There’s something about wizards that make Dorian and I seek out elegant music. It could be because our wizards all come from the Citadel, which is a very classic and refined place. Or it could also be Jasita Yolarin’s composed personality. Whatever the reason, these are our favorite tunes to inspire wizard storytelling!
Beethoven’s Silence by Ernesto Cortazar
This is one of the recent additions to a Jasita-themed playlist. It’s just so beautiful and pleasing. I think the historian in Jasita would appreciate an old song still being around and listened to today.
The French Library by Franz Gordon
Wizards like to read! They are intelligent people, and have dedicated their lives to learning about magic. This would probably be playing in the background of a magic library.
Thoughtful by Peter B. Helland
I do like longer tracks to listen to while I create. At nearly 12 minutes long, this is definitely one of my favorites to keep on my playlists. It’s very soothing, and has this magical quality that makes it so special.
Who doesn’t love pirate music? From sea shanties in Pillars of Eternity II, to the soundtrack of Pirates of the Caribbean, they put you in an adventurous mood! They are definitely helpful when we play or write sea-faring adventures for our pirate dragonborn, Captain Sen. Here are our favorite instrumentals to get us in the Sen and sea mood!
The Captain’s Dance by Marcus Warner
I’m a huge fan of Marcus Warner’s work. Both his instrumentals and his songs with lyrics move me. I love The Captain’s Dance. It makes me feel happy and energized and is great to create to.
Hymn of the High Seas by Antti Martikainen
This is a nice, long seven-minute track. I like the building intensity of it, starting out slower and softer and rising to a crescendo at the end.
Island Full of Dreams by delo cloonz
This is markedly different from the other tracks. It’s so soft and gentle. It makes me think of sailing under the stars, and everything at peace in the world.
High Seas by Pauli Hausmann
This is another adventurous tune. I really love the melody, it’s just so pretty and evokes this need to explore.
I’ve always loved the coast. That’s the main reason why we moved close to a beach. There’s serenity in watching the waves, and a sense of fun in large dunes and lighthouses. I’ve collected a fair share of instrumentals that remind me of the coast. Not only do I like to listen to them casually, but they are also great inspiration when writing scenes set on the beach, or for planning coastal TTRPG games. Enjoy!
Amber Ale from Divinity: Original Sin II
I love this melody. It makes me think of a busy harbor and ships swaying on the waves. I’ve never played the game, but Dorian first introduced me to this soundtrack from a playlist he designed for Ruuda Drybarrel. I have listened to it many times since!
Moonlight Serenade by Little Island Leap
This one just makes me so happy! What a great beat. I have several from this artist, but I listen to this one the most. Even if I have it playing while I’m trudging through daily work, I can’t help but smile and dance a bit at my desk.
Lurelin Village from Juke Remix
This is originally from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and subsequently Tears of the Kingdom. It was way back in 2017 that Dorian and I were playing Breath of the Wild and came across the coastal Lurelin Village. We realized how much we missed the beach. In two weeks, we were vacationing on the Gulf Coast (back before we moved up north). As such, this song will always hold a special place in my heart.
Ukelele Dance by Derek and Brandon Fiechter
This is another track where I have many from the same artists. I always enjoy listening to Ukelele Dance with its mix of calm and fun melodies. Dorian is also pretty good on the ukelele, so it makes me smile.
I’ve been playing a cleric (and writing a cleric) for many years now. Since then, instrumentals that have that cleric-esque vibe have stood out to me. Here are some of my favorite songs if you want some inspiration for your cleric!
Fight Song / Amazing Grace by The Piano Guys
I have listened to this one so many times. The combination of the two songs results in a very beautiful melody. It’s moving to listen to.
A Thousand Candles by Diane & David Arkenstone
The gentle singing in the background of this song has a very cleric-like vibe. It’s holy and sacred and moving all at the same time.
Be Thou My Vision by Sheldon Pickering
The melody of this piece just makes me feel calm and happy when I listen to it. It feels like the comfort a cleric would take when praying to their god.
Fate by Sean Gartner
Obviously as this is from our own soundtrack, it holds a special place in my heart! I really love Fate, as it has this deep, epic, and heavy feel. It reminds me of the weight of a god’s expectations of a cleric.
It’s been a while since we’ve done a bardic inspiration post, and this one is all about druids! As someone who has been role-playing a druid in our TTRPG for 8 years, and has been writing Jade in our books since 2019, I know the music that gets me in the druidic vibe.
Celtic – Nathalie Manser
This is one of the first druid-inspired songs I ever saved. This was in my early days of getting into instrumentals, as well! The melody is so moving and so beautiful.
Spirit of Freedom – Peter Crowley
I love songs that feel like they take you on a journey. This one starts out humble, and then ends in this fantastic burst of druidic adventure and fun. I’d actually had this one saved for a while before listening to it fully, and then I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t experienced it all the way through yet!
