Lyrics - The Splendour Of A Thousand Swords Gleaming by Bal-sagoth

(
Beneath
The
Blazon
Of
The
Hyperborean
Empire)
ALTARUS:
Gaze deep into the mists with your spirit-eyes,
Xerxes...look far, and tell me what 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 hideswithin the fog-swathed vales of
Hyperborea...
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 ridethe argent-eyed unicorn to the
Ring of
Stones...
There a torrent of viscid slime assailed me,as pipes and horns sang the clarion of my dissolution...
And the usurpation of my ancient azure throne.
Assassins stalk the nighted halls of my palace...poisoned blades and chalices surround me.
I thirsted for a balm, but my thirstwas 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 the
Crystals of
Power...
THE
WORDS
OF
THE
SORCERER:
My liege, great and regal king...the mists disclose their secrets...you are destined to wield a great dark power.
Drink deep of the potions of the apothecary,for upon thee now
I bestow a shardof the mystic
Crystal of
Mera...sacred artefact of the
At lantean mages,won in battle by our legions.
My liege, the
Crystal of
Mera shall unveil the truthlurking hidden 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 fleshdarkened with the claw and fang of war...rent open the ravenous maws of worms...
THE
KING:
The
Crystal illumines dark secrets, the truth is known...a dire and ancient threat is ranged against 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 wroughtby 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 mewith your splendid legions and shimmering swords.
I, the
Bane of the
Atlantean
Kings, the
Scourge of
Lemuria,
Archfoe of the
Immortals of
Ultima
Thule, shall
Crush you!
I shall visit a thousand plagues upon your realm,and wreak untold havoc and bloody carnageuntil
I have your throne... and your soul!
ALTARUS:
And thus, flanked by the splendour of azure banners,a vast army marched forth from the great wallsof the
Imperial
City of
Hyperborea,and at the forefront of the mighty legions,astride an ebon war-stallion, rode the king,sunlight glinting up on his splendid armour...compelled by dreams, and guided by the
Crystal of
Mera...
XERXES:
Where?
Where did the king's path take him?
ALTARUS:???
XERXES:
But master, what powers did this blade possess?
What secrets did it hold?
ALTARUS:???
XERXES:
Then there looms such a cataclysmic battle!
ALTARUS:
And so, from his
Black
Citadel, the
Chaos-liege did sendforth his
Horde of
Wraiths 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 darksome sorceries 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 to wait 'til another day...

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