Flororenghashst: The Owlbat Flocks of the Achinean Spire
Transit
Getting to Morlastig’gna and the Achinean Spire is surprisingly simple, given its inhospitable location. The Green-Ridge Flier branch-line departs from the Logoruun Spike in the evening, and arrives at the Morlastig’gna Tail at lunchtime the following day. Tickets will likely run you up to F200, though there are sometimes seasonal specials for local holidays and festivals, and sometimes bulk rates.
The Green-Ridge Flier doesn’t have seats, but rather cubbies for passengers to sleep and recline in. The Flier doesn’t serve evening meals, leaving late enough that passengers are expected to settle dinner on their own. They do, however, offer breakfasts from simple to hearty, and a small midday snack to tide you over until you can find lunch in Morlastig’gna.
Once you disembark at the Morlastig’gna Tail, purchasing a seat on a local caravan up the Tail to the Ring is simplicity itself. I would advise against walking, as the mountain is a lot higher and steeper than it looks from the tip of the Tail.
The Place
The Achinean Spire is the tallest mountain in Flororenghashst, and home to the city of Morlastig’gna. While the mountain itself is a marvel in its own right, far more famous are the unique species of animal found in the peak’s many caves and crevices; the Achinean owlbat.
Birders and students of biology simply must travel to the Achinean Spire at least once in their lives to see these strange creatures in their habitats, but even for those who are at best ambivalent towards nature, the city of Morlastig’gna is a wonderful place deserving of a visit.
Morlastig’gna
Built on the steep slopes of the Spire, the city of Morlastig’gna is composed of two parts; the Ring, which circumscribes the Achinean Spire; and the Tail, which descends from the Ring to the base of the mountain.
This design makes for an interesting geographical quirk: there are only two “streets” in Morlastig’gna; the main road that cuts through the center of the Tail, and the road that encircles the inner edge of the Ring. There are minor streets that intersect these two main roads, but there are only two or three of major significance for tourists. Whenever you are directed anywhere, you will likely only be given a street number or letter. Letters represent blocks on the Ring, numbers on the Tail. Numbers go from 1 at the top of the Tail and go up as you descend the mountain, while the letters of the Ring go up as you move counter-clockwise around the city.1
The city itself is a cultural oasis, full of fabulous dining, music, art, and industry. Even if your primary goal during your visit is to experience local nature, you should still add a few days to your trip to see the local sights.
The Owlbat Flocks
The owlbat is a fascinating creature, at once mammalian and avian in its heritage. Its feathers are thin, light, and almost scale-like, such that they are nearly indistinguishable from slightly fuzzy skin. Their wings are thin, but their arm feathers are thicker, providing a perfectly silent flight. Their ears are thin and tall, while their beak is sharp and curved. Their claws are thick, black, and vital in supplying their omnivorous diet of nuts, berries, grubs, insects, and smaller rodents.
Their perfectly black feathers and skin providing excellent camouflage during the night. Only on the brightest moonlit nights are the flocks of owlbats visible, a swarm of sillouettes silently gliding back and forth across the stars. If you hope to see them, you must be very patient and quick-of-eye.
Also, when traveling to see the owlbat flocks, one must take note of what season you are traveling in. The owlbat flocks have incredibly intricate migration and survival patterns due to their harsh and unforgiving habitat.
Nesting Season
Spanning from November to January, every owlbat flock in the region returns to the caves of the Achinean Spire during their nesting season. During this time they mate, hibernate, and hatch their offspring as one massive social group.
The best time to see owlbats during this season is during the first weeks of November, when the flocks are still arriving and engaging in their mating rituals. During these weeks, tourists will be treated to the delights of owlbat swarms flying overhead during the dusk hours. This is the perfect time to find a small street café, sit down at a table, and enjoy a cool drink as you watch the owlbats come home for the season.
The second best time is during the middle weeks of January, when the flocks leave with their newborn young. This is a much more sporadic event, however, and so you are less likely to see large groups of owlbats leave together.
To date, there are an estimated seven thousand owlbats that return to the twisting caverns of the Achinean Spire. The Morlastig’gna Society of Owlbat Preservation (MSOP) offers a tour of the largest nesting cavern in the mountain, where you will be able to see almost five thousand owlbats throughout the season. MSOP does not do many of these tours, to avoid disturbing the nesting mothers, so check in with the MSOP for their tour dates and plan accordingly, if you want to be sure of seeing this marvelous sight.
But even if you never tour the cavern, the returning owlbat flocks are a sight to see; pouring into the mountain peak like the reverse of steam from a kettle. Their silent wings make the whole experience thrilling.
This is also the season you will hear the Mountain’s Song; the combined hooting of seven thousand owlbats echoing out from the caves and tunnels. The effect has been compared to cicada swarms, though the open hoots are far more appealing to my ears than the scratchy chittering of insects. While the sound is not overpowering, sensitive sleepers who travel to Morlastig’gna might wish to bring or purchase earplugs.
