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Dust
2011-02-18, 10:39 PM
After three hours of fruitless google searching, I turn to you, poets and romantics of the playground, for assistance.

I require about three or four lines of wedding vows for Eladrin royalty (if you're not familiar with 4e, Elves are to Eladrin as Dueling Banjos is to the 300 Violin Orchestra).
These lines must be easy-to-read despite their poetic nature, so that a player won't have difficulty reciting them. The entire thing also needs to be short enough that, for rp reasons, it can be shouted over the din of several hundred soldiers in a pitched battle.
In a further perfect world, the lines would make a subtle reference to tradition/carrying on the royal line.

Situation, for those who are curious:
The Eladrin nation has gone to war, with the princess being one of the PCs. This is the end of the first big chapter of the game. There's a very big liklihood that the king will fall during the battle, and the PC knows that there's magic protecting the kingdom that only works so long as there is a king or queen sitting on the throne. She's decided that, should it look like things will get dangerous, she's going to propose to one of the other PCs mid-fight. Maybe it's just the estrogen talking, but there's something awesome about an avenger cleaving his way across a battlefield toward her with a ring - not out of love, but sheer PC determination to win.
She's requested I supply her some traditional lines for the 'ceremony.'

Vknight
2011-02-18, 10:51 PM
Here are a few. I really need a hobby.

For the beauty of 'Insert Gods Name Here' I wish for these battles may not be a resting place but rather of beautiful glory. A glory on most high from a union with the only one who holds my heart.

This is not to be the day we go quietly into the dark, 'Insert Character Name Here' I am forever in love with you and let this be the place I finally and completly prove it.

As the twilight rests upon us the gods smile and this, this love we share, I wish to let it burn all the brighter let it overflow for this is not just war but a battle of love.

As poets say the finest wine is Eladrin. So let it be that the finest women in all my life is also that. Let the bards sing of her beauty but only let her be for me.

0Megabyte
2011-02-18, 11:38 PM
Naturally, I don't know all the details of your world or anything, so this may be completely useless to you, but... first option: More of a dirge for the fallen king then anything else, though perhaps it's cool if they have a poem for just such a situation.

From time unbound a song came forth
as all the land froze to a pause,
when kings had joined the light above
and those who must took up the cause.

For you and I shall cling this night
and hold like stars the light of hope.
I wish for you to stay with me,
and help me when I need to cope.

Now sing this song with me my friends,
once more as they will sing for me
together we will reign as one,
strengthened by this unity.

Meh. That's not really what you're looking for, though (too blatant and weak)... so how about something more like this:

I stood alone amongst the reeds,
there underneath the twilight wilds.
I stood alone within my heart,
with no one there to hold my hand.

But you stood tall against the dark
and in this vast unknown expanse
like those before who made this pact
the two of us shall be the light.

For you and I are one this day
together now, for I am yours,
and you will stand beside me here,
our hands twined by the twilight branch.

Better, maybe, as a wedding thing... it has the subtle suggestion there in the second half of the second stanza, but is it too subtle?

Vknight
2011-02-18, 11:47 PM
No It's good. It's really good.

Here are some more.

The courts of spring, summer, autumn, winter
They smile upon thee
Your grace your beauty, and poise
As the mighty oak you stand
As the graceful swan you move
Striking like mighty Owlbears
Cunning as the fox of midday's and noon
A Unconquered Sun a beauty all to see
That is what you are to me
Take this let all remeber are names
Let us be ones of light
Let evil tremble before this lines might
Be one so all will know my loves truth

In a line of ours beauty unperalled
Twin lines to be one
Let us be one
To the darkness we can drive
A line of light
The gods will know us in love
Are family in praise
To be my Spring, is all I require

Twist not dark desire
Be once and for all mine
Let thy light become as one with mine
So two lines of good become one
A line spaning forwards evermore
But spanning backwards to remeber
This is mearly are spring
Let us live are summers, and winters together
Take of mine and let us become as one
Twin sapling lovers tied in embrace

slaydemons
2011-02-18, 11:51 PM
I am not familar with 4e at all but those poems.... I want them to use them might help my friend in a campaign eventually *goes to copy save*

Vknight
2011-02-18, 11:53 PM
Well for mine I don't mind, not sure for 'Megabyte' but yeah use them and have fun

Necrus Philius
2011-02-18, 11:55 PM
I'll treasure every dungeon with you.
Regardless of however many 1's you roll.
Your beauty requires no buffs for it transcends stats.
No wound or debuff shall ever make me stop loving you.

Though monsters or DM machinations may seperate,
Know that my love shall always reach you.
Should you depart this mortal coil,
Know that I'll love whoever you choose to reroll.

slaydemons
2011-02-18, 11:56 PM
I'll treasure every dungeon with you.
Regardless of however many 1's you roll.
Your beauty requires no buffs for it transcends stats.
No wound or debuff shall ever make me stop loving you.

Though monsters or DM machinations may seperate,
Know that my love shall always reach you.
Should you depart this mortal coil,
Know that I'll love whoever you choose to reroll.

bit of meta game there huh XD

Dust
2011-02-18, 11:56 PM
You guys are epic and amazing. Thanks a ton. :smallbiggrin: As soon as I read through everything I'll let ya know what I'm going with.

LikeAD6
2011-02-19, 12:31 AM
Also throw in "It's a nice day for a white wedding" somewhere.

