Of Orcs and Warlocks

Luastara

Of Orcs and Warlocks

Young conscripts, recruits, Warlocks all
Gather round to hear tell the rise and fall
Of the teaming, brutal, Orcish horde
Of Magicks profound and Tsol'aa Lords

And remember at they lows and heights
The way the Pheonix finds its might:
From ashen mound in blackest night

A year after the Guild was formed
by Napoleon atop the elemental faunt
An evil plot was in secret born

Recounted now lest ye forgot

Few remember how it all began

But it started with a single cry -
“I, Tu'eras, Prince of Tsol'aa am,
My parents, are they still alive?

I fled their side amidst the flames
That burn now in my gentle village
And those fires will haunt me to my grave
If my King is dead, his kingdom pillaged.”

Magi, Druid, heard his call

And gathered from all walks of life
To suppress the fires all
To find the King and noble wife

Amidst the rubble and clearing smoke

They that that few from death's hand escaped
And amidst the ruins these solemn words spoke:
“The King is dead, the Queen cruelly raped.”

As the councils of the Cities met
The Great Mhunna swore he could not wait
“I know you all will meet this threat
But I must seal my City gates.

For brigands of Orcs now freely wander
Starting fires and speaking foul words
I am grieved by the Queen and the poor Prince's father
But my duties are mine, not his and hers.”

Ashtan decided the wandering Orcs must be killed
But the Warlocks had a different thought
“Before swords, let us sharpen our wills

And make peace with what need not be fought.”

So Jarik and Warloc an offering of crystal made
“Let use have peace and know your purpose.”

But the crystal gave power to turn beast to Archmage
And the taste of Magick did their appetites worsen

Seeing now their shared threat
Ancient enemies laid down their arms

And finally as comrades met
To protect their realms from harm

But the forces of evil also gathered their muster
And fair Queen Celaabi was laid into her tomb
After she had been unjustly murdered
Alongside the infants in her womb

The Orcish horde gathered then
To attack the hiding Prince
But the fair Lord was nobly saved
By the sacrifice of High Druid Thaal'is

What plan then, did the Orcs hatch
Repelled in their goals?

To snatch the buyers of rats
And scurry back within their holes

A thousand theories spread amongst the din

But I suggest after the elves
The Orcs came to avenge their kin
Being so much like rats themselves

But in truth the kidnapping was just a plot
To sow Discord and Distraction
For the Orcs had by then thought

Of a much grander extraction

While forces fought to free the merchants
Fearing the collapse of their economy
The Orcs struck like coiled serpents
To give the Guilds greater ignominy

Down on the cities of Sapience they descended
And smashed into the Halls of the Guilds
While they were left undefended
And their greedy hands with Master Crystals filled

Bitter, broken were the Houses
Tired, sore, and lame
Though from these piles of ashes
Would rise again the flame

The Orcs attacked, a great war was fought
And blood ran along the earth

As every man and woman lifted sword and spell
To slay Orcs and prove their worth.

The number slain is great and lost to history
But the Horde was finally beaten back

The valley of Dun Barony
The source of their attack

The armies of Sapience amassed
To storm the fort and kill their leader Kroul
And give to Thoth at last
The one who had all the lands befouled

It was a battle hard fought and many fell

While storming through Orc villages and hordes
Til they reached they center of that hall
And found Kroul pleading with his Lord

Indeed, Kroul had always just been a pawn
In the games of Zh'risia, a Tsol'teth

But by the rising of the dawn
Both had been delivered unto death

Cheers and good will were spread around
The Master Crystals restored
And Prince Tu'eras with sadness dawned the crown
To be the new Tsol'aa Lord

So remember this tale, Warlocks
When all seems to no avail:
There is always an ember burning
Behind the ashen veil

Luastara

Luastara

Apologize for this posting twice.

Despran

Very interesting and well written.