Windcatcher

For the valturo, it was always essential to know in advance what the weather would be in the future. For that, they created a few tools to help them figure it out. One of the simplest and easiest ones to create is the windcatcher. This is a small tool made of three distinctive parts that can be carried by any valturo or created on the spot.

The first part of the windcatcher is a very thin, small wood slice suspended between two thin ropes. When the wind blows, it can indicate the direction, which doesn't provide any additional information, because everyone can tell which way the wind is blowing.

The second is more interesting because it can indicate how fast the wind is blowing, or more importantly, it can reveal changes in the wind's speed. For that, a somewhat thicker wood slice is needed. It is hollowed out on its ends, but on opposite sides, carefully, without creating actual holes. Then, a small hole is made in the middle, and a thin stick is pushed through this hole. The stick is sharpened on both ends and added to a frame. When this frame is held against the wind, the wood slice begins to turn, and its speed depends on the wind's speed.

However, the most crucial part of the windcatcher is that it can detect the amount of moisture in the wind, allowing the valturo to gauge whether a storm is approaching. Previously, small pieces of cloth were stretched on wooden frames. After a while, the cloth was removed from the frame, and the moisture it had caught was squeezed out of the fabric. It wasn't a perfect solution, but the valturo used what they could. However, they have recently begun using skynettle for this purpose. The skynettle doesn't let the moisture through; the moisture just flows down into a cup or any other holder, and the valturo can make more precise predictions about the weather.

In theory, anybody can use it. It is a simple tool. But it is mainly used by the Windcallers and members of the Pilgrims of the Ceaseless Flight. For the Windcallers, it is one of their tools of trade, enabling them to predict winds and storms and warn the valturo nests in time. The pilgrims use it in their own best interest. They are a nomadic, religious sect, mostly without any contact with other parts of the valturo society. It pays off to know what is expected during and after hours of flight.