Ajadea
2011-02-19, 12:55 AM
Well...if the player is playing an eladrin, one thing to consider is that if the lines are traditionally eladrin wedding vows, then the translation to Common might not be perfect, and the rhythm might not flow as well.

So here's my attempt, closer to a chant than a poem, with intentionally weird rhythm, as I'm assuming the other PC doesn't speak Eladrin:

For every shadow cast, a light must first shine
The autumn leaves fall and bring life to the spring
In this moment of death, we find beginning
Lay down a new path over the trails our elders walked
Walk with me, let me no longer walk alone
Our spirits entwine and unite as one
And become whole at last, greater than what we are


I'd assume, in Eladrin, there are slight pleading elements to the last two lines as well, but they wouldn't translate well. Kinda like Chinese, one syllable can take like 5 minutes to describe properly.

Of course, considering timing issues, I'm guessing she has to be able to say the whole thing in 4 seconds. This one might be better:

I know not what will happen next. I know only that I wish for our fates to be one and the same. Stand by my side, let us face the unknown together.

Sort of more adventurer-y too.

0Megabyte
2011-02-19, 03:08 AM
I am not familar with 4e at all but those poems.... I want them to use them might help my friend in a campaign eventually *goes to copy save*

I dunno about the other guy's, but I don't mind too much if you use mine!

WitchSlayer
2011-02-19, 03:31 AM
Traditional Eladrin wedding vows and poems contain at least 1000 lines and usually involve the death at least 3 people.

ROYAL vows... I don't even want to GET into that.

Tam_OConnor
2011-02-19, 03:36 AM
"Across 'Wild and 'Fell,
I seal myself to you with
Our rings of glad time."

It, of course, sounds even better in Court-tongue. Properly, royal weddings are much more lavish, but the lavishness lies in the pre- and post-wedding celebrations, not in the particulars of the oaths. Now, the parents of the couple may get together to wrangle out the economic or political particulars, but there's not much reason to trouble the couple - they're less concerned with the dower, and more with the bower.

The trick is, of course, that if the ring is broken, you're no longer married. Idealistic and rich couple blend adamant and mithril for grace and might. Gold is common among those not getting eaten by dragons, and the like. Cynics, or those 'marrying' prostitutes for religious reasons, make them out of less permanent materials (leather or rock candy or what have you). The other escape clause (important for immortals), is that the marriage only endures so long as the times are glad ('And let me just say how glad I am that the kingdom hasn't fallen!').

Vknight
2011-02-19, 12:56 PM
Traditional Eladrin wedding vows and poems contain at least 1000 lines and usually involve the death at least 3 people.

ROYAL vows... I don't even want to GET into that.

No no your mixing up Dragonborn and Eladrin.

stainboy
2011-02-19, 06:32 PM
Wedding vows are a skill challenge. The bride and groom are each members of separate parties, and each party must accumulate 4 successes before 2 failures. Each round each of the bridesmaids and groomsmen performs the Aid Another action to increase the bride or groom's Diplomacy modifier.

I believe this requires that the bridesmaids and groomsmen be PCs, as monsters cannot Aid Another which could cause the wedding to fail. It may be difficult to discern between eladrin PCs and eladrin monsters through roleplaying, so all guests of honor should be screened with the Negative HP Test. The wedding venue should provide an easily cleaned basement room where guests can be stabbed until they fall over to see if they are removed from play. If this is infeasible due to time constraints, discharging a low-damage burst power during a wedding rehearsal should quickly identify any guests of honor who are minions.

Trog
2011-02-19, 09:13 PM
Here's my take on it:

Forever strong and never breaking,
Here in mine own, your fair hand taking,
Our song, our love, only just waking,
And lasting 'til the world's unmaking.

Vknight
2011-02-20, 01:54 AM
Yours is so cute Trog it sounds like what I would right for my friends for there girlfriends valentines cards.

Trog
2011-02-20, 08:17 AM
Yours is so cute Trog it sounds like what I would right for my friends for there girlfriends valentines cards.
Well they are wedding vows after all so romance is proper, I feel.

Add to that that in real wedding vows it's all about longevity and eladrin are already pretty dang long lived and that explains the final line. OP said it needed to be shouted over a battle so I included the first line as something akin to a battle cry, second line identifies it as a union. Third line as a romantic one with reference to song which is appropriate for eladrin, I feel, and for this brief verse. And really the first and last line could be used as a battle cry together. A declaration of solidarity.

Plus it has that Tolkeinesque sort of rhythm to it like:
Alive without breath, As cold as death.
Never thirsty, Always drinking,
All in mail, never clinking.

That might be too heavy headed to put in a valentine unless it was one to your wife or someone you are committed to long term.

EDIT: For less romance and more hitting home to the "carrying on our line" thing just substitute the word "line" for "love" and there you have it.

Vknight
2011-02-20, 11:54 AM
True it is to heavy handed for a girlfriend but the poetic verse and wording sounds very similar to how I would have wrote a valentines for friends for there girls or boys.

Fox Box Socks
2011-02-20, 12:35 PM
Also throw in "It's a nice day for a white wedding" somewhere.
I wouldn't.

You do realize that's a song about a shotgun wedding, right?

Vknight
2011-02-20, 12:43 PM
I think they do, I hope at least.
I think it was jokingly or sarcasm which makes sense considering we are RolePlayers and are sanity is questionable.