Full Names

Nekira Marey

Known Relations

Pauslay (Quartermaster)

Background

Nekira is a member of the Nosteramean people, a race indistinguishable to humans.

*CREAK* The boatswain wiped his brow, a wrench dangling from his hand. He took a step back, scanned the sails with a lingering gaze and exhaled. Maintenance on the famous galleon Red Abyss was now complete. It’d been a relentless week with seemingly no end to the assaults on merchant ships coming from the Empire of the Sun. After a long, heavy snort he haggardly dropped the anchor into the depths of the sea and crossed the dock towards the Palace of Lost Ships. A maritime political outpost turned tavern that welcomed visitors from the Gulf of Karmoligan to the wild outback of Olkia.

Inside, the weekly assembly was taking place where travelers from all over the world sent in petitions and requests to the ruler of the Olkian Archipelago, the redoubtable Captain Nekira. Various crewmen funneled into the tavern roaring out sea shanties. "A lass of whom we sailors miss, who’s tender touch leaves you in fits, so come back fast or she’ll be pissed, when yer aboard the Red Abyss! The tentacles envelope you, its squeezes crack the mast in two, but when you’ve had a round or two, that Kraken ain’t got bisk on you!”

The boatswain slammed a pouch of coins on the bar. “A round of Dabarian wine for them, they need it.”

“Drakantehirr!” a roar of approval burst from the sailors, using a word from an ancient language that celebrated that they had survived another day on the turbulent tides.

Minutes turned to hours flowing with the wine until suddenly a sailor jolted everyone back to attention. He’d drunkenly hoisted himself up onto a stool and hopped to a nearby table raising what appeared to be a huge sloshing jug. “Get down or I’ll feed you to the Kraken." a voice threatened.

"I’ll show you a Kraken!" the drunkard slammed back and howled out in laughter. The crowd chilled and stood at attention. The howling call didn’t stop.

Nekira emerged from a shadowy door frame behind the bar. Her thick heavy boots clicked as she walked towards the drunkard. Without losing stride she side kicked one of the legs of the furniture snapping it in two, causing the sailor to land anchor first within the rubble. The room erupted in laughter and applause. “Pauslay.” she nodded towards the boatswain.

“You always knew how to make an entrance…” Pauslay chuckled.

“Just never knew when to exit.” Nekira replied with a sly smile. She hopped into her throne, a glamorous chair of molten riches and various treasures forged to shape, and began tracing a gold cup protruding from it. She made a slight gesture alerting the ever-present door guard to let the first visitor pass. A slender young girl entered, fearfully scanning the room.

"C'mon girl, cheer up!” The guard nudged the girl along and started singing an Olkian buccaneers' hymn. The pirates began to dance around her, leaning back and forth on each other rhythmically. The young woman sketched a smile that she soon repressed as she saw the imposing presence of Nekira ahead.

"Where do you come from?" Nekira asked as she twirled a finger around the golden chalice embedded in the throne. "From Kerion. I bring a peace treaty." The off-key tune ground to a halt and everyone began to stare at her slowly drawing their weapons.

"Interesting." The captain pulled a knife from her pocket and stabbed it into the chalice, chipping a large chunk of gold off the throne that fell to the floor with a distinct thud. "And what does Miss Rei'la want? Land? Her gold back?" The young woman took a step back. 

"She wants to offer you gold in exchange for not intervening in maritime trade." the woman squeaked out. Everyone present began to laugh.

"Good. Tell your empress I don't need to make my throne bigger, and give this to her… from me." Nekira kicked the chunk of gold towards the woman. The woman picked it up in terror and rushed from the tavern. Nekira reclined in her throne. "Next!" she shouted.

A hunched old man entered, taking small heavy steps interrupted only by the clack of a gnawed cane he leaned on. His hair was formed by small tentacles that were wriggling and his body was full of tattoos that simulated thick chains. "Hialgair." The mysterious man greeted in a different language. "I need to speak to Captaryan Marey." he croaked. Nekira eyes widened in alarm. “Leave us.” she commanded to the room. The crowd murmured confusedly. “Oh forget your tabs, it’s on the house. I said leave us, NOW.” The crowd rallied in excitement again and bustled their way from the palace tavern. “Pauslay… you stay.”

