The Antivan Crows, also known as House of Crows, are an elite organization of thieves, spies, and assassins renowned throughout Thedas.
Background[]
The Crows started as an arm of the Chantry. In the hills north of Treviso, an order of monks used the herbs grown in the gardens of their abbey to assassinate a despotic duke.[1][2] Since then, through their deadly reputation and exotic poisons, the Crows have practically come to rule their homeland. Though honor among such an organization is generally dubious, they do adhere to one standard: contracts are met and agreements are kept. Failure to eliminate a mark means the life of the operative is also forfeit. The Antivan Crows are a driving political force in Antiva, often hired to assassinate Antivan nobility or even royalty. Their reputation is enough to deter many nations from openly attacking Antiva despite its lack of a standing army.[3] Zevran implies the Crows are an important part of Antivan society as a whole.
When the Crows are hired for a job, generally one master handles the contract. However, if the master is unable to complete it, then other masters can be hired. It is even possible to hire the entire House of Crows, however that would be extremely expensive. There is only one known case where this occurred.[4]
The Crows run Velabanchel, an infamous and feared prison where they keep people incarcerated for "fun and torture." Its reputation has earned it the nickname of "the House of Graves."
History[]
Past contracts, blackmail materials and secret histories are kept in the Archive of the Crows in Antiva City. Several of their assassinations have become notorious.
'Just Desserts'[]
In 3:09 Towers, Knight-Commander Gervasio of Antiva invoked the Right of Annulment on the Circle of Magi and killed all of the city's mages for demonic possession. An investigation by the Seekers of Truth later showed that the Right might have been invoked to cover-up a massacre by Knight-Captain Nicolas, who confessed to murdering over a hundred mages.[5] In retaliation, the Crows were hired to kill the highest members of the Antivan Templar Order. The assassins infiltrated the Circle and infused lemon cake with Maferath's Embrace, a toxin that increases the victim's blood pressure until veins and organs rupture, killing the Knight-Commander and his Knight-Captains. The assassination earned the moniker 'Just Desserts' because the poison was administered through cake.[2]
The Crows and Queen Madrigal[]
One of the Crows' most infamous assassinations was that of Queen Madrigal in 5:99 Exalted. The Queen failed to return from a hunt and was later found with four swords through her body. One of these swords was a replica of Hessarian's Blade of Mercy. Captain Aristide was charged with investigating the murder. After several Crows died under torture, he came to realize that no amount of pain would break the Crows. The guild's notorious reputation was well earned.[6] The violence of the incident haunted the dreams of Divine Theodosia I, thus inspiring her to declare the Steel Age.
The Songbird[]
Carlota Montivecchio, nicknamed 'the Songbird,' was a talented opera singer. After she tried to strangle a rival soprano with a string of pearls, the rival hired the Crows to cut Carlota's throat. She was found dead by the director after curtain call, with a string of pearls around her neck.[2]
Prince Estefan[]
Prince Estefan was known for his many bastard children. He was known for bedding high-born married women, using sheets to sneak in and out of their bedroom windows. One night, when he was visiting a beautiful married woman named Marcella, he found a Crow waiting for him. The Prince was strangled in bedsheets, his neck snapped. The public version of the story painted the death as accidental. Prince Estefan's mistress was killed by an adder hidden among her clothes.[2]
Involvement[]
Dragon Age: Last Flight[]
Dragon Age: Origins[]
Arl Rendon Howe hires Zevran Arainai to assassinate the Warden, Alistair and their allies as they are the political enemies of Regent Loghain Mac Tir.
After Zevran's assassination attempt fails and his supporters are killed, the Warden may kill Zevran, recruit him or let him live and send him away. If Zevran joins the Warden, his former comrade Taliesen confronts them in Denerim and offers Zevran the chance to return to the Crows by concealing his initial failure to kill the Warden. If Zevran's approval is high enough, he rejects Taliesen's offer and kills him to protect the Warden. If not, Zevran turns against the Warden and is killed fighting alongside his fellow Crow.
