THE MUSIC MASTERS


SETTING


The year is 2010. It's just like any other year. People worry about the world economy, they worry about their families, and they worry about their next raise. The world continues to deteriorate under human greed, and yet we continue to move forward with technological progress. Humans, being the masters of arts of all kind, continue the century long tradition of composing and creating music. As a recreational tool, music is enjoyed by almost everyone, and has become an integral part of human society. In short, people are the same as always.

But what if the world was just a little different? What if music wasn't just a series of sounds that we all enjoy to listen to? What if music was more? What if music was a tool of creation, and destruction? What if music could be controlled, harnessed, and used to bring down cities and people alike?

What if, huh? Well, in this world, the world of Music Masters, that what if is already gone with the wind.

HARMONIZEO

What is Harmonizeo? That is a question that has been constantly asked by many a Music Master, and in all honesty, there has yet to be a concrete answer to the phenomenon that is Harmonizeo. Nevertheless, quite a bit is known about the mysterious energy force, and its aid in the cause of the Music Masters had remained unchanged for hundreds of years.

In short, Harmonizeo refers to the invisible, nearly undetectable force of energy that sits as a field above the Earth's stratosphere. It is currently unknown if it exists in any other part of this universe, but what is known is that it is virtually non-responsive to any kind of material or energy that is exposed to it. In a sense, Harmonizeo is almost non-existent, resting on a wavelength that allows it to remain virtually undetectable by sensors and scanners of all kinds.

Only one known source can actually affect Harmonizeo, and that one thing happens to be the sound of composed music. Music's effect on Harmonizeo is strange, but enormously powerful. Due to the uniqueness of every song in the musical spectrum, the effects produced with the combination of Harmonizeo and music are relatively unlimited.

The amount of abilities that are possible with Harmonizeo is currently unknown, but some examples of what has been witnessed is described below.

- Temporary matter creation
- Energy creation and manipulation
- Molecular control
- Control over the elements
- Control over human biology
- Mastery over reality itself, literally bending the laws of physics

Most of a Music Master's abilities manifest in the form of some sort of light in a the visible spectrum, such as a bright orange orb or something similar, but exceptions are common. Sometimes, even things such as a song's name can influence the effect of a specific song, as well as lyrics and genre. Why such trivial things effect a Music Master's repertoire is currently unknown, and continues to puzzle many a Music Master.

JUST WHAT IS A MUSIC MASTER?

What exactly is a Music Master?

In the simplest terms, a Music Master is a human being who can control and manipulate Harmonizeo in conjunction with the sound of composed music. Only certain human beings are born with this amazing ability, and many of them have congregated with others similar to themselves in clans called Circles.

Through a process called Harmonization, a Music Master forms a psychic link between the music pumping in his/her ears, his/her own mind, and the limitless amount of Harmonizeo above him/her in the sky. The amount of time required to form a link varies depending on the Music Master, but for most experienced Music Masters, it takes about a good second. Once they've Harmonized, a Music Master can form various effects from the Harmonizeo under their control. Harmonization is a strange process, and it can backfire on an inexperienced Music Master at times. If a Music Master's ears pick up on song too soon after Harmonizing with another, the Music Master in question can possibly experience an after effect called Harmonic Overload. Harmonic Overload has the chance of literally overloading a Music Master's brain with Harmonizeo feedback, and can cause intense headaches, lose of consciousness, and in worst case scenarios, death.

Music Master's have existed throughout history, with the first supposed Music Master being Ludwig Von Beethoven himself. In the first recorded case of Harmonic Overload, he lost his own hearing from the stress. Normally, a Music Master's abilities begin close to birth, where they begin to see music as colored threads in the air at a young age, a condition that's often easily mistaken as synethesia. Nevertheless, Music Masters continue to experience this condition way into their teenage years, where their powers usually first surface.

As a whole, Music Masters collectively make up a secret meta-society, and they are known by no government or by most normal people. Any "witnesses" of their powers are usually hunted down and silenced before they can reveal anything. Music Masters usually congregate in clans called Circles, which can be made up of family members, individuals with similar goals or desires, or just those who share an interest in the same genre of music. It is common for many Circles to be related by blood, as the ability to be a Music Master easily passes down through generations. Having existed throughout for centuries, many famous musicians were in fact Music Masters, with some of the greatest being Freddy Mercury and Michael Jackson. However, both sadly died due to Harmonic Overload in conjunction with stress due to a unforgiving world. Deaths like these are common among Music Masters, and are easily covered up by their fellow kind.

With the creation of such things as MP3 players, it is easier than ever to manipulate Harmonizeo, as opposed to the days when Music Masters needed to carry around instruments to use their powers. Though the idea is though as dated among many modern Music Masters, using instruments can actually increase one's power quite a bit, depending on how well they can play specific songs.

Today, Music Masters seem to surface among young teenagers more often than not. Due to the large usage of MP3 devices among the adolescent population, along with the stress of adolescence and puberty, the number of accidental use of Harmonizeo has skyrocketed. And whenever a new Music Master surfaces, it doesn't take long for a Circle to set their eyes on a new recruit. They may try to convince them in joining their respective Circle, force them, or even brainwash them. Whatever the case, it no doubt incites war among Circles of all kinds, which almost always ends in casualties no matter who is involved.

[Because of confusion on my part of these new tools, the real OOC thread can be found here.