CHAW FUNDAMENTALS
All young owls of the tree begin their education with Chaw Fundamentals. These classes are required, and must be completed before owls are chosen for a chaw. The material taught in these classes is general, but of utmost importance; it is knowledge that every chaw member should have. Plus, owls are introduced to a wealth of tools that become indispensable later in their lives. In fact, it was in Chaw Fundamentals that I first encountered a book by my illustrious ancestor, the renowned weathertrix Strix Emerilla.
Now that I am a ryb (even though I have chosen to dispense with the title in day-to-day life, like many others before me), I get such joy from seeing owlets learn new skills for the first time. Oh, to be young again…to be so open to possibilities. In these pre-chaw assignment classes, young owls get a chance to figure out which chaws they might like best and in which chaw their own unique talents best fit, while the rybs scout out those who show special talent for their own chaws. Sometimes, an owl knows right away in her gizzard which chaw is right for her. Other times, an owl’s calling takes him by surprise. I remember when I, along with the Band, was about to be chaw tapped. Twilight knew from the start that he was perfect for search-and-rescue, and sure enough, that’s the chaw that he was tapped for. I, on the other hand, thought for sure that I would be tapped for the Navigation Chaw. Oh, how I absolutely, positively, categorically adored my navigation classes with Strix Struma. Instead, I was double chawed in colliering and weather interpretation. It was a disappointment. To be perfectly frank, I was frinked off for quite a while about that one. But, it all worked out for the best in the end. I know now that I was meant for those chaws, and I couldn’t have made a better choice myself.
Remedial Flight Lab and Power Flight
(For Weak Fliers Only)
Taught by the distinguished ryb Poot
All newly arrived young owls to the great tree must be evaluated by a team of rybs for flight proficiency. Those deemed weak fliers will be required to attend remedial flight lab. This course teaches the fundamentals of sound flight, basic flapping, upstrokes, downstrokes, power liftoff, wing control, air carving, basic steering, and flying information. After three sessions, owls are reevaluated for fitness to move on to other coursework.
Beginner Search-and-Rescue Techniques
Taught by the distinguished ryb Twilight
Strong flight skills are crucial to search-and-rescue efforts. This course will teach advanced flying skills, including effective high-altitude and low-altitude circling, diving, emergency landings, and in-flight object retrieval. Owls will go on real reconnaissance missions and deliver oral and written reports to their classmates. Partner work will also be covered, as all search-and-rescue operations require owls to work in pairs. With the ryb’s approval, some owls will be introduced to battle claws, and be taught how to fly with them.
Winds and Things
Taught by the distinguished ryb Ruby
Wind and flight are intricately linked. Knowing how to fly in different types of wind and how to use wind to one’s advantage are two things that set the owls of the Great Ga’Hoole Tree apart from other owls. In this class, owls will be taught to fly in turbulent winds and harsh weather conditions. The structure of a storm, including thermals (warm updrafts), gutters (the main trough of air in a strong wind), scuppers (where the edge of the winds of gutters spill over), swillages (where scuppers meet still air), and baggywrinkles (the shredded air currents that lie between the scuppers and the gutter) will be covered. Everyone in this class will be required to fly in at least one small storm.
Introductory Celestial Navigation
Taught by the distinguished ryb Gylfie
In this class, owls will be taught to look to the sky to plot their course of travel. Students will be asked to recognize key stars and constellations in the Hoolemere region, and how they relate to landmass locations at different times of the year. The course will present opportunities to go on as many night flights as possible. Owls will also fly with the navigation chaw for observation and to participate in simple tracing exercises.
Basic Care and Maintenance of the Great Tree
Taught by the distinguished ryb Otulissa
The Great Ga’Hoole Tree has been home to hundreds of thousands of owls during the last millennium. It is our duty as Guardians to make sure it continues to thrive. In this course, owls will learn how to maintain a symbiotic relationship with the tree. A significant part of the course will be devoted to practical exercises, including pellet-burying, vine-trimming, and pruning. Each owl will also be required to write two essays, and pop quizzes will be given at the ryb’s discretion.
Common Metals and Their Uses
Taught by the distinguished ryb Bubo
The Guardians depend on various types of metals in their day-to-day activities. This course will introduce young owls to the metals that can easily be found on or near the Island of Hoole. Books used in this course will include: How to Identify Metals; Elemental Metals in the Southern Kingdoms; Mu Metal and Its Implications for Magnetics; and Metal-Shaping with Fire. Owls will also be introduced to the forge. There, they will be asked to identify the basic tools used by blacksmiths. At the end of the course, owls will take the F.A.S.T. (Forge Acumen and Safety Test). Those who pass will receive their Forge Safety Certificate and be allowed to begin work at the forge.
