Codex Harmonicus

Lit. Armature or frame. The harmonic expression of your nataclava as perceived through Timbre. The look of it. Also the Italian music term for key signature. (armatura di chiave). Also the suit of armor of a knight.

The art of harmony divination. The reading and interpretation of what your nataclave means for your character and nature. The story of it. From Italian armonia (harmony) + Latin auguria (omen-reading). Related to the Italian auguri: good wishes, good omens.

The birth key or source key that an entity was born under. See text for detailed definition.

See also: Nataclavi (pl.)

See nataclave

Thee natural force of power of the universe channeled through conductors.

Every person, place, and event leaves a tonal residue: a combination of key, emotional color, and resonance pattern. Virtuosi can read these signatures, though with varying precision. A strong emotion leaves a stronger signature. A violent act leaves the strongest of all. These signatures decay over time, usually within hours or days, which is why Trovatori are called to crime scenes quickly.

A rare and forbidden magical attack: forced perfect rhythm imposed on the heart until the vessels burst. The human heart requires small natural variations to function. Irrhythmia strips those variations, creating a biologically impossible precision that is fatal. Not to be confused with arrhythmia, which is irregular rhythm. Irrhythmia is the opposite — too perfect. Requires advanced harmonic manipulation or a specialized device.

Every person is born into a key on the circle of fifths, determined by date and circumstances of birth: the magical equivalent of a zodiac sign. The natal key is the root note of a person's harmonic signature and cannot be changed. It can be masked or suppressed, but it is always there underneath. A trained Trovatore can identify a person's natal key within seconds of attuning to them.

The DHR uses dampening chambers, defined as magically isolated spaces where Virtuosi influence is suppressed and harmonic signatures cannot be read or generated. Virtuosi find them disorienting. Musicians who practice within these walls can create, yet they struggle to translate that work to the outside world. The DHR considers them a safety measure; others disagree.

The silence between spells is the internal quiet required to refill a Virtuoso's harmonic reservoir after using magic. Back-to-back spells without tacitare cause bone-deep exhaustion and magical depletion. Named after Maestro Park's teaching. "Tempo isn't speed; it's the measure of space between actions."

Note: Pronunciation varies by tradition. The accepted tah-chee-TAH-ray follows the Ecclesiastical (Italianate) style, whereas the archaic tah-kih-TAH-ray is found in older, Classical texts. The Conservatory strictly enforces the Italianate preference.

See also: The Columbus Conservatory The Conservatory of Sorcerers (musical magicians). Note: "degli" is the hardest for English speakers. The "gl" sounds like "lli" in "million."

The Columbus branch of an international institution founded in 1623 to formalize the practice of harmonic magic and the protection of Guardians. Governs Virtuosi practice in the region through the Harmonic Council. Maintains a complicated relationship with the DHR, the city of Columbus, and its own practitioners.

Founded after the Eleven War as the official regulatory body for harmonic magic in the United States. Officially tasked with preventing harm from uncontrolled magical practice. Runs Resonance Isolation Studios, issues performer licenses, and has expanded its enforcement activities significantly in recent years. Has a complicated relationship with the Conservatory.

Individuals chosen to protect specific human virtues and encourage their growth in the world. Selected through a process involving the Harmonic Council and the Four Cardinals. A Guardian's identity is kept secret. Their protection depends on anonymity. Guardian succession requires a living Guardian to pass power to a chosen successor before death; a Guardian who dies without completing succession leaves their virtue orphaned. The Conservatory has existed for over 400 years specifically to protect and serve the Guardians. There are more virtues than most people think worth protecting.

Plural of Novizo/a

See Novitzio

Apprentice rank within the Conservatory. The entry point for newly identified practitioners. Assigned to an experienced Virtuoso for field training — a tradition the experienced Virtuoso does not always appreciate.

Investigative specialist within the Conservatory. Trovatori are trained to read harmonic signatures in spaces and people, acting as crime scene investigators for magical incidents. The role predates the Conservatory itself; once the primary means of communicating lore across long distances, they have not entirely forgiven modernity for making their original purpose unnecessary.

Practitioners of harmonic magic. People trained by the Conservatory to use musical resonance to create effects in the physical and magical world. Each Virtuoso specializes; their abilities are shaped by their natal key, their instrument, and their training. Not all Virtuosi are equally gifted. Not all gifted Virtuosi are equally stable.

Dekker Kohl's instrument of choice. Not a lute. See the full article: On the Ossia: A Trovatore's Perspective →

An eleven-month conflict fought almost entirely below the notice of the general public. Two factions — Dynamicists (advocating for creative freedom) and Compressionists (advocating for magical regulation and control) — fought for dominance of harmonic practice in the United States. Climaxed at Harmony Hall. Ended with a treaty that both sides claimed as victory. The Compressionists became the DHR. The Dynamicists merged with the Conservatory. Whether anyone actually won is a matter of ongoing debate.

Felix Cantabile's cat. Six legs. Strong opinions about piano playing. Origin unclear. Do not attempt to catch her.