Torta

Torta, a wood-and-skin drum held together by sinew and decorated with visual representations of the world and more, was one of the first musical instrument used by the Eltiri.

The rhythm of a torta became something of a magical focus for the sages of the Allorï, who developed a way to enter a trance—a dreamlike stage between sleep and wakefulness—where they could divine and track down smaller objects firmly planted in the physical realm, among other spells. While more difficult of a technique to master compared to full-on dreaming normally required, it proved useful enough that the Allorï continued to practice and hone the craft further.

Materials

A torta required a round wooden frame sculpted from a tree—the preferred wood changed by clan and what their sage desired from the drum. Rowan could provide wisdom and safety, protecting from malicious entities waiting beyond the waking realm. Birch could bring health, strength and fertility, and thus became popular with healing spells, whereas the wood of an oak aided magic and good fortune.

Deerskin was most used when crafting a torta, though some were known to experiment with the skins of wolves, moose, and even bear. Whether the choice of skin used changed the magical properties of the drum remained properly untested, however.

Lastly was needed sinew to tie and hold the drum in one piece by weaving it through holes made into the skin with the help of an awl. For a regular musical instrument, this was enough.

Imagery of Magic

Various pictures could be drawn onto the surface of the drums to aid in spells and rituals. For example, drums used in seeking or tracking down something from the physical world would include a map of a sort of the waking realm—not a geographical map, with hills and lakes and other points of interest, but a more abstract, yet accurate representation of reality.

These images were personal to each sage and each drum included unique patterns unseen in any other sage's drums. It was even a taboo to try and copy another sage's drawings.