Iron Tower

The Iron Tower, also known as the Haunted Tower, or Valla's Tower, is the home of the Iron Adventurers in Hook City.

A former PC, Valla, found the Tower [DM Jim, 9 Feb 2010]:

"During that time Valla happened to notice a square tower nearby was for sale. It seemed in good repair, it's white plaster walls were none worse for wear, but what was very odd about it was that the for sale sign stated a sale price of only 1gp."

An early version of the story [DM Jim, 26 April 2010]

Valla of course heads to the tower for sale, accompanied by Zeoll as he recounts what little he knows of the place. The tale is a grim one as Valla learns that a family of seven were murdered in the tower and their killer has never been found. When the pair arrive at the tower, they see the real estate agent standing out side it and his demeanor is not a happy one. When Valla inquires about the tower, he is in fact told that a family was murdered within, making the sale of said tower very hard to make. He also lets Valla know that even though the price of the tower is 1gp, the processing fees come up to 1000gp and are non-refundable.

Zeoll and Valla enter the Tower for the first time [DM Jim, 29 April 2010]

After having secured the title and deed to the tower, Valla and Zeoll were back at the tower to inspect it. Under much protest from Zeoll not to enter the tower without their other friends, Valla entered anyway--Zeoll followed behind as he was not about to abandon his new friend, no matter how impetuous he was. Inside the tower was a dilapidated looking palor, with stairs to the right going up to the second level. Valla purposefully left the front door wide open, but Zeoll's dog would not enter--no matter, as soon as both were in the door slammed closed behind them. Standing in front of the now closed door were two little identical twin girls who were human and looked about eight years old each, but they were as beautiful as any elvish princesses the pair had ever seen. "Tea time!" both said in unison as they rushed Valla and Zeoll. There was no time to reaction (malevolence, no AoO) as both girls rushed the pair of Iron Adventurers and disappeared into their respective hosts. It was a strange feeling, like being three feet thick and being able to look at your body from the inside looking out, but not being able to affect said body. Before the pair realized their bodies, which included their ability to speak, were not under their control, they were moving upstairs to a series of rooms--one in particular, the twins room. For nearly the next ten hours they had a tea party. Both Valla and Zeoll were dressed in bonnets, their hair had been done up in curls and nearing the end of their ten hour ordeal, each were wearing copious amounts of makeup, in particular, blue eyeshadow--"You can never wear too much blue eyeshadow, right sis?" To which the twin sister concurred and added, "Or red lipstick." The pair was ghastly to look upon in the near mirror and as they felt the power of the twins beginning to lessen their hold over them both, one sister said to the other, "I think it's clobbering time." They both rose up in unison, moved away from the tea table they had elaborately set up and began pummeling each other senseless. After several blows, Valla's body succumbed to the non-lethal beating and passed out. Zeoll's body stood triumphant over the elf's and then he began beating his head against the wall. All it took was a couple of blows and he too was out like a light. how much time passed was uncertain, but as each were about to regain consciousness, they could feel the twins once again slip into them. "Tea time!" This went on again and again until Zeoll managed to force back the twin that was trying to enter his body. With swift legs, Zeoll took up Valla--who had yet again succumbed to his twin entity, and fled downstairs to the front door to escape. "Don't come back!" yelled the twin as she chased behind him. Then as he opened the front door, Valla turned to him, looked him straight in the eyes and said in a little girls voice, "If you come back, we'll roast your eyes and eat your flesh." Then the ghost left Valla's body and the pair exited the tower--the door swiftly slamming shut behind them. As he stood there panting, Zeoll's faithful dog came around the corner and barked at his return--his dog's head did go sideways when he saw his master in so much makeup holding an elf in his arms, but hey, what happens in Hook City stays in Hook City. After a few minutes and looking about and asking what day it was from a few passersby, who of course laughed heartily, the pair of intrepid adventurers learned about two days had passed. Zeoll's head was pounding from the lack of food and the beatings the wall had given him, but he had his life and so too Valla.

