Kyne frowns at the talk of undeath. He can think of many dangerous, aquatic monsters, but none that are typically undead. Concerning indeed.

"Understood... Who wants to baby-sit our suicidal friend while we check the basement?"

With the false hunter tied and guarded by Mathilda, the rest of the party goes down the stairs to the closed door. 

When they are about to step down the last three steps Moltaris says. 

"Freeze!" 

They stop when they are and she points to the stone wall to the right at the next step. There is a faint magic glyph inscribed on it. 

Mathilda pulls over a chair and plops herself down on it, twiddling her dagger in her hands. "I tied him up, I'm happy to stay up here and watch over the ropes while you guys investigate whatever is downstairs... if you think I can help in any way, give me a shout!" She gives a shy little smile, happy to be useful to the group. As she watches the man, she glances out the doorway to the lake every now and then. Let's hope we're wrong about something being down there, it looks so peaceful...

"We could just throw this one down the stairs see if he sets something off, he won't mind." Lyreis points at the captive.

"Of course, if any of you can tell what it is going to do that might simplify things somewhat."

The hunter scoffs at Lyreis's words. 

"You don't know what are you talking. I would rather die standing that kneeled like a dog, but I do not have a death wish. A swift and clean death is better than what awaits for you. "

"You have a mouth on you, don't you. Let's see what those runes do shall we?" Lyreis lifts the man up from behind, using the rope to get purchase, after sheathing his scimitar. "Last chance, and I do mean it." He says as he drags the man over towards the top of the stairs.

OOC let me know what rolls you want ;) 

When Kyne hears Molly's warning, he stops immediately. The kalashtar girl might take things a little to seriously at times, but when your cleric tells you to freeze, you freeze.

He exhales slowly as she points out the rune. Almost certainly a trap, probably explosive. He could hit it with a spell. That sometimes set them off...

Then the prisoner starts mouthing off again and the elf's eyes roll back so far in his head he actually decides to turn back and show the fool what a slow and painful death really feels like. Lyreis, who was behind him and closer, gets there first and Kyne grabs the man by the other arm to help. However, he doesn't bother extinguishing the flames cradled in his palm before doing so and instead simply presses them into the captive's exposed skin.

The man, his arms tied at his back, and his ankles tied between them, is dragged by the two elfs towards the stairs. He struggles against his ties and against them, but he only managed to get free of their hold and hit the floor. 

"No wait.. I'll tell you everything.. seriuosly... you can't do this to me... no.. wait!!" 

but the two elves don't pay attention to him and toss him downstairs. 

He falls cursing them and as soon as his body reached the height of the gyplh it explodes into flames that engulfs him and the whole hallway and stairs. 

Kyne stoods there looking too much time and he didn´t jump away in time.

( 24

fire damage. DEX ST vs 17 ) 

When they look back inside, with smoke still pouring out of the wooden parts of the stair, wich is nearly destroyed, they see the body of the hunter, terribly burned and charred at the bottom of the stairs. 

The smell of burned flesh makes them regret their decision. 

Lireys, wich has managed to escape the wors of the blast, but has suffered it, sees with horror that the hunter still breaths! he moves, groaning and moaning at the bottom of the stairs and turn his charred face towards him.

"You.. bastards..." 

Kyne curses as the flames wash over him and instinctively throws up an enchantment to absorb the blast, but it barely takes the edge off. He drops to one knee with a grunt.

"Ugh, Molly? A little help?"

(Kyne casts Absorb Elements as a reaction.)

      Hurosk smirks as the man is tossed down the steps. "Sounds like someone is ready to talk now." 

Slightly burnt, himself Lyreis squats at the top of the staircase while Kyne gets some help, "You cannot say you weren't warned, can you. Whatever you are up to here it isn't good, you don't deserve any more chances. Stay there if all you can do is offer insults, it really doesn't matter to me, I'm just glad I was in your place when that trap went off." Turning back to the others the battlemaster notes its ossible the two on the boat heard that or it signalled them in some way, we should keep watch. But I'm going to see what is down there." He adds looking back down the damaged staircase.

