4/17/2007
04:40 PM
Logfile from Elendor.
Participants: Tirloth, Candamon, Celebringil, Ilfwen, Annunalagos, Sulriel
Top of the Bell Tower
The belfry of this tower is open to the air on all sides, each of which is in
the shape of a wide arch. Each side is a platform, while the centre of the tower
is open all the way to the ground. A small but sturdy railing surrounds the drop.
One may look out in each direction, to see the surrounding countryside.
The bell itself is of moderate size, and seems to be made of fine, polished
silver. The pull runs down through the centre of the tower, allowing it to be
rung from any floor of the house. Placed around the tower are small wicker
benches with soft cushions to sit upon.
<OOC> Type +inspect/list for a list of inspectable details.
<OOC> You can 'look <direction>' for a view of the valley...
Contents:
Gwartad
Sulriel
Annunalagos
Ilfwen
Celebringil
Painting Four
Obvious exits:
Down the stairs
The obviously inspectable details here are: BELL
Upon closer inspection of the bell, you notice a hairline crack in the smooth
silver: it grows wider as it runs all the way down to the rim. This fissure
seems to be the reason for the strange sounds heard from the bell tower on
occasion.
IC time is: Nighttime < About 10:56 PM >
IC day is: Orithil <Moon-day>
IC date is: 13 Firith <Fading>
Moon phase: New <VISIBLE>
Earendil: Gil-Estel is not visible.
IC year is: Loa 16 o Yen 22, Nelandran o Endor <TA 3040>
RL time: Tue Apr 17 16:38:47 2007
Night blows a gentle rain through the four arches of the bell tower, making the
smooth floors slightly slippery. The chairs are forgotten, pulled to one side.
Upon the walls hang many lanterns. In such lantern-light, the crack upon the
silver bell in the center of the floor cannot stay unnoticed.
Night cannot stop the artisans. There are many slender planks of wood laid out
over the floor and stretching the gap which encloses the bell. Also, a few elves
are setting up a mess of pulleys and ropes around the object itself.
[Imladris Smiths ZMO(#14464)] Ding!
[Imladris Smiths ZMO(#14464)] The bell in the bell tower rings softly, but the
sweet silver sound is replaced by a jarring, metallic jangle. Also, the tower
itself shines bright as a beacon. Something must be happening there.
[Candamon(#12141)] It looks like Candamon has somehow been roped into helping
with the pulleys, and he is currently holding one up at full length over his
head while another elf straightens and ties off the lines. Wind-blown wet
peppers his face, bringing a smile that only creases at discordant bellsound.
"Aie, it will be good to have that voice sweetened again" he says to everyone
and no one in particular, rising on tip-toes to stretch the pulley farther up.
[Celebringil(#32270)] Adding his own muscle to the effort, Celebringil helps to
place one of the larger pulleys. Not being an Artisan himself, the ellon takes
direction from one of the other Artisans. The jarring sound of the bell causes
him to stop and shake his head. "Aye," he says with a grin towadrd Candamon. "I
would have to agree."
[Ilfwen(#7905)] Two figures emerge from the stairs onto the top of the
belltower- Ilfwen and Annunalagos, arm in arm. "What a horrid noise!" The
huntress exclaims in reference to the reason they were drawn up this way. Her
eyes grow wide as she ascertains the cause, the rain completely ignored. "It
seems we've found quite the task up here," she remarks to Annunalagos. "In need
of extra hands, mellyn?" The gwaerhiril calls out cheerily.
Annunalagos smiles at Ilfwen, and seconds her motion, calling out to the
Artisans, and the other two elves with the pulleys, "Could you use another pair
of strong arms? I would be more than happy to."
Celebringil grunts as he hefts the pulley into its place, and waiting for it to
get tied it off. "Always," he says with a grin. "It seems that the Artisans are
always in need of an extra hand or two. Or so I am told." He looks to the
Artisan directing him, and sighs as he gets to signal to let go of the pulley
and let it hang.
"Apologies for the noise," calls Tirloth, turning rather quickly with a plank
balanced on her shoulder. "Extra arms are always welcome, mellyn. There are
beams here to reinforce the scaffolding, and the pulleys will need to be strong,
as we are lowering the bell all the way down to the first level."
Annunalagos lets go of Ilfwen's arm, to walk over towards the others. He takes
hold of a rope, awaiting further instruction, but ready to pull at the moment he
needs to.
Candamon hands off the pulley and hops up onto the railing in the eastern arch.
He stretches, gets both hands on one of the rafters, and swings himself up in a
single motion to brace himself on the truss next to the beam supporting the bell.
Celebringil stretches his arms for a second. Watches the other elves taking
positions, and finds a place to help tie off a pulley. "How are you planing to
transport the bell once it gets to the lower level?" He asks, glancing to
Tirloth.