She rose from the gilded throne and slunk towards the unknown visitor, clutching her sword’s hilt. "How do you know my middle name?"

"Stop, stop! I am but a hermit monk. Have mercy, I beg of you!" The old man winced and covered his face with trembling hands, Nekira lowered the weapon. "I come to ask for your help, I see you keep ‘Final Sleep’, the legendary tool of your father, the mythical Captain Watori. May I see it?" Nekira’s eyes narrowed and flicked towards Pauslay who maintained a cautious hand on his weapon, but nodded. Nekira whisked the blade around in the blink of an eye and handed him her sword, hilt first. The monk’s hand slowly grasped around the grip causing the blade to glow an eerie green. "It feels like ages since I’ve seen you last” the monk sputtered towards the blade. “This sword has been used by the Captaryans for centuries, I am glad it’s been taken care of as well as it deserves to be."

Nekira took it from his hands and re-sheathed it. "You knew my father?”

The old man slumped onto a stool. "The title of Captaryan is a perilous one. Ruling these islands makes you feel more than human. I was his quartermaster, second in command. When we invaded Makora, before Donovan was king, we felt powerful enough to take over the world. But then that man, if you can even call him that, he- he took the throne so easily and the isles fell soon after. My surviving fleet was annihilated by magic we couldn’t comprehend and I was left clinging to flotsam, half drowned, cooking in the sun until…” his voice trailed off as he choked up. Suddenly he became rigid and a chilling soberness took over. “I felt the chains slithering from below.. first my ankle. I thought it was seaweed, then it crept to my knees, I knew what was to come. I dove under the water to drown myself but a strange power prevented death’s sweet release. The power of the.... Kraken." The monk looked her in the eyes and began to whisper very frightened. "The creature is real. It wants to see you. You’re not ready."

*SMACK* The monk was cast from his stool, a sizeable hand print reddening on the left side of his face. Nekira stood wide-eyed in rage and terror. "My father killed the Kraken, you dare come into my palace and sully my family's honor. Next!" She was shrieking now.

The old man choked out a gurgled laugh that made her skin crawl. She wondered if he was choking on blood but surely she hadn’t hit him that hard. She leaned forward to grab his shirt and right him but lost sight of the monk somewhere along the way. Had she passed out for a second there she wondered. Startled and off-balance she spun around to find the monk towered behind her with a distinct aura. His voice turned into a deafening echo that left all other sounds non-existent, filling the room like water in a barrel. "You will follow me, I will show you." Nekira felt an unnatural power emanating form him and her sword rattled in its sheath as the rumble of his voice reverberated towards her. It was unlike any pressure she had encountered on her expeditions and almost felt as if she had to obey lest some divine wrath destroy her. The pirates burst back into the room swords drawn and prepared to face their captain’s foe.

"Wait!" The captain raised her hand. "I’ll be leaving. Pauslay, you're in charge."

--

Nekira slammed through the back door of the palace, the man guided her to a small battered boat on the shore. Nekira climbed in and the monk sat up front, staring intently forward towards unknown seas. The oars creaked along the gunnel as if drawn by invisible hands of the long dead but not yet resting. “And where exactly are we going?” Nekira inquired eying the choppy movements of the oars. The monk remained still. She glanced back toward the shrinking dock and resigned to the horizon before her with a sigh. Already she regretted joining the monk, but was sure whatever came from him surely, she could handle herself.

--
As time passed, and the water grew choppier. The boat continued coasting as the monk turned to face her. His mouth emitted a faint glow and his natural gravelly voice had returned. "The Kraken is different from the leviathans. Those tiny things pale compared to the beastly queen of the seas. Leviathans are extinguished by her appetite, the seas roar for her cries and the sky is agitated by her movement. She can be a great ally for those who protect the seas, and a vicious adversary of those who threaten her peace." At that moment lightning struck near the boat and the monk’s eyes began to glow. The waters began to stir and the skies noticeably darkened. "I, Krakya, need you.” His voice drifted from him in an ethereal grown. “Darkness will soon reign in Nosteram. He has returned earlier than we anticipated and soon there will be a great battle in Makora. I led your father to his doom, but that mistake can be unwound, the tyrant’s advance must be prevented this time. With this gift, you could change our fate."

