Atlesian Data:
Raven Branwen
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Profile and History
Name: Raven Branwen
Age: 39
DOB: January 29
Height: Roughly 6'1" (185.42 cm)
Hair: Black
Eyes: Red
Occupation: Bandit
Affiliation: Branwen Tribe
Team: STRQ (Disbanded)
Relatives: Taiyang Xiao Long (ex husband)
Qrow Branwen (Younger Twin)
Yang Xiao Long (Daughter)
Known History
This information is complied from what little data we could gather, as well as information given to us by Qrow Branwen (who did not divulge much) and Ozpin.
Raven Branwen was born roughly five minutes before her brother on January 29th, therefore being the eldest Branwen, and next in line for leadership. She was trained how to fight at a young age by her parents. She unlocked her Semblance after getting lost in the woods and needed to find her way back.
At the age of 17, she and Qrow were sent to Beacon in order to learn how to kill Huntsmen during their raids on villages. During the rigorous exam, she first made eye contact with Summer Rose, who became her partner in STRQ, before she could open a portal to find Qrow.
Over their time at Beacon, Summer and Raven became close friends, and Raven was often seen smiling around the other. They were the best performing team at Beacon, and even won the Vytal Tournament, with Raven winning the final 1v1 round due to her raw skill and strength.
They had evidently peaked the interest of Professor Ozpin, who often divulged certain secrets to them, including the existence of Salem.
Team STRQ would go on to do many missions to further Ozpin's goals. Raven herself would eventually marry Taiyang, and became pregnant not long after. Things were going smoothly until shortly after Yang's birth when Raven discovered something she was not meant to know.
This shattered her world view, and caused her to flee back to the Branwen tribe, where knowledge about her becomes near non-existent until the Battle of Haven.
What is known is that Raven eventually became the leader of the Branwen tribe, supposedly met the Spring Maiden, and encountered her daughter on two separate occasions before the Battle of Haven.
The first being on a train commandeered by Roman Torchwick, in order to protect her daughter from the elusive Neopolitan. The second occasion was caused by Yang tracking her down. The events of this are unknown, but it lead to the freedom of Weiss Schnee, who had evidently been captured in the wreckage of a crash.
Qrow also claims that Raven, in bird form, taunted a young Ruby Rose, claiming that Summer was not Yang's true mother, for a daughter of Summer could be nothing but weak
During the Battle of Haven, Raven initially seemed to be sided with Cinder Fall, the Fall Maiden, and had brought along Vernal, who was supposedly the Spring Maiden. Despite this alliance, Raven later turned on Cinder, with Vernal dying in the process. The Vault of Haven was opened, and the Relic of Knowledge was given to her daughter before she vanished yet again.
Kindred Link
Raven's Semblance, Kindred Link, allows her to create portals to those she has emotionally bonded with. Anyone can enter these portals, regardless of bonding. Attempting to open a portal to someone she isn't bonded with or someone who is dead will still use her Aura, and holding them open does as well.
It seems her Semblance also allows her to feel when someone she's bonded with is in mortal danger, seen from when she saved Yang from Neopolitan on the train. It is unknown if she can tell when a person she's bonded with has been killed.
Ozpin's Notes
These notes are from a personal anecdote by Professor Ozpin, and are to be taken with a grain of salt due to natural bias.
"Raven Branwen, truly one of my biggest mistakes. Had I known she would seek the knowledge that would lead to her leaving, I would have done everything in my power to prevent it. Knowledge is a great weight to bear, and for Raven, it became her cage.
She allowed fear and anger to overwrite her common sense and left to return to her tribe, not before saying some rather hateful words to her team, and many to me.
However, I do not believe that is what truly broke Raven's entire world view that had been built up with her years with STRQ. The straw the broke the proverbial camel's back was, in my opinion, the death of Summer Rose.
Her best friend, or perhaps something even greater, the last thread to Raven's dim hope, being snuffed out like a candle was no doubt extremely crushing.
I do wonder what exactly happened when Raven found out, or when she found out, for that matter. Was it instantaneous? Days later? I may never know this answer.
This would, however, explain her taking her bitterness out on a young Ms. Rose, taunting her about the death of her mother... how shameful."