Forum Post's - Songs of the First Nights (author: paul_leone)

 paul_leone   Posted: Mon, Sep 7 2009 12:11 PM
This began as a WoD 4000 BC thing, then I got slightly more ambitious and inspired yesterday...

The Creation

Hear now a maiden's song of the Beginning.

How can one mind think of it?
How can one voice speak of it?
Mercy! Mercy!
Do not let my song drag me down to the Black Waters.
Mercy!
My song sings of the One Song.
Such music!
There was nothing, and then Heaven sung,
and nothing became All, and it was good.
The Angels rejoiced.
The Messengers exulted.
To the nature of things, Heaven turned.
There would be a spirit of making.
There would be a spirit of being.
There would be a spirit of ending.
This was as it should be.
This was as it was.
This was as it is no more.
The stars whispered to me.
The Dreams spoke to me.
The Messengers sang to me.
Making, Being, Ending,
then beautiful,
but now broken.
Being, discontent, laid chains to hold Ending
so that what was, would be forever.
Ending, afraid, entrapped, cried out
and his howl maddened the angels of his host.
This, my children, is why Being is hard.
This, my children, is why Ending is cruel.

The First Dreams

Hear now a maiden's song of the Spring.

In the cold nights of the first spring,
He and I, together, alone, afraid.
But not forgotten. We sang songs,
songs of the Garden, of our loss.
And lo!
Dreams came forth and danced before us.
Pair by pair, hand in hand.
Dreams of home and of the journey.
Dreams of laughter and love.
Dreams of building and breaking.
Dreams of grace and honor.
Dreams of secrets and trickery.
Dreams of rivers and waves.
Dreams of trees and stones.
Dreams of shadows and songs.
Dreams of a thousand lands unseen.
We spoke, and we sang,
and when morning came,
the Dreams fled on fast feet.

-o-

paul_leone   replied on  Mon, Sep 7 2009 12:11 PM
The Wild Ones

Hear now a maiden's song of the Wild.

Let the moon's children howl!
Let the sun's children roar!
Behold their might!
Behold their glory!
Cast out, forsaken, lost,
we huddled by flickering fire.
In the cold, bitter night they came to us.
Spirits made flesh,
gifts of the Maker,
wardens of the Wild.
Brave Wolf,
Learned Hyena,
Healing Bear,
Cleansing Boar,
Watchful Raven,
Dauntless Rat,
Clever Cat,
Wary Fox,
Silent Snake,
Wise Bull,
Vigilant Bat.
At our side they hunted,
and no monster escaped us.
At our side they watched,
and no nightmare troubled us.
Given to us once,
gone from us now,
they walk in the wild.
Beasts no more, if ever they were,
but not yet men, if ever they will be.
Behold their might!
Behold their glory!
But, oh, beware their rage!

Caine

Hear now a mother's lament.

Two sons I bore,
Caine the first,
fire-haired,
strong-handed,
delver, seeker,
shaper of metals,
carver of stones.
Abel the second,
gentle-tongued,
clear-sighted,
patient, kind,
shepherd of many flocks.
Oh, my sons!
Oh, my joys!
What words were spoken?
What madness unleashed?
Why, oh my sons, why?
I heard no cry,
I heard no battle,
but my heart froze,
my blood chilled,
and I knew, as a mother does,
that blood of my womb's joy
lay spilt upon the cold earth.
Abel, slain, sacrificed, lost.
Caine, fallen, forsaken, lost.
What strange lands did you wander,
oh my son?
What ancient paths did you follow,
oh my son?
Who awaited you in the wild lands,
oh my son?
Foul one, liar, honeyed poison,
Lilith, dark angel, befleshed spirit,
wretched imp, fair-faced beast,
besotten with my life's bond,
a thousand curses upon you!
Forever shall my children hunt yours,
forever shall my children triumph!
Caine, oh Caine,
drink not from her chalice!
Is it not enough to spill life's blood,
but to drink it, and be damned?
Thrice-warned, thrice-cursed.
Michael, spurned, marked you with flame.
Raphael, spurned, marked you with the Sun.
Uriel, spurned, marked you with hunger.
Where have you gone, my son?
Will you not come back, my son?
Embrace Gabriel's blessing,
for even you may be forgiven.
Let not my words fall on deaf ears,
oh my son...