Hunting Season
This is possibly the worst time for tourists to see owlbats. For three months, from mid-January to late March, the owlbat flocks disperse into small groups of two to seven. These groups spend most of the day sleeping, only waking at night to hunt. During this season, the naturally cagey owlbats become nearly invisible, flying on silent wings and hiding in trees and bushes. This is one of the most difficult times to find owlbats, and so tourists are advised to avoid this season if they expect to see them.
While it is called the hunting season, owlbats do not, in fact, hunt any more or less in this season than any other. Sociologists believe the name comes from the ancient Morlastig’gna practice of hunting in groups of three or four, and recognizing similar behavior in the owlbat.
During this season, the owlbats largely subsist on the nocturnal insects of the mountains, along with fruits and nuts found on the lower eastern slopes of the mountains
Warm Season
From late March to early July is the Warm Season, a time when the owlbats return to their larger flock sizes and retreat to the snowy peaks of the mountains surrounding the Achinean Spire. For this season, owlbats become fully diurnal instead of crepuscular, and are easiest to spot among the high-altitude trees and shrubs. Of course, the peaks of the mountain ranges are not particularly easy to access; local tours are expensive and rare during this season, and only for the skilled mountain climbers.
As difficult as it is to reach the peaks, once you get there, you will have the opportunity to see thousands of owlbats in their natural state, perched on branches and feeding on tree grubs and high-altitude berries.
For all their openness, do not try to approach any owlbats you see; during the Warm season, owlbats are famously aggressive, and will not hesitate to bite or claw anyone who gets too close.
Festival Season
The Festival Season is one of the more confusing behaviors that owlbats engage in. While otherwise generally independent, from early July to late August, owlbat flocks congregate in open spaces and mingle in larger numbers than at any other time in their lives.2 This is the ideal time for tourists to see owlbats in daylight, as large flocks of owlbats swarm across the mountains. This is also the season where the owlbats behave the most socially with humans, lighting on fences and building walls to stare at people going about their day.
Do not feed the owlbats, no matter how cute you find them or how loudly they chirrip at you. Several common ingredients are poisonous to the owlbat, and the MSOP incurs hefty fines on any and all people who offer them human food.
During this time, the owlbats thrive on seasonal nuts and insects, including grubs of the red-tree caterpillar and newly hatched shellflies. The MSOP has feeding stations set up all around the Morlastig’gna Ring; tall bowl-topped poles that are filled with nuts. If you happen to see a top-hat wearing gentlefolk carrying a ladder and a bag, they are likely an MSOP representative making their rounds to fill the feeders.
Song Season
The Song Season lasts from late August to the end of October, when the owlbats migrate from the high altitude peaks to the lower altitude ponds and lakes. During this time, the owlbats hunt the small rodents and insects that live around these lowland water sources; most commonly the Morlastig’gna mudshrew. An owlbat will sometimes remain perfectly still for days at a time, waiting for a mudshrew to show itself among the rushes and grasses.
Another odd behavior that owlbats adopt during this season is an insistence on cleanliness. If not hunting, Owlbats will wash themselves in shallow water two or three times a day. Zoologists believe this has something to do with the mineral content of the lowland water, but as yet there is no proven explanation.
Owlbats may be difficult to find during this season, as their hunting instincts keep them secluded and hidden. You will have a better chance of seeing a flock if you remain in the lower altitudes along the Morlastig’gna Tail.
Accommodations
The Eyrie is, without a doubt, one of the most interesting hotels I have ever stayed at.
Embracing the regional animal, the Eyrie has owlbat themed rooms that don’t stop with mere wallpaper and oil-paintings. For a premium price, you can stay in one of the Apex rooms, which have bowl-shaped “nest beds” instead of the usual square or oval-shaped beds. The kitchen also has a wide collection of food based on the owlbat diet, including several dishes that use insects as a garnish.3 There are three pools that all guests have free access to, and the Eyrie even offers owlbat tours depending on the season. In the central lobby, a museum dedicated to the owlbat will tell you more about their behaviors, habitats, and diet than I have detailed here.
The architecture of the Eyrie involves lots of ladders and steep staircases, so if mobility is an issue for you, consider one of the many other hotels in the city. The Sagebrush Palace is an excellent choice, offering clean and spacious rooms for a reasonable price. This is where I usually stay when I visit, though I also regularly stay at the Key and Chair. Much cozier than the Sagebrush Palace, the Key and Chair sits at the top of the Tail, and so has excellent access to anywhere in the city.
Things to Do
Apart from looking for owlbat flocks, the Achinean Spire has a large number of outdoor activities. Since owlbats are mostly either nocturnal or crepuscular, it’s a good idea to spend your days exploring the city and your nights out owlbat-hunting.
