Falcon Fan-Maker#

The swan soars high, its plumage lush and grand, The sparrow flits low, with feathers light and bland. The noble cherish wings, not swayed by gain or loss, The wise foresee afar, their strength endures across. Feathered birds are masters of riding the wind. Among them, the gyrfalcons living on the snowy peaks are particularly skilled in crafting magical items that control frigid gales. They use their down feathers to create fans, which are highly prized by the Wind-Making Mother Deity and Cloud-Making Boy Deity.

According to their clan rules, every gyrfalcon must learn the art of crafting these vessels. Those who refuse are stripped of their titles and exiled from the clan. To encourage innovation, the clan holds an annual competition where the quality of vessels produced determines one's status within the clan. One gyrfalcon, whose ancestors were all commoners, dreamt of creating a treasure fan to elevate his status to nobility.

He spared no feathers to enhance the power of his vessel. After much hardship, he finally crafted a fan and won the competition, becoming the clan leader. However, he had plucked all his feathers and could no longer fly, eventually resorting to wearing clothes to cover his baldness.

On the day of his succession, the Celestial Crane Immortal, head of the feathered tribe in the upper realm, came to bestow a Celestial Registry Tablet upon him. Proud of his fan, the new leader boasted to the Crane Immortal. The Crane Immortal then lent him the Plantain Fan, saying, "This is a failed creation of Lord Lao. Since you also make fans, I gift it to you." After the Crane Immortal left, the clan leader tried the fan and was immediately disheartened by its immense power. He no longer wanted his clan members to use their feathers to make fans.

He led his followers away from the snowy peaks to search for plantain leaves. Eventually, they found some near the New West and, imitating the Crane Immortal's method, created many replicas, and regained his ability to fly.