On the Care and Feeding of Field Heralds

The field herald is a skittish and sometimes cantankerous critter, but with proper care and feeding, they can give you years of shouting. There are a few tips to help you care for your field herald, and get the best performance out of them.

Diet

Make sure that your field herald has access to plenty of water while working. Alcohol should be saved for an after-tourney treat. At the very least, water should be available nearby, and even better is if an attendant makes sure they have as much water as they desire, so that they can avoid causing breaks in the schedule.

Some field heralds prefer to eat before a tourney, or during, or after. If food is being served, it can be preferable if the field herald has easy access to some (again, so as not to cause too large a break in the schedule).

Shelter

Your field herald will require shelter while watching. In cases of sun, a broad-brimmed hat will usually suffice, though sunscreen can also be quite useful for encouraging their usefulness in the long term. In cases of inclement weather (but not so inclement that the tourney itself is cancelled), a place out of the wind from which they can still make their diverse calls effectively can be of great use.

Somewhere for them to sit between periods of activity can also be good. This can be near (but not obstructing) the List table if preferred, and should be sheltered from the day's conditions if possible, to allow their recovery.

Company

The field herald is a social animal, as may be seen from their boisterous calls. If possible, try to keep them at least in pairs (so that they may share the load of the tourney). This will keep them happier, and more energetic, and allow them to operate for much longer than the two might if kept separate.

Finally, as a sensitive and social creature, any spare words of thanks you may have lying about after the tournament would be appreciated by your field herald, to keep up their spirits and encourage a repeat performance.