Almost as soon as the elf had finished speaking, just as the Dwarfs begin to turn towards him, the shadows in the room seem to grow darker, the light filtering in through the cracks in the wall dimmed, and the darkness itself seemed to coalesce, drawing form from the night. The air is thick with the winds of Ulgu, and even those who do not practice the mystic arts can almost taste the magic. Eventually, you can see a humanoid form, crafted out of shadow, sitting at the end of the table. It appears motionless, cold, distant. And then the shadows burst from the figure, scattering back to the dark corners from whence they came, revealing a stooped man in a long, tattered black cloak, a hood pulled over to obscure his face. Should you try to see under it, you would see an unnatural blackness beneath. "Gentlemen." He rasps, "I see you got my message, so glad you could come. Please, have a seat. I assure you they are more than sturdy enough."

Holding up his hand to halt any questions, an aura of power surrounds the man, and even the most boisterous quickly fall silent. "I have asked you here, you, of all people, from all corners of the old world, to give you an opportunity. I would like you to appreciate that. Appreciate the opportunity to become the richest people in the Empire, the opportunity for a life you had never dreamed of...." As the man describes this to you, your head clogs and fills with dreams of wonder, of grand palaces, fine foods, excellent servants, you suddenly want nothing less than what this man is offering you, it's what you crave, what you deserve, power, wealth, all of it. You cannot fathom life without it, how had all these other people managed to live without such comforts? How could they live such a squalid, miserable existence, when you, you of all people, were living in the lap of luxury, surrounded by comforts and glory.....the man claps his hand, violently bringing you back to the present, in the squat, tumble down building of rubble and draughts, leaving you to chase your rapidly fading dreams of wealth and power.

"All I require of you," He says, "Is seven items, just seven, that scattered across the known world. I have gathered you here to tell you of the first: The Plaque of Tepok, sacred of the Skinks of Lustria." A floating imaged of a golden, ruby studded plaque spins over the table top, inscribed with glyphs of serpents and twin-tailed comets, "It is found deep in the jungles of Lustria, in the temple city of Hexoatle. Retrieve it for me, and you will be one step closer to the wealth I offer. I have a ship prepared for you, and it will leave Marienburg at midday tomorrow. It is called the [i]Wellenbrecher[/i]. You will be met by a magician scholar and his apprentice, who will ensure that you do not wonder Lustria's more avoidable dangers, and to lead you to the city. Should you wish to back out now, you simply need not turn up. But remember what I am offering you, and chose wisely." He pauses, letting the memories of wealth return to the surface of your mind, "One last thing, Jehan." He barks, turning to her. "You must be the first to touch the plaque. The rest of you are welcome to, if you do not mind your soul being ripped from your body and used to fuel the protective magic's of the Slann. It is more than just luck that I chose you all. You each have a gift, though you may not know it. Do not fail me." And with that, his form dissipates back into shadow, and the grim light of Morslib begins to peek through the cracks once more.    

[@Jbcool] [@DrunkasaurusRex] [@Andreyich] [@Bright_Ops] [@Maxwell] [@POOHEAD189]