The transition from the temperate climate of the Academy to the Ashen Sands was brutal.
Alvian stepped out of the teleportation circle in the border town of Dust-Hollow. Immediately, a wall of heat slammed into him. The air was dry, tasting of sand and sulfur.
[System Warning: Environmental Hazard - Extreme Heat.]
[Stamina consumption increased by 50%.]
[Water-based skills effectiveness reduced by 30%.]
Alvian adjusted his [Robes of the Void Walker]. The cloth was enchanted to regulate temperature, but even Epic gear struggled against this hellscape.
He ignored the stares of the rough-looking mercenaries and hunters in the town square. Dust-Hollow was a lawless place, a haven for those who found the Academy's rules too stifling.
He checked his supplies. He had stocked up on water and stamina potions using the funds from selling Lysander's staff (George had handled the fence).
"Objective: Sunken Ruins," Alvian muttered.
He set out into the dunes.
