Apprentice Falconry (Ariston)

[Mystic]

Outside of the universitas to the south of the main building was an open field, approximately fifty yards by fifty yards, reserved for outside training. Falconry was the only class that was completely taught outside while scattered across the field were a few artists painting the view of the ocean to the east or musicians enjoying the mild autumn breeze that came in from the water's edge while playing their lute and flutes. A small circle sat at the north eastern edge of the clearing discussing politics and law in the modern Empire.

Standing in the center of the field with the breeze brushing her long blonde locks behind her, was Ariston's trainer. According to Soffi, her name was Finna and had been a falcon trainer for over six eras. She was human standing at the six foot mark and wearing brown leathers in similar fashion to a wilderness man or ranger of some type. She had her right arm cocked up parallel to the ground with a beautiful flacon resting on her forearm. The falcon's body was mainly white with brown streaks running up and down the length of the body. The Wings were just the opposite with a golden brown coloration and white streaks going from front to back.

Finna never turned to look at Ariston as he walked up. She knew from the motions of her falcon that someone approached. "Ariston, I presume?" She asked turning to face her new pupil. "I am Finna and this is Armega. He is a Gyrkin, a male gyrfalcon. The gyrfalcon reside on the island of Demios and many of the northern isles along the Empire. There are other breeds of falcons we will discuss, but that is for later. Tell me first, why falconry? Don't hold back. Enrich me with your desires."

[Ariston]

Ariston strolled across the field, eyes searching for the woman that would be his instructor. He passed a few artists, all of whom were completely absorbed in the scenes they painted. He slowed to get a passing look at the work, noting a few that was pleasing to his eye, then resumed his prior pace.

As it turned out, the falconry instructor was quite easy to find. She was tall, taller than Ariston, and perched upon her right arm was a falcon. As he neared, the bird's head swiveled about alertly, and he admired beautiful creature.

For a moment, he wondered if the woman had eyes in the back of her head, as she addressed him without turning. He drove that idle thought out of his mind as she turned. "Yes, ma'am," he replied.

She spoke, he listened, much like it was during his training in Medonia. She was his superior here, and he gave her due respect. His eyes roamed over to Armega when she finished speaking. "I greatly admire them. Beautiful, graceful, and superb hunters. I've watched, on several occassions, falcons over Medonia. The way they would glide silently above everything, searching for prey. Then, when it was located, the blinding speed in which they set upon the unfortunate quarry. It's breath taking, to say the least."

He smiled at her. "It's a pursuit I've considered for some time, but, until recently, I've found little opportunity to achieve it." He was eager to learn more about the creatures. A gyrfalcon, she had called Armega, and the revelation that there were other breeds surprised him a little. He had always just assumed that a falcon was a falcon. Already, he had learned something new.

[Mystic]

Finna listened adamantly to the one armed man speak of his love for the birds of prey. She could respect that for she too knew that these animals were swift and fearless hunters with great eyes sight and a keen intelligence for the hunt. To watch one soar the sky in search of prey then tuck wings and lunge towards the ground like an arrow from the shaft was breath taking.

She had concerns thought regarding this man. He had only one arm. How would he feed the animal when it was on his arm with no second hand to feed it. How would he hood and unhood the bird while it rested on his one arm? These were important steps in handling the bird properly. She loved his admiration but questioned his ability.

"If you noticed, the falcon rests on my arm when not in flight. I add and remove the hood with my other hand as well as feed Armega with my other hand. These are extrememly important tasks regarding the basic handling of the bird. Neither can be ignored or denied.

The hood is necessary to keep the bird calm when on your arm. As a natural predator, when the bird rests on your arm, if it sees a rodent, it will attack with lightening speed. It will think as if it were on a tree and therefore dig it's claws in to gain the extra push to build up speed. Those claws will rip your flesh in the wink of an eye. The second aspect of calming the bird is that if spooked, it will do the same thing to your flesh trying to get away.

The feeding of the bird is not for nourishment. It is a training and reward tool for doing the commands properly and learning to obey its master. There is no other real reward that could be given for a stroke of the feather, pat of the head is not a recognizable, or a good word mean nothing to a falcon who never gets these things to place value to them like a dog or cat would. Its comfort is proximatey not physical touch.

I say all of this because what concerns me is your lack of an arm. How do you think it possible to compensate these two basic functions of importance without the use of an arm?" The question was not cruel nor intended to make fun of any potential flaw that would be viewed by most because he missed an arm. Her concern was always for the birds. She only cared enough about him to teach him to do it right for the birds' sake.

[Ariston]

There it was. His arm. Or, rather, his lack of an arm. It had crossed his mind more than a few times, that he may encounter some problems in this particular skill with his handicap. But, he was confident that he could overcome it. He had learned to do most everything with only one arm, including several things that normally required two. He slowly raised his left hand to his right stump, and scratched it.

