I, Gwaine d'Aggravaine, do bear witness to these times.
I have walked in the wake of peerless men, and I will not
forget.
I have many tales
Many lives have past
these eyes.
Some grew old
and passed, their memory cold,
Some stood bold
Their deeds afire after many a night.
I will tell thee of a tale,
Myth you say, but nay,
This is more,
With wrath, destruction,
sacrifice, dedication,
patience steadfast,
I will tempt your ears.
And lo it came to be
A Great Rift parted afore the Blood Sea
Beasts of myth and magic,
Savage and cruel the Rift bore
And upon the land they ravaged
Women cried and men swore.
A plague upon the land,
as locusts from the sands.
Neither good nor evil did
the Rift beasts see.
All were fodder to their wrath.
Many valiant, more cowered
Eclipse and Gareth's sent their best
Blinding blades and clashing shield
All for naught they did yield
The Rift beasts held the field.
Again again the Knights rode
Battle cries and shouts bold
Again they returned bloodied and bruised
The Rift beasts stood the field amused.
Cackling cries and sonorous laughter
The Rift beasts continued their rampant slaughter.
On bended knee and heads bowed,
prayers rang for the dead in shroud.
The Gods looked down and frowned,
To Knights assembled, Nadrik did sound.
"A heart .. true and pure, mortal
Only that will banish,
this blemished portal"
Gunnar the Good, heard this call
Paladin of old, valiant and bold
his heart did give, that all may live.
Diamante of Eclipse, the dagger held
and drove it true to Gunnar's chest.
That unsullied hands would bear,
Lady Muse drew from that breast,
Gunnar the Good, his heart.
Valiant charge, the trumpeters sounded
and to the Rift, the Knights sallied
Bearing his Heart.
Bloodied but unbowed, the Eclipse and Gareth's
Won through, beside the Rift they stood.
And into that morass,
Gunnar's Heart was cast.
Close it did, and take, the Rift beasts with
Those that remained, their end met
To Eclipse dagger and Knighthood blade,
and to the beyond their souls sent
And from that cursed soil, a seed did sprout
Tree of Goodness, to mark the day.
Across the lands people rejoiced,
Their lives spared, the homes regained.
In the Keep, Knights stood
heads bowed, the grief welling
A brother lost, a life's flame stilling
Flags lowered, and lamps unlit
Gareth's sorrow.
Lady Muse, sat in reverence, mourning,
In her ear, the Lord spake,
" Hurry, hurry .. to the Tree
And there, upon the branch, thou shalt see
For mine covenant with thine Keep, a token
Go .. go now .. I hath spoken "
Ride she did, from the hall in haste
To the Tree of Goodness, amidst the wastes
On the branch her eye did alight
The Lord's gift glowing a-bright
From that branch she bore,
Gunnar's heart from that cursed shore.
To the Keep she carried,
This relic sacred.
And in Nadrik's temple
keened for a chapel to honor
Gareth's own son, Gunnar the Good
Lord Knight, Sir Glain, considered, declined
Lady Muse stood mute, resolute,
A solemn oath she swore,
Paladin of the Stone Floor.
A month, she prayed in sackcloth and ashes
Before her boon was granted.
And all that time she bore, Gunnar's heart.
Crystal and gold, the Chapel rose
for Fallen Heroes, a hallowed home
In that sacred place, the Ark displayed
To hold for eternity, Gunnar's Heart.
So stand, my folk of Gareth's
my brothers, sisters in arms,
Bow your heads a moment,
Speak to your heart this instant,
Honor the life, of a man without vice,
Sir Draugrbane, Gunnar the Good.
Listen ye all the lesson contained, of sacrifice peerless, of fortitude for right.
Most of all, listen ye well, I charge thee to bear this tale.
Your sons and daughers and unto even their,
sons and daughters. Let them hear of this tale.
May it never die.