Music from
The Legend Has Finally Been Written...
Intro
Essentially, the Cymru Dragon project is an experiment in variations. The source material is "Theme from Caerphilly Castle," which I wrote as a tribute to the great tourist attraction I saw when I visited Wales in 2000. The material is written from the perspective of an arcade-style action game.
I see Cymru Dragon in the form of an overhead, 2-D shooter where the player controls the dragon flaming down various foes. Admittedly, this is not a new idea. It has been done already, from Namco's classic Dragon Spirit to Psikyo's recent, impressive-looking Dragon Blaze. But it's a good place to start for inspiration.
WinGroove Editions
As much as I like the WinGroove wavetable synth program, I just cringe when I hear its choir sample. So with all pieces involving choir, I made special versions using the "synth sweep," which produces an etheral choirlike sound in WG. Download based on your system. :)
Alternate Download
I am in the process of making an MP3 set of Cymru Dragon, which will be posted at MP3.com. Eventually, I hope to use their CD pressing to make the soundtrack available for purchase! :)
Here is my site with the first batch. Please bookmark it as I will be completing it soon.
Storyline
Wales, the Medieval Age.
Caerphilly Castle is one of the most impressive and well-protected fortresses in the region. And as such, the foes of Caerphilly are desperate to find a way to breach its walls. The solution comes in the form of a mysterious wizard.
This dark Sorceror has the ability to call forth unworldly creatures from another dimension and to levitate massive objects. To prove the latter, he requests that the desperate tyrants build an armada of ships...on dry land! But then he sets them all aloft. Now Caerphilly's enemies have a new way of attacking...from the air. "With this fleet," the wizard announces, "you will make Caerphilly fall."
Needless to say, the fleet of enchanted airships does its job well. The invaders take over a great portion of Wales, from Cardiff to the Cwm Rhondda. And then they strike at Caerphilly. The castle is quite caught off guard by this strategy. Henry Llewelyn, chief of Caerphilly's knights, watched in terror as many of his men fall from the assault. But he determines that even if there is no match for this sorcery, he will fight to the last.
And that was when the dragon suddenly came from the sky...and landed beside him. There was a temporary scattering as the airships backed away from the surprise visitor.
"Quick, warrior!" the great beast roared. "Jump on my back!"
Henry couldn't move, startled by the dragon's appearance. "Who...who are you?" he finally managed to ask.
"The name matters not! Right now I am your greatest ally!" the dragon responded.
A sudden hail of flaming arrows and boulders rained around them. The enemy forces had regrouped.
"Hurry!" the dragon roared again. "There is not much time!"
"Heaven help me now..." Henry whispered to himself as he climbed aboard...
Tracklisting
Opening: Siege at Caerphilly Castle (Wingroove Version)
I envisioned an opening movie clip for Cymru Dragon when I wrote this. The calm beginning brings us to Caerphilly Castle, as Henry watches over the walls. There is peace at first, until... The music picks up the pace as the wizard's handiwork comes flying out of the sky and fiercely attacks the castle. The calm section plays as Henry sees the fallen around him, and prepares to die honorably. But in enters the dragon as the trumpet triumphantly plays the Caerphilly motif.
Main Title Theme for Cymru Dragon
Previously released as "Fanfare from Cymru." It would be fitting behind the game's title screen.
Intro: The Journey Begins
Since no game actually exists, I'm not sure what options the player would have upon starting a new game. But this would be playing behind it.
Stage 1: Leaving Caerphilly's Gates (Wingroove version)
This is where the Cymru Dragon Project started, with a 75% remix of the "Theme from Caerphilly Castle." The low string melody blends well with the new rhythm track, and the new trumpet section with the shimmering harp background makes for an exciting tune that surprised even me. A lot of fun for the opening stage of the game, as Henry and the dragon attack and repel the forces in the immediate area.
Boss 1: Strong Foes
Most overhead shooters have a "boss" character at the end of a stage, which is basically a huge target with superior firepower. In this case, it is a landmass that houses a barrack of archers, filling the skies with hundreds of arrows. The pounding, quick-stepping pace, coupled with a "trumpet alarm," chronicle's the heroes' dangerous but valiant effort to throw this and other such threats throughout the game down to the ground.
Fanfare 1: Victorious!
If they succeed, the "Victorious!" message will appear onscreen, and bonus points will be awarded. The fanfare starts out reprising the Stage 1 theme before fading into a flute variation of the Intro theme.
Continue/Game Over: A Dragon Slain...
However, as a player grows accustomed to a new game, it is expected that the characters will die several times until the player gets a feel for the stages. Once the player runs out of lives, (s)he is given the option to continue (there's usually a limit on how many such continues are given, and they tend to start the player back a bit in the stage). They must choose to do so within ten seconds, which is why this piece starts out frantically. Failing to continue, the game ends, and the music plays a solemn variation on the Caerphilly theme.
Stage 2: Warriors of the Clouds
Surprised by the unexpected counterattack, the enemy forces retreat to above the clouds, with the two in hot pursuit. A thrilling air battle ensues, and this track rocks along, motivating the player. Listen carefully for a snippet of Caerphilly in there somewhere...
Boss 2: Dark Challengers
To avoid having the first Boss music become redundant, Stage 2's boss features a different theme. From here, the two can be alternated. With this piece, I was shooting for suspenseful dissonance...and I think I at least got the dissonance part right. ;)
After this battle, the dragon reveals his name as Fuegar.
Stage 3A: Cwm Rhondda Offensive (Wingroove version)
Leaving the high altitudes, the duo descend upon the Rhondda Valley, finding the enemy dug in. Trying to dodge the hills on either side and the hostile firestorm makes for a challenging battle. This piece attempts to capture the quick pace of the flight.
