Ravenna (RA-ven-Ah)

The Evener, The Slate Clearer, Final One

Neutral Ravenkin Death Goddess

Depicted as an austere ravenkin wearing a black mourning gown, and bearing an ebonywood hourglass with stark white sand in one hand and small silver scales in the other (both of which are holy symbols of hers). In older depictions instead of silver scales she bears a clay slate upon which each mortal's deeds and downfalls would be magically inscribed when their soul apeared before Ravenna upon their death, and this older representation is still used in a few remote locales.

Ravenna offers the eventual peace of the grave, but also chooses the worthy and unworthy alike for another turn on the wheel of reincarnation. A distant but not uncaring deity, Ravenna is mysterious...often described as enigmatic...but also scrupulously unbiased. She does not seek to take people before their time, nor is she judgmental. While her scales measure the balance of each mortal's soul across the entirety of all their incarnations, she remains clinically objective and is never vindictive. The heavier the soul the more time it needs upon the wheel of reincarnation, but this is for the soul's own good and isn't punitive.

On the unusual occasions that a departed soul is resurrected or a mortal finds a way to attain some form of immortality, Ravenna doesn't seem to care...in the vastness of time such anomalies will likely meet their end eventually and if they do not they are simply denying their souls the opportunity to acheive elevation. It's also possible such things are actually fated to occur, and all is as it is meant to be. Ravenna has never been one to explain herself in any tale or myth, so who's to say.

In some older stories Ravenna, Sektni, and Pookalon feature as a trio to decide the fates of mortals, with Sektni responisble for weaving the threads of each mortal's destiny, Ravenna responsibile for deciding where to cut each thread, and Pookalon acting as a sort of foil to allow each mortal the chance to escape their fate in favor of following their own free will. There remain some mystery cults who continue to hold to this more ancient facet of her cosmic role. Similarly after Stryxa the goddess of Night was killed by Skyla at the dawn of history, many among the common folk began to liken the darkness of night to some imagined notion of the halls of the dead, and to the pitch black wings and feathers of Ravenna cloaking the life giving light of the sun, and there are those who emphasize this nocturnal facet in their worship of her.

Virtually all offer some prayer or observance to Ravenna at various moments in their life, her priests oversee most funerary ceremonies, and many small mystery cults venerate her in some version or other. But few outside of her clergy worship her as their primary deity, and some who fear death adopt a (one-sided) adversarial position to her.

Barbarians: Path of Ancestral Guardians (Spirit Talkers)
Bards: College of Spirits (Spirit Talkers)
Clerics: Grave, Twilight, Peace
Druids: Circle of the Silvery Skein, Circle of Stars (Nightsisters)
Rangers: Gloom Stalkers
Sorcerer: Shadow

Circle of the Silvery Skein (Mystery Cult)

The Silvery Skein is a very old and formidable mystery cult that venerates Ravenna, Sektni, and Pookalon in the ancient ways, as a trio of goddesses concerned with death, fate, and free will.

Nightsisters (Mystery Cult)

The Nightsisters are a mystery cult that venerates Ravenna in her lesser roles of Night and Fate. Though not found under every bush or in every settlement, the mystery cult is ancient and well established; members could in theory be found in virtually any part of the inhabited world. Neither benevolent nor malevolent, members take their guidance from the stars, various rites and portents, and the occasional bit of divine guidance.

The Circle of Stars Druids are referred to as Nightsisters in this setting, they only accept females into their order, and must be (LN, N, CN). The subclass is also slightly modified, as follows:
- A Druid in this subclass may only Wild Shape into their Starry Form.
- The Dragon constellation is instead called The Raven (but it is mechanically unchanged).
- A Druid in this subclass has the following additional constellations available to their Starry Form:
  - The Owl: while in this Starry Form you gain Darkvision 120' and advantage on Stealth skill checks. At 10th level, you also gain a flying speed of 30 feet.
  - The Scales: while in this Starry Form you gain the effects of a Protection From Evil And Good spell cast on yourself (does not require concentration or components). At 10th level, when you enter this Starry Form you may also select one creature within 30 feet who must make a Charisma save or be affected by Bane (does not require concentration or components) for the duration of your Starry Form.
  - The Hourglass: while in this Starry Form you gain the effects of the Sanctuary spell cast on yourself (does not require components). At 10th level, select up to four creatures within 30 feet who also are warded by Sanctuary; if any of the warded creatures makes an attack, casts a spell that affects an enemy, or deals damage to another creature your Starry Form ends.

Spirit Talkers (Mystery Cult)

The Spirit Talkers are a mystery cult that seeks to commune with the spirits of the dead, and venerate Ravenna to entreat her to allow it. Though most members of the cult are ravenkin not all are, and members generally claim to be called to the practice by first hearing the voices of the dead and feeling compelled to heed them. People from all walks of life, rural, tribal, or urban are found among their number.

College of Spirits Bards are mechanically unaltered, but they generally do not sing, dance, or entertain as one might stereotypically expect of a Bard. Rather the dead speak thru them, telling tales from their mortal life, offering encouragement, or instilling the fear of death and the mysteries of the other side.
Path of Ancestral Guardians Barbarians are mechanically unaltered, but their fluff is altered. Rather than specifically summoning their personal ancestors they are instead assisted by spirits of the departed in general.