Age of Worms Soundtrack

 

 

     If this game had a soundtrack, like a movie or television show, what would it contain? Feel free to offer an explanation or elaboration on your selection of a particular song or melody, or simply to allow the words and music to speak for themselves. Also welcome are comments relating why you agree or disagree with selections that have been made. Please link to the lyrics and a site where the song in question can be legally obtained whenever possible, so those unfamiliar with your choice can experience it for themselves.

 

Teal Text = selected by Courtney

Green Text = selected by Treesong

Lavender Text = Selected by D.Raino (lavender because its Fern's color and Green was already sniped....)

(choose a color for yourself - first come, first served! ;) )

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Crawling In The Dark - Hoobastank - "Is there something more than what I've been handed?" Before they knew anything of the Age of Worms, the would-be adventurers of Diamond Lake had a vague sense that there must be more to life than the repetitive grind of their menial jobs and tasks, and braved the literal dark of the Whispering Cairn to figure out what that may be. As their adventures continue and their power grows, they have found meaning, but another question remains: When all is said and done, who are we? The song describes a never-ending quest, ever seeking, ever finding, forever searching for what may be right in front of us.

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Rainbow in the Dark - Dio - This is my personal pick for a "Fern Theme." The sound and imagery on this one are more important than the lyrics, although these, too, convey loneliness and longing in the face of endless darkness, but beauty as well. The colorful nature of both Fern's whimsical attire and her oft-whimsical personality make her our "rainbow," and the synth that comes in at the refrain is Fern's dance, always resurfacing despite the horrors and heartaches she has faced in the last "verse." The dance is sweet, slightly desperate, and made even more bright and beautiful by the darkness around her. Fern has danced for the entertainment of others, as a part of her attack, as a part of her defense, and because it is a part of her. Even if there was nothing left, she may first despair, then rise to dance again. Fern's dance lifts above her circumstances, granting her a glimpse of the ultimate that her own limited senses of perception fail to impart. At the same time, it frees her from the pain and confusion of her own being, as she becomes the dance itself. Hers is a dance that celebrates life as only one who has seen death's face truly can, and embraces the power of death as a part of the natural cycle that allows life to flourish. Fern will be dancing long after most of the party is but dust, and perhaps that is as it should be. Even with "no sign of the morning coming," she dances on. A timeless woman of grace, power, beauty, joy, and sadness, Fern is the Rainbow in the Dark.

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 Winterborn - Cruxshadows - One need only consult the lyrics of this song to conjure up images of self-sacrifice and fiercely noble final acts, both previously occurring and yet to come. This song always seemed a bit more particular to Chaim and Filge, dark, withdrawn figures, slowly transformed by the heroic deeds they have performed, perhaps to be exalted in death as they never could in life. Nevertheless, it could apply to virtually any of our heroes, as they grimly face the impossible time and time again, stubbornly refusing to allow the world's light of hope to be extinguished entirely. This kind of goodbye is not a "Fare thee well," but more a "Since it must be so." Though the actions may later be derided as foolish or needlessly risky, all of our heroes have willingly put themselves in harm's way at one time or another to rescue one of their friends, and it seems likely, if not inevitable, that eventually one of their number will be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice. This is a song about taking on the mantle of hero in the "darkest hour," about not just physically saving the world, but by dying in a manner that brings hope that heroes truly exist. It is acting with full knowledge that this last stand or desperate rescue carries with it one's own imminent demise, and being resolute nevertheless, darkly at peace.

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Sacrifice - Symphony X - On the subject of "sacrifice"... To me, this is the unofficial Arijen and Celeste theme. Full of longing, passion, and devotion, and just over-the-top enough to capture the epic potential of the pair's romance.

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Change the World - Finger 11 - "Behind every great man is a great woman." It seems like much has been made of the power women hold to inspire men to great deeds, and examples of this have certainly been seen throughout the adventure path. Fern, Talin, and Celeste have each in their own way given the other heroes (and sometimes each other) the will to achieve something greater. Most of all, I see this directed from Filge to Talin, as an expression of love, of confidence in her abilities even when she may doubt them, and of gratitude for who and what he feels she is helping him become. It also carries a tinge of dim, tenuous hope that, despite everything, his future might hold some small amount of true happiness.

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 Liquid Eternity - Ayreon - "Liquid eternity courses through our veins, liquid eternity nourishes our brains." A darkly powerful song from ages long past, and the anthem of the Sons of Kyuss.

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Eye of the Storm - Cruxshadows - Yes, I admit it, I was enough of a dork to Google songs with our Champion's Belt team name amongst the lyrics. I surely never expected to discover this sweepingly epic tribute to every team of dedicated individuals ever to face off against great odds. "There is strife within the tempest, but there is calm in the eye of the storm." Chaos, violence, our own squabbles and disagreements, increasingly strange and devastating events beyond our control - these rage constantly around us. When the chips are down and every second counts, the Eye of the Storm acts with the inner stillness and clarity of its namesake. This song is definitely on the movie soundtrack, and probably plays as the end credits roll.

