"It's so hooooot! There's sand everywhere, and its too dry!" Came a whine from a girl in a white dress over a pair of black trousers. Taking off her hat she sprawled herself over a chair and fanned herself with it. "Well it can't be helped. It is a desert after all. Though I do agree with you there on the last part." A blonde half-elf flipped through a novel  while the other loudly complained. Myouga had come in with the first group of researchers and scholars when Aestas was set up. Along with some mages from Iria's mage academy, she was assisting with analyzing and recording any artifacts brought back to the site that were recovered from the unearthed ancient ruins. She and her friend had come in by caravan, which was a long and stuffy trek across the Harena desert from Sularia. 

"You know professor, if you disliked the climate so much you could have just opened a portal here instead of spending five days in the back of the wagon." The arcanist looked up lazily at the alchemist from her upside-down position on the makeshift couch. "I knoooow–but I didn't have the exact coordinates for the base camp and I didn't want to just show up in the middle of nowhere." There was also that little 'undead infestation' the desert was having, but they both knew that. The first few days was hectic, as they were spending their hours setting up tents, nailing together shacks, fortifying the old stone walls, and creating the enchanted arches that led into the makeshift settlement. Most of the help came from Mamlak and other towns nearby, and the locals had a hand in helping the researchers decode the glyphs recovered from the towering sandstone and granite structures. Thanks to their efforts, they now had a means to prevent the ghostly riders from breaching Aestas. As long as no one left after nightfall, they would be safe. 

Another thing the locals brought with them, were cats. Lots and lots of cats. Apparently it was due to some superstition relating to associating cats with magic and whatnot, but it only created a now growing population of strays that patrolled the streets in packs. On the plus side, they'd never have a rat problem. So far nothing new had come in for her to look at, and Myouga was very quickly becoming bored. She had already pet every cat in the entire settlement twice, scratched their ears, rubbed their bellies, and teased them with a feather on a string. At this point the cats were getting tired of her coming to play with them and they would just leave. Everybody was having a slow day.

"So boooored…" She groaned, flopping over and burying her face into a bean-husk cushion. "There's nothing to do. How long do we have to wait until we get more people coming?" The mage asked, looking up from lying on her stomach. Her former student thought a bit. "…Well another group of wagons is supposed to come in sometime this week. I'm sure as time passes more people will be stopping by to plan their exploration into Aysut."

News of an ancient city rising from the sands of the Harena Desert had traveled all the way down to Adeluna, and it was no surprise when Professor Ryou came knocking. Since she had some capabilities as a healer, she could assist the travelers intending to venture into the granite and sandstone pyramid or anyone who fell ill. The desert was home to many poisonous and venomous creatures, and this was where her specialization in toxins came to shine. And for once, she could bring Basilius along. Her professor opened a portal to Sularia where they could join a caravan headed for the outpost of Aestas. Her Harenian lizard was perfectly acclimated to the harsh environment, and was happy to finally see the world with his owner. Marcasite was left back at home with her parents, so Basil could get his turn.

Even after the buildings and duties were arranged, it was still far from a relaxing holiday. Sandstorms whipped at the fortifications regularly, and at night the shrieks and howls of specters from times long past roamed the sands. The only thing keeping the dead out were the warding glyphs her former teacher had helped to translate. Resources were being rationed, from food and water to medical supplies. Professor Ryou offered to have things sent in via portal from time to time, but she advised her against it. The mage needed to conserve her magic for emergencies, and potions were in short supply. The clapboard shack that functioned as a tavern only served water, as alcohol would be a poor choice in this arid climate. It would only serve to dehydrate people more, but to make it more palatable a mixture of tonics and herbs were added to prevent sickness. The most important items in their food supplies were citrus and salt. The former was provided by Mamlak and Sularia, while the salt came from the steppes. A new shipment of supplies would be sent every two weeks, but even then they had to be careful with what they had.