"Krakya, that name - my father mentioned her, the goddess who crafted the seas, I thought she was nothing more than a myth." Nekira contemplated.

"Oh she is much more. We’re almost there. The mother of the seas is pleased with us. The others didn’t make it this far before she discovered them." The monk stammered as he placed his hand on the captain's shoulder to reassure her. Nekira was less than sure given the maelstrom they were rowing into. The sky continued to darken and she could barely make out what was before them between the passing waves. A vortex began to reveal itself through lightning strikes near the horizon. A massive hurricane surrounded by spinning green lights zipping around at incomprehensible speeds.

"They’re Spookula.” the monk stated as if reading her mind. “Legends say the Spookula who live here are pirates who were devoured by the Kraken in battle against her.” His eyes drifted upward towards the streaks of light. “They mark the entrance to Kalkagairr, the forbidden sea." The ship slowed to a halt, balancing between waves. Meters ahead the air rippled as if reflecting the water on an invisible surface. Beyond it the waters were calm as could be. "It’s a barrier that prevents entry above the water. You’ll need to swim. I was revived to bring you this far.” The monk reached into his pocket and withdrew a stunning necklace fitted with an emerald. His eyes began to mist. “Your..” his voice caught in his throat. Nekira could see fine glowing cracks form on his face as if he was beginning to crack. A tear broke from his eye and ran down off his face shattering against the deck in a sparkle of shimmering energy. “Your father is very proud of you-”. The monks voice trailed off as he disintegrated, dusting into a wash of fine glittering mist. Reflexively, Nekira leapt forward to catch the necklace before it hit the deck and hung there in shock trying to process what had just happened. “IS proud?” Her mind raced at the possibilities. Paralyzed in thought yet afraid to gain too much hope she sat there observing the shimmering dust as it coated the water closest to her.

*CRACKLE* A massive thunderclap snapped her back to the task at hand. She gazed upward at the rippling barrier which seemed to curve away from her as it stretched towards the clouds. Reluctantly, she slid the heavy emerald necklace over her head, took a deep breath and plunged into the angry water. Opening her eyes revealed that much to her relief the barrier did not extend underwater. She swam to the other side of it and re-surfaced, catching her breath. The boat remained anchored in place, as if by magic. So far so good. She peered underwater again attempting to find an indication of where to go next. A faint glimmer of light some twenty meters down and several hundred away caught her attention and she began to swim arm over arm to its location preparing to dive. Each stroke felt heavier and heavier as if a current was pushing her away from her goal. Her muscles burned from the struggle and her body screamed in defiance as she approached the dive point. Realizing this may be her one chance to reach whatever lay below, she took in a great deep breath and dove.

Kicking hard towards the light, she swam downwards. The features of it became more distinct with each pump. Twenty five meters, fifteen… five… its shape now radiated in her vision. It was a lock with long tendrils of silver that trailed off into the murky depths below. She reached out and snatched the lock from where it hung suspended in the water, preparing to swim to the surface as her lungs cried for air. The lock, however, resisted and refused to move. A rush of motion caused her to cry out, losing even more air as a gout of bubbles escaped her. One of the tendrils from below looped up gracefully and bound her hand to the lock, coiling itself tightly around her wrist. She struggled against it manically trying to pull free. Remembered her blade, she ripped down and pulled the sword out casting a blindingly bright green glow into the water around her. She gashed the tendril and made to swim to the surface, sword in hand. She panicked. The current had reversed, pulling her downwards, resisting each attempt she made to ascend. The lock, still suspended in place now retreated far off above her despite her best efforts to the contrary. Her lungs screamed for relief. Knowing she had seconds remaining as her vision tunneled in on her, she looked down and dread washed over her. Hundreds of tendrils flicked in the deep, illuminated only by the faint green light of Final Sleep. The tendrils angled towards her and sprung when she felt her lungs give way. She gasped reflexively causing cold hard ocean water to flood her lungs and everything to fade to black.

