Lysadoren Ravens

The **Lysadoren Ravens**, also known as the **House of Ravens**, are an elite organization of thieves, spies, and assassins which are renowned throughout Morgaea.

## Background

The Ravens initially started as an arm of the Ministry. In the hills south of Trevain, an order of monks used the herbs grown in the gardens of their abbey to assassinate a despotic duke. Since then, through their deadly reputation and exotic poisons, the Ravens have practically come to rule their homeland. Though honor among such an organization is generally dubious, they do adhere to one standard: contracts are met and agreements are kept. Failure to eliminate a mark means the life of the operative is also forfeit. The Lysadoren Ravens are a driving political force in Lysadore, often hired to assassinate Lysadoren nobility, or even royalty. Their reputation is enough to deter many nations from openly attacking Lysadore despite its lack of a standing army.

When the Ravens are hired for a job, generally a master handles the contract. However, if the master is unable to complete it, then other masters can be hired. It is even possible to hire the entire House of Ravens, however that would be extremely expensive. There is only one known case where this occurred.

The Ravens run Mazamorra, an infamous and feared prison where they keep people incarcerated for "fun and torture." Its reputation has earned it the nickname of "the House of Graves."

## History

Past contracts, blackmail materials, and secret histories are kept in the Archive of the Ravens in Venadrad. Several of their assassinations have become notorious.

### 'Just Desserts'

In **3A09**, Knight-Commander Gervasio of Lysadore invoked the Right of Nullifcation on the Institute of Magic and killed all of the city's mages for demonic possession. An investigation by the Inquisition later showed that the Right might have been invoked to cover-up a massacre by Knight-Captain Nicholas, who confessed to murdering over a hundred mages. In retaliation, the Ravens were hired to kill the highest members of the Lysadoren Templar Order. The assassins infiltrated the Institution, and infused lemon cake with Thetsoll's Embrace, a toxin that increases the victim's blood pressure until veins and organs rupture, killing the Knight-Commander and his Knight-Captains. The assassination earned the moniker 'Just Desserts'.

### The Ravens and Queen Madria

One of the Ravens' most infamous assassinations was that of Queen Madria in **5A99**. The Queen failed to return from a hunt, and was later found with four swords through her body. One of these swords was a replica of Janerius' Merciful Sword. Captain Atristes was charged with investigating the murder. After several Ravens died under torture, he came to realize that no amount of pain would break the Ravens. The guild's notorious reputation was well earned.

### The Songbird

Carlotra Montevecchi, nicknamed 'the Songbird,' was a talented opera singer. After she tried to strangle a rival soprano with a string of pearls, the rival hired the Ravens to cut Carlotra's throat. She was found dead by the director after curtain call, with a string of pearls around her neck.

### Prince Estefan

Prince Estefan was known for his many bastard children, and for bedding high-born married women, using sheets to sneak in and out of their bedroom windows. One night, when he was visiting a beautiful married woman named Marcella, he found a Raven waiting for him. The Prince was strangled in bedsheets, his neck snapped. The public version of the story painted the death as accidental. Prince Estefan's mistress was killed by an adder snake hidden among her clothes.

## Involvement

In the Fifth Age, a Lysadoren Raven named Ezrah who was an Apostate Blood Mage, spent the Fourth Scourge aiding the Grey Order after the fall of Venadrad. He was instrumental in breaking the siege of Lougrick, and participated in the Battle of Ayesmare where the Archfiend Xurteus was slain.

## Hierarchy

The Lysadoren Ravens are compartmentalized into family houses, in imitation of the great noble families of Morgaea, with each member of that house, from its leader, to its rank and file assassins, taking the house's name as their family name. The leadership of the Guild as a whole lies with the Eight Talons, and their respective houses, while lesser houses are referred to as cuchillos (knives). Houses frequently rise and fall in rank.

* **Talon**: The leaders of the Ravens. The current leading houses are Bellamorte, Kalazar, Villalon, Korteza, De Rivan, Neroso, Cantore, and Andujar. Houses frequently rise and fall. While new recruits are told that anyone can rise to the rank of Talon, in practice few achieve this rank without family or connections.

* **Guildmaster**/**Grandmaster**: A leader of a large group, such as an entire house.

* **Master**: A high-ranking assassin who accepts and handles assassination contracts.

* **Assassin**: A member of the guild without greater rank.

## Recruitment

The Ravens usually employ elves because humans often find them attractive, giving them an advantage over their target. However, they also have a large number of human recruits. They train their recruits from a young age, and have no problem killing them if they make a mistake. It seems to be an effective method, however, as they have everyone believing it takes some special skill to do what they do.

The Lysadoren Ravens often buy orphaned or enslaved elves and humans when they are children, and force them to live together in tight quarters. The only way they can survive the brutal process and prove themselves worthy is by surviving every test the Ravens throw at them, including killing their peers.

Lysadoren Ravens who achieve the rank of Talon are given a ceremonial dagger from the Guildmaster and sent to assassinate a target using that dagger alone. The greater the risk, the greater the good omen for the Talon's future.