Far From Home

The destination is set, and the coordinates navigated carefully by the stars above.

Not to any location upon which we would wage war in the quest for freedom, but to a place I have eagerly yearned for: home; the idea is almost foreign to me after the many months I have been away.

Like a distant dream with no part in reality, is the sound of it to my ears; I feel as if it cannot be obtained again once the dream has ended.

Krespania should be lovely around now; the streets of Estrillo are probably blanketed with a layer of white snow, and each house lining it decorated with fresh wreaths of foliage and Christmas greenery.

I can see the children playing in the snow, with sanguine cheeks, bright eyes and a merry smile, and hear the greetings of the season from the lips of every person that have ventured from the warmth of their houses into the brisk cold of the day.

Oh, how I wish to be part of it!

My heart wills the ship to sail faster so that I will not miss any of it; but alas, we shall not make port until next week unless a favorable wind is bestowed on us.

Meredith is going to great lengths to cheer me up; she has concocted a mixture in the galley that tastes similar to the seasonal drink of wassail, simply to revive my Christmas spirit, and subdue my depression, but aside from that little else aboard The Golden Dawn reminds me what time of the year it is.

In these unsteady circumstances I wonder if Lennox will ever visit me for the holidays, beings still occupied by the left over wars Palkaan's men are holding in certain regions.

As for Palkaan himself, I deferred to King Brinsley of Asram the privilege of delivering him to the League at the Summit Isles where he will await judgment and ultimately execution for his crimes.

My men are presently still assisting Lennox in concluding the war, but having no further need of my personal command, I took the opportunity to set sail at the earliest convenience to Krespania.

There hopefully I will receive the rest that has been absent in my life and recover from the grueling aftereffects of the war.

I hope I am not too fatigued that I cannot enjoy the celebrations and festivities that will take place at Krespania.

I cannot help but yearn for the cozy nights in front of the fire, mesmerized by the crackling and popping of the wood, with a warm drink and pastry in hand, while telling stories or memories like the tradition Lennox and I have every winter.

My opinion will certainly change later but the thought of organizing a feast or gala sounds welcoming and relaxing to me, even though I usually consider it a most stressing ordeal. 

The stress that comes from planning still has a lightness compared to the grave stress incurred by war and battle.

I think I could cope with it marginally well in light of what I have been enduring as of late. 

And seeing as it as fitting with the time at hand, I will finish with the wish that you will have a merry Christmas and a joyful holiday season.

-Emerald de Gavrillac

Queen of Krespania 

Conclusion to a Conquest

The glorious white light of freedom has dawned upon us once more.

In one day our lives have changed and we have awoken from our long-lasting nightmare unto unanticipated triumph and relief. 

Some time has passed since I last wrote and in that time a dramatic change has occurred to the outcome of the war. 

Palkaan has been defeated!

From my last account you might find it hard to believe, and I assure you, the feeling is mutual, though I have witnessed it with my own eyes.

It was only in my wildest dreams that victory would be that swift, and I can already feel the effect it has in my bones.

Yes, my weariness still remains, but this new zephyr of hope has lifted the heavy burden from my shoulders, making the fatigue bearable.

Despite my outward appearance, I feel alive!

Alive inside, and full of joy and gratitude to God.

Would you like me to explain how it took place?

The details can be spared to avoid overwhelming you.

Continuing from my last account, we remained in South Larlis for some time when we were met by peasants coming from the port of Diamond Water.

Lennox had gathered inhabitants of the devastated cities Palkaan had left behind and sent them on ships to reinforce us.

Meanwhile Palkaan had destroyed Darvern and was beginning to approach us by way of Vernik Meadow, most likely with the hope of doing the same to us in South Larlis.

But unbeknown to Palkaan a plan was set into action that would smite him in his pride.

The peasants that arrived wore uniforms of Agmar soldiers, and I discovered Lennox's own men had traded them for their clothing, in accordance with a plan my brother had concocted.

