The Whale-Mothers didn't cause me the dissonance as it seems to have the Westerosi. I mean, fuck how they did it, that the Dunyain - and possibly the First Mothers (don't know if that made it into the ARC, though based on my conversation with H, I believe it remains) - were willing to condemn all subsequent female generations to this fate is equally disturbing, regardless of methodology.
The Tracery ritual doesn't preclude life-time breeding rights, does it? Also, it was those that pinned the most leaves as I recall, which is a task much more difficult than mapping the course of a single leaf.
Yeah, there is mention of First Mothers, once I have the ebook, I'll find it.
Also, with regards to The Tracery, while I doubt if this is what Bakker was going for, there is something, in Earwan terms, for breeding for Luck, since there, as opposed to our world, it actually is a real thing.
Consider, that in Earwa, Luck is the favor of Anagkë. Breeding those who Anagkë would favor, knowingly or unknowingly on your part, is highly beneficiary. Pair that with the skill it would take to even get
close in something such as The Tracery, it could actually be somewhat valid to getting superior specimens.