Paroles : The Rise of Meldral-Nok

I. The Leave Taking
II. Awareness
III. Ancient Fears
IV. Lust for Death
V. The Dark Fleet
VI. Fool of Wisdom
VII. The Pledge

I. The Leave Taking

And it came to pass that after the destruction of Fïre-Enmek nothing remained but dust & ashes. Lord Shade's spirit within the Great Dragon beheld the dismal state of the world & wept.
Having carried out his duty, the Dragon took leave of His guest to repair to His lonesome cave, abandoning His former inhabitant to the ghosts of his loneliness & wretchedness. Thus the hapless wanderer was left to roam amidst the slain & the ruins of what was his world, doomed to rove endlessly, bereft of body & soul.
And Lord Shade's spirit among such ruins and decay gave way to his pain & sorrow, a forlorn spirit swept by the pouring rain & the bitter wind that blew as if to dispel the remnants of this fated world .

«Blow, winds, & crack your cheeks! Rage! blow!
You cataracts & hurricanes spout
Till you have drenched our steeples, drowned the cocks
Rumble thy bellyful! Spit, fire! Spout, rain!»

Thus raved wild lord Shades in his madness

Wandering amid ruins,
Lord shades lost all hope;
Despair overcame him
& he let his spirit pass away.

& in his sleep of death,
There appeared a being
The likes of he had never seen
A battle-woman she was
Long-haired under her helmet
& thus spake the blissful being:

«Arise! Thou knowest not the powers
That thou wieldst & they're vast.
Go thou seek the Oracle, That lies
On the highest peak of this world.»

After those soothing words
& a few more besides,
The being vanished
Into thin air but
Lord shades grew bold
And set his mind

Towards this mountain
Wherein was the new
Object of his quest
& a new chink of hope.

Long was the way to this hallowed mountain,
Across many a river over many a dell
Barely crossing a man's path he went on
Moved by a new design, bent on a new goal.

In his den the Lord of Meldral Nok raged.
After this defeat, this rout, he ranted & raved
Against this world that refused his ruthless rule.
Then it was that he devised a wild & foul scheme:

«With the Dragon even I cannot vie.
But I know who can!!

In the deepest caves of this world,
Lie cursed imprisoned primal beings...

Entities of days beyond reckoning
that even I shudder to wake, but I must.»

The seven beasts of chaos, imprisoned before
The world was created, stirred in their cells.

II. Awareness

«For days & months have I trudged along,
Around me nothing is but death & decay
I feel in my mind that there is no choice,
But chase wild dreams & fantasies...»

«But go on I must against wind & rain
Across sandy deserts and barren plains»

«Over broken hill & steep mountains»

«I can feel the end of my journey is near.»

«Lo! Here proudly stands the hallowed peak
Where doom awaits. Let's make haste!»

Then Lord Shades ran, oblivious to his pains and weariness.
Joy suffused his being as he neared the much dreamed-of place.

Je suis celui que tu espérais
Mon pouvoir va bientôt s'achever,
Ma flamme s'en va mourante, condamnée,
Lors, je dois te révéler qui tu es...

Bathed in the golden light of the Oracle & filled with wonder, Lord shades learnt from the primal entity that he was a soul-snatcher and, as such, his might was great among mortals. But it came to pass that the Oracle's flame grew weak, its fire on the verge of going out: It would soon be unable to go any further.
Pressed by time, the Oracle briskly announced that The Dragon, the Great Leveller was endangered & that Lord Shades had to come to His rescue for the Dragon was ancient & all-powerful and thus able to help him find his wholeness.
Bewildered and dismayed was he, the soulless, the bodiless, on hearing such tidings and on beholding the Oracle vanish after aeons of existence. He was alone once more...Still he resolved to resume his quest. Lord Shades journeyed on, in search of the Dragon's Lair, spurred on by a foolish hope, animated by an indescribable flame. Little did he know of what was awaiting him in the shadows of the world...

III. Ancient Fears

Thus it befell that from the nethermost caves
Of Meldral Nok, the baleful entities of Chaos were let loose to wreak havoc.
Released from their shackles unhinging the doors of their cells
Breaking through immemorial walls & ready to vent off ages of frustration.

«After aeons of infamous caging
We, Sons of Chaos are abroad at last!»

«The world shall quake under us
All sign of life shall die out!»
«Slay!»

