declam, purple shell

A declam is a white and purple oyster-like clamshell. It is usually used as an ornament or soup bowl. Finding a declam is a sign of good luck.

Appearance

A declam closely resembles an oyster shell in appearance, but it's outside has a purple hue and is covered in intricate spiralling patterns. The inside is very smooth and has a broken white colour with some small dark vein-like stripes across it.

Special visual appearance (optical illusion)

When a declam is heated to about 40°C it undergoes an optical change where the purple hue turns to a deep burgundy red. During this colour change the spiralling patterns appear to shift and warp creating a mesmerizing effect to look at. When the declam cools down again the optical change is visible again in reverse.

Uses

Small declams

Small declams are used as decoration and jewellry and are more common. They are often hung on strings above a fire place or lava rift at just the right height to stay right in the sweet spot of it's colour change. This creates a dazzling ornament to look at.

As Jewellery they are most often used as pendants. When rubbed in one's hand for a while it can be warmed júst enough to display a tiny hint of colour change.

Large declams

Bigger declams are used as drinking bowls. Especially for soups which are preferably served at 45° to trigger the visual effect. It has become custom to consume most soups at 45°, even when not served in a declam. With a few exceptions. As one consumes the soup, it cools down again to display the optical illusion in the hand of the holder.

Origins

A purple clamshell, or a declam, is the shell of an oyster-like animal that has purple shells. They live in Lark Deoki (the purple lake) in Illinor and clamshells only shelldomly get taken by the river and ocean currents towards West Aachor and the Azor plains. Making them very rare outside of Ilinor

Significance

Finding a declam is considered a sign of luck. And they are highly valuable and desired. They are often kept in the main-hall of the town, to be used on special occasions. While the declam is shared with the entire town, everyone remembers who found it as they are considered to be very lucky.

Most non-travel soup trays are modelled after the declam and sculpted from the whitest stone in the area. but of course, don't display the visual colour change when heated.

Idiom

haha, you're such a peerunder

— someone who's guest just spilled their soup

As most towns only possess at most 1 or 2 declams, it is custom to serve food for the guests at dinner in the declam. Not everyone has seen a declam with their own eyes so when the optical illusion triggers in the hands of the guest, most can't resist and look closely at it. It has happened more than once that someone lifted up their bowl of soup to look at the underside of the declam to get a better look. Spilling their soup in the process. Thus was the idiom born that someone who is a bit clumsy (clamsy) is called an "underlooker" or "peerunder"

Item type

Tool

Rarity

Very rare

Weight

100gram

Dimensions

5 to 15cm diameter