after he reaches the top. Brindle has 30ft of silk rope to contribute but that is not enough on its own for the 50ft tower.

Brindle grins and steps forward beneath the point where Wrukaog is climbing. He holds out his arms and braces himself ready to catch the big orc if he falls. But it is obviously just pretence. After the joke is done he steps back 10 feet from the wall and looks up to watch his progress.

Yeah, Wrukaog will carry up enough rope to drop down and other kind of common sense stuff if it's available.

edit- You know, like a spyglass or anything.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:48, Wed 06 Jan 2016.

Meanwhile, back in the temple, Leisha smiles agreeable.  "Well, Mitra, clearly.  There's a statue and everything," she allows, gesturing.

Lowering her voice, though, she leans a bit closer, with a small sigh.  "I have to admit, I myself find him a little... clean cut, for my tastes.  But, of course, I'm not an acolyte.  I'm sure he suits you much better."

Giggling as Brindle held out his arms, Cogwitz came over and did the same.  IT was a fun joke at first, but after a bit with no one laughing with him, Cogwitz stepped back.

How is the climb big guy?

Taking his leave of the elf, Tesseryn returns to the shrine, glancing up at the tower to see how Wrukaog is going before entering.  Once inside he marches to the front, making a solemn nod towards Leisha but ignoring the acolytes so as not to antagonize them further, and sits beside Corneleus, placing a hand on the old priest's shoulder and trying to engage him in conversation.  "Tell me of your youth, venerable one.  Have you always lived in this village ...?"

Stepping back into the temple, Aurion waits in the back, eyeing the acolytes carefully.

The two acolytes seem more confused than offended by Leisha's blasphemy.  "He's a ... sun god !" offers one as proof of his devotion.  "Very ... holy ?" the other concurs, uncertainly.

Beyond the shrine, indeed half way between that confirmedly holy edifice and the tall stone tower to the south, we find Aurion and Tesseryn, their earnest conversation too distant from prying ears for their words to be overheard, though the result is that the pair repair to the aforementioned shrine.

Which leaves just the crowd around the tower, where Wrukaog prepares himself to climb.  Armour and weapons land upon the sloping ground as the large orc flexes his muscles, looking upwards as he picks his path.

"I can have someone fetch you a coil of rope if you don't mind waiting ?" the Sheriff inquires.  "No trouble." 

But Wrukaog is not one to linger.  With but a warning to everyone not to touch his stuff, and a request to Brindle to catch him if he falls, the Orc begins to climb ...

Brindle makes a show of putting his arms out ready to catch the intrepid climber, as does Cogwitz ... but the Halflings soon beat a hasty retreat as they find themselves showered by fine dust and the occasional larger chunk of stone.  But such hazards do not deter the doughty Wrukaog, who slowly but steadily makes his way up the side of the tower until he finally pulls himself over the ledge at the top, to scattered applause and hoots of approbation from the Sheriff and his men. 

Aurion and Tesseryn finally reach the temple, the Elf hanging back while the Paladin approaches Cornelius.  The old priest nods happily, though he blinks confusedly for a few moments, showing no sign that he recognises Tesseryn, though is pleased enough to speak to him.  "Oh no," he corrects the Paladin. "Why I've only been here for ... why it must be twenty years now, though sometimes I doubt it can every have been that long.  No one ever seems to get any older, you know.  And there's no children ..." he trails off, lost in memories.

Since he's up there, Wrukaog takes a moment to look around, paying little mind to the calls and cheers from below.

He does, however, look down after a minute to make sure nobody has touched his axe.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:53, Mon 11 Jan 2016.

"Mmm."  Leisha shrugs, glancing at her fingernails.  "I mean, the sun is nice, don't get me wrong, I guess I'm just more of a night person.  Well."  She glances over towards the door as Aurion and Tesseryn come back in, and smiles brightly at the acolytes.  "Well, perhaps I'll see you around."

With a wave, she walks towards the back, joining Aurion.  "Anything interesting outside?" she asks, curiously.

