Maskurm Falcon

Legend

“When Ühmrar Zänziliibûhr the Boriac Enig 'Ma Kore the Archaic A Maskurm Falcon was given to her.”

Skjald Ulrich

 

History

The first time Maskurm Falcons are described is at the ground-breaking wedding between immortals and mortals at Miletos. Where a multicoloured Maskurm Falcon gift brought a wide smile to the bride’s face—forever known as the ‘Archaic Smile’. Since then, the Boriac have favoured Maskurm Falcons, and Hawks have held a special status amongst Bird using Hunters.

The Maskurm Falcons are collected as eggs from nests, which have been observed for weeks to determine their parents health, hunting abilities, and feather tinting. Safely returned, they are hatched, fed, and trained carefully to become Falconer ‘birds of prey’ like the Hawker trained ones. Bringing home birds, Squirrel, Rabbit, Hare, and even Snake, Fox and other less easy prey.

In fact, they are not only collected for hunting but also for breeding, as colour tintings are of extreme value to wealthy collectors. The most exquisite ones have a pure tint, placing them within one of the Aura Colours. As some collectors want skilled birds of all 8 colours and a multicoloured one as well, prices are high, so stock breeders try their best to pair and produce the most spectacular multicoloured ones.

Skjald El Mary

 

The rivalry between egg collectors, breeders, trainers, sellers, and users is intense, so it’s also a business where one has to watch one’s purse, back, life, and bird. Every one of those can disappear with a blink of the eye at the wrong time, and it has spawned quite a cold-hearted lot of daggers and poisons. Thus, it takes a lifetime or heroic deed to gain the trust of one of them. But once gained, don’t ever betray them as they spread the word quickly or demand their dues. I should mention that if you’re not extremely rich, entering their circles is the easiest way to get a ‘free egg’. And no, don’t go mountain crawling yourself, as you most likely will snatch someone’s planned harvest.

Once a year, a Maskurm Falcon of his choice was picked by the King of Golny, as per the agreement of selling the island, up until The Great Invasion. . So he had a large collection and even his own breeding programme. But, during it, his entire collection vanished without trace, and a gargantuan reward has been offered to the one who can shed some light on its whereabouts.

Skjald Vinotis

 

Historically, the use of birds of prey has been a popular thing and great status symbol, especially amongst the Nobility culture, dating all the way back to the early Age of Hordes. In some Indigenous cultures even longer, and in the early days of the Tatongol Empire, it was another path to the top elite for lesser nobility and wealthy wannabees.

Skjald Sigurd

 

Cartography

Birds of prey are found throughout our world, but the Maskurm ones are from Island of Piecao, the new name for Maskurm since Lionel bought the island from the King of Golny. Careful study of the origin of successfully hatched eggs has revealed that multicoloured ones appear most often from nests on the south side of Mt. Ishmirr, and Scholars think this has to do with The Rim.

Skjald El Mary

 

Organisation

Generally, they are divided into three types: wild, falconry, and breeding. Wild are studied and farmed; falconry ones are trained throughly for years; and breding ones are those of such excusite feather tinting that they aren’t being put to hunting risk. Thus, it solely lives for breeding.

They come in all colours, but the most sought ones, aside from their hunting abilities, are those that match the aura colour wheel, and here is shown the current flock owned by Black Oak the former High King, king of Ye Olde Zephyrs, Commander of the Cleaning Crusade and now owner of the The Black Oak Inns. He also has a multicoloured one, but that one I haven’t seen, so I can’t tell its colour distribution.

Skjald Ulrich

 

Special

They have an exceptional talent for picking good prey and are extremely costly.

Skjald Valgrif