Inspection of the Wooden Tier

Advancing along the kitchen counter, I identified a vertical ascent: a tiered wooden spice rack. I prodded the lower shelf edge with my sword's pommel. Rigid oak. It held my weight without creak. Climbing steadily, I reached the second tier between two glass jars. Inside, dried bay leaves and amber peppercorns were sealed behind cork stoppers. On the label of the nearest jar was a printed stamp shaped like a tri-lobed heraldic crown. I grounded my banner staff against the timber plank, surveying the vast kitchen basin below. High ground secured.