Tesseryn pats Cornelius' shoulder comfortingly with his mailed gauntlet, then rises to stand next to the statue of Mitra.  Conversationally he remarks  "Indeed you must miss the joy of children.  But surely a long life is a blessing, would you not agree?"  He uses the distraction of Leisha's departure to lean heavily against the statue, hopefully not attracting the notice of the acolytes.

Brindle smiles cheerfully at the Sheriff.

"Yes please, a coil of rope would be most helpful," he replies.

The acolytes' attention is upon Leisha as she walks to the rear of the shrine to join Aurion and they try to determine the meaning of her words, or to at least find a cause for fault.

Meantime Tesseryn continues his religious discourse with old Cornelius.  "Oh yes ... a blessing from Mitra," the old man agrees, though he seems uncertain as the Paladin leans against the statue of his god. 

---

The Sheriff smirks, finding some amusement in Brindle's request, shrugging his shoulders and gesturing with a wave of his hand to one of his men to comply, while up above Wrukaog stands tall, surveying the world beneath him.

Tesseryn slumps down at the foot of the statue with a muffled clank.  He picks up Cornelius's rag absentmindedly and begins polishing Mitra's foot.  "How may we aid thee Mitra?" he mutters as he rubs.

Wrukaog finishes shuffling around at the top of the tower.

Not quite shouting down to those below, "If you want to throw up some rope, I can wait. I am done up here, otherwise."

"Yes, wait for the rope," Brindle calls back up to Wrukaog. "I'm sure others would like to join you up there."

Aurion leans close in towards Leisha.

Presently the guard returns with a coil of rope, passing it to Brindle at a sign from his superior, who nods politely to the Halfling, looking up the tower expectantly, where Wrukaog waits.

---

Back in the shrine, Aurion whispers in Leisha's ear as the acolytes look on, straining to hear and obviously frustrated at their failure.  One of the pair begins to side towards the entrance, the other following a pace behind.

Old Cornelious struggles to his feet and totters over to where Tesseryn sits.  "You seem troubled, my son," the priest remarks, a note of concern in his quavering voice. "Unburden yourself to me - the holy radience of Mitra's grace will banish all doubts and fears, you know."

Cogwitz looked to Brindle as he was handed the rope.  Now how are you going to throw that up there?  Then he giggled...

Leisha laughs and slaps Aurion playfully on the shoulder.  "Oh, I'm sure that's not true," she says, looking back at the pair as if Aurion had just told her a joke that began with `you know what they say about the size of an acolyte's...'  "They seem nice enough, just a little bit set on Mitra -- he's practically all they'll talk about.  Mitra this, Mitra that, almost certainly Mitra."  She wrinkles her nose, not quite rolling her eyes.

Brindle accepts the coil of rope gratefully but lays it down at his feet. He starts rummaging in his backpack and pulls out a smaller coil of silk rope. After rummaging a bit deeper he produces a ball of string as well. Then he unwinds and lays out the 100ft long string on the ground in a zigzag pattern that won't tangle as it is pulled up the tower. He ties one end of the 30ft silk rope to the string (tying multiple knots to make sure it won't slip) then ties the other end of the silk rope to the heavier rope (again doubling up on the knots). Then he offers the loose end of the string to whichever of his companions is carrying a bow or crossbow.

"Tie the string to an arrow and shoot it just over the top of the tower so the string will drape across the top of the tower. Then Wrukaog can pull the ropes up with the string. The silk rope is lighter, so pulling that up first will reduce the weight the string has to support. The string should be strong enough for that."

Wrukaog boredly watches all unfold from above on the tower, occasionally surveying the surroundings again. Once it looks like someone is about to fire the arrow will duck back from the ledge to avoid being struck.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:36, Sun 24 Jan 2016.

"I have recently unburdened myself upon a kind young priest of Brandobaris" he sighs.  "I do not seek absolution, Wise One.  Rather my doubt concerns how to begin the quest that my companions and I have arrived here to fulfill.  When no enemy presents itself, just how does one 'get in there and sort it out'?"