::Glances back and forth between Mirae and Ghalin, delighted at listening to Mirae's story. "It must be great to be so.. talented in the wilds.. I fear I start at every growl and funny noise myself, too much of a soft city girl I think." Watches Mirea, her face softening a bit as she picks up a little unease on the young womans face, but attributes that to her growing dislike for being trapped underground.

Jaynna glances over at Ghalin, and then to Bulwark who still busies himself with some odd machinery.. "I am hoping that if he gets that other forged working, maybe it will know a way of getting this thing" looks up at the tunnel and lift, "working, and if not.. then Bulwark might be able to puzzle things out with the sentiant docent he just introduced us to."

Frowns as she watches Hope pad over to another corner, his nose sniffing away, lifting his head and sneezing every once in a while when he gets a nosefull of dust.::

((2 days short of a month. I think I'm at liberty, here, to say I can post. . .))

Bulwark continued to fiddle with the machine for a moment more, before giving up. "I do not understand the instructions. . ." he said aloud, not towards anyone. He reached out and poked the tiny, inert Warforged, but shook his head when it didn't respond.

He turned around, looking to see what had changed in the room since he had begun working. Seeing a group together, he nodded. "Have we found an exit? Or does it still appear to be without one? I would like to get my comrade here working," he said, motioning to the inert Warforged, "but even with instructions, I do not understand how the machine works. . ."

He took a few steps towards the group, his gait returning to the slow and heavy thuds he was used to. He glanced back once at the small Warforged, shook his head again, and turned back to the others.

Mirae can't help grinning at Jaynna's comments. "You soon learn to tell the difference between what is a normal forest sound and what does not belong there... if you did not, then you would either spend your time rooted to the spot in fear or your life would be cut short by some creature you did not realise was a threat!"

Hoping she hasn't put the girl off of ever venturing into a forest, Mirae smiles brightly as Denni scrambles into her lap. "It is not as bad as it sounds... most creatures of the woods are frightened of people and would not come near them. The deeper forest has its own dangers, but stealth and the displacer beasts that accompany my band help to keep us safe..." She trails off, a distant look on her face as she strokes her companion and thinks about the friends she left behind.

Bulwark unhooked his sword arm, sheathing in into its sheathe and replacing the empty socket with his normal forearm and hand. After hearing the satisfying sound that said it had been connected, he looked around at the group, and then his eyes fell on the lift. He pondered something for a moment, then looked to the others again.

"If we are not in a rush. . . May I pose a suggestion?" he said, inclining his head. "I do not know exactly how much time it has been, given we are underground, but perhaps a rest would be welcomed? At least to allow yourselves time to eat. Perhaps to discuss ideas on how to leave this place, or just. . . "Idle chatter", I believe it is called. . .?"

::Jaynna cocks her head at that unusual word 'displacer beast' but stays silent, til Mirae is done.

As Burlwark replaces his arm, she watches with wide eyed interest, and nods at this words. "Tis good to take a break every now and then, though we should not tarry too long. Many of our company would love to see the sky again. " Glances over with a slight smile at Mirae, "But I guess until we find another route or figure out how to get this lift working, that is beyond our current choices."

Places her bulging bag on the ground, placing the larger bag and the new wands against the wall to the right of the entrance to the lift. Opening up her bag she starts taking out the loaves of bread she wrapped with cloth, the sausages and other food items that she had managed to take from the baskets, plus a small clay jar of blueberry preserves that bore the House Jorasco stamp on its side. Placing beside the jar a small wooden stick with a flat end, to use as a spreader she glances at the spread and shrugs, "Its good enough I guess.."::

Ghalin walks over and lays down the pot of stew. "Well, I'm a glad I brought this. Not to sure how it'll be cool, but it better than nothin'. I could always start a fire if yeh want... not that cool in here but yeh never know." Ghalin spoons himself a bowl of cool stew and sits with it between him and the halfling. "So metal man.... I was thinkin' yeh might wanna go ask yer talkin' head about having the elevators lowered. The girls say they found one, an they seem to not like it her'"

"Not like it here. . .?" He glanced at Mirae and Jaynna curiously. He almost asked why they would not be comfortable in a forge, until he realized he wasn't exactly at the same level with them, being Warforged and all. Bulwark nodded after a moment, and turned back to Ghalin. "I will see what I can do. . ."

Bulwark traveled back to the face that had de-activated the traps, staring at it for a moment. He saluted again, and his voice rose to the thunderous level it had when he first addressed it. ((The others can hear it, I assume.)) "Designation A001-017. Delta. Red. Lower elevators. . ." ((And since the GM isn't here, um. . .))

Bulwark paused for a moment. "Lower elevators. . . Please?" The thunderous voice had started to wane, as if the lack of response this time worried him. He returned to the group after a few seconds, with his head bowed. "I am sorry, Sir Ghalin. There was no response. . . Perhaps it just takes time to register that request?" Bulwark added with a hint of hope, looking to Mirae and Jaynna as if that add-on would comfort them. "I will try again in time. . . Or force the elevators down myself, if need be. . ."

::Digs in her bag for her collapsable bowl, and uses it to dip a little of the stew out for Hope.. flattens the bottom and places it on the ground for the dog, as she takes the small bowl she had picked up at the camp site and servers herself. Breaking a piece of the bread off, she uses it as a scoop to eat the cold stew, suprised it tastes almost as good cold. Glancing over to Bulwark she smiles shyly, "Some folks have a.. innate dislike of closed in spaces. My father said it had something to do with a childhood fear or just that they never had to deal with such confined areas. I .. well.. I have never spent much time underground, so its a bit.. uncomfortable. But I think all of us would like to be on our path. The more we tary here after searching the place out, the more the girl is in danger, the colder her trail gets." She sweeps her remaining bit of bread around the bowls interior to clean up the last of the stew.

