The Raven Queen

The Raven Queen
Titles: Death’s Mistress, Shepherd of Souls, the Fatespeaker, the Inevitable

Home: Letherna, her frozen fortress within the Shadowfell

Alignment: Lawful neutral

Portfolio: Death, the afterlife, fate, omens, winter

Symbol: A raven’s head in profile

Favored Weapon: Glaives

Teachings

 * Death is a natural part of life, and the dead and dying do not deserve pity.
 * Bring down the proud who cast off the chains of fate.
 * Watch for the cults of Orcus, Vecna, and other entities of undeath, and oppose their spread.

Allies

 * Erathis
 * Melora
 * Ioun
 * Selune
 * Pelor

Enemies

 * Vecna
 * Orcus

Followers and Clergy
People of almost all races and cultures worship the Raven Queen, at least when death visits them. Even the untrained and uneducated offer simple funerary prayers and rites for their dearly departed, and many superstitious folk obsessively study the vast network of omens surrounding the Raven Queen.

The organized followers of the Inevitable are known as the Ordained Orthodoxy. Within communities, they provide funerary services and ensure the sanctity and protection of burial grounds. They offer comfort and guidance to the mourning, and they also guide the dying through their journey.

Members of the Orthodoxy often face suspicion, for a secretive order within their ranks takes a more active role in world events. Known as the Crows, the order seeks out and destroys intelligent undead and dangerous practitioners of necromancy.

Clothing and Symbols
The Ordained Orthodoxy has a complicated series of robes and jewelry indicating position within their hierarchy. Most clergy wear robes of black, grey, and white and sport decorative raven feathers and bone talismans.

Places of Worship
Most towns’ graveyards feature a shrine dedicated to the Raven Queen, generally with small quarters for her clergy, who serve as undertakers. Larger temples often feature the tombs of honored dead. All her temples and shrines feature altars, which serve as preparation surfaces for the deceased, and eternally burning candles, said to guide the souls of the dead to their afterlife.

Sacred Texts

 * The Lesser Book of the Dead - Freely available throughout the world, The Lesser Book contains basic funerary rites and rituals, guiding readers through the proper preparation and disposal of the dead, and the consecration of burial grounds.


 * The Greater Book of the Dead - Available only to the highest ranks of the Ordained Orthodox, The Greater Book details the foul rituals, secrets, strengths, and weaknesses of the mightiest undead.

Holy Days

 * The Sun’s Passing - Occuring on the Winter Solstice, the Sun’s Passing marks the shortest day of the year and the longest day of the Raven Queen’s dominion. Supposedly, the boundaries between the living and dead are weak, and the living offer gifts and prayers for their beloved ancestors.