The White Ravens

The White Ravens are a semi-secret society who operate in most regions of Arcania. The group was founded to protect the lands from some "great evil", the rise of which is, supposedly, foretold in an ancient prophecy. The Ravens operate with no allegience to any god, nation or race.

History
The founder of The White Ravens is generally held to be Lord Corvus Weiss, half brother to the Althais II, the last emperor of Iremian. Legend has it that Corvus, along with his half-brother Franz Robhund were the only survivors of the explosion which destroyed the city of Iremian. Following this, he travelled to the west where he founded The White Ravens to combat the force which laid the city to waste.

Due to their clandestine nature, very little is known about the deeds performed by the Ravens. A full accounting is, allegedly, kept in a huge tome named Bókin Hrafnistu. The location of this tome is known only to the upper echelons of The White Ravens and is the society's most closely guarded secret.

Organisation
Very little is known regarding the organisation of the Ravens, their workings are a closely guarded secret, even to their own initiates. What is known is that they have a presence on every landmass and in most major town and cities across Arcania. Alongside the front-line operations, The Ravens also maintain a support network of Inns, stables, temples and merchants, affiliated to the society. These provide assistance to operatives in the form of lodgings, healing, equipment and, most vital of all, local knowledge.

All operatives carry a small wooden disc engraved with a stylised raven. This is used to identify themselves to others whom they know to be affiliated. Any establishment which is part of the network will have the same symbol displayed, clearly but unobtrusively, at the entrance to the building.

Raven Cant
Once an initiate has performed a set number of assignments, and has proved they can be trusted, they are taught Raven Cant. this is a series of hand gestures which allow the passing of short pieces of information between initiates. While a long conversation is not possible, it can be used to identify themselves, give directions and pass on warnings. (Game Note: Raven Cant is an additional language which is not included in the languages a PC may learn during character creation.  To become adept in Raven Cant, a PC must have an intelligence of 10 and a dexterity of 12.  If a PC's intelligence is lower than 10, they cannot learn Raven Cant.  If a PC's intelligence is 10 or higher but their dexterity is below 12, they can understand Raven Cant but cannot 'speak' it.)

The Ethos of The White Ravens
The code of The Ravens, as set out in the Bókin Hrafnistu, comprises four main tenets:


 * Protection - life, land and freedom must be protected against that which will arise.
 * Impartiality - The Ravens do not favour any god, race or nation above any other
 * Discretion - If possible, there should be no evidence that The Ravens have invoved themselves in any event
 * Rewards - Those in the service of The Ravens have every chance of becoming rich but will never become famous for their service.

Rewards
The White Ravens do not expect people to work for them for nothing. There is a standard rate of 100gp per assignment plus any reasonable demands in material assistance will be granted. However, any treasure an operative picks up in the course of working for The Ravens is theirs to keep.

Known Members
The following individuals are known to be affiliated with The White Ravens:

Rodava - Theatre owner in Zamoska, area co-ordinator

Arkun Gorth - owner of The Gibbet Inn in Zamoska

Scree - Kobold servant to Arkun

Aleen - Elven Ranger operating in Valejo