There was help coming in from other northern powers like Endapano and even Yovaesh, but not much was heard from the south. It was disappointing, but perhaps Adeluna and Egjora didn't consider the chaos in the Harena their problem. Vilpamolan was too disordered as is to even help, as it was already preoccupied with keeping itself together. Even with the assistance from Parvpora, most of their support would come from Canelux. Looking through the arcanist's notes, Liselotte read her observations on the artifacts brought from Aysut. There were translations of symbols, theories on what the ancient culture that once thrived here had been like, and a mention of local superstitions. Professor Ryou didn't mind her leafing through her notes, and she even let her help draw the pictures of the glyphs that decorated the stone jars and tablets reclaimed from around the pyramid.

The dry heat was slightly more bearable indoors, but after a few days she felt her skin begin to itch from the low humidity. She had to keep her gloves on just to regain that little bit of moisture, which became inconvenient when work had to be done. So far there hadn't been any accidents, and hopefully it would remain that way. For a person who required a great deal of mental stimulation, being stuck in a barren sandscape was torture for somebody like Professor Ryou. Liselotte had been prudent enough to bring a book or two, but the arcanist liked going out and doing things. Her groaning was interrupted by the brief periods of distraction, either through playing board games or visiting the cats.

Speaking of cats, they were brought along as a means to ward off the evil spirits. This superstition was especially strong with the people who lived near the desert, and among the nomads whose way of life depended on going from oasis to oasis. Without anything else to do, the strays became the encampment's mousers, wiping out any rats that would have come along with the wagons and supplies. It was the middle of the day and the heat made one languid and weary. In the stables set up for the dromedaries and nightmares, her own mount was resting in the shade.

The sound of pounding hooves made her look up at the door with a start, her heart rate calming down as it wasn't the undead horsemen. It was easy to forget that the wards would keep them at bay, and they couldn't grow to careless. Should the carved arches fall or the wards lose their strength, Aestas would be overrun. Hearing voices and baying of camels, it appeared the expected caravan had arrived. "I think they're here. Why don't we go see who's outside?" She asked the cropped-haired mage lying face-down into a pillow.    

"Do keep up will you?  We're almost at the camp."

"HSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSTTHHHHH"

"Now now, what did I say about whining?  If you didn't want to get turned into a pack mule you shouldn'tve gotten executed for murder, it's that simple!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A curious sight would crest a small sand dune overlooking the Aestas Outpost: a diminuitive-looking creature in a heavy, tattered cloak, face hidden by a swath of fabric, was pulling a headless corpse carrying a backback on a lead attached to its waist.  It had been making a pitiful hissing sound the entire trip from the nearest settlement…Ivacus knew he should have sewn what remained of this poor criminal's trachea shut before he had embarked on this journey…or perhaps removed the lungs.  But that would have been far too messy an endeavor in a populated area.  Despite the fact that the Kobold was incredibly open with his craft, he didn't want to get arrested for the indecency of desecrating a corpse in public.  Besides, necromancers pretending to be doctors needing a corpse to teach anatomy generally didn't dissect cadavers in the street.

He'd been easy enough to tame; though his soul was overwhelmingly attached to his body after his execution, he didn't have much left of a brain to reason through his situation with.  He didn't ask questions and (mostly) didn't complain; he was the perfect impromptu servant to keep him company on the lizard man's magically aided trek through the barren wasteland.

However, as Ivacus neared the main gate of the settlement, he noticed that his improvised draught horse didn't seem to want to continue onwards.  Ivacus squinted his eyes to get a better look at the half-crumbling stone walls…only to notice the runes.  Obviously a warding spell of some kind, meant to keep out the undead.  The undead he was particularly interested in, that is.  But it also had the side effect of halting his designated pack carrier in his tracks.

"Damn…" he muttered in his native language under his breath as he, with some difficulty, removed his backpack from his zombie's back, before snapping his fingers; it slumped forward into the sand lifelessly, as its body began to succumb to days worth of intense heat almost immediately without Ivacus' energies to sustain it.  He would quietly leave it to dry and rot in the midday sun as he shouldered his pack, plodding the few final steps towards the gate, already opening to a small caravan entering.

Upon reaching said gate, he was greeted unceremoniously by a pike in his face.  Obviously, the guards were incredibly suspicious of him to say the least.

