The Serpentarius Arcana is a concept album exploring themes of mysticism, balance and ambivalence.

Serpentarius, the constellation of the Serpent Bearer, depicts a man holding a snake. A careful balancing act between life and death, between the regenerative molting of its skin and the venomous threat of its bite. A reminder how quickly our world can tumble over the edge, from the light of the stars to the abyss of the void.

To maintain balance, we seek guidance In the revelations of the Zodiac and Tarot cards, past and future merge in riddles to be solved. In cultural artifacts, virtual worlds and alternate lives help us understand our own melancholy fate as mortals.

Let us collect our memories this evening. While the night is still young, we draw cards from the Major Arcana and begin the readings.
Eight cards bring answers from Seven worlds, all keyed by the One Master card: the Serpentarius Arcana. The Serpentarius shows how opposites are in a continuum, the nuances and shades at play in night and day.

The oracles offer answers...provided we ask the right questions.

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MMC2: The Serpentarius Arcana

Inspired by Final Fantasy Tactics
Official music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIQTf9oybOQ

Thrown in a war, Ramza Beoulve wrestles with lies, injustice and betrayal. He uncovers the deception of the Church that hides the demonic nature of the Zodiac stones and witnesses his childhood friend Delita Hyral's ascent to power through manipulation and political maneuvering. Though history may erase as much as it writes and the truth may never be found, Ramza stays true to his beliefs that this does not justify renouncing one's ideals.

==Lyrics==
(Lucavi:)
"Holder of the Holy Stone, with me do treat
Your spirit and my flesh as one shall merge
Your despair and resentment, their call I heed
Life undying… yours forever
Just make the promise
Once more I ask: with me do treat."

(Ramza:)
In the name of God and nobility
I’ve been thrown into this war
Two lions vie for the throne
and blood soaks the name I uphold

Lord above, where have we gone astray?
Every day, lives are taken away
Who are we to decide?

Shunned by the church and my own family
I must stay true to my beliefs
The world’s torn apart and I can’t find my place
Like a Thirteenth Zodiac

(Delita:)
Open your eyes and you will perceive
The voice of reason inside
Listen but once and you’ll realize
That there is no divide

(Lucavi:)
Dare not oppose us, remember your status
By now you of all should know
Manipulation can be a solution
The end justifies any means

(Ramza:)
Tell me friend where have your ideals gone?
The path of power will claim your soul
With the blood of betrayal and lies

Cast aside, forgotten by history
No one will know what I’ve seen
Demonic stones turning men into slaves
To the Twelve and Thirteenth Zodiac

(Ramza:) "The legends we believed in were all lies!"
(Delita:) "I won't be used. Those who used me must pay for what they've done!"

(Lucavi:)
"Spoken from the sword, handed down from the stone…
Spoken from the sword, handed down from the stone"

(Ramza:)
Shunned by the church and my own family
I must stay true to my beliefs
The world’s torn apart and I can’t find my place
Like a Thirteenth Zodiac
Cast aside, forgotten by history (Is this my fate?)
No one will know what I’ve seen (It’s a nightmare)
Demonic stones turning men into slaves (They’re mad with greed)
To the Twelve and Thirteenth Zodiac

(Wiegraf:) "Your ideal is just a dream! You can't fulfill your dreams without power!"
(Ramza:) "Your actions have meaning only if they hold true to your ideals..."

The past can never forgive

==Credits==
from MMC2: The Serpentarius Arcana, released December 13, 2022
Final Fantasy Tactics is property of Square Enix Co, Ltd.
Citations in the lyrics from Final Fantasy Tactics and Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions.

Thirteenth Zodiac

Inspired by Prince of Persia and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

The evil vizier tries to seize the throne while the sultan is away, imprisoning the princess and casting her lover in the palace dungeons. He escapes, defeats the vizier and rescues the princess Having conquered all challenges, he becomes the future ruler of the land Yet triumph against overwhelming odds tends to breed overconfidence He may believe he can build a better society, but ultimately it will end buried under the Sands of Time.

