Firav Name: Baba Cloanta Age: unknown Origin: Scythia House: Ravanossa Rank: Matriarch of Ghostglade Weapons: Mortar & Pestle Animalis: Raven of the Veil Blade Supreme: unknown Children: many daughters Appearances: Sign of the Raven Sign of the Owl Cloanta shares the fate of many powerful women in ancient folklore. Her name has been desecrated, and her persona reduced to a stereotype of old witches. Some tales describe her as a gruesome and frightening monster that is leading wanderers into their demise. Others tell of her as a child-eating troll of some sort. But neither is true. None of these narrations can truly grasp the whole picture of a woman that indisputably has become an established archetype of female sorcery. Baba Cloanta’s origins are rooted deeply in Slavic folklore. As the Wallachian and Transylvanian pendant to Baba Yaga, she is thought of as an old crone, who lives deep in the woods, where she guards the gates to the realms of death. She is a warden of the veil and as such serves the eternal forest. The raven witch herself, however, prefers to associate her work with that of a quest master. Heroes and brave people are put to the test during an encounter with Cloanta. She has shaped countless mortals into knights, priestesses, kings and queens and thus contributed greatly to numerous eras of glory for the kingdoms of mankind. Yet with her own lineage, she often struggles. Her offshoot repeatedly has proven itself inconsiderate in terms of weaving the web of fate. A duty for the House of the Raven. For death can only exist when there is life to end. Such clever animals, those ravens. They see, hear and know so much that many cultures deem them messengers of the otherside. Clearly beings of the veil—the Eastern Veil in Cloanta’s case. She is one of the last living creatures that still remembers how Transylvania got its name. The Forest Beyond it is called for a reason… …to be continued. “Time has a strange way of revealing the truth. If you follow it long enough, it will teach you every secret of existence.”

Ravonja Name: Ravonja Corvinus-Draculesti Age: unknown Origin: Transylvania House: Ravanossa Rank: Lady General of the Raven Blades Weapons: Daggers of Castle Bran / Bow of Corvinus Animalis: Blood Raven / Dragon Blood Blade Supreme: ??? Children: ??? Appearances: Sign of the Raven Sign of the Owl As Lady General of the Raven Blades, Ravonja is the second most powerful woman of House Ravanossa. Her lineage reminds everyone of the mighty families that once ruled over Transylvania, Moldova and Wallachia. A vampiress she is indeed. But her ancestry is a mystery to most. This even more so since the source of Ravonja’s powers is not limited to vampirism alone. In fact, a mighty raven blood animalis slumbers within her soul, allowing her to walk the veil as if it was her native home. She knows all its secret paths—on land and at sea. On all her journeys, Ravonja is accompanied by her mighty Raven named Abraxis. The bird is no animal of mortal realms but rather travels between worlds as a messenger for notices of highest order. What he sees, Ravonja sees. And who he tracks, Ravonja will hunt down. There is no trail able to remain in the hidden if Ravonja and Abraxis set out to find it. Reliable tracers in service of the raven witch, with whom the Raven Blade’s lady general shares more than just a raven aspect. As a young girl, she was sent to Cloanta to become her apprentice. Their relationship can be compared to that of a grandmother and her granddaughter, making Ravonja one of the raven witch’s closest confidants. Whoever opposes Cloanta, also opposes the Raji’Rav lady general. And where she is nigh, Baron Zamedi usually isn’t far either. The triad of death they sometimes are called. For strangers, who spot one of them, might not live to see another sunrise… …to be continued. “Time has a strange way of revealing the truth. If you follow it long enough, it will teach you every secret of existence.”

Zazan Name: Zazan Zamedi Age: unknown Origin: Nemesava House: Zamedi Rank: Baron of House Zamedi Weapons: Sword of Flames Animalis: Blood Raven / Owl Ghost / unknown Mistress: ♱ Children: Zakane Appearances: Sign of the Raven Sign of the Owl Zazan is a mysterious character. Not much is known about the raven shaman of House Zamedi, but as only baron in a realm full of baronesses, he certainly holds the uncommon title of a patriarch. His influence on Gardyan’s affairs, though, is limited to the veil. Cast out by his clan for studying the forbidden power of blood magic, Baron Zamedi’s fate lies in exile. Keeping him from having his say in matters of great importance, however, this does not… Father to Rayan’s first lieutenant and lead detective Zakane, Zazan has bequeathed his son an exceptional sense for irregularities. While his son tends to utilise said skill in order to solve crimes, Baron Zamedi has committed himself to erasing what he calls interferences within the timeline. In that matter, he does not leave it at prevention. Very actively, the blood shaman intervenes when the veil’s course of events appears to be off and does not shy away from taking radical measures. A habit that has often brought him into trouble in the past… Due to his relentless pursuit of meddling with the course of time and fate, Zazan has caused quite a bunch of unexpected consequences he endeavours to resolve nowadays. With or without permission of the raven witch. Baron Zamedi and Baba Cloanta are somewhat two sides of the same coin. He often describes her as his pendant among guardians of the veil—a spiritual sister, so to speak. Together they keep the veil’s shadow side in check and assure that darkness knows its place. It remains to be seen whether Zazan is able to do the same with regard to his own shadows… …to be continued. “Family be only runnin’ through blood…”

