Need advice on a writeup

[Mark Rand]

Re: Need advice on a writeup

 

Seeing her confront people won't mean much to them; the term "bird-brain" is there for a reason. Yes, they are smart, but smart for a bird is still pretty much a thickie. So yes on the glove, sort of a "GM call/meh" on the 'seeing her confront people' thing, and mind link, if the birds care, will probably be perfectly good justification for them staying, but what they really want is food. For the sake of onlookers, she should have:

 

Falconer's License (2 pt perk)

Game Department Wild Animal Handler License (2 pt perk); I believe you need both to be a registered, legal Falconer, and they continually come to inspect the grounds they're kept in. You already said that isn't a problem, but if someone wanted to MAKE problems for her, that would be one way to do it.

Feed them regularly (as in, every time they see her, if she's keeping up appearances, she should likely offer them a little something; not a training size amount, but a reinforcement amount).

 

Thanks. Ike and Tina's nesting box is in a corner of the roof of the synagogue's main sanctuary, which might be considered a wild animal sanctuary. Jody could easily get chicken, or something else, for them at the butcher shop.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Need advice on a writeup

 

I'm going to make Ike and Tina slightly four-color by giving them the ability to comprehend what is going on around them.

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Need advice on a writeup

 

I'm going to make Ike and Tina slightly four-color by giving them the ability to comprehend what is going on around them.

 

Which is totally fine! I would still go with the Falconer's Glove though; it's a symbol both to a trained, journeyman Falconer and to those who see her.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Need advice on a writeup

 

The marked off area that the falcons are kept in is 15 feet in each direction from their nest box. The only other thing in that area, besides the wall at the edge of the roof, is the web camera aimed at the box. Is this enough space?

 

Also, can falcons digest chicken strips? If so, that's what Jody will feed them. If not, she'll buy ground beef for them.

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Need advice on a writeup

 

According to a swift Wiki check, the mews should be a minimum of 36sqft, which to my mind is horribly small. Your setting, where they are primarily outdoors with some sort of heavy cage/wire arrangement, if properly designed, will give them actual flying space and multiple perches. This is likely a lot more conducive to the bird's overall happiness.

 

Most birds are fed a diet of straight meat and additional roughage (such as fur). Some people side step this by simply feeding them whole animals, such as mice & quail. Regardless, their weight will be strictly regulated to make sure they remain fit and hungry. Yes, hungry, because a fat bird doesn't feel a need to fly and gets lazy. It sounds weird, I know.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Need advice on a writeup

 

According to a swift Wiki check' date=' the mews should be a minimum of 36sqft, which to my mind is horribly small. Your setting, where they are primarily outdoors with some sort of heavy cage/wire arrangement, if properly designed, will give them actual flying space and multiple perches. This is likely a lot more conducive to the bird's overall happiness.[/quote']

 

There's no cage.

 

With permission from the synagogue's board, and, maybe, the state game commission, the local conservation organization, possibly the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, simply set the nest box and web camera in a corner of the roof, hoping it would be chosen by a pair of falcons.

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Need advice on a writeup

 

There's no cage.

 

With permission from the synagogue's board, and, maybe, the state game commission, the local conservation organization, possibly the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, simply set the nest box and web camera in a corner of the roof, hoping it would be chosen by a pair of falcons.

 

Well that's fully four color then. There's no where in that confined a space for a falcon to hunt. They aren't urbanized; it's why they're endangered. They need some kind of fairly "open" area in order to operate. No natural raptor would choose city life. Which again, as I said, totally fine! I just need to be clear for my own sake what we're talking about so I know for future conversations.

[Mark Rand]

Well that's fully four color then. There's no where in that confined a space for a falcon to hunt. They aren't urbanized; it's why they're endangered. They need some kind of fairly "open" area in order to operate. No natural raptor would choose city life. Which again' date=' as I said, totally fine! I just need to be clear for my own sake what we're talking about so I know for future conversations.[/quote']

 

Okay, we can change things around. Until 1925, the building that now houses Beth Israel Congregation was Saint Ann Episcopal Church. The old rectory is connected to the main building. Currently, its basement is the day care center, the main floor is the social hall, kitchen, and gift shop, and the second floor has the custodian's apartment and store rooms.

 

The apartment has a small (10 x 20 foot) balcony that's accessible only from the kitchen. The nest box is in a corner of the balcony. The only way Jody could go out there with the birds present is to make friends with them.

 

As far as raptors choosing city life, I know there is a pair on a ledge outside the 40th floor of Pitt's Cathedral of Learning and another pair nesting on a ledge of the Gulf Building.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Need advice on a writeup

 

I'm not completely satisfied with my satisfied with my design of the Beth Israel Congregation, but the balcony/ledge with the nest box will be outside Jody's apartment, which is on the top floor of the former rectory.

 

I will, however, make the balcony 5 x 20 instead of 10 x 20, to make it more like a ledge.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Need advice on a writeup

 

The falcons arrived while Jody was picking up tree limbs that had been knocked down by the storm that swept through the area the night before.

 

She thought`Those birds are beautiful` when she saw the falcons flying overhead and received a warm feeling, followed by a longing for home. Realizing that it was from the falcons, she told them about the nest box, then continued her work.

