ALTARUS: Gaze deep into the mists with your spirit-eyes, Xerxes... look far, and tell mewhat you see.XERXES: I see a land far to the north... a vast empire of dark endless moors and snow-crowned mountains... a land of brooding citadels and warrior-kings who hail to grim gods.ALTARUS: Look well, Xerxes, for enlightenment hides within the fog-swathed vales ofHyperborea...The King's Dream:By the onyx sceptre of my forefathers, the air is churning with auguries of dethronement...Impending dread thus prophesized!In a dream I was bade ride the argent-eyed unicorn to the Ring of Stones...There a torrent of viscid slime assailed me, as pipes and horns sang the clarion of mydissolution...And the usurpation of my ancient azure throne.Assassins stalk the nighted halls of my palace... poisoned blades and chalices surroundme.I thirsted for a balm, but my thirst was slaked by an envenomed draught.My swordarm shackled by tendrils of sloth... enthralled by the chasmed gloom...Borne upon wings of labyrinthine dread... I awaken!I shall seek the counsel of the sorcerer, keeper of the ancient scrolls of wisdom, and theCrystals of Power...The Words of the Sorcerer:My liege, great and regal king... the mists disclose their secrets... you are destined towield a great dark power. Drink deep of the potions of the apothecary, for upon thee now Ibestow a shard of the mystic Crystal of Mera... sacred artefact of the Atlantean mages,won in battle by our legions. My liege, the Crystal of Mera shall unveil the truth lurkinghidden in thy most fever-haunted dreams...The Voice of the Harbinger:The land awash with spilled blood, and viscera torn forth from the sundered dead...Gorge the earth with flesh darkened with the claw and fang of war... rent open theravenous maws of worms...The King:The Crystal illumines dark secrets, the truth is known... a dire and ancient threat is rangedagainst me.Hearken, the clarion is upon the winds, now the call to arms is upon us all,Grim warriors, take up thy spears and hone thy gleaming swords.Archers, string thy bows, brave knights, saddle the steeds of war,The glory of battle is nigh at last, our banner shall fly this day in victory!My warriors, a legacy shall this day be wrought by our blades, decreed by the gods,Blessed by the blood of vanquished foes. Our destiny beckons...Lord Angsaar, Dark Liege of Chaos:Come, great king of Hyperboria, march against me with your splendid legions andshimmering swords. I, the Bane of the Atlantean Kings, the Scourge of Lemuria, Archfoeof the Immortals of Ultima Thule, shall Crush you! I shall visit a thousand plagues uponyour realm, and wreak untold havoc and bloody carnage until I have your throne... andyour soul!ALTARUS: And thus, flanked by the splendour of azure banners, a vast army marchedforth from the great walls of the Imperial City of Hyperborea, and at the forefront of themighty legions, astride an ebon war-stallion, rode the king, sunlight glinting upon hissplendid armour... compelled by dreams, and guided by the Crystal of Mera...XERXES: Where? Where did the king's path take him?ALTARUS: The king was compelled to lead his forces to the shadow-haunted Mountainsof the Dead, a grim and brooding place steeped in dark and ancient legendry. Alone herode into the gaping maw of a huge cave hewn into the side of the tallest mountaincountless ages past by unknown hands. For three full days and nights he did not emergefrom the cave... until, at last, he rode forth from the eldritch mountain once more, a terribleknowledge shadowed in his icy eyes, and bearing in his gauntleted fist a huge blacksword, a magnificent ebon blade which no human blacksmith ever forged. Fearsomesorcerous power crackled within the yard of black steel, dancing upon its searingly honed,glyph-scored blade... and its bejewelled, dragon-carved hilt did whisper arcane secrets tothe king in a strange, elder tongue.XERXES: But master, what powers did this blade possess? What secrets did it hold?ALTARUS: Many centuries ago, before even were waged the Great Wars between theancient kingdoms of Atlantis and Hyperborea, Lord Angsaar did rise from his charnel-tomband do battle with a powerful immortal warrior-shaman over the possession of the elderCrystals of Mera, mystic gems of unparalleled magical potency. Angsaar, his powerswelled by forces from the vast Outer Darkness, did smite his foe to the brink ofdestruction... but, with his fading sorceries, the immortal mystically transferred his life-essence into his great black sword, and scattered the magic crystals across the galaxy,leaving Angsaar with a hollow victory and forcing him to return once more to his darkChamber of Slumber. The sword was lost for centuries, as were the crystals, until the onegem to remain on this world was discovered deep beneath the northern seas by anancient Atlantean wizard. And the sword... legends spoke of how its final resting placewould be made known by the sorceries of the last crystal only when the blade's powerwould once again ne needed to battle the Chaos-liege. This was the immortal's final, mostpowerful spell... upon the reawakening of Angsaar, the sorcerous energies and undyinglifeforce encased within the blade would be transferred to its wielder... aye, the one whodiscovered the Shadow-Sword would be imbued with the power of the immortal, and bythe art of elder spellcraft, he would do battle with his ancient nemesis once more...XERXES: Then there looms such a cataclysmic battle!ALTARUS: And so, from his Black Citadel, the Chaos-liege did send forth his Horde ofWraiths to engage the army of the king...THE KING:Behold, a legion of undead fiends meets us upon the field of war.Face me, Scourge of Lemuria, I wield thy bane, the Shadow-Sword... (and darksomesorceries now empower me with thunderous might!)Hearken, the clarion is upon the winds, now the call to arms is upon us all,The glory of battle is nigh at last, into the fray we ride!XERXES: The outcome, master... who left the field victorious? Did the king prevail?ALTARUS: The mists begin to disperse... for now, the images fade. That tale shall have towait 'til another day...Lyrics: ByronMusic: Jonny Maudling
Related Songs
The Duelists - Iron Maiden
The Duellists - Iron Maiden
Valley of The Damned - Dragonforce
Facing Failure - Funeral
Fatigue - Omit
Swords of a Thousand Men - The Real Mckenzies
Bloodmeat - Protest The Hero
Dying In A Moment Of Splendour (Echoes Of Melancho...
