As sons of Cambrius grew in might
Across the world both day and night,
All sons of Bios felt the change
Throughout their ancient range.
The sons of Cubos and Scyphos rose
To challenge all their foes.
Their guerrilla war began
That day when time began.
In ambush still they wait today
To hunt their living prey.
Their ancient raid shall never cease
Until they find their peace.
Among great Demos' sponge-born line
Came Cyath, builder fine.
Great cities he built 'cross the seas—
The reefs beneath the breeze.
These coral cities rise on high
Beneath the ocean sky.
Through countless rulers they endure
With structures strong and pure.
The Archaeocyathid race
Built reefs in every place.
Their legacy lives on today
In reefs where fishes play.
Among the sons of Demos came
The hunters fierce of name:
Great Chondrocles' hunting band
Spread wide across the land.
Carnivorous sponges they became,
With predatory fame.
They trap the sons of Cambrius
With methods dangerous.
Their hooks reach out with deadly art
To pierce the victim's heart.
Their shieldmaidens come for the kill
To satisfy their will.
Among Spiralius' noble line
The sons of Brachios shine.
In new reefs they made their home
Where prosperous they'd roam.
As fishermen they found their way
To fortune every day.
The reefs became their fishing ground
Where plenty could be found.
And so began Tommotian days
Of glory and of praise.
A new era had begun
Beneath the shining sun.
Here now we tell the tale
Of Lobopus without fail.
His vision he imposed with might
On all the world's delight.
Great Lobopus saw his will was weak,
His citizens made meek.
A heart like Dutrus he built true
To nourish all he knew.
From Lobopus came forth
Onychodictyon of worth.
This son would bear two more:
Tactopus to explore
And Xenu, dark and fell,
With stories he would tell.
Tactopus bore twin sons of might:
Ferreus burning bright
And Ferox, strong and bold,
With stories to be told.
But Xenu sought to rule the stars
And heal all psychic scars.
Emperor of galaxy wide
He claimed with foolish pride.
Into our minds he tried to write
Stories of weakness' sight.
But Gracilis, his noble son,
Put end to what he'd done.
And so three houses came to birth:
Velvetclaw upon the earth,
Ironfoot with strength so true,
And Waterbear's line too.
Here now Velvetclaw's tale we tell
Of how they rose so well.
From Gracilis came four sons strong:
Paucipodes all along,
Microdictyon brave and true,
Xenianus through and through,
And Therion Velvetclaw
Who followed nature's law.
Xenianus bore twin maids:
Xenusia in the glades
And Diania the Cactus bright
With spines to win the fight.
Therion Velvetclaw begot
Cardios, who fought
And Hallucigena strange
Throughout his living range.
From Hallucigena came
Four children of great fame:
Sparsa quick and light,
Fortis strong in fight,
Hongmen wise and old,
And Annika, brave and bold.
Hongmen bore two sons so grand:
Luolishania in the land
And Collins Monster, fierce and wild,
Nature's problem child.
But Annika chose a different way,
She cast her armor away.
For agility she traded
Her protection heavy-shaded.
She became the ancestor true
Of velvet worms so blue.
A caring matriarch is she
Who guides them lovingly.
In Ursus' line things went
Down a different bent.
Ferox wanted to survive
Whatever came alive.
He downsized small and tough,
Invulnerable stuff.
From him came Ursus strong,
Who lived both short and long.
Ursus became the sire
Of water bears' entire
Line who first conquered land
With their small, mighty band.
Unable yet to breathe
On land's protecting sheath,
As Tuns they go dormant true
Until the danger's through.
In Ironfoot's great line
Greatness would shine.
Ferreus Ironfoot bore
Two sons to explore:
Gille built gills with care
Above his legs so fair.
His son Kerygmachelon
Swam with gills upon.
Kerygmachelon the great
Had a noble fate.
He bore son Pambdelurion,
Mighty champion.
Pambdelurion bore three
Children of destiny:
Arthur strong and true,
Anomalos who grew
To rule with iron hand,
And fair throughout the land,
Opabinia the bright,
Beautiful to sight.
Arthur built armor strong
To last his whole life long.
His flying gills he hardened tight
And fused them for the fight.
His legs could branch in two:
The gill as exopod grew,
The leg as endopod stayed—
Thus arthropods were made.
The sons of Anomalos ruled
As none before had schooled.
The world entire was theirs
Through all their proud affairs.
For generations ten they reigned
While others were constrained.
From realm of Ghedos dark
He watched his royal mark.
But on his deathbed bed
These words of doom were said:
"Thy pomp brought down to grave,
No power left to save.
How art thou fallen down,
O Anomalos from thy crown!
From heaven thou art cast,
Thy glory could not last."
Yet single death could not end
The suffering they send.
His sons would rule with might
Through day and through the night.
But fair Opabinia's daughters all
Answered beauty's call.
Humble lives they led
With grace and gentle tread.
And Arthur Ironfoot's line
Would grow beyond design.
Through hardship they endured
With blood and sweat assured.
The Arthropods they became
With million-species fame.
Today they rule the earth
Since their ancient birth.
From Lobopus came the tide
That spread both far and wide.
Three houses born that day
Would rule in their own way.
Velvetclaw with agile grace,
Waterbear's enduring race,
Ironfoot with strength so true—
All from one ancestor grew.
The Tommotian age began
With more than mortal plan.
The reefs rose from the sea
For all eternity.
In every coral home
Where fishes freely roam,
Remember Cyath's art
That gave the reefs their start.
In every velvet worm
That makes the earth worm squirm,
Annika's caring way
Lives on another day.
In every water bear
That conquers everywhere,
Ursus' strength endures
Through all that time assures.
In every arthropod
That walks upon the sod,
Arthur's innovation
Shaped our creation.
The sons of Cambrius changed
How all life was arranged.
Their multiplication
Changed all of creation.
But from these changes came
Lines of lasting fame:
The builders of the reef,
The hunters beyond belief.
The three great houses rose
To challenge all their foes.
Through innovation true
They made the world anew.