Zither

The zither was a stringed instrument with a flat box as its resonating body. It was played by plucking its strings, usually on a table.

Description
Zithers were described as having the clear and beautiful sound of dulcimers and the flexibility of yartings. Their lower strings were fretted and the upper strings were tuned in fourths in order to be played with the thumb of the strumming hand. They were available for purchase through Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue.

Distribution
The use of the zither was gaining more and more popularity in Faerûn around 1367 DR, while it was long established in the lands of Zakhara. Zakharan rawuns also used the variants of the lap zither and the qanun.

Religious significance
The zither was the symbol of the Zakharan deity of music, Bala. In religious iconography, the goddess herself was depicted playing that instrument.