Wonderlust

Green Lungs

This is a song for the Profound Decisions' live-roleplay system Empire.

It was recorded on my digital dictaphone in my front room in one take, so it is very rough. And I was improvising the guitar for the most part.

Lyrics:

Miaren, Miaren,
Will we meet again,
At journey's end,
Miaren?

Oh dream, oh jewel,
Of Terunael,
Do tell me when,
Miaren.

How I recall,
Your towers of yore,
That once filled the blue skies,
Now ruined and worn.

But then, Miaren,
We'll see you again,
In new Seren,   
Miaren.


Oh new, Seren,
Our only haven.
From you we will,
Rebuild.

Our dream, our jewel,
Of Terunael,
Begins anew,
with you.

But oh... the road,
Calls ever to roam,
And walking the long trods,
I long for my home.

But then, Seren,
I'll see you again.
At Journey's end
Miaren

 
But the road, but the road,
Calls ever to roam.
And walking the long trods,
I long for my home.


But then, Seren,
I'll see you again,
When journey's end,
Miaren.

When journey's end,
Miaren.

Miaren

A song written for William Guildenstern: the soon to be folk hero and legend of the live action roleplaying system 'Empire'.

LYRICS

I'll entreat you to a tale about a name you might recall,
Of a man named William Guildenstern, a hero to us all.
Not one detail here is wasted, not one detail's overblown,
Let my voice become your chisel as we write this down in stone.

Well he started as a blacksmith when he marched away from Dawn,
Fought the minotaurs in Skarsind and with grace he slew them all.

Then he joined up the militia, seven years he served to tell,
Of when he nabbed the bloody butcher and all of Temeschwar as well!

Then assassins came to bleed him, all attempts they tried did fail,
He's a man who's duelled trogoni and has lived to tell the tale.

He's a senator, a skirmisher, all brains as well as brawn,
And got so much damn charisma that he's even liked in Dawn!

Woah, oh ho!
I sing of William Guildenstern!
Senator and skirmisher, a league unto his own.
Woah, oh ho!
I sing of William Guildenstern!
A just and true commander, he's a hero to us all!

Fought in Skarsind, unto Holberg, unto Mournwold, unto Karsk,
Even fought a Jotun war-prince and he beat him on his arse!

Battled monsters, battled dragons, battles far beyond belief,
Defeated ogres in a hurricane in nothing but his briefs!

Guildenstern is strong as stone and no assault can pierce his hide,
Caught a falling star within his chest, and still he didn't die!

Took a troll curse to his mind so that the Marcher-folk would thrive,
Like a blackened blade it ran him through, but Guildenstern survived!

Woah, oh ho!
I sing of William Guildenstern!
Senator and skirmisher, a league unto his own.
Woah, oh ho!
I sing of William Guildenstern!
A just and true commander, he's a hero to us all! X2

William Guildenstern!

I Sing Of William Guildenstern

LYRICS

When I was just a bravo,
And yet to make my name,
I longed for reputation so I played the Reaper's game.

I drank and fought for money,
I doubled down for show,
And earned my reputation because:
You reap what you sow!

I'm a Crimson Reaper, I'm
Black and red and bloody fine,
Sing our tales of blood and wine,
Brash and bold until I die!

By blade or winter magic,
We take our weight in gold,
And live life hard and fast until the Reaper takes its toll.

By cutlass, coin or cunning
Our reputation grows!
Nothing given, always earned
'Cause you reap what you sow!

I'm a Crimson Reaper, I'm
Black and red and bloody fine,
Sing our tales of blood and wine,
Brash and bold until I die!

We're friends in every nation's eyes,
(I'm a Crimson Reaper, I'm!)
Packing thrones and rich in pride,
(I'm a Crimson Reaper, I'm!)
Drinking, fighting, shaking dice!
(I'm a Crimson Reaper, I'm!)
Dashing, daring, dressed so nice,
But cross us and you'll pay the price!

I'm a Crimson Reaper, I'm
Black and red and bloody fine,
Sing our tales of blood and wine,
Brash and bold until I die!

I'm a Crimson Reaper, aye!
Cross us and you'll pay the price!

Crimson Reapers

Written by myself, Rhi, Val and Jake

Capo 1st fret
Ooo/Chorus: Cadd9-D-Em-A    Verse: Cadd9-D (A) 

(Ooooo….)

Once Upon a Time
There lived a timid bard 
She sang along with lovebirds
Her chords written by the heart

Guarded was this melody 
yet despite her fierce defence
Along came a brave young man,
gallant, without pretence 

Watching from a distance,
she strummed at her guitar,
and t'was her heart's melody
she sang from afar

If I am just your Songbird
I shall vow upon my death 
I'll drown the world in sweet melody 
I shall sing until my final breath

If that is what you ask of me 
If I am just a pawn  
Then I'll sing my pretty songs for you
Till the rising of the Dawn 

(Ooooo….)

