Raven

A bird of two worlds, the raven has a special connection with the Spirits' home. Heed them well, when they blaze in white.

A large, highly intelligent passerine bird, the black feathered raven is inexorably intertwined with the spirit world, and as such has profound cultural and sometimes almost religious significance.

Basic Information

Genetics and Reproduction

In addition to the regular egg laying common to birds, there is evidence that many ravens reincarnate, retaining the memories and personalities of their former selves.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Social and gregarious, juvenile ravens have a tendency to band together and form flocks. Some are drawn to human populations and form close friendships with people.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Ravens are an important and difficult to miss indicator of nearby World Bleed, and often accompany Hosts in their conflicts with hostile Spirits.
Ravens are regularly sacrificed by the Auspex of the Order of the Raven for the purposes of divination and ceremonial rituals, a process that the ravens seem almost eager to go through. Their feathers are then used to produce gloves signifying membership in the order, and the much rarer and precious feather surcoats.

Average Intelligence

Ravens are incredibly intelligent for birds of their size. They are inquisitive and quick to learn. Many that spend time around human populations can comprehend human languages, up to and including complex sentences.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Ravens are unusually and seemingly unnaturally perceptive of the Spirit world and can detect the melding of the two realities long before World Bleed becomes visible to humans. It is rumored that when a host looks into the eyes of a raven, they see their own Spirit in the reflection.

Scientific Name

Corvus Corax

Lifespan

25 years

Average Weight

1.5 kg

Average Length

65 cm

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Raven feathers appear dark, almost black under normal lighting conditions. Under strong sunlight, they can appear to shimmer with hues of blue and violet.
Most striking is when they are strongly affected by Anima, such as when they cross over the regions where this world and the Spirit world meld together. As they do so, their feathers erupt in a blaze of white fire, without apparent harm to the bird.