Tower Climbing

In this minigame your reflection attempts to climb a 20-story tower as a skeleton hurls rocks down from above.

You're just getting started, but it looks like a pretty tiring endeavor.

Map

The map is randomized per player but will be consistent until you reset. It is always twenty stories high and four columns wide.
There may be other consistent features (# of spurs per column?) but data has not been collected.

Mechanics

Based on best guesses from limited data, there seems to be no difference between a score of 28(36) and 77(147) when determining "burning a little" fatigue value. More data is needed for Strength scores under 28(36); the following chart does not take them into account at all.

Hidden fatigue value	Arms message	Effects	Reward for reaching the top (1st time/day only)
<26	Your reflection's arms seem to be holding out for now.	Objects will not knock you off the tower unless they reduce you to 0 hp.	Your reflection crests the top of the tower and confronts the skeleton. The brittle old bones are no match for you, though, as your reflection hurls the skeleton from the tower. Its shape diminishes, vanishing between the mirror's cracks, before it hits the ground. The force of the impact shakes the mirror, knocking loose a torrent of shards. Ummmm… oops? You found: 3 empty shards You found ?-5-? of: reflected fish, reflected mushroom, reflected strand You've earned 5 XP in Strength Might unlock AROTPBY? Specific data (in order displayed): * 1 mushroom, 2 fish, 2 strands * 3 strands, 2 mushroom
26 — (buffed Str)	Your arms are starting to burn a little. Pretending to climb is apparently a better workout then you thought.	Unless you "Hold tight", objects will sometimes knock you 1 level down the tower. data collection: straight on rock 5, 9 damage, both 1 level straight on stone 13 damage, 1 level straight on masonry, 19 damage, 1 level	Your reflection crests the top of the tower and confronts the skeleton, battling it to more or less a draw… even with your muscles burning with fatigue, you're still a match for brittle bones. When you reach out to throttle it, your clenched fingers brush against the mirror, knocking several pieces loose. AHHHH! In your moment of distraction, the skeleton forces your reflection back to the safety of the ground. You found: 2 empty shards You've earned 5 XP in Strength
(buffed Str+1) — (buffed Str+25ish)	Your arms burn in sympathy with your reflection. You can feel its grip loosening and that entire physical trill of panic.	?	Your reflection crests the top of the tower and confronts the skeleton, battling it to more or less a draw… even with your muscles burning with fatigue, you're still a match for brittle bones. When you reach out to throttle it, your clenched fingers brush against the mirror, knocking several pieces loose. AHHHH! In your moment of distraction, the skeleton forces your reflection back to the safety of the ground. You found: 2 empty shards You've earned 5 XP in Strength
(buffed Str+25ish) — infinite?	Your arms burn in sympathy with your reflection. You're surprised it can even hold on, let alone move.	"Leap left" and "Dive right" only move one space Objects will always knock you completely off the tower	needs text

(I got up to at least buffed Strength + 125 fatigue with no further change)

• "Crawl left", "hold tight", "climb up", & "scramble right" = 1 fatigue
• "Hold tight" in wind = 1 fatigue
• "Leap left" & "Dive right" = 3 fatigue? needs more data
• "Crawl left" & "Scramble right" in wind (regardless of direction relative to wind) = 3 fatigue OR 5 fatigue unclear why two values have been observed
• "Climb up" in wind = 11 fatigue
• Getting hit by an object = (damage taken) fatigue sometimes, other times considerably less but it's unclear why
• Trying to move into a rocky spur = ≥4? fatigue number very tentative, needs more data

You progress in the tower by choosing various climbing-related options. Note that you can always determine which column you are on based on which options are available. You begin at the base of a random column.

click to view movement messages

Leap left (not available on the two leftmost columns)

You hurl yourself to the side, sending your reflection to grab the furthest handhold it can reach.

Moves you two columns to the left.

Your hurl yourself to the side, sending your reflection a fair distance, only to be stopped by a rocky outcropping.

Moves you one column to the left, because there is a rocky spur two columns to your left.

(needs text for leaping through left-going wind)

You were in a left-blowing wind or passed through a gust of left-blowing wind. Failure.

Your muscles are burning with fatigue, but you manage a half-hearted leap to the side. Your reflection mirrors it, but doesn't make a lot of progress.

You are "surprised it can even hold on" and so tired you only moved one space left.
Crawl left (not available on the leftmost column)

You mime moving hand-over-hand with your reflection carefully following along.

Moves you one column to the left.

You mime moving hand-over-hand with your reflection carefully following along. The wind looks like it's going to rip your reflection from the tower, but it does okay.

You were in a wind blowing left. Moves you one column to the left.

You mime moving hand-over-hand, but your reflection doesn't make much progress in this wind.

You were in a wind blowing right. You remain in place.

You mime moving hand-over-hand, but your reflection just keeps bumping into the rocky outcropping next to it.

You tried to move into a square occupied by a rocky spur. You remain in place
Hold tight

You tighten your grip, bracing yourself in the middle of your living room. Your reflection copies the motion, clinging against the tower.

Stay in place.

