The Diary of Aaron Carter

The following account has been transcribed from a notebook retrieved from the Sahra Desert

## Prelude

I do not know what it is that compels me to write at this time. Laura is resting at my side, the steady rhythm of her soft breath the only recognizable sign of calm in this forsaken place. Wherever it is that her mind has wandered to in her dreams, I pray she is able to remain there until Death comes to claim us both at last. I myself tried to doze, but the grasp of this waking nightmare has invaded deep into my sleep, so there can be no reprieve for my exhausted body or weary mind. Perhaps I write now to try to make sense of it all, to find some form of closure, some inner peace, even though all around me has become so bizarre and disturbed. Perhaps I write so that whoever finds this notebook knows of the atrocities that have transpired here, though, for the sake of The Empire, I pray that this place remains undiscovered and that no others will come to bear witness to the horrors I have seen. Regardless of why it is that I write, as a historian, it is my solemn duty to make my testimony as factual, unbiased, and thorough as I am able, yet, given the traumatic nature of this experience, I do not believe that I will have the luxury to remain objective in my account.

Everything began with a benign letter from an old colleague, Rasn Danir. The timing of it was so perfect that it seemed almost surreal. I had just lost my previous position as a professor at the University of the Falling Sands. This was due in no part to any misconduct of my own but rather due to the fact the history department received severe budget cuts after a certain controversy caused by one of my colleagues altering historical accounts. The offender was dismissed immediately, but the cutbacks were so drastic that he would not be the only one to get the ax. The department had become quite bloated over the years, and there were many more fitting candidates and projects that could have and should have been terminated in my stead, but the Head of Research, Grant Fuller, had enduring grudges with me dating back to my time as one of his students. I believe he dreaded that one day I would become his successor and he was always looking for opportunities to obstruct me whenever they arose, so I was not surprised in the least when I saw the pink notice lying on my desk, but I was still quite miffed.

I was in the process of filling out sundry applications for a plethora of positions at various institutions across The Empire, but before I could even put my curricula vitae in the mail, Rasn’s personal courier eagle arrived at my bedroom window, pecking at the glass with a gilded and sealed envelope. My curiosity piqued, I let the creature inside and fed it some dinner scraps as I examined the elegant parcel, which no doubt was imprinted with the Danir family's official crest. Rasn had been working as a professor at the Imperial Academy; while his family had not held land in centuries, their noble title and royal blood were still enough for Rasn to be eligible for the job. That is not to say he was undeserving of such a prestigious position, but I would like to establish for the record that the history department of the University of the Falling Sands has a far greater reputation than even that of the Imperial Academy, which is the reason many nobles, Rasn himself being no such exception, chose to study antiquity there instead, but I digress. Inside the envelope was a letter, and while I do not have it with me at present, I will recreate its content as well as memory serves. He wrote:

offering me something that I may never have another chance at in my lifetime, an opportunity to attend the opening of a recently discovered tomb. Rasn was working as a professor at the Emperor’s University, a position only available to those of royal blood. While the Danir family has not held land in centuries, their title was still enough for him to be eligible for the job. That is not to say he was undeserving of such a prestigious position, though it is worth mentioning that the history department of the University of the Falling Sands has even greater reputation than that of the Emperor’s University which is why many nobles wishing to learn about antiquity attend it instead, Rasn himself being no exception, but I digress. His eagle perched on my guest chair at the opposite side of my desk and waited patiently as I read through the letter. I do not have it on me at present, but I will recreate its content as best as memory serves. He wrote:

*“Dear Aaron,*

*I was in the process of looking for some good men to accompany me on an expedition to an intriguing new site, when I stumbled across an article in my university’s paper mentioning that you had just lost your position and how it was such a shame that, despite your revered skill, a 'mere commoner' such as yourself would never be able to become a member of our esteemed faculty. I was thoroughly flabbergasted by Fuller’s foolishness in letting you go, especially given that you were by far the best interpreter of hieroglyphics I have ever met and your insights and intuitions on matters of ancient writings were the most profound in our entire class, nay, the entire University of the Falling Sands.*

