Hagraven (Skyrim)

"This Hagraven was horrifying, almost human but more an abomination of woman and creature [crow] fused together, nothing more than a husk of humanity surrendered in exchange for possession of the powers of dark magic."

- Herbane

Hagravens are aggressive humanoid creatures with bird-like features found across Skyrim.

Coming in contact with one can cause brain rot, a disease that lowers the victim's Magicka.

History
Legend has it they were once witches but gave up their humanity to become hagravens (as shown in the quest Repentance). They despise nature, and hunt down spriggans to capture and sacrifice. The Forsworn revere them greatly, and in the book The Madmen of the Reach, it is noted that the hagravens were in the Reach since "the beginning."

Appearance
Hagravens are hideous avian-like humanoids with scraggly grey hair, pale skin, hooked noses and solid black eyes. Their limbs are long and bony, and their hands and feet each have four digits ending in sharp talons. They dress in tattered black garments and have black raven feathers bound to their shins and forearms. All Hagravens are female.

Powers
For sacrificing their humanity, Hagravens gain enhanced magical powers that trump most other witches and warlocks. In addition to 10% resistance to spells, Hagravens can cast powerful spells such as Fireball and Ice Spike. They prefer to keep their distance, lobbing spells at any would-be attackers. In close quarters they will attack with their filthy claws, potentially infecting enemies with Brain Rot. They can also cast healing spells on themselves when damaged or fleeing.

Quests

 * The Dragonborn must retrieve an engagement ring back from a named hagraven (Moira) in A Night to Remember.
 * In the The Blessings of Nature, Danica Pure-Spring sends the Dragonborn to Orphan Rock, where a hagraven holds the Nettlebane, which they used to sacrifice spriggans.
 * During the Companions quest Blood's Honor, the Dragonborn is asked to retrieve a Glenmoril Witch Head for Kodlak Whitemane to cure his lycanthropy.
 * While looking for the assassin of old in a miscellaneous quest, the Dragonborn runs into a hagraven.
 * Multiple hagravens can be found in Darklight Tower during the quest Repentance.
 * A hagraven in Hag's End will teleport throughout the dungeon and summon two leveled beasts once it is chased outside of the dungeon.
 * The Dragonborn encounters two hagravens on the second quest for the Jarl of Markarth. These hagravens can be found in Blind Cliff Cave and are called Melka and Petra (Melka asks the Dragonborn to kill Petra for the staff Eye of Melka).
 * There are two hagravens and a Forsworn Briarheart guarding the Word Wall at the top of Lost Valley Redoubt.
 * There is a named hagraven, Drascua, involved in the quest Pieces of the Past. Drascua is found, along with several Forsworn and a Word Wall, at Dead Crone Rock.

Trivia

 * Engaging in battle with a hagraven can be made easier by using fire resistance, as their main offensive spell is Fireball. However, many hagravens also use frost spells such as Ice Spike, Icy Spear and Ice Storm. They also heal themselves with Close Wounds.
 * It is also fairly easy to evade their attacks in close combat because of their lack of attack speed and accuracy.
 * It can be assumed that hagravens have poor eyesight, as stated by Melka mistaking the Dragonborn for a Breton regardless of race, then pointing out that "they all look the same to me."
 * Named hagravens usually have Breton names due to their association with the Forsworn, the indigenous Bretons of the Reach.
 * Francois Beaufort, one of the children in Honorhall Orphanage, claims that Grelod the Kind is part hagraven, though this may be due more to her cruelty than anything else.
 * The witch Silvia, who was a member of the Darklight Tower Coven, was once aspiring to become a hagraven, and the quest Repentance seems to shed light on the ritual undertaken to become a hagraven. It would appear that a human sacrifice is necessary, as well as soul gems and the corpse of a skeever.
 * Although hagravens are known for using human corpses as sacrifices and potion ingredients, they also seem to eat humans, as suggested by Melka's dialogue: she continually refers to the Dragonborn as "Meat," "Morsel," and "Nibble," and states that she likes to collect "shiny eyeballs" for stewing. This is similar to ravens in real life, who, in addition to eating carrion, are also known for eating the eyeballs of dead animals first.
 * Due to a hagraven's bird-like feet, they cannot run very fast, so if they flee from the Dragonborn they are easily caught up with.

Bugs

 * Hagraven bodies may sometimes spawn when having exited a location into Skyrim or arriving after fast traveling.
 * If killed with Soul Tear, it may just disappear.
 * Sometimes after a hagraven is killed they will stand up with their arms and legs spread apart, but remain dead.