Mishondii Training Hall
The Mishōndii Training Hall, based in the southern quarter of Bezélan, is the rearing, bonding and testing centre for the "Message Hounds" of Qal'ath, reinstituted in Mùlka 545AFD.
Shortly after the Qalathii-Foyii Schism of 545AFD, King Carnael II ordered that the Mishōndii be once again reared for serving their original non-military purpose - carrying messages, missives, parcels and coded notes, in place of the Mìsii, the Bluebirds and Snowbirds of the Woodsmen.
Despite Trainees not being the focus here, they are the stabilising factor of the Project.
Due to the necessity of bonding, both hounds and handlers are transitory, with one or the other only returning should the other be unable to fulfil their work (due to retirement, sickness or death).
This hall also includes bedding and is also patrolled at night to ensure no fights break out or in case of illness. Some pups prefer to sleep alone, while some enjoy the comfort of others. These are also helpful signs as to the types of work that may suit them in the future.
Accessing the Training Hall
The only way in, and out, of the Training Hall is via the grand doors immediately on the right after entering Bezélan through Faiqal Gates. This is due to the facility backing onto Ragged Row, and to ensure maximum protection for the hounds and their trainers.A Brief History of the Mishōndii
In order to focus this article on the current facilities, we have concealed the historical information. Simply declare your intentions with a wave of your arrow-head or tap of the finger. Read History →The Original Breed
The Mishōndii were originally a hybrid breed of three different creatures:- Aunònfàlii
- Tànian Hound
- Itsàunky
What Does Mishōnd mean?
Chronicler's Note:
If one removes oneself from the Foyiitùn name, one can see it is made of the components: mìs and hond. From there, it is of little surprise to discover "Message Hound" as a translation. For this reason, King Carnael did not seek to rename the species, seeing that the Common Tongue term required three syllables, rather than the original two, despite his aversion to even numbers.
Current Breed
While there were not many remaining in the Realm - or rather, not many declared, those that were subsequently recalled were deemed of the expected lineage of the "final breed". That term refers to point at which the original trainers and Alchemists ceased altering the beasts and only bred them with each other. These are now referred to as "pure-breds", and have been since 545AFD.Previous Uses
Their actual, original purpose was not so domestic as it now it. The hounds were trained to carry messages in intricate collars, each of which had unique keys, enabling communication in battle between specific military commanders, royalty or battle-mages.The Recall of 'Pet' Mishōndii
In order to reinstate the message and delivery service, partially through the Mishōndii, the capital had to first obtain what hounds it could from the populace. While some of the wealthy were persuaded through traditional transactions, The authorities of Qal'ath found it difficult to part other owners from those who saw the dogs as not just useful, but as companions.Conscription Subsidy
Thus a military-style conscription programme was introduced. Instead of forced conscription, this subsidy paid a hound-owner, on the proviso that they themselves trained within the Halls. This approach effectively self-funded for the first two generations, as the Bonding process was already (usually) in place. This benefited Bezélan:- The subsidy was half of the estimated cost of the bonding phase for a person unknown to the Mishōnd.
- Some hound-owners were discovered among the less-fortunate of the Capital and wider Realm, affording them a source of employment and therefore tax revenue to the city's Treasury.
Learning and Training: Those On-Site
It could be said that all who work at the Mishōndii Training Hall are learning.Handlers
Handlers learn how to bond with (usually) two hounds ahead of being assigned a route. This includes focus training, obedience, co-listening, encouragement, appropriate discipline, patience and praise/play.Chronicler's Note: Sometimes handlers comment about having seen a 'parent Mishōnd' wandering around the area. This is never the mother of the current pups, but the presence of an adult Mishōnd often calms pups down, aiding their transition.
Hounds
From the moment it is deemed non-damaging to remove a pup from its mother, those exhibiting high inquisitiveness but low fear are brought to the centre for further rearing and training. They then undergo co-learning and focus/distraction training but only after bonding with one, and ideally two, handlers. Detail of their training is below. (Low fear with low inquisitiveness is highly correlated with premature deathnote, which could be paraphrased "acting, or remaining inert, without thinking". While high-fear could be gradually tempered, low inquisitiveness has proven harder to change, with such pups being sold to private owners.)Trainees
Those seeking to train Handlers, who observe others at work, before being permitted to help instruct the Handlers.Despite Trainees not being the focus here, they are the stabilising factor of the Project.
Due to the necessity of bonding, both hounds and handlers are transitory, with one or the other only returning should the other be unable to fulfil their work (due to retirement, sickness or death).
