Let me break this down for you since collecting all those ravens is quite the journey, but the rewards make it worthwhile. You're actually building toward something pretty special with each raven you track down, which is why many players overlook this optional challenge at first.

Starting with the basics, every few ravens you destroy unlocks a piece of the raven tears armor set at the niflheim tree (and believe me, that healing boost comes in handy during tough fights). What's particularly interesting is how the set works together - each piece enhances your survival abilities, which becomes crucial in the late game. As you progress through collecting more ravens, you'll unlock some seriously powerful runic attacks for each weapon, and these aren't just any attacks - they're some of the most devastating moves you can get your hands on.

Now here's where it gets really interesting - once you've dealt with all 48 ravens, you'll trigger a hidden boss fight that most players don't even know exists. The raven keeper battle is quite the challenge, especially when that ice dragon shows up (might want to save some resurrection stones for this one). But pushing through rewards you with the hilt of forsbrandr, which gives you a defensive edge that, when combined with your raven tears armor, makes you incredibly tough to take down. Think of it as the game's way of rewarding thorough exploration and persistence.