Icy Crows

Icy Crows (Jokullsrafn) The Icy Crows are famous for being meditative, serene and intelligent. A member of the Icy Crows often has visions of future events or cast the runes to peer beyond the veil of fate. The Icy Crows are also experts of ancient magic rituals passed on orally within the clan. A true Icy Crow lives to serve the circle and its principles, she would do anything to preserve them. An Icy Crow will never pass the opportunity to tell a story, recall a legend or pass down a myth. It doesn’t matter how urgent are her obligations, she will always find time to tell about the way of the Gods and keep the culture of the Nordic people alive.
Serving the Circle Despite their preeminence in the politics of the North, the Icy Crows aren’t a proper clan, they’re a vast and highly structured circle, formed primarily by hermits, wise seers, sorcerers and Skalds. they live according to a precise code of conduct, fully devoted to preserving the divine order on Midgardr. The Icy Crows fulfill this divine call by retelling the legends of the Gods, they spread the cultural and moral values through their actions. Teachers, Judges and Arbitrators. The Icy crows are more than protector of the cultural heritage, they often handle administrative and bureaucracy for the other clans. It’s quite common for a Crow to sit next to the Jarl – as an adviser or a judge of the feuds between the citizens – or the fulfill the role of the Løgsøgumaður (expert of the law) during a þing, a gathering of a great clan. Their presence – as adviser, teachers and wise men or women – through almost every village of Midgardr gives the Icy Crows an immense network of informants that the circle can always use for its own ends. A Lifelong Path While every Icy crow is free to act as she saw fit, there’s a precise hierarchy within the circle. The headquarter of the order is in the famous temple of Uppsala (see page 110), in the region of Svitjod, very close to the forests of the Wolves of the Shadow. When a youngster join the circle, he must to swear an oath to Fate itself and sever every bond with their previous life. These new recruits must embrace neutrality and have a single purpose: serve the circle and pass on its values. These adepts are called Rót (“Root”) and usually, after a first term of studies in Uppsala, they serve a Mímistafr (“Pillar of Wisdom”) as apprentices for ten years, following the master in her journeys. During the long apprenticeship a Rót must learn the old tales, how to cast and read the Runes of Knowledge and study the principles that regulate the life and death of every Crow. Although there is no official age to join the Icy Crows, it’s a common custom to send small children to the circle. There are a number of reasons for that, these children might be orphans or their parents swore an oath to the Gods. Some villages – especially the Wolves of the Shadow’ ones – send at least three children to the Crows every year as a tribute. In some, much more rare, circumstanced a kid might be sent because she was born with spot or other birthmarks that look like the sacred Runes, hinting at a higher call. An Icy Crow might remain a Rót for just a few month or her entire life. This spiritual journey has no pre-determined length and only when the Mímistafr thinks the Rót is ready, she would be appointed a proper Mímistafr during a ceremony at the temple of Uppsala. After the apprenticeship ends with a trial decided by the master (usually a game of hnefatafl), the Rót becomes a Mímistafr and can participate fully the life of the clan and the meeting of the circle, but she can’t vote. These sages – the Mímistafr – are the heart of the circle and, beside the usual responsibilities of every Icy Crow, they are constantly traveling between Uppsala and the villages of other clans. With very few exceptions, a Mímistafr cannot stop in any given place for a long time. These continuous travels help the circle to keep its network alive, going from Mímistafr to Mímistafr across all the Northen lands. Additionally, a Mímistafr must take care of the education of the Rót – usually having one apprentice at every time – and she must also rely instructions to the Flakkàndi she met. Some Mímistafr choose to become Flakkàndi (“wanderers”) and pass the rest of their lives wandering from a village to the next, serving the typical duties of an Icy Crow at each stop. They’re free to go wherever they want, unless the circle assign them a particular task. Although they usually live in Uppsala, some Léradhr are allowed to act as advisers to a Jarl of a different clan, while others choose to become hermits. The Léradhr usually act as teachers and mentors to the lower ranks, passing on the tradition and the rules of the clan. They’re also part of council of the Léradhr: the ruling body that debates how the circle should answer to the political evolution of Midgardr. They have no decision-making power, though, this is usually reserved to the three Mímaneidhr (“tree of wisdom”). According to tradition the three Mímaneidhr are chosen from three different age groups, to represent the Norns and have a different point of view of every given decision.To make a decision official, all three Mímaneidhr must agree. When a Mímaneidhr dies or choose to abdicate, the Flakkàndi bring the news to every member of the Icy Crows and the circle gets ready for the new investiture. To