What better to post the first time in a brand-new Snow Raven thread but why you love that Clan! I'll start.
Firstly, the totem animal. Ravens, crows and other members of the corvidae family are spread all over the globe; yet they accomplish to be nearly not perceived at all. Humans are used to their close coexistence and man doesn't know much about its close neighbours. Thereby, ravens and crows are the most intelligent and smart birds! And there are scientists arguing they may be the most intelligent animals of all. They are definitely self-aware. Experiments showed, that ravens can instantly recognize themselves when looking into a mirror. Most animals would take their own reflection as a different animal of their kind. A sticker attached to the raven looking into the mirror resulted in the bird trying to get it off. But it goes even further. They're not only able to reproduce human voices perfectly (better then any parrots) but they're able to produce tools! Unique tools for unique tasks! Given a piece of wire, a crow or a raven is able to bend it in such a way, that it is able to fish a little basket out of a tube for getting the treat in there. Crows even manage to read traffic lights. They know that cars have to stop when it's red and they can harvest the nuts on the cross-walk. In Japan, there are crows and ravens building their nests out of hangers to better protect their fledglings from environmental influences like hurricans or earthquakes (or the fire department trying to shoot them down with water hoses). They even have been watched belying other birds and humans when leading them away from hidden food stores they perfectly found next time alone.
But it's not only their intelligence. They're able to fight as well. There's no bird of prey which is going easily into a fight with a raven or a crow (or even a flock of them). Have you ever seen a ravens beak? It's as large as an eagle's one. And they often work together to get what they want. Most eagles try to ignore crows and ravens until they get to bold and then they retreat annoyed. Ravens and crows don't get the same prestige like eagles or falcons, but they don't need to hide either. Actually, they more often win in direct confrontations then they're loosing. (Mostly by being more clever and agile.)
Last aspect of our totem animal is it's huge aura of myth and shadowiness. I guess, there are few other animals getting so much attention in tales, myths and so on. Wether the bird is evil or not, it is always an animal of great power. Encountering a raven or a crow should be always a sign to treat very careful.
Secondly, the clan itself. The mentality of Clan Snow Raven (and its history) match the characteristics of the true animal perfectly. I love that the clan wastes nothing. I love, that next to competence in AeroSpace the clan is known for being the most apt in politics. Our enemies normally realize that they got outmaneuvered by us when its far too late. (I love the introductory fiction of Historical Turning Point: Antallos.) We're the only clan which not only demands military skills but political cunning as well. "The List" takes care that not only the fit are in charge of the entire clan, but those, who are - true to our totem - politically skilled, cunning and roughless as well. Because without those, we wouldn't survive in such a hostile to life environment. And like corvids, we work together in flocks.
Let the Falcons raise their fledglings in false pride. Let the Wolves look down on us. Let all our foes belittle us. We do not care, because it is all in vain. We are Snow Raven and we will knock them down a peg by simply persevering when even the memory of them has ceased to exist.
Seyla!