Swords of A Thousand Men - Tenpole Tudor
The Swords of a Thousand Men - Tenpole Tudor
To Honour Wotan - Nachtfalke
Dance of Axes and Swords - Graveland
My Atonement - Sodom
The Promethean - Dyscarnate
Solitude Rising (Missing All Exit) - Black Wreath
Spread Your Bloody Wings - Smog
Ride Into Oblivion - Angeli Di Pietra
Last Night Of The Kings - Van Canto
The Road to Babylon - Manfred Mann's Earth Band
Siren Song - Erasure
Dagon Undone (The Reckoning) - The Showdown
The Splendour of the Idols - Desaster
The Great Celtiberia - Berserk
The Horror Grandeur - Morgul
The Road To Babylon (Mann, Thomas Pattenden)...
Samurai Showdown - RZA
Horizons Fall - Faerghail
On The Way To Ainor - Rhapsody Of Fire
Vor Dem Sturme - Haggard
Arouse Coiled Splendour - Aarni
To Behold The Sky Of Flames - Black Swan
The Road To Babylon...
Granada - Al Martino
Granada - Caterina Valente
Granada - Werner Müller
Granada - Eydie Gorme
Granada [DVD] - Al Martino
Winter Without You - Devil Ate My Son
Bridge To The Sun - Of Whispers
Illuminations - Eloy
Deathkey - The Gothsicles
Never Freeze (Flower in Ice) - Diary Of Dreams
Splendour - Kurt J. Moser
Walpurgisnacht In The Grotto. Dancing With Lilith...
Samurai Showdown (Raise Your Swords) - Rza
Apocalyptic Prophecies (the Sign Of Hades) - Hades
Apocalyptic Prophecies (The Sign Of Hades)...
Apocalyptic Prophecies - Hades Almighty
Never Freeze - Diary of Dreams
Knight of the Swords - Diamond Head
Tender Is the Night - Billy Eckstine
Breakdown - Whitesnake
Jesus - Planetshakers
Dancing In Blue Moonlight - Tokyo Blade
Young - Snowblood
Pulling Punches - David Sylvian
The Song of the Swords - Domine
Awakening Of The Emperor - Theudho
Apocalyptic Prophecies (Sign of Hades) - Hades
Troops of Unfeigned Might - Arghoslent
Under a Veil (Of Black Lace) - Anathema
Under A Veil (Of Black Lace) - Anathema
Hymn Of The Conquerors - Bound For Glory
Only The Strong Will Survive - Axel Rudi Pell
In A Time Of Blood And Fire - Nocturnal Rites
Eye Of The Demon - Nocturnal Rites
Splendour of the Hidden Flame - Andhord
Come To Me - Air Supply
A Breath From Worlds Beyond - Abigor
Caramel - Soulwax
Town Crier - Wet Wet Wet
Warbringers - Doomsword
The Way It Could Be - King of Swords
Introduction - King of Swords
Magic Is The Moonlight - Evgenia Koralskaia
Pathetique - Andrew Bird
A Storm of Swords - Lich King
A Storm Of Swords - Jedi Mind Tricks
Living In The Moonlight - Collage
Armageddon Arrives - Battlelust
Summer's End - Autumn
Rockin' The Trolls - BZN
Intro - Vinnie Paz
Corrosion Creeps - Soulfly
Swords And Tequila - Riot
Town Cryer - Elvis Costello
Earthly Love - Gorguts
House of Seven Swords - Vanessa Carlton
Fimbulvetr Frost - Moonsorrow
Perdition\'s Light - Funeral Mist
Against My Enemies - Damnation
Storm of Steel - Nomans Land
Exorcise The Living - Cruciform Injection
Music Takes Me Up - Mr. Scruff
Shrines to Decadent Splendour - Draugr
Lord On High - Tad Morose
Blues For Allah - Grateful Dead
Pretty Thoughts Strike Down the Band...