"I've a few ideas, but, as I don't have any real knowledge of falconry, I'm not sure of their practicality. I had thought about some sort of shoulder mount, for my right shoulder, but, talons and beaks that close to my face and neck doesn't seem wise. Another thought was a stand of sorts, that I could carry. But, that brings up the problem of moving about with the bird." He lowered his hand and hooked his thumb in his belt as he spoke. "To be honest, I had hoped you may be able to shed some light on that. You've the experience and the knowledge. I'm sure we can think of something."

[Mystic]

Finna listened to the lad speak and felt great compassion for him. It must be hard to go through life dealinh with such a defect. And his true heart's desire was to be around the birds. She wanted to think hard on a solution for the lad in order to help him make his dream come true. Finna was, after all, a follower of Kaimelea, Mistress of Dreams. This set her to the task of trying to help the man and bring pleasure to Kaimelea.

"First thing we could think about is the use of your shoulder. The idea of claws and such that close to my face doesn't excite me either, but it would require a bird of phenominal training and poise. Most likely a smaller type falcon not native to this isle but still previlent in this realm. It is the easiest route but carries the highest risk. Even a well trained bird will freak out from time to time just like any person will. If the bird is on your shoulder when this happens, the chances are high you'll have another missing body part such as an eye or ear.

We could find someone who could contruct a platform of types to come off of your shoulder but it would be bulky and limit your movements. If the situation is combat oriented, this will be a major inhibitor. Again, we have pros and cons to the situation.

But there is a third option. I have heard of people who work with mechanisms who might be able to fashion an arm of some type. I have never met such people and have no idea if it is arcanically inclined or a specialized tinker, but it is a route that might work. If this is an option then I would suggest seeking out advice from either The Institute of Higher Learning to speak to a master tinker or The Academy of Mind and Fire and speak to one of the master arcanists there. I am not a specialist in this area, but if it can be done and you're interested, then these are the places to start."

[Ariston]

The one-armed young man listened closely as Finna spoke, voicing her thoughts. He valued her opinions in the matter; after all, from what the admissions clerk had said, the woman before him had much experience in her chosen skill. She echoed his fears about having a falcon's natural weapons too close to the face and neck, as well as his concerns with a stand of some sort. But, it was the third option that took him by surprise.

A new arm....The thought had never crossed his mind. He had simply excepted that he had lost and would never again have his right arm, but, Finna's words made him stop and ponder the possibility. He had seen a few of the gadgets and gizmos that gadgeteers had devised, and had heard once of a clockwork man, though he had never seen one for himself. And, he was sure some sort of arcana was involved.

He smiled his typically boyish smile. "That's a very interesting idea. Something I would never have thought of, to be honest. Most definately, I'll be checking with the Institute about it. In the meantime....." he glanced at Armega, "maybe you could tell me more about gyrfalcons. I had no idea that there were different kinds of falcons. How many do we have here on Demios?" He pushed the idea of an articial arm to the back of his mind, his attentions now turned to learning what he could of the art of falconry.

[Finnie]

 

Peer Moderation. This Thread has been approved for Peer Moderation, assigned to Peermod Viskyia Crow under the authority of Game Master Finnie, as per the accepted Modplan. Participants are advised that conditions and circumstances may be adjusted to ensure fairness and balance.

[Viskyia Crow]

Finna looked up and met Ariston's gaze. Her look was a bit hawk-like itself. She certainly got directly to the point. Not afraid to discuss his handicap and the limitations it would cause, certainly meant there'd be other forthrightness forthcoming. Regardless, she was smart enough to realize he wasn't going to solve his missing arm problem over night, nor was it going to effect her class much. They'd simply have to work around things.

But he asked a question and so she felt the need to respond. "They are the largest of the falcons. I find them quite common on Demios. I'd imagine it is because of the abundance of cliffs for them to nest on, and because of the incredible thermals. You see, falcons are vastly different than hawks. Many people practice falconry with hawks, owls, even eagles. But to hunt truly, you have to hone your skill on falcons. They are the hardest and thus most challenging to control. Look at Armega's form." Finna outstretched her arm and gave it a sharp shake. The bird unfolded its wings, shrieked slightly and showed off its wingspan without launching from her arm. It was obviously practiced.