His tales are bold and daring
As she writes them for the stage
But she kept his gentility,
His sorrow and his rage

My soul has an affliction,  
She cries, that wasn’t meant to be 
Composing heartaches into harmonies 
Just to hold you close to me 

‘Cus, if I am just your Songbird
I shall vow upon my death 
I'll drown the world in sweet melody 
I shall sing until my final breath

If that is what you ask of me 
If I am just a pawn  
Then I'll sing my pretty songs for you
Till the rising of the Dawn 

“I'd take any test of adour
Be the canary in a cave 
If I had wings I'd fly and scout ahead 
If it was your life I'd try and save 

But for now, I'm just your Songbird 
Making music from a cage
The nightingale in a tower
Just a tale upon a page”

But the bard kept her distance
and he could never hear
the sweetness of her melody
or see the trails of her tears

So now you share her secret,
the yearning that she cries,
and she asks of you, her lovebirds,
"Let me sing my last reprise..."

I know I'm just your Songbird
To you that's all I’ll be 
My worth is in my final breath
Once I've sung your last melody

Little do you ask of me 
Though I beg to be your pawn
I can be more than a songbird
For you, my Sun of Dawn
 
That, if I am just your Songbird
I shall vow upon my death 
I'll drown the world in sweet melody 
I shall sing until my final breath

If that is what you ask of me 
If I am just a pawn  
Then I'll sing my pretty songs for you
Till the rising of the Dawn 
(Ooooo…. x2)

Songbirds Lament - Empire LARP Song

A song for solemn farewells.

LYRICS

Sail on, sail on, gentle brother
Let a lantern light your way.
Now you don't have to fight any longer,
And your debts have all been paid.

So go on to the maze, you'll be welcomed
As the hero you became.
And your soul in my heart lives forever,
And I'll I never let you fade.

So sail away a lonely day
Until we meet, we meet again,
O sail away unto your calling,
O sail away
(x2)

I know in my bones there's an answer,
For the reason we're undone.
And I still hear your voice in a promise,
That you'll miss me when I'm gone.

But in life we still remain, to cast away the pain
And fall into the hole you left behind,
And I think "What would you say?"
With a smile upon your face,
Praying that we meet again someday.

So sail away a lonely day
Until we meet, we meet again,
O sail away unto your calling,
O sail away
(x2)

And we'll meet again someday,
When a lantern lights your way.

Sail Away

A song for star-crossed lovers, will-they wont-theys and passing ships in the night.

LYRICS

I met with a cambion
Was she Marcher or a Freeborn?
I don't know.

She looked in disguise,
But still her eyes invited me,
To see her show.

She told me she was leaving then she'd gone
If don't find the words to say then I would sing this song:

Come my love let's away together,
Dance all night for the world to see,
Tip our tankards in every bar,
So come, come and run away with me!

We'll up Highguard, down to Wintermark,
Then hit Navarr where the drink's on me
Take my hand 'cause the night's not over,
Come, come and run away with me!

I asked her "what's your poison?"
She said "Something with a taste you can't ignore"

I asked her what's her fancy
She said "Something that'll leave me wanting more"

She told she me was leaving then she'd gone
If I don't tell her how I feel, I'll never live this down.

Come my love let's away together,
Dance all night for the world to see,
Tip our tankards in every bar,
So come, come and run away with me!

We'll up Highguard, down to Wintermark,
Then hit Navarr where the drink's on me
Take my hand 'cause the night's not over,
Come, come and run away with me!

I'll never live this down...

Come my love let's away together,
Dance all night for the world to see,
Tip our tankards in every bar,
So come, come and run away with me!

We'll up Highguard, down to Wintermark
Then hit Navarr where the drink's on me
Take my hand 'cause the night's not over,
Come, come and run away with me!

Journey On

Come And Run Away With Me

A song to commemorate the end of a special story in the world of Empire LRP. To all those who were part of it, lived (and died) it - it was a blast.

LYRICS

Gather round dear listener for a tale of blood and steel,
Of the ones who went to Tromsa and to the Jotun battlefield,
Where the block they call the Bannermen had a mission in their sights,
To take Mathilde Fisher's flag and end the Bregas fight!

Well Amberlain and Guildenstern stepped forward to parley,
They met the Jarl of Tromsa and the terms of war were made,
Black Vigil and the Hartell had formed a fighting line,
To take Mathilde Fisher's flag and end her grand design!

Right now I'm finishing the fight,
Charging with the bannermen the end is in my sight,
Hartells to my left and all the Vigil on my right,
Weep Mathilde Fisher 'cause it's time to say goodnight.

We've come to take your banner,
We've come to take your flag,
The block they call the Bannermen,
Has come to take your flag,
We marched right into Tromsa to put you in a bag!
Where the Fishers cried and the Jotun died,
To the lantern and the stag.

