ALARM BARS

  GENERAL DESCRIPTIONS OF ALARM BARS

- Alarm bars hang so that when struck they produce a loud ringing sound

Another guardsman stopped ringing the alarm bar. It hung from a projection on a pole, the pole fixed upright on the roof of a nearby warehouse. 

Explorers

- Struck with a great hammer or a mallet

Then, at that very instant from atop the frame building housing the office of the wharf master the alarm bar began to ring. I saw a single man on the roof, striking it with a great hammer. It rang again, and again. 

Guardsman

The alarm bar, struck by its great hammer, began to ring madly. 

Tribesman

I seized the mallet of an alarm bar which hung in the hail, and began to pound it madly. It served to drown out the noise. 

Beasts

LOCATIONS OF ALARM BARS

- Mounted on a pole on the roof of a warehouse (this in Port Kar)

Another guardsman stopped ringing the alarm bar. It hung from a projection on a pole, the pole fixed upright on the roof of a nearby warehouse. 

Explorers

- Mounted on the roof of the office of the wharf master (this in Victoria)

Then, at that very instant from atop the frame building housing the office of the wharf master the alarm bar began to ring. I saw a single man on the roof, striking it with a great hammer. It rang again, and again. 

Guardsman

- Bars ringing from wharves and from interior of the city (pretty much all over, this scene in Schendi)

I had then, wrapped in the discarded aba of Kunguni, made my way through the streets to the Cove of Schendi. Outside, from the wharves and from the interior of the city, I could hear the ringing of alarm bars.

Explorers

- Alarm bars located (and ringing) in various parts of the city (this in Brundisium)

I could still hear the shouting in the distance. Too, from outside the palace, from the prison area, and from various parts of the city, I could hear the ringing of alarm bars. 

Players

- Inside great houses (vast holdings), several alarm bars available to announce trouble to the hundreds of men living there

 

I seized the mallet of an alarm bar which hung in the hall, and began to pound it madly. It served to drown out the noise. Men's feet began to pound in the halls; I heard the clank of weapons. I hurried down the hall and struck another alarm bar.

A guardsman appeared. "There!" I cried. "In the great hall! Hurry!"

Beasts

- Inside insulae for announcing emergencies or fire

Many folks who lived regularly in insulae had had the experience of hastily departing from their building in the middle of the night. There was also the danger that such fires could spread. Sometimes entire blocks, and even districts, are wiped out by such fires.

(....)

"This," I said, indicating a cord and bar to one side, "is undoubtedly the alarm bar, to be rung in the case of emergency or fire."

"Yes?" said the voice from the pool of light.

"I am pleased to see it," I said. "This will quite possibly save me burning down the building."

Magicians

PURPOSES OF ALARM BARS

- To announce that pirates at the docks are looting

I saw several of the pirates with bottles of paga, swilling from them, as they strutted about, sometimes pausing to cut into a bale of goods or overturn a barrel kicking it open, permitting its contents to run out over the boards. The alarm bar continued to ring futilely. The pirates made no effort to stop the desperate fellow who meaninglessly continued to strike it.

Rogue

- To warn of plague

Outside, from the wharves and from the interior of the city, I could hear the ringing of alarm bars. "Plague!" men were crying in the streets.

"Are you not ill, Master?" asked Sasi.

"I do not think so," I said. 

Explorers

- To announce the work slaves escaping

"He will give the alarm," said the chief guard. "You are finished. Return to me my weapons and place yourselves again in chains. I will petition that your lives be spared."

"Well, Lads," said I, "let us now to work with a good heart. I do not think we will have a great deal of time to spare."

With a will, then, they set themselves to the opening of the wall.

"You are insane!" said the chief guard. "You will all be trampled."

(...)

We could hear the alarm bar ringing now. Its sound carried clearly in the clear, cold air north of Torvaldsland.

Beasts

- To announce the escape of prisoners

Men ran here and there. The fire of white smoke had been lit near the shield pole, though it was not yet noon. I heard an alarm bar ringing. On the height of the shield pole there was hoisted a scarlet disk.

"Come," said Strabo, making his way through the crowds, holding my arm.

"Escape!" I heard.

"They have escaped!" cried a man.

"They have escaped!" cried another man.

Slave Girl

- To announce the kasbah being swarmed by riders

Riders streamed toward the kasbah. I saw the white burnoose of Hassan, swelling behind him, in their lead.

In a moment someone on the walls had seen the riders. There were shouts. The alarm bar, struck by its great hammer, began to ring madly.

Tribesmen

- To announce a fire

Some men ran past us now, towards the east, toward the light. We could hear more than one alarm bar now.

"Surely the curfew is still in effect," said Marcus.

"It will be hard to enforce now," I said.

"What is going on?" I called to a fellow hurrying past us, carrying a lantern.

"Have you not heard?" he asked. "It is the house of records. It is afire!"

Magicians

- To announce victory

The alarm bar was ringing in Victoria, but now in token of victory. There were crowds upon the concourse. Garlanded, white-clad maidens could be seen. At the front edge of the concourse, near the wharves, pirates, in rows, stripped and bound, lay on their bellies. Maidens cast flowers upon them, and some of these maidens, from their own heads, placed garlands upon the brows of the victors. 

Guardsman