Quills of Sending

Luca’s Catalog of Magical Artifacts
Entry #13

Item: Quill(s) of Sending
Current Owner(s): Seamus & Jack Frost
Origin: Unknown
Short Description: A pair of very extravagant feather quills which appear entirely mundane until use
Detailed Notes
These quills were created an unknown number of years ago, as what was basically a rudimentary ‘text messaging’ system. I believe that either Seamus or Jack commissioned them, as I’ve found no other mention of them in my studies. It stands to reason that the pair was in need of a fast, effective, and secure communication method.
When one quill is used to write a missive, the words immediately appear on a surface in front of the owner of the second. The secondary owner does not need to have the second quill on her person, but it does need to be within a certain distance (maximum distance currently unknown).
The words remain on the surface they were written upon, until responded to via the secondary quill. However, only the owners of the quills are able to see any of the correspondence. So, for example, if Seamus were to write a missive to Jack in this fashion, the words might appear scrawled in the condensation on one of his ice cream cases, and would remain there until he deigned to respond. However, none of his customers would see the note, ensuring any messages remain secure.
While in use, the quills become obviously magical to anyone else who might be watching. It’s a hard effect to describe, but akin to tiny ghost birds flying out of the feather and disappearing into thin air. I can only assume these “birds” are carrying the words to the writing partner. I am unsure why this design would have been purposely built in, as it does reveal the extraordinary nature of the items.
*Note: I have overheard a few conversations which indicate that Seamus prefers these old-fashioned quills in lieu of learning how to text message, a preference which Jack wholly disagrees with.