The Threvian Pace Resonator

The Pace Resonator

As catalogued by Sarthik Elmor, Imperial Archivist, Primary Contributor to the Threvian Compendium

Among the many wonders devised by the Threv stands the Pace Resonator. Both a marvel and a mystery. No larger than a clasped hand (approximately six Slim Trants per side), this mechanical instrument is revered by scouts, couriers, engineers, and those who must know not only where they are—but how fast they are getting there.

Structure & Form

The Resonator is a near-perfect cube, with a solid frame forged of a secret amalgam and panels inlaid with tempered bloodwood or etched brass. Its corners are reinforced with gear-lock joints, and each face bears the intricate scrollwork of Threvian calibration. When held close, the bearer can hear its soft ticking, like a heartbeat of the world in a box.

Core Components:

• Resonance Sensor:

  The heart of the Resonator holds a wafer of Deep-Sing crystal, attuned to the harmonic pulse of the world’s center. As the bearer moves across terrain, the natural resonance shifts, minutely but measurably. The sensor tracks these fluctuations to determine distance traveled.

• Time Core:

  A spring-driven mechanism counts time not in hours or bells, but in Beats (the precise interval it takes an object to fall one Trant in still air.) The Time Core ticks one Beat at a time, reliably and endlessly (so long as it’s wound each morning at first light).

• Trant Dial:

  A clicking dial records each Trant of movement. Its etched face displays totals up to one Royal Trant, with subdivisions for fractions down to the Mini-Trant.

• Speed Gauge:

  This semicircular dial translates the ratio of Trants to Beats into familiar units of travel: Stride, Clip, Gallop, and Scorch. As the bearer moves, the gauge needle oscillates in real time, marking current velocity.

• Route Recorder (found on exceptional models):

  High-end models include a rolling parchment strip, inscribed via a vibration stylus. This scroll records patterns of speed and delay over a journey—useful to caravan masters, military tacticians, and bureaucrats with a fondness for numbers.

How It Works:

“The world hums,” the Threv say. “Stone sings, and those who listen may measure the rhythm of their steps.”

The Pace Resonator functions by comparing the phase shift of the world’s resonance (which varies with lateral motion) to the steady count of Beats. As a bearer moves across the land, the Deep-Sing crystal detects the distortion in resonance caused by changing position. By comparing this with the internal Beat-count, the device calculates:

• How far the bearer has moved (in Trants)

• How long it has taken (in Beats)

• And thus, how fast they are traveling (Trants per Beat)

Use in the Empire:

• Engineers use Resonators to calibrate road slope, bridge arc, and load distribution.

• Imperial scouts log pace and range with precision, adjusting route expectations in real time.

• Couriers carry pocket-variants to prove delivery times or dispute toll-station accusations.

• Admiralty staff adapt them for shipboard use—though resonance is not completely reliable at sea.

Known Limitations:

Accuracy diminishes in deep caverns, dense iron-rich terrain, or areas saturated by strong Focus. It cannot detect vertical movement with precision. It is a tracker of surface translation, not elevation. It requires morning calibration to ensure the Time Core aligns with the world’s harmonic rhythm.

Misc:

These devices go by many names: Strideheart, Treadbox, Ticker. But regardless of how it is named, these are intricate and expensive devices.