Posted 22 June 2008 - 11:26 PM



POPULAR

Act I: The Lake South, The River North

1.) Battesimo Del Fuoco: The prologue of the story. This introduces the events that will begin to take place within the story of The Dear Hunter. Set in the turn of the twentieth century, it tells the fate of a boy being born and the life he will live until his untimely death. All we know about this tragic character is that he will die alone.

2.) The Lake South: A Purely Instrumental piece. A woman by the name of Ms. Terri gives birth to a boy known to some as "The Boy", "Hunter", "The Dear Hunter" Ms. Terri never questioned the life that she's lived up until the birth of this boy. Almost calling out to her Mother "Take me to the River" she decides to leave The City in which she lives.

3.) City Escape: This really starts off the story. Ms. Terri a prostitute to the City's brothel "The Dime" sets fire to the room she's worked for countless years. Getting chased by the employees who control The Dime, she is almost beaten to death but manages to escape with her child by jumping into The River. The search for Ms. Terri is called off by the pimp who runs the Dime knowing she will eventually come back to them.

4.) The Inquiry Of Ms. Terri: Following the River to reach The Lake; a village far from the City, she questions the choices she's made from this point on. The life she's lived, the comfort lifestyle she was used to living in The Dime, she looks at her kid knowing it was worth it. Ms. Terri and The Boy live alone in a Cabin far from the village of the Lake. Secluded, and alone, she teaches the boy life lessons of the world they live in leaving out the bad that lurks within the world. The Boy grows up naïve and the world he knows nothing, only of the Lake and the Tree that borders their cabin. Although the time spent with the Boy is comforting. Ms. Terri knows she is lying to herself and her son as she continues hiding the past she's lived.

5.) 1878: Time passes and The Boy is now a kid, the money Ms. Terri and the Boy live on is running out. The Boy learns how to hunt using the knife his mother gave him and explores the forest near their cabin. Ms. Terri knows it's only a matter of time before they will starve. Knowing only of her profession, she tells The Boy she will be going away for some time and tells The Boy to not go beyond the tree which borders their home. Ms. Terri leaves The Boy back to the place she fled from. Back to The City.

6.) The Pimp And The Priest: Back in the City, The Pimp and the Priest the antagonist of the Acts controls the Dime, the only brothel of the City, as well as the Church the only salvation the denizens of the City will have. No one knows about the hypocrisy the Pimp and the Priest preaches. The greatness in sin through his Dime and to come back to him for salvation through his Church. Ms. Terri returns to The Pimp and the Priest for her job back. The Pimp and the Priest smiles knowing she will come back as he predicted, happily gives it to her. Though she will suffer, she will always follow the river back to the one most precious to her, and she can continue to support her one love in the world. She must suffer for the Boy.

7.) His Hands Matched His Tongue: Time passes between this, The Boy encounters a mysterious man who tells the boy to take care of Ms. Terri, tell her she's beautiful. That one day, she will be gone. Though The Boy does not understand the words this man tells him. The Boy continues to love his mother and the world he lives blissfully ignorant to the darkness that is the City and the life Ms. Terri must live for him. Someday Ms. Terri will be gone.

8.) The River North: Another instrumental song. Time passes between the Boy and Ms. Terri, The Boy now a young man confident enough to take on the world, he knows all the leaves in the forest, he knows the cabin in which he lives. He always reaches the tree that borders his world but never unable to cross it. Ms. Terri watches him happily, now aged and tired. Ms. Terri quietly passes away.

Act I: The End.

Act II: The Meaning Of, And Everything Regarding Ms. Leading

1.) The Death And The Berth: Instrumental Song. The Boy wakes up to find his mother, the only person he ever knew has passed away.

2.) The Procession: The Boy mourning the loss of his mother, buries her under the tree that borders their home. Knowing nothing of his Mother's past and knowing only little about the City she comes from, the Boy decides to leave the only home he ever knew. Gathering his belongings, and the little money left of Ms. Terri he leaves the Lake.

