Crows

## Origin

When Satan fell, not all of the Angels that fell with him went to Hell. Some preferred instead to stay on Earth. However, their souls quickly became corrupted by this world. These became the Valkyrie, and the Crows.

## History

The Crows and Valkyrie stayed in the Northern parts of the world after they were cast down to Earth. Eventually, they became embedded in the culture of the local peoples, the Norse being a prominent one.

It is said that Odin, the king of the Gods, had two crows that flew around the earth and gave him information. From studies done on these stories, it is concluded that these two crows were probably members of this species.

As time has gone on, Crows have preferred to stay away from the populated world. For the most part, they live solitary lives, but where they gather, natural disasters are seen to happen. This makes them especially dangerous in a group.

## Appearance

Crows have two forms, Human form, and Crow form. In Human form, they, for the most part, look like normal Humans. They tend to be from about 5.5, to 6.5 feet tall. Crows are all male, and are seen as a counterpart to the all female Valkyries.

Crows actually have two forms in Crow form. Sort of. It is complicated, but an attempt to explain it shall be made. The first, is when they turn into a very large Crow. It can be as much as 3 feet tall. In this form, they have a general resistance to magic, angelic, and demonic energy. This seems to be their preferred form of travel, unless they are in combat. The second form, is a bit more terrifying. They actually turn into an entire flock of crows, each normal sized. The size of the flock generally depends upon the power of the Crow. These flocks can tear apart hapless victims with relative ease. These crows, however, have no real resistances to magical, angelic, or demonic energies. It does not matter how many of these crows one kills. If even a single one survives, it can escape, and the Crow will survive another day. However, they will need time to rest and recuperate.

## Behavior

Crows tend to stick to themselves for the most part. They avoid civilization, preferring instead to live solitary lives. This said, it is also not unheard of for Crows to live in Human cities, whether due to curiosity, comfort, or some other reason.

The personality of Crows is as diverse as that of Humans. Some are cruel, whereas others are kind. They prefer colder climates, but can tolerate warmer ones if need be.

They are known to refer to one another as brothers.

## Abilities

Crows possess a range of abilities. First, is their ability to change forms. They can change into two separate Crow forms, one being a large crow, up to 3 feet tall, which is resistant to magical, demonic, and angelic energies. The second, is a flock of crows with no real resistances, but which can tear apart victims in a fashion similar to piranhas. If even a single crow from the flock survives and escapes, the Crow will survive, though it will require time to recuperate.

In addition to this, Crows, like Valkyries, have the ability to pull the souls from their victims, so long as they have physical contact. The more powerful the victim, however, the harder it is to do this. Crows can also travel between the afterlives, able to take a soul to where it needs to be after death. They have limited access to some of these realms, however. They are allowed to go to Heaven, but cannot pass the pearly gates. This is a similar case for Hell.

Powerful Crows are known to cause snowstorms, limiting both visibility, and mobility of those in the area. This is known to be used both for escape, and attack.

Possibly the most dangerous of Crow traits, is the fact that as a flock (or would it be called a murder?) of individuals, connected in some way, gathers, the power of each individual grows exponentially. It is advised that 6 of them not be allowed to gather, as it is said that Satan himself will then rise. Whether this is true or not, is something that should not be tested. Ever.

## Weaknesses

Crows have an Angelic signature. This means that any individual who has the ability to sense these sort of signatures can detect Crows rather easily. Also, due to their generally solitary lifestyle, Crows tend to be rather poor in social skills. That, or they have a rather strange version of social skills. Crows have no real defense against physical attacks, besides the ability to avoid them through superior mobility.

## Diet

Crows must feed on the souls of others in order to survive. They can feed on normal food, but this is really just a temporary measure. They cannot go long periods of time on regular food alone. They tend to prey on individuals who are dying, or just recently dead. This is why they are known to frequent battlefields, and to lurk around battles.

## Life and Death

### Lifespan/Lifestyle

Crows have a rather long lifespan, living for about as long as Valkyries. They generally live about 130 to 150 years, but individuals reaching 200 are not unheard of. They prefer to live by themselves, often found as hermits in the mountains and snowy tundra.

### Reproduction

Crows share a similar fertility rate with Valkyrie, at about 15%. They can mate with Humans, Valkyrie, and Angels. Mating with a Human often produces a child with The Spark. Mating with a Valkyrie is 50/50, with the species of the child dependent upon their gender. Mating with an Angel will most often produce a Crow, but can also produce a Nephilim.

### Death

Crows are said to go to a realm called Valhalla after death. It is unknown if this is true or not. Valhalla is said to be rather similar to Heaven. Rumors and stories are the only information available.

## Ranks

Rank E - Screechling - The lowliest of Crows, these individuals lack the abilities of their brothers. They cannot change form, but can drag the souls out of the weakest of victims, with some effort. They are a disgrace among their kind.

Rank C - Carrion Picker - Individuals of lower rank, these individuals have the ability to change forms, but their flock only contains maybe half a dozen crows, so the overall danger level is low.

Rank B - Mobber - The most common type of Crow, these individuals have flocks of about a dozen crows, and can drag the souls out of E ranks with relative ease.

Rank A - Red Beak - Named for the appearance of their beak covered in blood, these individuals are dangerous to say the least. Their flocks contain two dozen crows, easily. They can also drag the souls out of C ranks with relative ease.

Rank S - Raven Lord - Individuals of the highest esteem and power. They are said to be the governing force among Crows. Their flocks easily count to about 50, if not more, crows. They have a strange sort of power about them, causing them to suck the very life out of very weak sources, such as the grass immediately around their feet. Their mere touch can cause weakness to weak individuals.