Harmpannetsu

Physical Description

Body Features

Harmpannetsu is a thought form whose shape is ever changing and intangible. However, because of Hothtaaz's gravitational field, the whole of herself is confined to existing within just 30 km above Hothtaaz's skin. At her most observable, Harmpannetsu manifests as a mesh of light wrapping around the crowded concert digs like a giant aurora borealis coloured a yellowish gold.

Experience a euphoria. The spectacle of the aurora. Her undulating serpentine folds imply a story that can only be felt. The lightshows in the forever dark night of the threshold somehow touch the good and evil of everything.

— advertisement for a concert performance

She can be highly aggressive while displaying a variety of appearances from as many compositions; all of which are more durable than what it may initially suggest. This apparent invincibility protects her from being crushed, or otherwise destroyed, by the shear mass of the dreaming creature.

Facial Features

Harmpannetsu does not really have a face. Unless you want to count those clocks.

— whispered discussion between audience members

But she can conjure one from a mesh of glowing lines into a three dimensional geometry of a face. It reconstructs and retouches expressions while in front of anyone she performs for. This ability is not restricted to human sensibilities, as she can adapt to the horse-like Lapwyds or the faceless Agorans with equal charm.

Physical quirks

Spinning Clocks

A recurring pattern of twelve spheres spinning together in a circle with a bisecting line that jostles with the surrounding rhythm of bass, baritone, tenor and soprano parts. This symbol can be found all around the set of lines and spaces that make up the incorporeal body in every size possible. They can dance around audience members while being as big as a person's head or orbit above Hothtaaz's 'atmosphere' the size of a mountain.

The cosmos tells you what it means to feel alive.

— extract from the Blackford Spines

Special abilities

Serenade

People and other reasonably sentient beings hold an appreciable value for Harmpannetsu's songs.
Most notes do not come from instruments known to man. They are sweeter and clearer and woven into magical patterns that almost universally bring the same mental images to listening brains. Expressive of the life all humans instinctively knew from their home world. Voices emerge from the surrounding space like a singing choir or other backup vocals or background orchestral or principally instrumental music that empowers those who hear her with boons and banes.
For as long as they can listen to the songs:

• Melodic phases conjure impressions of blooming flowers
• Shy and sweet fluted melodies of streams
• Undying fugitive of sheer climaxes
• Lilting tenderness of a laughing heart
• Thrilling full voiced harmonies of winged birds
• Sighing whispers of forest pools
• Gay clarinet notes that wave to rippling winds
• The vibrating of hushed instruments
• Solemn chords of quartz and granite
• Tumbling music of rising love
• Orderly rhythms of pattering bases
• Complex counterpoints that voiced ancient persons

Intricate turrets of weird music

Thunderous crashes of mad aspirations

Bellowing wild ambitious

Suave lulls that bring forth poised fish

Velvety tones suggesting slow climbs

Smooth carnations transmuted into sound

Silvery notes of ended things

Runs of jovial beasts

Wails of bitter agony

Gay dancing of a bright haired child

Broken rhythm to make for perfect sound pictures

Unity of the Senses

Listeners acquire a temporary collective synthesia where bodily senses gain heightened and extra preceptory abilities for observing their fleshy surroundings.

Obsession

Listeners become exceedingly focused on problems that trouble them, potentially to the detriment of other facets of their physical and mental health.

Insane Music

Listeners seek special insight or inspiration that may leave them ravaging even after the song is completed.

A sort of pause falls over you. Everything stops. No other sound can make their way to you: no talk of your crew, no ship whistles or beeps or far away background sounds that vibrate constantly. Nothing.
It's just you and her.

— recounting of an infatuated musical enthusiast

Such phenomenon are controversially viewed as augmentations for the mind; just as software updates for computers, moll for the body or simulais for all manner of devices. Except, they are only temporary and there can be long term negative consequences to listening to these spells for too long.

