Sojourns in the Realm of the Undermoon

by Fen Walker

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Fresh Out the Dungeon Electric, energetic dungeon synth compositions with an emphasis on truly synthesized sound

Jay Jordan Fen Walker does it again. High adventure, thrilling songwriting and crispy clean production. Super fun to listen to. And the guitars in “Emerging from the Deeps” are awesome. Favorite track: Emerging From the Deeps Into New Lands 'Neath Strange Suns (Featuring Jeff Black of Encloaked).

Adamanska Another awesome album from Fen Walker. It's my go to soundtrack to code. Favorite track: The Barrows Are Burning.

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Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Behold! Visions From the Scrying Pool!, Fare Thee Well Battle Winds, Hark! The Whispering Dead of the Burial Lake, Sojourns in the Realm of the Undermoon, The Totem Wilds Call Thy Name, and Hail! O' Barrow Lands!. , and , .

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1.	Impossible Ships Sail Upon a Sea Breeze 04:09	lyrics	buy track
Few saw them coming. Those of the scattered tribes who did, thought them merely a vision, perhaps an aberration of cloud. What ship could drift upon the wind? The ships were put out of mind, their daily toil too taxing for fantasies. A woman, known to many as The Wanderess, saw the ships too. They were streaming over the air currents in their dozens, The Totem Wilds and The Wanderess far below them. The woman hastily finished the task at hand, completing the binding rune upon the soil of a grave with the tip of her spear. Surveying her work, she sighed with satisfaction. Her hated enemy would never again inhabit the grim, echoing halls of his mausoleum. Her task complete, she mounted her steed and made east for the barrow lands, where those impossible ships where surely headed.
2.	The Barrows Are Burning 04:12	lyrics	buy track
She had failed. This she knew leagues before she witnessed the destruction with her own eyes. She urged her mount towards a horizon bloody with flame and streaked with pillars of black smoke. She dismounted when she heard the din of men and the roar of flames. The barrows, her sacred charge were ablaze, the spectacular wealth within piled high before one of the sky ships, now grounded. How she wept! Her sorrow became rage and she made to charge these blasphemous raiders. Figures stepped from the shadows of the wood. So many of them! Homeless and without their splendor! Her ancestral fathers, now laid low! Without a word spoken between them, The Wanderess knew what was required of her. She set her beast free and made for the sky ship where her sullied honor could be restored. The fathers watched on for a time, then drifted one by one into the wind.
3.	Skybound I.Honor Reclaimed II. Sabatoge III. Marooned 05:25	lyrics	buy track
She stowed away within the hold of the sky ship with the raiders non the wiser. For a time she walked amongst the treasures, some of which she was familiar. She ran her fingers over artifacts and heirlooms. The treasures of her lineage. She looked about at the mountains of priceless objects. They must be returned, as the fathers had dictated, but how? Suddenly there was a terrible roar and the ship lurched. She was thrown sideways into a mound of coin as vertigo buffeted her. The ship was airborne! She crawled from the treasure and made for the massive wooden door at the rear of the ships hold. She struck at the steel lock with her spear, but the strength of the lock could not be undone. She needed the power of her ancestors. She was digging through the mounds of treasure when two raiders descended a ladder into the hull. They howled with mirth and tossed treasure at one another, intoxicated with both mead and the thrill of their conquest. She saw it the same instant they did, a sharpened point emerging from a heap of rust eaten armor, its honed edge emanating an emerald radiance. The Fang of the Fathers! Her people's most holy weapon, given only to the worthy. The very relic she sought. She charged the men as they reached to touch the weapon. The first man died without a sound, her spear entering the base of his skull and emerging from his left eye. The second man, reacting slowly reached for his sword, but the woman had already pulled the weapon from its scabbard and was bringing it down in a killing blow. Her enemies dead, she made for the weapon. But was she worthy? She wasted no time with her doubts and grasping the weapon, pulled the spear head from the pile of corroded armor. The weapon filled her with warmth and confidence. These fools would fall! Once again, they had succeeded! These lowly isles, with their primitive peoples and their priceless artifacts, They would all belong to the hegemony soon enough. These were the thoughts of the captain, who had allowed his crew to revel in their success. He alone abstained and remained at the bow of the ship, steering it home and to a hero's welcome. But what was this? The ship was loosing ballast! It was drifting too high! Then there was screaming and heat! The captain burst from the cabin and saw the great balloon alight with flame and then there was a flash of green and he was lifted off his feet. The last thing he saw before he died was a beautiful woman looking down at him with a sky of fire behind her. And for some reason, he was worried for his murderer, he hoped she would escape.
4.	The Hundred League Stair/'Neath Fungal Fronds 05:35	lyrics	buy track
