"Very well," says John. "I will require some proof of your capabilities, yes. Archmage Blake wishes to hire persons to recover an artefact which is believed to be somewhere in the eastern borderlands region. If you can find, identify and return with the object, you will be rewarded with 15 Gold Marks."

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I should put a currency guide in the OOC thread for reference, but I'll say here that 15 Gold Marks = $3000 in starting money.