The Ciko#ya… or “Vine harp” as it is more commonly known to beings who cannot produce that particular back-of-the-throat whistle required to pronounce the proper word… is a type of musical instrument, once very popular amongst Exalted in the First Age, created by Dragon Kings using their magical technology.

No two Ciko#ya look exactly alike, as each instrument is grown, rather than made, requiring such particular care that no two are created under the exact same conditions, even when crafted by the same individual. All Ciko#ya, however, do have the same basic shape, noted by humans as something like a cross between a harp and a lute. The body consists of a long, curving stem of vegetative material, coiled into a dense knot at the top and bent into a hook at the bottom to suspend a series of lengthwise strings. It is lined along the outer edge and the upper coil with a ridge of long, thin crystals, and along the sides near the strings with smaller, rounder stones. About halfway up the stem between the strings and the coil, a length of the surface is bare of crystals, and a touch will reveal that that area is softer, with perceptible “ribs” under the surface that yield slightly when squeezed.

The Ciko#ya can be played in two ways; lying on its side and played from above like a zither, or carried across the torso and played like a guitar. In both cases, one hand plays the strings (humans require picks or long fingernails to do this) while the other grips and manipulates the ribbed area further up. The strings do not produce the music: rather, manipulating the strings causes the crystals to resonate and produce the instrument’s distinctive sound. Varying the pressure and place on the Ciko#ya’s ribbed area alters the tones of the crystals, allowing for a quite wide range of notes.

The instrument’s crystals automatically attune themselves to the Essence located in objects and creatures around them, and so the sound varies depending on the location, the player and the audience. The sound is generally described as something like a cross between a harp and a set of crystal chimes. The majority of creatures, particularly essence-using beings, find the sound of the Ciko*ya to be deeply calming, clarifying the mind and the spirit, although some players have attempted more fast-paced songs; the feeling elicited by such performances has more in common with the focus of a martial artist than the serenity of a sage.

Those who have had the chance to make an informed decision maintain that pterok make the best Ciko#ya, but because pterok only have three digits available on each hand, their variant of the instrument uses a more complex system to achieve full range of sound, and is much more difficult to learn. Most of the relatively few human performers use the raptok variant.

The Ciko#ya was a common instrument in the First Age, often bought by the Exalted for their own entertainers to play due to its effect on Essence-using creatures, and the best performers were often in demand. A few instruments have survived to the Age of Sorrows, mostly in the collections of gods, but two are known to exist in the Realm, one in the possesion of the Empress’ staff and the other employed by House Cynis. In Yu-Shan, Dragon King performers on the instrument can make a decent living performing at various functions and gatherings.