Wood Owl Usages Section

At the request of Rookie on her Brownie Board I have drafted a usages section to be added to the Wood Owl entry. Since the entry's original author hasn't been heard from in a while, I don't think there should be any problems getting this added.

The Wood Owl is most commonly used by the Llaoihrr Brownies’s Skydiver Clan. Though the pairing may seem a bit strange to an outside observer, as Brownies are a perfect-sized morsel for the predatory owls, the beast is one of the favorite mounts of the Flying Militia as its generally gentle disposition makes it easy to train and work with.

The training procedure for these flying mounts begins even before the hatchlings have emerged from their eggs. As Wood Owls are fiercely protective of their young, the Skydiver clan is required to steal the eggs from the parents’ watchful eye to be properly raised. For eggs produced by domesticated parents, this process usually involves a Brownie rider luring his or her companion away from its nest while other members of the Clan scurry in to roll the eggs away while the beast is distracted.

When the Skydiver’s quota is not met, the Brownies are also forced to take eggs from wild owls residing in the Vale. This process is much more elaborate and usually involves teams of four to six Skydivers. Once the team discovers a nest, two of the Brownies are designated as live bait. Using slings, boomerangs, and thrown stones, it is the job of these two individuals to make the parents perceive them as threats and lure them away from the nest. While their compatriots flee for their lives, the remaining Brownies scale the tree and enter the nest. Using a series of baskets and pulleys, they quickly, but carefully lower the fragile eggs to the ground and haul them back to Council Tree.

Once taken, all eggs are placed in a large room designated specifically for the Skydiver Clan at Council Tree. Lined with fluffy owl-down, the room is consistently kept at a warm temperature and the eggs are carefully monitored until they hatch.

The first regiment of training begins almost immediately after the young owls emerge from their shells. Perhaps best described as a ‘What not to eat’ course, the Skydivers instruct the hatchlings as to what they are allowed to consume and what is off limits. By the end of this segment, the owls are expected to fully understand that they are supposed to eat only the meat provided to them and not the tiny Brownies themselves.

When the birds reach maturity, they proceed to the second phase of their training. Assigned to an experienced Skydiver flight instructor, the young owls are for the first time harnessed with the thick leather collar that provides a grip for the rider. Under the careful tutelage of their Brownie trainer, they are taught to become acclimated to the collar, to understand basic Skydiver flight commands and are worked to build up their strength so they will able to carry a rider for extended periods of time. Only once they have graduated from this course are the owls finally deemed “flight worthy” and allowed to be ridden by the general militia.

Though they are initially ridden by a whole host of different Brownies, it is not uncommon for a Wood Owl to choose a single Brownie companion as it matures. The criteria the owls use for making this selection is still not fully understood, but once their minds have been made up they remain steadfastly loyal. At this stage, the bird makes its preference very clear and requires some coaxing from its chosen Brownie to allow another rider to mount it.

In addition to being of use to the Skydiver Clan, the beautiful browns of the owl’s feathers have made it coveted by the Brightler Clan. Generally, the Brightlers tend to use feathers gathered after they have fallen out of the owls but it is not unheard of for an overly curious Brownie to attempt to pluck a feather from a sleeping bird, usually with unpleasant consequences. The feathers are then used by the Brightlers to craft jewelry and other forms of decoration for sale.