Wonderlust

Those Who Wander

This album is a collection of songs inspired by spending time in an imaginary world. And, it is an album inspired by some of the best people that the real world has to offer. For over twelve years, I have travelled all across Britain to live role-play in the magical lands of Mauritanja. In that time, I have seen great tales and legends play out before my eyes. I have fought in last stands. I have mourned the loss of comrades and I have sung songs to remember heroes and friends.

This is their music. This is the music of everyone who has shared my dreams. This is the music of a people who took the Unicorn as their standard and fought to be free...

Hit and Mist

On the Wall

This is a song for the Profound Decisions' live-roleplay system Empire.

This was recorded at my home.  The percussion and guitar were meant to be guide tracks only, but I liked the sound of the track with them included, so I left them in this version.

I also had a lot of fun with the backing vocals for this song and Navarr Running Song.  I even created characters in my head for the four singers  with very different voices, because... you know... roleplayer.  I think doing this helped to keep the sound ugly and brutal.

Call
As Thorn. As Thorn. Navarri fight as Thorn.

Response 1 (repeated after each line)
As Thorn. As Thorn. Navarri fight as Thorn.

Calls
As Thorn. As Thorn. Navarri fight as Thorn.

In the day or in the night we take our victory.
In the dark or in the light we're running through the trees.

Sure and swift, our arrows fly.
Upon our spears, all will die.

Know no mercy, heed no plea.
You cannot betray your enemy.

The blood will flow!

Response 2 (repeated after each line)
The blood will flow!

Calls
The blood will flow!

From the wounds of our foes!
From the wounds of our foes!

Their guts we'll spill!
With every kill!

KILL! KILL! KILL!
KILL! KILL! KILL!

As Thorn. As Thorn. Navarri fight as Thorn.

Response 1 (repeated after each line)
As Thorn. As Thorn. Navarri fight as Thorn.

Calls
As Thorn. As Thorn. Navarri fight as Thorn.

Know no mercy, heed no plea.
You cannot betray your enemy.

As Thorn. As Thorn. Navarri fight as Thorn.
As Thorn. As Thorn. Navarri fight as Thorn.

Thorn Battle Cadence

Work in progress.   Has been sung in the field.    Still fiddling with it.  This version was recorded to give Gabrielle and Gwen an idea of melody.

At some point I need to get one or both of them into the studio to do a version of this and a Sudden Farewell.

Two guitar parts recorded on my acoustic through pick up. Vocals done through Shure sm58.  Not done to a click track.

Lyrics (Alto part):

Verse 1 – Alto (solo)
My friends, We'll sing you a song,
Of  Bra-an-nan, our Empress,
Of how, she fought ever on,
And so was called, Relentless.

(Verse 2 is silent)

Verse 3 – Alto
It was,  In two forty-nine,
She did defeat,  The Jotun,
And then, She deftly defied,
The Drujan horde, 
Yet lost the war...

Chorus - Alto
Empress Brannan had a plan,
For a greater Empire.
Boldly pushing back our borders all the way.

Empress Brannan showed the land,
There's a greater empire.
Coldly conquering all comers where they may be faced.

We threw it all away

Verse 4 – Alto
Eight years,  she ruled with a rod,
Of īron. When many,
Faltered, she kept us upon
The road of war, 
But could not win...

Ever expanding...

Chorus - Alto

Bridge – Alto 
Oh….

Oh….


But know.
She saved ma-
-ny territories
In danger.

And know,
That new trods,
Were founded,
Forever.

But they,
Condemned her.
But they,
did take her throne.

So they revoked her...


Coda - Alto
Empress Brannan had a plan,
For a greater Empire.
Boldly pushing back our borders all the way.

Empress Brannan showed the land,
There's a greater empire.
Coldly conquering all comers where they may be…

Empress Brannan had a plan,
For a greater Empire.
Boldly pushing back our borders all the way.

Empress Brannan showed the land,
There's a greater empire.
Coldly conquering all comers where they may be faced.

We threw it all away.
(silent)
We threw it all away.
Away…

---

Lyrics (Tenor part)

(Verse 1 is silent)

Verse 2 -   Tenor (solo)
Yet in the end,  she stumbled,
And was condemned, in her final days,
Her rule revoked. Was humbled.
A mere foot note, And know as the crazed.