"Gyrfalcons have narrow tapered wings like all falcons do. Hawks has thicker wings with longer feathers that hold more air. They glide and rely on their backbeats to catch prey... mice rabbits anything they can find. Falcons are different. They are hunters of the sky. They snatch prey out of the sky by diving on them normally without ever landing. Thats why their wings are smoother, tapered.. and when they fly you see a shallow V to their flight. Hawks have deeper V's and creatures like vultures and eagles have even deeper of a dihedral. Gyrfalcons are the most incredible of all falcons because they don't 'dive on their prey... they come up behind them and snatch them out of the sky. Most of what they eat finds its way into ther stomachs before the food can be completely slain. They are impatient sloppy hunters.... but really good at what they do." Fianna added, smiling slightly as she stroked her bird to calmness by gently touching its breast.

"As for birds on the island... the types vary. We are close enough to the mainland we get regular visitors and a population that is transitory. But in general, I've counted 7 hawk types, 6 falcon types, 2 sparrow hawks, and 4 eagle species. Its subject to change seasonally though. Demios even has a unique species of falcon... a blue coastal. They are a smaller falcon but lovely beyond belief. I hope to show you one." Finna answered, then watched Ariston for for his reaction. "Any more questions about different kinds or the why and how of it?"

[Ariston]

He listend closely to her, absorbing everything she said, his eyes taking in the beautiful form of the gyrfalcon on her arm. Finna obviously knew what she was talking about, it was evident in her manner and the way she spoke about the subject. She was a wealth of knowledge, it seemed, about the different species, and he was happy that she was his instructor. If you were going to learn something, it was best to learn it from someone who really knew their craft.

He hooked his thumb in his belt, thinking over everything she had relayed to him, trying to process it all. The differences between hawks and falcons, which he had previously knew nothing about, amazed him. He always thought a hawk and a falcon were one in the same. The fact that they were not the same thing, and that their hunting methods were so different, amazed him. He began wondering exactly which it was that Katy, the falcon back at the Spring and Summer, was.

"Which of the different sorts is the best to begin learning with? Or does it matter?" He hoped that Katy would be a suitable choice, whatever she was. He had grown quite fond of her, and had the intention of buying her. Which, in truth, was another big reason why he had taken this course.

[Viskyia Crow]

Finna looked thoughtful. "I don't think species matters when it comes to what to start with in terms of a beginning falconer, unless the student is small. You're a tall adult half elf with a strong look. It shouldn't matter. Whats most important is personality. You want a calm wiser bird thats raised in captivity by a gentle but firm falconer. The trade off is that the hand raised birds aren't always the best hunters. They need to have a good instinct. Honestly, falconers keep their best birds back, the hand raised ones with calm personalities that can hunt incredibly well, and instead take the hand raised tame ones that are bad hunters and give them to say the nobility that just want a bird lounging around on a perch to brag about. One of our best tricks is to take our good birds along when our clients want to hunt their tame but lazy birds, switch them, let our clients hunt our good birds, then switch them back when they part ways. This is easy to do if you can switch hoods quickly and use similar or even the same species. Most nobles... don't really care. They just want bragging rights and know what we are doing anyhow. We always breed only the best. Wild caught birds are great for advanced falconers, but its the captively bred or hand raised chicks we want to use for your first birds." She said thoughtfully, then turned to walk with Ariston back into the Aerie. It was a long low structure with a great many windows for ventilation that hung off the end of the school. It had a complex netted garden off one wall that looked to be about a full acre in size.

"Lets look at the Aerie first. This is where we house the birds. Each gets its own perch, and if its a social bird a view of its fellows. If its a more anti-social bird, we keep it hooded or isolated in its own alcove. Most Aerie's have just one long perch with hooded birds jessed along the perch at intervals. This is wrong and cruel. We give our birds flight time, room to move, and socialization. We'll use the garden thats netted too so that you can learn without loosing your bird." She said, moving to a counter against the far wall where supplies were laid out. "Now, before we get started, I want you to tell me what you think a falconer is... exactly. What motivates them? Why we keep these birds of prey close to humanity?" Finna said, moving to transfer the gyrfalcon to a perch on the counter and toying with some of the tools of the trade there.

[Ariston]

Ariston was in his element as Finna continued his lesson. He was learning, and that was something he always excelled at. A strange thing, he supposed, but it was true. Some people took to swordplay naturally while even basic math was difficult for them. With him, his mind was a sponge. He took in everything and learned it. Maybe not to such a degree as his teachers, but, he did learn. And this was no different.

In the aerie, he looked about, eyes alight with excitement. There were so many birds here, with so many different appearances. He followed her, remaining quiet, taking in all she imparted to him. In his current state, it took a few moments for her question to penetrate his mind. He turned back to her and smiled crookedly. "oh....A falconer? A falconer would be someone who works with the bird, instead of expecting the bird to work for them. They seek a partnership, to work together. And if the birds are kept close to humanity, then they will become more accustomed to us, and easier to train." As he spoke, his eyes darted about, curious as to which would become his training bird.

