Symphony Of Enchanted Lands II -The Dark Secret-

Symphony Of Enchanted Lands -The Dark Secret- is the sixth released album of Rhapsody of Fire, released in 2004. It is part one of the Dark Secret saga.

Chapter I. - The Seven Black Books
For many years the Enchanted Lands surrounding Algalord knew once again the meaning of the word peace. The defeat of Akron led to the fall of the mighty army of darkness and soon, the holy town of Algalord became more majestic than ever before. The memories of the Warriors of Ice and Dargor lived on in the stories of jesters, who wandered over mountains, rivers and lakes, from realm to realm and from castle to castle, singing the rhapsody of those never forgotten heroes. Our friend Aresius in his passing left our lands in peace and splendour with only one regret that the seventh Black Book was never found.

It lay buried in the secret caves of Dar-Kunor, the heart of the hellish darklands surrounding Hargor. The very same place, where the old wizard Vankar taught black magic to his disciples. Where Dargor had started to discover the power of darkness before finding the clear light of wisdom. The Black Book was the last of the seven, written with the blood of angels. It contained the hellish prophecy known as the Dark Secret, a secret more evil than the reign of Akron! An apocalyptic collection of dark rituals that could threaten not only the holiest of places, Algalord, but this time, all the known world of men, dwarves, elves, trolls and dragons.

Chapter II. - Nekron, the Demonknight
This hellish threat has but one name, Nekron the blood sucker. According to the Nekranos demoniac alphabet he is the last of Kron's three evil sons. The masterknight of the Ancient Order and the first fighter of the Temple of Doom during the centuries of the Primordial Wars. He was the one who wrote those bloody Rhymes of hell, possibly the last requiem for all living creatures on Earth! Although he died some 5000 years before, today some wizards can still hear the sinister cries of his damned blood thirsty soul. Lurking beyond the Gates of Hell, waiting to bring us the fury of chaos once the mystic portal between his dimension and ours is found.

Chapter III. The Primordial Wars
The first of Nekron's seven books, kept by the master wizard Etherus from Urienor contained evil words for the people of the beloved lands. Seven was the number of Primordial Wars fought between the heavens and hells in the ancient ages. Seven were the demons, guardians of the underworld's gates, that were turned into stone at the end of the last war by the angels of the crystal realms, in the day of the heavens illustrious victory. It was at this time the ancient demon knight Nekron, son of the hell god Kron was defeated and before being killed he wrote his seven Black Books with the blood of angels upon its pages. Each book held parts of a mysterious prophecy, that one day could awaken the seven demons. Then, once free, the Angels of Darkness would open the gates of the underworld's hells, with one purpose in mind, to bring an end to our known world. Ever kind of ancient monsters, alive and dead alike with every other horrific creature would rise from their torment to spread their dominion of blood and darkness. Nekron will be reborn and reign again in the name of cosmic chaos! Still, some kings and wizards believe the Dark Secret is merely a fantasy legend. But others, like myself, consider it far more than a simple jester's tale! After Akron's death many disciples of the Black Order who survived the famous last war of the Gargoyles started organizing secret meetings in different locations in the Darklands. Those animals were practicing the cult of evil in the name of the Demonknight. Their dark rituals even contained human sacrifices. All done to plead for Nekron's resurrection. They were not the only ones, who believed in the secrets of the Seventh Book. The fathers of our fathers already has fought and died for those unholy pages. The Power of Darkness lives between the lines of that evil book. While he was alive Akron increased his hellish magic through those dark words.

Chapter IV. The White Dragon's Order
This is the reason why I Iras Algor from Hor-Lad, Etherus from Urienor, Agrimor and King Uriel from Elgard, along with other wise kings, elves and dragon lords of the Enchanted Lands decided to form the White Dragon's Order. Our purpose is to protect all the beloved lands of the known world form this horrific threat. All of our actions of this new legacy must be extremely hidden and secretive. During this time, the people of the Enchanted Lands must not know of our actions, so we may avoid needless fear between our brethren. The Seventh Book now lies under the dust of time in the caves of Dar-Kunor and it must be found and stolen from the Black Order's disciples as soon as possible. Only one person is capable of this task, Dargor, the Shadowlord. He is the only person who knows the Darklands´ rocky labyrinth that surrounds the god forsaken town of Hargor. Aresius, before leaving these lands, told me to search for Dargor, because he could reveal to us the key elements of the Black Order's black magic. Can we trust in him? After all, he once was a disciple of hell, but he also helped the Warrior of Ice kill Akron to save our lands. In any event there is no doubt he is the last hope and only choice, so say we members of the White Dragon's Order!

