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The Norse had been right about Ragnarok, the end of the world. Though it hadn't come as they had thought it would, at the hands of dragons and giants, rather it came at the hands of the gods themselves.
It started in Greece. Athens fell to earthquakes and tsunamis and then hoards manticores invaded, wiping out most of the population. In Sparta, the carnivorous, Thracian horses were unleashed by Dionysius. One by one the cities and armies fell, leaving only small populations. In the northlands, the battle boar was unleashed upon the settlements and then Rhime Giants (frost giants) came in to finish up. The Niddhog was the final attack, a massive dragon with horns like a stag and vicious fire breath swooped down, melting the snowy earth and turning it into a black wasteland. The gods did nothing but watch, knowing there was no point in trying.
In Egypt, Set finally got his desires. The other gods had been killed by his legions of scorpion men, phoenix's and even possessed animals. One night, Ra's ship inlay met it's end, taking Bast an Sekhemit with him into the bowels of the snake known as Apophis and the sun didn't rise again on the Nile.
Serpents began to plague the land, massive, winged cobras that devoured cattle and people alike. Most of the remaining gods had gone into hiding from Set and the imposing Greek Gods and the frost giants of the north.

Nomti trudged through the dark dessert, the remaining anubites and anubian priestesses and even a few mummies close behind. Up ahead was the North African coast line, where a small fleet of ships was waiting patiently for their arrival. A group of civilians and a few soldiers were waiting up ahead for the godly beings to arrive.
There was a mix of humans, from Greek Hoplites, Evyptian Spearman and even Norse Hersir's and Jarls.
"Is this all?" Nomti asked the human who seemed to be in charge.";

Greece was in ruins. His beautiful city, Athens already struggling to recover from the Peloponnesian War, was flat out eliminated from the globe. Only the very skilled, or perhaps very lucky, had survived the disaster. No one had foreseen this, not even the prestigious Pythia at Delphi who was renowned for the prophecies she spoke, interceded by Apollo.

After the devastation, the Grecian survivors had been assimilated under Achimedeus, and what supplies could be salvaged from the ruins of an empire had been loaded into the few ships that were still floating and in one piece. The voyage to North Africa's coast had been without casualty, and there, Achimedeus had found more people still.

The long-awaited Egyptians came over the hills of sand at an agonizing pace. Their apparent leader approached Achimedeus immediately.
"All?" he echoed curtly. "More wait. I have had to separate all the survivors into groups. A rowdy lot, they are. The Spartans fight amongst the Athenians, these Nordic warriors rile everyone up, the satyrs steal away women, and the women wail for their children. These here-" he indicated the men milling about a small distance away- "are my most well-comported and seasoned warriors." He then swept a hand toward the docked ships. "We have not set up camp in the event of another attack. We cannot risk losing any supplies and I did not know how long you would take."

"Wise of you," came a raspy voice that sounded like what wax would if wax was a thing of speech.
A mummy lurched it's way to the front of the group and looked down at the Greek General. The undead creature stood at well over 8 feet tall and despite being mostly bone and sinew, had the strength to snap Achimedus in half, armor and all.
"Our last message from our gods," he began, his jaw not even moving in a way to form words, rather they just seemed to flow out of his head in some audible manner, "Was to preserve all of what we can of all of our civilizations. They are not petty like those of yours, how quarrel and bicker like children and then turned on your own cities," the mummy commented.
Nomti listened with interest as the ancient pharaoh said his message then insulted Achimedeus.
"Ahabaret. Calm yourself," a mummified priest cautioned him, "They are allies. It is not their fault for what their gods have done."
There was a murmur of agreement from the other mummies and the egyptian soldiers as well while the Anubites and Anubian priestesses remained silent.
"My apologies for his outburst... If it could be called that," Nomti finally said and gave a little bow, "He is from the Era of your Trojan Wars. He personally led a group against the Greek soldiers and died before he could make one kill. Mummies tend to hold grudges," the young Anubite forced a smile, "Is there room for all of us aboard. We have 154 in total. I would recommend you separate the mummies from the humans. They aren't exactly... healthy to be around," he said, gesturing to the pharaoh, who had large flies buzzing around him and a few maggots in his eye holes.

Achimedeus's expression remained impassive throughout the duration of the mummy's  discourteous monologue, his only reaction being an eyebrow raise at the mention of the Trojan War. "I assure you that I have done all possible to ensure the union of these civilizations. I am sure that you will help maintain the order, not dissolve it." He addressed them all, sweeping his gaze over them.

He turned to the Anubite without returning his smile. "There is enough room. The mummies will be put on one of three ships that have already reserved for the undead. Supplies have been distributed to each of our ships, so that in the event that one of them sinks, we do not lose everything. I will have to sort out the rations system again..." He snorted. "If there are any who do not eat, please tell me. But for now, come. There are other leaders who wish to meet you."

His men stood to attention and followed in an organized march as he led the Egyptians toward the shoreline. "I am Achimedeus," he said to Nomti as they walked. "As these are my ships, you and your men will answer to me."

