(Inspirations: Station Eleven, The Electric Mister Burns)
A travelling theatre troupe operating in the post-apocalyptic late CR era; possibly known as the Ravens as they descended from performers at the Scathe theatre in Ravendean. Their members and numbers constantly change; they usually average between one and two dozen members.
They are trained fighters in addition to performers, well able to defend themselves on the dangerous road. Several are skilled thieves, and happy to loosen the purse strings of a settlement if they feel they’ve been mistreated.
Their shows borrow from many different artistic styles: opera, dance, theatre, poetry, combat, acrobatics, etc. Their shows are retellings of tales that have been passed down for generations, distorted and twisted in the centuries. Their most popular pieces include the dramas Ode to Juliette, Shades of a Beast, and Fleet Street Butcher, and the comedies Earnestly Earnest, A Phantom, and Musical High.
They throw up a magical darkness before their performances since, coming from Ravendean, they are accustomed to working with artificial light only. This gives their show a unique feel, and helps them to steal from audience members.
Their most famous show is the Haunting of the Scathe which tells the tale of the ghost that was said to live in the Scathe and throw parties. It is an immersive show where the audience are invited to an old timey high school-style party and are subjected to tricks and spooky happenings, all caused by the “ghost”.
Notable Members:
Misty Mistletoe: Misty is a descendant of Scathe theater regular and high school teacher Ms. Mistletoe. Founder of The Ravens, Misty writes, directs, and produces all of the troupe’s shows. They work hard to ensure that each show is more surprising than the last so that the audience is always appropriately wowed. When asked, they say the secret to their creations is a journal left by Ms. Mistletoe that is full of the rich histories of Ravendean. Misty is also trained in laser combat and famously has one laser, musical number in each of their shows.
Knives: Knives is one of the performers of the Ravens. As a master of physical comedy, she never has any lines, relying instead on her body language to communicate with audiences. Measuring at 6’9”, Knives is the enforcer of the group, playing a key part in defending the rest of her companions from bandits and unhappy customers.
Will Averick: Will is the only magical member of The Ravens and runs tech for the troupe. His nimble fingers not only run all of the light and sound cues for the shows but also help him ensure that the audience pays the troupe what they are owed, whether that is when they pay at the door or when he slips the coins out of their pockets. In order to maintain historical accuracy, Will makes sure to include one raven in the set of every show, since the Scathe theater, being in the town of Ravendean, was clearly covered with them.
Blue Green: Blue is the puppet master of The Ravens. Since resources are slim since the apocalypse, she has had to get creative. One of her favorite projects involved using old computer wires and a flattened empty can to create the sentient knife in Fleet Street Butcher. In addition to building the puppets, Blue is the actor that performs the puppet characters. She can do 25 different character voices and has performed in 4 different languages.
Even Deadlier: Even is the current head musician and self-proclaimed creative genius of the group. There aren’t many recognizable instruments anymore, so their job in large part consists of creating new ones out of junk and orchestrating music for these trash-instruments. Their personal favorite show is Musical High and their patron god is Olivia Rodrigo, who reportedly starred in the original, centuries ago.
