#owls fake ears are display feather

[luagi-the-bestest]

How do pikachu hear? Their ears, if they can be called that, have no opening. They could be false ears like owls have that actually used for something else. But that would mean pikachu have ear holes and that disturbs me… so any theories?

[tabletoptrinketsbyjj]

Trinkets, 29: Interesting baubles, semi magical objects and items touched by mystery.

A Random Musical Instrument that sounds slightly different to everyone that hears it.

An aged stone tablet containing fragments of text of the Sargonne Prophecies. The fragments speaks of “…an armada of horrors swollen and grey and hungry so hungry so thirsty, they know, they KNOW, THEY KNOW…”

A life sized owl made of frosted glass that smells of fresh snowflakes.

A tube of bamboo has been carefully sealed at both ends with wax. Scratched into the side are the words “Miskin's Stash”. The tube contains a pair of clean, dry socks and underwear.

A one gallon cask of Dreamwine, an alcoholic beverage enjoyed by the High Elves. Known for being a smokey, aromatic wine, its taste is almost unbearably sweet, flowing down one's throat like liquid smoke. The bouquet is described as 'that of a wild forest where creatures of legend still roam free", conjuring images of fabulous gardens, sun-dappled glades, and the scent of honeysuckle and jasmine.

A box containing a small pair of gold hoop earrings. A paper inside says “Lidia's first”.

A jade mirror that exaggerates the features of those who looked into it in order to reveal their true nature through a sort of magical caricature. An honorable and virtuous person would appear stronger, taller, and more fair in visage. A selfish, greedy individual would appear smaller, with cruel, conniving features. Those with an injury or disability that they had allowed to cripple their spirit would appear withered and weak, while those who had overcome their disability would appear in perfect health.

A musical rattle made from a cloven hoof that smells faintly of brimstone.

A wicker basket containing several loafs of weighty bread wrapped in a thin blanket. Knowledgeable PC’s will recognize it as Stonebread, a type of baked good made by dwarves. Usually made into round loaves, this foodstuff is so foul-tasting that only dwarfs can eat it. In fact, it is rumored that it is made using rock dust rather than flour. However, to the dwarfs, it is hearty fare that is very fortifying. In addition, it keeps extremely well.

A horrid war banner that seems to be little more than a leather rag on a totem pole, but closer inspection reveals foul stains that drip and splash as the bearer moves. The whole of the vile hide throbs and oozes a greenish tinted fluid.

—Keep reading for 90 more trinkets.

—Note: The previous 10 items are repeated for easier rolling on a d100.

A Random Musical Instrument that sounds slightly different to everyone that hears it.

An aged stone tablet containing fragments of text of the Sargonne Prophecies. The fragments speaks of “…an armada of horrors swollen and grey and hungry so hungry so thirsty, they know, they KNOW, THEY KNOW…”

A life sized owl made of frosted glass that smells of fresh snowflakes.

A tube of bamboo has been carefully sealed at both ends with wax. Scratched into the side are the words “Miskin's Stash”. The tube contains a pair of clean, dry socks and underwear.

A one gallon cask of Dreamwine, an alcoholic beverage enjoyed by the High Elves. Known for being a smokey, aromatic wine, its taste is almost unbearably sweet, flowing down one's throat like liquid smoke. The bouquet is described as 'that of a wild forest where creatures of legend still roam free", conjuring images of fabulous gardens, sun-dappled glades, and the scent of honeysuckle and jasmine.

A box containing a small pair of gold hoop earrings. A paper inside says “Lidia's first”.

A jade mirror that exaggerates the features of those who looked into it in order to reveal their true nature through a sort of magical caricature. An honorable and virtuous person would appear stronger, taller, and more fair in visage. A selfish, greedy individual would appear smaller, with cruel, conniving features. Those with an injury or disability that they had allowed to cripple their spirit would appear withered and weak, while those who had overcome their disability would appear in perfect health.

A musical rattle made from a cloven hoof that smells faintly of brimstone.

A wicker basket containing several loafs of weighty bread wrapped in a thin blanket. Knowledgeable PC’s will recognize it as Stonebread, a type of baked good made by dwarves. Usually made into round loaves, this foodstuff is so foul-tasting that only dwarfs can eat it. In fact, it is rumored that it is made using rock dust rather than flour. However, to the dwarfs, it is hearty fare that is very fortifying. In addition, it keeps extremely well.

