The Collective Works of Jacqueline Dulcimer

[VengefulSeraphim]

[tface=Callig]

THE BALLAD OF BROLAND

"Foul and rotten cultists, fallen under the lich's sway,
Serving dark H'Bala, upon fair Mistlocke they would prey,
Calling 'pon dark shadows coming from Chultan jungles old,
Had anyone courage to stand up to these brutes?
Could anyone be so bold? (Why yes!)

The cultist stood over a victim, withered and covered in rot,
Suddenly came a hero to set things right, the two battled on and fought,
The brute strength of the cultist was no match for the Legionnaire's steel,
And no doubt the cultist's wicked faith?
T'was no match for the Chessentan's zeal. (For Tempus!)

With end of the din of battle, after Broland had fought and bled,
T'was a quick trip to the village square, and off came that savage's head!
With the blood of his brother slain, came a dark sorcerer's threat,
Battle would be joined twice today, 'twas clear this wasn't done yet.
(No sir, no m'am!)

This mad corrupt magician, he could kill with only a touch,
He would call upon the shadows, upon wraiths and spectres and such!
Lesser men would shudder and go hide and run away,
Would Legionnaire Broland do the same?
The answer, I shout, is "NAY!"

He would instead meet this fiend on the field of battle,
He grew tired of his threats and his endless prattle,
As the Foehammer decrees, should have been an honorable fight,
Though one cannot expect such from H'Bala's blight.

With ambush and treachery, the Shadow Warden attacked,
Though never did the Legionnaire's defense begin to crack,
T'was not just a contest of arms, t'was a contest of mettle,
The strength of the Legion this one bout would settle.

Although the magician tried to flee to Old Stones,
He was stopped in his tracks, and felt fear in his bones,
For the first time in a while, this mind-addled seer,
Had found something other than the Eshowe to fear.

Like his fellow cultist, off went the man's head,
A horrendous scourge was finally made dead,
Through force of arms and outstanding valor,
The Legionnaire named Broland did prevail this hour."

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[VengefulSeraphim]

[tface=Callig]THE JUDGE IS WATCHING

The Judge is watching, my dear child,
There is nothing to fear,
H'Bala shall know defeat, my child,
And know it grows evermore near...

The Lived shall outlast her monsters,
The Undying shall all be brought low,
Victory shall be with us all, my friends,
Her sick fleshy plants shalt not grow.

The Judge is watching, my dear child,
Now is the time to cheer!
H'Bala shall know defeat, my child,
We need not be scared of her leer.

The Year of the Maiden is over,
And the Year of the Judge shall begin,
With Kelemvor working to balance the scales,
This is one battle we shall win.

[/tface]

[VengefulSeraphim]

[tface=Callig]UNDERWATER WONDERS

I've beheld great beauty,
Underneath the seas,
Beauty so enthralling,
That it brought me to my knees,
Marble halls and waterfalls,
Statues of Diluvians old,
A bastion of civilization,
Within the misty islands cold.

Ruins and decay surround the city drowned,
The surface world would not believe the ancient wonders found,
Yet all is not well within the seas, as sea devils sharpen swords,
Readying tridents, making them sharp, making nets from rope and cords.

Shark-man general Shar'Kall lurks in waters warm,
Plotting and scheming with his monstrous swarm,
Betrayal 'gainst the lung-breathers, holding ransom heroes of war,
What could they possibly do in retribution, those who lived on the shore?

Heroic men and ladies in blue and white,
Ventured down to the seas,
Exacted great vengeance upon betrayers,
Deaf to the shark-men's pleas.[/tface]

[VengefulSeraphim]

[tface=Callig]SKIRMISH AT THE PRIORY

Isn't this the grandest thing?
To hear the Priory's church-bells be rang?
To feel the warmth of the noonday sun?
To hear praises given to the Three and One?

A diplomat makes his way towards misty shore,
To meet with a mayor, once an agent of Hoar,
No sooner did the diplomat reach the mist-covered lands,
Than the Numinous Order make unpleasant demands.

