The Shausalian Cow Whistle Technology / Science in Altaros | World Anvil
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The Shausalian Cow Whistle

This little tin whistle sounds produced crisp and clear sound, almost like it would be singing like a bird itself. It makes you want to dance and frolic around, even if you weren't a cow...

Around 500 TAT The cows near the capital Windcourt had slowly stopped producing milk. Apathy had spread to many herds and it seemed to be contagious: the cows wouldn't eat nor drink, they would just lay down and stare blankly into space, occasionally mooing apathetically. Nothing would make them move, not even when forced. They didn't really react to any stimuli and would slowly wither and die.
A traveling tinkerer, a tiefling called Starling, noticed the plight of the farmers and promised to help. The tiefling had a gentle soul and they could speak to the cows and what she discovered was that the cows were badly depressed by some odd magical decease. Starling the tiefling tinkered for a while and managed to make a tin whistle which sound aroused the cows from their stupor. Slowly, one by one, the cows began to listen. Then the glint returned to their eyes and they rose up, slowly, and began to move around, together, like they were dancing. Starling visited every farm affected by the bovine stupor and taught people how to make whistles of their own. From ever since people have been playing the whistle to their livestock, at least couple of times a year, to keep of the Bovine Stupor.

Utility

The Cow whistle is used like a normal tin whistle, but around cows, naturally. You blow in it and tap the holes, making different sounds. Simple.
Inventor(s)
Tiefling called Starling.
Access & Availability
The Shausalian cow whistle is well known instrument to cure bovine stupor. Also, it's the only known cure which works all the time. Even the poorest homesteads have at least one Shausalian cow whistle, but many shepherds and farmhands like to craft their own and get it enchanted by someone magically talented person in the nearest city. From Kingdom of Shausal the use of this instrument has spread all over Madovar. They are also popular souvenirs.
Complexity
The cow whistle is easy to learn. It has 6 keyholes; the sizes and keys differ; many areas have their own traditions and preferences on the matter. The thing that makes the cow whistle different from normal tin whistles is the enchantments put on the instrument; usually in the form of magical runes. Yet, the most important part of the whistle is the 'tongue of the whistle: a small sliver of magical blue crystal embedded into the whistle's mouthpiece. The cow whistle is not the most difficult to make, but it needs some magical expertise to produce. The one playing it doesn't need to have any magical aptitude, though.
Discovery
Around 500 TAT (Time After Turbulence) in Kingdom of Shausal.

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