3.) The Lake And The River: (Personal Favorite) The Boy begins his adventure to the city, still mourning his mother, it is time for the Boy to leave now with nothing left to hold him back from seeing the world in which he wanted to see so much. He sees the great Tree that borders his home, as a boy he was always scared venturing beyond it, into the unknown but The Boy is now a grown man, young, but an adult he finally takes his first steps beyond the tree. With one final look and a silent goodbye to Ms. Terri, he leaves the Lake. The Boy wanders into the woods for some time before he comes across an abandoned train station. One sign tells him the direction to the City, the other to the lake. Suddenly, The Boy sees a train approaching it stops at the station and boards it.

4.) The Oracles On The Delphi Express: On the mysterious train, The Boy encounters a group of Oracles. They look worn out and old as if they've seen everything and know everything. Their gaze lands on the Boy. These ghost like men tell The Boy, that he has wandered to far from the Lake, his home. They warn the Boy to turn back now for a chance of a peaceful life, the path he takes now will lead him only to despair and ruin, they hint to the Boy that they know what will happen to him, and foreshadow the places he will go, and the suffering that it will bring. The Boy does not trust these people and ignores their warnings. After sometime, the train approaches the City. The Boy has never seen the City before and its overwhelming him, seeing the tall buildings he wanders for some time until he comes across the tallest building of them all, a giant cathedral, the church. Established in the year of 1878.

5.) The Church And The Dime: A woman that goes by the name of Ms. Leading sees the city for what it is, a monster of sin, the denizens unknowingly being consumed by its corruption, they think that salvation lies within the Priest but true salvation is by leaving this place and quickly. Ms. Leading however, ironically cannot be saved, she is a prostitute that works for the Pimp and the Priest and The Dime, she stands near the church looking for clients and her gaze lands on The Boy she approaches him.

6.) The Bitter Suite I And II: Meeting Ms. Leading And Through The Dime:

The Bitter Suite I:

Meeting Ms. Leading: The Boy sees her, she has a summer smile with winter skin, she moves. Ms. Leading approaches the Boy and asks for his name. She notices how tired he looks and how distant he is from her. Ms. Leading suggests to the Boy to take him to her room to rest his head. Though, the oracles warning whisper to him in the wind to leave now, he agrees.

The Bitter Suite II: Through The Dime: Ms. Leading takes the Boy to The Dime, here The Boy sees the Dime for what it is, the guilty, the sinners suffocate their sin here and give in to their lust. The prostitutes parade among the crowd taking people to their room. The Pimp promises them that they are all clean, and their secret is safe with him so long as they pay. The Boy doesn't understand what is going on as Ms. Leading quickly leads him to her room.

7.) The Bitter Suite III: Embrace: Now alone, Ms. Leading makes love to the Boy. Though she just sees him as another client, The Boy does not, what is meant to be nothing more than a job, it feels different. The Boy and Ms. Leading share this embrace and fall beneath a sea of dreams, as they fail to breathe until they resurface again.

8.) Smiling Swine: The Boy wakes up to find Ms. Leading gone, he feels warmth in his chest and remembers their encounter they had together as he tries to search for her in the Dime. The Pimp calls out to the Boy and they meet for the first time. The Pimp and the Priest, an overweight oily monster of a man asks the Boy of his time spent here. The Boy tells him of Ms. Leading and how he wishes to meet her again. The Pimp seeing the innocence of the Boy smiles and begins to play on it. He tells The Boy that Ms. Leading had business to attend too but in order to see her again he must have money. Though the Boy does not have much, the Pimp offers him a job that will solve his problem. He hires the Boy as a driver for Ms. Leading to drive around the City so she can attend to her business and the Pimp will pay him. The Boy agrees to work for the Pimp as a driver.

9.) Evicted: Ms. Leading, remembering the night she had with the Boy realizes their time together was different that she is feeling love from the Boy. She knows the Pimp is playing him, she also knows that their relationship cannot last like this. Whenever the Boy accumulates enough money to spend a night with Ms. Leading, she tells him to keep it. She will live this lie with him. Ignorance is bliss.

