Inferni -- Ravens
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- 1. About Ravens
- 2. Partnership
- 3. Directory
- 3.1 Communal
- 4. History
- 5. Threads
- 6. Links
A flock of ravens lives in the Haunted Forest. These ravens scouted and spied for Inferni in exchange for food and protection; after the Inferni-Salsola War, the coyotes' migration east, and Inferni's eventual disbandment, only a small flock remains. The birds are clever and mischievous, and tend to pick on non-coyotes who pass through the territory.
1. About Ravens
Ravens range between 56 and 78 cm (22 to 30 inches) in length, with a wingspan of 100 to 150 cm (40 to 59 in) and recorded weights ranging from 0.69 to 2 kg (1.5 to 4.4 lb). They are therefore larger than their crow cousins, with shaggier feathers around the throat. Their plumage, while black, has an iridescent sheen to it.
The lifespan of ravens in the wild can be as long as ten or fifteen years; the ravens protected by Inferni are capable of living a little longer, due to their steady supply of food and smaller chance of death by predators.
Ravens are very intelligent and social animals. They squabble like any other animals, but they are devoted to their families; birds often mate for life. They also like to play, and it isn't uncommon for a raven to provoke a coyote into a game of "catch me if you can." If a predator threatens them, however, they'll often gang up and peck the animal, or even drop small rocks on them!
The birds have a very wide range of vocalizations, and their intelligence means that they're able to learn broken High Speech. That isn't to say that most Inferni ravens can, however; many of them simply don't care enough to learn, or they may only be able to speak a few basic words -- "food" being one of the most common.
Ravens are omnivorous and largely opportunistic. They do scavenge, but they might also hunt very small animals or eat plants, such as berries and cereal grains. Many ravens have a favorite kind of food, and any coyote who learns this can find themselves in the birds' good graces!
2. Partnership
Inferni's ravens used to scout along the clan's territory and were frequently first to bring news of incoming canines or other potential threats. In addition, intelligent ravens might be given orders to scout out other territories. The Infernian half of this agreement entailed frequent meals for the birds; coyotes often brought scraps and other goodies to Ravenswrest to provide for the ravens.
Not all of the ravens in Ravenswrest were part of the group; there are many wild ones who reside with the flock. Some might be convinced to be taught, but several are content to just freeload in the relatively protected area.
Most of the care for the ravens fell to the coyotes who had the Falconer co-rank. These coyotes were in charge of the birds' upkeep and should be able to communicate in the ravens' Low Speech. Coyotes with the Ravenmaster co-rank trained these ravens to spy for Inferni!
3. Directory
This is a list of some of the individual ravens who reside with the flock; it obviously doesn't cover all of them!
4. History
The pact between raven and coyote began in 2007 with Marlowe and Kaena Lykoi, then the Aquila of Inferni. [1] Marlowe offered his and his kind's services with scouting in return for a steady supply of food. After the fire ravaged Bleeding Souls, the ravens followed Inferni over the mountains and settled in Drifter Bay.
The pact was further cemented in 2011, when wildcats attacked flock; Marlowe asked for Ezekiel de le Poer's help and requested that he raise his sons, who would go on to learn how to speak and scout. [2] Unfortunately, Marlowe died in a rockslide only about a month later. [3]
During the Inferni-Salsola War, several scouting ravens were killed by enemy archers. When the territory was compromised and the clan decided to return to their ancestral lands, a much smaller flock followed, and many died to sickness or starvation that winter. After Inferni disbanded, much of the flock remained -- and Inferni's last Ravenmaster, Vesper, still tended to them from time to time.
5. Threads
- 25 Feb 2012: Vesper meets her raven partner Stark for the first time.
- 19 Jun 2012: Aspiring Falconer Vesper learns about some of the particular ravens and their speech from her bird partner, Stark.
- 07 Aug 2012: An unidentified raven alerts Myrika to the approach of Salsola's leader, Salvia and is rewarded with grain!
- 16 Oct 2012: Young bird Skel recounts a tale of flock cooperation, before Midnight comes and warns Vesper of a wolf approaching the borders.
- 15 Dec 2012: Dusk and Myrika realize how crazy the ravens go for food; Vesper gives the some advice.
- 09 Jan 2013: Vesper teaches Azucena a little about the ravens.
- 11 Jan 2013: Vesper "rescues" Loki from the raucous birds, then teaches him a little bit about them.
- 2014: Myrika and Delilah feed the ravens.
- Aug 2014: Inferni shows appreciation for the ravens with a festival!
- Jan 2015: Amity Williams first claims a raven (Lael) then feeds the rest with help from a friend.
- Jul 2015: Various coyotes partner up with some of the ravens in preparation for the Inferni and Cour des Miracles conflict.
- Apr 2016: Several ravens (including Quinn, Disarray, Brokenclaws, and Shoal) are killed from an air blast upon the meteor impact.