-----A few silent moments go by and then a slight pinging noise is heard as if metal is gently touching stone. Then Sol's voice is heard over to the right side of the chamber. The young Gorian whispers, "I'm going up."
-----The others can hear the young warrior carefully moving up the stairs. The darkness around them seems impenetrable. The pinging noise continues lightly moving up away from them as if Sol is making the sound himself.
-----"Sol," Garrison sharply whispers, "don't get too far away from us."
-----Sarah thinks deeply about what the cause of the darkness could be. If they are all blinded individually than possibly a dispel cast on herself will be the cure...but if it is a group or focal spell then she won't be able to counter it. Paralyzed by her inability to detect the source of the spell, Sarah backs up until she finds a wall and crouches down, trying as hard as she can to make anything out with her extraordinary senses.
-----The returning whisper is at the same sharp volume, "We can't just stand around. Don't worry...There's not too many places ye can go in a tower."
-----A moment passes before Sol speaks again in the same hushed tones, "There's something sticky up here. It'd be my luck t'step in that slimy sod's sleeping pallet."
-----Lovan impatiently groans out, "By the storms, girl! Is there nothing you can do to rid us of this wizard's doing?" Obviously the priest's frustrations are vented at the young mage.
-----Garrison's voice sounds closer to the stairs. "Sticky?" the woodsman asks, "Sol, can you see up there? You don't see any large spiders, do you?"
-----"Call me girl one more time and I'll visit you in your nightmares and kill everyone you hold dear before your eyes until you beg me to let you wake up." Sarah growls at Lovan. To say that the young sorceress isn't in the greatest of moods would be making a fine art of understatement. Sarah's hands dance in the darkness and she utters a magic spell.
-----"Play nicely people." Comes Sol's now jovial sounding advice from somewhere above. A light chuckle emanates briefly before the Gorian speaks again, "Garrison, I can't see a thing here, but I suppose it could be a web. Hmm..."
-----Sarah detects the reason and calm common sense that always comes from Sol's words. Almost immediately afterwards she feels sorry for what she said, not only because she knows it's wrong to threaten someone who has proven himself a friend, but also for the simple fact that Sarah has no such ability or spell. As she crosses her fingers and touches her symbol of Destine, praying that her spell works, she makes a mental note to talk to Lovan after this caper and set things right. For the meantime though, her pride takes over and keeps her from saying anything.
-----Suddenly, the confining darkness vanishes revealing the tower room once more. The first thing that Sarah sees is Lovan in front of her looking all around with a pleased but surprised expression. His eyes alight on her and a broad smile crosses his face. "Aye," he says, "see what a little fury can do?!"
-----Garrison stands on the stairs just on the second step. He strains to look higher up the stairs at where Sol must be out of sight. Suddenly there is the sound of metal ringing against stone up there.
-----"Was that you Sarah? Nicely done." Sol's voice calls from above. The warrior then issues a warning, "I'm going t'open a door up here, if it isn't locked...That way if ye hear another one o' those blasted explosions, ye know what happened." Pause, then, "Definitely no spiders, Garrison."
-----Sarah nods in thanks to Sol and gives Lovan a passing glare. She then heads up the stairs to see what sort of trouble Sol is getting into.
-----The young mage walks up the stairs with Garrison and Lovan following her. They climb to where the next level would be and see Sol standing before a wooden door. Holding the sword out in front of him, the Gorian reaches out carefully and pushes open the door.
-----The portal swings open unceremoniously and no sound issues forth from within. As Sol cautiously enters, the others follow behind. Though nothing lies here to attack them, the adventurers are surprised by what makes up this level.
-----A five-foot wide ledge rings this level allowing occupants to view the surrounding countryside through windows. Toward the middle of this level a round circular floor is suspended somehow leaving a wide dark gap between the ledge and the suspended flooring. The gap is about ten feet across with the diameter of the suspended floor at about twenty feet. The gap seems to be a large empty pit that descends through the center of the tower. On the suspended floor appears to be a small work library furnished with a table and chairs. Strange bottles, candleholders, books and scrolls lay about the table.
-----Across the way, the ledge rises to carry visitors up to the next level.