They demanded that Mistlocke bend knee to their lord,
That the Tower be barred with nail and wood boards,
That an old wizened woman be flogged near to death,
That the Three and One's praises be on everyone's breath.

They called for nonhumans to always know their place,
For them to be ruled by the great human race,
That we give the mist worship, that we make our backs bend,
That we accept that the world is soon going to end.

The Legion cried "Nay", and struck at the men,
Conflict would soon arise, though people knew not when,
But then there it came, though quick on their feet,
The Order did flee, and make their retreat.

Zealots made their stand outside of the Priory,
Then came the Legion, it was now do-or-die-ery,
The Order then drew their line in the sand,
Only thick steel would drive them from our lands.

Battle was joined, and down fell the knights,
Down fell four men from the harrowing fight,
Eventually the Order's line broke and they fled,
Nestling 'neath the Priory, where the Three watched overhead.

To show that the Legion was playing no game,
They took a flaming sword and set the building aflame,
There came a short boom and then a loud rumble,
Slowly the Priory did begin to crumble.

The remaining soldiers, to Blackhearth they went,
The Mists shielded them from the sordid event.
The people of Mistlocke did all stand and cheer,
They no longer needed to live on in fear.
[/tface]

[VengefulSeraphim]

[tface=Callig]SHARBONETH, O SHARBONETH

Sharboneth, O Sharboneth,
Noble in birth and creed,
Never has one in colonial past,
Refused to serve in word, in deed!

Sharboneth, O Sharboneth,
Though many may decry,
We declare, "O Sharboneth,
For you we'd do or die!"

Governors of Ymph in days of yore,
We'll not hide in disgrace.
We shall all stand proud and tall,
And stare at our enemy's face!

Sharboneth, O Sharboneth,
It is you we can't deny,
We will march with you to the ends of Ymph,
Holding your banner high!

[/tface]

[VengefulSeraphim]

[tface=Callig]

RED FLAMES

Red flames, they lick my body
Warming me, occasionally scalding me,
Like a child's hand too close to a wick.

I crawl on my knees, wandering slovenly,
The smoke in the air is too thick.

Midnight gives way to a new dawn,
As people get out of bed with a yawn,
Regal as an eagle, beautiful as a swan,
The old gives way to the new that was spawned

Rising up like a phoenix from ashes of old,
Past power escapes from dark prisons cold,
She dances around, tempestuous and free,
And leaves her mark in the heavens for all to see.

[/tface]

[VengefulSeraphim]

[COLOR="Orange"][SIZE="3"][FONT="Palatino Linotype"]This work of art was lovingly and painstakingly created, and a lot of work went into the details featured in the painting - that much is certain. The smell of amber, likely used as some sort of resin to preserve the work, is abundant.

A faithful hound can be seen with his long snout poked over a wooden rocking chair, awaiting his master's return. Floppy ears flank his head on both sides, giving him a playful appearance, yet his golden-brown fur contrasts with this, giving him a most regal countenance as well. A quilt has been draped over the chair, one that seems to change the colors of its patchwork from time to time, but one cannot possibly be sure one way or the other.

A fireplace roars in the background, and the hearth actually gives off a small amount of warmth to those who view it - magic, perhaps, some manner of simple prestidigitation, or merely a part of your mind? Who can say for sure?

As with all her pieces, the name "Jacqueline Dulcimer" is featured in the bottom-right.[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[VengefulSeraphim]

[COLOR="Red"][SIZE="3"][FONT="Palatino Linotype"]Included with the letter is a rather carefully framed painting, the frame itself made from some of carpenter Jance Tarth's leftovers - the smell of sawdust is still fresh and it becomes quickly intermingled with the fragrance of potpourri added to the painting itself.

Imposing black lanceboard pieces can be seen in the foreground, intimidating and perhaps insurmountable in the eyes of many. Meeting them are an army of red pieces, resting in the background, ever vigilant.

Although first impressions would show this to be a very plain piece, a glamer exists - a magical illusion that alters the piece fundamentally should one stare at it long enough. With the glamer slowly taking effect, the red pieces become chipped and scratched - there is no doubt who the underdog is in this bout between right and wrong, good and evil.

