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 Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 8:18 pm
Introduction "Oh welcome, welcome, curious traveler. I'm assuming you came in either to shelter from the rain or were intrigued by our rather bland and empty storefront?" A young man stands from the depths of the shop to greet you and outstretches a black satin gloved hand. "Why don't you take a seat and make yourself comfortable?" With a fluid gesture of his wrist, he motions to a plush 17th century ornate chair. Seeing no harm in his offer, you take a seat and note the luxury of your surroundings. From the dark street that was more of an alleyway, the door is a old ugly thing, with dusty windows and very little interest.The same with the curtained off window shelf cleared off for dust to settle upon. But now that you recall, you were entranced by an odd door decoration that looked like a deformed brass lion head door knocker. Mentioning the realization, the man's blue eyes flash with refreshed life.
"Oh did you? Then perhaps you'd like to take a look at the... peculiar products we vend at this humble shop?" You nod warily, but don't see how it would hurt just to look around. The gaudy attired man disappears behind a long velvet curtain that hangs from the ceiling in the back of the room and you are left alone. You get a paranoid sensation that you're being watched and glance over your shoulder, dissatisfied when you find nothing, so you turn back around to twiddle your thumb till the host returns. And he does so a few minutes painstakingly long moments later and comes close, kneeling down in front of you with care as he opens up his enclosed hands.
In his palm is a beautiful, but useless seeming trinket, you look at it with a confused look then at the presumed owner of the shop. What is it, you ask. "Here we call it a tchotchke, but you may call it a trinket of sorts." Again you give him a puzzled, unconvinced look and shift in your seat. With a knowing smile, the man gets back onto his feet. "But obviously, it's not just that, would you like to know more before you think about purchasing one of these... marvelous things?" May it be fate, karma, God or whatever you believe it, but you nod your head and the story begins to unravel in front of your face...
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Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 5:19 pm
Trinket
When first received, a trinket is exactly that, a trinket, usually an ornate box with intricate patterns scrawled on the surface. Although they have the appearance of a box, you are surprised to know that you cannot seem to be able to open them like one normally would. But these trinkets are very fragile and if fiddled with long enough, they will crack open and the developing Tchotchke inside will die due to exposure much like a prematurely born chick. Nothing can be done if it is opened in any way, shape or form.
Incubation usually takes about a week or two, depending on the Tchotchke growing inside. But this can be prolonged or hastened using methods known only to the Spinster, but with some bribing, there is a possibility of extracting some information from her.
Knicknack
After substantial and efficiently completed Incubation, the Trinket 'hatches' or unlocks itself from its confines and is born as a Knicknack. At this point, they are fully functional after a few minutes from 'birth' and can move around, feed, and even speak (if they were exposed to the language during the time they were Trinkets). Learning speed is radical and a Knicknack is able to learn all it has to in the first couple days of it's life (their abilities are able to be customized and specialized by the Owner, any type of work can be done, i.e. washing dishes, cleaning, writing, menial chores). But just as quickly, after the first few days, their learning curve is severely stunted and all the knowledge they have learned thus far is basically all they will ever know during their lives.
They will continue to grow, feeding off of sources yet discovered, for about another 3 to 4 weeks, again depending on the Knicknack. Again the growth can be adjusted, information can be released by Spinster (bribe also needed).
Tchotchke
Finally, the Knicknack completes its final stretch of growth, reaching their full height of approximately 7". At this point in their life, they have reached their prime and begin to search for a Soulbond, or more widely referred to as a Bond. A Bond is the binding of two Tchotchke in a life-long relationship. If a Bond is not found, their lifespans are significantly shorter due to the lack of a support to share its life source with. But there have been many cases where the Tchotchke lives out their life in peace for the average passage of time. Other than searching for their life partner, Tchotchke's are completely devoted to their Owners to do all they command and are just as loyal friends if need be.
They remain in this appearance up until their deaths, which is a rather dull and anticlimactic end with a puff of smoke and a few scatters of ash particles. At times the Owners will hold a funeral ceremony or preserve the meager ash remains to scatter, but the Tchotchke themselves view death as a taboo subject and never speak of a dead Tchotchke or the death Tchotchke and are rarely affected by it. Except for the death of their Bond in which they become social recluses and for lack of better terms become hermits until they themselves die also.
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Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 6:04 pm
SoulBonding and Reproduction
SoulBonding is a complicated yet simple event that occurs. It is hard to describe, but can be explained best as a 'love-at-first-sight' syndrome. All it has to be is a meeting and other times there isn't always a meeting, but they become unconsciously attracted to each other and their lives just happen to cross, resulting in the meeting. At the first meeting, literally, sparks fly. The first meeting is usually the most vigorous of the meetings, partially due to the fact that they must conjoin their life forces. (This happens in a manner extremely similar to that of humans when they follow through sexual intercourse). It is during that instant of conjoining of spirits the reproduction occurs.
When the two souls are joined, an minute amount of 'excess' soul is produced, because when two things are joined, there doesn't need to be as much than when there was just one. This soul is a 50/50 outcome of the two SoulBonders. It looks at that moment in time a water droplet, but on it's lonesome it cannot grow and will perished. The Spinster's Tchotchke has a special skill however, of rescuing these droplets of soul specially stored into a Trinket for growth by the Spinster (which is a skill only Spinster has). At times, the Owners can request (at a price) to receive the 'child' when it is sealed into a trinket.
Multiple 'souldrops' can be produced with enhancements, that are under the knowledge of the Spinster, but are only available again for a high price.
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Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 6:05 pm
The Story of the Spinster and the Tchotchke.
u/c
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Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 6:18 pm
Customs
To make a 'custom' Tchotchke' it takes a lot of power from the Spinster, so is rarely available and when it is, it is for a decently hefty price as the Spinster never does anything without motivation (usually in the form of gold). Depending on how high of a bribe is offered, the Spinster can manipulate some, many or all of the attributes of the Trinket.
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Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 7:54 pm
Tchotchke
They are peculiar creatures that are nearly invisible to the human eye, without being introduced formally. (This is usually done by fusing with a tangible, palpable object, in this case a trinket). They have the ability to be visible or not to be, depending on their mood. Back in the day, they used to called brownies when humankind did not fully understand their existence because they did the chores around the house and people would catch glimpses of these creatures. The two species are quite different, especially in appearances and attitudes.
Brownies are shy and humble creatures that lurk just for the sake of lurking and doing work. Tchotchkes are also just as shy, but they have what is known as 'magpie syndrome' and tend to hoard objects that catch their interest. Often times, they can be found 'primping up' their appearances and are very conscious of how they look.
Naming a Tchotchke
It has been noted that Tchotchkes despise having 'human' names and prefer ones that are unique, flashy and basically nonsense. For Example, Tinkertoes, Widdletums, or Honeyloop.
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