Book One – Chapter 4

Anyone attempting to ascend the narrow space between the walls needed to be of Tairan-like or slim humanoid build, effectively deterring most races and adventurers bulkier in physique. Others were left with no choice but to shed their armour or weaponry to avoid breaking the fragile ladder under their weight — unless they dared to climb the lighthouse from the outside to then force their way in from the beacon. This tactic was a deliberate strategy aimed at further challenging and impeding any potential intruders. Yves had intentionally sabotaged and weakened the ladder, having removed or tampered with several crossbars for precisely this purpose. These measures might appear insignificant and even rudimentary, given that intruders must already possess the skills to navigate to the coast and decipher the elaborate magical disguises. However, if there was one thing that Yves had taken from his own experiences as a treasure hunter, it was that things should never, suddenly, feel too easy.

Those who proceeded without getting stuck or breaking their necks would reach an intermediate floor situated just beneath the lighthouse’s beacon. They would not be able to ascend further, since too many ropes, pulleys and mechanical chains obstructed the climb to the top. They would also not be able to access the actual floor. Inaccessible by any other means than from below — not counting the obvious Berserker move of breaking through the wall —, this floor featured a narrow walkway between the inner and outer wall. You couldn’t go completely around the tower in this secret passage, but you could take several steps to the left or right from the ladder before the walkway thinned out and the inner and outer walls merged. After all, it was not a deliberately designed hiding place, but just space for the mechanics.