10.) Blood Of The Rose: Time passes in the City, the Boy and Ms. Leading continue this affair and the Pimp and the Priest gets richer from it. One faithful day, Ms. Leading forgets her scarf in the car The Boy drives. The Boy decides to go into the building Ms. Leading went to in an attempt give it back to her only to see Ms. Leading with another man.

11.) Red Hands: The realization of everything finally hits the Boy. The love he had for Ms. Leading is shattered, and he breaks down. The innocence the pimp plays on the Boy. The affection he had for Ms. Leading, he remembers his mother and why she didn't tell him of the City and her warnings to him about going there and makes the connection. Ms. Leading breaks down as well knowing there is nothing she can do. The Portly Man, a client of Ms. Leading kicks the Boy out of his room. The Boy leaves the scene.

12.) Where The Road Parts: Ms. Leading searches for the Boy in the City and can't find him. The Boy drinking himself in an unknown Bar notices a pamphlet for the Great War, knowing there is nothing for him in this City of sin writes a note for Ms. Leading in the back of the pamphlet.

13.) Dear Ms. Leading: The Boy voices out his anger, his betrayal in this letter and attaches it to the door of Ms. Leading, an exchange of letters, is met but to no avail. Their relationship is broken. With one last letter attached to the door of Ms. Leading's room using the knife Ms. Terri gave him. The Boy leaves the City.

14.) Black Sandy Beaches: The beach on the edge of The City polluted by the smoke of the nearby factory and littered with broken bottles, The letters written between The Boy and Ms. Leading end up here. An unknown man walking the beach happens to find these letters and reads them trying to piece together the happenings of these two broken lovers. Whether it be The Boy's journal, Ms. Leading's Diary and the letters exchanged between them. In the end, The Man concludes that hopefully their lives are better off somehow. That they couldn't fake this lie they lived so why try again.

15.) Vital Vessles Vindicate: The Boy departs the City towards the sea and recounts the events happened, and the mysterious prophecy that he heard from the Oracles on the Delphi Express. He sings to himself the lullaby his mother sang to him when he was a kid. Ms. Leading watches from afar the steam ship taking him away from her knowing it was no use trying to stop him. Though the Boy leaves this corrupted city, he is unaware that his troubles have only just begun.

Act II: The End.

Act III: Life And Death

1.) Writing On The Wall: The introduction of this Act begins with The Oracles, they tell The Boy to leave the place he is going; for it is a place filled with misery and death, you will need a mask to breath here. They tell The Boy of their warnings they've tried so hard to give him and they realize the uselessness of it for his path is set and there is nothing they can do.

2.) In Cauda Venenum: It is the Dawn of the Great War, the Boy is in the middle of it, now a soldier out of the countless millions, he watches his allies dying right beside him. The Boy is scared and recalls the time he enlisted. His companions tell him that this misery was brought by the politicians who sought power and destruction and they are nothing but pawns in their game of chess. The Boy watches the death around him. The battle luckily ends and The Boy survives. On the back of a truck that carries the soldiers to another battlefield, The Boy recalls his time spent with Ms. Leading. He remembers her beauty, and the lies that came with it. He remembers why he is here and what he ran away from. Traveling through this world just to find meaning.

3.) What It Means To Be Alone: Traveling through a broken battlefield littered with fallen bodies. The Boy sees the faces of the dead and the last horrible moments in their lives. Begging for relief from the pain. The Boy wonders if God is here to answer their prayers and he realizes that he is truly alone here in this war. Approaching one of the bodies of the dead with their hands in the air looking as if they were screaming in agony, the Boy is pulled from the hole and artillery falls. The Boy and the platoon dodge the bombs as they dive into a hole to escape the shells. It is quiet now, as they notice machine like sound approaching in the distance.

4.) The Tank: The Boy and the platoon encounters an enemy tank in which they hopelessly try to Halt. This machine like God claiming the souls of the soldiers it faces and more of the platoon is fallen under the weight of the tank's might. The Boy seeing no use in fighting this machine, decides to run away as the tank completely decimates the rest of the platoon.

