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are arranged. Above this, the Living
Level contains quarters of some of
Saruman’s most favoured servants, as
well as Orthanc’s Council Chamber,
now largely unused. Above the Living
Level is the High Level, where lie
Saruman’s own quarters and a maze
of twisting tunnels that lead to
the chamber where the palantír of
Orthanc is secreted. The highest level
within the tower is the Secret Level,
accessible only by the Long Stair, and
known to few within Isengard. The
Secret Level contains Saruman’s private
workshop, library, and treasury.
the ground leVel
The Ground Level of Orthanc
stands below the level of the main
entrance and has no windows. Indeed,
many who enter the tower believe the
main entrance opens upon the lowest
floor and that all below is foundation
of solid rock.
Storerooms
Two storerooms, referred to as the
North Storeroom and East Storeroom
by those who must differentiate, are
the chief chambers of the Ground
Level. A narrow stair descends to the
North Storeroom from the kitchens,
above. Dark and gloomy, the
storerooms typically remain unlit,
and as they have no windows, servants
descending must carry torches or
lanterns. Pillars connect ceiling and
floor at semi-regular intervals, forming
natural divisions for the storage of
various types of items.
The stores kept here are primarily
consumable: wine, beer, ale, and other
liquids in bottles and kegs line the East
Storeroom, while dry stores including
salted meat, flour, grain, dried fruit,
and the like are kept in the North
Storeroom. Although those who serve
Saruman and oversee these stores are
directed to keep careful inventories of
these rooms, their very age means that
many forgotten items lurk within the
storerooms’ stockpiles.
Chamber of Chains
The Chamber of Chains is one of
the great secrets of Orthanc. It stands
at the exact centre of the tower, and
is perfectly circular in shape. A single
door allows access, but from the outside,
the door so perfectly resembles
the unfinished stone of the North
Storeroom, that only its keyhole is visible.
The Key of Orthanc is required to
open this door, but once unlocked, it
swings inward at the slightest touch.
Inside, the smooth, dark walls rise
to meet the domed ceiling at a height
of 20 feet. The walls are pierced in
16 places, and through these holes
run the chains linking the pillars
along the eight paths that run from
the ring-wall to the tower (see ‘The
Paths’ on page 44). Each chain’s end
is wrapped around a great iron wheel
with a crank of black iron that is
fitted with a lock only the Key of
Orthanc will open.
The wheels are arranged so a
single individual may stand in their
midst with the wheels surrounding
him on every side. When the cranks
are unlocked, the chains can be tightened
or loosened at will. If drawn taut
and reeled in further, the chains will
pull the pillars from their foundations
and cause them to crash down on the
paths, blocking approach along those
routes and injuring anyone standing
thereon. Anyone caught on a path
when its pillars are collapsed must
make a TN 10 Swiftness test to avoid
being hit by chain or pillar for 2d6+3
points of damage.
the entry leVel
The Entry Level is the one upon
which the great doors of Orthanc
open, and is one of the most active
levels of the tower.
Foyer of Orthanc
The great doors of Orthanc open
upon this diamond-shaped hall. Its
ceiling rises twenty feet, capped with
graceful arches and a smooth, pol-
2
The Fortress of Iron
the long stair
Not part of any single
level of Orthanc, the Long
Stair is a single passage that
spans them all. A secret
from all but Saruman’s inner
circle of masters, this long
flight is in most places a narrow,
spiralling iron staircase
bolted to the walls of a natural
fissure that runs most of
the height of the south-east
pillar. At other times, however,
it runs (more or less)
straight to follow the fissure
before resuming its spiral.
In some places the stair’s
fixtures are loose, and the
steps sway alarmingly when
trod upon. Because the
stairway does not fill the
irregularly shaped fissure at
many points along its reach,
it would be possible for a
careless traveller to misstep
and fall past several twists
and switchbacks before
either striking jagged rock,
or landing elsewhere on the
iron stair. Those who ascend
quickly must make TN 5
Nimbleness tests, or fall 1d6
x 5 yards, suffering damage
corresponding to the distance
fallen.
The Long Stair penetrates
to Orthanc’s underground
and ends (or so Saruman
believes; see page 55) in
a chamber known as the
Long Stair’s Foot. Within
Orthanc, the Long Stair can
be accessed only from the
library on the Lord’s Level,
and through the twisting corridors
of the Secret Level.
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