Author's Notes: This is like the bonus material I'd put on the DVD if my stories were a game, or a movie. I know it's not allowed to have non-story content, so for technical purposes, this is some poetry from the empire with a lot of Author's Notes surrounding it. :P
So far, I've got some songs for you, and a cast list. I might include a timeline as well at some point, if I can work out my own temporal distortions (as it stands, Adoile is both fifty and twenty years old. ahem)
SONGS
BRIGHTEST DAY
The original, as sung by the human armies that opposed Kain's forces. They were led by Oswald II, who claimed descendence all the way back to King Ottmar of Willendorf. Oswald II forged an alliance against the vampires with the city-state of Meridian and a few minor states when the vampire menace became a serious threat. The Meridian troops would not accept the lion's crest of Willendorf, so a new banner was created especially for this anti-vampiric alliance, with a sword and a sun.
Brightest day, brightest day
Soon it will be dawning
Our plight is over, dearest friends
Come greet the brightest morning
Fear not the vile creature that cowers in the moonshine
By the power of the Lord
By the sun and by the sword
We will send them back to hell
The holy light will break their spell
The corrupted version, as sung by their enemies, the vampires, to mock them. It became a popular marching song, and was still sung when the empire began to decline.
Brightest day, brightest day
Soon it will be fading
Lost forever, dearest friends
How your might is failing
Hey there, marching dead men, meet us in the moonshine
By the power of our Kain
We will crush you once again
From the west until the east,
Oswald takes us to the feast!
MY HEART BLEEDS FOR YOU
An elegy for fallen comrades, it isn't known who wrote it or to whom, but they were close, that much is certain. The song is popular among the Razelim and Rahabim especially.
My heart bleeds for you
This pain will never end
I'm cold here without you
My brother and my friend
My eyes bleed tears for you
This grief will have no end
I'm lost here without you
My brother and my friend.
I will not put down my steel, dear brother,
I will fight, even without you at my side.
I will always hurt for you
My love will have no end
I carry on without you
My brother and my friend
One night they'll sing for me
My hunger at an end
And carry on without me
My brothers and my friends
I will not put down my steel, dear brother,
I will fight, even without you at my side.
WHO'S WHO IN CLAN RAZIEL
The Razelim, Raziel's descendents, are the focus of most of these stories, and I've named and detailed quite a few of them. Too many, perhaps. This may help you keep track of them, it's adapted from the document I use myself. This is the who's who from before the start of 'The Gathering'. Since then, Konrad has died and there have been a few other shifts as well. I didn't want 'spoilers' for the stories in here though, so you'll have to figure that out yourself. The list of names is complete, some of these are mentioned only once, and I don't know much about them. They're included for the sake of comprehension, and because I might take them somewhere at any moment.
Clan Leader: Raziel
Deputy: Konrad
Captains: Harald, Anders, Marius and Cermak.
Knights: Sophia, Kemuel, Jens, Gareth, Jules, others.
Steward: Rusanna. Head of the household, and responsible for the education of fledglings.
Harald's second in command is Sophia, Raziel's first daughter. Among his men are his son Arvin, and the brothers Cowin and Damon.
Anders's men include Jules, and the twins, Hengest and Horsa. He takes care of the rebels in the southern swamps, when necessary.
Marius takes care of the military education of the young ones, his second in command is Gareth. Kainsken, Sonny and Cas are among his men, who are known as the Mäuse.
Cermak is captain over the knights Kemuel and Jens, among others.
The Outcasts: Axel's band includes: Jules, Hengest and Horsa, Arvin, Adoile, Kainsken, Cas, Benvoli and two others, who have not been named yet.
Aphabetically:
Adoile - Personal servant of Raziel, his daughter
Anders - Captain, son of Raziel
Arvin - Soldier under Harald, his son
Axel - Bodyguard to Raziel, son of Konrad
Benvoli - One of Cermak's men
Borah - Soldier under Kemuel, son of Lucas
Cas - Soldier under Marius
Cermak - Captain, son of Konrad
Cowin - One of Harald's men, brother to Damon, son of Robin
Damon - One of Harald's men, brother to Cowin, son of Robin
Gareth - Marius' deputy, son of Marius
Harald - Captain, son of Raziel
Hengest - Brother to Horsa, son of Anders
Horsa - Brother to Hengest, son of Anders
Jens - Knight under Cermak, son of Lucas
Jules - Knight in Anders's army, son of Lucas
Kainsken - Real name is Baldwin, one of the Mäuse, son of Rusanna
Kemuel - Knight under Cermak, youngest son of Raziel
Konrad - The eldest of the Razelim, Raziel's deputy, his son
Lucas - Dead, son of Raziel
Marius - Once nicknamed 'mouse', Captain and son of Raziel
Marten - Servant of Kain, guard at the Sanctuary
Nort - One of the Mäuse
Robin - Dead, son of Konrad
Rusanna - Raziel's steward and fledge mistress, daughter of Sophia
Selig - Conman gone vampire, courtier at the Sanctuary
Sonny - One of Marius' men, prankster, son of Jens. Brought a message to Zephon.
