Dear Journal,
Alyana and Talos, noting a few geographical features along our way, insist that we will reach Merkemia within the week. I'm not particularly enthused over the thought of wandering through the cold, grey, stone jungle that is the capital city of Merkemia. Though, I look forward to meeting the king, and perhaps I'll stop by the Salty Dog for old time's sake.
I do believe I have a story to finish. Having defeated Shirou, I and my allies set off to intercept Dreknar as he floated over the battlefield on a path to the kingdom of Merkemia.
As the dwarves pumped hard on the ship's wings, we sped up to catch Dreknar's fleeing ship. Corath burst from below deck, passing out grappling hooks in case we were to board their vessel. As we closed in, I could see the figures Alyana described.
At the bow of the ship stood Dreknar, clad in a skull mask, his twisting horns protruding above the skeletal visage. He waved his arms, pointing and apparently commanding his guards, hulking undead creatures known as blasphemes, to take up position along the side of the ship to engage us as we caught up. Manning the vessel's wheel and wings were enslaved skeletal figures, clad in chains.
Alyana fired an arrow, which hung harmlessly in the air beside Dreknar's ship. I muttered a few words to reveal any magical force the ship may have wielded. It became evident in the form of a magical bubble which surrounded Dreknar's vessel. I knew this energy acting as a barrier to our attacks, so I began the call to Corellon to aid me as I drew the power from the incantation, weakening the barrier.
As I was casting my disruptive spell, our crewman Blim drew the fire of the blasphemes, catching a dagger in each leg before taking the full impact of an orb of dark magic from Dreknar, taking him out of the fight. Further spells and projectiles rained down upon our ship as Talos and Diesa manned our cannons, lobbing magical flaming spheres at Dreknar, leaving smoldering holes in their deck. Their vessel shook with each strike, distracting Dreknar from an incantation he was attempting to recite.
A runic circle appeared at the bow of the ship, and I knew Dreknar was attempting to perform some kind of ritual. I knew I could disrupt it, but that would allow their magical barrier to reform, allowing them to assault us without mercy. I decided to focus on keeping the barrier down.
Frustrated, Dreknar commanded his ship to descend quickly, but this only left his ship vulnerable to several open shots from our cannons. As I continued my magical assault in their barrier, I heard a gasp behind me. Alyana had swung down the rope ladder to fire upon Dreknar as he descended, but had apparently been knocked from her perch into the snowy field below. Talos bravely tied a long rope aroudn his waist and to the rail of the ship and lept off, sprouting a pair of angelic wings from his enchanted armor. A few moments later, Alyana, looking quite well for such a fall, was back aboard the deck, followed shortly be a panting Talos who slung himself back aboard as he topped the rope ladder.
We dove to catch up to Dreknar, as our attacks continued, badly damaging their ship, which was now struggling to maintain its speed with tattered fins and a broken rudder. We quickly glided up beside the vessel, ready to fire at them point-blank, but Alyana had her own idea.
My magical battle was won as the barrier shattered, bringing an angry scream from behind Dreknar's mask. Alyana saw the opening and lept over the line of undead soldiers beside Dreknar. In her hand she held the horn taken from her father. Raising it to her lips, she sounded the horn which emitted a blast unlike anything I'd ever heard. The entire deck of Dreknar's ship was thrown to the railing, and Dreknar collided with a skeletal crewman, sending the flailing creature tumbling over the side to his doom.
I lept through the planar folds to the deck of Dreknar's ship at Alyana's side, and commanded the undead creatures to surrender to their fate with a searing radiant blast. One of the lumbering blasphemes stumbled back over the railings when hit with the divine fire. The rest were left reeling from their rebuke.
It seems the gods were on my side, for first Dreknar stuck me with a life-draining magical bolt, but was send into the cabin doors from the defiant recoil or radiant energy. A similar rebounding magic sent a blaspheme, whose ghastly claws tore at my arms, cartwheeling over the edge of the ship.
The others followed us aboard the ship to engage Dreknar and his minions. We managed to fend off their attacks as we were given supporting fire from our ship. As Getty and Without put down another skeletal crewman, Dreknar's ship began to lose speed and control, putting us in a very dangerous situation. The others kept our ship circling as we continued our fight. Fearing for our safety, I called out to abandon the doomed vessel so that we were not aboard when it inevitably crashed. Diesa refused, determined to wipe the stain of the undead from the vessel himself.
Corath and Talos were sparring with Dreknar until one of Corath's jabs met its mark, running through Dreknar's stomach as Talos's swing sent Dreknar's head rolling on the deck and mask sailing off. His gnarled face called out a warning to prepare for the reign of Orcus, as a disgusted Talos punted it away.
All that remained was a single skeleton, still diligently manning his station, apparently commanded to do nothing else. Diesa was finally pacified when I scattered his bones into the wind.
We quickly manned the ship's controls, saving ourselves and the ship from destruction. As both ships limped back to Moraldrum, Diesa read aloud a note he found on Dreknar's corpse in which was wrapped another stone like we found in the armory. The note told of a plan to steal the other relics from the King's wizard aide and corrupt the Raven Queen somehow. It appears Orcus was attempting to ursurp the Raven Queen's throne and command a neverending army of undead using the artifacts. This does not bode well, for I do not wish to see the Raven Queen involved in this. Her ways are unpredictable and unforgiving.
As we returned to Moraldrum, the sun had broken through the dwindling storm, revealing distant fleeing monsters beyond a sea composed of the corpses of Dreknar's army. We cheered, clasped hands, and embraced in joy, for the forces of Moraldrum and Northwarden had triumphed!
I believe that will suffice for today. It has been a long trip so far, and we've developed a routine in which we sit atop the deck and share stories in the afternoon. Tonight Elwoz has offered to dictate one of the pygmy heron's adventures. I look forward to hearing a tale of, I am sure, complete drunken insanity. It helps pass the time.
May the gods grant their blessings upon the pygmy heron, the albino platypus, and the swamp tiger! Blessed be my allies, as well. Thank Corellon for my safety, my health, and my noble and entertaining friends. Until tomorrow, Journal.
