#the season of phantasmal peace | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

sakuraswordly · 1 year

Text

"To that nameless flower that scattered throwghout the night. Between those who slaughter hopes and those who are slaughtered, There's a wall that no one can accept easily, If we seek the truth the world will collapse. Can the sky we see from inside the cell be called freedom?

We dedicated a bouquet for the unfulfilled promises, We kept going forward in the end of the path but paradise becomes far away.

If we steal something away for the desire of freedom, They will retrieve the stolen and draw a bow in return.

The world is simple therefore difficult to understand, Repeating the same tragedy over and over again."[These flowers that look like rose was my concept practice drawing when I was a kid. But no matter how much I drew they didn't look like roses at all.-_-;]

"To that nameless flower that scattered throughout the night. Please , rest in peace.."[ This cutscene is when Punch gave the name to this little one "Sonic" and Gilgamesh always watched him playing with Punch's group and Enkidu. But it seems in the present, Sonic can't remember Enkidu for some reason.]

"And then one day if it could be granted, We can break the fate that is twisting around us, Then my friend let's see each other again in a dawn without walls.

I dedicated my heart with my back turned to the twilight. Towards the end of night that kept on going forward.

Why did the earth and the sky separate? This world is so beautiful , yet so cruel."

These are lyrics from the song name "Requiem Der Morgenröte".

From Costomeister's opinion: this "Requiem der Morgenröte" represents Eren's dream. This means that he has seen everything he was going to do: the destruction of the world, the murder of his friends, Eldia's prosperous future after the Rumbling, his family and everything in between. However, as he himself says, he did not remember it. Ymir Fritz showed him everything, and he chose to keep moving forward until the end.

From Announce8: Link

This is the event that will happen in the fake world or Tsofph Season 10(Chapter2 Fake World). Punch in the fake world also had seen everything she would do: the destruction of the world, the murder of her friends. Punch chose to keep moving forward until the end.

And this is the result(This picture comes from Fate/Strange Fake) of what she made her decision in the fake world. Punch becomes a bloodthirsty tyrant because she was trying to protect humanity, but her methods were harsh. That's right Punch from Tsofph Season 10(Chapter2 Fake World) is the original of King Gilgamesh before she came back to the real-world timeline and isn't the same Punch Whalen you knew, but still, this Punch is half of Punch Whalen.

From #hint

Gilgamesh's true name is "Punch". But Punch Whalen still not reveals her true name yet in Tsubasa of Phantasia. Punch's true name is still behind in mysterious.

I chose this "Requiem der Morgenröte" that represents Eren's dream because this what happens in the fake world. Punch kill the fake world(Tsofph Season 10(Chapter2 Fake World) Ending) and return the real world but she lost everything even her relationship with all her friends in the fake world. The fake world reminds as "Dream".

In AOT: Eren's mental state might have been a wreck in the final chapter—there's so much sadness and longing and despair. He doesn't want to die. He wants to stay with his friends whom he went to great lengths to protect. But all he gets is a twisted sort of freedom and death by the hands of the girl he loves. In his final moment he already looked dead before Mikasa could even cut off his head. This is the same feeling to Punch as well. That's why I mention in this analysis that Gilgamesh seemed more sad than happy.

Gilgamesh lost everything and he knew he can't come back to who he used to be. Gilgamesh said he was perfect but the truth was...he had so many regrets in his life. He hates how he saw the future but can't change the future, all he can do is accept it. And all because the tragedy happen in the fake world, lost Enkidu and lost Babylonia, his kingdom. You don't know how much pain and sadness he covers behind in his cold face.

In Tsubasa of Phantasia, I did mention in Some things are beautiful because they cannot be obtained 1(Tsofph Concept ) that Sonic, Punch and Gilgamesh are the same. Especially Sonic is based on my childhood personality means Sonic is the version of King Gilgamesh when he was just a little boy back then.

Sonic Prime show very clearly about Sonic's body language. His hands are trembling. And the stumble and grief-filled eyes and guilt-ridden trembling voice. [Gilgamesh lost everything and he knew he can't come back to who he used to be. The same way for what happened to Prime!Sonic too] Gilgamesh's state is worst than Sonic and Punch's. He was already broken down(But because he's non-human so he's not showing emotion the same way as humans do.) That's why Peter and Punch made a decision together to be always on Gilgamesh's side even though he's very annoying. P

#sakuraswordly #punch whalen #Tsofph Gilgamesh #tsubasa of phantasia #Tsofph Season 10(Chapter2 Fake World)#analysis #Who is the tragic the most? Gilgamesh. Who is the most innocent in the group? Sonic. Who lost their original the most? Punch.#music analysis

0 notes

ultraericthered · 2 years

Text

Anime Update V2 37

And so another year of anime watching comes to a wrap-up.

Wolf’s Rain - It seems inevitable that we’d eventually end up at an “everyone comes together” episode like this one. The four wolf boys and Blue AND the group of Quent, Hubb, and Cher, all end up inside Darcia’s keep to liberate Cheza from Darcia. After some helpful exposition, we get our anticipated face-off between Kiba and Darcia, with Darcia showing off his wolf eye and how brutal he can be, even fucking throwing Cheza across the room when she tries to go back to Kiba. Quent tries to shoot the wolves but to his horror he’s blocked by Blue, whose eyes tell him everything he does not want to know. And then all of a sudden, dozens of Lady Jagura’s airships bombard the shit out of the keep, Darcia perishes with Harmona in his arms in a flash of light, Cher, Hubb, Blue and Cheza are captured by the troops, and Kiba fails his leap, only getting separated from the pack.

