The courtyard seems to be immense, with a swamp-like climate that chills you to your bones. The faint scent of death hovers over this place. You take a step forward, trying to ignore the muck that seems to want to suck your flesh from your frame.
You hear a faint skittering noise, and turn swiftly to catch its source. You only see the rapidly-disappearing legs of some green, warty-skinned creature.
Something swirls about your legs, and startled, you fall straight down onto your bottom, now waist high in the murky mud-waters. You feel it again, and splash wildly around, trying to chase it off.
Suddenly, a loud peal of laughter rings out. The laughter is joyless. It contains malice, bitter contempt, icy coldness, and darkness. You turn again and where you would have sworn nothing stood a second before, stands a woman, fairly glowing against the dank background.
You stare at her, curiosity warring with fear.