The Pact…

The story of the architect and how he built his church ________________________________ Part 1 - The Vision ------------------------------------------- I have seen it in a dream A palace to exalt the angels A monument to the God in Heaven with spires that seem to touch the clouds Upon the hill where the martyrs fell A place of worship will stand The steeple's shadow across the sky A spear for the hearts of the unbelievers Scores of the young and old must break their backs and be crushed beneath the wheels. But the Lord is good and merciful and the work will stand one thousand years A blessing from the Scarlet One Rejoice and give thanks! But the first of those across these steps must perish in the flames Part 2 - The Work -------------------------------------------------- Piling the dead and filling the trenches Grinding their bones to make from them mortar Brick upon brick and stone upon stone Whatever the cost the work must continue... Forty years of endless toil By the Grace of the Holy Fiend This cursed place of worship and horror will stand therein a thousand years

Submitted by Nargaroth — Apr 26, 2025

The story of how a faithless clergyman met his end, as the doors of the church were opened for the first time. ________________________________ On an overcast day in the month of May, the winds that came were the first of many The church was to open upon the hill and the archbishop came to bless its seal. But the architect of the cathedral's design, went suddenly missing like a thief in the night And then what followed, could not be explained except by the presence of an unnatural aid Many say that the architect was in league with the Evil One… For it was written, by his hand "The first to enter will be surely damned.. Except if one has a perfect faith He'll not fall into the snare But any doubt and he will surely be lost forever for all eternity " It has been said by the many who'd seen that it was not His Eminence but rather his beast, who crossed the threshold into the church, instead of his master who was to be first.. The coward gave up the soul of his pet for the Prince of Fire to burn instead but the Father of Lies could not be deceived, and turned the hound's anger on the arrogant priest The creature lunged and tore the throat of the bishop, who had known, he had not faith enough to cross into the church And would be lost And from his neck it tore the crucifix And ran like lightning deep into the crypts The others followed but it was as if It had simply vanished Into the air All of those who’d seen what had happened there that day Believed it was the influence of the Archfiend holding sway Who had turned the beast against the Messenger of the Holy church And drove it down into the depths of the Holy Sepulcher But from there, where would it have possibly gone? A hidden way into the catacombs where the martyrs lay their heads A door that had not been there before was suddenly standing open Quickly returning with the others to show them what he had seen But the door that had been there just moments before would never be seen again Then a sudden howl that seemed to shake the stones High above the rafters, it seemed, that the beast had flown, like a winged bat to the top of the steeple's tower, by the aid of some unseen infernal power And with a sudden leap from the edge of the precipice, it impaled itself on the iron churchyard gate! The corpse was flung down deep into a hole to rot in the earth by the church's cornerstone But no one saw cloaked in scarlet vestments The vial of poison and the missing crucifix

Submitted by Nargaroth — Apr 26, 2025

The story of how a monk of the Capuchin Order was led astray, while searching for the hidden sanctum below the church. _______________________________ The holy man asked the angels for a miracle and asked the Lord Above how to show his faith In cloister walls, cloaked within the blessed silence "Do not put the Lord your God to the test! Obey His law, kneel before the King of Kings" Was it a voice heard from somewhere above? Or perhaps only a whisper from a dream (that said) "The angels and saints are deaf to thoughts and prayers alone. But in the sanctum below, you will find the answers that you seek Follow the steps ... the wait will not be long.." Three turns to the west Another to the east Stand within a circle By the Altar of the Penitent It will be there... The Light in the Darkness The Dark in the Light As Abraham offered up his only son A test of faith, "The Lord will surely stay your hand" Weathered robes and habit, wooden crucifix Trembling hands plunge the knife into the chest.. "I am deceived... now there can be no turning back" Three turns to the west Another to the east Blessed is the sacrifice By the Altar of the Penitent Three turns towards the north And another to the south A black dog will appear to thee To lead into the sanctuary It will be there... The Light in the Darkness The Dark in the Light What has just been done can never be undone Denied forever entry to the mansions above But the entrance to the sanctuary lies just beyond... "Conceal all your actions and leave not a trace. Quickly for your absence has already been noted!" Too late, they return.... "At the hour of Vespers You were not amongst us.." The knife still in his hand.. His habit stained with blood... And the deed is known… Writhing in the agonies of the Auto da Fe Burned without the benefit of strangulation The Devil and Saint Peter cast lots for his remains The secret below the chapel dies upon his lips...* “There was another way inside”

Submitted by Nargaroth — Apr 26, 2025

This track is instrumental.

Is this song not instrumental?

The story of a mysterious visitor, who asks the church's caretaker to spend the night in the chapel and claims to have firsthand knowledge of events from centuries past. ________________________________ Traveler: "I am merely but a weary traveler seeking rest inside the Holy Chapel's walls as a single evening's guest. In return, my knowledge will be given freely as the air. Both the known and the hidden, are mine to be shared" Caretaker: "What brings you here to sleep within the Chapel of Our Lord? Your face, it seems familiar, have I not seen you here before?" Traveler: "An endless search for the Garden of Eden by the way of the setting sun, only to return to the very same place in which my journey had begun. I have heard it said this place is not of Our Lord, but instead signed to another by a written accord. For I once knew a holy man who found beneath our feet A dark place of worship none who live have ever seen." I can still remember The words that he had spoke ... 'Three turns to the west.. 'And from the east open the door'” Caretaker: "You must be mad, for the one of whom you speak was burned alive for his crimes fifty years and one century before" Traveler: "Nonetheless I saw him then, just as I see you now You, of little faith, why not listen to my words? For I come from a time when the prophets walked the earth I have been blessed with an unnaturally long life, just as once were Adam's offspring whose centuries numbered nine When the first bricks here were laid and the mortar not yet set Something was concealed by the cunning architect. Just look behind the Altar and there you will see An entrance has been hidden By the stone of the Penitent’s feet. Caretaker: "Madman, Demon , leave at once, go back from whence you came! Whether a fiend or a charlatan, you will leave here just the same." But the visitor just laughed, and said in a great voice filled with mirth: "Now even the Devil himself goes into the church!"