"Who in the blue blazes are you?" mustered the bravest of the quartet of pikemen now holding their weapons at his throat.  Ivacus often forgot how hard it was for people to accept that necromancy could be as harmless as any other discipline…why he even put up with these people and didn't just blast them to smithereens was beyond him at times.

Faced with such tremendous pressure, he bowed low and called upon the ancient art of lying one's way out of any situation once more to aid him.  Though he was once totally ignorant to speaking the language of Common, he had managed to learn how to speak it without too much trouble nowadays, despite the slight hisses and harsh growling undertones that punctuated his dialect.  "Gentlemen, please.  I've traveled all the way here from the Mage Academy at Iria to aid the efforts in containing this undead menace…unfortunately, you had to see my experimental golem break down.  Shame really, I was getting quite attached to him.  Though he wasn't quite as attached to the head I made for him, literally took it off and threw it away after proclaiming he didn't like it!  Aha…foresight is unfortunately not the greatest skill of my creations…but at any rate, would you kindly point me to whoever's in charge here?  They should be expecting me, and I'm quite tired."

The guards conferred amongst themselves for a few moments, debating whether it was an intelligent idea to let a strange lizard creature into their midst.  But deciding that at least it wasn't undead, as it managed to pass the warding hieroglyphics protecting the settlement, they offered him a compromise.

"We'll see about your credentials.  Jyra, Nax, escort this…thing, if you would."

Two sturdy looking men moved from the side and formed up around him, as Ivacus greeted them both with a sarcastic smile thankfully hidden by the cloak covering his muzzle.  "My friend, your generosity is legendary.  Commendable are you, oh high and mightiest of town guards, the bards shall sing praises of your name for generations to come!"

Receiving a deep sneer in response, Ivacus only smiled to himself as two of his new friends took him to the center of town, where the caravan's occupants were unpacking their belongings.  Finally, he would get the chance to see what the fuss was about with these mummies and undead horsemen…truly, it would be a fascinating opportunity to hone his craft indeed.

As long as these uncivilized jerks didn't try and toss him out.  Nobody in the world it seemed was as open-minded as he about these sorts of things.

Rushing outside, the arcanist made a beeline for the front gate to Aestas. Were there new people here today? Maybe if she was lucky she'd get a chance to interview some important person for the Mage's College! Running down the dusty streets she skidded to a halt when she saw the source of the commotion. The guards were having a squabble with themselves–wait no was it someone else? They were too tall and blocked her view, so she climbed over some crates to get a better look. Her impish smile spread into a grin as she saw the new arrival: a rather small lizard-thing that was standing upright and even shorter than her. She'd never seen the likes of them before, so naturally she was compelled to go see them.

Hopping off her perch, she came out from behind one of the tents to intercept the guards escorting him. "Helloaphant! Welcome new person! Hey, hey can I talk to this guy for a minute? Please? Pleeaaaase?" Her pleading wore down what little resistance the two armed pikemen had, as their long shifts out in the elements tended to force people to make decisions based on how troublesome the choices were. And seeing that she had been confirmed as a professor from Iria, they figured it would be fine to dump this person off on her. Only less than a week had passed before Myouga had gained a reputation among the staff at Aestas as being a handful, though with good intentions. "Sure, knock yourself out. He's all yours." Came the less than enthusiastic response as the guards threw Ivacus to the resident troublemaker. They had learned quickly that the only way to keep her from running amok was to keep her engaged.

With the guards' approval, the little arcanist giggled as she prepared to have a nice chat with this curious lizard-person. "Hey, I've never seen somebody like you before! Sooo~ what are you? Oh–and I'm Myouga! I'm not human, even though I look like I am! See?" She flipped up her bangs to flash her small horns protruding from her forehead before putting them back down. She looked like she had an entire sack full of burning questions and was nearly ready to burst from excitement. Another new race to add to her encounters! The world was certainly full of amazing things.

