An excerpt from Incredulous Creatures and Where They Most Likely Are, by Magnus Prognosticus, first of his name–Whirler of Dervishes, Forseer of Sooths, Mage of Arches:
'The snipe is a creature of myth long-forgotten by the minds of man after the beginning of the age of bronze and iron. From beyond the time of the written word, many accounts of this mythical beast have been recorded in the idle etchings and scrawls of the ancients, having been tucked innocuously with their exalted knowledge. The form of the Snipe–which I will now capitalize, had been largely disputed among wise men and erudites of the past. Some claim it to be a bird of small stature with legs thin as twigs, a beak like a needle, and stubby wings. Others declare it is not a bird, but a mammal with the body of a lapin, the horns of a deer, the forepaws of a cat, and the tail of a squirrel. Yet others state neither of those descriptions are correct and are utterly false, and that the true appearance is some furry bird-creature with no wings, pointed beak, and a distinctive call.
Neither of these descriptions suffice in light of academia's efforts to bring light to this decidedly obscure situation, but there is hope! Many sources from scholars (who will not not be named for the sake of their personal privacy) have proven a great deal of overlap in the detailing of the habits of said Snipe. It is an elusive beast, shying from the searching eye and only reveals itself when one is caught off guard. In the blink of an eye, the flash of a candle–it is gone! For its small stature, it only appears in the dead of night on a new moon. They do not congregate in groups, as only singular Snipes have been seen at any given time.
To catch the ever-reclusive Snipe, one must wait outside in an open area not too far from low-lying brush and trees when the night is darkest. You must not carry a lantern let alone a single lit candle, for the mere flicker of artificial light will alert it to your presence. There you must sit in silence for the first two hours, with an empty bag in your hands. This step is very critical, as you cannot ever hope to catch the Snipe if you do not have the sack at the ready. Then, when it is completely quiet, you then will imitate the mating call of the Snipe. First begin with a low whooping noise, growing louder and faster with each passing interval. After ten repetitions, change it to a screeching sound aptly described as : 'SCREE SCREE SCREE!', while stamping your feet holding the open of the bag to the ground. By now the sound will have attracted a Snipe, and as soon as you see movement throw the bag over it and hold it down for dear life! The Snipe is a wily fellow, and if you do not hold fast it will surely escape your clutches leaving you empty-handed. Knot the bag's open end twice, and keep it away from the light. A good dark place is best, for the Snipe is sensitive to light. There, open the bag and the Snipe will bestow upon you a great blessing before fleeing back into the wild! '
It was late in the afternoon on the twenty-third of Ignius. Three hours ago she had been royally welcomed by the Bőr Séta, the masters of the way of the horse and of the savanna. After a lovely meal of roast potatoes, baked yams, and stewed bear paws, she was energized and ready for her hunting expedition. Today she was hunting the most elusive of game, one you might say was downright mythical. That's right, this sunny Ignius afternoon Myouga Ryou was in pursuit of the infamous Snipe. It all started when she found a musty old book crammed in the backlog of the mage college's library. There an old sorcerer had written down his life's work in tracking down beasts of all shapes and sizes. But the one that had always escaped him, the one he had never managed to bag was this one. The prospect of discovering something no one in this century likely had seen before was tantalizing, so she did what any self-respecting mage would do–she asked her colleagues at the college to join her. Unfortunately almost all of the other professors happened to be busy that day and the next following weeks, except for Nicodemus who said he would come with her. However once the day before the trip rolled around, the college received word that he had hurt his back and was currently in Arri for treatment under a team of elite clerics to mend his lower spine. Thus she had come out all the way, all by her lonesome self to confirm whether or not the Snipe was real–for once and for all.
She was currently squatting behind some bushes, peering at the deer and ibex grazing by. Still not sign of snipe tracks, which were supposedly very small and bird-like. The small figure in white scuttled along the ground avoiding anthills as she tried to pick up a trail. It was quite comical really, and the locals were a bit confused when she explained what she was planning to do.
