Durgan packs, loading all his sleeping gear onto his horse tied up outside the gate. No need to weigh himself down. Sessativa leaves her pack just inside the gate, taking one day's rations just in case. He prays (Swapping Hold Person for Slow Poison and Remove Fear for Detect Magic) and she reads up on her spells (Preparing Identify instead of Armor). Durgan also hands her the Rod of Magic Missiles.
"To the towers then," says Sessativa as she follows Zork and Durgan is at the rear.
Out of Character: Zork first analyzes if there is a way to get his horse in the courtyard before he leaves. If not he will not keep him tied in case he needs to fight. He will also keep one of his dogs with him as a guard.
The rest of dogs take the lead and we go for the tower.
In Character: "Yes, lets get the dogs to first take the lead to see what they might find."
During the day the courtyard and the area inside the walls is pretty open area of unattended grass. It has small trees and bushes growing in parts of the courtyard now. The grass is about knee to waist high. You are able to make it around to the door leading into the main keep. The door is locked, it is solid wood that is iron bound in a form of a Z. The lock is solid iron with a key hole.
Out of Character: What was the result of Zork's analysis?
In Character: Zork looks at the door and then at Durgan and his companion. "There aren't enough of us to ram it and the horse is no aide if he cannot come in here. We could try to burn it down but we will need to make it very hot."
Zork makes a search of the immediate area to see if can find a key stashed somewhere.
It will take a few days work and the aid of a winch and rope to get the gate moved so that it can be opened enough for the horse to get through. IT may take some workers that know what they are doing too. You can always try to ram it until it falls the rest of the way off the other hinge but that could take a few days too. IF you can rig up a ram to do it.
Roll a couple d6s to see if you find anything in your searching.
Zork dreads leaving his horse but knowing that he is trained and has the aide of the dog will help should anyone try anything.
Zork brings the attention of the trap door to the others.
"Strange my dogs didn't alert me to this, surely they would have smelt it?"
Zork uses a stick like an extended hand to pull the trap door open while ducking to make sure it doesn't expose himself to any trap.
As soon as it is open he will send a couple of dogs to sniff around it and see if they hear anything.