As the third son of a minor Rhunish noble and with little else to do, Tazamul's latest plan for financial gain was to sponsor a company of brigands to raid trade routes between Dale, Dorwinion, and the Iron Hills. His plan lasted for at least 3 weeks (a record) before he was found out by his house. Although robbing their Western rival was not necessarily frowned upon by the Easterlings, it was still considered a crime in order to keep the peace, and so Tazamul would have to be exiled.
His exile was to last only 3 years and he would be allowed to live as he pleased on the Western side of the sea of Rhun, with a substantial inheritance to fund him. But Tazamul nonetheless disliked this arrangement, as, being kept under guard, he would be unable to multiply his funds with the speed and excitement that only illicit activity could provide. So Tazamul began to hatch a plan as a ship set sail across the sea of Rhun, carrying himself, a servant named Ulchoth, a number of guards, an exotic pet cat, and several chests of valuables.
At around midnight on a late Autumn evening, Tazamul retired belowdecks to create several large holes in the ship's hull using his battleaxe, then returned with his servant, carrying all of his valuables as well as his cat. The chests were placed next to the lifeboat and he took in the salty sea air for a time, waiting for disaster to strike.
It was not long before a member of the crew noticed the alarming rate at which the ship was filling with water. With his items so conveniently placed, Tazamul was in the lifeboat as soon as the alarm bell rang and untied the ropes attaching it to the ship, unfortunately having forgotten to let anyone else come aboard. Two sailors nonetheless jumped after and joined him in the little rowboat for a short time, before Tazamul, being a kind man with an eye for cleanliness, decided to provide them with a long, salty bath. So it was that his little boat slipped off into the night, leaving the rest of the ship's passengers to deal with their more immediate concern.
