Raven messaging
Most people use carrier pigeons to send messages over long distances. It is much faster to send letters via birds than the postal service on the ground. As the Altari Family has a special connection to the Ravens, they have chosen to use the birds as letter carriers.
Utility
Raven messaging is used by the Altari family and their recipients. It works similarly to carrier pigeons; you train the raven so it knows where to fly, attach the letter to the bird and let it take the message to the recipient. As an Altari, you can more easily communicate to the raven where to take the letter, so less training is required.
Manufacturing
The Altari breed their own ravens and sort the birds who seem best fitted for different "jobs", for example carrying messages. The ones who work close with the birds are in tune with the individuals' attitude and can change those birds who grow bored of their task.
Social Impact
When the Altari started using their own birds for messaging, they became safer and could more easily carry more secretive information. The carrier ravens also became sort of a brand for the Altari, signaling to other powers of their presence.
Access & Availability
Because of the ravens' smart nature, they are not willing to do anything for anyone. That's why the normal carrier pigeons are much more common than the ravens. The Altari use the ravens, and they have taught both the birds and the recipients of the messages to cooperate.
Complexity
The pigeons are gentle and easy creatures, who listen to and follow your instructions. The ravens on the other hand are very cunning and independent, and they don't just listen to anyone. For anyone who doesn't have a connection to the ravens it might be difficult to make them listen and actually do what you ask.
Discovery
As the brand of the Altari family, they were already using and receiving help from ravens in multiple ways. It was not far fetched to ask the ravens to carry their letters, instead of using pigeons like everyone else.
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