Glancing to the others, she smiles and opens the small pot of jam. Taking another piece of bread, she covers one side with a thin coating of the deep purple preserve and bites into it.. her eyes sparkling.::

Gerbill comes to join the others. He listens to the others while deep in his own thoughts.

When Ghalin bring out the bowl and mentions it being cold he replies "Why can't we warm it up? I mean we're in a forge right? I'm sure there is some way to make fire. The trick will be to keep it from melting the pot."

Gerbill runs over to one of the cold forges and looks for something combustible.

Dragging her thoughts back from wherever they'd wandered off to, Mirae inhales the scent of food and her stomach rumbles loudly. Ducking her head with an embarrassed expression, she wonders how many hours it's been since she had breakfast at her own small camp - all this moving between planes really messed up her sense of time, and not being able to see outside means she has no idea what time of day it might be wherever they are now.

Offering Denni more strips of dried meat from her pouch, she then reaches for a piece of bread and sniffs at it appreciatively. "It has been so long since I had fresh bread..." she murmurs, eating the slice plain and obviously enjoying it. Looking uncomfortable at Jaynna's talk of enclosed spaces, she nods at the girl. "I would like to be on our way, yes... the sooner the better."

Glancing across at Gerbill, she pats her pouch and smiles slightly. "I have flint and steel, if you find anything to burn."

Taking another piece of bread, this time spreading it with some of the delicious-smelling preserve, she lapses into silence as she slowly savours the food.

::Smiles to encourage the others to help themselves to the preserves. 'They wont last long, but its something sweet and different from the stew, something to remind us of other places than here." Her eyes sparkle as she finishes her own bread and jam, licking her fingers. "Until we figure out how to get out.. might as well keep up our strength."::

After finishing her food in distant-eyed silence, something seems to occur to Mirae. She turns to Jaynna with a look of curiosity in her deep brown eyes, and speaks very softly to the halfling in the hope that only she might hear.

"Jaynna? You are a healer, are you not? Please tell me, what do you know of bringing people back from the dead?" Her hand strays unconsciously to the familiar comfort of her wooden beads as she waits for Jaynna's response.

::Thinks for a bit.. finishing off her bread and making sure Hope is finished with his meal. Then smiles.. "Right now I cannot do it, its mostly the purvay of the clerics and spiritual houses, but I have been told.. if my healing gift is strong enough, sometimes the ether will work through me to allow my talents to rekindle sparks that are not completly extinguished. Tis the best way I could describe those of us with the ability to trancend the veil." Jaynna's eyes sparkle, her words almost wistful.

"Why, is this important?"::

((Ok, so Im a little ahead of schedule. This way I can get anything straightened out and have my "move forward" post ready for Sunday or thereabouts. Rather than change what you guys have already written, Im going to take a few liberties here and move on with the story. Since nothing that you have done really needs adjustment anyway. We'll take a moment to get everyone up to the same point and then move on from there. If I miss something in the next little bit, please let me know and Ill add whatever I need to. Anyhow.... here we go....))

Mirae: Sorno listens intently to your request and then nods vigorously. Before he goes he implores you and the others to leave the area directly under the lift in the event that something that he does causes it to come plumeting to the Forge floor. He also suggests that you close the door to a crack just big enough for him to sqeeze back through. He summons up another of his glowing spheres and zips back up the shaft. After some time both he and his light vanish past the obstuction that is the lift.

Gerbil: You can easily find enough wood to make a nicely roaring fire in an open space of the Forge floor. It takes a big of smashing the old bookshelves. It doesnt take long before the room begins to feel a touch warmer and the stew is once again bubbling hot. It would also seem that the pot is none the worse for wear.

Jaynna: You arent sure about what the wands do, but they dont have the usual marks on them that would identify them as being arcane wands. With that in mind they should likely go to Rima, the arcane caster in the party for consideration. The wands in the healer kit are something that you will be able to decipher given enough time to study them to determine the effects that are contained within and the trigger words that will make them activate.

Rima: When/if the wands get passed to you, you can see that they are something that you would be able to use given enough time to study them to determine the spells that are contained within as well as the tigger words that will make them activate

Bulwark: At your attempt to command the lift throught the security mouth you can almost feel Serai rolling her eyes at you. "This station is programmed to respond to only very specific commands, so long as there isnt someone actually monitoring it. If you want the lift reactivated there should be controls for that back in the Forge area. As for the one you were trying to reactivate, why dont you let me work on that one. The sequences for the animation process can be quite tricky and some of them are timed as well."

((Command word for the arcane wands.. Tiggers are wonderful things.. jk..woot. GM is back.. yippie))

::Seperates the wands back into the way they were found, confident she will be able to eventually figure out the Healing sphere ones, and walks over Rima, brightly handing her the 'other' wands. "Not sure what these are, but its evident they must lean more towards the arcane than my pervue." Her smile bright and shining, the halfling cuteness working with her inbread bedside manner to try to bring a bit more of the quiet Rima to the forfront. "I am sure with your knowledge you will figure these out in no time. Thank you."

Looks back to Sorno and repeats some of her words, expecially the thank you in halfling and common, and proceeds to move herself well away from the lift shaft and makes sure Hope is clear as well.::