Canticle of Exaltations

The Canticle of Exaltations details Kordillus Drakon I's vision of the Maker's return.
It has the clearest history and authorship in the entire Chant. It was written in Ciriane in -12 Ancient by the then-prince Kordillus Drakon, though it is believed that he rewrote the canticle several times as Emperor before allowing Divine Justinia I to include it in the Chant. Collectors have paid exorbitant amounts for copies of his early drafts; the penultimate version is kept locked up alongside the Orlesian imperial crown jewels in Val Royeaux while the final draft is in a vault in the Grand Cathedral's archives.

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Canticle of Exaltations

Exaltations 1

Preludium

Lady of Perpetual Victory, your praises I sing!
Gladly do I accept the gift invaluable
Of your glory! Let me be the vessel
Which bears the Light of your promise
To the world expectant.

The Vision Begins

The air itself rent asunder,
Spilling light unearthly from the
Waters of the Fade,
Opening as an eye to look
Upon the Realm of Opposition
In dire judgment.

And in that baleful eye I saw
The Lady of Sorrow, armored in Light,
Holding in her left hand the scepter
Of Redemption. She descended
From on high, and a great voice
Thundered from the top of every
Mountain and pinnacle across creation:

"All heads bow! All knees bend! Every being in the Realm
Of Opposition pay homage, for the Maker of All Things
Returns to you!"

Portents Of The Maker's Return

Seven times seventy men of stone immense
Rose up from the earth like sleepers waking at the dawn,
Crossing the land with strides immeasurable,
And in the hollows of their footprints
Paradise was stamped, indelible.

And I heard from the East a great cry
As men who were beasts warred with their brothers,
Tooth and claw against blade and bow,
Until one could no longer be told from the other,
And cursed them and cursed their generations.

And those who slept, the ancient ones, awoke,
For their dreams had been devoured
By a demon that prowled the Fade
As a wolf hunts a herd of deer.
Taking first the weakest and frailest of hopes,
And when there was nothing left,
Destroying the bright and bold
By subtlety and ambush and cruel arts.

The ninth sacred mountain upon which rests
The moral dust of Our Lady ascended
Whole into the heavens, to be given high honor
In the Realm of Dreams forever.
And around it, a chorus of spirits sang:
"Whatsoever passes through the fire
Is not lost, but made eternal;
As air can never be broken nor crushed,
The tempered soul is everlasting!"

And I looked up and saw
The seven gates of the Black City shatter,
And darkness cloaked both realms.

Andraste Gives Drakon His Destiny

I covered my face, fearful,
But the Lady took my hands from my eyes,
Saying, "Remember the fire. You must pass
Through it alone to be forged anew.
Look! Look upon the Light so you
May lead others here through the darkness,
Blade of the Faith!"

The Maker Returns

In dread I looked up once more
And saw the darkness warp and crumble,
For it was thin as samite,
A fragile shroud over the Light
Which turned it to ash.

And the Maker, clad in the majesty of the sky,
Set foot to earth, and at His touch
All warring ceased. The vicious
Beasts lay down and were quieted;
The meek lambs became bold
And rose up, casting aside their shepherds
To dance at the Maker's feet.

From every corner of the earth
The Chant of Light echoed,
And the Maker walked the land
With Andraste at His right hand.
And they reached the gates of Minrathous,
Where once a terrible fire swept
The Light of redemption from the face of the world,
And there, the Lady of Restitution
Drew her shining sword
And plunged it into the ground at her feet, saying:

The Sins of Creation Are Redeemed

"All sins are forgiven! All crimes pardoned!
Let no soul harbor guilt!
Let no soul hunger for justice!
By the Maker's will I decree
Harmony in all things.
Let Balance be restored
And the world given eternal life."

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Type

Text, Religious