"Or I increase my dexterity for a while so I can do it with ease?"

"Just let me know how I can help," Abbi said anxiously.

"Those ... those things in the side of the boat ... where the metal dogs are.  They are doors in, yes.
Ummm" he was quickly flicking through pages in the book, desperately trying to find further useful facts, "but, I can't yet ... can't find out how to open them ... or, umm, pacify the ... dog-things" he muttered, genuinely embarrassed at the lack of actual help he was being.

Page-flipping under pressure is never an easy thing, much less in a book you've never looked through before.  But, being a trained scholar, Stylus is at last able to stumble upon what he's looking for - a schematic of the doors and text describing entry protocol.

The white plastic card - used as a bookmark - appears to be the key.

Unaware of the key, or the other information, Mallador continues to scan the area for a possible way to climb to the top.

"Um ... yes", Stylus continued, flipping and reading and reading and flipping with alacrity, "Apparently, I think, though I could be wrong of course, because its not very clear, or it is very clear and maybe a bit to clear ...", he felt his tongue beginning to ramble, so took a breath,  "I think that this white card has something to do with getting in".

At which point, he looked at it with great suspicion ... and desire that it might suddenly talk and justify its existence to them.
He noticed some very small writing along the bottom of one side.   Mostly, a bunch of numbers:  though he couldn't guess why a bunch of numbers would be useful for opening a door, unless ...
"It could be that the doors are magical, and respond to this code being read out to it".

The collective known as Piecemeal looks a Stylus with one of their floating eyes. "Do doors talk? We thought they were dead."

"They can listen, in my experience, but what about the guards? Can we ambush them in some way?"

"If I could get above them, I could drop down on them and push them to the sides, but that would not be simple."

Glancing about, Mallador looks at what kind of drop surrounds them. "Maybe we could get them near the edge, and you could push them over, since you can fly away."

Abbi looked at Mawr fretfully.

"I don't think I can get you airborne," she said.  Even in her bat form, he was too heavy.

Stylus turned to look towards where the two robot door guardian's stood.
Then, he concentrated ....

Stylus stared at the two sentries and scrunched up his face...
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:59, Thu 21 Oct 2021.

With a 'curious' look on his face, Stylus did something that he likely would not have if he were thinking with his usual head ...
Stylus began to walk forward, towards the 'sentry dogs', and the door they guarded.

Mawr followed him, curious to his purpose.

Seeing the group abandon climbing, Piecemeal oozed to follow as well, though his sling tendril begins to slide out.

Nic started moving forward as well, doing his best to keep the bulk of the bear between himself and the guards. Although he hadn't felt any pain yet, he didn't trust that they wouldn't be able to detect him.

"Come on, Spot. Stay close!"

Every instinct cried not to advance, but he didn't want to be alone. Mallador followed along, taking the rear.

Spot followed closely on Nic's heels as the party wound its way up the path towards the sealed doorway... and the two menacing robodog deathbots that flanked it.  The same cannon that had blown through Frank the turtle's powerful shell pointed ahead on each one, capable of murder...

But it didn't aim at the party.  Neither did the machines move or react.

As they drew closer, the group could see a pile of brass casings all around the feet of the machines.  Casings similar to the ones that flew out of the cannon when it fired.

"Are they somehow inactive?  I think it might still be best to throw them off of the platform."

"But.....but, if they're sleeping, we don't want to wake them!"

"And they're awfully big."

"Understand.  Best if I approach them first and try to quickly remove them before they awaken."

Stylus nodded nervously at Mawr's suggestion.
He was pretty sure that they were inactive right now ... but/and was quite happy if, regardless, the metal beasts were tossed from the cliff ... as the bear suggested.

Mallador kneels down, and runs his fingers through the brass. Does he know what they are?

Either way, after a moment he will join in trying to get one of them off the cliff. Can enough of us lift one perhaps?

Mawr wills his strength to increase and rushes the nearest one in an effort to push it over the edge.  He can only hope there is no reaction by either.