Dance of the Druids – Outlander
I’ve never seen the show, but I do love this track. I guess it’s not technically an instrumental since there is singing in another language in it. But it is subtle enough that’s it’s something I listen to while I write (I usually can’t write at the same time I hear lyrics).
Jade’s Theme – Sean Gartner
The track specifically composed for our character Jade obviously holds a special place in our hearts. I love the subtle melodies and sounds in it; it makes me think of wandering a forest and all the life there.
It’s an exciting day! Our Thread of Souls soundtrack is officially completed and live. This is volume 1 of what hopefully is multiple albums all exploring Thread of Souls through music. Our friend and composer, Sean Gartner, has truly created beautiful and moving music.
Our Composer
Sean Gartner has been a part of Thread of Souls for a long time. He was one of our original players at the table when we started this TTRPG back in 2015. Even though he moved away in 2016 and wasn’t able to play anymore, we’ve always kept in touch. He has read the books multiple times, and was so inspired by these stories that he wanted to compose music for them. We had a chat through video call about our vision for a soundtrack for the books and for all things TOS, and was so happy he was on board! As you can tell from the songs, he is extremely talented! He’s also just a fantastic man all around, a loyal friend, and has a super kind heart. We cannot be happier to have him create this music.
What Songs Are There?
We have 14 tracks on this first album. If you have tuned into our Twitch livestream, you’ve heard Lively Tavern during our breaks! Jade has her own theme, we have Into The Gloomdwell from Path of the Spiders,The Utterer from the exciting battle in the same book, and much more!
Where To Find the Soundtrack
There are so many places you can listen to and/or download the songs! These are:
You sit at a desk in a dimly lit classroom. The windows are covered by large tapestries depicting the various studies of the arcane: divination, protection, defense, potions, and the like. The smell of old tomes, incense, and ink fills the space.”
Suddenly, the tapestries snap open bringing harsh sunlight in the room. Other students shield their eyes at the change of scenery. A burst of magic erupts from the doorway and in strides the teacher. They wear a robe of pink with blue sigils and a matching pointed hat that hangs slightly askew. “Welcome to Magical Studies I, I am your professor. Turn to page 157 and we shall begin with how to summon a simple light spell.”
Magical academies, such as the Citadel in Thread of Souls, are all the rage in fantasy, right? As authors, we love sensory details but what does it sound like within an academy? Music is a great way to get ideas and inspiration. Imagine the above scene with the following tracks playing in the background.
Magical and mysterious is Eothas. It’s soft and soothing and is great for lore drops and providing details about locations, people, and items. At the Citadel, it’s a wonderful backdrop for sweeping shots detailing the school and its three spires of law, study, and research.
The Crystal’s Shimmer and the Wind’s Revelations is a mesmerizing track for showcasing wonderful magic. It’s light and full of wonder. A great backdrop for the crystalmancers of the Citadel as they learn and teach about the eight disciplines of magic.
How May I Serve You? is an eerie discordant track for untrusting moments. Magical academies are full of many interesting people and not all of them are to be trusted. Each and every person has their own agenda. The Citadel is home to powerful mages, without giving any spoilers, not all of them are as they seem.
Bonus Dragon Prince song. I See You pairs nicely with How May I Serve You?
Mages are scholarly and Cyrus, the Scholar fits nicely for a library.
Alabastra is for those moments when the students explore the restricted section. It’s way more fun to venture into an unauthorized zone. Forbidden is just an invitation for curious mages.
Death, healing, and natural order. The dogma of Lady Raven, Goddess of Death in Thread of Souls. She is featured heavily in the Spider Octology, our eight-book fantasy series, and is one of the many included Protector gods in our world.
Often depicted as a dark hooded and winged figure. She guards those that pass on and is actively opposed to necromancy, murder, and the perversion of death. Her Deathwalkers are an order of warriors that fight against the necromantic arts.
This Bardic Inspiration focuses on her. We chose music tracks that invoke a sense of mystery, darkness, the unknown, and themes of life and death.
The Sea of Ghosts
As the Goddess of Death, she ferries souls after they pass. Souls that do not cling to any god are welcome to stay with her in her realm of the Sable Mausoleum. Sea of Ghosts is a reverential track that brings to mind lingering souls, whether trapped or free to explore.
Reverie of the Netchimen
A lighter more free-feeling track perfect for a cleric or worshipper of Lady Raven. The cycle of life and death is one everyone experiences and this is a great fit for exploring the traversal between one and the other.
Mists of Morthal
Mists of Morthal plays when visiting sacred or hallowed ground related to Lady Raven. Whether it’s a temple devoted to her or a cemetery honoring the dead. It ebbs and flows between dark and moody to harmonious and soothing.