Hunter x Hunter - The Yorknew City/Phantom Troupe arc came to its conclusion with an exchange of hostages, Kurapika finally striking true at the heart of the lead spider Chrollo (but not killing him, just making him unable to use Nen without dying), Hisoka gets his own comeuppance when he finds the fight with Chrollo he craved so badly would now be no longer worth it, the Spiders get the message (from poor Pakunoda literally giving up her life to make sure they get it) and retreat from their criminal operations, Chrollo is left stranded far away, and now Gon and Killua can finally get to Greed Island!

Fruits Basket - Rewatched the New Years episode due to timing.

Rozen Maiden - And thus do I end Rozen Maiden with the final episode of this final anime. I’m gonna be real: if you stopped this episode at its halfway mark and then just finished with that 7 dolls storybook’s ending, it would feel like a perfectly satisfying and conclusive end to the story. Not every thread is tied up, but adult Jun’s story reached the outcome it needed to. But unfortunately the episode tries to set up a potential second season or a movie that will resolve the cliffhanger it leaves on, which ended up not happening ‘cause the anime tanked and killed any interest in the franchise that was left. And again, it all goes back to that godawful premiere. The first episode is to blame for why viewers wouldn’t get invested in this show, they were turned off and didn’t know what they missed out on. It sucks that Rozen Maiden had to fizzle out like this, but all three anime series’ plus the two part OVA were certainly worth my time.

Fate Zero - Tokiomi defeats and seemingly killed Kariya by burning him and sending him falling off the building, but Kirei finds him where he landed and decides to heal him, clearly giving into some of the dark urges Gilgamesh told him about. When the Chthulhu demon is transported to the right position, Saber unleashes her fullest power Noble Phantasm, using Excalibur to finally kill Caster along with his beast. Afterwards we see Rider and Gilgamesh discuss whether Saber's life as king was epic or tragic before they take their leave.

Senki Zesshou Symphogear - The apocalyptic epicness, heart-pounding peril, and emotional sincerity even in the face of absurdity continued riding high in this first series finale. It came together so well with so many great set pieces, solid payoffs, downright gorgeous animation, a rockin’ soundtrack, and an appropriately intense final boss fight against Finé and her great red serpent, and then one last challenge that really called to mind the finale of Amphibia. If I had any criticism to level, it’d be that some aspects of the last act got notably rushed. I liked the ideas behind what they gave us with Finé's exit (her actually dying in Ryoko Sakurai’s persona rather than her own evil goddess one) and the very end of the episode (Hibiki and Miku finally watch the shooting stars!), but the pacing felt off - Finé goes from totally bonkers to totally at peace after a few lines from Hibiki, and the very end felt like something they probably wouldn't have done if they knew for sure there was going to be more seasons; the three Sympho Girls return and Hibiki and Miku’s reunion could've easily carried its own premiere episode. So if that’s down the drain, how will the next series start? Well, I’m going to find that out in 2023!

AMC: Moriarty the Patriot - It was the “A Study In Scarlet” two parter, a very loose adaptation of the first ever Sherlock Holmes story where Holmes meets Watson and the two become mystery solving partners. Because of this, it’s presented as very much a Holmes and Watson story, with the Brothers Moriarty barely factoring into it aside from masterminding the crime. The underrated Theo Devaney excels at voicing Holmes, and joining him are Ryan Colt Levy as Watson, David Matranga as George Lestrade, Ian Sinclair as Tobias Gregson, and Suzie Yeung as a distractingly Beato-esque Miss Hudson.

Tokyo Godfathers - Five years since I first saw this anime Christmas classic from Satoshi Kon, I got to see the 2019 English dub version! And they did a stellar job, casting unknowns as the three leads who were all natural fits for the parts they were playing. My memory of the movie itself was sort of hazy, but I remember it being good and wow, was it just as good as I recalled. Such an unconventional set-up for a holiday flick and with some dark and troublesome subject matter, but by the end you just can’t help smiling and feeling like the magical spirit of the holidays has overtaken you, just as it did those three bums and all the people they’d met with.

AND

New Years Special: Dragon Ball Z, New Year’s Evil - This...is going to warrant its own post. Because oh my God, was this bad!

#Anime Update V2 #Anime Update

1 note · View note

artdaily7 · 4 years

Text

The Season of Phantasmal Peace by Derek Walcott

And men could not see, looking up, what the wild geese drew, what the ospreys trailed behind them in silvery ropes that flashed in the icy sunlight; they could not hear battalions of starlings waging peaceful cries, bearing the net higher, covering this world like the vines of an orchard, or a mother drawing the trembling gauze over the trembling eyes of a child fluttering to sleep; it was the light that you will see at evening on the side of a hill in yellow October, and no one hearing knew what change had brought into the raven's cawing, the killdeer's screech, the ember-circling chough such an immense, soundless, and high concern for the fields and cities where the birds belong, except it was their seasonal passing, Love, made seasonless, or, from the high privilege of their birth, something brighter than pity for the wingless ones below them who shared dark holes in windows and in houses, and higher they lifted the net with soundless voices above all change, betrayals of falling suns, and this season lasted one moment, like the pause between dusk and darkness, between fury and peace, but, for such as our earth is now, it lasted long.