5.) The Poison Woman: The Boy runs into the woods and encounters a shanty shack inhabited by a woman known only as "The Poison Woman" she takes no sides in the war and finds pleasure in poisoning her victims who come to her house in an attempt to take advantage of her. The Poison Woman sees something in the Boy. Pain, not pain from the war, but a different kind of pain. She takes pity on the Boy and without the use of deception gives The Boy a vial of poison and tells him to use it in case the war is too much for him.

6.) The Thief: The Boy attempts to reconnect with the camp, and is lost in the woods, he eventually encounters a thief looting off of the

dead bodies found scattered in the woods. The Boy asks for direction to his camp and the thief points him the direction. The Thief and the Boy spend the night together as they talk about their morals. The Boy argues stealing from the dead is disrespectful while the Thief tells him that this war is devoid of morals and it's all about surviving now.

7.) Mustard Gas: The Thief tells him in order to get to his camp, he must cross another battlefield. With a brief farewell, The Boy makes a run through the field in the middle of a battle. Dodging bullets and artillery, the Boy eventually gets hit with mustard Gas. The Boy falls in a ditch as he catches a glimpse of the enemy wearing gas masks standing over a hill, victory in their grasps. The Boy faints but he made it to the other side.

8.) Saved: The Boy in pain recalls the life he has lived so far. The pain he has within him and the pain he has physically. He wants to die, and decides this is it, he will die here in the middle of the war. As he closes his eyes one last time, someone picks him up from the ditch. A man who looks like him. The allies approach gaining ground from the battle and the man carries the Boy to their side to the camp. The man known only as The Son befriends the Boy.

9.) He Said He Had A Story: It is nightfall, and the Boy and the Son are amongst a group of soldiers as they recall interesting stories in their lives to pass the time. The leader of this squadron tells his tale of a night spent in the Dime with a woman known as Ms. Terri. He goes into detail on how his experience was amazing even though Ms. Terri was suffering the whole time. The Boy attention is grabbed and asks for the man's name.

10.) This Beautiful Life: The Boy learns that the captain of the squadron is the Son's Father and noticing how the Father looks like the Boy, he comes to the realization that it's his Father and the Son his half-brother. The Father is a terrible man, who lives without morals. The soldiers have pride in him. The Boy is embarrassed to be connected to him and keeps this secret to himself. The War continues and the Boy recalls the prophecy he heard from the Oracles and finally regrets the decision he's made wanting nothing more than to go home to the cabin upon the Lake and forget the war and the pain he has endured so far. Knowing he cannot go back, he presses on with his squadron towards another battle.

11.) Go Get Your Gun: The soldiers are relaxing at a bar, and the Son begins to sing an old war song mourning the loss of life of his fellow allies hoping they will understand the sacrifice of life will benefit the country but only if they win. The Boy only sees the Father seeing how vile of a man he is.

12.) Son: During a battle, the Boy and the Son fight side by side. In the Trenches, they huddle together and share a bond of companionship. Suddenly, another barrage of bullets flies into the trenches and the Son jumps in the way to save his Father from getting hit. The Boy tries to call for a medic only to be grabbed by the Father telling him to forget about him, that it's time to advance. The Son bleeding out, tells the Boy that he is dying and his only regret is that his Mother will by heartbroken over the loss of her son. He knew that his Father never loved him even though he followed him to war. He tells the Boy to take care of him, and as for his mother his final breath is said; "You look like me."

13.) Father: Following the death of the Son, the Boy sees the actions of the Father. He lives without morals, does not care of his family and revels in his vices, he takes pride in it. The Boy now knows what he needs to do. The night in the camp, the Boy takes the vial of poison he received from the Poison Woman and poisons his father in his sleep. He was meant to come to this war to kill this one enemy, and cutoff the last of his family.

14.) Life And Death: The soldiers learn of the Father's death and the Boy under his new identity of the Son decides to leave himself dead in the battlefield. The thoughts of war is told through the dead soldiers but the Boy remains alive, he will return home, to live a new life with the Mother, keeping the memory of the Son alive through this new identity.