==Lyrics==
From the desert’s deep sands
Arise

I've been thrown in these dungeons, dark and cold
Left to die without a gleam of hope
From beyond these walls
I can hear her calls

The hourglass is slowly but surely emptying
And I must make haste, for time carries on
(And buries all)

I'm running as fast as I can
In this rat's maze I'm trapped
Defying a thousand and one deaths
To make it to you
(Time buries all!)

(Spoken:)
You think time is a river, flowing swift and sure
But I have seen the truth we must endure
Time is an ocean in a storm
‘till one day the wind has died
Leaving none but the Sands of Time to lie

From the desert's deep sands to the great halls of stone
The vizier's dark magic spreads over Persia
But as long as I stand there is hope for the land
And some justice for all under Persian skies

(Vizier:) Arise, arise, arise!

In the pale moonlit night I can feel you at last
As the stars in your eyes clear the sands of the past

From the seat of my throne to the mountains of old
The news of my good deed spread over Persia
Now the street lights at night will shine forever bright
A sign of justice for all under Persian skies
This Empire of the Sands will stand the test of time
Long after we all die under Persian skies

(Spoken:)
You think time is a river, flowing swift and sure...

==Credits==
from MMC2: The Serpentarius Arcana, released December 13, 2022
Prince of Persia, created by Jordan Mechner, is property of Ubisoft Entertainment SA. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is property of Ubisoft Entertainment SA.

Under Persian Skies

Inspired by Journey

A Traveler wanders through the ruins of a bygone society, its survivors recounting the story of their demise, embittered by wars for power and obsessions for building ever higher, greater monuments. Such is the fate of civilization - unless we can heed the warnings of those who came before, uphold strong institutions to keep our darker instincts in check, and realize we are part of a cycle that goes beyond us, mere grains of sand on the tapestry of life.

==Lyrics==
Rising from the sands
Through barren lands
I’ve crossed the ruins of the past
Of my ancestors’ homes that lie
Silent in the night

I sometimes get this feeling when I gaze at the stars
Their shining light resonates deep inside

(Ancestors:)
Come gaze at the stars, child, and bring us news from the world
Have you learned from what we’ve left behind?

Sunlight and scorching heat
Starlight and visions seen
Day and night converge in me
As sand and sky finally meet

Sandstorms unleashed their fury against
Towers brought down onto their knees
Nothing now but the memories carved
Into the stones… a grave of my own
(For time buries all!)

Deep inside I’ve known it all
Before my time is over I’ll be gone
Beyond the here and now of my existence
As a traveler on a quest to
Find my way across the land and
Life itself - a tapestry of Light and Being
United through the Starlight that shines
And binds it all together
Please guide me on my journey

(Ancestors:)
Gaze now upon these walls child
Stay a while and learn from the
Tale that is inscribed
So many times, we tore out the light
And bled it all, until we died
Bleached and dry
In this Empire of the Sands

Deep inside I’ve known it all
Before my time is over I’ll be gone
Beyond the here and now of my existence
As a traveler on a quest to
Find my way across the land and
Life itself - a tapestry of Light and Being
United through the Starlight that shines
And binds it all together
Please guide me on my journey

(Ancestors:)
Come gaze at the stars, child, and tell us what you see
Has our light made its way in your mind and in your heart?

I can’t fight back this calling to reach beyond what we see
In the end what we are is just a child,
A shard of Light and life

(Ancestors:)
Look up to the void of space
And seek the remnants of our race
Meditate upon our fate
So that you won’t make our mistakes

Journey on through sand and snow
Beyond the walls and caves of stone
Sing with friends, celebrate life
And let the starlight be your guide

Rising from the sands...

==Credits==
from MMC2: The Serpentarius Arcana, released December 13, 2022
Inspired by Journey.
Journey is developed by thatgamecompany and a property of Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC.

Empire Of The Sands

A one-mind band fusing power / prog metal with unholy chiptunes, writing original music on classic video games. Welcome to the world of chipmetal.

MMC2: The Serpentarius Arcana

Multi-Memory Controller