Quétzal Feathers

Quétzal Feathers
Within the Flóff culture there exists a bird known as the Quétzal, though it is never depicted or described in the book its feathers and the important of them are. Simply put, the Quétzal is the Bird of Mating within Flóff culture. Unlike the Únoff and Dẃoff the Flóff do not give birth, they instead lay eggs. Those who can afford to place their eggs into the care of the Flóff government either with the hopes of their young joining a camp, working for the government, or even for them to be returned to their family, the Flóff eggs are sent to nurseries within the capital city of Pegpolis. Originally, the Flóff told its citizens that any Flóff that hatched near the Léux (source of Flóff power) will grow up to be stronger or faster than those who do not. This reasoning has mostly been proven to be false, though the belief was perpetuated during the War of The Threes as the Flóff government wished to ensure the next generation of fighters. The city of Pegpolis up until the final years of the Third War was mostly out of reach, and the Flóff leadership knew this.

Of course, within Artésque the need for controlled hatching and the ensuing of future soldiers is not as needed. Thus, the nurseries were not really needed. However, with years of traditional backing them, the nurseries of Pegpolis prevailed even within Artésque. The Quétzal birds were always used to help incubate the eggs, and whenever an egg would hatch the bird would pluck a certain amount of feathers from its own wings. In the wild, this was done to help identify its young by smell as the freshly picked wings had a distinct smell. However, the Flóff took the feathers as a sign of how many opportunities a Flóff would have for mating, it of course is meaningless and nothing more than superstition, though the idea held. The feathers are and were used for Quétzal challenges. As it goes, a male or potential suitor would ask a female Flóff for a favor, or rather a feather, if the woman has a feather she must offer a challenge to the male of her choosing. If the challenger is successful than the feather and a favor must be given to the male. The tradition was carried over to Artésque similarly to that of the nurseries, though its popularity has waned as many female Flóff now believe it is unfair that only the females had to use the feathers where as any males were allowed to simply ignore the feather plucked for them. Even still, the practice is widespread and often seen throughout the land. Feathers after being used are typically put on display by the female, as a sign of being a good sport or rather a sign of showing good mating qualities. Of course, even this practice has been subjected to scrutiny.