Thoughts floating on ashes

14th of Sjernul, 147 Y.R.

To: Anhero sa Viigh, University of Sjurinel

My Dearest Anhe!

The Rose Valley site continues to amaze and delight! You must pardon the bevity of this letter, for there is so much to catalogue, but I simply could not delay in offering a brief preview of a discovery that will surely excite you especially.

Within the latest burial mound, dated roughly to 3900 years Before the Revolution(!), we found a nearly intact trough zither! As you are intimately aware, this predates the previous earliest known instrument of this type by nearly 500 years!

(That said, it is far too early to speculate on whether this is an ancestor to the ancient kulum or the modern tsavuun or taugr)

I have yet to have the opportunity to properly measure it (as you know, old Poli is very particular about documenting the exact placement and orientation of everything before we can even think of getting our hands on them, a true paragon of archeological virtue!) but I estimate the body of the instrument, roughly rectangular, to be a hand and a half wide and half a hand deep with a scale length longer than my arm. Most exciting is the presence of two bridges(!), one fixed to the body with notches for first, third, fourth, sixth, eighth, ninth & eleventh strings. And a second movable(!) bridge with notches for second, fifth, seventh & tenth strings.

I hesitate to speculate on the exact tuning without further (extensive!) analysis of the contents of the chamber, but my immediate thought upon seeing this splendid instrument was your survey of the pentatonic scales employed along the Maikonekea archipelago. In particular, it calls to mind your description of Hanapul scales of the southern islands, constructed from trichords built around perfect fourths. (See! I do pay attention to your impromptu lectures at dinner!) But could a movable bridge suggest access to neutral or even intermediate scale degrees? Alas, my fancies preceed the facts, I must remind myself to remain objevtive.

Gods willing, it will not be too long before I can get a good sketch and the exact dimensions of the instrument. Poli has even granted me leave to forward relevent premilinaries directly to you given your expertise! I shall keep you apprised.

Yours, as always, with all of my love,

In the midst of uprisings, we remember those who are imprisoned for fighting for a better world. Since 2004, June 11 has served as a day of solidarity with captured anarchists like Marius Mason and many more.

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hey my ass looks pretty good in these I think?