Dear friends. In the name of the Athasian Survey Project, I’m reaching into the mind of a traitor.

I guess with all the preparations, I had lost track of time. When I reached out to Margaba’s mind, it was the middle of the scorching day.

Unprotected eyes would struggle to see this sight under normal conditions. The blindingly white Great Salt Flats beyond the Endless Sand Dunes are not for the faint of heart or slow of stride.

Margaba was meditating inside a magical tiny hut he had conjured. I was reassured to see he still had enough humanity left to still fear the relentless dehydration of desert sun and the salt flats, but his mind buzzed with so much power I suspected that he was unable to sleep normally.

“Margaba.”

“Eshmel. You’re alive! Well…in a manner of speaking…”

“What are you doing, Margaba?”

“I’m impressed you can reach this far. I must be hundreds of miles from Winter Nest! Who’s helping you?”

“What are you doing with the Crystals, Margaba?”

“Hmm… Impressive psionic defences, Eshmel. You’re with powerful friends, aren’t you? Nexus, maybe?”

“Why are you tapping conjunction points?”

“Oh enough with you and your annoying wholesomeness! You think you can just charm your way across the world and save it with what? The power of friendship??? By studying waterfalls??? There’s too much at stake for your soft approach, you old fool!”

“Margaba…”

“The world’s future is too important to leave to the timid Consortium and their plodding ways! There are bigger, more ancient powers to the south who are willing and able to do more than just talk and observe.”

“Who did you make a deal with?”

“Oh oh! That would be telling wouldn’t it? Even if you could bring every last living soldier the Consortium could muster, you would never even get close to the City before our enchantment is complete. So just do us all a favour and sit back and watch us fix the world. That’s a good boy.

“…and GET. OUT. OF. MY MIND!”

With that, I felt a tremendous pulse of magically-amplified psionic force pushing me out of Margaba’s mind. With the Crystals in his possession, he’s terrifyingly strong.

I spent the next few days puzzling over our strange conversation. Going south of the Salt Flats? ‘The City?’ Where was he going?

Sharing this with the Consortium, it was the eldest of the templar archivists back in Urik that came back with the answer.

Judging by his direction of travel, Margaba was heading straight into the Dead Lands, specifically for the City of a Thousand Dead.

My journey was about to become that much more impossible.

Until next time, may the moons guide you.