Paul Gauguin 1893 The Moon and the Earth, oil on canvas, Museum of Modern Arts, NY

#The Season of Phantasmal Peace #Derek Walcott #Walcott #Paul Gauguin #Gauguin #The Moon and the Earth #Art #Poetry #Fine Arts #Poems #Painting #Modern Arts #Then all the nations of birds lifted together the huge net of the shadows of this earth

7 notes · View notes

punksouthie · 3 years

Text

tag game rules: tag anybody you want to get to know better!

tagged by @explosionshark

four ships: faith/buffy from btvs ofcourse. yennefer/geralt from the witcher (the books especially) i love how emotionally constipated they are. rory/jess from gilmore girls and mulder/scully from txf.

last song: central park blues - ultimate painting

last film: batman: mask of the phantasm (i am an avid superhero comics fan unfortunately.)

currently reading: rereading catcher in the rye by jd salinger

currently watching: angel season 2

currently consuming: ham sandwich i guess

currently craving: free time… a good vacation… some peace of mind even.

tagging: umm @cillianmurphybf @finalgirlbuffysummers @mixtaper @cryptkeayper

9 notes · View notes

dramaticbackstory · 4 years

Text

I knew watching the end of Adventure Time would be emotional, but like.... here I am!!

I got behind on the seasons while I was in college because I didn’t have cable. Now, on the last day of student teaching, I am ending this show I started watching when I was barely even a kid.

When you go back to those first episodes or glimpse snippets of goofy episodes, you wouldn’t expect it to be such an astonishing epic of animation, such a profound work of storytelling.

Maybe it’s the nostalgia, but I am so impressed by the complexity of the last season: wrapping up so many plots and character arcs, concluding multiple gargantuan themes, yet still remaining immense, provocative, and a kid’s show.

To be about life and living... loving, life, and protecting love... to be about the balance between rejection and embrace...

I love that the final episodes let the characters say, “I’ve grown.” Watching each character be so overt and react to their own development, I realized that I could be more self-congratulatory; I should record and celebrate moments when I realize I’ve changed for the better, grown into myself, developed a real skill, or managed my mental health.

The characters of Adventure Time make an example of their heroic journeys, showing that change is active and challenging and not always pretty or correct. Change takes failing and trying again, many false starts, and breaking a few hearts.

As he sets out for diplomacy between the candy kingdoms, Finn comments on the irony that he, who has always been on the offensive, is out to make a pacific plea for peace. Rather than laughing it off as irony, Finn recognizes that this is character growth. This brief, pause-for-effect realization is at once a comic relief and marker of progress in the show. Finn is older and not only demonstrating maturity, but cognizant of its source.

When it turns out that his decision was a mistake, the character growth is not lost. The series chooses to double down and dig deeper at what it really means to choose peace over chaos and peace over war. It acknowledges the role of the body and mind—the human sacrifice involved in achieving peace. Betty’s failure to grow is a character causes chaos to reign and it is only when she accepts her loss that order is restored.

In its finale, Adventure Time frames its narrative from the distant future not only to create tension and raise the stakes, but to emphasize that what endures is deliberate.

In the story BMO tells, the emphasis is not on who lost or who won, who died or who survived, but who changed. The young heroes ask what happened to Finn and Princess Bubblegum after the war ended—when was the end of the world? They want to know how the story “ended.” But BMO tells them, as if it is the most obvious thing in the world, “Eh, you know. They kept living their lives.” Immediately, I was struck with a phantasm of Finn’s future, of PB & Marcie, Jake and his kids, Simon and so on—and all of it the past, too, and so wonderful to be at peace. The show does not tie itself into knots to prove it is wrapped up or to prove it is serious; they are confident in the development of their characters. Or rather, the characters are confident in their development. The viewer can see that, so they can go on and keep living their life, too.

I think my point is that, at first, I chuckled at how overt AT was to have its heroes state their character growth out loud. It seemed so elementary, right? And yet, it wasn’t until this very year that I understood how to enact change in my own life. I still can be afraid to come across as contradictory or to lose some important aspect of myself; I still learn a lesson and make the same mistakes. Growth is transformative, it takes sacrifice, and it is not often simple or obvious. People must change or make change, try to change, and struggle to change. Would that we were remembered, it‘s the real marker of having lived.

#this is so disorganized #but I did not expect to be writing an essay at midnight #essay #journal #thoughts #adventure time

38 notes · View notes

ruknowhere · 4 years

Text

The Season of Phantasmal Peace Then all the nations of birds lifted together the huge net of the shadows of this earth in multitudinous dialects, twittering tongues, stitching and crossing it. They lifted up the shadows of long pines down trackless slopes, the shadows of glass-faced towers down evening streets, the shadow of a frail plant on a city sill— the net rising soundless as night, the birds' cries soundless, until there was no longer dusk, or season, decline, or weather, only this passage of phantasmal light that not the narrowest shadow dared to sever. And men could not see, looking up, what the wild geese drew, what the ospreys trailed behind them in silvery ropes that flashed in the icy sunlight; they could not hear battalions of starlings waging peaceful cries, bearing the net higher, covering this world like the vines of an orchard, or a mother drawing the trembling gauze over the trembling eyes of a child fluttering to sleep; it was the light that you will see at evening on the side of a hill in yellow October, and no one hearing knew what change had brought into the raven's cawing, the killdeer's screech, the ember-circling chough such an immense, soundless, and high concern for the fields and cities where the birds belong, except it was their seasonal passing, Love, made seasonless, or, from the high privilege of their birth, something brighter than pity for the wingless ones below them who shared dark holes in windows and in houses, and higher they lifted the net with soundless voices above all change, betrayals of falling suns, and this season lasted one moment, like the pause between dusk and darkness, between fury and peace, but, for such as our earth is now, it lasted long.

Derek Walcott, "The Season of Phantasmal Peace" from Collected Poems: 1948-1984

#Derek Walcott #poem

23 notes · View notes

rohan025700 · 3 years

Text

SIX ROMANTIC PLACES TO VISIT IN GOA FOR HONEYMOON

The tiny state of India, Goa offers plenty of opportunities to you and your better half to create beautiful memories together with your Goa tour package for couples. Whether you desire a private and enjoyable exclusive holiday or you want to have fun under the glitzy sky, Picnicwale curates the best Goa Honeymoon Package for couples.

