Morvath the Mire's Keeper

Verse 1

Down where the roots of ancient trees entwine,

Where sunken gold and rotting swords combine,

There squats old Morvath in his fungus light,

Muttering curses through the endless night.

He did not ask to mind this wretched post,

Nor catalogue each sorry drowning ghost.

Yet here he sits with ledger, lamp and bone,

The warden of what fools have left alone.

Chorus

Pay the toll or stay below,

Morvath cares not which thou chose.

One memory, dear and true,

And he shall let thee pass on through.

Verse 2

He'll take thy ring but rings mean naught to him,

Thy sword, thy purse, thy every foolish whim.

He wants the thing no merchant e'er can sell,

The memory thou guardest close and well.

The voice of one long gone beyond recall,

The day thy pride did crumble and did fall,

He'll pocket it without a word of grace,

And point thee on thy way with scowling face.

Chorus

Pay the toll or stay below,

Morvath cares not which thou chose.

One memory, dear and true,

And he shall let thee pass on through.

Bridge

Ask him not for sympathy or cheer,

He hath no warmth to give, nor wish to hear.

A thousand fools hath tried to bargain fair,

A thousand fools now rot without a prayer.

He keeps his ledger worn with ink and mud,

Each name writ down in something thick as blood.

Elyndra sent them down, he did not choose,

But someone must collect what sinners lose.

Verse 3

So reach into the marrow of thy mind,

And find the thing most precious left behind.

The laugh, the light, the morning now long past,

Place it in his palm — he'll hold it fast.

He will not thank thee, will not wish thee well,

Just grunt and gesture toward the forest fell.

For Morvath is no devil, nor divine,

He merely minds what sinketh in the mire's brine.

Final Chorus

Pay the toll or stay below,

Morvath cares not which thou chose.

One memory, dear and true,

And he shall let thee pass on through.

Outro

Down where the roots of ancient trees entwine...

Old Morvath counts his gold by fungus shine...

The ledger fills, the lantern dims...

And still he waits, and still he grins...

Spoken

"This tale was woven by DiscoPrincess — Royalty of the Night"