Submitted by Infernal Flame — Apr 26, 2025

The story of the church's caretaker who found the chamber of the architect, but then fell into a trap and was then left to slowly die in the pit below the church by the one known as “The Traveler.” These are his last words and thoughts just before he joins the others below in eternal sleep. ________________________________ Can anyone even hear me? Or are the words that pass my lips, forever sealed inside the walls of the catacombs below the crypts? I can feel with my hands But my eyes see only darkness and illusions Or are they real? I do not know anymore... While the hours turn into days how much longer must l wait to be found or to die? I can't endure another moment in the dark… How did I come to be lost within the bowels of the Holy Church ? A fiend, who walks with the shape of a man who calls himself, "The Traveler" He told me of something hidden, Something I was supposed to find down below And like a fool I listened, at the cost of my earthly life and my own immortal soul Right behind the altar, just as the Traveler had said, an entrance was revealed that led to a chamber deep within.. An inscription was etched upon the wall next to a single iron door and on the iron handle marked were the four compass cardinal points. "Whomever desires to enter, Light and Faith are not the same. For one to leave this chamber, a simple choice must then be made..." One door leads to Heaven and the other leads to Hell, but if Three times your Weight in sin is Empty, you have already chosen well." What was it that the Traveler had said? What did he mean by, "Three turns to the West…?" I did not know... But with a rightward turn of the handle, I learned the meaning of those words, as below my feet then opened up a chasm in the earth... The Other Door… Looking over the edge, the Traveler said: "How far you've fallen, my friend! But if you have still faith enough, the angels will surely then raise you up!" Caretaker: "Let the Lord now save his servant, let his prayers not be in vain!" Traveler: "Perhaps you should ask the Devil instead for this is His Domain…" Caretaker: "Then I beg of Lucifer to raise me up from this pit!" Traveler: "So wait here for your new master to come to your aid, For I must leave and close the door as the hour is getting late..." Caretaker: "This cannot be!! You must not leave me down here to die!"

Submitted by Warbringer — Apr 26, 2025

The story of a man who murdered his own brother in order to inherit his family's estate, and how he then discovered what had become of his ancestor, the architect, and his church. _______________________________ Part 1 – The Manor In the summer of a year that has long been forgotten since, the wheel had turned again to the darkest time of past events. A man of wealth had died, and left to the younger of two surviving sons, the family manor passed down through seven generations. The younger, his father had favored, as for the older he'd felt nothing but shame, and so the eldest son was denied then his rightful claim. But later that evening, while the younger brother stood at the top of the steps, a fatal blow was struck and he fell to his death. A tragedy was staged to conceal his mortal sin And as the only surviving heir, his father's manor then went to him. Without a living witness, the eldest’s claim was not denied. Although he was suspected, none could prove otherwise. Just like Cain and Abel, The older and younger The past becomes the present As it was before, it now must be again... As it was, it now must be And once again, the past repeats As it was, it again will be Until the last one is complete Something was amiss, the eldest turned back to meet the gaze of the portrait of a man hanging just above the fireplace, whose cruel features seemed almost to reflect his own, the one who had built the church, upon whose ruins now stood his home. He had vowed that the work would stand throughout the centuries, but his vision was destroyed with the blessing of the Holy See, who had washed its hands of the blood spilled within the walls of the corrupted chapel of horrors, whose infamy had betrayed them all. And so the church was set ablaze and razed down to the ground, but its steeple would not fall, and the flames would not reach to the tower. The cursed land was then returned to the family in disgrace who built on the ruin around the tower a manor in the church's place. Just like the worm divided that doubles in length and size, The past becomes the present As it was before it now must be again... As it was, it now must be And once again, the past repeats As it was, it again will be Until the last one is complete The brother could hear, it seemed, another's thoughts inside his head... Speaking with his voice, but with the language of the dead "My thoughts are now your thoughts for my blood runs deep throughout your veins You are my descendent, and through you, I will now live yet again…" What you are now, I once was too, and what I am now, you soon shall be. The Door to Heaven, one may pass through with a permutation's key. Three turns to the West, One towards the East, using Faith, and not Light, to see. I am waiting there in the steeple's tower. You must now come and walk with me" Part 2 – The Steeple’s Tower As if in a trance, he walked right through the iron door. And a black dog led him up the winding stairs, through an opening in the floor, to the steeple's sunlit chamber where he saw still sitting at his desk, mouth and eyes still open, the preserved remains of the missing architect "Now continue my work Undo this disgrace Let the righteous flames consume this place, So that I may then begin again And my church will stand One thousand years" And so he stood engulfed in flames dressed in the raiments of his ancestor while laughter filled the burning tower In the place where clouds dwell And to where the angels fly...

Submitted by Dahmers Fridge — Apr 26, 2025