Ampitheater

"Not only am I not sure what the wizard's motives are, but let's assume we get to the outside. It is two day's ride, or five day's walk, to the nearest sizable village - if we were healthy. The land is desolate - it is broken black rock near the cave, or gullied and arid plains farther away. The sun this time of year is something to be considered, too. At least the cave is cool, and there are signs of water. I think that it would be more practical to press on."

Checkers evaluates this line of reasoning, and agrees to move on. "But only to the next chamber. Then you rest."

At the end of the room, opposite the light of the necromancer's room, lay an oak door with two bands of iron. There is a wooden bar across the door that Fred easily lifts and lays to one side, even with his bad foot. Fred opens the door and the enter the next cavern.

The next cavern is vast. There are tiers and tiers of benches arranged in an immense circle, each about three of Fred's hand lengths below the other. The seats are built of a marble transversed with red veins, and polished to a high degree. There is a weak but steady purple light shining from the walls and ceiling, giving the ampitheater an eeire light. The ceiling is in the form of a vast dome. Fred can see what were once murals, but they have been vandalized by subsequent inhabitants of the Southern Caves. At the base, hundreds of tiers down, there is a vast stage area, but there appears to be nothing there. Around the top tier, where Fred and Checkers are, there are a multitude of exits.

Fred looks at Checkers, who is holding onto his hand, and staring blankly into space. "Can you see anything, Checkers?"

"It is a complete black to me, Fred."

"I can see. It looks fair - no sign of anything living. This must be the Ampitheater on your map. I would have a hard time believing that this is the Realm of Sleep, although I will gladly chance getting some rest on these benches."

"We will need to establish a watch so that one of us is awake to guard the other," Checkers observed. "I cannot be of much use if I cannot see. I do have some oil and a small lantern - it is probably good for about three meters visibility."

1. Checkers takes the first watch.
2. Fred takes the first watch.
3. They explore some of the other exits.

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