This tiny object looks like a feather. Different types of feather tokens exist, each with a different single-use effect. The DM chooses the kind of token or determines it randomly.
Anchor. You can use an action to touch the token to a boat or ship. For the next 24 hours, the vessel can't be moved by any means. Touching the token to the vessel again ends the effect. When the effect ends, the token disappears.
Bird. You can use an action to toss the token 5 feet into the air. The token disappears and an enormous, multicolored bird takes its place. The bird has the statistics of a roc, but it obeys your simple commands and can't attack. It can carry up to 500 pounds while flying at its maximum speed (16 miles an hour for a maximum of 144 miles per day, with a one-hour rest for every 3 hours of flying), or 1,000 pounds at half that speed. The bird disappears after flying its maximum distance for a day or if it drops to 0 hit points. You can dismiss the bird as an action.
Fan. If you are on a boat or ship, you can use an action to toss the token up to 10 feet in the air. The token disappears, and a giant flapping fan takes its place. The fan floats and creates a wind strong enough to fill the sails of one ship, increasing its speed by 5 miles per hour for 8 hours. You can dismiss the fan as an action.
Swan Boat. You can use an action to touch the token to a body of water at least 60 feet in diameter. The token disappears, and a 50-foot-long, 20-foot- wide boat shaped like a swan takes its place. The boat is self-propelled and moves across water at a speed of 6 miles per hour. You can use an action while on the boat to command it to move or to turn up to 90 degrees. The boat can carry up to thirty-two Medium or smaller creatures. A Large creature counts as four Medium creatures, while a Huge creature counts as nine. The boat remains for 24 hours and then disappears. You can dismiss the boat as an action.
Tree. You must be outdoors to use this token. You can use an action to touch it to an unoccupied space on the ground. The token disappears, and in its place a nonmagical oak tree springs into existence. The tree is 60 feet tall and has a 5-foot-diameter trunk, and its branches at the top spread out in a 20-foot radius.
Whip. You can use an action to throw the token to a point within 10 feet of you. The token disappears, and a floating whip takes its place. You can then use a bonus action to make a melee spell attack against a creature within 10 feet of the whip, with an attack bonus of +9. On a hit, the target takes 1d6 + 5 force damage.
As a bonus action on your turn, you can direct the whip to fly up to 20 feet and repeat the attack against a creature within 10 feet of it. The whip disappears after 1 hour, when you use an action to dismiss it, or when you are incapacitated or die.
Notes: Creation, Summoning, Damage, Control, Movement, Utility, Exploration, Combat, Consumable
Whip=Spiritual Weapon Wannabe
In Eberron, it's apparently highly recommended to have one of these at all times in Sharn. I don't understand why, it seems like it thinks it's the same as a ring of feather falling.
Ah, you mean a Feather Token, not a Feather Token lol
I guess so but what?!
Feather token in ebberon gives you one usage of feather fall.
TL;DR at the bottom.
I am aware this is quite old by this point, but in case OP is still wondering or anyone else scrolling through wants a justification:
Eberron Feather Tokens are much more common and, as said in chapter 3 of the book, more affordable.
Furthermore, from a mechanical standpoint, maybe you don't want to use an attunement slot on a Ring of Feather Falling every time you want to travel in Sharn. Granted this one is only really applicable in high level/high magic campaigns, but still.
Lastly, and most compellingly of all for me personally, Feather Tokens make money. Those who create them can produce them for people to travel the upper reaches more safely. Over the course of a year, they'll probably sell hundreds of thousands of them as opposed to the maybe one Ring of Feather Falling that they could sell in a year. Since the ring is rare and the token is common, it can be presumed it is much easier and cheaper to produce a token than a ring. This is a bit of extrapolation and setting-dependent, but it is backed up by the rules for creating magic items in downtime rules (Xanathar's I believe?). So it makes sense for common people to carry more tokens than rings, as they're just too expensive. Furthermore, it makes even more sense for those who make the tokens to push a public agenda of 'Oh yeah, you NEED to buy one of these to travel the city!' because it directly increases their bottom-line by driving sales up.
I hope that clears up any confusion as to why they are recommended.
TL;DR: Rings are rare and expensive, and the people who make tokens get a lot of money from the common public buying their one use tokens.
”The bird disappears after flying its maximum distance for a day or if it drops to 0 hit points. You can dismiss the bird as an action.“
Kinda makes it sound like you can stop flying early and keep your roc another day. Is that how that works? Sounds pretty OP!
The way I am reading it "The bird disappears after flying its maximum distance for a day" not in one day, but the maximum it could fly in one day. So after 144 miles or it drops to 0 hitpoints.
It seems more that you can dismiss your Roc and not get it back. Basically, just killing it early.