Mid-Boss: Sorceror of Shadows (Wingroove version)
Midway through the valley, the two are suddenly encountered by the Sorceror responsible for the enemy fleet. Disturbed by a premonition that his handiwork was being destroyed, he came to investigate. Discovering that Fuegar is the one who is ravaging the fleet, he wonders "how he missed one"...for he has enslaved all of the other dragons in Wales! With that, he summons one of Fuegar's own kin, Rysellyn, to destroy him, and vanishes. The creepiness of this piece reflects the dark ambiguity of the Sorceror, and the fierceness of the brainwashed Rysellyn. Very creepy...
Stage 3B: Desperate Flight
After a quick battle, Henry and Fuegar think that Rysellyn is dead...when suddenly he arises again and begins pursuing them! The second half of this stage is the resulting high speed chase. Not only will they have to mind the valley walls and enemies but the occasional attacks of the pursuer.
After fighing Rysellyn again, the spell is broken when he is mortally wounded. As he approaches death, he reveals to the two heroes a shocking detail: they have been tricked into leaving Caerphilly and were drawn away...a larger force is assembling near Cardiff and preparing to strike the castle! Henry and Fuegar leave at once, hoping to get back in time, as Rysellyn breathes his last...
Stage 4A: The Destructive Airship
During the anxious flight towards Cardiff, the two encounter one of the Sorceror's largest and darkly impressive creations...a mammoth airship. As it is on the way, they decide to fly inside and destroy it from within. There's not much else I can say about this piece, besides the fact that it's a little shorter than the other stage themes.
Stage 4B: Core Mechanica (Wingroove Version)
Midway through the airship battle, the two encounter a powerful defensive mechanism, which they must destroy. After doing so, they continue further into the heart of the airship. This piece turned out pretty bizzare and mechanical...just perfect for the scene. :)
Stage 5: Liberating Cardiff
Henry and Fuegar swoop down upon the city, hunting out and eliminating the invaders. Personally I don't think this tune is as strong as the others, but it does have a small heroic flair to it.
Boss 3: Battle of Cardiff Castle
The greatest challenge lies in Cardiff Castle, where the enemy is well-protected and heavily armed. Bit by bit, piece by piece, Henry and Fuegar must defeat the enemies in the towers. I just wish I had come up with something a bit more powerful for this battle; this tune just feels the weakest of the entire set.
Stage 6: At the Enemy's Doorstep (Wingroove version)
With Cardiff successfully saved, the two fly towards the enemy's stronghold. As can be expected, the resistance is fierce. This tune uses explosive orchestral hits to convey this fact, as well as an insistent trumpet theme.
After their foes lie defeated, the Sorceror appears again. Enraged at Henry and Fuegar, he casts a powerful spell that rips open a portal to another dimension...his dimension. The two are sucked into the unknown.
Stage 7: A Dark Void (Wingroove Version)
The two now fly through the lightless domain seeking him out. After a spooky organ intro, the main melody comes in with a beautiful choral melody. The organ returns in the middle briefly, and then the rhythm picks up as the trumpet plays an optomistic theme, urging Henry and Fuegar to finish this once and for all. This is the longest of the stage themes, but I can't imagine the music any other way.
Final Boss: Evil Condemnation (Wingroove Version)
We've reached the end of our journey, and this piece brings the implications of the scene into focus. A quiet, eerie choral intro plays as Henry and Fuegar come to a dead end, finding the other dragons bound by magic. Stricken by the sight, Fuegar roars out a challenge to the Sorceror. He appears, and - much to the heroes' horror - begins to assimilate all of the other dragons into himself, transforming into a terrifying and powerful form (during which we hear a motif from Sorceror of Shadows fade in, make us nervous for a bit, and then fade off...). And then the drums kick in, as the battle begins in earnest. The main body of this tune is a rapid-fire rock-style tune done in Nobuo-Uematsu-final-battle style...which is no coincidence because I wrote it after being inspired by his Last Battle theme from Final Fantasy IX. :) I doubt that I'll ever live up to his abilities, though...but anyways, I hope you enjoy the ride.
Fanfare 2: Final Victory (WinGroove Version)
Really not a lot to say...the wizard-dragon is destroyed, and so a high and mighty fanfare is in order. Hooray! :)
Epilogue: Ponderings (WinGroove Version)
With the Sorceror destroyed, and his realm collapsing upon itself, all of his handiwork is forcibly drawn up into it, wreckage and all. This is typified by the tense, chaotic opening to this piece, as Caerphilly's enemies are also taken. Henry and Fuegar barely escape, landing on a nearby cliff. As a gentler theme takes over, they reflect upon their victory, and wonder what next. A triumphant passage represents Henry's desire to return to Caerphilly, while a somber piano moment indicates Fuegar reflecting on his lost family. But rather than let that lessen the impact of their triumph, he offers to take Henry back to the castle. A joyous variation of the theme accompanies them as they take off, and it ends as it had begun...
Closing Credits: Return to Caerphilly Castle (WinGroove Version)
THE "Theme from Caerphilly Castle." A piece that I've enjoyed ever since I wrote it. "Stage 1" may overshadow it now, but I'm still quite proud that I was able to come up with this. A fitting end to the Cymru Dragon collection.
Bonus Tracks
Stage 1 Remix: 80s Arcade Version
I thought about shooters in the mid to late 1980s, and how the sound was not quite at the point to deliver an orchestral feel to the music. Just for fun, I took "Stage 1" and changed all the instruments to their synth equivalents where I could. May be nostalgia-inducing to arcade fanatics... :)
How did you like it? Let me know!
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