Plumakette

In Tosgiv, there is another toy of near equal popularity to the Spinshoo, but of far less practical symbolism that steals the hearts and minds of children. Mainly used by young girls, a Plumakette is a specially designed stone, string, and feather-based toy. Carried from the hip, most girls will begin to construct one with their mothers when they are quite young. In the earliest stages, a Plumakette is markedly a stone, rounded and marked with the name of the Tosgivite woman, a long and sturdy string, and a single feather - who’s color denotes the individual’s rank caste. Feathers that are dull often mark lower castes and feathers that are bright, colorful, and catch the light are for those of higher castes. As life goes on, this list of feathers will be expanded on and the way they blend together is used to tell both a story as well as teach young women how to read the characters of others at a glance. Truly, wearing one’s emotions and history on one’s sleeve, or hip, in this case.

Plumakette serve a functional purpose as well. The stone at the end can be used by young Tosgivite women to fend off vermin, snakes, and other nuisances. It’s most useful in the fields at the bases of mountains, where the animals, pests, and venomous creatures run rampant.