Post
by mushgnome » Wed Jun 19, 2019 4:23 am
Carc! Carc! Carc! is the raven's affirmative reply. Carc seems pleasantly amused at Noh's display of apparent near-animal intelligence. The bird considers the leather cap balanced atop the hobbet's curls. Is it food? Carc silently ponders for a moment before deciding 'hobbets being hobbets' and flapping just out of reach. Carc rides not on Noh's shoulder nor cap, but glides along on his own two wings, thank you very much. The raven glides effortlessly from treetop to treetop and then waits patiently for Noh to catch up. As the light fades Carc makes encouraging 'caw, caw' sounds to help Noh find his way.
As Noh stumbles half-blind toward the smell of pancakes he thinks back to the old tales about druids and their animal companions. The most famous use of ravens is to fly to a specific place and deliver a message or small object. Other 'tricks' that come to mind include flying overhead and keeping watch, fetching something, performing an aerobatic feat, manipulating small objects with its beak, hunting small animals, mimicking sounds, speaking to other birds, etc.
If you've ever trained an animal, then you know it starts with basic 'building block' commands. Come, sit, stay, heel, speak, and so forth. Those basic commands are 'freebies' and do not count as 'tricks' for purposes of the spell. Chain together enough of these short commands and you can build up a more complex 'trick.' Carc's training will be ongoing and can start immediately. A random thought is that Animal Friendship has an amazing synergy with Speak with Animals (cast on a subsequent day, for a 1st-level druid).
The first training challenge to consider: Will Noh attempt to coax Carc into the pancake shop (and if so, how) or let his bird roost under the open night sky?
Carc thinks he is a very clever and useful bird, for guiding Noh to this place. What is special about it to his bird-brain is the windmill (that grinds the grain to make the pancakes). To Carc the windmill appears as a giant bird that is always flapping its wings but never going anywhere. It is a landmark he can see for miles and he is showing off his local knowledge. Noh observes that Carc becomes visibly cautious as he approaches civilization, but relaxes and appears at home in the immediate area of the windmill and House of Pancakes.
[f=59]
Stern (
Strong Hero, MV 9′′, AC 3, HD 4, hp 20, FC 4 men/hero, SV F4, L)[/f]