The Demon Plague Verses Chapter 1, Part 1
The far land of Anchorgate
Across the cold, vast sea.
Set their sailers exploring
To find lands that could be.
Then sailing known coastal lands,
Finding countries they knew.
Were there secret lands beyond
The sea, whence the winds blew?
The north was ocean frozen.
The south was endless sea.
The west they already knew.
The east was mystery.
Northeast ice was discovered.
Outposts were founded there.
To make places for sailers
For rest and to prepare
For their next journey into
Foreign waters unknown.
Searching for land, adventure
And glorious renown.
Exploring was perilous.
The risk of death was great.
Soon it became difficult
To recruit eager mates.
Anchorgate found their recruits.
Enslavement was the key.
They would kidnap anyone,
Sturdy folk for the sea.
There were two Anchorgate men,
Whose luck had fallen low.
They found themselves put to work
On a ship forced to row.
One’s name was Vilerend Skymarch,
The other Billet Stormstone.
Their freedom at an end, an
Ocean between here and home.
The explorers sailed onward
Stopping at each outpost.
With the last port behind them,
They made for a new coast.
After many long, cold weeks
The ship stuck in thick ice.
The crew had to abandon
The ship to its frozen vice.
The master released the slaves,
Now with no chains to bind.
Each person had freedom. He
was more cunning than kind.
Lost on endless, frozen sea,
Captives and crew must band
together to survive this
And work to find safe land.
They marched south for many miles.
Sev’ral weeks passed as years.
Starvation haunted their steps.
Though the sky remained clear.
Through those weeks of wandering
Their courage did not balk.
The first folk from Tallenwid
On Linomnount did walk.
Sadly, their joy was short lived.
Grim, fearsome folk attacked.
The remaining survivors
Had one choice, to fall back.
Those frozen miles made them weak.
They had no fight to give.
They laid down their weapons and
The crew was made captive.
The explorers were amazed.
These warriors were fraught.
That folk lived in these cold lands
Was not something they thought.
The captives were then taken
To a village nearby.
Made of crude shacks and walls, a
central fort caught the eye.
Within the stronghold they met
The village’s vile king.
A man with famous cruelty,
He brought them suffering.