Mental characteristics

Employment

Concert Digs

There are thousands upon thousands of sunken pockmarks all along Hothtaaz's back. They are converted into a natural amphitheatre where patrons sit in overly large circular rooms open to lurker space above while being catered to and feasted. As their hostess, Harmpannetsu serenades with an unfathomably large mental library of musical works, in addition to her own original pieces, nothing and no one can leave the chamber. Instead, those part of the audience will reenter the hall.

These shows leave one with a unique tingling feeling denied to everyone else.

— thoughts of a first time patron

In addition, the immediate area surrounding the clients can drastically alter in shape and temporary props that accentuate the experience can manifest for as long as the performance continues on. During which the passage of time stops and they can be interacted with. At the cessation of the performance, these object dematerialize and the concert hall snaps back to its original shape. Simultaneous performances in different digs, no matter where they are, can cause a fusion of the observing audiences for different groups to collectively enjoy. Some enterprising performance goers use this phenomenon to organize fast transit between different ends of the lurker threshold.
Otherwise, Harmpannetsu can play hundreds or thousands of songs all at once for many observers.

Intellectual Characteristics

As a thought form, Harmpannetsu is the end result of all the emotional energy and mental matter from uncountable sapients across the multidimensions who had or have working concepts of music.

She isn't just musical. She is literally made of music and embodies any and all notions of harmonic notes. And she's one thought form who is constantly growing and continually incorporating the ideas and migrating concepts into herself.

— Nikit Mathur explaining the concept of amalgamation

A side consequence of her amalgamation, is her similarly impressive collection of languages. Through her music acquisition of widely separate cultures, Harmpannetsu possesses unique insight into understanding the basics of nearly all forms of speech ever spoken. She was vital in bridging the language gap between the Laplwyds, the Itey, the Meridians, the citizens of Asphodel and Aaragon and the new arrivals of humanity.

She is not a perfect translator as that requires a deeper level of cultural interpretation, which she is not always properly attuned to. But without her there may have been no hope at all for us understanding each other.
In this way, Harmpannetsu has prevented wars. And all she ask in return is to listen to her sing.

— Zanetti explaining how he established communication with the court at Tie

Harmpannetsu can be very sociable when not singing and will openly engage in conversations about current events and is eager to show off encyclopedic knowledge of musical theory when questioned. However, she is also an expert in diverting from questions pertaining to herself; or will simply disappear to entertain any other group.

Taboos

Silence

Though it is never known to have ever awaken; ethereals believe that should Hothtaaz ever do so, then its multi-planar flesh would destroy realities as the creature turns over. Harmpannetsu has shown to be resentful of her forced imprisonment.

All it would take would be for her to remain silent. To stop singing and let Hothtaaz wake up so they can cooperatively untangle. But is not her nature to willingly be quiet.

— a warning about Harmpannetsu's nature

At best, Harmpannetsu could quiet things down in isolated areas for a limited time to unleash planned reality waves from Hothtaaz's skin. Upon special request, she would downgrade to humming around Hothtaaz's head so that he merely yawns to propel the crafts for maw sailing.

Social

Contacts & Relations

Hothtaaz

Hothtaaz is a worm-like entity that is ever sleeping and even though partly coiled in the vast edges of known Manidweepa is still large enough to take up the space of any entire universe.
It is believed that Harmpannetsu was tricked and entrapped to serve forever as Hothtaaz's warden. Due to her compulsive need to sing and make music; her acoustic waves act as the only effective counter to the chaotic reality waves that roll off his skin. As such, she can never leave the Threshold.

Divine Classification

EEV Scale: 93

Religions

• Asphodel Quadrant
• Iodex
• Tren Trio

Alignment

Chaotic Neutral

Current Status

Singing at Concert

Current Location

Lurker Threshold

Circumstances of Birth

Collective thought form of many dimensional creatures

Current Residence

Concert Digs

Gender

Genderless

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Manifestation of golden lines and musical notes

Related Plots

• Cosmic Furnace