By James Gleason (glea0015@maroon.tc.umn.edu), based off the comic by J.O. Barr (10 May 1995)
I know I am not the only World of Darkness fan who read the comic and/or saw the movie and said "This sounds like a great idea for a Chronicle/Story/whatever." So, here goes a clumsy, fumbling first attempt at using J.O. Barr's concept in the World of Darkness.
First, some assumptions. 1) The crow is actually a Totem Spirit, henceforth refered to as "Crow". The bird we see is a Materialized avatar of Crow, and not the actual spirit; 2) Crow is of Gaia, and thus his doings are in harmony with Her will; 3) Crow is sometimes confused for a raven. There is no real difference, so Crow is also known as Raven in certain parts of the world.
And now...the feature presentation...:)
Crow's is associated with death, and often flies down into the Shadowlands to deposit the newly dead. He is also a force for Gaia, and thus he is called upon to do Her will when other measures fail or times are desperate. When this happens, especially in these dark times, Crow goes to the Shadowlands to seek a particular Wraith amongst the Restless.
Crow offers the Wraith a chance at Trancendance, but only if he agrees to return to the Sunlit Lands and do Gaia's will as a Kami. If he agrees, Crow takes him up from the Shadowlands to the Sunlit Lands. He is given a corporeal body, a Materialized Jaggling servant of Crow as his familiar and link to the spirit world, and a mission. This often coincides with one or more of the Restless's Passions, Fetters, or his Regret. His Shadow is consumed by Gaia's power, and sent to Oblivion. His Angst becomes his Rage, while his Pathos becomes his Gnosis. Most of his Arcanos will function normally-- this being in lieu of given Kami powers-- and he has a regenerative power that the Garou envy. This Restless is now like a free-willed zombie, a Flesh-borne Kami of Crow. If the Kami succeeds, he Trancends. If he fails, he goes straight to Oblivion. Either way, his existence nears its end. This is difficult, as he regenerate one Health Level (Use the normal Corpus chart, free of any and all Wound Penalties.) per turn, Aggravated or not. The Storyteller is at his leisure to decide what Arcanos is changed by this and what is not. In addition, the Kami may be invested with powers anyway if the mission is particularly difficult. (Being chosen to take out a 2000 yr. old Methusala who's throughly Wyrm-corrupted is far from an easy task.)
The seemingly-mortal crow that follows the Kami invests his sight upon its host, and acts as a link to Crow as well as the fragile link between the Kami and the Shadowlands. Kill the bird, and you kill the Kami. Crow does communicate with the Kami via the familiar, often as not giving helpful advice.
Other Notes: Garou will never register such a Kami as Wyrm-corrupt, though he's definately be unnatural. Garou are often told by the familiar crow of the Kami, so (at the very least) they don't interfere. (Black Spirial Dancers are not so obliged...and are also targets of Crow's wrath.) The Corax often assist in the missions of these Kami, as will the Gurahl. The others of the Changing Breed vary, but none interfere...they see Gaia's will and don't mess with Her. The Euthanatos, as a rule, stay away from them. The Dreamspeakers do likewise. The Technocracy and the Nephandi hunt down those they find. The Verbena are often called upon to aid them, while the remaining Traditions head for their Chantries and hope they're not the target. Vampires are often the target of such Kami, especially the Infernally Corrupt. So far as is known, never has a Changeling see the visage of one of these fanatical avengers of Gaia coming for them. And the Wraiths? They're already dead and gone...let Oblivion have them! (For those who play Immortals, only those as bad or worse than the Kurgan would attract Crow's attention. Who knows? Maybe a slain Immortal who was Restless may seek revenge this way? Or another such supernatual...)