Best Time to Visit Goa For Honeymoon

Goa enjoys a tropical climate. The best time to go is the winter season and that is the time whilst maximum vacationers arrive. May to October are monsoon months and maximum places, water sports and adventure activities are closed throughout these months. The summers should be warm and humid. However, this additional way that you may avail of notable costs in your Goa tour packages for couples and Picnicwale assures a memorable Goa Honeymoon.

Best Places To Visit In Goa For Honeymoon

• Beaches:

Goa is popular across the world for its beaches and it's miles, the pinnacle enchantment in any Honeymoon Trip to Goa. There’s something very stunning approximately around those best beaches which you can not assist however get attracted to it. Calangute is the most important beach in Goa and possibly one of the best Goa Honeymoon Places. It is nearly usually bustling with vacationers. With honeymoon tour packages for Goa, Couples can loosen up on the beach or play spherical beach volleyball or have a luxurious meal at the various shacks here, you're certain to have an awesome time. Other famous beaches close by are Anjuna Beach, Candolim Beach, Baga Beach, and Aguada Beach. While the times are supposed for a few frolicking withinside the sand, the beaches come to existence at night time whilst many parties, stay music, and performances are prepared here. Do now no longer pass over the nights at the beach in your couple's honeymoon tour to Goa.

• Basilica of Bom Jesus:

Visiting and praying at this anciental church is a notable manner to begin your marital existence. This 16th-century church is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Entombed in this church are the stays of St. Francis Xavier. And amazingly, the stays remain in notable circumstances even after such a lot of centuries. Apart from the spiritual significance, the structure of the construction is awe-inspiring and is an imposing legacy of the Portuguese. It may be an enriching experience for couples on a Goa Honeymoon trip.

• Fort Aguada:

Like many architectural wonders in this nation, Fort Aguada, too, was constructed with the aid of the Portuguese to protect against the Dutch and Maratha armies. Aguada Fort is positioned at the beach lines of the Mandovi River, close to Candolim Beach. With comprehensively deliberate Goa honeymoon packages, couples can go to Fort Aguada to witness the wonderful memories of Goa. The construction of additional homes is certainly considered one among the most important freshwater reservoirs in Asia. A lighthouse at the shore is taken into consideration to be one of the oldest in Asia.

• Evening Cruise:

A romantic evening cruise over the rippling waters is a great way to unwind together along with your partner and have to be blanketed on your Goa honeymoon packages. Most cruises go away from Miramar Beach. There are many methods to revel in a cruise and everyone is unique. Sunset cruises can help you witness the putting solar in all its gorgeousness and glory. Dinner cruises provide a non-public and romantic meal with the glittering waters imparting a surprising backdrop. Many leisure cruises have casinos and stay performances onboard. Take your choice and encompass it on your Goa tour packages for couples.

• Dudhsagar Falls:

Milky white water, cascading through many layers offers the phantasm of a toppled milk tumbler and for this reason the name. The sound of the gushing waters fills you with tremendous peace and we're certain which you and your accomplice will love the region a lot.

• Thalassa:

This place is pretty famous among the couples on their honeymoons. Rocky cliffs standing tall towards the sturdy waves of the Arabian Sea, Thalassa is dotted with several world-magnificence eating places and old fashioned cafes. These eateries serve a number of the maximum delectable seafood dishes. An excellent manner to unwind in your Goa honeymoon package.

Picnicwale presents exclusive Honeymoon Packages in Goa with prices not more than anywhere else and will surely suit everyone’s pocket. Book Goa Packages for Couple now to get the other exciting offers and discounts.

#Goa Tour #Honeymoon Tour in Goa #Beautiful Places #Budget Friendly Tour #Amazing View #Memorable Moments #Awesome Beaches

2 notes · View notes

lilacsandfireflies · 3 years

Text

The Season Of Phantasmal Peace

BY DEREK WALCOTT

Then all the nations of birds lifted together the huge net of the shadows of this earth in multitudinous dialects, twittering tongues, stitching and crossing it. They lifted up the shadows of long pines down trackless slopes, the shadows of glass-faced towers down evening streets, the shadow of a frail plant on a city sill— the net rising soundless as night, the birds' cries soundless, until there was no longer dusk, or season, decline, or weather, only this passage of phantasmal light that not the narrowest shadow dared to sever. And men could not see, looking up, what the wild geese drew, what the ospreys trailed behind them in silvery ropes that flashed in the icy sunlight; they could not hear battalions of starlings waging peaceful cries, bearing the net higher, covering this world like the vines of an orchard, or a mother drawing the trembling gauze over the trembling eyes of a child fluttering to sleep; it was the light that you will see at evening on the side of a hill in yellow October, and no one hearing knew what change had brought into the raven's cawing, the killdeer's screech, the ember-circling chough such an immense, soundless, and high concern for the fields and cities where the birds belong, except it was their seasonal passing, Love, made seasonless, or, from the high privilege of their birth, something brighter than pity for the wingless ones below them who shared dark holes in windows and in houses, and higher they lifted the net with soundless voices above all change, betrayals of falling suns, and this season lasted one moment, like the pause between dusk and darkness, between fury and peace, but, for such as our earth is now, it lasted long. Derek Walcott, "The Season of Phantasmal Peace" from Collected Poems: 1948-1984. Copyright © 1987 by Derek Walcott. Used by permission of Farrar, Straus & Giroux, LLC, http://us.macmillan.com/fsg. All rights reserved.

