The Wanderer Hologuitar
And His Music was Electric.
The Wanderer's Perfect Companion
While the Hologuitar came to be before the The Advent Era, the destruction of much of humanity meant that the holographic music instruments was lost to time for several centuries.
The protoypes were discovered in the midwest in what used to be Cleveland, Ohio by Nicodemus Jadey. The technology of the hologuitar was preserved, their patents and prototypes kept in the Tor Jadey technology vaults. Some were created as hobby projects, but as they were exceptionally expensive to create. It stayed as a niche symbol of the rich and famous and stayed that way until the Expansion Era.
The Hologuitar took on new life when new synthetic crystal processes were brought into production in the Andromeda Syndicate. The Guitars went from illusive relics and show pieces, to something that can be purchased with a bit of careful financial planning.
Korgin lived for this. Sneaking out of a boring boardroom meeting to join Zaffir at one of the local nightclubs that took root in Jōminato's skyline.
Today it was the "Serpent Nectar", a Sazashi-tailored bar where drinks were strong enough to put you on your ass and a human was a rare sight; The perfect stomping ground.
One of the things he enjoyed the most out of life wasn't the stock options and taskforces, even though he'd never admit that to his dad. No, it was the nights off, figuring out how to bring a wild party to even the most unfamiliar clientele.
It was easy enough to get through the door without much question, thanks to his Khirmagne friend leading the way. Immediately, the oaky heavy scent of Meyfar tickled his nose. A couple small parties mingled in the clubs entryway, Zaffir guided him through the crowd and into the club. The strong beat and alien strings of Jhoutioan tunes thrummed against the thick padded walls. Korgin would have to speak up around the multi-timbered cacophony of a room full of Sazasharanare speakers.
"Zaffir, can you ask the bartender if he knows who I am. I'll need him to cut the music."
Zaffir stepped in first, and Korgin followed. He looked around the new club, the most prominent feature was a giant aquarium in the center of the room. It curved around an entire bartop, and creatures of varying shapes and sizes floated about. Bright florescent lights and colorful LEDs cast rays of light through the thin layer of smoke that mingled on the floor, kicked about to form roiling waves of colorful particulate.
Many tables lined the outside of the room, allowing for private conversations and snacks. The fried sweetness of Butter Millomi pushed out the smoke of the Meyfar. It made his stomach grumble, but he had a party to start.
Zaffir pointed to the stage, set up along the corner wall near the entrance before parting to talk to the staff. Korgin slipped a hand into his suit-jacket pocket and pulled out the sleek reinforced wood of his Wanderer.
The electricty beneath the wood tickled his fingers, and with a flick of his wrist... it was time to party.
Appearance
The Wanderer Hologuitar fits in the palm of the hand and telescopes down to form the entire neck. This base piece is made from reinforced wood, fiberglass, or a metal body. They can be customized with patterns both from the factory and through after market parts. The most influental hologuitarists will have their own models which are reproduced and sold.
Did you see they're running the Smasher of Rutas again? Got real Rutas shell too! I'm gonna have to see if I can find one when I get home.
When extended and powered on, a ghostly image of a guitar solidifies once it calibrates with the user. Once booted, the player can interact with the strings and neck just like any other guitar. The projected feedback will use an energy spell to tickle the nerves of the fingers as the guitar is played, providing haptic feedback.
During play, the guitar can change in shape, color, and apply effects.
Customizing
The Wanderer has strong after-market support. Additional effects, both audio and visual, can be purchased from vendors as a file to upload to the guitar.
For the more engineering savvy, new effects can be created and uploaded via an ironClad programming interface.
Controlling
The Effects on the guitar are triggered by the hologuitar player. Either they can be triggered on the fly, or programmed to match trigger at certain points or when conditions are met.
A Gallery of Guitars
The Hologuitar of a Monolithic musician-exterminator, Gor'ro. Gor'ro became famous for their concerts streamed from deep within the caves of the Corralum. The Hologuitar neck was reinforced with steel to be capable of being used as a club if needed.
