Night Ravens

"One of the primary non-human races."Quiet beats of dark-feathered wings, carrying tidings from the gods. Night Ravens are avian humanoids, appearing as humans with large black wings that allow them to fly, glowing red eyes that can see beyond the limits of sight, and an affinity to nocturnal magic.

Legend
Oft-invoked as a threat to unruly children refusing to sleep at night, Night Ravens feature in many a story of abduction from above. Legendary for their ability to fly in near silence, they are often said to grab rebellious children who fail to come home when the sun sets, though naturally these tales rarely go into what is done with the absconded youths.

Other accounts tell of winged saviors finding lost children and leading them back to civilization, or descending upon injured travelers in remote areas and tending to their wounds until they are fit to be on their way once more. Sometimes this aid requires a sacrifice of some sort, agreed upon or otherwise, but just as often it was given for free.

Even older mention of Night Ravens appears in the form of ancient mythology which speaks of winged messengers who deliver decrees from the heavenly realm, announcing judgement of wrong-doings or commanding a change in behavior to appease the gods. And rarer still, it is said that warriors who died in nighttime battles were escorted to the Eternal Halls by these dark-winged guides. It is unknown if this is due to early interaction between humanity and Night Ravens or simply a coincidental similarity due to the usage of wings to represent a spiritual nature.

Description
Night Ravens appear to be humans with pale skin and pure dark hair. Their eyes are often red though gold and blue are common as well, and they appear to glow softly when looked at directly, though this does not actually provide illumination in the dark. They are often shorter than humans, with an average height of 5'3" for males, 4'11" for females, and their weights are low even for their height, due to lower bone density.

The most striking feature of Night Ravens is of course their large black wings, having a wingspan just over twice their height. This size is required to provide lift to allow them to fly. When tucked behind their backs, a Night Raven's wings are small enough to not add significant height or width to their profiles, but are still normally noticeable, unless being magically hidden.

While most Night Ravens have black feathers, there are plenty that sport a brown coloration instead, or some combination of the two. This often runs in the family and there is a bit of a stigma about Night Ravens with brown feathers, as they (or perhaps their ancestors) appear to be so poor that they must 'bathe in the mud,' an old flock superstition not backed up by biology.

Capabilities
With their prominent wings, flight is the most obvious of Night Raven capabilities. They can reach upwards of 4,500 meters in height given enough of an updraft, and the design of their wings' feathers enables them to dive with remarkably little sound. Additionally, because their capacity for flight is completely natural, there is no magical signature to pick up via arcane detection. This allows them to travel stealthily and without the exhausting need for exerting magical energy to maintain flight.

Aiding their natural penchant for subterfuge, Night Ravens possess an affinity for Night Magic and can study to learn a variety of powers such as sleep inducement, dream manipulation, shadow sight, umbral transport, darkness manifestation, and potentially more esoteric applications. Not all Night Ravens pursue such knowledge as only a small portion of the population takes up the role of apprentice under an Elder Raven. Study of these traditions is solely relegated to oral transmission, as no written record or documentation of Night Magic exists.

Finally, Night Ravens have particularly powerful eyes, able to see in the dark without difficulty. They can discern details at much greater distances than human eyes, and they are also capable of magical detection. This makes them excellent spotters and observers.

Limitations
The primary weakness Night Ravens suffer from is a lack of physical sturdiness. Due to their avian nature, their bones are more brittle than a human's, and while their magical abilities lend themselves to avoiding being seen or targeted, if they do suffer an attack they are significantly less likely to survive it than a human mage or a member of another race.

On a more character-focused note, Night Ravens often experience difficulty in becoming invested with the machinations of humans, such as political turmoil or the state of human social institutions. This has been theorized to relate to the position of the winged species preferred location- in the sky, far above those who walk on the ground- but it might be something more intangible as well, relating to the very long-term spiritual outlook that underpins Night Raven psychology.