Music

Music forms a connection between those who can see it and the world beyond. This can be used to manipulate the world around. To do that requires at least two people - one to create the music and another to form that into the desired actions.

The power of music

Any tuned instrument can provide this power, the better it is played the more power it can draw. As a result, music is only performed by trained members of the Conservatoire. As they travel the lands and are present in all towns, there is no shortage of music.
Any with an aptitude to play music, or to see the power that draws, may audition at the Conservatoire around their tenth summer. Those who succeed remain there to study, those who don't are unable to play music as the Conservatiore strongly enforces the restriction on others playing.
When playing, the quality of the music affects the power able to be used. Timing, tuning, expression, and dynamics all play a facor in this. Because of this, each person that you add to a group adds increasingly less capacity for power, so there is a trade-off between numbers and ability.

Practical uses

Many Conservatoire groups take contracts on floatships to provide the momentum. These ships float above the ground and are the backbone of trade and transportation across the continent.
Each town and village hosts its own Music house for Conservatoire members to stay when visiting. In the larger towns, these are permantently inhabited. Those who stay there have a responsibility to that community. As well as advising the community leaders and identifying possible new students, they provide healing, defence and other services.
Within the Conservatoire Hall most fuctions are performed by manipulating music. With the numbers of students and music performed here, there is an abundance of power needing to be used.

History of music manipulation

Minstrels long had a reputaion as being unlucky because of the many accidents they caused. Looking back, we can see that it wasn't the minstrels themselves that caused these, but someone in the audience unknowingly manipulating the music to take action in an unpredicatable manner. This all changed during the chaos times after the overthrow of the dragon rule when Gaillard started studying music and what he could use it for.

Gaillard

As a young boy, music fascinated him. He realised that others couldn't see the aptterns it created as he did. After helping put out a kitchen fire at The Lonely Coin (now called The Lucky Fiddle) he was given the opportuinty to study music and how he could manipulate it to do things.

Creating the Conservatoire

Word spread that he'd created a safe haven for musicians, and many flocked there to join him. They soon outgrew the accommodation available there, so Gaillard created the Conservatiore as a safe space for musicians to learn their skills before going out to serve the nations of Kaitstud.