My Dearest Lady of Caves

Written by EmperorCharlesII

Wandering through the tavern a little more, you stumble upon a young xertilar, maybe only seventy or eighty years old. He plays a lute and he is clearly passionate about his work.
The people surrounding him are enraptured, and they rarely take their eyes off of him as he plays. After a couple of moments, you find yourself doing the same thing.
He finishes his song with a flourish and takes a deep bow. The group of dwarves and elves around you clap. You’re clapping too before you know it.
The dusk elf takes a seat and speaks the sharp but lilting Xertian tongue. You know enough of the language to know that it is a traditional ballad about caves and ladies, but your thoughts are interrupted as he begins to play once more...

Historical Details

Background

The rhyme scheme of the song (ABCA) is an old xertilar tradition among poets.
The theme of lost love has dominated xertilar poetry since the earliest days of that culture. It is definitely at work in this piece, and it has certainly influenced many other
Like many xertilar songs, My Dearest Lady of Caves would have been attached to a court and not an author. Due to the time of its writing and its nature, the court of the song is not known , although many have indicated its resemblance to songs of the Grand Court of Xarolan.

History

The song refers to the events of the Fall of the Dominion, when the various xertilar cities across Orkanis suffered incredible damage. This was due to the destruction of their teleportation circles, the powerful sigils that allowed the cities to communicate despite the distance between them. The stored energy of the circles exploded, causing heat damage to many cities and cutting them off from supplies and military aid. The ash and resulting magical damage rendered many areas of the Darkened Peaks a ruined waste of reddish sand.

Public Reaction

The song is one of the most well-known pieces of music among the xertilar, and any dusk elf bard worth their instrument has learned it by heart. Taverns across Sedesta and beyond have heard its hymns.

Read the Document

My Dearest Lady of Caves

{slow lilting music begins}

Dawn breaks on the plain
I wander the desert here
No one is with me
As it all begins to rain

My eyes wander to the city
Where we used to live
And I remember your smile
And when I called you pretty

But now I can't find you
I wander the halls here
The stone is so cold
Colder than ice-blue

Never in my long life
Have I seen such loss
With you or with anyone
No end to the strife

So now I only walk
My arms hurt from missing you
My legs miss your shape
My mouth longs to talk

My dearest lady of caves
I might never see you again
Your face still smiles at me
From deep under the waves

{music continues until it ends with a flourish}

Close

Spread

Word of mouth

Type

Song

Type

Record, Musical (Music, Sheet)

Location

The Darkened Peaks

Art Credit: emperorcharlesii (me!)