Chant of Light

The Chant of Light is a collection of chants that together comprise the religious texts of the Chantry. It is based on the tale and teachings of Andraste, prophet and martyr of the Maker. Her followers collected her beliefs and turned them into hymns after her death. The original Chant of Light consisted of four verses. Over time, more verses have been added.
According to common belief, the Chant in its current form is a compilation of the Orlesian interpretation of the Chant written by the first Divine, Justinia I. However, there have been numerous changes, most notably the censoring of the Dalish from the verses following the Second Exalted March.
The entire Chant of Light takes several weeks to recite, and is only sung straight through at the Grand Cathedral in Nevarra City, the capital of Nevarra. The Chant covers a wide range of subject matter such as cosmogenesis, human history, the story of Andraste, and the founding of the Chantry. Some are simply collections of hymns. Some are the specific teachings of the Chantry while others are meditations on the Maker or encouragement to the faithful. Even within a verse, the same story may be told more than once with different styles, as each stanza may have been composed by a different disciple.
Members of the Chantry believe that when Andraste was burned by the Magisters of the Tevinter Imperium, the Maker turned away from her creations. By spreading Andraste's teachings, they earn her forgiveness and when the Chant is sung from the four corners of the world the Maker will return. The Chanters' faction within the Chantry even goes so far as to speak nothing but the Chant, taking as their guide the words "Speak only the Word; sing only the Chant. Then the Golden City is thine".

Document Structure

Clauses

The Chant of Light is broken into a number of canticles that has changed many times throughout the Chantry's history. Each canticle is named after a person whose tale is told or an idea that is well-represented throughout that section.

Canticle of Andraste

This Canticle is based on the song sung by Andraste that so captivated the Maker that She offered Andraste a place at Her side, that she might rule all of creation. It is the most disputed Canticle in all of the Chant of Light. Some five hundred versions of the Canticle existed until Divine Amalthea II created the Conclave of Cumberland to determine the now-canon version. It was written by an Orlesian Andrastian cult before even the Chantry was formalized by Kordilius Drakon I.

Canticle of Apotheosis

The Canticle of Apotheosis chronicles the betrayal and death of Andraste. It is usually attributed to Justinia I who was the first Divine, Andraste's friend, and a disciple. Even still, its authorship is still debated. The version currently used by the Chantry dates back to the time of the Inquisition.

Canticle of Benedictions

This canticle features the striving of individuals to achieve the Maker's paradise.

Canticle of Erudition

These verses were highly contentious when they were first added into the Chant of Light. Written by Archon Hessarian, the man who burned Andraste alive, it details his coming to understand the Maker's light and the gravity of his mistake. It also builds upon the known perspective of what lies beyond the world Theodisians live in.
Collectors have paid exoribtant amounts for copies of his early drafts; the penultimate version is supposedly kept locked up alongside the Orlesian national crown jewels in Val Royeaux. The final draft is in an archive vault somewhere in Nevarra.

Canticle of Exaltations

The Canticle of Exaltations details Kordilius Drakon I's vision of the Maker's return and what the world must strive to be in order to achieve such a paradise. It has the clearest history and authorship in the entire Chant.

Canticle of Threnodies

This canticle tells the tale of the creation of the world and the fall of man. Stanzas in Threnodies deal with such topics as the creation of the Fade and the Golden City by the Maker. It also discusses how mankind's ability to sin lead to the Golden City to become blackened.
The Canticle of Threnodies is the portion of the Chant that has been sung and claimed most often by the largest number of cultures across Thedas, which is why the regional differences have been preserved in the Chantry canon.

Canticle of Transfigurations

These verses collect the teachings and sermons of Andraste. It lays down much of the foundation for Chantry beliefs, such as the harsh stance on magic and maleficarum. The canticle is purported to be the work of Justinia I, Andraste's disciple, who transcribed them word for word from the Prophet herself.
Archon Hessarian wrote his own version of the Canticle of Transfigurations that removed references to prohibitions against magic, but is entirely ignored.

Canticle of Trials

The Canticle of Trials is said to be a collection of hymns composed by Andraste in praise of the Maker. Chantry scholars believe that some verses predate the prophet by a hundred years or more, and were possibly prayers and hymns to the gods of local pantheons which were altered when the people joined Andraste's uprisings. The verses this canticle are the most beloved and most often-quoted lines of the Chant of Light.

