The land of Nexus differ'd in my youth.
It teemed with monsters. All folk dwelt in fear.
"From tiger, ogre, dragon take a tooth,"
The gods bespoke me, "With them craft a spear."
Long the quest and long the years I sought
A tooth from the most perfect of each kind.
With blood and pain and grief those teeth were bought,
And shaft, and sinews which the point to bind.
With new-forg'd spear in hand I ventured out
And found folk living safe beneath the sun.
My quest itself had put the fiends to rout.
In making of the spear the deed was done.
Though now I must forsake these ancient lands,
My Spear I leave in noble heroes' hands.
Who you are and what you are
I do not know, I do not care
Friend you are, and that is all
I need to know, my friend is there.
In dark of zibong-haunted house
In dark of sorrow-haunted soul
You, my friend, are there for me
My friend is there, and makes me whole.
The first rays of the rosy dawn
Brush o'er the marching warriors brave
The sergeant cries "March on! March on!"
And on they march, their land to save.
The noonday sun beats bright and hot
On armies locked in bitter fray
Each foot of ground is dearly bought
Sold back, and bought again this day.
The gentle twilight shadows fall
On broken forms that moan in pain
But none still stand to hear the call,
The battle done, to no man's gain.
The bloody land is still once more,
The wreckage of a hundred wars,
Chill darkness covers as before
And over all the watchful stars.
Comes dark and fire and screaming souls
Where all men die
Comes forth the child of dark once more
As black birds fly
No blade shall bring salvation now
The dark one calls
The forces join, the dark returns
The kingdom falls
Bring forth the sacrifice again
Brave to the pyre
The light and dark shall rise to meet
It ends in fire
(work in progress)
Scattered leaves blown by the wind
Swirl and eddy round the yard
Gather in a quiet nook
Scattered lives blown by the wind
Swirl and eddy round the world
Gather in this unreal land
Peace and hope and dreams they find,
Growth and healing, till they can
Dance upon the winds again
When one you know is taken so,
their body stolen, bartered, sold,
their soul no more the one you know,
a friend's warm heart grown hard and cold.
They try their hardest to decieve,
they cover up and carry on.
But though you fear what you believe,
truth slowly dawns: Your friend is gone.
All that went to form a friend,
the secrets shared, the battles fought,
it comes to fast and final end,
this sudden stranger knows you not.
You see then what has been concealed,
such chilling shock, that dread surprise,
when utmost horror is revealed:
A stranger looks through friendly eyes.
dedicated to the friends of Gogeta, Clone, Mikalangeo,
Torah, and so many others
I'll trade my honor for wealth, said Kim,
For gold will buy me more.
But thieves have stolen it all from him,
Kim lives dishonored and poor.
I'll trade my honor for fame, said Jing,
And all shall know my name.
But worldly fame is a passsing thing,
Jing lives in dishonor and shame.
I'll trade my honor for power, said Yen,
High office shall I seek.
But that which rises must fall again,
Yen lives dishonored and weak.
My honor is not for sale, said Lee,
For power or wealth beside..
And none can take my honor from me.
Lee lives in honor and pride.
So thing ye well when ye look to sell
Or give your honor in trade.
For no prize on Earth stands at half the worth
Of a price in dishonor paid.
In Avatars Carnage, this Thursday night past
The warrior Calmwind, he fought to the last.
Each team had won two rounds, this fifth would decide
The victor of Carnage, for prizes and pride.
The two teams were well-matched, the red and the black,
Enraged from last round's loss, red fought to come back.
In Arctic Arena they fought 'midst the snow,
And black fighters, one by one, fell to their red foe.
At last it came down to but two left alive,
Wasabi and Calmwind -- black might yet survive.
Their chances were slight, just two of them there,
A dozen opponents encircling the pair.
Surrounded, outnumbered by fighters in red,
Attacked by the living, cheered on by the dead.
They slew one last red, then Wasabi was gone,
And Calmwind, the warrior, faced red all alone.
A rogue or a mage or a poet might try
To fight on alone, but brave warriors die
With no one to help them, and so Calmwind fell
Alone and unaided, in fires of Hell.
In Hellfire and Whirlwind, proud Calmwind then died,
With victory, the red team avenged wounded pride.
What should be remembered of that Carnage night:
For once 'twas a warrior who lived through the fight.
Kissed by sun on summer's morn,
Fertile land where I was born,
Nagnang -- home of the dead.
Merchants carried out their trade,
Lovers laughed, and children played,
in Nagnang -- home of the dead.
Then the grim outsiders came,
Robbed and murdered in greed's name,
in Nagnang -- home of the dead.
King betrayed us in his greed
For things we neither want nor need
in Nagnang -- home of the dead.
All we had, death has consumed,
Gravestones stand where gardens bloomed,
in Nagnang -- home of the dead.
Wealth, homes, lives have all been taken,
Exiles now, alone, forsaken,
in Nagnang -- home of the dead.
Though our hopes have atrophied,
Our dreams are blighted, not our pride.
Mourn we not for those who died,
We'll meet them on the other side,
When Kugnae is -- home of the dead.
A Shaman once, the nameless one
Home to the Circle came.
To strength and power then he grew,
Swore his oath, yet spoke not true,
The one we do not name.
But wealth he loved, the nameless one,
In treachery he fled.