Daytime
The City Council Building of Morlastig’gna is a beautiful building, with stained glass windows providing a colorful mosaic to its inner chambers. The statuary is also incredible, the most famous being the statue of Lord Habernook, which was not painted, but rather positioned carefully opposite a specially crafted stained glass window, so the light of the rising sun would provide the color. If you want to see this marvel of artistry and architecture, contact the building officials to get the exact time of day when the sun will be in the right position.
One of the main cities of Flororenghashst, Morlastig’gna is unique in the country for being run as a kind of de facto democracy. The City Council is elected every year via a word-of-mouth election process, run by the city’s tax-collectors during their collection. Every year, the city’s tax-collectors are chosen for their knowledge of the locals and their prosperity. Under oath, they are expected to collect appropriate taxes from their neighbors in accordance with their wealth, while at the same time gleaning some awareness of their views on local governance. When the taxes are collected, the collectors convene to discuss and appoint a new council, based on their discussions.
The honesty of the tax-collectors — as well as that of the councilors, sheriffs, and other administrators — is purportedly assured by the Yavel, also known as the Sigil of Conveyance. On display in the central foyer, it is said that any who places their hand on the Yavel must speak, work, and deal in good faith with their fellows, stripped of deceit and selfishness. Whether this is true or not is as yet unclear, but the citizens of Morlastig’gna seem to be satisfied.
Interestingly, the paying of taxes is purported to be entirely voluntary, the only downside being the tax-collectors not taking your opinions in their polling. However, the social repercussions of not paying taxes are severe; a kind of social pariah-ism is enacted for the year, with the perpetrator viewed as a parasite, of whom recompense can be extracted in other ways, such as increased prices, neglecting service, or sometimes outright theft. There is, naturally, leeway if the perpetrator is known to be in dire financial straits. If this mercy is shown, there is still an expectation that the perpetrator do their best to repay the community in other ways; such as being seen to tidy public spaces, inviting others over for meals, or similar acts of social service.
The Statue Garden of Lady Green is a large garden on the northern side of the Ring. While it is a perfectly beautiful place to visit during the day, at dusk the statues display their true colors: carved from feldspar, the statues glitter and shine when struck by the evening sun, and as the dusk’s shadows begin to deepen, the stoic statues take on an unearthly liveliness.
This is especially true of the Count de Vol-au-vent, a stone automation at the center of the garden that performs a dance at the hour of sunset every day. Built as a gift to the local council, the Count de Vol-au-vent performs a traditional harp-jig to “All Along the Brier-thick Road,” an old folk-tune used as a fight-song during the Farmer’s Rebellion. While the jig itself is crude and the mechanisms quaint, there is no mistaking the cleverness in the Count’s construction.
Old Man Erkinswan’s is a high-end restaurant on the western edge of the Ring, and is well worth spending an evening at. It has some of the finest food this side of Flororenghashst, and an excellent selection of local wines and spirits. The charming atmosphere is augmented with the sounds of live music and smoked candles, giving the whole restaurant a feeling of rustic simplicity.
The Halls of History is Morlastig’gna’s answer to a history museum, except instead of displaying artifacts, paintings, or other antiquities, the Halls of History is an artifact in itself; a full two miles worth of wall winding back and forth inside the building, inscribed with the entire history of Morlastig’gna and its surroundings. While it will take the better part of two days to read the entire history, it is still worth a visit, nonetheless.
Evening
The Dragon’s Den is a cultural touchstone in Morlastig’gna. Named after a folk-dragon that once lived on the Achinean Spire, the Dragon’s Den is a club devoted to experimental music, newcomers to the club-scene, and unique designs and fashions. Patrons are encouraged to dress their weirdest, painting their faces and bodies with berry-juice. Note that the Dragon’s Den is not specifically a dance-club; while there are certainly evenings where the party gets rockin’, there are also evenings where the music is somber, sedate, or even absent. The only rule of the Dragon’s Den is to embrace pleasant surprises, and the proprietors have gone to great lengths to ensure that all tastes are catered for.
Mountain Climbing is a common pastime in Morlastig’gna, and several clubs offer guided climbs to tourists. The Mountain Cliff Association (MCA) is perhaps the best equipped to handle newcomers to the sport, with a full rental package coming to no more than F50 a head. They also provide calmer hiking tours for those who don’t want to hang from rocky cliffs.
The Achinean Lakes are worth seeing, even if you aren’t looking for owlbats. Pristine and beautiful, both in the daylight and nighttime, any lover of nature should spend an hour or two hiking to one of the many mountain lakes to soak in the ambiance. If you can only choose one, I would recommend Lake Woos, as it is fed from three separate waterfalls and is surrounded by some fantastic old trees.
The Leaning Forest is a beautiful walk along the Achinean slopes. Once a flat plateau that then succumbed to erosion, the old shallow-root trees that make up the forest have a distinct curve in their trunks as they continued to grow after the plateau collapsed. Filled with mountain wild-flowers, the Leaning Forest is a great place for hikers to spend their time, even outside the Hunting Season when the owlbats populate the area.