[Viskyia Crow]

Finna smiled and nodded. "You are right in many ways, Ariston. We keep them close to humanity so they indeed do grow used to us, but also so they grow used to serving us. Falcon's are free things, arrogant and really not so dependent as one may think. When given the freedom to hunt, they have a choice to stay with us or return to the wild. The wild is a hard place for them, but so is captivity. We simply make it easier to be captive than free." She said, then turned around and pulled open a drawer. She removed a hood, a pair of bells, a set of gloves, and a set of long leather straps.

"Here's some of your tools of the trade. The first is a hood. Its simply to keep the bird quiet. Falcon's are diurnal, meaning they are active during the day.. when its dark and quiet they remain calm. Thus we hood them. There's a tie beneath the chin, but a well fitting hood doesn't need a tie at all. You can slip one on one-handed if the bird will hold still for it." She turned to the gyrfalcon on the perch on the counter and demonstrated sliding the hood off... then carefully showed how to side it back on. Then she handed it to him. "You try. Make sure you always act with confidence. If you don't, then shell know it, and get suspicious as well. Just slip it on and off like you mean business." Finna encouraged, watching him.

Once that was done, she moved on...

"This is a Lure... its a long thin string that you put bait on and use it to spin around yourself. Then you launch your bird and it will normally follow instinct and chase it. These are great training devices for tethered birds and those still on leashes before they hunt wildlife." Finna said, looking at the lure then handing it to Ariston for inspection.

"Now, these next are Bells... any idea why we bell falcons?" She asked, curious.

[Ariston]

He watched as she pulled forth the tools of falconry, his honey eyes peering with interest at the various items. The gloves seemed obvious to him, the hood and straps he could guess at. The bells he wasn't so sure about. He knew she would get to each of them soon enough, and so he kept his attention on her voice. He smiled to himself, happy to see that his unspoken thoughts about the hood were correct. He studied her as she slipped the hood off and on the gyrfalcon. It seemed an easy enough task. He accepted the hood from her and stepped forward. He adjusted the hood in his hand, then raised it toward the birds head. Confidence wasn't a problem. After having his arm taken off by an orc, a bird seemed little consequence.

When he had slipped the hood over the gyrfalcon's head, and then off again, he smiled at her and lay the hood on the counter. He listened to her as she explained the lure, which fascinated him. He was still not quite sure how it worked, and wanted to ask as he looked the thing over, but, refrained for now. The next in line was the mysterious bells. He had hoped she would tell him the purpose as she had with the other two items, but, that was not the case. He scratched the stump of his arm, his mind running through the possiblities, but, not coming up with anything he felt to be a satisfactory answer. So, he went with the only thing he could really think of. "To hear them?"

[Viskyia Crow]

Finna nodded. "True, but we bell them so we can track them on the ground in the sky when they stray from us. Sometimes a Falcon will take off, for no apparent reason. If they've lived in captivity long enough, this can be very dangerous. We need to retrieve them for our own investment and their lives... they often don't survive in the wild after captivity. You can track them on the ground and bait them back to you.. or use a lure to bring them in. I'll teach you how to do both in time." She said, moving on. "Gloves are basic tools... you use them to protect your fingers from bites, and your hand and wrist.. sometimes forearm from talons. We should probably go over the parts of a bird first, so you know what I'm talking about when I point to various places on them... and various danger zones." She said, pausing to step back.

Then she pulled three sheets out for him to review. One was a parchment with a sketch of a bird on it, the other the sketch of a bird wing. Each part was labeled. "Memorize these parts. You will need to know them for our discussions and your further instruction." She said, handing them over carefully.

and...

Fianna smiled. "It's a lot to learn, but trust me, it will come in handy later." She said, letting him get a good look at the parchments first, then asked simply... "Are there any questions yet?" She said, reaching over to stroke the gryfalcon's breast. "Next we can talk about jesses and the leash. From there, we'll move into bird care, and finally I'll take you out to fly him after I teach you how to hold him, and all that goes along with that." Fianna said gently.

[Ariston]

He nodded, not finding it hard to imagine the problems a tamed falcon might face if lost in the wild. As well as the loss in time and money the falconer would suffer from the raising and training of the bird. The bells, then, made perfect sense. She moved on, and so he followed along. The purpose of the gloves seemed farily obvious to him, and he smiled his understanding at her.

The half-elf studied the diagrams, not sure whether he was more surprised at the number of parts there was to memorize or the fact that someone actually took the time to sit down and name all of those parts. He wondered how many falconers actually knew each and every one of them. At her question, however, his eyes never left the diagrams. "Nothing yet." A few moments more she had moved on and he tore his eyes from the parchment. Now they were getting to the really interesting things, and she had his full attention.