Ard, Irwin, and Lesnar stepped forward to check on Elmer and Grethia, while Irina stood guard behind the now-closed door after Ard pulled Exgrandal from the keyhole and put it away. They observed the state of the machinery: the upright sarcophagus-shaped tubes with transparent covers, and the sturdy cables connected from the machine to the tubes. Irwin stood in front of a stone box-shaped machine that looked like a console, featuring only three buttons—red, blue, and green—along with a frame on top that seemed designed to hold something and an antenna. He turned to look at Ard.
"Hey, Ard, how do we free them, and what does this thing do?" Irwin asked.
"How should I know? This is the first time I've ever seen a machine like this," Ard replied.
"This... is actually a device used to preserve corpses if someone dies before a week-long ceremony can be completed; then they are buried along with their sarcophagus," said Lesnar, who recognized the device.
