Imperial Memo: Tone-Stones

Potentate Ocato,

You requested that I appraise you on the device that was recently installed in the Council Chambers, and I decided that it would be more expedient to write it down, as I know you are quite overwhelmed at present. Trying to hold this Empire together is quite, well, trying. The device is called a “Tone-stone.” It seems to be a contrivance of former Elder Councillor Gerard Auridor, the same ex-Councillor involved in the infamous Bjoulsae River Scandal. (As an aside, I know you are eager to hear a more thorough report on the Scandal. I have been in contact with Genevieve at the Imperial Geographical Society; She has recently concluded her research and is eager to begin writing.) As you are no doubt aware (I write it thus for posterity’s sake), the former Councillor is infamous for his wide love for all Tamrielic music (even, bizarrely enough, native Argonian music, which can be most charitably described as 'incomprehensible'). He lamented that he could not experience certain pieces of music over again and wondered if there might be a solution such a problem. You know him, always the entrepreneur; he doesn’t see problems, only possibilities. Consulting his wide array of magical consultants, one of them finally hit upon the idea of a soul gem, modified to contain sound instead. This mage had connections to Echmeri tone-talkers, who helped him synthesize the first Tone-Stone.

Tone-Stones are similar in appearance to soul gems, but are aqua in color, with milk-white veins running throughout. A tone receptor (resembling a fork with two unusually long tines) is inserted into the stone and placed in easy hearing of the sound or music to be recorded. The receptor converts the sounds into magical tone echoes carried in the tone-stone. To end recording, the receptor is simply removed from the stone. At any point after, the recorded sounds can then be replicated by means of a magical amplifier. The stone is kept in magical suspension by levitation and struck lightly, but firmly with the same tone receptor. The stone will then play back every sound that was originally recorded.

Though originally developed for recreational purposes, the Empire quickly realized the usefulness of such a device and began using them to record important government meetings, as an alternative to magicka-intensive Dreamsleeve communiques, inaccessible to all but talented mages specialized in its use. It remains to be seen if Tone-stones will catch on with the magical elite; most Tamrielic wizards are frequently suspicious of change, after all, especially changes they didn’t think up themselves. The Blades were also attempting to use the stones for surreptitious recordings of persons under suspicion. We do not know if they ultimately succeeded, but the tone-stone design means that recordings are indiscriminate (they would record everything audible within its range), and the device itself is not particularly discreet, so it is unlikely that the idea gained much traction. As for the rest of Tamriel, the prohibitive cost of tone-stones prevents the masses from enjoying pre-recorded music, at least for now. I hear Auridor is currently in negotiation with the Echmer to bring import prices down, as they seem to be the only ones with the secret to producing these stones. It could be a problem if we become reliant on these stones, but it is best we cross that bridge when and if we come to it.

Divines keep you,
Undersecretary Uvil Thareles