The spirits had helped her to ground. Of this she was certain. Of the raiders, not one was left alive. All about her lay the burning wreckage of their air boat. As for the treasure, it has spilled into the sea when she cracked the hull with her spear, its point replaced with the Fang of the Fathers. Now she feared she was no better off than the dead men twisted and burned in the wreckage around her. The island was devoid all life. She wandered for a time, her stomach slowly tightening with hunger, her lips cracking with thirst. On the third day, surely delusion had found her, for she happened upon a flight of stairs leading down into the sea. With nothing keeping her above ground, she escaped the heat of the sun and disappeared into the nether world. She delved down for many days, her path lighted by the glow of The Fang. She drank from rivulets of water running down the cold stone, and ate of the fungal growths sprouting from walls and of the strange insects that skittered across the stones of the endless steps. Then one day, only the fathers knew how many, she found herself at the bottom of the stairs and in a world beyond all imagining. she no longer needed the light of The Fang, for the forest before her glowed with almost blinding intensity. Before her, a cavern expanded to almost imperceptible distances. Massive columns grew from the floor's living rock and disappeared into the darkness above, whilst mushroom festooned stalagmites clustered all about in a forest of stone and fungus. The woman wandered for a time, the beauty of this place intoxicating. So much so, that she hadn't realized she was being watched.
5.	City of Tinkers, City of Machines 03:45	lyrics	buy track
Her back was to the lake. She had seen what lurked in those waters and had no intentions of swimming to the distant city on the other shore. The hunters however, were coming. She could hear the maddening click of their steeds and they charged towards their long hunted prey. She had given them good chase, killed many with traps and others with her spear in small skirmishes amongst the fungal glades. But it seemed the final battle approached. She unhooked her horn from sash and gave it a mighty blast which resounded deeply through the caverns. Then they came rushing and tumbling over the ruins and stones. She held them off fiercely, spearing hunter after hunter, leaving their corpses scattered about. The armor of their mounts were nothing to The Fang, they met the same fate as their masters. But the strength of the woman was failing, it had been a long chase. She screamed as a blade cut into her arm and her spear dropped to the floor with a clatter. Then there were great explosions, the hunters screamed in terror and disappeared into the caverns. The ruins faded away and she fell into darkness with sounds of human voices comforting her as she went. She recovered quickly. The folk of the city were skilled healers. Her reputation had proceeded her. They had heard of an overworlder with a weapon of great power bringing war to the Gultar, the invaders from the deep caverns. She was treated with much respect and awe, even proposed too by important men of the city. To all this she met with polite bewilderment and to the last, gentle refusal. She spent many turns in the city, beneath the pale light of the moon they had manufactured of crystal and mirrors. There were other wonders too: a black powder that could explode and force a stone through a steel tube and into a body; a series of troughs that brought clean water to all parts of the city; and strangest of the all, the boiling of water and the capture of its steam for purposes that made little sense to the woman. it was seasons before the woman thought of home again. In her time below, she brought war against the Gultar, learned the ways of her new people and even found a man. But the memories of home and family are seductive, and the woman had become seduced by them.
6.	The Curio Halls Are a Warren of Devious Populous, Zyrafyna Shall Guide Thee 03:11	lyrics	buy track
The council tried long to convince her against her intended course. But she could not be dissuaded. Her man had been killed by the Gultar in the deciding battle of the war. The Gultar themselves now only a tale to frighten naughty children. Tars, a celebrated hero. There was nothing keeping her there now. What of the child in her womb? they argued. The child was to be born in the light of the sister suns that dwelled over her homeland, she would see to that. Seeing there was no way to keep their champion any longer, they relented. Her journey home would not be an easy one, there were many dangers on the path that led to overworld. A woman heavy with child would surely not make it alone. Zyrafyna would be her guide. She was a strange one this girl, a tireless wanderer of the caverns and a friend of its beasts. Outside the city gates she stopped and knelt at Tars cenotaph. His body had never recovered, the Gultar ate what they could. She would have had his body interred in the mightiest of barrows, but it wasn't the way of the tinkers anyway. She stood and saluted the people of the city who had amassed upon the walls and outside the gates. Their cheers and tearful goodbyes followed her and Zyrafyna far into upper caverns. The Wanderess wept, and the cheers were long silent before her tears dried upon her cheeks. These people were mad! Zyrafyna had saved her life, possibly at the cost of her own. They had come upon The Curio City after many days of travel in the dark. They had been warned by the council to avoid these strange and devious people, but there had been no way around them. They had been welcomed in with open arms and given lavish attention. The woman was given a gown of golden threads and they set a golden ring about her brow, all mothers are queens they said. To all this Zyrafyna watched with disapproval and mistrust. The Wanderess had been charmed. Zyrafyna had tried to warn her, but they had fought. Now, having escaped she wandered in the dark alone, with only the faint glow of fungus to guide her. They had taken her spear and had pierced her abdomen. Twice. They had wanted her child; hideous were the delicacies of their king.
