### 171

You leave the fetid watercourse and enter a passage which takes you further south, towards the centre of this hellish metropolis. Everywhere there is decay and dereliction. Once-grand buildings lie in ruins and every surface is beslimed with nameless refuse. Soon you happen upon a concourse littered with more than a dozen Giak dead. Their posture, and the nature of their wounds, tell of a savage street battle fought here within the last few hours. Perched on nearby rooftops are a flock of vulture-like birds, cawing delightedly, their bellies distended by a feast of Giak meat.

The distant clang and clash of steel tell you that the fighting is not over; it has simply moved on. The noise prompts you to crouch in a darkened doorway for cover whilst you consider your next course of action. From this position you survey the street and notice a narrow stairway, directly opposite, which leads down to a crypt door. You focus on the dark portal and sense at once that it is open and unguarded.

If you wish to cross the street and investigate the crypt, turn to 228.

If you choose to ignore the crypt, turn to 303.