Feather-stick

The Hissraesithith, or feather-stick, is an important ritual object for any Naga. Even under the Raithar Empire, it was not unusual for one to be found, and a valuable enough warrior may have even been quietly allowed to keep it. Once free of the empire, they were quickly taken back up across the populace, either made new, or retrieved from hiding.

Components and tools

The primary component simply a stick, which the bearer strips of bark and carves as desired. Different choices of wood, pattern, and even decoration have different implications about the bearer--and about how they see themselves, their hopes for the future, even their memories of childhood. The stick can be anywhere from one to three feet in length, though the shorter part of the range is more common. It is very rare to see a stick with a split branch; this usually indicates that the bearer hatched with a twin.

The feathers are added over time, with the first being given by the mother and aunts when the bearer leaves home, and additional feathers being being by a mate or spouse, and finally by offspring or niblings. Again, the specific type and number of feathers has rich meaning, but the Naga have never been inclined to share the specifics.

Participants

The feather-stick is largely a symbol and communicator of family ties and individual identity. It is considered very personal, to the point where no Naga would touch even a friend's feather-stick, unless it was somehow necessary to save it from harm. The only people to interact with a feather-stick are the bearer and perhaps a close intimate. Those giving feathers are immediate family members or serious lovers; they are never given to friends, no matter how close the relationship may be. The only potential blurring of this is if a friend is named as an offspring's Aunt, in which case a feather may be given from the Aunt to their friend's child at the time they leave home.

Observance

The creation of a feather-stick is a rite of passage, undertaken as the bearer becomes an adult. The process generally begins as the equivalent of a human's 15 years old, and some complete it quickly. Most, however, take their time choosing just the right wood, stripping and treating it, planning and practicing their carvings, and so forth. Their family will, however, expect it to be finished before the bearer strikes out on their own.

Other than when the bearer first leaves their mother's home, feathers may be given whenever makes sense for the forging of the family tie. A lover may give one or more feathers once the pair (or other grouping) has discussed their future, desire for offspring (or not), and generally come to agreement as to what they want from the relationship. A spouse would present feathers as the primary component of the wedding itself. Children give feathers to their parents sometime before they begin work on a feather-stick of their own, as guided by their Aunts.

Known To

Diplomat