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 Flirtin' With Disaster - Molly Hatchet - A fitting tribute to the free-wheeling, empowering, and sometimes pointlessly dangerous life of the adventurer, it celebrates the lifestyle while acknowledging the risks.  "When we gamble with our time, we choose our destiny."

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Paralyzer - Finger 11 - This song makes the list only due to the fancifully bizarre comment Ben made to me regarding this song the summer it debuted on the radio. "I see Filge in a Free City nightclub, dancing to this song, macking on various undead women." This image is now burned indelibly onto my brain, and, besides, the song is quite catchy.

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Final Countdown - Europe - Has been an appropriate theme for an inappropriate number of situations; typically, "final" denotes a certain amount of finality. "I suddenly find myself needing to know the plural of apocalypse." - Riley, Buffy the Vampire Slayer

This tune is best remembered as the theme for our battle against the ulgurstasta, which had us all singing Treesong's refrain of, "It's the ul-gur-stasta!"

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The Thanatos Theme - Secret of Mana Soundtrack - A sinister and manic track, it steps well above the standard for video game music.  Its repetitive nature, combined with jarringly offbeat fills matches the pace of the foes that Kyuss never seems to stop sending at us.  Just when you start to wonder how long the track will keep 'skipping' it lurches into another sound.  If only Kyuss liked music enough to teach all his Zombies to sing an a ccapella version of this.  On second thought, lets skip the Zombie Bards.

 

After the Flesh - My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult - A song that fits far too many elements of our adventures.  From the profane exaltation of Kyuss.  To the general concept of what will be left after the worms begin their feast on the life of Oerth.  To make it even more ominous, we are gifted with lines like "There are a lot of innocent people being crucified" to remind us of the politics in Alhaster.  In general the song's unpleasant transmorphic imagry meshes all too well with the themes that play out in all facets of our harrowing adventures.

 

Plowed - Sponge - "Will I wake up, is it a dream I made up?  No, I guess it's reality."  I know that Fern has often asked this question during some of our more grim moments, and I assume that others have too.  In our own way, each of us has begged that another "Say a prayer for me."  The song isn't happy; it barely even has any hope to it, but it is NOT about defeat.  And that is where the Eye of the Storm ends up, hoping against hope, refusing to give up, but somehow certain that our luck only has so much longer to go before its all spent.

 

Kings of the Killburn High - Flogging Molly - This song is one of victory, but not without a sense of loss in it all.  Its upbeat, energetic and fearless, but at the same time, it is well aware of how fickle life is.  Perhaps the most significant line is the opening one "Many's the day I took for granted" which kind of looks back to our early days.  Before our first party encounter with hit points in the negative your screwed range, we took many things for granted.  But as we have pulled through by the skin of our teeth time and time again, our characters have learned more and more that even on the day we die, we might still have something to celebrate.  This song is that celebration.

 

Astro Zombies - The Misfits - Nothing like a Misfits song to express the basic outlook of any apocalypse-bringing necromantic evil.  "Prime directive: exterminate the while fucking place well."  There is of course the somewhat sickening parallel between the line "Who do I do this for, hey, me or you?" and the vainglorious and all too inevitable fall of Zeech.  Insane egotism aside, this song is pretty simple straightforward and hateful.... like Kyuss.

 

Tonight Tonight - Smashing Pumpkins - A bittersweet song about never being able to go back to what you were.  Before wandering into the Whispering Cairn, and the web of Fate, many members of the party felt varying degrees of loss for all the potential that looked like it may never be tapped.  But a herald of the apocalypse, two trifectum gods and a pair of ancient tombs later, the party has a moved to a point that is so much larger than life, that they might never be able live normal lives ever again.  "And our lives are forever changed.  We can never be the same.  The more you change the less you feel."

 

Cliffs of Desolation - Lords of the Trident - While the song pits a warrior against an unsurvivable dragon, and Age of Worms pits a party against a vengeful god of corruption and decay, the end result is the same.  "You can't escape your own demise."  The Eye of the Storm may have what it takes to stop Kyuss, but it won't be a pretty fight, and chances of survival are grim at best.  But it takes more than certain death to stop the hero of the song or our DnD party.

 

If I Ever Leave This World Alive - Flogging Molly - A very sad love song that is surprisingly fitting for Celeste and Arijen.  "So in a word don't shed a tear, I'll be here when it all gets weird."  But more than just Arijen and Celeste, everyone in the party has strong emotional ties to each other: they have friends, lovers, and sword brothers are around them.  Even if they all manage to leave this adventure path alive, there is no way to avoid an eventual goodbye.

 

Actions & Motives - 10 Years  -  I'm not going to say this song is the perfect theme for Zeech, Lashonna, the Blessed Angels, and the rest of the Alhaster crew, but I will say it comes as alarmingly close to that somewhat dubious honor as I care to imagine.  The lyrics speak of cruelty, self-deception, and passing the blame off to someone else. The tyrannical powers of Alhaster may think themselves invincible, that their despicable deeds have gone unnoticed, but the damage they have done to those around them, and even to their own souls, spreads outward like a bloody stain. They are so busy making power plays and manipulations, that they don't realize they are the only ones that believe their own lies.

 

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