Act III: The End

Act IV: Rebirth and Reprise

1.) Rebirth: The Oracles return to introduce the Boy under his new identity trying to live a new life from the bitterness of his old life. The Boy tells himself he can do this; he can relive the time with Ms. Terri through the Mother.

2.) The Old Haunt: The War is over, The Boy is returning home, he recounts the war and the pain it brought him. He voices his inner thoughts about pain and suffering that he's lived it. His thoughts on the War was a place in which there was too many ways to die. He recalls his memory of Ms. Terri saying there was not enough time with her. He remembers Ms. Leading and how they knew the risks with their love but it's time to wake up. He casts these memories aside and becomes the Son, a war hero returning home.

3.) Waves: The Boy aboard a ship heading home recounts his love with Ms. Leading and how what a waste it was. He tries hard to forget about her but it seems he cannot break away from her memory. He worries about the ship sinking into the ocean before he could get home.

4.) The End Of The Earth: The Boy returns to the Mother and begins living with her again, the Mother knows that this isn't her Son and that he died in the war. She knew from the moment he met the Boy but remains in denial. The life The Boy lives with the Mother is okay, though different, he tries to relive the memory with Ms. Terri. The Mother however is falling ill and soon she will be gone. The Boy realizes he cannot go back to the life he used to live. It's over.

5.) Remembered: The Mother passes away quietly and the Boy spreads her ashes across the sea. His farewells to the Mother is also a farewell to Ms. Terri, wondering if Ms. Terri is watching him from afar. What's left with the Boy now is his identity as he tries to honor his half-brother.

6.) A Night On The Town: The Boy is kidnapped by a couple of the Son's friends after they found out about his return and take him out to the City to celebrate. They tell the Boy that his fiancée must be excited to see him and The Boy tries his best to maintain his identity with them. He gets drunk with his newfound friends wondering if they knew that it's not really him but even if they knew, he will never admit it to them that he is not the Son. He looks at the moon and wonders just how long he can keep this stolen identity up, and wonders if he should just end this charade. It is now about to be the twenties and everyone is celebrating the end of wartime. The Boy however cannot enjoy this celebration as he tries to maintain his stolen identity. Suddenly, in the City he sees her, the one who caused all his pain and his emotions are unraveled, though Ms. Leading doesn't see him, the Boy passes out.

7.) Is There Anybody Here?: The Boy is taken to an unknown place and makes love with what he believes to be Ms. Leading. The anguish he has with her, his pain is opened again as he feels like he is staring into a phantom. The Boy however is not with Ms. Leading but the Son's fiancée.

8.) The Squeaky Wheel: The Fiancée realizes that the man he was in love with is different from who he is now. As they walk to church The Fiancée wonders if the war changed him and questions where did their love go. The Boy and The Son had very different outlooks in life. The Fiancée concludes that this isn't the Son and does not know who this man is, but if the Boy keeps inferring he is indeed the Son, that the Son must have died in the war, she sees just how broken the Boy is and decides to continue their relationship thinking that he must need her somehow that she is willing to live this lie.

9.) The Bitter Suite IV And V: The Congregation and The Sermon in the Silt:

The Bitter Suite IV: The Congregation:

At the Mass, The Boys sees the congregation for what they are, hopeless and devoid of meaning wanting desperately to be saved. The Boy sees him, The Pimp and the Priest only now as the Priest. The Dime has closed due to the war, and all the men leaving. The Boy does not make the connection that it is indeed the same man who ran the dime but something is familiar about him...

The Bitter Suite V: The Sermon in the Silt:

The Priest starts his sermon stating that the sinners can only be saved through him and only his church. The more money contributed to the Church the better their chances for their souls to be saved. He encourages the people to not cross the line and to not get to close to the light so they don't need him. While the congregation eats up every word the Priest gives, they throw their money into his hat.