Caveats

Some canticles have existed throughout the Chantry's but have been stricken from the current Chant of Light, likely for a number of reasons. Most are entirely forgotten, but one is still remembered.

Canticle of Uprising

The canticle tells the story of the elven slaves from Tevinter who lead a revolt and joined Andraste during the First Exalted March. Authorship of this canticle has never been determined. It was struck from the Chant by Divine Renata I during following the Second Exalted March on the Dales. She also ordered all Chantry references and artwork including elves to be destroyed.

Publication Status

Recent Changes

A few months after a powerful member of the Wardens spoke to Divine Justinia V, she announced that there were going to be new changes to the Chant of Light. The most important changes and updates were centered around her belief that the Tevinters were destroyed by the Maker and also information about the Andraste's sacred ashes, which were found for a short while in Ferelden (though they are lost now). The additions and modifications can primarily be found in Apotheosis 1:1-1:14, Apotheosis 2:13-2:18, and Threnodies 8:1-8:11. The divine has gotten a bit of backlash from not bringing up these changes with other Chantry officials first since many of the claims are still hotly debated, but she claims it was necessary.

Read the Document

Chant of Light

Here are snippets from each of the Canticles, which highlight their primary function. Portions that look like [this] serve as notes to help the reader understand their intent.

Canticle of Andraste

Andraste 1

Hear now, Andraste, daughter of Brona,
Spear-made of Alamarr, to valiant hearts sing
Of victory waiting, yet to be claimed from
The steel-bond forgers of barren Tevinter.
[Andraste seeks an end to the suffering of the Alamarri]
Great heroes beyond counting raised
Oak and iron 'gainst chains of north-men
And walked the lonely worm-roads evermore.
Mighty of arm and warmest of heart,
Rendered to dust. Bitter is sorrow,
Ate raw and often, poison that weakens and does not kill.
Why must the Shield of Alamarr shatter
'Neath bond and blade? To the wisest I sang,
To the wing'd cup-bearers of the tall sky-vaulting,
To the wintry halls of strong mountain-kings,
Where in days forgotten, voices there raised
Might be gift'd answer and those seeking find.
[The Alamarri Gods do not answer]
From sky-tearing peaks of the sacred mountain
To secret-steep'd roots of the ancient oak trees
A lonesome choir, I, song failing unanswered,
Voice on wind returning, answered no more.
[Andraste despairs for her people]
In heart's drumming I heard footsteps thund'ring
Shield-brothers and spear-sisters distant raised
Blade to shackle-bearer, valiant of spirit
Blazing like star-shine, to battle they charged.
None to return to the lands of their mothers
By cruel magic taken, ice, lightning, and flame.
Should for all seasons laments ring the sky-vaults,
Should dirges all sages and histories replace?
By gods forsaken, fate emptied of hope,
Wounded I fell then, by grief arrow-studded,
Never to heal, death for me come.
[The Maker appears to Andraste]
Eyes sorrow-blinded, in darkness unbroken
There 'pon the mountain, a voice answered my call.
"Heart that is broken, beats still unceasing,
An ocean of sorrow does nobody drown.
You have forgotten, spear-maid of Alamarr.
Within My creation, none are alone."
Lo! My eyes open'd, shining before me
Greater than mountains, towering mighty,
Hand all outstretch'd, stars glist'ning as jewels
From rings 'pon Her fingers and crown 'pon Her brow.
Sword-shattering fear filled me overflowing.
Grandeur of godhood no gaze should defile.
Trembling, I called out: "Forgive me, Most High,
I should sing Your Name to the heights of heaven,
But I know it not, and must be silent."
The Wellspring of All said, "None now remember.
Long have they turned to idols and tales
Away from My Light, in darkness unbroken
The last of My children, shrouded in night."
World fell away then, misty in mem'ry,
'Crossed into the valley of dreams
A vision of all worlds, waking and slumb'ring,
Spirit and mortal to me appeared.
"Look to My work," said the Voice of Creation.
"See what My children in arrogance wrought."
There I saw the Black City, towers all stain'd,
Gates once bright golden forever shut.
Heav'n filled with silence, then did I know all
And cross'd my heart with unbearable shame.
Then did I see the world spread before me,
Sky-reaching mountains arrayed as a crown,
Kingdoms like jewels, glistering gemstones
Strung 'cross the earth as a necklace of pearl.
"All this is yours," spake the World-Maker.
"Join Me in heaven and sorrow no more."
"World-making Glory," I cried out in sorrow,
"How shall your children apology make?
We have forgotten, in ignorance stumbling,
Only a Light in this darken'd time breaks.
Call to Your children, teach us Your greatness.
What has been forgotten has not yet been lost."
Long was Her silence, 'fore it was broken.
"For you, song-weaver, once more I will try.
To My children venture, carrying wisdom,
If they but listen, I shall return."
— Andraste 1:1-1:14