Well the Fishers pined to the Jotun line to fortify the gate,
General Amberlain's got a patient game and she told us all to wait,
We heard the cry "Mass Weakness" and the Fishers dropped and fled,
Get an apple down your gullet son 'cause you're gonna wind up dead.

While the Bannermen pushed forward and toward the Jotun shields,
They saw Mathilde's banner flying over Jotun steel,
The captains made the kill command and we brought the rogues to heel,
The priest of courage grabbed the flag and sprinted through the field.

Right now I'm finishing the fight,
Charging with the bannermen the end is in my sight,
Hartells to my left and all the Vigil on my right,
Weep Mathilde Fisher 'cause it's time to say goodnight.

We've come to take your banner,
We've come to take your flag,
The block they call the Bannermen,
Has come to take your flag,
We marched right into Tromsa to put you in a bag!
Where the Fishers cried and the Jotun died,
To the lantern and the stag.

The Fishers' chants fell silent,
Mathilde's claim was dead,
We got revenge for Bregasland,
And put her dream to bed.
What's left of 'Tilde Fisher?
A rotten bloody flag,
Passed between the drunkards of the Blind Eye and Black Rat!

Oh! We came and took your banner now,
We came and took your flag,
We came and took your banner now,
We came and took your flag,
Woah ho! There goes the "Queen of Bregasland",
Pay the tithe and say goodbye,
Your field has now been dragged.

The Bannermen

A track to commemorate the deeds of a nation unsung in its altruism and loyalty: the Imperial Orcs - so may their nation sing this song to remind their neighbours, allies and foes that they are always a force to be reckoned with.

LYRICS

Ancestors, oh hear my deeds,
This is what the orcs have done for thee,
Died in Zenith to provide retreat,
First into the fray and the last to leave,
Give our weight in resource and steel,
Ball of death on the battlefield,
Loyal to the throne as a promise made
Loyalty’s a chain that an orc can’t break

When the singing caves were tamed,
All of the resources the Marches claimed,
“Share the wealth” said those in Dawn,
Arguing until the point of civil war,
Then the orcs said “fight no more”,
We will share the wealth of the brilliant shore,
So the Empire gets resource,
Price been paid by Imperial Orcs

We’re the loyal steel of the Empire’s stone
And we’ll break the bones of the Empire’s foes
Died in war to protect the throne,
So we earn our place in the Empire’s home
Nations fight over land and greed
We will give our wealth for the Empire’s peace
Blood unbroken in loyalty
This what the orcs have done for thee

Empire nations hear my deeds:
This is what the orcs have done for thee!
Mustered armies, mustered fleets,
Saved poor souls from the Feroz sea,
Freeborn who were trapped ashore,
Told by orcs they could come aboard,
Circumventing the Grendel threat,
Saved by orcs from the Grendel net!

Once we struck a pale orc down,
Looted back a treasured crown.
Though the treasure earned was ours,
We gave it back to Wintermark,
When the time came to repay,
We turned and looked the other way,
But the Markers’ won’t say no,
So they gifted Skarsind as our home!

We’re the loyal steel of the Empire’s stone
And we’ll break the bones of the Empire’s foes
Died in war to protect the throne,
So we earn our place in the Empire’s home
Nations fight over land and greed
We will give our wealth for the Empire’s peace
Blood unbroken in loyalty
This what the orcs have done for thee

Ancestors, oh hear our call!
We are orcs Imperial!
Few in number we stand tall,
Fighting for the nations we call home.
First in, last out is our creed
Charging to the front for loyalty.
Stoic in our deeds are we,
This is what the orcs have done for thee!

We’re the loyal steel of the Empire’s stone
And we’ll break the bones of the Empire’s foes
Died in war to protect the throne,
So we earn our place in the Empire’s home
Nations fight over land and greed
We will give our wealth for the Empire’s peace
Blood unbroken in loyalty
This what the orcs have done for thee

Ancestors, oh hear our call!
We are orcs Imperial!

Hear Our Call

This is a cover of the song "Sail On Boys" from the musical Operation Mincemeat. In the show it is presented as a multi-part harmonious shanty. I, however, am a basic bitch without the skill to work out those harmonies. So you're getting it simple and stripped down.

In truth, this is more an accountability upload. I got a new piece of kit (Focusrite Scarlett 2i2) and I used this song as a chance to play around with it, mainly because this is a very gentle song that I can record without annoying the neighbours.  I'm planning on uploading at least one new recording each month and so starting off simple.

There is a version of this I sing at Empire, with only slightly tweaked lyrics to better fit the setting. At some point I'll get that recorded and add additional vocal parts and some percussion. 

Sail on Boys

Ambient recordings from the larp Empire, by Profound Decisions

Sail on Boys

Andrew Ruddick