Part I

[Source Text]

Ode to Reignbow Path [†1]

Anonymous

You have not seen the Cangcheng full of Langgan, consumed by the planet of sentient evil, standing firm till the end.
You have not seen the Yuanqiao covered in Bigui, sailing on a path of no return. To the crimson star it rends.
You have not seen the Daiyu verdant with Shatang, plummeting like a hurtling flame, burnt like lamp oil spent.[†2]
You have not seen the tumultuous journey in the bowels of space, where human and stars alike are transient as reeds.
In the beginning when the world was new, the wastelands to our ancestors did attend.
Where nations warred amongst forts, where the plain cavalry's banners did suspend.
The wise sovereign quelled the local lords. Using Aurumatons, did deceit cease and mend.
All cardinal directions were ruled under one. A world unified, standing unbent.[†3]
The divine race encroached and covered the sky. From Muldrasil poured these fiends.[†4]
Then cruisers and dreadnaughts launched to the depths. To Sanctus Medicus, crossing eons, messengers we send.[†5]
Amongst the Nine was one Yaoqing, its delves had many heroes attend.
The greatest among them was the Reignbow. With their bow, even stars may rend.
From the budding shores where ambers are plucked, to the stellar abyss where void whales fend.[†6]
From puppets disempowered by iron mallets, to slaying Viscorpus and having their flags upend.[†7]
Flames of war snuffed from the five Navium Astriger, mists of memory on the eight Xianzhou ships' rivers ascend.[†8]
Remember how sovereign ruled the ancient lands, yet the mighty Reignbow none may contend.

[Editor's Notes]

[†1] This poem is in the ode form, a genre which uses free verse rhyme and meter, flexible structure, and often uses words like "Ode" in their title. For ease of reading and due to the length of the poem, the editors had split this work into sections based on progression of the narrative.

[†2] Langgan, Bigui, and Shatang are all mystic trees found in primeval imperium legends, with trunks made of jade and bearing fruits that grant immortality. The Daiyu, the Yuanqiao, and the Cangcheng are all Xianzhou ships that have been destroyed. The Daiyu exploded in 1200 Star Calendar during the campaign against the Viscorpus, a Denizen of Abundance race. The Yuanqiao lost control during the Civil War in 3200 Star Calendar, plunging into a red giant and disappearing completely. The Cangcheng was devoured by the activated planet Rahu, Devourer of Worlds, in 6300 Star Calendar. This suggests that the ode was composed after 6300 Star Calendar, but it's also possible that later authors have amended the original.

[†3] This section describes the glorious days when the unnamed sovereign united the entire planet during the Primeval Imperium Age of the Xianzhou Alliance. "Replacement by Aurumaton" refers to the story of the sovereign's ban on all forms of weaponry and replacing security institutions with Aurumatons and Ingenia to maintain public order.

[†4] "The divine race" means the Wingweavers, one of the Denizens of Abundance races. Muldrasil is this race's home world, a planet-sized giant tree that draws energy from the stars. Here, we can see that the Denizens of Abundance had made contact with various Xianzhou clans as early as the Primeval Imperium Age.

[†5] "Sanctus Medicus" is the Plagues Author, one who presides over the Path of Abundance. Today, this title is mainly reserved for the henchmen of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus.

[†6] "From the budding shores where ambers are plucked" refers to when Xianzhou observed the Celestial Comet Wall being built by the Aeon Qlipoth. "Where void whales fend" refers to the Xianzhou Alliance coming into contact with the void song whales around 500 Star Calendar. This event should have happened before "ambers are plucked," but the poet inverted their order for linguistic flow. Also, based on historical records, the Reignbow Arbiter was born in approximately 1700 Star Calendar, and could not possibly have participated in the aforementioned events. This is evidently a misappropriation. This occurs repeatedly in the text from here on, and individual instances will not be noted further.

[†7] "Puppets disempowered by iron mallets" refers to the Xianzhou people wresting control of the ships from the Aurumatons, starting around 1400 Star Calendar and finishing with the Heliobi Wars. "Slaying Viscorpus" recounts the Xianzhou's battle against the Viscorpus around 1200 Star Calendar.

[†8] The "five Navium Astriger" and the "eight Xianzhou ships" are figurative, used to represent the entire flotilla of the Xianzhou Alliance. This is not an actual count.