We waited until Palkaan was in the middle of Vernik Meadow and closed in on him.

Lennox, with soldiers dressed as peasants, came in from the East, Asram's forces, from the South, and the peasants, in soldiers' armor, and my troops from the North and North-west.

Like a cornered rabbit, he had no choice but to face one of us, and since Asram and I had the larger forces, Lennox appeared the weakest link.

He soon discovered otherwise when the said weak peasants fought as fully trained soldiers.

Palkaan fought furiously, but to no avail; he could not retreat or withdraw to form a new battle line, because we surrounding him.

He was caught in a trap!

Jrosselmyr Yendon, the Rebel King of Damar, who commanded half of Palkaan's troops, and had joined with him at Vernik Meadow by way of sea, finished it for us.

He predicted his impending doom and called for a retreat.

In the confusion, Palkaan's men did not know who to obey, and most followed Jrosselmyr as he found a break in our lines and escaped the way he came, leaving Palkaan vulnerable to our attacks and ultimately delivering him into our hands.

Lennox pursued the Rebel King and his men, but by then majority of them had dropped their weapons in surrender, leaving only Jrosselmyr accompanied by a handful of his men to be captured.

As manacles were placed on Palkaan, the man who had destroyed so many lives and inflicted so much heartache to people everywhere, I could not believe my eyes.

Was it really over?

Was this the end of all our journeys across the world as we raced to defend the next place Palkaan had assaulted?

I could not fully comprehend all of what it meant, having been accustomed to this harried lifestyle for many months, until later when I was alone.

The relief was overwhelming, and I felt like crying because of everything that had happened.

But now that some time has passed I am overjoyed by the deliverance the Lord has blessed us with.

We are free of the tyrant that plagued our lands and homes and banished laughter from our hearts!

We can live again, even if it means starting over with some.

The end of bloodshed has come.

Hopefully it will not return any time soon.

-Emerald de Gavrillac

 Queen of Krespania

A Dark Failure

Weariness has sunk into my bones, much like the sun has sunk in the west of South Larlis, where we are at this moment. 

A chill has fallen on the land, and a numbness inside of me.

My constant thought has been a prayer for victory, and for this grueling war to be at an end.

But with the outcome as it is, my hope is dwindling.

My slumber has vanished as of late, either being replaced by restless thoughts and worries, or by harried planning. 

What little rest I do receive is not enough, leaving me still tired when I wake.

Such as at present, I find it more comforting to write than to rest. 

I wonder, is Palkaan even human?

 How can he continue this game of cat-and-mouse and not feel the strain as we do?

Will he not tire of it and surrender?

It must be his greed and lust for power that feeds and drives him on past human strength. 

Or an inner wickedness controlling him...

I might as well explain what has transpired that has driven me to this point of dismay, though I must admit it is not so instantaneous as much as it has gradually effected me.

A few days ago our troops, (Asram's and mine), traveled north into the plains of Unoomad, when we unexpectedly crossed paths with Palkaan and his men.

We formed a defense line, and took part in a brief but bloody skirmish.

In the end we were forced to retreat being overpowered by the multitude of his soldiers, and fled to the southern country, and to the city of Manderk.

He followed taking control of Tion, and then divided his troops into two groups.

One division pursued us, and the other bypassed us to the west and overtook Cirdon, the capital of Unoomad.

We knew the city Manderk was not a fitting strength against Palkaan, much as Tion was not, and withdrew further North to the fortified citadel of South Larlis. 

Now you can understand my dejection.

It seems as though we are always retreating, and Palkaan ever getting stronger and closer to victory.

He seizes any city and land within his reach, and does not halt long enough for us to recover or retaliate.

Will we be able to endure more of this?

Or will our cause die, and us with it?

Dear friend, 

I wish you could speak to me, and share with me an encouraging word or a comforting verse of Scripture. 

For I fear I may not survive much longer in this hopeless state. 