-o-

paul_leone   replied on  Mon, Sep 7 2009 12:12 PM
Hunters

Hear now a hunter's song of duty!

Bright morning, I bow to you,
Risen sun, I bow to you,
Watchful twilight, I bow to you.
In times long past,
the Dark Mother claimed the first-son of our Mother.
This we know well, this pain we bear all days.
Caine's foul kindred spread, a curse upon us,
the Sons and Daughters of Seth.
Hunting us, killing us, claiming us.
Until at last Heaven would not bear it!
Thanks be to the One Above for His blessings.
Thanks be to the Messengers he sent to us.
Thanks be to the Ebon-Cloaked Sword.
Thanks be to the Scarlet-Robed Shield.
To our mothers' mother they appeared,
and this is what they said.
Fear not, Eve, Mother of Man.
The One Above, Lord of Heaven, has not forsaken you
despite all your sins.
Fear not, Eve, Lady of Fate.
The One Above, Lord of Heaven, blesses you
and strengthens you.
Take up this sword, take up this shield,
take up this bow, take up this spear.
Arm your children, and go forth into Nod.
Beasts will beset you, but you will slay them.
Nightmares will scourge you, but you will banish them.
Curses will befall you, but you will best them.
For the blessings we give you will protect you.
They will strengthen you, they will cleanse you.
And lo, so it shall be for all the ages to come,
as long as you and your children hold fast to your duty!

Call forth your children now!
Let them stand and be marked!
Let them stand and be blessed!

Awan, forsaken and faithful, wife of the damned,
you shall bear the claws of the beasts,
you will shed your blood for the others,
and then at the last, your gaze will shatter dark souls.
Tila, brave son, brave defender,
you shall stand between your kin and the beasts,
you shall raise up shields of spirit,
draw them unto you and let your very flesh burn them.
Denel, wise one, stargazer, spirit-friend,
you shall speak the whispers of the Messengers,
our words will be your guidance,
your guidance will be their victory.
Merek, questioner, seeker, wanderer,
you will learn the ways of the foe to undo them,
they will seek you, but your light will be hidden,
until you call it forth to scourge them.
Sura, strong-hearted, fleet-footed,
you shall strike at their hearts and triumph,
your blade will burn, you will strike unseen,
and Heaven will smite them by your hand.
Raava-Nah, quick-tongued, keen-eyed,
you shall pierce the veils of dark illusion,
nothing shall escape your gaze,
not even the days to come.
Adria, gentle hearted, kindly spoken,
you shall lead the damned back to salvation,
your words will be as law to the beasts,
and they cannot refuse you answers.
Azura, daughter of Dreams, mighty singer,
you shall judge and your word shall bind,
word by word you shall strip away their strengths,
and even awaken your kin to the lies among them.
Seth, noble one, you shall be a paragon,
and to you the duty of leading falls,
and to you the burden of victory falls.

Thus the dutiful were named,
thus the blessings were given,
thus the Messengers departed.
But one last warning they gave,
one last commandment they gave.
Remember you are but men,
remember you are not lords,
remember you are not gods,
remember you are the dutiful,
remember these things, and you will triumph.
Forget these things, and you will be damned.

The Brood of Caine

Hear now a hunter's tale of foes!

Caine the First,
First Son of Adam,
Forsaken by free choice.
Murderer, kin-slayer, traitor,
A thousand curses upon you,
and a thousand more!
Black blood flows in your veins,
and in your hell-touched children,
a poison upon the fair green Earth,
a plague on the Children of Seth.
May it burn in your veins,
may it wither your black heart!
Wander where you will,
butcher, blasphemer, befouler,
but beware!
Run to your cave, wretched giant,
dig deep beneath the dirt, monster,
hide where no shadows are, cursed one,
Bright sun rises and cleanses all!