For tainted gold paid by the Spies,
Betrayed his word, and lost in lies
The name that is not said.
Then Cursed he was, the nameless one.
The Shaman called, and then
Spirits came, both great and small,
Withdrew from him protection all,
Spoke not his name again.
With staff borne by the nameless one
To Vale's black pit they came.
On it each one a curse enspelled,
Threw in the staff that once he held,
And with it threw his name.
Judgment he faced, the nameless one,
Befriended now by none,
Doomed to betrayal in his stead,
An outcast with no hearth nor bed,
His very name now gone.
The Cursed one, the nameless one,
His soul cast to the flame,
Known not by name that he once bore,
But always and forever more
As he we do not name.
How dark and cold the deepest pit
Of mortal soul's despair.
So too, the darkness of the depths
Of Mythic Tigers' lair.
"Death's not the end," so say the gods,
Though it might as well be,
For all I owned of worldly goods
Lay on the stone 'neath me.
A drifting ghost, I drank too deep
Of death's most bitter wine,
And as I watched, the tiger lord
Laid claim to what was mine.
So thus it ends, my hope all gone,
In this dark tiger's den,
For should I use the silver thread,
I'll not find this again.
A light! A hope dawns! Who has dared
To lift my dark exile?
Ah, no, it seems a rogue has come
To steal my whole deathpile.
I've learned to expect nothing more
From those who walk this land,
Save greed and selfishness and theft
Of all comes to hand.
But what is this? He leads away
That tiger boss, and then
He says to me "My healer wife
Will grant you life again."
He sends the call to wake his wife,
Who does indeed arrive.
She casts her spells, I find myself
Though sore, once more alive.
"We'll help you slay the boss," they say
"No, you deserve that kill."
"I thank you then; here is his drop,
To help your repair bill."
With life and wealth and new-found friends
I leave that lair once more,
Nor will I be alone when next
I venture through its door.
The unexpected kindness of
A spirit touched with light...
One such I found within the dark
Of Tigers' lair last night.
Death shall not be the end for you,
Not the end of curse nor shame.
The spirits, they shall cast you out,
Just as we have done the same.
To justify your treasonous deeds
You claim Jayde speaks with your voice.
You make a farce of all she taught,
Shifting blame from your own choice.
You heard no voice but your own greed,
Greed for power, rank, and fame.
As once before your plots you laid,
Llevan, Tyshar took the blame.
When they then left the Shaman path,
After failure of their coup,
All you saw was how that gave
Opportunities for you.
They tried, they failed, they left our ways,
You, though, stayed to plot your plots.
For you, the goal was Eldership,
Nothing else guided your thoughts.
So others worked to bear your load,
Doing what the gods ordained.
But you gave no help in our need,
Only plots and schemes remained.
You did not work for path nor kin,
You sought only your own gain.
Your naerim stood neglected as
You schemed and schemed again.
The path had finally had enough,
Doing our work and yours too.
Because you would not do the job,
Wildhair took guideship from you.
And so your plans came crashing down,
Thus were ruined all your schemes,
For now you were a guide no more ...
Ended so your Elder dreams.
And then, you say, you heard Jayde's voice?
Tell me this, why did she not
Give counsel to you long ago:
"Do your job, not scheme and plot"?
So you, in rage at what you'd lost
(Rather, you had thrown away)
You turned against Jayde's chosen; on
Jayde herself the blame you'd lay.
But Jayde has long since left this land,
All you heard was your own greed.
Your greed, your lust for power, drove
You to this horrific deed.
The Shamans, we will not forget,
Though no Shaman speaks your name
You shall be called forevermore
"Traitor" -- so you've won your fame.
Death shall not be the end for you,
Not the end of curse nor shame.
The spirits now have cast you out,
As we Shamans did the same.
A soldier, young and handsome, marched
toward the rising sun.
His comrades talked of their true loves,
the soldier spoke of none.
So who's your love, my soldier lad? Oh, who's your love most true?
My love she is of beauty dark, and her alone I'll woo.
My mistress rides ahead of me,
she rides the road to war.
I can do naught but follow on
where she has gone before.
~~~~
A warrior, stong and valiant, rode
across the world so wide.
While many had their loves so true,
alone he did abide.
So who's your love, my soldier lad? Oh, who's your love most true?
My love she is of ice-cold heart, but her alone I'll woo.
My mistress rides across the land,
and I ride to her call.
Though armies brave and bold may fight,
her love shall conquer all.
~~~~
A veteran, tried and hardened, trudged
toward his western home.
His comrades their true loves had met
but none for him had come.
So who's your love, my soldier lad? Oh, who's your love most true?
My love she is of silent step, and her alone I'll woo.
My mistress rides behind me now,
as homeward bound I fare.
Most faithfully she follows me;
I shall await her there.
~~~~
An old man, worn and tired, sat
to rest, in evening's shade.
His life, he knew, drew to an end,
alone, but unafraid.
So who's your love, my soldier lad? Oh who's your love most true?
My love she is of deadly touch, but her alone I'll woo.
My mistress comes to meet me now,
her face I soon shall see.
These many years I followed her,
at last she's come to me.
~~~~
They found the old man lying there.
He whispered his last breath,
"My true love she has come at last,
my mistress, Lady Death."
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