The Manor

While trying to decide the best method to bypass or lock upen the trap the topside trio hear muffled shouting from Skeeve. The words are lost but do not sound panicked. When you call back Skeeve gets a similar result. You exchange shouts a bit and by using simple single syllable words you manage to establish communication of sorts. Tapping the floor/ceiling, with Skeeve using telekinesis, is also useful.

Triggering the trap is easily accomplished with the assitance of the weight Blornvid has gathered. Tying the logs to a rope and securing them so that they do not fall in when the trap is triggered you drop them on the floor and it opens. What ensues is a cycle of the trap dropping open then after a couple seconds swinging back up into place, shoving the logs up as the floor swings back into place, only to have the entire process repeat every 6 seconds of so. As this is going on Skeeve gets a good look at how the gate works from below as it turns out to be a set of bars 20' tall that spin like a windmill or water wheel as the trap move to close. the spinning of of the bars 2 arms forces any near the gate back as the bars in the room spin into the room and up into the ceiling and the other half of it moves out into the chute, forcing any that are in the chute into the room.

With the bars sweeping the chute clear every couple of seconds Skeeve tries to set up a barrier to block it but the first wall only slows it for a moment before shattering. Shifting his senses Skeeve analyzes the trap movement, timing, and based on those factors makes another attempt. As soon as the bars have room behind them for him to stand and before they start swinging up with the next trigger he blinks through them to look up and crates another fixed field flush with the bars to hold them in place. When the trap opens up he blinks up to the doorway and is helped out of the building by his companions.

Gathered together once more, not outside the front door you consider your options. The idea to smoke the building out seems very doable. There is a ready amount of dry wood to burn and green wood and leaves for smoke. It may also affect any other pests that have moved in while the house was abandoned.