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Overhead, our flaming arrows blocked out the sun, but one soot-black raven picked up slivers of bone, and forced the tower door’s lock open.

In the past, human exceptionalism has driven scientists to conclude that all animals are driven by immediate needs – hunger, survival in the face of danger. Yet, as more and more studies show that this is not the case, this human exceptionalism has crumbled. Take, for one example, the raven (the best bird).  Mathias Osvath from Lund University, who has 16 ravens on his farm, has proven that ravens have foresight and will select tools that can help them solve a puzzle in the future. Inspired by this discovery, Carrie Cuinn casts the raven as the ultimate companion on a fantasy journey and, potentially, your ideal RPG character. 

//Carrie Cuinn is a writer, editor, historian, and geek. Find her online at @CarrieCuinn or at http://carriecuinn.com.//