#poetry #derek walcott #bird #animal #autumn #nature

3 notes · View notes

weirdtrek · 5 years

Text

Star Trek episodes to watch before PICARD airs

Best of Both Worlds parts 1 & 2 Iconic episodes, and very important for Picard’s character arc throughout TNG, as well as Picard, I suspect.

Family Just as he returned to Chateau Picard in season 4′s Family, I am very excited to see Jean Luc circle back to his roots at the start of Picard. It’s the only other time we see him consider leaving Starfleet, so I'm very interested to discover what happened between Nemesis and Picard that compelled our former captain to retire.

Unification parts 1 & 2 With the Romans featuring prominently in Picard, I think that this story stands out amongst other Romulan-centric episodes because it’s about an underground peace movement. Will the Romans be a new addition to the Federation?

I, Borg Hugh! Is it possible for Borg drones to regain their individuality? Picard certainly has an opinion on the matter...

Descent part 2 Listen, I won't include part 1 in this because the story doesn't get going til part 2 anyway. Data is feeling things, Lore is back, and so is Hugh!

The Inner Light Picard lives out a whole other lifetime, a disturbing concept, yet poignant. And that flute.

Phantasms or Birthright Dreams seem to feature heavily in Picard if we are to go off of the trailers. Data can dream, yet who is the dreamer in Picard?

All Good Things… It’s the end! Well, not quite...

Nemesis Where we last left our heroes. Data finds a new long-lost brother, B4. The Romulans are attacked in possibly the most gruesome way in Star Trek history?? Picard wrestles with the inevitability of growing older, and loss. Data faces his own mortality, and our Enterprise bridge crew say their last goodbyes. For now.

The Gift About Seven’s first attempt to come to grips with her humanity.

Unimatrix Zero Parts 1 & 2 More Borg Queen, more tests of Seven’s loyalty to her new collective.

#star trek #picard #PIC #TNG #VOY

422 notes · View notes

nyxshadowhawk · 4 years

Text

Best of Nox Arcana Playlist

Nox Arcana is by far my favorite music artist, and since I’m desperate for Halloween season to begin and can’t wait any more, here’s my Best Of playlist! I think every album is represented here except for the collab albums, the Doctor Arcana soundtrack, and Blackthorn Asylum (since that’s the only main album I don’t have a single song from). This list is about three hours worth of music, so strap in!

1. We Are Legion, Legion of Shadows: Every Nox Arcana album begins with a narration track that introduces the album’s theme and story. Of all of them, I decided to go with this one for the Best Of playlist, because I think that it encapsulates Nox Arcana and those who love it.

2. Night of the Wolf, Transylvania: Nox Arcana’s most famous track, by far. Also one of their most distinctive! The lyrics translate as, “The moon is the mistress, werewolves of evil / powers and destroying, incarnated wolf. / Wheel [or chariot], life, nightmare, vein / Sea [or likely “nightmare” again], devil, death, life.” (volkodlak, which means werewolf, is Slavic. “Mara,” meaning nightmare, is Germanic. “Dracul” speaks for itself. The rest is Latin)

3. Labyrinth of Dreams, Grimm Tales: My personal favorite Nox Arcana track, which I first discovered through this video. It is so ethereal and haunting, and absolutely screams “Halloween” to me.

4. Into the Night, Legion of Shadows: Another personal favorite of mine, and a really spooky piece. I love it for its fast pace, and I think it sounds both unsettling and exciting.

5. Shadow Dance, Season of the Witch: This is the best Season of the Witch track, in my opinion. I actually like a lot of Season of the Witch tracks, but I left most of them off this list. Season of the Witch sounds kind of like a Spiritual Successor to Grimm Tales, with that same distinctly autumnal and Halloweeny atmosphere. This piece in particular epitomizes that.

6. The Quest Begins, Blood of the Dragon: Nox Arcana has a tendency to start sounding the same after a while, but about once per album there’s a piece like this one, that sounds completely unlike anything else they’ve written. This piece is unique for how unusually optimistic it sounds. If you knew nothing about this piece, you could easily guess that it was about noble knights setting off on a quest, couldn’t you? I love the drums, and the dramatic vocals work really well.

7. Legacy of Sorrow, Shadow of the Raven: The title of this piece sounds like it could be Part 3 of Soma Cruz’s story, but I think it’s kind of an underrated gem. I like its melancholy, lilting melody, and I also like the organ that comes in midway through. This piece is just kind of everything you’d expect in a Nox Arcana track.

8. Echoes of Elise, Ebonshire: Nox Arcana’s haunting rendition of “Fur Elise,” which is very ethereal and eerie. It also has the same “aesthetic” of falling snow that permeates this album. It’s really beautiful.

9. The Hidden Realm, Legion of Shadows: One of two pre-existing tracks to be used on the Doctor Arcana soundtrack. It’s spooky, but also kind of calming and peaceful. It’s also definitely got a fantastical flavor to it.

10. The Raven, Shadow of the Raven: The title track, named for Edgar Allen Poe’s classic poem. This was the first Nox Arcana track I downloaded once I rediscovered it, almost by accident. I love this piece. Its melody is simple and repeats over and over again, but it works, almost resembling the structure of a song. I love the violin solo in the middle, which sort of acts as the “bridge.” My one complaint is that it’s much too short to actually recite “The Raven.”

11. Ebonshire, Winter’s Knight: Back before Ebonshire was an album unto itself, there was this track from Winter’s Knight. This piece definitely calls to mind the image of a spooky forest with tall, straight black trees and slight snowfall. It’s a very different vibe from the autumnal forest of Grimm Tales. It’s also peaceful and mystical, like “The Hidden Realm.”

