The Silver Flame Order/Ravens

Ravens, and their affinity for magic.

It is well known that ravens are a highly intelligent species of bird, used to carry messages to and fro with great speed. Without them, we surely would be lost. But anyone who has been nearby when a spell is cast will note that the Ravens react to such an event. If a spell fails, they will simply croak, though if it is successful, they will circle overhead the area where the spell was cast. Why is this?

One need merely look at the pagan faiths of other lands to see that this phenomenon has been well noted for ages. On some continents, more primitive cultures (vikings notably) worship a god known as Odin, who practices magic. His symbol is a raven, and he is connected to ravens in many of their stories. One can then infer that ravens reacting to magic is not a new phenomenon.

A raven is drawn to magic wherever it might be found for they are the creations of a Spell Master, one of those ancient men and women who in times largely forgotten had a command over magic that we now can only dream of. Through experimentation, I have noticed a resonance while dissecting ravens. My Mighty Mace which has an affinity for spell casting has a very strong resonance, and my other artifacts have slightly weaker ones. Compared to crows, the bird used to create ravens, there are some odd differences in the brain of a raven, which appears to detect the presence of magic, even when dead.

What the purpose of this was, is unknown. But it is clear that Ravens were created in the distant past to serve a Spell Master or multiple Spell Masters, and as such, were programmed to respond to the presence of magic. Whether this was used for communication, or some kind of defense... Is unclear, as much of the writings from those ages has been lost.