Some few dulcimists of my acquaintance use a rather "different" flatpick that may give an effect similar to a quill without the shreds and shards all over the neighborhood. There are arguments over whether it should be called a "dulcimer pick" but nobody in my crowd seems able to come up with another use for one.

This pick is of course flat, and shaped like an equilateral triangle (with straight, flat sides). About 1.75 inches (4.5 cm) on each side.

The large size allows you to hold the pick very loosely so that it drags off the strings more than "plucking" them as you'd get with a shorter more tightly held pick. Although the style is available in at least three "stiffness" grades, the few people I've known who favor this pick seem all to use a fairly flexible one. (Even the "heavy" ones seem pretty floppy compared to a more typical guitar pick.)

The softer "strumming" action does seem to mellow the sound, and it may simulate to a degree what you'd get with a quill on strings of lower tension. Those I know who use this pick just say they "like the sound," with no pretense that they're following some secret knowledge of ancient things; but then maybe the secret rituals are known only to them and can't be revealed to mere mortals. My own trials a while back with real quills would place the "action" with this pick much closer to a quill than can be easily approached with more conventional plectra.

It should be noted that the few players I've seen using these generally don't finger chords; but play a melody line on the front string and strum across the other strings as simple drones.

Far something vaguely resembling a quill, but more suited to modern strings, one of the larger of those plastic spears that comes in the onion in your "Gibson" might be about right. (If anyone still drinks - or serves - those?)

John