Harmonium

The Harmonium's a big faction. Besides several thousand members in Sigil and the 10.000 in Melodia, the Harmonium includes several thousand more elsewhere in Arcadia and a few thousand in the town of Fortitude. That's a lot of people. A Hardhead seldom finds himself far away from a fellow Hardhead.

Structure

A basher can join the Harmonium in one of two ways. First, a body can go to the City Barracks and ask for some recruitment pamphlets. The interested party then receives an invitation to a few minor meetings and social activities, where recruitment officers observe him. If they agree he shows merit, they'll ask him to join. Other cutters’ll receive an invitation out of the blue to join the Harmonium – it’s one of the few factions that actively recruits. Bloods will talk lots of the Clueless into joining, knowing that their faction’s stability and strength offers the Outsiders a pleasant view of the future. It appears to provide a home and the comfort of what amounts to one huge family. (Reports that the Harmonium strongarms berks into the faction from off the streets using "Hardhead reform tactics" are greatly exaggerated. But when numbers drop too low to handle increased rioting in the Cage. . . well, sometimes things happen that shouldn't. Apparently Tonat Shar knows nothing of these unorthodox recruiting methods. - Ed.)   Every four weeks, all recent recruits gather for Tonat Shars indoctrination speech. The factols talk shows the type of man he is - tough, forthright, charismatic, and unforgiving - and tells the recruits what to expect. They then get shipped off to training camps on Buxenus, the second layer of Arcadia. At the end of the eight weeks of grueling training, recruits either have dropped out to become common berks again or have turned into official Hardheads. Those that fail, though regarded with some caution, can freely attempt the training again later. See, the faction fully expects everyone to join eventually. (Despite Factol Tonat Shars words to recruits, the faction does give some second chances. The only ones the Hardheads don’t invite back are those who turn stag on their group. Those, the Factol has arrested and tried. Guilty sods usually get sentenced to the leafless tree. – Ed.)
The Harmonium has a paramilitary organization. Namers who've completed their training become Notaries, common soldiers. Notaries fall into five ranks, depending on their length of service, from the lowest Notary Ones to the high at-ranking Notary Fives. Some Notaries later decide to pursue officer training. Every six months, Harmonium high-ups select a few Notaries who have proved tough, smart, and dedicated (and have reached at least 3rd level). These cutters receive advanced training and, on graduation, become Measures, the Harmonium name for factotums. Like Notaries, Measures are divided into five sub-ranks, depending on the length of time served; the lowest-ranking Measure One eventually can he a Measure Five. Above the rank of Measure, the Movers are the Harmonium's factors.
These high-ups select new additions to their ranks from among the Measure Fives. Each Mover also holds a rank from One to Five. (Killeen Caine is the only Mover Five, since Tonat became Factol. – Ed.) The Factol himself decides who is worthy of promotion among the Movers, basing his decision on ability, length of membership, and outstanding service to the faction. Governing all the ranks is the Factol, also known among the Harmonium as the Composer. (That’s ‘cause he’s the one directing all the components in Harmony, writing the music, as it were. – Ed.) The Factol holds office as long as his officers deem him competent. When he steps down, a Mover Five becomes the new Composer and promotes a Mover Four to take his place.

Culture

The Harmonium opens its doors to all who truly believe in the group's terms for universal peace. Members of any race and any profession can join, as long as they follow a lawful ethical code.

Public Agenda

The nine principles of 'Harmonizing' originated from the ascent of Factol Tonat Shar to the Harmonium and issued to every new recruit. This is part of Tonats moves to disassociate the Harmonium from previous Orthon style philosophy, which amounted to Planar Imperialism, and to a more open-minded approach. In Tonats own words these days; "Any people may find their own Golden Harmony, it is our job to enforce the Greater Harmony between these various individual Harmonies. No orchestra can be made with only a single instrument. In this, the Harmonium no longer seek to subjugate and enforce a singular vision on all, but to respect and promote Harmony across the Multiverse and its diverse peoples, achieving our Harmony through growth and mutual respect."
These general principles have been distilled into nine points, listed below:

1. To prevent crime and disorder, as an alternative to their repression by military force and severity of legal punishment.
2. To recognise always that the power of the Harmonium to fulfill their functions and duties is dependent on public approval of their existence, actions and behaviour, and on their ability to secure and maintain public respect.
3. To recognise always that to secure and maintain the respect and approval of the public means also the securing of the willing co-operation of the public in the task of securing observance of laws.
4. To recognise always that the extent to which the co-operation of the public can be secured diminishes proportionately the necessity of the use of physical force and compulsion for achieving Harmonium objectives.
5. To seek and preserve public favour, not by pandering to public opinion, but by constantly demonstrating absolutely impartial service to law, in complete independence of policy, and without regard to the justice or injustice of the substance of individual laws, by ready offering of individual service and friendship to all members of the public without regard to their wealth or social standing, by ready exercise of courtesy and friendly good humour, and by ready offering of individual sacrifice in protecting and preserving life.
6. To use physical force only when the exercise of persuasion, advice and warning is found to be insufficient to obtain public co-operation to an extent necessary to secure observance of law or to restore order, and to use only the minimum degree of physical force which is necessary on any particular occasion for achieving a Harmonium objective.
7. To maintain at all times a relationship with the public that gives reality to the fact that the Harmonium are the public and that the public can be Harmonium, the Harmonium being only members of the public who are paid to give full-time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence.
8. To recognise always the need for strict adherence to Harmonium-executive functions, and to refrain from even seeming to usurp the powers of the judiciary of avenging individuals or the Factions, and of authoritatively judging guilt and punishing the guilty.
9. To recognise always that the test of Harmonium efficiency is the absence of crime and disorder, and not the visible evidence of Harmonium action in dealing with them.

Peace is our goal. But if it takes a little war to get others to set things right, the Harmonium way, so be it. That’s how we’ll reach our golden harmony.

Alternative Names

Hardheads

Leader

Factol Tonat Shar

Leader Title

Factol

Location

Sigil