Asher held an intriguing demeanor about himself, and it drew Johanna to him. It was her desire to know, and the thought of Asher working as a treasure hunter captivated her. As he spoke of his encounters, being stranded, attacked by bandits, Johanna couldn't help but feel inspired. She watched as he leaned back onto his hands with a heavy sigh. Leaning forward, Johanna wrapped her hands around her knees and rest her cheek on top of them. "[i]Tell me some more about yourself. I'm not the only one with a story to tell, I'd wager[/i]." Here, she looked again at Asher and offered him a weak smile.

"It is nothing as glorious as your adventures, but my family is notorious here in Sevitel. We once belonged to the inner circles of noble society. The men in my family are all handsome, but it seems that aggression, and drunkenness runs rampant, as for us women, we were all raised to be married off at age fifteen to lords, barons, and the like. However, our overspending quickly led to our debt. We were the wealthiest family in all of Sevitel, four hundred years ago. The man who started it all was Fredrick Valerivicus, he was the first non-noble to be knighted by the King. He had proven himself in battle countless times, and on one occasion he bravely protected the Commanding General from harm when he was severely wounded on the battlefield." Johanna sounded bitter as she spoke about her family, as if she were greatly annoyed by their undoing. And in truth, she was. 

"The Valerivicus threw lavish parties every week it seemed, and we squandered away our very last coin till we were penniless. Over the years of extravagant spending, my mother Giovanna, sold many of our family's precious gems, and jewelery. One day, I was suppose to inherit my portion of the family wealth, when that day came, there was nothing for me to receive. Except this." She pulled out a beautiful necklace on a silver chain from beneath her red linen dress. The necklace had a sapphire stone the size of a silver piece, around the stone were roses etched in silver. The gem itself made the necklace valuable, but so did the craftsmanship. She held the pendant in the palm of her hand, offering Asher a closer look at the necklace in the light of the fire.

"The rest of my coin, I have earned that. That is mine to keep and I spend it as I desire, is never wasted on frugality. There was more, to our namesake that is. My father sold his entire armory collection, as well as our family heirlooms. Anything valuable was sold to keep our fires warm, and our bellies full of food and mead." She tucked the necklace back into the hem of her dress and rubbed her hands, as if trying to warm them. "During the riots in Ciola, my brother, Thalien, his store was raided. Chezaré, the inn where he lodged burned down in the chaos. I was being followed home at night, I could feel their eyes, but I could never find them, those who watched me in the darkness. I was attacked shortly after when I was walking home from my shop, The Red Palace. Perhaps you've heard of it? Anywho, after my attack, the following day, a note appeared on my door front. It threatened my very life. And now I'm here." She held up her hands helplessly.