Makara IC

Steam
Steam gives Ketha a semi-bemused look. "Ketha. C'mon. We slept together. We've bathed together. We got thro...wait no that was Parveth. Still! You can talk to me. And it's not like I'm asking a lot; just wanna know what's going on with my traveling-companion-slash-friend. Where you're coming from, where you're going. What you were doing before the bandits got you. I mean, I've assumed that you aren't doing some kind of convoluted plan where you're already doing stuff for them but still got caught and now you're infiltrating our group as a spy for them but that wouldn't make any sense..." The genasi thinks for a moment, a slow grin and realization dawning on her face, before continuing, "Which would make it the perfect cover! No one would ever guess it! Of course!" She stares at Ketha excitedly for a moment, before her face just kind of falls back to normal as she says, "Nah...nah, that doesn't seem like your style. And even if it was, I'd just be interested in seeing where you were trying to go with that. But! Still want to hear about you! Not getting sidetracked this time...yet."

One of Ketha's hands tightens in annoyance for a moment. "Steam, what I say is truth," Ketha answers in a stern voice. Well, sterner voice than usual. "I was guarding a caravan when we were ambushed. We were not in Kelfas. We were not close to Kelfas. I want nothing to do with this damned city, not before, not now. The sooner we escape the better."

Steam
The genasi looks surprised on hearing that they were attacked not near Kelfas, but nods in agreement with the dragonborn's closing remark. "Yeah, I can agree to that. Well, except for the part about not wanting to come here. Well, not that you didn't want to come, but that you weren't near Kelfas. We came down from Anvil, and didn't see any part of the gandits until we were already inside what's left of the city." She gives it a moment's thought, before shrugging it off with a "Weird."
She glances at the floor in front of her again, before looking back to Ketha and asking, "So where were you going with the caravan, then? Are you gonna try and hook back up with them from whatever choice they made with the gandits?" Steam then visibly restrains herself, wanting to continue asking questions, but remembering that Ketha doesn't seem to like answering a bunch of questions very quickly.

"I do not know. Somewhere. Not Kelfas." Ketha looks down and sighs, stretching and exercising her fingers in wait. "I do not know if I will see them again. I failed to protect them, and I doubt I can save them in the near future."

Steam
The genasi hums slightly in thought, before saying, "I mean, they got picked up by the bandits too, yeah? You don't think they would have chosen one of the other outlets, like helping resettle, and then when we get a break at the end of this ant-business you can go find out where they are and maybe see how they're doing. Can't you just see them in like a little hut, and then they see you and excitedly wave you over?!" Steam's practically glowing with excitement at her own mental image. Not to mention the literal soft glow of her armor. "I don't have anyone I'd like to bring with me out of here, so a couple of them can be slotted with me to leave. How big was your caravan?"

When Steam mentions bringing out some of the caravan's members with her, assuming she is referring to how the group can take a few people with them once they finish their tasks, she stares at Steam with silent, sorrowful, and pessimistic eyes...

Steam
The genasi continues smiling at the dragonborn for a moment, but when Ketha continues just sorrowfully staring Steam's smile falters. "Is...did they not make it?"

"They made it, we surrendered so no one would be harmed," is the quiet response. Ketha picks herself up and looks away, hiding her frown. "As I said, don't lose that smile of yours, Steam. Just forget I said anything. We should be keeping watch." She calls Mibis to her hand and focuses on the winged snake and the environment away from Steam...

Steam
The genasi gives Ketha a confused look, but opts to continue smiling for the dragonborn. Straying towards more casual topics, Steam continues to try and make idle chatter as their watch continues. She mentions the source of magic now beneath her, but brings up that they probably shouldn't tear up the floor to get at it until everyone's awake.

Nothing in particular occurs for the rest of the time while the group rests that they are aware of.

When people wake up and Steam resumes her search, she eventually finds a hatch in the floor of the larger side room.

Steam & Parveth (yay!)
The wood elf wakens softly, opening her eyes slowly before sharply looking around. She calms as she catches sight of Adelinde and Ketha seeming generally unconcerned, and gives them a grateful nod before turning her gaze to the sleeping form curled around her. She eyes the genasi briefly, before curtly standing and giving Steam a good roll with her foot.

The genasi flails a bit at the rude awakening, or would if she wasn't wrapped in two blankets. As it is she just wriggles inside her fluff tube and lets out a shocked, "Ah! Don't wake me like that! Cmon!" She works her way out from inside the blankets and stretches. "Rude. Did the rest of you sleep well? I see we're not waking into a fight. Oh! And there's this!" She hops over to the trapdoor, before giving it a sharp knock with her heel. "Secret magic stuff! Oh, this too!" She briefly shows off the Lockand, before hiding it in her armor once more. "Pretty eventful night, huh?"

