Ravenfolk

Few races in Midgard live amid so much rumor, suspicion, and outright falsehood as the ravenfolk. They make their rookeries in every major city. Depending on whom you ask, they might condemn the ravenfolk as solitary wanderers bearing misfortune or praise them as messengers from the gods. Ravenfolk are loyal comrades and treacherous thieves, brave warriors and contemptible cowards. They are despised for their strange and secretive culture, and criticized for having no true culture of their own. The ravenfolk are a study in contradictions. These truths, half-truths, and lies conceal a greater mystery that few outsiders know

Ravenfolk Traits

Your ravenfolk character has certain characteristics in common with all other ravenfolk.

• Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2 and your Charisma score increases by 1.
• Age. Ravenfolk reach adulthood at 10 years old, and can live to be 110.
• Alignment. Ravenfolk tend toward chaos thanks to their capriciousness and insatiable curiosity. Greed overwhelms some ravenfolk, drawing them toward evil.
• Size. Ravenfolk are slighter and shorter than humans. They range from 4 feet to just shy of 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium.
• Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
• Sudden Attack. You have advantage on attack rolls against a surprised creature.
• Mimicry. Ravenfolk can mimic any sound they’ve heard. Make a Charisma (Deception) check against the passive Wisdom (Insight) of any listeners. Success indicates they believe the sound you created was real.
• Trickster. You have proficiency in the Deception and Stealth skills.
• Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common, Feather Speech, and Northern Tongue.

Of Gods and Men

The ravenfolk of Midgard (also known as the huginn) are wily scoundrels, tricksters, assassins, spies, and thieves. The oldest tales say that the god Wotan the Rune Father brought the clever ravenfolk into being when he plucked the feathers from his two pet ravens, Huginn (Thought) and Muninn (Memory), and let the feathers drift down to Midgard. The feathers became ravenfolk, and they spread across the world as Wotan’s spies. In truth, the ravenfolk are a bridge between everyday life on Midgard and the realm of the gods. They share Wotan’s secret knowledge of the branches of Yggdrasil the world tree. In the far northern reaches, the huginn are both the embodiment of the gods’ will and a symbol of inevitable death in battle.

Thieves, One and All

No matter what trade, role, or profession a ravenfolk takes up, they are all thieves. They build their rookeries from found items, and much like normal ravens, have a great fondness for shiny baubles. Beyond physical thievery, they live to steal secrets. Ravenfolk are naturally adept at being unobtrusive, and they use that trait to feed their insatiable curiosity. Aside from their larcenous instincts, ravenfolk are scrupulous about keeping their word. That’s not to say they don’t lie; ravenfolk lie as much as anyone else, and maybe a bit more when the pressure’s on. But if a promise or a vow can be extracted from one, it’s as reliable as gold—which may be why ravenfolk seldom make promises or vows. Otherwise, their personalities are as varied as those of other races. They adapt readily to whatever environment they occupy, from remote wilderness to big cities—although their presence in cities is not always welcome. They frequently take on local customs, traditions, and beliefs to fit in with the community.