Portcullis Buttons

Summary

The Portcullis Buttons are a mechanical control system consisting of three carved stone buttons set into the rough-hewn cavern wall where the Portcullis is mounted in the Cavern Chamber. Each button measures approximately a hand's width wide and 4 inches long, arranged in a horizontal row. In Session 3 of the campaign, Safia discovered these buttons through a Discern Realities Move, recognizing them as the mechanism used by a dog-masked member of the Cultists to lower the portcullis and trap the party. The buttons represent a potential means of escape for the imprisoned party members, though the correct button to raise the portcullis remained unknown at the time of discovery.

Properties

The buttons are carved directly into the stone of the cavern wall, each one approximately a hand wide and 4 inches in length. They are arranged in a row of three, integrated into the rough-hewn rock where the portcullis mechanism is mounted. The buttons function as a control interface for raising and lowering the portcullis, though only one button operates the raising mechanism while the function of the other two buttons remains unknown.

The system was previously operated by the dog-masked cultist who closed the portcullis after the party was thrown into the chamber. Safia's recollection confirmed that one of these three buttons was pressed to seal the entrance, but the specific button used was not retained in memory, creating uncertainty about which button would safely raise the gate versus potentially triggering an unknown effect.

History

Session 3

During the party's imprisonment behind the portcullis, Safia used the Discern Realities Move to examine their surroundings and locate a potential escape route. The GM described her discovery: "You see a series of carved buttons. There's like three buttons in a row. They're about like a hand wide and like 4 inches long."

Through this same check, Safia recalled witnessing the dog-masked cultist operate the mechanism when the party was initially captured. As the GM explained: "And yet you realize, you remember that the masked dog guy hit one of these when they walked in to shut the portcullis behind them, but you don't remember which one." This partial knowledge presented the trapped party with a dilemma—the buttons offered a potential method of escape, but selecting the wrong button carried unknown risks. The discovery placed Safia and Erin in position to attempt manipulating the portcullis mechanism, though the session context indicates the correct button had not yet been identified.