It is so lovely to hear the maturity in composition on this album. Like in the later Balance albums, the depth of character and narrative development of the story are reflected in the music. It's still difficult to pinpoint a single favorite track! "Roots, Seeds, Branches," "Calamity Tree," "Interstellar Blues," "Incident at the Archway," and "Her Name Reverberates..." are all poignant and evocative. "Kepler, WV" is at the top because of the scene it scores. It makes me both sad and joyful.

This is where the music truly begins to bring the Balance campaign alive for listeners and becomes inseparable from the narrative. We can see the imposing yet gentle clay figure and red vermilion flycatcher perched on its shoulder in "Roswell", the dusty time-sick town in "Refuge", the pain and regret in "The Diary of Sheriff Isaak", and the magnitude of damage caused by the grand relics in "The Chalice" and its echo (along with "Disrobed") in Lup's return in the story finale.

The music perfectly captures the over-the-top selfish natures of liches Lydia and Edward and the epic psychological and physical struggles of Magnus, Taako, and Merle. All the tracks are absolutely incredible in this way, but "Arms Outstretched" is the one that speaks to my heart the most as it plays in the moments of sacrifice to save Magnus from the astral plane and how the same music is heard on the deck of the Starblaster as the three of them cling together against the Hunger.

"There's magic in a bard's song. They call it inspiration, and it tells the listener what they need to hear right when they need to hear it." Many of us felt a deep, enduring connection to this story. The characters' struggles, their triumphs against evil, and their heartbreaks were woven into a story telling me what I needed to hear right when I needed to hear it. It breaks and heals my heart over and over again every time I listen. That's what makes these songs and the story they tell magic.