7.	Within Labyrinthine Passages Lurks a Horror 04:33	lyrics	buy track
She was going to birth her child soon, she could feel it. This was no place for her bobbin to enter into life, if it was alive at all. She strove forward, hands tight against the knife wounds in her abdomen. Her steps quickened with a new determination when she saw the glow of light up ahead. Sunlight! She entered a massive chamber, the walls thick with vibrant fungus. Not sunlight. She would have crumpled with disappointment, but she saw a cluster of ear like growths that would staunch the bleeding of her wounds. She made for the glowing cluster, avoiding the deep pool in the chamber's center. She knew what could lurk in the pools of these caverns. She screamed as she packed her wounds with the fungus. Her child kicked within her. Still alive! A contraction brought her to her knees. The pool rippled. Panting, The Wanderess eyed the water. It rippled again. Then the surface exploded. She didn't know of anything but the foulest of sorceries which could have produced such a monstrosity. It was clearly the ancestor of the cavern fish that swim in the low pools, but there was the taint of fungus through its twisted form and, most disturbing of all, a human component about it. There was no time however, for profundities, its was upon her and she hadn't her spear!
8.	Emerging From the Deeps Into New Lands 'Neath Strange Suns (Featuring Jeff Black of Encloaked) 05:14	lyrics	buy track
The Wanderess stared into the massive toothless hole that was the creatures mouth, the deeps of its gullet glowing with white light. She only had time to wonder how painful it would be, consumed by this monster. Its hands grasped her, almost gently, and pulled her towards her death. Then the spear struck. The thing reared back, dropping its meal. Zyrafyna stood at the chamber's opening, sword in hand. The Wanderess stood painfully and made towards the thrashing creature. With a deft motion she snatched her spear from the hideous flesh and felt The Fang of the Fathers fill her with new energy. Zyrafyna was at her side now, they circled the monster as it slashed at them with its strange limbs. Then it was in the pool, and gone. No words were needed, simply an embrace. Then The Wanderess was felled by another contraction. Zyrafyna helped her to her feet and they made for a tunnel at the chamber's far end. They were close to the surface, Zyrafyna could smell it. She could smell something else too: the thing in the pool had re-emerged and was stalking them. They ran and the thing pursued. It had become invigorated, an emerald glow radiated it's bizarre form. It had absorbed power from The Fang! It was far distant, scrabbling over rocks and stalagmites but its speed was incredible, it was closing the distance between them! Suddenly The Wanderess felt a tug at her sleeve, Zyrafyna smelled fresh air. They changed course and went into a tunnel almost too tight for The Wanderess to manage. She screamed as a contraction gripped her and she felt blood running down her leg. She forced herself through and saw light and smelled fresh clean air for the first time since she had entered these caves. The monster was behind her, squeezing through the passage, reaching for her. Then she was blind! The warmth of the twin suns felt intoxicating, but they had become her enemy, her eyes were unaccustomed to this light! She could hear her assailant working its way through the passage somewhere behind her. She could run, but surely it would catch her. Then a landscape took form before her very eyes, great mountains were all around and a forest of trees spread out to the distant horizon. She stared up at the suns. They were not the suns she knew. They were black, with light radiating from the darkness. She gave no further thought to the eldritch nature of these new heavens and foreign lands below them. She spun to face her enemy, it was almost out of the passage now. She screamed a prayer to her ancestors and swung the spear. It collided with the top of the tunnel, The Fang slicing cleanly through the rock. There was a low rumbling, the tunnel began to buckle. The Wanderess ran as the tunnel collapsed completely, a great plume of dust, debris and fetid slime sent high into the air. These were indeed strange days thought Ungar. Days of prophesies fulfilled. He stared down at the two woman. One was clearly a cave dweller, she lay face down on the ground: the expanse of the sky to great for her. The other was dressed as a queen, garbed in gold thread with ringlet upon brow. It was the two bobbins he found most interesting. Twin girls, each with a mark upon them, one bore a wound on arm and the other on brow. They nursed from their mother, each holding the others hand. Were they the fabled Sister of the Spear? Born of a bloodied queen, 'neath the blind eyes of god? The historian would no doubt believe it. Days of Prophecy Fulfilled. he glanced up at in the dim light of the eclipsed suns. Strange days indeed.