--

Much to her surprise she awoke, feeling her body sinking still. The pressure was extremely high, and it felt like her ears were about to burst at any second. A flash of light from the depths caused her to wince reflexively. When she reopened her eyes, she saw before her an intangibly large Kalamarr glowing with the same greenish hue as Final Sleep. The powerful voice of the goddess Krakya resonated in her head. "I’m sorry we couldn’t leave you in peace Nekira, but we are out of options. Today, in exchange for your life, we beckon you become our guardian. The Herald of the Kraken." Several bluish lights flared around her as jellyfish began to orbit the sinking captain. "Your father's sword is an artifact of the worlds before this one, it has memories in it dating back a millennia. In the right hands, it can recall those and become the legendary blade that commands all seas and the creatures within." The voice became melancholy. "We’ve tried so many times to avoid this calamity, but he is still here. I feel him Nekira. You are our last hope for stopping him and breaking the cycle." The great pressure around her released and the sources of light extinguished one by one. Finally, the glow of the Kalamarr faded. "I grant you my power…" The goddess’s voice rang in her head.

Nekira’s eyes began to glow visions of a thousand different pasts filled her sight. A palace, - her palace in a myriad of configurations, and locations she’d never visited, each with another version of herself presiding in the halls flicked into existence describing a great line dating back many generations. Each timeline shared only two similarities, the emerald necklace and their eyes, which began to glow the familiar green of her sword as each form flickered through her vision.

The doppelgangers hands began reaching out towards her and over the generations a broad greatsword crystalized into their and then her hands. The visions caught up to modern day ending on the current Nekira and the weapon exploded a deep rumbling shockwave outward as it overloaded with magical power causing archaic symbols to fracture along its blade.

The water began to vibrate as a harbinger of the arrival of a colossal being. Where the spirit once float, a beast she had never seen before now lay. It was a leviathan of incomprehensible size with glaring eyes and a ferocious maw that spew black blood in wisps. Nekira made to escape and kicked downward with supernatural force, propelling herself to the surface with remarkable speed. Upon breaching, she marveled at her newfound strength and noticed immediately that the barrier was gone, instead, replaced by a maelstrom of Spookula and Spookrater orbiting above at incalculable speeds. Their howling echoed eerily as a low roar beneath her announced the arrival of the beast. Thousands of jagged teeth emerged from the ocean surface around her and began to close, caging her in. She realized in a snap where the previous currents had come from, it had been breathing beneath her this entire time!

Unsure of how to escape the titanic beast she found herself unnaturally cool minded. The goddesses words echoed in her head. “… all seas and the creatures within.”

She readied her greatsword with both hands, finding it effortless to balance herself in the water now, and thrust the greatsword downward with as much effort as she could muster. A reverberation propelled from its blade down into the maw of the beast. “Obey me or die beast. Final Sleep awaits your reply.” The teeth slowed to a stop and withdrew. “Find me the one Krakya described. The one who returned.” The beast growled angrily at her causing the water’s surface to flicker rapidly and fish to splash in panic around her. The beast retreated and flung itself towards the east, forming a great wave above sea level from the lofty displacement of water.

Nekira caught her breath and she raised the greatsword in front of her to observe it. Her heart skipped a beat. No longer was her skin fair and pale, it now radiated a sickly cold gray. She reached up, her hair, no longer strawberry blonde flowed ethereally as if perpetually underwater. She knew in an instant she could never return home. No one would recognize her, and those who could would be appalled by her now. “This is the cost of such power.” a voice rang in her mind from the direction of the sword. The cursed blade Final Sleep had grown tremendously in size and no longer fit in its sheath. She observed it curiously, twisting it to observe the runes along its blade. Memories that were not hers flowed as she focused on individual runes. This one described a palace underwater, that one - a kingdom floating above the clouds on fire. They almost seemed to be forming a story in chronological order. She became enthralled in the narrative as her concerns over her appearance faded. A barrier broken, a power reclaimed! Nekira hurriedly skimmed along the the blade, anticipation growing within her when suddenly a rune about a quarter of the way from the hilt blast to life, a bright golden glow emanating from it. “The gates have opened.” She interpreted. The oceans shifted ever so slightly as if a great fault line had ruptured in the deep.

Hundreds of kilometers away, Shiiga emerged from the gates of the Void in Makora.