The Warden may also choose to work for the Crows, through quests given by Master Ignacio. He reveals that the Crows originally believed Loghain to be Ferelden's best hope against the Darkspawn and hoped to eliminate Loghain's political opponents so he could unify Ferelden and lead the defense against the Blight. However, the Warden's successes convinced them they were an acceptable alternative, eroding Loghain's support while furthering their own agenda.
Dragon Age: Awakening[]
Conspirators led by Bann Esmerelle hire members of the Antivan Crows to kill the The Warden-Commander of Ferelden, but they are slain in the ensuing confrontation.
Dragon Age II[]
Dragon Age: The Silent Grove[]
Dragon Age: Inquisition[]
In recent years, several high-ranking members of the Antivan Crows have been assassinated, without contracts for their deaths. Some claim these deaths are the results of a single operator whom they call 'The Black Shadow.'
Dragon Age: Deception[]
Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights[]
Lucanis Dellamorte and his cousin Illario take an anonymous contract to assassinate Ambrose Forfex, Tevinter's premiere wigmaker and a Venatori blood mage. During one of his periwig shows in Vyrantium, they discover that he feeds his slaves red lyrium to create red-lyrium infused wigs. When Lucanis destroys the elven artifact strengthening the Veil, chaos erupts at the party. The slave models become possessed by demons, as do some of the drunkest and most frightened guests. While Illario gets the other slaves out of the mansion, Lucanis kills Forfex, who's turned into an arachnid-like abomination. As approximately forty of Forfex's guests are killed at the party, Lucanis becomes known as 'The Demon.'
An Old Crow's Old TricksLessef accepts a contract from Dalish clan Oranavra to eliminate four members of a Tevinter centuri who murdered a group of elven children from their clan.
Eight Little Talons Caterina Dellamorte, First Talon of the Crows, calls for an extraordinary meeting of all Eight Talons to discuss ways to defend against the potential Qunari invasion. At their retreat, several Talons are murdered in quick succession—Lera Valisti, Giuli Arainai, and Dante Balazar. After Andarateia Cantori foils an assassination attempt on Viago De Riva, they expose Emil Kortez as the murderer. He reveals that the Qunari approached him to eliminate the other Talons as a prelude to peaceful invasion, believing them when they said Antiva wouldn't be forced to submit to the Qun. The four remaining Talons—Caterina, Viago, Teia, and Bolivar Nero—kill Kortez for his betrayal.
As We Fly[]
Dragon Age: The Missing[]
Hierarchy[]
The Antivan Crows are compartmentalized into family houses, in imitation of the great noble families of Thedas, with each member of that house, from its leader to its rank and file assassins taking the house's name as their family name. The leadership of the Guild as a whole lies with the Eight Talons, and their respective houses, while lesser houses are referred to as cuchillos (knives). Houses frequently rise and fall in rank.
- Talon: The leaders of the Crows. Around 9:44 Dragon, the leading houses are Dellamorte, Balazar, Valisti, Kortez, De Riva, Nero, Cantori, and Arainai.[2] Houses frequently rise and fall. While new recruits are told that anyone can rise to the rank of Talon, in practice few achieve this rank without family or connections.[2]
- Guildmaster/Grandmaster:[9] A leader of a large group, such as an entire house.
- Master: A high-ranking assassin who accepts and handles assassination contracts.[10]
- Assassin: A member of the guild without greater rank.
Recruitment[]
The Crows usually employ elves because humans often find them attractive, giving them an advantage over their target. However, they also have a large number of human recruits. They train their recruits from a young age, and have no problem killing them if they make a mistake. It seems to be an effective method, though they would have everyone believe it takes some special skill to do what they do.
The Antivan Crows often buy orphaned or enslaved elves and humans when they are children and force them to live together in tight quarters. The only way they can survive the brutal process and prove themselves worthy is by surviving every test the Crows throw at them, including killing their peers.
Antivan Crows who achieve the rank of Talon are given a ceremonial dagger from the Guildmaster and sent to assassinate a target using that dagger alone. The greater the risk, the greater the good omen for the Talon's future.