Andraste 7

Those who oppose thee
Shall know the wrath of heaven.
Field and forest shall burn,
The seas shall rise and devour them,
The wind shall tear their nations
From the face of the earth,
Lightning shall rain down from the sky,
They shall cry out to their false gods,
And find silence.
— Andraste 7:19

Andraste 14

Here lies the abyss, the well of all souls.
From these emerald waters doth life begin anew.
Come to me, child, and I shall embrace you.
In my arms lies Eternity.
— Andraste 14:11

Canticle of Apotheosis

Apotheosis 1

Victory! Sweet song rising from the lips of the vanquishers,
Held aloft blade and spear and to the Maker gave thanks.
But for every one who stood and sang the hymn of praise,
Two lay at their feet, soul seeking the Light eternal.
Maferath's heart grew cold
As he looked upon the field of the dead and heard
The chant of "Glory! Glory! Glory! Hail to the Maker
Most High! Hail to Andraste, Prophet and liberator,
Light of the world! Look upon our work, O Maker, and rejoice!"
And Maferath forsook the celebrations of his people
And went apart, taking not even his Aegis, his shield-brother.
In the solitude of the night, Maferath dwelled in his bitterness,
And the Light which once burned within him extinguished.
[Maferath meets with Hessarian]
The lord of the Alamarri sent forth his most trusted runner
To the gates of the capitol itself, to call the Archon to parley,
That like the leaves after a long winter, peace too might return to the land.
Hessarian was filled to overflowing with doubt that the offer might be true,
Yet did he reply with message of his own and arrange to meet the war-chief.
Maferath took with him his Aegis, and arrived at the appointed place
Where Hessarian waited with his guard, and the two leaders of armies spoke,
Guarded in riddles, and came to an understanding between them
That peace bore a heavy price which must be paid in blood.
And they returned to their own people, and said nothing.
The armies of the Maker marched to the heart of the Imperium.
They looked upo those gates guarded by the Juggernauts of old
And despaired, for surely neither army nor god could oppose such might.
So Andraste said to her followers: "You who stand before the gates,
You who have followed me into the heart of evil,
The fear of death is in your eyes; its hand is upon your throat.
Raise your voices to the heavens! Remember:
Not alone do we stand on the field of battle.
"The Maker is with us! Her Light shall be our banner,
And we shall bear it through the gates of that city and deliver it
To our brothers and sisters awaiting their freedom within those walls,
At last, the Light shall shine upon all of creation,
If we are only strong enough to carry it."
And the armies of Andraste raised their voices,
Singing a hymn of praise to the Maker. And feared no more,
And Andraste went apart to seek the Maker's wisdom
For the battle to come.
[Maferath delivers Andraste to Hessarian]
Maferath went to his wife and said:
"In the hills lies a silver pool where they say
The Voice of Heaven can be heard most clearly.
Let us go together and hear the Maker's Will."
Andraste went with Maferath and the Aegis to the silver pond.
As she knelt in prayer, the servants of the Archon surrounded them,
Spears raised. Andraste drew her sword
And pierced one man through the heart, but Maferath,
With a blow from his axe, struck the blade from her hands.
And it fell to the ground, and where it landed, tears welled from the land.
The Aegis faltered; his hand could not draw against his own lord,
But neither could it be stayed as his Prophet was betrayed.
Unarmed, he stood between Andraste and the Tevinters.
A spear pierced his chest twice, and he fell.
With neither blade nor shield, Andraste gave herself up
To her enemies. And Maferath bound his wife's hands
And delivered her to the Archon to be put to death.
— Apotheosis 1:1-1:14