Perception 18 to see if the trap seems to have destroyed itself, the state of the door, and the possibility of getting down there safely. 

The man, really badly wounded, moves in great pain and leans at the wall. 

"You are idiots.. " he says breathing with difficulty " You could have known of our opeartion here, but you don't know against who you are up to. And stop saying that I had chances... you haven't asked me anything you already didn't knew the answer... cough cough " he had to stop and coughs several times, spitting blood. "What is that you want anyway?"

The door is burnt but still stands firm. Lyreis doesn't see any mark or more runes. It seems safe now.

"All right," Kyne spits through his teeth, crouching besides the man.

"How about this? Where's Voren? Where does he make the 'Red Dream'? What's in the lake?"

He chuckles but it quickly turns into a pain groan. 

" Two of your answers are behind this door. In the lake... " he seems confused " I do not know... water? trouts? " he chuckles again " But I know what you mean. I do not know where she dwells, but she will come here... and you will wish not to have messed with her affairs."

Mathilda stood by while the two elves dragged the man off, mouth wide open. Now, she feels she should have done something, said something at least. What have I gotten myself into? She thinks, bewildered. She feels sorry for the man, groaning from pain at the bottom of the stairs. But then she thinks back to his behaviour earlier. He was a drug dealer, and those need to be dealt with. You can't feel sorry for someone that deals in the kind of poison that destroys lives, you know what kind of damage it can do to a family! Mathilda grits her teeth and turns to the others: "Do you want me to keep watch up here or come with you and take a look downstairs?" Silently, she adds: And someone please put that man out of his misery... She is too shy to say it out loud. 

Kyne clicks his fingers to summon a new flame from the glowing embers surrounding the remains of the explosive runes.

"You may think you're uncomfortable now, but trust me I can still make things much much worse. What is she? What manner of creature or monster, mage or abomination?"

He looks to the small flame flickering in Kyne's fingers and looks tired. 

"And here I was. Thinking that we had passed that now." he moves a little bit trying to get more comfortable " I am not sure. She is beatiful, oh Gods, she indeed is. And dangerous. You can tell just with a look in her eyes. She has magic powers, that's for sure. I just know that I've never met something like her before and that she is powerful. And the bussiness was profitable. Until you lot appeared and ruined it all." he coughs a little bit. " A little piece of free advice. "he points to the door " He probably had barred the door from inside. Unless you have a ram with you I suggest you to leave before she comes. That could save you your life..." 

Looking to Hurosk or Lyreis to watch the injured man, Kyne steps up to inspect the door carefully, while he waits for Moltaris to heal him.

Once he is satisfied that it isn't going to hurt him if he touches it, he slowly presses both palms against the wood, closes his eyes and concentrates. Calling upon the raging power that rests within his blood, Kyne pours elemental energy through his arms and out of his palms into the door. He channels waves and waves of fire energy into the material, summoning up every ounce he can muster, willing the timbers to ignite and burst into flame.

(Repeatedly using ignite on the wood of the door every six seconds.)

Quote from stormchaser6 >>

Kyne curses as the flames wash over him and instinctively throws up an enchantment to absorb the blast, but it barely takes the edge off. He drops to one knee with a grunt.

"Ugh, Molly? A little help?"

"You know... you could have done that a little more effectively. Thug-tossing is a pub sport in many towns I've visited." The kalashtar eases forward and touches Kyne's wounds with surprising gentleness, allowing her healing magic to flow into her companion.

"Let's not try any more scorched-elf tactics today, okay?"

The cleric and hunter of monsters stays near Kyne, ready to cast Detect Evil and Good as soon as the door is out of the way.

Kyne smiles back in thanks. It's not his usual cocky smirk, but a warm expression of genuine gratitude.

"Yeah, it wasn't one of best efforts," he laughs, before going to work on the door.

(If it begins to catch.)

"Everybody get behind me and get ready," Kyne calls out as the wood begins to smoulder and give.