Herbstlichwald Ravens

Some say that living within the faerie forest of Herbstlichwald has changed the ravens. Certainly they show some physical differences, but the most common topic of discussion is about their intelligence. Ravens are intelligent animals - they have been known to make use of tools, they have good memories and teach their offspring, and they can mimic speech. Whether the Herbstlichwald raven's intelligence is due to the effects of faerie magic, or because they descend from faerie spirits, or is just the normal behaviour of ravens is hard to determine. There are no shortage of local legends along those lines, but none are especially credible.
Whatever the case, these ravens have an affinity for languages and have a habit of copying what the fae of the forest have been saying. They then chatter to each other with what they have learned, usually nonsensically although sometimes they use the words correctly, and can sometimes be overheard by someone making a cautious approach so as not to scare them away. This bothers the sidhe of the forest, who dislike this 'theft' of their voices, and consider the birds ugly besides. As such, they have taken to hunting the ravens, and smashing their eggs where they find them.The raven's numbers have fallen drastically in the past decades, as the fae are quite effective at this.
For their part, the ravens have learned to distrust and dislike the fae, and in their own ways they try to even the score. Obviously a raven is no threat to even quite a minor faerie, but they can make themselves annoying. The ravens are fond of stealing small items where they can, and of stealing the faeries' food and drink. Sometimes the things they steal can be found in their nests, others are dropped on the forest floor or in the river. These may be the only true part of the myths about unguarded faerie treasure in the forest.
If one could map the areas the ravens avoid, then they would also be able to determine where the sidhe spend their time in the area.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Herbstlichwald ravens are slightly smaller than their regular cousins, but their most distinguishing feature is their white-feathered heads. There is a legend that says the white feathers come from the raven's ancestor, an overly curious bird, wondered what was above the clouds. The raven flew up high, as high as it could go, but could only touch the bottom with its head. Blinded, with clouds in its eyes, the raven floundered and fell back to earth, only surviving because its fall was broken by the leaves of the tree it had set off from. The raven was never able to get the clouds out of its head, turning its feathers white, and all of its descendants have had the same markings.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Ravens live in family groups, and form extended communities.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Herbstlichwald

Average Intelligence

Comparable to a human infant.

Origin/Ancestry

Corvids

Lifespan

3 years (wild), 45 years (captivity)

Average Length

55cm

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Distinguished by their white-feathered heads.

Geographic Distribution

• Herbstlichwald