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Thelma does a thorough search, but it seems like the builders of this castle did not plan any automatic traps. One possiblilty why this is could be that large parts of the sloping stone floor are solid bedrock. The stones that have been filled in to make the surface usable for cart traffic are set in a bed of sand and do not move. Likewise, the gaps between the wall stones are all filled with mortar. The ceiling is a different matter, though. Every fifth stone or so are missing in a regular pattern. There seem to be traces of tar and other substances around some of the hole's edges, from what she can tell from below (The highest point of the vault is about 8 feet high). The door is as solid as it looks, with just small gaps around the edges and between the two wings. The shadows suggest that there are three hinges, and probably bands at the outside holding the doors together, with the nails they see fixing the wood beams to the bands. None of the nails can be moved. The middle gap has three large shadows, suggesting that two massive beams keep the gate closed.

"Does anyone have any rope?" Eloise asks as she looks around, "I'm remembering a story, knights and castles, like the old man who told stories used to say..." She rubs her chin.

"Remember them throwing tar on people?" She asks, "Lets climb up there."

"Not me..." Dale chimes quickly and looks at the roof. "Tar, you say. If that comes down, we will be hurting. Rope would be a good idea. We have the rope from the front section if we can use it."

The holes in the ceiling are not big enough for anyone climb through. Rope would not help climbing up since you cannot fix it anywhere. If Thelma does want to climb the wall and vault, spider-like, she'd better ask Dale to stand below her and catch her if she falls

"Oh I just thought it would be good to have a look." The young girl says with a far away look, "Right, how do we open this?" She asks, pressing softy on the doors.

The doors don't really move when Elose pushes against them, there's just a slight creak of wood on wood.

Thelma opens her mouth to say something and pauses as the wood creaks, "Whoops" She says politely and draws her dagger. She steps closer to Eloise.

(( Relayed to post after nag ))

Moving up behind the ladies, Dale draws his own weapon. "Silence is not an option at times."

[OOC] Sorry to be absent, I'll catch up. [/OOC]

"Looks like the portcullis is not a problem, Saul. The gate is another story."
If Christopher can find something to wedge in the doorframe, to keep it from closing easily, he will do so. Otherwise, he may be wasting time.

At the second gate, Christopher looks at the shadows and the residue around the murder holes in the ceiling. "Tar is no threat if it is cold. We saw no smoke coming here, so nobody is boiling tar for us. Oil, though, is a threat. Best we not bunch up in here."

[OOC] How wide is the gap between the doors? Would a sword fit through? If so, Christopher will attempt to lift the bars with his sword blade. [/OOC]

Christopher's sword just fits into the gap between the gates. However, the bars are so thick and heavy that he soon realises he can't lift the bars simply by pulling up the sword, he would at least need some kind of lever to do it, and there might even be a risk to the sword if he does it. It might be wiser to first look for another way to get into the inner court.

In fact, wiping sweat from his brow, he remembers that the rampart between the outer gate tower and the outside of the inner wall was made of stone, not wood, it might be worth looking if maybe there is an access there. It would make sense, from a defender's point of view, to have direct access to the outer gate tower from the inner court, after all, especially since none of the buildings in the outer courtyard seem to have served as barracks in the castle's heyday.

Matthias has not bothered to enter the cramped gatehouse, though curiosity at the problems that lie ahead and urge to stick his nose into the thick of things seem to be close to killing the man as he shifts his weight from foot to foot and even makes a small whining noise that he is unconsciously making.

Saul turns his gaze sky-ward and begins to examine the ramparts. He's looking for a hidden set of stairs, a makeshift ladder, or even a place which could be climbed. About halfway through his examination, a thought occurs to him: is the ladder in the barn large enough to reach the top of the tower?

The ladder in the barn would reach no further than the highest point of the gate. However, Saul notices that there are wooden doors both in the upper storey of the outer gate tower (where one would be to drop things on trespassers, and perhaps operate the portcullis) and in the wall of the inner courtyard, both allowing access to the rampart between them.

The wings of the gate to the courtyard are leaning against the walls of the tower. Above them on each side, two small rectangular windows are visible, as if they were allowing light to shine into a spiral staircase, and one window is over the center of the arch, at the height of the ramparts.

Eloise's eyes go to where Saul is looking, the wall didn't seem that high, she'd slipped into the inn a enough times without a rope. Using her hands and feet she starts to make her way up...

Climb walls: 1d100=11 easy pass.

Watching Eloise scramble up the wall, Saul states, "You could have at least let us get the ladder for you!" She climbs higher and suddenly the priest exclaims, "Ach! Lass, you're wearing a skirt!!!"

"Then don't look!" She shouts back "Ladder?" She scoffs, "I could end up waiting forever for a ladder."