Completed Poona?

[Nij]

summer 24th 512av "Hey Vincis, can you take me to the Skyhigh Stables?" "What would you do there?" "Riding lessons. I want riding lessons." Vincis sighed. Nij shot him a glare; it wasn't her fault she didn't know where everything was. That's what he was for. Or, at least, what she used him for. "Are you going to show me, or not, Vin?" He grimaced and started walking down the corridors of the Inner Warrens. It was only chimes before she was completely lost, and she glanced around and peeked down other halls until he found the corridor that led to the Skyhigh Stables. "My lady..." He said to her, sarcastically, before gesturing down the stairs. She started walking down, and he followed. Nij rambled on, boring Vincis. "It's funny, how I've never learned how to ride a horse. It just seemed so odd to me that my siblings never brought home a horse. My whole family worships Caiyha, but I was the first to actually receive a Gnosis. I'd always go to the kelvic inn around Alvadas, too. Kelvics are so interesting. I bonded to one a day before I actually got to Wind Reach. Anterra was his name. I haven't seen him much, though." "We're here." He said, before Nij ran into something. She could see the horses and someone was riding one in a ring full of sand; it looked amazing. She didn't know any of the breeds, but after inquiring Vincis, he told her what they sold. "Avanthalian Sleigh Horses, they're the solid-coloured ones, stocky looking. Frostmarches are the white and grey ones with spots, and Mountain Ponies are the short ones." He looked at Nij. "Got that?" "Yeah, yeah, I just want to ride one." She walked up to the first person she saw, which luckily happened to be Kami. "Excuse me, who's the person who teaches riding lessons?" "That would be me." "Oh, wonderful. Could you teach me?" "Well, that's what I'm supposed to do, so...Sure! Which would you like to ride?" "Uh..." she glanced around at the stabled horses, before deciding on a grey Frostmarch dappled with white spots. "Can I ride this one?"

[Nij]

"Sure." Nij watched as the lady saddled up the horse, using items and objects she'd never seen before. She knew a halter, saddle and saddle blanket, but that was it. Kami beckoned her over to the hulking beast, where Kami had kneeled down and intertwined her fingers, making almost a step up to the horse. "Use my hands as a step up to swing your left--no, your other left--up around the horse. Otherwise you'll end up backwards." She did. She'd never been on such a beast, able to feel its deep breaths. The horse snorted and took a few steps when she was on, and Nij could have sworn it was about to bolt and that she was going to die. Actually, Kami handed her the reins while she took a lead and led them to the arena. The people who were there before had left, and it was only Kami and a very frightened Nij. "Hold on with your legs." Nij just realized that Kami had been speaking in Common this entire time - probably because of her outlandish clothing and her brown hair. And Nij did, indeed, hold on with her legs as the horse walked in a circle, although it was more from the fear of falling off and dying than because Kami told her to. And she held the reins in her hand, but she wasn't actually using them. After a few chimes of letting her get used to being on the horse, she unhooked the lead and told Nij to walk the horse in a circle. "Use your heels to get the horse to go faster - but don't kick unless you want her to go any faster than a walk. Use your left foot to get her to go right, and your right foot to get her to go left. You know, like pushing her to go one way." Nij kept at the slow walk in a circle for maybe a bell, becoming less scared of the beast and more interested. Too soon, Kami had her get off the horse. It was then that Nij realized that she hadn't looked the horse in the eyes and spoken to her once yet. While Kami was taking off the tack, she walked to the front of the horse and stared into her eyes. Thank you.

[Nij]

half bell later "Did you see that?" Nij looked at Vincis. "See what?" "That...thing. The weird bird goat that was just on that ledge." Nij and Vincis were taking a walk on a mountain trail, getting some fresh air. "Oh, the Poona? The stupid Poona bird-sky goat thing?" "Uh, sure." "We should catch it." "What? No way." "It could never survive on its own. That thing is the result of the Djed storm. I'm surprised its lasted this long, really." Nij's heart went out at the sound of the Djed storm. This abomination was ruining the ecosystem even more -- why not put it to good use? There was a rustling noise, and then a Poona had jumped right in front of them. Nij jumped back and it just stared at them with its bird-eyes. "I think it eats those seeds." Nij had sunflower seeds in her pocket, part of her rations. She grabbed a handful and held them out to the thing, who walked over and ate them right out of her hand. She looked into its eyes. Food. Food. Was all it said, and she saw pictures of rotting meat and seeds and even of what the Poona saw - her and a red-haired Inarta, one of them holding out food. When it ate them all, it stepped back a few feet and ran away again. As Vincis and Nij walked on, though, it followed them.

[Phoenix]

Nij

Experience

Skill	XP Earned
Riding	3
Observation	1

Lores

•	Lore Earned
•	First time on a horse
•	Riding: How to make it go forward
•	Riding: How to properly mount
•	Spotting and befriending a Poona
•	Living proof of the Djed Storm

The Order of the Phoenix

Cute thread. Nij cracks me up.

Epilogue:

After spotting the Poona and attempting to feed it, Nij earned its affections. It didn't take her long to realize that she needed to feed it in order to keep it around. However, the problem the arises is where is she going to keep her new pet? Keeping it in a stall in the Skyhigh Stables is not an option, so Nij must make due with keeping it in her own quarters until she can figure out an alternative.

The Spoils: Nij is awarded the Poona as her companion (via the Treasure Nest) and she is allowed to NPC its actions. Storytellers can control this animal and it can be taken away/run away from Nij should she neglect it.

Poona :

Poona

Born of the Djed storm, the Poona is a cross between a sky goat and a vulture. How this combination was formed is beyond the knowledge of the inhabitants of Wind Reach. Thus far, only one of these creatures has been found and captured.

Placid in nature, the Poona isn't the brightest of creatures, though it is fiercely loyal to the one who feeds it, preferring to stay by it's owners side at all times. If left alone, the Poona will destroy whatever is near in either panic or boredom.

The Poona can understand simple commands such as "stay" "come" "stop" "go" etc. More complex commands will take intense training. (Commands will be determined as "learned" by a Storyteller.)

As a combination of prey and scavenger animals, the Poona tends to be flighty, preferring to run from danger rather than face it. Personality wise, it has yet to be determined.

Able to bear heavy loads for very short periods of time, the Poona is more of a companion and situational load-barer rather than a pack animal.

The Poona also has managed to retain it's ability to scale mountains like its Sky Goat brethren. It eats a combination of greens, seeds, and raw, rotting meat much like its vulture brethren.

Please post the information and picture of the Poona somewhere in your CS as it is a unique creature.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your grade, please send me a PM and we can figure it out.