Mirae listens to the others whilst waiting for Sorno to revive, and glances up at Val'murss' comment. <Do not wander? Then how do we leave this place?> she thinks to herself, returning her attention to her tiny friend. Death and horror ahead or not, they can't stay in this hallway for ever or there will certainly be death here. She can provide water for everyone, but not food in a place where she can't hunt...

Her musings are interrupted by Sorno's reactions and she turns her head to try and look at him, putting a hand to her shoulder to steady him if he needs it. (In Sylvan) "I know, my friend... I know... too enclosed. I will get you out of here as soon as I can, I promise." Momentarily startled by Bulwark's tone, she looks over at the door and then back to Sorno. "See, Bulwark is trying to get us through the door. It will be all right," she adds, hoping that it will and wondering how long Sorno can stand being underground.

After several moments the speaking stone repeats, "Designation..... ..... Alpha...... zero...... zero..... one....... zero...... one...... seven..... clearance...... ....... delta...... red....... ....... confirmed. Instructions please?"

From behind Bulwark Gerbill whispers "Tell it to open the door and deactivate the security measures..."

Bulwark nodded at Gerbill. "I am trying, Sir Grrbill. . . However, perhaps I worded it wrong. I can attempt again. I do not know if I have clearance to de-activate the security, however. . ."

Bulwark looked back to the speaking stone. His voice seemed to be handling a few emotions better, as he spoke with a subtle assertive tone this time. "Open door. De-activate security measures. . ." Bulwark paused, wondering if perhaps even that was the wrong way to say it. How much more blunt could he get?

The voice intones, "Deactivating Lightning security. Deactivating sonic security. Releasing door clamps."

The door shudders violently and then with a horrendous shriek begins to roll open. It takes a moment or two but finally the noise stops and the door is mostly open.

Beyond the door you see a moderately well lit hallway leading up to a more normal wooden door about 30 feet farther up.

The voice intones again, "Designation Alpha...... zero...... zero..... one....... zero...... one...... seven..... Welcome to Draven Forge"

::Jaynna stares wide eyed as the voice ticks off the traps guarding the door, and she shivers as the rumbling and grinding starts. She wipes her hands down the front of her tabard and tunic, dusting off anything that may have collected and stands straight. Peering intently down the revealed hallway, feeling a bit more.. comfortable with the more normal looking surroundings, but keeps a watchful eye out for any danger her special skills might recognize.

She looks up to Bulwark, "I guess it just wanted it simple.. huh? What is Draven Forge?" she speaks softly, not wanting to trigger anything accidently.::

Gerbill nods in satisfaction and stands tall. “Well done, Bulwark. Well done.” He pats his new friend on his non-blade arm.

He looks around at his companions. “I was a little concerned that they had put up warning glyphs against using magic to force it. With the security disabled and door open now we have a direction to go.”

Gerbill looks through the doorway and sniffs the air to see if it is dank and undisturbed, like this one.

“I suggest that after we make sure we can exit through that wooden door, that we come back here and re-secure this door. Just in case we are followed by whatever those things were. It may not stop them, but it is worth a shot. That will of course leave us only one way out, but technically that’s all we have at the moment anyway. Onward, my friends. Ever onward.”

"Simple, yes. . ." Bulwark muttered in reply to Jaynna. He didn't even seem to notice Gerbill's hand patting his arm. His eyes had turned to the face of the iron golem to his right. Bulwark stared at it, examining the dust and the golem itself.

He didn't move for a few seconds, but just stared. In his mind, thoughts began to race. Why were they covered in dust? Shouldn't the artificers inside at least take care of their own constructs? Or was this an abandoned forge? But then why did the speaking stone answer? More questions followed that, but Bulwark shook his head as he heard Gerbill talk. "...only one way out, but technically that’s all we have at the moment anyway. Onward, my friends. Ever onward.”

Onward? Into the forge, he meant, of course. "Yes. . ." Bulwark nodded. His eyes glanced over at the other golem, and he took a few steps forward into the archway of the newly opened door. He looked around, making sure the voice really did de-activate the security measures as it said it did. . . Bulwark was curious as to why he had enough clearance to do that -- he'd never tried before, on the other hand. Either way, a path forward was before them. . .

"Shall I lead? Or. . . Would someone else care to? I offer only due to my clearance. But seeing as I have never been to this forge, I do not know my way around well, or even what to expect."

