Lettucewan

A majestic flyer, the Lettucewan is one of the most beautiful creatures to grace the skies and the waters. Specimens have been recorded in all manner of colors, from green and brown to red and purple. Their large wings can carry different patterns and designs, ranging from crenelated to fuzzy to smooth and waxy. They are usually prized by Guardiners for their strength, using those same wings as capable clubs, and their flexibility in both the air and under the water. They also have a useful trick of secreting a milky, sticky sap and flinging it from their wings to hinder foes. However, planting one for personal use does have some caveats.

The mating instinct of their animal progenitors is apparently so strong that it has been carried down through the generations. Florabeasts which require male and female specimens to reproduce will do so when the opportunity arises, but will part ways and leave their offspring to be raised by humans or survive in the wild.

Not so with the Lettucewan, which pair off as couples and raise a crop of three or four new cygnet-sprouts per year. These mates remain together for their entire lives, which is where the difficulty in planting arises. If a tame Lettucewan mates with either a tame or wild partner, it is nearly guaranteed that it will bond with their mate, the strength of which is such that the bond with their planter can be threatened. While there have been no recorded incidents of a tame mated Lettucewan turning fully wild, they will put their family first and their planter second. Some planters have tried to work around this and plant two seeds at the same time, praying that one is male and the other female, while others attempt to keep their Lettucewan away from any others they encounter.