Kirkan the Ashen Heart Raven
Once an apprentice to an evil wizard, named Zhyron, Kirkan was cursed into a raven to serve as his master's familiar. When his master's next apprentice rose up and defeated Zhyron, Kirkan remained cursed and fled the tower vowing to end all mages who enslaved others as pets.
The raven gathered other abandoned or lost familiars and magical creatures to flock to his cause. Now, those mages who cross the Divide of Gaz'roc must be warry of the raven's band of misfit creatures, for if spotted with a familiar, their pet will soon be 'liberated' in bloody negotiations.
Summary
Kirkan the Ashen Heart Raven is a relatively new legend that some boast was put forth by the Reluctant Goddess's church. The church claim that the Goddess was actually the apprentice that rose up against the evil wizard and list it at one of her many accomplishments.
However, the first date of recording is 3930 2ER by a roaming hedge mage who wrote a letter to the collective coven council. In his letter he described having an argument with his familiar about the coldness of the mountain pass when a flock of ravens attacked him lead by "a fiery raven from the mouths of hell". The mage goes further to describe how the raven identified himself and demanded he release his familiar to him.
In the following years during the conclusion of the Civil War of Gaz'roc, there were other accountings by Docean battlemages who described similar events with more fantastical creatures such as "hell hounds" and "snakes the size of a dire bat".
Recordings of these encounters seem to die after the war, but the stories are still told and occasionally a new one will pop up in a bard's tale.
Spread
The legend of Kirkan the Ashen Heart Raven is mainly a tale found in the lands of Gaz'roc. Some travelling bards have brought it to the other continents and it seems to have been well received in Arbane.
Variations & Mutation
While the main variation features Kirkan as an apprentice cursed by his master, primarily as the one the Church of the Reluctant Goddess spreads. The second, more popular version outside of Gaz'roc, describes Kirkan as never being human at all but a collective of familiar spirits who were abused by their masters and manifested into this one fire-kissed raven that burns the wandering evil mage.
Cultural Reception
Many people say that Kirkan the Ash Heart Raven is a tale told to young apprentices to teach them to treat their familiars well. Few actually believe in the band of roaming familiars out to take down the dark hearted mage, but there are enough reports to make people wonder about the legitimacy of the myth.
Date of First Recording
Estril 12th, 3930 2ER
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