The Raven Queen

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 is also considered the goddess of twilight, inevitability and the passage of time, presiding over the transition between life and death. Originally a mortal woman in the Age of Divergence, she ascended to godhood and destroyed the previous god of death. After her ascension, her true name has long been lost. Her devotees seek her favor to guide them in death and prevent the curse of undeath from falling on them.
Because of her hatred of undeath, she and Veozziath, The Plague Bringer, and third born of the true dragons, and the God of Undeath are fierce enemies. Her temple, the Raven's Crest resides within the Ghost Lands of Ciruesia and is beleievd to only reveal itself to those seeking it that are favored by The Raven Queen. Blood, which plays a large part in the ritual of communing with the goddess within her temple, is one of many very powerful tools in the worship of the Matron of Ravens and sometimes blood magic is utilized by her followers.

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Contents
1. Description 1.1. Appearance 1.2. Symbol 1.3. Personality 2. Commandments of the Matron of Ravens 3. Biography 3.1. Background 4. Artifacts 5. Places of Worship and Holy Sites 5.1. The Ghost Lands 6. Relationships 6.1. Veozziath, The Plague Bringer

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1. Description

1.1 Appearance

When she was alive, the Raven Queen was described as a beautiful woman with raven hair. After becoming a goddess she is described as a tall and slender woman, with flowing black hair and pale, porcelain skin. She almost always wears a blank, porcelain mask. On the rare occasions she removes it, she is still described as beautiful, and her eyes have red irises.

1.2 Symbol

Her general iconography represents the way in which the goddess appears to mortals, almost always adding elements of black feathers such as a cape or wings. However, certain sects depict her as a keen-eyed vulture with plumage varying from the shades of a sunset to the black of midnight; in this representation the goddess also covers her face, in this case with a golden funerary mask.

1.3 Personality

As a mortal, the Raven Queen was ambitious and determined following what she considered her own fate, developing the Ritual of Seeding and wresting a position in the pantheon from the previous god of death.

Deity Information
Type: Prime Diety
Title: Matron of Death, Matron of Ravens, Duskmaven
Province: Death, Fate, Winter, Twilight, Inevitability
Common symbol: White, humanoid mask framed in black feathers
Gender: Feminine
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Allignment: Lawful Neutral
Home Plane: Shadowfell
Realm: Letherna

Worship
Worshipers: Raven's Order
Holy Day: Night of Assecension (9th of Tarsakh)
Major Temples: Raven's Crest
Associated Domains: Death, Grave, Life, Twilight
Associated Patron Archetypes: The Hexblade
Chosen: No known chosen

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2. Commandments of the Matron of Ravens
Death is the natural end of life. Grieve the fallen, but do not pity them. Exult in the time that they were granted. The path of Fate is sacrosanct. Those who pridefully cast off destiny must be punished. Undeath is an atrocity.Death is too good a punishment for those who pervert the rightful transition of the soul.

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3.Biography

3.1 Background

The Raven Queen was originally a mortal wizard who lived during the Age of Divergence, possibly in Ciruesia, theorized to have been born of a human decendent. She was a follower and partner of the previous god of death,but around a century post divergence, she developed rites that allowed her to destroy him and take his place, becoming the first mortal to achieve godhood. Her rise to godhood is variously described as either involving her challenging her predecessor and overtaking him or as having instantly destroyed him upon her ascension. She sundered his name from reality, so that it even disappeared from his temples at the moment of her ascension; likewise, her name was taken even from the memories of those who knew her and was later believed to be either lost to or removed from the historical record.
In fear, the remainder of the pantheon swiftly destroyed and prohibited these rites. However, another powerful mage, Vecna, reconstructed the Ritual of Seeding and attempted it, but the ritual was interrupted and he was all but destroyed. The Raven Queen's ascension also inspired Vespin Chloras to release the imprisoned Betrayer Gods back into the Material Plane, leading to many gods and powers to be forever lost in the astral sea as forsaken carcases.
At some point after her ascension the Matron of Ravens made Letherna her realm in the Shadowfell. She became revered by the shadar-kai, elves that now lived in that plane, and who received new powers thanks to the goddess

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4. Artifacts

The Deathwalker's Ward is a set of armor that used to belong to one of the most famous champions of the goddess, Purvan Suul, and it is said to bear black feathers of the Raven Queen herself. The Raven's Slumber is another magical object associated with the champion, but it is not as powerful, and it is unknown if it was originally linked to the Matron of Death.
Cloak of Raven's Veil is an enchanting cloak is crafted from a myriad of healthy raven feathers, magically bound together into a flowing garment that drapes from the shoulders. To attune to this item, one must seek the Raven Queen's blessing and maintain unwavering service to her cause.