 

They were sitting on the railing of her 20 x 5 foot balcony when she returned to her apartment. After finding out how much space they wanted, Jody marked the area with reflective tape, then notified the synagogue's executive director. He came up, looked at them through the window, and notified the required people.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Need advice on a writeup

 

In the IST San Angelo and Sailor Senshi campaigns, the synagogue is the Tree of Life Congregation and is in the San Angelo suburb of Arroyo Verde. The synagogue design is based on that of the First United Methodist Church of Wichita (URL http://www.firstwichita.org). The nest box is on top of building D and there are plenty of pigeons around.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Need advice on a writeup

 

I'm going to write Jody's sheet up and post it here for comment. Physically, she's an attractive African-American woman whose shoulder-length black hair is in braids.

 

Instead of being the synagogue's sexton, she's head of the synagogue's facilities management team, which may be the same thing.

 

Besides English, she's fluent, and literate, in Hebrew, Arabic, Aramaic, Latin, and American Sign Language. Additionally, she's knowledgeable about the world's major religions, and their customs and ceremonies.

 

She's also one of the synagogue choir's two contraltos. The other, Rebecca Silver, is the cantor's wife and Torah reader's daughter.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Need advice on a writeup

 

Here's the current version of Jody's writeup for comment.

 

[b]Jody Marks - [/b]

[b][u]VAL[/u]   [u]CHA[/u]   [u]Cost[/u]   [u]Total[/u]   [u]Roll[/u]      [u]Notes[/u][/b]
15    STR     5   15      12-       HTH Damage 3d6  END [1]
13    DEX     9   13      12-       OCV 4 DCV 4
15    CON     10   15      12-
10    BODY    0   10      11-
18    INT     8   18      13-       PER Roll 13-
10    EGO     0   10      11-       ECV: 3
15    PRE     5   15      12-       PRE Attack: 3d6
13    COM     2   13      12-
3    PD      0   3             3 PD (0 rPD)
3    ED      0   3             3 ED (0 rED)
2    SPD     0   2                 Phases:  6, 12
6    REC     0   6
30    END     0   30
26    STUN    0   26
6    RUN      0   6"                END [1]
2    SWIM     0   2"                END [1]
3    LEAP     0   3"                3" forward, 1 1/2" upward

[b]CHA Cost: 39[/b]

[b][u]Cost[/u]   [u]POWERS[/u][/b]
10     [b][i]She talks to falcons[/i][/b]: Telepathy 2d6 (Animal class of minds) - END=1

[b]POWERS Cost: 10[/b]


[b][u]Cost[/u]   [u]SKILLS[/u][/b]
3      Linguist
2      1)  Language:  American Sign Language (fluent conversation; literate) (3 Active Points)
2      2)  Language:  Arabic (fluent conversation; literate) (3 Active Points)
2      3)  Language:  Aramaic (fluent conversation; literate) (3 Active Points)
0      4)  Language:  English (idiomatic; literate) (5 Active Points)
3      5)  Language:  Hebrew (completely fluent; literate) (4 Active Points)
2      6)  Language:  Latin (fluent conversation; literate) (3 Active Points)
5      KS: The world's major religions 14-
3      TF:  Agricultural & Construction Vehicles, One-Wheeled Muscle-Powered Ground Vehicles, Small Motorized Ground Vehicles
5      PS: singer 14-
7      PS: building maintainence 16-
7      Animal Handler, Falcons 14-
2      PS: falconer 11-

[b]SKILLS Cost: 43[/b]

[b][u]Cost[/u]   [u]PERKS[/u][/b]
5      Fringe Benefit:  Falconer's license, Game Commission Wild Animal Handler License, Membership: synagogue choir
3      Access

[b]PERKS Cost: 8[/b]

[b][u]Value[/u]  [u]DISADVANTAGES[/u][/b]
10     Hunted:  Animal Rights Activists 8- (Less Pow, NCI, PC has a Public ID or is otherwise very easy to find, Mildly Punish)
20     Psychological Limitation:  CVK (Common, Total)
15     Psychological Limitation:  Protective of the falcons that live on the roof (Uncommon, Total)

[b]DISADVANTAGES Points: 45[/b]

Base Pts: 20
Exp Required: 35
Total Exp Available: 0
Exp Unspent: 0
Total Character Cost: 100

[McCoy]

Re: Need advice on a writeup

 

Has anyone suggested the Animal Friendship talent?

(Fantasy Hero, page 103)

 

The character has an innate bond with animals, or a mystical abilty to make animals like and respect him.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Need advice on a writeup

 

Has anyone suggested the Animal Friendship talent?

 

Yes. Knew I forgot something.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Need advice on a writeup

 

I had the crazy idea that Jody and her team were employees of a house cleaning service that also did commercial work.

 

There are two teams, one working daylight and one working evenings and weekends, cleaning only.

 

Jody, on the other hand, who is also the only live-in staffer, also handles building mechanical systems, repairs, runs errands, sings in the choir, and keeps events running smoothly.

[The Arc]

Re: Need advice on a writeup

 

Kind of makes me think of a manga I recently read. Can't remember the title, but one of the stories dealt with this girl who was being taken care of by a murder of crows. It's only revealed after she's accidently killed by yakuza was that the bargain she made with the crows was after she died, they'd get the body.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Need advice on a writeup

 

I have two falcon articles for you.

 

One is from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. The URL is http://www.postgazette.com/pg/08096/870775-85.stm.

 

The other is from the University Times. Go to http://www.pitt.edu. Click on publications, then University Times, then back issues, then volume 40, then May 29, then For The Birds.

 

Of the falcons, it's possible that only Tina has the enhanced mental abilities. A possible reason is that she once flew through some gases that did strange things to her.