Ketha makes sure all her things are packed away securely. "Do we want to explore what Steam has found?" Ketha checks if there is any hole in the door she can look out of to check if there is anything out of the hut...

Ketha only finds a keyhole and she can't see anything but darkness on the other side.

Steam & Parveth
The genasi just lets out a plaintive, "Yes please," as she moves to put her armor back on.

"...sure." Without hesitation, Parveth moves to the trapdoor and searches for its edge, giving the others a moment to ready themselves or whatever, before opening it. Or finding it locked. Whichever it is.

It's very hard to see and Steam needs to actually point it out to Parveth again, but it opens easily enough (with a stone sliding against stone sound... and weight I suppose). It actually lifts entirely off, as opposed to being attached by hinges (basically there's just a bit underneath where it sits atop). Once out of the way, it reveals a short shaft (a little over ten feet) and an incredibly rusted ladder that Parveth judges will almost certainly break any part anyone puts any real weight on.

Parveth & Steam
The wood elf 'hmms' at the potential underfloor hallway, as she tends to do, before turning away and looking to the door that Ketha is...well, was attempting to look out of. "Anything going on out there that you can tell?" She queries, before unlocking/opening the door a bit to peek out, see if any ants have taken up guard there or whatever.
The genasi, noticing the open trapdoor gives off an excited squeal before moving to its edge. "Now what sort of stuffs going on here?" She experimentally jiggles the definitely-unsafe ladder with a hand.

((Now for actual sleep, jeez. Just chill a bit, man, we're in no rush. Or I'm in no rush, at least.))

Outside of the door is just a dark stairway that leads to a tunnel that leads to more tunnels unless the underground of Kelfas changed around you very silently somehow.

The ladder breaks off from the wall as Steam toys with it and free from the wall, gravity takes it's hold on it and it breaks in several places and collapses into dozens of rusty pieces at the bottom.

Adelinde stretches a little when the others wake up, stretching out sore muscles after having been sitting near the others for the past hour lost in thought as she watched.

"Morning all, or whatever the time actually is..."

She says with a slight tone of amusement before following the others to Steams secret tunnel. She winces slightly when the ladder breaks apart and waits a few moments listening if anything inside begins to react before humming.

"Well...may as well go take a look I suppose..."

She says as she walks over to her pack and pulls out the rope, tying it around her waist as she walks back over the others and hands one end of it to Ketha.

"If I start screaming, pull me up."

She crouches near the lip and considers where best to land (and give Ketha a chance to realize what's going on) before she hops down, holding on to the edge for a moment to break up the fall before letting go and dropping what's left of the way down. Landing in a crouch with her hand coming immediately to her sword as she looks around.

Rolls:

Adelinde lands safely, with a crunch of rusted ladder under her boots. Looking around she sees only a single short (five feet or so) passageway that leads directly to a pristine metal door. Examining it, Adelinde notices a few things. The first is that it has a handle, but no keyhole... which is odd since when she tries to open it it appears to be locked. The second is that the enchantment protecting this door is apparently in better condition or perhaps just a better version of whatever kept the other doors in this building from having completely deteriorated.

Adelinde takes a step back after examining the door and hums in thought before moving back towards the tunnel.

"Seems safe, just a small tunnel leading to a locked magic door!"

She calls up the shaft.

"Would you care to try your new key on it Steam?"

Steam & Parveth
"I'd love to!" Steam finishes donning her armor and sits on the edge of the floor before climbing down the rope. She shoots Adelinde a smile as she pulls out the Lockand and makes some swishing gestures with it at the door before reaching a pose where she's pointing the key directly at the door. "Open says-a me!"
When that likely doesn't work, she scoots to touch the key to the door, continuing to hold the pose.

The wood elf closes the front door, before moving to look down into the trapdoor. "No sign of the ant-war yet."

The key does nothing when pointed at the door. It also does nothing when touched to the door. Any potential unbiased observers would think Steam looks silly.

"Shall we wait for the ants here or go and find them when we are done here?" Ketha asks Parveth...

Steam & Parveth
"Hmmm." The genasi frowns. She'd expected this to not work, but that didn't make it any less disappointing. Breaking her pose, she starts...just sort of rubbing the key on the handle, periodically testing to see if the new method of rubbing miraculously worked. "No...no it definitely seems like this key can only lock things. Sad."

The wood elf nods slightly in response to the dragonborn. "I believe we should look for them, but not stray too far from here. They are expecting us to be in this general area, and I would rather not invite unnecessary complications to the situation we are already in."

Steam steps back from the door and puts away the Lockand again, before shaking out her arms. "Welp, guess our only option to blast it open. Adelinde, could you give me a bit of space to work with? While I enjoy your company and being this close, you probably don't want to get blasted."