I wrote verse for my Enmity Cycle game, basing it on the Persian poem The Conference of the Birds. In this famous long poem a group of birds travels through seven valleys, seeking enlightenment. Here, the Bulbul (a bird with significance in Persian literature) guides the reader on a flight through Thuvia's five cities, seeking unity.
I dribbled the poem out poem along the way as my party repaired the severed head. Our bard riffed on it in some of the final battles, adding his own verse which was a lot of fun.
Sharing here in case it helps anyone's game or sparks inspiration.
Dear bulbul, welcome! You will be our guide;
It was on you Artokus Kirran relied
To carry five secret messages between
Five nomadic city-states, wings unseen.
He knew your language and you knew his heart—
As his close confidant you learnt the art
Of pushing jealousies deep underground,
And for these exploits was Thuvia five-crowned.
But talk of five implies plurality –
When five has gone there will be Unity.
(This is the oneness of diversity,
Not oneness locked in singularity);
We journey to the valley of community
a place of kinship and austerity.
There we will understand unspoken words
Too subtle for the ears of mortal birds.
‘Before we reach our goal,’ the bulbul said,
five majestic cities lie ahead.
To Aspenthar's sands, where banners twirl,
Mighty legions march, where power unfurls.
To Duwwor's river, with flowers bright,
And windmills turn in time, in gentle light.
To Lamasara's heart, where the muses weave
What potent visions artists dare conceive.
To Merab's port where cultures twine,
Into an alchemy of goals aligned.
To primal magic at the mountain’s feet,
Turning nature to help sustain its beat.
Fly, little bird, be resolute and brave!
Learn of each and every desert enclave.
Through diversity achieve amity
For all of Thuvia's humanity.
You can also corrupt this poem, for example:
Dear crow, beware! You will be our spy;
For you were Artokus' secret spy
To whisper five seeds of discord, fluttering between
Five rival city-states, like murder unseen.