-Emerald de Gavrillac

 Queen of Krespania

Victory Within Our Grasp

We sailed into Tion, completing the last leg of our journey upon The Golden Dawn.

If only it were the last leg of the war. 

The voyage was not as grueling as before having been reequipped with supplies from our Vez-Dûn friends, and the only testing was that of our patience in the weeks upon the waves that followed. 

My anxiety met a climax as I pondered the welfare of my brother in those last days.

But upon arriving in the port, I discovered Lennox had graced me by sending a letter of his recent whereabouts and health, bringing me abreast concerning the confusion wreaked upon the continent of Unoomad and Cressenar. 

I will disclose the contents of his note below:

Dear Emerald,

This is my account of the events that happened these past weeks:

We stealthily approached Unoomad not knowing whether Palkaan was there. 

A few of my servants found that he was further south in Cressenar. 

We sailed through the Unoomad River and some time later we sailed upon Tarqu. 

 A few days later Palkaan's banners came waving on the southern horizon. 

After many days of a partial standstill, an arrow hit me in the left shoulder while I was on the dock. 

It was not a mortal wound, but in fact I recovered exceedingly well. 

I had a lot of time to wonder what ever happened to my thirty troops who were caught in Erreli-Lion; could they be with Palkaan in Atoe? 

Sri-Qing an Agmarian Prince arrived unexpectedly with his academy friends: Franchot Fon'Dam and Jacob Dallahandro; I told them of the situation and they came up with a marvelous plot. 

The three snuck into Tarqu, the city occupied by the enemy. 

But some time went by, and not hearing anything of them, I began to worry. 

After all, they are still amateurs, and I must help them, on account I was responsible for getting them into this mess. 

I crept into Atoe, the enemy-occupied city across the channel. 

It was surprisingly simple, I thought Palkaan's guards would much more vigilant. 

The night was warm, damp, and drizzling, and the hour was late, while I perused the city. 

I noticed an obscure figure in the street coming toward me, and hid in the shadows as the shady character went splashing by and then disappeared around the corner. 

I glanced down at the footprints left by the shenanigan, and just as I expected the footprints were of a split-toed shoe mainly worn by San-Vey's Shinobi legions, but assassins tend to wear them too. 

I followed him into the Castle of Atoe, where I found Palkaan sitting on the throne and beside him was Jrosselmyr Yendon, the Rebel King, whom our father sealed into the castle of Damar, so that he may die for his treason. 

Ask me not of how he escaped! 

I returned to the streets, where smiling Franchot came up behind me, and took me to his comrades. 

From them I discovered my troops were alive and well within an enemy garrison near the Atoe castle. When the clock struck mid-night I penetrated the garrison and sprung the prisoners. 

I loaded the ten dwarves into the horse-drawn cart we bought, on account that they cannot run quite as fast as us humans and Vez-Duns. 

Here, I will state the scenario as plainly as possible: In the southern most part of Unoomad is the riverside city called Tarqu; in the northern most part of Cressenar is the riverside city called Atoe. 

Both cities are split by the Lathan's channel, and in the north end of Atoe is a castle perched upon a two-hundred foot tall pedestal, (the kind you see in the desert), with a spiral inclined path leading from the ground, up to the top of the pedestal. 

And directly north of the castle is a mile and a half stone bridge that stretches across the channel. 

Both cities' castles and pedestals are identical they are just inverted, where Atoe's castle and half of the stone bridge looks north, Tarqu's looks south. 

And in the middle of the bridge is a large guard tower. 

I think that is all of the geography that is key to my story.

Anyway, as we peaked the incline I set fire to the top of the cart that held the dwarves, as a distraction. The cart driven by Franchot, blazed down the bridge, and the passengers lunged out of the burning cart and off the bridge into the water below, where Sri-Qing rescued them in a boat he commandeered. 