12. Hearthside Lullaby, Ebonshire: What a gorgeous piece. This is another outlier among Nox Arcana’s music in that, while it’s still a haunting piece, it isn’t grim or sinister. It’s soft, almost cozy, like snuggling into a blanket by a fire when there’s a snowstorm outside, and drifting off to sleep. It’s another one that sounds like it should have lyrics. This is my favorite Ebonshire track.

13. Masque of the Red Death, Shadow of the Raven: “There were much glare and glitter and piquancy and phantasm [...] There were delirious fancies such as the madman fashions. There were much of the beautiful, much of the wanton, much of the bizarre, something of the terrible, and not a little of that which might have excited disgust.” The lilting waltz, the spooky organ, the sinister chiming of the clock. The multitude of dreams! This is the ultimate dark masquerade music, if you ask me. It totally does Poe’s story justice. You can totally imagine the masked dancers twirling, the dimly lit colored chambers, the infiltration of the deadly disease... you know what, never mind, that hit a bit too close to home.

14. Haunted, The Dark Tower: I think The Dark Tower is my favorite album, because there are more tracks from that album on this list than any other one (including Legion of Shadows). This is among the Nox Arcana pieces that I would call genuinely unsettling, as opposed to just spooky or dark. This piece is creepy and almost threatening, like something is out to get you.

15. Haunted Carousel, Carnival of Lost Souls: One of the highlights of this album for me! Carnival is definitely the most unsettling album. Listening to “Calliope” alone in the dark put such disturbing images in my head that I actually stopped listening, which is saying something. That’s not on this list because I don’t like to listen to it, but this one is, because I like this one a lot better. It’s plenty creepy, and it sounds like a nightmarish carousel. Even if you didn’t know the album theme, you’d know after listening to this.

16. The Dark Tower, The Dark Tower: ABANDON ALL HOPE, YE WHO ENTER HERE. The title track of The Dark Tower, and an awesome track in every sense. This just perfectly encapsulates the sinister majesty that is the Dark Tower and all the lore that goes with it.

17. Magic and Moonlight, Winter’s Eve: I think most fans agree that this track is one of the best on this album. What really needs to be said? It’s all in the title. I have to say that some of the most breathtaking moons I’ve seen have been at the beginning of February, with fresh snowfall. There is nothing like the shadows of trees on snow in the moonlight. You just know that the gods are meeting up to dance in it when you’re not watching.

18. Crimson Thirst, The Dark Tower: Why did I put this one on here? It’s pretty unremarkable, since there are a lot of other tracks like it, but this one sticks with me. This one gets stuck in my head and haunts me through the rest of the day. Honestly, all the Dark Tower tracks are excellent.

19. Virtuoso, The Haunted Symphony: The Haunted Symphony is Nox Arcana’s most recent album, and I’ve been slowly warming up to it. Its soundscape is similar to The Dark Tower and Legion, with a truly gothic flavor. This piece is just so impassioned, I can completely believe that it expresses the mad inspiration of a tortured artist (as it’s meant to in-universe).

20. Necromancer, Theater of Illusion: Theater of Illusion is a great album, and I’m really glad it’s getting more of a presence (and maybe even new lore?) in the Doctor Arcana games. This is another really fast-paced piece. I honestly think the beginning with the fast chimes is the best part.

21. Born of the Night, The Dark Tower: I mean, come on, it’s “Born of the Night”! It kind of speaks for itself, doesn’t it? Creatures of the Night rising to take over the world, shadowy choirs, the hordes of nocturnal beasts silhouetted against the moon, a Dark Lord or Dark Lady commanding them all from his/her castle, young vampires swooning in the rapture of fresh blood... There’s something so ecstatic about this piece.

22. After Hours, Carnival of Lost Souls: I wasn’t really sure if I should put this one here, but honestly, its clock-like, rhythmic chiming so jarring that it doesn’t matter where I put it. This is another really unsettling piece, both because of the chiming and also because of the creepy whispers, and I’m not exactly sure what it makes me think of. Wandering a dark labyrinth, probably. In some ways, it reminds me of The Night Circus, although the Night Circus isn’t sinister. This piece definitely stands out.

23. Dark Desire, The Dark Tower: What is this piece about? Lost love? Insatiable lust? A forbidden romance? Bloodthirst? All of the above? Whatever it is you desire, it’s clear that you’re fighting it, and you’re losing. It’s going to overtake you soon, and when it does, you’d better pray to whatever god you believe in that it doesn’t end badly for you.

24. Lords of the Night, The Haunted Symphony: This one’s along the same lines as “Born of the Night,” but stately rather than frenzied. This one is more like vampire lords and ladies gathering on a hilltop on black horses, preparing to tear off across the countryside in pursuit of prey.

25. Noctem Aeternus, The Dark Tower: This is the only concluding track from an album that I’ve put on this list, and if you’re familiar with Nox Arcana, you know what that means. I was genuinely spooked the first time I listened to this all the way through. I remember I was lying in bed reading Tales From the Dark Tower, and it went quiet, and... well, I won’t spoil it.

26. Nocturne, Transylvania: This is one of my favorite Nox Arcana tracks. It just strikes me as perfect. It’s dark and sinister, it’s atmospheric, it’s memorable, and it comes right out of the darkest depths of Überwald.

27. Pandora’s Music Box, Carnival of Lost Souls: Definitely one of the best Carnival tracks, and one of the best of Nox Arcana’s selection of creepy music box pieces. It has such a distinctive melody. Slowly, other instruments and vocals arise to compliment the music box, keeping things interesting even as it repeats itself.

