Midnight Raven

Native to the veiled bogs and moon-silvered marshes of the Kargathian Wetlands, the Midnight Raven is a creature of quiet majesty and haunting ambiguity. Towering nearly the size of a large man when perched, and with a wingspan reaching over fifteen feet, this great corvid is instantly recognizable, though rarely seen for long. Its plumage is a lustrous, inky black that swallows light rather than reflects it, rendering the creature nearly invisible against a night sky or shadowed glade.   What sets the Midnight Raven apart from all known avian species, however, is the mysterious constellation-like pattern scattered across its feathers. These pinpricks of faint starlight shimmer and pulse gently, forming recognizable stellar arrangements known from both northern and southern hemispheres, many of which no longer exist in the current night sky. When observed closely, it becomes apparent that each "star" is not a light at all, but a tiny, unblinking eye. These eyes, each subtly different in shape and color, track movement independently, and some have been reported to blink in slow, dreamlike synchrony.   There is much folkloric disagreement surrounding the nature of this being. In some villages, the Midnight Raven is a harbinger of misfortune, its appearance signaling illness, disaster, or the imminent death of a village elder. In others, its presence is a sacred omen, marking a night of prophecy, safe passage, or the beginning of a great transformation. These interpretations often hinge not just on its appearance, but on its behavior:  

•  If the Midnight Raven lands and gazes skyward, it is believed to be remembering lost stars, and the next child born under its shadow will be destined for greatness.
•  If it circles overhead three times and disappears into mist, the locals say a secret will soon come to light.
•  If it cries aloud, its call described as a chorus of whispers rather than a caw, then a soul is being watched, either in warning or in mourning.

  Some believe there is only a single Midnight Raven, eternal and nameless, a wandering sentinel from the age before time. Others argue that it is a species, a relic lineage that nests only in the heart of the wetlands where no man has yet dared tread. No nest has ever been found, nor any egg, fledgling, or corpse. It is always seen alone, and always at night.   Curiously, attempts to track or follow the bird result in lost time or broken memory, as if the creature warps awareness by its mere proximity. Some scholars suggest it is not truly of the Material Plane, but a thin veil of the Astral Realm made manifest, an observer, not a participant. The eyes upon its feathers have been noted to weep silvery ichor in rare instances, the liquid said to cause prophetic dreams or madness when touched.   Whether spirit, beast, or god, the Midnight Raven remains one of the most enigmatic denizens of the Kargathian Wetlands, feared, worshipped, and studied in equal measure.