Alistarr told us this about the Tower [DM Buzz, 27 Oct 2010]:

"It was thought to be an accident. The girls were found dead on the floor of the main dining room. Their bodies tangled up in the enormous chandelier that once adorned the place. Some think they somehow climbed onto the suspended wrought iron structure filled with glass baubles for illumination, when the supports broke, dashing them to the cold, stone floor. Yet, no one knows how they might have climbed up the twenty feet for this to happen."

This is all that is known on the subject. The single widower, the last of his family now dead, moved away to never be seen again. Defeating them is somewhat easy, but it's keeping them away the following nights, that will prove difficult. Unless some form of communication can be established, it will take very powerful magic to forcible remove the duo.

Location and Neighborhood

Valla's Tower is located in Northhook City, otherwise known as Soldier City. The players may decide which side of the Marble Causway it is located. [DM Buzz, Oct. 21, 2010]

As they approach the tower Bosk thinks to ask a passing guard about crime in the area and soon learns that everything conducted here in Southhook is done with civility and order. No battles, arguments or even court cases between the citizens of Southhook exist. Instead both will hire outsiders or proxies, less civilized people to battle their enemy's hired proxies. Very specialized laws exist that govern proxies, protection groups, etc. and how they must act within Southhook. No place on the Wold contains a more civilized manner of life. Southhook reigns supreme in both extravagance and courtesy. [Sub DM James, Nov. 13, 2010]

Compared to the other residences in the neighborhood, it is stark and lifeless, where people have grass well groomed and bushes with flowers covering their walls, the Iron Adventurers have not had the time or opportunity to return this dwelling to what might have been a vibrant and beautiful lawn and garden is wilting bushes, barely kept alive by the magic of the city. [DM Buzz, Jan. 27, 2011]

More details [DM Buzz, 29 Oct - 3 Nov. 2010]

A large door awaits those that dare enter the dwelling... it is easily opened to reveal a grand hall, in a circular fashion. Three exits, besides the door, lead to other rooms. Off to the left, a small arch leads away to some other area. To the right, an obvious kitchen and storage area, leading into the main hall for grand occasions. This room is also seen to have a dumb waiter, which may operate to work on various floors. The main arch, leads to stairs leading up into the main tower.

The main hall is of course the grandest hall of the building. It is made for balls and parties. A short platform was made to be a stage for a few musicians, maybe even, perhaps a solo singer or poet. An ambience of tales told from this room is perhaps long lost, at least for now. The center of attention though, are the holes in the ceiling, twenty feet up, just as described by Magister Alistier. Four bolts once held some heavy object, but now, that heavy object is not present. Looking at the stone floor beneath the obvious chandelier mount, one can see without little doubt, a heavy hard structure crashed into the floor, breaking the tile and depreciating slightly the value of the abode. Not so mush as it being haunted, but still, once these minor, superficial damages are repaired, the "home"will be worth a few hundred white chits more then before.

The small doorway on the right leads to the pantry. The jamb was built of an argent brick and has tiny rose mosaics embossed upon the smooth silvery stone. It is made large enough for food carts to come and go to the kitchen, where there is a long, wood burning oven, built for banquets. A table along the opposite wall is easily six foot wide and eight feet long. It is a butchers table as the many hack and cut marks have marred the wooden surface, which is now showing signs of age, through drying out and cracking along the grain of the large slab of wood. Cupboards are empty and opening up closets reveals no food or utensils left behind. Hooks on the walls, where pots and pans were once hung, now rest upon the wall empty. Between the two an island made from a solid piece of marble. Its counter top still as smooth and hard as the day the master stonemason removed his hands from his piece of art and announced, it was then for sale. Bowls, cups and a number of other devices of preparation have rested upon it's surface, at one time. Yet now, it and room are empty of anything that could not be carried out. There is now a loneliness in this chamber where there was once the bustling heart of the residence.