«Hearken to our dreadful tread
Frail humans cower, ye shall perish!»

«On we march! On we march! (Stand!) On we march!»
«I summon ye entities!»
«Fire & ice! fire & ice! (Burn!) Fire & ice!»
«Be the arm of my revenge!»
«Flood and hail! Flood & hail! (Fall!) Flood & hail!»
«Fall upon this wretched world!»
«Storm & frost! Storm & frost! (Break!) Storm & frost!»
«Break every breathing being!»

«Before ye can wallow in wild ruin & destruction,
I command ye, Sons of Chaos, to end
The life of the Great Dragon, my plague, my bane.
Thus shall I be rid of my most hated & fearsome foe.»

«We proud Sons of Chaos bow to no master!
Yet it pleases us to do your will & slay the Great Worm»

«On we march! On we march! (Stand!) On we march!»
«I summon ye entities!»
«Fire & ice! fire & ice! (Burn!) Fire & ice!»
«Be the arm of my vengeance!»

So it was that the awesome and frightful shapes of Chaos
Headed for the Dragon's lair, ruining all on their way.

«Beware, thou old flying worm, thy time has come at last!
Now is the time of mayhem, now is the time of blood.»

Recklessly tramping the ground, tolling the knell of the world,
The Sons of Chaos pressed on towards the blessed Cave.

Their rage boiled over as they reached the Lair,
They fell upon Him the Great Hallowed One,
They ripped life from limb the Dragon's body wet
With his life-blood as it came gushing out.

Nay!

Broken & forsaken, the Great Leveller
Breathed His last. Thus He left
This world...

IV. Lust for Death

Behold the work of the Sons of Chaos
Upon the lands!
Sowing seeds of death and destruction,
Tramping, treading, crushing ... all life.

«Cower, ye Mortals! Ye shall not
Flee from your doom!
Crushed shall be skull, torn shall be limb
Ignominious death!»

Sweeping wind of hateful devastation,
Hurricanes of torment,
No remorse nor fear do They feel;
Ruthless roaring ruin.

«Free at last we are
To drink our fill with blood,
Gorge on fresh flesh
Seasoned with agony.
None shall be spared
Be it man, woman or child.
Nothing shall stay
This unquenchable lust...»

...Lust for death

Yet amidst the ruins a few escaped
living on raw flesh of worms, snakes & rats, bent on surviving.

Lust for life...

Life...

Parodies of men,
Reduced to cornered and frightened beasts,
Fearing the dark,
Dreading the shadows.

«Free at last we are
To drink our fill with blood,
Gorge on fresh flesh
Seasoned with agony.
Nothing shall stay
This unquenchable lust...»

Unquenchable lust for... Death...

Thus it was that the Land...
...The Land of the Living,
Became the Land of...
...The Land of the Dying...

V. The Dark Fleet

From his dark throne in Meldral-Nok, the accursed Lord beheld this work of destruction and relished the sight of it:

«What joy to see such mayhem
Chaos henceforth shall reign!»

«Today shall I launch my warships whisper
To complete this work of ruin!»

After Firë-Enmek, Nawmell
shall never see another day!»

«Forth, forth we sail to Namwell
Blow, Wind, bear us swiftly!
Then shall we sack and destroy,
The blessed land of Namwell!»

«Forth, forth we sail to Namwell
Blow, Wind, bear us swiftly!
Then shall we sack and destroy,
This blessed land of Namwell!»

«Go forth and slay! Revel in the blood of they
That dare defy the Lord of Meldral-Nok!»

«Oh, what can we see over yonder?
What are those dark sails nearing our shores?»

«Ye shall rue the day that ye saw light
Ye shall cower and beg for mercy»

Thus it was that the hateful hellish fleet
Landed on the hallowed shores, then
Began the bloody slaughter

Slay...

Today, Namwell shall perish
Under the greedy sword and spear.

Ruthless slaughter; unquenchable
Thirst for blood and destruction...

Murder! Murder! Murder! Murder!

«Yea! Unleash thy lust for blood!
Aye! Let forth thy thirst for gore!»

The dark army of Meldral-Nok,
Wreaked havoc on these lands,
That had known nothing but mirth,
Bliss and eternal peace.

Nothing but maimed body now
Shall adorn those lifeless Shores.