(and, if you were hit by an object square on) Your reflection's tight grip serves it well, though, saving itself from falling clear off the tower.)//

Prevents you from getting knocked off the tower by an object.

You tighten your grip, bracing yourself in the middle of your living room. Your reflection copies the motion, looking rather more hardcore on a windswept tower.

Stay in place, during a gust of wind. (Although sometimes you just get the above message even in wind.)

(and, if you are "surprised it can even hold on") The blow knocks your reflection from its perch and sends it plummeting towards the ground.

Fall.
Climb up

You carefully make your way through a strange dance in front of the mirror, sending your reflection further up the tower.

Moves you one story up.

You carefully make your way through a strange dance in front of the mirror, trying to get your reflection further up the tower, but it can't find any purchase on the rainswept rocks.

You were in a gust of wind. Stay in place.
Scramble right (not available on the rightmost column)

You reach over, carefully matching up your hand with your reflection's handholds and sending it steadily to the right.

Moves you one column to the right.

You reach over, carefully matching up your hand with your reflection's handholds and sending it steadily to the right. The wind rips around it, forcing you to pause and hold on several times, but you eventually make some progress.

You were in a right-blowing wind. Moves you one column to the right.

(needs text for left-blowing wind)

You were in a left-blowing wind. Stay in place.
Dive right (not available on the two rightmost columns)

(needs success text)

Moves you two columns to the right.

You barrel across the room. Your reflection mirrors the action, only to be stopped by a rocky outcropping.

Moves you one column to the right, because a rocky spur was two columns to your right.

(needs text for right-blowing wind)

You were in a right-blowing wind or passed through a gust of right-blowing wind. Failure.

Your muscles are burning with fatigue, but you manage a hop to the right. Your reflection mirrors it, but doesn't make a lot of progress.

You were "surprised it can even hold on" and so tired you only moved one space to the right.
Let go

You mime letting go, sending your reflection tumbling off the vines.

Each round, the skeleton does something, and you may look at falling rocks above you to see where they are. You will not get these messages if a rocky spur is obscuring your vision.
The skeleton can throw various object from rocks to boulders. The longer you spend on the tower, the larger the object he is likely to throw. (Although he can still throw rocks at any point, boulders don't tend to show up until after quite a few actions.) Melee defense does NOT reduce damage taken from objects.

• "Rocks" (also called "sharp rocks" or "fist-sized rocks") are small enough to ricochet off rocky spurs directly in their path, moving them one column to the right or left (at random?). When they hit they do some damage and may slide you down the tower or off completely (if your arms are too tired or you run out of hp).
• "Chunks of masonry" (also called "crumbling chunks of masonry" and "chunks of the tower") and "large stones" (also called "stones") seem to behave the same way; they likely deal more damage and are better at knocking you off. Fall rate has not been compared.
• Boulders are more dangerous, as they smash straight through rocky spurs (although this does not destroy the spur) and still deal damage if you are one column to the right or left of them as they pass.

click for falling object text

The skeleton peers over the edge at your reflection's progress.

The skeleton peers down at your reflection, then picks up two rocks and weighs them comparatively in its bony hands.

The skeleton pounds its bony fists at the top of the tower in what looks like frustration, then disappears behind the edge.

The skeleton disappears behind the edge of the tower, presumably looking for more things to hurl down at your reflection.

Signifies nothing, except perhaps that the progressively frustrated skeleton is preparing to hurl successively larger objects.

The skeleton picks up a sharp rock and hurls it down at your reflection.

The skeleton hauls a large stone to the edge of the roof and hurls it down at your reflection.

The skeleton kicks the loose stones at the top of the tower several times, eventually dislodging a chunk of the tower above your reflection.

These send an object falling directly above you.

The skeleton rolls a massive boulder to the edge of the tower and pushes it over the edge towards your reflection. That's just unfair.

This sends a boulder falling centered directly above you.

The <object> hits a rock spur and ricochets off to the <right/left>.

The object has hit a rocky spur in its column and changed direction.
Note that if the object can hit multiple spurs in the time it takes you to climb one story.

There's <an object> far above your reflection.

The object is ?-20 stories above you (in any column?).

There's <an object> a ways above your reflection.

The object is ?-? stories above you (in any column?).

There's <an object> on a collision course with your reflection's head.

The object is ?-? stories directly above you.

There's <an object> close to your reflection's <right/left>.

The object is one column to the side and ?-? stories higher than you.

The object is two columns to one side and ?-? stories higher than you.

There's <an object> set to fall past your reflection, close enough to touch, on the <right/left>.

The object is directly to one side, and on the same level as you? NOTE: moving toward it after seeing this message will cause you to be struck.

There's <an object> set to safely pass your reflection on the <right/left>.

The object is two columns to one side and on the same level as you?

The <object> streaks past your reflection on its way towards the ground.

The object has fallen safely past you.

The <object> strikes a rocky spur at the last moment, bouncing <right/left> and past you towards the ground below.

The object in an adjacent column fell past you, hit a rocky spur, and bounced into or through your column but missed you?

The <object> strikes a rocky spur at the last moment, bouncing straight into you for <x> damage.

