The Songs of the First Kings

Sencan I

Sencan the First
Was called the Great
For deliv’ring his kin
From the Hills of Jade.

He ‘stablished his throne
In Sencankarr bright
And in justice reigned
Through the Days of Night.

Then when Vishnarr
To Denthfeld came
The Am-bo-ri fought
In their sov’riegn’s name.

And Sencan’s blade –
The Hoororupam –
Flew fast and sharp
To its master’s fame.

Three kings opposed
At Denthfeld that day
And wrought victory
On its bloody clay.

A king of the East –
Savage and dark –
Brought with him the spears
Of fabled Kothor.

A lord of horses –
Of Equisliad wide –
Rode over that plain
With his lance held high.

But highest of kings
Of the people free
Was Sencan the Great,
Of the Children, king.

And when Sencan
Lay cold in the grave,
Ranhor his son
Took the Hoororupam.

Ranhor

And foul Orkon
Did he oppose,
Contesting the might
Of their mortal foe.

And cleansed the place
By evil defiled,
And drove back the dark
From the Pleasant Isle.

Then Gates of Red
King Ranhor made
To hold back the ill
From the hills of Jade.

Those hills, which dark,
Shall never see light
Till Sencan returns
To Sencankarr bright.

Then all shall be
Restored again,
And the sea be cleansed
Of the goblin-men.

Ranhor the Builder,
Such was his name,
Who did so much good
For the Children’s sake.

And when Ranhor
Lay cold in the grave
Nanalon his son
Took the Hoororupam.

Nanalon

Nanalon then
Ruled Am-bo-ri
And had him three sons –
Their father’s pride.

Sanur the eldest,
Wisest of three.
That captain of men
Gat great victory.

Teythbor second,
Strong as a bear.
And skilled with the spear
And the ways of war.

Setela the third
Loved all things that grew,
And for their sakes
Great evils slew.

A daughter, too
Nanalon had:
Thoranrai the Fair
Made her father glad.

Then a great force
From the Hills called Black
Issued forth
To Am-bo attack.

This force was led
By Gorgara the cruel,
Who burned the North
All the Winter through.

Then the sons
Of the aged king
Went forth to fight
In the Ides of Spring.

But trick’ry fell
Befell those three
And Am-bo-ri ranks
Did break and flee.

Setela, third,
Was slain in the van,
But slew till his spear
Did stick to his hand.

Nanur, Teythbor,
Were shackled in chains
And carried off East
To the Hills of Jade.

But Teythbor strong
One night broke his chains
And slew his guards
With a goblin-blade.

The brothers two
Made quickly away
Through murky-dark
From the Hills of Jade.

Then meeting a band
Of goblin-men
A roving o’er
The Northern fens,

The brothers two
Did stand and fight.
Great wounds they gat –
Many foes did they smite.

Then Teythbor strong
Sent Nanur away
And held off the foes
With his doughty blade –

Till at last Teythbor,
By his wounds overcome,
Sank down to the grave;
Nanalon’s son.

Sanur the first,
Fled to Cankarr
At Nanalon’s throne
Gave his awful report.

And Sanur wise
With grief did cry.
Stricken with wounds,
That day he did die.

And Nanalon old
Lay himself down,
And over Sanur
His body was found.

So Nanalon
Went down to the grave,
And Thoranrai the Fair
Took the Hoororupam.

Thoranrai the Fair and Fanhal I

Throanrai Fair
Wed Fanhal the Brave.
So jointly they ruled,
Held the Hoororupam.

Great vengeance wrought
On the Hills called Black
When Fanhall went forth
To Orkon attack.

Fanhal drove
The evil away
And beat back Orkon
From the Hills of Jade.

But those hills dark
Would never see light
Till Sencan returns
To Sencankarr bright.

Then Fanhal Brave,
His queen Thoranrai,
When stricken in years
Did lay down and die.

And when they both
Lay cold in the grave,
Their son Fanhal
Took the Hoororupam.

Fanhal II

Fanhal the Young
Was doughty and brave
And challenged Orkon
At the Hills of Jade.

Then Orkon came
In battle-array
To conquer the Gates
That king Ranhor made.

Goblin-men
And fell creeping things
He brought to make war
‘Gainst Fanhal the king.

On the Red Isle
The battle commenced
The Orgasya Yalbor
Made their defense.

And though Orkon’s
Fell forces did try
They could not prevail
‘Gainst Am-bo-ri.

Then Orkon came forth
To Fanhal oppose
And there met they two
Most mortal of foes.

And Orkon swung
An ebony blade.
But Fanhal did wield
The Hoororupam.

Orkon was strong,
And Fanhal was brave.
They fought there before
King Ranhor’s Gates.

But Orkon waxed
While Fanhal wained,
With weariness drew
The Hoororupam.

Then the people
Of Am-bo-ri
Lift up in prayer –
To Creator did cry.

And Creator who
Sits in heaven on high
Heard their prayers,
And heeded their cry.

And a bird, white,
As pure as a swan,
Came to Fanhal
To strengthen his arm.

Then the Children
Poured forth like a flood
And washed the red stones
In goblin-blood.

And Fanhal strong
Did Orkon attack,
And Orkon afraid
Took the form of a bat.

And Orkon fled north
To the Hills of Jade.
And Fanhal’s command
Did triumph that day.

But ere Orkon fled
One raised a bow.
And wounded that fiend
With a true arrow.

And evermore
That wound did him grieve,
And never did heal,
But always did bleed.

Fanhal the Young
Is called the Great
For justice and good
Came of his reign.

And when Fanhal
Lay cold in the grave
His son Lemal-called
Took the Hoororupam.