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description: The Echo Shard appears as a crystalline fragment roughly the size of a human fist, composed of an unknown iridescent material that shifts between deep violet and silver depending on the viewing angle. Ancient Harmonic script spirals across its surface in flowing, musical notation that seems to move and rearrange itself when observed directly. The shard hovers perpetually three inches above any surface, rotating slowly while emanating a faint, complex harmony audible only to trained singers.
taxonomyContext: Ancient artifacts, relics, and mystical objects from the lost Harmonic Empire and other pre-galactic civilizations
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# Echo Shard of Prima Universalis
## Physical Description
The Echo Shard appears as a crystalline fragment roughly the size of a human fist, composed of an unknown iridescent material that shifts between deep violet and silver depending on the viewing angle. Ancient Harmonic script spirals across its surface in flowing, musical notation that seems to move and rearrange itself when observed directly. The shard hovers perpetually three inches above any surface, rotating slowly while emanating a faint, complex harmony audible only to trained singers.
## Harmonic Properties
The shard resonates at exactly 432 Hz - the legendary "universal frequency" that the Harmonic Empire claimed connected all living beings. When a singer performs within its presence, the shard amplifies their voice by precisely 347%, while simultaneously correcting any harmonic imperfections. More remarkably, it records and can replay the "vocal essence" of any singer who has performed near it, preserving their technique for eternity.
## Historical Context
Discovered in 2834 within the ruins of the Harmonic Empire's lost capital city on the planet Consonance, the Echo Shard is believed to be a fragment of the legendary Prima Universalis - the master conductor's baton that supposedly could harmonize entire star systems. Archaeological evidence suggests the Prima Universalis was shattered during the Empire's final, catastrophic performance that caused their mysterious disappearance three millennia ago.
## Powers & Abilities
The shard grants its holder the ability to perfectly mimic any vocal technique they have heard, regardless of their training level. However, each use ages the singer by one day, and overuse can result in permanent vocal paralysis. The artifact also serves as a key to certain Harmonic Empire ruins, causing hidden chambers to resonate open when exposed to its frequency.
## Current Status
Currently housed in the Grand Archive of House Diminuendo under maximum security. Only the Archive's Chief Curator and three selected Master Singers have access to the vault. Several attempts have been made to steal the shard, including a notorious heist by the Phantom Conductor's agents in 2846 that nearly succeeded.
## Discovery Account
Found by archaeologist-singer Dr. Melody Starweaver during her controversial expedition to the forbidden Consonance system, despite explicit warnings from all three Opera Houses about the dangers of disturbing Harmonic Empire sites.
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*Entry in Artifacts taxonomy*