28. Velvet Darkness, The Haunted Symphony: The first thing that comes to mind when I hear this piece is an empty candelabrum covered in cobwebs, sitting in front of a mirror in a corridor that is completely dark except for a bit of pale, diluted moonlight coming through clouds. I take the candelabrum almost instinctively even though it has no candles in it, and walk down the corridor...

29. Castle Dracula, Transylvania: What an underrated piece! I actually like this one better than “Night of the Wolf.” It screams “vampire.” It perfectly captures the dark majesty of Dracula’s Castle, it’s towers, its dusty halls, its freezing crypts, its gothic windows, its flickering sconces and floor candelabra that are just begging to be hit with a whip... And the Dark Lord on his throne, with a wine glass...

30. Ritual of Fire, Season of the Witch: This piece is oddly catchy. It has a great rhythm to it, and I like the percussion. It would be so much fun to dance naked around a Samhain bonfire somewhere deep in a secluded wood, with a bunch of other witches and maybe an incubus or two, or five... We’re definitely summoning or worshipping something, but ultimately, it’s just a party. It’s sinister, but a fun kind of sinister.

31. Rogue’s Hollow, Blood of the Dragon: I was pleasantly surprised when I found this piece. I love medieval-style music. This sounds like the kind of thing your Bard would play when you and your party are resting around a fire in the woods, in the middle of an epic quest. It’s peaceful. It’s a breather, maybe even a calm before the storm. It would be really easy to do a simple circle dance to.

32. The Forgotten Path, Grimm Tales: This piece sounds very... mystical? Mystical and seductive. I don’t know. It sounds a little like you enter a dark, smoky, perfumed tent and are seduced by scantily-clad women who probably want your blood, or your soul... It also sounds a bit like being escorted to an initiation ceremony by veiled women down a dark forest path, with little golden lights twinkling around you... It would make a great belly-dance piece. It’s a bit of a departure from the general fairy tale theme of the rest of the album.

33. Unhallowed Halls, Gothic: I think this is my favorite piece from Gothic. I don’t know why, it just is. It’s got a nice mix of piano, organ, strings, and harpsichord. And spooky vocals, because of course. Overall it’s a pretty standard Nox Arcana piece, but like “Crimson Thirst,” it stuck with me.

34. Mysterium, Theater of Illusion: This is the piece from Theater, and I will never understand why it wasn’t used anywhere on the Doctor Arcana soundtrack. I guess because it’s used for the album puzzle? But there isn’t a single track from Theater on Arcana’s soundtrack, even though the game ties into the lore of Theater. Anyway, this track should have been there. It should have been there because it just sounds occult, distinctly mystical, eerie, vaguely threatening but more weighty (like an initiation) than unsettling. This is an auspicious ritual, and you’re here to witness its secrets.

35. The Nameless City, Necronomicon: I haven’t listened to too much of this album, but this track really stood out to me and stayed in my head. It’s based on Lovecraft’s story of the same name, in which an explorer finds an ancient, ruined city and descends into its catacombs to discover it belonged to a lost civilization of pre-human reptile people. Because Lovecraft. This piece really sounds like film soundtrack, the track that plays when you’re on the cusp of discovering the information mankind was not meant to know. The paranoia that permeates all of Lovecraft’s work is definitely there, but it’s kind of exciting, too. You just have to know! It builds and builds until it ends with a gong.

36. Twilight, Grimm Tales: This is what I meant by “autumnal.” You can hear it, can’t you? It’s sunset in the woods, and the orange glow of the setting sun is magnificent through the mostly bare trees. The leaves crunch underfoot, with their distinctive crisp smell. The night creatures are coming out, some benign, others not so much.

37. Once Upon a Nightmare, Grimm Tales: This is one of my favorite tracks from Grimm Tales. I don’t know why I love it so much. It slowly gets more dramatic, alternating between the glockenspiel and the strings, with male backing vocals for once. It’s just the right mixture of adventurous and spooky. I love listening to it in the forest at dusk.

38. Memento Mori, Transylvania: One of the best chime/music box pieces, in my opinion. I don’t think it’s as good as “Pandora’s Music Box,” but it really grew on me after I got Transylvania.

39. Saturnalia, Winter’s Majesty: This is such a great piece to dance to. I love how it starts as a slow, medieval-ish circle dance and then picks up! There’s even clapping sounds on the rhythm. Although it’s still spooky, it puts you in the mood of a fun winter festival.

40. Gifts of the Magi, Winter’s Eve: I don’t actually know why I picked this one. I like a lot of tracks on Winter’s Eve, and “lighter” Nox Arcana pieces in general. My favorite is “Greensleeves,” but that one felt too “Christmasy” for this list. This one is better, being a bit spookier and kind of mystical whilst still being on the lighter end. It sounds like it casts the Three Kings more as wizards than kings or priests.

41. Veil of Darkness, Darklore Manor: One of only two tracks I have from Nox Arcana’s debut album. It’s a pretty standard spooky Nox Arcana piece, but a good one nonetheless.

42. Lullaby, Winter’s Knight: Another one of my favorite chime/music box pieces. Unlike “Hearthside Lullaby,” it sounds less like an actual lullaby, and more like a piece to accompany an animatronic ballerina.

43. Nightshade (Single): One of the newest wintery pieces from Nox Arcana. I like this one almost as much as “Hearthside Lullaby.” It’s also on the lighter side of things, but I like that it’s more otherworldly than spooky. It’s like exploring a frosty garden during a light snowfall.

44. Undying Love, The Dark Tower: Wow, what an unnerving piece to be titled “Undying Love.” It sounds downright threatening, and maybe a little tragic. That handsome vampire you’re dancing with is definitely going to sink his fangs into your neck. Or maybe this vampire’s sunk into despair because the humans killed his wife again.

