I am so sorry for the extended gap between this and the previous issue of the Raven Roundtable. I hadn't intended for quite this big an interruption but, real life happens. It's been quite the few months! Just because almost all of us have e-mail, I still think a printed newsletter is a good idea. Please let me know how you feel about that. It may just be my deep seated need to produce newsletters and kill trees!

When one of my best friends from college married an Englishman, I had no idea that it would result in my visiting once a year to celebrate our purely American Thanksgiving holiday. Two years ago, I was in China and couldn't attend her dinner. The following year, I decided to have Thanksgiving dinner in Florida with my grandparents. I couldn't afford the trip to London that year so I joined my family at my grandparent's in Florida. As it turns out, that was our last Thanksgiving together as a family before my grandfather died, so I'm grateful that Fate directed my hand in that way. However, while stopping over in London while flying back with my grandmother from our Italy trip, I called my college buddy and realized how much I missed her and our whole London set. Even though I had no idea how I'd pay for it, I promised that I' make it to Thanksgiving dinner this year.

Well, once again Fate, this time in the form of my loving grandmother, dealt me a great hand which included a plane ticket to London for my birthday! Once again, we gathered together to Thank God not just for our survival here in America, but for the knowledge that some bonds of friendship simply cannot be broken, even by an ocean.

I'm so glad we have a Holiday for the sole purpose of giving thanks for what we have in our lives. I also worry that Thanksgiving's lessening impact in the American market place will see this most precious of days swallowed up in the consumerism that blurs Halloween directly into Christmas. The truth of the matter is, though, that I am thankful every single day. Writing this letter reminds me that I have so much to be thankful for. I am a blessed man, to be sure. And you are all a part of that blessing. -- Bran Trefonnen

We finally took delivery on a new batch of House Corvus belts at Crown Tourney. While I know some of you were annoyed at the delay, I must confess that Shrew's work is worth waiting for! I also decided to strike while the iron was hot and immediately put in for yet another batch. Obviously, this will be an on-going project that should help pay for a nice addition to Shrew's house!

I'll do my best to get some people fitted properly at Winter Solstice coming up this weekend in Sacred Stone! I hope to see some of you there!

Last month, at Mabinogi: Curse of the Raven, three people accepted our invitation to join House Corvus! Please welcome Master Giuseppe Francesco da Borgia, H. Bantiarna Rowen MacBrighde, and Maeve MacBrighde; all from Sacred Stone's sister Barony of Wyvernwood.

Giuseppe is a Master of the Laurel in dance and, together with Rowen, they serve as the Baron and Baroness of Wyvernwood. Maeve is Rowen's mother and sometimes traveling companion with the duo.

I hope everyone afforded themselves of the opportunity to get to know them all better at Mabinogi: Curse of the Raven but we're also getting pages for them up on the website. Also, several of us will also be traveling down to Wyvernwood for Hero of the Chalice in January. If you'd like to come, we should start making arrangements now! Hero of the Chalice has a website at http://members.xoom.com/wyvernwood/chalice.htm.

But wait there's more! We also extended two additional invitations at Curse of the Raven to Hakim Hassan al-Musafar and Elsa Grettisdottir af Helsingor. Most people in Atlantia know them as Kit and Elf and would recognize them as integral parts of any kitchen which Oshi and Sine or House Corvus participates. Hakim is Sine's son and Elsa her daughter-in-law. In fact, the couple was married on the same day as Baronial Birthday! We are very fortunate to have five such outstanding people join our ranks!

I have little doubt that House Corvus represents a wide variety of beliefs and, therefore, holiday traditions for this time of year. Personally, I'm a Christmas man!

Regardless of what holiday you might be observing this season, it is a sure bet that we all share the many qualities with which this time of year resonates: good cheer, compassion, and humanity. Of course, these are qualities which I'm proud to say I find personified in House Corvus members year 'round.

Still, I call upon each and every one of us to use this time for some reflection and introspection. It's been a glorious year for House Corvus, to be sure! Yet, how can we make both it and ourselves even better?