First Flesh, or "Brgp Awp" in its native Anura, is, in a way, a coming of age ritual for Bufos (subspecies of Anura). All Anura are enamored with food, but Bufos take it beyond what nearly all would consider acceptable in Morgrave - the Bufos are cannibals. Although many outsiders make the mistake, Bufos are not inherently evil; they see the consumption of kith flesh to be a religious experience, whereby part of the soul of the deceased (or still living, in some cases) is merged with the consumer. This ritual is celebrated the first time a Bufo eats the flesh of another Kith.
The Ritual
First Flesh is rarely a planned occasion. Usually, a Bufo dies in some way - old age, disease, a hunt gone wrong - and the body is brought to the stone slab that sits at the center of every Bufo village. The colony gathers round, offers prayer and thanks to the deceased, and the colony's shaman calls upon the gods to bless the body and facilitate the soul's merging with those of the colony. In this way, the consumption in a sacred act, which keeps the soul of the deceased alive forever. And First Flesh is the commemoration of the first time a Bufo merges souls with another.
Often, a Bufo experiences First Flesh whenever the first person on the colony dies after they're born - the Bufo aren't usually picky. However, there are some reasons why a Bufo might abstain in order to choose when the experience First Flesh. One reason might be that the Bufo is simply too young - merging souls can be dangerous if the soul of the young Bufo is still forming. Another reason might be that the young Bufo has been singled out to become a Battlefeaster.
Battlefeasters
Battlefeaster is a special position in Bufo society; they are frothing berserkers who feast upon their enemies during the fight, incorporating bites into their attacks. As the battlefeasters tear away the flesh of their opponents, they believe that they strip away parts of their souls, forcibly stealing it from their enemies and making themselves permanently stronger in the process. Battlefeasters are feared and respected within their own society, but their souls mixed with those of outsiders are seen as profane - they will never be allowed to mix with the souls of those in their tribe.
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