Observed damage:
rock: 9
stone: 12

The <object> strikes a rocky spur as it passes your reflection, showering it with debris for <x> damage.

The object hit a rocky spur adjacent to you.
Observed damage:
chunk of masonry: 10

The <object> hits you square on for <x> damage.

The object has hit you. See arm fatigue for additional effects.
Observed damage range:
rock: 2-6
stone: 8-20
chunk of masonry: 16-23
boulder: 25-34
It may also knock you down:

The blow sends your reflection sliding down the tower, but it somehow catches a handhold.

Moves you ? stories down the tower. (observed with arms "burning a little". I had been hit already by two or three objects, in case that matters.)

(needs text for boulder crashing through a rocky spur)

A boulder has passed a rocky spur without changing direction.

There's a huge boulder set to clip your reflection's <left/right> flank.

The boulder is 1-? stories above you and centered one column to the side.

The huge boulder strikes your reflection a glancing blow. Unfortunately, a glancing blow from a rock that large still deals <?-7-15-?> damage.

You were hit by a boulder centered one column to the side of where you are.
Depending on arm strength one of the below will be added to the above message:

Your reflection's tight grip serves it well, though, saving itself from falling clear off the tower.

Stay in place. (observed with arms "holding up")

The blow sends your reflection sliding down the tower, but it somehow catches a handhold.

Moves you ? stories down the tower. (observed with arms "burning a little")

The blow knocks your reflection from its perch and sends it plummeting towards the ground.

Failure.

Wind provides another danger on the tower, preventing your progress or causing you to misjudge your leaps.

The rain is whipping to the right, tugging at your reflection.

or

The rain is slanting visibly to the left, lashing against your reflection.

Wind (always?) makes you fail at climbing up or climbing in the opposite direction as the wind. You can still "crawl" or "scramble" in the direction of the wind, but it wears out your arms more than usual. If you "leap" or "dive" through a patch of wind (going the same direction, or any?), you will be blown off the tower and fall.

You can also see nearby rocky spurs (or "rocky outcroppings"), to help you predict the falling path of objects (besides boulders). Spurs will also stop your progress.

+ show block

You can pick out a rocky spur a few stories up the tower from your reflection.

The spur is ?-? stories directly above you.

There's a spur of rock right above your reflection, interfering with your view of the tower.

The spur is 1? story above you. You can still see what the skeleton is doing, but messages about falling objects will be hidden as long as you remain under the spur.

You can pick out a rocky spur up from your reflection and to the <right/left>.

The spur is one column to the side and 1-? stories above you.

<falling object text> and a rocky spur just to its <right/left>.

(replace with just-spur text if seen).
The spur is one column to the side and on the same level.

Other text

You can test your progress by closing the page and returning to it:

summary of where you are

Level 1:

Your reflection is at the base of a rainswept tower, preparing to climb its way up a series of vines. You somehow doubt the skeletal figure looking down from the tower's roof will let the task even be that easy.

Level 2-5:

Your reflection is a ways from the ground, clinging to dying vines on the walls of a rainswept tower.

Level 6-10:

Your reflection is making its way up dying vines, scaling the wall of a rainswept tower.

Level 11-15:

Your reflection is clinging to withered vines, halfway up a rainswept tower.

Level 16-19:

Your reflection is desperately clinging to scant vines, far up a rainswept tower.

Success after the first time each day:

Your reflection crests the top of the tower and confronts the skeleton, battling it to more or less a draw… even with your muscles burning with fatigue, you're still a match for brittle bones.

Alas, though, it does not know fatigue or fear and your reflection is eventually forced back to the safety of the ground.

You've earned 5 XP in Strength

failure text

If you run out of hp you'll see:

Your world swims and you can faintly make out your reflection falling.

followed by the falling text.

You can also fall if an object knocks you off the tower completely, which occurs more easily if you are tired.

In the following chart "height 1" is your position at the start of the encounter before actions are taken, and each "climb up" action increases your height by 1. Melee defense does not reduce the damage taken.

Height fallen from	Falling message	The shock rocks back through your body, dealing <observed> damage.	You've earned: (diminishes the more you climb in one day; can diminish to 0 unless that's only the buggy level-0-and-below situation)
≤1	Your reflection falls a short distance into a painful-looking heap of stones.	3-13	2 XP Strength
2	"	4-16	2 XP Strength
3	"	6-22
4	"	8-21
5	"	10-24
6	Your reflection falls several stories, landing in a painful-looking heap of stones.	12-26
7	"	31 (one datum)
8	"	20 (one datum)
9	"	36 (one datum)
11	Your reflection falls easily half the height of the tower, arcing down to land among the skeleton's rocks.	37 (one datum)	3 XP Strength
(high up)	Your reflection actually spends a while falling to the ground. You take a moment to consider that it's following the same arc as the skeleton's stones before it hits the ground.

(all damage values tested at least 10 times unless otherwise marked)

If you take more than 10 damage, the message changes to the following:

The shock rocks back through your bones, dealing X bone-splintering damage.

You've gained <damage taken minus 10> duration of Broken Bone.