However, the middle of the lanceboard suddenly becomes more luminous, and the corners of the lanceboard become noticeably more tenebrous - in fact, individual squares are lit up the brightest of all, and they seem to be leading somewhere and suggesting a particular strategy, perhaps suggesting the path towards 'checkmate'... and victory.

At the bottom right of the painting lies a name, "Jacqueline Dulcimer".[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[VengefulSeraphim]

[tface=Callig]ODE TO HARMONY (ELYSIUM)

I wander through a thick forest glen
Enthralled by the beauty that I find within
Wonderment strikes me in the guardinal's home
A great warmth fills my heart in this land that I roam

Love, strength, and rapture I find in this place
The glow of the forest enshrined in this space
I came here once merely to take moment's reprieve
But now I have found, I do not wish to leave

Elysium
Watching the River Oceanus race towards the sea
Elysium
Together with my lover, where I want to be
Elysium
Never before have I seen such vibrant life
Elysium
Together with husband for whom I'll be his wife

Lady Firehair lurks in skies high above
Watching us shower each other with love
I lock eyes with my paramour, he locks eyes with me
And we are astounded by how much each other sees

Elysium
Watching the river Oceanus race to the sea
Elysium
Watching new life take hold over me
Elysium
New purpose, new focus, takes over me this day
Elysium
To the gods that reside here, I hope and I pray[/tface]

[VengefulSeraphim]

[FONT="Garamond"][SIZE="3"][COLOR="Orange"]'The Tale of the Stargazers' Origin and of the Mist Ogres, as told by the Lorekeeper Siwili, transcribed by Jacqueline Dulcimer[/COLOR]

[COLOR="Orange"][...] great ogres they were, they stomped the land with great feet!

WALLUMPH! WALLUMPH! Great ogre feet! WALLUMPH!

But it could not go on and on... and it came to be that the halflings were found by the the Ogres, and the Great Ogres came WALLUMPHing in and snatched away the halfling!

Oh, what to do, what to do? A great tribe is now held by the the Great Ogres and would soon be the next meal.

All of the First Heroes gathered together to determine what they must do. [COLOR="Lime"]Yondalla[/COLOR] who loved her people most, it is said, gathered the heroes to determine what to do.

[COLOR="Cyan"]Voreen[/COLOR] stood and said he would gather great halfling armies [sic] and strike into the heart of the Great Ogre lands. [COLOR="SlateGray"]Orglan[/COLOR] would aid him and take note of the dead so that all warriors were remembered.

[COLOR="PaleGreen"]Shelperol[/COLOR] and [COLOR="SandyBrown"]Serlalee[/COLOR] offered to go forward and speak with the Great Ogres and convince them to release the halfling tribe.

While they talked and talked, it was [COLOR="Gray"]Brunbaris[/COLOR] that sneaked away into the night to see for himself of these halflings.

Into the dark caves of the Great Ogres he crept and found them all, found the Great Ogres, WALLUMPH! And he found the great tribe all huddled in the darkness.

He quietly moved to the halflings and spoke to them - "Help us, help us, [COLOR="gray"]Bunbaris[/COLOR]!", they called. [COLOR="gray"]Brunbaris[/COLOR] shushed them so that the Great Ogres would not know he was there. Then he looked around to see how he might help.

The Great Ogres stood around a great cooking pot, thinking of ways to cook living halflings. [COLOR="gray"]Brunbaris[/COLOR] went out and stood at the edge of their caves.

"HAWWWWWWOOOOO!", he cried.

The Great Ogres jumped up, knocking their heads, dropping their things, and looked about, confused.

In a great, booming voice, [COLOR="gray"]Brunbaris[/COLOR] called from the darkness - "Now you have a great meal! So many halflings to eat, how will you eat them all?"

"HAWWWWWOOOOOO!", he cried again...[/COLOR]

[/SIZE][/FONT]

[The scrawlings at the bottom of the page appears to have been saturated with ink spilled over unintentionally from an inkwell - no doubt a clear source of frustration for the person transcribing the tale.]

