Vuksen's Poems

This is a partial list of all of the poetry written by Vuksen, arguably the greatest bard in Forostar history. poVuksen wrote a massive amount of poems about the inhabitants of Forostar, and luckily, many of them still survive in the world.

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Poor Vuksen, he hails from Cliffhaven
Where the maids are unchaste and unshaven.
With full armour on,
They snore until dawn,
No Romance and no misbehavin'!
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Have you seen out friend Dekhan in action?
He focuses Chi 'til it's maxin'.
Then with training from Yeger,
And the timely neck-breaker,
He puts all the ogres in traction!
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Now Jolas, he's off seeking treasure.
No rules, no codes, only leisure.
When the white dragon he finds,
Steals his gems from the mines,
Won't he give old Oran a seizure!
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To the north lives a lad named Cathal,
He boasts that his pike is quite tall!
One elf lady I hear,
Sneaked a glance and did jeer,
"Why, it's naught but a twig after all!"
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Isha'el strikes with poise and decision
And kinks necks with fingered precision.
His staff breaks through chain,
Emerald knife causes pain -
Makes his sparring a brush with perdition!
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Of late Galmor sits at the crossing,
After sleeplessly turning and tossing.
Though his eyes are like flints,
The patrol's silver glints,
And he 'scapes once again from their bossing!
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Brave Tarlon met the cyclops
On a day both fine and fair.
In a cave behind dark boulder,
Was the cruel great monsters lair.
It bashed with might and based with hate,
But Tarlon's shield held firm.
It howled and cursed in Darkish tongue
As heaven's fire made it squirm.
Then in a flash it was over, as the shadows died away.
Tarlon stood untouched, and Cyclops in death lay.
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Hey, look sharp, better mend your ways
Here comes that cool-eyed legal cat.
If you've been mean, better count your days,
Calarandir's wearin' his judging hat.

He's Arborea's judge, that's clear to see,
Cause he tilts that hat with authority.
If you ask him for help, he'll go the extra mile, 
"Sure, no problem, just give me a smile!"
He'll sit at the crossing when he's feeling good,
Shoot the breeze with his friends in the neighborhood.
If you need advice about complicated stuff
He'll sort it out quick, though his voice may be gruff.
Don't mind it though, 'cause that heart is pure gold
Citizen's friend, but you mess - he's stone cold.

Hey, look sharp, better mend your ways
Here comes that cool-eyed legal cat.
If you've been mean, better count your days,
Calarandir's wearin' his judging hat.

Sure he speaks all languages under the sun,
And toils at scrolls till the day is done.
But this cat has claws and attitude too,
When it comes to action, he's in it thick as glue.
With dagger and staff, he'll bash ogres and trolls
With fiery flares, makes 'em pay heavy tolls.
When the battle is fierce, and prospects look dim,
He'll double his efforts with vigor and vim.
Take my word for it, this tiger's no slouch,
He'll back you up with some spells from his pouch.

Hey, look sharp, better mend your ways
Here comes that cool-eyed legal cat.
If you've been mean, better count your days,
Calarandir's wearin' his judging hat.
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One languid day in Giat's heights
Flashes of steel , it look like fights.
As I climbed up to take a look,
Spied an elf at ease with opened book.

Around her lay fresh ogres, dead
And body parts, hands, feet - a head!
Tessa stretched and nodded hello,
"Teaching ogres if you must know..."

Just then another ogre leaped,
From behind a boulder slow had creeped.
The tome snapped shut, two blades appeared,
Slash and a parry - one ogre speared.

Quick as winks, with another swing,
An arm flew past, still writhing!
And as the ogre toppled and frothed,
The elf reclined and politely coughed.

"Refreshing air up here, it's true.
To clear the mind - a lovely view.
Seems the locals, poor illiterates,
Take lessons from my sharpened wits!"
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- In praise of our Lord do I present -
This tale of fright and curious woe
And brave, bold deeds by two great friends
Who challenged fate in the depths below.
Praise the Lord! Sit and hear my words, 
Gather you close and shiverin'.
Hear a story fit for Legends' Halls,
That will set your ears a quiverin'!

** LAY OF THE GEM TROLL **
With deadly speed the gem troll bites,
More gruesome still its steely claws,
It is said this monster scores the earth
With luckless miners in its jaws!

His lair is fearsome dark and dingy,
He keeps an orc around to clean.
The walls glow dim in crystal-light,
Where once the glare of gems has been.

The floor is paved in fine bone dust,
Much mashed and much aggrieved
The remnant of each bold brave soul,
Unkindly met, of dear life relieved.

So if you venture, have a care,
Bring strength and steel, bring all your friends!
String bows, gird loins, helm heads in fear
'Ere to Hell your soul the Gem Troll sends!

... Yet ONCE, I've heard, his life was taken
Time and blood-thirsty time repeated.
Just once his hide's rough, worm-ridden husk
Was button-holed, heat-pressed and neatly pleated!

Dark the day when two coursed fiercely down,
Grim and dire by the lamp's faltering flame,
In their wake, mayhem, eyeballs and fangs,
Ogrebane and Fire Turtle to the trapdoor came.

The Bane, he grinned, and with his blade
Speared a warg's-heart still bloody and hot.
He winked as Turtle sharpened axe and sword,
"Well, here's the last one, biggest of the lot!"

Fire Turtle eyed the trapdoor and grinned slow,
"Surely, Ogrebane, we'll be treated as guests.
This troll's hospitality is far reknowned -
He greets with claws, then jaws and friendly jests!"

With that, their laughter resounded deeply,
Throughout the caverns' halls and ill-lit ways,
Awoke the troll and its orcish servant,
Who practiced his helloes in toothy displays.

Down they dropped, arms ready and spirits high
Ogrebane first struck a jaw, his eyes ablaze.
Bone and gristle torn in bloody grace,
Orc-teeth mowed down like the harvest maize.

Turtle crouched on bended knee, snapped loud,
Jangled the air in Ancient tones of ire,
Crashed star and shield upon the hapless orc,
And bathed it in Heaven's consuming fire.

In a beat, a wink, nothing less or more,
The orc's welcome reduced to a pulpy heap,
Ogrebane beheld the hulking Gem Troll,
Shield-first to the fore did Turtle leap.

Thus began a battle sharp and furious,
Each kick and spin of the Bane well-placed.
With holds and breaks to daze and dismay him,
The fastest foe Gem Troll had ever faced.

With a quick tattoo of his razor-edge claws,
Huge hooks that spear and rend,
The baleful troll swung left and right,
To filet Ogrebane's armoured friend.

The shield held true, though splintered and bashed
As Turtle knee'd and kicked the slayer
While Ogrebane hurled his battle cry
That shattered the air in a mighty blare.

Amid howls and shrieks in the crystal glow,
The two parried frenzied claws and gobbles
Turtle's nose bled, as did arms and legs
The Bane's tunic dripped red on the dusty cobbles.

And then it happened, Turtle stumbled at last
And stunned, was tossed onto a boulder
The jewel-toothed beast bit fast and bit hard,
And skewered the Bane through his shoulder.

Woe upon woe, such agony and gore!
The outcome was looking quite awful
The troll reared back for a triple death blow
claw-full, claw-full and maw-full!

-- DeVi - 24 Feb 2008