Musical Inspiration Challenge 2! Part 10 – The Second Encounter.

The Oracle by Van Canto

Van Canto’s an odd one. They’re a mostly acapella metal band. Mostly acapella because apparently they originally intended to have a guy beatboxing to provide the drumline, but the guys they kept auditioning kept on passing out because of that whole humans-need-to-breathe thing.

The Oracle is part of the Voices of Fire album, which is a kind of rock opera thing about bards and dragons. So its suitable for fantasy stuff, but can we take any use out of it? Well..

On to the lyrics (from genius.com).

[Choir:]
Once for all!
Hear your call!
Dragonfall!
Create an army, unite in harmony

No escape!
Face your fate!
Save the eight!
Fulfill your purpose, your voice is precious

Rise up and fight your misery
Step right into your destiny
Defend our holy legacy
Create an army, unite in harmony

Rise up and face your enemy
Invoke the bard's integrity
Unite your skills for victory
Fulfill your purpose, your voice is precious!

[Voice:]
We come in peace to seek your advice
Too blind to see we beg for your eyes
Is there a hidden prophecy
To figure out this mystery?
Is there a little chance to survive this war?

(a war)
Out of my mind
Left far behind

[Choir:]
The dragon is rising
The islands colliding
The savior in hiding
The empress not guiding
Ash to ash – dust to dust
Our star will combust
Not to fail is a must
Raise your voice to be free
Harmony is the key!

[Voice:]
I need a little faith in my voice (don't rail against your fate, young bard!)
I cannot seem to have any choice (defeat the coward you have empowered!)
I want to hide behind armour plates (you can't escape – accept your lot!)
My inner voice is conquered by hate (rise like a phoenix, out of the ashes!)

[Choir:]
Fight with a mighty heart
And we will sing aloud of dragons we fight

[Voice:]
This line of fate decides on my heart (don't lose heart!)
I'm cut into pieces, like the islands
I am drifting apart
No gallantry inside my soul (call the bards!)
All valour vanished in my memory
And a long long way from home

Out of my mind
Left far behind

Don't you fear your tryst with destiny
Put your faith in your own melody!
I will join up into harmony

[Choir:]
Raise you voice to be free
Harmony is the key!
The dragon is rising
The islands colliding
The savior in hiding
The empress not guiding
Ash to ash – dust to dust
Our star will combust
Not to fail is a must
Raise your voice – built on trust!

[Voice:]
I need a little faith in my voice (don't rail against your fate, young bard!)
I cannot seem to have any choice (defeat the coward you have empowered!)
I want to hide behind armour plates (you can't escape – accept your lot!)
My inner voice is conquered by hate (rise like a phoenix, out of the ashes!)

[Choir:]
Rise up and face your enemy
Invoke the bard's integrity
Unite your skills for victory
Fulfill your purpose, your voice is precious!

[Solo]

Fight with a mighty heart, and you will
Raise your voice to be free
Harmony is the key!

[Voice:]
I need a little faith in my voice (don't rail against your fate, young bard!)
I cannot seem to have any choice (defeat the coward you have empowered!)
I want to hide behind armour plates (you can't escape – accept your lot!)
My inner voice is conquered by hate (rise like a phoenix, out of the ashes!)

[Choir:]
Fight with a mighty heart
And you will find your own path
Look upon the start
Shining in the dark
And we will sing aloud of dragons we fight. [4x]

[Voices:]
Fighting my heart
Losing my path
A star in the dark
For thee
I learn to fight!
Fighting my heart
Losing my path
A star in the dark
For thee

And we’re back to the issue of rising up against an insurmountable foe. There is also the bard-angle where it speaks of songs and the strength of voices. Mighty hearts. That refusing to surrender is itself a victory.

In many ways this ties in with what we’ve been aiming for. So how do we make this an encounter? Also, how do we make it a non-consecutive encounter? Reminding ourselves that climactic encounters in an adventure don’t always flow A to B.

Let’s imagine now more about our bad guy. He’s doing terrible things to these people to attempt to prove to himself that there is no final judge or arbiter, while simultaneously wishing that there were. This is positively diabolical. Tie in with that though, he’s been running what’s essentially a death camp of the soul for old folks. Suicide, death, euthanasia and all of those terrible things.  

Pathfinder has an entity referred to as an allip, it’s a being of mindless madness and despair made from the insane who take their own lives, perhaps that’s our enemy. The asylum or old folks home is overwhelmed by entities and spirits of despair, so the heroes must defeat them with the desperate human power of hope. Re-enacting a story or singing a glorious song together, or working together and remembering where they came from and why they can’t stop.

Also, having to punch incorporeal monsters flooding on them. Let’s see how our final battle music pans out before we finalize though.