10.) The Bitter Suite VI: Abandon: Encouraged by the fiance, the Boy goes to the confessional in order to drown out the growing cynicism in his head. The Boy in a moment of vulnerability confesses the things he's done in the war, and about his stolen identity. The Priest who already recognizes the boy plays a facade telling him that his sins will be forgiven and encouraging him that he has a good spirit in him, that he should use his gifts for good. The Boy is inspired by this messaged and decide to run for mayor to clean up the sin of the city. The priest encourages this unbeknownst to the boy that he has different plans for him.

11.) King of Swords (Reversed): With the connections of the Fiancée's father. The Boy's popularity grows. The Priest also uses his standing with the citizens to support The Boy as well. The Boy promises great things to come to the city. News about The Boy being a war hero boost him to greater heights.

12.) If All Goes Well: As the election continues, the Boy starts to use cheap and crooked methods to get rid of his opponents. The Fiancée stresses the Boy to not push himself into something he does not want to become but the Boy ignores her warnings. The election ends in The Boy's favor as the citizens ask him to lead them into Eden.

13.) The Line: News of the new Mayor reaches Ms. Leading and he recognizes the Boy immediately and goes to him. They meet again after so many years and though the bitterness and sadness is open up, the Boy cannot deny his feelings for Ms. Leading. The relationship with the fiancée is strained and they become distant as the election changed the Boy. The Boy knows he must keep his identity hidden and believe he is the person he knew from the war.

14.) Wait: The Boy and Ms. Leading recount the sins they themselves committed and they find comfort in knowing the wrongs they've done that what happened between them before is over. The Boy sees redemption in Ms. Leading as they both worry about what will become of them in the afterlife.

15.) Ouroboros: Now The Boy the mayor of the City gets down to business. The first thing he is coming after is The Pimp and The Priest, and plans on destroying his business and expose him for the snake he really is. However, someone approaches his office coincidentally, The Pimp and The Priest. The Pimp and The Priest tells The Boy that he knows who he is. As he recounts The Boy being the bastard son of Ms. Terri and the lover of Ms. Leading. The Pimp and The Priest knows that The Boy wants to get back at him for everything he has done. But he also knows that if The Boy is exposed of his history the scandal would be bad that The Boy would have no support and will be forced out of office before he can clean up The City. The Pimp and The Priest makes a deal with The Boy. Turn a blind eye with his activities and he assures him that The Boy's identity will be safe and will be kept a secret between both of them. Act IV ends with The Boy remembering what The Oracles told him, to never leave The Lake and realizes he's wandered to far from his home. He's followed The River, to The City. And there is nothing he can do.

Act IV: The End

ACT V: Hymns With the Devil in Confessional

1.)

Regress:

The Oracles return one final time telling The Boy that they've done all that they could to keep the Boy from pain and suffering. The Boy is now beyond help and there is nothing left. They depart hoping that the end comes swiftly and without pain.

2.)

The Moon/Awake:

The Moon:

The Boy now the mayor of the City succumbs to the vices and the sin of the City. Found in an opium den, the Boy recounts the life he is living. His affair with Ms. Leading, his partnership with the Pimp and the Priest and his addiction to this drug. The Boy is ashamed of himself. The Boy gets a vision of Ms. Terri in the form an apparition telling him that he must do right of his younger self and only then will he be free.

Awake:

The Boy awakes from his drug induced dream and leaves.

3.)

Cascade:

The Boy wandering the City recalls his life as mayor and how he did not keep the promises he made to the citizens and mostly himself. The Boy nothing but a puppet to the Pimp and the Priest and everything he tries to improve the City is met with disdain to the public. The Boy stumbles upon the Church and asks God what to do. His addiction to the opium is coming back to him and is angered by it. He passes out in the Church.

4.)

The Most Cursed Hands/Who am I?:

The Most Cursed Of Hands:

The Boy wakes up to the Priest telling an old Parable about a gambler who met the Devil to his Congregation. The Gambler who found pride in himself with winning all of the Devil's money wanted a trophy to insult the Devil in which he gambled for the Devil Soul. After winning the Devil soul, the Gambler finds that this was the Devil's plan to free himself of being the Devil. The Parable ends with the Gambler who now owns the Devil soul must become the new Devil. The moral of the parable is too not want everything or you will become someone you didn't want to become.

