The midnight hour has come and gone. The seasonal storms which sweep the seas of Mer have also come and gone. It is now truly the dead of night. An appropriate time for next song the favorite rawun of Kinja Island intends to sing. As if sensing her words, the Shadow Moon has climbed higher and begins to swallow the light of the Bright Moon. The mists which appeared after the storm have begun to thicken, rising from the tides and slowly swallowing the town and its inhabitants. For the moment, they are unaware of the sinister turn the weather is taking as they enjoy the light and warmth of the tavern.

"...and that was how the crew of the Reef Runner gave peace to the restless spirit of Nuri al-Zartani, drove off a tribe of vicious Sea Lizardmen and recovered the third of the remaining seven Treasures of Rul."

As the last notes of the song fade away, the gathered crowd again shows its approval through unanimous applause. Although this last tale was shorter than some of her most recent songs, the bard's story still met all their expectations for a heroic epic: villains, battles, daring deeds, and noble intentions. As the gathered people quieted once again after showing the old rawun she had not disappointed them, the children at the foot of the stage did not disappoint her and released another flood of questions and comments.

"Why'd the Sea Lizards want to eat the ship?"
"I want to be like Jeannie! She never misses!"
"How come Selkie didn't make the giant turtle wake up and eat all the bad guys?"
"Are all bugs scared of the water?"
"How many greats-grandfather of Armondo's is Nuri anyway?"
"Who's the next pirate they got to beat up on?"

"That last one is a very good question, youngling. And it is more true than you might think. After saving the Treasure of the Zartan, the heroes of my songs sailed eastward once more, soon arriving at the misty and dangerous waters of the Haunted Coast. It was here that they would have to deal directly with one of those ancient pirate lords, since the Coast is a place of eternal punishment for those who break the laws of Mer. The one they sought now would prove to be very dangerous, for this pirate had made these waters her home even when she was still alive. In order to win back the next Treasure from her cold, dead hands, they would have to replot the earlier course sailed by King Ren I and his friends - in more ways than one. These actions, while necessary, would nearly cost two of the crew their very souls.

"Sit back and listen now to my words as I sing of the voyages of the Reef Runner and her crew..."