Phoebe snorted, surprised at the gaping hole before her. The cold stones of the dungeon, rimed with decades of dust and dirt and debris, were outlined with pockets of moss and mildew, giving off a most unpleasant scent. Of course, the overgrown caverns of the Dungeon always smelled like this, of death and decay—and of green life, eking out a strange half-life in the semidarkness. But Phoebe, foremost scout that she was, thought she knew all the corridors of this particular section; this...hole in the dungeon floor was an unwelcome sight. Crumbled rubble formed a crude staircase, treacherous footing for a Courser, but footing nonetheless...

This is ridiculous, Phoebe thought to herself. She knew better than to go wandering off into uncharted territory, alone, with little preparation. She had meant to come down here to ensure the signs were still properly marked, sketching the path for a group of yearlings she was supposed to lead later in the day. And now...now she was distracted.

What if it was a new threat, some unprecedented crumbling of the Dungeon that allowed creatures of the lower levels to rise to the surface? The overgrown caverns were used as a training ground of sorts, a way to test the mettle of young Coursers without truly putting them in danger...

She would be remiss, if she didn't investigate a potential threat.

Almost without thinking, Phoebe took a step forward. Then another. And another, until she was at the edge of that strange hole, above the treacherous staircase. It looked even more unreliable up close, a haphazard pile of stone...more stone than could be accounted for in the missing area of the floor. The light of the torches barely reached halfway down, and that decided her. Half-rearing, she thrust herself away from the opening, shaking her head at her own folly. Resolutely, she trotted away, back down the hall, until she was a good distance from that strangely enticing pit. Carefully, she marked off the hallway as a hazard, warning away other adventurers until she could return, later, with a full party.