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The Resting Place of Dreams

by A Compendium of Curiosities

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    fiadh.bandcamp.com/album/the-resting-place-of-dreams

    EU/UK, please order from Vita Detestabilis Records: vitadetestabilisrecords.bandcamp.com

    *please note that tapes will be received and sent by the end of February

    Includes unlimited streaming of The Resting Place of Dreams via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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about

"A prince of a southern kingdom in an ancient land forgotten by history, returns to find his home in disarray. Due to old age and sickness his father has retreated from affairs, leaving to him the burden of running things, of which he has been unprepared. Chaos breaks out in the meantime as the threat of an imminent invasion propels the people of the kingdom to rise up against the impotent leadership of the elites. As they flee the city, the prince pleads allegience to the new order of the people much to the disdain of the elders in the family who do not desire to see their powers slip away. The prince laments the loss of his old life devoted to knowledge and the arts while he begins to realize that it was only possible due to the privileges gained by the position, wealth and influence of his family. He is torn between this realization and being beholden to a destiny and place he does not want to be. At the same time, he is hunted by demons in the waking hours of the day, abominable beings that attack him when no one is seeing, forcing him to constantly fight for his life. He concludes that it must be a curse placed to him by a magician hired by an elder.

He tries to research the matter to no avail by confronting and interrogating several magicians, however in the process he discovers a secret cabal of idealist magi which seek to end tyranny and injustice in the land. They reveal to him that his proclivity for knowledge and beauty translates to magical aptitude when it is properly aligned and begin to teach him the Great Arts. They stress that this kind of energy is always dependent on outward, expansive action and at the moment one becomes too much entangled into their own web of affairs it slips away abruptly. Despite this, they are unable to dispel the curse and the demons, though weakened, still lurk in the shadows. It is revealed that the only one who can accomplish this task is an otherwordly non-human entity which presides in a far away, forgotten temple called the Mausoleum of Dreams. They entrust him with the quest of completing the trials demanded by this entity called The Arbiter to receive its blessing.

The prince, who now answers to the new-given name of Ashdana (the re-enchanted one) rides towards the southernmost penisula of the land, a hostile cold desert filled with moving dunes. At the point of exhaustion for him and his trusted mount an awe inducing rock formation, tall and harmonious as if having being chieseled by giants, appears in the horizon. Mysteriously though it slips out of vision and appears into another direction anytime he ventures too close, until he understands with his new insight that the only way the temple can be reached is with his eyes shut off. Indeed in darkness he touches the cold stone and climbs until he enters one of the catacombs. Majestic and eerie carvings in unknown languages adorn the walls, revealed by the moonlight as it enters through colourful glass windows. A large room emerged at the end of the corridor and inside it lied only a plain fountain. A voice appeared then and spoke as if it did not resound from these walls, but from the top of mountains tall as the sky, right through the mind of Ashdana.

"Here in the Graveyard of Dreams, lies the Fountain of Transmutation. Drink to ascend to your next form and cast the darkness away. But you must sacrifice what you hold most dear. If you have courage in your soul, look into the stone and die to be reborn". Ashdana noticed a dim looking gem on the base of the fountain, the only ornament in this simple construction. He took a deep breath and decided there would be no way back, moving closer to focus his eyes on the stone. Images from all of his life were flashing in an enormous speed inside his mind; yet it was like the perspective wasn't of his own, but of everyone else looking at him. He saw through the eyes of his parents, his childhood friends, his first love, even people he barely noticed like the beggar in the street, the poor workers employed in the estate and the eyes of the chained slaves looking through the darkness of underground cells. He screamed as the torrent of information almost tore out his mind. The voice spoke again. "Humans dream all the time; even during the day, they prefer not to see the world as it is, but as what they would prefer it to be. Speak out the greatest untruth you tell to yourself and drink the water to forever lose it. And if you are true you shall receive my blessing". Ashdana lowered his head with regret.

After Ashdana spoke, the fountain, the walls and catacombs all vanished and he realized that he was drinking from a spring of pure water inside the desert. He immidiately felt the dark corners of his mind clear out and quicky climbed at his four legged companion to return into the city, knowing what he had to do. He rode towards his estate with an intent of facing his elders for the injustices that have been carried out by them, towards which he once turned his face away from, but is stopped by the sound of clashing steel. Screaming trumpets announce the return of the King and in his side march the best warriors from the Houses in their full glistening armors, among which he notices the banner of his family. The people, barely armored with tools of the trade and cheap swords in their hands, are fronted by his newfound friends, which notice him and their fiery look turns to worry and doubt as they anticipate his move. Ashdana remembered that look; it was like the one in the eyes of his first love and his childhood friends, who all drifted away from him without being able to articulate exactly why. He tore out the emblem of his family and threw it on the ground. He then unseathed his sword and it seemed to him as if the sound resounded throughout the whole battlefield, covering everything else.

The setting sun spread out a reddish hue that filled the whole valley and mixed with the blood and broken bone and armor. Ashdana climbed up a hill and felt awash by the fading light, which whispered to him. "There is always place for something to be born anew".

credits

released January 13, 2021

This is an album in which I delved (unlike the first ep) into synth sounds and the awesomeness of simple, old school waveforms that can inspire imaginative story-telling despite their ruggedness. Conceived somewhat as a cross between traditional dungeon synth and modern chiptune inspired music, the story is a metaphor for my struggles with anxiety and thus one of the most personal albums I've done recently. Enjoy!

Layout by Shon Vincent
Painting used is "The Graveyard" by Frederick Cayley Robinson

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A Compendium of Curiosities Athens, Greece

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