Chapter V. Erian's White Book
Intertwined in the Dark Secret is the tale of Erian, the angel who discovered the words Nekron had written in his Black Books before his death. The legend tells of how the Gods of Cosmic Light gave him the vision to write the White Book with his own blood, revealing the way to stop the prophecy. Those angelic rhymes are indestructible, because they were written with the blood of angels like all the ones contained in the Seven Black Books. They represented a threat to the hellish prophecy and to Nekron's resurrection. In the age of the Red Moon, some 3000 years before, when the Lords of the Darklands won their battle against the Army of the Nordic Plains, Erian's mystical book was found by the Black Order's disciples in Ainor's secret halls. So, from that moment the White Book was hidden. It lies some where secretly in the darklands, in a place known only by the master wizards of the Black Order. I have the strongest felling that the Seventh book could also be the key to the secret place where the dark lords keep the angel's words. Believe me friends, this is far more than a simple children's tale. The mystic prophecy of the Demonknight could soon reveal itself, and more tragically than we could possibly imagine. All the power to defend our Mother Earth lies now in the depth of our conscience. ”Open your eyes to the eagle's flight, open your mind to the spirit's might, open your heart to the secret of love, oppose your breath to the silence of stones“  Iras Algor, first wizard of the White Dragon's Order 

Historical Events Of The Known World
Ancient History, Myths and Legends Long before|the Times of the Unknown in the age of mystic darkness. Kron, the master of hell, challenges the gods of light for total domination of the known world

Dragons' Year 0|Tales of an incredible war, known as the first Primordial War, between Kron's demons and an army of angels and dragons; the fall of Kron and the creation of the Dragonlands in the middle regions of the world

Dragons' Year 5200|The second Primordial War between the angels and demons

Dragons' Years 6000 to 8500|The third, fourth and fifth Primordial Wars

Dragons' Year 8500|The sixth Primordial War between angels and demons; Nekron's victory

Dragons' Year 9000|Nekron's dominion over the lands of Irith, the actual Darklands; Hargor was built

Dragons' Year 9800|Nekron becomes King of the Darklands

Angels' Year 0|Seventh and last Primordial War between the angels and demons; Nekron's defeat and death

Old History Angels' Years 400 to 600|The three Elvish Wars

Angels' Years 600 to 1000|The war for the Darklands; men and dwarves against the Black Order's army: Victory of hell's disciples, but the Darklands are isolated

Angels' Years 1400 to 1450|Western Wars between Black and White Dwarves

Angels' Year 1700|Wars of the Middle Lands between men and dwarves

Angels' Year 1900|Victory of the men over the dwarves; Harold the Wise, becomes the first king of the ancient kingdom; corresponding to the actual ‚Enchanted Lands‘

Angels' Year 2000|Age of the Red Moon; the Wars of the Northlands; men and elves against the Black Order; The Black Order ‚steals‘ Erian's „White Book“

Angels' Years 2200 to 2400|War of the Southern Lands; men against men

Angels' Year 2500|Nakros' invasion and fight with the dragons for the conquest of the Dragonland; the dragons win and maintain the control of their land

Angels' Years 3100 to 3500|The so called ‚Centuries of Hell on Earth‘; the Wars of the Southern Lands

Angels' Year 3200|The Ghostlands are conquered by the Army of Darkness

Angels' Year 3500|Cruel war of men, dragons, dwarves and elves versus the Army of Darkness; the Ghostlands are isolated

Angels' Years 3800 to 3900|The battles for the middle deserts between Algalord and Elgard against Kanor

Angels' Year 4000 to 4300|The so called ‚Years of Darkness‘, the Wars of the Enchanted Lands (Ancelot, Elgard and Irengard against Algalord, Elnor and Thorald)

Angels' Year 4200|Wars between Algolord and Elgard

Angels' Year 4300|Algalord's victory; and the end of the wars

Angels' Year 4950|War of the Holy Alliance against the Army of Darkness

Angels' Year 4952|The Army of Darkness is defeated; Harold III elected King of the Enchanted Lands; a long period of peace is guaranteed for the whole Middle Lands

Recent History Angels' Years 5040 to 5070|The Wizard's Wars for the ‚Eyes of Power‘

Angels' Year 5070|Aresius leads his allies to a great victory; the Mystic Wars end

Angels' Year 5087|Akron begins the first attacks to the regions surrounding the Grey Mountains

Angels' Year 5090|Elnor, Thorald fall; Akron's army marches to the holy Town of the Gods

Angels' Year 5091|Gargoyle's Holy War; Akron is defeated; the Warrior of Ice is killed

Angels' Year 5096|The White Dragon's Order is created

Track listing

 * 1. The Dark Secret
 * I. The Ancient Prophecy
 * II. Ira Divina


 * 2. Unholy Warcry
 * 3. Never Forgotten Heroes
 * 4. Elgard's Green Valleys
 * 5. The Magic of the Wizard's Dream
 * 6. Erian's Mystical Rhymes
 * ~The White Dragon's Order~


 * 7. The Last Angels' Call
 * 8. Dragonland's Rivers
 * 9. Sacred Power Of Raging Winds
 * 10. Guardiani Del Destino
 * 11. Shadows of Death
 * 12. Nightfall On The Grey Mountains

Starting crediting
Produced by Luca Turilli and Alex Staropoli

Co-produced, engineered and mixed by Sascha Paeth

Edited by Olaf Reitmeier

Mastered by Filip Heurckmans at Galaxy Reference Mastering

All lyrics, narrations and The Dark Secret saga by Luca Turilli.

All symphonic and orchestral arrangements by Alex Staropoli

All songs, vocals, bass, drums and classical interludes composed by Luca Turilli and Alex Staropoli

Entire production supervision and coordination by Hinrich Sruerken

Executive producer: Joey DeMaio for Ragnar Productions Ltd.

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