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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lars Frehse" data-source="post: 1139532" data-attributes="member: 1674">Vacation- part 4 of 4Back in the real world, Ben's friends were meanwhile standing in a doorway in the northern parts of Hollowfaust. They waited as Trepat listened to the telepathic messages from his familiar until the sorcerer looked up and said:" He went to the wall for some reason. There is no house... But now, he manipulates some stone or something- and there is a trapdoor!""Let's go there, quick!“ Torn said, and then added as an afterthought to Trepat:" And tell your raven to hover over the wall, so in case he comes out, we will know where!"They hurried through narrow alleys, past closed shops and then reached the wall. Soon, Torn found a lose brick, and when he pressed it, a trapdoor opened up. They entered a small tunnel, which was just about big enough for one crouching man at a time.On the other side of the tunnel, they were surrounded by ruins. "This is not good", Niklas said. "I heard there are undead patrols in this part of the city. And since we have no special tokens to move here, those undead would certainly attack us, too.""Still, I am sure that this is the only way...“ Torn added."Good news!“ Trepat whispered, his voice barely audible in the silence that surrounded them "the man we are trailing has just entered a specific ruin. I can lead us there".Jan smiled and wrapped his hand around the hilt of his sword:" Very good!""And what are we going to do once we get there?“ Niklas asked.Torn scratched his chin: "I could disguise myself as a human merchant, or something, and go in there and look around. In case that there are guards or anything, I should be able to come up with a plausible story, I think."Trepat nodded in response:" Yes, that sounds like the best choice... I will keep your familiar here, so that it can warn us in case you get in trouble.“After casting a spell, and using some props to make sure that he would pass as a human, Torn went into the little ditch and knocked on the door through which the man they had followed had passed. A sour looking Halforc opened. Upon seeing Torn, he blocked the entrance with the mass of his body, and said:" Yes?"Torn extended his hand for a handshake, sneaking five gold pieces into the palm of the halforc:" A business-acquaintance of mine, Mr Bolte, had told me about this place two weeks ago, and now that I am back in town, I finally would like to see it myself."The halforc nodded and stepped aside, opening the doorway to the corridor beyond:" A personal recommendation of one of our members is acceptable. Enjoy your stay, sir!"Torn entered the corridor, and as he noticed that behind his back the halforc had closed the main door, he simply went ahead and opened the door. Immediately, all of Torn's senses were flooded with impressions. The room in front of him was dimly lit, but he was able to see that there were several humanoids engaged in carnal activities. There was music and the smell of perfume, incense and sweet smoke was almost too powerful for him to adjust to without coughing.He looked around, trying to look inconspicuous, and walked into the room, avoiding the couples and triplets who were wrapped around each other in various positions on the floor. He was heading to what looked like a bar at the far end, but suddenly, his eyes were captured by something else. To his right, some twenty feet away, he recognized Ben, who was lying on a cushion with the hooker he had introduced to them earlier that day.Ben was apparently far-gone, his eyes were just slits and he had the look of a dreaming man. Torn decided not to address his halfling friend here, and turned to the bar again. However, before he reached it, two women with masks hooked their arms into his to his left and right.Both wore masks, but since they didn't wear anything else, he concluded that they were young, human and in rather good health. One of them asked whether he was new, and when he said that he was, they led him into a backroom in order to give him what they called a "nice welcome".An hour later, Torn was back with his friends. "The place seems to be some sort of a brothel. Actually, I think I have just encountered the best hookers of my life! However, you give as much money as you like upon leaving or entering. I don't quite see how this is profitable... Oh, and the bouncer immediately recognized the name of Bolte, so we can say for sure that he had been a patron here."They talked a little more and when Trepat warned them about someone coming, they hid in the shadows. It turned out that it was Siriak, the grey haired man who had led them to the place earlier.Torn stepped out of the shadows. The human saw him, wanted to turn around, but already Niklas had positioned himself behind him, glaring darkly at him."What do you want?", he asked, trying to show bravery in spite of his quavering voice, which betrayed his fear.Torn stared into the man's eyes until he had to flinch and turn away:" We know that you had lied to us. You knew that Bolte had spent his nights here. Why?"Siriak sighed, and with his sigh, he admitted both his defeat and his resignation. He told the friends that the idea of the club was that you would use your relations in favour of the club and other members. Sometimes, the proprietess, a woman called Lel, would call in little favors. But never anything that would truly compromise any of the patrons, and usually you would only be asked for favors once you have become a regular.When Siriak had told them all he knew, they dismissed him. They waited a little longer and at some point after midnight, they saw what they had been waiting for: Ben was walking back to Hollowfaust proper- arm in arm with Mina.He was clearer now than he had been when Torn had seen him, and upon seeing his friends, he shouted cheerfully: "What the hell are you guys doing here!"</blockquote>

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