Article:Cerbain

From HofWiki

"Flocks of birds, flying at great speed, were wheeling and circling, and traversing all the land as if they were searching for something; and they were steadily drawing nearer."
—The Fellowship of the Ring

Description

Crebain are large black birds of crow-kind. They can understand Westron, but not speak it. Understanding the cawed reports of a flock of crebain requires the Beast Speech spell.

History

Although related to crows and ravens and generally indistinguishable from them, the crebain are greatly feared as spies of the Shadow. They may as a species be in some way be related to the ravens of the North—such as Roäc of Ravenhill near the Lonely Mountain—that were corrupted by the Enemy. From TA 3000 to 3018, Saruman the White had many flocks of crebain scouring Eriador in search of the One Ring.

Habitat

The crebain are native to the lands that border the southern Misty Mountains, Dunland to the west and Fangorn to the east. They also congregate in great flocks amid the peaks and crags of the mountains around Isengard.

Society

The crow-like crebain maintain a society similar to their normal counterparts. Massive groups of these uncanny birds, called rookeries, can be found throughout the southern Misty Mountains. When they fly on missions for their masters, crebain mass in dark clouds that wheel and bank over the countryside in search of their quarry. They also fly quietly, unlike other crow-kind; rarely does even one of their kind utter a sound while on the wing.

Usage

The crebain make excellent spies for the Enemy—truly, that is their sole purpose. An entire flock of ravens poses a unique threat: One spy is easily removed, but what can one do against hundreds? The crebain can understand Westron and have the Wits to carry out simple commands. A Sorcerer or corrupted Elf would undoubtedly have a rookery with flock of crebain at his beck and call, especially if his domain is near Eregion or Dunland.