A horrid war banner that seems to be little more than a leather rag on a totem pole, but closer inspection reveals foul stains that drip and splash as the bearer moves. The whole of the vile hide throbs and oozes a greenish tinted fluid.

A thick treant root with glowing green veins.

A pair of small steel balls that vibrate when touched together.

A delicate glass orb containing numerous exotic feathers arranged in a overlapping circular pattern.

A fortune-telling stone with a two closed, feminine eyes.

A writing quill ending in a grasping hand rather than a sharpened tip.

A two-faced silver coin with the image of a fox. When it is flipped, the face of the creature who flipped it appears in place of the fox for a minute before returning to normal.

A wooden mouse carving, that when coming into contact with cheese makes a ear-piercing squeak.

A sinister looking lute whose head ends in a wicked spike. The cords are thicker than average and made from thin, woven steel wires. The neck is much longer than normal, and mimics the appearance of a spine. The base is unlike the normal rounded body of a lute, and is pointed and made of a mildly glowing purple rock. The top half of the body is much larger and than bottom, and ends much more jaggedly. The instrument seems to hum with electric power when wielded and any songs played on this lute sound distorted and powerful.

A massive scarlet lobster claw, the length of a grown man's arm.

A hand mirror crafted with a pewter handle and backing with intricate engraving. The reflective surface seems to be a silvery metal that never burnishes or scratches and all reflections appear dimmed and shadowy.

A heavy, bronze mask that lets out a deep, sonorous ring when struck.

A dark iron flask bearing numerous engravings of arcane runes with silver inlay. It is filled with a sparkling crimson fluid that tastes of sweet, fresh berry juice.

A leather wallet containing a full set of certified identification papers denoting that the bearer is a common soldier in military of the local kingdom. The section containing the soldier's physical description (Height, weight, sex, race, eye, skin and hair colour) is completely blank and could be filled in by anyone with half decent handwriting.

A hollow bronze tube that emits a resounding chime when struck against a hard surface. The chime has an elaborate handle resembling an angel whose wings surround it.

A white porcelain mask with a large pair of eye-holes with black streaks running down to a mouth stretched into a too-wide black grin. The eye holes are filled in with an opaque black substance, yet the bearer is able to see without issue. When worn, glowing red pupils appear in the eyes, and move as if they belonged to the bearer.

A small ivory idol that depicts three tentacles wrapped around each other.

A pair of pink baby booties encased in a glass prism. The glass is stained with dried tears and dirtied by skin oils suggesting that is has been handled regularly.

A deer shaped badge, carved from the antler of the animal that it resembles.

A wooden and metal icosahedron (20 sided die) that measures about six inches in diameter. Each face of the crux is carved with a different rune, and when one looks upon the thing, the observer has the unsettling sensation that they can see too many or too few sides at once.

A small pouch containing the knucklebones of a deceased human monk who, in life, was renown for her wisdom and skill in combat.

A fist-sized kidney stone that was passed by a dragon.

A bundle of centaur skins tied together with reins and wrapped in a protective oilskin case.

An onyx gemstone that radiates unnatural energy.

A small tin full of wrapped caramels, one of which is wrapped delicately in silver leaf.

A large painting of a young boy petting a Cocker Spaniel. Both the boy's and dog's eyes are painted black, but somehow still seem to follow whoever walks past it.

A pair of fluffy earmuffs made from the pelt of a lynx.

A fist-sized brass orb of interlinking whirling cogs.

A small wheel of cheese that was aged in a cave. The cheese cloth is covered in bat guano, but the label insists that it is good for you and adds to the interesting texture.

A set of child's toy tools made of cork. The set consists of a hammer, pry bar, screwdrivers, and a strip of measuring cloth.

A small, decorative pocket knife with a blunt blade made of mother of pearl. Although not functional, it is absolutely gorgeous.

A small metal cube that, when placed on a flat surface, will emit a cool and humidifying water vapor.

A thumb sized spherical glass globe that accurately displays the planet. The land is painted gold and the water is painted silver.

A palm sized replica of the world etched on a flat maple disk. The land is painted gold and the water is painted silver.

A gnome sized pair of spectacles. The glass lenses are in the shape of gears and each are stained in a different Bright Colors.

A padded carry bag containing a hanging set of carved oval bells and a pair of light wooden hammers. Knowledgeable PC's will recognize the musical instrument as a tocken, which is most common in underground cultures, where the resonant tones can carry.

A set of reusable, long, fake nails that are made of turquoise.

