At the end of it, they'd had to drag Creature up over the side - it'd nearly missed, almost slipped down below. Since then, Litany had been leaned against Creature's hip, clingy in his distress at the near disaster. Oddjob was in the lead again - and pulled up short as his hawk, Lean, suddenly turned back up ahead, landing on the head of Odd's shovel, and chattering in agitation. "... Hm. He doesn't like something up ahead. Let's be careful." Odd intoned, not sounding particular...

They had managed, with time, to pry themselves away from the parted stone without falling into the gaps below. Creature led the four with It's nose, until again they found a corridor, and followed it until a doorway - no, two of them - made an appearance. A gaunt face hung above each door in turn, one frowning, the other caught in a smile. Shield didn't like the look of that. "Right, we'd best edge back and try for another corridor-" "No." Oddjob spoke a touch sharply. "I...

They had passed from the narrowing, uneasy corridor into a wide room. Oddjob broke off from the rest, and padded to the first corner of the room, inspecting for any sort of trap. The room largely seemed empty, aside from a rougher, more easily caught one terrain if one went too fast. None of the usual smooth stonework. Shield wandered to the center of the room, Litany on his heels. "Door's that way- Nothing in here now?" "... Not that I've found yet, associate-" Cr...

The hire, Oddjob is at the front of the procession. If they hadn't suggested it themselves, Shield may have - there was a pressing anxiety at the back of his mind that a puck's rabbit-like appearance might make Creature more inclined to prey on them. He listened, generally speaking, Creature, particularly to Litany, but that didn't smother the faint concern in Shield's head. Litany had wished to explore an odd series of tunnels, and Shield knew better then to think he could talk him ou...

Oddjob picked their way back through the earthen furnace, all on his lonesome. He nimbly slipped into thickets of Fire Briar brambles, and Scorch sting thistle, and his thick coat protected either from scratching at his skin. The thickets were dutifully examined for health, cuttings taken, berries harvested, and the plants bases watered with iron-rich water - flora down in the furnace thrived on such things. For the origin plants, down here, powdered iron mixed with deep well water did...