A Cold Wind Blows from Atmora
Soothing strings and a choir bring to mind peaceful moments. Life and death can bring peace and while having the title of Goddess of Death sounds sinister, it’s one of respect and hope. She doesn’t seek to reap souls, but rather help them find solace in the afterlife.
You’d think we have a massive crush on Elder Scrolls Online, and you’d be right. Its soundtrack is vast and these are just a few examples of songs fit for Lady Raven, Goddess of Death.
Here is our Lady Raven playlist you can use for your game.
Music is inspirational. As authors, we are always writing and creating while listening to music. We are inspired by several soundtracks when we write Thread of Souls and have many posts on how can enhance your writing and ttrpg games.
Today’s musical interlude focuses on the high-elven city of Eleste’si. A stunning location full of beautiful architecture, cherry blossom trees, and rich history. It’s one of the earliest settlements to exist in the world of Theretos and its music reflects that. Here are a few choices from our Eleste’si playlist great for exploring high elf culture.
Dawn at Castle Navire
We pull inspiration from song titles and tracks themselves. Dawn at Castle Navire is great for an introduction to the royalty of Eleste’si. The city is ruled by Queen Mirandril and has been for many generations.
Golden Height
Fit for wandering the city streets throughout the day. Eleste’si is busy with trade and merchants set up their stalls early each morning to sell their wares. It’s a peaceful track for sitting on the many benches throughout the city and watching the cherry blossoms blow in the wind.
Festival of Roses
Eleste’si is known for its beautiful cherry blossom trees. They line walkways and parks and make for a picturesque backdrop. There is a festival devoted to the cherry blossom as well.
Val Royeaux
A short piece meant for a grand ballroom dance. Of which Eleste’si holds several throughout the year.
The Council of Elrond
The Council of Elrond just all around feels so peaceful. It’s a powerful track fit for showing off high elf culture, royalty, and even ancient ruins. This type of music is constantly playing throughout the palace gardens and grounds where you’ll find the great libraries and castle.
Ah, Oceala. The Gem of the Bay is featured in book two of Thread of Souls Ash & Thunder. So named because it sits near the Bay of Nailo and is nestled along the hills of a crescent shore. There are plenty of golden sandy beaches and everywhere you look, the buildings are round and pastel-colored. It’s a diverse coastal city where adventurers go to unwind and relax. Once they can get past the beast that guards the bay and the Fey creatures who protect the water crossing.
It is also a place full of music. Songs that make you want to dance or spend a calming night overlooking the ocean. The Phantom Five spent a bit of time shopping, exploring, and fighting in the city and had a backlog of music to guide them through it. During our time at the table, we put together a curated list of songs fit for Oceala. Here is what you can expect to hear while you walk the streets, dance in a tavern, or visit the many spas in Oceala.
Here’s an excerpt from Thread of Souls: Ash & Thunder.
As the late morning rolled by, land was finally seen again on the horizon. A strip of green that grew into rolling hills. A city shimmered to existence along the shore, all pastel colors and rounded buildings.
Oceala.
Island of the Starry Dream is a perfect place to start. The name alone is all it takes to understand Oceala. It’s peaceful and serene. It’s a great track for the background while the Phantom Five wanders the sand dunes and beaches of Oceala or shops at Altawayne’s Artifacts and Apparatus. The song also has an air of mystery to it and fits in well with the mysterious temple that lies beneath the hills of the city.
Tarir, the Forgotten City is meant to describe how difficult it is to reach Oceala. While it isn’t off-limits to outsiders, the city is protected by a great dragon turtle named Majora as well as Fey creatures. Both require a toll to be paid to gain entrance to the stunning town.
The Queen’s High Seas – Tavern Version can be heard playing throughout the many taverns and inns found in Oceala. Its upbeat and pirate adventure style is bright and happy, making it a wonderful backdrop to dinner scenes and arriving and leaving the port.
Devilfish on the Line is another great track for hopping from tavern to tavern or exploring the open fish market. It can also be used if the party finds themself in a bit of trouble with the local guards or the city’s underbelly.
Shantytown Shuffle plays when there are scuffles at the docks or throughout the city streets. While the Phantom Five never got into any fights with the city guard or ruffians while they visited, they did find themselves in trouble nonetheless. It may be a peaceful place to call home or visit, but there are times when things can just get out of hand.
Eye of the Storm is full of spoilers from book two Ash & Thunder.
The climactic scene from the second book in the Thread of Souls series sees the oceanside city attacked by a great red dragon and wyverns. The Phantom Five find themselves split as they face doppelgangers and the fiery beast.
Those are the sounds of Oceala. The music is as vibrant and colorful as the city and its people. You can even use these songs in your own adventures. Each works well with a city with a major port and ocean theme.