Tracking Birds and Small Land Animals
Taught by the distinguished ryb Sylvanna
All animals, including owls, leave tracks. Events are almost always recorded in the tracks of an animal. Tracks can tell you a lot about an animal: where it was headed, its speed of travel, even its size, health, and age. This course will teach owls how to identify the tracks of birds and small land animals, and how to piece together clues that tell us about an event that occurred in the past. Owls in this class will work with the tracking chaw on tactical tracking operations to develop proper groundwork skills.
The Lives of Forest Fires
Taught by the distinguished ryb Elvan
Once categorically feared by creatures of the forest, wildfires are now considered both friend and foe to owlkind. Studying forest fires is crucial to harnessing their power. In this class, owls will take the first step in the study of colliering. We will learn about the elements of a fire, how forest fires start, the properties of thermal drafts, coal types and their formation, and fuel ladders. Different types of fires—crawling, crown, jumping, and smoldering—will be covered and observed, opportunities permitting, of course. At the end of the course, all owls will be ready for fire penetration and coal retrieval.
ADVANCED CHAW PRACTICE
Once an owl is tapped for a chaw, his or her study intensifies. It then becomes the owl’s mission to master the chosen field. Those of us who have a proclivity for hard work and scholarship (I shall name no names) may even choose to branch out and master other fields as well. I cannot imagine a better place to pursue an education than at the great tree. Here is just a small sampling of the subjects that can be studied.
Owl Studies: Gizzard Matters
(Open to All Chaws)
Taught by the distinguished ryb Soren
“The gizzard is a marvelous organ…” So begins the classic volume Tempers of the Gizzard: An Interpretative Physiology of This Vital Organ in Strigiformes. Never have truer words been written. We owls attribute our most profound feelings to the gizzard. Therefore, it makes a fascinating subject of study. In this course, we will take an abstract approach beyond physical processes in studying the nature of the gizzard and how it guides us. We will attempt to answer the question—what can we feel with our gizzards? How do we use our gizzards in various decision-making processes? Can gizzards be more reliable than logic? And, how can we further develop our gizzuition? We will also cover disorders of the gizzard and the effects of flecks, moon blinking, moon scalding, and shattering.
The Natural History of the Great Tree
(Ga’Hoolology Chaw)
Taught
by the distinguished ryb Otulissa
The Great Ga’Hoole Tree is a most unusual tree. Beyond its immense size and extraordinary longevity, its natural history is full of fascinating facts and phenomena. By learning about its intriguing past we can ensure that it will have a healthy future. In this course, we will study the growth patterns of the tree, the various blights and tree diseases that it has suffered, and how the actions of its inhabitants have affected it.
Advanced Battle-Claw Fighting Techniques
(Search-and-Rescue Chaw)
Taught by the distinguished ryb Twilight
Once owls can comfortably and reliably fly while wearing battle claws, they can go on to learn more advanced fighting techniques. The art of the battle claw is highly intuitive, but there is much that can be learned and perfected. We will cover all defensive and offensive maneuvers including slashing, blocking, diving thrusts, reverse shears, and two-footed attacks. The drawbacks of fighting with battle claws will be covered in depth, as will methods of clawless defense against a battle-clawed opponent.
Ga’Hoolian History
(Open to All Chaws)
Taught by the distinguished ryb Otulissa
This course traces Ga’Hoole’s social, political, and cultural development from the founding of the tree through the arrival of the new king. Key topics include the rise of Hoole, the effects of the ember at the great tree, the Gray Ages, the Northern Alliance, the War of the Ice Claws, the Battle of Little Hoole, and the rise and fall of the Pure Ones. Among other texts, the Legends of Ga’Hoole will be closely studied.
Fire and Ice Weapons
(Open to All Chaws)
Taught by the distinguished rybs Twilight and Ruby
Ice weapons have been used by owls since before the time of the legends. Fire weapons were recently developed in battle by the Guardians of Ga’Hoole. Used in conjunction with battle claws, fire and ice weapons present a most lethal combination. However, both require intensive training to master. In this course, owls who have proven their proficiency in fighting with battle claws will learn to wield the ice weapon and fire weapon appropriate for their size and skill level. For the ice weapons portion of the course, smaller owls will be taught the deadly art of the ice splinter—a weapon that requires blistering speed and pinpoint precision. Larger owls will be taught to use ice swords and ice scimitars. All owls will be required to learn the procedures of ice harvesting, blade honing, and proper weapons storage and preservation. For the fire weapons portion of the course, owls will be required to study thermal disturbances, efficient branch ignition, and how wind patterns affect combustion. Owls will also be taught group attack strategies when flying with flaming branches.
Owl Studies: The Healing Arts
(Open to All Chaws)
Taught by the distinguished ryb Westley
From the founding of the great tree, the Guardians of Ga’Hoole have been committed to helping the sick and injured. This course will introduce owls to the healing arts that have been practiced here for centuries. Topics covered include owl physiology, the proper use of worms and leeches, the history of major owl plagues in the Northern and Southern kingdoms, and the preparation of potions and poultices. After four lectures, owls will work as interns in the infirmary hollow, in close conjunction with nest-maid snakes.
