Siana looked at the man who walked up behind her.  He seemed unusual, but that wasn't anything special.  Maybe he was one of those people who spent so much time studying that they let their social skills fall to the wayside.  Or maybe his culture was just very different than the one from this area.  That would explain the robes, as noone in this area dressed head to toe in robes.  Or he could just be from another world and not have assimilated into the local culture yet.

"Of course," she said, "Please have a seat and we can get started."  When everyone was seated, she began.  "Hi, everyone, I'm Siana.  I'm hear to gather up a group of people to venture into the Fog, through a series of caves and mines, and to a lake deep within the Fog. Now, I need to make sure that everyone here is the kind of person that should be coming along with me, so if you came here because you though I was attractive and you were hoping to woo me, then you might as well leave.  I'm married, and my husband lives at the village on the lake.  He the most powerful battlemage I've ever met."  Many of the people stood up and left.  When they had gone, she continued.  "Now, if you've come hoping to make money, I've got bad news for you.  I've barely got enough money to live on myself, and the village doesn't have much either, as it can't trade with others except when a portal opens up close enough to the village that they can stabilize it long enough to trade through it.  The best you'll get are some well-made clothes or some tasty foodstuffs."  All but a few stood up and left.  [i]Good, now that I've gotten rid of the 95% that I know are here for the wrong reason, I'll see if the remaining people are here for the right reason.[/i]  "Anyone who's left, please tell us a little about yourself.  Your name, skills and powers, and most importantly why you want to go on this quest."  Hopefully she could learn enough about the others to decide if they were the kind of person she wanted to come with her.