A perfectly preserved rabbit skull, encased in a glass cube.

A thumb sized, winged pig figurine made of black marble.

A black velvet bag containing six beef bullion cubes. When a cube is put into a large pot of boiling water, it becomes a hearty and delicious stew.

A raven's feather that is hot to the touch.

A leather wallet containing a full set of certified identification papers and licenses denoting that the bearer is legally allowed to cast magic anywhere in the local kingdom. The papers do stipulate that the bearer is fully responsible for the  results of cast magic and that no spell can be woven that would violate an existing law. The section containing the bearer's physical description (Height, weight, sex, race, eye, skin and hair colour) is completely blank and could be filled in by anyone with half decent handwriting.

A magically preserved orchid blossom that never withers, set atop a steel pin.

A wooden box containing a dozen thick candles made from a blend of rare wax from the giant bees of fabled Ind, mixed with the swear of scholars. When they burn, a musky odor rises from the flames.

A double-headed, skin, hand drum fitted with handles along its side.

An empty crystal phial that glows with a strange blue light.

A tall winged banner pole with hollowed-bone decorations that emit shrill, eerie shrieks when wind passes through them.

A slender silverwood wand covered with many lines of winding runes of ancient script.

A heavy granite flute of dwarven design.

A goat shaped idol, fashioned from the horn of the animal that it resembles.

A fist sized obsidian ball that offers a terrible glimpse into the Realm of Chaos, revealing fragments of the future in the swirling vortex of maddening energies.

A one gallon cask of Blood Wine brewed by the dark elves. Knowledgeable PC’s are aware the drink is called this because the vine the grapes come from is said to smell like congealed blood.

A white satin glove with no visible seams, that can be easily turned inside-out to wear on a left or right hand.

A candle flame that’s somehow been preserved and encased in a glass cube. The glass is always warm to the touch but never enough to burn. If the glass is shattered, the flame burns on it's own for a moment before extinguishing itself.

A strange ivory-graven rattle-drum shaped like an hourglass, whose discordant music is rumored to bring madness and death, when used during rites of dark magic.

A fanged humanoid skull covered with scrimshawed infernal writing.

A large and imposing hand fan, colored deep blue, and decorated with the image of waves.

A flute made of coarse unfinished bamboo, engraved around its circumference with unreadable sigils. A red silken cord is tied around it just below the mouthpiece. The instrument's songs are always soothing, resting the weary minds of those who listened to its melodious tones.

A pickled and dried human hand of a murderer, tightly clutching a tallow candle made from his fat, made with one of the murderer's hairs for a wick.

A deck of cards wrapped in a maroon velvet cloth and stored in a dark stained oak holding box, that features a simple yet elegant crest with the third eye motif of the divination school of magic.

A charred and withered hand of a long-dead witch wearing a manacle loosely clamped around the wrist connected to a second manacle, always swaying and sliding, however, it never falls through and cannot be pulled out.

A set of hunting knives that are in pristine condition except for the gnaw marks on the handles.

A twisted sacred icon of black metal, scorched and pitted as if by the heat of some great forge or furnace. Arcane symbols of power are etched into its surface, writhing around each other and intertwining as if alive. At the icon's apex is a single crystal eye, whose cold gaze constantly searches the area for enemies.

An attractive statuette depicting an androgynous figure standing with one arm covering the chest and the other covering the groin. Made from smooth jade, it is an exquisite piece of art, but an insightful PC can sense that there is more to this idol, something far more wicked than its appearance would suggest

A thick braid of dark mermaid hair entwined with kelp and sea shells that regularly drips salt water.

A white and blue porcelain doll that seems to be the smallest from a set of nesting dolls.

A glass doorknob taken from a haunted house, that occasionally lets out pained moaning noises.

A large glass jar filled with pumpkin seeds, one of which has sprouted.

A tall pole bearing a tattered banner consisting of crude stitching and daubed tribal markings. Knowledgeable PC’s can identify it as being orcish in origin and echoes of their bloodlust and aggression remain bound to its fabric.

A porcelain mortar and pestle decorated with a painted pattern of dancing faeries.

A small handwoven basket with a removable silk lining.

A perfectly preserved locust encased in a small glass cube. It's wings are fully spread and extended as if  it was flying. A creature holding the dead insect is filled with a deep, primal hunger that can never be satisfied so long as the locust is carried.

A gnarled and ancient mage’s staff holding a rough gem that pulses with Randomly Colored light.

