Geu-Puppies

"This is Sir Woofles. he keeps the monsters away at night."
-Dobry, five year old Fumayan boy

Geu-Puppies, also called Go-Puppies or faux-puppies, are the most popular toy in all of Scarterra. The cute little stuffed dogs are snuggled by sleeping children the world over, boys and girls alike.
Geu-Puppies grace the bedrooms of young princes and young peasants alike. The richer children tend have fancier, less threadbare Geu-Puppies,  but the poorer children's toys are no less loved.
There are no rules or regulations for what is or is not a Geu-puppy. Some Geu-Puppies are crafted to closely resemble real dogs, perhaps even specific real dogs. Other times Geu-Puppies are made to be fantastic, crafted with exotic color patterns or cosmetic features that real dogs never possess but nevertheless appeal to a child's aesthetics. Most of geu-puppies are quite small, but larger Geu-Puppy toys are by no means unheard of.
There are no standard rules or systems for making Geu-Puppies. Some are stuffed with rags, some are stuffed with straw, some are stuffed with feathers. Almost any soft material can be used in their construction. A few have tiny symbols of the goddess Mera put into the stuffing for good luck since Mera is associated with the protection of children.

Manufacturing process

Dog shaped cloth pieces are sewed together with stuffing inside.

History

The idea that a beloved toy can protect a child is an ancient and enduring one.
Mera is the goddess of families and the protector of children. It is also believed that she created the first dogs of Scarterra. Dogs are considered a holy symbol of Mera. Thus, keeping a dog icon near a child is considered good luck.
At some point, some gnomes decided rather than simply carve the image of a dog into the frame of a child's bed, why not give the child a dog icon that he or she can cuddle with?
These toys were called "Geurale Apepy" in the Gnomish language translated as "Facsimile Dogs" or "faux dogs." When these toys spread to human families, the name was shortened into Geu-pups or go-puppies because it is easier for humans, especially human children, to pronounce.
Much as real dogs will protect their families, some believe that geu-puppies will protect children. There are legends of these dog toys coming to life temporally to protect the children who love them. While few believe a stuffed toy can bite an attacker directly, there are somewhat more credible stories about Geu-puppies barking warnings to wake a child's parents just in time, or tales of night time prowlers coincidentally tripping over Geu-Puppies on the floor and knocking themselves unconscious bumping their heads.
This is mostly superstition, but there is an element of truth in the superstition. Mera and her spirit minions can enact miracles and are likely to use geu-puppies as an intermediary for said acts of divine intervention, these miracles are very rare. Most Geu-puppies are nothing more than rags sewn together, but you never know for sure.

Item type

Toy

Current Location

Scarterra

Rarity

Geu-Puppies are very common, found in almost every human or gnome household with children. A few dwarves, satyrs, and elves also give their children Geu-Puppies.