By Blood or Blade

I am Vaeryth Nox, a duskblade and dragon disciple. I am the product of a legacy that was long thought diminished and slain: I am the mortal descendant of the black dragon known as Zelkarune, a name that is known only in legends to the people of Sasserine, my home. This journal has been written in an attempt to preserve that legacy should I die in this forsaken island, which, at the moment, seems a very distinct possibility. It has been several days (or has it been weeks?) since our ship was destroyed in a tempest and we washed ashore the aptly named Isle of Dread. Since then, I have been down the gullet of a tyrannosaurus, lost in endless swamplands and attacked by so many vicious and savage creatures that even I, in all my arrogance and pride, have begun to wonder if there is any hope of surviving our journey.

I dare not mention my concerns to my traveling companions; already, religious, ethical and moral strife exists deep within the ranks of the so-called "Platinum Brotherhood," the mercenary outfit I joined at the beginning of this expedition. It seems like a lifetime ago when I approached their group, eager to prove my power and earn both wealth and respect. Despite their ideological and sentimental baggage (they are, or perhaps were, an order dedicated to the dragon god Bahamut), I saw the opportunity they presented: good contracts, the chance to build my reputation, and most importantly, a reduced chance that one of them would betray me, as is so often the case in mercenary work. It is, after all, more convenient for the average company to share the bounty four ways instead of five.

I will have more to say later... for now, I am still recovering from our last excursion into some sort of demonic temple that served to house the anchor for a dimensional trap that had ensnared us. Do you see know why even my resolve has begun to falter? These are the challenges that I face daily on this damned island. Last night, after we shattered the anchor (which turned out to be a hostile tentacled lemurian golem, by the way. Very nasty), was the first uninterrupted rest I've had in a while.

That's all for now. Amelia is calling for me to come and join her in the bedroll that we share, and I dare not disappoint her. She is too important to me.

I must admit, it feels odd to have such an attachment to another person, even a woman as attractive as her. Perhaps it is a side-effect of my draconic transformation: over the past few months, my magic has slowly been unlocking my latent heritage and revealing the truth of my bloodline. As you can see, I have a great many things to write about.

Assuming we survive that long.

-VN