The Raven Queen is an unaligned patron-deity in the core pantheon, and she resides in the Shadowfell, also called the "Plane of Shadow." She was introduced in the Player's Handbook. The Raven Queen is reintroduced as the Goddess of Death in the fifth edition Dungeon Master's Guide as part of the Dawn War pantheon, which adopted much of the fourth edition pantheon. Instead, he comes at the Raven Queen sideways, quietly establishing small footholds throughout the Shadowfell and recruiting members to his cause. The Hexblade Featured on Meta Improving the copy in the close modal and post . Unable to see any other options, she accepted their offer. In combat, you roll initiative for the raven and control how it acts. The Raven Queens followers are expected to serve her will in the world. More often than not, the process destroys those who undergo it. Vecna, lord of evil liches and minor god in his own right, has sought for centuries to find a way to seize the Raven Queens power for his own, using it to raise an army of undead capable of conquering all of creation. There are a few theories as to why the Raven Queen puts people through this. The Raven Queen, Matron of Death, also commonly known as the Matron of Ravens and the Duskmaven, is the goddess of death, fate, and winter; she's also considered the goddess of twilight, inevitability and the passage of time, presiding over the transition between life and death. At 6th level, you gain the ability to merge with your raven spirit. . 5e's Scout Roguish Archetype Is Pretty Basic. Unaligned Alignment Ability Score Increase. These fragments even form the black, twisting stonework of the fortress itself; for every new trinket added to her collection, the castle grows. Her body is made up of a twisting jumble of stolen memories and darkness, and the elven deities Correllon and Lolth both wiped all memories of her from existence as punishment for getting in the way of their own little war for the souls of elvenkind. Those domains were focused on life, birth, growth, fertility, plants, animals, and nature, all things that Nerull had no interest in anyways and this proved to Nerull that gods were selfish creatures who only cared about furthering their power. She told him that she sensed some villainy on the horizon, although she could not see the cause of it. Your size is Medium. Watch headings for an "edit" link when available. Mortals who find themselves in the presence of the Raven Queen often behold their surroundings as though from an important or traumatic memory, as the dark goddess claws her way into their subconscious to extract anything she sees as interesting. Being the god of death meant that it was your job to shuttle souls between the mortal coil and the great beyond. It was a long-fought conflict, with many gods almost losing against Khala, but eventually, Khala was defeated and the gods were forced to call on the Raven Queen to bring Khala into death. Whether youre interested in making your next character one of her shadow elf worshipers, in search of a deity for your next cleric to draw their power from, looking for a BBEG to form the climax of your next campaign, or just interested in the rich lore of the D&D multiverse, welcome to our crash course on everything to do with the Queen of Ravens. The Lady of Pain was a being of intense power. [16] Despite her reservations, in Exandria's hour of need, her faithful servant Vax'ildan persuaded her to overcome her anxiety and sacrifice a measure of her power to contribute the bead of divinity. The spirit assumes the form and game statistics of a raven, and it always obeys your commands, which you can give telepathically while it is within 100 feet of you. They know that the Raven Queen will capture their soul and return it to life in the Shadowfell, thus death is only a temporary condition and not something to be feared. You have proficiency in the Perception skill. Holy day You can see through the ravens eyes and hear what it hears while it is within 100 feet of you. The Raven Queen was also said to claim a domain in the Shadowfell known as Letherna, a fortress of black ice within a frozen forest through which the souls of the deceased had to pass before reaching the afterlife, according to some versions of the World Axis cosmology. The origin of the Raven Queen begins, not with her, but with the god of death known as Nerull. It was a place of overwhelming sorrow, overflowing with memories taken from mortals and fragments of dead deities, material objects collected by the shadar-kai and brought to her as gifts, and apparitions of creatures and places associated with strongly emotional stories. The goddess appeared before him and seemed to agree to those terms. At the end of a short or long rest, you can call the raven back to youno matter where it is or whether it diedand it reappears within 5 feet of you. The Raven Queens obsession with memories (particularly tragic ones) leads her to send her Shadar-Kai agents on missions to capture and retrieve such memories, souls, or information she desires. Elves love freedom, variety, and self-expression, so they lean