Lanternheads

> *“They’re not waterproof yet. Or very agile. Or smart, or… Yeah. They don’t do much. But they can count! They can count things really well, and remember a lot of stuff. And draw the stuff they remember, and put numbers together. They don’t get tired, either, and nothing hunts them. Except termites. Fucking hate termites.”*
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Lanternheads, or lampnoggins, are a species and Holy Order dedicated to the worship and service of Chopstick Eyes. They were originally created from reverse lanterns which were granted empowered souls and locked inside mortal bodies.

A typical lanternhead has a humanoid body made of wood, brass, and fabric in the form of a durable navy-black robe, animated by magic. Like their creator, they have a range of bodily quirks, including odd numbers of limbs, wheels for feet, and other irregularities, mostly hidden under their voluminous robe. Lanternheads typically have a modular collection of simple tools for hands, such as canes, tweezers, hooks, and wrenches, which can sometimes be taken out and replaced. Each lanternhead is unique, a fact which is most visible in their heads. Lampnoggin heads may be made of paper, silk, gourds, iron, glass-and-bronze, or any other usual material, in all shapes and sizes. There are one hundred and eighty lanternheads in all, and they are numbered rather than named. They tend to last at least a few decades before collapsing out of wear and tear, but insular lampnoggins that don't travel much are likely to survive much longer.

Lanternheads speak rarely, and only in their sacred language. They have little physical and no innate magical prowess. They do, however, have a tremendous capacity for measuring the world around them, recalling their observations, and performing mental calculations. This makes them ideal accountants for Chopstick's divine estate, which is the source of her power. The lanternheads working in the Official Pagoda take great care and pleasure in streamlining Choppy's finances, effectively increasing the amount of money and magic that is available to her. All lampnoggins know the Route.

Lanternheads follow in Chopstick's footprints by being rather human-like for a distinctly non-human group, with some common differences. Compared with humans, they tend to be calm and patient, their frailty apparently breeding remarkable stoicism. Like their sky lantern progenitors, they are quite helpful and have a knack for guiding others wherever it is they need to go. It is possible that some amount of forest lantern was included in their design, however, as despite their helpfulness, they can sometimes be a little cold to the emotions of others. Different lampnoggins, of course, have different idiosyncracies.

Early in their development, lanternheads were blessed by Narzhak, who tweaked their design. Narzhak taught them to use their perceptiveness and computational skill for combat despite their relatively poor eyesight, allowing a lanternhead to very quickly predict the movements of a foe and choose the perfect response, especially with the aid of an eyekite. They have hence been referred to as *knife-eyed*. The fastest way to put a lanternhead out of commission is to use overwhelming physical force, as not all dangerous situations have a readily calculable way out.

Narzhak also included some metal shavings in their design, which have been incorporated as sharp detritus in their bodies, making them even less edible than they already were. Intentionally or not, this gave them the ability to vocalise. When a lanternhead's lantern flares with bright metal sparks, they emit a metallic scraping noise 'with the fury of an agitated cricket'. This noise forms the basis of sparkspeak.

Lampnoggins spend a lot of time illustrating and measuring the natural world, skills in which they were trained by Choppy. Future generations of lanternheads will be produced from spitfires, as 'concentrating enough soul ash for these guys was a... slog'.

1. ↑ Our first look at Lampnoggins - https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4937622
2. ↑ First look at completed Lanternheads - https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4953175