Welcome to Gaia! ::

A massive airship hovers a thousand feet above a massive desert that stretches pole to pole, making a natural barrier from one side of the planet to the other. Gas boats have to circumnavigate the entire globe just to reach the other side, instead of crossing the thirty mile wide stretch of desert. Now, not even Airships can pass this line. Because the sands live, and they refuse trespassers.

"Captain! Why are we landing?!" shouts the first mate, "Waddya mean? We're in the middle of a desert! We'd be fools to land now!" "Then why are we getting lower?" "We 'aint! The Altimeter says we are still a thousand feet up! You gettin' senile on me boy?!" "Then why are the sands getting closer?!" The Captain peers over the edge of his ship, and sees that the many dunes and cacti were indeed approaching them. But he neither got that typical sinking feeling, nor did the horizon move. They weren't sinking, the ground was rising... "All hands on deck! We got trouble afoot! Get this 'ere ship up in the sky already!"

The vessel lurches upward, the masts catching a great gust of warm wind, and the jets accelerating the process. But they weren't fast enough. They could rise all they wanted, the ship couldn't go past a certain point. The sand needn't obey by those rules

As the ship reaches its apex, the Captain knew all was lost. "Men! It was an honor sailing with you. I have never had such a fine crew." he says, walking ot the center of the airship, his crew gathering around. "We shall meet again at the shores of the Heavenly Sea, to sail once more!": "Aye Aye, Cap'n~!"

The sand finally catches up to them, and closes around the ship. It wraps its tendrils around it, and crushes it. An explosion goes off, and the crew aboard the SS Venture perished. All to set sail once more in the Heavenly Sea.

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"Goddammit! That was the fifth ship and crew this month! And they're getting expensive! Why, in the Hell we live in, can a ship not cross that blasted desert?!" shouts Greggory McCinnith, "Exporting all of my goods across this planet daily instead of across that desert is costing me revenue and capital!" "I understand sir. But there isn't much we can do to stop it. The desert has always been a bad omen for those who cross it. We should stop sending people across without properly preparing them." "No. WE are holding a competition this time. No one gets paid until they reach the other side successfully, and map out their path. Put an ad out now!"

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In less than an hour, the spot was aired. It was aired on all billboards, TVs, Radios, everything. Simultaneously.

"Oil Max has requested assistance from the masses of Tempmus! The first to cross the Q'uam Desert will receive free gas and oil for life, $1 Million, a refund for all resources expended during the expedition, and a share in the company! Apply at our website below, and be the first across the desert!"

The race to certain death, is on...

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((This is going to be an intro RP for Ammopsam, but will incorporate a much larger story than the last one. One that associates anyone and everyone.))

An explosion resonates from inside the hangar, causing a piece of sheet metal to fall from the roof. Black smoke bellows from the hangar, the majority erupting from the main entrance. Grim stumbles out, hacking and coughing from the smoke, waving a rag around to clear some of it from his face. His body is covered in soot, and his facial hair charred to a crisp. He wipes his face from the soot, black smears still persisting. No noticing Arial and Shelly, he begins to cough more violently, spitting out blackened gunk. "Whoo! Man! One helluva explosion!" he shouts to himself with a choked laugh.

Shelly hopped off of Arial's shoulder and went over to Ben with excitement. "Ben! Ben! We're goin' on an adventure!" she cheered.

Arial walked over to Grim with a bit of a say, displaying her confidence. "Grim! H-hey!" she said, trying her best not to faint. Even through his dirty face, the light within shined through him...

((The latter option!))

"N-no, no, not at all!" Arial said with a nervous giggle, "I-I just 'eard this announcement on the radio, and Shelly wanted ta-"
"Arial wanted ta-"
"-tell you all about it!"

Arial shot at glare at Shelly, which was answered with a raspberry on Shelly's part. Arial looked back to Grim and smiled eagerly, the thought of adventure replacing her temporary embarrassment. "It's a contest!" she explained, "And the winner is-"
"The winner is the group or person who crosses-"
"Crosses the-"
"Let me finish!"
"I started it!"
"So I should end it!"

Shelly huffed and narrowed her eyes, and Arial crossed her arms, holding back swears.

Grim laughs once more, loving the two fighting over who completes a sentence. He looks from Shelly to Arial and grins. "You two are adorable." says Grim with a large smile, "How about you say one sentence each?" Grim kinda wanted to see the argument to on, thinking it's hilarious, but his curiosity trumped it. He glances at Jaybomb and nods, "Yeah, I'm fine."

Ben shook his whole body, the soot coming off easily. He giggled in joy as he heard about their adventure. "Cool! Can I come, Shelly?" Ben asked, blushing lightly.

"Adventure, huh? I certainly do like adventures..." says Grim, nodding with a contemplative grin. "But that desert is dangerous. We'd have to be really careful. But if you want to do it, we'll do it. Count me in!" He hadn't gone on any exciting adventures in ages, and he couldn't wait to start again. 'I'll need to keep them safe... Maybe Swift will come with us. We need someone with powers.'

"Really? Oh, thank you!" Arial cheered. She paced quickly, saying both to herself and Grim, "We need you for this to work. My place is in water, and there's none of that in a desert, from what I know. I-I've ne'er been t' one..."
Shelly squealed, bouncing higher, her earring making a soft clank each time her ears hit the floor. "Ben, are you exited? I'm excited!"