released January 19, 2023

I wavered for a long time to put forward these Fragments of Kingdoms. It may appear, I think, not as a real album of Wydraddear, at least in the format offered. These are works on long sound tracks that allow me to impregnate myself with atmospheres, with sensations that make me imagine the world that is Wydraddear. By listening to these repetitive moments in a minimal approach, I can try to write and build stories and legends of this fictional universe.

I have also hesitated on the way I should present this long sound document. It seemed obvious to me to simply imagine places to position on a map. These six tracks tell less a story (like I did with the previous releases), than a drescription of these places' ambiences. So I had to start from this idea, rather simple but finally more difficult to set up than I thought. Should I already present a map of the world of Wydraddear? This seems to me quite premature, because honestly everything is not yet well settled, and I like to move forward day by day, to build everything step by step. My wishes also largely exceed my abilities, and moving slowly seems to be my best asset.

Baddoar

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WETLAND OF MIST

"Through the thick mist, the lands of mud and water stretch
Mere lost traveler, hear the voices whispering from the void
Peat accumulates like echoing tears
Coming from the sky, coldness of spectrum and scales of glass
Only the castle of the magi dominates the shadows"

The earliest writings in the Grimoires Of Time refer to the Wetland of Mist, sometimes under the name of Lands of Water or Mud. There is a description of the territory of the ancient Draklan Kingdom, but few words about its history. Forgotten by the peoples, only the intrepid, or rather unconscious traveler crosses it to get to the Forest of Tenvaal. Far south of Einkdia, city of the dragon fire, the vast wetlands extend with thick fog. The icy rains fall in the heart of the peatlands. Lost, the old castle of the ancient mages rises above the mists.


BRAZIER POINT

"From the rock, long corridor of time
Under the Pillars, crutch of skies
The dead man moves towards the fire"

Legends say that the long corridor leading from the Carved Citadel of Weirlohen, sacred place of the City of Men, is the gift of the Master of Drilling to the first King of Weirlohen. It is also told that the sovereign would only taste it on the day of his death. The tunnel passes under the Pillars, the easternmost mountain and refuge of the Order of the War Miners, to emerge on the high cliffs of Brazier Point which overhang the sea. The royal brazier burns on days of mourning, when the monarch has fallen. It consumes body and spirit in the blazing fire for a passage to the next world.


SOULBREAK PATH

"Against the cold, against the winds, the soul will break". These words adorn the stele at the North Path. Nicknamed Soulbreak Path, on the edge of the Dwarf country, this is one of the accesses between the eastern and western territories divided by the Stone Tree, Traaesten, a mountain range with many branches. Winds and cold bite the caravans and other travelers, disturbing their arduous passage. The Ancient Gates bear witness to the long history of Dwarves in the region.


WHITE LAKES

"White is the world
of ice, of ice
The sky you tread on
of ice, of ice
The past you forget
of ice, of ice
Frontier of time
frozen, frozen"

At the foot of the Ice Mountain Range, frontier of the Northern lands, lie the White Lakes. Mirrors with celestial reflections, the thick frozen water seems eternal, indestructible, covering a distant forgotten past. The High Heads have crossed this natural border, opening a difficult conflict with the Dragon Mages. The support of the Dwarves made the difference, pushing the invaders back to the high gates of Eienkdia. The fragile relationship between the Dwarf people and the Draklan Kingdom has not been healed.


ROCKWOOD

The Forest of Tenvaal, in the land of Kintaeel, source of primary roots, bark of the arcane, is the vast sylvan territory furthest south. Ktammi, the Father of Sap, watches over those who inhabit the woods, his children from his union with the Mother of Blood. The Valley is lost in the northern area, in the immense cirque of Lonvorri, south of Traaesten. This sanctuary, defying the laws of time, hosts the Hermit's Glade. The place resonates with an abundance of life, flora of emotion, sovereign fauna. The water of springs flows, pure, fresh, line of current. On its shore the Opal Throne sinks, waiting for the return of the Vagabond.


HIGH PLAINS OF INGAARD

"Be the earth that welcomes us
Be the hand that feeds us
Be the shield that protects us
Be the blood that flows for our bravery"

The light breeze caresses the wheat of the High Plains' farms. The hamlets occupy these cultivated lands that supply the merchants of the port of Ingaard. There is a sense of duty, a military value passed on from father to son, from generation to generation, to defend the eastern territories. From simple farmers, the men often become strong warriors, integrating Weirlohen's garrisons at the request of the king during conflicts and other wars. They are the sacrifice of the battles, sent on the front line for the honor of their plains and their traditions.