Watching as her professor bolted out the door before her, Liselotte watched as she was running towards the  main gate. "That should help cure her boredom for a little while. I'll leave Professor Ryou to her fun, I could always ask around about the new arrivals later." Closing her novel, she bookmarked her place and went to the stables to see how her Harenian lizard was doing. The stables was one of the more presentable structures in this makeshift settlement. It took many men and a system of ropes to pull the beams up and to secure the roof. Half of the building had its foundation and walls come from a preexisting stone structure, granting it greater stability than if it were made of only timber. There were as many as twenty stalls but there was always the possibility that they would expand and add more.

Finding the numbered stall where Basilius was, she saw he was taking a nap. Unlatching the gate, she quietly slipped in and left an apple beside him. It would be a nice little treat for him seeing he didn't get much variety in his diet here. Something sweet and refreshing would break up the monotony of raw chicken and eggs he had for the past days. He always was so well-tempered, never complaining even if he was disappointed. "I wish I could've brought you to a more exciting place for our first trip together, Basil. But you can rest now. I'll take you for a walk around the perimeter when the winds are less strong." Latching the gate once more, she left the stables to return to the building that served as the local hospital ward. They would need more tonic water and herbal powder ground up for the patients. With more people expected to come in, the numbers of those requiring treatment would increase.

The chaos arising from the sands had gotten the attention of the Goddess of Life herself, and the Mother was coming to assist in healing the injured. The thought of meeting a deity was both exciting and awe-inspiring. What would she say if she ever had the chance to meet Angela face to face? Those thoughts were interrupted as there were people moving about outside. There were shouts and tension in the air. Were they being attacked by bandits? She never would have thought them to be so bold as to prey on the only safe haven in the midst of this madness. But then the shouts gave her second thoughts. This wasn't normal; even bandits wouldn't elicit such an active mobilization. Blowing out the flame of a boiling flask, she grabbed her bow and quiver before leaving. Something was wrong.

"Everyone, defensive positions! Guards, man the watchtowers and bar up the gates! They're coming!" Climbing up to one of the taller buildings in Aestas, she shielded her eyes as she looked out into the horizon. There was something out on the sand, steadily approaching. It looked like a mighty wind following an army. That couldn't be… The mages residing in the settlement took their positions and began to activate a protective barrier over the entire camp while others channeled their power into the warding glyphs. A storm was coming, one borne of the ancient energies from Aysut.

Meanwhile as this was happening a new person was slowly aproaching the outpost. From the look of things this, new arrival is a man who is dressed in clothes that are quite frankly complelty unsuited for the travel across the desert for many reasons the biggest one being that they are black, but the man didn't seem to care, as he came closer to the outpost. No sooner than 10 minutes later black clad man found himself face to face with the guards at the entrance with whom he started talking:
- Hello zere is zis ze uhm Aeztaz Outpost?- The man asked
- Ehm what? Idid not quite catched that - one of the guards said
- Oh Zorry I will just reapet ekhem "IS This the Aez- I mean s -tas Outpost?" - He asked trying to minimize his accent
- Oh yeah well it isn't the cursed city of the dead so yeah this is the Outpost - Guard said in deadpan tone
- Zat is great newz because zat mean I zat I am in the right place ehm let me introduce myzelf, I am Hans von Hohencolern and I am a Doctor I came here to help ze people, ze wounded - Hans exaplined himself leaving out the fact that he is also a Vampire Hunter, which in his mind drealy affect anything at all and is rather unimportant fact in this situation
- So what is up with the black get up and bird mask then? - Guard asked him a realy good question
- Oh I zpend most of my money on ze supplies and such, so I didn't have any for clothes and mask is filled with herbs to keep the diseases away, you know ze bad air and all - Vampire hunting dcotor explained
- Hmm fair enough you are free to enter
- Oh Zank you very much and sorry if for an problems
- Ehh to be honest you did not even caused any problems realy
- Zat is good to hear
And with that Hans had entere the Outpost

Almost as soon as he got past the front gate, an incredibly enthused voice hailed in his general direction, welcoming him to Aestas with open arms.  It was surprising to say the least; Ivacus either generally went without notice or got permanently banned from re-entry in most of the settlements he frequented.  A small comfort, perhaps, out of many long days of trying to make his way in this vast world alone.