"I am actually not the leader here, simply the most sociable of us all," Nomti responded, "But none of the undead need to eat... And actually, neither do we anubites. The priestesses and the humans, obviously, will need to eat though," he informed then thought about the general's comment about their own undead. Shades perhaps? He had been to the Egyptian, Norse and Greek underwolds, and each was unique in their own way. The Greek had to be his least favorite, there were so many many miles of forgotten souls and only so few in the golden isle of Elysium, it made him sad. The Norse had to have the best afterlife in his opinion. It mattered not what class or rank one was, as long as they lived an honest life, they would be sent to Odin's hall to feast until Ragnarok... But it seemed that these heroes never came to the aid of the mortals.
"What kind of undead do you have with you?" he finally asked, curiosity in his voice, "The shades reside in Hades and from what I know, your dead cannot leave unless permitted by Hades himself, and the Norse have no undead that I've heard of, just drunken ghosts."

The man claimed to be the most sociable, yet he had neglected to even give his name. he did seem rather knowledgeable, however, and talkative indeed.
"Had Hades released the dead, we would be overrun by them. I expect Charon has grown wealthy from collecting fares from all the souls who have passed in the past few hours alone." He shook his head. "No, our undead are those who could not afford to pay the fee necessary to be taken across rivers Styx and Acheron, and therefore rejected. Unusual, but understandable, given the circumstances." He smiled grimly. "And what of your undead? I thought mummies were brainless. How is it that they can speak?"

The ships varied in size and ranged from being merchant ships to battleships. "Will you come aboard?" he asked Nomti. "We need more people to man the ships." He rubbed his temples, feeling the onset of a headache.

"Well, they're technically brainless. Their brains are in jars in the pyramids actually. Probably long since decayed to nothing. Anyways, they are intelligent because it is a body possessed by the spirit of the pharaoh or priest. That's why there mouths don't move yet they speak. And they are very powerful, with or without the power of the gods. They can turn any living being into a minion, who will crumble to dust after a short time," Nomti informed the general, "From an elephant to a minotaur to a man."
He thought for a moment then offered another smile, "My name is Nomti. Apologies for my lack of manners," he bowed again then looked to the group behind him.
"The Anubian priestesses will be with the women and children. Is this suitable to you? They will help protect against your satyr companions," he offered, "And our soldiers are as good at manning a ship as any from Phoenecia... We should have some of our own arriving within the hour from the mouth of the Nile. They're loaded with what supplies could be salvaged and a decent amount of soldiers as well as families... Unfortunately, many of the godly creatures of our culture are not as benign as yours. Satyrs may have an difficult to satisfy lust, but are all in all harmless. All manner of terrors can emerge from a dessert however and there is a good chance that we'll be attacked by Scorpion men and..." he shivered and his fur stood on end and his ears went flat, "Wadjets..." he spat the word out, a mixture of fear and anger in his eyes even as he said it.

"Well, Nomti, how do we know the mummies will not cause trouble?" Ahabaret had left a poor impression. He had a sharp tongue, or lack thereof, which was especially impressive considering his brainlessness. "I run a tight ship, quite literally. The priestesses will be with the women and children, provided that they do not mind being split up among the groups of women and children of varying origin. Soldiers are a required as well, but you have any healers? We are in great need of them, and of medicinal supplies. Arabian healers, I've found, are especially adept, but there aren't nearly enough."

He stiffened at the mention the less-pleasant desert dwellers. "What sort weaponry will the soldiers bring? I made sure to bring as much as could be salvaged but I fear it may not be enough. Armour as well. Do you know how to deal with the desert's dangers?" Servants of gods were usually adept at casting magic or calling upon their god for aid. Although Achimedeus did question the likelihood of the gods to rush to their aid anytime soon.

"The mummies will be fine as long as no one tugs on their wraps. They particularly hate that, but otherwise they can actually hold conversation pretty well. They are the wisest rulers and priests of their respective eras... Or just rich. In any case, they should pose no issue. You said they will be with other undead right?" Nomti confirmed, "As for healers, that is a job of the Anubian Priestesses," he gestured to his female counterparts, "They can heal as well as they can fight, and trust me, they know how to fight," Nomti said with a bit of a smirk, which changed to a firm line when the dangers were spoken of.
"Well, I well be less than helpful if there are wadjets even in the vicinity... But I can fight against scorpion men. We anubites are immune to all poisons," he said, "You know what a scorpion man is, yes? They're like your centaurs, but with scorpion lower halves and giant claws instead of hands. Vicious, but not particularly smart," he commented thoughtfully, "Wadgets though..." the jackal boy shuddered, "They're something else... They're cobras big enough to eat a horse, with massive wings to keep their heads up. The spit venom which can eat through metal and they're witty as the feral jackals," he said with a grim tone. "Fortunately, they're more scared of petsuchos than I am of them. He should be arriving with the ships later," he informed, "In any case, our soldiers are equipped with spears, shields, halberds and bows, as well as full body armor made of iron and leather. There may or may not be a catapult on one of the larger kebenits once they get here."

