Juniper Nightmare-trap

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The nightmare-traps seem to be a fairly common instance of folklore across modern Lost Lands cultures, the idea being that they're to be hung near one's head while sleeping in order to trap nightmares attempting to enter into the sleeper's mind. While several sources claim their origins can be traced back to Huecatn legends, historians specializing in Huecatn culture dispute this idea.

Further research into the origins of the nightmare-traps has led to the observation that the items are remarkably common in the small mining town of Shadgard, though what this might mean is not readily apparent - the nightmare-traps seem to be a tradition older than Shadgard itself, and there is no record of anyone in that town recalling how or when the objects became so popular there.

While researching the origin of the nightmare-traps and early Shadgard history, you happen across an obscure footnote mentioning an early Shadgard settler by the name of Benjamin Avery, one of the few people (if not the only one) on speaking terms with a local indigenous people that you unfortunately can't find any further notes or details on. According to the footnote, Avery would occasionally trade with them and bring back curiosities unique to their culture to share with the townsfolk.