The Vez-Duns and us, Humans, ran to Tarqu until our lungs were a fiery furnace and our legs braking at the knee, but we could not stop, for the enemies archers were lining the front of the castle at our rear, ready to fell us at any moment. 

Just then Palkaan saw that I was in the midst of them, being between their castle and the central guard tower, and chose to fight me personally. 

He strolled out to me in his finely polished gold armor and his rich purple cape, which dragged the ground behind him. 

His sword clashed my shield with great might, I could feel the impact tear the tissue in my shoulder. We had recently discovered explosives on one of the bridge's supports on enemy-occupied Atoe's side. 

I slowly fell back until Palkaan was on Tarqu's side of the bridge, with hopes that we could detonate the explosives while Palkaan was on our side; if we could succeed at this, the war would be at an end. 

Sri-Qing lit the fuse, then I heard a guard yelling to Palkaan about the set explosives. 

Palkaan hesitated a second, then charged with great force back toward the castle. 

The bomb went off, and he lunged with all his might as the stone bridge began to dissolve beneath him, landing safely on the other side. 

It was over; I got my troops back, and Palkaan got away. 

My shoulder ached as I walked slowly back to Tarqu. 

Palkaan promptly repaired the stone bridge with a wooden drawbridge, and built multiple bridges across the channel, with drawbridges on their ends. 

A week went by before I heard the invasion alarm clanging. 

Immediately screams and yells where heard throughout the city of Tarqu. 

I told my generals to evacuate the peasants, soldiers, and nobles and through all the commotion, I lost my escort and anyone familiar. 

People were running frantically, and by the time I got my bearings, Palkaan's soldiers were approaching. 

I swiftly fled into a nearby building only to find seven abandoned, orphans. 

Plotting a war is easier then protecting seven adolescents. 

I mean, violence is an old acquaintance of mine, but blood and death is not something children should see, especially at their age; (the oldest is not yet thirteen.) 

Anyhow, I found an enclosed wagon that was being guarded, and I told the orphans to linger behind for a second. 

Meanwhile I snuck around and slammed the first guard into the side of the wagon, and flipped the second one over my shoulder and onto the ground; the third I slew discreetly, and slid him out of sight. 

With the children in the wagon, I barreled down the streets of Tarqu; guards and soldiers tried to block the street, while others pursued us on horseback. 

We finally broke out of the city, and traveled relentlessly west through the sandy dunes of southern Unoomad. 

We traveled through the oasis village of Ciridin, and came to Fort Sardick, the final location in my account so far. 

I hope things are going well for you and Queen Acora. 

As for me, considering all that I have endured, I am marginally great.

Sincerely,                      

      Emperor Lennox de Gavrillac     

                            of the        

                    Agmar Empire

The nearness of capturing Palkaan has brought on a surge of excitement in myself. 

If only we could attempt this again.

If only we would be successful; then the war would end.

Emerald de Gavrillac

 Queen of Krespania

Outwitted and Undermined

We are racing on the wings of the wind, and propelled by the vigor of the sea, across the Arctos Ocean to Unoomad.

With the wind as our ally we will be at our destination within five or so weeks.

Meanwhile my brother is scouting throughout the land to ascertain how far Palkaan's forces have reached.

I have not wrote in a few weeks, and perhaps you do not know what is happening.

I will start from the beginning.

We have realized we have underestimated Palkaan.

Unbeknown to us, his troops encamped at Aldrake was only a fraction of his whole force.

And he has used that to cover up his real operation, which was a quick invasion of the western continent starting from Erelli-Lion through Cressenar, and now up into Unoomad.

But knowing Palkaan he will not be satisfied with only these; he will continue forward to Agmar and Asram, and only stop when he has the whole world in submission to his menacing control.

Lennox immediately set sail with his troops to Palkaan's next destination and there will deploy his troops to meet him head-on.

It took my armada and I a little longer to leave as we had to wait for the army of Pasarz to replace us in Aldrake.

