ArmageddonMUD Music on Zalanthas

Music History Music Theory Back to the Main Index

Music History

Music's deepest roots on Zalanthas are in the nomadic tribes, before the rise of the Tuluki or Allanaki city-states. Originally, music came in two basic forms. One was rhythmic and used for practical purposes such as rituals and ceremonies. The other was a song form used for storytelling, aiding in communications between different parts of a larger nomadic people. Current events, humor, and history would often be passed along these ways.

The rise of the city-states and merchant houses made for vast advancements in music, as the rich were able to devote more of their time to the study and practice of the art. A key group in this developement was House Kadius, whose crafters' expertise allowed instruments to be more reliable, easy to use, higher quality, and possessing a purer tone. In the south much of the way music was shaped was attributed to House Fale, which often premiered some new musical styles or pieces at their lavish parties. The city-state of Tuluk, however, has developed an entire community devoted to the arts of music and storytelling, providing not only one of the most advanced source of music in the known world, but also boasting the widest variety of styles and methods of performance. The heart of this community is the area of Tuluk called Poets' Circle.

The tribal cultures of Zalanthas still maintain their practical view of music, with a few exceptions, as few prosper to a level where any one member of the tribe has the luxury of focusing on comparatively trivial matters such as music. The Anyali tribe and the Tan Muark are the major exceptions to this.

Music Theory

The musical scale of Zalanthas was developed early on by the tribal nomads, and notes are measured accordingly. To play with other musicians, one must establish a "root" note. These notes are based off of the old string instruments in which the tendons of animals were used for plucking. So the tendon of a carru tightened across a piece of wood and plucked would produce a fairly distinct tone, and would thusly be called a "carru."

From the root note of the carru, pitches would be judged by relative distance. To move your finger along the string the length of a toe would be a "carru's toe." The animals used for the names of these root notes often varies from region to region, depending on the wildlife that exists there. The scale within a root note depends on the animal in question. A carru, for example, might consist of a scale ranging from lowest to highest: Eye, toe, hoof, mouth, snout, head, antler, leg.

There is no standard on how many notes a scale may contain, nor on how to interpret this scale as the materials used in the construction of instruments has vastly changed over the passing years. A skilled bard will often tune his or her instrument during the process of playing for a more precise match with accompanying instruments.