Both realms endeavor to have an active expedition to the Land of the Dead. The means of transport to the hostile desert wasteland are Airships. Airship expeditions are costly affairs which require resources. Only one realm will control the necessary supply lines to support the expedition, and so only one realm's flight masters will allow flight to the Land of the Dead at any one time.

Both realms' Expedition Resources are tracked on the in-game map and in the HUD. These meters grow with every Tier 4 zone control won, and every player killed in open RvR. Once a realm fills its Expedition Resource meter, it will gain control of the Land of the Dead. Its Airship Flight Masters will become active, while the other realm's will become inactive. On transfer of control, the Expedition Resource gathering pauses for 30 minutes, giving the newly winning realm unfettered access for that duration. After the initial 30 minutes, the winning realm will continue to have access but their resource meter will reset, while the losing realm's meter continues where they left off.

While only one realm can zone in and respawn in the Land of the Dead at any given time, this does not mean the opposing realm's players won't still be lurking about in Zandri. The only thing that will cast these enemy players out of the zone is respawning after dying.

"Supplies is needed to keep the expedition afloat. Not literally, mind, but these things don't run themselves. Folks gotta be fed, gotta be paid. This means that anything of value ya find on an enemy can benefit the war effort. Scraps, maybe, but sometimes if ya get enough of them scraps together, well, you got yerself a hoard.

"So that's how it started for me, killin' greenies and goin' through their grimy pockets lookin' for bits of this or that. It got so that I was bringin' in sacks of goods, and they got to know me by name. 'Florinson,' they'd say. 'Don't ya have a wife? A family? Take a break, why don't ya?' Ain't no time to take breaks, I'd tell 'em. Not while the greenies and the mutants and those dirty Dark Elves is breathin' down our necks.

"Then one day I saw the first of the Airships cruisin' over Altdorf. My heart moved into my throat. I would've cried, 'cept I've never been one for tears. Seein' that Airship, the proud Dwarfs on her decks wavin' as she flew above the city ... I knew right then that we were gonna win this war. Ain't no two lodes about it."

-- Dori Florinson, Longbeard

"We's gots 'em, too, Airships fer da Waaagh!! Came up wif dat idea 'fore da stunties did, too! Better'n dose balloons dey use, lemme tell ya!"

-- Plook, Goblin 'Tinkerer'

Players of 25th Rank or higher can fly into the Land of the Dead once their realm has control. The camps of Order and Destruction are on opposite sides of the zone, separated by the toxic Mortis River, several Public Quests, and numerous encounters. Each of these Public Quests features a unique game-play dynamic, and all of them are always "solo friendly." This isn't to say that boss monsters don't spawn in the final stages of these PQs; they do. It's just that a solo player who hunts monsters in search of Tokens can easily avoid them, and core monsters are present in every stage of every PQ.

"My arrival in Zandri via Dwarf Airship gave me ample opportunity to view the land from on high as we drifted languidly above the dunes. This is a vast territory, my Emperor, lovely even in its desolate emptiness. I drew many rough sketches of the terrain before we alit in Goldbarrow. I shall have my maps finished within a week.

"The region is divided by a wide river of the sickliest hue. There can be no crossing it, unless one marches their troops to the Temple complex near the pyramid to the west. Even from the air I could see that the Tomb King's minions were as thick as flies in that venue. As a humble map-maker, I am horrified at the thought of taking such a risk.

"To the north I spied the camp of our enemies. We did not fly close, as the danger was too grave, but I dare to venture a guess that it is an ugly place, full of villainy and horror. I pray never to see it in detail, unless it lay in ruins following a successful offensive by our brave soldiers.

"Also of note is this land. The rocky areas in the east are host to many monuments and features; a curious quarry on the south side, an obelisk on the north, and temple structures on both. Flocks of undead carrion birds (or so I have been told) roost upon the crags, awaiting a living repast. And the terrifying troops of the Tomb King, ever marching, ever fighting.

"The sands in the west are also host to many wonders. The architecture, as ruined and timeworn as it is, inspires wonder and awe despite its horrifying nature. Scattered tombs are all around, and bandits have been seen roaming the deserts ..."

-- The Honorable Gerhardt Schuler, Imperial Cartographer, from his report to Emperor Karl Franz

Scarab Coins have a chance to drop from everything in the Land of the Dead: monsters, boss monsters, and players. They also can be found in Public Quest bags and various other hidden places. These coins can be traded in for valuable crafting materials, armor, weapons, and perishables.

"Lookit dis shiny! Ain't seen nuffin like it afore!"

"Gimme dat, Skatt! Lemme see!"

"Find yer own, Buglut! Dis one's mine!"

"Fine, den, gitface! If ya'd half a Squig's brain, ya'd see it ain't worf nuffin'!"

"Is so! An' even if it ain't worf nuffin', how'd a stunty-bait like youse know dat?"

"Youse so stupid, Skatt! Dat one's got a bug onnit! Da ones wif bugs ain't worf nuffin'!"

"Oh, dere is a bug onnit! Hmmm. Wanna trade?"

"I gots an Elfie ear, nice 'n stinky jus' like youse likes 'em!"

"Wif maggots innit, Buglut?"

"Lots of 'em, Skatt! Dey's plump 'n juicy 'n squirmy, too!"

"Right, den, dat's a fair cop. Give 'em over!"

-- Conversation between Skatt and Buglut, Squig Herders

Instanced Lairs can be found throughout the Necropolis of Zandri. They are the resting places of the Vulture Lord's closest advisors and political allies. Outside each of these lairs are hieroglyphic symbols, or Glyphs. Only players possessing the correct Glyphs can enter these sacred tombs. Each of the Public Quests throughout the Necropolis awards all participating players a Glyph specific to that Public Quest. Glyphs and the Lairs with which they are associated are tracked in the Tome of Knowledge.

"Each tomb is governed by a combination of Glyphs which can disable the magic that secures them. Who or what defends the Glyphs? Where can they be found? Research indicates they are within the clutches of the Vulture Lord's minions. To gain access to these Glyphs, these lackeys must first be defeated. Easier said than done, I say.

"As to the tombs, what purpose do they serve? What treasures are locked away in their shadowy depths? What horrors sleep, nestled in golden sarcophagi, for us to find? Such answers are not to be found in my musings; they can only be discovered through the efforts of heroes who are capable of surviving the rigors of Zandri."

-- J. Rosenbaum, Professor of Ancient Studies, University of Altdorf

"Kravin's group? Gone without a trace. Then there's Phinder and his band of misfits. Haven't seen hide nor hair of 'em for going on a week. Jurbaz the greenskin and his pack of Gobbos, they're gone, too. It's like the desert swallowed 'em up."

"Maybe it did. Last I heard, they were headed for one of them tombs."

"Oh, really? I'm guessing they ended up as bait for something big and mean."

"Bigger and meaner than Kravin or Phinder? By the Changer's eyes, that's no small feat!"

"At least we know where the action is. What say we get the band back together and see if we can dig up those blighters?"

"That's fine by me, but if we find Kravin's body I got dibs on his sword."

-- Maxalt and Breinnan, Marauders