You are standing in a narrow hallway carved into the mountain. The passage is lit only by the twilight shining in through the open gate behind you.
As your eyes adjust, you notice three openings. The one ahead of you is blocked by a door of heavy wood planks banded with steel. You press you ear to the wood and hear music beyond. A breeze from outside sucks the air out of the passage and the delicious scent of roasted beef passes you. These clues lead you to believe this is the door to the Great Hall.
A faint shriek draws your attention to the opening on the right. You look through the arch and see a stairway climbing up into the mountain. The steps are lit by some window or opening far above. From somewhere up above, a crisp breeze whistles down the shaft.
You turn and examine the arch on the left. Here you find another stair, this one going down. At the bottom, you can make out the faint red glow of a fire. Your nose detects a scent which it associates with leather and metal coming from below. As you stand sniffing, you hear what sounds like the crack of a whip and a slight yelp of pain from a female voice.
You step back to the center of the passage and look about. Each way seems equally dangerous, yet also appealing. Strengthening your resolve, you lay your hand on your dagger and decide on...
...which way to go
Go back to the valley
Take the Upward Stair
Take the Downward Stair
Enter the Great Hall