After getting shoved towards the source of the voice by the guards, he was better able to take a look at who had called upon him.  Though she was undoubtedly taller than him, it wasn't by much; she seemed quite small for a human, in his experience.  But for such a small package, she seemed impossibly full to the brim with boundless energy.  He could probably power an entire regiment of zombie footmen with her voice alone and still have plenty to spare.

She introduced herself as Myouga before he could even get a word out as to what he was in response to her queries, and seemed incredibly excited to notify him that she wasn't in fact a human at all, but some sort of intriguing human-demon hybrid judging by the small horns protruding from her forehead.  This Myouga was an interesting specimen certainly…her will to be incredibly bubbly in the face of the crushing desert heat, potentially Hellish heritage, and the potential for the entire outpost to get overrun by a horde of undead was mesmerizing, to say the least.  It almost made him question her intelligence: but if there was one thing he had learned in his travels, it was to never underestimate anyone who seemed harmless. 

Lowering the cloth covering the bottom half of his face, he'd manage a smile and a bow as he got the chance to reply.

"I am Ivacus Manaclaw…I believe those above ground once called my race Kobolds when we were more plentiful.  A pleasure to meet you indeed, effervescently-interesting-Myouga.  Though I wouldn't have guessed your heritage, you were not nearly as horny as I thought you were at first glance."

He turned his hooded head to the sides, taking in the encampment as he continued to speak, making his lack of knowledge of certain idioms in Common painfully clear.  "So tell me, have you learned anything about that pyramid city or whatnot?  I have a vested interest in the undead here, and it's incredibly important that I learn whatever I can.  My friends at the Academy are depending on me, after all."

Though his new companion might have had time to answer, neither of them would have much more time to mull over things further.  A sudden clanging of a bell assaulted his ears as the pace in the town went from casually purposed to incredibly frantic, people rushing to the walls surrounding the encampment and preparing what appeared to be battle stations.  Just before the main gates he came in from closed completely, he caught a glimpse of the forces headed Aestas' way on the horizon.  

So this was the fearsome undead army he had come to learn more about.  Perfect.

However, he'd need to make sure that he survived in order to research it.  And considering this was the only bastion of civilization for miles, it would seem that this settlement would have to survive the onslaught as much as he.  

He had wanted to remain at least somewhat incognito…but unfortunately he'd have to pull out all the stops this time around.  He could explain himself after he singlehandedly bolstered the area's meager forces and led them all to glorious victory.

The little Kobold turned to the oni and smiled with a tinge of maniacal excitement: "tell me, my friend…has anyone here died recently?"

So this person was a mage, just like her! "Oooh a kobold! I've never seen a kobold before!" Before they could continue their conversation, the warning bells were rung as everyone was called to arms. This was the first time it was being run outside of a practice drill, and she could feel something coming their way. Instead of being alarmed, her eyes lit up as she finally had something to do. "Battle stations everyone! Prepare for combat!" She shouted, striking a pose. "Mr. Kobold, I'll answer your questions later! By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes!"

She was a bit confused as to why he was asking her if anyone had died recently. "Huh? Um, I don't think so? What do you mean by 'recently'? I mean there's a lot of dead people…" The arcanist pointed towards the direction of the oncoming undead horde. "Quit standing around and get to your stations, lollygaggers!" The brusque voice of a grizzled man with an eye patch interrupted her. "O-oh right! Coming! Give me a second!" Pulling out a wand from her short cloak, she adjusted her hat and put her game face on. "I'm up for gate duty now! Can't let them get close enough so they can take down the warding glyphs! Allons-y!" She then scampered off, getting a running start before deploying the wings on her armor that was covered by her cloak. The wings carried her up above the encampment wall, and she assessed the situation.

