ly woe

In the far northern reaches
Where dark mountains rise high
Enchantress beseeches
That you give up your life

Witch of the wastes
Dancing on snows
Lord of the gallows
Takes what he's owed
A wisp of gossamer is all that remains...
2. How Heavy This Axe
So many men have fallen
So many more must die
Cut down like wheat beneath a scythe
And through our limbs may be weary
of ripping, slashing, cleaving blows
We face an endless host of foes

How heavy this axe
Burden carried from birth
Wrought in Stygian visions
By the gods of the earth

Upon the hallowed mountain
The gods convene
To mourn the death of our ancient queen
Keepers of sacred fire
Awaken from your sleep
Drink from the cup of memory
4. Lords
The lords of the passes are arming their vassals
You'll find no shelter that way
The conscripts they've taken have never returned
And our hopes fade with each passing day

The gates of the keeps are all closing
And broken men wander the roads
The farmers have fled to the forests
Burning their fields as they go

The dukes of the marches have ordered their archers
To shoot all outlanders on sight
Turn back your horses before it's too late
There'll be no safe crossing this night

Hear the horns, pounding hooves
Visions of cities aflame
Wailing cries, dawn of doom
Die by the sword or in chains

Men kneel in temples of madness
False prophets spread discord and fear
Darkness descends once again
They say the Lords of the Last Days rule here
5. Fire Lances of the Ancient Hyperzephyrians
We've crossed the burning wasteland
Sought out forgotten tombs
Within this shattered planet
Beneath a broken moon
We live amongst the ruins
Where cities once did rise
From graves of fallen nations
Watch hollow eyes

In our time we have seen
Untold pain and suffering

Our legends tell of weapons
Wielded by kings of old
Crafted by evil wizards
Unholy to behold
We seek the fire lances
That slew the ancient race
The world where they were masters
Now lays in waste

In your time you will see
Endless death and misery
Invoke myth and prophecy
All you know shall cease to be
6. To Take the Black
Cast out from the lands of their births
Banished from hearth and home
All brothers must swear the oath
Forsaking all they've known

If you choose to take the black
Bid farewell to comforts great and small
Those who do, don't come back
Prepare yourself for life on the wall

Night gathers and the watch begins
The wind carries an unnatural chill
There are things beyond the northern borders
Mere steel can't kill

Men who choose to take the black
Rogues and rangers, one and all
Those who do, won't come back
Prepare yourself for life on the wall
7. Maiden, Mother & Crone
The maiden sitting by her pool
Was first to hear my pleas
As she gazed into the water
She recited these words to me:

Walk not down that road
I can not tell you where it goes
Ask me no more questions
Some things you weren't meant to know

The mother toiling in the fields
Her apron full of seeds
She dropped them to the earth
As she recited these words to me:

Walk not down that road
I can not tell you where it goes
Ask me no more questions
Some things you weren't meant to know

The greater mysteries
Cannot be shown
Divided by three
They are the maiden, the mother, the crone

Finally I found the crone
Walking through the trees
She looked in my eyes
And she recited these words to me:

Go before the maiden
Fall down to your knees
Should you win her favor
She may tell you what she sees

The harvest is reaped
Seeds are sown
Multiplied by three
She is the maiden, the mother, the crone
8. Under the Boughs
Taken away from under the boughs
Far from the sheltering glens
Imprisoned by wizards to sing for a serpent
In the guise of a man

They come with teeth and tusks and talons
They come with horns and hooves and claws
A wailing cry is heard deep within the forest
A bestial host heeds the king stag's call

Watch them come from lands all around
To hear the maiden in white
Sing her songs of sorrow and love
In the hall of the king tonight
She was stolen from under the boughs
Away from the sheltering glens
Imprisoned by wizards to sing for a serpent
In the guise of a man

In a wood untouched by axes
Creatures dwell unseen by men
Songs are sung by a virgin princess
Heard but once and never again

They come with teeth and tusks and talons
They come with horns and hooves and claws
A wailing cry is heard deep within the forest
The bestial host heeds the king stag's call

Watch them come from lands all around
To hear the maiden in white
Sing her songs of sorrow and love
In the hall of the king tonight
Soon his heralds shall sound the alarm
As the faery queen's armies draw near
And the maiden shall cease her lament
As the wicked men cry out in fear

In a wood untouched by axes
Creatures dwelt unseen by men
Songs were sung by a virgin princess
Heard but once and never again
9. The Black River
Great peril awaits us beyond the Black River
Summoned by the beating of drums
Our number is few and our errand is dire
We do what must be done

At the bidding of the high priest
The tribes gather for war
Evil sorcery is unleashed
Upon the opposite shore

Make your stand with the great hound
The frontier is lost
Black waters lie before you
Together you cross

Take heart!
Do not fear
When you know
Your death nears

We shall build you a cairn beyond the black river
Where no one will disturb your rest
There you shall lay in your helm and your harness
With your sword across your breast

Now take a quick moment to answer this question
as the ferry approaches the shore
Will you have the coin to pay for your passage
and the courage to take up the oar?
10. The White Sea
instrumental