A simple brass bell that when rung, mimics the sound of a goat bleating.

A foul collar sized for a human or a huge dog that is studded with spikes on the inside and out. Made from interlinked pieces of iron and brass, the spikes are covered in old blood and bits of skin and hair.

A leather wallet containing a full set of certified identification papers denoting that the bearer is a taxpaying citizen in good standing and a landowner and resident of the local kingdom. The section containing the citizen's physical description (Height, weight, sex, race, eye, skin and hair colour) is completely blank and could be filled in by anyone with half decent handwriting.

A tiny sailing ship made of fine crystal inside a bottle with no clear way it got in there. It shimmers in the sunlight and radiates mysterious magic.

A glass flask with a loose paper label marked, “Captain's 'Special' Rum Cocktail”. It smells and tastes like a mix of Rum, ginger and honey. Exactly what makes it special, is not clear.

A fierce looking tribal mask that appears to be an exotic depiction of a lion with oversized teeth.

A bag of milky white marbles with long swirls of pale pinks, reds, blues, greens, and purples decorating them. Though not made from real pearls, they reflect light in a vaguely enchanting manner.

A statuette carved from white wood and splintered at the base. It depicts an aged man leaning forward and cupping an ear, as if listening intently for threats.

A small bag filled with assorted types of many-sided dice. Most of them are weighted to bring up high rolls frequently.

A deck of cards that feature intricate and often sexually explicit drawings to indicate suit and number. They have women, men, orcs, dwarfs, elves, kobolds....

A medium ceramic mug with an odd, almost organic looking shape, ostensibly fragile and unstable. Upon closer examination, the mug seems seems nigh indestructible, and when filled with liquid, stays perfectly upright on any surface, although it will move around.

A silver-like paintbrush with bone-white bristles ends on the other side with a small filament connected to a needle that must be pierced into the vein of its wielder. The paintbrush draws the blood out of the potential artist and channels it into an inner receptacle then into the bristle allowing the artist to easily paint in their own fresh blood or that of another.

A buffalo shaped stamp, made from the horn of the animal that it resembles.

A perfectly preserved, iridescent emerald green, praying mantis, encased in a small glass prism. It's reared back on it's hind legs and it's claws are extended, eternally frozen mid strike.

A bundle of minotaur skins tied together with strips of leather and wrapped in a protective oilskin case.

A well-made paperweight cast from brass. It has a tiny illusion spell that suspends an image of a proud, three masted warship sailing above it.

Seastone Chalice: A two-handled drinking cup is wrought from some sort of pale blue-green material and inlaid with gold. The outside is rimmed with salt crystals which regenerate when brushed away, but these don't seem to affect the chalice itself. When water is placed into the cup, it is instantly rendered salty and undrinkable. In addition, the cup produces deafening sounds of surf until it is emptied. Non-water beverages, such as alcohol, milk, juice, etc. are unaffected.

A used and bloodstained crossbow bolt, encased in a glass rectangle. It’s probably a war trophy of some sort and realistically should be mounted on some sort of plaque denoting the bolt's significance.

[please-do-your-research]

Something was there, and I was home...

People often say that dreams are just your mind making up images to work through your days memories. 

Dreams come from memories, and a few years ago I manged to teach myself a trick of semi-lucid dreaming where I could control the dream to some extent, and could easily dip back into it if something woke me up...

Dreams come from memories....

Normally I would agree, that except this morning I woke up from a dream I’ve had before. well almost had before. I remember the dream world it was set in, one that I’ve been to before but parts of it were changed, and I was older than the last time I remember having it. Much older.

It was set in a version of my city, a version that was a mix of all the other cities I've been to but was still my HOME city. This dream was set in the main shopping complex in a side isle I knew, oh I knew it so well.

But it had been so long since I last had a dream set in this dream world of mine, I kept on noticing parts that weren’t... right... 

I can tell you how it was supposed to look like, that the shop at the end sold ice cream and pancakes, that the shop just before it was a nail parlour, before that was a jewellery store (but a kitsch one). across the isle was a bread store, then a hair dressers then a cobblers. At the start of this side isle was all these Asian food stores: a pho soup kitchen, an Indian take away, a weird little place that just made samosas. 

And the floor.. the floor was like it was mixed child of a floor in Alice in Wonderland and the stairs in Labyrinth. It was not level, had little bumps and jolts with random steps in-between the shops and the ceiling always felt close. 

