Unmerciful Crows

Humble yourself before the Dead Gods that they might give you strength to preserve their creations' light. Pray to the Saints who died for your sins and gifted their magics. Honor the Crow Witch who defends you from rot.A DnD 5e Live Play GameInspired by but NOT affiliated with Merciful Crow by Margaret Owen.

In the land of Skögheim, where the Gods fell on their swords and the arcane weave is a whisper, our story unfolds. Thousands of years ago, the island continent became surrounded by a thick fog, cutting them off from leyline magics. The people were rigidly separated into social castes: Phoenix, Splendid, Hunting, and Common. Each caste inherited Gods-given abilities, Birthrites, that all but replaced the ley magic that once defined the continent. The division held until a fifth caste appeared. Crows. And with them, a plague seemed to follow.To atone for their sins, the Crows became outcasts, forced to wander Skögheim in small packs. Because of their immunity to the plaguerot, they became undertakers. There was no relief, no treatment for the plague beyond a merciful death and funeral rites. The Crows did this duty for hundreds of years. Tensions slowly rose. Some believed the Crows purposefully spread the plague. Others simply saw them as a nuisance and disruptors of the status quo.It is poorly documented that sometime during the civil war, a Crow made a covenant bond to finally contain the plague. When the fighting was done, the Crow was rewarded with a seat of power. Over time the social divisions diminished. Political structures shifted. Crows took positions of honor and status within their communities. And a city near the center of the continent became a Refuge for those who chose it.Now, nearly 800 years since the war, with the balance of power shifting, we find Skögheim in an era of uneasy peace. Old families bicker over trade and status. The leymen must choose between their ancestral lands and their desires to prosper abroad. And the crows strive to find their callings in a world no longer plagued by rot.

Player Characters

Mortimer Mayhem

#Not a Child.
Halfing Sorcerer who prefers geese and books to socializing and it shows. Mort is a little too direct and prone to loudly expressing himself at every opportunity. Likes to magic missile their problems a little too much.

Redrix

Redrix is a soft spoken, reserved elf, who has a preference to settle things non violently but will do whatever he feels is necessary to protect the people he cares about. Having spent most of his life with only a handful of people and primarily only Felwinter, he can be a bit awkward socially.

Sivri Vaile

Either as a wizard's apprentice, or a crow witch, Sivri Vaile uses her spells to protect others from harm. She's seen firsthand how destructive magic can be, so she's dedicated herself to being a counterbalance.

Kelani Moku

Having grown up on a farm, Kelani has always gotten along better with animals then people. That won't stop her from trying, though. She yearns for adventure and to prove that she can make it on her own, out from under her parents protective wings.

Fayre Harpe

A soft smile, a subtle wink, a light giggle, a gentle hand on the shoulder. Things that Fayre Harpe has perfected over the years. Ways to make people feel at ease in her presence, someone that everyone feels comfortable around. Never a hair out of place, never having a bad day, always a dependable kindness to rely on,and sometimes more (if you had enough coin that is). A beauty that everyone wanted a taste of, a rose among thorns and always in bloom. Never one for drama or begging for a deeper connection. Just ready to be of service when needed. Never lingering in one town for too long. But why? She’s never said, simply a pretty face and a warm smile. But you should never judge a book by its cover.

Queleck Elghinn

The High Crow Witch

Auron Istolil

Left Hand of the High Crow

Sabine Vigil

Right Hand of The High Crow

Nadja

The Covenant

Plays: Mortimer Mayhem

Important Terminology

Plaguepurge Pilgrimage
A journey taken by the High Crow Witch every five years. They travel southeast from the center of the continent to Jaðarr, visiting the villages between, then begin their pilgrimage in earnest. They visit the three Saints Forts, move to Villiir, to Vatten, Awnd, then move west through the Splendid region, often skipping Luxaire. They visit each Common town and city, ending in Nathaer then on to each of the Phoenix's. Ends in Ofsi with the Royal Family paying tribute.Oleander/Oleander Gentry
members include bitter, old family descendants, bigots, psychophants. A dying breed.Goshawk Elite
New age aggressors and disruptorsViatik
tithe paid for crow servicesSkinghast
Undead vesselsBone necklace
literal bone necklace crow witches pull magic fromHeirloom Bannan
Bones, usually teeth, gathered by a family to safekeep until a Crow Witch is born to their lineWitchmark
The thousand witches of Skogheim are all marked with a simple black tattoo to alert their status as a witch as early as the age of 7. The tattoo is magical in nature and grows proportionally with the individual. Many witches choose to adorn their marks with additional ink but they all bear the same symbol.Plague beacons
lit to call for Crow aidSinners Hut
a building now dedicated to treating the illl, often built up around the old huts where the plagued would be sequestered to stop the plague spreadingPlaguerot
term used to describe the toll untreated plague will take on the people and landLeymen
average members of each cast. Intentionally named "leymen" because they draw their magics from the ley lines crisscrossing the world. While they cannot rely on their birthrights outside of their native region, they still have access to arcana granted by their class