"There is a hand-drawn cart waiting at the bottom," replies the silversmith,
laying a final beam down and nudging it into place. "We will wheel it to the
forges, where a room is waiting."
Tirloth glances to the bell, gleaming silver amid ropes and hewn wood. "It seems
we are ready."
[Imladris ZMO(#400)] Clunk! Clunk! Someone tries to ring the bells, but
something is very wrong.
Celebringil jumps down, having tied off his pulley. He climbs the support
structure, upto the top of the bell itself. He begins to secure the last of the
pulleys, making sure none will give. "Everything seems ready from here, mellyn!"
he calls.
Candamon gives the rope a tug and then stands, crouched, balanced on the cross-
beam. "Ready!" he grins down. He keeps one hand on the rope leading up the
pulley to guide it.
"Good!" Tirloth calls back. "Now, do stay clear of the support-beam and the bell.
It's heavy enough by itself." Sticking her sawdust-covered head through the
railing, the celebdan whistles to the artisans on the level below.
The beam groans, lifted from its place. Ropes creak. The pulleys begin to move.
Celebringil jumps out of the way as the bell begins to move. He scrambles to a
position opposite of Candamon, and grabs onto another rope to lend a little
extra muscle. He grunts as he tugs firmly on the large ropes, balancing
carefully on the slippery beams.
Annunalagos pulls firmly upon the rope he has, helping to move the Bell down
along the pulleys.
[Annunalagos(#10296)] But the Rope doesn't want to do exactly is Annun says. for
some reason, it starts to pull faster and faster, and the corner of the Bell he
was helping to support starts to run amok, and slide faster than the other three
corners.
Sulriel comes up the stairs to help, but stops a bit below everyone, realizing
she'll only be in the way.
Candamon's hands join with the others that pull the crossbeam free from the top
of the bell, leaving it free to pass through down through the scaffolding. He
hops down from the rafters then to land next to Annunalagos and starts to move
around to catch the lowered cross-beam. But, as the rope begins to slip, he
stops and - "Careful! Hold steady!" - turns quickly to grab for that line.
[Ilfwen(#7905)] Ilfwen, who had been hanging back, gasps as the rope runs away
too quickly from Annunalagos' grasp. She hastens to his side, nearly slipping on
the wet floor. Then the huntress takes hold of the rope with him, helping to
steady his corner of the project.
Celebringil hands his line off to a nearby artisan, and springs down to try and
grab the line Annunalagos is holding. He scrambles over the wet beams, and
slipps, falling onto the wooden planks next to them.
Annunalagos finally gets his rope under control, with the help of his companions.
"Thank you, Mellon." He says gruffly, a bit disturbed that he could not hold his
own with a stupid rope.
The efforts of the elves on the top floor brings the thing to a halt. Then,
overcompensation: the bell starts in the direction of the slipped rope like a
silver fish struggling in a net.
[Sulriel(#24654)]
Seeing the commotion, her eyes widening, Sulriel rushes towards the others, to
help steady the bell. Unsure of which rope to grab, though, she stands on the
platform, watching it shift, to judge where to go.
Celebringil surries to his feet. He grasps onto the rope that Annunalagos and
Ilfwen hold, and tries to shove them out of the way of the on coming bell. He
heaves on the rope standing between them and several hundred pounds on on coming
metal.
Candamon, unsmiling (something rare), watches the swing of the bell like a hawk
tracking the movements of a snake. He backs one step, two, and stands at the
south railing now, hands out from his sides, ready to move to either rope as
needed. "Celebdan, shall we hold it or lower it?" he asks Tirloth, though his
eyes stay on the arc of the bell's swing.
[Ilfwen(#7905)] Ilfwen is successfully pushed out of the way of the disaster by
Celebringil- but she is, as a result, sent sliding across the slippery belfry
floor that she hit, hard. A bit stunned as the persistent rain darkens her gold
hair, she lays trying to catch her breath, eyes swerving back to the commotion
that she's happy to be out of.
"Hold it," replies Tirloth almost sharply, running out on a slender beam to
grasp a handful of net. As if that would stop it.
The bell pauses, careening precariously above the heads of a few artisans, and
then swings back the other way, pealing a raspy knell.
Annunalagos gets pushed out of the way, too, but he does not fall. He simply
slides on his feet several feet away, and looks very concerned for the Elf that
did the pushing. ALthough he stays completely out of the way, now, feeling as if
any further action would just bring more ill fortune.
[Sulriel(#24654)]
The bell swings away, then back towards her, and Sulriel can hear the straining
of the ropes. She slips along the wet platform, then clings to the rail to get
her footing trying not to fall, keeping a wary eye on the bell.
