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Once, Gods Above made a light up on high
And crowned her the ruler of all of the sky
The Sun shone there bright, giving life and our breath
But in giving us life, the Sun also gave death
She gave us disease and she parched all the land
Unless those within followed all her commands
And when kingdoms of old came upon that harsh Sun
Some cowered and worshipped and fawned all and one
But those who were wise, they raged at the light
And cast forth their vision towards bringing the night
Though it would have been easy to bow to the Sun
We’d not be contented until we had won
Alone they all struggled, for all they lacked power
The Sun stood unconquered no matter the hour
But the Gods Below watched, and they gave us a secret
“If you wish to have power, then gain might to seek it.”
So seek then they did, and so did they find
And some proved the better at proving their might
Yet even then did the Sun make fools of them all
For the Sun’s might eclipsed all those people so small
They called down Below, and asked for relief
As those for Above earned succor for belief
But Below taught instead a truth deeper and greater
“Where might won’t suffice, then you turn to betrayal.”
And so they grew sharper, the mighty of Praes
Through betrayal they sharpened and reached for the skies
The highest of all had a plan, lead by one
“Raise me to the Heavens, and I’ll cast down the Sun.”
Together they braced and they made them a Tower
The weak on the bottom, at the base they would cower
She sharpest and strongest would spearhead the fight
To end that Sun’s tyranny, break her harsh light
But even that Tower proved not high enough
A fiery pillar burned us all to soot-stuff
The knights of Above came with spear and with steed
For betrayals to the Sun were the greatest indeed
They burned and they toppled and broke through our spite
And healed all their wounded with Sun’s baleful Light
We raged and we fought but our Tower was lost
And woeful indeed was the price it had cost
Never again she’d return, and for our overreach
We were forced under oaths to do as they teached
We cried out again for our Gods far beneath
Yet we only heard silence and sting of defeat
And yet in our failure, we learned from Below
Their penultimate lesson, that always we’ll know
“Defeat’s but one end, and from it we grow
For iron sharpens iron, no matter how slow.”
And so late one day when the world was still new
A rite to bring night forever we brewed
It only half worked, but against her we’d won
And carried all worthy to conquer the Sun
Each night until winter we’ve come ever near
And now deep in winter we sing it with cheer
Though we retreat half the year and recover the rest
For one night we sing of our prize for the best
Although we will fail and one day we’ll fall
Here now in this moment our Tower stands tall
The moral Below all, and learn it you must
“If you don’t like what is, break the world and bring dusk.”