Apotheosis 2

[Death of Andraste]
As the sun rose on the army of the faithful,
The gates of the city parted and the legion descended upon the land
As the shadow of a distant storm darkens the sun.
At the forefront of the host rode the Archon himself, sword in hand.
And at his side, bound by heavy chains, rode the Prophet.
Hope abandoned the armies of the faithful
At the sight of their Lady in chains. And a terrible cry
Rose from the field like the wailing of lost children.
Before the host of the faithful and all of the Imperium,
The servants of the Archon assembled a great dais at the feet of the Juggernauts
And there built a pyre twice the height of a man,
The Prophet in chains placed on a stake in the center.
The Liberator drew the blade at his side
And charged the pyre, the freedom of the Prophet before his eyes,
But from the legion came a storm of arrows
Blacker than night. And the disciple who had fought side by side
With the Lady fell, along with a hundred of his People.
And among the Alamarri ten thousand swords fell to the ground in a chorus of defeat.
The legion doused th pyre around her with lamp oil
As Andraste called out in a great voice:
"Maker of the World, forgive them! They have lived too long in shadow
Without Your Light to guide them! Be with Your children now, O Maker!
The Archon stood upon the dais and declared:
"Today, I end this war!" And by will alone
Drew fire from air and set the pyre aflame.
The army of the faithful gathered before the gates of the city
Wept openly. And from among them voices raised
In threnody for Andraste wreathed in flame.
Though the fire enveloped her like a shroud, and the heat from the blaze
Reached across the field, Andraste was silent and did not cry out.
And the legionnaires who stood guard nearby
Were shaken, and began to whisper among themselves:
"Is she truly the servant of a god?"
The Archon looked upon what he had wrought
As the flames of Andraste's pyre grew ever closer to heaven
And the heat drove even the bravest of his legion back
And his heart wavered. For though Andraste did not cry out
Yet did he see her suffering.
Merciless, the fire did not spare her mortal flesh.
And while Hessarian heard over the roar of the bonfire
The cheering of his magisters, he also heard the distant
Song of the faithful mourning their Lady.
Before any among his advisors could draw breath,
Hessarian took blade to hand and himself
Dared the fire that consumed the Prophet.
With one swift strike he pierced her heart.
They sky grew dark. And the ground began to tremble as if in mortal dread.
The crowd before the gates, both Tevinter and faithful, fell silent.
The heavens wept, and yet no rain could extinguish the flame
Which was now a funeral pyre. Wind swept across the city
Like a terrible hand in rage. And the Tevinters who witnessed this
Said: "Truly, the gods are angered."
In sorrow, the crowds dispersed. The army of the faithful
Turned southward, to the lands from which they had come.
The legion of Tevinter hid inside the walls of their city
And watched the sky in fear.
[Havard, the Aegis, returns for Andraste]
The sky wept as though it would never stop, and the footprints
Left by armies turned to countless seas, as Andraste's pyre burned to embers
And grew dark. On hands and knees, wounded unto death,
Havard, once the Aegis of Maferath, crawled to the feet of his Lady.
The loyal shield, broken to pieces, found only ash
Left to the wind and rain. And Havard wept
And took the ashes, still hot from the fire, and pressed them to his heart.
Andraste appears to Havard
His ears filled with the song of multitudes
Raised in chorus, and before his eyes the dark skies parted
And Andraste, dressed in cloth of starlight and armored
In moonlight, stood before him, and he was afraid.
The Lady knelt at his side, saying:
"Arise, Aegis of the Faith. You are not forgotten.
Neither man nor Maker shall forget your bravery
So long as I remember."
At this, his wounds healed, and he stood
And gathered up the ashes, and carried them
To the lands of the Alamarri, away from sorrow forever.
— Apotheosis 2:1-2:18

Canticle of Benedictions

Benedictions 4

Blessed are they who stand before
The corrupt and the wicked do not falter
Blessed are the peacekeepers, the champions of the just.
Blessed are the righteous, the lights in the shadow.
In their blood the Maker's will is written.
— Benedictions 4:10-4:11

