Jal's lustful glee over the map broke as the voice sounded from behind him and he shrank back from the looming figure that was now standing over the table. The hooded figure pulled back her hood to reveal herself as a Kossick inquiring about work and the map. The map? Jal quickly grabbed the map and folded it over itself, obscuring it from view. The last thing he wanted was someone seeing the map and following it before him.<br/><br/>Before Jal could comment, though, yet another person joined the group about the table. This one carried a lute and was a face that Jal had seen before. He was a frequent sight in the Captain's Rest, as was the tune of his lute often heard. He clarified for the Kossick what Jal already knew - that the map was real. Of course it was real, what fool would much such a fuss over a fake map?<br/><br/><span style="color: YellowGreen">It is quite real, yes. And for the pay?</span>He looked the Kossick in the eye as steadily as he could.<span style="color: YellowGreen">Far beyond anything you can dream. Enough to buy half this city between us.</span>He looked to the man with the lute. He would have shooed him away, but for the experienced look about him. And besides, he had already been foolish enough to try and deny someone from this venture, and she turned out to be a mage.<br/><br/><span style="color: YellowGreen">What sits upon this table is the last record of the location of the thousand fortunes of Vendomur the Sea Demon of the Dales.</span>He said, looking at the present company with a sly smirk. He was returned only blank stares and confused looks, save for the man with the lute.<span style="color: YellowGreen">You lot have never heard of Vendomur?</span>Jal stared at them in dismay.<br/><br/>He slid around to the far end of the table and took a seat, tugging the folded over map so that it sat safely before him.<span style="color: YellowGreen">Well, you'll want to know this then. </span>He began.<span style="color: YellowGreen">Vendomur was a pirate elf who hailed from the Dale outside of Llomerryn, on the island south of Rivain. He had a fierce hate for Humans and Dwarves and Qunari alike. Shem they called us.</span>The drinks arrived from the bar and Jal drew a pair of silvers from his belt and payed, then took a deep drink.<span style="color: YellowGreen">He captained an elven frigate, the Assan. To take vengeance upon us Shem, he sailed the coasts from Rivain to Denerim, stealing and taking what he thought Shem valued most - our wealth. He toppled a hundred merchant ships, and several dozen pirates as well. Supposedly he bundled all that gold and jewels and hid it so that no Shem could ever lay their hands on it again.</span><br/><br/>Jal leaned forward and lifted the map, flopping it back and forth.<span style="color: YellowGreen">This map is the only record he ever left of its location. </span>Jal leaned back and dropped the map on the table again.<span style="color: YellowGreen">Or that's the short version. Now, the reason I need you is because this particular cut of coastline is rather unpleasant. Me and my crew are no good in anything but a tavern brawl, and I'm not willing to stake my life on finding this treasure on my own. If getting this gold means doing it with a few more shares dividing it, then so be it. I'd rather be a living rich man than a dead sultan.</span><br/><br/>Jal studied the group briefly, paying more attention to the two newcomers than he did to the elven girls. Both looked capable, the Qunari woman in particular. If there was one thing Jal needed, it was muscle.<span style="color: YellowGreen">I suppose your just looking for a payoff, then?</span>He asked, though the question was as much directed at others as the Qunari.<span style="color: YellowGreen">When we find the gold, what is there will be split evenly between anyone on the expedition, myself, and to a lesser extend the crew of the vessel we will take to get there. If the take is even half of what I suspect it will be, you'll all be walking away with more than you would earn in ten years otherwise.</span>Jal had no idea if that was true or not, but it sounded good enough to garner interest.<br/><br/><span style="color: YellowGreen">Now...</span>Jal cautiously opened the map again.<span style="color: YellowGreen">As I said, this cut of coast is three days easy sail from here. Its up against a cliff that runs to the mountains along Rivain's eastern shore. And to your point,</span>He looked at Aure,<span style="color: YellowGreen">the reason no one has found anything there is because you can't get there. For half a mile near the area, the sea's either too shallow, or there's too many dangerous rocks protruding. On top of that, there's no reason to suspect anything is there, and so no reason to risk a ship or a shore boat going near it. There's also some uh... some unfriendly wildlife that live in the area, which is why we're looking for violent and capable sorts. Also,</span>Jal pointed at a drawing on the map, something that looked like a doorway with decorations about it. The door had been drawn just inland and from the sea looked to have been nestled behind a cliff shelf or an inlet.<span style="color: YellowGreen">The bits around this vaguely look like some of that old elven stonework near Llomerryn. And best of all, this area isn't too far from where Vendomur was finally sunk.</span>Jal grinned despite himself.<br/><br/><span style="color: YellowGreen">Even better, my ship is loaded,</span>or it better be.<span style="color: YellowGreen">So we can get under way immediately. No fuss, no worry. If nothing else, what do we have to lose?</span><div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>