In the main hall, looking straight back is another exit, a large doorway with the same argent stone as the kitchen area and other exits. This room is thirty feet by thirty feet and against the left hand side of the room is a stone bar five feet tall and two feet wide. A mirror once adorned the wall behind or perhaps s valuable painting? The mounting of such a large frame is still evident. In the center of this room is a ten foot wide beautiful, circular stairway leading up in a tight, corkscrew fashion. Precious marble make up a solid platform, almost enclosing the walkers in a tunnel. The stairway is five foot wide but takes up ten feet of space in the center of the thirty by thirty foot room. If one is to walk up the stairs, the right arm would be to the inside, smaller turn of the ascending passage. This design is used for defense of the upper rooms. A right handed person fighting upward and against the bend is penalized, where a right handed attacker fighting down, has bonuses to their maneuvers. Looking up the center of the stairwell, it goes up pretty high, with small landings for other floors.

The tower has four floors total, with a basement making five. If you all want to design the structure, I will approve it after I see it or I can do it for you if you all don't really care what it's layout is. If you make the design, I will need specifics on designs and cosmetics. This place, like all the other residences of the city, was well crafted with art work designed into the building itself. Any descriptions should also have this information, so when a future DM comes in, they can read the layout and not wonder at its physical appearence.

In the back of the kitchen, is a door, with stairs leading down into a basement. A quick examination reveals, it is a cold storage unit. Meat is hung and vegetables are kept in air tight bins, sealed with honey. Theses bins have little peg holes in the face of each door so the staff could tell how long each item has been stored, to cut down on waste. The pins are not present. The arch to the left leads to a storage space, as well as eight by ten rooms for servants of the house hold. A small talisman is found in the back of one of the rooms. It is brass and tarnished and would require some form of knowledge to know if it has some meaning or is a worthless piece of costume jewelry.

Talisman [DM Buzz, 21 Jan. 2011]

So the trinket is looked at much closer. It is quite tarnished and needs to be cleaned up a bit, but a decent appraisal discovers, the metal is made of steel and the design is quite complicated. Looking at it closely, it looks like a labyrinth. Along the path, there seems to be settings, where rooms might be, the small stones resting there are now gone. Perhaps it is a map? It does not detect magic. Not much else can be discovered at this time.

The Deed and Title [DM Buzz, Late Jan 2011]

You are met by a woman in very business-like clothes, named Jacqueline Effediette. Her long blonde hair tied up in a tight bun. Her otherwise beautiful face, devoid of expression. After the group explains that they want the Tower to be held in joint ownership by the adventuring group as a collective whole, she explains that what they want to do is very easy, but it will require quite a bit of money and time. "What you are proposing is a Corporation. I am a personal and residential officer and I can not help you, however, I can give you the proper forms you will need to have filled out by all persons involved and the residence must be inspected and zoned for commercial use."

She explains to everyone, "You are a "registered company" as you say and you want to file a title under that name. This is not a residential property transaction. You want to run a business or maybe several business's out of this property. Even if you do not, you are registering under a company name. That is why I have to refer you to the business department. If there were a sole owner or owners, I could help you, but from what I have heard. (1) You want a private company to own shares in the estate. You only have to have as many shares as you desire, whether it is eight or eight hundred. If you stay a private company though, every time a person that has a share in property joins, all of the paper work has to be redone. The persons that are being signed off of the title must do so in writing or evidence of their demise must be presented, as well, every time a new member joins, all those present in the title must be witness and sign off on all future titles. Incorporating your company allows one or two people to file the paper work for everyone. If someone is to be added to the title, they and only one of the other members must be present, if it is a board, but the President or Vice President are the only ones that can add or remove a member from the title."

More details [DM Buzz, Early May 2011]

The little girls of the house do not immediately make their presence known. Nothing has been disturbed since the last time the group was here. The unfurnished residence seems kind of cold without some proper furniture and a few pictures, but at least a fireplace is not needed in this environmentally controlled city. The spirit form of the little girls tend to show themselves around three in the afternoon on a regular basis in the downstairs area of the tower, in the grand hall and dining area. They will also be seen at other times and locations through the residence randomly. They interact on occasion with a polite nod, but if they ever see the musically talented liontaur, they will almost always ask him to perform something.

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