«Back, back we sail from Namwell
Blow, Wind, bear us swiftly!
Back to our land, Meldral-Nok
Now that thy will is done!»

«I have overcome!»

«Now shall nothing hinder me! I am master
Of all the lands! Everyone shall worship me!»

VI. Fool of Wisdom

After journeying for days that seemed months and for months that seemed years, Lord Shades reached the Dragon's Lair at last... only to find His body sullied and soiled by the unholy hands of the Sons of Chaos. He fell to his knees, weeping: «Everything I do goes amiss,» thought he. «Why was I chosen? Why did Fate point Its finger at me? Wherefore doth It toy with me thus?» Then a black wave of gloom engulfed him and his spirit was lost in the dark corridors of despair. But Fate would not have him die peacefully: the Fool entered the Lair and found him once more prey to agony and misery, and tore him from his lifeless sleep:

«What dost thou tarry here for, whoreson of idleness?
Dost thou think that to sleep is the way?
I am the herald of the wind & the wind tells me
That Lord Shades shall stand up once again.»

Lord Shades lifted his head
And stared at the fool.

«Fool, how come thou knowest my name? Tell me!»
«Fool thou art. I know many things. I know thee for
Thou art one of the Soul-Borrowers.»

«The last remnant of a long-forgotten race,
And thy part is yet to be played.»

«Thou shalt live and fight
The Wicked Powers abroad.»

«What sayest thou? Fool thou art to believe so!»

«Fool I am, but knowing. To Meldral-Nok
Shalt thou speed for the Lord that rules yonder
Hath a weak spot that I know of. Only you
Hast the might and will to reach him.»

«Come!«

And it came to pass that Lord Shades followed the Fool who told him everything about this ancient and forgotten race of the Soul-Borrowers.

VII. The Pledge

Long were the days of their journeying, over hill and dell, over the great ocean that splits the lands till they touched the soil of Meldral-Nok the blighted. Then it was that the Fool took leave of Lord Shades: «Mine part in this play is done. Now is the time of thy coming forth. Thou shalt face the destiny that lies in wait for thee. Get thee gone and meet with thy doom!» Alone, he roved the dusty tracks that crisscrossed this scorched land. Betwixt bottomless pits and fiery cracks did he tread along till he came upon a vale teeming with maggot-like beings reeling to the tune of a demented music. A terrible sight filled his spirit with horror: the armies of the Lord of Meldral-Nok were a-dancing and a-carousing for the complete victory of their master over the lands of Firë-Enmek and Namwell.

What a dreadful sight! I must end this din!»
«Hail Lord of darkness! Devourer of souls»

«None now shall prevent me the dark Lord
From setting my iron rule on this cursed & wanton world.»

«Torture, crawling death and fear
Everyone shall see me and dread !
The weak, the helpless, the poor
I shall enslave and set to work
To my forges and mills.
The strong I shall subdue
To my spiteful will and make them
Do my bidding and....»

«Nay, never shall thou hold sway
Over this hither world !
This world is mine thou shalt not
Lay thine vile hands on it!»

«I shall stop thee and thy plots!

Come and join my army and wage pitiless war
Against all form of life!
Thus we shall reign in endless aeons to come!»
«No, this shall not come to pass!»

Thou canst not vie with me; I am»
Mightier than thee; bow to my will!»

Come and join me and thou shalt see my
Power cannot be matched by any foe!»

«I cannot yield, bow to thy will!»
«Thou art of the race of the immortals: thou canst choose».
«I cannot yield, bow to thy will!»
«The Soul-borrowers are free to make up their minds.»

«Better reign in hell than serve in paradise...
Why not choose the other path?
Then shall I wander no more.»

«This is the right choice thou hast made!
The two of us will be all the mightier!»

«An end will be put
To my ceaseless wanderings.
Then shall I find the
Way to find my true self
Again and waver no more.»

«Fie! All goodness! Leave me now;
I have chosen the path I shall now tread.»

«I'm yours!»

«Now shall we reign, thou my very servant,
The captain of my hosts shall
Lead the way...

... the way to chaos!
... the way to chaos!»

After this dreadful oath, Lord Shades pledged his spirit to the lord of darkness and ruin, following the road to destruction and total chaos that his new master paved for him. Is there no way out? Is there no way a man can go but the evil one to find his true self? Death seems the master of all things, healer of all pain ; or is it?