Valraven
A Valraven is a species of carnivorous scavenging crows spread throughout Grausur. They hold cultural significance in Prasri folklore and fill a unique niche in their habitat.
Basic Information
Ecology and Habitats
Due to the currents of the Gray Ocean, many dead fish and marine mammals tend to wash up on the shores; this created a large niche for scavengers, which was occupied initially by vultures and corvids. Valravens evolved from said corvids, increasing in size over time to fend off the larger vultures; eventually the vulture population became extinct, allowing valravens to spread over the entirety of Grausur and for specimen to increase in size even further. Valravens are essential in the local ecology; filling the role of scavengers, they aid in fertilizing the land and prevent carcasses from spreading disease. A decrease in population size in the 9th century AB gave rise to the hypothesis that the Grausur Plague was allowed to spread due to an increase in the number of plague-bearing rodents, the natural prey of valravens.
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Cultural Importance
Like all ravens, valravens are connoted with death and the afterlives. They frequently appear in Prasri folktales and myths, where they foretell death and are seen as an ill omen. The phrase "Ravens flock" is common both in Peraserasian and Sabersychan dialects, originating from the common eulogy verse "Ravens flock; Forests whisper; Death comes; Life continues;". In Sabersychan culture, saying a person's name either before or after the phrase is an implicit yet overt threat; the phrase is also a euphemism for someone dying when used in the past tense (i.e. "ravens flocked for them"). In Peraserasian culture, it is used to describe an indefinitely long time; from this usage also coined another phrase, "waiting until (the) ravens flock", which means wasting time or waiting for something that will never happen. Despite the apparent relation to The Raven Queen, valravens' appearance in Prasri tradition predates her rise to power; some theologians argue that valravens are in some sense enemies of The Raven Queen.
Scientific Name
Corvus Praesidius
Lifespan
36 years
Average Weight
7-14.1 kg
Average Length
1.09-1.4 m
Average Wingspan
2.49-2.95 m
Geographic Distribution
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