Wardens
Wardens are those in the Qalathian Military who are usually ranked below Captains. During peacetime their duties usually involve city-watch and patrols. For historical reasons, Bezélan has a Warden tower on each of its points and one of these is in the MTH zone. As such, in order to prevent boredom, Wardens in that tower, are expected to spend some of their time scanning outside the walls for threats to the capital, and some time watching the hounds (and people) being trained. While it would almost never be a Warden's role to open a Mishōnd Collar, the hounds are considered part of the armed forces, and therefore require vigilance and sometimes protection. Understanding the process and the strengths and weaknesses of the hounds is therefore required of Wardens.Cleaning and Maintenance
An area with animals naturally creates an environment that requires frequent cleansing. Much of the hounds' waste was fed into the stone sewers underneath the capital, but that is only part of the task. While canines often have a strong sense of smell, the Mishōndii have extremely heightened senses. This is so they can discern the scents they are trained to find from great distances. But they are not immune to "odour barriers" or "sensory overwhelm". Cleanliness and freshness are of utmost importance and so the cleaners are constantly learning how to adjust their methods, and materials, to keep the hounds as calm as possible. Some have been known to have taken up learning alchemy to research more efficient methods of carrying out their duties.Chronicler's Note:
Being independent of this situation and, this being my tome, I have freedom to express my thoughts too. While the cleaners should be commended for their efforts and diligence, what is not stated is the extreme pressure they were under by the Royal Guards, on orders from the King. Once Carnael II believed he should prepare for war, visitors from other nations were permitted to see some of Qal'ath's military might... but a sanitised version of it. In the case of the MTH, that meant literally sanitised. That King is one of appearances and impressions. If that means the under-appreciated are stressed beyond that reasonable for their wages, then he deems it worthwhile. I have no fear in committing those words to the pen as he would likely agree with them.
Military Use
After 545AFD, and a "settling-in period" of about three years, the Military began to select particular hounds from those in the MTH to undergo specialist training. While public details are (understandably) lacking, it is likely that a similar system to Mishōndii Collars would be reintroduced, perhaps with other hiding places or contraptions, depending on technological developments. Given the Kyjushii will also now prowl any battlefield, which classification of communications would be sent via canine as opposed to feline is likely only known to a few and may well change with the ebbs and flows of battles. As, at this time, military matters are sensitive, I am not permitted to further elaborate on this topic.El-TAA
While not a constant presence in the Mishōndii Training Hall, the organisation called Elelupii Technological and Alchemic Advisors (El-TAA) frequently visit. Their primary role is in the provision of collars, mending of those worn by use or accident, and testing of new features. They are not permitted to consider changes to the species directly. However, El-TAA hires only the most intelligent to its ranks, so look from other angles to improve the Mishōndii in the medium or long term - and for profit. This is achieved through food, medicine and Elemental Balance in the collars themselves. Whenever an El-TAA representative visits, they are accompanied by one of The Four, who keeps strict records of what is tested or changed. Thus they both appear open to improvements, while at the same time regulating how far El-TAA go with their freedoms.Areas inside the Halls
by FJ Brodie
While referred to as a "Training Hall", there are rightly two halls.
Bonding Hall
The first hall is actually for rearing for new pups, encouraging play and safe exploration, while ensuring a balanced and nutritious diet gave them the best start in life the Realm could give them. The aim was for a pup to form a trust-bond with one or two handlers, to the exclusion of the others, hence the term bonding. Here, young pups, houndless handlers and handler-trainers mix. Soft furniture, plush toys, dog-washing facilities and other features enable the pups to explore new experiences. Through exposure (for hound and handler both) bonding (or "clicking") occurs naturally through verbal communication, feeding, play and physical affection.Training Hall
When a pup appears disinterested with anything other than a handler, or when they begin to show signs of aggression towards other pups, they are moved into the training halls. Typically this occurs between the ages of one and two years.Real World Synthesis
The training hall, also known as "Real World Synthesis" is a complex of features and unusual puzzles, with the aim of giving a "micro-reality" from which to learn the basics. There are trees and patches of grass to mimic the outside world, though both are perfectly natural. An artificial river flows around for both swimming and jumping exercises. Not all collars are completely waterproof, so obedience training is vital in helping the hounds to preserve their missives. A few tall hedges have also been planted, with the stone walkway having been removed to do so. Small dug-outs (or "half tunnels") allow the hounds to work on their digging, back legs and neck muscles by crawling under the hedges to reach a handler. This is useful not only in tight military situations but even for civilian deliveries should the obvious walkways be unavailable for some reason or other.Distraction/Focus Training