Enoch the Wise, seer of secrets,
enlightened one,
hearer of whispers from above,
did you not hear the warnings?
Did no cry Beware! reach you?
Were you proud, or foolish?
Where was your wisdom
when Caine came to you?
What dark secrets see you now?
What voice whispers to you in the night?
And who have you cursed? Who have you called?
I name them now!
Arikel, the withered rose, lovely and dark and damned,
Malkav and Malakai, twins of blood and twins of madness,
Seteh, the serpent in shadows, draw back your hand from his fangs,
Raava-Nah, the lord of lies, once dutiful and now deceitful,
Ninmug, the bloody-browed, strong-armed, slow-witted, spear-pierced.

Zillah, lovely Zillah,
maiden of unspeakable beauty,
most lovely of all the Daughters of Eve.
How we weep for you!
Better you had been plain, or veiled,
and not espied by Caine's evil eye.
Now your fair face masks a foul heart,
and your lips speak lies, and pray to devils.
And what have you ruined? Who have you slain?
I name them now!
Absimiliard, the beast-faced, hated and hateful,
Hakim, the slayer of foes, a weapon thinking he is a man,
Iko-Pa-Beh, the hunter in the wild, bane of distant realms,
Ennoia, the savage one, the wild one, beast among Beasts,
Al-Mahri, the blood-bull, horned one, fool, first slain,
Loz, the cloven-handed, brute, beast, burnt by the Sun.

Irad the Strong,
lord of men, proud chieftain,
stern-faced,
strong-willed,
steady-handed,
stiff-necked.
Where is your pride?
Lift up your boot, Caine, and let us see it!
Where is your honor?
Let us ask the wind, for it has blown away!
And where have you gone? Who have you carried back?
I name them now!
Ashur, the ghost that walks, silent and ever-scheming,
Ilyes, the twisted sage, rebellious heart and boastful tongue,
Laza, the shaper of shadows, black in eyes and heart and soul,
Ved-Hartha, the proud lord, ambitious beyond measure,
Meket, the delver into darkness, hollow one, puppet,
Kirya, the watcher of stars, wise-eyed, danger-blind.

One and three,
Six, and six, and six again.
And one aside.
Who bore you, forsaken one?
My heart tells me of an outcast.
Who embraced you, lost soul?
My heart tells me of the Crone.
Who taught you, wicked heart?
My heart tells me of the Abyss.
Who commands you, filthy cur?
My heart tells me of the Fallen.
What is your name, slave of devils?
My heart speaks it, and I shout it,
Nergal, Nergal, Nergal,
thrice named, thrice bound,
and thrice-by-thrice damned.

-o-

paul_leone   replied on  Mon, Sep 7 2009 12:12 PM
Death

Hear now a woman's last song.

Long together we walked the world.
Golden springs and red autumns,
green summers and white winters,
bright days, dark nights,
hand in hand, side by side.
But Heaven's gifts are gone,
and strong limbs grow weak,
and bright eyes grow faint.
But children grow up,
and children go on.
Sorrowful memories ease,
joyful memories arise.
Shall I name my delight?
Seth, Third-son, mighty and wise.
Azura, daughter of Dreams.
Enos, faithful and righteous.
Noam, fleet-footed huntress.
Kenan, master of metals.
Mualeleth, singer of spirits.
Generations rise,
and generations rise atop them.
Sons of Adam, Daughters of Eve,
stewards of the Earth.
Long-lived, greatly gifted.
But time bears down,
as water on the stones.
And so age withers hand and heart.
Eyes shut,
eyes open.
Where have we gone?
What has befallen us?
What grey sky is this?
What black sea is this?
Whither shall we go?
What shall we do?
And then, a light,
and then, a voice.
A song it sings,
of life and death,
of wisdom and woe,
of pity and promise.
of black depths and bright shores.
Oblivion below,
Eternity ahead,
Life behind,
Choice given,
choice made.
He sailed on,
I stood still.
Now, alone I wait.
My son, my son, my First-born,
what darkness veils you?
Do you hear my cries?
Do my pleas soften your cruel heart?
My son, my son, my Second-born,
what shadowed land do you roam?
Do you hear my cries?
Do my tears fall under the same grey skies?
I wait, I wait,
through all the ages of the world,
I wait.

***

Still need to do one for Mage, and the Wayward and Hermit (aka Paragon and Oracle) bits of the Hunter song could be tweaked, since I don't know what their actual edges were. And then the more coherent OOC stuff. Still, though...

Whaddaya think, sirs?