Inktober Of Myths And Monsters 21: Nachtkrapp (one Of Many Monsters Concocted To Make Children Behave,

A legend of the European and the Northern lands, this creature would instill terror in the hearts of the children who would not slip into bed in time. Certain tales claim that it’s terrible form bears holes in the eyes and wings, which would spread ill fortune, disease, and even death to those unlucky enough to stare into them. Inktober day 21, Nachtkrapp!

#inktober #inktober2018 #ofmonstersandmyths #nachtkrapp #raven #horror #digitalart #autodesksketchbook https://www.instagram.com/p/BpMk3jsAiex/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=7ktdbg6d0by1

It's high time I posted this one!

I love Hellblade so much, this i sone of the most emotionally accurate and symbolic games ever in my opinion.

NAME: Valravn (Pl: Valravne)

RARITY: ★★☆☆☆

THREAT LEVEL: ★★☆☆☆ | Primarily a concern if they’re after you. But don’t look them in the eyes or you’ll share in their vengeance quest.

HABITAT: Most frequently the woods and in mountainous forests.

DESCRIPTION: Valravne were once ordinary ravens or other corvids. Only after they feed on the heart of someone who was murdered will they become something else – a vengeful bird with eyes that glow red or purple with fury. Though still technically ravens, these birds now have part of the deceased person’s will inside of them, and in addition to playing deadly tricks on unsuspecting people, they will stalk and torment their killers, driving them insane and eventually to their death. They’ll stop at nothing to meet this goal and may even force you into helping with the task by staring into your eyes. Since it isn’t unusual for several birds to pick at a dead person’s body, there are cases where a whole flock of valravn are created from a single person’s heart; these are the most deadly for the murderer to contend with. 

Because valravne are live, mundane animals with the essence and desires of the dead corrupting them, they themselves are not spectral. It’s more akin to possession. As such, both rangers and mediums will be able to feel their presence. Once a valravn slays its killer, the spirit will be at peace and disappear, leaving behind a confused raven. While valravne were originally observed as being ravens or less commonly crows, every once in a while another related bird species will end up becoming one, such as a blue jay or grackle. These smaller birds pose somewhat of a less physical threat.

ABILITIES: Valravne are, in many ways, ordinary ravens. They just have an insatiable desire for revenge, and that drives their actions even when beyond their own understanding. They have animal intelligence, but the spirit inside of them guides them in clever ways. Some misinterpret this as the valravn having supernatural intelligence, but that’s not quite the case. Valravne can feel the presence of their killer, though this grows weaker with greater distance; as such it can take them a while to find their target. Meeting a valravn’s eyes for a prolonged stare will fill you with vengeance for their killer, though you won’t know their identity. Valravne have stirred people into violence with their gaze, even making them commit murder themselves, but that anger is only directed toward the killer or killers. 

WEAKNESS: There are ways to be rid of valravne, such as striking them with a silver weapon, but they’re crafty and swift, making this a difficult task. They can be killed like an ordinary bird, but again, this is difficult in practice. Certain charms may prevent valravne from attacking, but this is a temporary measure, and as soon as the targeted person removes the charm or it becomes worn out, they are vulnerable again. The best solution for a valravne problem is to get help from an exorcist who can pull the volatile spirit out of the bird – forcing the spirit to move on and allowing the raven to live. Not all exorcists would find this ethical considering it’s helping a killer over their victim; they might not see it as helping the living over the dead. 

OTHER VARIANTS:

Vilde valravn: Sometimes the killer of a valravn will die in another way, or their lifespan will reach its natural conclusion. So what happens to a valravn that doesn’t get the opportunity to achieve vengeance? The hatred in the spirit’s heart continues to fuel its existence, leaving the valravn stuck on the earthly plane. These valravn grow incredibly angry and wild, and eventually stop caring about distinguishing between their killer and others who just happen to have killed anyone in the past. They’ll read someone’s heart and, if assessed to be murderous, come at them with all of the fury they reserved for their killer.

"If you don't see a threat, it doesn't mean there isn't one."

Happy belated Halloween from my edgiest character :)

Keep reading

Starry-eyed.

Fun fact, with this attack complete, I have drawn every valravn/valravn-related character uploaded to Art Fight! (As of 2023 at least.)

Kvasir is the OC of Lemoneymango.

" Now I'm not looking for absolution Forgiveness for the things I do But before you come to any conclusions Try walking in my shoes Try walking in my shoes You'll stumble in my footsteps "

I think I've drawn Valerie's monstrous form...once before? I really need to draw it more. More info after the cut.

So I've had the idea for this piece for years now, but I never drew it because I felt like I didn't have the skill to pull it off. Eventually I resigned myself to commissioning another artist to draw it for me, and I started making a quick sketch of my idea...and I kept sketching it...until I had drawn the whole thing myself in a few hours. Guess I just needed to get over myself and draw it mindlessly LOL

I need to make a proper writeup of who Valerie even is one of these days but for now the short summary is: she was born human, but a valravn ripped her heart out and turned her into one of his own. She escaped from him, but she also now has to eat human hearts on a semi-regular basis. Needless to say, it's taken a toll on her mental health.

Oh yeah and here's the no background version

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Yes, that's a Nachtkrapp! A creature from South German folklore! Love how this came out

Valravn 2.0

finally made a character sheet for them :>