become a Mímaneidhr, a Crow must face three extreme trials: • Swallow hot coals to become a vessel of the primordial fire of Muspell, bringer of life and death. • Be buried up to the neck on a beach, at the water’s edge, waiting for the tide to shift; to conquer the sea and become one with Landvaettir, the spirit of earth. • Offer and officiate a sacrifice. If more than one candidate survive these trials, the circle of the Mímistafr choose the one that made the most significant sacrifice as the new Mímaneidhr. After becoming a Mímaneidhr, a Mímistafr renounce her name and receive a new spiritual name from the circle of the Crows. While a Crow cannot have a family, procreating is not forbidden, just not recommended outside of certain times of the year. During certain festivities the Icy Crows are used to organize great ritual orgies and every child conceived during these conclaves is considered a child of the entire circle and raised by the entire community. The Broken Circle Today, the circle of the Crows is more fractured and weaker than ever. Every important decision requires the approval of all the three Mímaneidhr and, when this doesn’t happen, the Icy Crows are forced to remain neutral until there is a unanimous vote. The current Mímaneidhr are (from the oldest to the youngest): The old Spekisvidhr, “Wood of Knowledge” The very yong Límrún, “Rune of the Branches” The adult Blóttré, “Tree of Sacrifice” During the last year, the biggest point of contention between the Mímaneidhr has been which side the Crows will support, at least politically, in the impending war between the Odhinn’s Eye and the Wolves of Shadow. Under the religious perspective, every Crow thinks that it’s shameful and dishonorable for the King to deny the Æsir and the Vanir. Almost the entire clan thinks that the King’s companion is a powerful witch and some believe she’s, at least partially, responsible for the coming of the Fimbulvetr. At the same time, there are no doubts that Ragnarok is at the gates and facing the twilight of the gods with the circle so weak and fractured will bring shame to all the Crows. It’s imperative to find a solution as soon as possible. Finally, the circle has sent many Mímistafr, along with their Rót, to investigate the rumors, more and more frequent with each passing day, of monsters appearing and other magical events. Unfortunately, the terrible weather conditions make journeys harder and harder.
Relationships with Other Clans Bear Warriors The Bears are considered pure being, the closest true incarnations of the Nine Virtues. Because of that, the Crows see them as exuberant children that need guidance, so that they continue to follow the tradition and honor the gods. Usually, at least one Crow lives all year around at each Bears’ village to arbitrate those conflict that would be solved through violence otherwise. These Crows also teach to the children and pass on ancient legends. Recently, the Sages of the snowy mountains stopped sending news. Many think this is due to the terrible weather, but the circle has grown more and more worried by this lack of communication.
Gjallarhorn The Icy Crows always looked with suspicion and fear at the rulers of the Gjallarhorn clan, because they never allowed the Crows to interfere in the internal politics of their lands and were ruthless in punishing those who tried to meddle. The Crows that still lives in these lands are trying to contact the circle, but the weather isolated them and the few missives that came through were garbled and unreliable. They speak of a terrible war with the Franks and of something horrible beyond the Danevirke, but the only way to discover the truth would be to send other warriors into the unknown across the Jutland.
Jötunn Sons It doesn’t matter how honeyed are their words, nor that the Wolves trust them and neither that they now seem willing to follow the Virtues: the cursed blood remain such. The Crows know better than anyone else who the true enemy is. Despite the rule of neutrality, every Crow with a lick of common sense will never turn her back to a Jötunn Son. trusting a Gargan is never a good idea. The origin of this rivalry is ancient and is grounded in the foundation of the outcast clan, but only a handful of people knows. Not all the battles are fought with swords and shields. Since time immemorial these two clans duel using cun ning, magic and politics.
Odhinn’s Eye While the King is bringing shame to the clan denying the Gods, the Odhinn’s Eye is still considered an ally by many Crows. The reason is twofold: most of the Odhinn’s Eyes still pray the Æsir and the Vanir and the entire clan still honor the Crows as keepers of virtue and knowledge. Still, the spreading of the faith of the Flame might ruin the relationship between these two clans and many scandalmongers whisper that the Mímaneidhr haven’t reach an agreement yet because the King bribed at least one of them.
Wolves of Shadow The Wolves are the clan closest to the Crows. While they are often too impulsive, they are, without a doubt, the most devout clan. Recently, the Crows are relying more and more on the Wolves to investigate the strange sightings of magical beings. While the rule of neutrality prevents the Crows from openly admitting it, many of them would immediately side with the Wolves to eliminate the King of the Odhinn’s Eye and his clan.

Type

Geopolitical, Clan