Verse 3 – Tenor
In her first year, Campaigning,
Her plan was clear: Defeat the Jotun,
But never seeked, An ending,
She over-reached, 
And lost the war...

Ever expanding...

Chorus – Tenor
Empress Brannan had a plan,
For a greater Empire.
Boldly took, yet giving it away.

Yes Brannan showed the land,
There's a greater empire.
Coldly took, then threw it all away.


Then threw it all away.

Verse 4 – Tenor
As years went by, Her powers,
She bluntly tried, To use and abuse.
And forced us all, As ruler,
To reckless war,
We could not win...

Ever expanding...

Chorus – Tenor

Bridge – Tenor
First, she annexed the Black Thorns,
And led them as her own.
Demanded new powers,
To make all armies hers.

The conclave she dissolved,
When e're they disagreed.
To give her the magic,
Support she wanted.

Threatened war on all the foreigners.
To extort resources.
Brokered many deals with eternals,
That were far too costly.

And then she abused her veto,
To every extreme did she go,
So the synod had to act,
And take her throne.

So they revoked her...


Coda – Tenor
Empress Brannan had a plan,
For a greater Empire.
Boldly took, yet giving it away.

Yes Brannan showed the land,
There's a greater empire.
Coldly took, then threw it all away.


Yes Brannan had a plan,
For a greater Empire.
Boldly took, yet giving it away.

Yes Brannan showed the land,
There's a greater empire.
Coldly took, then threw it all away.


Then threw it all away.
Then threw it all away.
(silent)
Away…


Empress Brannan

This is a song for the Profound Decisions' live-roleplay system Empire.

This was recorded at my home. I need to add bass drum and some more guitars, but I wanted to show the work in the progress.

Lyrics:

Wait, silent, and still.
Kneel, watching, ready for the kill.
Feel, the forest, beneath you.
Wait, we're holding, hidden from view.

It's time. There's a sign, from the left,
And we're moving.
Rise, from the ground, with no sound,
And we're making our way.
And we're picking up pace.
The touch, on your skin, of the leaves,
As they brush past your face
And we're picking up pace
Aware, the front lines, of both sides,
Have begun to engage,
But we're moving,
And we're sneaking,
And we're flanking.

The crunch, of a twig, on the floor,
It seems deafening.
The whip of the trees on our sides
But we've not been seen yet,
But we're picking up pace.
Catch, the first sight, on the right,
As their moving in place.
And we're picking up pace.
To stop, and disrupt, interrupt,
All their strategy and planning,
And we're moving,
And we're running,
And we're flanking.
Flanking.

Charge! We're running.
Whistling wind as the arrows are flying.
Charge! We're running.
Screaming out threats as the bloodlust is filling,
Our minds.
And we're picking up pace.
The fear, in their eyes, as their caught, by surprise, 
As we're running, 
And we're leaping
And we're bursting out the wood,
Spears colliding.

Duck, to the left, block the right.
Keep on moving.
Thrust, to the chest, and their lives,
You have taken away.
And they can't match our pace.
Weaving our way, through their lines,
Bringing death in our wake.
And we're picking up pace.
Sever, and break and dismember and take
Now we're leaving.
And we're running.
And we're breathing.
And returning to our wait...

...silent, and still.
Kneel, watching, ready for the kill.

Flank Attack From The Forest

A re-mix. Drums have been removed (for now). Levels changes and some backing vocals nudged to make lyrics clearer.

Lyrics:

Blood of the Empire

Verse 1 - Am
When the world was young our home,
Was an empire called Terunael.

Through youthful folly it did fall,
That then set us on this road so long.

Bridge 1 – F Em
On and on the road we strode.
Like blood without the heart.
Like blood without a heart.


Verse 2 – Am F G Em Am x2
The heart of all Navarr's the throne.
Since the Empress came and made us whole.
We're the blood of the Empire's roads
And the blood of the Empire flows,
From the Throne.

In life we move through the great dance.
In death we walk the labyrinth,
We're the blood of the Empire's roads
And the blood of the Empire flows,
From the Throne.


Bridge 2 – F G
From the sacrifice of Thorn and Navarr
(From the sacrifice of Thorn and Navarr)
To the sacrifice of Merryn and Carr
(To the sacrifice of Merryn and Carr)


Verse 3 – Am F G Em Am x2
The heart of all Navarr's the throne.
(The heart of all Navarr)
Since the Empress came and made us whole.
(Since the Empress made us whole)
We're the blood of the Empire's roads
And the blood of the Empire flows,
From the Throne.