[Celebringil(#32270)] The sound of the bell causes Celebringil's already jostled
head to ring, and he looses his grip for a second. He tries to regain it again,
gripping the rope like a vice. He wraps the rope around his right arm, trying to
get better levelage.
Annunalagos carefully makes way over towards Ilfwen. He gently touches the back
of her head, to see if there is a knot on it. He asks her a quick question, "Are
you okay, Meltha? Please answer me, I would die if anything has happened to you
on account of me." He looks very concerned for a long moment, waiting.
Candamon nods as Tirloth speaks and, keeping his eyes on the bell, edges quickly
around the perimeter of the tower to stand by Ilfwen. "Are you alright, mellon?"
he asks. He quickly looks around without lowering his head - it is like he is
fixing everyone's location in mind in case of sudden movements. Then, he gives a
quick grin. "Maybe one of our eagle friends could come fetch and fly the bell
down," he calls.
[Ilfwen(#7905)] Ilfwen slowly gets up, shaking rainwater from her hair. "I'm
fine," the huntress says. She offers a brief smile, first to Annunalagos, then
to Candamon. "Just a bit soggy, I think, and my head hurts a little. I've done
worse out in the forest." Then Ilfwen risks a glance back at those still
gathered around the bell. "I feel useless, though-- I've no wish to witness an
injury here, yet if i tried to help again, i'd be the one getting injured." The
gwaerhiril frowns.
Celebringil , in pain and frustration heaves back on the rope, uttering an
almost feral growl. "By the Valar," he says with a yell, "You will be still." He
heaves again, trying desperatly to get control of the bell.
Candamon's eyes flick over at Celebringil. "Peace, mellon," he says. "The bell
has no ill intent - it just goes where we lead it." He steps away from Ilfwen
and around to add his hands on the other rope.
The bell lists again, and Tirloth stumbles over the scaffolding, still clinging
to the nets. "Someone tie down the ropes," she hisses, bumping along the sides
of the railing.
Celebringil hauls back on the rope. He steps backwards, trying to gain a stable
footing. He untangles his arm from the rope, and begins looking for a place to
tie off the line.
[Sulriel(#24654)]
At last something she can do. As Celebringil goes to tie off the end of that
rope, Sulriel joins him, grasping the rope where he had held it. "I'll hold it
taut while you... look for ... a place to tie it off."
Candamon gets his shoulders into holding the other rope steady so that the slack
can be tied off. "Do not worry, Celebdan!" he calls up. "It is all in hand."
Celebringil nods toward Sulriel. He wraps the rope around a strong looking
support beam. He ties it off with a complicated knot. He test the knot first,
then turns to the others. "It is done. The line is secure."
<Imladris> Candamon watches as the bell goes crashing down through the third,
second, and first floor landings and into the wine cellar below, landing on and
utterly destroying the last two cases of Doriath Pinot Noir F.A. 358. "Oops!"
<Imladris> Tirloth says, "At least no one was standing under it. ;)"
<Imladris> Celebringil gasps...."But...But...Why is the wine gone?"
<Imladris> Candamon says, "Really. That wine was even older than Erestor!"
Shakily, Tirloth lets go of the net and balances on the scaffold beams. "Check
the knots. Someone must have tied a slipknot instead."
Celebringil leaps into the rigging, climbing to the top of the support structure.
He examine the knots carefully. "I think its this one," he says pointing to a
central knot in the rigging..
Candamon and several others quickly move and pick up the extra scaffolding beams
stacked on the floor. Lifting them, they prop them with one end down, the other
on the rim of the bell to support its weight.
"We'll have to retie that," says Tirloth, peering up into the belfry. An artisan
runs nimbly along the beams, hitching said knot with an extra length of rope.
[Sulriel(#24654)]
Reaching for another piece of wood, Sulriel tilts her head, listening. The ropes
creak and the wood does as well, and she shakes her head as she places her beam
up under the rim. "We'll have to be quick, I think," she murmurs, eyeing the
bell with a wary mistrust. "The rain isn't helping."
[Candamon(#12141)] Elves may not easily slip on wet wood, but the beams may.
Candamon and the other carefully hold them steady to prop up the bell while the
rope is secured.
Annunalagos looks from one elf to the other, staying out of the way, but very
interestingly watching the procedure from the wayside.
Ropes are drawn taut, knots checked for their security. The bell sits in the
center, unmoving and silent. Finally, all seems ready -- again.
"Well then," calls Tirloth from a corner, ruefully rubbing her ribs, "shall we
try again?"
[Sulriel(#24654)]
"I'll start removing the supports from this side," calls Sulriel, still eyeing
the bell with distrust. "Just give the word.'
