Throughout the game Chrono Trigger, themes of free will, existentialism, consequence, sacrifice, identity, and class struggle, among many others, are explored in depth. This last of which peaked my interest specifically when I considered this in relation to the Antiquity Era of the game, which takes place in 12,000 BC, 13,000 years before the present day setting of the story. As a Culture Of Gaming article put it, "Issues of class and race pervade nearly every epoch in the game" and in none is it more obvious than when comparing the Kingdom of Zeal, a decadent magical kingdom in the sky, to the plight of the Earthbound people of Algetty, confined underground in order to survive the impossible conditions of an Ice Age. 

"In the English language, the word "Zeal" refers to a passionate interest in the pursuit of something. The word often has a negative connotation. The citizens of Zeal zealously pursue their magical research to the destruction of their Kingdom. Later, in the Last Village, an Enlightened One says that the citizens reached for their magical goals with too much vigour, even to the point of enslaving and ostracizing non-magical beings." [Chrono Wiki]

The contrast between these two peoples is the difference between striving and surviving, the Kingdom of Zeal visually and conceptually stunning to unsuspecting players who had been marching their characters through a barren ice-land a minute prior - a whole kingdom floating in the sky! The rooms are bronze in colour, with decorative red beds, colourful bookshelves, elegant candlesticks, lush purple carpets and bright green stools - a centre for art, culture, technology and magic. The Enlightened Ones of Zeal don extravagant purple clothing - in high contrast to the rags of the Earthbound Ones in Algetty. Their underground prison has a ceiling of roots and walls and floors of dirt. Their rooms are simple, with nothing more than empty shelves and wooden tables and chairs. Players of Chrono Trigger describe entering Zeal for the first or even fifth time like stepping into a dream, whereas players don't describe their brief experience in Algetty at all. 

Enhasa - Kingdom of Zeal

Many of the habitants of Enhasa within the Kingdom of Zeal talk of sleeping or lie half awake in bed - a metaphor for their blissful ignorance and arrogance I'm sure. Fuelling their city with a power that will eventually destroy them, there is a definite sense of impending doom, like a dream yes, but one you know you must wake from.

I chose to write a theme in mixolydian to represent this kingdom, a mode that almost seems to want to promise joy but inescapably falls short. I wanted to maintain a sense of awe and mysticism while trying to hint at this ignorance, creating a tune inspired by the idea of a lullaby if it was sped up to 110bpm in a swaying 3/4. As lazy as the residents seem, it is still one of the most populated and busy areas in the game, so I needed to reflect that in a rhythmically dynamic fashion.

Harmonically, the theme avoids the tonic triad at almost all costs, instead repeatedly 'resolving' to the dominant 7 tonic chord, as well as leaning heavily on the half-diminished 7th chord, maintaining a subtle level of unease and instability.

Algetty

The Algetty theme in contrast is much simpler, modulating to a mournful Aeolian progression. The Earthbound people of Alegtty are discontent, distrustful, but most of all, resigned to their ill-fate. They are isolated, lonely and barely holding onto the belief that Schala will rescue them. Barely just surviving, above them is an insurmountable cold, and around them, frail tunnels littered with beasts.

I chose an unstable and sparse 5/4 time signature for this theme, accompanied by a pedalling 80 bpm tempo. In the melody and the accompaniment alike, I focused on simple descending patterns, evoking a sense of hopelessness and reiterating their simple desire to escape from their confinement, also repeatedly using a half-diminished 7th chord to create a similar yet distinct uneasy edge to an otherwise mournful and isolating composition.