Mirae silently steps up behind the others and peers through the door. "I am glad that someone can read the warnings," she murmurs to Gerbill as she peeks around Bulwark. At the mention of only one way out, she looks thoughtful for a moment and then turns on her heel.

"Denni... stay," she commands her companion, then cautiously walks down the hallway away from the door. Wanting to see if it really is a dead end in the opposite direction, she proceeds down the centre of the hall with care and holds her quarterstaff out in front of her in the hope of setting off any 'security measures' there may be before she reaches them.

:;Jaynna peers around Bulwark, watching Mirae advance into the hallway. Her own senses are not honed to mechanical defenses, or spectral dangers, but she examines the floor, walls and ceiling with a frown. Who knows what posionous spiders or other critters could have made a home in the corners of unswept hallways, what sorts of nasty growing things could have taken up residence in neglected areas.

She marvels at Mirae's courage, and pats her hip, motioning for Hope to stay near her, as she cranes her neck to get a better look. She almost overbalances herself and catches a hold of Bulwark's leg to stop from falling, blushing as she realizes she grabbed him like one would a chair back or sapling.

"Mm.. sorry about that.."::

Praetorious looks around, inspecting the runes, trying to get the thoughts and possibilities out of his head. He wasn't so sure that it was safe to proceed, and was more than happy to have the warforged take the lead, though he wasn't so sure he wanted to go back either.

What they had witnessed was unlike anything he had ever seen. Maybe battles like that were somewhat common during the last war, having to fight Karnathi undead units similar to those, but somehow that felt different then, much more immense. The fact that they had an army like that on a plane of wilderness did not help settle his nerves much.

The place they were at was supposed to have been safe, but it seems that their "benefactors" for lack of a better word were losing control of the situation. This was far more dangerous than he had imagined.

Dres slowly drags himself up. He looks around curiously and promptly vomits. "I'm...I'm not feeling so good. I probably shouldn't have eaten that stew, tasted awful funny." he remarks with a devilish grin.

Dres looks shaken for a moment then feels into his pocket. He gasps.
"Has anyone seen my weasel?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aasel sniffs furiously at all the strange scents and twitches his ears at the sound. Glad to be free of his pocket he begins to wonder where Dres got off to. Not behind him, not around the corner. Suddenly with a pang of guilt he realizes he's lost, and more importantly, the golden treasure horde in Dres's pocket.

Bulwark glanced down as something grabbed his leg, only to see Jaynna catching herself before she fell. He nodded to her. "It is no problem. . . No one was harmed."

He nodded again. He had the clearance to open the door to a forge he had never been to. . . No one asked him to remove his weapon. . . Perhaps he really did have the authority to clear the traps by command. That thought in mind, he walked forward into the hall. Bulwark hesitated a few steps in, and glanced back at the iron golems. He stared for a few seconds, looked around at the group, and nodded.

The warforged carefully walked, slowly, through the hall to the wooden door. Each footstep was slow, as if his full weight all at once would cause the hall to collapse. He glanced around, eventually placing his focus on the door. Wooden, yes. . . And. . . It didn't seemed trap at first glance. But maybe the voice lied. . .? He stopped, a few feet away from the door. His white crystal eyes looked back to the group. "I believe it is safe. . . Though perhaps the door itself is trapped. . ."

Bulwark glanced back at the door, examining it.

((Any detail on the door? Runes? How wide is it (In case Bulwark needs to step through it sideways like he has to with normal house doors.)? And I'm hoping the hallway didn't eat me alive as I walked down it. . . If it did, disregard what Bulwark said at the end of the hall, and tell me what happens. XD))

::Jaynna follows behind Bulwark carefully, staying to the left side of the hallway so that she doesnt intefer with Bulwark's right arms swinging range. She turns and looks behind, hoping the rest are folowing, she would hate to be cut off from half the group. She continues to take an interest in the walls, ceiing and floors..

Hope pads along beside her.. glancing this way and that.. ::


(Constantly on the look out for any fungus, molds or insects, as long as we are in danger areas.. like neglected hallways, rooms and such.)

Rima goes to Dres and offers him assistance in getting up as well as some water, "I'm afraid I haven't, but I'm sure your weasle's around here somewhere." After doing this, she follows Bulwark into the other room, twirling her collapsed staff expertly with her fingers.