But once they arrived we did not need any extra time to depart.

Now we are sailing; hundreds of ships dotting the aqua blue sea, their white sails enlarged in the wind and cutting a sharp path through the waves.

Though this journey is not going to be as enjoyable as the first, I can already predict.

Our supplies are being exhausted and there is not room for luxury in such a situation.

Food and water are being rationed, our gunpowder and ammunition is running thin, and if we cannot gain more we will be in a dire predicament.

I do not have to state how terrible starvation is, or an outbreak of scurvy when there is no vegetables to be had.

And we will be at the mercy of the enemy if we come upon any of Palkaan's forces in this condition.

But it is a risk we have to take before we can arrive at Isoloyia, where hopefully we will receive supplies and be ready for action again.

At least that is what Lennox says, and I earnestly hope he is correct.

Isoloyia is an island some distance from the continent Unoomad is located on, and is not known for their friendly spirit.

The inhabitants of the island, Vez-Dûnes, are a race similar to ours but with their heights averaging a foot taller than most men.

There is not many Vez-Dûn colonies, and as a result I have not been acquainted much with them, but I have heard that they prefer to live isolated lives away from others, with Isoloyia being the extreme.

Isoloyia is so withdrawn and heavily guarded that they will not allow any visitors as consequence of a previous assassination attempt upon the Isoloyian ruler.

I do not know how Lennox managed to reserve an order of supplies from them, but it matters little as long as we receive it.

Once that happens a heavy burden will be lifted from my shoulders.

Of course it will again be replaced by something else, but I will not worry until that time arrives.

-Emerald de Gavrillac

 Queen of Krespania

The Tyrant Within Me

It is raining.

From inside my cabin aboard The Golden Dawn I can hear the downpour splattering the surface of the sea with vicious force, and I can hear the thunder rumbling overhead.

Out from my window and across a few miles of sea lay the city of Aldrake rising high upon the hill with it's towering walls.

It is ironic that despite the severe decimation it remains glistening and shining beautifully in the rain.

Southward and obscured by the density of the storm, the armies of Palkaan are steadfastly at work without a thought to the weather and as testimony to their master's determination.

In some moments I can hear the whistle of their catapults and the explosion as it meets the city, but they are only faint and only serve to aggravate me with my lack of vision.

But then, it is difficult for everything not to annoy me.

Each day is becoming more tiresome and dull, as I am locked inside this prison of wooden beams and sails.

And I am growing ill-tempered and claustrophobic because of it.

I am not really imprisoned, because if need be we could sail to another location.

But for the moment it is not needed.

The other ships in my armada are carefully circling the island on all sides, and those who are nearest are engaging upon the enemy.

But we are stationed just some distance from the port of Aldrake, issuing orders when my brother decides on a new approach or plan, and simply waiting.

I have begun to feel trapped in my own vessel, with little to do, and yearn to set my feet on dry land again.

Not just dry land, but to be able to wander through the peaceful fields and valleys of Krespania, or ride horseback across the hills.

But a ship is only so long and exercise is not to be had on board.

Therefore I must cope with my desires with not a sign of relief in the future.

Which produces a tyrant within me to be sure.

As for Lennox, he is plenty exercised; he is on the contrary, hardly still.

He met with the sultan of Aldrake and discussed his plans, then moved his troops alongside the outer city wall where he is upholding the breach Palkaan's troops have made.

The news I have received concerning it, have described it as a grotesque and violent skirmish, as Lennox seeks to take hold.

And I cannot help cringing at the thought of the danger he might be under over there, which only amplifies my discontent of remaining where I am.

Though my armada is a strong support for him, I still feel like I should be alongside him fighting, or doing something to help other than staying in my cabin!

But as the head commander, my brother knows where best we can assist him, and I must be satisfied with that.

I must be a pitiful creature in your eyes.

Always wanting to do so much more then I can manage.

-Emerald de Gavrillac

Queen of Krespania