### 4

You circle around the hall, keeping a wary eye on the frozen humanoids that line the walls in case your presence here should cause them to animate. Fortunately your caution proves unnecessary—they remain completely immobile.

As you pass by the shimmering archway, you feel nausea rising from the pit of your stomach and a wave of dizziness makes you falter for a few moments: lose 2 ENDURANCE points. However, your dogged persistence pays off when you discover a partially-concealed panel in the wall. As you step nearer, it slides open to reveal a flight of steps which ascend to an empty chamber. Here you discover a door of opaque green crystal set flush into the north wall. Closer investigation reveals a curious lockplate positioned at its centre.

If you wish to examine this lock, turn to 322.

If you choose to ignore the crystal door and return by the stairs to the entrance hall below, turn to 299.