Landscape [Extract from "The Paintings"]...
Landscape [Extract from "The Paintings"]...
Landscape [Extract from "The Paintings"]...
Bless The Lord (Son Of Man) - Tye Tribbett
Killing With Swords - Elliot Matsu
Old Rancor - Hacavitz
Jewellers & Bums - Joe Strummer
Thou Who Wast Rich Beyond All Splendour...
Epic: A Chorus of Obliteration - The Showdown
Rubicon - Ancient Rites
Will Of The Cobra - Majesty
Moon-Struck (Prelude) - Atrocity
Breathing Wounds - Funeral Mist
In Splendour - Engel
Danse Vampyr - Inkubus Sukkubus
Everyday's Torture - Golden Earring
lunar eclipse (english) - Silver Ash
Northern Lights - Barnabas
Knights Of Destruction - Viper
Battle Hymn - Manowar
Swords - Ventana
Swords - Anael
Swords - M.i.a
Swords - M.I.A.
Swords - Leftfield
Dusk Of Forgotten Darkness - Enthroned
Mighty Swords - Adorned Brood
The Path of Swords - Abused Majesty
The Path of Swords - Abused Majesty
Song Of The Swords - Hawkwind
The Ace Of Swords - Alan Parson Project, The
The Ace Of Swords - Alan Parsons Project
The Ace of Swords - The Alan Parsons Project
The Ten Of Swords - Arsis
Believe In Metal - Wizard
Tempus Fugit - Portal
The Collapsing Spheres of Time - Sirius
Warmaggedawn - Kronos
Queen of Swords - Idina Menzel
No Rusty Swords - Card Michael
Iron, Steel, Metal - Children of Bodom
There'll Be a Jubilee - The Devil Makes Three
Mountain Of Sword - Dragon Guardian
Deliver A Battle - Barathrum
Sword + Gun - Jose James
Sword + Gun - José James
Lived In Splendour: Died In Chaos...
Gallery of Reality - Autumn
Amandus - Theudho
Swords And Leather - Absu
Singing Sores Make Perfect Swords - Built to Spill
The Evocation - Demonoid
Border Raid in Lions March - Human Fortress
Rambling Boy - Charlie Haden & Bruce Hornsby
Everyday's Torture - Golden Earring
Guardians Of The Flame - Virgin Steele
Lord of Swords - Tsjuder
Ten of Swords - Echoes Of Eternity
Swords of Doom - Doomsword
Swords of Truth - These New Puritans
Swords Of Darkness - Exciter
Six Dead, Three To Go - The Gathering
The Mark - Swords Project
Glory And Splendour - Daniel Akakpo
The Way Of The Sword - Adorned Brood
One At A Time - CAIRO
The Golden Walls Of Heaven - Bathory
Running On Empty - Ghost of a Thousand
Black Art Number One - Ghost of a Thousand
Bored Of Math - Ghost of a Thousand
New Toy - Ghost of a Thousand
Left For Dead - Ghost of a Thousand
One For The Road - Ghost of a Thousand
Married To The Sidewalk - Ghost of a Thousand
Midsummer Night's Happening - Sally Oldfield
The Harvest of Treachery - Aurvandil
The Hieroglyph - Aarni
Bright Lights - The Ghost of a Thousand
Running On Empty - The Ghost of a Thousand
The Last Bastion of Heaven Lies Abandoned and Burn...
Married To The Sidewalk - The Ghost of a Thousand
Black Art Number One - The Ghost of a Thousand
As They Breed They Swarm - The Ghost of a Thousand
Nobody Ever Gives You A Straight Answer to Anythin...
One for the Road - The Ghost of a Thousand
Bored of Math - The Ghost of a Thousand
Up To You - The Ghost of a Thousand
New Toy - The Ghost of a Thousand
Left for Dead - The Ghost of a Thousand
Canyons of Static - The Ghost of a Thousand
Split the Atom - The Ghost of a Thousand
Neptune - The Ghost of a Thousand
Moved as Mountains, Dreamt of by the Sea...
Nobody Likes a Hero - The Ghost of a Thousand
Knees, Toes, Teeth - The Ghost of a Thousand
Fed to the Ocean - The Ghost of a Thousand
Good Old Fashioned Loss - The Ghost of a Thousand
The Ballad Of The Swords - Einherjer
God, His Son And Holy Whore - Amon Amarth
God, His Son & Holy Whore - Amon Amarth
The Story of the Swords - Cryonic Temple
Heart of a Dragon [Remastered] - DragonForce