*Getting back to the matter at hand, one of my graduate students, a bit of an 'obsessive-compulsive' fellow, had been personally verifying every map in the Imperial Academy's library, a task which he informed me he had begun independently over seven years ago. This whole time he has been scrying and scanning over every last grain of sand in the Central Desert to see if there were any ruins, artifacts, or simply interesting landmarks that the cartographers and explorers happened to miss. Unsurprisingly, his pursuit was largely in vain, that is until just last week when he finally came across a bit of an anomaly: seven pillars rising out of the ground with what appears to be a tiny pyramid at their center, possibly only the tip of a much larger structure buried beneath the sands. I was incredulous when he first told me of his discovery, but he was not the type to lie and sure enough, I verified his account with a scrying spell of my own. It is quite possible that the pillars have been buried for thousands of years and have only recently been uncovered by the fickle wind causing shifts in the dunes. Regardless, this is not an opportunity that presents itself very often. The last known expedition to a tomb that had not already had the Imperial Army scavenge it for all relics of any interest was nearly a century ago. All the ruins we have had access to since had already been stripped clean of nearly all of their secrets by the coarse hands of soldiers, scoundrels, and marauders but this new structure offers us a chance delve into the unknown.*

*I have already gathered most of the crew I will be taking with me and I am in need of just one more expert in the field of archaeology to help me decipher the meaning behind any ancient runes we may encounter, as well as give me a second opinion on my theories. I would be delighted to be able to work with you once more for this endeavor. I do regret that I cannot help you find a more permanent position at a university to replace your old one, and I do realize that coming on this expedition may delay your current job search, but with the fame we will receive upon the success of our mission, combined with your already excellent reputation, finding more work for yourself afterward should be a trivial matter. Please notify me if you are interested in joining me posthaste, I plan to be heading out to Bideu the 21st of Radiance, two weeks from now at the time of writing, and probably much sooner for you. I will be waiting for you camped out at the city gates”*

Previously, I had never even considered that the revered scholars of the Imperial Academy might recognize my contributions to the field and hold me in such high regard. I was immediately captivated by Rasn's honeyed words, so flattered that I nearly swooned. Needless to say, I wrote up a small letter confirming my interest immediately, hastily tied the scroll to the eagle's leg, and began eagerly packing up my belongings. In the evening, I headed out to the market to purchase a donkey, and by nightfall, I was on the road to Bideu.

## Outset

While my spirits were invigorated with an overwhelming deluge of joyous anticipation, the journey itself, I must say, was rather unpleasant. Summer had already crept across the desert and the heat was absolutely oppressive. I had visited many ruins before as part of field research for my university studies, but all such expeditions had been made during the winter, that wonderful time of the year when the sun does not reign as tyrant over the dunes, roasting exposed flesh within a matter of minutes. Furthermore, the premium carriages and luxurious accommodations organized by the university made such expeditions feel more like camping trip vacations more than anything, but this, traveling by donkey back on desert roads about to journey to some site modern man has never gone to before, was another demon entirely. Truth be told, I was rather anxious. The joy and dread in my heart were locked in a ceaseless struggle as onward I rode.

Upon arriving in Bideu, I was not given a single moment to collect myself, for just as I passed through the city gates, I was greeted by the sight of small caravan with three carriages and twelve mules, all bearing cloths embroidered with the insignia of the Danir family, brilliantly blazing gold in the high noon sun. I had hoped that we might stay the night there and get a chance to rest before setting out on our journey proper first thing in the morning, but sure enough, as my donkey and I trotted on by, Rasn spotted me and charged towards me with such vigorous zeal that I was almost certain that he would hoist me over his shoulder, carry me back out the city gate, and begin our adventure forthwith. Thankfully, my feet stayed grounded as the exuberant Rasn merely wished to wrap one of his burly arms around my shoulders. His face beamed with the radiance of solar flare as he practically shouted into my ear, "Aaron! So nice of you to finally join us!"

The mountain of a man released me from his embrace. I gently massaged my eardrum and smiled with a tinge of exasperation as I returned, "Rasn, glad to see you haven't changed a bit."

We had only just finished exchanging these pleasantries when yet another colossus of a man, one whom I did not recognize, jumped down from one of the carriages, striking the earth below the thunderous clang of his bulky steel plate mail. His tarnished armor covered all but his face and did nothing to hide his disapproving scowl as he looked down on me and asked, "Is it him?" to which Rasn replied with an apparently obliviously jovial nod. The warrior's scowl held firm and he impassively responded, "Well then, we are ready to move out when you are." Rasn waved his hand and the armored man returned to the carriage without another word.

Rasn rested the palm of his hand upon my shoulder and said, "Don't worry about him, he's actually a great guy once you get to know him. Anyway, We'll head out around sunset, it's too hot to travel right now, and besides," He placed his lips close to my ear and this time actually whispered into it, "there are too many prying eyes around." He placed his hand atop my scalp and turned my head in the direction of an alleyway filled with dark-robed men who were not so subtly staring back at two of us. Rasn gave a nonchalant smile and waved and waved to the men who quickly sank away into the shadows. "Come, come, let's drink and catch up a little," He urged as placed his hand back on my shoulder and escorted me to the nearest tavern.