Who am I?:

Though the story was meant for a jab at The Boy and the situation he is in. The Boy contemplates who he is in the story. He knows he cannot beat the Pimp and the Priest and only hopes he can find a way out of his situation. As the Sermon ends, the Priest approaches the Boy about a proposition.

5.)

The Revival:

The Dime has Re-Opened bigger and better not only as a brothel for the denizens of the City but a place to gamble, a monument to Sin this is all thanks to the Boy pulling the right strings as the Mayor. The Boy knows he is stuck and is in bed with the Czar of Sin; The Pimp and The Priest he wonders if he should withdraw from being Mayor only knowing that the Pimp and the Priest will dominate the City with his power if he did leave.

6.)

Melpomene:

Though the situation for the Boy is hopeless, not all is lost. The relationship with Ms. Leading is the only good thing in his life. The Boy can truly be himself with her. Though the fate of the city is uncertain he promises he will break the Pimp and the Priest control over the City somehow. The walls will come down.

7.)

Mr. Usher (On His Way to Town):

Success of the Dime is heard far and wide and the Mr. Usher learns about it. Mr. Usher a relic of his time, as someone far worse than the Pimp and the Priest, once a politician in his time and a very successful business man who has ties to the mafia wants The Dime. Mr. Usher heads to the City and finds that in order to take control of The Dime, he must take seize control of The Mayor.

8.)

The Haves Have Naught:

Mr. Usher approaches the Boy with an offer of taking down the Pimp and the Priest promising him a way out. The Boy sees the evil within Mr. Usher as they talk about the Citizens of the City. As The Boy sees them as people trying to find happiness in a world filled of darkness, Mr. Usher sees them as tools, a means to an end. Mr. Usher encourages the Boy to consider his offer as the Boy is left wondering how evil Mr. Usher is and how he became that way.

9.)

Light:

Though the relationship with the Fiancée and the Boy is broken and empty, the Boy finds true untainted love through the son they made together. The Boy sees the coming future and the City being a terrible evil place. He realizes that he has to save his son from his fate. He confides in his child though a baby who doesn't understand, he tells him everything, the truth of who he is and the sins he has committed. He tells his wife to take his Son far away from the City to leave this place. He tells them of a place where they can find light in the darkness. A Cabin sitting near a Lake, if they follow the River it will lead them to it.

10.)

Gloria:

The Boy has another drug induced dream as he sees key moments of his life. The apparition of Ms. Terri returns to him to give him strength and to remind him to make things right to his younger self. The Boy knows that his pain will bring him glory.

11.)

The Flame (Is Gone):

Mr. Usher approaches the Pimp and the Priest, they knew each other from a different time. He knows that the Pimp and the Priest is losing control over The Boy and tells him that in order to break him to become nothing but a shell of a man, a puppet to be controlled, he must take away the only thing he loves, Ms. Leading must die. The Pimp and the Priest agrees and kills Ms. Leading.

12.)

The Fire (Remains):

The Boy finding out of the death of Ms. Leading finds his way out. With his son safe and Ms. Leading dead nothing can hold him back now. The Boy lights the Dime on fire taking away the Pimp and Priest business and what he values most. Coincidentally the Dime's fire also catches wind and the Church catches on fire as well. The Pimp and the Priest seeing this, angered also sees the citizens coming outside to see the fire.

13.)

The March:

The Citizens seeing the Church on fire and angered. The Pimp and the Priest riles the crowd up exposing the Boy, their mayor for who he really is. A man with a stolen identity who killed a man to get. A Cynic who burned the House of God to the ground. The wolf coming for his flock, they must kill the wolf before the wolf kills them. The mob is gathered to the Boy's home. The Pimp and the Priest goes into the house alone.

14.)

