(Post here first!) Gate of the Valheecius Desert

The squad would keep a firm watch on the others. One took the lead, one on their right, and one behind them. The leaf went unnoticed as it happened during the moments they took their formation.

The Scout Union Guards would escort the group past canyons, through deserts, and around an occasional pit of tar, oil soaked sand, or even quicksand. The group wouldn't mention what other creatures lurked in the area, they just knew the paths around their nests. It would take two days to pass through these lands safely.

"We're almost there!", the officer shouted through the rough burst of sandy winds.

The group was looking at the tips of what almost looked like mountains. It was a small amount of them, and they had scarce greenery. Within another half day the group would reach their destination.

>Exit to Outpost #2

Meryn would smile, then take a draw from the pipe. Finishing his draw he would wipe off his own pipe, then pass it over to the man who had given him the new herb.

"Enjoy, tobacco is my vice... so I only get the good stuff. Pass it around, if any of you wish."

Taking another brief draw from the pipe he had been handed, Meryn would pass it on the Mattium, who wound repeat his action with the next man in the line. The journey would be long, so he intend to befriend his guests.

Meryn would quickly extinguish his pipe before leaning back in his saddle to relax, letting the drug's affects take hold. While the escort's visions were religious, his own were nonsensical: giant walking ledgers battled on the dream-scape against golden creatures, each the manifestation of a different coin. Soon he was joined by the others: manifestations of Ra and phoenixes would join the fray, burning away the ledgers and melting the coin-creatures alike. Laughing at the nonsensical battle, Meryn would nod off in his saddle only to wake the next day. From there the trip would be mundane: the men would walk in the night, morning and evening, sleeping in tents when the sun was at it's height. In time they would reach their destination, provided no setbacks arose later into their journey.

The carriage entered into the Gate of the Valheecius Desert. Everyone would pull their Boha-mata leaves out so they could breathe. Inside the carriage, Sinn would squish the leaf down and form it into a loose ball. He'd flick it into the mouth of Owa, aiming for the back of his throat. He needed it to breathe in the the environment.

"I am a man, inflicted by the poison of the Basilisk... I sit here, a man for now. Unlike you, a beast by birth; I am cursed to become consumed by the wrath of the Basilisk... you have not seen this power yet.

What made you decide to attack innocent men? Why not just force them to leave. Now you've got a war ahead of you now that will reveal everything about your land, no longer isolated. What good did it bring you? The death of many soldiers, man and beast, your capture, and another one like you was captured. You've brought death upon your land. Men will crawl over every peak and continue their onslaught without slack. The best way to prevent this is to begin giving names and locations.

If you don't talk, we have way to make you talk. You are no longer in the Free City territory, but The Phoenix State. Interrogations through torture is allowed by licensed officers. Lucky for you, I am approved to conduct these methods. I hope you're interested in being my practice doll, because all I need is one lie or refusal and I can begin practicing.

So to be clear, my first question is simple, What is your name, rank, and species?"

"Just keep walking, these leaves don't last forever, when they are done, so are you." Godfrey hated the desert. His attitude seemed to reflect this.

(sorry for late reply, was awe struck by your mention of radiation and unsure what to do. It threw me out of character XD)

Godfrey snapped slighty, "Its called a toxic gas that will kill you if you breath it for more than 10 seconds!" Godfrey sighed, "Sorry, this region puts me on edge."

Meryn smiled through his veil.

"War is brewing, and in the future The Phoenix State may be forced to fight a war on two fronts. As a military man, you know what this will do. I aim to distract The Phoenix State's enemies by embroiling them in a conflict before they can take advantage of The Phoenix State."

He would urge his lizard to a slower pace so that he might talk to Sinn without being droned out by the clopping of the lizard's feet.

"In other words, I wish to start a war. Or two. Three is we are lucky. If you have qualms with that, kill me now. I care little whether you trust me or not, what matters is that my plan succeeds. If not, The Phoenix State will soon be at it's most vulnerable point since the cataclysm, and Firgov's vision will never come to pass. The Phoenix State lies at the periphery of a cluster of civilizations; Aaedan, The Free City, Perimoore, and the holds of the beastlike Nokari. If conflict can be created between these entities while the Phoenix State sits outside the conflicts, it will be able to safely exert it's power elsewhere."

Meryn resumed his previous pace.

"You mentioned trust. In my mind, trust goes both ways. Earlier I asked you where your loyalties lie, and you dutifully responded that your ultimate loyalty lies with the armies of The Phoenix State. A man has many loyalties: to religion, to his family, to his moral code and ideals, and to the nations and brotherhoods he calls himself a member of. What I asked of you was an indication of what you were willing to fight for, live for, or die for."

He waited for some sort of response as he lizard surged through the sands.

Doobie had found himself lost in the desert, separate from his fellow Kobolds. He felt it was time to leave the others and his family, but didn't anticipate that he'd immediately get lost. This place was much worse than the Moorlands and Doobie was was in a poor mood.

"Blast it, blast it all. How long do these barrens go!" Doobie stomped through the desert in frustration until he came to a boulder that he could rest on. He sat upon the boulder and rubbed his scaly feet. His attention would be pulled when he felt a rumbling in the ground beneath him. "Heh?"

He screamed in fear when a Worrem tunneled up from the ground and he began to leg it. "AIIIIEEEE!!!"

There was no way the awe-inspiring Doobie could defeat such a giant creature on his own. While running he throws a fireball at the pursuing Worrem but it continues to chase the Kobold mage. The fire only seemed to illuminate the giant worm so he could see all of it's fearsome teeth in the night. "AIIIEE!!! NOOO!!!"

Godfrey stopped in his tracks. He looked in doobie's direction. He could feel the little monster headed their way. "There is a little... person that way. I don't remember their being little people in the region though its been along time since I've came through here." Godfrey hated the desert.