Enter, The Lich

I got my copy of Cubase 6 in the mail a few weeks ago, and this is the first complete composition I've done with it. I still don't have any awesome new sample libraries, so this was all done with the light version of Garritan Personal Orchestra that ships with Finale, a few free VST instruments and effects that I like, and built-in Cubase stuff.

I composed this for a friend of mine who plays a kind of DnD-esque roleplaying game with me. His character is a Lich with a strong affinity for Black Fire and spells relating to it. I had my friend describe a scene for me that demonstrates all the awesome qualities of his character, and I used that description as a compositional guideline. I've actually got a whole list of exactly what is happening when (right down to potential cinematography), but it's way too late for me to bother typing all of that right now.

Let me know if you have any suggestions on how I can make the piece better. I hope to debut this piece for my friend and the rest of us who play the RPG tonight.

EDIT:

Okay, I've got more time to write now. Here's the breakdown of what is happening when. Also, our game time got pushed back to Tuesday, so I have more time to edit the piece if need be.

0:00 - It's twilight. The lich is cloaked and hooded, so none of the remaining daylight reaches his body. He's waiting just outside a town where there is a distinct military presence. His motives are yet unknown.

0:42 - The camera moves to the sky and we watch as twilight turns to night.

0:53 - Cut to an overhead shot of the town. The lich is already inside!

0:56 - The lich is preparing himself for battle. He takes his hood off and black fire slowly consumes his body, starting at his bony hands and progressing around his perimeter. The camera spirals around the lich in a close up position beginning at hand height and moving upwards to his face.

1:25 - The lich puts up a flame barrier and begins attacking! Fireball here, eruption of flame there, etc. All engaging enemies are of a grunt status, so they are easily defeated. The lich is making his way through the town without being hindered.

2:22 - The lich moves out of the main battlefield is moving toward his objective through back alleys, up staircases, and maybe across rooftops. Meanwhile, cut to brief scenes of important officials being evacuated from their buildings. No one really knows what this lich's target is.

2:34 - The lich makes short work of a guy he runs into in a back alley. The spell used is similar to the Sectumsempra spell from Harry Potter with multiple cut wounds suddenly appearing on the victim.

3:06 - The lich is now pressing to his target. He's in the hallway outside where his target is at and there's several enemies waiting for him. He takes more hits than he would like, and even resorts to using his knife in close combat (which is not the way that liches prefer to fight).

3:34 - The enemies are defeated, and he enters a room, quickly closing the door behind him. He confronts the man he was after in the room. The conversation would go something like this:

- "You!? What are you doing here?"

- "You killed my comrade. I'm here for my revenge."

- "You came all this way for me? I'm touched." He slowly moves toward a hidden weapon in his desk, hoping the lich doesn't notice.

3:56

- "It's time to die."

4:01 The man quickly jerks the weapon up to attack, but the lich disarms him.

4:15 The lich deals the final blow. His mission is complete.

I'd love to see the description if you ever feel like typing it out. My roommates all play DnD. I tried it a few times, but I just can't get into it. But I definitely understand the gaming style. It'd be interesting to see how you interpreted each detail of the character in the "Scene".

I'd love to see the description if you ever feel like typing it out. My roommates all play DnD. I tried it a few times, but I just can't get into it. But I definitely understand the gaming style. It'd be interesting to see how you interpreted each detail of the character in the "Scene".

I updated the post with the description. The game we play is VERY loosely based on DnD. It's pretty much just an exercise in role-playing with only a few rules and a fairly subjective D20 system. We each come up with balanced balanced characters (no rolling for abilities, which I like) and inject them into this universe that our GM has come up with. This music wouldn't fit an actual game so much as it would a cutscene from the game. Maybe a flashback or something. Usually one vs. many doesn't play out well in real time.