about

The Wanderess, sacred guardian of the ancestral barrows of Ur has failed. Her charge burns and the raiders responsible escaped over the North Expanse with her people's most holy relic, The Fang of the Fathers. Before her is destined a great adventure. A trek over seas and under soil. A journey of great discovery and great loss. A meeting of ingenious minds and loathsome monsters. Can she restore the honor of her people? Can she defeat the horrors that lurk in the deep places of Ur? Can she vindicate herself?

Here is the final chapter of The Wanderess saga. Journey with her as she fights to reclaim her honor, traverses treacherous tunnels, fights cave dwelling monsters and fulfills a prophecy in a land not her own.

"The sharp synths and progressive nature of Fen Walker’s music fits the motif of shamanistic visions and strange spirit quests."
-Tape Wyrm

"An enchanting and enthralling listen, this is the perfect soundtrack to your next RPG session or reading some high fantasy."
-The Metal Observer

"Grandiose orchestral passages provide a cinematic atmosphere, making Sojourns in the Realm of the Undermoon an exciting and vital contribution to the ever expanding dungeon synth subgenre."

-Bandcamp Navigator

credits

released May 21, 2020

Wayfarer-Orchestration
Recorded, Mixed and Mastered by Wayfarer at The Bookhouse

Jeff Black (Encloaked) - Guitar solos on Emerging From the Deeps Into New Lands 'Neath Strange Suns

Cover art by Brendan Elliott

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Fen Walker Portland, Oregon

The music of the barbaric and sorcery scarred lands of Ur.

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