The Valravn

General Information

Ravne and their counterparts, Valravn, are one of the most intelligent non-dragon species in the veil, despite being incredibly annoying. Unlike most other wild, nearly non-magic animals, these birds are able to learn a variety of puzzle solving techniques, hand signals, and even human speech. Despite this, though, these birds are incredibly annoying to even the most seasoned mage, and as such they usually keep only one or two of them as close companions- letting the other birds join the sort of society that their species has joined, and calling upon them when needed. A few mages do venture to keep many of these birds, and as such, often need to a constant stream of information to keep them occupied.

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Valravns are slightly larger and rarer than ravnes. Like ravnes, they are not creatures for the timid or inexperienced, as they are always testing boundaries to see what they can get away with. They are quick learners, and whatever one knows, the rest of the flock soon knows. Valravns can recognize anyone who might have wronged them, even if disguised and even if many years have passed, and will rally the rest of the flock to get revenge. One advantage to communal valravn knowledge is that one's own trained ravne will share what it learned with the rest of the flock, so that a mage can potentially have dozens of valravns to call on without having to individually raise or train all of them. The downside is that what the valravn teaches might not always be what the mage wanted them to learn. The valravn leader is always the one with the most impressive jewelry, so a mage can either build goodwill or sow discord by giving gifts to selected flock members.<br>(Extra Information by Mathcat)

Egg Information

This sleek egg has a dark feeling about it.

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Some intrepid individuals will try stealing eggs from a valravn nest. This is not recommended if one values one's eyes, as valravn parents are eager to attack an intruder. Mages occasionally report feeling unsettled when near their valravn egg, but this is most likely anticipation of the sleepless nights and other frustrations that lie ahead instead of a sign of dark forces at work.

Baby Information

This small hatchling is terribly noisy, and loves to scream at random hours of the night. Its slight fluff that grows in makes it look more like a dust ball than a bird, and if annoyed it is not afraid to bite whatever bothers it.

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After raising the first couple of valravns, most mages prefer to leave valravn hatchlings with their parents, who are better cut out to deal with middle-of-the-night screaming fits. The bond formed won't be as strong, but most mages are sensible enough not to try to keep more than a couple of valravns as close companions anyway, and it's not as though anyone needs another reason for a sleepless night. Life with a valravn hatchling, even one so small that it still has most of its hatchling fuzz, is full of chaos. Seemingly all stomach and lungs, they shriek for food at volumes that would astound a noise dragon and like to do so at the most inconvenient times. Ravnes and valravns look alike at this stage, without even any significant differences in temperament, so there's no telling which one has until more feathers grown in.

Teen Information

This small hatchling is terribly noisy, and loves to scream at random hours of the night. Its slight fluff that grows in makes it look more like a dust ball than a bird, and if annoyed it is not afraid to bite whatever bothers it. Its regular feathers have grown in, but its mental state has not. Now, you have a flying, noisy, and somewhat dangerous bird with the appetite of begging for food at any and all times. Its also taken to stealing your shiny objects and re-purposing them as its own.

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Valravn hatchlings become even more of a handful once their feathers grow in. While they can feed themselves, they prefer to beg for food or steal it themselves. If one is so foolish as to raise multiple valravns at once, one will find that they are quite adept at teaming up to create more havoc. Valravn hatchlings also love to steal jewelry and will wear their favorites. To add insult to injury, they often look better in their stolen finery than their mage did. They aren't yet capable of determining value, though, so they will sometimes trade a gold bracelet for a particularly sparkly piece of glass. Valravn hatchlings should not be left alone for long periods of time, as they are destructive and quite good at making their own entertainment.

Adult Information

Your hatchling has grown now, though its still quite as annoying as it was before. Prone to stealing books, keys, charms, and anything that catches its eyes, its incredibly annoying in such a sense. Thankfully, this bird is as intelligent as it is pestering. Able to solve complex problems and puzzles, you often have to keep it busy with some sort of riddle so it does not go around stealing books. It has the slight capability of human speech, and the few words and signals it does know aide its function as a helper when exploring dangerous areas.

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Particularly bright valravns can develop a vocabulary of a couple dozen words, few deliberately taught and many unfit for polite company. They will ignore a helpful word their mage has tried to teach them for weeks but latch on to something spoken once in a heated moment. Valravns will often ignore puzzles their mage leaves for them in favor of solving the mystery of what's inside the locked drawer or what article of clothing is the most fun to shred. They are also likely to steal any objects that catch their attention, which for valravns usually means jewelry. They can rarely be bribed into giving up their new treasure, though they are happy to let their mage think they can be so that they can get a few extra treats.