Candamon, standing with those at the support beams, looks up and nods. Other
elves move to hold the ropes steady as they are untied.
Tirloth's gaze lingers a moment more on the ropes, then lowers. "Begin," says
the celebdan, moving to the end of a beam.
[Candamon(#12141)] The edhil, Candamon among them, slip the support beams away
>from the bell.
Sulriel begins to pull out the support beams slowly, carefully, trying to make
sure that the weight goes mack to the ropes as evenly as possible.
Thankfully, the bell does not plunge through the space in the floor. It does,
however, sink rather quickly, stretching the ropes and squeaking the pulleys.
Candamon drops his support beam and strides over to add his hands on the support
rope. "Ah, we have it now!" he says, smiling broadly. "Do you not wish a ride
down, mellon?" he calls up at Tirloth.
[Sulriel(#24654)]
Gasping, Sulriel runs to take hold of the other rope. "Let us make sure it is
stable and then untie the ropes?" she calls up, looking at the rain-wet knot.
"A ride will not be necessary," replies Tirloth, climbing the scaffolding that
connects top and third level. "And for the knots -- aye, untie them."
Candamon grins all the more at Tirloth for not receiving a smile in return. As
the rope is untied he leans back, bracing.
[Sulriel(#24654)]
Sulriel goes to her side of the bell, her fingers flying over the knot. She
frees it, then slides forwards as the rain-wet rope slips through her fingers.
She catches it, yanking it to keep it taut.
The Elves on the third level tighten their ropes as the bell lowers. Below, the
ropes are not as wet, and they do not slide.
Candamon smiles at the bell as it edges downward. "It will be good to hear it
whole again... maybe it will be snowing when we put it back in place! That would
be a challenge." He sounds happy at the prospect.
[Sulriel(#24654)]
"Don't... even.... think... it..." manages Sulriel, letting the rope go through
her hands slowly now.
A bell, lacking a brain, thinks nothing.
Meekly it sinks through the third level, then the second. There is a sharp clunk
as it lands on the cart on the bottom level, and then silence, save the creaking
of ropes.
"It should be safe to slacken the ropes now," says Tirloth in a voice barely
louder than a whisper.
Candamon lowers the rope hand over hand. "Do you not look forward to the winter
then, mellon?" he asks. "Greeting the snow's return will be a pleasure... ah!"
He slacks the rope at Tirloth's call and immediately steps forward to go look
down at the bell far below them.
[Sulriel(#24654)]
"I... look forward to the winter," answers Sulriel, letting the rope go slack.
She glances down at her palms and sighs. "But I do not look forward to rigging
this back up in the winter."
[Candamon(#12141)] "Well, I am sure it will be repaired before then--" Candamon
pauses, then frowns faintly "--for it would not be good to lack it for long...."
He lets that fade as he steps back and jumps up to catch the rafter again. Elves
are back up there now, starting to remove the pulleys.
Tirloth's head pops up through the gap, covered with soggy sawdust.
"We'll need to arrange something for the present while the bell is repaired,"
she says, pulling herself up through the beams. "What might be a good
substitute?"
[Sulriel(#24654)]
Sulriel looks up and then smiles. "We could tie Penniavas up there and let him
yell out the time, maybe?"
Candamon almost doesn't roll his eyes, then asks, "Does the Tauron have a horn?
A horn would work for warning." He picks up one end of one of the ropes and
starts coiling it.
"Perhaps," says Tirloth, wiping a pulley-wheel with a rag. "But that would
require a person to stay on this level at all times. Which is not quite
accomodating in the wintertime."
Candamon drops one coiled rope, starts on another. "A brazier and a few blankets,
and duty with the horn will be warmer than a valley patrol," he says... and then
chuckles. "I believe I just heard myself volunteering! A foolish one I am."
"There are shieldmen in need of a lesson in patience," shrugs Tirloth,
shouldering a soggy beam, "but if you wanted, perhaps you could oversee them?
They will have to be separated into watches."
Candamon dips his head in a sharp nod of acknowledgment. "Of course,
Hirvaethor."
"Good," says Tirloth, offering a brief smile to the ethir. Looking around: "I
hope no one is hurt, aside from rope-burn and bruises?"
[Candamon(#12141)] Several elves indicate their lack of injury. Candamon, with a
shake of his head in response as well, picks up several of the now-coiled ropes
and starts down the stairs.
[Sulriel(#24654)]
"Just rope burns," calls Sulriel, shaking her head. "And I think I'll go and see
to them now."
"That was quite a performance," murmurs Tirloth to the scaffolding, as elves
hand beams of wood down the gap. On creaking wheels, the cart lumbers off to the
forges with its silvery burden.
The lanterns go out, one by one. And rain continues to tap upon the roof of the
empty belfry.
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