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Winds of Change Festival by Phalanx

Hum Planet

Hum Planet, Fochrik System - The Winds of Change Festival started on the 307th on all of the planets that the Humma have a presence. This includes the planets Hum, Forge, Larg and the moon Kran in the Fochrik system. The mating rituals of the Humma have become so important to their society, that this festival has become their central holiday. All Humma that are of the mating age return to their House to partake of the festival.

The festival is the central rite of passage for all female Humma. Prior to the beginning of the Festival, the females spend weeks of preparation. This includes the making of fragence lotions to coat their own fur and the making of healing salves for the males. The recipes are handed down within each house and are taught by the elders of that house. The skill at making these recipes is what determains the ranking of a female within the house.

Forge Planet

The festival itself lasts three weeks long and is generally broken into 3 seperate sections. The first week consists of the males battling each other to prove their worthiness. These battles are not to the death, but it would be difficult for an outsider to notice that since the combatants take their battles very seriously. The intent of such battles is not to injure the opponent, but for one to declare the other a victory. This sometimes happens through unconsciousness. The battles occure in the public areas of city for all the citizens to see. The females that are ready for mating are given the best views of the battle, along with the elders of the houses.

The second week consists of the males going thru healing rituals with the females attending to them. This allows the females to converse with the males and choose which one they wish to mate with. While the females apply their healing salves, they get the chance to show the males how much they appreciate what they have gone through to get to this point. Durning this week of the festival, the elders mingle throughout the healing areas, observing and assisting the females in whichever way is needed.

Kran Moon

At the end of the second week, the Changing Ceremony allows the females to choose the males who will father her children. The Humma are a very feudal society and females choose in the order of their house rank. Within each house, the females choose based on the rank the was determained before the festival. When it is time for the female to choose, she confers with her house elders on which male of the remaining males would be the best suited for their house. When the male is choosen, the female walks up to him and places their family seal on a piece of cloth around his neck.

After the Ceremony, the males who have been choose spend the evening in celebration while the females retire to prepare for the next week of the festival. The males who are not choosen are then sent to help man the local and planetary defenses along with those neuter Humma who are not old enough to be elders.

The third week consists of the actual mating ritual. Humma mating is much different than many other species since it lasts for an entire week and contains little rest. The mating itself can last from 14-16 hours straight and is performed multiple times during the week. The lotions that the female applies to her fur has the dual effect of a pleasing fragrance and an aphrodisiac for the males. Each of the lotions have a different strength, with the strongest ones being applied towards the end of the week.

Larg Planet

After a 300 day pregnancy period, the female gives birth to her sole litter of 1-10 children. The female along with members of her house bear the responsibility for taking care of the children until they have reached an age that allows them to earn the right to met their father.

If a female does not get pregnant, then it is very disgracful for the male. This hurts the male's chance at a future mating and will at least probably get him assigned to defense duty during the next Winds of Change festival.

Even thought this may look like a good time to attack the Humma, the one time that the Sathar attempted it during the Second Sathar War, they found that strategy to be a very fatal mistake.