I KNEW this place, it was somewhere I was sure I had been to several times, had chased my sister laughing through the food stalls as we went to go buy ice cream at the end, had dinner at the pho restaurant, where the owner called me her little owl, after the tilt of my head when I asked her questions. where I had bought trinkets for my hair from the jewellery store and wore these horrible flower rings from the place for weeks on end.

Yet in this dream...

It was in this dream that I suddenly realised that my memory of this place, this place I was always upset about never finding again, that I hated not being able to have those delicious peach and orange syrup pancakes, or the pistachio mint ice cream again and there was a flower clip I wanted from the jewellery store that I've never been able to find something similar to...

... My memory of this place was fake.. 

IT was fake. it didn’t exist, it was a memory of a dream which had built itself into my psyche so strongly that my sudden realisation it was not real jolted me upright in bed almost in tears. 

The part however which made me realise that this place WAS a dream, was not a memory of the real world, was that it suddenly had people in it. I mean, it always have people in it last time I dreamt of it, but this time, the people were... strange... and I just knew they were not constructs of my dream. 

The pho lady who called me an owl had black feathers in her short brown hair and had no eyes, just black voids with the barest twinkle of light, like stars you can barely see from the city sky. She touched my chin, smiled and the light got brighter, as she mentioned she had missed me and that I have travelled far to make it back to here. 

At the Indian place, a lady with many arms stirred the pot on the stove and the face on the side of her head smiled at me while an armed waved as I passed her by.

The samosa stall was almost normal, and I remember buying some but they were filled with sweet cold rice with pieces of pickled plum, spring onions and nori. they tasted like one would thing spring water should.

The jewellery store had these.. winged creatures flying around placing the jewellery on the stands, and this older man with pointed ears and white almost silver hair that whispered as he moved. he piled my hair into sudden braids and placed a ring of flowers along my undercut. a kiss on my forehead, a murmur in a language I did not know and a push as he sent me onward.

I don’t remember much of the originator cobblers, as I had never needed to to there as a child, but this time the windows were now dark and all I could see inside were brief flashes of gold in the distance, like sparks at a forge or the flare of a hammer hitting the anvil.

The nail parlour was run by ladies with masks on the back of their head with long black hair, who crouched over a form as they delicately touched up the scales of some massive sky blue creature that felt warm and smelt of smoke and woodfire.

The hairdressers scared me the most, for I have never liked spiders, as giant spiders with female torsos hung from the ceiling and twirled up the hair of men and women with pointed ears, tangling spider silk into their weaves to pin them in place.

I don’t remember looking at the bread place much, but I could see large black and white furred forms hand forth packages to the street outside through the serving window.

I remember that the whole reason I came here was because I wanted the ice-cream, was craving the dragon fruit sorbet I had only had once before. But as I stepped into the ice-cream shop and the sight of weasels who walked on their back legs and had swords at their sides, serving the array of customers made me stand still. I can’t remember much more, as the pure silver creature behind the counter called out a name, MY name, and I jolted awake, panting in my bed as the ice cold morning air from the open window chilled my skin.

I felt like crying.

Like I had lost and found something, only to loose it again.

Something was different, and I felt different. as if a door that I never knew had been closed when I grew up was suddenly discovered open and for the few hours I was was allowed in, the muffling blanket that has covered my life since high school and I became an adult was lifted, if just for a moment, and all that I had forgotten was found again.

As much as I tried, I couldn’t get back in to that dream. I would close my eyes and slide into lucid dreaming easily and while I could easily step back into that dream world, everything was normal. The pho lady greeted me like I had not just been there, the samosas were boring and tasted of cumin and spice, the fairies were gone, the massive creature no longer took up the whole shop, and in its place a withered old lady in a pale blue coat was getting her nails done. 

At the end of the isle, I entered the ice cream parlour and stared at the selection in dismay, to only see these normal bland flavours like chocolate and lemon on display. Not a dragon fruit in sight.

I forced myself awake, and then back into the dream several times in a row before the shock of my alarm jolted the lucidity from my grasp and I cried for the first time in a year.

Tomorrow morning I hope I can find the door again, and I pray it is open but I fear that I was only let in by mistake and that I’m not allowed to look at the dream through the eyes of an adult. 

Something was there, I was home... 

But now I’m back here again and it is gone, and I can feel the blanket settling back over me, locking me back into the push and pull of university and study as I grasp futilely for the light clear sense the dream gave me.

I can still see the light however, its not as muffled as before.

Something has changed, and I am different. 

I hope its a good change.