Canticle of Erudition

Erudition 2

The first of the Maker's children watched from afar
And grew jealous of the life
They could not feel, could not touch.
In blackest envy were the demons born.
— Erudition 2:1

Canticle of Exaltations

Exaltations 1

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 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!"
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.
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!"
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 Her 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 Her right hand.
And they reached the gates of the Imperium's capitol,
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:
"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."
— Exaltations 1:1-1:14

Canticle of Threnodies

Threnodies 1

From the waters of the Fade you made the world.
As the Fade had been fluid, so was the world fixed.
— Threnodies 1:4
And so we burned. We raised nations, we waged wars,
We dreamed up false gods, great demons
Who could cross into the waking world,
Turned our devotion upon them, and forgot you.
— Threnodies 1:8

Threnodies 5

There was no word
For heaven or for earth, for sea or sky.
All that existed was silence.
Then the Voice of the Maker rang out,
The first Word,
And Her Word became all that might be:
Dream and idea, hope and fear,
Endless possibilities.
And from it made Her firstborn.
And She said to them:
"In My image I forge you,
To you I give dominion
Over all that exists.
By your will
May all things be done."
Then in the center of heaven
She called forth
A city with towers of gold,
streets with music for cobblestones,
And banners which flew without wind.
There, She dwelled, waiting
To see the wonders
Her children would create.
The children of the Maker gathered
Before Her golden throne
And sang hymns of praise unending.
But their songs
Were the songs of the cobblestones.
They shone with the golden light
Reflected from the Maker's throne.
They held forth the banners
That flew on their own.
And the voice of the Maker shook the Fade
Sayin: In my image I have wrought
My firstborn. You have been given dominion
Over all that exists. By your will
All things are done.
Yet you do nothing.
The realm I have given you
is formless, ever-changing.
And She knew She had wrought amiss.
So the Maker turned from Her firstborn
And took from the Fade
A measure of its living flesh
And placed it apart from the Spirits, and spoke to it, saying:
Here, I decree
Opposition in all things:
For earth, sky
For winter, summer
For darkness, Light.
By My Will alone is Balance sundered
And the world given new life.
And no longer was it formless, ever-changing,
But held fast, immutable,
With Words for heaven and for earth, sea and sky.
At last did the Maker
From the living world
Make men. Immutable, as the substance of the earth,
With souls made of dream and idea, hope and fear,
Endless possibilities.
Then the Maker said:
"To you, My second-born, I grant this gift:
In your heart shall burn
An unquenchable flame
All-consuming, and never satisfied.
From the Fade I crafted you,
And to the Fade you shall return
Each night in dreams
That you may always remember Me."
And then the Maker sealed the gates
Of the Golden City
And there, She dwelled, waiting
To see the wonders
Her children would create.
— Threnodies 5:1-5:8

Threnodies 8

[Spirits try to poison the thoughts of humans]
Now, with their Mother's eye elsewhere, the firstborn
At last created something new:
Envy. They looked upon the living world and the favored
Sons and daughters there, covetous of all they were.
Within their hearts grew
An intolerable hunger.
Until, at last, some of the firstborn said:
"Our Mother has abandoned us for these lesser things.
We have power over heaven.
Let us rule over earth as well
And become greater gods than our Mother."
The demons appeared to the children of earth in dreams
And named themselves gods, demanding fealty.
And a mighty voice cried out,
Shaking the very foundations of heaven:
"Ungrateful children! I gave you power
To shape heaven itself,
And you have made only poison.
As you crave the earth, the earth shall be
Your domain! Into the darkness
I cast you! Away from man
Shall you dwell for all time."
No matter the power, their triumphs,
The mage-lords of Tevinter were men
and doomed to die.
A voice spoke within their hearts,
"Shall you surrender your power
To time like the beasts of the fields? You are the Lords of earth!
Go forth to claim the empty throne
Of Heaven and be gods."
Those who had been cast down,
The demons who wished to be gods,
Convinced the mage-lords
And in hushed whispers
Gave the secrets of darkest magic.

