You are in the northern section of what appears to have once been a

garden. Horrible, greasy-looking weeds choke the area, their long

brown thorns menacing you ominously, and a tall iron fence closes off

the area to the north and west. A huge, neglected mansion stands to

the east, and even though the windows are boarded and the air is

unnaturally still, you get the impression you are being watched. A

large grate set in the ground leads down, and a path leads off south.