Achimedeus nodded at the mention of the ships. "Very well. Let us hope they arrive soon and safely. And let us hope your... Wadjets... give us no trouble. It is good to know that you are well capable of both healing and fighting."

He regarded Nomti closely. "You seem to be an intelligent young man. Tell me, what do you know about the events of the past few hours?" Surely a servant of a god would know more than he. "Have the gods abandoned us completely? Is there anythig we can do to reverse what has been done? None of who I have spoken to, leaders or otherwise, has been able to tell me why their gods turned their backs and why all their homes were destroyed."

"Everyone else can fight the Wadjets... Just me personally... Don't know why, but any kind Of snake I just..." he shuddered again.

"I'm not sure what has happened. The Norse gods have done nothing to help or hinder us, yours seem dead set on destroying the mortal plane of existence, and our gods have gone into hiding, the ones who remain. Ra, Sekhemit and Bast are trapped within the belly of Apophis. That is why there is no sun rise anymore..." he frowned, "Anubis doesn't communicate with lesser Anubites like myself unfortunately and I have no way to gain my ascension to Guardian without access to the pyramids or the underworld. I know about as much as you... Except that Thoth had joined Set. It was a reluctant act on his part, but he is the god of wisdom and memory. He did it to preserve the history of us... If you see a Phoenix, know that he is watching over us."

"You don't like snakes, then?" he said with a small smile. "No matter." Wadjets weren't a concern at the moment. "Should the ships be arriving soon? I have been sleepless for days. Help would be much appreciated." Being the highest-ranking Grecian who remained uninjured, responsibility had fallen upon him. While he did not utter a word of complaint, he needed someone to relieve him for at least a few hours.

"Forgive me for not being up-to-date on Egyptian gods, but Set is your equivalent of Hades? Interesting how everything is interlinked." He looked up at the sky thoughtfully as though expecting to see a phoenix fly overhead.

"Ha! Hardly. Osiris is our Hades equivalent. He is the god of the dead and the afterlife. He is why these mummies exist. Anubis, my patron, is the god of judgement and he weighs soulds against the feather of truth and is Osirirs' assistant. Unlike Hades, our gods of the dead are not malign or troublesome, but just. Set is the god of all bad things, from the scorpions in the desert to the shadows and lagues that attack the lands in all of our cultures. I fear he may be the source of this all... It's either him or your Olympians," Nomti mused then nodded to him, "Actually, I could take your postion if you need to rest. By law, we godly beings possess higher rank in the military than any Egyptian general. You may rest at your leisure. The reinforcements should be her within the hour."

In the distance over the ocean, a bright orange light it up the sky for a moment, then disappeared.

Achimedeus, eyelids heavy with exhaustion, was too tired to notice the flash of orange light. The idea of a rest was very appealing, and what could go wrong in a few short hours? "I leave everything in your hands," he said to Nomti. "Wake me when the reinforcements arrive, or if anything out of the ordinary occurs." It felt strange that someone so much younger than he was ranked higher in the Egyptian system but was too tired to argue. "I will be in the captain's cabin," he told Nomti, setting off toward his ship. 

God of bad things, imagine! How miserable a god he must be!

In his cabin, Achimedeus painstakingly sorted through the pile of parchment on his bed, relocating it onto a desk in order of importance. These were records that told him how much people, food, weapons, and other things they had. He was the type of person who believed in organization, however menial or unimportant it seemed. It wasn't until this was done that he allowed himself to sleep.

Nomti gently shook the general awake about an hour and a half later, "Our reinforcements have arrived sir," he said as softly as he could and took a respectful step back from the older... Well, technically younger, Grecian.
"There is a catapult as well as several of the beings we simply call avengers," he said, "Petsuchos the crocodile and Ornlu the wolf are here too... Though I'm not sure how Ornlu got here from the Norselands... She's a strange one," he commented.

(I'm still playing just remade Nomti with another character)

Catapult? Avengers? "Are we under attack?" Achimedeus sat up, his sluggish mind struggling to make sense of his words. He asked Nomti to repeat what he had said and led him out of the cramped cabin and into the sunlight. "Where are they?" he asked after a spell. "I hope they haven't brought more berserkers. Ended up with twelve casualties when we met with some vikings, half of which thought we were sent by Hel to destroy what remained of them."

Nomti repeated the information and then shook his head, "No berserkers. There's ulfserkers though... Sorta the same thing actually, except they're smaller men and wear wolf skins instead of best skins. Anyways, Petsuchos, Ornlu, a few Hersirs and Ulfsarks as well as several Egyptian soldiers have arrived."

"Have the newcomers been properly seen to? Petsuchos and Ornlu are quite improtant figures, are they not?" There were new ships docked at the makeshift harbour, distinctly Egyptian and Norse warships, the latter particulary inpressive due to the drekkar in the mismatched fleet, complete with carvigs of strange creatures.

"Yes, they've been seen to. Ornlu would like to speak with you... Petsuchos is patrolling the bech with a compliment of your Hoplites and our spear men," Nomti informed te general and then stepped out of his room.