[The Golden City is ruined]
In secret the Tevinters worked
Magic upon magic.
All their power and all their vanity
They turned against the Fade
Until at last, it gave way.
Above them, a river of Light,
Before them the throne of Heaven, waiting,
Beneath their feet
The footprints of the Maker,
And all around them echoed a vast
Silence.
But when they took a single step
Toward the empty throne
A great voice cried out
Shaking the very foundations
Of Heaven and earth:
"And So is the Golden City blackened
With each step you take in my Hall.
Marvel at perfection, for it is fleeting.
You have brought Sin to Heaven
And doom upon all the world."

The demons urged the magisters to ever-greater depravity,
Rewarding them with power and more.
Arrogance became a great caged beast in their minds,
An emptiness that consumed all and could never be filled.
As they were, what had been golden turned black.
Violently they were cast down,
For no mortal may walk bodily
In the realm of dreams,
Bearing the mark of their crime:
Bodies so maimed
And distorted that none should see them
And know them for men.
Deep into the earth they fled,
Away from the Light.
In Darkness eternal they searched
For those who had goaded them on,
Until at last they would find their prize.
— Threnodies 8:1-8:11

Threnodies 12

Those who had sought to claim
Heaven by sin destroyed it. What was
Golden and pure turned black.
Those who had once been triumphant,
Many children of the Maker,
Were no longer men, but monsters.
— Threnodies 12:1
All that the Maker has wrought is in Her hand
Beloved and precious to Her.
Where the Maker has turned Her face away,
Is a Void in all things;
In the world, in the Fade,
In the hearts and minds of men.
Passing out of the world, in that Void shall they wander;
O unrepentant, faithless, treacherous,
They who are judged and found wanting
Shall know forever the loss of the Maker's love.
Only Prophet shall weep for them.
— Threnodies 12:5- 12:6

Canticle of Transfigurations

Transfigurations 1

[Commandments]
These truths the Maker has revealed to me:
As there is but one world,
One life, one death, there is
But one god, and She is our Maker.
They are sinners, who have given their love
To false gods.

Magic exists to serve man, and never to rule over him.
Foul and corrupt are they
Who have taken Her gift
And turned it against Her children.
They shall be named Maleficar, accursed ones.
They shall find no rest in this world
Or beyond.

All men are the Work of our Maker's Hands,
From the lowest slaves
To the highest kings.
Those who bring harm
Without provocation to the least of Her children
Are hated and accursed by the Maker.

Those who bear false witness
And work to deceive others, know this:
There is but one Truth.
All things are known to our Maker
And She shall judge their lies.
All things in this world are finite.
What one man gains, another has lost.
Those who steal from their brothers and sisters
Do harm to their livelihood and to their peace of mind.
Our Maker sees this with a heavy heart.
— Transfigurations 1:1-1:5

Transfigurations 10

[Andraste's Sermon at Valarian Fields]
Many are those who wander in sin,
Despairing that they are lost forever,
But the one who repents, who has faith
Unshaken by the darkness of the world,
And boasts not, nor gloats
Over the misfortunes of the weak, but takes delight
In the Maker's law and creations, she shall know
The peace of the Maker's benediction.
The Light shall lead her safely
Through the paths of this world, and into the next.
For she who trusts in the Maker, fire is her water.
As the moth sees light and goes toward flame,
She should see fire and go towards Light.
The Maker holds no uncertainty for her,
And she will know no fear of death, for the Maker
Shall be her beacon and her shield, her foundation and her sword.
— Transfigurations 10:1

Canticle of Trials

Trials 1

Through blinding mist, I climb
A sheer cliff, the summit shrouded in fog, the base
Endlessly far beneath my feet
The Maker is the rock to which I cling.
I cannot see the path.
Perhaps there is only abyss.
Trembling, I step forward,
In darkness enveloped.
Though all before me is shadow,
Yet shall the Maker be my guide.
I shall not be left to wander the drifting roads of the Beyond.
For there is no darkness in the Maker's Light
And nothing that She has wrought shall be lost.
I am not alone. Even
As I stumble on the path
With my eyes closed, yet I see
The Light is here.
Draw your last breath, my friends.
Cross to the Fade and all the stars in the sky.
Rest at the Maker's right hand,
And be Forgiven.
— Trials 1:12-1:16

Close

Cover of the New Cumberland Chant of Light

Type

Manuscript, Religious