strongly toward the gentler aspects of chaos. After you cast the spell with this feature, you cant do so again until you finish a long rest. She told him that he was always broken and was preyed upon. The Raven Queen watches over the world, anticipating each creature's death and ensuring that it meets its end at the proscribed time and place. They stripped her of the title of god of the dead but instead gave her the title, and power, of the god of death. Within the Fortress of Memories, the Raven Queen obsessively adds to her collection. . When you choose to play a Shadar-Kai, you take on the same traits as all other elven subraces. Nerull liked power and sought to become the king of the gods, collecting more and more souls, strengthening his power and position. The Raven Queen Your patron is the Raven Queen, a mysterious being who rules the Shadowfell from a palace of ice deep within that dread realm. Claret OrdersParagon's Call[5] The Raven Queen's followers are expected to serve her will in the world. Nerull wanted to create an army of the undead to help the gods win against the primordials and thought he had found salvation for the armies of gods. Orcus, on the other hand, has been waging war with the Raven Queen for what seems like forever. Since achieving divinity, the Raven Queen has filled her realm with shadows and memories, obsessively collecting such essences from remnants of dead gods and mortals that were strewn throughout the Shadowfell. Shadar-kai (fey), a cursed species of fey. As Vax walked towards the Raven Queen, her cloak faded, the snowdrops continued until they turned into feathers and both were gone. It might have worked too. TCS As a second form of aid, Vax pledged to serve the Raven Queen unconditionally and with conviction. They do this as they tear you apart with their claws. In fear, the remainder of the pantheon swiftly destroyed and prohibited these rites. What she could see was greatness in Vaxs future, and that the fates of his friends were possibly tied to his own. Worshipers For that reason, the Raven Queen was a popular hexblade patron among warlocks. Are the Feywild and Shadowfell connected in DnD 5e? The Raven Queens, sensing an opportunity to curry favor with the other gods, lent her sorrowsworn troops to Corellon's defense. Worshipers Ability Score Increase: Being able to choose between +2 ASI, +1 ASI, or +1, +1, +1 ASI means that you can pick exactly what your build will need. Keen Senses. Raven Queen's blessing Grieve the fallen, but do not pity them. She told him his dual nature was what interested her; half recklessness and half instinct. Letherna[4] However, when the dust cleared, the surviving Shadar-Kai found something else where their queen once stood: her ruined body and mind reborn as the Raven Queen. She told him to ask the right questions. one of these days I gotta dig more in to the wealth of Lore at the Piazza. It was believed that her true intentions were only known to the Lady of Pain. Although their ability to teleport over short distances mirrors that of their fey cousins, doing so causes them to become momentarily incorporeal as they slowly return to their material state, making them resistant to all damage. The shadar-kai and her sorrowsworn consider the worship of this demon to be the worst sin imaginable. A way forward paved with dark deeds and corruption. Once a powerful elf she was chosen by the god Nerull to be hi. She told him that the path they walked to the sphinx gave them what they needed, and told him to stay alive. Theyre also some of the most powerful traits available to any race in D&D 5e. Raven queen is copyrighted material, but doesn't mean we can't make fun free stuff off of it for the . Through the use of arcane magic and the knowledge he gains, he has been able to raise countless undead soldiers that assist him in his battles throughout the planes. Domains: Life, Death To say that these two don't like each other is quite the understatement. Vax'ildan was visited in his sleep by a vision of the Raven Queen. "The Chapter Closes" (1x115) Death is the natural end of life. Hunting down references to the Raven Queen takes you to a wide selection of publications, from the Dragon & Dungeon Magazines to the recently released . I played my first tabletop RPG (Pathfinder 1e, specifically) in college. In an attempt to keep herself from dying completely, she cloaked herself in the memories of the Shadowfell and formed her new body and identity from those memories. The Raven Queens true name remains unknown (a piece of information the demon god of death, Orcus, would dearly love to get his hands on). 