Sophia - Female knight, knight under Harald, daughter of Raziel
Stahl - Madman, son of Cermak
So far, I've got some songs for you, and a cast list. I might include a timeline as well at some point, if I can work out my own temporal distortions (as it stands, Adoile is both fifty and twenty years old. ahem)
BRIGHTEST DAY
The original, as sung by the human armies that opposed Kain's forces. They were led by Oswald II, who claimed descendence all the way back to King Ottmar of Willendorf. Oswald II forged an alliance against the vampires with the city-state of Meridian and a few minor states when the vampire menace became a serious threat. The Meridian troops would not accept the lion's crest of Willendorf, so a new banner was created especially for this anti-vampiric alliance, with a sword and a sun.
Brightest day, brightest day
Soon it will be dawning
Our plight is over, dearest friends
Come greet the brightest morning
Fear not the vile creature that cowers in the moonshine
By the power of the Lord
By the sun and by the sword
We will send them back to hell
The holy light will break their spell
The corrupted version, as sung by their enemies, the vampires, to mock them. It became a popular marching song, and was still sung when the empire began to decline.
Brightest day, brightest day
Soon it will be fading
Lost forever, dearest friends
How your might is failing
Hey there, marching dead men, meet us in the moonshine
By the power of our Kain
We will crush you once again
From the west until the east,
Oswald takes us to the feast!
An elegy for fallen comrades, it isn't known who wrote it or to whom, but they were close, that much is certain. The song is popular among the Razelim and Rahabim especially.
My heart bleeds for you
This pain will never end
I'm cold here without you
My brother and my friend
My eyes bleed tears for you
This grief will have no end
I'm lost here without you
My brother and my friend.
I will not put down my steel, dear brother,
I will fight, even without you at my side.
I will always hurt for you
My love will have no end
I carry on without you
My brother and my friend
One night they'll sing for me
My hunger at an end
And carry on without me
My brothers and my friends
I will not put down my steel, dear brother,
I will fight, even without you at my side.
WHO'S WHO IN CLAN RAZIEL
The Razelim, Raziel's descendents, are the focus of most of these stories, and I've named and detailed quite a few of them. Too many, perhaps. This may help you keep track of them, it's adapted from the document I use myself. This is the who's who from before the start of 'The Gathering'. Since then, Konrad has died and there have been a few other shifts as well. I didn't want 'spoilers' for the stories in here though, so you'll have to figure that out yourself. The list of names is complete, some of these are mentioned only once, and I don't know much about them. They're included for the sake of comprehension, and because I might take them somewhere at any moment.
Clan Leader: Raziel
Deputy: Konrad
Captains: Harald, Anders, Marius and Cermak.
Knights: Sophia, Kemuel, Jens, Gareth, Jules, others.
Steward: Rusanna. Head of the household, and responsible for the education of fledglings.
Harald's second in command is Sophia, Raziel's first daughter. Among his men are his son Arvin, and the brothers Cowin and Damon.
Anders's men include Jules, and the twins, Hengest and Horsa. He takes care of the rebels in the southern swamps, when necessary.
Marius takes care of the military education of the young ones, his second in command is Gareth. Kainsken, Sonny and Cas are among his men, who are known as the Mäuse.
Cermak is captain over the knights Kemuel and Jens, among others.
The Outcasts: Axel's band includes: Jules, Hengest and Horsa, Arvin, Adoile, Kainsken, Cas, Benvoli and two others, who have not been named yet.
Aphabetically:
Adoile - Personal servant of Raziel, his daughter
Anders - Captain, son of Raziel
Arvin - Soldier under Harald, his son
Axel - Bodyguard to Raziel, son of Konrad
Benvoli - One of Cermak's men
Borah - Soldier under Kemuel, son of Lucas
Cas - Soldier under Marius
Cermak - Captain, son of Konrad
Cowin - One of Harald's men, brother to Damon, son of Robin
Damon - One of Harald's men, brother to Cowin, son of Robin
Gareth - Marius' deputy, son of Marius
Harald - Captain, son of Raziel
Hengest - Brother to Horsa, son of Anders
Horsa - Brother to Hengest, son of Anders
Jens - Knight under Cermak, son of Lucas
Jules - Knight in Anders's army, son of Lucas
Kainsken - Real name is Baldwin, one of the Mäuse, son of Rusanna
Kemuel - Knight under Cermak, youngest son of Raziel
Konrad - The eldest of the Razelim, Raziel's deputy, his son
Lucas - Dead, son of Raziel
Marius - Once nicknamed 'mouse', Captain and son of Raziel
Marten - Servant of Kain, guard at the Sanctuary
Nort - One of the Mäuse
Robin - Dead, son of Konrad
Rusanna - Raziel's steward and fledge mistress, daughter of Sophia
Selig - Conman gone vampire, courtier at the Sanctuary
Sonny - One of Marius' men, prankster, son of Jens. Brought a message to Zephon.
Sophia - Female knight, knight under Harald, daughter of Raziel
Stahl - Madman, son of Cermak