Hello everyone!
Happy to see Planeshift reborn with this new engine. I'd be glad to join you. The problem is a Discord link (https://discord.gg/f9y6TFjvnf) refuses to accept the invitation. I hope it's a temporary issue, so I'll try later. Just by chance whether it's a matter of limitation? See you later in Hydlaa.

A few words about role-playing side of music.
1. Some tutorial quest is strongly required for joining "bard fellowship" smoothly. Currently all your char needs is to purchase an instrument (I have bought 3 different without searching too hard), a blank score (everyone knows where blanks are sold) and start editing this score. It looks like a Music Playing skill has appeared from nowhere. There was no history of musical instruments, nobody has invented how to record sounds, and no records about why music is so good to spend days for training. My suggestion is to start musical career from talking to NPCs and collecting some knowledge about great musicians of Yliakum and their contribution to (for example) battle glory of the Dome. Some new books in Library may help to support this role-playing line.
2. After finishing this inroducing part there can be given a quest for demonstrating how music playing helps to support fighting spirit of allies. For example let one "bard" invite some allies into group and those who will stand within audible range of music get a buff of "faster regeneration" or "strength". There can be different events happen when music is playing like "monsters attracted by melody start to attack a buffed group" or "monsters become mad and attack each other". Another way is to make good mood for blacksmiths or bakers. Playing a song "When My Hammer Falls"* or "My Baker"* will lead to higher quality items produced. The main idea is to prove that music is a different than magic but a powerful means for something. After all music in RL is a powerful social phenomena. Omitting this fact we never can make interest into it characters in IC manner.
3. Only after afore-mentioned events it will be logically to start training this skill (i.e. "level-up") in order to make researched buffs more powerful or/and more long-lasting.
What do you think?

* - any coincidence to RL song names are purely accidential.

You don't need to concentrate on developing your skills for repairing right now. Try to roleplay and find other players who have developed them already. Who knows, maybe you will be able to make a deal without spending tria.
Due to my observations leveling up certain armor level defenitely helps to make them stay longer without being damaged very much.