3rd level - Feign death, speak with dead, 4th level - Ice storm, locate creature. Symbols of the Raven Queen. To summon the strength to defeat Nerull, Nera freed the souls that Nerull had collected all these years, and with each soul she freed, they provided a small boost of power. This forbidden realm is where the Raven Queen holds her court in Fates Palace, all souls must pass through the temple where they are then carried off to their afterlife. This caused her to use the last of her divine power, but luckily it was enough to sustain her as she fought to stay alive and hold back death. Why massive egos and awesome spells! Whereas in traditional Dungeons and Dragons the Raven Queen is a goddess of death who rules the shadowfell and was featured heavily in the 5e unearthed arcana warlock pacts, this Raven Queen is . [8], The Raven Queen also claimed domain of the souls of all shadar-kai, which always returned to her after their deaths. Check out how this page has evolved in the past. Domains She dropped the name Nera and was reborn as the Raven Queen, abandoning the gray and depressing Pluton, and moving to the much more cheerful Shadowfell. The Raven Queen, always looking to better her position, offered to do so only if she was given the portfolio of winter - which the other gods agreed to, but the Raven Queen wasnt done yet. You gain advantage on death saving throws, immunity to the frightened condition, and resistance to necrotic damage. They were officially introduced to Dungeons & Dragons 5e as part of Mordenkainens Tome of Foes and make for both compelling, dangerous enemies and a powerful basis for your next player character. First, Lolth, the Spider Queen, tempted the elves with power and a home on the material plane. Black__Adder. You gain advantage on death saving throws, immunity to the frightened condition, and resistance to necrotic damage. Domains While the raven is perched on your shoulder, you gain darkvision with a range of 30 feet and a bonus to your passive Wisdom (Perception) score and to Wisdom (Perception) checks. But sure enough, her worshipers flocked to her aid and brought more and more elves to her, all pledging their souls to her rise in power. Then, the Raven Queen could send you off to do just about anything, from recovering lost artifacts and memories to hunting down the thirteen Nagpa. [44] The Raven Queen and her Champion did not have a cleric-deity relationship, and the goddess just let Vax walk the path on his own after she had told him about it. Vax asked if he was her enemy, and she confirmed he was the enemy of all. First of all, theres virtually no class in the game that cant benefit from a buff to its Constitution. "The Sunken Tomb" (1x44) [22] She foresaw this disaster and, through her champion Purvan Suul, attempted to warn the governing body of Avalir, The Septarion, to pay close attention to Vespin's affairs, but Purvan was largely derided or ignored. Were also going to need to talk about Lolth, demon goddess of Spiders, and her being responsible for the fracturing of elvenkind far back in the mists of prehistory. Because the elf queen was in a state of quasi-godhood, her anger at the evil (well, selfish and incurably stupid, at least) wizards twisted the ritual, catapulting the queen, her physical kingdom, the Shadar-Kai, and the wizards into the Shadowfell instead. [11], Another devout enemy of the Raven Queen was the Oerthian lesser deity Vecna, who envied her for her unique abilities to tap into the flow of souls and to harvest knowledge. During this time, you gain the benefits of your raven being perched on your shoulder. Thus, she turns to mortal warlocks to serve her will. Click here to edit contents of this page. This wiki contains spoilers for all stories of Critical Role. Some suggest its just cruel curiosity; she pecks at the psyche of mortals in the same way a child pulls the legs off flies. In 5e none of the gods have stats. This ties into the old tradition of crows, ravens, and the like acting as pyschopomps, escorting the soul from the death of the body to the next destination. EGtW While she was having a good old sulk, the residual magic from the corrupted ritual stripped away the last vestiges of her physical form, transforming her into a being composed entirely of symbols, images, and perceptions.. When the world was just in its infant stages, the gods laid claim to many mortal souls when they passed on. The name of this goddess of death is long forgotten, but she is called the Raven Queen. She took this newfound power and began an attack against Nerull, wanting to destroy him and take his place. First, the Raven Queen directly appeared to Vax'ildan, now dead, in a space similar to the first time he communed with her. Something does not work as expected? As payment for her services, Corellon allowed her to take up Lolth's former mantle, goddess of fate. From her vast citadel, the Fortress of Memories, deep within the desolate Shadowfell, the Raven Queen subtly pulls the strings of fate, collecting and hoarding the memories and souls of mortal beings. Raven Queen During this time, you gain the benefits of your raven being perched on your shoulder. Lastly, the Blessing of the Raven Queen trait provides an amazing mixture of utility, offense, and survivability depending on how you use it. Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. At 6th level, you gain the ability to merge with your raven spirit. Those souls who had no one to claim them would simply disappear into the ether, into a world outside of even the understandings of gods. She identified him as "fate-touched," and told him he could be anything. They were officially introduced to Dungeons & Dragons 5e as part of Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes and make for both compelling, dangerous enemies and a powerful basis for your next player character. Worship [34], In Brussendar or Sydenstar, 843 PD, Morrighan Ferus was working at the Maiden's Wish Casino and became acquainted with Opal, Fy'ra Rai, Dorian Storm, and Cyrus Wyvernwind. D&D Wiki Copyright 2011-2020 BoLS Interactive LLC. Wiki Le Monde des Royaumes Oublis (French), Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. As a goddess of death, the Raven Queen can impart a fraction of her power upon clerics who worship in her name. The Shadar-Kais racial traits (assuming youre using the classic 5e rules for character creation rather than the Custom Lineages from Tashas Cauldron of Everything or the emerging anti-bioessentialist character creation rules from Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse) are relatively short, sweet, and simple. She assured him that mortals could achieve great things, just like she did. Vax accepted that this was his cause. Your Constitution score increases by 1. Of course (much like how not all drow are fanatical, spider-worshiping lunatics), there are some exceptions. [35] As the group started their casino heist and came closer to the target vault, the songbird got louder,[36] culminating inside where it became frantic cawing. Over the subsequent centuries, these identities and memories have fused into the being known as the Raven Queen. Maybe she didn't appreciate the fact that Nerull was the one that had sent the plague that killed her, it could have been she wasn't thrilled with being second in command or that she didnt get much say in all of this. You can cast Finger of Death. [art 6], Screenshot of Vax witnessing another form of the Matron of Ravens, byTitmouse from "Belly of the Beast" (LVM2x11). Pronouns You may never know the import of your time here, but take solace in the knowledge that you will see the ripples of your actions carry hope for generations to come. {{art caption}}: autoformat art credits/captions, {{infobox character}}: infobox for character pages, {{infobox episode}}: infobox for episode pages, {{new artist category}}: boilerplate for new artist category pages, {{new character}}: boilerplate for new character pages, {{new episode}}: boilerplate template for new episode pages, Articles needing presumption confirmation, But note that the language changes from "The circle of Prime Deities involves the leaders and luminary creators that battled the Primordial Titans and instigated the Founding, forging the mortal races of Exandria" to "The circle of Prime Deities, Official art of the Raven Queen's ascension to godhood, by, Fan art of the Raven Queen and Vax'ildan, by, Fan art of Trence Orman contacting the Raven Queen, by, Screenshot of Vax witnessing another form of the Matron of Ravens, by, Characters mentioned in Exandria Unlimited, Stephen Colbert's D&D Adventure with Matthew Mercer, Critical Role: The Mighty Nein - The Nine Eyes of Lucien, Critical Role: Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Angels of death, able to chase down fleeing souls. This also has the bonus for Greyhawk fans in that Nerull is still alive and on the bottom layer of Carceri where he has his frozen realm. The Shadar-Kai have naming conventions similar to other elves tending to favor melodic sounding names, although a Shadar-Kais name will probably still sound harsher than that of a wood or high elf. During that time, you appear ghostly and translucent. She is the lawful neutral ruler of Shadowfell, dwelling in a decayed, dark reflection of the world. Corellon and Lolth are still part of the origin story of the Raven Queen, but they take a much more involved role now. And this is where it all started to go wrong. A layman on the street who doesn't know Sehanine from celery is not going to have this kind of detail on the tongue at any time, and when they do hear that the Raven Queen is a death goddess, they'll be hella suspicious when one of her clerics comes walking down the street in dark regalia preaching her virtues. Vecna, while in some editions is a god, and in others just a really powerful dude, thinks that death should be his domain. Death is too good a punishment for those who pervert the rightful transition of the soul. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Click here to toggle editing of individual sections of the page (if possible). Not willing to wait around for old age to claim the souls he needed, Nerull sent plagues, famine, and disease to the mortal realm to speed up the whole dying process. The Raven Queen told him that he had to watch himself or he may stray from their side. He saw a spark of white and it widened to be the mask of the Raven Queen as she approached him. Blending in with the natural environment of the Shadowfell, the shadar-kai excel at sneak attacks and ambushing their potential victims. Shadowfell[4] After her ascension, her true name has long been lost. 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