//OOC: Nimrod, welcome! And wow, what an intro! It's really exciting to have a brand new character enter our story. I hope you will fine the experience of writing in this thread as pleasant and satisfying as we do. A friendly tip, however: make sure, if you haven't already, to read through the entire thread. I realize that this read can be extremely daunting by now, but personally, when I entered this thread more than 50 pages ago, I had quite a few debates over the lore points with the 'veterans' of the thread, which could easily be avoided if I knew the main points of the storyline. Here's hoping that, maybe, Xavier will come back from the oblivion that he has dissipated into recently and provide one of his trademark satiric summaries. //End of OOC\\

It took only a few hours for the Embershard and the airships to reach Arteum, and soon enough Nexhawk, the other Ashborn, and Alixenus with the Engineer were greeted by the splendor and opulence of the Capital of the Sands. They had no time to gawk, however, and the three leaders hurriedly rushed to the massive structure in the middle of the city that seemed to resemble a huge palace. Upon ascending the stairs in front of the palace's entrance, the trio was stopped by the two guards that inquired, "Who are you, and what is your business here?"

Nexhawk waved the questions off and bluntly stated, "Tell Sandromin the leaders of Ardorium, Venezzia, and the Collective need to see him. Immediately."

OOC: Thanks meng. And don't worry, I've been lurking this thread for quite a while (about Christmas to be exact); I just felt I needed a perfect time to reveal my TRUE intentions. I usually don't play this character all too much because I have a main character involved with corporate politics and such. However, I've kept up with this thread so far... and now... I am ready... TO CONQUER DUSTIA!

[Insert Evil Laugh Here]

OOC: Thanks meng. And don't worry, I've been lurking this thread for quite a while (about Christmas to be exact); I just felt I needed a perfect time to reveal my TRUE intentions. I usually don't play this character all too much because I have a main character involved with corporate politics and such. However, I've kept up with this thread so far... and now... I am ready... TO CONQUER DUSTIA!

[Insert Evil Laugh Here]

Sandromin had been managing the final touches on the caravan when he saw airships flying towards the Hall of Kings. It was not as if he could blame them; after all, the most opulent building would be the most logical destination. However, being the capitol building and mausoleum for past kings, it was not the staging area of the expedition. That job, rather, went to the Guild of Thought, which happened to be nearby.

Sandromin sighed. "Seems I will have to send a liaison to accommodate for this lack of direction."

Calling over an aide, Sandromin began, "Abir, I need you to-"

Suddenly, a chill ran up the Sand King's spine. Something... evil... made its presence known in Dustia. As if a slumbering titan had awoken, the feeling pervaded his mind.

"Sir! My liege, what's wrong?" began the aide.

"N-nothing... just... a feeling. A feeling of dread. Anyways, there is no time to dwell on the thought; I need you to seek the guests within our city and bring them here. The expedition is at hand."

Bowing at the orders, Abir rushed off towards the capitol.

"Whatever that was," uttered Sandromin towards the sky, "I am sure it is not good. I fear greatly for what lies ahead..."

"I believe that Sandromin is in the Guild of Thought at this moment. The building is that way, but you may need further proof to be let in," the guard shrugged and motioned in the direction of a much smaller building.

"Don't worry, we will be let... Aargh!!!"

Nexhawk interrupted his own words with a startling howl, a sound that a wounded beast would make. He slouched and grabbed his head, for endless shouting voices have assaulted his ears. Separately, the words spoken by each voice were indiscernible, but together, they have woven into a horrifying symphony of darkness and dread. Nexhawk felt the liquid fire in his veins stop cold, and an unnatural chill grasped his flaming heart, bringing about an intense feeling of...death itself. And it was not the aura of the Reaper, the tender of the souls, that emanated from Thanatos. This was a sensation of a ruthless and hopeless Death, an entity whose presence alone instills the fear of non-existence into your mind.

But the screaming voices have eventually subsided, and the coldness of the grave has released Nexhawk from its deathly grip. The Ashborn fell on his knees in fatigue, heavily inhaled twice, and got up. To this side, the Engineer seemed to experience some troubles as well, which were reinforced by his mentioning of "something magical nearby".

Nexhawk nodded wearily. "I have an idea of what it was, and it brings immense dread into my very soul. We should move quickly." With that, the trio hurried towards the Guild of Thought.

Nashir stood from his throne as a gale of wind blew into the hall. The wind brought the tidings of the era, and indeed, Nashir found himself in the maelstrom of the era! Glorious chaos surrounded him and he was going to take advantage of it. As if a new air was surging around the world, Dustia found itself feeling the rise of the Ancient One in its very core.

All ye undead across the land, come to the dead lands of Doomgoth! Arise, and bring forth the chaos!

Nashir had summoned all to him; the time had come for his ancient evils to spread across the land once more. From the ferals in the north to the liches in the south, the Legions of the Undead was gathering. And from thence on, Nashir rewritten the runes of the world to be known as Nashir-Ur, the Ancient One Risen in the now-dead Therisian tongue.

Soon, my legion will accumulate on this island. Soon, I will conquer this land. Soon...

Using dark magic from a reservoir of his nearly limitless power, Nashir opened a rift that tore a hole in the air just outside of his tower. Through that very rift, the dead marched and marched, creating a horde, the likes of which had never been seen on Dustia. The very air had chilled around the palace, far lower than before. A sense of dread lied throughout the land and the land went silent. Since the opening of the portal, no living thing dared venture near the island; not even a fish swam the waters near the shore. In the sky, the blue was replaced with gray, and the sky itself was shut together with clouds. But above the tower, the veil was asunder; a hole had manifested itself as lightning burned the outskirts of the fortress. With his awakening, the lands paralleled hell in its malevolence.

Nashir-Ur was preparing.

---

All ye, verily, watch to the south-
from the gap in life,
there rises a titan of sinister intent.
O yea, he consumes all around,
and from his throne
he destroys.

The Lord of Sand,
the Benefactor of Trade,
and the King of Death-
these three fight against the tide,
indeed, They stand in his way.

But it is unclear,
the very threads of time
are dark, blackened by his hate.
O Time! Thou art mysterious in thy ways!
Reveal thine self upon us,
that we may know our fate.

The guards are shocked to hear such a familiar voice, especially behind the guise of a black cloak. The oldest guard, the Captain, the one who hated the dwarf even more now. His cheeks were blazing red and tears were almost from his eyes. He regained his composure at the sound of a superior.

"High Councilmen Halvedes sir! This dwarf, he's insane. Look what he's done to Aidan--- I mean Private Elaphastor! Stand back sir, I beg you! We must stop him at once!"