The Crow Clan

Among the druids of Skellige there are those who push the boundaries of magic, beyond what their brothers and sisters would deem safe or necessary. These druids are often among the Crow Clan, an unorthodox group of druids who exist on the outskirts of the Skelliger Druid culture. While the druids of the Circle of Gedyneith focus their efforts on the shepherding of the natural world and the clans of Skellige, the Crow Clan seems to focus entirely on a quest for esoteric, hidden knowledge. Druids of this clan believe that the Druids of Gedyneith are cowards who have chosen to close their minds and exist in ignorance for fear of allowing themselves to be enlightened. They believe that the world holds secrets yet undiscovered by humanity and that the key to unlocking them is in communion with the noble crow. The crow stands as an observer of the world at large, gathering in great flocks and sharing knowledge of the world we see and the world beyond. Acolytes of the Crow Clan are quick to claim that much like cats, which can sense and absorb ambient magic, crows too have a form of 6th sense which allows them to see into a realm beyond human understanding.

To bolster their connection to the crows, Crow Clan druids study extensively in alchemy and Crow Clan alchemists are skilled and often quite radical, mixing elixirs of toxic Crow’s Eye Rhizome and trying to attain alchemically induced trances to commune with the birds. Many Crow Clan Druids will even go so far as to work tirelessly to learn the complex language of the crows. It’s not unusual to find one of their number attempting to communicate with a group of crows roosting nearby. It is still largely unknown to outsiders how effective this communication is, but the Crow Clan does claim to have gained great insight into matters beyond human understanding. At this point, the Crow Clan’s obsession with crows is apparent but its origin isn’t. The foundation of this obsession can be traced back to the Flaminika of the Crow Clan, known as the Crowmother. The Crowmother is an ancient woman who has been the Crow Clan’s leader since its inception centuries ago. The Crowmother is looming and frightening, with feathers sprouting from her skin and scant clothing that appears to be made of leather with a peaked hood and a veil covering the top of her face. To most she would appear monstrous but to the Crow Clan she is their leader and a maternal figure.

The Crowmother is easily the oldest and most powerful Flaminika in recorded history and rumors abound as to her origin. Some say that she is a crow who took human form, while others say she’s just a powerful druid who learned how to speak with the crows. Still others believe the Crowmother is a powerful relict who has made her home on Skellige because of the lack of witchers and the more zealous Skelligers believe that she was once a powerful deity cast down to the realm of mortals by Freya centuries ago. Whatever her origin, the Crowmother is a force to be reckoned with and her clan of druids are unwavering in their pursuit of knowledge.

When Crow Clan druids interact with others it is usually in the process of gathering ingredients for elixirs or advising local community members. As with many other druids it is rare that a Crow Clan druid will leave their home, but they can be found wandering the roads of Skellige or even occasionally on the continent where they will often say they are following the guidance of the crows or the Crowmother. Unfortunately, they are usually unwilling to explain what that might mean for themselves or the other people around them. Luckily, these druids rarely cause serious trouble.