Work Text:
In fair Il Mheg, of blossoms bright
And hills of verdant green,
Resideth there upon the lake
My love, the Faerie Queen.
Unto her Kingdom she is bound,
And set apart are we.
And yet some lonesome nights, in dreams
She cometh unto me
And whisp'reth sweet unto mine ear,
“Fret not, my mortal love.
When time hath made thee frail, and thou
Hast labored long enough,
"I pray, lay down thy duty
And hearken unto me,
And here upon the crystal lake
We’ll live eternally.
"No longer needst thou languish,
Nor thy weary body strive.
There’s milk upon my table,
And honey from the hive.
"From thine own world, in mortal flesh
Thou never canst be free.
But loose the fetters of thy soul,
And I shall carry thee.”
I left mine heart beside that lake,
As sure as I yet breathe.
Yet duty bindeth me to life;
I cannot yet be free.
Steadfastly shall I labor
For those we may yet save,
And I’ll not forsake my duty
Ere I’m neighbor to the grave.
Though e'en now my light is dimming
Shall I count my duty o'er?
Shall I go unto Titania
Upon that crystal shore?
Shall I at length accept the gift
My Queen would fain bestow—
Forsaking the aetherial sea
Where dear departed go—
Forsaking those who've gone before
And there beyond await,
For life eternal with my love
At Lyhe Ghiah's gate—
From rebirth, ever sundered,
Transfigurèd my soul
Unto unchanging umbral thing
Forever there to dwell?
Where fallen kingdoms sleep beneath
And stars preside above,
Resideth there upon the lake
The Faerie Queen, my love.
–Excerpted from The Faerie Queen, an epic poem penned by Archon Urianger Augurelt in his last days and found in the Bookman's Shelves among his other writings.
Following the Warrior of Darkness's transformation into Titania, her companions were unable to return to their star, and at length, one by one they perished, their souls apparently dissipating into the aetherial sea as the connection to their distant bodies disintegrated. Only the Astrologian's fate remains unknown, as none were with him in his final hours. Whether he chose to pass unto the aetherial sea, or to accept the Faerie Queen's offer, remains a mystery.
This epic poem contains many verses, some complete and some fragmentary, suggesting that the Archon was not able to complete the work before he vanished from us. Nonetheless, The Faerie Queen remains a significant and beloved work across Norvrandt, the original manuscript archived in the Crystarium's Cabinet of Curiosity.
