Raven was one of the first and most legendary witchers.
Biography
Hailing from the School of the Griffin, Raven would descend into the Northern Realms each spring and summer. His renown began after he lifted a lycanthropy curse from the Duke of Maribor. Following this, the common folk spread tales of Raven slaying vicious Cyclopses and battling deadly Manticores. However, Raven's crowning achievement came when the Hoog Clan of Mahakam summoned him for a perilous contract.
The Mahakam dwarves had long been troubled by a massive Draconid they called the "Black Drake." Mahakam defenders, legendary dwarven heroes, and mercenary bands had all tried and failed to kill the beast. Eventually, the clans decided to leave the Drake alone. However, after a massive meteorite crashed into the peaks where the Drake resided, they sought the aid of a witcher.
Upon Raven's arrival, he requested that the forge masters craft him a special armor to protect him from the Drake's deadly attacks. In response, they forged a sleek, black suit of armor, dwarf-made and finished by gnomes. Before Raven could wear the armor, he was approached by the elven songsmith, Tyen'sail, who had been in Mahakam seeking inspiration. Tyen'sail was captivated by the new armor and asked Raven if he could weave ancient legends and enchantments of bravery and power into it. Raven agreed, and Tyen'sail worked tirelessly for twelve days, etching the armor while singing songs of power and victory.
With his newly enchanted armor, Raven confronted the Black Drake and defeated it in a fierce battle. He brought the Drake's head back as proof of his victory and collected his reward before continuing his journey. Tyen'sail later composed a song to commemorate Raven's heroic battle.[1]
Legacy
After Raven's death, he was buried in his armor, along with his witcher Steel sword and his Moonblade, in a crypt located in the Swamp cemetery near Vizima. The inscription on his tomb reads:
- Here lies the witcher known as Raven - a great warrior and defender of the weak. Honored be his name.
Witchers from various schools would hear of Raven's legendary deeds and equally legendary armor during their training. One of them, witcher Berengar, became obsessed with finding the armor. He searched crypts and tombs, hoping to discover it. While exploring a crypt near the lakeshore at Murky Waters, Berengar encountered fellow Wolf witcher, Geralt of Rivia. Berengar told Geralt about the armor, piquing Geralt's interest. Determined to find it, Geralt eventually located Raven's crypt and retrieved a piece of the armor, along with the Notes of an elven minstrel, a fragment of Count Kobus de Ruyter's armor, and a magic formula. He brought these items to Kalkstein, who then reforged the armor.[2]