106

It takes you half an hour to reach the foot of the staircase. There awaits a dank cavern, its uneven floor littered with the bones of creatures who fell from the stairs or were consumed by the spectral being which once commanded this vault. Steeling yourself against the unwelcoming gloom, you advance along an oval, white-walled passageway of mineral rock and emerge in another chamber which is filled by a deep pool of crystal-clear water.

At first it appears to be a dead end; then you notice a faint light reflecting upon the surface of the water and you look up to see a hollow directly above. It is a natural chimney which rises into the ceiling, and at its end you see a warm, yellow, lantern-like glow. The chimney is rough and pitted, and to someone of your experience it is as easy to climb as a wide-stepped ladder.

Within ten minutes you reach the neck of the chimney and find yourself staring through a hole at the floor of a passageway beyond. The source of the light comes from several oil lamps which hang at regular intervals from the roof of this narrow tunnel. You can sense the presence of Vazhag somewhere in the vicinity, and so you choose to wait here in case a patrol is about to pass this way.

During your wait, unless you possess Grand Huntmastery, you must eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

To continue, turn to 94.