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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lars Frehse" data-source="post: 418384" data-attributes="member: 1674">Shadows of the Slarecians part1Winter had come, and even on a cloud free day, there just a few hours of light during the day. Now the friends noticed for the first time just how far north they had travelled: Even the bloodsea was frozen solid, locking the ships in the harbor while snowstorms had blocked all roads out of the city.It was the month of Hedrer, and Trepat and Ben were stuck in the city, since they had escorted Gortak into it. The prophet had wanted to meet Emili Derigesh, highpriest of Corean and leader of the city, since he recognized the necessity of friendly relations to Mithril. He was especially interested in help- there hadn’t been an Orcish farmer in centuries, so instruction and equipment was needed to make sure that the start of an agrarian society could work.The talks went unexpectedly good- Derigesh was glad to see his estimation, that the Gravelfists were “orcs with souls” was confirmed, and the two spiritual leaders felt comfortable with each other. Because of that, Gortak wasn’t exactly disappointed about the delayed stay in Mithril.Meanwhile, Trepat and Ben stayed with Torn, who had recently started to train at the Shadowguild, planning to master the basic arts of a wizard.One morning, as Niklas was training in the courtyard of his monastry under the shadow of the Mithril Golem, he was approached by Chel Azatan, the owner of “Rare Books”. Niklas stopped his physical exercises which had kept him warm in spite of the freezing air, and as the Calastian bookcollector adressed him, his sweat was evaporating enshrouding him in an inch of mist.“I am glad to meet you again, Niklas. Something weird has occurred, and I think I need your help”.“I see”, answered Niklas, “ but maybe we should talk in my room”.They went to Niklas’s small cell that was furnished with a bed, a stool, a table and a closet, and after Azatan had gotten out of his furs, he sat down on the stool:” A couple of days ago, a strange man who’s features were hidden by the hood of the cloak he was wearing came into my shop. He asked for a strange book which I had never been able to decipher. The letters on it and in it are constantly shifting and moving, making it impossible to read it.”.Niklas listened up. After all, he had seen letters like that when he and his friends had crossed the Kelder mountains:” Do you think it could be Slarecian?”“Most likely, yes.”.“And I assume it is one of the books you don’t want to part with.”, Niklas stated matter-of-factly.Azatan nodded:” Yes, exactly. I may not be able to read it, but it is definetly one of a kind- in all my years in the business, I have never seen anything quite like it.“Now, that is what I had told the strange man, as well, but he didn’t seem to care. After a while, however, he left my store, and I thought that that was that.”“But it wasn’t”, Niklas proposed.“No, unfortunately, that wasn’t the end of that. Last night, the same man stood next to my bed in my room over the store and woke me up. He held a dagger to my throat and told me to give him the book. I was in panic, but I succeeded in stalling him: I explained that it would take me at least one day to find it, since my bookstore is in such a mess. He accepted that, but told me to deliver it tonight. And then he added, that paper is always in danger of burning…“That is why I am here. I intend to hand over the book, but maybe you and your friends could follow him and get it back for me? I don’t want to endanger my books and my cats, but I don’t want to simply give it away. Maybe you could help me.”Niklas thought about the proposal for a while, then he answered:” Yes, I can of course try to help you, but I am not sure whether I will be succesfull. After all, it could be that this man is merely part of an organization. But if that is what you want me to do, I will give it a try. I have to pick up my friends, though.”They both wrapped themselves into cloaks again and walked outside to face the chill. They went downtown, to the shabbier part of the city, where they went to Torn’s appartment.There, Niklas introduced Chel Azatan to Trepat, Torn and Ben. Azatan explained his problem to them, and they agreed to help out. The mysterious intruder had told Azatan to hand the book over to him at The Bawdy Wench, one of the more popular taverns in Shacktown, just a few blocks from Torn’s appartment.In the evening, after they had picked up Jan, who had received permission from his superiors, they went to the Bawdy Wench. The thatch-roofed building stood in a part of Shacktown that was even worse than the street Torn lived in. Jan and Trepat waited in front of the tavern, and Niklas went to the alley behind, where he watched the back-entrance. As Torn and Ben entered the Wench, a wave of heat, generated by several ovens in the drinking-hall hit them like a wall.The place was crowded, but comparatively clean inspite of it’s cheapness and location. Several customers were sitting at the tables and the bar, eating fishstew and washing it down with Vodka. Since the two friends still had an hour to kill, they ordered food and drink and settled down.After a while, Azaton came in. He went to the back of the tavern, ignoring the two heroes and when he saw a hooded figure, he sat down next to it. He handed over a small package, and after the receiver had looked into it, he nodded and left through the back entrance.Torn and and Ben got up to follow him, but as they neared the back entrance, three burly humans blocked the way. The biggest one of them filled the whole doorway with his massive body and said:” Sorry, folks, but this way is off limits for you.”.“Ah, come on”, Torn answered,” I gotta whizz!”“Then you gotta do it in front of the Wench like everyone else.”Seeing that starting a brawl might take more time than simply leaving throught the front exit and going around the building, they turned around and headed to the exit, where they could pick up Jan and Trepat as well.Meanwhile, Niklas, who was standing in a doorway, hugging himself and stepping from one foot to the other in order to keep warm, saw the backdoor being opened. A hooded humanoid who was hugging a small package came out of it and swiftly walked past through the alley.As the monk wanted to follow, a dwarf came out of a neighboring doorway. He placed himself in front of Niklas, with his arms crossed in front of him: “Hey, ugly, where do ya think ya’re goin’?”</blockquote>

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