Ravenkins - A Kenku Conversion

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Rosisha
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Ravenkins - A Kenku Conversion

Post by Rosisha »

Hello Everyone,

I've always liked the kenku class. Back when I was in middle school, a bird rescue brought in a bunch of injured crows and ravens that couldn't be released back to the wild. We got to see how clever and smart they were and also how playful. It was a really neat experience, and so the idea of a kenku being more like ravens/crows then hawks (as in the 2nd Ed Monster Manual) really resonated with me. The actual history of the creature (the mythological tengu) is particularly cool, and I feel should be the source for the race - rather then being clever thieves.

I have some reasons for this, but primarily because crows and ravens are often presented as messengers of the Gods (Odin being the most obvious example - imagine viking tengu/Odinfolk wielding axes and descending down from the trees screaming "VALHALLAH, I AM COMING!"), or escorts of the dead after a battle.

ONGOING VERSIONS:
This is now in the showcase:

https://www.basicfantasy.org/showcase.cgi?sid=192
Last edited by Rosisha on Sun Dec 13, 2020 10:33 am, edited 7 times in total.
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SmootRK
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Re: Tengu/Covidians - A Kenku Conversion

Post by SmootRK »

I love the idea of crossing over to Norse backgrounds (my favorite sort of mythology).
They could be renamed:
Ravn - from Norwegian (Raven) or Ravnfødt (Raven Born)
Hrafn - from Icelandic (Raven) or Hrafnabörn (Raven Kin)
Raenkin - from Finnish (Raven Kin)

I like the Icelandic. (almost silent H, sounds a lot like rafin)
Is it really the end, not some crazy dream?
Rosisha
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Re: Tengu/Covidians - A Kenku Conversion

Post by Rosisha »

Yeah I just have this image in my head of demons opening a portal to the prime material and stepping through into this wide grassy field surrounded by high mountains and cliffs. A small band of human warriors with shields and axes quakes before them. "Ha!" says the big demon in charge. "We shall conquer this puny world!"

Then from the trees and cliffs dark shapes throw their arms out into a T pose and leap into the air to start gliding forward, huge double bladed battle axes, warhammers, and heavy swords strapped to their chest as storm clouds begin to gather. Carried on the wind are a hundred screaming voices "WE COME FROM THE LAND OF THE ICE AND SNOW..."

The big demon looks at his followers, "Oh this is the WRONG prime material. We're scheduled to invade another one. Umm.. let's go do that..."
Rosisha
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Re: Tengu/Covidians - A Kenku Conversion

Post by Rosisha »

SmootRK wrote: Thu Oct 01, 2020 9:42 am I love the idea of crossing over to Norse backgrounds (my favorite sort of mythology).
They could be renamed:
Ravn - from Norwegian (Raven) or Ravnfødt (Raven Born)
Hrafn - from Icelandic (Raven) or Hrafnabörn (Raven Kin)
Raenkin - from Finnish (Raven Kin)
Also - holy moly I am not sure which one to go with. Maybe make it a vote? Do we have a voting mechanism? I think Raenkin would be best as it has no special characters but I love Ravnfødt.
Rosisha
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Re: Tengu/Covidians - A Kenku Conversion

Post by Rosisha »

Mythology & Religion: Ravnfødt were created through divine intervention. Huginn and Muninn, in serving Odin also had children - the First Born. A clutch of 100 eggs hatched and were born, and emerged as beautiful ravens willing and able to serve Odin. Yet, Huginn and Muninn were so good at their jobs, there was no role for the fledglings. But Odin had an idea, for a noble vanguard - and he gathered the 100 to him, and 100 of the best warriors within the halls of Valhalla and brought them together. The souls of the heroic fallen merged into the ravens blessing them with valor and courage, and their bodies grew to match their souls, shifting and changing to merge together. Thus the Ravnfødt were created and sent to the world to be the Vanguard of Ragnarök. The Ravnfødt are proud of their origin and gleefully throw themselves into battle - knowing that even if they die, they'll be resurrected again as the Chosen.
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SmootRK
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Re: Tengu/Covidians - A Kenku Conversion

Post by SmootRK »

I really like the background... but I do understand that not everyone uses such Norse mythology in their campaigns.
That part ought to be a side-bar or otherwise set apart as a more campaign specific background.

That said, I would use that directly for my own campaigns, as it fits right in for me.
Is it really the end, not some crazy dream?
Rosisha
Posts: 452
Joined: Sat Nov 15, 2008 12:17 am

Re: Tengu/Covidians - A Kenku Conversion

Post by Rosisha »

Oh totally agree. And the background of the Tengu is pretty interesting in and of itself. They started as demons, the became protectors. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tengu
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Dimirag
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Re: Tengu/Covidians - A Kenku Conversion

Post by Dimirag »

Covidians sounds really... pandemic... should it be Corvidiands? From the Latin Corvi, the plural of corvus.
Sorry for any misspelling or writing error, I am not a native English speaker
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Seven
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Re: Tengu/Covidians - A Kenku Conversion

Post by Seven »

Not big on Covidians. That's too close to Covidiots.

Interesting, idea, however.
Rosisha
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Re: Tengu/Covidians - A Kenku Conversion

Post by Rosisha »

Dimirag wrote: Thu Oct 01, 2020 2:30 pm Covidians sounds really... pandemic... should it be Corvidiands? From the Latin Corvi, the plural of corvus.
D'Oh! Yes. That's what I meant but I do much prefer the other name suggestions we have!

Ravn - from Norwegian (Raven) or Ravnfødt (Raven Born)
Hrafn - from Icelandic (Raven) or Hrafnabörn (Raven Kin)
Raenkin - from Finnish (Raven Kin)
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