Known members[]
- See also: Category:Antivan Crows
House Arainai[]
- Guildmaster Talav (9:16) – Second Talon
- Grandmaster Isidora (9:16-9:24)
- Grandmaster Eoman Arainai (9:26-9:31) – Eighth Talon
- Grandmaster Runn (c. 9:31-9:34)
- Grandmaster Availa (c. 9:31-9:34)
- Giuli Arainai – Eighth Talon (c. 9:44)
- Zevran Arainai
- Taliesen
- Rinna
House Dellamorte[]
- Caterina Dellamorte – First Talon (c. 9:44)
- Lucanis Dellamorte
- Illario Dellamorte
House Valisti[]
- Prince Claudio Valisti – Third Talon (9:38 Dragon)
- Ezio Valisti – Third Talon (9:41)[11]
- Lera Valisti – Third Talon (c. 9:44)
Other[]
- Andarateia Cantori – Seventh Talon (c. 9:44)
- Bolivar Nero – Sixth Talon (c. 9:44)
- Calien d'Evaliste – an Antivan Crow during the Exalted Age who was involved in the Fourth Blight
- Callisto "Finesse" di Bastion – killed King Guiomar the Younger of Antiva in 4:22 Black
- Cesar
- Dante Balazar – Second Talon (c. 9:44)
- Count Eduardo "Lalo" Sanvelli – a legendary assassin of the Steel Age[12]
- Emil Kortez – Fourth Talon (c. 9:44)
- House Ferragani – Eight Talon in 9:26, eliminated by House Arainai.[13]
- Ghita[14]
- Master Ignacio
- Lessef
- Neri de Acutis - a veteran Crow; Noa's younger brother[7]
- Noa de Acutis - a veteran Crow; Neri's older sister[7]
- Nuncio Caldera Lanos
- Ricter Cordova – an infamous Crow known for his speed, flourishes, and tendency to accept contracts from beautiful rich women.[15]
- Viago De Riva – Fifth Talon (c. 9:44)
- Vierre Lazar of Treviso[16][17]
Codex entries[]
- Codex entry: Antiva
- Codex entry: Zevran Arainai
- Codex entry: Zevran Arainai
- Codex entry: The Crows and Queen Madrigal
- Codex entry: Finesse
- Codex entry: In the Mists: Phantoms Out of Dreams
- Codex entry: In the Mists: A Torn Sky
Trivia[]
- In Dragon Age: Origins, Sten asks Zevran why they are called "The Crows." Zevran replies that he heard at one point they were considered being called the Kestrels, but claims that the name "didn't sing, didn't dance".
- "Crow feed" is a simple, affordable Antivan rice dish made with onions and butter. Its name derives from the Antivan Crows.[18]
- The Crows are reputed to use Antivan Fire grenades as part of their arsenal. Antivan apple grenades are hot, sweet dessert pastries filled with apple and made to resemble fire grenades in both shape and heat.[19]
See also[]
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Bioware Wiki. Assassin on BioWare wiki
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights, Eight Little Talons
- ↑ Dragon Age: The World of Thedas, vol. 1, p. 63
- ↑ Mentioned by Zevran Arainai and Ignacio.
- ↑ Magehunter
- ↑ Dragon Age: The World of Thedas, vol. 1, p. 64
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Short Story: As We Fly
- ↑ Dragon Age: The Missing, Issue 2
- ↑ Referenced in Codex entry: A Letter From Zevran.
- ↑ As witnessed with Master Ignacio.
- ↑ According to the guest announcements in the quest Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts in Dragon Age: Inquisition.
- ↑ Codex entry: Blackfeather Boots
- ↑ Dragon Age: The World of Thedas, vol. 2, p. 96
- ↑ Word from the Crows
- ↑ Cordova's Smile
- ↑ Codex entry: In the Mists: Phantoms Out of Dreams
- ↑ Codex entry: In the Mists: A Torn Sky
- ↑ Dragon Age: The Official Cookbook: Tastes of Thedas, p. 43
- ↑ Dragon Age: The Official Cookbook: Tastes of Thedas, p. 131