The Raven Queen

The Raven Queen is Urth's goddess of death, having overthrown Nerull, the previous god of death, in 1370. Her holy symbol is a stylized raven's head, and her favored weapon is the scythe. She often appears in the form of the namesake bird or a young human noblewoman garbed in black.

Beliefs & Practices
As the deity of death, The Raven Queen views death as the natural conclusion of mortal life. Death is not to be feared because death is inevitable. It can be postponed through medicines and healing magic, but cannot and should not be avoided or subverted. Those who seek to prolong their life beyond its normal span through supernatural means are to be punished for their hubris. Undead creatures are not to be tolerated in any form, being a foul corruption and reversal of the natural order. Being Neutral in the not-caring sense, the Raven Queen makes no judgments on the moral character of a life.

The church of the Raven Queen play a solemn but important role in society. Priests carry out hospice and funerary rites, preparing the dying for the afterlife and counseling their friends and family through their grief. They also perform funerals, preparing the deceased for burial as local customs dictate. Given the demands of the job, priests of the Raven Queen are generally versed in basic knowledge of other religions, particularly where the afterlife is concerned. Additionally, churches are always well stocked in holy water, stakes, scrolls of Consecrate, and other weapons useful for fighting undead creatures. More martially skilled priests are often seen in graveyards at night, patrolling to ensure the quick dispatch of any zombies or ghosts that may rise.

Priests of the Raven Queen can usually be counted on to provide healing, though they have a reputation for silently keeping track of the magic they provide. People who put themselves in danger too often or suffer injuries from stupid or self-inflicted actions incident may find their pain determined to be "part of the natural order." Spells that raise the dead are hardly ever cast, and the few druids who worship the Raven Queen are forbidden from casting Reincarnation. Owing perhaps to her auspicious rise, priests of the Raven Queen (and indeed the goddess herself) frequently engage in quid-pro-quo arrangements, paying and extracting favors as needed.

Origins & Ascension
The original Raven Queen's real name has been lost to time. She was a beautiful young human noblewoman who was ill for most of her short life. Nerull, the god of death, took an interest in her beauty and grace which were only enhanced in his eyes by her sickly condition. She died, and Nerull took her as his consort, giving her the title of Raven Queen. The woman resented Nerull for taking what life she had, and hated him for being kept by his side in death. Over decades and centuries the Raven Queen plotted and amassed power. One particular tactic she used was recruiting idealistic followers by saving them from the brink of death, and promising power and rewards for serving her. These followers would be given life and purpose, dedicating the souls of those they killed to the Raven Queen for her eventual fight against Nerull.

One such follower was Talia Renais, a human noble girl. Talia reminded the Raven Queen of herself, only living the life she never had. Talia was active and fearless, apt to pick up any hobby she tried. Talia was also utterly bored, devoid of a focus for her talents. Her home town was ruled by a greedy duke, and Talia saw an opportunity for entertainment in his overthrowing. On the night of the revolutionary movement's move against the duke, his forces struck first, and Talia was killed in the fray. The Raven Queen, who had been watching Talia all her life, spoke to Talia. She converted Talia to her cause, giving Talia access to divine magic and a promise of power for her service.

When the time came for the Raven Queen to make her move against Nerull, Talia was given the honored duty of performing the task that would give the Raven Queen the throne of the god of death. However, ever ambitious Talia took the throne for herself, along with godhood and the name Raven Queen. What happened to the original Raven Queen remains a mystery.

Aftermath
Upon her ascension, the Raven Queen announced herself to the world. She outlined the downfall of Nerull and her philosophy and beliefs as new goddess of death. She offered amnesty to the worshipers of Nerull if they chose to worship her or another god, and threatened death if they continued to serve Nerull or attempt his revival. It went over about as well as could be expected.

The Raven Queen is the third mortal to ascend to major godhood, and the first to do so by taking the mantle of an existing god. The other gods decreed, and the Raven Queen agreed, that she would not have any control over the dead as Nerull had. The Raven Queen instead would have power over and draw power from death itself (as well as deciding the fates of any mortals foolish enough to be atheist or agnostic). Being a comparatively kinder, gentler god of death, the Raven Queen also has considerably more worshipers and a larger role in daily life than Nerull ever had.

Post-Severing
Following the material plane's sudden disconnection from the other planes, the Raven Queen was one of three existing gods remaining. She and her fellow former-mortals St. Cuthbert and Vecna were suddenly the recipients of a large number of prayers. They were faced with a dilemma: Adapt their rhetoric to become more suitable to the times and the needs of mortals, or double down and stay true to their divine nature. The Raven Queen chose a middle ground of sorts. While she held fast to the stance that death was natural and inevitable, she conceded that these were not natural times. The other gods were not gone, merely unable to commune with or provide power to their followers. With the aide of a formerly minor doctor-turned-seraph named Root, her churches became centers for the teaching of mundane medicines. Herbs, salves, and injections can typically be found for a price. There have been rumors of an armored figure traveling about, calling themselves the Raven Queen's "Paladin of Vengeance." The famously neutral goddess of death has not called any others into service with this title, and her messengers have informed the clerics that this figure is not to be harmed. What the means for the goddess and the wider world is yet to be seen.

Followers of the Raven Queen are given a unique duty in the post-Severing world. The spirits of those who worship the absent gods continue to walk the plane. They drift about, confused echoes. They can be found in homes inside the walled cities, and in vast fields outside them, the sites of great battles waged in the chaotic aftermath. In an action reminiscent of a prior era, the Raven Queen's followers perform a ritual to entrust these fallen souls to her. This time, however, she doesn't keep them.