There was an entire legion of shambling dead out in front, with sand-sucking whirlwinds in the back. She couldn't do anything about the tornadoes, but once the mummies were cleared out things should be fine. The sky's greenish tint made her miss its usual blue. But enough dilly-dally–it was time to wreck these undead servants with a reckoning! Her eyes glowing viridian, she began channeling immense power with arms lifted high. Up above, an arcane sigil within a circle began to appear lit up by the eerie green backdrop of the skies. Chanting, the symbols began to glow brighter and brighter until it was ready to be unleashed. With the stored power in the spell at its peak, Myouga shouted: "LET'S MAKE IT RAIN!"

A huge blast of energy rippled across the skies as the seal activated and a shower of meteors began pelting the advancing enemy. Flaming boulders the size of millstones barreled into the mummies and decimated the first rows like foot soldiers running into a line of archers. Whatever wasn't crushed flat was pulverized and there were smoking craters pockmarking the quartz sand dunes once the spell was over. Feeling a little winded, she landed back on the ground and took a gulp from a mana potion. She had pushed back the enemy's advance a little, now it was somebody else's turn.

"Prepare suppressing fire!" At the command, Liselotte and the other archers let loose a volley that cut down the next advancing line of undead. When that wasn't enough to slow them down permanently, she threw bottles of volatile concoctions down. The resulting explosions blew them to bits, or corroded them into pools of acid. "Ahh…I love the smell of niter in the morning." The half-elf smiled, corking another empty ale bottle before tossing it over. The rest of the mages were assisting after her professor's summoned meteor shower, and seeing so many enemies felled in a single move raised morale. An important move to secure a defensive victory.

She kept her position atop the watch towers mixing up more combustibles with what she had on hand. Arrows needed to be conserved, so it was more useful to re-purpose things that would only be put into the trash otherwise. There were still plenty of undead coming forward, so by no means was the battle over. What worried her most were the twin sandstorms bringing up the rear of the undead army. Down below, trebuchets were being loaded with any heavy projectiles that could be found. Most of them were stones which were too damaged for building, and other rubble. The sand was starting to shift, and the winds made visibility less than ideal for the archers. Their best scenario would be to make sure all the undead were down before the sandstorms made impact.

Descending the ladder, she quickly returned to the medical ward and shut all the doors and windows. Heavy items were moved in front of them to keep as much sand out as possible. Everyone else would have to take care of barring up the rest of the camp, and she could hear the wind howling outside. Her stomach began to form a knot when she heard wailing and hoof beats. The undead riders…they were here already? Nightfall had yet to arrive, so how could this be? The scholars spoke of a necromancer who was commanding the risen dead in and around Aysut. If had sent them, then there was no doubt he intended to blot them out of existence. Would the wards hold against these undead thralls of such power? She had to believe that they would, or else only divine favor would keep them safe. She didn't know if there were any descendants of the escaped sacrifice within Aestas, but if so then that would only make things worse.  

He had been walking around for days and somehow managed to get lost in a godforsaken desert filled with the dead, now the heat didn't really bother Regi due to working forge constantly back at the place he once called home but these zombies like creatures that had been attacking at night was a pain, one even ripped his shirt not long ago resulting him using it like a turban for the rest of the journey. or at least till he blacked out.
Yes he had passed out in the sand due to heat stroke and then dragged through the burning sand to a shoddy town in the middle of no where, apparently even though he was to the heat his body still couldn't handle it for days on end and waking up reminded him of the hangover he had the night he fell from Cricket's back, it almost as if he heard his brain clicking away a lot like horse hoofs, he quickly opened his eyes muttering to himself "Wait they are horses but in the desert?" he looked over at the barred door of the Medical ward with a sigh before climbing out the cot with a wobble in his step, "Hello!? anyone in here, if there's a horse around I would really like to borrow it" impatiently waiting for a response he shouted again, "Hello!"His headache grew more as he ran a hand through his tangled hair and muttering away, "Yes Regi I know this is a bad place and no it's not a floating city full of flying ships but heck, SOMEONE didn't get a map before you left" with a mock chuckle he continued talking to himself searching the cupboards for anything of use guessing the outpost was under attack and wouldn't miss a few supplies, it's not like he was stealing if everyone was gonna die why not use it for other people. "One life for many, Good idea Regi" he patted himself on the back before picking up an empty sack and started reading the poorly labelled items.