Musical Inspiration Challenge 2! Part 7. The theme of the ‘dungeon.’

Dr. Slumber's Eternity Home by Arjen Lucassen.

I admit. In the last section, I read ahead a bit. Spotting this is what game me the idea for the old folks home, but the more I lulled it over the more I liked it.

In any case. Arjen Lucassen is the guy behind the band Ayreon, which I rather like, but in this case he put out an album, a one shot concept album about a fellow waking up in the far future and having to deal with the strange changes to society that had happened.

Onto the lyrics.. oh, and the dialogue section at the beginning is from Rutger Hauer in the part of ‘Dr. Voight-Kamph.’

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"Lifespan Wackso-Hackso-Corporation has fresh applications for psychological hickups. People now choose more drastics than ever before. Time has lost too much money. Geography changes on the scale of Richter ... Ageless, pointless, aimless, hopeless? Oh ... must leave space for sponsors. No appointments necessary, the doctor is in."

All bets are off, the game is over
Your hand's been played now
Rien ne va plus
You've had enough
Time to leave your cares behind
Leave it to us
We're ready for you

You've reached the end
The final closure
Nothing to plan or worry about
Round up your friends
Time has come to say goodbye
You're coming in
You're checking out

At Dr Slumber's Eternity Home
No, you don't have to go alone
At Dr Slumber's Eternity Home
There'll be no pain
You won't complain
Never again

Our expert team is here
To serve you
Once you arrive
You're here to stay
Sleep your last sleep.
Time to answer your last call
We're overcrowded anyway

At Dr Slumber's Eternity Home
No, you don't have to go alone
At Dr Slumber's Eternity Home
There'll be no pain
You won't complain
Never again

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It’s a song about assisted suicide being foisted on people on the basis of them being hopeless and considered to be taking up too much space.

Pretty grim crap, set to an upbeat tune.  It also contrasts nicely against our prior themes of pushing against, resisting and overcoming despite our shortcomings. The dungeon stands in opposition to the main theme of the adventure, and that’s a good thing.

As a dungeon, this immediately shouts out the idea of an old folks home, or sanatorium, where the doctors have chosen a drastic and terrible path. However, coupled with our earlier inspirations, something more drastic and more vile starts to come into focus. We’d probably need to make it a bit more of the Magic-As-Technology era of D&D, because sanitariums in the actual middle ages were straw covered prisons or monasteries.

The place exists to destroy hope. To make one feels worthless, so they fall into despair. And our foe comes into sharper focus now that we see the dungeon. A fiend, perhaps an actual one, who with truly diabolical intent is trying to break down heroes, maestros and people who were once great into pits of despair, before finally destroying them.

It fits an urban situation, or a situation just outside of one. And allows us social and combat options for breaking in. After all, the party has to find out about the place and then find a way in.

And hospitals can be creepy.

Hell, we could even add another reason to ‘why should the players care?’ Maybe they got committed to this hellhole?