Smasher of Rutas is crafted from the claw-chitin of a previous trophy kill which gives it a mother-of-pearl style finish. Reproductions of the finish are available.
The holographic portion of the guitar glows a deep and earthy green. The Guitar has an effect where holographic corralum grows as the instrument is played.
A Hologuitar used by the frontman of the Federation Rock Renaissance band, Meteor. And My is loaded with multiple effects which can change the shape of the holographic portion.
A heavy metal neck of tungsten or platinum with gilded cold steel interaction points. A popular model in the Federation.
The glow of "And My" can change between multiple metallic materials. The shape can be switched between multiple 'weapon' models from axes to hammers, swords and rifles.
A Hologuitar made popular by Anthem, this colorful instrument reflects the way that their projected hair refracted the sunlight into a rainbow. There is an original Muse, but it was lost during The Harrowing.
Muse consists of a semi translucent material that shows the quartz rod that lays beneath. When powered on, the material lights from the inside and becomes a rainbow of color.
While in use, the Muse travels through a colorful spectrum, tied to the speed and intensity of the music being played.
Haptics and Hardlight
Stepping up on the stage was already a bold enough action for many of the clubs patrons to settle their eyes on Korgin— a lone tiny Gearheart. Now he stood alone before the reflective twinkle of a hundred Sazashi eyes. He could see some curiosity, some judgement perhaps, and even a couple of excited grins from people who had seen him perform before.
For the briefest of moments, the twinge of doubt threatened to rip him off stage. The music silenced around him, brought low by Zaffir now standing behind the bar with a drink in his hand.
He fired Korgin a thumbs up, and the fear vanished.
In his hand, the familiar grooved shape of his hologuitar base. Beneath his finger tips, the electric current of the technology tingled. The sensation egged him on. It was time for the "Songbird" to perform. With a practiced flick of his wrist, Songbird expanded like a baton into an entire neck.
The Hologram of the guitar hummed to life, casting him in an aura of soft blue light that refracted through the thick meyfar smoke.
Without missing a beat and without waiting for the crowd— he began his set. He started with a soft chord where the vibrations of each pluck of the digital string reverberated in the acoustics of the bar. He had their attention, good.
Now it was time to rock.
The only solid piece of the Hologuitar, the Neck is a collapsible base about the size of an aluminum can. This base piece includes the Meta enchanted crystals and circuitry for the rest of the guitar.
On activation, the strings of the guitar are projected and provide haptic feedback through Kinesis while in use.
The holographic body of the guitar can change in shape and size, but always contains the same projected strings to be able to play the guitar.
Just as the neck does, the strings use haptic feedback during play.
Hologuitars use the same base calculations as any other guitar. The vibration of digital strings determines the sound created.
The Effects both visual and acoustic can be applied by any enthusiast or engineer.
He played his heart out and left it on the stage for his audience. His light show, filled with electric hummingbirds that thrummed and circled the stage, enraptured his audience. His songs, a mix of the old human soul and some new Sazashi sound, brought them to dance. A party, invigorated with his performance, began anew.
Korgin left his heart on the stage, playing a final powerful melody that captured the chaos and uncertainty of his life. The final song was always the scariest, but as he finished, the outburst of applause and praise gave him that adrenaline rush he so desired.
He looked upon the crowd, and even though he was being ushered off the stage for the next act, already he had plenty of suitors waiting in the crowd interested in learning about him and his trust hologuitar.
Another surprise show under his belt, and yet still a full night of entertainment awaited.
Meet the Characters
Korgin Yamamoto is the son of Jun Tran Yamamoto and co-heir to Yamamoto Defense Industries. He is a GearHeart with a passion for working on weapons and armor as well as playing the local guitar circuit.
Zaffir is Korgin's hired protector as well as close childhood friend. Zaffir is originally from the ValuSelu Pact but migrated as a child to the Syndicate. He misses home quite often. He has a knack for cooking, drinking, fighting, and having a good time.
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