HERDING

The semi-nomadic life or a Herder is no easy one. In addition to the challenges of caring for your herd, a Herder must also take on some skills of Hunters and Scouts to ensure they are safe and protected at all times. Depict your character learning these skills from a more experienced Herder, Scout or Hunter.

Whilst assisting a more experienced Herder tend their livestock, your character notices a small group of animals have strayed from the herd. Their teacher is otherwise occupied, and has not yet noticed. This seems a good opportunity to put their teachings to the test - safely retrieve the wandering animals. Depict how your character goes about it.

A most wonderful aspect of Herding comes about in spring, and the birth of new life. Your character takes a moment to appreciate these precious little miracles - depict this scene.

Your herd of animals needs to move to a new location. During the trek one of the herd members breaks away and ends up getting stuck in a hard to reach location. The rest of the herd is grouped nicely but you know you must go back to rescue the missing member. Depict what your character does in this tricky situation.

When herding it is both important for the herder to be able to control the herd as well as their instruct their companion animal to control the herd (i.e. their horse or dog). Draw your character instructing their companion to round up the herd or move it somewhere.

The elder herder you have been learning from decides to give you a test to put your new skills to use. Your character must move a herd of baby animals through a short obstacle course and into a pen at the end. Seems simple, except that the baby animals aren't used to being herded and do all sorts of funny and annoying things to avoid being grouped and moved. Draw your character dealing with this.

You have now graduated to the next level of herding and have a new herd of animals, a different type than you are used to. Draw your character meeting the new herd or having an issue with the new type of animal they are herding.

Herders not only need to watch over their herd during the day but also keep them safe at night. This is difficult when your character must sleep. One morning your character wakes up and their herd has disappeared. What does your character do?

One of the members of your herd has become sick and can't keep up with the rest. You are on a tight schedule to get to the next resting point before the winter becomes too harsh. What does your character decide to do with the ill animal?

Sometimes herding stubborn animals means gaining control of the herd leader. Whether this be a flighty, intelligent lead mare, or a powerful oxen bull, your rider needs to be able to out the lead animal and gain their trust. Depict how your rider does this.

Predators are a shepherd's biggest fear. Keeping a large herd safe when wolves, raptors and big cats are on the prowl is dangerous and challenging. Whether your rider employees a hunter at their side, or trains a guard animal, depict how your rider protect their herd from Moren Ezen's many predators.

Mother nature is sometimes kind, and sometimes unpredictable. Changing seasons can bring about dangerous weather - sandstorms, snowstorms, mudslides, floods, tornadoes, all of which can panic a herd and disorient a shepherd. Show how your rider keeps calm and protects their flock against nature's fury.

As a herder your animals are valuable for the products they can produce. This of course depends on the animal, but somehow the product must be collected whether it is milk, wool, or meat. Depict your rider collecting the bounty of their herd.

Occasionally herders will also need to make materials and other products from the ingredients they get from their herd. Depict your herder creating something from the raw materials he got from the herd (clothes, food, etc).

Keeping the animals healthy is a large part of being able to produce a quality product from the herd. Sometimes a herder must also act as a vet and administer medicine and care to a member of the herd. The animals don't always want to be caught and cared for however. Depict your herder catching or caring for an animal in the herd. 

Herding isn't an easy lifestyle for an elderly person. Because of this a prodigy will need to be chosen while the elder herder is still active in their trade. Depict your herder training their prodigy, are they as good of a teacher as they are a herder?

Sometimes a member of the herd will challenge the herder or the herder's companion animal. They quickly and correctly need to be put back in place before the rest of the herd decides to not follow the herder. Depict this situation.

Saying goodbye and handing off the herd to a new herder can be very challenging for an experienced herder. The animals do not want to leave their side. Depict what happens when your herder retires in the future and has to leave their herd for good.