Raven Sisters

According to the Raven Church, it was, of course, the raven that was divine. The fertility snake he carried is the mother of snakes as well as the worms that prepared the ground for human presence. They call their god Raven, and have the bird itself as their holy symbol (as shown on the cover of the rulebook). The Congregation of the Serpent in Alderland believe those that worship Raven are heretics who should be pursued and killed, a viewpoint the Rust Brothers of Alderstone have inherited and sharpened even further. The Congregation of the Serpent in the Forbidden Lands does not like the Raven worshippers either, but accept them as one of few constructive forces. However, the Raven church is respected by elves and Elvenspring, even if they do not share their moralizing view of the world. Raven worshippers are renowned healers and shapeshifters who can travel in animal form. They fight the Rust Brothers. The Raven church also honors the water goddess, Flow, since she is of great significance to life.   The Ailanders brought the Raven Church to Ravenland seven hundred years ago, when the priestess Jamharda led them from Alderland to escape persecution. Jamharda was the leader of the Raven Sisters, a group of life-affirming witches who remain the core of the church in the Forbidden Lands. Since the Raven Sisters help with everything from harvesting and hunting to ailments, love and childbirth with their spells, rituals and potions, they are very popular in the villages. They roam the land, always on their guard, since there are informants everywhere, and the Rust Brothers pay anyone who captures a sister for them well.   The Reapenters are a doomsday cult sprung from the Raven Church during the fourth Alder Wars, three hundred years ago. They worship the raven as a carrion eater, and call him Corax. The Reapenters believe the wrath of the god was awakened when the humans defied the ancient Shift and entered Ravenland. Corax will only be appeased once Ravenland is again free of humans. Since the Iron Lock seals the way to Alderland and people are unwilling to simply leave, the Reapenters believe they have a sacred duty to kill all humans, after which the last Reapenters will take their own lives.