45. Brides to Darkness, Transylvania: Speaking of vampires and their loves, there’s this haunting tribute to Dracula’s brides. They are beautiful, ethereal, and dangerous. I love that this piece is almost entirely vocals in the first half, and then the creepy harpsichord comes in.

46. Legion of Shadows, Legion of Shadows: The title track. Plenty spooky with that organ. Similar to “Born of the Night” in that the night creatures are rising up to take over the world or get vengeance, but this time you’re the night creature and it’s something to be proud of. Honestly, I wish this album had more context. Who’s Lorelei, and what happened to her?

47. The High Seas, Phantoms of the High Seas: This was one of the standout tracks from this album for me. Like “The Quest Begins,” it sounds distinctly adventurous, but more sinister than optimistic. We’re setting out over sea instead of land this time, and the sea is brutally unforgiving.

48. Dreamscape, Legion of Shadows: Another really spooky piece that’s kind of unlike anything else Nox Arcana has produced. It definitely has the quality of exploring an eerie, surreal landscape, like an alien planet. This isn’t the Poe album, but it sort of reminds me of Poe’s poem “Dream-Land,” which I think is super underrated.

49. Black Sails, Phantoms of the High Seas: Another piece from this album that really stood out to me. I really like the instrumentation. I like the harp, and the stringed instrument in the middle that sounds like the guitar used in the “winter” pieces... is that what it is, a guitar? Whatever it is, it has such a unique sound.

50. Grimstone Manor, Gothic: This piece lives up to the album’s name. That church organ really hits you. This is another classic example of Nox Arcana, with the organ and piano and vocals and everything. It’s one of the best pieces from Gothic.

51. Shadowplay, Theater of Illusion: This is definitely my favorite piece from Theater, and one of my favorite Nox Arcana pieces overall. I love how energetic and fast-paced it is, and I can easily imagine an umbrakinetic dancing on a stage, manipulating the shadows on the wall as they do. They conjure writing tendrils, shadowy dragons, swarms of bats and crows that they send out into the audience with a flourish... I think this piece is just so much fun!

52. Gypsy Caravan, Transylvania: There are a lot of these types of pieces across Nox Arcana’s albums. Like “The Forgotten Path,” it sounds seductive and smoky. This would also make for a great belly-dance piece, and it’s fun to listen to while reading Vargo’s Gothic Tarot or the Madame Endora deck.

53. Highland Storm, Blood of the Dragon: What’s this? Nox Arcana does a Celtic piece? With bagpipes? There is absolutely nothing else like this in Nox Arcana’s repertoire. It sounds so unlike their usual work, I probably wouldn’t guess it was Nox Arcana if I didn’t know better. I love it. It makes for a great medieval-battle-style piece, and was a lot of fun to listen to in Scotland.

54. Temple of the Black Pharaoh, Necronomicon: This is a really spooky Egyptian-style piece, that instantly transports you to dusty sealed tombs that almost certainly have curses. The whispered chanting consists of the names of Egyptian gods, and Nyarlathotep. (Nyarlathotep, Atum, Osiris, Set, Amon-Ra. Nyarlathotep, Khonsu, Anubis, Set, Amon-Ra.)

55. Sanctuary of Shadows, Darklore Manor: Another really creepy organ piece, and the other one I have from Darklore Manor. I’m not sure whether it makes me think of the atrium of a haunted Victorian mansion, or a secret temple where shadowy people conduct rituals, or vampires and their attendant beasts, or what.

56. Autumn Dusk, Season of the Witch: I don’t know why I chose this one over “Bell, Book, and Candle” or “Mystic Circle” or any of the other ones I like from this album. I guess the clue is in the name. Like “Twilight” and “Shadow Dance,” it just sounds like autumn. Like the setting in Over the Garden Wall, but even spookier.

57. Pax Terra, Winter’s Eve: Another piece that sounds unlike anything else Nox Arcana has produced. It’s almost entirely choral, except for the sound of church bells, and it’s pretty. It has a kind of bittersweet optimism to it, and it’s moving. I’ve actually cried listening to it. Its lyrics are Latin, and translate as: “Everlasting God, life on the forest floor, eternal sacred earth -- tree glory, life [of] the nourishing mother, eternal sacred earth -- incarnate, hail blessings, glory to Nox Arcana [night secrets] -- To the threshold of time, follow the song, glory to Nox Arcana!” The grammar isn’t perfect, but it’s still beautiful, profound, and usually uplifting.

58. Dark Embrace, The Haunted Symphony: I remember when this album was released last year, and I thought to myself, “Have they seriously not written a piece called ‘Dark Embrace’ yet?” And man, what a piece for that title! This is definitely my favorite track from this album. Technically, it’s the same melody as “Virtuoso,” but with strings instead of piano. While “Virtuoso” sounds like a standard (although memorable) Nox Arcana piece, this one is unique and striking.

59. Toccata, Legion of Shadows: What better to close off with than “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor”? I actually have no idea how this piece came to be associated with vampires; its first use in film was for a Jekyll and Hyde adaptation, meanwhile the famous Bela Lugosi Dracula film begins with... the Swan Lake theme, of all things??? So, I don’t know how this became the “vampire music,” but I’m glad it did. Nox Arcana’s cover begins with the classic organ, but most of it is piano with some strings, eventually bringing in harpsichord before returning to the organ. There are spooky vocals and some tolling bells for effect.

If you made it to the end of this list, I commend you, and I’m interested to hear what everyone else’s “best of Nox Arcana” playlists include. Nox Arcana is the best!

29 notes · View notes