The Ravens are a mercenary company that have played a major role in the Saga since the fall of Boersgard. The governor of that doomed city hired Bolverk Bloodaxe, the leader of the Ravens, to keep order during the siege of dredge, and more practically to protect the unpopular governor from the wrath of his people.
As the situation in the city became more dire, Bolverk and the Ravens were responsible for dismantling structures around the docks and hastily constructing makeshift boats to flee the city. The citizens realized they were being left behind, and rioted. Bolverk showed the cool willingness of a hired mercenary to put down the insurrection with easy violence.
After the heroes of the Banner Saga defeated the Sundr Bellower, the city remained in grave danger. The surviving heroes gathered refugees onto the ships, including the company of Ravens and the Governor of Boersgard. The hastily constructed fleet then fled downriver, hoping to take refuge in the distant human capital, Arberrang.
Traveling under a distinctive black banner, the Ravens are merciless and often cruel, considering their oath the one unbreakable rule. The company has a reputation for complete reliability, and is willing to do anything necessary to fulfil their contracts. The ranks of the the company are often filled with wanted criminals and ruthless cutthroats, and their leader, Bolverk, is a deadly berserker for whom violence is second nature. The iconoclastic leader commands unshakeable respect from his troops.
Bolverk believes that unlike his Varl brethren, who are the product of a divine merger between Yox and Man, he is part man, part bear. To further assume the role, Bolverk wears a thick bear skin on his back at all times, and broke off his horns in defiance of his yoxen heritage.
Bolverk's second in command is a shieldmaiden known as Folka, a powerful warrior whose clear thinking and tactical prowess functions as a crucial counterpoint to Bolverk's rage-driven battle style. Folka is the only human to ever stand up to Bolverk, and the only human to ever earn his respect and trust.
Our friend Nika Harper (
@NikaHarper) has written a 4-part story about the origins of Folka, and you can read it here:
http://bannersaga.com/folka
The saga details several other members of the Ravens, including Sigbjorn. A warhawk like Gunnulf, Sigbjorn was sent from Boersgard to the village of Reynivik to recover a stock of valuable mead. When we first meet Sigbjorn, we find him drunk and under siege himself, a contingent of dredge assaulting the meadhouse of Reynivik.
Another member of the Ravens is Sparr, a Skald who has been with the company longer than any other human. Through his wit, poetry, and music, Sparr enhances the prowess of the Ravens in distinctive and numerous ways.
Possibly through Sparr's influence, the Ravens themselves take an interesting approach to music in general. For the Ravens, singing and chanting is seen as a purely martial art. Unlike most of the other characters in the saga, who break into song at each godstone, and during camp, the Ravens only sing when they engage in battle. These chants were sung by the inestimable Icelandic musical group Árstíðir (
@arstidir), and the songs that contain them can be heard on the
Banner Saga 2 Original Soundtrack, for example on these tracks:
Blades Yearn For Courageous Blood
With Eyes To The Endless Sun
Banner Saga music video they produced.
When composing the soundtrack of the Banner Saga, Austin Wintory created a distinctive musical arc for the Ravens. When the Ravens depart with Juno's box under their black banner from the ruins of Ormsdalr, they forge new paths into their own musical themes.
Some examples of Ravens-specific themes can be found on these tracks:
It is through the point of view of Bolverk and the Ravens that the Saga first reveals the coming darkness. It is Bolverk who opens Juno's box to discover the secrets therein, and over time whose mind becomes increasingly agitated and twisted by nightmarish visions.
After Bolverk turns on the caravan, he awakens dark and dangerous power. The rest of the Ravens have departed with Juno, but what fate awaits us all when Bolverk reappears? What crucial role do the Ravens have yet to play in the third and final part of the Banner Saga?
In the meantime, please download and enjoy these
wallpapers of Arnie Jorgensen's amazing Ravens-themed sleeve from the
Banner Saga 2 Double-LP album: