I love the subtlety of the guitar playing and the way the arrangement shifts with the lyric. Beautiful tune too.

All songs written for the EMPIRE larp system. Collected here for convenience. Added to as I find them. 

Empire Larp collected tracks

This is what happens when you want a better recording of one of your old songs and your wife has amazing harmony ideas. Song is Wheel Keeps Turning, my Prosperity based song for Empire. Musically, this extra special edition takes a bit of a departure from the WM musical brief, so it is unlikely to be heard in the field in exactly the same way, but damned if I'm not happy how it came out. Big props to Emma (Malhann) for the sweet, sweet harmonies.

Wheel Keeps Turning (Extra Special Edition)

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

Original Song written for EMPIRE LARP

Lyrics

V1.
A storm is a' brewing 
On a far way shore 
I sit there perusing 
In a cloak you once wore

The cup in my hand
As a trickle of rain
Swallows the mainland
And eases the pain

Ch.
Call me young
And call me silly
To hold my tongue
You're far too pretty 

For fears to water 
Your kind soul
Oh sweet marauder 
You will be whole

V2.
His eyes were honey
His laughter was warm
The weather was sunny 
When we danced in the swarm

He offered me heaven
He promised me stars
He taught me a lesson
As he strummed his guitar

Ch.
Call me young
And call me silly
To hold my tongue
You're far too pretty 

For tears to water 
Your whole life 
Oh sweet marauder 
You will be fine 

V3. 

We found a small lighthouse
Covered in leaves
Repaired it and painted
Without expertise

We slept by the lantern
We rose with the sun
Whatever I'd wished for
I knew I had won

Ch.
Call me young
And call me silly
To hold my tongue
You're far too pretty 

For fears to water 
Your kind soul
Oh sweet marauder 
You will be whole

V4.
I woke up that morning
But he wasn't there
A letter forewarning
A storm in the air

He left me defenceless
All crumpled in white 
I thought we were endless 
In joy and in strife 

Ch.
Call me young
And call me silly
To hold my tongue
You're far too pretty 

For tears to water 
Your whole life 
Oh sweet marauder 
You will be fine 

V5.

I stayed in our lighthouse 
Awaited you there
Just riddled in my doubts
Of our sweet affair 

I pray to the ocean 
I pray to the shore
Though my heart might be broken
To see you once more 

Ch.
Call me young
And call me silly
To hold my tongue
You're far too pretty 

To hope for someone
To return 
Oh sweet marauder 
For you, I will burn

I will be young
I will be silly
My tongue is sharp 
And oh so pretty 

For I will wait
A whole lifetime 
//Oh sweet marauder 
I will be fine  x3//

Lighthouse - Empire LARP Song

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

Second attempt at recording one of my first ever songs. Still not entirely happy with the mix, but it makes for a fuller sound than the original "singing into my phone" version.

Nowhere I'd Rather Be (v2)

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 cautionary tale of how things can end for those who stray from the path of old traditions and respect for their countrymen.

LYRICS

Comes the crooked tale,
Of a marcher lost their way again.
Sold away their land,
For the shadow of some personal gain.
Now the crop’s been low,
And the nation falls to strife.

But they know they can make right again,
When the Wickerman’s in flames.
They can burn and they’ll make right again,
In the Wickerman’s embrace.

So the marcher can,
Make amends for all the sin they’ve done.
So the marcher can,
Take the burden for the ones they love.
Oh the crop’s been low?
And tradition has been spurned?

But the Marcher can make right again,
When the Wickerman’s in flames.
They can burn and they’ll make right again,
When they die in flames!

Burn to the ash and the blackened bone.
Pray that the virtues save your soul, and
Only the good and the brave can go
To the Wickerman’s embrace.
Burn to the ash and the blackened bone.
Pray that the virtues save your soul, well
Only the good and the brave can,
Die in flames!
And we die in flames!
But the Wickerman remains.
Oh Ho!

I’ve come to tell you,
That there’s no place to run and-

Hide from all your sins,
And the weight of the mistakes you've made.
Things that can’t be cleansed;
No apology can make amends.
Now the crop’s been low,
And the nation’s life is struggling.

You’ll be glad you can make right again,
When the Wickerman’s in flames.
You can burn and you’ll make right again,
In the Wickerman’s embrace.

For the Marcher land,
You can make a noble sacrifice.
In the burning man,
For the nation you can still do right.
So the crop’s been low?
From the ashes we do grow!

For the Marcher can make right again,
In the Wickerman’s embrace.
They can burn and they’ll make right again,
If they die in flames!

Burn to the ash and the blackened bone.
Pray that the virtues save your soul, and
Only the good and the brave can go,
To the Wickerman’s embrace.
Burn to the ash and the blackened bone.
Pray that the virtues save your soul, well
Only the good and the brave can,
Die in flames!
And we die in flames!
But the Wickerman remains.
Oh Ho!

I’ve come to tell you
That there’s no place to run and hide
I’ve come to cleanse you
I’ve come to make the sacrifice
In the light, we’ll dance and we’ll be cleansed
Now strip yourself to skin and bone
And carry off our sins. I say!

Burn to the ash and the blackened bone.
Pray that the virtues save your soul.

Burn to the ash and the blackened bone.
Pray that the virtues save your soul, and
Only the good and the brave can go,
To the Wickerman’s embrace.
Burn to the ash and the blackened bone.
Pray that the virtues save your soul, well
Only the good and the brave can,
Die in flames!
And we die in flames!
But the Wickerman remains.
Oh Ho!

Journey On

The Wickerman

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

Baaa Bêêê

Ambient recordings from the larp Empire, by Profound Decisions

Empire 22

One Beat

"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

Ivory Daggers

A song written by Narelle as she yearns for her home, Hercynia. Having recently been reunited with her long lost friend, Artek, he and Narelle reminisce over the memories of their past and the home they once knew...

Narelle Brídín is an original character created for Empire, a festival larp in the UK. 
These are her songs, her tales...her legacy.

Call to the Mountains

A filk of the beautiful song "Wayward Wanderer" From Enderal Bards (An extensive mod revamping some of the bards songs in Skyrim)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns5syuFgbjo
Idea for Filk given by: Artek Emberune 

THE STORY:
This song tells a cautionary tale about a brash, young Navarri woman. Sick of her mundane life in her quiet Steading, she defies her guides and those close to her and decides instead to try and make it alone on the trods. Her freedom is short lived however when she is captured by a roving band of Jotun who exchange her life in return for her servitude. During her time in captivity she meets a fellow thrall, and falls for her completely. Yet again, her joy is short lived. For the woman who had stolen her heart chose instead to become a Jotun warrior to escape her enslavement, and left the navarri woman alone yet again, her heart in pieces.
Narrowly escaping with her life the Navarri woman returns to her Steading, pleading forgiveness from her people. They welcome her home with open arms. Not long after, she becomes a guide herself. She begins helping others along their way in the great dance and teaches the young members of the Steading that strength is found in those around you.

Wayward Wanderer

Wayward Wanderer (Filk)

"Wear your tattoos, your scars with pride; they're proof that you've come this far and survived."
Life as a Navarri is not always easy, dangerous moments can spiral quickly and leave us beaten and broken. But we are never ones to give up.

A song written for and dedicated to my bestest friend and the strongest person I know.

Miaren

Jamie Wakefield

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