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Word Ladder, But Bigger

2025-Feb-08

  • Eugene and the red dragon trade blows, with Kleb continuing to wail on the dragon figurine
    • The dragon cracks like a pinata, leaking light and deflating like a popped balloon
  • The key is still missing because of the note Rulkorf found, but Acererak pops in to manually transport them back and hand over a substitute key
  • Their talk with Acererak involves an invitation to strike him, which leaves Rulkorf’s hand anchored in space as if it were an immovable rod
    • Rowan takes a short rest and Rulkorf, dismayed that the ‘paralysis’ has not worn off, is forced to cast a spell to counteract the magical effect
  • The Ladder Room
    • A large rectangular stone room is filled with a dozen statues, with one wall featuring a large closed door, and the far wall has the relief of a ladder built into the stone
    • It appears that each statue is on a (~5 ft tall) pedestal, featuring a dwarf in a particular pose or scene. Each pedestal is also labeled with a phrase, and at the end, set into the floor, reads the inscription:
      CLIMB THE LADDER
      FROM BLACK TO WHITE
      BEGINNING IN THE ABSENCE OF LIGHT
    • Each statue, pose and label:
      • Marble: standing, gleaming white;
      • Harpoon: holding a harpoon; BUT A CREATURE FOREIGN TO THESE HALLS
      • Trait: on all fours; SHARE THEIR TRAITS WITH STONE, IT’S SAID
      • Wizard: holding spellbook; MORTAL, CHAOS, ORDER, AIR
      • Dinner: sitting at meal with many plates; SPINNING ON HIGH LIKE DINNERWARE
      • Bread: holding a loaf of bread; CAVERN AIR AND DAY OLD BREAD
      • Mining: holding pickaxe; NO PORCELAIN BUT ROCKY FLAKE
      • Empty: nothing; HERE WHERE TRULY NOTHING IS
      • Rope: holding coil of rope; IS EXEMPTED ONLY IF IT’S FALSE
      • Board: carrying wooden boards on shoulder; BUT TIMBER BOARDS OFT TROD IT ‘TIS
      • King: sitting on throne; CONDITION AND A RULER’S MAKE
      • Obsidian: standing, deep black;
    • And at the other end:
      ENDING IN THE ABSENCE OF NIGHT,
      YOU’VE CLIMBED THE LADDER
      FROM BLACK TO WHITE
    • Rowan tries opening the door, both pushing and pulling, to no avail
    • The group tries extinguishing the torches, but nothing reveals itself
      • They consider the wording of the inscriptions, noticing the rhyme scheme pairs the statues
      • Mining and trait are a different type of stone from the others, which are granite. Mining is made of slate (darker blue), while Trait is made of shale (lighter)
      • Kleb and Rowan try lifting pedestals and pushing some around. The King statue does budge a bit, as does Empty, but Board is fixed. The party tries rearranging the statues to try and match the rhyme scheme
CLIMB THE LADDER
FROM BLACK TO WHITE
BEGINNING IN THE ABSENCE OF LIGHT

HERE WHERE TRULY NOTHING IS (empty)
BUT TIMBER BOARDS OFT TROD IT 'TIS (board)

MORTAL, CHAOS, ORDER, AIR (wizard)
SPINNING ON HIGH LIKE DINNERWARE (dinner)


NO PORCELAIN BUT ROCKY FLAKE (mining)
CONDITION AND A RULER'S MAKE (king)

CAVERN AIR AND DAY OLD BREAD (bread)

SHARE THEIR TRAITS WITH STONE, IT'S SAID (trait)

BUT A CREATURE FOREIGN TO THESE HALLS (harpoon)

IS EXEMPTED ONLY IF IT'S FALSE (rope)

ENDING IN THE ABSENCE OF NIGHT,
YOU'VE CLIMBED THE LADDER
FROM BLACK TO WHITE

BLACK-->BLANK-->PLANK-->PLANE-->PLATE-->SLATE-->STATE-->STALE-->SHALE-->WHALE-->WHILE-->WHITE
  • Upon reciting the word ladder in its entirety, the ladder rungs emerge from the wall, and a portal opens up at its top with a key floating before the opening. Kleb grabs the key and they all proceed back to the mansion.