Chord

First Appearance and Context

Within an in‑world dictionary entry on Newmatter, chords are listed among the limited items still made within the mathic world. In everyday math life, the minimal kit is commonly recited as “the bolt, the chord, and the sphere,” underscoring the chord’s practical role in dress and routine.

Roles and Use

• Worn by avout as a waist cord to anchor and adjust the bolt; also used to tie and carry a rolled bolt when slung over a shoulder.
• Part of the standard personal kit alongside the Sphere.
• During a Voco conducted under external surveillance, Evoked members were instructed not to wear bolts or chords under the open sky and to conceal their kit until under cover.
• Produced in small quantities within maths as an allowed use of newmatter after reforms that curtailed further research.

Relationships

• Paired items: bolt and sphere; together they form the standard personal kit commonly cited by avout.

Descriptions and Handling

• Knotted at the waist; wearers tug the bolt just below the chord to adjust length and coverage.
• When the bolt is rolled into a cylinder for travel or work, the ends can be tied off with the chord and the bundle slung diagonally across the back like a bedroll.
• Common wraps include a modesty‑knot arrangement where the bolt passes around the waist and between the thighs before being secured.

Current Status/Location

In active daily use within maths. Limited newmatter production for bolts, chords, and spheres continues under longstanding rules.