Fussen Feathers

His Royal Highness of the Great Nest, the Flightless Fool known as Fussen Feathers, is, as one has noted already, a "heavily breaded" yellow-feathered chicken wearing a red and yellow motley fool's suit. In appearance, the yellow fowl has good reason to be flightless: no bird of his girth and swooshy-fluffy tailfeathers could hope to take to the skies! For his attire, the great bird wears a silver-painted wooden crown and carries a similarly painted scepter, both adorned with fake red and yellow tinted glass jewels. For the people of Myrken Wood, the bird-king's origins are mysterious; none knows from whence he came or of what connection he holds to the week long Jester's Holiday, despite the obvious link of his clothing and fun-loving, mischief-minded personality. In addition, no one seems to be able to admit what the foolish fowl might have done with a missing Councilor Treadwell during this week of festive merriment that the bird claims to be orchestrating and overseeing, at least in part. In truth, this is, of course, little more than an elaborate costume. The chicken suit itself was left on Aloisius Treadwell's doorstep some time in A.R. 204. It was worn once or twice as a joke, then stuffed into a wardrobe and abandoned. The costume has since been cleaned, put on, and added to (with the red and yellow clothing and the scepter and crown). There is still a touch of magic left to the chicken suit by whatever unnamed soul designed the costume itself; the tailfeathers can swoosh about as if real, and the feathers ruffle on the wearer's being irritated. Coupled with Treadwell's ages old acting skills, all of these qualities add up to a dual purpose for the persona of His Majesty, Fussen Feathers. First, and more obviously, is the entertainment of the children of Myrken Wood. Second, and more importantly, is that it allows Aloisius a chance to play the fool for a week, a necessary boon to health and heart. In studying the two together, one sees that Treadwell has always had a soft spot for children, especially his own, and, though he'd certainly never admit such to the taxpayers or anyone else in town, the gruff old grump sees the children of Myrken Wood as something of an extended family in absence of a true family with wife and children. Treadwell hopes to see Fussen entered into Myrken history as a permanent part of the festivities--a sort of immortality for himself, on one side, but a beginning of a much-needed, child-oriented, and distinctly Myrken addition to a tradition mostly aimed at letting adults blow off some much needed steam.