Portcullis
Summary
The Portcullis is a heavy wooden gate barrier located in the cavern system beneath the Rex Tree. In Session 3 of the campaign, this barrier divided the party when robed cultists used it to trap Sucks, Katniss, and Vasso on one side while Safia remained free in the main Cavern Chamber. The portcullis separates the trapped party members from the altar area and the robed figures, confining them to a tunnel that leads deeper toward the Sniff Lord. The three imprisoned characters refuse to proceed further into the caverns beyond the gate.
Description
The portcullis consists of thick, heavy wooden beams sturdy enough to resist attempts at breaking through. The barrier's bars are spaced widely enough that water and small objects can pass through, but not widely enough for a person to squeeze between. The gate is controlled by a mechanism involving the Portcullis Buttons—a series of three carved stone buttons set into the cavern wall—though which specific button operates the portcullis remains unknown. When Safia attempted to find structural weaknesses by hammering on the portcullis with her shalala, the wood proved too thick and solid to yield.
History
Session 3
The session opened with the party already divided by the portcullis. One of the masked, robed cultists had activated the mechanism by pressing one of the three stone buttons in the wall as they entered, lowering the barrier behind Sucks, Katniss, and Vasso and sealing them in the tunnel. The trapped party members found themselves confined to a passage leading deeper into the caverns toward the Sniff Lord, with the cultists and altar area visible but inaccessible on the other side.
Safia, who remained free on the other side in the main chamber, attempted to help by searching for a lever or control mechanism. When none was immediately visible, she began hammering on the portcullis with her shalala to test for weak points, but the heavy wooden construction resisted her efforts. The trapped party members called out asking whether there was a lever on her side, and she recalled seeing the masked cultist press one of the three buttons to close the gate, though the specific button remained unidentified.
Notable Features
- Heavy wooden construction — Built from thick beams that resist physical damage
- Bar spacing — Wide enough to pass water and objects through but not a person
- Three-button mechanism — Operated by the Portcullis Buttons, a set of three carved stone buttons in the cavern wall, with the specific controlling button unknown
- Strategic placement — Positioned to divide the main Cavern Chamber from the tunnel leading to the Sniff Lord
- Cultist operation — Used by the Cultists to trap sacrificial victims in the deeper tunnel