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Crow-men

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"The Empress' eyes and ears are the Onyx Crowman. They flock, gather and observe throughout the Celestial Dragon Empire wherever something momentous or calamitous happens. I do not trust them, nor do I understand why the Moon Empress does."

—Du Zhen, Astromancer[4]
Crowman

A Crow-man perched near a Kislevite city.

Crow-men, also called Onyx Crowmen, are living, magical constructs made of onyx -- neither entirely raven nor Human in shape but in the form of humanoid birds -- that fight in the armies of Grand Cathay, similar to Terracotta Sentinels or Terracotta Automatons.[1a][2]

Crow-men are the agents of the Moon Empress who she uses in particular to spy upon the servants of the Chaos God Chi'an Chi, known as Tzeentch in the west, who represent a constant threat to the people of the Celestial Empire.[1a][2]

History

Onyx Crowmen were among the defenders of the Tower of Ashshair when it was attacked by the Champion of Tzeentch Sayl the Faithless in 2510 IC under the orders of the Chaos Lord and Champion of Nurgle Tamurkhan during the start of his invasion of the Old World.[1a][2]

Role

Wh3 dlc24 cth inf onyx crowmen

An Onyx Crowman as depicted in Total War: Warhammer III.[4]

The Onyx Crowmen are barely half the height of a normal man. The man-like upper part of their bodies is covered with black feathers and they possess backward-jointed legs like the avians they are modelled upon. They wear what seem to be black, silk pantaloons, and their belts hold their weapons, usually knives and other assassination tools, although they are fully capable of slitting throats with only their talons. Their flat, black, beady eyes reflect no light, and their beaks are durable and extended.[3]

The Onyx Crowmen are a form of Fe Shing Bo, a type of spirit used as familiars when conjured by shadow-weavers of the Moon Empress from the Elemental Winds of Yin. They are not born and cannot die. They are vicious creatures refashioned in the shape of Men to spy for the Celestial Court, reporting on the state of the Celestial Empire to the Moon Empress who in turn informs the Dragon Emperor.[3][4]

Crowmen know neither compassion nor fear, although they are not bereft of emotion. They know curiosity, and when they find secret things might slip them guiltily into their pockets to admire later. They are also capable of communication amongst each other through their cawing and croaking, and can do so silently.[3]

Magical creatures by nature, the world the Crow-men perceive is not the Human one. They are imbued with witchsight attuned to the four Elemental Winds of Yin: Wood, Metal, Spirit, and Darkness. They cannot properly perceive the colour of blood, yet can see the darkness of Yin magic depart from a man's soul. The rest of their senses are preternaturally attuned to secrets and lies.[3][4][5]

These abilities make the Onyx Crowmen especially adept at hunting down Chaos Sorcerers, for they are drawn to them like magpies to silver. It also seems to make them hard to detect; Humans are inclined to look away from Crow-men as they move or are suddenly afflicted by drowsiness as they pass over. Their passing brings bad dreams and dulls the silver of the moon.[3]

Warfare

When required, "murders" of Crowmen may be called to war, their speed and sharp beaks affording them a secondary role as combat-ready scouts that can discern the enemy's actions from afar.[4]

Crow-men attack their enemies by flying and drawing them bellowing and helpless into the air, and then gutting them with their glittering talons.[1a][2] They can catch the Elemental Winds and sail across them with something almost akin to grace.[3]

Notable Onyx Crowmen

  • Empress Crowmen - The personal eyes and ears of the Moon Empress, these Onyx Crowmen carry devastating Nan-Gau grenades to annihilate their enemies. Feared across the Celestial Empire, the Moon Empress' personal murder of Crowmen is devastating in combat.[4]

Trivia

Crow-men may be based on the mythological Japanese tengu, legendary creatures or supernatural spirit beings traditionally depicted with both human and avian characteristics. The earliest tengu were pictured with beaks, but this feature has often been humanised as an unnaturally long nose, which today is widely considered the tengu's defining characteristic in the popular imagination.

Buddhism long held that the tengu were disruptive demons and harbingers of war. Their image gradually softened, however, into one of protective, if still dangerous, spirits of the mountains and forests. Tengu are associated with the ascetic practice known as Shugendō, and they are usually depicted in the distinctive garb of its followers, the yamabushi.

Alternatively, the Crow-men possibly draw their inspiration from the Chinese deity known as Lei-Gong ("Thunder Duke"). The physical appearance of Lei-Gong is largely similar to early depictions of the tengu, with avian features such as beaks and talons, and has changed very little over time. One of the noticeable differences lies in the wings, for whereas tengu have feathered wings, Lei-Gong has leather wings much like those of a bat.

In addition, the new Cathayan lore created for Total War: Warhammer III provided in the interview between writer Andy Hall and the YouTube streamer Loremaster of Sotek (12 October 2021) highlights the Crow-men's role as the agents of the Moon Empress, which closely mimicks Lei-Gong's role as an agent of justice for the Celestial Court in traditional Chinese folk religion.[2]

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