People and hounds are both easily distracted. Thus the MTH has such things as: meat cooking on camp fires, seasonal wild creatures and insects are imported (and cared for) and birds are not dissuaded from flying around or landing in the area. More than one hound is on the training course at a time, providing audible distractions, and a mixture of male and female hounds too so that they gradually learn to focus on their task. So that the meat is not construed as torturous, hounds (and handlers) are allowed a portion at the end of a training session. The meat given is also seasonal, hence not being specified.Reformable Maze
Created by Liberian students and mathematicians, this maze can be dismantled and rebuilt in a number of different ways. As the hound must learn their owners' scents, a "correct" handler is found at one of the maze's exits, while an "incorrect" one stands at the other. The hound learns navigation and scent discernment at the same time. The maze is reformed every six days (it takes a whole day to rebuild it), to prevent false positives where the hound is only using muscle memory.The "Keg and Collar"
The playful name of the kennels and watering facilities is the Keg and Collar. This "Inn" is not for the pups, but the young hounds and almost all bed down alone. While they may have individual quarters, transparent screens and generously-spaced bars ensure no hound feels alone, while also protecting them. Behind the "Keg and Collar" are a small number of rollmats and a campfire where bonders may also sleep for the night. Only fruit, vegetables and cold breads may be consumed at night so as not to disturb the hounds. For most, this means the "end of training meat" also included warm bread and orange juice, so that they only require small portions of food while the hounds slept.Graduation: Flying the Nest
It is with no small measure of irony that many trainers and former owners refer to a hound being ready to leave the training hall as "Flying the Nest". Many still feel the Snowbirds and Bluebirds part of Qalathian culture, even though they did not understand their messages. Nevertheless, hounds "flew the nest" into various roles:- Civilian Deployment and Re-scenting:
If there was an original owner, then they will be returned to their home district with said owner as their home will be their "anchor point". If not, then their two handlers will alternate accommodating them, giving them a route to learn. The subsequent training would be alerting the handlers to "unusual scents", that might indicate troublemakers or illegal goods, for example. - In-City Communications:
Using a more basic version of the Mishōnd Collar, a hound is trained to deliver messages, usually from the inner circle to one or two Warden towers. Others may take the outer gates, or the Royal Guards outside Saf-Athan Palace. Each collar only had two keys, but also gave an Archives-stored reference in case the hound is mislaid, waylaid, or a key goes missing, so that the collar can be recovered.
- Parcel Service Partnership:
Using a "Tailchain" as they became known, using their handlers' scents, parcels would be strapped to their backs and carried between checkpoints. Once at the checkpoint, the parcel would be transferred to a different handler and hound for the onward route. - Long-range Communications:
This is still in early development, but uses the same "Tailchain" method, albeit with much longer distances. The reason this is not fully functional as yet is due to experimentation over the distance a scent can be reasonably detected by even the Mishōndii. But security of our Realm may depend on getting messages to outposts in a timely fashion.
545-550 Plan
The five-year plan set in place by the trainers and approved by the Royal Guards and Judges both, necessitates that the first batch of hounds be ready by 550AFD at the latest, with one year overlap permitted due to the birth time of new pups. Furthermore, the following measures were deferred for consultation between The Four and Natex Alchemitec:- Battle-cat Aversion Therapy:
The Kyjushii, being as large and imposing as they are, understandably frighten many Mishōndii. Research has begun into therapies, remedies or other measures that might calm this fear. The Battle-cats also had their training adjusted to encourage befriending the hounds, leading to a practice dubbed Mishkyl - a defensive move by the cats between the hound and any attacker or threat. Thus they were both to be trained to see the other as allies not foes or prey. - Crystal Sensor Tracking:
A planned upgrade to the Collars by the Elelupii researchers, but not due to be deployed until 552AFD at the earliest. Utilising Elemental Crystal Shards, the idea is to implant "duo-crystals" each with different combinations of Shards, and in different ratios. If successful, a detector could be created to approximately pinpoint the hound's location for its safety and that of whatever it carried. Currently, early concepts have yet to make it into the final product due to environmental instability, which gave inaccurate readings.
Article Sections
For larger screens, the section list is anchored to the right. Hover your cursor over it to "unfurl" the list.
For larger screens, the section list is anchored to the right. Hover your cursor over it to "unfurl" the list.
Find the Training Centre
Related Articles
Chronicler's Note:
It is from these creatures that the saying "the hounds eat better than the hoards" arose. While the wealthy have assumed the reference to 'hounds' targeted them, the historical reason this phrase appeared in Bezélan Minor was to describe Mishōndii having better food to eat than the poor in their districts.
Discover the MTH
- Turn on "hidden pointers" and try to find five extra tooltips!
“My friends, do not let a few birds see you cowering like a scared Mishōnd pup!” The King commanded over the din, “We are Kaal-Athian, we are warriors, we are fighters!”
"Wrenched" by FJ Brodie (Unpublished)
Dag Kantà, Fleeing the Tempests
7 Ur and a Half
Read Other Works:
Latest Artwork
by FJ Brodie. The unframed version is available on Patreon (patreon.com/fjbrodie)
cool military dogs school. glad they teach both handlers and the mishondii.
Aye, the Hounds need to do their jobs, but it's no use if the Handlers can't relate to them. A two/three way rapport is definitely needed, with trust on all sides.