Ruxandra Name: Arayon Araqan Name: Ruxandra “Mama Woodleg” Dragovaste Age: unknown Origin: Moldova House: Zamedi Rank: Baroness of Assassins Weapons: unknown Animalis: – Blade Supreme: – Children: Roxana Dragovaste, unknown Appearances: Sign of the Raven Sign of the Owl Ruxandra, better known as Mama Woodleg, is mother to Rayan’s late War Mistress, Baroness Roxana and thus grandmother to Firav. The administrator of the Red Raven recently acquired the title Baroness of Assassins due to the Raven Blade Order’s reformation. Now, she is part of Nathum’s council alongside its mayoress, Lady Dakeda. Her past spans centuries spent in two worlds. For Ruxandra’s biography did not begin in Gardyan. Instead, she was forcefully brought to the realm. Once handmaiden to Cneajna, the wife of Vlad Dracul II., she could’ve been part of the rich legends revolving around House Draculesti and their allies. But Ruxandra got tempted by an offer that turned out to be nothing but broken promises. As one of the Witcher Kings’ chosen concubines, she agreed to move to Gardyan during a time where darkness reigned the realm, losing all her honour, dignity and opportunities in the process, as well as one leg. The loss of latter was responsible for her nickname “Mama Woodleg” under which she runs the Red Raven as an establishment pending between tavern, brothel and assassins headquarter. An estate’s fate not welcomed by many since it affects the reputation of House Zamedi—the original title of the Red Raven. Were it not for its owner, Zazan Zamedi, Ruxandra’s patron within the domain of Gardyan, she would have not survived the torment and agony posed upon her mortal body by the Witcher King she was forced to marry. Therefore, her loyalty entirely lies with the raven shaman and Cloanta, the ravenwitch who offered her disgraced priestess redemption beyond the veil… …to be continued. “Some offers are better left unnoticed…”

Ylvsea

In the East of Gardyan, the mist woven borders of Ylvsea mark the end of the realm’s explored territories. A landscape of ghost birches coats rivers and pathways into a hazy domain no wanderer ever came to report on. Time and space have no meaning within Ylvsea’s veil.

Legend has it, that this mysterious matriarchy once was an empire of immortal human sorceresses and priestesses before their species fell from grace and was cast into mortality by the gods.

Not many Gardyans maintain relationships to inhabitants of Ylvsea. Only the raven priesthood of Rayan and some Nemesian druids are said to commune with representatives of the Eastern matriarchy. Historical records about this land are scarce. What is known, however, is that Ylvsea at one point was involved in the emergence of the Rakatan Rift—a deep ravine of a temporal river separating Rayan from Nemesava. Every now and then, the Rakatan develops a rare tide, rising up from the depths and filling the void between both matriarchies. Just like Ylvsea’s mists, sometimes wavering closer to border settlements than usual.

One thing is known about Ylvsea: Its embassadors are members of the raven priesthood. Most of them are of human descent or at least have some human ancestry. Rumours speak of an owl spirit equivalent to this priesthood behind Ylvsea’s borders, but none of their members has ever been seen in the West. At least not in Rayan.

Characters

Legend of Gardyan, Character Design, Baba Cloanta, Baba Yaga

Legend of Gardyan, Character Design, Ravonja

Legend of Gardyan, Character Design, Zazan

Legend of Gardyan, Character Design, Ruxandra

Sign of the Raven: Book Trailer

“Sign of the Raven absolutely delivers on immersive, high fantasy world-building in a way that demands your full attention …. and honestly…. I loved that. This is not a “skim and vibe” kind of fantasy. You have to settle in, pay attention, and let the world unfold around you piece by piece. And once it does? It’s incredibly rewarding.”

—Betsy

Character Portrait: Radu

“Sign of the Raven” by Brynn Danu is a dark epic fantasy novel rooted in blood, inheritance, and perilous magic that scars not only the land, but the souls bound to it. The story unfolds with a purposeful pace, allowing power, violence, and consequence to shape the narrative as much as prophecy and fate“

—Maissy