((The dwarf was just gone; remember, the body got launched when the elemental sprang out of the snow.

Also: The palace is very tall, somewhere between 15 and 20 floors.))

The light of the lantern cuts through the inky blackness beyond the doors. Inside is a massive lobby - so massive that it must take up half of the entire lower level. A grand staircase at the far end directly ahead ascends up and around to higher floors.

A pair of broken fountains stand as mirror images to each other, one on each side of the hall. Once-fine carpet runs from the entry to the stairs, cascading up the steps to make the climb more comfortable. Pots of withered, dead plants line the walls on each side, dry and crumbling. A giant chandelier hangs from the ceiling, halfway between the door and the stairs, and must have been brilliant when lit.

((Notice check))