Blacksmithing
(Metals Chaw, Also Open to Colliering Chaw)
Taught by the distinguished ryb Bubo
Owls who have received their Forge Safety Certificate can formally begin their study in the art of blacksmithing. At the forge, students will be referred to as apprentices. This is not one of those bookish courses; all learning here is talons-on. Apprentices will learn to identify bonk coals, build and maintain forge fires, and correctly use hammer and tongs. At the end of the course, students should be able to make simple objects such as buckets and bowls.
Hurricanes, Tornadoes, and Other Weather Phenomena
(Weather-Interpretation Chaw)
Taught by the distinguished ryb Ruby
The weather-interpretation chaw is ready to fly in any condition, no matter how dangerous. But we never fly into storms blindly, we always know our enemy before we engage. By using our brains, as well as our wings, we can learn to fly safely in all sorts of foul weather. With any luck, we will fly, as a chaw, through thunderstorms, hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, hailstorms, and even sandstorms. Owls in this course must always be ready to fly at a moment’s notice.
Independent Study and Exchange Program
(Open to All Chaws)
The rybs of the great tree promote the pursuit of knowledge beyond what’s offered at the tree. Therefore, we offer an exchange program with the Glauxian Brothers’ retreat in the Bitter Sea. The Glauxian Brothers are masters in the healing arts, as well as in bookmaking and poetry. Plus, their library rivals ours at the great tree. Guardians are encouraged to spend a season or two studying and meditating with the brothers.
THE GUARDIAN’S OATH
Most owls spend several years in chaw studies before they are welcomed into the brotherhood of the Guardians. When an owl is deemed ready, he or she takes owlkind’s most inviolable oath: the Oath of the Guardians. I took this oath on a crisp autumn night in the company of kindred spirits. As I repeated these words after Barran, the great Snowy Owl and then steward of the tree, they became forever etched in my heart and my gizzard.
I am a Guardian of Ga’Hoole. From this night on, I dedicate my life to the protection of owlkind. I shall not swerve in my duty. I shall support my brother and sister Guardians in times of battle as well as in times of peace. I am the eyes in the night, the silence within the wind. I am the talons through the fire, the shield that guards the innocent. I shall seek to wear no crown, nor win any glory. And all these things I do swear upon my honor as a Guardian of Ga’Hoole until my days on this Earth cease to be. This be my vow. This be my life. By Glaux I do swear.
The Faces of the Great Tree
Scholars of Ga’Hoole, you know well the tales of Soren, of our new king, Coryn, and of our revered founder, Hoole. What you may not know is that there are multitudes of owls from the Great Ga’Hoole Tree whose stories remain untold. Theirs are the stories that will show you what the tree truly represents. No legends celebrate their deeds, yet they are heroes, many, and scoundrels, some, without whose stories the history of the tree is incomplete. I present to you just a few of these stories.
TWILIGHT
It is undeniable that Twilight is a force unto himself. He is a member of the Band and of the Chaw of Chaws, a fierce fighter, a powerful flier, an expressive poet, a notorious braggart, and a loyal friend. So, what more needs to be said about this Great Gray? Oh, you might be surprised to know what I have learned.
Many of us owls at the great tree are orphans, myself included. What sets Twilight apart is that he was orphaned at a very young age, possibly within a day of being hatched. He has no memories of his family or his nest. All he knows is that he was hatched at the edges of time. Most owlets would have died, but Twilight survived. Twilight is a survivor. Twilight has lived in every kingdom in the south and with every kind of creature. He was taken in by a family of woodpeckers in Ambala, an elderly eagle in Tyto, and even a family of desert foxes in Kuneer. He has also lived alone, drifting from one place to another, without the companionship and support of family or friends. All his experiences have made him tougher, but also more compassionate and more open-minded. When Twilight came to the tree, he had no memory of family, no idea where he came from. And even though he doesn’t let on, I know that it has always weighed heavily on his mind.
Things took a curious turn for Twilight one night shortly after the Battle of the Burning. The Band and I were out for a night flight. We were enjoying some lovely thermal drafts near the edge of Ambala, when Twilight suddenly banked steeply and flew off by himself. He circled the sky in the distance for what seemed like an eternity before Digger decided to go fetch him so we could all go back to the tree together. It
was almost Deep Gray, and the sun would be rising soon. Moments later, the two owls came back toward us in a heated debate.
“No. I’m telling you for the last time, I didn’t see any owl,” Digger said through clenched beak. “You were the only owl in the sky aside from us.”
“How could you not see her?” Twilight demanded. “Um, hello. She was big and gray against a clear night sky.” His yellow eyes were huge, and he had puffed himself up to almost twice his usual enormous size.
“Twilight! Get a grip!” Soren chimed in.
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