[VengefulSeraphim]

[tface=Callig]WINGS

I soar high into the sky
My thoughts are adrift
I know not why

I look ahead of me
See the zephyrs blow
Frosted peaks now dusted
With downy snow

Clouds like cotton balls
Circling darkened peaks high
I pierce through one with a beak
Something for me to try

Talons outstretched
I snatch at a trout,
In the river some are shocked
The rest flee in a rout

I travel home.
No longer do I roam.
From his perch - this stone.[/tface]

[VengefulSeraphim]

[tface=Callig]TRAITOR'S SQUARE

Leather tongue wishing a taste
If only I were stronger
My heart starts to race
If only I lasted longer

Knuckle meets jaw
Bone meets bone
Jeers replace silence
Were that I was alone
I now lie here prostrate
I now lie here prone
Numb to the beatings
Face pressed against stone

Fetters cold
Rags soiled and old
Wounds long healed
No scars on the skin
Clearly all scars here
Can be found within

Put on airs
See if we care
You're but an animal to me

You can break free
Of your thick irons
But you'll never truly be free.[/tface]

[VengefulSeraphim]

[tface=Callig]ODE TO AN OLD DOGGEREL


Seven daughters, seven sons
Watch the river now, won't you see how it runs?
The Tear filled with bodies,
Now shambling out,
How long will we stand 'fore we're driven to rout?

The wailing of women tossing babies into pyres
The orcish horde's bodies being tossed into fire
How long can we watch the now-setting sun
Seven seasons pass, now watch as she comes.

But now, soft! Look what comes to pass!
An heroic knight-errant, a courageous lass,
The Maiden sees her defeat, with dark withered eyes,
And all are deaf to her banshee-like cries.

All shall sing of the battle that's won,
No longer shall we speak of seven daughters, nor of seven sons.[/tface]

[VengefulSeraphim]

[tface=Callig]WHO AM I?

I wear many faces,
I'm known for my guile,
I'll stare my enemy in the face,
Give a painted-on smile.

Who am I? Who am I?
Come on now, guess, give it a try!

Tricks are my game,
Treachery is my calling,
Can you hear that sound, love?
It's of gold coins a-falling!

Who am I? Who am I?
I'll take what is yours, don't even ask why!

I'll snatch them up,
From the hole in your purse,
There's no doubt that my boon,
Is someone else's curse.

Who am I? Who am I?
Your silver won't be wasted, so don't worry, don't cry!

I could be anyone,
I always exercise calm,
When I'm being your banker,
Or even your mom!

I AM THE DARKNESS THAT LURKS IN YOUR BED.
I AM THE DARK THOUGHTS THAT LURK IN YOUR HEAD.
I AM GREED, OH YES SIR, THE MASTER OF CRIME
AND THOUGH YOU KNOW YOU'RE NO PUPPET
REST ASSURED YOU ARE MINE.[/tface]

[VengefulSeraphim]

[tface=Callig]BULLBREAKER'S BALLAD


Listen close, folks, no need to be sour
For here comes the tale of Cameron Falltower
With his dogs, with his brothers
With his bow, with his glaive,
He sent that fellbeast down right to his grave

BULLBREAKER, BULLBREAKER!
From Aberdenn Hall!
Who brought down Nogo,
Saw the minotaur fall!

Fearsome Nogo had a great appetite
His presence gave all of fair Mistlocke a fright
Preying on caravans and villagers at night
Who would stand brave, and face him in a fight?

BULLBREAKER, BULLBREAKER!
From Aberdenn Hall!
Who brought down Nogo,
Saw the minotaur fall!

"Sound the horn! Get the dogs!
We go hunting today!
Do not be afraid men,
To go into the fray!"

"For I shall stand with you,
And I shall lead the charge,
And no beast can best our clan
No matter how big or how large!"

With that rousing speech,
With that rallying cry,
Aberdenn gave that beast,
One nasty black eye!

And though crows did look
Down their beaks with scorn,
What did the stags have?
Nogo's twisted horn!

BULLBREAKER, BULLBREAKER!
From Aberdenn Hall.
BULLBREAKER, BULLBREAKER!
Watched Nogo fall!

[/tface]