Blood:

The Pimp and the Priest tells the Boy the mob is coming for him and to give up. The Boy refusing to be controlled by the Pimp and the Priest tells him that all he wanted was to save the people of the City from the evil that dominated them for so long. The Boy casts his identity of the Son and knows who he is. The Boy stabs the Pimp and the Priest killing him once and for all playing into the hands of Mr. Usher's plan all along.

15.)

A Beginning:

The Boy knows the mob will kill him and though Mr. Usher will take control of the City, the Pimp and the Priest is dead and finds happiness in that. The Boy attempts to escape but to no avail his only option is death as he jumps into the River. The final moments of the Boy are filled with loneliness and darkness. The Boy is scared that death is filled with an endless void and is scared of being alone forever to wander the darkness. In his final seconds however, he sees the image of Ms. Terri, Ms. Leading, his Half-Brother, the people that love him as they are standing by the tree near the lake. He smiles with this thought knowing he is finally coming home.

Act V: The End

Story by Casey Crescenzo (You guys probably already knew that.)Okay I've been listening to The Dear Hunter for quite awhile, and I've made up what I believe the story's direction is thus far.My sources: Paying attention to the lyrics and music's mood. Asking The Great Casey himself and reading the Act II booklet that came with the Act III Special Edition.That being said...Let Us Begin!I know I have a lot of time on my hands, and leave Comments to tell me what you think. I will respond back.A few notes about the story metaphors and what not.Note: The Dear Hunter: According to Casey, When The Boy was very little he used to catch little animals and show them to his mum Ms. Terri and she would always refer to The Boy. "My little Dear Hunter."Note: The Tree: According to Casey, The Tree is a Metaphor for The Boy also his "father figure." When The Boy was Young he would always try to pass the Tree (Border to The Lake) But never did. The Boy was in fear of The Tree but also fascinated by it.)Note: Casey doesn't like to reveal alot about the story, so what little information I've managed to slip out of Casey is there.

As I said I could be wrong. But that's what I think is going on. Let me know what you think! I also updated the first page of the thread with my interpretation of Act IV.



Notes:

Act III: Originally, Act III was supposed to be called; Act III: There will be blood.



Act III: The Great War in Act III is World War I



Act III: In Cauda Venenum means in Latin: "The poison is in the tail", which means: "The worst is yet to come. / To save the worst for last."



Act II: In The Lake and The River there are secret lyrics starting at 3:20. The lyrics are "And a Caveat of excuses."



The Dear Hunter: According to Casey, The Boy could be French or Latin (Possibly)



Act IV: Was originally going to be an EP.



Act V and VI: Is most likely to be Full Length.



Act II: Originally Act II was supposed to have more songs on the album, however the songs have been scrapped because they would have needed a second CD.



Act III: According to the music video "What It Means To Be Alone", The Thief's name is Pierre.



The Dear Hunter: There will be Acts I-VI (1-6)



The Dear Hunter: According to Casey: The Oracles aren't ghosts they are Constants as in they have always been and never was.



The Dear Hunter: Back in Myspace, The Dear Hunter posted a backround depicting the village of The Lake. Following the River takes you to the City. The Delphi Express follows the River via tracks to the City.

Act IV: King of Swords (Reversed) Was originally going to be called "Running for Mayor.

Act IV: King of Swords (Reversed) is a Minor Arcana that means a powerful force (Normally Male) who will not be convinced and will not take advice from people who try.

Act IV: In The Bitter Suite IV and V: There are reprises from The Oracles on The Delphi Express, Bitter Suite II.

Act IV: The Old Haunt has a reprise with the opening of The Lake and The River.

Act IV: At the end of A Night on the Town, The melody for The Bitter Suite II is reversed.

Act IV: At The End of The Earth there is a reprise with What It Means to be Alone (Everything you had is lost.)

Act IV: The Plague Doctor in the album cover is The Pimp and The Priest, According to the Wayfarer Volume I, it depicts The Pimp and The Priest dressed as one.

I hope I cleared many things up on The Storyline. If you are reading this I'm glad I took your precious time to read the story!The Name Is Brian and thankyou!

Edited by WeAreDormin777, 04 January 2020 - 04:24 PM.