Thirsty River (outpost)

Description
''One look at this dry and desolated gorge tells the tale of its naming. Where once flowed a mighty river that shaped the land over millennia, now wind and sand make their way along deep channels, now little more than an echo of the past.''

Mission Briefing
From the Ghostly Hero:
 * "A test of the mighty awaits you.


 * What is it you seek?"

Why do the buildings here appear to be made from boats?
 * "Like most others who have come to the Crystal Desert, the Margonites arrived expecting to be able to find a physical means with which to reach the heavens. All they found was disappointment, an endless supply of sand, and eventually their own mortality."

The Margonites?
 * "Very much like my people, the Elonians, they were simply a misguided group who came to the desert to be heard by their gods."

How did they get here?
 * "It might be hard to believe but many hundreds of years ago, much of the sand and sun-baked dunes were completely underwater. The Margonites, as you might have surmised by their architecture, were a sea-going culture, and they simply floated their way out here, looking for Ascension, backed when only the tops of dunes stuck out of the water.


 * They did not understand there is no earthly way to reach Ascension. Only by proving yourself worthy to the gods will they allow you access to their realm."

'''What happened to the Margonites? '''
 * "They built towers, like so many others have, hoping to climb into the heavens and to come face-to-face with their gods, foolishly thinking they could read their petitions to Dwayna, Balthazar, and Melandru from their own lips. Their towers remain standing to this day, an eternal testament to their failure. Understand this: Ascension must be earned, and even then, only those few who are worthy of being raised to such a level will be admitted. All others will fall to the wayside, toiling in obscurity for a goal they cannot reach or becoming trapped like me, forced to wait for an eternity, their fate resting in the hands of someone they have not yet met."

What must I do?
 * "You must make your way to the Rune Circle. There you will be cleaned of your earthly sins in preparation of your being gazed upon by the gods."

Getting there
From Destiny's Gorge, head southeast across the Scar.

Exits

 * The Scar (north)

NPCs

 * Henchmen (Level 17):
 * Little Thom (Brawler)
 * Stefan (Fighter)
 * Reyna (Archer)
 * Alesia (Healer)
 * Lina (Protector)
 * Claude (Cultist)
 * Dunham (Enchanter)
 * Orion (Mage)
 * Merchants and Traders:
 * Kinsley (Merchant)
 * Storage:
 * Xunlai Agent (Storage)
 * Various:
 * Ghostly Hero