In life we move through the great dance.
(In life we move through the great dance)
In death we walk the labyrinth,
(In death alive in virtue)
We're the blood of the Empire's roads
And the blood of the Empire flows,
From the Throne.

Coda - F G F G Am
We're the blood of the Empire's roads
And the blood of the Empire flows,
We're the blood of the Empire's roads
And the blood of the Empire flows,
From the Throne.

Blood Of The Empire

This is a song for the Profound Decisions' live-roleplay system Empire.

It was a recorded, engineered and mixed at home on my somewhat rudimentary studio equipment.  I would like to add percussion to this at some point. Maybe redo the main vocal and add more guitar.

This is my first proper recording using Reaper - a Digital audio workstation software that I think I am going to stick with because it is awesome.

Lyrics:

Intro
Nigh-anighy-yighy-yah, Anighy-yighy-yay
Nigh-anighy-yighy-yah, Anighy-yighy-yay

Verse 1
Bold Hercynia,
Where the ancient pine grow,
On the mountain side,
In the dawning light.

Hear the water course,
through the deadly gorge,
See the long shadows,
Where we dare not go.

Cold Hercynia,
Where the rivers run fresh,
As the Northern breeze,
Stirs the mighty trees.

See the hunter stand,
Watching all the land.
Hear the silence fall,
When the Navarr call!

Half- Chorus
Nigh-anighy-yighy-yah, Anighy-yighy-yay,
Hear the cold Hercynian Cry.
Anighy-yighy-yah, Anighy-yighy-yay,
From the tallest treetops on high.

Verse 2
Brave Hercynia
Where the mountain lion lurks,
As the grizzly bear,
Sniffs the morning air.

See the badger stir,
'neath the fallen fir.
See the sly vixen,
In the foxes' den.

Old Hercynia,
Where the many herds roam.
On the valley side,
Where the hunter hides.

See the red deer sleep,
By the river deep,
See them run and flee,
When the Navarr scream.

Chorus
Nigh-anighy-yighy-yah, Anighy-yighy-yay,
Hear the cold Hercynian Cry.
Anighy-yighy-yah, Anighy-yighy-yay,
From the tallest treetops on high.

Anighy-yighy-yah, Anighy-yighy-yay,
Where the mountains reach to the sky.
Anighy-yighy-yah, Anighy-yighy-yay,
Hear the cold Hercynian Cry.

Bridge
Higher than the stars at night
Farther than the bird in flight.
Prouder than the bravest thorn.
Louder than the thunderstorm.

Higher than the curving sky,
Farther than the eagle flies.
Prouder than the raging boar.
Louder than the lion's roar.

Verse 3
So Hercynia,
When your rivers are dust.
And the woods we know
Are a faint echo

When the mountains grand,
have been ground to sand.
Though the world may die,
You'll still hear our cry!

Chorus x2

Hercynian Cry

Ambient recordings from the larp Empire, by Profound Decisions

Empire 22

Last of my Striding

One Beat

A song about Navarri oath tradition, including one of my own oaths.

Painted

"Stop! Please!" 
The Cambion woman begged. She looked on as her daughter held a blade to her own skull and began sawing through one of her horns under the command of the brutish Thule orc standing over her. Gritting her teeth Narelle forced the rusted metal through the ivory. Trembling, she held out her hand. Still clutching her bloodied horn. His grey face peered down at her with a sickening joy painted across its features. He paused for a moment, and grinned. And without breaking eye contact he said, quietly,
"Take the mother away."
 Narelle felt her stomach drop. She watched helplessly as her mother was dragged kicking and screaming through the dust-choked hallway. Overwhelmed by rage, brought to a crescendo by the pain in her head, Narelle hurled her broken horn at her captor with an almighty cry striking him square in the back of his skull. The orc turned to face her once more, a terrible fury burning in his eyes... 

Ivory Daggers is a song set and written within the world of Empire, a festival larp in the UK.
It tells the tale of a Cambion woman and her family, living under the tyrannical rule of the Thule when they seized the Runeforges of Treji in 373YE.

Inspired and derived from "Age of Agression" From The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
Intro and outro clips taken from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PTM9lQncKc&t=34s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBD0GjGP6Ew&t=19s

Hercynian Cry

Jamie Wakefield

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