Raven Clan

in The Human Clans of Sjonderwold

The Raven Clan is a clan of the in-between. Not content to settle in a single valley or build permanent settlements, each family or band of Ravens travels along paths and routes the length of the Sjonderwold, trading goods, experience, and gossip with their more sedentary fellows as they go.   As with all travelling folk, the Raven clan can never quite shake the suspicions of their fellows. The clan's open and nonjudgmental acceptance of clanless folk mean they have a not-undeserved reputation as the last refuge for oathbreakers and outcasts. While the Raven generally take pains to punish thievery and swindling within the clan - another reason that local leaders often chafe at Raven presence - old habits of newly-joined outlaws die hard, and the rumors and suspicion are hard to shake. Some Raven caravans jokingly reference these rumors as a way to break the ice at a new village; but for others, making such accusations are a good way to ensure the Raven caravan leaves and does not return for many years.  

Merchants and Shepherds

In their role as travelers and traders, the Raven serve as the lifeblood of the Sjonderwold. Ever-present Raven caravans connect sleepy towns with their sleepy neighbors and even, eventually, the great capital cities. Raven intermediaries are sought after for everything from cooling heated arguments to negotiating the finer points of a contract.   Most famously, however, is the Raven clan’s presence between the worlds of life and death. Raven midwives are highly sought-after for the knowledge they collect to ensure an easy and healthy birth for both baby and mother. Raven undertakers are indispensable for consoling the grieving, keeping villages clean of the rot of death, and ushering the dead and dying through their last rites.