Forest of Mystery/Scheming

Track 4-12: Forest of Mystery

This game has four dungeon themes, and this one is, as the name suggests, mostly used for forest-style dungeons. The basic concept is the same as “The Trees Have Eyes” from OCTOPATH TRAVELER I, in that I did my best to evoke the unique eerie yet tranquil atmosphere of forest areas in an RPG.

The quiet guitar arpeggios at the beginning and the sonorous low whistle in the low-to-middle register, then the tin whistle playing in unison, then the pounding percussion that threatens to tear the space apart—as these elements are added in turn, the piece steadily becomes more musically intense. The overall structure is one in which the chord progression stays basically the same throughout, but instruments keep appearing and intertwining, allowing small waves to grow larger and larger over time.

Track 4-13: Scheming

This is another multipurpose event track with a helpfully descriptive title. The harp arpeggios that sound like someone creeping closer, the eerily played melody over rhythmic strings, the piano steadily closing in—all these elements help make this a suspenseful piece.

Translation: Matt Treyvaud